by M. Z. Kelly
“It’s my latest invention,” Tex explained. “You’re wearing an interactive virtual reality headset that instantaneously computes your physical dimensions. The goggles project exactly what you and those at our table look like without clothing.”
“And your birthday suit needs some meat on it,” Nana said, laughing.
I averted my eyes, or goggles, not wanting to see her nude body and those of Tex and Howie, but I happened to notice that Natalie, Mo, and her date were all stark naked. Then I saw Boris and Jessica and moaned. “Please, God, just strike me blind.”
Boris, as it turned out, was the only member of the dinner party who didn’t look naked, only because he had so much hair on his body that you couldn’t see anything else. Jessica was another matter. Not to be spiteful, but there are some bodies that are better left clothed, and hers was one of them.
“I think this is all quite remarkable,” Jessica said to Boris. She then looked at me. “At least some of it’s remarkable.” She laughed in a haughty way, and her companion joined in.
I then turned my head slightly and realized that my date was also naked. I held my hand up, covering the goggles, and said to Ross, “Sorry.”
Ross laughed and lowered his voice. “I don’t care what Nana says, you look great.”
“Oh, God,” I moaned. “I can’t believe this. Our second date and we’re both stark naked. Someone just shoot me.”
“Oh, get over it,” Nana said. “If this is your second date, Ross was going to see what you’re made of anyway.” She then said, “Strike that. I forgot we’re talking about Kate.” Another round of laughter moved around the table at my expense.
Despite my threats to remove my goggles, Nana insisted that I keep them on. I was forced to endure a five-course dinner, trying to ignore the fact that my date, my friends, and everyone else at the table was naked as jay birds.
When dinner was finally, mercifully, over and I’d removed the goggles, I said to Ross, “I think this might be our last date. I’m planning on joining a convent.”
He laughed. “And waste what I think I saw tonight? Please reconsider.”
Ross walked me to the limo, where the others were all still wearing their goggles and laughing at me. I said to him, “Just so you know, if you’re going to be a part of my life, it’s always going to be like this. Everyday life, punctuated by bouts of total humiliation.”
We stopped at the car and he kissed my cheek. “There are far worse things than public nudity, and I do want to be part of your life. There’s also that little surprise I’ve been meaning to tell you about.”
“Don’t tell me. You’re a nudist.”
He laughed again. “Sorry, no, but I am transferring to the sheriff’s department in the county just north of Los Angeles. I might even be working out of the Ojai station, not far from where we had lunch over the weekend.”
“Well, it definitely beats living in Taft.”
I knew he was scheduled to work an early shift in the morning. He kissed me again and said, “I’ll call you soon.”
I walked over to the limo as Nana said, “You mean you’re not going home with him? What’s the matter with you, he’s hung like a stallion!”
“Somebody, please, just take me home,” I said. “I can’t take another minute of this.”
“Better do as she says,” Natalie said to the driver. “I gotta feeling it’s gonna take Kate a couple of years to recover.”
SEVENTY-TWO
The light filtered in through my bedroom window the next morning, and Bernie nudged me with his big, wet nose. I swung my feet over to get out of bed, saying, “All right. Give me a sec...”
All at once, my humiliating night came rushing back to me, stopping what I was going to say in mid-sentence. I again saw myself wearing Tex’s ridiculous virtual reality goggles, the stark images of Nana, my friends, Tex, Howie, Jessica, and Boris, all in the nude, assaulting my senses. Then I remembered also having seen Ross naked and glancing down at my own nude body.
“Oh, God.” I raked a hand through my hair, wondering how I’d managed to put myself in the position of exposing myself to the world. If the goggles Tex had invented had been just a toy, it might have been a fun evening. But the images they’d produced were so true to life, the explicit nature of what had been revealed had been truly shocking. How would I ever muster the courage to go out with Ross again?
I did my best to put everything out of my mind and took Bernie for a walk. On the way back to my place, Natalie poked her gorgeous head out of her front door, saying, “There she goes, Mo. We might as well buy her a horse, start callin’ her Lady Godiva, in case she wants to ride naked through the streets of Hollywood.”
Mo appeared in the doorway next to her. “At least we now know everything she’s got, and so does the rest of the world.”
They shared a laugh as I said, “Very funny.”
“Come on over for a moment,” Mo said. “Baby sis and me wanna discuss somethin’ important.”
It was against my better judgment, but I knew it was useless to argue. “Give me a few minutes to shower and get dressed, then I’ll stop by.”
An hour later, I’d dressed, had a bite to eat, and took a seat on their sofa. “I’ve only got a few minutes. It’s my day off, and I’m going to go by to talk to my mom.”
My friends eyeballed one another. “Maybe we should go with you,” Mo said. “There’s no telling how your mom’s going to react if you confront her ‘bout your daddy’s drug dealing.”
“She might even pull out one of them machetes the terrorists use and slice your head off,” Natalie said.
“I think this is something I need to do on my own.” I took a breath, secretly dreading the discussion with Mom. “So, what was it you wanted to talk about?”
Mo glanced at Natalie, then met my eyes. “Time’s growin’ short and we got us an idea ‘bout where to move. It’s a little out of the ordinary, so we wanted your okay before we look into it further.”
“Just so you know, I’m not moving to a nudist colony, whether it’s virtual or real, and I don’t have the money to live in a Beverly Hills penthouse.”
“What about livin’ at the Craven House?” Natalie said.
“The what?”
“It’s a house up in the Mt. Olympus neighborhood overlooking Hollywood,” Mo said. “It’s not too far from that place Nana used to own.”
“Craven...why does that named sound familiar?”
Natalie looked at Mo. “Maybe we should just tell her, she’s bound to find out eventually.”
“Tell me what?”
Mo sighed. “All right. Here’s the deal: The owners of the house would let us live there dirt cheap, providing me and baby sis do some security work for some of the movie...”
“That’s the house where that crazy boy killed his family,” I said, suddenly remembering where I’d heard the name. “They say it’s haunted.”
“Yeah, but what Bobby Craven did was a long time ago,” Natalie said. “Now they just use the place to film movies and TV shows.” Her voice ticked higher. “We’ll probably get to meet a bunch of stars, maybe even Brad Pitt. We can ask him why Angelina dumped his ass.”
“The Craven House. Really?” I said, shaking my head. “Wasn’t that house used in one of those movies about the devil a couple years ago?”
“The Exorcism of Rosemary Whales,” Natalie said. “I couldn’t sleep for a week after seein’ it. I was ‘fraid me head would start spinnin’ ‘round on me shoulders and I’d spit rat poison at everyone.”
Mo came over and sat next to me. “Please, Kate. Just give it some thought. It’s not like we got a bunch of options, and we gotta move in a couple of weeks.”
“The least you can do is go with us and take a look,” Natalie said. “Once you see the place, you’ll probably fall in love with it.”
“I’m sure.” I released a breath and rose. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but set something up. I’ll go look at it with you, but no pro
mises.”
I then glanced down at Bernie, who was staring up at me. I said to him, “There’s absolutely no doubt about it. I’m certifiably crazy. I should be committed to a home for people who make idiotic decisions.”
My dog was still staring intently at me, and I swear he nodded his head up and down. I’m sure it was his way of saying, “You’re right, Kate. You’re completely hopeless.”
***
My friends agreed to keep Bernie for the morning while I went to Mom’s house. When I arrived, I found her in the kitchen, brewing coffee. She brought over a tray of bagels and some cream cheese, and asked me to join her.
I helped myself to some coffee, sat across from her, and asked how things were going.
“I’m planning a trip to an ashram next month. It’s at a retreat in Sedona.”
“That sounds like a nice getaway.”
“Why don’t you consider coming with us? It’s just going to be with a few of my friends from school.”
Most of Mom’s friends were on the same plane as her, and I’m talking astral plane. “I’ll think about it,” I lied, then began treading into deeper waters. “Actually, there’s something I need to talk to you about.” She sipped her coffee and waited, as I took a breath and went on. “One of the detectives assigned to Dad’s case came by to see me the other day. He said they think it’s likely that the people behind his murder had a connection to Brazil.”
“Brazil? Why is that?”
“They think the drug trade is behind what happened to Dad over thirty years ago and the recent developments involving the merger of the Tauists and the Swarm.”
Mom sipped her coffee, and her brow tightened. “That’s strange. I don’t think your dad ever mentioned anything about drugs.”
I took a breath and went on. “They think it’s likely that Collin Russell and Harlan Ryland developed a relationship with the drug cartels back in the eighties. They made a fortune by using Ryan Cooper to open the trade routes.”
“I thought they made their money from their cult of followers.”
“That was a cover for their real business. They think they were using the movie studios as a cover to launder the fortune they were making, including Wallace Studios, where Dad did part-time security work.”
Mom’s gaze drifted off, came back. “It’s all interesting, but I don’t see what it has to do with your father’s death.”
I tried to keep my voice even. “They think there’s a possibility that Dad was involved in the drug scheme.”
The lines on Mom’s forehead deepened. “That’s ridiculous. Your father had nothing to do with drugs.”
“The detective who met with me talked to a guy named Jerry Steinman, who worked at the studios for over thirty years. He remembered both Dad and Ryan Cooper. Does Steinman’s name sound familiar?”
“No. Why would it?”
“Steinman was the one who told the detectives that the drug money was laundered through Wallace Studios. He also said he heard Dad and Cooper arguing about money one night. It had something to do with Dad wanting a bigger piece of the action—more of the drug money that Ryland and the others were making.”
Mom chuckled. “None of that makes any sense. If your father was involved in the drug trade, he had nothing to show for it. I’m sure you don’t remember it because you were just a child, but we barely made ends meet.”
I nodded and gave her a moment as she went on about being broke. I then said, “Remember a few days ago I mentioned that I found a safe deposit box key in my bedroom that Dad had given me?” She nodded. “Natalie and Mo were able to trace the contents of the box and found a slip of paper. It had a series of numbers on it that they think might be for an offshore account.”
Mom stood up and paced around the kitchen, causing Bernie to also get up and sniff for crumbs. “I don’t understand any of this. The idea of your dad being involved with anyone in the drug business is nonsense.”
“What about Ryan Cooper?”
“What about him?”
“I know that you had an affair with him after things between you and Dad...”
Mom was turned away from me. “Stop. I don’t want to discuss that. It’s ancient history.”
I went over to her, took her hands and made her face me. “It might have happened a long time ago, but it’s important to me if it tells me what really happened when Dad died. You need to tell me what you know. All of it.”
“I’ve already told...”
“Jerry Steinman said you were there.”
“What are you talking about?”
“At Wallace Studios. He said he saw you go by there several times.”
Mom pulled away from me and turned away again. “Let it go, Kate. Please.”
I came around and faced her. “I can’t let this go. Tell me what happened. Tell me the truth.”
Mom shook her head slowly. When her gaze finally came up to me, her expression had changed. Her eyes were unfocused and her voice was softer. “Are you sure you want to hear this?”
I nodded. “Please.”
She exhaled. “Ryan Cooper and I were in love. It was after your father and I had...after our marriage was on the rocks.” She paused, the emotion in her voice beginning to surface. “I was lonely and vulnerable, and he knew that.”
I already knew about her having been involved with Cooper, so what she said didn’t entirely surprise me, even though it was the first time she admitted being in love with him. “What about drugs? Was Cooper involved in the drug trade with Ryland and the others?”
Mom brushed her tears away. “Probably, but I can’t say for sure. All I know is he never lacked for money, and there were a lot of things going on behind the scenes.”
“What kind of things?”
“I’m not really sure. All I know is that when I went by the studios, Ryan seemed to be involved in a lot of things involving money. At the time, I thought it had something to do with the studios, but maybe there was something else going on.”
“And that’s when Steinman would have seen you—when you went by to see Cooper?”
She nodded, but didn’t otherwise respond.
“What about Dad? Could he have been helping Cooper and Ryland import drugs?”
She sighed. “Maybe. I don’t really know. Like I said, we never had any money. If he was involved, he never told me.” Her watery eyes fixed on me. “Do you really think your dad had money in an offshore account?”
“I don’t know. I’m having Joe Dawson try and trace it.”
Mom shook her head and released another long breath. “I wish...”
When she didn’t go on, I said, “You wish what?”
“I just wish I’d never been involved with Ryan, and that everything had gone differently. Your dad, for whatever faults he had, didn’t deserve what happened to him.”
I nodded and, despite all her failings, I hugged her. When we parted, I said, “There’s one other thing I need to ask you about.”
She looked at me as I went on. “Leo and I got a partial phone message forwarded to us that Pearl Kramer left with his sister. It was difficult to hear and understand most of the message, but at the end he mentioned Ryland’s name.” I braced myself as I asked the question I dreaded hearing the answer to. “Is it possible that Harlan Ryland could be my biological father?”
My phone rang and Mom’s gaze went over to it. “You should probably get that.”
I sighed, went over and glanced at the screen. I saw that the call was from my lieutenant. I swiped the screen and said to Mom, “Just give me a moment.”
“I’ve got some bad news,” I heard Olivia say when she came on the line.
My anxiety was on meltdown as I braced myself. “What’s going on?”
“It’s Mel Peters. She was found dead in her apartment this morning. Section One has the case.”
After getting a few more details and telling Olivia I would meet her at the scene, I ended the call and walked back over to Mom.
�
�You okay?” she asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“I’m okay,” I lied. “Let’s finish our discussion. What about Ryland?”
Mom folded her arms. Her head dropped down to her chest, and she exhaled. “Maybe.”
“Maybe what?”
She finally looked at me. “After Ryan and I broke up, the last time I saw him he said something about Judy.”
“My bio-mom.”
She nodded. “He said he and Judy were seeing one another, and that she’d been in a previous relationship.”
“With Harlan Ryland,” I said, feeling like all the air had escaped from my lungs.
Mom nodded. “It could have been him. I haven’t wanted to believe it all these years, but...”
We both heard a noise coming from the hallway adjacent to the kitchen. I looked up, not believing what I was seeing. The dark-haired woman standing there was just as I remembered seeing her, both at the Tauist retreat a few weeks earlier and when she’d recently appeared on TV with her grandfather after the bombings in Los Angeles. I was looking into the smiling face of Harlee Ryland.
I instinctively went for my gun, but froze when she said, “I wouldn’t do that.”
I now saw that she had a weapon in her hand that she raised and held inches from my face.
“What do you want?” I demanded.
The smile was still there as her finger tensed on the trigger. “This isn’t about what I want, Kate. It sounds like you came here wanting answers. It’s time someone gave them to you.”
THE END
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