Jail's Bait: Time Served (Book 5)

“Yes, Lionel, it was you,” Joe’s voice cracked across the room.  “With every caress, every kiss, every word of love you whispered in my ear, you gave me the kiss of death.” 

Everyone stared at Lionel with horror, whose eyes were bursting forth with angry tears.  “It’s not true, Joe,” he protested; “IT’S NOT TRUE!!! I’m not even sick; I couldn’t have given anyone a disease.  It wasn’t me.” 

Joe, apparently, had an answer ready. “I didn’t believe it was you either, because you look perfectly healthy.  That’s when I had a blood test done on you, too… it seems that you are what they call a carrier.  You’re immune; you can’t get it, but you can still infect someone else.  Someone like me,” he added with contempt.  “Evidently while you were ‘Inamae Shazzad X’, leader of that , one of the wives in your harem passed you the gift that keeps on giving- to the grave.” 

“I don’t believe this,” Lionel said, turning towards Danny’s stricken face.  “I can’t be sick, there’s nothing wrong with me!” 

“Just in case you still don’t believe me,” Joe interjected then, “I have instructed Mr. Greaves to give you a copy of the HIV test they ran on your DNA sample.  A small cotton swab on the cheek, and one, two, three- instant test.  That is what I bequeath to you.  Proof that you are a living Grim Reaper.” 

Mr. Greaves, one of the other lawyers assisting with the video-will, came over to Lionel with a stapled sheaf of pages, and a 50.00 bill, handing these to Lionel.  “The sheaf explains everything about your case, should you want your own doctor to verify the findings,” Joe explained.  “The 50 bucks is, of course, just enough for you to get on a bus and go back to your commune in the desert, or wherever the hell it is.  As far as I’m concerned, you killed me; get the HELL out of my house.  Mr. Price, you know what to do,” Joe said then, then sat back. 

Mr. Price reached over and paused the video once again; he kindly motioned to a stricken Lionel, whose tears rolled freely down his cheeks.  “Governor Hill had requested that at this time you were to be removed from his residence by guards and forcibly thrown outside the gates of the estate; but we have talked it over, and decided that you are to be allowed the chance to leave quietly, yet as quickly as you can from the estate proper.” 

“In any case, you cannot remain in this room any further, for as per Governor Hill, the video-will cannot resume until you are no longer present,” Mr. Greaves added clinically. 

“Lionel, you can wait in the kitchen,” Regine said calmly.  “You will NOT be thrown out of this house like a common sneak-thief.  Go get a sandwich from the staff or something.” 

“Or better yet, tell them older ones in the kitchen to whip us all up a big batch of moonshine- I know they been living up here long enough to know how to do it,” Rah-Rah said to Lionel; “we’ll all need real knock-out booze after hearing all this bullshit.” 

“Lionel, chin-up.  We’ll setlle all this once the video is done,” Danny said to his brother. 

“It’ll be okay, Uncle L,” Lamar said then with a kind smile. 

Lionel nodded at them all, and burst into tears.  “The truth is, I really loved him,” Lionel said in between sobs.  “I really did.  Never knew what love was like before Joe came back into my life.”  And with that he left the room, grasping the sheaf of papers and the 50.00 bill. 

“That’s really fucked up,” Rah-Rah said then, frowning at the wall where Joe’s frozen face regarded them all sullenly. 

“Not as fucked up as Joe knowing he had an illness and not even giving his lover a head’s up about it,” Ray said then; “I can’t believe he could stoop so low.” 

“Are we all ready to go on,” Mr. Price asked. 

“Might as well,” Regine sighed, sitting back in her chair and massaging her forehead. 

The video resumed.  “My apologies for the delay; I had to get rid of the trash,” Joe started.  “Oh, sorry about that, Danny,” he added; “I know that Lionel’s your brother- though the same brother who tried to destroy you three years ago, coming into town and claiming that he was Lamar’s father and all…. Tsk, tsk.” 

Lamar turned towards his father.  “Did this happen, Dad...?” he frowned as everyone looked on with interest. 

“Pause, please,” Danny said to the lawyers, who instantly obeyed.  “Listen, I know I never mentioned it, but the accusations are false,” he appealed to Lamar. 

“Are you sure, Dad?” Lamar asked.  “I mean, Uncle L and Mom did cheat,” he added, worry in his eyes. 

Danny sighed.  “The night of Marquis's grad party, while you were rushed to the hospital after about half the family fell off the side of Mt. Rainier, I pulled Claire and Lionel into the tent by the gates.  Lionel boasted about the possibility, yes.  He dropped the bomb then- how he was my long-lost brother, how he’d played Claire the whole time for payback against me; she was so horrified that she ran back outside into the storm-” 

“-and ran up the road, straight to my spooked lion,” Marquis groaned, looking at Kap. 

“So that’s why she wasn’t paying attention that night,” Lamar said to Malik. 

“The point is, while you were still in the hospital after you got shot, I ran a DNA test through WolfRam & Hart’s lab; the head guy there and I go way back.  We’re a match, Lamar.  You’re my son; enough said,” Danny smiled encouragingly at his son. 

“You hear that,” Malik said then with a grin.  “No need to worry.” 

“Yessir,” Lamar said with a smile. 

“Okay, turn it back on,” Regine sighed to the lawyers. 

“We’re terribly sorry about all this,” Mr. Price said then, wringing his hands apologetically.  “Governor Hill insisted on taping this part alone, only giving us certain points to listen for during the video.  If we had any clue about the extra-” 

“Just keep your finger near that pause button,” Regine sighed, shaking her head.  “We’re gonna need it again, mark my words.” 

“Yes, ma’am,” Mr.  Price said, starting the video again. 

“Are you guys enjoying the show so far,” Joe asked, a grim smile playing about his lips.  “Well, it gets better.  Next:  My old, dear friend- and the first great love of my life… my ex, Detective Danny Clark.” 

Danny looked up at the wall- and slowly stood to his feet, glaring at Joe all the while.  “Get on with it,” he growled. 

“There was a time that I thought we had it all,” Joe began, his eyes seeming to fix against Danny’s, both locked into the gaze as if their shared hatred glued them together.  “You and me, your son, my son, all of us one untied, powerful family.”  Joe’s eyes narrowed to slits.  “But that was never the case, was it...?  You never loved me.  You looked me in the face, and said the words, and never meant them.  You think I don’t know that you originally got with me because I was the older version of the one you really wanted, but could never have...?  Don’t you think I knew why you always wanted me to wear that cologne, ‘Joop’...?” 

The silence that pressed in after that pronouncement held only for a few seconds, but it felt like an hour, as everyone turned to regard Malik, who only had eyes for Lamar.  Everyone in the room knew that Joop was Malik’s childhood thugg alter-ego, and Danny was his Parole Officer back when Joop was in trouble with the law. 

Kap and Marquis glanced at each other.  They used to whisper when they were younger that maybe something went down between Danny and Malik way back when, but that type of thinking was inappropriate- and disrespectful to Lamar, especially since Lamar was such a good person to them both.  Marquis shook his head silently.  To even think that Lamar’s father and lover were carrying on behind his back...?  Completely impossible… 

Joe smirked with malice.  “Of course, this is something that we wouldn’t have discussed with the children, or with Robbie, now would we...?  But you, your son, and my son Joop remembers it all well, don’t we...?  The truth of it is, I resented you for having a better relationship with my son than I did…. As exhibited in this little presentation I saved for you to enjoy… hit it,” he said to the lawyers- who trembled. 

“Go on, I’ll wait,” Joe said mysteriously. 

Joe’s video was once more paused.  Then Mr. Greaves reached over to pick up another video-recorder, set it against another wall, and then clicked it on. 

A scene flashed before them all- it looked like a holding cell, and the date stamp was the fall of 2003.  There was a long table in the center of the room, and laying on top of it, clothes rumpled and pushed up, tie askew, pants one leg on, legs flung into the air- was a much younger Danny, moaning and groaning like a porn star nympho from the grind being put on his ass by the young thugg that was fucking him like a dynamo, his prison overalls dropped to the floor- a teenaged Malik, sexy, hardcore, dangerous; then going by the name of Joop.  His heavy-looking, strong pole of a dick was smashing repeatedly into Danny’s clenching asshole, again and again: 

“No Malik, I don’t- I don’t want to…” 

“Nigga you want this shyt, I'm givin you this phat thugg big black dick- so shut up.” 

The table in that holding cell scraped and quivered against the floor under the assault that Joop was putting on Officer Dan; the Parole Officer was holding onto the table for dear life, a look of combined terror and utter ecstacy dashing across his face at the same time… 

The entire room gasped, yet unable to turn away as the force from that teenage dynamo seemed to hold them fast.  For a moment Joop controlled everyone watching the video from making a move; it was as if his command to Officer Dan held them all in its sway… 

Then- “TURN THAT SHIT OFF, GODDAMMIT,” cried Rah-Rah. 

Everyone turned towards him as the lawyers stopped the video of Officer Dan and Joop.  “Jesus, man, do you have to do EXACTLY what this idiot makes you do...?  DAMMIT, you’re helping him hurt people...!  Malik’s mother is sitting right here- show some respect, fuck…!” 

Danny’s eyes had brimmed with tears, and they slid down his face from self-loathing.  “I can’t believe he still kept that,” he breathed. 

Marquis and Kap turned to stare at each other, reflected shock going through their faces.  “We were right,” Marquis whispered in awe. 

Malik’s face was pale from embarrassment and shame.  He turned to reach out to Lamar, whose face was streaked with tears.  “Mar...?” 

Lamar simply stared off into space.  “I knew about this,” he whispered, “but to actually SEE it happening...!”  He shrugged away from Malik, folding his arms as if to hug himself, and refused to meet his father’s eyes. 

“My father… made that tape to blackmail Danny into a relationship,” Malik explained to everyone in a husky tone. “Which means, of course, that their relationship wouldn’t have lasted anyway.  Not that he could ever understand that, with his stalking ass,” he added under his breath. 

“I do understand that the subject material can be a bit borderline, but we must do as was requested by our client,” Mr. Price said clinically.  “You all can’t start killing the messenger now.” 

“Price is right, Rah-Rah,” Regine said then; “he was only doing what ol Joe wanted.  I didn’t want to watch proof that my teenage son was fucking his Parole Officer.” 

“And I didn’t think my SON needed to see that crap,” Rah-Rah shot back. 

“Dad, I’m okay,” Marquis said; “Uncle Danny, are you okay?” 

Everyone turned to Danny; his face was streaked with tears.  “Just put the bastard back on,” he said then, his fingers clenching and unclenching. 

Joe’s video fired up again.  “I trust by now you guys have seen the cold hard truth,” he said with a sneer.  “So, Danny, now do you get it...? Now do you see how badly you hurt me...?  NOW, do you understand how much I want to pay you back???” 

Danny stood, unflinching, as locked into Joe’s gaze as before. 

Joe went on.  “Look at you on that video I made so long ago… look at how easy it was for you, soooo easy for you to jump into Malik’s bed, like a rutting slut… you didn’t even have to practice at it, like you did me… and if that wasn’t bad enough, you had to go and find my long-lost brother and leave me for HIM the moment he introduced himself,” Joe was saying, his voice rising in anger and bitterness.  “When he challenged me for you… what got me, really GOT me… it was the WAY you looked at him.  NEVER, NEVER did you ever look at me that way,” Joe spat.  “I knew THEN- that Trey meant more to you in the five SECONDS you knew him, than what you ever felt for me in YEARS...!  Do you know how that makes someone feel, Danny...?  And then, to add insult to injury, you went and found a mirror image of my dead brother off the street- and fell in love with HIM!!  You’d rather sleep with a homeless man off the street than be with me.  Me, who had money, power, respect… and a dirty bum is better than I am.” 

The sound of silence in the room was almost distracting.  Danny shook his head as he stared at Joe. 

It appeared that Joe had regained some of his composure.  “Just so we’re clear,” he said then, smoothing himself down, “I hate you.  I will hate you beyond the GRAVE,” Joe cried out, his eyes bulging with rage. He held up a hand.  “However,” he added, “that doesn’t stop the show.  You took everything from me… I think its time I returned the favor.”  He sighed.  “Mr. Price, if you please...?” 

Price came over to Danny and handed him a sheaf of stapled papers that looked like the same kind that were given to Lionel moments ago.  “You really should think twice before trusting the word of someone whose loyalties lie with your enemies,” Joe murmured darkly. 

Danny scanned the papers, each one making his face grow pale.  “You-you…” he said, looking up at Joe with a terrible hatred. 

“Potters lied to you, Danny-boy,” Joe said, smirking with vicious glee.  You turned him down one too many times… he really liked fucking you, and when you wouldn’t let him have any more, he started hating you too- and you’re so stupid and trusting, you thought he would be friends after you rejected him.  That DNA test you had him run on Lamar… and you thought you got the truth from Potters...?  NOT,” he added with a dreadful laugh. 

Slowly Danny turned to face Lamar, who sat glued to the wall, his face apprehensive.  A hollow rushing began behind his eardrums. 

“How tragic, Danny.  All these years, here you were, raising he who you thought was your own son, but is in truth… your brother’s child.” 

Lamar spun around, fixing Danny in the eye.  “WHAT???” he asked, almost hysterically. 

Danny glared at the video.  “Damnit, Joe,” he growled.  “Lamar-” 

Lamar suddenly clutched at his chest, and stretched taut in his chair, his legs sticking out.  The room gasped in fresh shock, jumping to their feet. 

“NOOOO,” Malik cried out, dropping to his knees and grabbing Lamar by the cheeks.  Baby, baby look at me… you okay...? 

Lamar’s face was scrunched up in pain.  “My chest-feels tight…” he managed, gasping through gritted teeth as Danny and Rah-Rah both dashed over and crouched down by him. 

Marquis jumped up, and Kap leaned forward on the couch he rested on – only to lay back down with a groan. 

Marquis spun back to Kap, dropping down on his knees next to him.  “Your stitches...?” he asked wildly. 

“My stitiches,” Kap said then wearily, “I keep forgetting they’re there.  Go see about Lamar.” 

The crowd around Lamar had solidified by this time.  “What can I do,” Rah-Rah cried out from somewhere in the center. 

“Give him some air- and pause that shit,” Regine said, striding over to the windows and fliunging them open. 

Rah-Rah stepped back. “Yall heard the woman- he needs air...!”  The rest of the group backed away as the lawyers paused the video once again. 

A breeze blew through the room, and Lamar settled back into his chair slowly, the panicked look on his face clearing as the minutes went by and he regained his breath.  “I-I’m okay now,” he breathed, taking slow breaths.  “Sometimes I forget I have a heart condition.” 

“I didn’t forget,” Danny said, kneeling down beside Lamar’s chair next to Malik and smoothing down his hair.  Regine came over to wipe Lamar’s forehead with a cool cloth.  

“Oh, my god,” Ranell finally said; everyone turned towards her, startled; in the midst of all the drama of the past few minutes, they had simply forgotten that she was there. 

She looked at them all, stricken.  “What kind of person was my brother?” 

Believe me honey, I don’t think anyone in here can answer that right now, Regine said, motioning the lawyers to resume play. 

Once Price clicked the video back on, Joe continued.  “Now, now, Danny, don’t be so upset.  All this was meant to do was to hurt you and make me laugh beyond the grave, and I can actually believe that I’m pulling it off.  But the proof is on the paper; Potters ran the test and I simply told him to flake the answers.” 

“Why, Joe, WHY,” Danny hurled at the wall. 

“I presume that you’re now wondering why I threw the DNA test,” Joe nodded.  “It’s pretty simple.  I wanted you to believe that Lamar IS your son, until I could create that perfect moment that would make the most damage to you.”  His eyes gleamed with triumph.  “I’ll bet that right now, you are the most broken you’ve ever been.  Sooo, now we’re even.  You took my son from me, so now I get the do the same.  Lamar will never be yours… he never was.” 

“We’ll see about that,” Danny grumbled. 

“Oh, one final kick, Danny,” Joe went on, “who’s to say those other DNA tests you ran that day are just as accurate, or secretly, just as inaccurate...?” 

“Could you pause that please,” Ray said then unexpectedly. 

Everyone turned towards him in surprise as Mr. Price’s trigger finger paused the video. 

“What other DNA tests did you run, Danny,” Ray asked suddenly. 

The room remained quiet as all faces turned to Danny, who turned to Ray- and his face froze; yet even tear-strreaked and weary-looking, the visage on his face still managed to look like the cat who’d eaten the canary.  “What are you talking about, Ray?” in an innocent voice that deceived nobody there. 

Ray fixed him a stern look.  “Not this again. We talked about this… I told you it doesn’t matter to me whether or not I’m HIS twin.  And you ran another test anyway...?” 

Danny had never mentioned to Ray that he had run extra DNA tests on him, while running the tests and on Jamara and on Lionel.  They knew about the Jamara DNA test, for obvious reasons; they had to be sure that Ray and Jamara were not father and daughter.  But Danny knew that the Trey issue was a touchy subject to Ray; Regine’s outburst notwithstanding, he knew Ray always suspected that his role in Danny’s life was as Trey-filler.  Now, more than ever, it clearly looked like Danny secretly never gave up hope that there was some tie between Ray and Trey… 

Danny looked at Ray helplessly, and Ray shook his head in disgust and turned away.  Danny sighed.  “It’s not like that, he began-” 

“Please unpause the video,” Ray said then, overriding Danny’s small plea. 

“As you wish,” Mr. Price said, clicking the video back to life. 

“…and that, of course, leads us right to the next contestant,” Joe said then… “Mr. Ray Smith, come on down…! 

Everyone turned to Ray as he got to his feet, took a deep breath and faced the video-image. 

“You really are the spitting image of my five-minute brother, Atreyu,” Joe admitted.  “Can you imagine the way my stomach flipped when I first saw you standing by Danny...?  It was like seeing my brother snactch my lover away from me with a flick of his finger- all over again.  I mean, he didn’t even really try- all he said to Danny was ‘Hey, partna’, and Danny was like a melting piece of pussy.  I spent years, YEARS, trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with ME…  I mean, I’m a decent looking guy, but not good enough to have Danny ever melt for me like that.  Bitter...?  Sure I am, I own that.  I already told Danny that I was going to take everything from him that he took from me… thanks for helping me get my revenge.  Mr. Price, if you please...?” 

Mr. Price came over to Ray with another bundle of sheets, handing them to the incredulous man.  “This, Ray, is the only set of DNA results you need to know about,” Joe remarked.  “The others are false.  If you take a good look, you’ll see that your DNA was run against mine and Trey’s.  It’s a match- you ARE Trey’s long-lost twin brother.  And mine.” 

Ray stared at the clipped pages in his fist, and then stared over at Danny in genuine surprise. 

Joe, however, had a self-satisfied look on his face.  “Danny, it turs out that your Detective instincts are as sharp as ever, huh...?  You’ve known before anyone else that homeless Ray had a connection to your true love.  And guess what- I’ve known he was a Hill for some years,” he added to the shock of them all. 

Ray stared up at the wall, his eyes wide and angry.  “You KNEW...?  You KNEW I was your brother...?” 

Joe was nodding.  “Yes, I did my research after Trey first showed up, and found out that ol J. Mayson really was a rolling stone… I actually have two other siblings- another brother, and of all things, a little sister...!” 

Ray, staring over at Danny, suddenly glanced over at Ranell- who returned her long-lost brother’s gaze in mute surprise. 

“I’ve had my people following them both for the past ten years,” Joe said, speaking to everyone.  “Ray, for his part, seemed like he was doing just fine on the street, even had a chip on his shoulder about it.”  He addressed Ray directly then.  “There was a moment where it almost looked like you were cleaning up your act- you got off the street, found a nice lady… and imagine my surprise when I was told that the woman you were sleeping with turned out to be our Michael’s very own mother...!  And people usually take the trash out,” he added with a grin. 

Kap sat up again quickly.  “You SHUT UP about my mother,” he spat at the video, then leaned back, groaning. 

“Yo, don’t you listen to Great-Uncle Asshole,” Marquis said, patting Kap on the arm as he stared up at the wall, complete disgust on his face, helping Kap settle back into the couch.  “Sorry, Malik.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Malik replied shortly, glaring at the wall himself; “my father IS being an asshole right now.” 

“In any event, Ray’s romance with Cheyenne fizzled up; he wound up back on the street pretty quickly,” Joe had continued.  “Back to his smelly roots.  I kept periodical reports on him for a while afterwards- until you, Danny, stumbled onto his filthy carcass in the park three years ago.” 

“If he knew this stuff all this time,” Malik said then with a frown; “why did he keep all this to himself...?” 

“I didn’t make him aware of this family simply because I didn’t want any more siblings dipping into my father’s money,” Joe said simply.  “The first sibling that came into my life didn’t take any money, but he destroyed me anyway- with one charming smile; I figured I’d keep the others away from me before they had a chance to take anything away.  But lo and behold, Danny takes one look at you, Ray, sees the ‘Trey’ in you- and takes you home with him.  Curses, foiled again,” Joe grumbled.  “And so, I once more had to watch from the sidelines as my little brother took up with my ex.  I knew Danny well enough that secretly wondering whether you were, whether you weren’t… was driving him crazy; so I refused to let Danny have what he really wanted from you- that last, best connection to his dead lover.”  He paused.  “I’ll even sit quiet for a moment and… let you all drink that in.” 

Danny and Ray stared at one another in mute shock as without needing anyone to ask this time, Mr. Price leaned over and clicked the video back to pause again.