Chapter 30

Stanley stayed with Lora and just supported her as she wandered through its halls. They went up the spiral staircase and Lora wandered into a room Ralph called his private space. It was more of an office than anything else. He never wanted Lora in that room without him. It was where he made his business calls and kept his business papers. Stanley stood at the door. Lora walked to the desk chair and sat down. She looked at Stanley, they smiled at each other, then started going through the desk drawers. She found out that Ralph was truthful about the way he made his money. She found a list of fifteen companies he was a silent partner in. She also found a will from Geraldo Devante Mantillas who died at 75 years of age. It left everything to Ralph, his youngest grandchild. Everything included 3 houses, 6 cars, 5 shops, and 4.5 million dollars. There was paperwork showing the sale of the shops each for $100,000 dollars making Ralph $500,000 dollars richer. Next, she saw where he made a donation to an orphanage of $500,000 for repairs and any other needs. That puzzled her. Stanley was reading the papers after Lora. He knew everything and wanted to know more just as Lora did. They started going through everything.

Ralph's whole life was on paper: His birth record stated his birth date as March 27, 1968, making him 30, not 25; also stated that his birthplace was California (San Francisco to be exact) not Barbados. He was not a native. There were adoption papers. Wow, Ralph was adopted when he was 3 months old and then brought to Barbados to be raised. The grandfather brought in a woman to help raise him. She was called his Madam and nursed him. She went everywhere he went and was his lover as well. "Ewe. I wouldn't want to have the woman I see as my mother also be my lover."

He went to the best private school on the island and then on to an American University in Lora's home state of Georgia. He had pictures of Lora all through her high school years. All of her achievements, copies of her report cards, and even videos of her gymnastics, track, and choir performances. "This is so unsettling," Lora said.

Ralph had business holdings in Augusta. When they found out that one of Ralph's companies sponsored Lora's class senior trip, a surprise was on both their faces. "Had Ralph planned this all along?"

Then she saw it. Ralph tried to hide it deep in the back of the closet. The antique chest was beautiful. It was gold and engraved with silver outlines and a lock. Stanley took the chest and giggled the lock a few times and the box popped open. He turned it back towards Lora. She couldn't believe what she saw. Pictures of her from the age of fifteen till she met him on the island her senior year. He had her letter in the chest. There was also information about a child that was not at the Mansion. And what was with the child? Where is Ramon? Lora was now more confused and angry than ever. He had some nerve stalking her and everything. Then he hurt her. How could he? What was his problem?