My Son's Best Friend

As he turned towards me his face showed signs of sadness. "Can you arrange a meeting with Baxter for this afternoon?"

I looked at him, "Doug or Douglas, which would you prefer." He told me whatever I felt comfortable with. Calling him Douglas had become a habit, even then as I looked at him I was still seeing the eighteen year old boy who kept staring at my breasts. So Douglas it remained.

Baxter's secretary said he was not available that afternoon, when I shook my head at Douglas he took the phone from me. He introduced himself to Baxter's secretary as a close friend, and asked her when it would be convenient for Mr. Baxter to make contact. Baxter's secretary couldn't say when Mr. Baxter would be available to speak with us; that's when Douglas set Baxter up. "When it's convenient, ask Mr. Baxter to call Wallace, Clyde and Jones in California, and speak to Mr. Wallace, Mrs. Kent's attorney."

Two minutes after putting the phone down, it rang. Douglas picked it up, introduced himself, then listened, I heard him say "Let's make it half past, okay, thank you, goodbye." A smile crossed his face when he told me we had an appointment at 3:30 that afternoon. Just before we left for Baxter's office, Douglas took another call on his mobile. He listened and took a few notes, not saying a word as Wallace; his attorney; imparted the information he needed. I couldn't tell from his face whether the news was good or bad, but he finally said, "Appreciate it, thanks, talk to you later."

While waiting in the outer office Douglas checked his messages, finally Baxter invited us in and directed us to two armchairs already placed in front of his desk. He took up his usual position behind it. "How can I help you?"

"When you last spoke with Mrs. Kent you said that her husband was deep in debt. You also said she would have to sell her house and the cars, yet you never told her how much was owed neither did you tell her the debt was possibly cancelled with the death of her husband."

"Mr. Masters I can assure you that legally the debt cannot be cancelled as a result of her husband death."

"Okay now we need to know how much was borrowed, and what is the amount to be paid back?"

"Sorry Mr. Masters that information is confidential."

"Then how do you expect to collect your money?"

"Mrs. Kent will sign over the house, cars and the money paid out by the insurance company for the accident, and I will pass the money over to the company concerned."

"That Mr. Baxter is not going to happen. Thinking out loud and plucking a few figures from the air, let's say Matthew Kent borrowed say, $250,000 and the loan company is asking for $500,000, and you were a director of that company, wouldn't that be a conflict of interests?"

The blood drained from Baxter's face. "Who the hell are you?"

Douglas handed him his business card. "I can understand you wanting your money back and I will agree to an additional $50,000 making it a total of $300,000."

"I'm sorry Mr. Masters that is definitely not acceptable."

Douglas dialed a number on his mobile. "Ron-power-down." As soon as he said it, all the screens on Baxter's computers went blank. "Oh dear that's unfortunate let's hope it hasn't spread to your partners company. If it lasts longer than four hours it could scrub everything out of all yours and your partner's machines, then you can take us to court for your money. You know where to reach me."

About an hour after we got home the front door bell rang, a rather large, smartly dressed, distressing looking gentleman was standing back from the door; parked in the road blocking the driveway was a black limo. "May I speak with Mr. Masters please?" I nodded, closed the door and went looking for Douglas to tell him that there was a dangerous looking man at the front door, asking for him. "Could we have a word in private please?" Douglas invited him in and I followed both men into the sitting room. He looked at me, turned to Douglas. "My name is Di Marco; may I speak with you in private please?" Douglas told him that anything he had to say he could say in front of me. "I understand on your advice Mrs. Kent has refused to honor a debt."

Douglas told him that we offered to pay $300,000 that's what was borrowed plus twenty percent. We were not prepared to pay $500,000 he considered that extortion. We are prepared to go to court if necessary, but somehow Douglas didn't think that would happen. He asked Mr. Di Marco if had checked with his office? "I know what you're referring to, and you are playing a very dangerous game."

"We are playing a dangerous game, but Vivian and I can only lose our lives. You on the other hand can not only lose your total organization and possibly your life, but at this time, you and all your colleagues have no money, all your accounts have been emptied. Unfortunately you can't check your holdings on a computer but you can make telephone calls to your various banks. Oh and one other thing, if anything happens to either of us, all your files, your partners files, your customer and suppliers files will be sent to the papers and FBI. You also need to consider the fact; that if your vulnerability becomes public knowledge, how do you think that information will be received by your peers? "You can also inform Baxter that he will never be able to use a computer again. He can change his name, his e-mail address, his premises, and move to a new location but within the hour he will be tracked down and shut down. The only way he will be able to operate will be by a paper trail.

An angry looking man made several phone calls; only for his face to get redder and redder finally he collapsed in a chair and turned to Douglas. "You win, now I suppose you want me to cancel the debt?"

"No I just want you to accept what is fair $300,000. I'm a business man and expect to be paid for my services. Vivian's husband took out loans and she has been forced to take responsibility for their repayment. To repay them she has to sell her house and cars, which is going to take time, for which I'm not expecting to see any interest added. Do we have a deal?"

"Yes we do, providing you reinstate everything you've taken and I mean everything, including Baxter's files."

"Okay I'll agree, however, I will be retaining copies of the information just in case you decide to do something about it afterwards."

"Mr. Masters I can assure you, that neither of you will have cause for concern, we've have an agreement which satisfies us both, so you don't have to worry. My only request is that you reinstate everything while I'm here."

Douglas once again informed him that he would be retaining copies of all the information and if anything happens to anybody associated with him or his company, that information would become public knowledge. "I appreciate you saying we don't have to worry, but I can't tell whether you're telling us the truth or stringing us along, and I am not one who takes chances. Now I'm being straight with you over this matter and if you're straight with us then neither of us has anything to worry about." Douglas moved to another room and made his telephone call. He told Ron everything was fine and asked him to reinstate all files but keep copies and waited for confirmation that everything had been downloaded. Returning to the sitting room, Douglas suggested to our visitor that he make his call to ensure all his files had been reinstated. Once he was satisfied everything was back to normal, he drove off in his limo.

We both collapsed in a chair, the relief was obvious, especially for Douglas, since he was the main protagonist, while I just watched. Seeing the man and the way Douglas stood up to him, made me think my life may just be coming to an end. He looked over in my direction. "Have you anything to drink?"

"Tea, coffee: perhaps something a little stronger?"

"Perhaps something a lot stronger if you have it." I went off and found a three quarter full bottle of Jack Daniels in a kitchen cabinet, picking up two glasses returned to the sitting room and poured out two large measures. I don't normally drink spirits but that afternoon I made an exception.

"Well I think we've covered everything, unless you want me to stay for anything else, I really should fly back to California tomorrow." My heart sank and I burst into tears. Douglas had been so supportive, I had almost forgotten about the funeral and I think my deep feelings for him had just been in hibernation. He sat on the arm of the chair and put his arm around my shoulder to console me. "Come on Viv please don't cry, how about if you return to California with me?"

Douglas thought about it, when I reminded him that I had to stay to sell the house. "Do you remember what Baxter said about you signing over the house and cars to him, well why don't we do that? You sign over the house and the cars, let him have the worry of selling them. In fact if you come to live at my place you won't need your furniture, let them have that as well. We can make a list of everything you would like to take, which as far as I am concerned must include Troy's computer. It has special software that I have been unable to improve on and I don't want it falling into their hands."

"It's not that Douglas, I would like to live in California and stay with you. I thought about your offer and honestly, I had every intention of taking you up on it, also I would love to return to California with you, but I don't trust Baxter."

"Viv, think about it. If you sign everything over, as far as you are concerned the debt will be paid in full. Do you think Baxter will do anything silly after today's demonstration? We will ask that his partner be present, and Baxter will never cross him, because he is the one who makes all the decisions."

I did as Douglas asked because everything he'd done so far has worked out fine, but I was not happy about our dealings with Baxter. Douglas suggested, that if I wasn't happy about going to California, I should tell him before things went too far and got out of hand. "Only if you want to travel back with me, go and make a list of those things you want to keep, including the odd piece of furniture if you wish. We can arrange for your items to be sent separately, however, because there isn't sufficient room at the house, the main bulk of your furniture must remain here as part of the sale. Something else you will have to consider is your husband and Troy's personal things, some of which you may wish to keep, however, their clothes can be given to charity. In the meantime I'm going to phone Baxter."

Douglas caught Baxter just as he was leaving for the day and explained his plan. Baxter was suspicious of Douglas's intentions but agreed to call his partner and try to arrange a meeting for the following morning. We both worked late into the night deciding what to take, what to leave behind and what to donate to charities. We spent a lot of time together in my bedroom sorting through mine and my husband's things. In my dressing table mirror I noticed he kept stealing glances, while I sorted through my lingerie. I on the other hand kept glancing at the bed, wondering, perhaps hoping, that's where we would end up together. But when we called it a night, I alone occupied my bed, while Douglas slept in Troy's room.

There was no waiting in the reception area. On our arrival; we were ushered directly into Baxter's office where he, and the gentleman who paid us a visit the previous day, were already waiting. Both Baxter and his partner shook Douglas's hand but never offered me the same courtesy. We were directed towards a couple of chairs positioned around the attorney's desk. Douglas immediately took charge.

"When I go back to California I am not leaving Mrs. Kent here alone, I am taking her with me she has agreed to become my housekeeper. It would be awkward and result in delays if she was still expected to sell the house and cars from there. So based on something Mr. Baxter said yesterday, if Mrs. Kent sign's over the cars and house, with most of the furniture in situ, it would mean the debt is paid in full. You would have total control over the sale with its selling price probably exceeding $300,000."

I got the impression Mr. Di Marco was not happy with Baxter, giving him a look that even I shuddered at, he then turned his attention to Douglas. He stared at him for what must have been at least a minute. I assumed he was considering his offer. "Mr. Masters you have been very fair, you had an advantage which you never really exploited but I know you could have. I will agree for Mrs. Kent to sign over the house, cars and furniture to pay off the debt in full, if that's agreeable to her." He looked for my approval which I gave. Inside I was ecstatic, my stomach was turning summersaults, and my heart was racing. "Mr. Baxter will raise the necessary documentation today and you can both come in tomorrow morning to sign it. Is that acceptable?"

Douglas agreed, then went on to say, "One thing, we are currently making a list of the things Mrs. Kent wants to keep and take with her, its incomplete but it will give you an idea of the type of things she taking. It also lists those items which we are donating to charities, like clothes and such, but again it is incomplete. This is the only list we have, so if you would like to make a copy, that's okay with us. Also if you would like to check the house just before we leave that's also fine with us."

The following day we signed the necessary documents in Baxter's office, then spent a further two days sorting through the house. For my immediate needs I packed two large suitcases full of clothes, to take with me on the flight. My hand luggage consisted of my purse; make up, perfume, what little jewelry I had, plus a few personal documents and other odds and ends. Several large wooden crates were dispatched by road including Troy's computer. However, not before Douglas removed the hard drive, which he kept with him, including other small devices on which Troy stored information.

We left for the airport in the early hours of Sunday morning, Douglas loaded our cases into the taxi's trunk and waited for me. Surprisingly there was no sadness as I turned to take one last look at the house, hoping that my life had been turned around for the better. We broke our journey, stopping at Baxter's office to drop off the house and car keys, before going on to the airport. Never having flown before, I was extremely nervous, and what made it worse, as we took our seats, they announced that take-off had been delayed. That didn't help, doing absolutely nothing to calm my nerves. Our flight from Chicago O'Hare to Los Angeles was uneventful landing just after midday, Douglas collected his car from the airport parking lot and we drove to the house.

Chapter 2

I must admit to being nervous as we drove through the double iron gates, although the house was empty since the staff didn't work weekends. Douglas told me he lived in a big house, this wasn't a big house, this, was a mansion. I began to wonder how a twenty five year old could afford to buy something like this. I was becoming more impressed with his success. He had gone up in my esteem the way he handled Baxter and Co, but now it had shot through the roof. His house must have been at least a half a mile and unseen from the road, shielded by a narrow strip of woodland. Finally Douglas pulled up in front of the house in a quadrangle similar in design to a Roman piazza, with a large fountain at its center. We parked alongside several steps leading up to the front door. It seemed the whole house was built on a two foot high flagstone plinth, with steps all the way around, or so it looked.

Douglas suggested leaving my cases in the car, which, after seeing me inside, he would collect and take up to my room. Carrying my purse I followed him up the steps, across the wide flagstone surface, to a massive carved wooden front door. Stepping into an impressive large marble entrance hall, I stood looking around. Above, a large landing serviced by a wide curving staircase, fabulous painted murals adorned a plaster ceiling. My imagination ran riot picturing myself floating down these stairs in the most luxurious evening gown.

He led the way upstairs carrying both of my suitcases, while I followed carrying just my hand luggage. Douglas hesitated at the first door to point out the master bedroom, which he obviously occupied. His room was situated at the front right corner of the house overlooking the front gardens. The room's large windows providing him with plenty of light, with a patio door leading out onto a balcony. We continued walking the whole length of an exceptionally wide corridor, until we reached the very last room. The corridor, referred to as the gallery, because every inch of free wall space down both sides was taken up with original paintings. Apparently my bedroom was the second largest, and located at the extreme far end, and was the furthest away from Douglas's. I had hoped to be closer to him, preferably in the next room, with adjoining doors, but it would seem he was keeping me at arm's length. Disappointed that my bedroom was situated at the back of the house, and being so far from his, began to sense feelings of loneliness. Perhaps his feelings for me had faded, in truth, over time; my feelings for him had also faded, with only the occasional thought of him flickering across my mind. But those old feelings soon came flooding back when he turned up for Troy's funeral.

Douglas dropped the cases, opened the door, and moved aside to allow me to enter. My disappointment soon faded, the room was magnificent. Furnished with a highly polished carved mahogany four poster bed; topped with a silk canopy, draped in matching silk curtains, and made up with satin sheets. On the floor, a fully fitted deep pile plain cream carpet. One wall was taken up by a closet with mirrored sliding doors, behind which were fitted two five drawer mahogany chest of drawers. Against another wall under a window was a huge dressing table, again polished carved mahogany matching the bed. There was an en-suite similar to those seen in the movies with a large marble tub with carved gold dragon taps and fittings. There was a separate large shower cubical also with gold fittings, his and her sinks set in a long marble top with cupboards beneath. The bathroom was bigger than my house's sitting room. One bedroom wall consisted of floor to ceiling picture windows with a patio door leading out onto a balcony, providing gorgeous views of extensive and carefully maintained gardens and swimming pool.

Douglas left, giving me time to unpack and put my things away, I felt alone, sad and tearful in this large, magnificent, but impersonal mansion. Eventually I wandered downstairs to look for the sitting room in which, he said, he would be waiting. Douglas found me wandering around, but not before stumbling across a well quipped gym, with exercise machines along one wall and an unused professional portable massage table; propped up in a corner. After poking my head around the doors of two large reception rooms, I finally, ended up in the library, where he came to my rescue. The sitting room, as with the rest of the house was magnificent, the main attraction an enormous ornate fireplace. Carved wooden panels lined the walls, adorned with fabulous oil paintings. Two matching white leather suites were spread around the room. A music center and large screen television mounted on a stand packed with electronic equipment stood in one corner. Directional speakers were strategically placed high up the walls, providing the room with around-sound.

After a guided tour of the house Douglas offered to show me the gardens. We left the house through French doors which led out onto a twenty foot wide flagstone patio, forming part of the houses plinth. A pergola, attached to the house's back wall and running its full length, jutted out fully covering the patio. Black and white grape vines trained up the pergola's support post provided shade. A considerable amount of growth, with small forming bunches of fruit, hanging from canes, covering the pergola's overhead framework, shielded a six place patio set from direct sunlight. In the corner stood a brick structure incorporating a barbecue unit, above which a hood with an attached chimney protruding through the overhead framework.