Goodbye: Day 11

Ben:” Loretta gave me your … package.” Crystal: “I knew she would keep it safe.” Ben:” She also invited us over for dinner! I think she thinks we’re .. You know.” Crystal:”Aren’t we?” Ben:” Well … The good news is that I managed to subdue Sammy. And when I got my hands on the deed, I confirmed it was a forgery.” Crystal:”That is good news.” Ben:” I took the fake deed and the shady legal files to my old connections at the government … And Granderson is in DEEP trouble.” Crystal:”Congratulations!” Ben:” Congratulate yourself! I couldn’t have done it without you. Granderson, the lawyer, the banker, they’re all going to jail for a very long time.” Crystal:”Good. They deserve it.” Ben:” I suppose they do.” Crystal:”You think?” Ben:” Yeah. Mixed feelings, I guess. They did so much bad for the world. They can’t make up for it with much good from prison.” Crystal: “I guess.”

Ben:” Granderson was ordered to return the land to the city. The homes that weren’t demolished were given back to their owners. And the people who lost their homes were paid for their losses.” Crystal: “That’s wonderful! … What about Sammy?” Ben:” Sammy’s in jail.” Crystal:”Oh.” Ben:” He got a light sentence. He complied with investigators but … We won’t be seeing each other for a while.” Crystal:”Ben, I am sorry.” Ben:” You still have sympathy for him? After all that?” Crystal:”Of course. He’s practically your family.” Ben:” He is. Thank you for understanding.”

Crystal:”Is there more you’re not telling me?” Ben:” How can you tell?” Crystal:”I should know you by now.” Ben:” You do know me. So well. Which is why this is going to be so hard. The government was able to give me a full pardon for all my crimes.” Crystal: “What? That’s great news!”

Ben:” There’s more … They pardoned me. But they had one condition.” Crystal:” What was it?” Ben:” I had to come back to work for them. Undercover.” Crystal: “Can you tell me where?” Ben:” I can’t.” Crystal:”Can you tell me how long you’ll be gone?” Ben:” No. But if you see someone who looks like this on your travels … Maybe say hi.” 

Crystal:”I can do that. So, is this … goodbye?” Ben:” I think it has to be. As much as I don´t want it to be.” Crystal:”Well then… Goodbye. I love you.” Ben:” I love you too. Someday we might see each other again. Until then … Maybe …” Crystal: “??? Maybe what?”