Albany Park (58 page)

Looking up, her hand covered her mouth as her shoulders slumped. . “How did you find out? The hospital records weren’t supposed to mention his name,” she said looking away.

“The hospital records didn’t, but as a doctor, they let me review the complete file, which included Dr. Frederick’s notes. I saw that the donor’s name was Victor Wayne and that he’s my biological father.”

Shirley glanced up and ran her tongue across her upper lip, then turned away.

“Mom, look at me,” he said harshly, “Please tell me.”

Head down, with her hand at her mouth she whispered, “I knew him before I married Dad.”

Very slowly, she stood and began to slowly pace up and back choosing her words slowly. “David, like a lot of things involving your father’s life and mine, there are things we did not want you to know.”

He watched her silently, his dark eyebrows scrunching to form a straight line.

“David, he wanted to meet you, but I thought that you were too ill at the time,” she said, twisting her napkin.

“Did Dad know?”

Hesitating, she closed her eyes, then looked at him. “I never told your father about Victor. I was afraid he’d somehow find out and I knew it would not only break his heart but I was afraid it would kill him, too. I sometimes thought your relationship with him was the only thing he had that meant anything to him.”

“Mom, he’ll always be my father. But I’d like to meet Victor Wayne. If nothing else, I want to thank him for saving my life.”

A crease formed between Shirley’s eyes as she studied his face. “David, I don’t want you to get involved. Whatever you do, promise me you will not contact him without talking to me first.”

Slapping the table, sending his fork tumbling, David slid back from the table,

“Dammit, Mom, it’s time for these games to stop! I’m not a kid anymore. What do you think you’re protecting me from? I know how you make your living, and how Dad made his living. And I never judged either of you; I’ve always thought the world of you both. But you’re going too far. All I want to do is meet the man and thank him for saving my life.”

“David please, I beg you don’t do anything without talking to me first; it could be dangerous. You saw what happened to your father. I’m sure that was not an accident. It could have been something you don’t want to know about. You also don’t know anything about Victor Wayne. All I can tell you is that before the transplant, neither he nor I knew he was your father. But he’s got a wife and two kids and he’s running for election to Congress. If the news people find out about this, it could blow up in all of our faces.”

Reaching for his hand, her chin dropping to her chest, Shirley whimpered, very softly.

Chapter 47
 

Darlene sat quietly, not looking at Vic with a handkerchief at her eyes and chest heaving as she listened to him explain what had happened with Shirley and David Rabin. Outside, the phones and clatter of voices continued.

Lowering her hand from her eyes, she sighed deeply. “I don’t know what to say. I hate that you were unfaithful, but more than that, you lied to me. That hurts and I don’t know if I can forgive you.”

“Please,” he whispered, “what can I do?”

Darlene shook her head.

Vic leaned back in his chair. “One last thing you should know. I was unfaithful with Mitzi too, but it ended many years ago. We remained close friends however, until she died. She was like a sister to me, trusting me with all types of business and personal things. I should have told you, but was afraid, knowing you sensed something between her and me.”

About Mitzi,” she hesitated and then looked up. “Her daughter called me several weeks ago and insisted on seeing me at home. I was a little reluctant to meet, but figured she wasn’t some kind of nut or anything. As it turned out, she heard that you and I were separated and wanted to set the record straight in case it had something to do with her mother. She told me what her mother told her about you, including the brief love affair. She also had some very nice things to say about you.”

“And?”

“I’m still thinking. Are you sure you didn’t have anything to do with her calling me?”

“I swear on our boy’s lives, I didn’t,” he said quietly.

Darlene nodded as a staffer burst into the room.

Vic jumped up. “Please!” he said to the young woman, “I told you no interruptions. I’m speaking in private with my wife.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Wayne,” the young woman said, backing out of the door. “But Jim Vogel’s on line two and he says it’s urgent.”

Vic grabbed the phone as Darlene stepped out into the campaign office. Five minutes later, as Vic was hanging up, Darlene came back in and sat down.

“What’s wrong?” she said as she saw Vic slumped in the chair.

“The afternoon edition’s already out and Shay’s article made front page headlines. Jim had calls from the mayor’s guy Calloway, and Bob Wallace from the governor’s office. They want me to drop out of the race.” Vic slumped in his chair, tapping a pencil on the desk.

Darlene frowned, leaning back in her chair.

Vic rubbed his temples. “Darlene,” he said, “I know I can make a difference if I win. I really want to work to establish hi-tech industries and encourage schools in our state to help young people prepare for the future; but you and the boys don’t deserve this.”

Crossing her legs, Darlene looked up. “Vic, you’re right; it’s pretty humiliating to have all these skeletons suddenly showing up in our family closet. But it’s a little late to pull the plug now, right?”

Vic leaned forward. “Darlene, if I drop out now, they’ll leave me alone. But if I stay in the race, Shay’s going to keep digging. And if he finds out about Shirley’s son, I’m dead in the water. At least I can spare our family that much if I drop out now.”

Sitting straighter, Darlene folded her hands in front of her and cleared her throat. “Victor, putting aside my personal feelings and acting as your campaign manager, I’ve got an idea.”

Vic squinted. “What kind of idea?”

Darlene smiled. “I think we can swing this election if we just tell the truth about Shirley and David. It’s a sad story, but you responded in an honorable way. How can the public not respond in the same way I am? I mean, I’m your wife and I should be furious, but right at this moment, I’m proud of you for saving that boy’s life even though you knew it could kill your career.”

A slow smile spread across his face. “Do you really think it will work?”

Slowly nodding with her hand at her chin and a finger covering her mouth she said, “yes I do, and I think that I especially want to talk to
that boy
.”

“Let me handle that.”

“No, I’m your campaign manager. I want to make sure this goes the right way.”

Vic stood and walked around to where Darlene was sitting. He knelt down in front of her and took both her hands. “What
about us
?”

Darlene slipped out of his grasp and sighed, “Right now, let me be your campaign manager, okay?”

“All right,” Vic said, standing up and smiling at her, “I like this idea of yours, so tell me what to do.”

Tucking in her lower lip, a wrinkle formed above her nose as Darlene slowly said, “I want to talk to Frank; we have to get in touch with Shirley. First though, we have to talk to Jim Vogel about how to do this right so that the story will have the proper impact.”

As she turned to go, Darlene touched his arm. “Do you know how we can reach her?”

“I’ve got a private number.”

Darlene rolled her eyes.

Vic smiled. “I can see what you’re thinking, but no, I’ve never
used it
.”

The next day’s Tribune ran a front page story claiming that the polls were shifting dramatically after the previous day’s article, with Eldridge Palmer taking a commanding lead in the District. Excerpts from South Florida papers reported that the well known madam and her good friend, reputed gangland banker Jack Brown had not been seen in public for several weeks and all attempts to get either of them to discuss Howie Rabin’s death or Victor Wayne’s relationship to them had been stonewalled.

Calls cancelling rallies and campaign appearances started coming in later that day. Several of the volunteers called in sick or just didn’t
show up
.

“This race isn’t over,” Darlene insisted, when Vic saw her later that day, fielding calls in the front office. .

“Let’s just forget about it,” he sighed, sitting down across from her. “Nobody will talk to me and I’m embarrassed to face any of the people that contributed money to my campaign. If I resign now, we can at least put an end to this.”

“God dammit Victor,” Darlene exploded, knocking the telephone off the desk as she stood up. “You can’t quit now. I won’t let you! I’ve worked my ass off for you and put up with all this crap about Sally Ray because I still believe in you. Now trust me, at least for another week or two. The election is still two months away.”

“What do you want me to do? They’re killing me with all this crap.”

Leaning forward with her hands on the desk, she set her jaw.

“First, promise me you will not resign unless I agree. Then, every week day, I want you and as many staff members as we can get to show up to be at a busy train or bus station during the early and late rush hours passing out literature and shaking hands. On Sundays, I’m going to have Jim Vogel contact the ministers and rabbis at all the bigger churches and you and I are going to the services and shake as many hands as we can. In the evenings, you’ll go to the rallies we’ve scheduled or attend sports events and do the same thing. Do not talk to reporters. Just tell them you’re still running; and working to develop hi-tech industries and helping to fund education in the district”

“C’mon Darlene, you must be kidding. We’ll be laughed at.”

“Victor, your brother is on his way to Florida. If we play this right, we can win this election. Not a soul knows about this, except you, me and Frank. His first stop is the Waldorf in New York. The following day he’s going to LaGuardia, buying a counter ticket to Macon, Georgia and driving from there to Fort Lauderdale to see Shirley. He’s already made contact with her at the number you gave me.”

“Wow, that’s some cloak and dagger operation.”

“I don’t want anyone to have a clue about what we’re doing because if there is any screw up, we’re dead. On the other hand, if Frank gets David Rabin to come through for us and we wait for the proper moment, we’ll kick this whole election wide open. You’ll win a landslide.”

“You really think so?” Vic ran a hand through his hair.

“Victor, I can’t guarantee it, but after all the dirt, these bastards have thrown at you, you’re gonna’ make ‘em eat their words. And the public will remember that you pushed through on the issues and were willing to risk being humiliated in public.”

“But, what about the female voters, won’t they just spit in my face?”

“Women, especially love a story like this. Are your aware that David Rabin is a doctor and is doing important research work on in vitro fertilization”?

“I know he’s a doctor, but not much more.”

“Well, let me handle it. I may even make Shirley Rabin look like “mother of the year” by the time I’m through.”

A wide grin broke on Vic’s face. “I can’t believe it. What about Frank?”

“Don’t worry; you know how good your brother is with women. Shirley will get one look at him, be reminded of you and he won’t come home without David Rabin’s story. You know he’s a good salesman. He’ll be back in about a week, coming through New York, checking out of the Waldorf and then flying back. I don’t want anyone to have a clue about what’s
going on
.”

Chapter 48
 

A black Lincoln Continental pulled up to the Hertz office in downtown Fort Lauderdale at two p.m. and stopped where Frank had been instructed to wait. The window glided down and the driver, a well-dressed black woman, smiled.

“Hi,” she said, “I’m Jessie, you must be Frank. Hop in, Sally’s waitin’ for you.”

Twenty minutes later, they pulled off the Dixie Highway and into a lot in the back of a Spanish-style, one-story motel.Neither had spoken the entire time except for when Jesse asked Frank if he needed more air conditioning in back.

Entering through a small hallway, the tall woman knocked at a door on the right. “It’s Jesse, Miss Ray.”

Opening the door, Shirley smiled, and held out her hand. “Welcome to Florida, Frank.”

He returned her smile, removing his sunglasses and gently taking her outstretched hand. “Been a long time,”

“Sure has,” she said, laughing. “Oh Jesse, please see we’re not disturbed.” Closing the door, she moved away from the desk, saying, “Let’s sit over here; it’s more comfortable.”

The room was airy and not very large with a finely crafted French desk. A matching chair faced it. Lladro porcelain figurines and Baccarat crystal objects decorated shelves and tables throughout the office.

On the left was a low oval wooden coffee table with wood-framed, fabric-covered designer chairs on each side. She steered him to one near the corner of the sofa looking into the room.

Picking up a sterling silver pitcher, Shirley smiled. “Would you like something stronger, or will iced tea do?”

“Tea is fine,” he replied, relaxing into the delicate but comfortable chair and looking around. “Nice place you have here.”

She filled his glass and one for herself, before sliding onto the couch near him and crossing her legs. “Please excuse the feminine decor and lavender walls. This is the one room here that’s almost always reserved strictly for women. The ladies and I like it. You’re one of the very few men that has ever been in here since I decorated it ten years ago.”

Frank grinned. “I can see why the ladies like it.”

“It’s also a place where I can be sure that no one will care who you are and why you are here. Secrets stay in this room.”

“Thanks; I knew you would understand. And thanks for seeing me. I’m sorry it was on such short notice, but Vic needs your help.”