Jail's Bait: Time Served (Book 5)

Two days later those from Berkeley who were attending Joe Hill’s funeral services arrived at HT to settle in.  Angelina, Carmen, Kap, Marquis and Jake (the latter present at Marquis's insistence, of course) were placed in their usual suites, with the exception of Kap, who used a suite on the first floor which was pre-set for wheelchair bound guests, back when HT was used as a ski lodge. 

Malik and Lamar greeted them all, with Lamar giving Jake an extra gracious welcome just for coming.  That night they all sat in the den by the front doors while Kap lay draped across a couch wrapped in bandages, the group watching a movie on the vast flast screen television which hung on a wall there.  Were it not for the location, it would have seemed to the kids that this was just another night they spent in the Student Center at Berkeley, not ensconced in a mansion, halfway up the side of a mountain. 

Kap inwardly bristled whenever Jake callously ordered the servants about like slaves, but kept his mouth shut when he noticed that Marquis did nothing to stop him.  Marquis, on the other hand, was beginning to act (in Kap's opinion) a bit strange… there was a sort of standoff-ishness coming from Marquis, and try as he might, Kap had no clue as to what Marquis's subtle change towards him could be.

******

The day of the funeral dawned bright and sunny, and for Seattle it was uncharacteristically warm.  Across the country, American flags flew at half-staff.  It was decided that, to honor tradition, the funeral service would be held in the chapel at the Governor’s Mansion in Olympia, yet the burial service would be held at Crimson Crest, where Joe wished to be buried next to his father.  Even though the setting up for this started very early, by mid-morning representatives from all forms of the military lined the streets from the Capitol at Olympia to Crimson Crest like a parade route; indeed, the protocol, pomp and circumstance that surrounded the funeral of an elected, sitting Governor made this a highly political event.  Adding the celebrity of the Hill family to the mixture made this political event grow to the level of a Hollywood awards show: 

“The only thing that seems to be missing is the red carpet,” said Holly Rivera, anchor for the celebrity gossip cable show HOLLYWOOD INSIGHT, into the camera pointed at her under the morning sun.  “Anyone who is anyone has gotten up pretty early to pay their last respects to the late Governor of Washington State, Joseph Hill.  The list reads from the top brass of the military to the top stars in music, movies and television.  Over here, we see former President Tarack Mustafa, his wife Nichelle and their daughters, Cheyenne and Stajah, taking their places at the front row of seats.  And there, you have former CA Governor Carnol Schwarzkoff and his wife, Harriah Chivers.  Topping that celebrity list is the supermodel Jacqueline, Oscar-winning actress North-Dakota Manning, R&B diva Mary K. Bilge, talk-show queen Winifred Harpo, music mogul D. Piddy Holmes, and a cast of dozens of others.  And of course, present here are the steadfast Hill family companions, such as the up-and-coming Division 1 champion for the UC Berkeley College Grizzlies Wrestling team, Michael DonaTello, and Oscar Winner Karl Khronic, two of which are the constant companions of Marquis Hill and Dr. Malik Hill.  I have it here on good authority that the other companion seen to the left of Marquis Hill is Jake ReVanche, a sophomore at UC Berkeley- and in a soap opera plot twist, he is now revealed to be the only son of the supermodel Jacqueline…!  I had no idea that she was even old enough to have a college-age son,” Holly gushed.  “It seems that celebrity relatives all group together, don’t they...?”  She peered again towards the fleet of black limos.  “It appears that Michael DonaTello is being ushered from the limo with some assistance from a beautiful girl who we’ve since learned is his fiancée; as my audience knows, last week there was an incident on the campus of UC Berkeley that involved the attack on a student, but the names were withheld.  This quite possibly solves the mystery of which student was attacked…”  Ms. Rivera seemed to pause once again. “Ladies and gentlemen, if my eyes are not playing tricks on me, in his first ever public appearance, present today to stand with the Hill family in their grief is their most notorious black sheep, Marquis Hill’s father, Robert Hill, who until recently was charged with a multitude of crimes, the list of which is about as long as my arm… but the charges were mysteriously dropped before he was released from OakGrove’s Sanitaruim for the Criminially Insane.”  She looked around.  “It looks like the President has reached the podium and is about to address the crowd…” 

******

Only the Hill family and family friends journeyed to Crimson Crest to view the burial service; the funeral had taken up most of the day, especially the 2 hour parade through downtown Seattle to chauffeur the hearse.  It was near mid-afternoon and almost heading for sunset when the final words had been spoken, the last embraces of friends and clergy had been received, and the clods of earth had started to be thrown onto the lowered casket by the caretakers of the Hill family plot.  No one had really eaten since early morning, and it was almost with relief that the family trooped into Crimson Crest to find a light meal of sandwiches and fresh fruit juice waiting for them.  They all ate ravenously and then the group from HT made their leave, grasping Regine one final time, Malik being reassured by her that being alone for now would be just what she needed… and then everyone went home. 

******

Since it was Joe’s explicit instructions that everyone mentioned in his will was required to be present at the reading, a week’s grace period was called after the funeral by the lawyers to give everyone a chance to present themselves.  Deciding that they were missing too much school, Angelina and Carmen took the Hill jet back to Oakland, leaving Marquis, Kap and Jake alone. 

Meanwhile, Kap was still uncertain why Marquis was keeping him at a noticeable distance; he sat in solitude by the hour, racking his brain as to what his lover’s problem was.  Immediately deciding that in no way could Marquis be aware of what happened between himself and Melo, he tried unsuccessfully to figure out for himself what the sudden coldness was about.  Not that he had a chance to ask Marquis about this, for the incessant presence of French-Flake Jake.  And that was the other bug flicking at Kap’s ear- why in the hell would Marquis bring Jake along while he, Kap, needed to convalesce?  Having Jake in his face constantly was not helping him relax in the slightest…. What was Marquis playing at...?  He took a deep sigh and stared hopelessly at the door to his suite.  He promised the doctors in Oakland Mercy that he would stay off his feet for at least a month, on complete bed-rest for at least half that time – for his internal injuries to mend properly.  But remaining confined to this magnificent bed in thei magnificent suite was almost claustrophobic at times.  His body ached to run the back trails with Marquis, right up past Leo’s cave and upward.  And at the same time, he wanted plenty of distractions to keep him from picking up his cell phone, which to date had 11 messages from Melo on it; he hadn’t listened to nor returned any of the calls yet.  Time, however, seemed to remind him every hour on the hour that he wanted to call Melo back.  He began to cringe every time he looked at the nightstand to his right, where the innocent looking phone sparkled at him. 

******

It was Friday, a week later.  The word had been sent out, and at 3pm most of those named in the will had arrived at Crimson Crest, and were lounging in Joe’s den quietly.  Sitting nearest the doors was Lionel Jenkins, eyes still reddened from grief, fingers at his temples.  Next to him sat Rah-Rah, busily texting in his cell phone.  By the windows were Ray and Danny, both staring out at the red foliage which gave Crimson Crest its name.  Marquis sat next to Kap, who was gingerly propped on a chaise lounge, wearing a light sweater to cover the bandages over his abdomen.    Regine was standing over her son Malik, who sat behind the great desk, holding hands with Lamar, who sat to one side, while the life-size portrait of J. Mayson Hill presided over them all. 

“Where’s Jamara,” Marquis asked Regine, looking around. 

“Upstairs with Sophie,” she replied; “in my room, watching cartoons.  My grandbaby would be completely bored with all this grown-up talk, don’t you think...?  If you aint mentioned in the will, you don’t belong here right now.” 

Kap agreed, thankful at least that this was one moment that Marquis was Jake-free; Jake, not mentioned in the will, remained at HT to his own devices for the duration. 

******

At that moment Jake was in HT, laying on Marquis's bed, talking on his cell phone.  “I’ll be dressed in ten minutes,” he was saying into the phone; “so come pick me up whenever you’re ready.” 

******

Back at Crimson Crest, the den doors opened up then, and everyone turned around. 

A woman came in, looking troubled and partially confused.  She was of medim height and the same red-bone complexion as most of the people in the room.  She had the look of having been extremely beautiful once, yet years of hard living had dulled its edge.  She was dressed in a simple black outfit, and wore glasses.  Her hair was pulled back into a widow’s bun and was shot through with streaks of gray, though she seemed to be no older than Danny, Regine and Ray.  

“Um, excuse me,” she said then, her voice full and throaty, “but I was told that the lawyers want everyone to wait in here.” 

“Yes,” Regine said then, waving her in.  “I’m sorry, my name is Regine Hill, I’m Joe’s wife.  The lawyers said there may be other family members that may have been contacted.” 

“I didn’t know that,” Marquis whispered to Kap, who was startled that at last, his lover was showing him some form of current interest.  Everyone else, however, stared at the woman then with renewed interest. 

“I-I’m Ranell,” she said then to the room; “Ranell Hill.”  The voice trembled with nervous tension, yet the steel behind the tone remained strong. 

“And what do you do for a living, Ms. Hill...?” Regine asked with interest. 

“I work as the Head waitress at a diner back in the West Bronx,” she replied without shame. 

“I see… and who was it that called you about Joe?”  Regine went on. 

“A Mr. Greaves,” she replied, brushing hairs from her face.  “He told me that my long-lost uncle just died, that he was the Governor of Washington State.  I laughed at him at first; I didn’t have any family, especially from my mother’s side... but I knew she was born out here on the West coast somewhere, but she never really talked about it.  The lawyer insisted I come to Seattle, so… here I am.” 

“So, do you know how you are related to us...?” Malik asked with an arch look. 

“Im not too sure,” she replied.  “My mother was Jillian Rose Hill, if that helps at all; she was from out here, but never really said much about her life out west, except that she had met and married my father here.”  She looked around at the suddenly silent crowd, all whom were looking at her with shock on their faces.  “What is it,” she asked in alarm. 

“Your mother, you said her name was Jillian Rose?” Danny asked then from the other side of the room. 

Ranell looked startled at the question.  “Yes, Jillian Rose Hill- but Hill, of course, was her married name.” 

“We’re all in a bit of shock because Joe’s mother was Jillian Rose Hill,” Regine replied. 

Fresh surprise lit Ranell’s face.  “What are you telling me...?” 

“What we’re telling you is,” Danny interrupted, coming over to Ranell, “it doesn’t sound like you got the right information.  I’m Danny Clark, one of the Hill family lawyers,” he added, taking her hand.  “Are you sure your mother was Jillian Rose Hill?” 

“Yes, I have my birth certificate with me,” she said, looking into her purse and rummaging through some papers.  “I was born in Georgia; Mama raised me in Savannah; she passed away when I was in high school, and after I got my diploma I moved to New York City.”  She pulled out a faded slip of official-looking paper, handing it to Danny. 

He looked at the sheet of paper- and his eyes widened.  “It’s all true,” he said then, holding the certificate to Regine.  “Mother- Jillian Rose Dawson, Father-” 

“Father… J. M. Hill,” Regine breathed in awe, handing the frayed sheet.  “That makes you… Joe’s sister.” 

“Whoa,” Rah-Rah said then, breathing out a dramatic sigh. 

“When did J. Mayson Hill have any daughters?” Marquis asked Malik.  “I thought he only had boys.” 

“Mama did tell me she left my father before she could tell him about me.  Some kind of fight they had… or she saw him doing something… I can’t recall why.  But whatever it was, she refused to ever talk about him or let out a clue as to where she was, not that he really bothered to look.  I grew up believing that if there were any Hill family out west, they didn’t want much to do with my mother and me, so I left it alone.” 

“So Jillian obviously left while she was pregnant, and before she decided to tell J. Mayson about it all,” Danny mused to Regine.  “That thing she saw him doing, the thing that made her vanish without a clue -… she must have walked in on J. Mayson during the rape.” 

“Or maybe it was that lil incident with Smithers,” Regine added with an arch look.  “It could have been either twin.” 

“I’m not exactly sure what you all are talking about, I don’t know about any rape,” Ranell confessed, “but I’m sure that Mama never told me that I had an older brother.” 

“I expect she was so distraught about what happened here at Crimson Crest that she just wanted to put it all behind her,” Danny explained with some compassion.  “I’m sure it was hard enough leaving her son behind to ever be able to mention him again; perhaps having you all to herself was consolation enough.” 

“Wow,” Malik breathed then, getting up from the desk to come over to the flustered woman, shaking her hand in greeting.  “That means that you’re my… Aunt Ranell.  Hello, I’m your nephew, Malik, Joe’s and Regine’s son.” 

“Hello, Malik…. you look like my son,” she interjected then, staring at Malik intently. 

“Your son...?” Malik asked, his eyebrows raised. 

“Yes, if he had lived, you and he may have been close in age.  His name was Tyrell.”  She hesitated.  “He died when he was 19.” 

“I’m sorry about your son,” Malik said then, placing one hand on her arm.  “I would’ve liked to have known my cousin.” 

“Maybe… maybe if he had known about you, his life would have been different…” No one wanted to press her about what she meant… 

“Excuse me, ma’am,” Marquis interjected, coming over; “I’m Marquis Hill, I guess I’m your great-nephew...?” 

“How do you do,” she smiled, reaching out to shake his hand. 

“Wow, I have a great-Aunt.”  He frowned slightly.  “Did I catch the accent right...?  Are you from New York City...?” 

“Yes, I am,” she replied with a smile. 

“My best friend and I here,” he said, indicating Kap, “attend UC Berkeley.” 

Ranell’s eyes lit up.   “Oh, do you?  My granddaughters are students there, my son Tyrell’s twin daughters.” 

“They wouldn’t be Tyra and Danielle Hill, would they...?” he asked pointedly. 

Ranell’s face blanched with surprise.  “Hold on- do you know them...?” 

“Yes, they are suite-mates with our girlfriends,” Marquis said then. 

“They’re on the Grizzlies cheer squad,” Kap added on eagerly. 

“Well, well, this is a small world, isn’t it...?” Ranell said then, smiling at the boys.  “And imagine!  All this time at school, they’ve been close friends with their 2nd cousin,” she added, looking at Marquis. 

“I can’t wait to get back to school and see them,” Marquis said, giving Ranell a smile. 

At that moment the door opened again, and the lawyers came into the room, headed by Mr. Price, the lead attorney for the Hill family.  “Please be seated, everyone,” Mr. Price said to the room at large; he was a small man with a massive shock of white hair, which gave him a slight Einstein-like visage. 

Everyone found a chair and sat down as the lawyers placed their briefcases down on the table, opening them and removing several things.  “Let me begin with saying that there were several bequests from J. Mayson Hill’s will that Joe continued to honor, which keeps intact the tradition of setting up generic trust funds and paid tuition for all minor children,” said Mr. Price.  “There are other small bequests to certain charities and such, but his main bequests were to be, so to speak, in his own words.  So Joe Hill made a video-will, to be watched by everyone specifically mentioned within.” 

Everyone looked around at each other, stunned.  “I had no idea that he made a video-will,” Regine said in wonder. 

“Neither did I,” Malik mentioned to Lamar. 

The lights were dimmed and the doors closed as the video-cam the other lawyers were setting up was turned on.  A bright light shone against the far wall, and everyone turned towards it as a face suddenly appeared on the bright space- Joe Hill himself, dressed in a smoking jacket and sitting before the life-size portrait of his father, right in the same room the Hill family now gathered. 

“Hello everyone,” Joe began with a small smile; from his bearing, it seemed as though he was really there, talking to everyone like on any other ordinary day, just as handsome, just as dveil-may care as always. 

Malik’s eyes filled with tears once again, and he reached out towards his mother.  With her own bright tears rimming her eyes, Regine came over to where her son sat; she put an arm around his shoulder as he laid his head against her leg.  On his other side Lamar glanced over to where his own father sat staring at the video, his eyes also brimming with tears- of regret, of guilt...?  Lamar couldn’t call it. 

Joe, meanwhile, continued.  “I’m sure that right now just the sound of my voice and seeing me sitting here as if im still alive might make some of you a bit misty-eyed,” he said with compassion; “but by the end of this, you may find your reaction to me a bit… different.”  He ended this sentence with a dramatic pause, and the warm tone he had started off with seemed to change slightly. 

“Joe, what are you up to,” Danny muttered under his breath, yet everyone still heard him. 

“What am I up to, Danny...?” Joe said then with a smile, in seeming response to Danny’s question. The whole room looked at Danny in surprise, who stared at the video in some shock himself. 

Joe continued, holding up a hand.  “Don’t worry, Dan, I’m not speaking to you from the beyond,” he said, waggling his fingers in mock fright.  “I just know that you would be the only one bold enough to question my motives.  Well, not to disappoint you, Danny-boy,” he added mysteriously.  This made Danny flinch visibly; that was the way Trey used to address him. 

“Before we bore everyone else with these theatrics,” Joe went on, “let me first begin by saying we’re all going to listen with an open mind… and since I no longer remember who knows what about whom, let’s all just assume that what you hear is family business only, and there are lawyers present- so anyone currently in this room who feels a need to take our private business public will forfeit their part of the inheritance, no questions asked- with one exception, as I will explain later.  Soooo, let’s get down to the brass tax, shall we...?” He hesitated.  “To Lamar Clark-Hill…” 

Everyone turned towards Lamar, who looked directly at Joe with no reply, his face a mask.  Malik reached over and gripped Lamar’s hand. 

“Everyone knows that you have been my son’s best friend since you two were children, and his lover since you two became young men,” Joe smiled benignly.  “I realize that without you my son wouldn’t have been even half as happy as he is now.  Even though, as Karl Khronic you are wealthy in your own right, and even though my son still gives you the world in spite of this, I would like to show my appreciation to you.  Beginning today you have full voting shares in Hill Industries, and in addition I leave to you my fleet of antique Rolls Royces, each colored in a spectrum of the rainbow.  Please find the time to enjoy them.” 

Lamar’s face was shocked and immensely overwhelmed at the same time. 

“Hey, I wanted those,” Malik teasingly said, leaning over to kiss Lamar on the cheek.  Marquis looked over at Ranell, whose reaction to the public display of affection seemed a strnge mix of astonishment, and a sort of recognition, also… 

Joe went on.  “Now, Lamar, Danny, as you know Claire is in a permanent rehabilitation place; my lawyers have been instructed to pay her bills, no matter what they are, until she is finally discharged (if ever).  Should she ever heal enough to leave the facility, the controlling interest in the Windsor Place Hotel chain will be hers, to run the hotel chain as she sees fit going forward.  Windsor Place Hotels are, of course, world-wide.”  He sighed then.  “I just wanted you two to know that the Hill family will cover all costs, as long as necessary.” 

Danny and Lamar looked at each other, both exchanging the same silent look of regret. 

“To my wife, Regine,” Joe said then, and she looked up at him hesitantly. 

“You were a great companion and a good wife for me during my campaign for Governor, and sharing Malik as a son kept us always as a united front, and you play a bitching game of gin rummy.  I think you know that the L word wasn’t ever really discussed, but between us, the world of luxury and wealth did our companionship just fine.” 

Regine nodded, a wistful smile playing across her lips. 

“But I do feel that before I bequeath- is that the word I should use, ‘bequeath’...?” he asked himself.  “Anyway, what I mean is, before you see what I left you, you should know the truth about some things.” 

Everyone looked at Regine, who stared at her husband’s video-taped face with growing 

apprehension. 

“For example, I’m almost ashamed at you; your usually razor-sharp instincts never picked up on the fact that every man in your life has a male lover- myself included.” 

The room went still from shock. Wide-eyed surprise crawled across Regine’s face as she looked at her husband, stricken into silence.  Marquis was partly shocked, mostly affronted.  How dare Uncle Joe tell everyone else’s private business?  He saw then how Aunt Ranell looked extremely uncomfortable. 

Joe’s eyes, however, had turned dark.  “Surprised...?  I’m sure you would be.  As you know, you and I stopped having sex years ago, around the time I hired my new personal assistant, my old childhood friend, Lionel Jenkins…” 

The implications of that last part settled in as Regine slowly flicked her eyes to Lionel, who looked like a deer trapped in headlights.  “I-I-I can explain,” he stammered. 

“Please pause that,” Regine said then in a commanding tone.  The lawyers instantly obeyed, and the face of Joe froze on the wall. 

Regine stood up to look all the men there in the face; first Malik and Lamar, then Marquis and Kap, then Rah-Rah, Lionel (who cringed), and then finally, Ray and Danny.  It was Danny she faced, yet she spoke to them all: “First of all, I hope no one in this room believes that I’m as dumb as a bag of hammers,” she began. 

“Ma,” Malik interjected. 

“Hold up, baby,” Regine said, putting up a hand.  “But since ol’ Joe decided to clue me in, now I can speak my mind about a few things.”  She put her hands on her hips for emphasis.  “My husband thought he was putting one over on me, with his string of men ‘on-the-DL’ every so often, fucking in the unused bedrooms, getting Smithers to clean up behind his moments, thinking that since I wasn’t smellin no pussy scent on him that I wouldn’t catch on.  He forgot that I aint no fool.  That’s why I stopped having sex with Joe; I saw him one night in the bedroom, just jerking himself off, tears in his eyes and everything, then of all things, he called out Danny’s name when he blew his nutt all over the bathroom floor- you could almost swim in it, it was so much sperm.” 

The room gasped as everyone looked at Danny, who blanched pale. 

“Yeah, unhmm,” Regine nodded.  “That’s when I started looking around real close at all of yall, and noticed that yall men was all coupled off- except for Rah-Rah,” Regine added, “and I bet that was ‘cause of that weird triangle that was going on with you two,” she indicated towards Malik and Lamar’s shocked faces. 

“Hey, I went to therapy for that,” Rah-Rah objected. 

“And you two,” Regine said to Ray and Danny, who looked surprised that the spotlight now shone on them; “yes, once I figured it out about yall I was hurt… I had a lil-bitty crush on you, Danny, for most of my life, as you know… but even I wouldn’t go after the twin of my dead lover...!  What are you thinking?  This aint NEVER gonna be Trey, he’s only a damn mirror for your fantasy- and YOU,” she said to Ray, who gulped.  “Why in the hell would you settle for sloppy seconds?  You are a stand-in for a dead man to Danny; were you so desperate to get off the street that you allowed him to play you off as another man in bed, just so he could get a good nutt off?” 

“Now that’s not fair,” Danny began hotly. 

“Oh yeah?” Regine asked, folding her arms determinedly.  “How many times did you have to apologize for calling him ‘Trey’ when yall had sex...?” 

Danny choked on his spit, casting a guilty look at Regine.  Ray looked away, ashamedly. 

“That’s what I thought,” Regine said then.  “And as for you,” she spun around to Marquis.  “Are you gonna let that ol fake French kid blow up your relationship with Michael?” 

“Uh-” Marquis tried to speak, yet the words wouldn’t form, so totally thrown was he by the totality of knowledge she possessed. 

“Yeah, I’ve been seein that ol’ snake in the grass, sniffing around you like he want some dick,” she said with a scowl, “but wake up, boy; its all fake, Marquis, even that phony French accent,” she pointed a finger at him in benediction; “don’t you know that his mother is your mother’s little sister?” 

The whole room gasped.  Marquis stared at Regine, who simply stared back in an all-knowing look.  “That means that Jake-” 

“-Is also your 1st cousin,” Kap said then, staring at Marquis with a look of ill-disguised contempt, shaking his head. 

“How-how did you know that, Ma,” Malik asked. 

“You think you’re the only ones who knew them Stevens girls back in the day?” Regine asked archly.  “I used to go out drinking with their mama, Nikki; and let me tell you this: she aint never talked all ‘oui-oui-la-la’ French like that; her daughters never spoke like that, so aint no way in HELL that son of Jackie’s talks like that for real.”  She went over to the bar and poured herself a glass of Chardonnay.  “Yeah, I remember Nikki- Nicolette her real name was,” she added.  “She used to be so depressed that she had fell out with her rich daddy.  I figured that I should be best friends with her, just in case she and Daddy Warbucks patched it up; I fantasized about parties on yachts and vacations in Arruba.” 

“That’s my mama,” Malik said, impressed in spite of himself. 

“But they never made up, ‘cause she would’ve had to give up her man for the money, and she was in love,” she said, wagging her finger intently; “dick-matized, if you ask me- I heard her man had yards of GOOD dick, no lie.” 

“MAAA,” Malik yelled out, embarrassed. 

“Sorry,” Regine added with a covert wink at her son.  “And them daughters of hers was a lil bit too cute at their ages,” she went on; “I guess the Creole in them made them sexy earlier than neither one of em shoulda been.  Marquette was still in her junior year when ol dumbo here knocked her up,” she pointed at an outraged Rah-Rah; “and seemed like seconds later, here came ol’ Jackie with her own pregnant pouch.  It aint surprise me that that girl got pregnant so young; I knew that Jackie was a lil ol’ hot pants from the moment Malik introduced me to her,” Regine went on. 

“When was this?” Lamar asked curiously.  “I don’t recall when I ever brought my girl by your house…” 

“Hold it… Jackie was YOUR girlfriend...?” Regine frowned in surprise. 

Lamar frowned, but Malik interrupted then.  “Ma, how come you never told us that you know about Jake’s connection to Marquis?” 

“Hold on- you KNEW about all this?” Marquis asked Malik in shock.  “And you didn’t tell me...?” 

“We knew,” Lamar spoke up then, to Marquis's further surprise. 

“The three of us figured  it out right after Smithers’ funeral, son,” Rah-Rah spoke up then from the far side of the room, and Marquis's shock was complete.  “We were pretty sure that the supermodel calling herself ‘Jacqueline’ was really Jackie Stevens, and she confirmed at the dinner table that Jake is her son.  We needed concrete proof about who she really was than just our combined memories of Lamar’s first girlfriend before we said anything; I mean, what if we had been wrong...?” 

“Look, I said all that,” Regine said to Marquis while frowning strangely at her son, “to say that if I figured ol Jakey out, then chances are he already knows that he’s related to you, and his whole thing about tagging along aint nothin but a smokescreen.  And YOU- don’t you ever let NO other nigga cook in YOUR kitchen, honey,” Regine stabbed her finger at Kap, who thought about Melo and began to shake.  “You aint NEVER gonna get it like you got it here, sugar.  And don’t you ever forget it.”  And to the reaction of stunned silence once more, she turned back to the lawyers, who cringed when they saw her.  “You can un-pause that now,” she demurred sweetly, sitting down once more in docile quiet and reaching for a bottle of Scotch. 

“Well, I guess she told us off,” Malik said then to break the suddenly uncomfortable silence left in the wake of Regine’s tirade. 

“I knew we was all scared of Ms. Jean back in the hood for some reason,” Rah-Rah grumbled. 

“Okay, then,” Mr. Greaves said, clearing his throat uncomfortably; “here we go.”  And with an audible click, Joe’s face began to move again.

“So, darling, in apology for sleeping behind your back, I’m leagving you the sole owner of the Hill family Jewels, now on loan at several of the most prestigious museums in Europe and in Africa.  Also, the Hill family Trust will pay for all personal expenses from now until perpetuity; and 50 million pre-taxed dollars will be deposited into your accounts today, which I’m sure you will approve of.” 

Regine slowly nodded to her dead husband’s face on the screen.  “Damn right,” she grumbled. 

“You just gonna let him buy you off, Ma,” Malik frowned at his mother. 

She looked at her son.  “Damn right,” she grumbled again, downing the glass and getting up for another. 

“So, there’s just one more thing I wanted you to know, Regine,” Joe went on. 

The hackles rose on Malik’s back as he wondered what more could he possibly say...? 

“Darling, the doctors didn’t tell you the truth beause of doctor-patient confidentiality,” Joe was saying. “Two years ago I was diagnosed with advanced A.I.D.S. One lingering chest infection, one bad cough- and I was outta here.” 

Regine dropped the glass she held to the floor; it didn’t break from the plush carpet, but her face seemed to crack in two.  “My god.” 

Malik looked at Lamar.  “So that’s why the hospice truck was here the night Dad died, because they have to be called in these instances.” 

“He never said a word… he never told me,” Regine said in surprise. 

Joe smiled then, it was a gruesome sight.  “Some of you are wondering why I never spoke up.  I saw it as poetic irony.  I mean, the only thing I ever wanted was to be happy with the man I loved; and twice now that’s been proven impossible.  Money, power- nothing meant more to me than to know what it was like to be in love with someone who loved you back.  And after all these years of watching every other man around me find their true love, even my own son… here I was, FINALLY with a man I could call my very own, and he what does he do...?  He brings death to my door- yes, Lionel, I mean you,” he scowled. 

Lamar gasped.  “Oh my god, Mom...!”  It was common knowledge that Claire Clark was sleeping with Lionel for years. 

“Oh my god, Ma...!” Malik blurted out, fearful of what his father might have unwittingly passed to his mother. 

Joe put up his hands in mock pause.  “Don’t worry, everyone; both Claire and Regine are clean; I had them both tested without their knowledge.” 

Regine looked outraged.  “You took an AIDS test on me, and never told me...?  You are a bigger bastard than I thought,” she humphed. 

Joe grimaced, his eyes growing dark once more.  “So this brings me to… my great love, the boy I played with, the man I reconnected with, the great love who filled my days and nights with passion- Mr. Lionel Jenkins.” 

All eyes fell upon Lionel Jenkins, who stared up at Joe’s video-face on the wall and began to tremble.