Bradley nodded and he looked sad. Not as sad as I would have thought the father of a dead boy should look. Then I wondered about their relationship. If my math was correct, Bradley was thirty-eight. The cops said Zane was twenty-one. So, Bradley had fathered the kid at age seventeen or thereabouts.
“Zane Daniels is, was, my son. Not that I had much to do with his upbringing. I met his mother when I was lifeguarding the summer after high school. She was my first girlfriend and everyone warned me about her. But, I was just eighteen and as dumb as a pile of rocks. She got pregnant and had Zane. She raised him in Redding and kept him away from me. She did stay in touch enough to make sure I could mail child support checks, though.”
Bradley said this with enough bitterness to chill the room. It seemed to me like the Bennett men had cornered the market on absentee dads. I knew I was being unfair but my compassion level was at an all time low.
“The authorities couldn’t locate her when they needed a next of kin so they called me,” Bradley went on. “I had to identify his body. They told me that you made the call to 911?”
I found it interesting the cops told him that I made the 911 call because I hadn’t. I told Richard that there was a dead guy on the floor and before I knew it the house was full of cops. I wondered what else the cops had or had not told this Bradley Bennett.
“They told you Alana Fox made the call?” I asked. “Did you know who I was? Did you tell the cops?”
“I did know and I did tell the cops.”
“How did you know to find me here?”
“There was an article on you in LA Magazine this year. Dad must have bought ten copies.”
Drat. As flattering as that article had been, I’d had mixed feelings about it. My clients hire me because of my exclusivity and staying out of the spotlight is important for my image. I’d only agreed to the article because business had slowed and I was hoping for a little exposure. I sure as hell didn’t want my past to shove its way into my current life.
That my father bought ten copies of the magazine left me with a heavy heart but I wasn’t ready to explore those feelings just yet.
“You said you had little contact with Zane. How could you identify him?”
Alana Fox, master detective. More likely, master skeptic.
“I saw him about a year ago,” Bradley said. “He tracked me down in Sacramento and wanted me to pay for a technical school but I refused. He went after Dad for money, too. But we were done with the Daniels family by then.”
I had more questions but Bradley was persistent.
“How did you come to find Zane?” Bradley asked.
I have survived over the years by listening to a little voice in my head that advises me on whether something is in my best interests or not. From identifying playground bullies to turning away clients with suspicious backgrounds, that little voice has never let me down. I’ve learned to listen to it.
Just then it advised me to lie.
So I did.
But not before shooting a look to David to warn him to keep quiet.
“I was doing a favor for a friend,” I lied. “I was in the area and just checking on the property.”
I left it at that.
David kept quiet.
Bradley bought it.
“You must have been shocked,” Bradley said.
“I was.” That part was certainly true.
We spent a few moments hashing the ‘isn’t it a small world’ stuff.
“Dad isn’t in good health,” Bradley said as he stood. “He will be pleased to hear that we met but it would mean the world to him if you went to Sacramento to see him.”
“I…I…I don’t know.” This was as eloquent as I could manage.
“Think about it.” Bradley put a business card on my desk. “Here’s how to get in touch with me.”
And with that he was gone.
David was quiet for a full minute after Bradley left. Unfortunately it was not long enough.
“Good heavens, darling! Have we held out on a little family secret or two?”
“Do I have to go into it all right now?”
“No, darling. You just sit right there and I will recap. You can fill me in if I am wrong. Now let me see, you used to be Teresa Bennett before you became Alana Clark, which was before you married and became Alana Fox. Your parents divorced, I did know that little bit, actually, but I didn’t know that your daddy married someone who had a son and had then she had another son with your daddy and you never knew about your half-brother. And the guy who was found dead on the floor in the house that you were kidnapped to was actually your daddy’s grandson. And you decided to up and lie about everything to this half-brother that you just met. Am I close?”
That pretty well summed it up.
“So, darling, are you going to go see him?”
“See who?”
“Why, your daddy of course! When was the last time you saw your dear old dad?”
“I was ten.”
I gave him the story. I was getting sick of telling it.
“You haven’t seen your daddy since you were ten years old?” David was aghast. “You better skedaddle up to Sacramento and see him now.”
“Why?”
“How old is the man?”
I thought about it. Math isn’t my strong suit on my best days and this day was far from my best.
“He’s probably eighty-five or so.”
“Well, how long do you think he will last?”
“Why does it matter, David? He hasn’t been a part of my life since I was ten. Why would I want him in my life now?”
“You’re missing the point, darling. Once the man is gone, you will never know.”
“Never know what?”
“Why he didn’t get in touch with you! Or if that Bradley person was telling the truth. Honestly, darling, don’t you want to know?”
Did I? I had pushed thoughts of my father so far into the back of my mind that I had no idea if I wanted to see him again or not. Until the day before, I always assumed he was dead.
And yet he was alive and he had a son. The Bennett family- Teresa, Jack and now Bradley and Zane- were certainly in my life whether I wanted them or not.
I took out my phone.
“Are you calling dear old dad, darling?” David actually clapped his hands in joy.
“No. I’m calling Richard. Meeting my half-brother changes everything.”
Chapter Fifteen
The day left me exhausted.
I returned to the York Estate with my sights set on a long nap. But the day wasn’t done messing with me just yet.
Dr Coshow called with my test results just as I walked into my suite. The labs only confirmed what she had suspected. Someone injected me several times with Ketamine, which left me susceptible to persuasions that I would normally ignore. Persuasions like transferring all my money to someone else.
All I wanted to do at that point was to crawl into bed with a bottle of wine and sleep for a year or two.
Jorjana had other plans. And they required me to dress up and report for dinner in the Dining Hall.
A York maid pulled together a suitable outfit while I showered. Then she styled my hair, did my makeup and delivered me to the Dining Hall on time. I couldn’t have managed it without her.
We were a party of five. Jorjana, Franklin, Richard, David and me.
We sat at Jorjana’s end of the table. She presided over the proceedings from her thJime, her wheelchair stashed out of sight. Franklin and David sat to her right, facing the silent zoo. Richard and I sat to her left, which afforded a lovely view over the upper pool. Jorjana plucked a gold bell from the tray of bells next to her thJime. She gave it a ring.
Dinner began.
Dinner in the Dining Hall is always an event whether it is a full table of one hundred or just Jorjana and me. A door at the other end of the hall flew open and five waiters dressed in tuxedos delivered cold flutes of champagne to each of us. The champagne would have be
en ice cold but the servers had to make the trek all the way down the Hall. I managed to overlook this infraction and downed my flute in one sip. It was, of course, immediately refilled.
“To what shall we toast?” Jorjana asked.
“To friendship,” said Franklin.
“To good health,” said Richard whose voice was still hoarse.
“To Alana’s new family!” David said with glee. I gave him the look this deserved but he ignored me.
Glasses clinked and we drank to the toasts.
“So, darling, are you going to visit your daddy or not?” David, being a snot.
“Yes, Alana, please tell us of your plans,” Jorjana was sincere.
“You really haven’t seen your father since you were a child?” Franklin still couldn’t believe it.
I’d given Jorjana and Franklin an update over the in house phone as the maid helped me dress for dinner. Jorjana knew everything of course, but Franklin was new to the story.
I was weary of rehashing the details of a childhood I’d left behind. I just wanted to forget about my new half-brother. And his son. And my father. Especially my father.
I’d worked hard to build my life and I resented the fact that my life had been turned on its head. I’d put my childhood to rest and it should have stayed there. And my money should have safely stayed in the bank where I stashed it, too. And yet, my childhood reappeared and upended my adult life. No wonder I was exhausted.
“I’m not going to go anywhere,” I said to no one in particular. “I’m staying home and trying to get my life back in order.”
“Good plan,” Franklin said. “Richard, have your guys found Alana’s money yet?”
Richard’s answer was delayed by the arrival of the first course- raw oysters set on a bed of sea salt and accompanied by thinly sliced pickled onion and lemon wedges. Hot sauce made in the York kitchen was served in tiny crystal pitchers. The oysters were Kumamotos, my favorite. I noticed that my plate had six of the little treats while everyone else only had three. Jorjana gave me a smile and downed hers like a longshoreman chugging a beer.
“Jim Schilling’s guys are the best and they’re working on it around the clock,” Richard said hoarsely. “Be patient, Alana, they will get your money back.”
“Easy for you to be patient,” I replied. “You have money in your bank.”
“Alana! Have you no money at all?” Jorjana was shocked.
“You said you had other accounts.” This from Franklin, who never forgets anything.
“Darling, are you broke?” David had the good manners to look concerned.
Silently, I cursed myself. I forgot that I was keeping my financial straits a secret. The last thing I wanted was Jorjana swooping in with her checkbook to save me. I was broke but I still had my pride. Besides, Franklin would never let me forget it if York money bailed me out. He would likely put me on a budget like I was a child asking for a weekly allowance. And David, of course, would tease me to my grave about this set back. I would figure a way to survive until my money was returned.
I decided to change the subject.
“Dr. Coshow said I had enough Ketamine in me to take down a cow.”
The mention of the lab results took everyone’s attention away from my finances. Not that this lightened the mood much. David had stories and then some about the horror of date rape drugs. Jorjana’s eyes grew big with each tale that David told.
I finished my last oyster and returned the empty shell to the salt bed. I reached for my champagne flute just as the server reached for my plate. Our hands collided in midair. The unexpected contact took me back to bumping into Zane in the middle of Ralph’s. I yelped, my hand shot forward and hit the champagne flute with an upper right cut. The flute took flight, dousing the floral centerpiece before landing straight up at David’s place setting.
“I give that landing a ten, darling.” He raised his glass and winked at me.
It was the comic relief we all seemed to need. The mood around the table lightened as the salads arrived and the servers cleaned up the mess of splashed Champagne.
The salad course was another of my favorites. Crisp butter lettuce, toasted walnuts and mandarin oranges with citrus vinaigrette. Warm sourdough rolls and a nice oaky Chardonnay to accompany it. I felt my earlier irritation melting away.
And then Richard spoiled everything.
“Jim’s guys found out a lot about this Bradley Bennett,” Richard said. “Interesting family you’ve got there in Sacramento, Alana.”
“OH! Do tell, Richard.” David, of course, was all over it. Jorjana held her fork in midair. Franklin leaned forward, his hand gripping his knife like he was about to field dress an antelope. No matter how I felt abut it, this group was going to hear the story.
I sighed. “What did Jim find out?”
Richard leaned back in his chair, prepared to hold court.
“Your father built a very successful practice it turns out. He and his partners started the first holistic medical practice in the state. They integrated Western medicine, nutrition, acupuncture, homeopathy, naturopathy and chiropractic into one practice. It was considered fringe medicine when they started but they became among the leading experts in treating ailments like allergies and arthritis. Your stepmother was the chiropractor.”
“She’s not my step mother. She’s my father’s new wife.” I sounded just like my mother. Right down to the bitter tone.
“You never met her, darling?” David asked.
“No.”
Richard gave me a look. It could have been of concern but he went on anyway.
“She had a son from a previous relationship although there is no record of a marriage. She had Bradley six months after she married your father.”
“Once a tramp, always a tramp,” I said as I finished my Chardonnay. I was surprised at how quickly the glass had emptied.
“As I said, the practice flourished. They live in a very nice neighborhood in Sacramento. Both boys went to private school. The older boy’s name is Keith Bennett- your father adopted him- and he lives in San Francisco. He is a real estate developer. Bradley fathered this Zane boy when he was eighteen. Zane was brought up in Redding. Bradley married one Melissa Chambers and they have two girls ages five and three. Your father and, uh, his wife retired about ten years ago but he keeps busy with lectures on healthy living.”
“Sounds very nice, darling. You should go see him,” David said through a mouth full of salad.
“You should go soon,” Richard said. “Jack Bennett is in poor health. He has been in and out of the hospital a dozen times in the last year or so.”
“I though he was an expert on healthy living,” I said.
I was snotty out of respect to my mother’s memory. In spite of this, I found a new curiosity arise regarding my long lost father. It seemed the more I was told; the more I wanted to know.
“He has congestive heart failure,” Richard said. “And he is eighty-nine years old.”
“Yes, darling, do go.”
“Alana, I fear that you will regret it if you miss this opportunity.”
David, of course, had a story about regrets. He captivated the other’s attention while I considered my empty wine glass. Out of nowhere it occurred to me that refilling the glass was not going to solve my problems. I needed a clear head to climb out of the hole that I was tossed into. That little voice argued that numbing my thoughts was last thing I needed.
I put my hand over the glass when the server came by. I picked up my water glass and let David hog the attention. I had some thinking to do.
Bradley Bennett’s arrival in my life upended everything I was brought up to believe. It was a surprise to learn that I had a half-brother. But it was really unsettling to learn that my father had tried to stay in touch with me. It was shocking to learn that the dead guy was Bradley’s son. Yet it was too much of a coincidence to think that the loss of my money was just a coincidence.
Zane had to know whom I was and that I had
money. But how had Zane known this? Not only know of me but how to find me. Had my father told Zane about me? I considered that. But Bradley said that he had little contact with Zane so it seemed likely that my father had little contact as well. Or did my father have contact with Zane that Bradley knew nothing about?
I felt my resistance to seeing my father shift. I had to admit that I was curious if Bradley’s story was true- that my father had tried to see me, and my mother’s family kept him away. Not that I would ever forgive him for abandoning my mother and me. That would never happen. But David was right- I would always wonder now that I had been presented with another side to the story.
I kept coming back to how Zane knew about me.
That little voice told me the answers were with my father.
My musing was interrupted by an argument brewing around the table. It had nothing to do with the lovely salmon with dill sauce that replaced the salad.
“Jorjana, we are not going to let Alana drive all the way up to Sacramento by herself. I’ll go with her and we’ll take my plane.” Richard said.
“Richard, I insist that Alana travel in my plane. The crew is well-versed in her likes and dislikes.” Jorjana replied.
“My flight crew knows Alana’s tastes inside and out. We go in my plane.”
Apparently while I was lost in musing, my dearest friends in the world came to the same conclusion that I had- it was in my best interests to visit my long lost father in Sacramento.
In the end, Richard had business to attend to in Sacramento so his plane won.
I was surprised at how safe that made me feel.
Chapter Sixteen
A York maid woke me in my suite the next morning with another pot of coffee and the news that I was leaving in a half hour for the airport. As I struggled to awaken, she packed a bag for me. Just in case I spent more than a day in Sacramento.
I had every intention of confJimting my father and getting back to Malibu within a few hours. But I knew better than to argue with instructions that came from Jorjana. I left the maid to her task and took a sinfully long shower.
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