Ben had little choice, he couldn't get mad at him over it, because he was more than certain, had it been him, he might have felt the same. In a strange kind of way, it brought a feeling of gladness to his heart, because it did mean a great deal to him to have him as his son. Knowing that, made him feel more and more as if he belonged, despite his words of him being Quincy's son, Jake's son; he fully understood what he meant by that.
"Why don't you go check out some furniture for your office?" Shawn calmed down slightly to suggest.
"Yeah, I think I will - I have some pictures that I took to get ready for a friend of mine, it would be nice to process them here."
"Well head out, and when you find what you're looking for, give me a call, I'll purchase it as business expense to reclaim later."
"I'll do that." He turned to Crystal, "Wanna go with me?"
"I can't, the boys, besides, Victor may be coming by later."
He nodded, said his goodbyes and headed out.
Crystal sighed, looking at Shawn, and decided to go back across the way, check on the boys, talk to her mother. Angela joined her, leaving Mundo there with Shawn. He walked in the door, stood there watching Shawn choose which paintings he would hang, and which to keep in the back.
"Shawn, can I say something?" Mundo asked.
He turned nodding, "Of course, that goes without saying."
"I completely understand what you was saying to Ben, and you right, but - him just knowing that, that you are his father, goes a long way. Hearing you say what you just did, that's got to go a long way too. You have to appreciate that dad, because you and him have something I will never have - not with my real father. He never cared about being my father, and I wished to God, he hadn't been. If you hadn't stepped into the picture, I can't even say where I'd be right now - I don't know. You know what I'm sayin'? Let's say that Ben and I, are two empty glasses, and you're the healthy drink. If you'd have been here for Ben, you could have slowly, dripped into his glass over the years, until he was full. Instead, someone else filled his glass - one drip at a time. But the good thing about life, you have to take a drink along the way to cope, you know? So now, when he takes a drink, there's room for more. Now that you two are together, you can add your bit in there, so really, it's not too late. Just like with me, my glass was empty, with no man around to drip in a bit at a time over the years. And then, you came along, saw my glass was empty, you didn't drop in a bit, you opened up all your good stuff and just poured until my glass was full. That means a lot Shawn - more than you can know. I know I'm not as important to you as Ben, 'cause he's-..."
"Hold it hold it hold it - you had me, hook line and sinker until that last bit. You were on course, speaking such wisdom and intelligence, I was like, wow - listen to him. Then, you went and spoiled it at the end. Your mother Mundo, is my heart and soul - she was meant to be mine, from the start. I know that as I know the color green when I see it. Everything connected to her, everything that has come to be because of her, I am connected to as well - it is impossible for me to say those things about that woman, without looking at you, at your sister, and feeling the exact same way. I should have been your father, but then you would be different from the man you are now. And you know what, I happen to love you Mundo, just the way you are. You do not mean less to me, than Ben. It's simply not true and I don't want to ever hear you say it, again."
Mundo smiled, nodding, "Cool, if you say so - I won't."
"Let's close up here for now, get back across the road, see what's going on for food."
"I'm up for that."
When they entered the basement, it was to see Sylvia waving a newspaper at Crystal, asking her, "That's all he had to say about this? Nothing else?"
Crystal was leaning back against the counter, hands braced behind her, shaking her head, quiet.
"What's going on now?" Shawn asked, noticing the paper.
Sylvia looked over at him, and then tossed the paper on the table, "I take it you haven't read the paper today?" She asked him.
"No, why? What's in it?"
"Read it for yourself, it's open to the article." Sylvia invited him. She looked at her daughter, all of a sudden not so sure anymore about anything with Victor. They were all quiet as Shawn found what they were talking about and read it. Halfway through it, his expression began to change, and it wasn't a good one. A moment later, his eyes slowly rolled up from the article to Crystal.
"Have you read this Crystal?"
She nodded.
"You talked to Victor today?"
"Yeah."
"So what did he say?"
"Nothing really, I asked him about it, and he said, why did I think he did it."
"Why do you think? That's all, why do you think?"
"Yeah."
"Well I know what I think, I think he did it because he's an irrational, self-centered, subdued psychopath! Crystal, he went too far! He went beyond what was his right to do! I mean come on, what kind of son sets his own parents home on fire, after storming onto the scene, drunk out of his mind, raging in violence? Does that not make you feel just a bit uncomfortable, knowing he's capable of something like that?!" He asked briskly.
Crystal swallowed, nervous - because it did bother her that he could be that out of control.
Shawn looked from Crystal to Sylvia, "What do you think? Think I'm overreacting about this too?" He gesture with the paper, slapping the back of his hand against it.
"No, I'm still reeling from it to be honest with you."
"Reeling because you know, that if he can go this far off on his own mother, the woman who gave birth to him, what does that make him capable of doing to Crystal if she should go too far, if she should do something he doesn't like!"
Sylvia couldn't argue with him on that one, not at all, because it was very close to the very thought that she had when she read it. She looked at Crystal. "Does Victor have a bad temper Crystal?" She had to ask her.
"Yes, but - he's never directed it at me. Not like that. I mean, he fights a lot. But Shawn, so do you."
"Yes I do, to defend my family, to protect my family, or in self-defense! But at no time ever in my life, in my mind, in my being, could I ever imagine, my mother doing anything to me, that would make me retaliate towards her like this! It's not done! You can tell your mother what you feel. You can tell your mother, what's her business and what's not. You can prohibit her from interfering in your life - to the point of even staying away from her if necessary - if she refuses to get the point. In this case, this went that far because he allowed it to! She did to you, to him, what he allowed! Now, here he is, going from 0 miles an hour to 100 within an afternoon! Fuelled by alcohol at that! Oh no no no, it's a good thing you're divorced! He's completely out of balance! Is he coming here this afternoon?"
"Yes, but papah-Shawn, I don't want you to say anything to him." Crystal pleaded.
"What?!" Shawn blurted in disbelief.
"Like you said, we're divorced. I'm doing what you advised, to stay here and chill, give myself time. I'm gonna follow that advice, but I don't want you jumping on him, threatening him."
"Are you still in love with him?"
"No! It's not that! I just - please - I'm here, I'm home - all is fine, just let me handle it from now on, okay?"
"In other words, stay out of it?" He asked, obviously not liking the idea.
"I don't wanna put it that way papah-Shawn, I know you're only protecting me, but I'm okay. I can handle him."
"Crystal Bella..." Shawn walked up close to her, looking her straight in the eyes, "... I don't think - even you - know him, not really. Should he somehow, come out of a new bag on you, I don't think you're going to be able to handle it - at all. You think you're tough, but you're just a little girl compared to him. He is a man, and he is much stronger than you, and I'm telling you this now, in front of your mother, in front of Mundo, in front of my own daughter who is sitting at that table - if he ever puts his goddamn hands on you, goes off, or hits you, God tak
e his soul, because his ass is mine! And I don't care if you never speak to me again, Crystal Bella; that I will live with but not with anyone hurting you again - no no no! So you handle it, while you can - but if things get out of control, you know what to expect."
He backed away, everyone in the room was quiet. Crystal felt her guts twist, she felt like a little girl before Shawn, powerless, like a daughter blocking her father from tearing a guy apart whom he considered a threat to her. Part of her wanted him to just leave it alone, but there was a part as well, that made her feel good knowing, she was protected. "I need to go check on the boys." She murmured low to him, as if asking for permission to leave the room.
"Go on, I'm done, I've said all I have to say, for now."
She turned and rushed up the stairs, soon a wide eyed Angela followed her up.
Shawn turned to Mundo, "Go mix some music."
"I was just - just now - fixin'ta do just that." He made his way up the stairs.
Shawn turned to Sylvia.
"Hear me loud and clear on this - Victor is out! I don't even want her re-considering him. I don't trust him. Do you hear what I'm saying?"
"Why are you saying this to me Shawn? I cannot force her, can I? All I can do is talk to her, which is what I was doing when you came in."
"Do you agree or disagree with me here?"
"Under the circumstances, I'm going to have to agree. That disturbs me, that he could do that to his mother, his parents. I just, I never knew or saw that side of him. I've never seen him angry, ever."
"You talk to her, you talk her out of any notion of maybe going back to him. Because he's not going to give up trying to get her back, I get a feeling he's all about how he looks. How it will look for her to leave him, divorce him. Son-of-a-bitch!"
Sylvia stood saying nothing to him on that, waiting for him to cool down, when he went quiet, she asked, "What about Christine, Shawn?"
"What about her?" He asked now sitting at the table, looking over the rest of the paper.
"You gonna forgive her, put this behind you?"
"Not until I'm good and goddamn ready." He responded flat out.
"That's not what the bible says, Shawn."
"Sylvia, I'll probably go to hell anyway, so don't worry about it." This said while turning a page, snapping the paper.
"I can't believe you said that."
"There's a lot of things about me I'm sure you can't believe, what's for dinner?"
"Tell me something, are you going through a jerk cycle? Because it would be nice to know in advance when I need to prepare myself for dealing with a jerk."
"I'll tell you what, the jerk can be found across the road in his office, call me when dinners done - I have my phone on me." He stood from the table and headed out the door.
Across the road, he contacted Paul now that he had a private moment to do so.
"Uh oh, you're contacting me means only one thing, you're after something, or someone, which?"
"Someone, and I'm paying this time, this is not a favor, too important for doing in your spare time, I need you to make time to do it."
"That's serious, okay, let me pull out my notepad, hang on."
Shawn could hear him shifting around at his desk, and a moment later he started. "Give me the premise."
"Okay, I need you to find someone who may be hiding behind a faked death."
"I can tell you now, this one won't be easy, but I'll give it my best. What details do you have, is it a man or woman?"
"Man, in his early forties, about my age. Black/Hispanic, bilingual. Speaks fluid Spanish. His name is Armundo Edgar Payne Sr. Born in New York city, raised in Chicago, has a black father, Puerto Rican mother."
"If he's hiding that's where he is, Puerto Rico, Cuba, or Mexico."
"Listen at you, how can you be certain?"
"Just a hunch, if - he's alive that is. What makes you think he is?"
"He was into some shady drug deals. Second hand info is that he took some drugs, so he had a dealer or dealers after him. I think he faked his death to get away with it."
"I see, and so, why are you worried about him? What's he to you?"
"He's nothing to me, but he's my wife's husband if he's still alive."
"Holy - fucking - shit! Holy - fucking - shit man! Shawn! You got to be kidding me!?"
"My hope, is that I'm all wrong, but I don't think so. I have a lot of information here, I need to read this off to you so I can put it all back. I had to go through my wife's files to find his birth certificate, his death certificate. I also have a few copies of pictures of him that I'm sending to you first thing in the morning. I found his mother's address in Chicago, her name is on his birth certificate of course, as well his father's."
"Can you just make copies of everything and send it with the pictures - and I hope you have recent pictures?"
"I can do that, sure. Yes, I have the last pictures he took, he's a bit on the heavy side."
"More than likely, not anymore. That would be the first thing to go if he's really hiding, the extra weight. Anyway, tell me things about him that can't be sent."
"He should be considered dangerous, sly, sneaky. If he's not dead himself, then he's capable of murder. Now, this is part two - we have to get a hold of the body that's in that coffin to test it, see if it's really him or not."
"Shawn, how the hell am I to do that?"
"Don't bullshit me Paul, I know what you can do. I know you help the police a lot, so you have connections; I'm paying, this is not a freebie. I don't care if I have to borrow money to see this through, I need to know if he's alive or not."
"If the body is not him, maybe he stole a cadaver?"
"That's possible, but I need that body tested to be sure, because my wife's brother is missing, I have an ugly suspicion, that's who the body is."
"The plot thickens! Shawn, what is it about you man? Why can't you ever get in place to live just an ordinary life? Now, you've chosen a woman to marry whose ex was a drug dealer, possibly faked his death, killed his brother-in-law and you're in the thick of it. What is it about you?"
"Paul, thank you for your concern, but let us get back to the reason for my call, shall we?"
"Okay, you left off that he's sneaky and possibly capable of killing, how was it that he died?"
Shawn went on to explain all that he knew from Dennis. He also told him about the jewelery, that he found this morning in Sylvia's jewelery box, having examined it all, no sign of melting, damage, nothing. When he was finished with everything that he knew, Paul had one question for him.
"If he's alive, if you're right, and I do find him - what are you gonna do Shawn? You're gonna turn him into the police right?"
"Look, name your price, find him, leave the rest to me."
"Shawn, promise me you will turn him over to the police."
"Paul - what I do, how I handle it, is my business!"
"Shawn - without me, you can't find him. You know it, I know it! Now, promise me, give me your word, that if I find him, you will turn him over to the police! I mean it man, or else, forget it."
"I can't believe you're fuckin' pulling this on me Paul!"
"Believe it! I know you! I found those other two guys for you, the ones involved in Jesse's death. The lead one died on the scene, but the other two made it out of there. I found them for you Shawn, and they disappeared."
"How the hell you know they disappeared?"
"Shawn, they showed up later that year as missing persons."
"Doesn't mean I had anything to do with it."
"You loved Jesse, I know that. Merriam told me how you begged her for the money to pay to find them. That your grief was eating you alive and you couldn't get pass his death. She told me about how bad you were back then, so I found them, more so for her, than you. They disappeared Shawn. I never said anything because she loved you so much. You brought her so much happiness, she adored you and she trusted you. And, I swore to her, that I wouldn't say a thing. She knew Shawn, she knew t
hat you had something to do with their disappearance. That's the one and only I'm willing to take to my grave, because they were the lowest scum to walk the earth."
"I need you - to find him for me Paul." Shawn spoke as if he hadn't heard a word that he said.
"And then what Shawn? Over to the police right?"
Pissed off he hissed into the phone, "If he shows back up here, it's going to destroy my family! Do you hear me?! It will destroy my wife! It will destroy my daughter! Especially my daughter - and it will put us all, my son included, in the middle of one shitty situation!"
"That's why you have to turn him over to the pol-..."
"Fuck you Paul! Fuck you - he's a threat to my family - damn you!" He hung up on him, shot to his feet and slammed the phone into the wall.
With his hands on top of his head, his fingers interlaced, he paced around his office, feeling rigid, angry and frustrated. He knew it in his heart and soul that Armundo was alive. And if Paul wouldn't find him for him, there would be no way for him to. He thought about Deidre, her resources, her connections because of her money, and then immediately dropped the idea. If he couldn't find him, he was going to have to sit and wait for him to show up. If he ever showed up. There was also the matter of David, whom he believed now lie in that coffin. If he told Sylvia about her brother being missing, but withheld his theory on where he might be found, and they found out, she found out, that he knew, she would never forgive him - maybe. No, he had no choice in the matter - to divulge that, would mean telling her that Armundo might still be alive. He couldn't do that. He would leave it alone, and let Sheila, her mother, or her father tell her and just deal with it then. He thought about her hearing that, and what her reaction would be. It would stress her, she would start thinking about it and might not stop, and what if she put it together the way he did? The way Dennis did? He walked in circles, pacing from one room to the other of the studio, burdened by what he knew and how to deal with it. His wife had done all she could to avoid drama - and yet, here was more, serious drama. He couldn't do it, not now, while she was pregnant with his son. He would call Dennis back, ask him not to say anything, making the same request to Sheila and her parents. She didn't need to know - not right now anyway. For all he knew, he could be barking up the wrong tree entirely. Maybe David hopped a freight train to God knows where and Armundo Payne was laying dead, in the coffin he was buried in. For now, he had to let it go, it was making him mean, and act like a jerk with his wife, who hadn't a clue of what was going on with him - the shit going on in his head.
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