Claire knew in the pit of her stomach – depths of her soul -- it would never be over. He shared in his box that he’d been watching her since at least the time of her parent’s death. No, actually – if, and she still isn’t sure of this -- if, he purposely lured Simon away with the job offer – he’d been watching since her freshman year of college.
Yes, Anthony Rawlings was the one who callously threw her away – left her to be incarcerated for a crime she never committed. However, multiple times she thought about his offer. Before she pleaded no contest to the charges, he offered her another out. He offered her the option to plead insanity. He even had an institution ready to take her as a patient. If she’d accepted his offer he would still to this day, possibly forever, be in control. Somehow Claire believed Tony expected her to take his option.
She grinned, realizing that without trying, she’d defied his plans. Feeling a small amount of pride, Claire grasped the unusual feeling. If she could defy Anthony Rawlings out of instinct, instead of intention and survive, it seemed the possibilities were limitless, if she put her mind to it.
Tony would never allow her to exist away from him. Somehow she needed to remove his power. Claire realized hiding from the sound of his voice, strengthened it. Conversely, the opposite would weaken it.
Last night, after returning to the table at the restaurant, Claire announced to her friends she was ready to continue the work on their quest. She currently had the time and thanks to Tony, the money. She would accept help, but without a doubt, Tony’s phone call cemented her resolve – Mr. Anthony Rawlings had a lesson to learn and Claire claimed the role as teacher.
Amber and Harry saw her red blotched face. Yet, instead of pity or even acknowledgement of her current condition, both friends smiled. Amber got up and hugged Claire, “I hope you know you have my full support and any help I can provide.”
“If you two scorned ladies will allow, I would like to be involved in this quest.” With that, Harry encircled both women in his arms. Their group hug lasted only seconds, but the common goal and support energized Claire beyond any depletion from the phone call.
This morning she woke with new purpose. Her phone call with Courtney didn’t diminish that purpose, it increased it.
As she dressed for her day, Claire marveled at again hearing her ex-husband’s voice. Twice in two days! Hearing him speak to Courtney, sounding casual and friendly, there was a time she worked diligently to keep that tone in his voice. It was refreshing to not concentrate on his feelings, but on her own.
Claire smiled at herself in the mirror. She liked her chestnut brown hair, jeans, and tennis shoes. She liked wearing very little make-up. From now on her concerns were going to be her focus!
She’d spent the last fourteen months grasping at straws of self-worth. It was a difficult process especially while in a federal penitentiary. At one time she wondered if living was worth the trouble. Today, she knew it was.
His voice, through her phone, divulged more to her than merely words. Tony had once said she knew him better than anyone. In the pit of her stomach she knew he would seek to find her. And beyond a shadow of a doubt, he’d succeed. Anthony Rawlings rarely, if ever, failed.
This reality fueled her need to suddenly become visible. Her original plan of anonymity was to avoid him. She failed. Being invisible would make her an easy target, no matter his intention. The more visible Claire Nichols was to the world, the harder it’d be to remove her. This, hopefully not too late realization, made her cheeks rise and a smile radiate beyond her lips to her green eyes.
Honestly, the prospect of seeing him, talking to him, being near him frightened her. The fear didn’t just stem from his possible actions – but, hers. Claire knew, she couldn’t predict her own actions, emotions, or responses when the time came to meet him face-to-face. Despite their history, Tony had the ability to manipulate her thoughts and beliefs. Her personal pep talks were all well and good while he remained at large. Nevertheless, Claire could not honestly predict how she would respond, when push came to shove.
She reminded herself, unlike three years ago, she now knew the rules and boundaries to his game. Rule number one, there were no boundaries. Anthony Rawlings was capable of anything and would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Yet, even Superman couldn’t overcome kryptonite. Catherine once told Claire, she had the rare opportunity to know Anthony Rawlings as few do. Claire knew his intimate beliefs. She knew his kryptonite – appearances!
She also knew without a doubt, he’d be in California. It may be days, weeks, or hell, only hours, but he would step foot on the west coast. It would happen. Claire needed to be ready, her beekeeper suit intact.
She sat on the tall stool in the kitchen, her laptop open and began to egosurf. Before she could change the perception the world possessed of her, she needed to know what that perception held. The results were nauseating.
Entering CLAIRE NICHOLS RAWLINGS into the Google search engine landed her over fifty thousand hits! She began to click and read. Yes, there was factual information: born October 17, 1985, to Jordon and Shirley Nichols. One sister, Emily Nichols Vandersol, married to John Vandersol. Claire graduated from Hamilton Heights High School in Fishers, Indiana, and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in meteorology from Valparaiso University. She completed a one year internship in Albany, New York, and then worked for WKPZ as a meteorologist assistant in Atlanta, Georgia. After WKPZ was bought, she worked at the Red Wing, a restaurant in Atlanta, until 2010. It’s at that point the history of her life becomes mostly conjecture.
One of the few facts: on December 18, 2011, she married Anthony Rawlings. Claire had read the information before about her being a gold-digger. However, the ferocity of the newly found articles surprised her. It was as if some of these reporters were truly hell-bent on righting the wrongs done to Anthony Rawlings.
Claire scrolled numerous articles which made her every sin public knowledge. She read about her changing hair color and shopping habits. There were accurate and inaccurate reports of travels. Thinking that perhaps this was a journey she shouldn’t have taken, she clicked and discovered an unlikely ally – a redeemer of her reputation. The article appeared in Rolling Stone, February 2012, following her arrest – prior to her plea. It was entitled, Mrs. Rawlings, No longer a Mystery – But Seriously a Killer? by Meredith Banks. The article discussed Claire Nichols, the real person, student, sorority sister, daughter – grieving the loss of her parents following their tragic deaths, intern, meteorologist assistant in Atlanta, bartender . It went on to discuss the impromptu meeting in Chicago and the unlikelihood of Claire Nichols attempting to murder her husband. Meredith mentioned Claire’s hesitation to discuss her future husband. Hesitation, I didn’t discuss him! Meredith also discussed the obvious -- with as much money as Anthony Rawlings possessed, why would Claire want to kill him? She used the travel, shopping, and pampering spas as evidence. Why would Claire want to kill the handsome generous husband who showered her with luxuries? She had access to all the money she wanted and Anthony was making more. Meredith concluded killing him made no sense.
Claire couldn’t help but see the irony – the first, perhaps only, positive and accurate article was written by the same woman who wrote the article eighteen months earlier which almost cost her, her life!