CHAPTER 32 - BRAWLING. FLICKING AND AN ACCORD IS REACHED
JUSTIN
“Well, Peterscum, what do you have to say for yourself?!”
“Kindly pronounce my...” Lindsay blusters.
“Name as it deserved to be said? Of course, Peterscum.” I retort.
“Mr Taylor-Kinney, I maintain that…”
“You, as per usual where it comes to Justin, will say anything. But you, albeit it unwittingly, lit the fire and let it burn. However, before we continue, come here, Mr First Man, you are far too close to that stench!” I breathe deep, then turn to face Brian, who is leaning against the closed door. “I need you where I can stop you.” He quirks his only-for-me smile and opens his arms. As soon as I get into them, the room is filled with flashes and clicks as they take the ‘money shot’ of us kissing.
“She almost got me killed.” I mutter.
“I know.” He murmurs. “But we have better things to...where’d she go? Where’d they both go?” Debs whirls around before swearing loudly and throwing her arms in the air. “They won’t have gotten far. Now come on, let's finish this…”
“Finish what?” I frown as he strides towards the front. “Mayor Elect Taylor-Kinney, what are you doing?!”
“Giving a statement.” He calls back. The room goes quiet as he takes a seat, then pats the one next to him. “We're waiting, the quicker we go the quicker you...” I hurry to join him. “Eager beaver.” He chuckles before kissing me lightly, this hints of future fun to cum! He turns back to the press pack. “Can't answer the question if it isn't asked.”
“Mayor Elect Taylor-Kinney, Gerald West, Washington Post, what are your…”
Everyone turns to a ruckus outside the door. It goes quiet for a few seconds before it is flung open and Zee strides in, dragging a vermillion faced Peterscum behind her. “Ah, Ms Stark, you found her then?” I smirk.
“Yeah!” Zee drawls before pressing her into an empty seat in front of us. Whilst she glowers, she does sit, pretty much like the hound she is. “One more minute if you please, Mayor Elect, it felt better that I took her and he took him…”
“You took? Excuse me, but who are you?” Gerald frowns.
“Ms Stark, Ms Zaden Stark, another person who has a problem with...oh, for god sake, what are you doing?!”
“Putting my gun away!” Faal shouts back before he and Vance come in. “He thought I was joking.”
“Someone is coming in here with a gun?” Gerald swallows hard, and everyone but us gets tense. “Is that…”
“Allowed? Yep, absolutely, all above board, legal and accurate” Zee bites out. “So that’s him?” She points at Hobbs, her eyes never leaving Peterscum. “Thought you would be bigger. You need to know this, I will be joining Debs in that chat, and I will be armed, understand?”
“Yes. I understand.” Hobbs replies.
“So, Mr West, please continue your question.” Brian prompts.
“Yes, um, your thoughts on what has just been revealed? Do you agree with her sentiment that she is not at fault?”
“Everyone is at fault for what happened, but let me clarify where the fault lies with my husband. Absolutely, he should not have said what he said on The Avenue, as I said to him at the time ‘you have a real enemy’. Because, like Ma said, not his place, but that is a miniscule portion of blame. All the people who are mostly at fault are the late father of Hobbs, Hobbs, and Peterscum. I will never ever forgive any of them for what they did, but as his husband said, he didn’t have to come forward with the information he had…” He looks at his watch. “...and as Ma said, the files on Peterscum and Novotny are now open. Ergo, you can see the truth of their behaviour.”
“What about Gardner Vance?” Charles demands. “What is his part in this?”
“He set fire to our loft and destroyed millions of dollars of my work because I refused to allow my husband to buy him out of his business.” I reply. “His attorney managed to finagle an 18 month sentence for that. He met my late sperm donor in jail, but Vance was discharged early, again arranged by his attorney, and…”
“I...uh...just wanted to leave after being duped by…” Vance stammers.
“Duped you say? By whom? Surely not your bedmate, or now that she has been exposed, will you be moving on?” Zee sneers. “And speaking of being duped Mr Vance, why would you think my husband would be joking about a gun? You know who we are and what we do after all. And whilst you are thinking about that, can you tell me why your ex has approached my company requesting a forensic financial background check on you?”
“She has?! I have no idea why she would do that!” He gasps going pale.
“Well, judging by that reaction, it will not be a fruitless search, Zaden.” Faal snickers. “You want to take it, or can I? Having heard of his tales of patronisation and staring, I won’t be meticulous or vengeful at all!”
“All yours, my sweet.” She blows him a kiss, now Vance is sweating profusely.
“If we could get back to the conference, you two!” Brian calls out with a smirk. “Spit roast him over open flame on your own time.”
“And his ex’s dime!” Zee chuckles.
LINDSAY
If only I hadn’t stopped to lambast Lynette as she was heading down the street. Her sneering laughter as she listened to me rail before striding away without a word will not be forgotten. I was about to hail a cab when I was tapped on the shoulder…
Start of flashback
TAXI RANK - 5 MINUTES PRIOR
LINDSAY
“Well, hello there, don’t you look in a rush? Going somewhere nice?”
“Ah, Zee, yes, I have to go…”
“Back in there and face the consequences of your actions, yes we know.” Faal calls out as he and Gardner approach, one looking less amused than the other.
“Zee, as ever, lovely to....”
“Button egghead!” Zee snaps. “You’d best take him. This ever present PA is feeling itchy of trigger finger!”
“Ever present...good God, man, you really are an idiot! And I bet you still don’t realise what she did, huh?”
“What, I mean who did what?” Vance scowls.
“My Lig here, she fixed it so that the dinner you needed so badly a few years back didn't happen…”
“No, that was Taylor. Taylor did that!, just like he did everything ruinous to me!”
“Nope, that was Brian, and he got the info on the meeting because I told him.” Zee smarms. “And my final fare thee well, you ballsack, was buying your building after getting your former marital home, just like my Uncle did to her.”
I would feel sorry for him, but as a part of me is still smarting over his friend, I don't. Besides, I have my own hide to save!
End of flashback
ZEE
I catch the moment her tiny mind turns mendacious and her ire is going to be aimed at me...well, aren’t you a freaking simpleton?!
“Something to say, Peterscum?” I ask.
“How is your father? Isn’t he Luther Stark, who is in jail, and…”
“Fine. Quietly doing his time, and…”
“Apart from what he was jailed for…” She pauses and looks around. “...didn't he aid Michael Novotny in his absconding from jail, and…”
“You mean your late dear friend the murderer Michael Novotny, who you who were just eulogising about a few minutes back? The same dear late friend you emailed to crow about your new life with my husband and our daughter in South Africa? You know, when you almost creamed your jeans when you thought he and I had broken up? I can read it out if you like. And also, didn't you and your late murderer of a dear friend sleep with the same guy at the same time, you even tried to get pregnant by said guy, and…”
“You have no right to say that!” She screeches and steps forward, not close enough yet though...come hither, little fly, come hither!
“I would caution against that!” I warn.
“Do you hear her threats?! And in front of the press no less!” She tosses her hair over her shoulders and steps closer. “You are losing your touch!” She hisses.
“Nope, just saying, it would be unwise to leave yourself open to attack…”
“I can see you clearly!” She snaps. “And so...ungh!”
VANCE
“What did you do?!” I yell at Zaden as Lindsay slumps to the floor.
“Don’t blame Ms Stark!” Charles snaps. “She didn’t move an inch! What happened to your damsel in distress!”
“Call her an ambulance, someone!” I bellow, but then it becomes clear that the only person to do that has to be me. With great reluctance, I pull out my phone. It takes twenty minutes for one to come, and by the time I get to somewhere I can make a call, to try and salvage something out of this, I discover that I have been blackballed!
SCI ALBION - NEXT DAY
VISITOR’S ROOM
LUTHER
She is grinning from ear to ear. “Okay, one more time, and that’s it okay?” I try to look appalled by her behaviour, but she reminds me too much of Zee for that to happen! “So you flicked an ice rock at her from behind the door?”
“Yep-yep!” Jenny grins impishly. “I am teaching Taylor, DJ and MJ how as well.”
“You are not!” I exclaim. She snorts, then shrugs. “Okay yeah for Taylor, but DJ and MJ have to be at least six…”
“Four. Aunt Zee said you gave her her first gun at four. Why are they different?”
“Damn that girl!” I sigh then smile. “She could barely hold it and complained to her Mom that it pulled her jeans down, no skirts for that little not lady! Don’t bridle I mean it nicely and you’re right they're no different. Four it is, but try to firm up their wrists in the interim, so use those little mini softball things, you know the ones that stick to a velcro board, you know to try and get their aim good?
“You are the coolest, Grandpa Lute!” Jenny beams before leaning across to kiss my cheek. “Oh, so glad you guys are family again! Now…” She looks at her watch. “...we can go grab lunch, then head to the warden’s office for the meeting with Mom and Archie. Oh, whoops! I mean something that your particular skills are called for! You need to look surprised!” She giggles as I nod then she gathers our things, my heart flips as she puts everything in her bag not putting mine in the visitor's one. “What? What’s wrong?” She asks as I watch her pack.
“First time in a long time I have been called Grandpa. Matt still calls me Luther, so does Hunter.”
“Have you asked them not to?” She frowns before screwing up the visitor’s bag and dumping it in the bin. “Hate them, gonna speak to the Warden about visitor’s being allowed to bring in more personalised bags, so they don’t feel such a number...yes they’re in here but something from home, yes something from home would be good. Might need your help there Gramps. So have you asked them not to?”
“No. No, I haven’t, just assumed they would…” I sigh sadly.
“Well, that was silly wasn’t it. You didn’t have the right to assume did you?” I huff a bit. “You two are so alike. When Aunt Zee is wrong she does the same thing, she is not wrong about much but when she’s wrong she does that. So like Uncle Brian just said, they can’t answer if you don't ask the question.” She takes her phone off me and places a call. “Hey, Matt, got someone who wants to ask a question…” She holds out her phone. Taking a deep breath, I take it.
“Hey, Matt, it’s...um, look, I am not comf…” Jenny shakes her head. “...would you be comfortable calling me Grandpa again, or if not that, maybe Uncle?”
Five minutes later, we are walking towards the Warden’s office, and I am smiling big. All of my kids' kids are going to call me Grandpa, and I can’t wait to tell Archie!
