Crown Jewel (4 page)

“Philip said the one thing you never did was lie to him. He did say you had faults, but lying wasn't one of them. On top of all that, he felt like he had betrayed you. He had a hard time with that. That's all I can tell you, Ricky.”

Ricky shook his head. “Let's skip the coffee. I need to go home and think about all this.”

“You might want to take this with you,” the attorney said, reaching inside his jacket pocket. He withdrew a copy of the will and handed it to Ricky. “If you need me, call,” the lawyer said as he tipped the valet and climbed into his Mercedes. “By the way, Ricky, it was a lovely service.”

He was alone again, waiting for the valet to commandeer him a cab. He could feel his thoughts ricocheting all over the place. He yanked at his tie before he ripped it off and stuffed it into his pocket. He saw the cab rolling up to the entrance at the same time he saw two teenage girls debating if they should ask him for his autograph. He smiled. They surged forward, pen and paper in hand. He was scrawling his signature when he felt eyes boring into him. Roxy and Reba. Roxy's eyes were full of tears. Reba wore the same angry expression she'd worn in the conference room.

An hour later he was home. He shed his clothes as he walked through his empty house. Within minutes he pulled on his swimming trunks and headed for the pool. The water was cool, clean, and clear. When he surfaced, he shook his head to clear the water from his eyes. He climbed out and wrapped a pool towel, a Ralph Lauren special, around his shoulders.

His sunglasses and a pitcher of ice tea, some cinnamon buns, and a box of tissues sat on a table next to his favorite chair. His housekeeper's attempt to assuage his grief.

As he stretched out in the lounge chair he couldn't help but wonder if his eyes were burning from the chlorine in the pool or because of Philly. Whatever it was, it didn't matter. He could cry now because he was alone. Now he could grieve.

When he couldn't cry anymore, he closed his eyes, hoping for sleep. The past four days he'd prayed for sleep, had even contemplated taking sleeping tablets, but he hadn't taken them because they were a
drug
. He'd promised Philly never to take drugs again. So he'd tossed and turned, walked the grounds, and drunk hot milk. He must have dozed off and on during those days because otherwise he wouldn't have been able to function.

It was four o'clock when he woke. At some point, his housekeeper must have opened the sun umbrella so that he wouldn't get burned. A second yellow Ralph Lauren towel was spread out over his legs. He had to remember to thank Ellie.

Ricky removed his sunglasses. That was when he noticed the bottle of aspirin and the fresh pitcher of ice tea. His reading glasses rested on the envelope. He knew it contained Philly's will. It must have fallen out of his jacket. When Ellie cleaned up behind him, she would have seen it and brought it out to the pool, along with his reading glasses.

Today isn't the day to read this. Maybe there will never be a day.

Life is a bitch!

 

“Ricky, what brings you here?” Timothy asked two weeks later. He closed the folder on his desk before he got up to walk around and clasp Ricky's hand. “Jesus, you look awful. Aren't you sleeping?”

“No, I'm not. I know it's only been two weeks, but I'm ready to make some decisions, and in order to do that, I need your help. This isn't going to be a conflict of interest or anything like that, is it?”

“That depends.”

Ricky looked around at the office, surprised to see all the family pictures. It was a restful room, with many different plants some secretary must take care of. A small fish tank with colorful tropical fish sat in a corner, directly in Timothy's line of vision. He'd read somewhere that watching fish swim to and fro was supposed to be relaxing. He made a mental note to get some. “How many children do you have, Tim?”

“Six.”

“Six kids!”

“Yes. Four boys and two girls. Not a twin in the bunch. We have three dogs, two cats, and a parrot. The house rocks.”

“I'll bet it does. Six kids!”

“Philly was godfather to all of them.”

Ricky dug the heels of his shoes into the soft carpeting. “I didn't know that. I guess there's a lot about Philly I didn't know. Why didn't I know that he and Roxy hated each other? More important, why didn't I know he was sick?”

“He didn't want you to know, Ricky. Your brother was obsessed with your well-being. He didn't want you to fail. He didn't want you to break the promise you made to him to stay on the straight and narrow. Do you know he had private dicks on you twenty-four/seven? I think he viewed it as a safety net of sorts. One false move, and he would have swooped down on you like the father bird he was.”

Ricky could feel his head start to pound. “Then those dicks must have been asleep at the switch the night before he died because I fell off the wagon. All I've done is think about that night, and, no, I haven't taken a drink since. I think I must have had some kind of premonition that something bad was about to happen. That's all I can come up with. By the way, I haven't yet looked at the will. I need to be in a better place than I'm in right now before I do that. But I'll go along with what Philly wanted.”

“It's understandable. There's no rush. Now, what is it you need me to do for you?”

“For starters, have the studio void out the old check and issue me a new one. I don't know if Philly had it in his pocket that day or not. He didn't have a briefcase with him. Check it out. Then I want you to break my contract with the studio. Do whatever it takes. I'm retiring. I'd like you to send out the press releases.”

Timothy looked at Ricky over the rim of his reading glasses. “Are you sure about this?”

“I'm sure. The second thing I want you to do is get in touch with my sons. Tell them about Philly's bequest. I think I'd like you to go see them personally and explain the situation. I'd like to see them, but I want you to talk to their mothers to make sure they're okay with it. I want it to be the boys' decision in the end. Will you do that?”

“If that's what you want, of course I'll do it.” The lawyer cleared his throat. “What are you going to do, Ricky?”

“I'm going to the islands and take over the resorts. I know what you're going to say. I'll learn the business. If I screw up, I'll only have myself to blame. Philly said I was going to have to do it someday. This is my
someday.”

“Philip hired excellent people who know the business. They'll help you every step of the way. I'll be here for you, too. Don't be afraid to ask for help. If you do screw up, and you will, make sure you tell me. Philip learned the hard way. He made some whoppers, but we made it all come out right in the end.”

“Philly made mistakes! That's pretty hard to believe.”

“Believe it. Making mistakes is how you learn. Philip never made the same mistake twice. You just
thought
your brother was perfect. He wasn't. He was as human as you and I.”

Ricky ran his hands through his hair. “Do we need to talk about Roxy?”

“Only if you want to.”

“What do you think would make her happy?”

“The whole ball of wax. She expected to inherit it. In her wildest dreams she never thought it would go to you. She didn't know about your sons either.”

“But you said they had a prenuptial agreement.”

The lawyer threw his hands up in the air. “They did. While Roxy claims Philip told her he rescinded it, he didn't. Weren't you listening, Ricky? I said your brother wasn't perfect. Philip never told me
everything
. Women like Roxy are three dozen to the dollar here in Hollywood. She said/he said. Look, she isn't going to go on the welfare line. The house alone is worth over a million. Her bank account is robust. She's young, she can work. The will is airtight, the prenup is just as tight. Walk away and don't look back. You're starting a new life, and you don't need to carry baggage with you when you do. That's my advice for the day. So, when are you leaving?”

“In a few days. Ted's going with me. I finally convinced him he was getting too old to continue with those hair-raising stunts he does day in and day out. I guess that's it.” Ricky stood up and held out his hand.

“Philip was proud of you, Ricky. I want you to know that. I'm not blowing smoke here. I would never do that to you. A relationship between brothers is a serious thing. I want you to take that knowledge with you. Philip was a complex man. Are you going to go ahead with the Crown Jewel, or are you going to wait?”

“Run that by me again, Tim.”

“The Crown Jewel. The third resort Philip had on the drawing board. He bought the land off the Carolina coast years ago. I know he told you about it. You probably forgot. There's a rumor out, possibly it's more than a rumor, that a group of investors are building a huge film studio in the Charleston area a mere forty minutes from the land he purchased.”

“I'll be damned. So he really did pull it off. He told me about it three years ago, then he never mentioned it again. I'll have to check it out. Listen, Tim, thanks for everything.”

The attorney nodded and pumped Ricky's hand again. “See ya.”

“Yeah, see ya, Tim.”

Reba Nelson carefully folded the few items of clothing she'd brought with her to California. Her WaterPik and cosmetics were the last thing to go into her bag. She looked over at her mother, who was holding a highball glass in her hand. “Isn't it a little early to be drinking, Mom?”

“Of course it's too early to be drinking. It's only ten o'clock in the morning. The sun won't be over the yardarm for hours. What else am I supposed to do? Two weeks ago I had a life and a job that I really liked. I had a husband who spoke to me on occasion and a somewhat stable future. I was the one who was supposed to get the Crown Jewel up and running. I had plans. Now what do I have? I have zero, that's what I have!” Roxy said tearfully, bitterness ringing in her voice. “Another thing,” Roxy said slugging from her glass, “it's all Ricky's fault. I know that bastard brain-washed Philly somehow. If it wasn't for him, I'd never have another worry. What do I have? Nothing!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. “I'll fix him, you just wait and see. There are other ways to skin a cat. If it's the last thing I do, I'll get even with that…that…movie star.”

Reba Nelson had seen and heard it all before. She wished she could feel something for her mother, but she didn't. It was hard during her growing-up years to know she was the result of a six-month marriage with a football jock. It was hard living with her money-scheming mother in one-room apartments. She hadn't been a pretty child, and she wasn't pretty now, at least not by Hollywood standards. Her nose was too big, her cheeks too full, and her chin wasn't defined enough. Her eyes, summer blue, were her best feature, along with the honey blonde hair that was naturally curly, thanks to the father she never knew. She did have a good figure, though, because she worked at it. She no longer pretended to care about her mother or her appearance.

“That's not true, Mom. You have this palatial house. Sell it and buy a smaller place. This is California, so you can probably get three or four million for it. You have
bags
of jewelry. You told me once you had it all appraised, and it came in just under two million dollars. Sell it. Get a job. Sell off the cars and the boat, that's another half million, maybe more. If you invest it all, you can live the rest of your life in comfort. Perhaps not as lavishly as you lived with Philip, but it will still be a nice lifestyle. You told me you'd banked all the money you earned in the islands, so I'm having a hard time feeling sorry for you.”

“You are an ungrateful young woman!” Roxy murmured. “All that bad stuff you are so fond of throwing at me, it was all for you. I had to take care of you the best way I could. I'm sorry if I wasn't a better mother. I'm also sorry your real father doesn't want to know you. I can't change those things. I neither want nor expect you to feel sorry for me. I need some time to come to terms with…with everything.”

Reba sighed. She'd heard all this before, too. “Mom, look around. Do you really need all this opulence? This bedroom alone could accommodate a family of four. What I don't understand is why you would try to…
steal
from your husband. Greed is a terrible thing.”

“Aren't we sanctimonious this morning? That greed managed to get you through college and medical school, now didn't it? I earned it, that's why.”

“Mom, I could have had grants and scholarships, and I would have found a way to make it on my own. Philip's generosity just made it easier for me. I thank God every day for that generosity. By the way, you can have the two thousand dollars Philip left me.”

“You're a fool,” Roxy said, teetering out of the room.

Reba wiped at her eyes. “Yeah, Mom, I guess I am,” she said under her breath. She'd liked Philip Lam. On the rare times when she came home from school, he always managed to have at least one long talk with her. She'd hungered for more but settled for the long talks. He always paid attention to what she said and how she said it. He also seemed to value her opinion. She'd been profuse in her thanks for all his help. His response had been a wave of the hand and the words, “When God is good to you, you have to give back. You are a worthwhile human being, Reba. Always remember that.” A week after that particular talk, she'd been stunned to receive a letter from a well-known brokerage house. It said twenty-five thousand dollars had been deposited in a new account bearing her name. The most she'd ever had in her meager checking account at one time was two hundred dollars. She couldn't comprehend the amount. Following the transaction, she'd received a letter from Philip saying he'd handle her tax forms and the gift tax and not to worry about it. He'd added a postscript that said, let's keep this just between you and me. She knew she wasn't supposed to tell her mother, and she hadn't. She'd never spent a penny of the money either. She had no idea what the account was worth today. But after eight years of earning interest the tidy little sum had probably grown to thirty or thirty-five thousand. She wondered what her mother would say if she knew.
Well, she isn't going to find out from me. Philip wanted it kept a secret, and it will forever remain a secret.

During her teen and college years, she often wished that Philip would act more like a father to her. Secretly, she suspected, he didn't know how to show his feelings. He was proud of her, that much she did know. He respected her hard work, her good grades, and her ability to get along on almost nothing. His eyebrows had shot up to his hairline the day she'd told him she worked in the Gap twelve hours a week, hating every minute of those twelve hours, so she could get the discounted clothing. He'd approved.

When she'd told him she was going into plastic surgery, he'd been surprised and disappointed until she'd explained that it was reconstructive plastic surgery. Then he'd beamed and hugged her. “Good choice,” was all he'd said.

Reba looked around the lavishly decorated room. It was all done in peachy pink. Even the carpet was peach-colored. The draperies, to break up the color, had silver-and-gold thread running through them. The furniture was antique white trimmed in gold. The walk-in closet was bigger than her whole apartment in New York. The bathroom, designed to look like a grotto, was something she'd only seen in magazines. It wasn't for her. She had better uses for money.

She looked around to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything because she knew she wouldn't be coming back. Satisfied, she picked up her suitcase. “I will miss you, Philip,” she whispered. She swiped at the tears in the corners of her eyes, feeling acutely the loss of one man who had come close to being the father she'd always dreamed of.

It was time to move on. Time to figure out a way to get back at Ricky Lam for destroying her dream.

Ricky had sent a car to the airport to pick up his sons and bring them back to his house. The main reason was that he wanted privacy, not some jammed airport, when he finally made contact with the two young men who carried his name. He hadn't earned the right to call himself their father. Not yet. Maybe never. He leaned back in his comfortable chair and closed his eyes.

“Jesus, Philly, I wish you were here. I know I'm going to flub this one. The last time I was this nervous was when you gave me that ultimatum way back when. All of a sudden I'm full of what-ifs.” He was mumbling to himself and that wasn't good.
Get a grip,
he cautioned himself.

The doorbell chimed. Ricky woke up with a start. Had he dozed off and dreamed he was talking to Philly? It had happened before. He felt groggy. He hated the dreams where he talked to his brother. Really hated them. A cold chill ricocheted up and down his arms.

The doorbell rang a second time. Obviously, Ellie wasn't going to answer it. He walked to the door and opened it wide. He stared at himself…twice. He took the initiative. “I'm your dad, but I don't think I deserve that title, so you can call me Ricky. Which one is which? Come in.”

They were as tall as he was, six-two. They both looked like they tipped the scales at his same weight, which was probably 180.

“I'm Tyler,” the one on the left said.

“I'm Max,” the one on the right said. “We met in the limo. Imagine our surprise when we realized we're half brothers.”

The one named Tyler walked around, his face full of awe. He turned. “That was a pretty shitty thing you did,
Pop
. What's with this command performance? Are we supposed to bow, genuflect, what?”

“How about sitting down? If there's one thing in this life that I hate, it's a wiseass and a smart mouth. You're wrong, you know. It wasn't a shitty thing I did, it was unconscionable. I was only twenty when I fathered you both.”

“Is that supposed to impress us?” Max asked. “You want to be a father now, is that it? Where the hell were you when we were in the hospital with broken bones or when we were sick? We compared notes in the car on the ride here.”

“Probably shacked up with some bimbo or drying out along the way. I don't have total recall, but if you can be specific about those times, I might be able to give you a passable answer. As to being your father, no, I gave up that right twenty years ago. Did your mothers tell you about me?”

Tyler bit down on his lower lip. “She said my father was a no-good bum, and she hated his guts. You want absolution now? Forget it! She never told me your name because she said she wanted to forget she even knew you. Like I said, what's with this command performance?”

“My mother said you were a lowlife sack of shit,” Max said.

Ricky threw his head back and laughed. “Both your mothers are right. Back then I was those things. Even more. That was then, this is now.”

“You paid for us all those years, right? Are you the one who paid for my car and college?” Tyler asked.

“Yeah. And now you figure because we're twenty-three, finished with college, you can claim us? What's wrong with this picture?” Max asked.

“What's wrong with the picture is that my brother, your uncle, died a few weeks ago. If he hadn't died, I probably never would have sent my attorney to see you. My financial obligation to you ended when you graduated from college. I will provide for your mothers until the day I die. What else do you want to know?”

“What do you want from us?” Tyler asked, his eyes spewing sparks.

“I don't want anything from either one of you. I hoped I could do something for you both. This may sound a little weird to you, but when my brother, your uncle, died so suddenly, I realized how fragile life really is. You're my flesh and blood, and I wanted to see you. I want to help you in any way I can. I'm sure the attorney mentioned your inheritance from your uncle Philip.”

“And that would be…what?” Tyler asked coldly. He slapped at his forehead. “I bet you want us to head up your fan club. No thanks. You can screw the inheritance, too.”

Ricky ignored the comment. “I was hoping I could do something for you. My brother and I own two resorts in the islands. With his death, I'm taking them over and retiring from the film industry. I thought you might like to come aboard and work for me. Now, if you have nothing but contempt for movie stars and high-profile people, you might not want to work for me. You'll be making four times the salary you're earning in the corporate world, seeing as how you started out on the lowest rung. You get free room and board and plenty of time in the sun. The surfing's great in the winter. The golf and tennis are even better. Your social life will increase by a hundred percent. If you don't piss me off along the way, one day it will all be yours.”

Ricky paused for a moment, looking at his sons, who gazed at him warily. “I'm going swimming. If you care to join me, there are suits in the cabana. My housekeeper will serve lunch by the pool. If you want to leave, leave. I made my offer. Take it or leave it.”

He was shaking so badly when he entered the cabana, he could barely get his pants off.

He headed for the Olympic-size pool, dived in, and swam its length. He climbed out of the pool when he saw his sons coming out of the cabana.

“What are you getting out of this deal? Assuming we agree to any of this,” Max asked.

“Two good employees, I hope. There's no room in my life for smart-asses, disrespect, or jealousy. We're health-conscious around here,” Ricky said, picking up a vegetable wrap and biting down.