“You said
attempted,
” Craig Yamamoto pointed out. “What happened?”
“As Jay Collins was an innocent victim of this vicious vendetta against me, I purchased the gym and fired the employee who shot the video, and the manager.” I shrugged. “I have also reinstated Jay's employment. I could not, in good conscience, allow him to have his life destroyed by the machinations of Brother Chad York.”
“You
bought
the gym?” Rees whistled from behind me.
“Yes. I bought the gym,” I answered him. “As the brotherhood is well aware, my parents are very wealthy. What the brotherhood does not know is I have a trust fund of my own, worth approximately one hundred million dollars, and that money is mine to do with as I please. And I was very pleased to spend several hundred thousand dollars to right this wrong. I would like the record to show that correcting this injustice done to Jay Collins by Chad York was very expensive for me to do.” I folded my arms. “And yet I am the one who stands accused before the brotherhood of conduct unbecoming to a brother, as Chad York intended all along.”
Chris cleared his throat. “I think we've heard enough,” he said, “and now the Executive Council willâ”
“I'm not finished.” I cut him off. I took another file folder out of my bag and passed out another printout. I closed my eyes. “Let the record show this document is a list of several brothers of Beta Kappa, the title of a term paper, the class it was for, and the instructor.”
“What is this?” Tim Haas asked.
I smiled. “As you will note, Brother Haas's name is on the list. Also on the list are two of my accusers, Brothers Benson and Davidson. This, as Brothers Haas, Benson, and Davidson are very well aware, is a list of term papers turned in by the brothers named as their own work, when the truth is the papers were written by me.” I turned and looked at Rees and Brandon, who were squirming in their seats. “Just like video recordings, Microsoft Word documents have an electronic signature. Someone who knows what to look for would be able to determine the computer those papers were originally written on, which can easily be proven to be mine. The university takes a very dim view of cheatingâas does the national chapter of Beta Kappa. The students on that list will be expelled, and no other university would allow them admittance. I also believe the National Chapter would demand they be expelled from the brotherhoodâand might even launch an investigation into this chapter, as would the university. It is entirely possible the scandal would result in our charter being pulled and the house shut down.”
“You wouldn't dare,” Rees blustered. “You'd be expelled, too.”
God, this was so easy. It was all I could do not to laugh. I'd hoped someone would bring that up. “Do you think I care?” I turned and looked at him. He was slouched down in his chair and wouldn't look at me. “I have a trust fund worth nine figures. My parents are worth over half a billion dollars. I don't need a college degree. I don't need to work a day in my life. Sure, at first my parents would be disappointed in me, but once they found out the whole story, why I exposed this to the world, they would be
proud.
” I reached into my backpack and retrieved the last file. I passed out the final photocopies. “Let the record show I have passed out one final document.”
“What is this?” Chris looked like he was going to throw up at any moment.
“When I pledged this fraternity, I had my financial adviser investigate the finances of the house,” I replied, smiling. “It's called
due diligence.
I wanted to know what I was getting intoâand stupidly, I thought if the house had financial trouble, if I made it through and was initiated, I could help out.” I shook my head. “This house has been very poorly run from a financial standpoint for quite some time. I was shocked to discover that not only is the house years behind in dues payments to the National Chapter but also years behind in making payments on the mortgage held by the National Chapter. The National Chapter, apparently, has been in a quandary for years about what to do about this chapterâwhich on the surface is flourishing but doesn't understand the concept of fiscal responsibility. They were more than happy to sell the back debt to me, as well as the mortgage. They were delighted that a brother from this chapter cared so much about this house he would actually take over the financial burden from
them.
” I exhaled. “What you are holding is the agreement between me and the National Chapter. I own the mortgage on this house. I own the back debt of this chapter. And I am well within my legal rights to demand repayment of the back debt, as well as the outstanding mortgage payments, or take possession of the house. And evict Beta Kappa once and for all.”
I picked up my backpack and slid it over my shoulder. “Decide what you want about the hearing.” I walked to the door. “I really don't give a rat's ass anymore. I joined this house because I wanted to be a part of it. I believed all the bullshit you drilled into my head as a pledge, about brotherhood and honor. I believed everything this house supposedly stood for. What an enormous disappointment to find out it was all just a bunch of bullshit. Fuck you all.”
“What are you going to do?” Chris asked hoarsely.
“When this nonsense first came up, I couldn't believe how stupid all of you were, thinking I would come in here and cower, beg, and plead not to be thrown out. I thought I'd blackmail you, since I hold
all
the cards. I thought, well, I can force them to kick out my accusers, I could make them kick out Chad, and maybe we could purify this house and make it what it was intended to be from the beginning. And you people had the nerve to question my character?” I laughed. “But the more I thought about it, the less I cared. Do I want to be a part of a house where this kind of bullshit masquerades as brotherhood? Do I want to be a part of a brotherhood that simply pays lip service to the ideals it supposedly upholds? And the more I thought about it, the less I wanted to.” I opened the door and smiled. “So, you can all just stew for a while and wonder what I'm going to do. And by the way, fuck all of you.”
I slammed the door behind me.
I took a deep breath.
That felt
good.
And now, there was just one last piece of business to attend to.
The house was silent as I climbed the staircase and walked down the upstairs hall to Chad's room. His door was open, and I stood in the doorway. He was still sitting in the window, looking out. I cleared my throat, and he turned his head. He gave me a nasty smile. “So, is the hearing scheduled for tomorrow night? I can't wait.”
I shook my head. “No, Chad, there's not going to be a hearing. I'm sorry to disappoint you.” I smiled. “In fact, I would imagine the Executive Council is pretty much shitting themselves right now, terrified about what I'm going to do next. I'd say it's pretty safe to say I put the fear of God into themâand I'm God.”
His smile faded.
“You've lost, Chad.” I stepped into his room. “Not only this battle, but you lost the entire war.”
“I don't know what you're talking about,” he replied. “And get out of my room.”
“Dante and I are back together, so you failed there, too,” I went on. “He loves me and wants me to move in with him. I know someone as twisted and soulless as you can't comprehend love, but he does love me. And he hates you for what you tried to do to us. But I'm pretty positive that doesn't really bother you muchâyou're used to being hated, I'm sure.”
“Go to hell.”
“Good comeback,” I mocked. “Congratulations, though. I'm sure when you launched your little scheme to get me thrown out of the brotherhood, it never once occurred to you it might blow up in your face. I bet it never occurred to youâbecause you've undoubtedly pulled this kind of bullshit beforeâthat wimpy little Jordy Valentine was not only a worthy opponent but more than willing to fight even dirtier than you were, was capable of going for the throat and being even nastier than you are.” I laughed. “It's actually sad how
pathetic
your little games really are. I warned you yesterday that going up against someone with a lot of money at his disposal was a huge mistake. I gave you a chance to call this whole thing off, to get your little puppets to withdraw their stupid charges against me, but not you! Not the great Chad York! You would never back down and admit defeat. Not to nerdy Jordy.” I shook my head. “I not only beat you, Chad, but I can bring this whole house down.”
“What are you talking about?” He stared at me. “You're not making sense.”
“I won't bore you with the details of my enormous triumph.” I folded my arms. “You'll hear all about it soon enough. But there are a few things you need to know.”
“You're already boring me, so go away.” He waved his hand and looked back out the window.
“I always thought it was interesting how contemptuous you were of your family.” I ignored him.
Time to go for the jugular.
“I remembered how you said your dad acted like you thought you were better than everyone else because you wanted to go to college. So, I did some checkingâor rather, I had some of my people do some checking. You see, I wondered how on earth you were paying for college without working, if your family was as working class as you claimed. How were you paying for everything? Imagine how shocked I was to find out your father, the one you trashed whenever you talked about him, had
actually taken out a second mortgage on your home to send you to college.
That your siblings, whom you hold in such contempt, were all contributing and helping out to send you to college, so you could get a degree and make something of yourself. Do you have any idea, do you even care, how hard they are struggling to pay those monthly mortgage payments so you can be here and talk shit about them?”
“That's none of your damned business.” His face had drained of color, and his voice was shaking.
“Your mother works in a diner,” I went on. “On her feet all day, waiting tables, so you can be here. Your father takes extra shifts at the garage so he can put food on the table and try to stay ahead of the huge financial burden he's taken on, so you can be here. And you don't even appreciate it. Not. One. Bit.” I shrugged. “I don't know why that surprises me. You are probably the most self-absorbed, arrogant piece of shit I've ever met in my entire life.”
“You don't know a thing about me.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. Who's to say?” I took another step forward. “But here's what I do know. Tomorrow morning, my financial adviser is buying the garage where your father worksâand the diner where your mother works. By tomorrow afternoon, they will be closed down and your parents will be unemployed.” I stroked my chin. “Now, I wonder how they're going to be able to keep up with those mortgages? How are they going to be able to keep you in school?”
“You wouldn't dare!”
“I wouldn't?” I smiled at him.
“Why would you punish them?” he yelled. “They haven't done anything to you!”
“Kind of like how my trainer did nothing to you? But you were willing to ruin his life.” I took another step closer to him. “And what did Dante ever do to you? Oh, yeah, he dumped your ass because he saw what a shallow, worthless piece of garbage was wrapped up inside such a pretty package.” I barked out another laugh. “Oh, yes, did I forget to mention that my financial adviser is also buying up the paper your parents' bank holds on their home? We're offering twice what they're worthâno bank will be able to turn down such a profit.”
“You sick motherfucker!”
“And how long do you think they'll be able to keep up those payments without jobs, Chad?” I started laughing. “And as soon as they are late, we're going to foreclose. Your family is going to be unemployed and homeless, Chad, and they have
you
to thank for it.”
He was trembling. “Don't do this, Jordy, please, I'm begging you. They haven't done anything to youâ”
I cut him off. “They raised
you,
didn't they? You're a product of their parenting. Did they not love you enough, Chad? What did they do to make you such a monster?” I shrugged. “It really doesn't matter, I suppose. I don't care. All I know is you have to be stopped, and taught a lesson. What was it you said to me yesterday? There's nothing I could possibly teach you? Do you
still
think that's true, Chad?” I reached into my backpack and pulled out the classified ads from the paper. I tossed it on the bed. “You'd better start looking for a job, Chad. I took the liberty of circling a few that look right up your alleyâMcDonald's is hiring, and so is T.G.I. Friday's.”
He moved, to get out of the window, but lost his balance.
For a brief second, I saw his eyes widen in terror as he tried to get his balance back.
And then he was gone.
Now
“T
hat's a hell of a story,” Joe said.
Isn't it, though?” Jordy replied. He was standing at the window, staring at the pool through the blinds. “So, I guess you could say it
is
my fault he fell, but I didn't push him.” He reached up and pulled the cord for the blinds, so they rose until the entire window was exposed. “You can also see why Bobby Dunlap was so quick to blame me. I suppose the other brothers who said I did it were Rees Davidson and Brandon Benson?”
“Yes,” Joe said. He switched his recorder off. “And given your story, if it's true, I can see why all three of them would be so quick to try to get you arrested.”
“It's actually kind of stupid, if you think about it,” Jordy went on. “Like having me arrested is going to change the facts?” He turned and faced Joe. “I can still get Rees and Brandon expelled, regardless of what happens to me. And Bobby?” He shrugged. “I might not be able to get him expelled, but I can file a civil suit against him. I guess it all depends on what Chad says when he regains consciousness. If he says I pushed him.” He barked out a bitter laugh. “Granted, his brains might be a little scrambled, but if he's able to think about it, he might figure out if he claims I pushed him, I won't ruin his parents.”
“Are you really going to do that?” Joe asked. He crossed his legs and looked at Jordy.
Who knew there were such depths behind that pretty face?
“Don't you think that's a bit extreme?”
Jordy shrugged. “I never really planned to in the first place. I just wanted him to know that I could if I chose to.”
“And your fraternity? Are you really going to shut it down?”
“Do you think I should?”
“It's not my decision to make,” Joe replied.
What would I do in his place? Revenge always seems like a good idea, but most people never really follow through on it. I wanted to get even with Sean when he left me, but I finally just let it all go and moved on. And sometimes that's the best thing to doâlet it all go and move on.
“But it seems to me you'd be punishing a lot of people for the behavior of a few. You said a couple of times you really liked the majority of the brothers, and it was the first place you ever felt you belonged. Are you willing to destroy all of that?”
“Is it part of your job to play therapist, Detective?” A slight smile tugged at the corners of Jordy's mouth.
“No,” Joe admitted. “It isn't. But in my job, I see a lot of shit, Jordy. A lot. And most of it could have been prevented if someone had just said
enough
and put a stop to it. You have that powerâthe power to put a stop to it all. And you said yourself, several times, that a person shouldn't make decisions based on emotional reactions but should instead analyze the situation and use logic. Is it logical to punish the entire house and destroy something you once believed in because it's emotionally satisfying?”
“It's a very good point, Detective,” Jordy replied. “And one I'll take into consideration.” He scratched his elbow. “It's interesting, though. I figured Chris Moore would have called by now with their decisionâbut then, I don't really see they have much of a choice.” He raised his eyebrows. “Maybe they're all too busy dealing with Chad falling to think about me.” He sat back down in his chair. “So, are you going to arrest me?”
“Not at this time,” Joe replied.
Arrest you for what? Until Chad wakes up and tells his side of the story, I can't arrest you for anything.
“You did admit to hacking into computersâthat's a crime. And using a fake ID, also a crime, and of course the pot smoking, but I don't see any point in pursuing any of that.” Joe stood up. “I guess that's everything. Don't leave town.”
Jordy smiled. “Well, thanks for listening.”
“It was very interesting.” Joe walked to the door. “I'll be in touch.”
The door shut behind him. Joe shook his head as he started down the stairs.
It was,
he thought,
truly one hell of a story. I wonder if all of it is true.
His phone rang when he was halfway down the stairs. “Hey, Grace.”
“Joe, I'm leaving the hospital,” she said, “and I'm calling it a day. The kid said he wasn't pushed. He just lost his balance and fell. He's got a concussion, some broken ribs, and a broken arm, but he'll live. So this whole thing was a colossal waste of our time. I'm heading home and having a beer.”
“Thanks, Grace. See you tomorrow.” He closed the phone and walked to his car. Before he unlocked the door, he glanced up at Jordy's window. The blinds were still open, and Jordy was standing there.
He really is beautiful, and rich, too. But the poor boy has been so damned unhappy. I hope everything works out for him.
Joe got into his car and started the engine, and drove out of the parking lot.
All the way home, he couldn't get the kid out of his mind.
He parked in his driveway and walked into his empty house.
Another night alone,
he thought, getting a beer out of his refrigerator and cracking it open.
I wonder how his story will end,
he thought as he kicked off his shoes and sat down on his sofa. The house was so quietâit was almost unnerving. He turned the television on and flipped through the channels until he found a marathon of
America's Next Top Model.
He drank three beers while he watched the empty-headed models argue and bitch and fight. Finally, around ten, he turned the television off and went to bed, alone.
The next few days passed with the usual routine. Get up, go to work, follow leads, close cases, interview suspects, and make some arrests. Punch out for the day, head to the gym, do his workout, and come back home to the empty house. Order in, watch television, drink some beers, and go to bed. It was mind numbing, this routine he'd fallen into.
But he couldn't stop thinking about Jordy Valentine.
He kept waiting to read in the newspaper or see on the news a breaking scandal about cheating at the university, a fraternity scandal, but there was never anything.
I guess he decided to let them off the hook, which is probably the best thing. Revenge is best forgotten, left in the past, and you should always just move on.
Move on.
Like you've moved on,
he thought to himself on Wednesday as he went through his workout at the gym.
You've never moved on from Seanâyou've never even tried. That's why the kid affected you so much. For the first time since Sean left, you actually noticed another man that wayâa young man you can never have.
And when he left the gym, he made up his mind. He had the next two days offâand he hadn't been out in months. Why not go to Fusions, see who was there? The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. It
would
be nice to be around gay men, to listen to music and have a few cheap drinks. Maybe even dance a little bit.
Who knows? You might even meet someone.
And maybe Jordy will be there,
a little voice whispered inside of his head.
He pushed that thought aside. That was a stupid thought, not worthy of him. Jordy was too young, for one thing. And for another, the kid was in love withâwhat was his name? Danny?
Dante.
That was it. Nah. It was unlikely they'd be thereâand besides, even if he was off-duty, he knew the kid was underage and he should do something about it.
Stop thinking like a cop,
he told himself as he showered.
Sure, you are attracted to the kidâwho wouldn't be? But you just want to know how it all ended.
He put on a white tank top and a pair of tight jeans, examining himself in the mirror.
I don't look bad,
he reassured himself, smiling at the mirror.
My body might not be as tight as it was when I was in my twenties, but I'm still a good-looking guy and my body looks pretty good.
All the way to Fusions he debated whether it was smart to go in or not. Several times he was tempted to turn around and go home, forget the whole thing, watch some porn on the Web, and go to bed. But he was tired of masturbating while watching two hot guys have nasty sex. He wanted to have nasty sex, and there was bound to be someone at Fusions who'd want him, someone young and hot and horny, someone to fill up the emptiness and loneliness of the house that was too big for just one person.
Maybe I should sell it, get a condo or an apartment somewhere,
he thought as he turned onto the street where Fusions was.
The house is part of my problem. It's a lot of work, for one thing, and it is too big for me, makes me feel lonely.
You don't have any friends.
He wondered about that for a moment as he parked the car in the lot across the street from Fusions. Before Sean, he'd had a lot of friends, but they'd all dropped away. Sean hadn't much liked his friends, and the feeling was mutual. After Sean left, he'd thought about calling them but held off.
I blew them off for Sean, and now that he's gone I can hardly try to patch things up with them,
he'd reasoned. It would be a shitty thing to do, and he was tired of being a shitty person.
I need to make new friends, kick-start my life into gear again. And tonightâmaybe tonight will be the first night of the new Joe Palladino.
He paid the cover charge and walked into the bar. It was already crowded, and the music was loud. He thought it was Beyoncé but wasn't sure. He walked through the crowd, checking out some of the hot guys, and was pleased to notice some of them were checking him out as well. That made him feel better. He headed to the bar to get a drink. The bartender was hot, muscular, and wearing a white singlet that left very little to the imagination. “As I live and breathe, Joe Palladino.” The bartender grinned as he walked up to where Joe was standing. “What can I get you, babe?”
Joe tried to remember the bartender's name and couldn't believe he was still slinging cocktails at Fusions after all this time. The name was gone, lost in the mists of memory, so he ordered a gin and tonic with lime. He watched the bartender mix the drink and noticed he had a heavy hand with the gin. He smiled to himself, remembering what that meantâthe bartender liked him. The bartender grinned as he put the drink down on a cardboard coaster with a flourish. “Fifty cents, Detective.”
Joe put a dollar bill down and took a sip. It was strong, as he'd suspected it would be. He winked at the bartender and ignored the two quarters he put down on the bar. He turned and looked at the dance floor. The song had changed, and he had no idea what he was listening to now. He just stood there and watched people, cruising and being cruised, wondering if he should approach someoneâdeciding finally to see if someone approached him. He was out of practice. Why make an ass out of himself when hopefully someone would come up?
And then he saw him.
Jordy was on the dance floor, underneath one of the flashing red lights, dancing like he didn't have a care in the world. His shirt was off, tucked into the back of his loose-fitting jeans. The top of his underwear was showing, and his eyes were closed as he danced.
He is a good dancer,
Joe thought, deciding then and there he wasn't going to do a damned thing about the fake ID. He was off duty, damn it, and that was all there was to it. As he watched, a guy with an unbelievably muscular body came up behind Jordy, slipping his arms around him and kissing his neck. He had dark hair, was wearing really tight jeans, and his shirt was off.
Dante,
Joe guessed, and smiled. Jordy had been rightâDante was a muscle god. They looked beautiful out there together on the dance floor, and in spite of himself Joe wondered what it would be like to watch them fucking.
It'd be hotter than most porn I've seen,
he mused, shaking his head and laughing at himself.
But at least I know the two of them are still together and are trying to make it work. Good for you, Jordy. You deserve it.
A lean, muscled young man pushed his way through the crowd and stood next to him at the bar. Joe looked at him and smiled. He was really cute. He was lean, with a nose that was just a hair too long for his face, but whoever he was, he was in a really good mood. The young man was wearing jeans like Jordy'sâbaggy and hanging low off his waist, and he was wearing a red tank top with the letters BK on the front.
Beta Kappa.
“Hi there,” Joe said. The guy was waiting for the bartender, who was busy with a couple of drag queens.
“Hi,” the young man said, giving him a radiant smile.
“Beta Kappa?” Joe gestured at the shirt with his drink.
“Very good,” the young man replied. “I'm Roger.”
“Joe.”
“Nice to meet you, Joe.” Roger stuck his hand out, and they shook, smiling at each other.
He heard Jordy quoting Chad in his head,
“Fusions isn't really Roger's kind of place.”
“Your last name wouldn't happen to be Devlin, would it?”
Roger's jaw dropped. “You
are
good.” He grinned. “Should I be impressed with you or freaked out because you're some kind of weird stalker?”