“They’re working on the drywall in the rooms now. Everything’s been plumbed and wired. The tennis courts are done. They’ll continue to work on the golf course right up until the day we open. The pools are done except for the surface tile on the deck area. Everything we ordered is in and stored.”
“You sure that scrip thing is going to work?” Max asked.
“If it’s the only game in town, it has to work,” Roxy said. “No money on the island. You just use the scrip you buy when you check in at the resort to make purchases at the shops, or you charge them. By the way, how was your flight?” Roxy wished she could tell them how nervous Ricky had been before they’d left for the airport. Maybe someday she’d be able to. She couldn’t step over the invisible line Ricky had drawn between himself and his sons. It was that simple.
“Good flight. No problems,” Tyler said, then switched back to the subject of the resort asking, “No cars?”
“Again, it’s the only game in town. You can go anywhere you need to go in a golf cart. No pollution, no engines revving up, no accidents. No gas pumps, just good, old-fashioned, clean, fresh air,” Ricky said. “People are going to be paying top dollar for the privacy and solitude we are guaranteeing. The press can’t get here either, and that’s a really good thing. The only access to the island is our own ferry and helicopter, and of course we’re going to have the helipad. It’s almost finished. If our guests want to go to Hilton Head, Charleston, or the new film studio, we’ll take them.”
A frown appeared between Tyler’s brows. “You’re pretty cut off here. What if…”
“We have all of the ‘what-ifs’ covered, boys. We have fifty suites and three villas. That’s it. Small but exclusive. We have our own security force, our own medical people. We managed to snare a five-star chef. I’ve got two of the most famous actresses in Hollywood willing to make some commercials for the resort in return for one free stay a year for five years. I’ll be making a few commercials myself. Roxy is working on the golf and tennis pros. It’s a green light all the way. We’ve been fielding phone calls right and left from people all around the world. Like I said, Roxy has it covered. We’re on a roll, guys.”
“For our equestrian guests, we decided to include a stable and some bridle paths,” Roxy added. “Your…Ricky likes to ride. And, I’ve been saving the best part till last. Are you ready?”
“Yeah,” Tyler and Max said in unison.
“We’re building, well, it’s almost done, a miniclinic. Very high-tech. State-of-the-art. You know, for people who want to come here to get, say, a face-lift or a major overhaul. We’ll have a top-notch staff. I’m hoping my daughter Reba will eventually head it up. We’re talking pricey and private here. I told Donna to leak the word, and calls have been coming in so fast I now have a separate book just to log them in. This might surprise you, but the guys are outnumbering the women two to one. What do you think?” Roxy asked. She looked in the rearview mirror to see the expressions on the boys’ faces. They nodded approvingly.
“I thought Reba’s specialty was going to be children’s reconstructive surgery,” Max said.
“That’s true, but ‘eventually’ is a long time from now. I called ahead, and the ferry is waiting. We just leave the Jeep here and go across. Take a look, our own private island,” Roxy said, cutting the engine.
Later, over a chuck-wagon-style lunch for the workers, Tyler looked at his brother, concern showing on his face. “Why do you suppose he hasn’t said anything? He looks worried as hell. Roxy seems okay, but…”
“It’s hard for me to believe all this can come together in four short months.” Max pointed to the piles of brick and wood, the different trucks, the heavy machinery, and the enormous heaps of sandy soil that were everywhere. “Maybe he thinks it’s none of our business. If you recall, we were the ones who drew the original line in the sand. He hasn’t crossed it. It wouldn’t hurt you to meet him halfway, Tyler.” He yanked at his baseball cap, pulling it down farther to shade his eyes from the blazing sun.
Tyler ignored his half brother’s words as he stared at Ricky and Roxy, who were deep in conversation, a set of blueprints spread out on a rough table made from bricks and two-by-fours. “Maybe he doesn’t know. I suppose it’s a stretch to think that since we know, and we aren’t movie types. I wonder why he didn’t try to squelch it. It can’t be good.”
“Sometimes silence is golden. The more you say, the more the ghouls have to feed on. Our old man didn’t get where he is by being stupid. My grandparents aren’t going to like being fodder for some tabloid. They’re decent, kind, retired people who enjoy their privacy. They don’t understand shit like this. My mother now, she’s gonna love it! Let’s agree now that we don’t talk, and we don’t grant any interviews,” Max said.
Tyler nodded. “You know what really gets me? Ricky’s film studio bought the rights to the book, and the damn thing hasn’t even been written. That sleaze Dicky Tee is going to pen it. Ted said it was payback time for Ricky because he walked away from Hollywood when he was top box office. The studio lost millions. Ted also said they’re going to do the filming here at that new studio outside Charleston. Scandal in Hollywood is nothing new. No one is going to be shocked if they read about Ricky’s past drug and alcohol problems. The people in Hollywood and the industry thrive on it as long as everyone’s name is spelled correctly. I think Ricky is concerned, not for himself, but for us, our families, and for his brother’s memory. His brother was pretty special to him. That’s my opinion for whatever it’s worth.
“You know what else is weird. I took a subscription to Variety just so I could stay on top of what’s going on. I go online in the morning to check the L.A. Times, too.”
Max grinned. “Guess I’m just as weird as you are because I do the same thing. You know what we’re doing, don’t you? We’re closing ranks around our father. It’s not just a cut-and-dried business relationship anymore. It would be nice if those two got together, wouldn’t it?” he said, jerking his head in his father and Roxy’s direction.
“How’d that all happen?” Tyler sounded so befuddled, his brother burst out laughing.
“My grandmother told me there’s nothing more important than family. In my wild youth, I didn’t realize how right she was. I know it now, though. Everyone deserves a second chance, Ty. Even our father.”
Tyler dug his boot-clad toes into the sand. “This is going to be one kick-ass resort when it’s up and running. Do you think he’ll move on when it’s done and start some other project? For Christ’s sake, what is he searching for? Don’t tell me he isn’t searching either. I’ve never seen a more haunted man in my life. Do you think it’s us? Are we supposed to tell him we love him and forgive him, or something?”
“Wait for the book, and you’ll get all the juicy details,” Max said, his gaze still on his father. “If you want a wild guess off the top of my head, I’d say it has to do with his brother’s leaving his estate to him and not Roxy. I’m not sure he trusts Roxy one hundred percent. It’s not our business, Ty.”
“I say we make it our business, Max.”
Max looked at his brother over the top of his sunglasses. He blinked. Had he heard Tyler correctly? “That means we step over the line. I don’t know if I’m ready to do that. I like what I’m doing. Hell, I even like our old man, and I’m crazy about Roxy. I don’t want to get my ass kicked out. You’re getting pretty damn brave all of a sudden.”
“If we don’t protect our own, who else is gonna do it? Maybe Ricky doesn’t care. Maybe he thinks the publicity will be good for him. Actors are actors forever. It’s in the blood. I read that in Variety and those slimy tabloids. You wouldn’t believe the shit those sleazeballs print in the name of news. Ninety-nine percent of it isn’t true. Ted told me that, too.”
“They’re done discussing business. They’re talking about us now,” Max said.
Tyler swatted him before he picked up a handful of sand and threw it at Max.
“I think it’s workin
g, Ricky,” Roxy said as she eyed his sons. “They’ve been slowly developing a brotherly relationship these past six months. They actually like each other. You should be pleased.”
“I am. Philly and I never had that kind of relationship. He was steady and reliable, and I was wild and reckless. Oil and water. I looked up to him, though. And, I was afraid of him. I was always afraid of him.”
“Get over it. He’s dead,” Roxy said, coldly.
Ricky blinked at how brutal her words sounded. It was time. Things were starting to move too fast.
“Roxy, we’re pretty much done here for the day. After we drop the guys off at the airport, let’s go to dinner. I say we get dressed up and have a real date. What do you say?”
Roxy looked shocked. “You mean a business date or a boy-girl date?”
He was going to say a business date, but the words came out differently. “A boy-girl date. I promise not to trample on your affections. We deserve a night out.”
“All right. Yeah, okay.” She gave a low, throaty chuckle that sent shivers up his arms and made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.
Ricky threw back his head and laughed. In spite of herself, Roxy grinned as she playfully poked him in the arm.
Tyler nudged his brother’s arm the way Roxy had nudged his father’s arm. “I like what I’m seeing there. Come on, I want to see the helipad and the tennis courts. I think we might seriously need to think about putting a suggestion in the Suggestion Box that goes something like this, ‘Let’s take shifts working this resort. Three months each.’ Sometimes those damn islands get to me.”
“Good thinking! The only problem is, we don’t have a Suggestion Box. And, this is an island, too. I’ll work on it,” Max said. “There’s always FedEx. For some reason people pay attention when they get overnight mail. Like I said, I’ll work on it. You know, Bro, I get spooked every time I look at you. It’s like looking in a damn mirror, except, I’m better-looking.”
Ricky watched as Tyler threw his arm around his brother’s shoulder. He felt a lump the size of a lemon settle in his throat. Some good had come of this after all. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t the recipient of his sons’ affection.
“Do you happen to know if either one of them is seeing anyone seriously?”
“They date, but no, nothing serious. They put in some long, hard days, Ricky. There isn’t a whole lot of time left over for serious relationships. Donna is smitten with both of them, that’s for sure. I think Tyler might have the edge. They might look like you, but they aren’t following in your footsteps. That’s probably a good thing,” Roxy said, a little sharply.
“Damn right that’s a good thing.”
To Ricky, Roxy looked as cool and refreshing as a Popsicle in her lime green sundress and matching sandals. With her tan she didn’t need makeup. Lipstick, some perfume, and he was seeing the result. He wondered what she thought of how he looked.
“I like a lady who’s on time. Hop in. I brushed out the sand earlier. Sorry there aren’t any limos around. Your hair is going to get messed up unless I drive slowly. You okay with that?”
“Well, sure, Ricky. We aren’t going to a five-star restaurant, are we?”
“I don’t think there’s one within a thousand miles. Take your pick, Longhorns or Papa Lupini’s.”
“Beef or pasta. Let’s do the pasta. We’re at that age where we have to eat sensibly. I had meat yesterday. I try to eat it only once a week.”
“I didn’t know that,” Ricky said, his eyes on the stop-and-go traffic. “You know what I hate about this damn island? There’s only one road in and one road out.” He was referring to Hilton Head, where they both had rented condos. “What kind of vacation is it when you sit in traffic wherever you go?”
“It’s the golf. People will put up with anything to play on a good course. Speaking personally, this would get real old, real quick for me. Are you sure this is a good idea, Ricky?”
“The Italian restaurant part or the fact that we’re on a bona fide date?”
Roxy worked at the stray hairs escaping the bun in her hair as traffic started to move. “The date part. You hated my guts and I hated yours and here we are working side by side for six months and now suddenly, we’re out on a date. Why?”
“Why not? You have to eat, I have to eat. Why can’t we do it together? People usually go out to dinner on a date. That hate thing…I never hated you. I guess I never really understood what it was all about. Of course most of the time back then I was either stoned or drunk. It seems like a lifetime ago. This might also be a good time to ask you why you told Philly I was stalking you. I wasn’t, Roxy. In my mind, I was chasing you the way a guy chases a girl. I liked you and wanted to go out with you. That’s how I remember it. Are you sure you want to talk about this, Roxy?”
Roxy fiddled with the gold chain around her neck. She looked like she was a million miles away. Her voice was low, almost hushed when she replied. “That wasn’t how I saw it back then. I really thought you were stalking me. No matter where I went, you were there. I changed my phone number three times, and you still managed to get it and call me. You would show up everywhere I went. You started to scare me. I really did believe you were stalking me. Two different perspectives here. The sad part is, Philly believed me and not you.” Roxy sighed.
“I try to bury stuff I don’t want to talk or deal with, hoping it will go away. Of course it doesn’t. It just hangs out there until one day you pop. You’re worried about the book and the movie, aren’t you? They’re going to drag everything out. Past, present, Philly, me, your parents, the boys’ parents, Reba. God, I hate that sniveling little weasel Dicky Tee. I just hate it when someone makes money off someone else’s misery in the guise of entertainment.”
“I feel the same way. I’m going back to L.A. next week, Roxy. You can hold the fort, can’t you?”
“Of course I can hold the fort. Are you going because of the book and movie, or are you going for…other reasons?”
“The whole ball of wax. I have to resolve this thing with Philly in my own mind. It haunts me. I need to understand what drove my brother, what secrets he was hiding, and he was hiding something. His strange marriage to you, his whole attitude concerning me. Did he really hate me or did he care about me? What did he do besides invest my money? Nothing seems to compute. For my own peace of mind, I need to know. Where’s his stuff, Roxy? I need to see his stuff. Why are you so reluctant for me to see his things?”
“What stuff are you talking about? Do you mean his clothes and personal belongings?”
“No, his stuff. Did he keep his books, his records at home? I’m talking about all his/my business records. Where did he keep them? Is it possible he kept an office somewhere we don’t know about? I want to find those things. I want to be able to see my brother’s life. In some respects now, he’s someone who passed through my life that I never got to really know. I want to know my brother. It’s that simple.”
“Ricky, about fifteen years ago Philip told me his quarters were off-limits to me. I didn’t know it at the time, but that’s when he must have found out I changed the beneficiary on the insurance policies. The first I heard of it was at the reading of the will. I swear to you, Ricky, I never knew he knew what I had done. Philly had his lawyer, Andreadis, send me a letter at the time, do you believe that, telling me not even to think about entering that room. The really weird thing is I wasn’t the least bit curious and I don’t know why. I think I started to get a little scared of Philly right around that time. I had all kinds of nightmares about what might be hidden in that room. I never even gave a thought to the fact that he had found out about the insurance policies. He had a Medeco lock put on his office door, and he had the only key. He not only changed the lock, he changed the damn door. It’s solid teak. At one time Philip had a bunch of different safe-deposit boxes. I don’t know where the keys are, and my name wasn’t on them.
“Philly didn’t trust anyone. He had good reason not to trust me, b
ut I don’t think he trusted even his lawyer. He was very secretive, Ricky. I’m not telling you something you don’t already know. I can give you the key to the house, and you can do whatever you want. The will’s been through probate, so I guess you can break down the door to his office if you want. He also had a post office box. Don’t ask me why.”
“Why did you do it, Roxy? Why did you change the name of the beneficiary on those insurance policies?”
“Why? Because even though he provided for me and Reba, I was afraid that it was all going to end when he died. I didn’t expect him to die so young. I used to have nightmares of being old and penniless, even a bag lady. I think that’s every woman’s secret nightmare. It was a stupid thing I did, and I deserved to get caught. Everything I did in regard to your brother was stupid. But he cheated me, too. I didn’t know about his…problem. Philly wasn’t interested in sex. As far as I know there wasn’t a thing in this world that could turn your brother on. I learned that the first week of our marriage. Finally, I just accepted it. If you ever find out all the things you want to know about your brother, I’d like to know what his problem was. Things like that take a psychological toll on a gal.
“Ricky, if all this comes out in that exposé book, it could hurt Reba. She’s going to be an excellent surgeon, and medical schools and hospitals care about people’s reputations. That weasel, Dicky Tee, can spin and spin, and we won’t recognize the story in the end. You have to consider your sons and their families, too. It will turn into a circus.”
“Philly was an expert at covering up and paying off. My thinking at the moment is, take the bull by the horns and beat them to the punch.”
Crown Jewel Page 8
