The ones she needed were gone.
“You deleted my blackmail pictures too? What an asshole! Oh, you poor thing. You couldn’t handle looking at what you assumed was Samantha sexting my husband? Boo-freaking-hoo. Okay, don’t freak out girl. They’re still on Kip’s phone. Goody! One ace in the hole. Now, it’s time to find another. Fucking you was fun, but I don’t trust you one bit, Richard Benton. No one takes advantage of me and gets away with it. No one.”
Turning to her laptop, she clicked it on, typing Nicole’s full name, her stage name, Richard’s name and the old club’s in the search bar. She came up with squat except a few online ads from ages ago about Nikki’s scheduled performances. Neither one of them had any social media accounts, other than the one for Richard’s firm.
Naughty Nikki had dropped off the face of the earth. “Are the rumors true? Did you kill her, Rickie-boy?”
Only one other employee had been around when Nikki danced—Ginger.
Though it was risky to ask since bringing up Nikki’s name would open a floodgate of questions from Ginger, Kathy needed the additional leverage.
Looking down at the business card Richard left on the desk with his cell phone number scribbled on the back, Kathy let her lips tug into a twisted grin.
Rising to her feet, she headed down the hall toward the bar to find Ginger.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Thursday, December 1, 2016
“ARE THEY AWAKE?”
Holding a finger to his lips, Bradford shook his head while stepping out of Sam’s bedroom. “No. They’re all out cold.”
Relieved her mother was getting some rest, along with Resa and Suzy, Sam let a quiet sigh escape. She couldn’t handle any more hysteria from Suzy. The last several hours had been enough for three lifetimes.
Though Suzy didn’t reveal her secret, which Sam couldn’t blame her given Kip’s identity, she had flipped out. While the rest of them attempted to question Kip earlier, Suzy spent most of the time in the bathroom, alternating between retching and sobbing.
Sam had yet to cry, fearing once she started, the ability to stop would be lost.
Stopping at the spare bedroom door, they peeked in on Kip. He was splayed out on the guest bed, snoring, Wee Thing curled into a ball at his feet. Sam stared at him, searching for any traces of her father in his face. Nothing in his features resembled Big Sam.
“He doesn’t look like a Chapman,” Sam whispered.
“No, he doesn’t. Come on, there’s things we need to talk about.”
Steaming coffee in both hands, they headed downstairs. Bradford paused in the waiting area. “Did you check your calendar for tomorrow? Er, well, today?”
Sam nodded while taking a sip of stout java. “I don’t have any meetings scheduled until Monday.”
“Good.”
“So, let’s…”
Bradford snapped his fingers, motioning for Sam to remain silent as he headed to the back deck. Even though it was freezing outside, Sam sensed something was wrong, so she didn’t offer up an argument. The second the door closed, they moved to the outer edges of the deck and Sam lit a smoke. The frigid air helped calm her nerves and sober her up. With no clouds to impede the rays, the stars and moon shone through the leafless branches of trees.
Sam was too stressed out to enjoy the scenery.
Bradford held up a phone, pointing to the screen. “From now on, watch what you say and do inside the house. It’s bugged.”
Sam’s mouth dropped open. After all the crazy happenings of the last few hours, she didn’t think it was possible to be shocked. She was wrong. “Come again?”
“This is Kip’s phone. While carrying his drunken ass upstairs after we gave up trying to interrogate him, it was beeping like crazy in his pocket. When I went to turn it off, I was surprised to see myself on the screen.”
“Holy shit! Has it been recording everything we said this whole time?”
“Yes, but don’t worry. I deleted the videos and turned off the automatic download function. He didn’t set up the archiving capability right, so they were only saved to his phone. Of course, he can reset the app at any time, so I suggest you continue to remain vigilant with actions and words while inside.”
Sam remembered how strange Kip acted the day he came to install the fixtures and security system—and how she left him alone. “Slimy bastard! No wonder he had me go buy new cords! He needed me out of the house! Do you know where the cameras are? We need to yank them out.”
Bradford set the cell on the table. “While you were in the bathroom, I swept the place. There’s one in the hallway, your office, and both bedrooms. Leave them for now until you decide on the next steps. If you remove them, you’ll show your hand before ready to play.”
Sam’s chest tightened. The invasion of privacy on top of everything else made the coffee sour on her roiling stomach. In a fit of rage, she pulled the damning paper from her pocket then lit it, smiling as the flames devoured the flimsy paper in seconds. “I’m sorry you found yourself a part of all this craziness, Bradford.”
“I was in law enforcement for over thirty years. Trust me, I witnessed worse things.”
“Seeing and being a part of are two very different scenarios.”
“True. However, I do think this is where I’m supposed to be. I don’t hold stock in coincidences. I believe in fate.”
Sam snorted. “Fate? Hmmm. The situation is more from poor choices made by desperate individuals. A pile of hidden shit finally uncovered for all to see.”
“When lies are uncovered it’s never a pretty sight. The longer they remain hidden and festering, the ranker the stench. For what it’s worth, I am sorry you all are enduring one tragedy after another.”
“Yeah, me too, and no ugly cry yet. I wonder if that means I’m damaged beyond repair?”
“You know as well as I you’re in shock. The tears will come when the time’s right. You gotta get past the anger first.”
Sam sighed. “I can’t believe Big Sam cheated on Mom. She adored him. Not the greatest mother yet she was an amazing wife.”
“You’re forgetting Kip’s age, Samantha. He was conceived prior to the marriage like you and Suzy.”
Ignoring the jab, Sam snapped, “He was screwing both at the same time, Bradford. Married or not, the correct term is cheating. On them both. I’m sick about this. I loved and adored my father. I looked up him my entire life. Knowing he did such a thing hurts. He just fell from the pedestal I put him on inside my mind.”
“Finding out our parents are faulty humans who are no different than us is the last hurdle to cross into full adulthood, and it’s never easy.”
“No shit.”
“You know, I went to school with your father and Maria. I was two years ahead of them. Big Sam was the rising star of the Lake Hamilton Rams. I was the quarterback of the team when he beat out another seasoned, senior defensive end. He was a bull on the field. I remember several games when players from the opposing teams were carted off on stretchers. When Big Sam hit you, your future children felt it.”
“Between his bulk and larger-than-life personality, it’s no wonder he got the nickname. I don’t think I ever heard anyone call him anything else but Big Sam.”
Bradford chuckled. “Yeah, even the teachers called him Big Sam. It seemed odd to call him Samuel.”
“Yeah, it did.”
“Maria was devastated when he broke up with her right after graduation. She, uh, sort of went on a sexual bender when he left for college.”
Sam snorted. “In other words, she became the town tramp.”
“People do strange things when their hearts are torn into pieces. She was all alone in the world. Her parents were dead, she was poor, living in one of the rundown apartments off Hobson, barely skimming by on a minimal paycheck from the country club. She was lonely, looking for companionship, and like a lot of people tend to do, used the one ace in the whole she possessed—her good looks. I was a young deputy back then and heard all the r
umors people whispered behind her back. A lot of the ladies at the country club were terrified Maria would sink her claws into their husband’s and become his mistress. Most people around here didn’t say anything about her pregnancy in public. One day she was pregnant and the next, the bump was gone. There was a collective sigh of relief among many, assuming she had an abortion. Not long after, she got sucked into drugs, which is how she ended up in prison.”
“If you’re trying to make me feel sympathy for her, you’re wasting breath.”
Bradford held his tongue, sensing Samantha’s rage bubbling below the surface. He decided to change topics before he slipped, saying something he wasn’t ready to admit. “I do have some interesting news.”
“Oh goody. If it’s another bombshell, please hold off on telling me. My poor brain is toast. There’s no telling how many neurons I destroyed from lack of sleep, grief, too much wine and trying to comprehend the unbelievable.”
Bradford chuckled. “This news is to our advantage for two reasons.”
Sam’s eyebrows raised in curiosity. “How so?”
“A few days ago, while working on gathering background information on your ex, I called a friend whose son graduated from Ole Miss the same year as Richard. He called me back about twenty minutes before Charmaine called, asking me to come here and get Kip. There was quite a scandal involving the prick, pushed under the rug, of course. No police report, just campus gossip.”
Sam rolled her eyes. “Of course. No one wants a tarnished reputation to decrease enrollment, right?”
“Right. So, apparently Richard found out his college girlfriend, Nicole Hammonds, was moonlighting as a stripper at some dive club in Memphis called The Pussy-Purr Parade. When Richard found out, he roughed her up pretty bad. She left campus soon after then died in a car accident in Missouri.”
“Oh, God. Poor girl,” Sam whispered. A shiver ran up her spine while thinking about what the woman endured. “Other than I’m not the only person he’s hurt over the years, how is this news to our advantage?”
“For one, Richard’s parents died in a fiery car crash on their way back from Mississippi the same day they came down to meet with the administration, forking over a wad of cash to keep their little precious in school.”
“So not a coincidence?”
“No. Like I said, coincidences don’t exist. I witnessed too much shit over the years to believe in them. As you know, Richard is an only child. He was the sole beneficiary on their life insurance policies and the successor trustee of their trust. From what I gathered so far, Richard made out with close to fifteen million.”
Legs wobbling, Sam sat in the chair closest to her, lighting another cigarette. “I’m so overwhelmed with other things I can’t even let my mind explore the possibility Richard might be responsible for the death of his parents. Oh, good God, what a nightmare. The job at Benton & Baxter was such a mistake. I thought it only ruined my life. Turns out, it’s ruined the lives of my entire family.”
“Wishing to change the past never did anyone a favor, except for maybe the pocketbooks of therapists from patients unable to let go of things out of their control plopping on their couches.”
Sam blew out an exacerbated huff. “No doubt. So, what’s the second reason?”
“I did a bit of investigating. Turns out the Pussy-Purr Parade is now Kat’s Toys and under new ownership—Kathy Hale.”
Sam’s mind spun at the news. “What? Are you serious?”
Nodding once, Bradford sat across the table from Samantha, waiting a full minute before speaking. “I’m concerned about how all of this will affect your mother. Seeing the pain behind her eyes tonight made my own heart ache.”
Sam nodded. “Me too. She’s got enough to worry about without adding the strain of knowing the man she loved cheated on her.”
“Did she tell you about her condition?”
“Yes, right before Kip showed up here. I, uh, well, we were at her place and I finally caved, telling her and Suzy everything about the volatile situation with Richard. After unleashing the horrid tale, she told us all about the cancer.”
Years of interrogating criminals made Bradford’s senses sharp. He could tell Samantha was hiding something. “What made you decide to release your own secret?”
“Richard made an appearance at Nana’s funeral, threatening me and the rest of the family. And Resa. She’s the one I’m protecting, not me. I can’t figure out how he knew about all this! And this weird tie-in with Kathy? God, how do I wrap my head around all of it?”
Leaning across the table, Bradford reached out for Samantha’s cold hands. “Cop to lawyer—tell me what he’s holding over you. I can’t help if I don’t know all we’re up against.”
Swallowing hard, Sam spoke in hushed tones while giving only the highlights, skimming over the embarrassing, intimate details.
Once Samantha finished talking, Bradford knew the man they were dealing with was unstable and dangerous. “My God, Samantha. What you endured; I can’t even imagine. I’m so sorry. Forgive me for asking, but I sense there’s something else you aren’t telling me.”
“You’re right, there is, but it’s not my secret to tell.”
“If it ties into all this don’t you think you should?”
“It does in an indirect way and won’t matter one way or another. Trust me. Besides, I made a promise to keep it to myself. Later, if I feel it’s necessary to talk about, I will.”
“If you’re sure then I won’t press you.”
Clearing her throat, Sam continued. “Thank you. God, I can’t believe Nana’s gone, Mom’s dying, and Suzy is…uh, we have a half-brother. That is, if we assume all this is true. We won’t know for sure unless Kip’s DNA is tested.”
“True. Thankfully, DNA testing is quick, painless and fast.” Bradford took a sip of coffee while trying to formulate the kindest way to ask the question on the tip of his tongue. “Since certain things are out in the open now, may I be frank?”
“Of course. You know our dirtiest family secret, so what’s to worry about?”
“Good. First let me say even though our interactions occurred during a short period of time, I’m impressed by your strength and character. Big Sam and Charmaine did a wonderful job raising you. It’s no wonder you and Charmaine butted heads for years.”
Sam chuckled. “Yeah, I get that now. Two alpha females vying for attention tends to spell trouble for the rest of the pack.”
“Nice analogy.” Bradford smiled. “Yet the power struggle between the two of you doesn’t mean love is absent.”
“Right. We love each other, and the rest of the family, and would give up our lives to keep each other safe.”
“Which leads me to my point of inquiry.”
Leaning closer, Sam studied Bradford’s face by the dim light of the moon. From what she could make out, there was no judgment or deceit behind his bright, blue eyes, only concern and a spark of curiosity. “If you’re asking me whether I knew my father’s indiscretion resulted in siring a love-child or if I shared the shameful secret with Richard, the answer’s no. Up until four hours ago, I had no clue.”
“Good to know. I didn’t ask to upset you, I promise. Former cop, remember? Old habits die hard.”
“It’s okay. I understand why you asked. If the situation were reversed, I would do the same thing.”
Glancing toward the upstairs window, Bradford said, “I don’t get the vibe Charmaine knew either. If she did, she put one hell of an acting job earlier.”
“I promise you, if my mother knew or even suspected, she would’ve divorced him. She loved Big Sam yet didn’t depend on him. Adultery was a deal-breaker.”
“I’m aware of her lineage and wealth.”
“I’m sure you are.” Sam winked then sighed. “I do, however, think Nana might have known.”
Bradford cocked his head. “What makes you think so?”
“Hang on, let me get my purse.”
Bradford watched Samantha disappear insi
de. Grabbing the phone, he went to the texts, deleting the entire stream between Kip and SC. His first thought was the texts had been between Sam and Kip, yet after watching Suzy’s reaction and violent bouts of vomiting, plus Sam’s comment about another secret, the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.
Suzy had an affair with Kip, and if Bradford were a betting man, he would take the odds the girl was pregnant, unsure if the husband or lover/potential half-brother was the father.
What a fucked-up mess.
He stared at the half-smoked cigarette in the ashtray. He hadn’t touched one in over eight years. He gave up the habit when Jill found out she had lung cancer.
“Ah, what the hell, I’m already dying,” Bradford reached across the table. He took two hefty drags, relishing the familiar smell and rush.
Sam raised her eyebrows in shock upon returning to the deck. Rather than comment, she grabbed the pack and lit another.
“Nana said some rather cryptic things to me on Thanksgiving. At first, I thought perhaps it was her way of getting me to share what was on my mind. When I pressed her about what she meant, she changed the subject.”
“What did she say?”
“I can’t recall the exact words. Something about she’s known for years trying to hide things from others is harder than coming clean and recently had been reminded of the life lesson. Plus, I found an envelope containing $25,000 cash in her safe with a withdrawal slip from the day before she passed. I thought maybe it was earmarked for a charity as an anonymous donation or something. She’s done that before. I searched online briefly yet couldn’t find any charities with the name she wrote on the front.”
“What name?”
Extracting the envelope from her purse, Sam slid it across the table.
Squinting at the lettering, Bradford’s instincts lit up. “Puta is a slang term used by people of Hispanic descent to describe an, um, morally bankrupt woman.”
Slumping back in the chair, Sam’s heart pounded. “Is that your PC way of saying puta means dirty town whore?”
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