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  “Rachel had everything she could ever desire,” Lisa said. “She was another status symbol for her father to show off, but he never loved her. And the one thing every little girl needs to grow up healthy and well is the love of her father. Whether or not she realizes it, Rachel has been desperate for her father’s love… or at least his attention her entire life.”

  “Is it because of what happened to your husband as a child that keeps him from having any feelings toward Rachel?”

  “I didn’t say he didn’t have feelings toward Rachel. My husband despises his daughter with every fiber of his being. And it has nothing to do with what happened to him as a child; but what happened to him when he was much, much, older. He hates Rachel’s mother with an ungodly hatred. I tried to do some research on her, but my husband found out about it.”

  Bart swallowed the piece of sandwich in his mouth before speaking. “Did he hurt you—your husband?”

  “No, to my surprise he didn’t. He asked something of me; and swore it would be the only thing he’d ever ask of me in our marriage. The one thing he wanted was for me to never look up his ex wife again. All I ever found out was her name—Magdalena. I was so touched by the way my husband made his request that I never tried to find out any more about the woman. And true to his word, my husband has never asked anything else of me since that day.”

  “Wow, that woman must’ve done a real number on him.”

  “Her or somebody else,” Lisa said. “My husband has been impotent since the conception of his daughter.”

  “Good God!” Bart said. “Their lives were insane. And what about Rachel?”

  “She’s living on a downward spiral. The one thing she needs most in this world—her father’s love—is the one thing she’ll never get.”

  “What the hell?” Bart said. “You seem normal enough, Lisa, how did you get mixed up with these people?”

  “My father wasn’t very smart in choosing the people he did business with, and one of those people was Marcus. Things went bad really quickly… and the only thing my father had to bargain with was our good family name and me. So, to put it simply, I married a divorced man who was fourteen years my senior and had a daughter. I’m forty-five now, and my husband is fifty-nine. He treats me with respect… and nothing much is expected of me.”

  “Well, you two still share a bed—you mentioned his crying out in the night,” Bart said.

  “Yes, but I’m not the only woman he shares a bed with,” Lisa said. “One of those women came to see me at the house two years ago… she wanted to inform me that my husband was having an affair with her. My husband found out about her visit and beat her to within an inch of her life—she barely looked human when he made her crawl back to the house and apologize to me.”

  “Lisa, what happened to me the night of my accident?” Bart said.

  Chapter 15

  Unanswered Questions

  “I WISH I could tell you exactly what happened, but I don’t know much about that night,” Lisa said.

  “Tell me what you do know, then,” Bart said.

  “I know that you’d decided to go out with some people from work, which is unusual in itself. You had two friends visiting… a sweet woman a year or two younger than you, named Delia and her sister Tara, who’s older than you—closer to your friend Jenna’s age. At the time, you’d told me you were concerned about Reese, because he’d gotten himself involved with something he shouldn’t have.”

  “Did I give any hint about what Reese had gotten involved in?” Bart said.

  “Only that it involved Orion, and you wanted to keep an eye out for Reese. You didn’t want him going out alone with the group, so you and Delia went along with Reese and his companions to a nightclub down the street from the resort called Club Zanzibar. I heard that when you and Delia exited with the group, the two of you ran into the street high on drugs. Reese and Simon did their best to try and get you and Delia out of the street, but you both ran from them and were struck down by cars. Ambulances were called to the scene, but instead of having you and Delia taken to the local hospital, Tara had you both airlifted to the hospital in Georgia where she worked. She mentioned wanting to have you and Delia seen by a medical expert in her field who worked there named Dr. Terri Farrow. That’s everything I know—I did find out that Dr. Farrow is considered an expert when it comes to patients who have problems with drugs.”

  “I knew there were drugs found in my system,” Bart said. “Could your husband and his friends be dealing drugs here?”

  “They could, but not the type that you were high on. I know they have some dealings with marijuana, but I’ve also heard my husband talk about not wanting to deal with harder substances like cocaine. From what I understand, whatever you had in your system was highly unusual. That’s all I could find out. The hospital you were in is very tight-lipped.”

  “Would I have taken some type of drug of my own free will?”

  “No,” Lisa said. “I’d spoken to you the morning of the incident. You were excited because you’d just been on the phone with your childhood friend, turned lover, Bart. I remember thinking you were a man in love, looking forward to a happy future. There was no reason you would have felt the need to take drugs.”

  “Thank you,” Bart said. “Did I talk a lot about Bart?”

  “Only with me. Nobody else even knew you had a boyfriend or partner—I’m sorry… I don’t know the proper lingo these days. I never told anyone about him either, not even James. It was your business, and you kept it close to your heart.”

  “Why didn’t I want anyone to know about Bart?”

  “I think you treasured him too much to share with the likes of the people you were meeting. You didn’t want to sully or cheapen your memories of him by sharing them with folks who’d make fun of them or tear those memories apart. But I do know you treasured that man and loved him more than anyone else on the planet. And you knew he loved you the same way. Maybe one day I’ll get to meet Bart.”

  “I hope so,” Bart said. “But for now, I’ve got to find myself first. Is there a way to discover if your husband or any of his cohorts had anything to do with what happened that night… or if they’re involved with the drugs Delia and I were given?”

  “No, not unless you could get them all together in the same place—and that only happens at weddings and funerals. And no one I know is planning on getting married any time soon.”

  “So, it’ll have to be a funeral then,” Bart said. “Do you mind if I lie back and take in some rays while you draw?”

  “Not at all. There is another man who may know what’s going on: Roberto’s son Gabriel. His father’s in charge of things in his country.”

  “Is he in town?”

  “No,” Lisa said. “There haven’t been any weddings or funerals to attend here lately.”

  “Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me,” Bart said. “But why exactly did you share so much?”

  “Because I have a feeling things are going to be coming to a head here soon. And like I said earlier, you and I are old allies.”

  BART HAD enjoyed his time with Lisa and thought she was a warm intelligent woman. He decided to take a drive and familiarize himself with the area. Maynard Shores was a typical resort town with small touristy shops, and a variety of chain and local restaurants. The cleanliness of the area is what really impressed Bart. He found a Publix supermarket and decided to stop there in order to pick up some supplies for his empty kitchen. Halfway down the soda and chips aisle, he heard a woman call his name.

  “Jeremy! Funny running into you here,” Julia Jansen said. “Are you grabbing supplies for your apartment?”

  “Y’up. I need some of everything,” Bart said. “Don’t you look nice?”

  “Why thank you, kind Sir.” She spun so Bart could see all of her ensemble, which consisted of a red jacket with a matching knee-length pencil skirt, silvery-gray top, and red heels. “I have to meet with a woman’s group to talk about my life as a young fe
male entrepreneur. I’m not really sure what to share: other than it took a lot of hard work, a great deal of charm, and a couple of willing investors.”

  “That doesn’t sound half bad,” Bart said.

  “I’m going to need a night out after my meeting with ‘the ladies who lunch’,” Julia said. “Rachel, Reese, Simon, and I are going to hit Club Zanzibar, why don’t you join us?”

  “Sounds good, I think I’ll just do that.”

  “Reese will be glad to hear that,” Julia said. “Though I think James will be more than a bit disappointed.”

  “You shouldn’t pay too much attention to gossip,” Bart said.

  “Not gossip—Reese told me the two of you are an item, and I haven’t forgotten James putting the moves on you the last time we were all at the Club.”

  “Excuse me?” Bart said. “James said he never met me before now—I mean before my return to the resort.”

  “I guess the man’s a liar then—not that anyone could blame him for fibbing,” Julia said. “He was more than a little embarrassed when he kissed you that night, and you responded by pushing him back with such force that he fell over his chair and spilled his drink on himself. Poor James tries so hard—but fails so greatly.”

  “That is sad,” Bart said.

  “You’re the one who pushed him so hard he fell,” Julia said. “Well, I’ve got to get out of here, but I‘m looking forward to seeing you tonight. You and Reese make one hell of a hot couple, if you don’t mind me saying so.”

  “I don’t mind,” Bart said. “And good luck with your meeting.”

  “Thanks,” Julia said before walking away.

  I think it’s time I had a meeting with a certain someone myself, Bart thought, before he continued shopping.

  Chapter 16

  Now, What?

  BART MADE a three-way call on his cell phone to Jenna and Frank, so he could share what he’d learned from Lisa. Jenna had an exercise class to get ready for, but Frank asked Bart to meet with him in his office when he returned to the resort. After parking, Bart made his way to the rear of the resort where Frank’s office was located. Bart thought about how he, Frank, and Jeremy had been friends since they were young. Frank had always been bigger than him and Jeremy in terms of his musculature which was both impressive and intimidating to people. When some of the jocks in their high school had tried to pick a fight with Jeremy—Frank came to the rescue, and here he was helping out once again. He’d even left his business back home in the hands of his intern, whom he claimed was more than capable of running things for a while. Hell, Frank would’ve followed Jenna anywhere, anyway, Bart thought. But the truth was the guy had always been there for all of them when they needed him. Still, Bart knew they were asking a lot of him; and it was time to kick things up a notch and get to the bottom of what was going on in Maynard Shores. He arrived at Frank’s office and knocked on the door.

  “Come on in,” Frank said, from inside his office.

  Bart walked in and smiled. Frank was leaning back in his chair with his bare feet up on the desk in front of him. He was casually dressed in a T-shirt and shorts. Bart couldn’t remember ever seeing the guy formally dressed, not even at prom, when he showed up in shorts, a T-shirt, tuxedo jacket, and flip-flops.

  “Sorry, I know, I have my feet up on the desk,” Frank said. “What can I say—you can’t take me anywhere?” He lowered his feet and sat up in his chair.

  “So, what’s up, bud?” Bart said.

  “Well… um… so, I’ve been monitoring Mr. Orion like you asked, and he’s some sick pervert. He enjoys watching his two so-called grandsons more than joining in, but he does join in on occasion.”

  “OK, and since we know the boys aren’t really underage, that leaves us nothing to barter with to find out what Mr. Orion knows,” Bart said. “Unless you’ve found something else out… have you found out something else, Frank?”

  “As a matter of fact, I have.”

  “Do tell,” Bart said.

  “I’ve seen Mr. Orion putting large sums of cash into his suite’s safe… and it’s always on Friday nights,” Frank said.

  “So, he’s getting regular payments for something,” Bart said.

  “My first thought is we’ve found our drug connection, but you said Lisa didn’t believe he and the others were dealing drugs,” Frank said.

  “Maybe the others aren’t dealing, but it doesn’t mean Mr. Orion isn’t working on his own. Could he be receiving a regular payoff from someone—hush money of some sort? With his history, he probably knows a lot of people’s secrets.”

  “I don’t know where his money is coming from. In any case, he’s sitting on a lot of cash,” Frank said. “And he pays for everything in cash, including the company he keeps. I have to ask you something, Jer—how much longer until we get a solid lead here?”

  “Not too much longer, I hope,” Bart said. “But, I’m thinking it’s time to move the process along a little… or rather a lot. We need something to happen… and soon.”

  “You mean something along the lines of a wedding or a funeral, like you and Lisa were discussing.”

  “Exactly like that,” Bart said. “And we start with Mr. Orion. The man thinks he’s carrying on with underage boys, so he’s clearly capable of doing bad stuff. We need to find out what other bad things he’s been doing lately.”

  “Good luck with that, man. How exactly do you break someone like Mr. Orion? We’d have to know exactly what makes him tick first.”

  “We know that already, Frank—boys—underage boys are his weakness. They’re the way we get to him.”

  “But how—the boys aren’t even really underage. Are you planning to tell him the truth about that situation, Jeremy?”

  “No, but we need to find out the real ‘truth’ about the situation—the roots of Mr. Orion’s ungodly desires—in order to use it to our advantage.”

  “Oh, man,” Frank said. “I think I know what you’re getting at—you’re gonna walk him back through it all, aren’t you. You are seriously going to break that guy.”

  “He’s already broken… he’s been broken since those evil soldiers arrived at his orphanage that day. And what does a broken man try to do?”

  “Heal?” Frank said. “Put himself back together somehow… oh, God, I get it. He’s trying to reorder his world to make it right.”

  ‘Now, you’ve lost me,” Bart said.

  “Don’t you see, Jer—you’ve hit the nail right on the head. This guy—Mr. Orion… he’s trying to fix what happened to him. It’s completely demented, but that must be the reason he goes for underage boys. He’s trying to undo what happened to him. See… this time he’s the one in control over some young kids—he’s the one with all the power. Back when he was a kid he had no power… he was completely helpless.”

  “Yeah, you’re right, Frank,” Bart said. “I just couldn’t piece it all together like you just did. Then all we have to do now is give Mr. Orion exactly what he wants.”

  “You’re scaring me now, dude,” Frank said. “Try and remember we’re supposed to be the good guys here—we’re already straddling the line.”

  “Well, we’re fixing to cross that line now,” Bart said. “If you want out—say so—I’ll understand… and would never think any less of you for it. We’re going to have to do some slimy things to bring the secrets that are here out; and we may not feel like such ‘good guys’ when all is said and done.”

  “No—I’m in,” Frank said. “Don’t ever have doubts about that. It’s just that I can’t help but feel like a bad guy myself with all that we’re having to do. Spying on Mr. Orion with his boys makes me feel all kinds of dirty. Then seeing what you’re having to do with Reese and some of the others is somewhat upsetting.” He shook his head thinking about things. “What’re your plans concerning Mr. Orion; and how can I help?”

  “Like I was saying, we give Mr. Orion what he needs most,” Bart said. “But we’ve got to get it right… and I mean exactly right. In orde
r to do that, I’m going to have to speak with him myself. For now, I need you to keep on ‘keeping on’ with what you’ve been doing. We’re fixing to take Mr. Orion down permanently, once we find out what he knows.”

  “Didn’t Lisa say the only way to get rid of Mr. Orion was to have him leave here on a stretcher.”

  “Yes, but I have another solution in mind,” Bart said. “I think our white hero hats are fixing to turn a dark shade of gray.”

  “Tell me more, because you have me very concerned,” Frank said.

  “What would Mr. Orion do if he got the chance to relive what happened to him, but come out as the victor instead of the victim—would he do it?”

  “Of course, he would—why wouldn’t he?” Frank said. “But Mr. Orion’s victim would have to be the same age he was at the time, and that would be—what did you tell us… ten years old. There’s no way we could get Mr. Orion a ten-year-old.”

  “No, but we can try the same trick Lisa pulls on him with the grandsons. It’ll be somewhat more complicated, but maybe Simon can work his magic for us.”

  “Provided Simon’s willing to help us and not his current client, who I’m sure pays him very well,” Frank said.

  “Which client are you talking about, Frank? Lisa or Mr. Orion. I’m thinking that as long as the money’s right; Simon will gladly help us.”

  “You do have a point there, Jeremy. What excuse are you going to use to start a conversation with Mr. Orion?”

  “I think I’ll knock on his door and mention having seen the surveillance videos of him and his grandsons frolicking.”

  “Are you sure about that—the guy’s supposed to be dangerous?” Frank said. “Hang on a second—maybe it is a good time to try that. Mr. Orion has been looking a bit unnerved these days. I’ve been meaning to mention that to you, but it didn’t seem important until now. Do you think it is important?”

  “If it gets us an ‘in’ with the man, then it’s important,” Bart said. “Why do you think Mr. Orion’s so ‘unnerved’?”