“My dad is a widower, retired in Florida. He and your stepmother, Marian, have become very close. When I met Marian, she spoke about you and your brother, Thomas. I’d really like to meet both of you.”
“Why?”
It was the question she had anticipated. She was ready with her answer. “Because the way things are going, I believe they’re going to get married. If that’s destined to happen, I’d rather meet the new members of my family in advance versus waiting for the wedding day.”
There was a pause. “I guess that would be okay.”
“Excellent,” Gina said. “I’ll be happy to come to you. Where do you live?”
“Buffalo.”
“All right,” Gina replied. “Is your brother also in Buffalo?”
“We live together. When do you want to meet?”
“Any time and place that’s convenient for you and your brother.”
“Tomorrow afternoon? One-thirty?”
“That works for me.”
He gave her the name of a restaurant.
She had two thoughts as she ended the call. If Philip and his brother can start lunch at one-thirty, they must have flexible work hours. She wondered if they were thinking the same thing about me. Her second thought was how long does it take and how much does it cost to fly round-trip to Buffalo?
About ninety minutes and $351 were her answers.
* * *
The next day, she rode in an Uber to the restaurant. Gina had passed on the chance to catch an early morning flight and take the fifteen-mile ride to Niagara Falls. She and Ted had once talked about going there. She would wait until she could do it with him.
Maria’s, the restaurant Philip had chosen for lunch, was more of a diner, and a dingy one at that. Old circular stools with faded red seats were below a countertop that spread out almost the length of the building. Tables were on either side of the front door. Booths were in the far corners.
A waitress carrying a handful of menus walked up to her.
“By yourself?” she asked.
“No, I’m meeting two men.”
“If it’s Phil and Tom, they’re over there,” she said, while pointing to the booth in the left corner.
Gina made her way over to where the two were seated on the same side. “Philip and Thomas?” she asked.
“That’s us,” one answered while the other said, “Have a seat.” Neither stood up to greet her. Each had a half-filled coffee cup in front of him, suggesting they had been there for a while.
The brothers appeared to be in their mid-thirties, a little older than Gina. Both were on the paunchy side. Neither had bothered to shave that morning, perhaps the previous several mornings. Although it was chilly out, each wore a faded short-sleeved shirt. One had an Ace bandage on his wrist. Each had pronounced deep, dark bags under his eyes.
Gina slid into her seat, wondering how to start the conversation. Before she could say anything, the waitress appeared and placed plates in front of the brothers.
“We were hungry, so we ordered. I hope you don’t mind,” Philip said.
“Of course not,” Gina said, while taken aback at how rude they were.
“How about you, honey, you know what you want?” the waitress asked, looking at Gina.
“I’ll start with an iced tea. I haven’t really looked at the menu.” She glanced across at the brothers’ plates. Each had a stack of pancakes, eggs, and bacon, with a generous side of home fries. Not your typical lunch choice, she thought to herself. “A hamburger sounds good,” she said. At the waitress’s urging, she ordered the deluxe.
“I appreciate your taking the time to meet me,” Gina began.
“That’s all right,” Philip murmured.
“I hope I’m not taking you away from work.”
“You’re not,” Thomas volunteered.
“What kind of work do you do?”
“We’re entrepreneurs,” Philip said.
“In the gaming field,” Thomas added.
“Gaming?” Gina asked. “I’m not sure what you mean by that.”
“Competitive video gaming is a huge industry that’s growing like mad around the world,” Philip stated. “Tom and I had a successful company until Mommy Dearest persuaded our father to pull the funding out from under us.”
“By Mommy Dearest, I assume you’re referring to Marian.”
“The one and only Marian,” Thomas said with a scowl as he used his hand to wipe a piece of pancake off his chin.
“I’m sorry to hear that. What happens now that the funding is gone?”
“We’re trying to find other backers,” Thomas said. “It’s a slow process.”
“Do you ever see Marian?”
“Once in a while,” Philip answered.
“Do you talk to her?”
“Every now and then,” Thomas replied.
It’s like pulling teeth to get any answers out of these two, Gina thought. Subtlety is not getting us anywhere. She decided to ask a question that she hoped would get them to open up. “I’ve met Marian. She seems very nice. You know her better than I do. It’s clear you have a lot of resentment toward her now. What were your feelings when you first met her and what happened along the way?”
If Gina was hoping to light a conversational fuse, she succeeded. For the next half hour, the brothers tripped over each other to describe a woman who at first seemed so sweet. But given time, Marian had completely dominated their father’s life. His estate, and it was substantial they insisted, was supposed to go to them. By the time he died, Marian had convinced their father to leave everything to her. “We got nothing,” Philip said, while Thomas nodded in agreement.
When the check came, neither brother made a move. Nor did they thank Gina for paying. On the way to the airport a thought occurred to her. Neither of the brothers had asked a single question about her.
91
Michael Carter was back in his office after back-to-back trips. He had taken a day trip to Portland, Maine, earlier in the week. After returning to New York, the following day he had flown to Phoenix, where he had spent one night. He sat back and glanced at the email he had written to Junior about the trips. Satisfied, he sent it. He noted this was the first time he was sending an email to Junior but not to Sherman.
The women in Portland and Phoenix were the ones whose names had been provided by Junior, the ones Matthews confessed to. Carter still had a hard time picturing Matthews unburdening himself to Junior. When Carter, Sherman, and Matthews met at the club in Greenwich, the anchorman didn’t have an ounce of remorse over what he had done. He lied when he failed to identify Meg Williamson as one of his victims. For all Carter knew, Matthews was still at it, adding to the list.
Junior had told him that Matthews had personally reached out to the latest two victims and persuaded them to settle. Whatever he told them, it must have hit the spot. Each woman had come to the rented office space, asked no questions, barely read the agreement, signed, and almost run out the door.
The second time they met in the car, he had told Junior he needed a break. Junior had agreed that time off was in order after he settled these two women, but that was not going to be the case. Far from it.
92
Gina returned from an early morning run to find her cell phone ringing on the kitchen table. A glance at the screen revealed it was her father.
“Hi, Gina. Just wanted to call and see what my little girl is up to.”
If only you knew, Gina thought to herself. “The usual, Dad. I’m still pitching that story to Empire. There’s been some turnover in the editor’s chair so the decision-making wheels are turning slowly.”
“I’m sure it’ll all work out,” he said.
“What’s going on in Naples?” Gina asked, almost reluctantly.
“A group of us are going bonefishing for a few days in the Bahamas. We’re leaving tomorrow. It’s stag, guys only. Don’t worry, dear. I’m not running off to elope.”
“All right, Dad, I get it. How is
Marian?”
“She’s fine. In fact, she’s up in your neck of the woods. She has some business to take care of in New York. I took her to the airport this morning.”
Probably arranging to have this apartment put in her name, Gina thought, but then scolded herself. “Dad, if Marian has any free time, I wouldn’t mind having a drink or dinner with her while she’s in town.”
“That would be really nice. I know she’ll be there for a few days,” he said and then gave her Marian’s cell number. She didn’t let on that she’d already obtained the number through Ted’s friend at Goldman Sachs. “I really hope you get to know Marian better.”
“I promise I will, Dad. You don’t have to worry about that. Catch a lot of fish!”
93
Life’s funny, Gina thought to herself. Over the course of her career she had interviewed a lot of powerful people, many of whom resented that circumstances had forced them to sit and answer her questions. It was natural to feel a little nervous before these sessions started. “We all have butterflies,” a veteran reporter had advised her. “As long as you can keep yours flying in formation, you’ll be fine.”
This evening was different. The calculus was turned upside down. If she succeeded in exposing Marian Callow as an opportunist preying on older men, that would be a win. But would it prove to be a Pyrrhic victory? If, in order to protect her father, and herself, she ended up breaking her father’s heart—
Her reverie was broken by Marian, who, after making eye contact, waved and began to make her way to the table. Gina had chosen a small Italian restaurant on the Upper West Side. Unusual for a New York restaurant, the tables were a comfortable distance apart. Gina did not want to have to shout to be heard, and she certainly didn’t want their conversation to be audible at neighboring tables.
“What a lovely place,” Marian said as the maître d’ pulled a chair out for her. “How did you find this?”
Marian was wearing an obviously expensive navy-blue suit with a red-and-white scarf around her neck. Gina realized again how very attractive she was.
“A friend ate here and gave it two thumbs-up,” she replied. That friend was Ted, but she didn’t want to sidetrack the conversation to her love life. That’s not why they were here.
Gina ordered a bottle of Pinot Noir, and Marian insisted that Gina order the entrees for both of them. The two women engaged in small talk as they went through their first glass. Several reasons had brought Marian to New York. She was staying with an old friend who had worked with her at the design studio. They had seen To Kill a Mockingbird the previous night, and it had been fabulous. Tomorrow she would have lunch with the two brokers who managed her money. They had been her late husband’s friends at Goldman Sachs before leaving and setting up their own shop. “Of course, we’re not doing anything that we couldn’t do over the phone, but every now and then it’s nice to look into the eyes of the people you’re trusting with your money.”
I couldn’t agree more, Gina thought, as, trying not to be too obvious, she stared into Marian’s eyes.
Unlike her stepsons, Marian showed genuine interest in Gina. She asked about what Gina was working on now but was respectful when Gina apologized for not being able to share details. She asked if anything was new with her and Ted. When she said she hoped Gina could get down to Naples more often, she seemed to really mean it.
The food came and it was as delicious as ever. There was a friendly quality, a feeling of warmth in Marian that Gina had not noticed in Naples. She could see why her father was attracted to her, why men found her so captivating.
After they finished eating, Gina gently introduced the reason she had asked Marian to dinner. “After Mom died, Dad was a lost soul. He and my mother had been together since they were kids. I was really worried about him. That’s why, when I heard he’d met someone so quickly, I’ll be honest, I had mixed feelings.”
“I can certainly understand that, Gina. If I were in your position, I’d also be asking questions.”
“Marian, you’re very nice. I feel like a heel for even having this conversation. But with my mother gone, Dad’s the only family I’ve got. I feel an obligation to…” She paused, searching for the right words.
“Watch out for him?” Marian volunteered.
“For lack of a better term, yes,” Gina said.
Marian smiled. “You’re very lucky and so is your dad. He’s a wonderful man. You’re both so fortunate to have someone watching over you.” She took a sip of wine. “Like you, I’m an only child. Both of my parents are gone. I had eight great years with Jack. He was a terrific guy.” She paused. “Jack was older. I knew I’d probably outlive him. But I thought we’d have more time than we did.”
“I’m very sorry about your loss,” Gina said sincerely.
“Thank you,” Marian said. “I’m sure you know what it’s like to lose someone you were very close to.”
Gina wasn’t sure if Marian was alluding to her mother or Ted or both.
“I like you a lot, Gina. Regardless of what happens between your dad and me, I want us to have a good relationship. I know you have questions for me. I’m ready. Fire away.”
“Marian, I really appreciate your making this easy for me. I’m going to lay my cards flat on the table. When I was in Naples, I asked how often you see your stepchildren. You responded, ‘They have their own lives.’ I’ll be honest. That was a huge red flag for me.”
“Do you want to talk to them?”
“I already did.”
“How did you find them? Never mind. Considering what you do for a living, it doesn’t surprise me that you were able to track them down.”
“I not only talked to them, I flew up to Buffalo and had lunch with them.”
“You’re doing better than I am.”
“I’m not sure what you mean,” Gina said.
“They refuse to even see me. I’m sure they told you I’m the Wicked Witch of the West. I turned their father against them. I stole all the money that should have gone to them. Did I leave anything out?”
“They said you convinced their father to stop funding the company they had founded.”
Marian smiled and sighed at the same time. “Where to begin. Those boys broke Jack’s heart. From day one Jack was an achiever, a hustler. He played sports in school but always had a job on the side. His parents didn’t have any money, so he put himself through SUNY Buffalo. He somehow got an interview at Goldman at a time when they were only interested in Ivy Leaguers. Once he got his foot in the door, he outworked everybody. He’d leave for work early, get home late, and was overseas more than half the time.”
“So I gather he didn’t get to see much of his sons when they were growing up.”
“No, he didn’t, and that’s a regret he carried to his grave. His wife was a good person, but a shy, timid type. She’d claim to be on board with Jack’s plan to get tougher on the boys and make them earn their way, but as soon as he left, she’d let them do whatever they pleased. She was always worried about putting too much pressure on them. Her attitude was that their sitting in their rooms playing video games was better than being out on the street doing drugs. She didn’t see any harm in it.”
“That must have been tough.”
“It was. Jack and she got divorced. He was making a good income so a big chunk went to her in alimony and child support. Jack paid for both of them to go to SUNY Buffalo, but neither finished. In fact, they rarely showed up. They were in their rooms playing video games.”
“It sounds like an illness, an addiction almost.”
“I agree with you, except for the ‘almost’ part.”
“Is their mother still in the picture?”
“No. She was prone to depression and it got worse as she got into middle age. She eventually had to go to assisted living. She’s still there.”
“What happened to the boys after that?”
“By this time, they were men, in their mid-twenties. Their mother left her money to them, whic
h was the worst thing she could have done. They fancied themselves competitive players. In less than three years they squandered five million dollars.”
“What a waste,” Gina said.
“Of money and lives,” Marian agreed. “It took their going broke for Jack to finally regain some control over the situation. He begged them to go to therapy. A growing number of experts are saying that video game addiction is every bit as destructive as gambling addiction. Of course, they wouldn’t go. Why would they? They insisted they didn’t have a problem.”
“What did Jack do?”
“They refused to even speak to Jack. When they lost the house in New Jersey, he got a place for them in Buffalo. He wanted them to be close to their grandparents. The house is in a trust he established. The trust pays for everything, including a high-speed Internet line for their games. It provides each of them a car, a monthly living allowance, and health care. If they ever agree to go for therapy, it will pay one hundred percent of the cost.”
“That’s so sad.”
“It is. It’s the only thing Jack and I ever had a fight over.”
“You were against the trust?”
“Just the opposite. I agreed it was the only thing he could do under the circumstances. Neither of us wanted to see them end up on the street.”
“Then what was the fight about?”
“The grandparents were getting on in years. He insisted I be the trustee. I didn’t want the job.”
“But you ended up taking it?”
“Not right away. When Jack was around and healthy, there was no sense of urgency to resolve the dispute. But when he got sick,” she paused, a tear forming in her eye, “he was never going to be at peace until he was sure that somebody he could count on was taking care of his sons. I didn’t want him on top of everything else to be worried about the trust. So I agreed.”
Kiss the Girls and Make Them Cry Page 26