Howie continued, “After Ken got me out of jail and I got kicked out of my room, I realized that I had really fucked up again.”
Parminter didn’t ask but his suspicions had been confirmed. Howie was most likely living out of his rental car.
Howie stood back. “You have to realize that I have a lot of problems, John. Things didn’t really work out that well for me after high school like it did for other people.”
“But I thought you were doing well in your family’s business. That’s what everybody always said.”
Howie chuckled. “Yeah, they would say that.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Yes, I worked there, but they didn’t really let me do anything. I don’t know. It was like they were ashamed of me. They were too afraid that I would fuck something up to give me a chance. After a while, I figured that it didn’t really matter what I did because they weren’t going to let me have any responsibility and they weren’t going to fire me either so I just said fuck ‘em and I just started doing what I wanted.”
Parminter nodded. “I see.”
“That’s not always the best course to take,” Howie said, chuckling again. He pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and lit one. He offered the pack to Parminter who shook his head.
“Yeah, that’s right. You quit,” Howie said. “For now,” he added then laughed.
Parminter forced a smile. Howie was right. It would only be a matter of time before he started back again.
Before he could say anything else, Howie started on the story of what he had done as a result of not being given a chance at his family’s firm, detailing a life filled with drugs, prostitutes, crime and other unsavory events. It was punctuated several times with domestic violence charges, trips to mental hospitals and a couple of illegitimite children which he never saw. All in all, it was a rather sad life characterized by much excess and even more self pity. While he was telling it, Parminter thought about the kind of person Howie had been in high school and comprehended that the trajectory he had started then had been true and he had lived out the arc of his life in a very likely fashion.
“That’s tough,” Parminter said, having a hard time thinking of an appropriate response.
“That’s why this has been so tough for me. I’m just paranoid, John. After the way I’ve been treated by Raoul and my family, I just think everybody is out to get me. I fucking hate that Morris Fox anyway. He’s just like Raoul except less obvious.” he said, looking to Parminter for confirmation.
Parminter nodded. He knew that Howie had had a hard life, but it was his own doing. Sure, Howie had been picked on and bullied by Raoul, but he had also done a lot of picking on and bullying himself. Unlike Parminter too, he had been fortunate enough to be born into a family business. He had had an advantage from the get go. But he was just too much of a fuck-up for it. After hearing Howie’s story, it was obvious that Howie was responsible for almost all of his problems and that he would undoubtedly cause more if and when he had the opportunity. He knew that he definitely could not let him find out about his relationship with Nicole. There really was no telling what he would do. Sure he might feel badly about it afterwards, but it wouldn’t stop him from doing something foolish either.
“I really need the money, John. It would help me get a fresh start. I know they’re going to screw me out of it if I don’t keep on them. I know that bitch Nicole and Morris Fox are going to try to pull something.” He leaned in next to Parminter. “I really need you on my side on this, buddy. I mean, I got kids who don’t even know me. I know you can understand how hard that is for me.”
Parminter nodded again. “I can see that you’re really upset about it.”
At that Howie smiled and his demeanor completely changed. He was no longer the downtrodden man that he had been a few moments earlier. He had gotten the one thing that he had been wanting from Parminter: sympathy. Now that he had felt he had gotten it, a new man had emerged. Or rather the old one had come back. He immediately started standing straighter and looked more confident.
Why that rascal, Parminter thought.
“I knew that you would understand. Ken is supposed to be home any time. How about we go and have a beer somewhere?”
Parminter didn’t really know what do say because at that moment other than “Sure.” This is because he now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Howie truly was mentally disturbed.
26
However, before they could leave, Ratledge pulled up. Howie explained what was going on and they drove to a bar that was nearby. Ratledge’s wife wasn’t too pleased about it because she had been planning on having him to herself that night. Apparently the children were sleeping over at friends’ houses. Parminter figured that he was actually doing her a favor because he reasoned that Ratledge couldn’t help but be disappointing in bed.
After they made it to the bar, the night went fairly as expected. Ratledge and Parminter watched as Howie drank a couple of pitchers of beer and ranted and raved about Morris Fox and Nicole.
The place was located in a new strip mall near the development. Parminter had been there a couple of times before. It was nice and very new. Of course, it was a sports bar, but all it in all it was a good place to drink.
They were sitting on the patio so that Howie could smoke but he was still making even more of a nuisance of himself than usual. As Parminter had suspected, his heartfelt speech back in Ratledge’s yard had been completely empty. It was just another ploy to smooth things over without actually doing anything to fix the root problem. It was something that he had always done in high school once he knew that he had taken things too far. When he realized that he had overstepped his boundaries, he would say he was joking or that he didn’t mean it and then portray himself as a clumsy, socially awkward oaf who just didn’t know any better. It was a fairly obvious damage control strategy, but it was surprising how much it worked with most people.
The conversation at the bar was almost a replay of the discussion they had when Howie had first come back to town. Everyone involved in Raoul’s estate was screwing him over and he wasn’t going to stand for it. And on and on. It was really painful to listen to. To Parminter, Howie could be likened to the proverbial guy in the office who always thinks that everybody is out to get him. The type who rails on and on about conspiracies and how certain people are keeping him down in the company. In other words, he was the pathetic crazy guy who is so focused on why he can’t do anything in life that he never bothers to see how he can improve himself.
Ratledge, on the other hand, just nodded and kept buying him pitchers. It was almost as if he wanted to give Howie the fuel he needed to make as big an ass out of himself as possible—as well as alcohol poisoning—Parminter couldn’t help but note. Apparently, Ratledge had been supporting Howie through various handouts since he had gotten out of jail. The rental car was also being paid for by Ratledge’s company. Parminter wondered if Howie knew that Ratledge and Morris Fox were business associates. He was tempted to find out but didn’t want to make an even bigger scene than the one they were already causing.
“But who’s to say that you’re even going to get anything from Raoul’s estate, Howie? I’ve heard that he was really involved in some shady dealings. Whatever he might have been tied up in might be tied up in litigation for years,” Parminter finally said. He was expecting a mild explosion but he was curious as to what Howie was going to say.
“I already told you this. My mother made him promise. So did his father. He’s supposed to take care of me. Besides, it would just look bad if he didn’t. I don’t care about the litigation. I’ll deal with it later. I just don’t want to get cheated,” Howie said, his face flushed from the alcohol.
Parminter couldn’t help but notice that even though he had drunk several pitchers of beer, Howie’s movements weren’t becoming sloppy and his speech was not slurring. He was just simply getting more wound up. Other than the ranting and raving, he was actually containing himself
well. It was a little scary.
Ratledge nodded. “Well, hopefully that won’t happen. I’m sure that no one is doing anything to you.”
Howie then got a wicked smile on his face. “You know what I ought to do. I ought to go over to that prick’s house and strangle him with my bare hands. Then there won’t be any way he can cheat me. And then I would go show that bitch what I think of her, too.”
Parminter’s mouth dropped. He shouldn’t have been surprised but he was because doing this kind of thing was usually the next logical step for a guy like Howie.
“C’mon, now,” Ratledge said and topped off his beer glass.
“Seriously,” Howie said and took a big gulp and lit another cigarette. “If I could just get him out of the way, my problems could be solved. It would feel so good too. I fucking hate him.” He paused for a second. “And if that bastard, Abercrombie, had any balls he would have taken care of her, too. He might as well have finished the job once he got started.”
Ratledge and Parminter stared at him. They didn’t know what to say.
“Or at the very least, she could have gotten run over like that damned dog of hers.”
Parminter just stayed silent. He really didn’t like where this was going. Morris Fox was one thing, but Nicole was something else. The way that Howie was acting there was a possibility that he might act upon his impulses. He knew that Morris Fox was probably his main target, but Nicole would be an afterthought. While Parminter knew there was no way that Howie would ever possibly get away with it, it wouldn’t change the fact that he had murdered the woman he was seeing. He also was more than a little puzzled that Howie had brought Abercrombie into it. The fire had been an accident, after all.
Did he know something that they didn’t?
Parminter dismissed the thought. Howie had to be lying again for dramatic effect. Regardless, this didn’t change the fact that he was now treading into dangerous territory.
Ratledge, on the other hand, looked at Howie incredulously. For someone who was tight with Morris Fox, he didn’t seem to be too upset at someone threatening to kill him.
“You don’t mean that. Besides, what point would there be in it. You would get caught and you wouldn’t get any of the money,” Ratledge said, grinning.
Howie then smiled. “But it would feel so good. It would almost be as good as killing Raoul.”
Parminter and Ratledge were both a little taken aback at this, but then Howie laughed. “I’m just kidding fellas. I wouldn’t do anything like that. It’s just the stress talking.” He was once again backtracking and trying to smooth things over.
Parminter forced a smile. “I know Howie. You’re not a killer.”
Ratledge laughed and slapped him on the back. For someone who wasn’t drinking that much, he sure had a red face, Parminter thought.
“Let’s drink some beer!” Ratledge said, taking the pitcher and topping off everybody’s glass but his own.
“Not drinking, Ken?” Parminter asked.
“I can’t. I’ve got an early morning tomorrow. I’m not like you guys. You trading your little stocks on the internet and Howie threatening to kill people.”
Howie laughed. “I guess going to a strip club is out then?”
Ratledge laughed uproariously and Parminter couldn’t help but notice that Ratledge seemed to be a little happier than usual.
27
The next day, as Parminter drank a cup of coffee and walked out to his driveway to get the morning newspaper, he couldn’t stop thinking about what Howie had said. Sure, he said he was joking but he knew Howie. There was some truth in whatever he said regardless of how crazy it sounded. He was throwing hints to gauge reaction. That’s the way a guy like Howie operated. Even so, he couldn’t help but wonder if Abercrombie could have had something to do with the fire. He really doubted it, but since Howie had said it, he couldn’t get it out of his mind. However, he couldn’t spend time concentrating on that right now. His primary concern was Nicole’s safety. What was in the past could stay in the past. At least for now.
No matter how a person sliced it, the bottom line was that the death of Raoul Goldman had had a far bigger effect on people than anyone had previously thought. Especially after Clement Boatman’s suicide. The screenwriter that still lived deep within Parminter knew that there was no telling how this story could play out.
After he went inside and turned on the television, a thought occurred to him. What if Howie found out how serious that he and Nicole had gotten? Really, what if? How would he take it? Parminter didn’t really care if it hurt Howie’s feelings. It was what he could possibly be capable of once his feelings were hurt that he was concerned about. There was no telling how far Howie could take things to justify this hurt in his mind. Parminter scratched his head as to how he had ever been roped into this mess. Then he remembered: high school.
But then, another thought occurred to him. Could he kill Howie? If he had to? If Howie found out, then that possiblility could very well present itself. He was sure that he would do what he had to do to protect Nicole, but what about the aftermath? Could he deal with that? Could he deal with the guilt that would follow? He figured that he probably could considering the circumstances, but he hoped it wouldn’t come to that. He turned his thoughts to more conventional methods of dealing with the situation.
Instinctively, Parminter picked up the phone and called his ex-wife, Robin. He hadn’t told her about his relationship with Nicole yet, but he was sure she suspected.
After talking to the kids for a minute, he told them to put their mother on the phone. He told her his concerns and she started laughing at him.
“John, I’ve already told you. Without him actually doing anything or actually posing a legitimate threat there’s nothing I can do.”
“But what about the threat? He said he ought to kill her and Morris Fox.”
She laughed again. A little patronizingly, he thought. “He was drunk and he’s an asshole. You know how he is. It takes more than that for the police to get involved. I mean, we can question him, but it’ll probably just piss him off more.”
Parminter was silent. “I just think that he’s capable of it. You didn’t see him.”
Robin thought for a minute. “If there is a real concern, she could always hire private security. I’m sure she could afford it.”
“I could always run it by her,” Parminter said before he thought about it.
The cop in Robin instantly picked up on what he had said. “You’re seeing her!”
Parminter thought about denying it and then decided there was no point in lying. “Yes. But we have to keep it secret until his estate is settled. If Howie found out about us, there’s no telling what would happen.”
“I see.”
There was silence. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell anybody about this. Even Freddy. This could cause some major problems for a lot of people if it came out.”
Robin sighed. “Okay. I’m not sure I understand why, but I’ll keep my mouth shut.”
“Thanks.” He paused for a second. “Robin, what do you know about Charles Abercrombie?”
“Why?”
“I’m just curious about something Howie said.”
She thought for a minute. “Well, he’s used to be a lawyer. He’s from one of the old money families on the mountain and he’s rich as hell. He also never made it a secret that he hated Raoul Goldman’s house.
“Do you think he could have had anything to do with the fire?”
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah, Howie alluded to it,” Parminter said matter of factly.
“Abercrombie is too smart and too wealthy for that. If it was a suspicious fire, he would be the first person we would look at. But since it wasn’t, we’re not.”
“I see. But what if he’s not as smart as people are giving him credit for?”
She paused for a second. “You mean what if his frustration about the house finally got to him?”
“Y
eah.”
“Well, I would say that he’ll eventually get caught.”
“That’s what I thought.”
“John?” Robin said.
“Yeah?”
“I wouldn’t tell anybody about what you just said. If Charles Abercrombie found out about it, he would sue Howie for slander and God knows what else. You would have to be a witness and you don’t want to do that.
“I have no plans of telling anyone. That’s why I asked you.”
“You really need to be careful around those people. They’re a law unto themselves. If you get in trouble, I might not be able to help you.”
“I know.”
“Especially if it’s going to make someone important very uncomfortable. There’s only so much the police can do. Or rather, there’s only so much they’ll let us do.”
“I understand.”
“By the way, have you found anything more about that private detective?” she asked.
“No, I really haven’t. I just know as far as I can tell, he’s just your run of the mill private detective from New Jersey.”
“Do you think he’s down here investigating Howie?”
“That’s the most likely conclusion. But I really don’t know and frankly at this point in time, I don’t care. If he’s done something to get a private detective involved, then good.”
“I agree with that. Let someone else pay the bill to keep up with him,” she said.
They talked a little more and then hung up the phone.
Parminter went into his office and turned on his computer. Robin was right. He was in danger of getting over his head and if something bad happened there was a chance that no one could help him. This wasn’t the mafia he was dealing with, he knew. He didn’t necessarily have to worry about sleeping with the fishes, but crossing the wrong person or doing something to offend certain organizations could not only ruin his relationship with Nicole, but also his life. There were all sorts of things they could do. They could sue him into oblivion. They could hire detectives to bring up things from his past that would surely destroy him. They could plant evidence on him and then let the police do their dirty work. There was a lot that could happen. He thought about Clement Boatman and the realization of what Nicole had done made even more sense. When the normal rules don’t apply to you, you either learn the new ones or you sit on the sidelines crying. Or you get kicked out of the game.
There Will Be Fire Page 11