~PART XV: ~YOU GO TO DIRECTLY TO JAIL WHILE I COLLECT TWO MILLION DOLLARS~

Judge Jean-Paul Napier looked over the roster of arraignments scheduled for the afternoon. Rubbing his eyes, he couldn’t believe the three of the names that he was seeing once again, but was confused about the fourth. Turning to look at his secretary, Janice, he asked, “Is this right?”

She hesitated for only a moment before responding, “Um, yes. I even asked them to double check, considering one of them was just discharged a little while ago, only to be rearrested.”

“On what grounds?”

Janice sighed, before responding. “Sir, to say that particular case is difficult would be an understatement…”

“What do you know about it?”

“Only that the Judge Forrester had me rush through some restraining orders this morning. Apparently, two of the defendants were stalking Brian Kinney…”

“Brian Kinney? As in the man who gave up his job and everything else to get Mayor Deekins elected?”

She nodded. “One and the same, JP. The problem is that one of the defendants is the mother of his only child, while the other is his self-proclaimed…”

“Best friend,” he finished her statement in a high-pitched whine. At his secretary’s cringe, and glare he answered, “You learn a lot hanging out in Woody’s.”

“I thought you were straight.”

“I am, but my brother isn’t. Pierre and I often meet there for drinks along with his partner, Jeff. Consequently, it’s not hard to hear all about the exploits of Brian Kinney and the ragtag ‘family’ he’s built up for himself over the years. Although by the looks of it, I suspect that family is a bit fractured at the moment. Any idea why?”

“It has to do with the other two defendants on the roster this afternoon.”

“I never thought I would see Marlene Taylor coming before me again. What has she done this time?”

“Violated a standing restraining order. You remember the last time she came before you, of course?”

He cringed. How could he forget? JP had many nightmares about the conditions which caused him to convict that bitch of child abuse, child endangerment, and solicitation. “Why do I suspect there is more to this story than you’re coming right out and saying, Janice?”

“There is, but… well, you know that for a number of years the Taylors haven’t been able to retaliate against Justin and Molly.”

“And?”

“Although Justin has been in and out of Pittsburgh for a number of years, he’s finally returning here to put down some roots of his own. Part of those roots is a fairly recent alliance with Brian Kinney, even if no one is really sure when or how it happened. For all anyone knows, they could have met when Justin was home briefly over the years, since they live in the same building.”

“Ah, I think I’m starting to see what, at least, has thrown both Lindsay Peterson and Michael Novotny into a tizzy. God forbid Brian Kinney should have a life, or make a decision without their express permission!”

“Exactly. But that wasn’t the only loop thrown yesterday. Evidently, Molly Taylor is now a married woman, and Kinney formally introduced Justin publicly... as his partner.”

“Holy shit! The most confirmed and desired bachelor in the state of Pennsylvania is officially off the market?”

“That’s the word on the street, especially this morning. Apparently Novotny and Peterson barged into Kinnetik, which is where they were arrested from, demanding answers to questions that were absolutely none of their business. Brian had his assistant tell them that he wasn’t going to play their games, so when they refused to leave the building, Cynthia Moore called the police to have them arrested for trespassing and harassment. Lindsay Peterson is also claiming to be pregnant once again with Brian Kinney’s child, although that hasn’t been confirmed as of yet.”

“From what I know of the man, there is no way he would have willingly donated to her again. Lindsay uses their son to retain Brian’s regard, or more accurately, her hold on Brian’s checkbook for her benefit all the time. I’ve overheard him and his accountant speaking of it several times when it was just the two of them at the table in the bar. Although I know that Emmett Honeycutt is aware of the situation, I got the impression several times that Brian didn’t want Michael made aware of the situation. My guess is hearing the screech of ‘I told you so!’ or using it as a way to ask for another permanent loan from Brian was a fast-acting deterrent from talking about it in front of Novotny.”

“I was down at the station earlier, and I have to say that your assessment of the situation is quite accurate. It didn’t help that I also saw his soon-to-be-ex arrive with a bunch of trash bags in tow, and a rather thick envelope in hand. My guess is that it was divorce papers or some other legal documents. It seems that he’s quite done with Michael Novotny as well.”

“Hmm, considering that Craig and Marlene Taylor were arrested… again, this time from the Chartrez Resort, I’m beginning to form a complete picture of how Craig and Marlene must have acted upon hearing that both Justin, and especially Molly, are far beyond their influence now.”

“I hate to tell you this, but we’re not sure that Justin is out of danger from the two of them just yet,” Janice said.

“Why not? Who else is involved?”

“Antonio Laurent.”

“Shit!”

“My sentiments exactly. He’s been sniffing around for Molly Taylor for years, especially since Marlene was released from jail. The fact that the young woman is not only married, but pregnant could be seen two ways. Either Laurent will get the message and leave her alone at long last, or he could wait and try his luck again once she has the baby. I honestly can’t see him doing either.”

“Nor would he, but there is also another option which would probably explain this latest charge on Marlene Taylor’s rap sheet. It’s not a secret that Antonio Laurent is bisexual. Hell, he has a- for lack of a better term- harem, consisting of barely legal men and women. Could it be possible that he’s thinking of trading targets?”

“Unfortunately, that’s entirely plausible since Marlene called him prior to her arrest at the Chartrez Resort.”

“I’m going to order both Craig and Marlene held without bail until their trial dates come up. There are too many variables unaccounted for…”

“You’re thinking in terms of Novotny and Peterson, aren’t you?”

JP nodded. “There’s no telling what they will do should any of this come to light. And the charges levied against them on the surface aren’t enough to hold them indefinitely... not like they are for Craig and Marlene Taylor. In all honesty, I don’t think Novotny would be as much of a threat to Justin Taylor as I do Lindsay Peterson.”

“Why not? He’s already proven himself a loose cannon where Brian Kinney is concerned.”

JP shrugged. “He always has been, but he doesn’t have the intelligence nor the connections to pull off the stunt Marlene tried; Lindsay does.”

“So you have a plan going into the courtroom, but how is it going to help Justin Taylor?” Janice asked.

For some reason, she was really worried about the possibility that Laurent had taken Marlene’s suggestion and switched targets. The young man, whom she remembered from her senior year in high school, had been through a lot since his mother died when they were younger. His father, while indifferent most of the time, only paid attention to the Taylor siblings when there were punishments to be meted out. It was an open secret within their neighborhood, growing up, especially since NO ONE liked the second Mrs. Taylor. There had to be something that could be done in order to protect Justin and Molly… there just had to be!

“Honestly, Janice, I wish I had an answer for you. As you know, even us having this conversation within the confines of my office puts these cases at risk for a mistrial. The judge is supposed to be fair and impartial; to base any decisions solely on the law, and not on personal feelings or prior knowledge of the case or its litigants. But in this case, I simply can’t recuse myself, for the sake of both Molly and Justin. However, I also can’t do it, surprisingly, for Brian Kinney as well. If he’s finally settling down, or at least considering it, he deserves every chance to do so. From what I’ve gleaned about his past over the years, trusting anyone has not been easy for him.”

“Well then, we should get to work on his and the younger Taylors’ behalf as soon as possible. It looks like it’s going to be a long afternoon. You’re sure we have no way to keep Novotny and Peterson locked up?”

“Ironically, I think doing so would do more harm than good. With the dockets in disarray the way they are right now, we can’t keep them in county lockup while Marlene and Craig goes to the State pens. And the last thing we want them to do is have time, between the four of them, to formulate any plans for when they do get out, especially Peterson.”

“You really think she’ll make a move if Marlene were to spew her side of the story?”

“Lindsay Peterson is an opportunistic little shrew. She’s also greedy, cunning, and reasonably intelligent, even if she does make dumbass decisions. You can bet your last dollar that if she finds a way to remove Justin Taylor from Brian Kinney’s orbit, she will most certainly take it.”

Janice nods, and leaves the office. Thinking over her conversation with JP, she thinks she has, at least, a reasonable suggestion. She looked at the time and realized she had just enough time to pick up something to eat before the court sessions restarted for the day. Unearthing her cell phone from the deepest recesses of her purse, she scrolled through to her brother’s company.

“Morgan Security Company, how may I direct your call?” the switchboard operator’s voice comes over the line.

“Hello, this is Janice Morgan. I’d like to speak to Jessie please?”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Morgan, but he’s in a conference right now. May I take a message?”

“No. I’ll call his cell phone. I have a priority one surveillance case for him.”

“Hold on, Ms. Morgan. I’ll get him out of the meeting immediately. Do you know the intended target?”

“Yes. Antonio Laurent.”

~LS~

“So what you’re telling us is that nothing can be done until we get confirmation that the fucker is going to make a move?” Brian questioned as he paced his office in front of the two people sitting down.

“Brian, calm down,” Justin said, exasperated already with this conversation, which had been going on for the last twenty minutes. “Carl has already given us all the information he can, even though technically he wasn’t supposed to. It isn’t his fault.”

“I know that Justin, but…”

“No buts, Brian. This is something that can't be confirmed nor denied. Like Carl said, it’s a waiting game.”

“Can’t you put surveillance on him or something? I mean, there is probable cause since you had Marlene’s phone tapped, right?” Brian asked the Detective.

“Sure, there is probable cause; that’s not in doubt at all. But the real problem is that Antonio Laurent has a habit of filing harassment lawsuits against both the police and the City. Every time he’s gone into court, he’s gotten acquitted, and then filed a suit with the State, which he’s won. So from now on, we’ve been ordered to proceed with extreme caution when dealing with him, meaning we can’t make a move until there is indisputable evidence against him or his goons are willing to roll over on him and turn State’s evidence.”

“So the attack on Mrs. Shelton wasn’t enough?”

“That’s still being looked into, but so far there’s not enough to go on even after the detailed account of the incident.”

“So we’re sitting ducks?!”

“Brian…” Justin tried again.

“No, Justin. Just no! Your life is in imminent danger and they won’t do anything because of the career criminal they are dealing with. It’s bullshit!”

“Be that as it may, it’s the reality of things. Standing there yelling about it isn’t going to help matters,” Justin responded, hotly.

Carl tried to diffuse the ensuing argument that was about to get out of hand between the two headstrong men. What amazed him the most was that as Brian was just on the verge of yelling, Justin’s voice got frostier with each word he uttered. He didn’t raise his voice, but every inflection and syllable was meant to drive the point home as sharp as any dagger. “Gentlemen, if I may make a suggestion…”

“What?” Brian asked. He was tired of going around and around without a solution to the problem. He was not a man to take inaction well at all.

“Hire your own personal security company, but go with someone you trust. Don’t use the yellow pages to find them, because there’s no guarantee that they don’t do grunt work on the side for the crime boss. In fact, it might be better to look out of state altogether. That way you can at least be reasonably sure of their loyalty. In the meantime, on my off hours, me and a few guys I can trust will do surveillance on Laurent. It may not pan out to be anything, but it’s better to be prepared in any eventuality.”

“It’s not a bad idea, Brian. Besides, I can take care of myself, you know.”

“The point is that you shouldn’t have to,” Brian said as he glared at the younger man. “I’ll take your suggestions under advisement, Detective Horvath. In the meantime, Justin and I have to get ready for a meeting with Mrs. Marsden. She’s due here any minute and I need to collect myself before she arrives.”

“I completely understand, Brian. For what it’s worth, I want Molly and Justin safe, perhaps even more than you do. They are my family, even if Jennifer is no longer with us.”

Justin rose from his seat, crossing over to the detective who had moved towards the closed office door. “We appreciate that, Carl. And I feel the same way about you. I’ll let you know what Brian and I decide to do.”

“Please do that, kid.” he said as he left.

Justin closed the door behind him, and placed his forehead against the frosted glass, before turning back to Brian. “So about the meeting...”

“Justin…”

“Don’t, Brian. I don’t want to speak about it anymore right now. I just need time to process. Can you understand that?”

Brian looked at the young man, who always seemed so well put together. Although outwardly, Justin was calm, the rigid set of his shoulders and the subtle gleam of fear in his eyes spoke volumes about how this latest bit of news affected him. Making a split second decision, Brian crossed the floor of the spacious office to engulf Justin in his arms. He was gratified to feel that, after a slight hesitation, Justin embraced him back. The relief Brian felt in that small action was palpable.

“Yeah, I can give you this right now. We’ll get through this latest round of crazy.”

“That’s all the reassurance I need in this moment, Brian. Thank you.” Justin indulged in his wayward feelings for a few moments more, before changing the subject. “So about the meeting…”

“I figured I’d let you do the presentation.”

“What?! I... But I’m an artist!”

“True, but you’re also someone who knows the client personally. Don’t worry, Cynthia, Ted, and I will be there to guide you through it. With your knowledge of Asian culture, and your extensive travels with the dance troupe to those specific regions, your input is going to prove invaluable to all of us.”

“Uh-huh. And what else aren’t you saying about this decision?”

“Not much, except that it will also set her mind at ease about your current career choices. I don’t know if you know it, but that lady cares a great deal for you.”

Justin smiled then. “She’s always been front and center when she knew I was going to perform.”

“And she will be this time, as well. It’s only a different venue.”

“When you put it like that, I think that maybe I can do this.”

“Again, you won’t be by yourself, and contrary to your belief, it’s not too soon. Besides, the faster we get you established within the company, the better. You already aren’t going to be easy pickings for the idiots that be, but this way a lot more power will be backing you, too. Remember that there is always a method to my madness.”

Justin snickered at Brian’s choice of words. “I’ll remember,” he said, just as a knock on the door came from Cynthia.

“Mrs. Marsden has arrived. Are you guys ready?” she asked, looking from one to the other. She knew that the arrival of the Pittsburgh P.D. Detective spelled trouble, but she wasn’t sure how.

“We’re fine, Cynthia. In fact, I’ve decided that Justin is going to make the presentation on this account.”

Her eyes widened briefly, but then she smiled. After many years of working with Brian, she knew that if he made this decision, there was a reason for it… and she trusted his judgment unquestioningly. Obviously Brian saw something in Justin that the younger man had yet to see within himself. “No problem, Brian. Everything is already set up in the conference room, including refreshments and coffee. Good luck, Justin!”

“Thanks. I’ll need it,” Justin murmured.

“Bullshit! You don’t need luck. You just need confidence, so get some and let’s get this account,” Brian ordered.

Justin and Cynthia laughed at Brian, but it was just what Justin needed to ease the tension consistently building inside of him. “Yes, Sir! Confidence received, Sir!” Justin responded, saluting as if he was a soldier reporting to his superior officer.

Brian snickered. “Smartass twat!”

Brian and Cynthia briefed Justin on what to mention in the meeting, and how to segue if asked a question that he couldn’t immediately answer on the way to the conference room. They heard the unmistakable peal of Mrs. Marsden’s high-pitched laugh as they neared, along with the southern sounds of their resident caterer in attendance. Apparently, Emmett was in there telling her some of his home-grown gothic tales, which even Brian had to admit, were full of hmphs and hilarity. They heard Ted’s voice add a comment or two, which only added to the good humor going on in their meeting place.

Justin straightened his shoulders, took a deep breath and breezed into the conference room followed closely by Brian and Cynthia. “Liz, Darling, how are you?”

“Oh, Justin!” she responded, embracing the young man tightly. “I was so worried about you when you didn’t make your appearance last night and again today. I managed to corner Gary and he told me that you’d left the troupe.”

“I did, but for an extremely great opportunity working as an Account Liaison within Kinnetik Global.”

“But why at this juncture? You’ve always been a headliner, Darling.”

Justin smiled brightly at her. “I had been traveling around since I was seventeen. And although I will always be grateful to Gary, the Troupe, and patrons such as yourself, it was time for me to spread my wings a little.”

“Well change is always good, and keeps us young at the same time. I’m going to miss seeing you though.”

“You’ll still see me, only it will be indoors without me freezing my butt off” Justin chuckled. “I understand that you already know Brian, Cynthia, and Ted?”

“Yes, I do. Hello, Cynthia and Brian. You know Brian, my heart is still a bit broken that you won’t join me in more informal pursuits,” she teased.

“I would believe that if you didn’t have your own personal brand of delicacies accompanying you today. By the way, love the outfit,” Brian said, as he noted the specially designed asian-inspired leather pantsuit. Done in red, gold, and black, she coupled it with a white ruffled shell, which added to the glamor. The high-heeled boots added to the allure. “It’s definitely inspired.”

“I have Cynthia to thank for it. Amazingly, I had it made here, but used an old pattern I’d found in my mother’s stash of materials pertaining to the business. No way was I using it for a sofa!”

“Well I’m glad that Cynthia pointed you in the right direction.”

“Your Pierre is a miracle worker, Darling Cynthia. And quite the designer! He’s going to go far. I can see why you’ve been with him for many years.”

Cynthia laughed. “For a gay guy, he sure does know his way around a woman’s body. I’ll send him your compliments.”

Justin cleared his throat, as he moved to the head of the room where the preliminary boards were located, and remembering what Brian and Cynthia said about asserting himself early on. “So I believe we should go on and get started with this meeting.”

“That’s a fabulous idea, Justin,” Liz concurred. “Now, I’ve already relayed some of what I wanted to Brian and Cynthia.”

Justin nodded. “They advised me on your specifications. However, in keeping with the theme of your heritages- including Chinese, Malaysian, and Welsh- I think we can come up with a campaign to honor all three, instead of just upselling one, while downplaying the others. Since it is your company’s one-hundredth anniversary, I think we should show a progressive timeline from back when the company was founded until now. We could feature the different types of furniture from each era; have the actors dress in period pieces, showing the timelessness of your company…”

“And are you willing to be one of the models?” Liz asked.

“Me? I was only planning on being the gentleman behind the scenes.”

“I see,” Liz said, before straightening herself into her seat, just that tiny bit more to make her wishes known. “Let me be honest, Justin. I love the idea of having this campaign reflect all that you and the staff of Kinnetik came up with. However, I want you to do more than lead this account. I want the account centered around you.”

“Liz…”

“No. Now hear me out, young man. I have followed your career since the very first time Gary informed me that he had a young talent- untrained, but spectacular to behold. I have watched you grow and flourish over the years, and I am determined to see you do so in your new situation as well. So I am willing to sign on today, with the stipulation that you are the lead model/actor on this campaign. Besides, to be even more honest, you remind me of my father who was a blond-haired, blue-eyed man, and if I’m correct, Welsh or Anglo-Saxon blood also flows through your veins.”

“I… I…” Justin stuttered, struck speechless by Elizabeth Marsden’s reasoning behind accepting the campaign. He felt overwhelmed by both her faith and generosity in even considering this option.

“Liz, I think you have finally managed something that even I haven’t accomplished to date where Justin is concerned,” Brian said, smirking. “You literally stunned him to silence.”

The entire room chuckled, while the blushing young man shook his head. Gathering himself to his full height, he said, “Well don’t get used to it, Mr. Kinney. Now, back to you Liz. Based on your request, we can negotiate the terms. Also the timeline needs to be worked out immediately, since I know that the anniversary officially begins relatively soon.”

“No negotiations are necessary, Justin. I want you to not only have the commission, but the standard lead actor fee which is usually built into the cost projections on the contract. As for the timeline, I would need the first wave of the campaign ready by the third week in April, which is just after Easter. Although the anniversary reveal isn’t until the second week of May, it will give both of us time to reformat any corrections or new ideas after the first meeting.”

"That sounds more than reasonable, Liz,” Brian cut in when he could see Justin calculating how everything was going to fit into his schedule. If Justin’s work ethic was anything like Brian’s, he didn’t think the young man was going to leave him any room to breathe, let alone take any much needed breaks. Turning to Justin, he said, “Congratulations, Justin, or should I call you Millburn Pennybags, Junior? You just made two million dollars today, and that doesn’t even include your actor’s fee. So dinner is on you.”

Brian smiled at Justin as he sat down heavily into the chair in front of him, absorbing it all. After all the young man had been through, he deserved his good fortune and so much more!

~LS~

Craig Taylor stood stunned to silence for a completely different reason than that of his son. As he appeared before Judge Napier in County Court, with his court-appointed attorney, he was shocked to learn that he would not be receiving bail. Granted, the situation with Justin and Molly had gone completely different from the way he thought it would. His children with Jennifer were always headstrong and resistant to discipline. But after hearing of the attack on Constance Shelton, who was thought to be his daughter at the time, Craig couldn’t quite grasp why he was being considered a danger to Justin and Molly.

“Your honor, the call didn’t come from Mr. Taylor’s cell phone, but from the true culprit in this case, his wife Marlene,” George Russell, his attorney argued.

“Be that as it may, I find it hard to believe that your client had no foreknowledge of the events which led to Mrs. Constance Shelton having to fend off her attackers. In addition to that, Mr. Taylor had been advised that there was a restraining order in place. He willingly violated it, and this court has no doubt he would again, given the opportunity. Motion for bail to be set is denied. Next case!” Judge Napier banged his gavel, even as Craig was being hustled off to his next destination of the Pennsylvania State Men’s Correctional Facility.

“Why am I being sent to the State pen, as opposed to remaining in County?” Craig asked his attorney.

Russell rolled his eyes at that question. He was well-aware of the maliciousness of his client and his wife. If it was up to him, he would bypass the need for due process altogether and just lock them up for the rest of their miserable lives. But as an attorney, he had to believe that the law knew best in this case, and only work just enough that the Taylors Constitutional rights would not be violated on his watch. “Mr. Taylor, as I already explained before we entered into the courtroom, the reason that you are being remanded to the State Penitentiary is due to the proximity of County lockup to where your son and daughter live. Therefore, it would be considered a violation of the restraining orders to keep you there, regardless of the fact that you will be in jail.”

Before Craig could respond, they were interrupted by the whiniest voice Craig ever had the displeasure of hearing. “Hey! I said that they need to let me have my phone call! I’ve asked for it over and over again, but I still haven’t gotten it!”

“Stop lying, Novotny. It’s how your soon-to-be ex paid you a visit to lockup,” the officer escorting the prisoner advised.

“But… but… that didn’t count! I need to call Brian! No way would he allow me to stew in here. If he only knew that…”

“He knows, and is also the reason that you are being arraigned. Need I remind you that you were trespassing at Kinnetik, which began all your troubles? Now pipe down, before I…”

Craig couldn’t hear the rest of the guard’s statement, but one name did stick out in the entire conversation. Brian… could it be that the whiny man was talking about Justin’s partner? He needed to find out more about Kinney. The small smirk on his face must have alerted his attorney to his thoughts, because he was receiving a not-so-subtle elbow into his side.

“And that is the other reason you are being transferred to the State facility.”

“What are you talking about?” Craig asked, trying for innocence, but failing miserably.

“They didn’t want you accessible to that particular scumbag since you both have so much in common.”

“What do you mean?”

“While you might want to destroy Brian Kinney, that talking jackass wants to destroy Justin Taylor. And there is no doubt in any mind connected to this case that you would have helped him!” Mr. Russell yelled at him. “Guard! The prisoner is more than ready to be boarded upon the bus!”

“But wait a minute… I… I…” Craig stuttered as he was once again shuffled off to jail. Fuck! I won’t even have a chance to see Marlene. No matter though. He would find a way to get a message to that Novotny guy… one way or another.

“What?!?! FIVE-HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS?!?! But… But, I don’t have that kind of money!” came the screech Craig heard as he passed the courtroom.

Um, maybe not… FUCK!