Unknown to Many

She shoved her hair back, each time it tried to reach her young beautiful face. Why I am crazy about her? Oh God! She really is beautiful. All his thoughts got interrupted when a husky voice called out his name. "Mr. Matthew Plaster…". That was the call, which made him become aware that it was the third one from the lady. He ran towards the woman and apologized. " No problem, Mr. Plaster. It’s not very odd around a place like here ", the woman had a pleasant smile. He got hold of the passport from the woman. Women of New York City are even more beautiful. And where is my beautiful girl? It took fifteen minutes for him to settle down into the comfortable recliner chair of the plane.
Matthew Plaster was on his way to India, probably to see one of the wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal. His friend had told him that it was built for Shahjahan’s beloved lady, Mumtaz. He had a picture of it in his hands. What a beauty! If I ever had an intention of building a house for my ladylove, it must be like this, he thought gleefully. He looked down at it for sometime. Then came the huge surprise to him when the girl sat next to him. He could not think of anything except for the girl. He could not believe his fortune. Wow! She has come here. You lucky sonofabitch! He told himself being exhilarated.

The journey lasted for about nearly 22 hours; they landed at the capital, New Delhi on June 5. The girl’s name was Johanna McGregor. She belonged to his country and she lives in Phoenix. In the meantime they chattered a lot. Everything is simply forgettable when you had her company. It had all started off with the question," Hey! That book…I have read it, it's just stunning ". And she had replied, "Really? A friend of mine lent me this book. She said she liked it a lot and wanted me to give it a try." This is how it had started and had ended affording a bond between them.
But she had already been married to someone and was reluctant to tell him anymore. Could it be a divorce? How the hell that man could have left this young beauty? However, that makes me feel better. He thought.

When he tried discussing her personal matter, she had started crying. " Mr. Plaster, you Will never know how much I loved him; adored him. But he had left me", she almost choked.
He tried to please her somehow, " Madam, I am sorry if I said something offensive. But I just thought I could be of any help to you".
" No, Mr. Plaster, no one could help me. It’s all over", she managed a smile.
And now he was the only person that she could speak to. But to him, it all seemed like a dream. I am there to hold you forever darling. Forget that bloody ass! He thought. But she was holding tight about something. He could not perceive it.
They were at Taj hotel. The view from there was out of the ordinary. Its extent had a large lake through which you have to cruise in a ferry. It was amusing. Johanna sat beside him. He came to know that there had not been a pleasant day than this one he was sharing with her. She just sat studying the water carefully, but sure she was lost in thought.
I am going to detect what is nagging at her, he promised which seemed nowhere from reach. But each time when he was on the verge of inquiring, his tongue failed questioning himself why.





" Morning, Mrs. McGregor", Johanna McGregor heard the familiar voice. It was Matthew Plaster. That night they had stayed at the same room as other rooms were already allotted. How stubborn had been she to get another room!
" Good morning, Mr. Plaster." She said in a sleepy voice.
" Did you sleep well?" he asked.
" Half the night went without sleep. But later I dozed off. And you?" she asked.
" I did sleep well. What would you like to have? Coffee or Tea?" he asked with much concern that was evidently visible in his eyes.
"Thank you. Black coffee." She said.

He went out to fetch them. He didn't look so handsome, had black eyes and blond hair. And there was no attraction. Why had I to stay with that fellow? I don’t want to do this mistake ever in my life.
" Mrs. McGregor, are you all right?" Plaster asked her.
" Oh I am all right", she saw the look in his face," I am just thinking about my future." She tried to manage.
" Now have this coffee. It's very tasty here than in America", he handed her the hot coffee.
She drank it. " Good. It sure is", she said.
" Mrs. McGregor, Don’t you feel sweaty here. I will have to freshen up my body first ", he said. She nodded. He walked into the bathroom.

************************************************************************

Johanna Cleary belonged to France. She was young, pretty with brown hair and pale skin. She schooled in France. When she was a young girl, her father had asked her, " What would you want to become, dear?” She would reply, " I want to be a doctor." Her life had been cool until she got to her high school. Many boys had tried to play with her and they had won. She could never fight them.
Johanna McGregor got pregnant. She was rejected from her house when her father came to know about her conception. He got her out of the house.
" You bloody! I brought you up well. But you deceived me. Get out of the house right now. You are the one I cared for. But why did you do that?" he had yelled.
" Dad, I can't be held responsible for all this." She had cried. But he listened to none of them. She was left alone. There was no one who could help her. She wandered in the streets of Paris. She didn't have enough food for herself. She had gone to shops begging for a job. But none of them picked her up.

But later when she had got a job in the parlor, she had a miscarriage. She wanted to find some other job that could help her a lot. She, then with the help of her friend, Mourey Patterson did some studies and came to a better position. She got a job as a nurse at the hospital.
It was then she had met Andrew McGregor. He had looks that made every lady turn towards him. He was not only handsome but also very intelligent. He was very fast in responding to things. He was the doctor of the hospital. If he hadn't seen her, her life wouldn't have changed. Neither would have been his.
Andrew, one day walked into room no.30 to see one of his patients. There he saw Johanna, feeding the patient. In that white attire, he could evidently see her beauty. She looked still more beautiful than ever. He had known her since he joined the hospital that she is less talkative but very brilliant. He enquired about the patient's present condition. "
As this patient, Mr. Williams, has had an accident, says his left leg pains a lot. Why don't we run a scan?" she said. " But he didn't tell me anything about it. Did you, Mr. Williams?" he asked. The patient had simply replied, " I am afraid about all this operation. So I thought I shouldn't tell you. But now the pain is rising. I couldn't bear it."
After five hours, the operation had been successfully done. If not, it could have cost his leg. After the operation, Andrew had said," Thank God, you told me. Otherwise, he could have lost his leg.”
"Mr. Andrew, there is nothing that I told you. His pain had increased and he had to call you" she had replied laughing.
For three months, they did work together. One day Mr. Andrew called her for date. At the restaurant, Andrew started. " I’ve been working with so many women. But no one inspired me. But you …er…I love you" he had said. The words caught Johanna off guard. She managed a smile. She found her heart bursting. She was overwhelmed with happiness. All her unhappy days of loneliness suddenly vanished. I found the man I am going to marry, she thought.
It was three months after their marriage that she had become pregnant. The moment she knew it, she snowed under joy. That night she waited for her husband to return home. She was desperately waiting for him to tell the news. Andrew, I am going to have your baby. We are going to go somewhere and celebrate this. We are going to Switzerland. There, we are going to have our baby. It's going be a boy, all her thoughts got intervened by the telephone call, it must be Andrew. She grabbed the receiver,
" Hello, Andrew?"

" Mrs. McGregor, I am Abraham. Mr. McGregor has had an accident." He replied.
Suddenly, she found sick to her stomach," What? Is he all right?", she choked.
" I am afraid it's very serious… He’s… He's dead".

Johanna was held in a state of hysteria. She didn't know what to do. How dare you can possibly do that to me, and more than ever to our baby. Now how I am going to bring him up? But I can't do anything being a nurse. I am going to find a suitable job just for our baby, she decided.
It was a big loss to the hospital. Thereby the hospital had been sealed.
Johanna spent very little money on everything. She had to fight it till she had Jr. Andrew out into the world. I am going to do everything to bring up my son, she declared. The pain started late at night during her ninth month. She could not bear it. There was no one with her. She called a taxi to take her up to the hospital. There was no one who could understand her pain. How unbearable it was. It was a boy. She named him David. He had his father's blue eyes and his mother's short brown hair. He looked very cute.
She made a decision thereafter. I am going to earn money somehow. I have everything with myself. The most important of all is that I am skillful. Andrew had told me that. I am brilliant. I can hold my baby. I can…
******************************************************
She finished calling back all her awful and awesome moments. Oh God! How I am going to bring him up? I can't go on like this. I wish to bring my son somewhere else like this. He may not know the world then. Or what I did is right? She sat staring at the ceiling when he came out of the bathroom.

" Mrs. McGregor, it's fine to be always under the shower", he said as he studied her face. He could clearly see that there were dark circles under her eyes.
" It's a hot bath, right?" Johanna asked him.
" Yes. It is."

Johanna McGregor walked into the bathroom. She threw her brown tops and blue jeans and positioned herself below the shower. She turned the tap. The hot water washed her body. She took the soap from the box and began moving it up and down her body. She felt warm. I don't feel 25. I feel very young, she thought. She took 10 minutes. But this shower did not have any impact on me. I wonder how the people of India live without a tub, Johanna McGregor thought.

Johanna McGregor took the yellow towel and covered her body with it. She came out of the bathroom. After seeing her come out, Matthew's eyes flashed. Man, I have never seen her so beautiful, he thought. He had his eyes pinned on her. He moved towards her with a strong thirst. But he stopped himself mid-way. Hey! Act smartly. " Sorry", Matthew told Johanna.
Johanna's smile turned into a laugh and then she moved towards the mirror to scan her body. She checked her face. There were dark areas under her eyes as well as pimples. She slipped into a white shirt and black jeans. She left her brown hair loose. It revealed her beautiful face.

" Johanna, here the dishes available are only Indian. I have tasted them. They do taste good. Especially the one called chapatti. Like to give it a try?” Matthew asked her.
"Why not? I have never been to India before. But if you say so, then let me taste it." She said with a smile.

The waiter came. Plaster ordered two chapattis.
" I just want to ask this, Mrs. McGregor. Why did your husband divorce you? So what if he did? There are so many people out there in this world. Forget that fellow,” he said all of a sudden.
" What on earth are you speaking, Mr. Plaster? How many times should I tell you not to inquire me about that? What makes you ask that? What made you think he divorced me?" she blurted out faster. She saw the heads of the others already turned and stopped.
" Mrs. McGregor, I am sorry. I didn't want to offend you. I just want…." He apologized.
" My husband died in an accident", she saw the reaction on his face.
" I am sorry. I misunderstood, Johanna. I am extremely sorry." He finally said.
" It's all right, Matthew. It doesn't matter", Johanna tried to calm him down.
The rest of the lunch went in silence.
They arrived at their room after eating. It was Matthew who started conversing.
" For what have you come here?" Matthew asked her.
" I came here for business. I am the owner of Richard & Johanna. I wanted to claim some software from India. Is that all you need?" she saw the anger rising in her. Why is this man asking me a lot of questions? She thought.
" I understand. I am sorry" he had no words.
" I have got to go to my office at ten. So I think I have to go now."
She said as she got her purse and walked out.

Matthew closed the door. He reached the phone and ordered drinks.
She is getting annoyed. But she has lots of money! I am going to propose to her.
Matthew Plaster had seen girls of all ages. He might have thought Johanna McGregor was all just a young girl who seemed not difficult to seek attention. But he now knew that was wrong. She seemed so unreal. She was very lovely with her good looks and what not. Matthew now knew that he had not come for any official matters but for this young lady. He had followed Johanna right from Phoenix to India. He had his motive only to take this lady for his own. Matthew knew that she was the owner of Richard And Johanna. If he married her, he would not only become rich but would also posses this beauty.

Matthew was born in Mexico. He was raised by his stepmother. His father divorced her stepmother and had eloped with another lady. But Matthew's stepmother was not very kind.

Matthew Plaster did not have the handsome face once he had possessed in his adulthood. His face slowly but surely grew ugly as he grew up. He would never believe that was true. What more he had was the brilliance that wasn't much to be considered as a lesser rank. He had to run away from his stepmother after she made him labour under the sun. He fled away from there to where? Was the question. But he had the answer too. He worked in a shop and gradually he gathered money. He knew that job was useless. Matthew with the help of his friend, Martin Donald started a company, Martin & Plasters technologies. They built their office at many other places. But financially it was unapproachable to Richard & Johanna. Thereby, he had come to the conclusion that not unless he made a move, he could posses her. And in his life to this present step he had known not a lady like Johanna McGregor. She made a huge difference as when compared to any other lady.
Just then, the drink came. He sat down and poured them into the glass. Matthew went through the documents for another half an hour. He heard someone knock his door. It must be Johanna. I am going to marry you. Don't panic when you see her. He told himself. He reached the door and opened. Then what happened was all a blur. He knew that there was a sharp pain on his head from someone. There was another blow and he went down to the floor. Who is this? Who is trying to kill me? That was the last thing he remembered.

The death of Matthew Plaster spread, when a servant went to collect
the glasses. Matthew had been struck on his head. His whole body was
drenched with his blood. The policemen arrived as quickly as they heard at his room. One of the policemen asked the servant about the incident. " Sir, I don't know exactly what happened. He had asked for some drinks. When I came to collect the drinks, he was already dead. I
knew this when I held my hand near his nose. There was no breath. And
there is this blood" the dirty servant told them.

" when did he have his drinks?" the senior man asked.

" At eight- thirty", he answered.

" didn't you hear him scream?"

there was a pause. " yes. I think there was a scream. But I was very
busy doing my work."

" when did that scream come?"

" I am not sure. May be between 9.00 to 9.30", he answered checking his
watch.

The police tried asking someone who is beside Matthew's room. But they
found it very unfortunate. There were only two rooms near his. And
both the rooms were reported close two hours ago.
The policemen asked the receptionist.
" There were two persons in that room, a girl and Matthew Plaster. But
it's very obvious that they are not married. She was too stubborn to get
another room . But we had no rooms vacant. But the man convinced her
that they can stay together. So they were staying there just from
yesterday night. In the morning, I think at eight fifteen, the girl went out.
That is when this incident had happened. That's all officer." He told
him.

The news reached Johanna McGregor as soon as she reached the hotel.
Her face turned pale. The police had been informed about their quarrel.
Their first suspect was on this lady.

" May we question you mam?" John Hudson asked. He is the senior police
officer.

" I can help you in all ways I could", she said numbly.

" What was that fight for?"

" Oh! That's for nothing. He involved in my personal matters"

" So, you sound like it's no big deal?" John asked her.

" No way." She said.

" What did he tell you about his family?", he asked.

" He didn't tell me much about his family. He said he's from Phoenix.
He is single. His parents are in Mexico. And he told me that he's come
here to see Taj Mahal. That's all I know. And what I perceived from him
is that he will have no enemies and I wonder who struck his head." She
replied.

" May be, it is you", John said teasingly.

She saw the anger rising in her. " What the hell you think? I killed
him? you police men are crazy?" she could not control, but she knew she
would have to and stopped.

" Mrs. McGregor, why do you shout at me like this? this will only rise
the suspicion. We will start the investigation at 9 tomorrow. I think
you would have to arrange your attorney….", he went off.

" what? I am not the person who killed him. I was not there when he was
killed", she opposed him.

" But that's not important. You could have killed him by sending some
fellows to knockdown his head. It's a cold-blooded murder. Why couldn't he
have been an enemy to you? there is all such possibility" He said and
went out.

Johanna was now lost in thoughts. I am going to prove somehow I am not
the person who killed him. I think I would have to call Francis.



Johanna then booked a lodge that was very far away from TAJ HOTEL. She
thought it was always safer to be away from them. Late at afternoon,
around 2pm, Johanna McGregor, tried to reach her attorney. She had tried
reaching him for half an hour. But each time, he seemed to be busy. And
at last when she heard a voice on the other side, she started.

" Mr. Francis Harrison, I am Johanna McGregor", Johanna told him.

" Hello, Mrs. McGregor", Francis replied.

" I am into trouble. You will have to help me solve this. I was caught
responsible for a murder…" Johanna filled in the information.

" Mrs. McGregor, you don't have to worry about this. They only saw you
fighting with him?" Francis asked him.

" I didn't fight with him. I was correcting him", Johanna told him.

" Don't worry Mrs. McGregor. I am coming in next flight to India or I
will send someone ", He assured her.

" Thank you, Francis", she replaced the receiver.

She then slept for some hours. In the evening, she dialed her home
number.

" Hello, Miss. Jennifer, is David doing all right?", Johanna asked the
babysitter.

" David is doing really well. Don't worry about him", Jennifer assured
her.

" I am dying to meet him, Jenny. Now, could I speak to him?", Johanna
asked her.

" Definitely, Mrs. McGregor ", Jennifer Patterson said as she called
David.

" Mom, when are you getting back?", Johanna could hear her son's voice.

" Very soon. How is Jenny taking care of you?", Johanna asked her son.

" She is very nice, mom. She is not like the one you appointed
previously. And mom, I came first in my class", David told her.

" Congratulations dear. we will have a big treat when I return, a real
big, dear. is there anything dear?", Johanna said.

" em.. No. Bye, mom", David told her.

" Bye, dear", Johanna repeated. It's not very late before she heard the
knock at her door. Now be alert. Don't panic.
These dumb policemen are really crazy. She told herself.
She went to open the door. Out there was a real stranger. " What are you doing out
here?", Johanna found her voice trembling. Just then, there was a hit
on her head. "You bastard! Stop it", her scream knifed through the air.
She then became unconscious.

Now, someone was carrying Johanna to the hospital. There was a sharp
pain on her forehead. She knew that she was not going to die, but could
understand very little of what's happening around. I pray to you God,
don't take me. I have my little son out there in New York. Don't make
him helpless, please. Johanna prayed in her semi consciousness. She then
fell unconscious.

A man then rushed into the room, where Johanna rested. "Is Mrs.
McGregor all right?", he asked the doctor.

"Yes. Now nothing to worry. I am glad to say that she escaped a severe
blow on her head." The doctor said and went off.

Just then, John Hudson walked in. " What is it you are doing here?",
the police asked the man.
" I am Francis Harrison, attorney of Johanna. Mrs. McGregor told me
that she was having a problem. She told me that she wants me to come to
India quickly as you wanted her to arrange an attorney. I am very sure
that she couldn't have committed that murder. She is really very
innocent. But it's very saddening to see her in this condition", he told the
police officer.

"I am very sure that whoever had murdered Matthew Plaster must have
tried to kill her. I suppose, they both are a target for someone", he
stopped to see Johanna fluttering her eyes. Johanna looked still young and pale in the bed. Suddenly the
doctor approached and checked her pulse rate. After a long time, he
said, "She is all right. You can now speak to her".

John Hudson, the Indian senior officer went up to her. "Mrs.
McGregor, how do you feel now?", he asked as he sat next to her.

" It didn't hurt you much. Did it?", the attorney asked her.

"A bit tired. But relieved from the pain", Johanna whispered, her
mind in a whirl.

"I would appreciate it, if you will answer my questions", John said as
he saw her beauty in the bed.

" Yes. I can do that", she replied.

"thank you. how did this happen?", John placed his first question
before Johanna.

" I was speaking with my son, day before yesterday, Friday. I replaced
the receiver and just then heard someone knock at the door. I went to
see who it was. It was a stranger."

" Do you remember his face?", John asked frowning.

She thought for a moment. "I don't remember his face. I asked him what
He was doing there. He gave no answer but attacked me."

" Then what happened? Do you remember anything?", he asked her.

This time there was a big silence. " Nothing more", she whispered.

But she then continued. " Mr. John, you know, I have a lot of enemies everywhere I go. I think, whoever had murdered Matthew, must have come to murder me but as Matthew opened the door the last time, they just struck him. You see, Mr. John, they tried to kill me at Taj Hotel. But the victim was Matthew. The next time there was again a knock at Manjura Hotel. But I had been their victim, lucky enough to have survived. Mr. Matthew Plaster’s death was an accident ", she finished.

" Do you mean that murderer had come to kill you?", John paused, " very likely, Mrs.
McGregor. That is what I was thinking but in a different way. I think
you need security. We will send you some", John replied.

" No need. I will go to America as soon as possible", she told him.

" You mean you don't need security? This is impossible for any woman to
say. Did you tell someone that Matthew was with you? I am trying to
find the murderer. Please help me", John pleaded.

" I have so many people with whom I interact. So all of them know where
I am", she said with tears.

" What if some other person was killed again mistakenly?” he asked.

" I will not let this case without any regard. I will go to New York to detect over further. Don't involve anymore. And I thank you very much for every thing you did" she told him.

John Hudson then left the room.

Jerry Miller , in his early thirties closed the room's door.





















CHAPTER -- 2


"You have done it!", he said as she hugged him, "
Hey, I suppose it didn't hurt so much? And how did you know that it's
all a set up?"

" It just made me unconscious. And I wish you never asked that
question. I knew that somehow, because I am brilliant", Johanna told Jerry.

" But I felt shaky when you fluttered your eyes and I am scared that
you'll call me Jerry", he said.

" I was already awake when you introduced yourself as Francis. And
you're already in India for two months. So then everything fell into
place. Francis had already told me that he might come or will send someone",
Johanna replied.

Johanna had not gone to her office at eight-fifteen but to a
restaurant. Richard and Robert were already waiting for her. Both were given a
huge amount of money to kill Matthew Plaster. Then, Richard had gone to
Taj Hotel. When he rang the bell of Matthew's room, the door was opened
by Matthew Plaster himself and he had been struck. Then, he called
Johanna and told the news. Then, all she had done was acting. But she was
very much surprised to know that the police's suspect was on hers. She
had then called Francis. Francis had sent for Jerry Miller to plan
things. Jerry Miller had changed the whole story then. After some time, he
had sent a stranger to hit her head mildly as soon as she opened the
door.

Jerry Miller went near her and hugged her. " Thank you. so what was
that fight with him?", Jerry Miller asked her.

" First, you needn't thank me. I will not bear up anything that comes
to attack my company nor do I will leave a criminal. I can make my whole
body wounded up to avoid any obstacles. And Jerry you know, he deserve
this death from us. Bloody hell. He thinks I never know him. I knew him
very well. And to answer your question, I just fought because he
thought that my husband divorced me and spoke some offensive words. but you
know well that I couldn't tolerate anything wrong said about my husband.
I yelled at him, then. I shouldn't have because it would only rise the
suspicion. But somehow, you have made up that", Johanna answered her
assistant manager.
" Actually you know, after you called Francis, he called me and
asked me to look into it because he was very busy over there. But then, I
just planned and made things happen", Jerry finished.


It was not before two days, Johanna was set free from the hospital.

On Friday, she got a flight and flew to New York with Miller. The
journey with him was very nice. She had gone to the trial and spoke to the
judge very tactfully and would never rise the suspicion. The news was
spread all over New York. MATTHEW PLASTER WAS STRUCK MISTAKENLY. It had
reached them very lately.

Johanna McGregor has all the necessity to be happier. She had
murdered him. Well, that doesn't sound good. It was truly Jerry Miller who had
killed.

Now Jerry Miller, Johanna McGregor and Francis were all there in
Johanna's house to have a celebration.

Johanna prepared tea for all the three and sat in one of the chairs
available. The others took their seat before her. She placed the tea on
the table and lit the lamp, while the others poured the tea into their
glasses.

" How did you know that Matthew Plaster was against your company?",
Francis asked her sipping his tea.

" There was a phone call from someone one day. He told me that he was
in love with me. I just ignored that. But then number of calls was
coming from him. I then asked Jerry to trace down his number. It was from a
public booth. But then I asked Jerry to keep him off. Just then, I was
watching the news on TV. There I heard that voice again. He introduced
himself as Matthew Plaster and he told that he had been making all ways
to improve his life and his company. He also included this point that
he wanted to marry a girl who's from a big company. It became clear in
my mind that it must be this guy who was calling me. that's how I knew
him. Jerry told me that he saw this guy again in a bar shop", she paused
for a moment.

Jerry then continued, " I know him very well. How the heck could I
forget him or forgive him? He is the one who assaulted my sister. Mary
Miller was my sister's name. Mary looked very beautiful and so this guy had
fallen in love with my sister. But Mary was complaining that he was
following her. But I never knew it was that serious. But then," there was
a pause, " he assaulted her and killed her. I tried reaching police. As
there was no evidence, he was freed. But now he had been paid. I owe
much to you, Johanna" , Jerry finished.

" Good plan, Jerry. So how do you feel now?", Francis Harrison asked
Jerry.

" A lot relieved from a big stress", Jerry told them, placing his glass
of tea down.

" I did this not just for you, but also for my company", Johanna
McGregor told them. She then collected all the empty glasses from the table
to the kitchen and washed them.

Both Francis and Jerry stood ready to leave. " How will you go?",
Johanna McGregor asked Jerry Miller.

" Well, Mr. Miller, I think I can drop you by your house", Francis told
him.

" It is very nice of you", replied Jerry who seemed to be relieved.


It was after an hour David came back home with Jennifer. Jennifer
seemed too slim and David even worse than her.

" You both look slim? Jenny, don't you give enough food for David and
for yourself?", Johanna asked teasingly.

" Oh! Mrs. McGregor, don't kid. Well, then, how is your head now? Are
you alright?", Jenny asked her as she examined Johanna's head.

" Oh! There's nothing to worry, Jenny", Johanna took Jennifer's hand
off her head, " I still have some pain".

" Mom! What's wrong with you?", David's face turned pale.

Johanna placed her arms over his shoulders, " I am now all right. I
was-".

" She was having a mild pain on her head. I mean, a headache", Jennifer
Patterson tried to manage.

" Yes, David. Nothing more", Johanna added after Jennifer.

" When and where we are going to have our treat?", David McGregor asked
suddenly.

" Oh! You have quite a good memory, dear. we will have it on Tuesday in
Royal Woodlands", Johanna told her son.

" Mom, when will you take me to India?", David asked her again.

" My dear son, we are not going there for now. I think I have had
enough", Johanna said wryly.

" Okay, take me somewhere else, please", David told her.

" Right. you may make yourself now ready for dinner", she told him.

They were at their dinner when David McGregor spoke up.

" Mom! Jenny's very nice. She takes me every where I want. She really
is very nice and kind".

Jennifer seemed to blush.

" Well, you know David, I will not appoint anyone who doesn't take
proper care of you. then, what about your studies?", Johanna McGregor
asked.

" Well, mom, I am only in fourth grade. So don't worry about that. I am
still coming first in my class in studies as well as in sports", David
told her.

" So Jenny, what's your plan for now? Are you going to study or work?",
Johanna changed the subject.

" I think I will go in for studying. I am bored to do any work",
Jennifer told her, " I don't mean babysitting", she added quickly.

" Okay, now how much you charge for this babysitting?", Johanna asked
her.

" Thanks but I don't need money. There is no happy at home. I am just
wanting to get away from my house as far as possible. That's all. I
don't want any money", Jennifer Patterson replied in a sad and low voice.

" I am praying that your problem would end sooner", Johanna tried to
calm down her.

After dinner, they all went to bed. Jennifer had been given a place in
one of the seven rooms available in the affluent house.

Now Johanna McGregor went upstairs to change her dress to a night gown.
She closed the door. She then slowly removed her dress and stood naked
before the mirror. She saw that her face looked more beautiful than
ever, I am looking good. if my husband sees me now, he will be a lot
happier, she thought. Tears covered her eyes. She couldn't forget the
moments with Andrew. She always wanted to recall them. Shopping, skiing,
flying, working and what not?, she thought.

Johanna McGregor quickly slipped into a black night gown that was
bought by her husband. You look more beautiful and sexy when you wear it,
dear. I never want to leave you forever , he had told her. But she no
longer wanted to think about Andrew McGregor. He's already dead. She now only
cared about Jerry Miller. The fact she helped in murdering Matthew
Plaster was not at all for her own company but for Jerry and his love for
his sister.

She took a book from the shelf and opened. She wasn't concentrating,
but just looking. Her mind was lost in thoughts. She tried to read them
over again but she then dozed off.