Olivia (Logan 5)

I sat there, fuming. I didn't know who I was angry at more, Nelson or Belinda? After I had confronted him with what I had seen him and Belinda doing in the boathouse, he had assured me nothing like that would ever happen again. Men should never be permitted to make promises, I thought. Their tongues should shrivel as soon as they begin to say the words "I promise."

"I guess I have to go get an abortion," she said through her tears.

I thought for a long moment.

"No," I declared.

"What?"

"No, you're not getting an abortion, Belinda. You're not letting him just get away with this, not this time. I forbid it," I said.

"Well what will I do then? I can't have a baby. What am I going to do with a baby?" she wailed.

"It's not just your baby, is it? It's Nelson's child, too," I said.

She whimpered and sobbed and stared up at me.

"What do you mean, Olivia? You're going to make him keep the baby? His wife won't like that, will she?"

"I'm not thinking about his wife right now. Did he think about his wife when he met with you in Boston? Did he?" I snapped at her. She shook her head.

"I don't want to have another baby," she cried. "I'm frightened."

"That's stupid, Belinda. I've had two, haven't I? The reason you had that horror show the first time is you kept it a secret and didn't do the right things. It will be different this time. Yes," I said with a strong sense of determination turning my spine to steel. "It will be quite different. This time you have me."

"I'm still afraid," she said. "It gives me chills just thinking about it," she said shaking herself as if she were shaking off ice water. "And I have nightmares every night. I can't fall asleep unless I drink myself to sleep. Olivia, do you hear me?"

I snapped out of my deep thought and glared down at her.

"I saidI'll be with you, didn't I? You won't have to be afraid of anything," I told her. "Now, does he know yet? Well?" I demanded when she hesitated.

"No. I thought I'd do what had to be done. I wasn't going to tell him. I'm afraid to tell him. I was afraid he would just blame me or he would deny it and make me lo

ok foolish. He's a very important man now. Do I have to tell him?"

"No," I said softly, "you don't have to tell him. I'll tell him," I said.

"You will?" she asked, drying her eyes and sniffling.

"Yes," I said turning back to the sea. The luxury liner was gone. There were no lights except the reflections of cold stars above. "Yes, I will."

16

Forced Confessions

.

If I had had any doubts that Belinda was telling

the truth, and I wish I had, they would have been snuffed out the following afternoon when I received a phone call from Nicholas Koson.

"Is it all right for me to talk?" he asked in a loud whisper, which I thought was overly dramatic. He sounded like someone with a hoarse throat.

"Pardon?"

"Is this a secured line, Mrs.. Logan?" he explained. I nearly laughed aloud at his cloak and dagger style, but that was what these people were paid to produce, I supposed.

"Of course it is," I said. "You think my telephones have been tapped?"