Chapter 25 Chapter Twenty-Five

It was Gordon Wellman, the night manager of the Copley Plaza Hotel, who inadvertently saved Julia's life.He started shift at six o'clock that night.He habitually checked the hotel's accommodation register.Suddenly, the name of Julia Stanford jumped into his eyes, which surprised him.Since Harry Stanford's death, newspapers have been filled with stories about the Stanford family.They rediscover old scandals involving Stanford's affair with his children's governess and the suicide of Stanford's wife.Harry Stanford had an illegitimate daughter named Julia.There were rumors that she had come to Boston in secret.It is said that he went to South America immediately after shopping in Damaite.Now, she seems to be back and staying at my hotel!Thinking of this, Gordon Wellman was very excited.

He turned to the receptionist and said, "Do you know how much advertising this means for our restaurant?" A minute later, he called the news unit... ※※※ When Julia returned to the hotel after sightseeing, the lobby was packed with reporters eagerly awaiting her.As soon as she entered the hall, they swarmed her. "Miss Stanford! I'm a reporter for the Boston Globe. We've been looking for you, but we hear you've left the city. Can you tell us about...?" A television camera was pointed at her. "Miss Julia, I am a reporter from WCVE TV, and we would like to ask you to make a statement..."

"Miss Stanford, I'm from the Phoenix. We want to know how you feel about..." "Look here, Miss Stanford! Smile! Thank you." The flash is making a crackling sound. Julia stood there, confused.Oh my god!she was thinking.My family must have thought I was some sort of publicity item.She turned to the reporters and said, "Sorry, I have nothing to say." She fled into the elevator.They followed closely behind. "Celebrity Magazine wants to report on your life, can you talk about what it's like to be isolated from your family for nearly thirty years..."

"We heard that you have gone to South America..." "Are you going to settle in Boston...?" "Why don't you stay at Rose Hill...?" She got off the elevator on the fourth floor and hurried along the corridor.They followed closely behind.She has no way of getting rid of them. Julia took out the key and opened her room.She went in and turned on the light. "Fine. Come in." Hal Baker hid behind the door, stunned.He still holds the knife in his hand high.As reporters jostled past him, he hastily put the knife back in his pocket and mingled with them.

Julia turned to the reporter and said, "Well, one question at a time, please." Baker misses again.He retreated to the door and slipped out.Judge Stanford is not going to be happy. For the next thirty minutes, Julia answered the reporters' questions as best she could.Finally they left. Julia locked the door and went to bed. The next morning, Julia Stanford was featured or published on every television station and newspaper. Tyler flew into a rage after reading the newspaper.Woody and Kendall also expressed their outrage at the dinner table. "Where's all this gossip about a woman who calls herself Julia Stanford?" Woody asked.

"She's a charlatan," Taylor said without thinking. "Yesterday, she asked for money, and I sent her away. But I didn't expect her to play such a cheap trick. Don't worry, I will deal with her." He called Simon Fitzgerald solemnly, "Have you read the morning paper?" "seen it already." "This con artist is going around claiming she's our sister." Fitzgerald said, "You want me to catch her?" "No! That would only draw more publicity. I want you to throw her out of the city." "Okay. I'll do it right away, Judge Stanford."

"Thank you." ※※※ Simon Fitzgerald sent for Steve Sloan. "There's trouble," he said. Steve nodded. "I see. I've heard the morning news and read the paper. Who is she?" "Obviously, someone who thinks she's entitled to the property herself. Judge Stanford recommends that she be evicted from town. You'll do it, will you?" "Very happy," Steve said firmly. An hour later, Steve knocked on Julia's hotel room door. Julia opened the door and saw him standing in the doorway.She said: "Sorry, I never want to talk to any reporter again. I..."

"I'm not a reporter. May I go in?" "Who are you?" "My name is Steve Sloan. I am the law firm representing the estate of Harry Stanford." "Oh, I see. Come in." Steve walked into the room. "You told the press you were Julia Stanford?" "I was off guard. I didn't expect them to come, you know, I..." "But you do claim to be Harry Stanford's daughter, don't you?" "Yes. I am his daughter." He looked at her and said sarcastically, "Then you must have evidence." "Well, no," said Julia slowly. "I don't."

"Come on," Steve insisted. "You've got to have some kind of proof." He was going to expose her with a lie of his own. "I have nothing," she said. He watched her carefully and was amazed.She wasn't what he expected.There was a frankness about her that dispelled hostility.She seems very bright.How could she be so stupid as to come here and claim to be Harry Stanford's daughter without any proof? "Unfortunately," Steve said, "Judge Stanford is going to kick you out of the city." Julia's eyes widened. "what?" "Yes, I want you to get out of this city."

"But . . . I don't understand. I haven't met my other brother and sister yet." So she's determined to keep bluffing, Steve thought. "Hey, I don't know who you are or what you're playing, but you could go to jail for that. We're giving you a chance. What you're doing is against the law. You have a choice. Either you leave the city and stop harassing this family, or you wait until we get someone to arrest you." Julia stood there in amazement. "Arrest me? I... I don't know what to say." "That's up to you." "They don't even want to see me?" Julia asked numbly.

"That was done to give you a chance." She took a deep breath. "All right then. If that's what they want, I'll go back to Kansas. I promise you, they'll never hear from me again." Kansas.You've come all the way here for this little trick? "That's very sensible." He stood there for a moment, looking at her puzzled. "okay, bye!" She didn't answer. Steve is back in Simon Fitzgerald's office. "Did you see that woman, Steve?" "Yes. She's going home." "Okay. I'll tell Judge Stanford and he'll be happy." "Do you know what troubles me, Simon?" "what?" "The dog didn't bark?" "What did you say?" "That's a Sherlock Holmes detective story. The clues lie in things that didn't happen." "Steve, don't you think there's something weird about this?" "She came here without any evidence." Fitzgerald looked at him puzzled. "I don't understand. That should convince you." "On the contrary. Why did she come all the way from Kansas to claim to be Harry Stanford's daughter without any evidence to back it up?" "There's a lot of weirdness in the world, Steve." "But she's not at all strange. You didn't see her. There are other things that puzzle me, Simon." "what?" "Harry Stanford's body is missing. When I went to talk to Dmitry Kaminsky, the only witness to the Stanford incident, he was missing. Also, no one seems to know about this first Julia Stanford Where did you go?" Simon Fitzgerald frowned. "what are you saying?" Steve said slowly, "Some things are going on that need to be explained. I'm going to talk to that lady again." ※※※ Steve Sloan walked into the lobby of the Copley Place Hotel and came to the front desk. "Will you call Miss Julia Stanford, please?" The receptionist looked up. "Oh, sorry. Ms. Stanford has already checked out and left." "Did she leave a mailing address?" "No, sir. I'm afraid not." Steve stood there, disappointed.There was nothing he could do.Well, maybe I'm wrong, he thought calmly to himself.Maybe, she is really a liar.We'll never know.He turned and left the hotel and came out into the street.A doorman is ushering a couple into a taxi. "I'm sorry," Steve said. The doorman turned around. "Need a car, sir?" "No, I want to ask you a question. Did you see Miss Stanford come out of the hotel this morning?" "Of course I saw it. All eyes were on her. She's a celebrity. I asked for her car." "I don't think you know where she's gone?" He thought he was holding his breath. "Of course I do. I told the taxi driver where to take her." "So, where did you go?" Steve asked anxiously. "To the Greyhound bus station at South Station. I wonder how a man with that much money would..." "I really need a car." Steve walked into the crowded Greyhound bus station and looked around.She was nowhere to be seen.She's gone, he thought desperately.At this time, the car announcement was broadcast on the radio.He heard the announcer say "Shuttle to Kansas City..." and rushed to the platform. Julia was getting ready to get into the car. "Stop!" he yelled. She turned around in surprise. Steve hurried up to her and said, "I want to talk to you." She looked at him angrily. "I have nothing more to say to you." She turned to leave. He grabbed her arm. "Wait a minute! I really need to talk to you." "The shuttle bus I'm on is about to leave." "There's another class." "My suitcase is up there." Steve turned to a porter and said, "This lady is going into labor. Get her suitcase down. Quick!" The porter looked at Julia in surprise. "Okay." He hurriedly opened the luggage compartment. "Which piece of luggage is yours, ma'am?" Julia turned to Steve, bewildered. "Do you know what you're doing here?" "I don't know!" Steve said. She looked at him for a while, then made up her mind."That one," she said, pointing to her suitcase. The movers hauled it out. "Shall I call you an ambulance or something?" "Thank you. I'll be fine." Steve picked up the suitcase, and the two walked towards the exit. "Have you had breakfast yet?" "I'm not hungry." She told him coldly. "You'd better eat something. You know you're eating for two now." They had breakfast at the Biba restaurant.Julia sat across from Steve, stiff with rage. After they ordered, Steve said, "I'm curious about something. What makes you think you can claim that you're entitled to some of the Stanford estate without any proof of your identity?" She looked at him and said angrily, "I didn't go there to claim the Stanford property. My father wouldn't leave me anything. I wanted to meet my family. Obviously, they didn't want to see me." .” "Do you have any documents to prove your identity...? Any evidence will do." She thought of the newspaper clippings piled up in her apartment, then shook her head and said, "No, nothing." "I'll introduce you to someone, and you can talk to him." ※※※ "This is Simon Fitzgerald." He hesitated for a moment. "Ok……" "Julia Stanford." "Sit down, miss," said Fitzgerald suspiciously. Julia sat on the edge of the chair, ready to get up and leave at any moment. Fitzgerald was watching her carefully.She had Stanford's deep gray eyes, but there were thousands of them. "You claim you are the daughter of Rosemary Nelson." "I'm not here for property. I'm Rosemary Nelson's daughter." "So, where is your mother?" "She's been dead for years." "Oh, I'm so sorry. Can you tell us something about her?" "No," said Julia, "really, I'd rather not." She stood up. "I'm leaving here." "Look... we're trying to help you," Steve said. She turned to him and said, "Really? My family doesn't want to see me. You're going to hand me over to the police. I don't need this kind of help." She started walking towards the door. Steve said, "Wait a minute! If you're Stanford's daughter, as you say, you'll have to have something to prove your identity." "I told you I didn't," Julia said. "My mother and I have erased Harry Stanford from our lives." "What was your mother like?" asked Simon Fitzgerald. "She's beautiful," said Julia, her voice softening. "She's the cutest..." She remembered something. "I have a picture of her." She unfastened a locket in the shape of a heart from the necklace and handed it to Fitzgerald. He looked up at her for a moment, then opened the box.On one side is a picture of Harry Stanford and on the other is a picture of Rosemary Nelson.It was engraved with "Love to Rosemary Nelson, gift from Harry Stanford".The year is 1967. Simon Fitzgerald stared at the box for a long time.When he looked up, his voice became hoarse. "We owe you our apologies, honey." He turned to Steve and said, "This is Julia Stanford."