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See, the thing about demanding characters is that when they asked to be introduced properly, you've just gotta listen....LOL ENJOY!! 

CHAPTER 66: SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT Part 3: JUST WHO THE HELL IS GEORGE BELL?


GEORGE:


If there was some possible way to deny the fool sitting in this car beside me the opportunity of accompanying me, I would. Well there is, but then I would have to suffer the wrath of my mother regarding my mistreatment of her favorite nephew. Ever since I first entered the business of journalism, I have done any and all I could to separate myself from my older cousin, Howard Bellwether. I learned early on that the track his career was taking wasn’t one I wanted to be on; seeing just how close to the line into yellow journalism he trod. I always knew that one day his vicious thoughts and all-too-eager pen would finally cross that line… and it did, in the form of the two men whom I’m on my way to interview now.


Originally, the Barbara Jordan was supposed to interview Brian and Justin Taylor-Kinney, but she was needed in Washington to cover another story about the current Administration. So, since the producers had bought the airtime, and they didn’t want have another cancellation from the couple, they chose me to fill in for her. But somehow, Howard found out that I was coming to Pittsburgh and called my mother, stating that he would happily show me around and assist with my research so that I would be adequately prepared to meet the Taylor-Kinneys on their home turf. Of course, she didn’t see the ulterior motive, or know that Howard’s career is currently mucking the coals into obscurity. She just saw a ‘generous offer’, while I saw this for what it really was- a snake trying to shed his skin of mediocrity.


“Howard, I think you should stay in the car while I do my job,” I suggest, hoping beyond hope that for once, he would do as I asked.


As it was, I wasted valuable time this afternoon sifting through the mounds of useless drivel he’d collected about the Taylor-Kinneys over the last three years. Then the pointless trip to McDonalds of all places to meet with one of their former conquests. I suppose I should feel sorry for my cousin, specifically when a man by the name of Gardner Vance called him to let him know that Michael Novotny wasn’t going to be able to see him now nor for the foreseeable future. His visitors had been severely restricted to just his attorney until further notice.


“Nonsense, Georgie,” Howard replies cheerfully, and I just want to cuff him upside the head. “They owe it to me to grant me entry. Not only that, but being seen with you, Mr. Bigshot Anchorman, will go a long way in restoring my credibility.”


And this reason right here is why I decided to shorten my last name when I first started out. It’s also the reason that while he is short, stumpy, and hairy in all the wrong places, I’ve kept myself lean, trim and clean-shaven with a head full of hair. To the average person, we look NOTHING alike. We don’t even sound alike, since I started my career as an announcer on television, while his voice has always reminded me of cheap whiskey and tin foil. As he alights from the driver’s side of the vehicle, all I can do is resign myself to the fact that no matter what I say, he’s determined to accompany me. All I can do is hope that the Taylor-Kinneys will not become overtly hostile when they see who I’ve arrived with.


“Fine Howard, but do me a favor and try to remain as inconspicuous as possible. Remember this is MY job on the line; I will NOT have you fucking it up due to some misguided vendetta!”


“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”


“Only that you losing your job and standing within the publishing field is your own damn fault. You will NOT costs me my own!”


“Oh, how high and mighty you are. I’ll be sure to let Aunt Mattie know that you couldn’t be bothered to help me out,” he sneers in my direction. “I’m sure she will have plenty to say to remind you of familial duty and loyalty.


But before I can offer a retort, he reaches out to ring the doorbell. I already see where that conversation will be heading, thanks to her blindness when it comes to Howard. It’s not that I’m afraid of her; I am a thirty-something year old man, after all. But it’s just that she never lets things go, even if it’s none of her business. It also doesn’t help that although Howard, and his siblings, are a bunch of sneaky snakes, she’ll excuse every one of them for it while my sisters and I got punished for their bullshit, or driven harder to succeed thanks to the threat of a grounding along with an ass whipping.

 

I suppose one could say that it was because they lost their mother and father early in life- Howard was in his second year of college, while his brothers were still in high school- that my mother felt they needed special handling or some other such shit. While my sisters and I went without a lot, Howard and his brothers received the best of everything at our expense. It was definitely hard to feel any sympathy at all for them when their gain was lorded over me, Jacqueline, and Tracy all the time. It also didn’t help that although I don’t know Kip that well, the rumor is that he’s the ‘lovechild’ of Howard’s youngest brother when he was fifteen. I have no way of knowing if that’s true, nor do I really care, but I know if it was one of ours, we would have still been in the hospital, deep in a coma, or more accurately, six feet under by now.

 

What I do know at this point is that although Mattie Rae Bellwether is my mother, and I love her dearly, if she keeps making me choose between her wishes and my integrity, it may very well be time to cut the ties that bind permanently.


“Hello, may I help you?” A blond woman says from the inside of the door. Once again, before I can introduce myself, I have the asshole standing next to me, cutting in and introducing himself.


“Hello, we’re here to interview Brian and Justin for 20/20’s news magazine. I’m…”


“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?!!!” comes the shout from inside the door. I look over to see the blazing blue eyes of one man, with a set of angry hazel eyes behind him. Two more sets of eyes, one light blue and a soulful brown are also squinting angrily at us.


“Now, young Justin…” Howard begins, to be immediately cut off by who I can only assume is Justin Taylor-Kinney.


“Fuck you! You’re not getting anywhere near Brian and me. And you’re damn sure not welcome into this house!”


I’m standing by almost catatonic in shock as the young man continues to curse, pace, and berate my cousin. At various points, I don’t know whether to laugh, cry, or curse right along with him as he continues his tirade. Once he takes a breath, the tall brunet behind him reaches out to grab the younger man by the waist, bringing him into his body. “Stop it, Sunshine. Bad OLD Howie is leaving now, isn’t that right?” He glares at a red-faced Howard, and I can’t help but feel a bit intimidated by the murderous look he’s receiving.


“Fuck you, Taylor- Kinney. I’m not going ANYWHERE until my cousin finishes interviewing you,” Howard sneers, nastily. Then smiles suggestively, as if the most salacious idea has just come to him. “Besides, I might want to add a few questions of my own.”


“A few questions… You Motherfucker!” Justin Taylor-Kinney starts again, lunging at my cousin. I just managed to pull him back before the young blond reached him. Placing Howard behind my back in a gesture of protection, I issue a warning look as well. I knew this was NOT going to be a good idea!


“Emmett, a little help with mini-Rage please,” Brian grits out, as Justin is still trying to break his hold on him. Goodness, mini-Rage is RIGHT! I think as I continue to watch the exchange for a few moments before realizing that I have to get this under control before it becomes an all-out brawl. I suspect they all would love nothing better than to beat the shit out of Howard… and that goes for ME TOO since I hate the fucker!!


Stepping forward, I introduce myself to them, while trying to do some damage control to salvage the damage my asshole family member has done. “Mr. Taylor-Kinney- Brian, Justin- I assure you that having Howard here was never the plan at all. I’m George Bell with ‘20/20 Xpose’. I know that you were expecting Barbara Jordan or another one of her assistants, but she was called away on assignment last minute, so they sent me instead. I apologize for Mr. Bellwether’s behavior thus far, but you are correct. He IS leaving!”


“THE HELL I AM! I’m not doing any such thing! Now move out of my way and show us where we will be setting this interview up immediately.”


As Howard tries to bogart his way into the house, the other brunet with the soulful eyes intervenes. “Mr. Bellwether, you were asked to leave. As it is, you are not to be within 200 feet of Brian Taylor-Kinney due to the restraining order he filed against you last year...”


“Well with the name change, I’m sure that can be overturned now…”


“No it can’t. Since it was reissued due to the name change,” he responds.


“And who the fuck are you anyway?”


“I’m Theodore Schmidt, CFO of Kinnetik Enterprises and family friend. I am also the man who knows things about you that you would rather I kept quiet, especially in front of your cousin.”


“I lead a circumspect life, Mr. Schmidt, unlike your employers. So I doubt that there is anything you could possibly say about me that would have anyone considering me as overtly scandalous as they are.”


“Funny you should mention how circumspect you live…” Ted begins, but is interrupted.


“Teddy?” the tall brunet, I think Brian called him Emmett, asks questioningly.


“No, Em. He wants to laud about his morally-conscious life, doesn’t he? Well Mr. Hypocritical Gay Gauntlet author, how do you think public will feel about you when they find out that you like to attend BB parties?”


“BB? As in body-building?” I ask, noticing the sudden smirks on all of the men, and even the blonde, redhead, and African-American young ladies who are standing around in the background now, snickering. I take a glance at Howard, who looks as still as a statue… well until he turns as reddish purple as a beet.


An older gentleman comes to stand directly in front of Howard, smiling wide. “Come now, Howard. You’re not going to leave your cousin in the dark about such matters, are you?”


“YOU!!”


“Yes, it’s me. And I believe that we’ve already had a similar conversation about you slandering Brian and Justin before, haven’t we, Howard? Remember what I told you would happen if you tried to flex your metaphorical muscles around again in regards to them?”


“Vic… Come on, that’s not fair! Brian has already ruined my career! They both have!” Howard’s pleading voice rings out, while I’m still standing here a bit puzzled by the whole exchange.


“Brian didn’t ruin your career; the deal you and Kip struck up with Michael, Lindsay, and Vance did that all on your own. You broke the first rule of journalism by printing all the salacious details given by clearly biased sources, instead of checking out the facts for yourself. But then again, printing those accusations served as a vendetta against Brian for not fucking you, and as payback on Kip’s behalf because Justin wouldn’t do him either. Also, because of some amateur detective work- although it was brilliantly thought out and executed- Justin blew Kip’s blackmail plot, which he came up with at your encouragement, out of court before it even had a chance to land there. So you see, Howard, now it’s my turn,” Vic advised Howard, smiling evilly.


“What is he talking about, Howard? Why would attending a body building party be considered blackmail?” I ask.


“Because BB doesn’t stand for bodybuilding, but BAREBACKING,” Ted informs me. At first, I don’t get it, but then the implication hits me…


“HOWARD, WHAT THE FUCK?!?! ARE YOU INSANE?!?!” I yell at him, unable to even think of lowering my voice despite the upscale neighborhood we’re standing in.


Justin snickers. “The question of sanity is indeed debatable since his balding ass is here where it most certainly should NOT be.”


“Shut up, you little shit!” Howard screams out, only to be knocked down the short flight of stairs.


“Don’t you dare speak to him like that!” the short African-American young woman says through gritted teeth. The other men and women all gather behind her, watching her back from any retaliatory attack on Howard’s part. One thing is clear: if Howard was killed by anyone in this group, none of them would hesitate to hide the body and give instant alibis without nary a thought or question asked. They are that close-knit, and so obviously loyal. Gathering herself to the full height of her small stature, she says, “Now you were ordered to leave the premises. The next step is that we call the police. Is that what you want?”


“Yes! I want them called right now, so that I can have you arrested for assault.”


Instead of being offended, she laughs. “You’re really ready to announce to the world that not only are you a disgusting, lying motherfucker, but that you just got your ass handed to you by a girl? Wow, that’s quite honest of you, Howard. I’ll bet that feels strange since you aren’t exactly well acquainted with the truth in any form.”


Before he responds, another cab pulls up the driveway. Two women, who are incredibly familiar to me get out, and I have to laugh. “Fancy meeting the two of you here, Jane and Jessica. I would have thought you both would have sent your minions to handle this human interest piece.”


“And not meet the handsome men being lauded for bringing down one crooked legacy in law enforcement? Not on your life,” Jessica says.


“Besides, we’re all going to be following this from beginning to end. So we may as well start as we mean to go on,” Jane states. I shake my head at them. “What is it?”


“I’m only covering for Barbara since she had to go on assignment in Washington,” I inform them. We’ve all been friends for a long time, and although we work different areas of journalism, we still make time to see each other at least once a month to catch up.


“That’s where you’re wrong. I called Barbara personally and demanded that you come with us. It’s not that she wouldn’t have jumped at the chance to do this, but that she has enough on her plate as it is with the situation in the Capital and the baby on the way. She agreed that it was time for you to spread your wings, despite what the idiot producers and station-heads thought. So don’t prove her wrong. Now let’s get to it.”


I nodded and smiled. Leave it to my girls to bring me along with them when they climbed high, even if it was in another capacity altogether. “Yes, let’s… but there is something I need to do, first.”


I take note of the still sputtering asshole I have to admit is my family, and make a decision right then and there. “Since I know that you will be calling your Aunt Mattie, do me a favor and tell her that no amount of familial duty is worth my integrity. Goodbye, Howard.” I grabbed him firmly by the arm, putting him into the cab. The loud ‘OUCH’ that came from him as he hit that balding head of his was so gratifying, but I refrained from laughing aloud.

 

He was still cursing and sputtering as I moved to the front passenger door of the cab. Tipping the man one hundred dollars, I ask him to drop Howard off at the Hidden Glades Apartment complex, which is where he’s been staying since he lost his condo in Squirrel Hill. Although the cabbie told me that the trip was only worth twenty-five bucks, I told him that he was going to earn his tip in advance just for having to listen to the delusional ramblings of the asshole in the backseat. I told Howard that I would return his car back to him when I was done here, or I just might have it towed there so that I no longer had to see him. No sooner had I said that was Brian on the phone, calling one of his many contacts on a street called Liberty Avenue.

 

The Three Bears Trucking and Towing Company assured him they would be out within the hour, making sure all traces of Howard Bellwether would be as far away from the Taylor-Kinneys as possible. I really can’t wait to delve into life as the Taylor-Kinneys have lived it and seen it thus far. From all I know of them, it’s been a really interesting journey which shows no signs of stopping or slowing down. And you know what... I’ll be right here for all of it!

 

 

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