Inside Traitors

by David Allen

  “Oh come on, what happened?” inquired Joe. “Did she shoot you down or what? Don’t tell me she didn’t like the engagement ring.”

  Steve shook his head. “You just won’t give up will you. Can’t you see I really do not want to talk about this subject right now?”

  Steve moved to his left and tried to get around Joe. Joe moved in even closer to Steve, cutting him off. Joe wouldn’t let him pass by.

  “Listen, all I heard for the past several weeks from you was the wedding proposal this and the wedding proposal that,” said Joe. “You know that out of everybody, you should be able to tell me what happened. Was it the Gucci bag? Come on, what was it? Did she not like the Gucci bag? Is that why you looked sad when I mentioned the bag before?”

  Steve looked at Joe with a dismal expression. He bobbed his head up and down. “Since it seems like you won’t be satisfied until you get the whole horrible story, it was the wrong bag. I got her the wrong damn bag.”

  “So what happened?” Joe asked. He sounded like he was a reporter uncovering the details of a major political scandal.

  “Let me guess… She didn’t like the handbag so she never opened it and never got to see the ring. So you never got a chance to ask her to marry you. Is that what happened?”

  Steve’s face bore a pitiful expression. He was sad and embarrassed.

  “Yeah, that’s pretty much what happened,” Steve said. “You finally drug it out of me Joe. You finally have the story of the century. You’re a regular Perry Mason. I hope you’re happy now. You cracked the wedding proposal case wide open Perry.”

  “I keep telling you that Christy is not the right girl for you. You know I wouldn’t lie to you. I have always wanted the best for you. I still want the best for you. You have to get out and see what other girls are like. You have to play the field.”

  Joe increased the volume of his voice. “Damn it Steve, Christy is your first real girlfriend for Christ’s sake. I really do not want to see you get hurt. You really need to listen to me on this one Steve.”

  Joe moved in closer to Steve. He placed his hand on his shoulder. “This is a sign. When a five hundred and seventy five dollar handbag isn’t good enough, that’s a big bright red blinkin’ neon sign. The sign is clear and it is time that you read it.”

  For the first time, Steve looked Joe directly in the eyes. “Joe, I know you mean well, but Christy is the one. I know it. I can feel it. This morning was just a little set back. Besides, I was the one who bought her the wrong bag. The bag wasn’t the one she wanted. She told me what bag to get. I didn’t listen. I thought I knew better. I bought the bag that I liked instead. It would have worked out if I got the right bag.”

  Joe was amazed at what he heard. He couldn’t believe the explanation. Joe started in with a stronger approach.

  “Do you hear what you are saying?” asked Joe empathically. “That bag was a present. It was a gift. It was a gift from you. In all the years Karen and I have been together, she never once said she didn’t like a gift that I gave to her. And looking back, I gave her some real bonehead gifts. I will tell you again that this is a sign. Christy is just using you for your money and nothing more. She doesn’t care about you. It is just about the dollars with her. You really have to believe me.”

  Steve heard enough. The failed plan earlier in the morning and the endless badgering by Joe caused Steve to reach the boiling point. All of his pain and disappointment came rushing to the surface at once.

  “Joe, I do not want to hear any more on the subject,” Steve said abruptly. “That is enough. This is my life and I need to make the decision on this one. If I am wrong then I am wrong, but I truly feel this is the right decision. Christy is the right girl for me and she is the only girl for me. That is all I am going to say. I am going into the office now. I do not want to hear anything more about this. This conversation is over.”

  The outburst was rare for Steve. It took Joe a little by surprise. Joe finally realized the pain that Steve was going through.

  “OK, you’re right. I understand. I’m sorry. I went too far. It is your life we are talking about. I want the best for you. You know that. I’m sorry if I was out of line. If you ever need to discuss it, I am here for you. But I won’t bring the subject up again.”

  Steve turned and took a few steps toward the main entrance of the corporate center. He paused and turned back to Joe.

  “I know you care Joe and I know you mean well. There is no need to apologize. Thank you for caring.”

  Joe smiled and gave Steve an acknowledging nod. Suddenly, Joe remembered another question he had for Steve.

  “Hey Steve, before you leave,” Joe called out. “Do you have any idea what’s up with the meeting in the boardroom this morning?” asked Joe.

  “I didn’t know there were any meetings planned,” Steve said. “I checked the on-line planner before I left the condo and there wasn’t anything scheduled for the entire day.”

  “Well, it doesn’t really matter if it was scheduled or not. There is some kind of meeting going on. I was up to the executive floor earlier to see if the month end numbers were in yet and saw them. The group of new senior vice presidents is meeting in the boardroom. I thought I even saw Taz coming out of there earlier,” said Joe.

  “That does sound a little strange,” said Steve as he raised his brow. “And for all of them to be in there is real odd.”

  “I got up there just after nine o’clock and the meeting was already going on,” said Joe. “I thought it was odd for them to be meeting on the day you were planning to be out of the office on vacation.”

  “Well, I don’t know anything about it,” said Steve sounding a bit confused. “I’ll poke my head in the boardroom and find out what the group is up to.”

  Suddenly, Steve raised his hand to his face. “You know what… Last week Tim was telling me he had a couple of ideas for some new products,” said Steve, sounding like he solved the mystery. “Maybe that could be what the meeting is about. I’ll bet the group wants to surprise me with some new product ideas. That would explain why they are doing it when I am scheduled to be out of the office.”

  “Yeah, that could be it,” said Joe.

  “Thanks for telling me. I’ll go pop my head in and see what they are up to.”

  Chapter 7 - Beginning

  Steve Peterson was born on an unusually cold and blustery leap year day in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He was the first child born to Bob and Nancy Peterson. Steve got his dad’s unruly jet-black hair and tall, lanky frame. He got his mom’s hazel eyes and her topsy-turvy stomach.

  Steve’s parents met somewhat later in life through a blind date set up by a mutual friend. Bob agonized over whether or not to accept the date. Several weeks of deliberation passed before he made the final decision to go on the date.

  A few years before Bob had been on two other blind dates. They were both disasters. Following the last one, Bob swore off blind dates for good. But, after years of loneliness and failed relationships Bob realized he wasn’t getting any younger. He decided he would give it one last try. He held out little hope that the arranged meeting would work out.

  Nancy had been divorced for a little over four years following an abusive marriage. In her mind she convinced herself that she was doing all right. She had her friends and her work to keep her busy.

  In reality, Nancy was terribly lonely. She longed for a loving relationship. She was searching for a husband but she wouldn’t admit it. When she was approached about the blind date she too had a few reservations but was eager to find someone to share her life.

  Bob and Nancy opted to call each other prior to the actual first date. That first call lasted for over two and a half hours. Bob and Nancy discovered they both liked the same movies and enjoyed the same pastimes. After they discovered they both loved Japanese food, it was decided they would meet for dinner the following Friday night. The date was set for a small Japanese restaurant they both had wanted to try.

  The moment B
ob and Nancy met it was love at first sight for both of them. After the first hour of the date they felt as if they had known each other for a lifetime. By the time the evening was over, they were inadvertently finishing each other’s sentences with surprising exactness.

  As soon as one of them began to speak, their thoughts seemed to be transferred to the other before the words could get out. Neither Bob nor Nancy really asked for a second date. The date just happened, and then the next, and the next. Bob and Nancy had each found their soul mate, their other half. And they both knew it.

  Seven weeks and one day after their first date, Bob asked Nancy to marry him. They were on their eleventh date. Actually, Bob didn’t quite ask her to marry him. He was somewhat nervous and the question came out sounding more like “Nancy, would you murry ma?”

  Nancy fought back the laughter. She thought for a few seconds before she responded with a particularly witty, “Yes! I will murry moo!”

  Neither Bob nor Nancy had many close family members. They were married at a small, intimate ceremony attended by a few close friends. The marriage took place less than six months after their blind date.

  At the time of the wedding, Bob had just turned forty. Nancy was thirty-seven. Neither came into the marriage with any children and both felt that it was now or never. They decided they would try to have a child immediately after the wedding. Eleven months later, Steven Robert Peterson was born.

  Following the birth, Nancy gave up her day job as a receptionist for the local dentist to become a full time mom. She was the perfect mother. She loved everything about her new occupation and shined in her role.

  Bob had a good job as an Engineer at a local defense contractor. The family of three was very comfortable on his salary. Right after the birth of Steven, Bob’s small two-bedroom condominium was put up for sale. The family needed more room.

  Two months later, Bob and Nancy moved into their dream home. The house had three-bedrooms and two and one half baths and an attached two-car garage. The house sat in a quiet family neighborhood that averaged 2.8 children per household. It was the perfect neighborhood for raising a child. Bob and Nancy considered themselves two of the luckiest people in the world.

  When Steve was one year old, Nancy and Bob decided they would like to try and have one more child. After eighteen months of disappointment, Nancy was informed that she would not be able to conceive due to an irregularity that developed as a result of Steve’s birth. Bob and Nancy were disappointed but they took the news in stride.

  Steve grew into a wonderful child. He was always happy and exceptionally friendly. He constantly had a huge smile beaming across his face. He was well liked at school by his fellow classmates and teachers. On one of Steve’s first grade report cards, an instructor wrote the following under the Teacher’s Comments section:

  “It is a pleasure to have Steven Peterson in my class. He gets along very well with his classmates and has a great desire to learn and explore. Steve has done excellent work in all areas. His math skills are exceptional. I am looking forward to the rest of the year with Steven.”

  Life for the Peterson family was very good. Bob was promoted into a mid-level management position. The new position allowed Bob and Nancy to afford items they considered too extravagant when they were just starting out. Soon after the promotion, work began on a new 20x40 in ground swimming pool in the Peterson back yard.

  Nancy continued to shine in her role as a mother and homemaker. She joined the PTA and did some volunteer work at the school. She started a small neighborhood group and helped to organize local events with the other mothers.

  Bob and Nancy remained the perfect couple. They were the ideal team. Their picture perfect relationship often provoked wonderment, as well as, a few sarcastic comments from the other neighborhood couples.

  Each year on the eve of their anniversary, Nancy would roll over in bed and ask Bob the same question, “If you had to do it all over, would you still murry ma?”

  Bob’s answer was always the same. “I would murry moo in a minute.”

  * * *

  On a rainy evening in early March, the world in which Steve Peterson grew up ceased to exist. Bob and Nancy were returning from an evening out with some friends when they were involved in a horrible car wreck with a drunk driver. Bob and Nancy were both killed instantly. Steve had just turned eight years old.

  Bob and Nancy’s will contained a provision for a trust fund to provide for Steve if something were to happen to them both, although neither of them thought it would ever need to be invoked. Karen had spoken to a close friend about being named as the care provider for Steve if anything ever happened to her and Bob, but sadly, that wording never made it into the will.

  Custody of Steve Peterson went to his only surviving relative, Jack Peterson, an Uncle who lived in Clearwater, Florida. From that day forward, Steve’s world would never be the same.

  Jack had nothing in common with his older brother. He was never interested in a career or settling down. He never had any thought of starting a family. Most of his time was spent fishing in the Gulf of Mexico with his friends or just hanging out looking for a good time.

  Occasionally Jack would find work, usually day labor in construction. But Jack much preferred running scams and get-rich-quick schemes to anything that resembled a real job. Jack was out to have a good time and nothing else mattered. Around town his unshaven face was a common site at the local bars, strip joints and the horse track.

  When the Virginia Department of Child Welfare Services initially contacted Jack, he made it very clear to them that he wanted no part in raising his brother’s child. He wouldn’t even take the time to speak to them about Steve or return their calls. That was until he got the news about the trust fund.

  Bob had taken out two life insurance policies in addition to the policy he received as an employment benefit. He wanted to be sure Steve and Nancy would be provided for if anything ever happened to him.

  The money from the insurance policies, in addition to the monies received from the dispersal of Bob and Nancy’s estate and several investments, was estimated at just over two hundred and sixty thousand dollars. In accordance with their final will, all of the monies were to be put into a trust fund for Steve Peterson.

  The interest earned from the trust fund along with a small allocation from the balance of the account itself would be allocated monthly for Steve’s expenses. The money was to pay for expenses related to his care, housing and education. The monthly allotment from the fund was initially estimated at nine hundred and forty dollars. Any remaining balance of the trust fund was to be turned over to Steve Peterson following his eighteenth birthday.

  To Jack, the trust fund was the equivalent to hitting the Florida Lottery jackpot prize. His eyes lit up the second he heard about it. His mind began racing to formulate a plan to gain control of the entire trust fund before the adoption papers were even signed. Jack had finally found himself a career.

  Once Jack agreed to provide care for Steve, the adoption papers were quickly signed and finalized. Jack rented a small u-Haul trailer and drove up to Virginia. He packed in Steve’s bedroom furniture, his clothes and many household items that caught his eye. The two then set out for Clearwater Florida.

  Jack was living in a small, two-bedroom mobile home he rented for just three hundred and twenty dollars a month. The spare bedroom was being used as a garage for a beat-up motorcycle that Jack had dreams of rebuilding. Jack moved the motorcycle outside and cleaned out the room. After a quick coat of paint, the room was ready for Steve.

  The cramped space was not much larger than a good sized walk-in closet. It couldn’t accommodate Steve’s full size bed and dresser. Jack assessed the situation and decided that he would take the larger and newer set for his own since he had the larger room. He gave Steve his twenty-five year old single bed and beat-up small dresser. The problem of the bedroom set was solved.

  The early days with Jack were extremely tough on Steve. The once happy f
ace that always wore a beaming grin from ear to ear was now expressionless. The eyes that once shined as they gazed at the world in wonderment were now constantly directed downward toward the floor.

  Steve lost his parents and he lost his friends. He lost everything he knew in his life. There was no one to help him to understand his loss. There was no one to share his grief. Steve was on his own. There was no one who would even listen.

  Jack could see the depression and the sadness in Steve, but it did not affect him. He was not a parent. He never wanted to be a parent. If it was not for the monthly check from the trust fund, Steve wouldn’t even be there. At best, Jack would offer little more than an occasional “So, how you doing boy?”

  Steve would usually respond with nothing but silence. Occasionally, he might mutter a barely audible “OK”. Whatever the answer from Steve, it really did not matter to Jack. He asked the question; his responsibility as a parent was complete as far as he was concerned. Jack had better things to do than worry about a child.

  Jack promptly set out and hired a lawyer who got him out of a couple of sticky situations years before. The two began to investigate the legal restrictions attached to the trust fund. They found that Bob had done his homework. The rules he had built into the trust fund made it impossible for Jack to gain control, but they did find a loophole.

  As fund manager, Jack could request increases to the monthly allotment. All that was needed was proof of the increased expenses. Together, Jack and his lawyer were able to successfully petition the institution that operated the trust fund for several sizeable increases. They cited fabricated cost of living expenses and made up bills for clothing and education costs.

  Within the first twelve months, Jack and his lawyer were able to successfully obtain three fairly substantial increases in the monthly payment. There was also a built-in yearly cost of living adjustment. By the start of the second year, the monthly allocation swelled to over fourteen hundred dollars.