Honor Thy Mother & Thy Father Ch. 14

"Patricia, you have to learn when to stop lying. I'll give you credit for the Corvette. I'll give you credit for learning to drive this monstrosity. I'll even give you credit for the barn. However, no one can memorize three huge cookbooks down to every detail."

"What are you willing to bet Brad? There is a computer console by that desk. Turn it on and bring up any recipe from Anne Burrell's cookbooks published before 1995. If you win, I will give you $100,000. If I win you walk home, because I get the Corvette."

"It's over 22 miles to my house."

"I hate using other people's words to hang them, but in this case, I am going to enjoy it. ' I run every morning, and I lift weights every evening.' I believe that's what you said, isn't it Brad?"

"I run to the mailbox and back."

Patricia could not help laughing, at the look on his face, and his confession. "I guess you do not want to bet the Corvette?"

"My grandmother would kill me if I did. She is lethal with a rolling pin.

63. Confusion

"Mister Free, this is Marie Mobley. I picked up something on Patricia. I don't know if it's important or not, but you told me to give you anything I found, so here it is."

"Give me a second Marie; I want to write this down."

"Patricia made two $100,000 bank transfers, from Las Vegas. One went to her bank in Alexandria, Virginia, and one went to her bank in Seattle, Washington. I think she's playing with us, Mister Free. These banks could not be any further apart if she wanted them to be."

Michael laughed. "I know it's not funny Marie, but I wish that woman would do something illegal, so I could arrest her. If she transferred that amount of money outside the country that would have been illegal, but banks to bank, in the states, she is as legal as apple pie."

"I told you Mister Free, most of the time she was smarter than our instructors. We are not going to find her, until she wants to be found."

"Please keep trying for me, Marie. My people didn't pick up on the bank transfers yet. You are one person and you did it. You know, Patty better than we do."

"Thank you Mister Free, the check was overly generous. I could not believe the amount when I saw it."

"Patty charges us $1.4 million a day for her services, and she is worth every penny. She also does many things for us without charging. What we gave you is a pittance compared to what she charges us."

"I do not consider a six-figure check a pittance Mister free. Stephen was even impressed with it."

"I'm glad Marie; I will talk to you again soon."

He had barely settled the phone on the desk, when it rang again, and Stephano was on the line.

"Michael, she was not at her college, or MIT. I went to the archdiocese and they had nothing on record about her. Where the hell did she disappeared to, do you have any news?"

"Yes, Stephano, I just got off the phone with a friend of hers, and it's not good. She transferred a large amount of money, from Las Vegas to a bank in Virginia. She also transferred the same amount of money to a bank in Seattle, Washington. Her friend says she is playing with us, and I could not agree more. I would bet you she is using something we cannot trace to live on; probably something like a Bearer Bond or in a tax-free annuity that would take us years to track down. Why is that woman so hardheaded and smart?"

"Why do you think I left, Michael? She drove me crazy. I could not think straight, when I was near her. She is the devil reincarnate, and I love her desperately. When I see her, I am going to beat the shit out of her."

"Stephano, a word of warning, she is carrying a gun."

"Michael, are you out of your fucking mind? You gave a gun to a bomb with no fuse."

"She has a very long fuse, Stephano. It just doesn't exist, when you are near her."

"Where can I buy one of those bulletproof suits that this president wears?"

"I can't tell you, Stephano. It is a trade secret, unless you go down to Caracas, Venezuela, and ask for a man by the name of Carlos. Give him a $50 bill folded in quarters, inside out. Tell him your name is Jefferson and you want to see Mister Grant."

"There must be 10,000 Carlos is in Caracas, Michael. How would I know which one is the right one?"

"I would suggest you bring $10,000-$50 bills, Stephano."

"You would not make it as a standup comedian, Michael. That joke was as lame as any I have ever heard."

"I am telling you the truth, Stephano, she carries a gun, and if you piss her off again, she will not be responsible for her actions. There will be too many people to testify against you in court, and she will be found not guilty."

"Michael has anyone contacted her father?"

"I haven't, because I do not want to worry him unnecessarily. I do not think she is suicidal, and she just wants to be left alone. She sent him a note before she left, and explained what she was going to do. I am sure if he was worried he would have contacted me by now."

"With everything that happened, I think I will give him a call. I owe him that much."

Jemma said, "Hello."

"Hello Jemma, this is Stephano." CLICK

Stephano looked at his phone, and saw the connection had gone dead. He hit redial and Jemma said, "Hello."

"Hello Jemma, this is Stephano." CLICK

Stephano had to figure out another plan to get through to Jemma that he needed to speak to them, and apologize. He called Michael and asked him to clear the way for him. It was an excruciating hour, before Michael called him back.

"Boy, you owe me big time, and I mean really big time. If you fuck this thing up with Patricia, William is not only going to kill you, but he is going to come after my family and me. You know him better than I do, and you know he can do it. He is waiting for your call. If he calls me back and orders me to kill you, I will do it to save my family. If he gets them, I don't care what happens to me, but I will get you, before I die."

"I swear to you Michael, I will make this work, or I will die trying. Goodbye!"

As he waited for William Zabo to pick up the phone, Stephano started to perspire. He knew William was doing this on purpose, and he was getting the reaction he wanted.

When he finally picked up the phone Stephano said, "Hello William, and yes, I am sweating from head to foot."

William responded, "You are lucky you are not standing in front of me, or you would be bleeding from head to foot."

"I know what you are feeling, but if you can help me find her, I will do my best to make everything right. I don't know what Michael told you, but both my father and mother are so pissed off at me for what I did to Patricia they are barely talking to me. When my mother's saw me, she smacked me. My father gave a lecture that I will not soon forget. I thought I was smarter than both of them, but it turns out that I am the dumbest one in the family."

"Where are your father and mother, now?"

"They have them hidden away at some joint military base in Louisiana. The damn place is huge."

"Is there a way I can contact him?"

"You have to go through the FBI switchboard, but I think you need Michael's permission to do it."

"I believe I know where my daughter is. If you hurt her, I am going to put you into a wood chipper, feet first, and watch you go in slowly. I want you to picture that before I tell you, Stephano, because it will be something you will remember, until your heart stops beating."

"I get the picture William, and I am willing to take that chance. I want her for my wife. I want to fight with her for eternity, because she is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I did not realize that she is what I wanted and needed in my life, until my father and mother berated me like I was a child."

"She has that effect on people Stephano. She did it to me on the airplane, if you remember. If you want her, you had better be ready to fight like hell, because she is going to bite your head off, the first time she sees you."

"If she only goes after my head, and leaves the important parts alone, I will be a lucky man."

"Did you ever buy her an engagement ring?"

"No, but I still have the wedding set."

"If you want to be smart and ward off any evil spirits that she has around her, a good size diamond ring, and a heartfelt proposal, while you are kneeling down, might help the situation."

"I don't want to bribe her William."

"Why would you consider it a bribe, Stephano? Every young man who asks a woman to marry him gives the young woman an engagement ring, and asks her, with his heart on his sleeve, for hand in marriage."

"I got your message William. Now tell me what you think she is."

"I think she went home to see her mother. I know it sounds absurd, but that is where I think she went. What is left of her heart is there, and if she needs to cry, or think, I believe that is where she would go. Jemma and I leave for New York on Thursday to see an old friend and visit his restaurant. Call me on my cell phone if I am right."

"Thank you William, I will be leaving Boston shortly, and heading to Glens Falls. I should be there by late tonight or early in the morning."

"Just a reminder Stephano, if you hurt her, your ass is mine."

"If I hurt her, I will make sure I am not hard to find."

Stephano made a quick stop at E.J. Horn Jewelers; told the associate what he wanted, and told him he needed it 'NOW!'

The associate said, "We cannot possibly do this in such a short time."

Stephano said, "According to your ad on the Internet, you are one of the largest jewelry dealers in Boston. You have staff on site to make and repair jewelry. You can't make one ring in the next hour. My lawyer will contact you tomorrow morning. Consider yourself being sued for $10 million, depending on his attitude. He is hell, when he has not had his coffee in the morning."

"Who is your attorney sir?"

"My attorney is Steven Cassel, of Cassel, Kingman, Blue, and Alexander. You can call them to verify if you'd like."

"Let me get my manager, please."

"Sir, my manager said your ring will be ready in 40 minutes. May I get you coffee, tea, or soft drink?"

"No thank you, I want you to begin the paperwork for the certification of the diamond, and the price of the ring. I am going to give you a check, and you are going to have to call the bank to verify that is good. Let's get everything moving, so I can get on the road."

"Yes sir Mister Valentino, I will start right away."

Before the stone and setting were completed the associate came back with the finished paperwork.

"Mister Valentino, here is the GIA certification on the diamond, the warrantee for the ring, and the setting. If you bring in once every year for us to check it, we will guarantee the diamond will not be lost from the setting for five years. The price of the ring is $36,800. Mister Cassel is a good customer of ours. He spoke to our manager, and warned him to treat you well. Our manager has given you a 30% discount on your purchase. The total price of the ring is $25,760. We do not have to verify your check. Mister Cassel said it is good."

"Thank your manager very much; here is your check, and find out how much longer on the ring, please."

10 minutes later Stephano was in his rented car, heading for New York.

64. Two Men and the Little Lady!

It was either a much shorter ride then he thought, or his foot was a lot heavier on the gas pedal then he realized. He arrived in Glens Falls just after 9 PM, checked into the local hotel, and asked the clerk if he knew where the Parent ranch was.

The clerk said, "Yes, there was a big fire out there a few days ago. The whole place was destroyed."

Stephano's heart dropped into his stomach. He asked the clerk if anyone was injured.

"Yes, some idiot woman was trying to fight the fire with a garden hose, and she got caught in it, when the barn exploded."

"What happened to her?"

"They rushed her to the hospital, but I don't know what happened to her after that. On my days off I go fishing and I don't read the newspapers, because they are just depressing."

"Where is the hospital?"

"Take the road in front of the hotel for about five minutes; it'll be on your left-hand side."

"Where is the ranch?"

The clerk took a local map, and drew the route for Stephano to follow. He said it would take him 15 minutes to get there, and if it took him more than 20 minutes, he had gone too far.

Stephano followed route, and drove slowly for the last few miles. He smelled the burnt remains of the barn, before he saw the gate to the property, and pulled off the road. He turned off the car. The gate was open, so he walked down the long driveway, past the barn, towards the lights, he saw burning behind it. He knocked on the door of a huge motorhome, and waited.

He heard Patricia yell, "Bradley, go home. I do not entertain men at night."

Stephano was shocked, when she mentioned another man's name. He sucked up his pride and said, "I am not Bradley; I bring you greetings from your father."

Patricia thought she recognized the voice, but between the air conditioner humming and the microwave heating up her dinner, she was not sure. She threw on a robe, turned off the alarm, and opened the door. When she saw Stephano standing there, she screamed, "NO," and fainted.

Stephano scrambled up the steps, trying to catch her, before she hurt herself. He was able to keep her head from hitting the floor. He pulled the handle on the door to close it. He picked Patty up, and carried her to the bedroom. He put her into her bed, went to the kitchen, wet a towel, and returned to see how she was.

He used the towel to wet her face and neck, and waited patiently for her to return to consciousness.

As her eyes started to flutter, he smiled at her and said, "I guess you're surprised to see me."

"Get out of my home, before I call the police."

"I have come 3000 miles to apologize for my behavior. Can I at least tell you what I have on my mind before I go?"

"How did you find me?"

"All of your college friends, the FBI, and your father are looking for you to make certain you are alright. You scared a lot of people when you left so suddenly. You have an awful lot of friends, whether you believe it or not. This world is not made up of villains, like my father and his cohorts. It is not made up of total idiots and fools like me, either. There are some very fine people out there, and you left them very confused and very anxious about your health and well-being. When I arrived here tonight, the clerk at the hotel told me there was an explosion here at your ranch and you were taken to the hospital. I thought you were dead. I thought my last chance to apologize to you had been taken away from me. If I could take back the words I said to you, I would, but I can't because they are already out in the universe.

When my mother was told what I said to you, she smacked me. My mother has not hit me, since I was 12 years old. I told her I was going to my room and climbing under my bed, which is what I used to do when I was a child. She said she hoped the bed was hit by lightning. My mother is very angry with me, and she let me know that in no uncertain terms. She said, "I had let the best thing that ever happened to me, slip through my fingers."

My father lectured me on ethics, and I told him that the conversation was going in the wrong direction. I was the one with the education, not him.

He said I was wrong. I had only learned from books, he had learned from life. He told me if he had learned his lesson one crime sooner, your mother would still be alive. Your friend would not have been killed driving your car, and 39 of your friends, at the university, would still be alive. He also told me I would never have met you. I never would have grown up. You are the one who made me grow up, Patty. I never grew up, until I met you. I thought I knew it all, but I didn't. I had the best of everything from the word go. I could have whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted it. I never had to struggle for anything, until I met you. You started my real education. I was amoral, and you made me moral. I didn't care how I got things done. I watched you, and you made me realize that it was very important to get it done right. You had me in a position of weakness. You could have taken advantage of me, or had me killed in an instant. You and your father could have beaten and starved me to the point of death, but you didn't. You didn't, because it was the wrong thing to do. What did I do to you in return; I cut your heart out. I returned to the bastard I was, before I met you, before I learned the lessons you taught me. Why, because I was angry with you for leaving me behind. You were leaving me, and I couldn't stand it. I was an angry child, and I threw a temper tantrum, as any five-year old would. You were going to Washington, and didn't tell me when you were coming back. You made it sound like you didn't care, you were leaving me behind. I was furious with you. I realize now it was just another lesson in my growing up. I don't know if you can ever forgive me for what I did to you, but I am going to try it one more time, before you kick me out of your home.

Stephano rolled off Patty's bed, reached in to his pocket and took out the ring. He held out in front of her and said, "Patricia Garrett Parent, will you please forgive me, and consent to be my wife?"

Patty looked at him in stunned silence. When she gathered her wits about her, she screamed, "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU PUT ME THREW? I never wanted to see you again."

Stephano replied, "Yes, I know, everything I did, and I was in absolute idiot. BUT YOU ARE NOT BLAMELESS EITHER PATRICIA! You are a pain in the ass and you glory in it. You enjoyed doing that to me in the hospital. Furthermore, you enjoyed doing that to me in public. You could have taken me aside and explained it a lot better than you did, but you wanted to show everyone that you had complete control over me. Don't you lay there so smug, and say I am wrong, because you and I know damn well I am right."

"Stephano, why should we get married when we know we are going to torture each other for the rest of our lives. Go find someone else who is more docile than I am."

"I don't want docile, I want you. Your father and mother fought all the time, until they had to separate. Now it is my turn, and I want you, because I love you. I don't know where your gun is, but there are only two ways I am leaving here tonight. One is with this ring on your finger, and you agree to marry me. I promised to call your father, after you said yes. The second way is in a body bag, after you shoot me, and the police carry me away because I am dead. Those are your two choices, they are also mine. I don't want to live without you, Patty. I believe I would go crazy thinking about you every day, and not having you by my side."

"I don't want to have any children."

"Patty, we are Catholic, when we get married we cannot use contraceptives."

"You have been using them since you figured out what to do with a girl. All of a sudden you have had a change of heart?"

"I told you before, I was an amoral person, and you have made me moral."

"Change back."

"I can't do that, because I love you."

"If you love me change back."

"I can't change back because I love you, and the church won't let me."

"You are so full of shit it is coming out of both of your ears, and your mouth at the same time."

"Patty, "Say yes, I will marry you."

"Stephano, I will not marry you."

"Patty, don't make me change my mind about item number three on my wish list."

"What was item 3 on your wish list Stephano?"

"Item 1 was to get you to marry me. Item 2 was to fuck you silly. Item number 3 was to spank that glorious ass of yours. You said to me in the hospital, I could not pass go, or collect my $200, until I got past items 1 and 2, and you walked away from me, while you were gloating. If you continue arguing with me, I will postpone items one and two for a later date. I will begin with number 3 now, if you do not agree to marry me."