From Riches to Rags (25 page)

Now I jumped in the mix, “Wait, I’m confused. You wouldn’t tell me about my father because it wasn’t your place, but you did tell me about Melinda’s father because you thought I should know?”

“Where’s that phone, Chris, I think I just saw one of Meg’s balls roll across the floor.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at Melinda’s joke, even Frankie chuckled, although she was quick to cover it up. Poor Meg looked exasperated.

“Look, I didn’t want to come between you and your father, but her father I don’t care about in those terms so it was okay to tell you then. Do you get what I’m saying?”

“Yes, actually, I think I do and I understand it now.”

I was greatly relieved. I didn’t want Meg to have been part of the conspiracy, as I’ve come to believe it was. And now that she has cleared up that for me, I only need to find out if my father knew I was living there and helped sell the building out from under me.
Surely he doesn’t hate me that much.

Dereliction of Duty — Meg Bumgartner
and
Carl Livingston

“Where are you?”

“I’m at the club”

“I need to see you immediately.”

“What’s this about, Meg?”

“I’ll tell you when I get there.”

I didn’t wait for his reply; I hung up and threw my phone on the car seat of my Fiat, and drove across town to the country club. After we left the hospital, I talked with Frankie about the way things were evolving with Chris.

I told her that this thing with lying to Chris had taken its toll, and I was going to inform Mr. Livingston that I can’t do it anymore and he should hire someone else. Chris was suspicious, and rightfully so, of her own father now, and I can’t be the in the middle of that. I had been wondering for months about how I would tell her that I had been spying on her since her parents kicked her out. At first I saw the necessity in it, and justified my actions because of my belief that I was helping her. But now, with her maintaining her sobriety for all these months, I no longer felt that she needed my kind of help and it made me feel like the worst kind of friend.

Frankie told me she felt the same way, only on a much lesser scale, but she reminded me that the Livingston’s were going to surprise Chris on Christmas day, which was only three days away, so Mr. Livingston probably won’t have a problem with releasing me from my contract. That was my wife’s clever way of reminding me I was under contract and to tread lightly.

I found him sitting in the belvedere room overlooking the river. He held a single malt glass of scotch in his right hand and a smoldering cigar in his left hand, talking with a man who held the same things in his hands. When he saw me walking towards him, he excused himself and directed me to a more secluded table.

The waiter came over refill Mr. Livingston’s glass, and asked if I wanted anything. I shook my head, I didn’t want to muddle my thoughts with alcohol, I just wanted to say my piece and get it over with.

“Now, what’s so important that it couldn’t have waited until our scheduled meeting tomorrow, Meg?”

“I quit. I can no longer in good conscious, spy on your daughter for you.”

“What’s happened to bring this on?” He asked.

“She knows you had a hand in her apartment building being sold, and quite honestly, I get the feeling she things you did it on purpose, to hurt her further.”

“Hurt her, dear God, that was never my intention and you know it wasn’t.”

“Yes, I know that, but she doesn’t.”

“It was just too good a deal to pass up and besides, by the time the red tape was taken care of, she would be back at home with us.”

“Have you considered that she may not want to move back home, now that Blackie is living with her?”

“No, I hadn’t,” he stared at me contemplatively, and said, “I should have known my little girl would figure things out considering who her friend is. Chris has always been very inquisitive like that, putting two and two together to equal three.”

“I know you wanted to surprise her on Christmas day, but I think you should reconsider and go to her now. She’s at the hospital with Blackie.”

A panicked look came over his face, “The hospital? What is she doing at the hospital? She’s not hurt is she?”

“No, I’m sorry, I worded that wrong. No she’s fine. Her neighbor, Norma Shelby, was brought in with pneumonia and is not doing too well.”

“Oh thank God. No, I mean that Chris is all right, not that her neighbor is ill. She’s the old movie star that Chris has become friends with, isn’t she?”

“Yes, very close friends. I believe Chris thinks of her as her grandmother, and I don’t think that she will leave her bedside until she is well again.”

My cellphone rang and I recognized the number, “Mr. Livingston, she’s calling me, do you mind if I answer it?”

“No, please do.”

I accepted the call and put the phone to my ear, turning slightly away from him, “Hello, Chrissie is that you?”

“No, it’s Blackie. Norma has gone into a coma and Chris was too upset to call, so I’m calling for her.”

“What do the doctor’s say?”

“That the antibiotics have not had enough time to work and she may not wake up from the coma.”

I could hear the concern in her voice and I felt sorry for her, “What can I do to help, Blackie?”

“Pray for Norma and maybe come sit with Chris this afternoon. She needs you right now.”

“Of course I will. Tell her I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Thanks, Meg.”

“Thank you for calling me, Blackie.”

I hung up the phone and turned back to Chris’s father, who had a questioning look on his face. I relayed my conversation with Blackie to him and then apologized, but I needed to get to the hospital to be with Chris.

“Wait a minute, let me make a call and then I’ll go with you.”

I was taken aback and then greatly relieved. He pulled out his cellphone and called Mrs. Livingston, explaining the situation and asked her if she wanted to meet us at the hospital. She must have said yes because he said he would see her in a few minutes.

More Secrets Revealed — Melinda Blackstone, Chris Livingston, Meg Bumgartner
and
Carl & Felicia Livingston

“What a fucking mess.”

“Did you say something, Melinda?”

I looked at Chris, her eyes puffy from crying, her cheeks smudged with tears, worry lines creasing her forehead, and yet, she was still the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. And instead of enjoying our first Christmas together, we sit in a hospital, fearing the worse and praying for the best.

“Chris, I’ve been thinking about this whole damn mess with our fathers and the sale of our building, and I’m at an impasse.”

“How so, Melinda?”

“I don’t want to go back to Vegas to live and I don’t want to live with my parents, so, um, I was thinking about buying a condo here, in Memphis.” I couldn’t look at her for fear of seeing rejection in her eyes, but I had to know for sure, before I settled here, if I would still be welcomed.

“Melinda, don’t — wait, is that my father? Oh, my gosh!”

Don’t what, damn it!

Chris jumped up and ran to her father, flying into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. She was daddy’s little girl again. And then she hugged the woman standing beside him and I knew that had to be her mother, and soon the three of them were hugging and crying and talking over one another. It was truly a sweet scene, one that I found myself envying.

“It’s a touching scene, isn’t it, Blackie?”

I’m not sure how long Meg had been standing there, but I had to admit that she was right. “I’m really happy for them. So, was that your doing, Meg?”

“In a way, yes it was, but I just moved up their timetable was all.”

I looked at her dubiously, until I saw her face, and then anger engulfed my disbelief. “I think you’ve got some explaining to do.”

“Yes, I do, but not to you.” She stated, and walked away.

What the fuck?
Had she been playing me all this time? And Chris? Did she jerk her around too?
God, I hope not, for Chris’s sake.
I could handle that kind of deception, but Chris thought the world of her, like she was family. How could Meg do that to her?

“Daddy, how did you know I was here?” I heard Chris ask as they walked toward me.

“Let us look at you first.” He held her at arm’s length and shook his head.

It was her mother who put into words what he was thinking, “Oh honey, you’re so pale and thin. Do you feel all right?”

“Yes mom, I feel fine. Just a little worried about Norma.”

“Is Norma still in a coma?” Mr. Livingston asked.

“Yes, she is… wait,” Chris took a step back, “how do you know about Norma?”

It’s a long story, honey.”

“And I have all the time in the world. What’s going on, daddy?”

“Where are your manners, Chris? Aren’t you going to introduce us first?”

Of course, mother.” Chris turned to Meg and me and said, “These are my parents, Carl and Felicia Livingston.”

I thought I’d spare Chris the awkwardness, and introduced myself. “I’m Blackie Blackstone. I believe you are working with my father, Robert Blackstone, on a special project?”

“Yes, indeed I am.”

“Daddy, how could you?” Chris crossed her arms and actually pouted. I almost laughed at her posturing, but it seemed to work on her father.

“Honey, can we please go some place private to have this conversation in?”

“There’s a quiet room the end of the hall, it might be a bit snug for all of us, but—”

“I’ll stay here and let you three talk.” I said, taking the high road even though I really wanted to hear what he had to say.

“No, you should come too, Blackie, and Meg, I want you there also.”

Carl was addressing us as if we were his employees attending his specially called meeting. I had a suspicion that one of us was his employee.

All of us grabbed a cup of coffee from the volunteer station, and filed into a small, two couches, and one chair room. Chris was right, it was very snug, and really drab looking, which did not enhance my mood.

“First, let me ask you, Chris, if you want me to tell your story in front of these two women, or save that for another time and just discuss the sale of your apartment building?”

Chris’s eyes were brimming with tears ready to fall, “Daddy, um, I want you to tell it all, but um,” she looked over at Meg, her face white as a sheet, “Meg, I um, will owe you and Bonnie an apology afterwards.”

“No you won’t, Chris, but I will owe you one.”

Chris looked at her curiously, and I began to see the story unfold even before Carl started telling it.

“All right then, I want everyone to remain quiet until I am done talking. No interruptions, understand?” He looked at each one of us, excluding his wife, and we all nodded our head in unison. “Chris, your mother and I love you very much, honey, always have and always will. But after you almost killed that man when you were driving drunk, we were at a loss as to how to help you.”

Chris looked down at her hands, wringing them together, as if trying to wring out the guilt. But Meg put her arm across her shoulder and showed her such compassion that I didn’t know she was capable of possessing. Felicia wiped away her own tears as Carl continued, although I could see this part was hard on him too.

“I consulted an old friend of mine and he suggested that we force you to stand on your own two feet. We didn’t come by our decision lightly, Chris. We struggled a great deal over it, but finally it was our only alternative.”

“I’m sorry, daddy.”

“Hush, I’m not finished yet.” He wasn’t brusque, but he was insistent, and continued where he left off, “We knew we could never abandon you, and the only way your mother would agree to it was if someone was there to protect you. Someone who had a vested interest in you, other than because we were paying her.”

Chris and I both looked over at Meg, and as the realization sank in, Chris pulled back and Meg removed her arm from her shoulder.

“I retained Meg’s services with the explicit understanding that she was not to let you know, or interfere with your progress. I can only imagine how hard it was for her those first couple of months. Her reports were so dire that we feared you might not survive and several times we thought about bringing you home again.”

“In fact, when we told you to leave, and your father closed the door on you, we almost changed our minds right then, it was so traumatic for us.” Felicia said.

“And then, just as we had lost all hope, you sobered up and got a job waiting tables. We were ready to bring you home right then and there, but we were afraid to trust you yet, so we made the decision to wait and see how you progressed. We decided on Christmas day that we would bring you home, but Meg here, threatened to quit on me because she didn’t want to lie to you anymore, and I couldn’t fault her on that. So, here we are, with open arms, hoping that you will see the wisdom of our plan and forgive us.”

No one said a word, “Do you have any questions, Chris?”

I could see her thinking, trying to absorb everything, and then she looked up at her father and asked, “And the building? Were you going to kick me out again, even after I had passed your test?” There was a twinge of anger in her voice, but I think it was directed at her father’s involvement with her building more so than in his deception. 

“No, how could you even think that?” he said tersely.

“Because, I have trust issues too.”

“Okay, I probably deserve that, but no, honey, I was not going to kick you out again. It was timed so that you would be home already before Blackstone displaced the residents, otherwise I would have come and gotten you much sooner.”

Chris sat quietly, picking at a loose string on the arm of the couch. She seemed lost, almost like she was adrift at sea with no lighthouse to guide her to shore. I so desperately wanted to turn on that light for her.

Chapter Twenty