Annie nodded.
“So, I grew up in the lap of luxury. My mother, God rest her soul, made sure I went without anything. I was a spoiled rotten little kid, I can assure you. But my father would always bring me back down to earth when he saw how spoiled I was getting. You know, we had a sixty foot yacht with crew and all…”
Still do, actually.
“And he would take me fishing on an old wooden rickety bridge just outside of a town called Gordell. And we’d walk with our fishing poles over our shoulders through the little town. It was a really poor place, and it made me see how little others had. We’d do that a couple times a year. Once he took me to a small place in Mexico. We drove down. This was the poorest place I have ever seen. People were sick and drinking water from filthy polluted holes in the ground. I will never forget it. But this was the kind of stuff he did to make sure I didn’t lose my head in all of the wealth I was normally surrounded by. I suppose it worked.”
“The ironic thing was it made me appreciate things I had more than he expected. My mother died in nineteen ninety five. She had cancer. And all of my father’s money couldn’t save her from that. Then during nine eleven I watched the towers fall from my apartment right here in Manhattan. I could not believe what I was seeing. As soon as I came to my senses and I realized that this was going to mean war I went down and enlisted. I thought my father would have been proud of me. I was going to follow in his footsteps. But when I told him, he just shut down. He tried to explain to me that he intended for me to inherit the business and carry on the family fortune. But I was not listening. Oh, I heard him, but I just kept saying that I would take over when I got out. It was only a four year enlistment, after all. But he already knew he didn’t have four years. He was already sick. He just would not tell me. I don’t know why he wouldn’t. He was just like that. Never wanted anyone concerned over his health. He was a hard man. But I was acting like a spoiled punk again and said some really cruel things to him. I know I hurt him. I told him I didn’t want anything to do with his business, his money, or him. Looking back, I still don’t know why I said those things. I was an angry little shit.
“Anyway, like I told you at dinner yesterday he called me. He apologized for his silence and told me the business was still there for me to run when I got back. He told me how proud he was of me, and he left everything to me. Everything. And then I was taken in that firefight. The rest you know. I missed him by three months.”
“We still have about nine blocks to go,” Annie said quietly.
Kip scooted closer on the seat and put his arm around her. “You’re going to make me do this aren’t you?”
“Kip, you’ve agreed to have me write your biography. Like I’ve already told you, there is no way to do it unless I know it all.”
Kip looked down at his feet on the dirty cab floor. Annie moved in closer and kissed his cheek. “Kip, maybe it is time to open up about the things that bother you so much.”
“Annie, I’ve already told you I would tell you everything. I just want to make sure you don’t put it all in. Like I said yesterday.”
“And I agreed.”
Kip took a deep breath and examined his nails. “Okay, then.”
They arrived at four forty four Prescott Avenue and the cabby let them out. Annie led Kip into the building and up the stairs. The place was run down and there were kids playing in the halls and on the stairwells. The smell of cooking grease filled the place and a couple could be heard arguing a few floors up.
Kip followed her up the stairs. When they reached her floor she stopped in front of her apartment, which wasn’t far from the landing. She stood before the door a moment. Kip looked around the hall. He heard children laughing and playing, and mothers yelling at them. Their voices echoed throughout the hall. Finally Kip realized that Annie hadn’t moved as he looked about. She hadn’t even dug in her purse for her keys.
“Annie?” he said.
“Kip, something is wrong.”
“What is it,” he asked, moving closer to her and putting his hand on her shoulder. Then he saw what had her worried. Her door was ajar. And there were clear marks around the jamb where it had been forced open.
Kip pulled her back behind him and pushed the door open. Light flooded the dim hallway. Inside he could see that the apartment had been ransacked. The curtains were torn from the windows. The flat screen TV was torn from the wall and smashed atop the coffee table, a gaping hole on the wall where it had once been mounted. All of the pans, dishes and utensils were strewn about the entire kitchen area. Kip held his hand back, motioning Annie to stay put, as he entered the apartment.