“Hello”
“Is this Mark Davis?"
“I changed my name to Mark Griffin; I was Davis. Who is this?”
“Officer Dale Clark; Chicago Police homicide division.”
“How did you get my private number?”
“We’re the police Mark; we have ways. I have some bad news for you.”
“What’s this about?”
“We were dragging the Chicago River for a missing person and found a female body badly decomposed. We identified her with DNA as your mother Candy Davis.”
“I haven’t seen my mother since I was 9 years old when she ran off.”
“We would like to talk to you anyway. Where are you?”
“I’m in Edinburgh Scotland shooting a movie. I don’t know how I can help you.”
“What do you know about your mother Mark?”
“Nothing except she made porn movies and I think she had a drug problem.”
“Have you had any contact with her?”
“Nothing; not a word for about ten years. It’s like I don’t have a mother officer.”
“Is your father capable of killing her?”
“I don’t think he would care enough to do it or be capable of it. He gave up on her and remarried.”
“Have you been to Chicago?”
“No; I’ve never been there. And I’ve been around people for the last several months. If you’re going to accuse me of the murder of my mother I want a lawyer before I answer any more questions.”
“I didn’t accuse you.”
“I’m a movie star doing a major picture. I don’t need bad publicity. I’m sorry my mother’s dead but not surprised with the life she led. I’ve severed all ties to my fucked up family and I changed my name to the last name of the man I married. We have three kids and one on the way by a surrogate. I won’t tolerate bull shit about my mother fucking up my very good life.”
“You’re not a suspect Mark; we hoped you might have information about her friends or associates. Maybe she told you something important.”
“The last thing she said to me was she was going for a pack of cigarettes ten years ago and I haven’t seen or heard from her since. How did she die officer?”
“Two shots to the head execution style and thrown in the river with weights on her body.”
“She probably took somebody’s money or dope and got taken out for it. She was a real low life sir.”
“Yes her local criminal record supports that. Sorry I had to tell you about her.”
“I lost my mother 10 years ago. I’ll close this phone and forget her again.”
“Good day Mark”
“Good bye officer”
********************
“Dad, Mark’s on the phone.” Keith called to his father.
“Hello; how are you?”
“Very good and missing you. I got a call today from the Chicago police. They found my mother in the Chicago River with two bullet holes in her head. She was dead for months.”
“I’m sorry Mark”
“No problem; I don’t have a mother after she left. This doesn’t faze me at all. Fuck her.”
“You want me to claim the body and bury her?”
“I don’t care; let the county have her. We don’t need to waste a dime on the slut.”
“Ok, when do you come home again?”
“Friday week; send me the jet. I’ll call back before then.”
“Are you being a good boy?”
“I turn down 20 offers for sex a day.”
“Ha! Anybody interesting?”
“Besides my co-star?”
“You’re fucking joking with me.”
“Yeah, how about a famous wizard at Hogwarts?”
“Does he have a magic stick?”
“I don’t know; I won’t let him get it near me. He was fun to talk to though.”
“I’ll reward your chastity when you get here.”
“I’m looking forward to it; time to shoot another scene.”
“Break a leg; later”
“Later”
********************
Brian and Justin climbed into the waiting helicopter to find Melanie, Nancy, JR and Linda already on board and strapped in. As they fastened their seat belts Jason raced the engine to take off speed and soon they were airborne and headed to West Virginia.
“How was your day Mel?” Justin asked her.
“Pretty boring until I learned you hired Chris Hobbs as a security agent.”
“Gossip travels fast in Kinnetik Tower; who told you?”
“Ted told your mother who told me. Can you trust him Justin?”
“I think so; he came to my office and talked to me and apologized for hurting me years ago. After getting bashed his self he understands how much he hurt me. Brian interviewed him and hired him once he felt Chris was ok.”
“Well Jennifer isn’t too happy about it.”
“I’ll talk to Mom later. The Hobbs family has been good friends of my parents for years until Chris hurt me. They came to dad’s funeral. I kind of feel sorry for him since his hand is all fuck up like mine was.”
“I questioned him extensively Mel. I’m convinced Hobbs isn’t a threat to us.” Brian said. “Justin rewarded me very well for hiring him. Didn’t you dear?” Justin grinned and nodded his head. “How did Debbie look today?”
“She looks great; you wouldn’t know she had a heart transplant. That was great of you guys doing that for her.”
“We’d do the same for anyone in our crazy little family. All things considered it was cheap except for the organ donor but he was condemned anyway.”
“Amnesty International wants Congress to make a law against Americans buying organs in China. It’s bogged down in committees. It seems some senators and congressmen have gotten organs there too.”
“China doesn’t waste anything including the organs of condemned men and women. It’s very profitable for their nation to provide them. I don’t think the American government should interfere with it. I might need their help someday or Justin might, or God forbid Gus.”
“I don’t think they will be successful getting a law passed and how could they enforce it?”
“It is kind of creepy but for Debbie I’m glad it was available.” Nancy said.
“It probably added 40 years to her life or more.” Justin said.
“She doesn’t smoke or drink much; I don’t know how she got sick.” Melanie said.
“Probably diet and hereditary; her father died from heart failure.” Justin told her.
“Brian; Jerry called to tell me Mark is coming home Friday week and he wants us to come visit so we can take a trip to Catalina Island together with them and the kids. He told me to bring Gus along.”
“He’ll get a big kick out of that.”
“He’s leasing a beach house there for the weekend until Tuesday. We would stay on the island Saturday, Sunday and Monday.”
“Sounds like fun; I’ll try to clear my calendar for it.” Moments later the helicopter made the decent and landed softly on the new concrete landing pad on the Britin lawn. Charles and Jason shut down the engine and the passengers got out of the aircraft. Melanie, Nancy and their daughters got into their car for the short ride up the street to their house as Brian and Justin enter Britin.
“Daddy!”
“Hey sonny boy, have you been good today?”
“I’m always good; hi Justin.” After hugging Brian’s legs Gus then grabbed the blond’s. Justin leaned down and kissed his son on the cheek.
“Where’s Lily at?” Justin asked.
“She’s with Devin; he was crying.” Justin headed upstairs to the baby’s room.
“Hi; what’s wrong with Devin?”
“He needed a new diaper so he told me about it.” Lily said smiling.
“Where's our nanny?”
“She has a summer cold so I told her to go home and get well.”
“Good thinking; we don’t need to get sick too. What’s for dinner?”
“I haven’t talked with Tray about it yet; I don’t know.”
“I’ll go see what we’re having; I’m starving to death.” Justin left and went downstairs to the kitchen.
“What’s cooking; it smells great.”
“Roasted lamb chops, buttered corn, and sweet potatoes with marshmallows melted on top.”
“Wunderbar”
“Huh?”
“It’s German for wonderful.”
“Oh, ok; I thought you were talking about the bar are something.”
“How long until we eat?”
“Maybe fifteen minutes; go have a drink.”
“You read my mind.” Justin found Brian in the bar room watching TV on the flat panel there. He made a drink and sat with his lover. They were watching the latest edition of TMZ, a show that gossips about stars and famous personalities. When Mark’s picture came up Brian raised the volume.
“Mark Davis, the new hot young star who played JT, the young gay lover of the superhero Rage played by Matt Damon has changed his name legally in California to Mark Griffin. We’ve learned he’s legally married to uber rich multi-billionaire Jerry Griffin, the ex-owner of Marvel Comics and studios now belonging to Disney. They have custody of Jerry’s three children. They were married in Canada. Three days ago Chicago police pulled Mark’s mother out of the Chicago River; a victim of an execution style homicide. Her badly decomposed body was identified by DNA and dental records. It seems Mark isn’t the first in the family making movies; his mother was a porn star called Candy Willing. She made dozens of interracial films with many men at the same time. Our sources also say she was a crack cocaine addict and a prostitute in the south Chicago area. Mark is in Scotland shooting a new movie and not available for comment. It just goes to show you can’t pick your family but you can pick your lover and Mark did real good…”
“What the fuck Sunshine!”
“We have to come up with a way to address this shit. Mark’s future’s in jeopardy.” Brian used the TIVO to record the show about Mark and downloaded it to his office computer. Brian called Jerry.
“Hello Brian”
“Did you just watch TMZ on TV?”
“No”
“They had a piece on Mark; his marriage to you, the name change, and his dead porn star drug addicted whore mother.”
“OH FUCK!”
“I recorded it and I’m emailing it to you now. I need all you know about her. We’ll come up with a way to make this ok for Mark.”
“Mark is going to be so hurt when he finds out this happened. How did the press find her?”
“Probably someone in the Chicago police department made some big bucks with the juicy tip. We’ll never know who it was.”
“The tabloids will run with it next. This is a fucking disaster Brian.”
“I’ll beat them to the punch. I have a good friend with People magazine. We’ll do a special interview. It will sell their rag over the trash and get Mark’s story out there. Trust me Jerry; we’ll fix this.”
“What’s your plan?”
“I’m grabbing my reporter friend and flying to Scotland tomorrow and getting the interview done before their next publishing deadline. Every family in America has lost someone to drugs. This makes Mark human and normal. Let us handle it Jerry and don’t worry.”
“I want to be beside Mark during the interview supporting him totally.”
“Good idea; are you flying to Scotland tomorrow?”
“My jet’s faster; let me pick you guys up.”
“See you tomorrow Jerry. Let Mark know we’re coming and to be ready.”