Big Daddy Sinatra: There Was a Ruthless Man(55)

“Michigan?”

“That’s the place.”

Jenay was a little let down that he was going to be on the road again, but that was apparently the nature of his business. “I see.” She began to remove the bacon from the pan.

“Just for a few days,” Charles felt a need to add. He was so unaccustomed to telling anyone, even his own sons, of his every move, but he wanted Jenay to know. For some reason he needed her to know.

“Well,” Jenay said as she looked back at him with a smile, “you know where I’ll be.”

That warmed Charles’s heart. That smile of hers. He looked down, at her bare legs beneath his shirt, and began to feel an erection coming on. But then he heard the front door of his home open and close, and then his youngest son, who could always smell good food a mile away, came waltzing in.

“Dad?” Donald yelled.

“Kitchen,” Charles replied.

“They said you were back in town,” Donald said as he entered the kitchen and walked toward his father.

“Who said I was back in town?” Charles asked.

“Those gossiping biddies at the club.” He placed his arm around his father’s shoulder. “They told Susan about it.”

Charles looked at his son. “How is Susan?”

“She’s okay. She’s . . .” Then Donald looked at Jenay, and a frown appeared on his face. “So who’s she?” he asked. “Another one of your whores?”

Charles grabbed his son by the catch of his shirt, and punched him hard across his chin. Donald fell back into the stools and landed on his rump. Jenay, astounded by the sudden outbreak of violence, didn’t realize her mouth was gaped open and her hand was on her heart. She looked from the son, to Charles. His wavy hair was now hanging over his forehead, and he was pointing at his downed son. “Don’t you ever, and I mean ever speak of her that way again.”

“I didn’t know,” Donald said as he began to stand back up. To Jenay’s amazement, he seemed accustomed to his father’s outburst. He didn’t seem angry about it at all. “I didn’t know she was different,” he added.

“Now you know,” Charles said. “So cut that shit out here and now.”

Donald nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“And apologize to Miss Franklin. That’s her name. Jenay Franklin. And don’t you forget it.”

Donald looked at Jenay. She could tell he didn’t want to apologize at all. “I didn’t mean any disrespect, Miss Franklin,” he said. “I thought. . .” He glanced at his father. Then he looked at her again. “I apologize,” he said.

Jenay didn’t know how to respond to that. It all unfolded so fast. But she certainly wasn’t ready to forgive and forget. If she made it that easy, that kind of disrespect would undoubtedly happen again. Especially with Charles out of town so often. So she didn’t say anything. She turned back around, and tended to her breakfast.





CHAPTER SEVENTEEN



One Week Later



A Land Rover SUV stopped at the seldom-used side entrance at Jericho Inn. Paige, the driver, got out, and Beatrice, the passenger, followed her. Beatrice knocked, and soon the door was opened by Edna, the housekeeping supervisor. She ushered them in and then escorted them, unseen, to her ground floor office.

“Where is she now?” Beatrice asked as they entered her tiny office.

“In your old office,” Edna said.

“What about Meg?” Paige asked.

“In the office too. She’s reviewing files.”

“How long has she been there?” Beatrice asked.

“She just started,” Edna said. “Don’t worry. I’ve been watching her.”

“So what’s the conclusion?” Paige wanted to know. “A good time, or no?”

“Perfect time,” Beatrice said. “It’s Meg’s job to check at the end of each day. Nobody else has any business in that room. If she just started reviewing files, it’ll be hours before she even thinks about doing anything else.”

“And I’ll keep an eye out if she gets on the move,” Edna assured the ladies. “If it appears she’s heading anywhere near there, I’ll distract her. There’s nothing to worry about. She won’t know a thing.”

Paige smiled. “Then what are we waiting for?”

Beatrice and Edna glanced at each other. This might have been fun time for Paige, who was a woman of means in this town and would easily get out of this unscathed, but it was risk time for them.

“What’s the matter?” Paige asked, when she saw their resistance.

“This is a big deal, Paige,” Beatrice reminded her.