“I get it,” her mother said. “You’re afraid you can’t trust him.”
“I shouldn’t be so jealous, but after what happened, it’s a hard thing to shake.”
“With a name like Fox, I can imagine….”
“His whole name is Foxworth Kemp, but people call him Fox for short.”
Mrs. Engle’s lighthearted expression fell from her face. “Kemp?” she asked as if she was afraid to hear the answer.
“Yeah, why?”
“Is he related to Roman Kemp?”
“That’s his father.”
Alarm crept into Ms. Engle’s eyes. “Oh, Lea. You need to stay away from them. Far, far away.”
“Why?”
“Roman Kemp was the man behind the tile corporation that daddy invested his life savings in.”
“Mom, you’re kidding.”
“I wish I was, hon.”
Lea didn’t know what to say. How could she say anything in defense of the family that had ruined her dad. Caused him to die of a broken heart.
“Mom, you know I’d never want to hurt you, but I’m in too deep to just drop Fox. He’s not like his father, I swear.”
“Good thing your father isn’t here to hear me saying this…” She lowered the tone of her voice as if he were listening. “The past is the past. Daddy’s gone, and I won’t stand in the way of your happiness. Follow your heart.”
“Thank you, Mom. Once you meet him, all of your reservations will go out the window.”
Mrs. Engle’s eyes beaded with tears. “I just don’t want to see you hurt again.”
Lea pushed her chair back and walked around the table. She put her arms around her mom’s shoulders and leaned down embracing her. “You’ll see. Trust me.”
Lea’s cell phone vibrated in her jeans pocket.
She pulled it out. A text from Kate. Call me stat.
“I’ll be right back,” Lea said, and walked down into the sunken den.
She dialed Kate’s number. “What’s up?”
“Next weekend,” Kate said. “Brandon’s wedding is next weekend. He posted it on Facebook this morning.”
Lea blinked. Speechless. She couldn’t believe it was so soon. But it wasn’t something she was going to continuing bogging down her mind with. “I appreciate you keeping up with him as I asked you to. You’re a good friend, Kate. But I’d like to withdraw that request. I don’t care anymore. I’ve moved on.”
“You mean, you got a new man? Fabulous.”
“Yeah, I met someone, but it’s complicated. I’ll bring you up to speed when we can talk face to face.”
“Sounds awesome. Can’t wait to meet him. Talk to you later.”
***
“I thought you were going to call me when you got home,” Fox said.
“I texted you. You got the message, right?” Lea said, tucking in the edges of her towel. She was just getting out of the shower when she heard her cell phone ringing. Glitzy had been waiting by the bathroom door for her like she always did. Now she followed Lea to her bedroom.
“Yeah, I got it. It would’ve been nice to hear your voice though.”
“Well, why’d you wait until—” she checked the time on the nightstand clock “—ten thirty to call me?” She sat on the edge of her bed, and Glitzy licked the wetness off her feet.
“Let’s just say I had one crazy day.” Foxed yawned. “What’d you do today?”
“Me? Not much. Just went over my mom’s for a while.” And learned some disturbing history between our fathers. Glitzy put her paws on Lea’s legs, and Lea lifted her onto the bed where she nestled beside her.
“Did your Mom miss you while you were away?” Fox asked.
“Yeah, she was waiting on me to get home, so I could work on her computer. She can’t stand it when I go away for long. We’re close.”
“Hmm. What are we gonna do about that, Lea?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, when you move to Atlanta.”
“Fox, please. We’ve only been dating for a matter of days. I can’t even think that far ahead yet.”
“You’ll move here, and it’ll be sooner than you think.”
“How can you assume anything? You never even offered to take me to your house while I was in town.”
“Oh, I had every intention of taking you. Washed my sheets and had my bed ready for you. It seems a door was closed in my face before I got the chance.”
“Yeaahh, sorry about that. I shouldn’t have been so rude.”
“No, don’t apologize. I was rude, completely insensitive. I hope you’ll accept my apology.”
“I can’t stay mad at you for long, Fox. I’d already forgiven you.”
“Have I told you what a lucky man I am to have you in my life?”
“No.”
“I am. I can’t wait till the day I get to meet your parents and thank them personally for raising such a beautiful daughter.”
“Mom would love to meet you.”
“And your dad?”
“My dad’s dead, Fox. I thought I told you.”
“No, you never said that. You said you were a farmer’s daughter.”
“I was… up until the day he died four years ago.”
There was a lengthy silence. Fox shared the anguish of losing a parent, and Lea took comfort in that. If anyone could understand that feeling, it was him. But how would he feel when he found out his father contributed to her father’s demise?
“I’m so sorry to hear that,” Fox said. “You want to tell me about him?”
“Ok. My dad was a fourth generation farmer. He went to Clemson to study Agronomy and founded Engle Hill Farms in 1975. At one point, he employed over two hundred people.”
“Wow,” Fox said. “Must have been a huge farm.”
“We had twelve hundred acres of corn alone if that tells you anything.”
“Damn.”
“Yeah, I know. Dad could have sat at home while the workers tended the crops, but he never did. He was out there, every day with them, from sun up to sundown. Hardest working man I ever knew.”
“So, what happened?” Fox asked. “Did all those years in the heat get the best of him?”
“You know what? I wish he’d have had a heart attack right in the middle of his farm. That way, he’d have died doing what he loved.”
“Uh–oh,” Fox said, swallowed. “I’m not sure I want to hear what’s coming.”
Might as well get this dirty laundry out to dry now, Lea thought. That way she and Fox could put it behind them and move forward. “Dad was getting older, thinking about retirement, when a friend of his told him about an investment he’d made. The man convinced Dad to invest his money with the same company. Said his investment would double or triple within the first thirty days. The man was a close family friend that Daddy trusted, so he did. Invested every penny he’d ever earned.”
“Don’t tell me it was a sham.”
“Yeah. Within a year, the housing market crashed causing the business he’d invested with to deteriorate rapidly. The man’s business closed down. He said he’d be sending refund checks for stock dividends. When Daddy took his check to the bank, it bounced. Insufficient funds.”
“Horrific. I can’t imagine,” Fox said.
“Daddy couldn’t maintain his crops with the pennies he had left. He put the farm up for sale, but didn’t get any offers at all that summer thanks to the drought. One hundred and five degree temperature doesn’t exactly yield pretty corn. Anyway, he’d lost a ton of weight in a short period of time. Suffered severe depression. He died of a heart attack. I say it was a broken heart.”
“I don’t even know what to say,” Fox admitted. “You had a loving father and looked what happened. Mine’s a maggot, and he gets to live.”
“That’s where this gets really screwy. Your father, Roman Kemp, is the man whose tile business my dad invested with.”
Silence. What was Fox thinking?
Lea went on. “I knew the story a
bout Dad investing into a scam, but I had no idea it came back to Roman until I told my mom your name. She recognized the Kemp name immediately and filled me in.”
There was a long pause, and Lea thought she heard Fox curse underneath his breath. “My God, I’ll never outlive my father’s demons. I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I’m ashamed of who I am. I don’t blame you if you want nothing more to do with me.”
“Never. I don’t want to end this over someone else’s deeds. You can’t help it.”
“I’m relieved to hear you say that, but I can’t imagine showing my face in front of your mom.”
“It’s okay. She already said she just wants me to be happy.”
“Are you, Lea? Am I making you happy so far?”
“Yes, very much.”
“Then I promise I won’t let you down. And I’ll make up my father’s wrongdoings to your mother. I’m gonna put this right.”
***
Before Fox could even think of going to bed, he had to find Erickson. Give him the lowdown on what he’d found at the Kemp mansion. He headed down the hallway intending to get on the elevator when he heard a woman’s voice in Roman’s office.
Fox put his ear up to the door.
“Remember our deal, dear?” Fox heard Roman say. “If and when someone gets suspicious of you, it will be time for you to leave.”
The elevator went down. Fox prayed it was Erickson coming, not Karrigan. She would totally loud him out.
“He saw my bank account records, that all.” It was Jill. “He probably doesn’t even remember the figures he saw.”
“My dear, you underestimate Fox. He noticed, trust me. In fact, he’s been doing some snooping around into my past dealings as of late. I need to have a little chat with him about that.”
The elevator opened, dinged. It was Erickson. Fox held up a finger to his lips and motioned for him to join him in his eavesdropping. Erickson did. The voices inside stopped as if to give the person who’d just entered the floor time to get past.
“What’s going on?” Erickson whispered.
“Shh,” Fox whispered. “Just listen.”
“I don’t want to leave now,” Jill said. “I’ve barely gotten to know Fox or Erickson at all. Karrigan, yes. She’s been more than happy to talk with me.”
“Karrigan would have a conversation with this pen,” Roman said.
“Thanks,” Jill said. “That makes me feel a whole lot better.”
“Just leave quietly. You and I will keep in touch. In fact, I’ve been considering making you my heir.”
Fox and Erickson’s expressions mirrored the other. “What heir?” Erickson mouthed. He knew well that Roman’s pockets were dry, and that Fox had brought him on here at Hypnotic to stroke his ego.
“Your heir?” Jill asked.
“Why not? Times have changed; women occupy positions of great power in our society. You’re intelligent, personable, and better yet, you’re the daughter of Roman Kemp.”
Fox almost choked. Erickson put his hand on the doorknob, but Fox grabbed him by the wrist. “Wait,” he whispered. Erickson tried to dig his heels into the carpet as Fox dragged him down to his room.
“What the hell?” Erickson said.
“Be quiet,” Fox said as he swiped his wallet past the sensor.
He opened the door and pushed Erickson inside.
“Man, what are you doing?” Erickson said. “We should have gone in there and blasted him. Did you and I hear the same thing?”
Fox paced the floor. “I heard. Roman called Jill his daughter.”
“That was Jill in there?”
“Yeah, didn’t you recognize her voice?”
“Not really. I haven’t spoken with her enough to have it committed to memory.”
“Lucky you,” Fox said.
“So that’s the connection between her and Father. You were right all along.”
Fox nodded, shuffled through his briefcase.
“Well, then, if she’s our sister, who’s her mother?”
“I don’t know, Erick. But if you’d barged in there just now, we might never find out. You mustn’t speak a word of this to Roman. You’d have better luck asking Jill straight out.”
“Why don’t we?”
“Are you nuts? I wasn’t serious. Go to Jill for information? She’s about as bright as that wet bar,” he pointed, smiled recalling Lea’s beautiful body propped on top of it very recently.
“Dude, why are you so on her case? I told you—she’s been nothing but kind and cordial with me. I never did take her up on that dinner she offered to buy me, but I would’ve if I’d had the time. Did you ever really give her a fair chance?”
Fox thought about it. Jill had been around for months now, and he had made up his mind about her at first sight. She dressed like a bimbo, therefore, she was one. There were more women like that at Hypnotic than the whole City of Atlanta. And he didn’t need one on his payroll. “No, I suppose not. Still, it’s a risk. What if she goes back to Roman?”
“Don’t you plan on confronting him anyway?” Erick said. “I mean… eventually.”
“Not before I get more information about Mom’s passing.” Fox opened the file folder on the bar. “Look.”
Erickson scanned the articles, shrugged. “What’s the big deal? We both know Dad went on trial for her murder. He was found not guilty. He didn’t do it, man.”
“Would this make you think again?” Fox passed Erickson the article about their mother cheating with the gardener.
“Oh, shit,” Erickson said. “I can’t believe this. Mother was a cheat.”
“Big fucking deal,” Fox said. “You’d cheat too if you were a woman in a loveless marriage. Roman probably abused her for all we know.”
“So, what, you’re saying that was Roman’s motive?”
“I bet every dime I own that Roman was cheating on her at the same time. Look at Jill. She’s about the same age as you. There’s your proof right there. And if Mom and Dad had divorced, guess what? He could have, and probably would have, lost everything. The house, the cars, money, and kids.”
“And it’d be easier for Father to off her?” Erickson said, completing Fox’s thoughts. “God, I can’t believe he would do something so diabolical.”
“Erick,” Fox put his arm around his brother, “you’re just like me. Growing up, all we wanted was to make the man proud. For two seconds of Father’s time, we both would’ve cut off a nut.”
“You might’ve,” Erickson corrected.
“Anyway, we saw that he was a successful businessman and wanted to show him that it ran in our blood, too. Earn the love from the one parent we had left. But Erick, those two seconds never came for you, did they?”
Erickson said nothing.
“They didn’t for me either. And like me, through the years you tried your best to let the rumors of Roman’s sordid dealings go in one ear and out the other for the sake of his elusive love.
Fox’s heart shattered when a tear fell from Erickson’s eye. Multiplied the anger and hatred he had for Roman a million times. He could kill him.
“We have to make him pay, Erick, for what he did to our mother. Say you’ll help me.”
Erickson’s lips were glued shut.
“Stop thinking of him in a fatherly way, damn it. Listen, I’ll always take care of you and Karrigan, I swear to God, I will. But for Mother’s memory, we have to do this together.”
“Do what exactly?” Erickson asked.
“Let me get all the facts first,” Fox said. “Then we’ll deal with Roman’s fate.”
“Do we tell Karrigan?”
“Good God, no. She’s not in the right state of mind to filter that kind of information. First, we need to get her some professional help. Please, don’t speak a word of this to her.”
Erickson stood. Walked to the door and put his hand on the knob. “Fine. But you better hope Karri doesn’t sense there’s something wrong. You know she and I have a psychic connection.”
/> Fox smiled. The twins had really clung to that old wives tale from the time they’d first heard it. Fox had told them that story twenty years ago. “If she starts asking questions, send her to me. I’ll handle it.”
“If you need me tonight, I’ll be in the kitchen down at Remedy. I think I’ll get started on tomorrow’s menu. Otherwise I’ll go stark mad trying to absorb all this shit.”
“Tell me about it.”
***
The drive to the mansion was no less creepy when Fox paid the second visit in as many days. Frederic had given him a look that Fox hadn’t been able to get out of his head. He had the answers, Fox presumed, to his most important questions.
Fox rang the doorbell and it wasn’t long before footsteps sounded on the other side of the door. “Foxworth, my boy, won’t you come in,” Frederic said, and stepped aside.
“How’s it going, Fred. Hope you don’t mind my stopping by again.”
“No, always happy to see you, although I must say, I was quite surprised to see you on the other side of the door again so soon.”
“I know. I need to talk to you. Where can we sit down?”
“Follow me.” Frederic led Fox into the kitchen.
Fox sat in the corner nook by the floor to ceiling window looking out at the massive acreage. He remembered sitting there so many times with Erick and Karri growing up. Britta would cook grits, eggs, and bacon for breakfast almost every morning and serve them at the nook. Even though their mother was gone, and Roman was rarely home, those were good times. He felt like he actually had something of a family unit then, with Frederic and Britta being part of that unit.
Fred went to the large stainless steel fridge and opened it up. “Can I get you a drink, Foxworth?”
“Sweet tea?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Britta was the one who made the tea, and since it’s only me for the time being, I’ve had to do without. No one can make tea like Britta. I never even thought to try.”
Fox chuckled. Britta’s tea had been the best in the south. Another fond memory. “Just water then.”
The Opium Room Page 12
