“That’s beside the point, mom. If Peter Masterson isn’t my father, then who is? I have a right to know.”
“I just can’t tell you that right now, I’m sorry, Kane. Someday maybe I’ll be able to, but not right now. You’re just going to have to trust me on this.”
“That’s ridiculous. I’ve been trusting you all these years and you have betrayed me. I want no more of your lies.” Kane got up and stormed out of the house. He sat in his car waiting for Marcia to call; his world in total disarray.
Evelyn sat alone on the sofa, her mind filled with feelings of regret. Those evil Hamptons. First the father walks out on Kane. I should never have let him get away with that. Why was I so proud? I could have made his life miserable. I guess what’s really important is that Kane made it on his own, without being tainted by that family. But, now, that bastard Adam Hampton III is hell bent on destroying Kane. Well I won’t let that happen. I know how to stop him and get even with his father at the same time. I’ve waited long enough for my revenge. I’ll wait no longer.
Adam sat with Chuck Meredith in a booth in the back of Ye Olde Taverne. Enlarged photos and a detailed report of Kane and Marcia’s date were spread across the table leaving no room for the tankards of beer when the waiter arrived. Adam moved the photos to one side to make the room and handed him the menus.
“We won’t be having anything to eat, thank you.” He turned his attention back to the photographs. His face turned crimson as he looked at the pictures of them kissing in the car and walking on the beach. He noted the times recorded on the report, especially the hour of their departure in the morning.
“This is good, Chuck. You did a good job. I’ll take it from here. I want all your efforts on the investigation of my father. What have you found out so far?”
“It’s slow going. I sent a truck over to your storage vault. We pasted a logo on the truck for a document shredding company; a perfect cover. We picked up forty seven storage boxes that covered all of 1974. We moved them to a warehouse space that I rent on a month-to-month basis. It has good lighting and A/C. I set up a bunch of tables and hired some college kids to do the initial sort. I told them it had something to do with a pending lawsuit. I have them going through two consecutive month’s folders at the same time. They’re trying to link phone calls, credit card receipts and your father’s personal day planner using the same first and last name. For example, if your father’s day planner shows that he planned to meet Mary Jones for lunch, they will look for a corresponding phone record and credit card receipt. Any matched records will be clipped together and set aside. Due to the sensitivity of this investigation the initial matches will not be gender oriented. My second level team will make that separation. Right now we have twenty students working around the clock. The manpower for each team is determined by the size of the files. A few of the months required two and three people due to the high volume. I had a devil of a time getting a copy of a 1974 phone book. Luckily, I have a good friend at the phone company who I persuaded to loan it to me for a while.”
“Have your people isolated anyone yet that can be moved to the one-on-one investigation?”
“Yes, sir, we have. Two operatives are checking on women that showed up repeatedly early that year. The first, Sarah Gershwin, apparently went with your father during April and May. They had dinner at a hotel at least eight times. On five of those occasions your father reserved a suite at the hotel. The second lady, Alice Wentworth, saw him during July through November. She might have been from out of town because they always met in New Haven; sometimes staying at a hotel for a long weekend. We haven’t located either of these women yet, but we have a number of leads that look very promising. There is a third possibility. Your father just used the initial “E” in his day-timer. He had at least ten late afternoon meetings with “E” during January and February. There were no corresponding records of hotel or meal expenses tied into these appointments, so maybe they won’t amount to anything. ‘E’ could be a business associate, a man or woman who might have picked up the tab. Could live locally too.
There’s just no way we can tell anything for certain, yet. ‘E’ never shows up after that in the day-timer.”
“How are you handling that one?”
“I’ve assigned one of my top men to go through his phone records for that period of time. Your father spent a great deal of time on the phone. It’s highly unlikely that he could have so many meetings with a person without ever talking with them on the phone. There are over fifteen hundred calls to sort through. This is real tedious work. We don’t want to overlook anything.”
“Well let me know when you have something concrete. I realize that it was a long time ago, but my father was well known. Somebody has to know something.”
“It might help if I knew why you want to locate this woman.”
Adam put his beer down and glared at Chuck.“You know all that you have to know,” He snapped. “This is a very personal matter. I thought I made that clear when we started this search. If I thought you needed something more, I’d provide it. You have plenty enough to work with already.”
“I’m sorry, Mister Hampton. I didn’t mean to pry. It’s just that the more information we have the less money this search will cost you.”
Adam calmed down, “Chuck, don’t think I don’t appreciate that. I’m sure you are not the only one who wonders what is behind this investigation, but don’t forget that I use your company because I know I can depend on your discretion. I expect you to be pro-active in squelching any speculation by the people you hired to go through those records. If you ever need more, I’ll provide it. For now, work with what you have. Understood?”
“Perfectly, Mister Hampton. I ’m taking every precaution. That’s why I have people working at only one level. Once the sorting and matching is done, the students involved will be released. The correlating is being done by my junior people and only my most trusted operatives will be assigned to work on the individual investigations.”
“Okay, then. Call me day or night when you have something concrete.” Adam swallowed the last of his beer and left the tavern.
Chapter 22
January 8, 1974
“I don’t know why we keep meeting like this. I can’t see any future in it for either of us. Two married people meeting on the sly is so cliché.”
“Come on now, we’re like Adam and Eve after the apple episode. What could be more natural? It’s biblical, right?” He propped himself up on his elbows and gazed into her eyes. “Have I ever told you that you have such beautiful green eyes?”
“Don’t change the subject. I know the sex is great, but I hate sneaking around on Peter, even though I know he’s banging that waitress at the club. I still feel very uncomfortable doing it my own house and in our own bed.”
“Hell, if it wasn’t for me there wouldn’t be any action on this mattress. How long did you say it was since you two got it on? Four months, I think you said.
“That’s beside the point. There’s also your wife to consider. I know Peter wouldn’t care, but your wife is a different story. What if she finds out about us, Adam?”
Evelyn got up and slipped on a robe. She had just turned thirty-five. Her measurements were the same as when she was twenty-one, her weight a constant one hundred and twenty five pounds. Peter was her second husband; a rebound mistake if there ever was one. It didn’t take her too long to discover that he wasn’t the faithful kind, so when the opportunity to sleep with Adam Hampton II, the richest man in town, came around, she jumped at it. He was attentive, good looking, a damn good lover and there were no strings attached. Then there was the fascination of the “Adam and Eve” thing.
“How’s she going to find out? She’s so busy spending my money, she has no time to think about what I‘m up to. She thinks I’m busy at the office. Anyway, she seems to have lost her interest in sex. It’s been at least five months since I boinked her.”
“Don’t be so crude, Adam.”
/> He reached out and tried to grab her robe, but she gathered it tight and evaded his reach. “I’ll show you what crude is. Come on, you know you want it. Spread ‘em”
She gave in and she wasn’t disappointed with the results. She never was. Adam Hampton II had many faults, but his lovemaking was the best she had ever had.
February 18, 1974
“How could you let this happen? I thought you were on the pill.”
“I started the day after our first time. I guess it happened then.”
“You should have told me,” he shouted, “I would have used something if I had known.”
“Don’t yell. When I met you, I didn’t know we were going to land up in bed. We were all over each other before I knew what happened.”
“Get rid of it.”
“You know I can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know for sure. It just doesn’t seem right to me.”
“How long have you known that you were knocked up?”
“About two weeks.”
“Why didn’t you tell me then?”
“Because I was afraid you’d act like this.”
Adam glowered at her. “Let me tell you something, Evelyn. I want nothing to do with this mistake of yours. That was never a part of our arrangement. I don’t care what you do, just leave me out of it. When I leave here today, it’s over. I don’t ever want to see you again. As far as I’m concerned the last six weeks never happened. If you try to involve me in any way, I’ll destroy you and your reputation. Do you understand?”
“How can you be so cold. This is your own flesh and blood we’re talking about.”
He ignored her question. “I’ll have my lawyer contact you about your expenses. If you insist on having that baby, you will have to take full responsibility. My conscience is clear about this. Goodbye, Evelyn.”
Adam walked out of her house and out of her life.
Eight months later, on October 6, 1974, Evelyn had a baby boy. She named him Kane. A nurse came to her while she was in a semi-sleep state and asked if the baby’s father was Peter Masterson. She said yes without giving it any thought. Peter had fled the scene months earlier with his waitress friend. That was the last time she heard from him.
Chapter 23
Adam returned to Hampton Industries at one o’clock. He immediately called Marcia into his office, but before he could confront her, she handed him her resignation. He read it quickly, folded it in half and tossed it on his desk.
“I won’t accept this,” he said calmly. “You have too much work yet to do on this merger to be so cavalier about your responsibilities to Hampton Industries.”
“You don’t have any choice. I delivered a signed copy to Personnel before I came here. I am not going to quibble with you, Adam. My decision is final.”
“What’s wrong with you, Marcia? Why such bitterness all of a sudden? I thought we had a much better relationship than that. Doesn’t our personal time together mean anything to you?”
“You know what’s wrong. Did you think you could have someone spy on me and I wouldn’t find out? You have no right to pry into my personal life. What I do away from this office is strictly my business. You’ve stepped way over the line and if you try to stop me from resigning, I’ll file a harassment suit against you before you know what hit you.”
Adam started to deny her accusation, but thought the better of it. For him a small embellishment of the truth would suffice. “I never had anyone follow you. It was Masterson who I had followed, not you. I’ve had his movements watched since he got here. This merger is for high stakes for me. I was just protecting my investment. I had no idea that you were seeing him. Unfortunately, you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Are you having an affair with Masterson or needn’t I ask?”
“That’s none of your damn business. What I do on my own time is private.”
“I know that, but what about us?”
Marcia held back the laugh that was begging to get out. “Don’t you get it, Adam, there is no us. Just because we jumped into the sack a couple of times doesn’t mean that we have anything permanent going on, because we don’t and we’re not going to.”
His voice softened as he said, “I thought we had something special going on.”
Marcia had no reason to be cruel, so she answered, “Adam, we had a couple of dates and we had some good times, but it just didn’t feel right for me.”
“Is it because of that misunderstanding about the CEO job?
“It’s got nothing to do with that.”
“Is it because of Masterson?”
“I had already made my decision before anything started with Kane.”
Adam moved to his desk and slumped into his chair. It took a few minutes for the full impact of her words to register. He regained his composure. “Of course that’s up to you to decide, but you don’t have to leave the company over this. You’ve done a great job on this merger and when it’s complete I plan to move you up to CEO of Bretton Trading. It’s the promotion you’ve always wanted. It’s still possible. I promise that the job is yours. Please reconsider. You can’t throw away an opportunity like this.”
“I appreciate that and under different circumstances, I would be grateful, but my mind is made up. I’m going to pack my bags and leave Old Brooking forever.”
“Are you running off with him?”
Marcia was getting annoyed by his line of questioning. “As a matter of fact I am, not that it’s any of your business.”
Adam fidgeted in his chair. He already suspected that Kane knew in advance about the customer defection and now this. How can that loser be getting the best of me? “You’re making a big mistake, you know. I can offer you so much more than Kane Masterson ever can.”
“Everything isn’t about money, Adam. Please don’t make this anymore difficult than it already is. My resignation stands. I’m sure that if you think about it you’ll realize that. it’s for the best.”
Adam’s cool quickly turned to anger. “You ungrateful bitch. You’re no better than he is. You both can rot in hell. You’re fired! Get your things together and be off the premises in one hour.” Adam’s face turned red as he gestured toward the door. “Get out!”
Marcia had a shocked look on her face, but inside she was thinking, Oh, my god. He did it. I’m free! She stormed out of Adam’s office and slammed the door for effect.
Marcia was out of the building in fifteen minutes. Within another twenty-five she joined Kane in the front seat of his car which was still parked in front of Evelyn Littleton’s house. They were anxious to tell each other their news. He let her go first.
“It went just as we were hoping it would. He actually fired me, but not before he admitted that he had someone following you. He said that you’ve been watched since you first arrived in Old Brooking and that I just got caught in the crosshairs.”
“I don’t believe that for a minute. I think I would have spotted a tail right away if they were following just me. Well, that doesn’t really matter, now. Does that mean you’re ready to shake this town?”
“The sooner, the better. Now tell me, how was lunch with your mother?”
“Well, that’s a whole other story. Unfortunately it took a totally unexpected turn. It wasn’t entirely her fault, though. It was mostly of my doing.”
“What happened?”
“Well, do you remember that I told you that my father ran off before I was born? Well it seems that Peter Masterson ran off, alright, but he was not my real father. My mother says that she had an affair with a married man and that I’m the bastard son of a mystery man. Worse than that, she flat out refuses to tell me his name.”
“She must have a good reason, Kane, although, after all these years, I can’t imagine what it might be, except, perhaps it might be someone you know.”
“She’s obviously covering up for someone and she’s very adamant about disclosing his name. I haven’t a clue as to who it might be. What
should I do?”
“I think you have to respect her wishes. I’m sure it was hard for her to admit as much as she did. You need to cut her some slack. When the time is right, she’ll tell you.”
“I‘m not so sure. I could see that it was tearing her apart just talking about him.”
“That’s all the more reason for easing off. What are you going to do, now?”
“I’m going to try to locate Peter Masterson. Maybe he can shed some light on this.”
“I’m not surprised. May I suggest that you don’t tell your mother what you’re planning to do. She’s upset enough as it is.”
“Don’t worry, I’m just going to make some discreet inquiry into his whereabouts. That way I can keep my options open.”
He leaned over and kissed her. “She wants to meet you, you know.”
“I’m anxious to meet her too. She sounds like a remarkable woman.”
“She is,” he said, “But she’s also stubborn and very proud.”
Kane’s mother answered the door with a big smile on her face. Her eyes still showed a slight puffiness from the tears that flowed so freely an hour earlier. Evelyn reached out and drew Marcia into a close hug, catching her off-guard, but since she came from a family of huggers, it felt comfortable.
After several moments, Evelyn released Marcia and held her at arm’s length.
“Look at you, you’re more beautiful than Kane said you were.”
“That’s kind of you to say. I’ve so looked forward to meeting you.”
Evelyn opened the door wider as she said, “Well, don’t just stand there, you two, come on in and bring me up-to-date on everything that happened with Adam Hampton.”
The rest of the afternoon went well and by six, Kane and Marcia were back in his room at the Belmonte. Kane phoned his attorney, Bert Wilson at Wilson & Schirmahorn.
“I need the name of an investigator who can trace someone down.”
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