CHAPTER 26 - COMFORT AND PLOTTINIG
TREEHOUSE - TWO DAYS LATER
KITCHEN
ZEE
I see the figure coming down the path and want to cry with relief. As I open the door, he breaks into a run to get inside when it starts to rain. “Thanks for coming.”
“As soon as I saw the news, I cleared my schedule.” Dr Alex Winter shakes the raindrops off before kissing my cheek. “Where are they?”
“Lounge, trying to pretend that they are okay.” I sigh. “Too early for brandy?”
“No.” He calls over his shoulder. “Three glasses.”
LOUNGE
ALEX
I press my ear to the door, they are talking.
“Is it bad that...” Justin begins. “...that I am glad he is dead, because I know he can't hurt you anymore?”
“No, because I feel the same. It was horrible to watch him die, but he brought it on himself. I thank God it was quick.”
“Why?” I ask as I enter straight after knocking. They both give me small smiles.
“Brandies up.” Zee calls out as she follows me in, then leaves the tray on the table before closing the door behind her.
“So why are you glad?” I ask as I pour.
“Because his misery, and ours, is at an end.” Justin looks up at him for confirmation. He nods. “I told him to burn in hell, and I really hope he is.” Brian holds the glass to his lips and waits for him to drink. “But I don’t think our troubles are over, not by a long shot.”
“Who else can come at you?” I frown.
“Lindsay. She is fraternising with Vance, who is bitter about us, well mostly me telling him that we wouldn’t bail him out. He’s been hanging around wherever Brian has been. The security teams are aware, however she is a known but unknown quantity in this.”
“How so?” I get comfortable on the sofa opposite.
“We don’t know how.” Brian shrugs. They both look exhausted. “But I can see her putting a unique spin on whatever she has told Vance about us…”
“Me, not Brian, we think they are coming for me.” Justin sighs.
“Aren’t the files sealed though?” I wrack my brains for a minute. “Ah, got him! Sorry, trying to remember the name of the court psychologist; will call him tomorrow.” I make a note. “He observed her as well during her testimony, want to get his thoughts.”
“Why…” Brian rubs his eyes then makes Justin finish his brandy after draining his. “...and they were, but they’re being unsealed as we speak.”
“Hers won’t be.” Justin sighs. This surprises me, and it must show. “Something I imagine her Mother did to give her a fighting chance to regain her place in the hive.”
“Thought it was a nest?” I top up their glasses.
“Are you trying to get us drunk?” Justin muses.
“Have you taken anything for the shock of it all?” I ask. They shake their heads. “Thought not, and it’s not drunk I am trying to get you, it is to get you to sleep. How’s Debs been, do you think I should see her too?”
“She is being Debs: stoic and strong in the face of everything.” Justin says fondly. “At Carl’s insistence, she went to Portland, with Hunter and Matt. She's hoping to be back in a week. It should’ve calmed down by then.”
“Somehow I doubt that.” Brian grimaces. “Still say Carl should’ve gone with her.”
“You know why he didn’t want to go. He wanted to stay here to help Zee and the security teams. Do you really think this can only get worse? Could it affect your mayorship?”
“Let me answer that, Brian. Yes, I think it can only get worse. This is Lindsay you are talking about. Look what she did when it was her children involved. Now she doesn’t have them and has lost her fellow partner-in-crime, she metaphorically has nothing to lose. But I think hiding out, yes you gave a brief statement, but hiding out here is not helping. You need to get out to the public and make sure that they can’t use this against you.”
“Okay, let’s call Ben and get something set up.” Justin sighs as he disentangles himself from Brian.
“No, don’t do that.” I order. They both look surprised. “You two need to get back to being you two. When was the last time you two had hot, heart pounding, no-holds-barred sex?” They look at each other with wry smiles. “Well, when was it?”
“When my sperminator died.”
“So you exorcised the sperminator then, right?” I nod encouragingly as their smiles widen. “I suggest you exorcise the cockblocker now…”
“You need to leave, doc!” Brian urges, pulling Justin back down. “And take Zee with you!”
LINDSAY'S APARTMENT - AFTERNOON
KITCHEN
LINDSAY
I pour some more wine and take down half of it. I still can’t believe Michael is dead. Killed because of that slattern! Steeling myself, I turn the newspaper over. I swallow hard at the picture of his body. Whilst they have pixelated his head, the blood around is luridly visible. I finish off the wine and begin to read. It says that when he lost his temper and leapt at the First Man, he was then shot at point blank range by a member of the court officers. I glower at the look of ‘delight’ on Justin’s face as he looks back at Michael’s body.
“He has blood on his hands, and it is time for him to pay!” I declare, then ponder what exactly I can do when an idea hits me like a lightning bolt. With a smile, I reach for my phone. It takes him a while to pick it up. I immediately put it on speaker.
“Hi, Gardner, how have you been?”
“Good. How about you? You must be feeling terrible and in shock. You’ve known him for years, haven’t you?”
“Yes I did, and I am distraught…” I weep then sniffle. “...and knowing how determined he is and how possessive, I think, no I know that Justin had Michael killed. He may not have pulled the trigger, but he pushed those buttons, knowing that he had the protection on his side.” He says nothing. “Gardner? Gardner, are you still there?
“Yes I am. I am just taking what you’ve just said in. And you know, I can see that too. Now, I didn’t know Mr Novotny to recognise him, but knew that he visited often. And as for his husband, he does seem very controlling, from what I saw of him, he led him by his…”
“Cock?” I bite out, the jealousy of their lust for each other, and only them, burns fiercely.
“So are we going to meet? We had better strike while the iron is hot.”
“I have to go and pay my respects to his Mother this afternoon. Also, because of this tragedy, I now have other commitments, which I can’t get out of tomorrow all day.” I explain quietly. “You understand, don’t you?”
“Of course, of course. We have time. Now try and get some rest, I will speak to you tomorrow evening, say around seven. Would that work?”
“Yes…” I sniff again. “...that would work. Goodbye, Gardner, and thank you for the understanding.”
“The least I could do. Bye, Lindsay.”
I let out the laughter I had been holding in and top up my glass again. Sipping leisurely, I dial another number.
“Lindsay, how nice to hear from you!” Mother trills. “Is everything going alright?”
“Yes, Mother, all is fine. Well, apart from Michael Novotny getting himself killed.”
“Yes, I heard about that. I am sorry for the loss of your…”
“Don’t be, I’m not.” I snicker. “He was a complete trial and tribulation of a tosspot, I got on better without his ever ranting mouth! Now, the reason for the call is that you may wish to have your say when it comes to the supposed First Man.”
“What do you mean?” She sounds pinched. Good, a pinched Mother is a vengeful one!
“You know the money that you and Marcel sent to me? Well, he took $350,000 of it.”
“He did what? How and why?!” She hisses.
“Just because he could, I’ve always said that he resented me, but I suspect that this is a collaboration between him and that Zaden Stark…”
“How do you mean?” She huffs.
“...the letter absolving me from all debt was only signed by Faal. I know she would like her pound of flesh, so…” I pause and cross my fingers. “...maybe…”
“She encouraged him to go after you and he gave her a cut?!”
“I think so. Look, I have to go, I am speaking to my contact about exposing him for what he is tomorrow night. Why not pop around so we can plot his demise together?”
“Absolutely! What time?” She demands.
“About seven, see you then.”
“Bye, darling. We will fix him. Rest assured we will.”
“I know, Mother, you and I are a formidable team.” After she hangs up, I finish my wine and rinse the glass out. With a derisive look at his body, I dump the paper in the bin. “Right, time to go shopping, and tomorrow have my spa day!” I declare, before heading up to collect my purse and rather long shopping list!
VANCE’S RESIDENCE - FORTY MINUTES LATER
LOUNGE
VANCE
I look around at what I have left. After my ex ripped through me, and Taylor overruled Kinney, all I have is the 2 bed apartment that I never told her about, thank goodness, or I would be living in a dumpster! I contemplate what Lindsay has been saying to me, then am startled when my phone rings again. Checking the ID, I smile and connect.
“Charles, my dear chap, how is my fabulous attorney? Do you have good news for me? No, what do you mean no? Why have they refused to expunge it?! But...I am an upstanding citizen who made one drunken mistake! What stalking? I am a free man, I can come and go as I…” I stop and blink rapidly into my phone, then put it on speaker. “...say that again?”
“I said then you need to stop going near Mayor Elect, Brian Taylor-Kinney!”
“What does that mean, exactly?” I quaver.
“It means that their security teams have spotted you around more than once, and are rather anxious about it. As I was your last known attorney, I was contacted for your current address. Expect two things…”
“What are they?” I gulp.
“A restraining order from me, and most likely another from them!!
“Why are you doing that?! What have I done?!”
“To them? Oh, let me see, set fire to their loft building with the intent to kill. And to me, because of that case and the leniency you were afforded; I am now being investigated by the bar association!”