Separating Riches (18 page)

The doorbell rang, and I raced past Charlotte and opened the door. Meg was standing on the front stoop with her hand on her hip.
Cocky. But is that a good thing?

“Well? Can I come in?” she asked.

“Oh, yeah, of course,” I said.

I led her into the living room where Norma and George were watching television.

“I need to talk with you, Blackie.”

“It’s all right, dear. We can leave,” Norma said, pushing the foot rest on her recliner down.

“No, please stay,” I said, and then turned to Meg. “These people are my friends. I want them to know the truth. That is if they would like to stay?”

“Hell, yeah,” George said.

Norma nodded. “Yes, dear. Thank you.”

“May I get anyone a refreshment?” Charlotte asked.

“No, we’re good,” I said, anxious to hear what Meg had to say.

Charlotte left the room and closed the door behind her.

It’s Meg’s Show — Meg Baumgartner
, Melinda Blackstone-Livingston, Norma Shelby,
and
George Kirk

“All right, spill it,” Blackie demanded. “What did you learn? Did Tori show?”

“No, she never came in,” I replied, “But I did chat with a few of the other regulars and they were very talkative.”

“Talkative how?” Blackie inquired.

“You know, if you’d take a breath, I could tell you,” I said, chastising her.

“Fine. Just speed it up, will you?”

“Melinda…” Norma said quietly.

“I’m sorry, Norma. I’ll calm down now,” Blackie said, leaning back on the couch.

“Like I said, Tori didn’t show, but it turns out that a couple of her cronies were there. The three of them would get together two or three times a week, drinking and carousing. They’re very proud of that fact too. So I introduced myself and told them that I was a friend of Tori’s. I explained that she was supposed to meet me. They weren’t surprised that she had stood me up.”

“Why?” Blackie asked urgently.

“Because, they haven’t seen her lately either. They said that she had hooked up with a man a couple of days ago, and the two had been practically inseparable ever since. Apparently, according to them, she knew the man. He was an old college sweetheart.”

“How is that possible when she supposedly made out with Blackie yesterday in the pool room?” George asked.

“Because, if it’s like Blackie said, the two of them were setting her up,” I explained. “The sudden appearance of the boyfriend means he is probably in on it.”

“So then you believe me now, right?” Blackie asked.

“I’m not ready to say that yet, Blackie. There are more questions than there are answers.”

“That figures,” she said disappointedly. “So what kind of questions are you talking about?”

“Questions like why, if she’s so into this man, did she want sex with you? And why did that happen a day or two after this college friend came back into her life? Did he put her up to it, or was she acting on her own?”

“Wait, I don’t remember her having a sweetheart in college,” Blackie said. “And I only ever saw her with women so I always thought she was a lesbian. I mean, she sure knew how to please me… uh, never mind.”

Shaking my head, I said, “Please, spare me the details, all right?”

“So what will you do next, Meg?” Norma asked.

“I’d like to talk to the guy Blackie’s father paid off the first time,” I replied.

“Why?” Blackie asked. “That was years ago and he’s never tried anything like that again, as far as I know. George?”

“That’s right. He’s actually working for your father now and has become a pretty good photographer for the San Francisco newspaper.”

“Good, then I’ll know where to find him,” I stated, as I scribbled some notes on my notepad. “What was his name, George?”

“Let me think. I remember it was a manly name… Derrick. Yeah, that was it, Derrick, uh, something.”

“Well, that’s a start. There can’t be that many Derricks taking pictures for the newspaper,” I said, writing down the man’s first name. “Okay, I’m going to go find this man and see what he knows.”

“Meg, are you thinking that the two incidents might be connected somehow?” Norma asked.

“Right now, it’s just a hunch. The two things are so much alike that my gut tells me they are connected, and I need to check every possibility.”

“I’m going with you,” Blackie stated.

Seeing the determination in her face, I knew it wasn’t up for debate, and this time, that was okay. I pick my fights, and her going with me wasn’t worth fighting over.

A Home to Go Home To — Norma Shelby
and
George Kirk

Discarding my last card, I looked with satisfaction at the remaining cards in George’s hand.

“I believe that is gin rummy. That should put you over one hundred, George,” I said.

“Norma, I hate playing cards with you,” George said, throwing his cards on the table.

Smiling, I countered, “Well, if you wouldn’t cheat, dear, you might win a hand or two.”

“I only cheated once, and it’s because I was desperate,” George explained. “We’ve been playing this game for hours now, and I haven’t won a hand yet.”

Shaking my head, I said, “It’s only been a couple of hours, George. And I can start losing, if you’d like?”

“No, it’s not that, Norma. I just don’t like sitting around, doing nothing. There should be something I can do to help Blackie.”

“You’ve helped immensely already, George. You provided valuable information that even Melinda didn’t know about, and it could help in the investigation.” 

“But I want to be out there with them, helping, instead of sitting here like an old man, playing gin.”

“You mean with this old lady, don’t you, dear?” I asked teasingly.

“Norma, you are younger in spirit than our two young friends out there, and so much wiser.”

“You are indeed a gentleman, George. Thank you.”

“Have you thought about what you will do if they break up?”

His question caught me by surprise. Chris had joked about it, but I knew she was playing with me. George was serious and it warranted some thought. “I guess I’ll summer in Memphis and winter in Vegas.”

“Good, then at least I’ll get to see you part of the year, when you’re staying with Blackie,” George said.

“That’s sweet, dear, but I was joking. I’m not sure what I’ll do, but I’m too old to uproot myself every six months. If they break up… I guess…” My eyes began to blur with tears. “I guess I’ll check myself into a nursing home, and wait.”

“Wait?” George looked at me curiously. “Wait for what?”

“Death, dear,” I replied candidly.

“No, Norma. Don’t say that,” he chastised.

“That’s what I was doing when I met Chris. She was such a sweet young thing to befriend me like that. And when I learned how determined she was to right her wrongs, I wanted to be there when she did. I couldn’t be more proud of her than if she were my own daughter, and I am so blessed to have shared in her triumph. And Melinda has come so far since I first met her. She is blossoming before my eyes and the young woman she has become is awe inspiring. Both my girls by themselves are someone to be reckoned with, but together… together they are invincible. They can do some real good in this world. In fact, they already have. They found my grandson and reunited us. All the fame and fortune in the world will never mean as much to me as seeing my grandson walk in the room with his family. And they helped poor Richard off of my old apartment door stoop and into rehab.”

“Have you heard from Richard lately?” George asked.

“Yes, and he’s doing wonderfully well. He’s out of rehab now, and Melinda has set him up with a job, just as she promised she would. He is sober and providing a home for himself.”

“That’s marvelous,” George exclaimed.

“I think so, too. If not for Chris and Melinda, he would have died on that door stoop, scared and alone.” George handed me his handkerchief and I realized that I was crying. “If it weren’t for my girls,” I wept. “I wouldn’t have a roof over my head right now either.”

“That’s right, they’re tearing down the building you lived in. The same one Chris was in for a while.”

“It wasn’t much, but it provided the shelter I needed.”

“So, Norma. Instead of going into a nursing home, why not stick around and see how our girls turn out?” George asked.

“I will if you will, George,” I answered. “I just hope Chris and Melinda can find their way back to each other.”

“We will, Norma.”

I turned to see who said that, and clapped my hands together, squealing like a school girl. Chris was standing in the doorway.

Chapter Fourteen

It’s Not about the Car — Meg
, Melinda
and
Norma

“All I’m saying is if you want to get answers, you can’t go around throwing punches at people. It tends to piss them off,” I said, shaking my head.

Blackie opened the door to her rental home and I followed her in to the vestibule. We had spent the last thirty minutes arguing, which is nothing new, but it quickly becomes tedious when you’re stuck in a car with her.

“I told you, Meg, he had it coming. Did you see what he did to my car?” Blackie asked.

Sighing, I replied, “Yes, I saw it. So he banged it up a little. It’s not your car anymore, and it hasn’t been for years now.”

“It’s a Lamborghini, damn it,” Blackie exclaimed. “You don’t just bang up a Lamborghini and let it sit there for all to see. You have to baby that car. Care for it like it was your lover. Cry over it when it’s hurt.”

“Or, if you’re Blackie Blackstone, you just go buy another one,” I said, growing tired of the never ending conversation about her damn car.

“Well, true. But that’s beside the point,” she argued, as she showed me into the living room. “And on top of that, we didn’t learn a damn thing that would be useful to my case.”

“Maybe you didn’t, but I did,” I stated.

“You did? Why didn’t you say something?” she asked.

“Because you wouldn’t shut the hell up about that damn car,” I declared.

It was getting late and I was past tired. I had made a rookie mistake, and now I was paying the price for it. I should have told her what I had learned, instead of letting her rant on about that car all the way back to her house. It was bad enough that I had to pull her off Derrick, and then protect her by telling him that I didn’t see her hit him. Still he deserved it for making that crack about me being Blackie’s new old lady. I would have slugged him myself, if she hadn’t beat me to it.

Charlotte came in and asked if we would like a refreshment, and I asked for black coffee. I needed a jolt of caffeine to stave off the fatigue for just a bit longer.

“Okay, listen up.” I sat down in a chair, and Blackie sat on the couch next to me. “Remember when Derrick said that he didn’t know who the man was that Tori was seeing back in college?”

“Yeah, so?” she asked impatiently.

“So, who was he going to give the pictures to?”

“He didn’t give them to anyone, and then my father had him destroy them,” she stated.

“Yes, but he said that Tori wasn’t the one who asked him to take the pictures. It was a man on the phone who made the deal with him, and he didn’t give his name. Derrick never met the man. So, who was it?”

“Oh…” she said quietly, and I could see her mind was spinning with questions.
Okay, fire away.
“So you think it was the mysterious boyfriend. But if so, why didn’t Derrick give him the photographs as soon as he took them? What was the mystery man going to do with them? I mean my father would have paid a great deal to keep them from surfacing. In fact he did, to Derrick.”

“Blackie, did you say that Tori did drugs?” I asked.

“Oh, yeah. Big time. It was the main reason she gambled. One habit fed off the other. She’d do anything for a fix sometimes. But she knew I wouldn’t supply her with them, so that can’t be why she’d want to blackmail me… can it?”

“I don’t think it was her idea, either time. I think someone enticed her with drugs, so they could bribe you for money.”

“The aforementioned mysterious boyfriend,” Blackie said.

“Yes, we find him, we find out why he set you up,” I replied.

“So… now do you believe me?” Blackie asked.

“Again, we don’t have anything concrete—”

“Damn it, Meg!”

“Am I interrupting?” Norma asked, as she followed Charlotte into the room.

Charlotte set down the drinks and left. Norma sat down in the recliner and waited for Blackie to reply.

“No, not at all, Norma. Meg was just being a stubborn jerk, as usual,” Blackie said.

“Melinda, your manners,” Norma chastised.

“I’m just saying it like it is,” Blackie sneered. “It’s like pulling teeth to get a damn compliment out of her, let alone get her to fucking give me a fucking break!” Melinda pulled out her cellphone and checked it for the millionth time, and then threw it at the wall. It bounced and slid across the floor, coming to a stop at the rug. Blackie left it there.

I guess she was waiting on an email or something, and it was really starting to stress her out. More so than her usual overly hyper self. I imagine she was upset because she hadn’t heard from Chris in a while.

“Melinda, dear. I think it’s past your bedtime,” Norma said.

“Nah, I’m too damn wired to sleep right now,” Melinda replied. “Norma, have you heard from Chris? She’s not answering my emails or texts or phone calls. I don’t know what to do. I need to know she’s all right. What should I do, Norma?”

“Melinda, you’re being insufferable,” Norma said firmly. “I think you should go up to your room and get some rest.”

“Huh? I just asked for your advice, how is that being insufferable?” Melinda asked.

There was a slight twinkle in Norma’s eyes that Melinda wasn’t seeing. It could only mean one thing.

“Yeah, Blackie, get your ass to bed,” I said, with a wink to Norma. “We’ll pick up where we left off tomorrow.”

“What is wrong with you two? Suddenly everyone wants me in bed, but the one person I want…”

Blackie’s face flushed red, as her eyes asked an unspoken question. Norma smiled at her, and nodded. Blackie bolted from the chair, nearly knocking over Charlotte as she entered the room. I could hear Blackie running up the stairs, calling for Chris.

May I Come In? — Melinda
and
Chris

Bounding up the stairs, I didn’t have time to think what I would do when I saw her. I only knew that I desperately needed to see her. To touch her and hold her close. But when I ran through the door, and saw her standing there, looking so beautiful in just a plain T-shirt and jeans, I stopped, frozen in place.

“Uh, hi,” I said.

“Hi yourself,” Chris responded.

Timidly, I asked, “May I come in?”

“Of course,” she answered.

I walked in and shut the door behind me. Chris was standing by the bed, a negligée in her hands.
Please, God, let that be for me.

“Um…” Fear choked back my words. My first instinct was to run to her, but she made no indication that she wanted me to. “Uh, thank you for coming back,” I said.
Lame.

“You’re welcome,” she said, without inflection.

This is so awkward.
“Uh, why did you come back?”

She took a step toward me, closing the distance between our hearts, and igniting a fire in my belly.

“I got your email. I came back because I love you, and I believe you when you say you were set up. I’m back because I couldn’t stand being away from you any longer.”

My heart soared. I took a step toward her, but she took a step back and put her hand up. My heart sank.
What’s wrong?

“But I have to tell you,” she continued, “that I’m having a little trouble looking at you right now and not seeing her tits in your face.”

“Oh,” I whispered. “What can I do to erase that vision?”

“I just need a little time to not see that anymore,” she replied.

But I need you now!
Frantically searching for a way to help her, an idea popped into my head. “Okay, I understand,” I said, unbuttoning my shirt and letting it fall to the floor behind me.
If this doesn’t work I’m going to be so humiliated.
“You need a new vision to erase that one,” I said as I unzipped my jeans and let them slide down my legs. I stepped out of them, never taking my eyes off Chris. Her eyes grew large as I stood there, naked in front of her.

“Chris, you saw her breasts, but you didn’t see mine. My breasts belong to you alone and only you will see them,” I explained as I pinched my tit into a hard tip. “Only you will touch them.” I cupped one of my breasts, wrapped my fingers around it and squeezed. “Only you will make love to them.”

She wet her lips as I massaged both breasts at once, reflectively arching my back at the sensations. She was staring closely now, and watching her, watching me, I could feel the heat simmering between my thighs. I slowly ran one hand, fingers spread wide, down my abdomen, across my stomach, and over my thighs. “I vowed my love to you, and only you, Chris. My body belongs only to you.” Her eyes followed my hand like a cat follows a mouse, and I could tell she was almost ready to pounce. Thrusting my finger through the wet heat, I gasped at the hardness of my clit.

Chris inhaled sharply and looked up at me. “May I come in?” she asked with a raspy voice.

Tears sprang up in my eyes, as I held out my arms and she ran into them. We clung to each other like a drowning victim to a life buoy. So close that I could feel her heart beating against mine, urging me to hold her closer. And then we began to feel each other’s need, each other’s heat. She dug her nails into my bare back and I tore at her clothing, urgently trying to caress her warm skin. Kissing urgently in between the tugging and ripping, I finally had her where I wanted her, naked and hungry.

“Oh, God, Chris. I’ve missed you so much!” I exclaimed, wrapping my hand around her breast and taking it between my lips.
Ecstasy!
It had only been a couple of days, but my need for her felt more like a hundred years. Thinking of how close I had come to losing her, I desperately needed to erase my fears and her vision of me.

“Please, Melinda, I need you,” she gasped.

“I’m yours for the taking,” I panted.

She took my hand and led me to the bed. Then she roughly pushed me down on it. She looked almost feral standing over me, like she was going to devour me. Laying horizontal on the bed, my legs hung off the side. Chris walked between them, spreading them further apart. My breath caught in my throat as she knelt down in front of me.

“You are right, Melinda,” she said through thickening lips. “You are mine. Every inch of you is mine, and I’ll be damn if I’ll let someone take you away from me again.” 

“Oh, God,” I gasped.

Never before had I seen Chris so salacious. I liked it. If she needed to dominate me, to be in control, to punish me, as it were, then I needed to help her do that. I was already close to climaxing just at the sight of her so virile and aggressive. I wanted to hold back as long as possible, so she could purge that vision of Tori from her mind once and for all. Then she bared her teeth, growled at me and bit my inner thigh. I soared into the orgasmic atmosphere, leaving my bones shattered across the bed.
Okay, I’ll hold back on the next one.

Investigating Infidelity, Update — Meg
Bumgartner

Written report on Melinda, aka Blackie Blackstone (Livingston)

Client is Blackie Blackstone and Chrissie Livingston

Meg Bumgartner, Private Investigator

Case #226

I opened my laptop and pulled up the program my wife, Frankie, designed. It’s similar to what detectives use in the squad room. A digital board where I could upload pictures, connect facts and piece the puzzle together. It helps me to visualize the facts, cross check where they intersect, and research the unanswered questions. I had already put Blackie and Chris’ pictures next to each other, but I didn’t have Tori’s, so I put an image holder in her place. Then I connected those pictures using lines pointing to the college and the pizza parlor and connecting them back to Tori. I had surreptitiously taken a cellphone picture of Derrick when I was with him, and sent it to my laptop. I pulled him up and placed him next to the college. Then I put an image holder of the female photographer by the pizza joint. Their lines crossed and connected to Tori. Tori was the key to everything.

I now believe that the case of Blackie’s infidelity is no longer an issue. She wasn’t unfaithful, she was set up, and for reasons that I have not yet determined. The fact that this is the second attempt to blackmail Blackie based on lewd acts in a public place cannot be a coincidence. And the fact that the second attempt happened only days after she arrived back in San Francisco was also suspicious. This second one feels like it’s more than just a blackmail scheme to get money, but that’s just a hunch on my part. And then there’s the mysterious boyfriend, who Tori’s friends said suddenly came back into her life. The whole thing seems amateurish and rushed, and there was no demand for money this time, although that may still be a possibility. I theorized that it was personal. This time it was to break Blackie and Chris up, but why?

My next step would be to find Tori and get her to talk. If I was lucky, I’d find her with her boyfriend and discover the mystery. Now that Chris and Blackie were back together, which I was actually pleased about, Blackie would be less stressed and anxious, and able to concentrate. I should interview her again and see if, in her calmer state, she remembered something else.