Janet Silverton was still unpacking her things. She had only recently moved into her new Apartment she had rented at the Minion Plex. What brought her to the Minion was that Billy Bingo had become a person of interest to her.
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Informant, Bug Carlisle, was trying to get a friend Olivia Destone released from jail. She was potentially looking at up to five years in jail for a drug charge. Olivia had called up her friend Judge Haskel to pull strings for her, but his wife’s response to the call was that if she ever called again then Olivia could expect to be killed behind bars. So Olivia had to resort to using Bug Carlisle.
Bug Carlisle first went to Detective Face. Someone had told Bug that Detective Face was the one to approach since Detective Face had been the one to work the case of Kane Bishop’s death. Bug hoped to work out a deal for Olivia by giving Detective Face evidence that Billy Bingo was the one who killed Kane Bishop. He suggested that pictures exist of Billy Bingo being at the old Harris place shortly before Kane had been electrocuted by the VCR. Detective Face responded to the information by throwing Bug out of his office. As it happened Janet Silverton and her Aunt Tess Favor were in the police station doing some unrelated research for a book that Tess was writing and Bug fell right at their feet. Angrily he had got up to leave and didn’t realize a copy of a picture he had wanted to show Detective Face had fallen out of his pocket. No one noticed the picture until Tess went to pick up her pocketbook and the picture was laying right there. On the back of the picture was written:
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“Billy Bingo was at the Harris Home when Kane Bishop was electrocuted.”
Janet Silverton accessed the computer at the police station where she worked. She could find no mention of Billy in the normal databases. Her Aunt Tess mentioned a lesser known database she had seen mentioned on some hacker website. Reluctantly Janet used a backdoor to enter the database and Billy Bingo was mentioned there. That database listed Billy Bingo as a person of interest in the deaths of George Destone, Tommy Harris, Clarice Harris, and Kane Bishop. So Janet Silverton decided to follow Billy Bingo around. The problem was that Billy seemed to hardly go anywhere and the people who came and went from the Bingo home seemed perfectly law abiding people.
While she was watching Billy Bingo she decided she really liked the Minion Plex where Billy Bingo lived with his parents. An Apartment came open where she would have more space and a lower rent and so she quickly put up a deposit to rent the Apartment.
Janet continued unpacking when Lilly Coint knocked on her door. Janet opened the door.
Lilly said, “Hey neighbor, I am sorry I haven’t come to visit you sooner but I have been swamped at a new job. My name is Lilly Coint. My roommate Beth Jackson and I live upstairs from you.”
“Oh. Cool. Come on in. I’ve been sort of busy myself. I am still unpacking.”
“Have you met many people here yet.”
“No. I confess, sometimes I am rather socially backward. And speaking of socially awkward, by the way, my name is Janet Silverton.”
“So, Janet Silverton, do you have a boyfriend or girlfriend?”
Janet started to feel uncomfortable. Was this a neighbor or her Aunt Tess Favor in disguise bugging her about not having a social life? “I was joking the other night about looking for Prince Charming but I don’t know. Right now I guess I would be happy with a good fuck.”
“I do know what you mean. Sometimes I think it would be nice to meet that one special man to spend the rest of my life with, but… I don’t know. I do like good sex.”
Beth Jackson knocked on the door. Lilly screamed, “Beth, come on in.”
Beth entered the Apartment and said in a cheery, multiple syllable voice. “Hey-a-ey.”
“Hey roomy, this is Janet Silverton.”
Beth asked, “So, what are you two talking about.”
Lilly said, “Sex. Janet Silverton here isn’t getting any. Either!”
Beth said, “I wish Billy would get out of his funk over Rachel marrying Dirk. It would be so cool if we could have a three-way with him again.”
Janet asked, “Billy Bingo?”
“Yeah, do you know him?”
“I don’t know him. I think I heard someone else mention his name.” Janet looked at Lilly and then at Beth. “I think they mentioned something about him being involved in someone’s death or something.”
Lilly shrugged. “I don’t know what that would be about. Billy is cool. Sex with him was great but he was in love with Rachel and she married Dirk and so he has been in a funk.”
“So what does Billy do?”
“He hasn’t been doing anything lately but he works with Linda Webster and her son decorating and redoing homes. They do some really good work. All three of them have had some impressive reviews in various magazines.”
Beth said, “I think both Dirk and David Jenkins have offered him a job but he has turned them down. The Way family also offered him a job in New York where his sister Bess lives but he didn’t take it.”
“So what kind of job did they offer him?”
“Trouble shooting. Security. Detective work. Way different from what he does with the Websters.”
Janet laughed. “Oh, that would explain a lot.”
Lilly asked, “What?”
Janet fiddled with packing material while she was trying to think of something to say. Then she said, “I am a Police Officer and his being involved in security must be what the person I was talking with was talking about. And then I was looking at some file and…” Janet laughed. “I was thinking criminal rather than detective. Total face palm.”
Beth said, “Policewoman. Like Angie Dickinson in that old TV series. I am sure glad I didn’t invite you over to smoke pot.”
Janet frowned. “Damn. Don’t shut me out of your parties just because I have a badge.”
Lilly smiled. “No. I have a feeling we are going to be good friends. So what file were you looking at on Billy.”
“Oh, just silly shit. I should have known it was nothing since Detective Face was not interested in it.”
Lilly nodded. “Oh yeah, Billy and Detective Face and my half brother Raymond Bing, they go back. I haven’t always been that close to my half brother but from what I understand there was a rough period there. Some tragic shit went down in their childhood. Billy is younger than them but he is… I don’t know how to explain it.”
Beth said, “I think the best way to put it is that he is one of those larger than life people. He is very tough and yet there is something fragile. Like him and Rachel. I don’t know. Lilly is right. It is hard to explain.”
Lilly said, “Okay, when we first met Billy we were playing dodge ball. Grown. Not children. We were grown. But we like to play. Anyway, so Billy came over and he was sort of out of place. Socially awkward, like you mentioned you being at times. Still, he went with the flow. Anyway, then Dirk came and broke Rachel’s heart. Dirk was a total dick. None of us knew what to say to Rachel to try to make her feel better but Billy, who didn’t even know us, knew exactly how to help her.”
Janet said, “But then she went back to Dirk.”
Beth said, “Dirk is not a bad person. He was being blackmailed by Ralph Shath. And I think Billy always knew that Rachel would go back to Dirk but still Billy loves her.”
“Blackmailed?”
“Yeah, he was also going to try to blackmail Billy but that didn’t work. Billy didn’t give a fuck.”
“What was he being blackmailed about?”
“Dirk had sex with Bobby White.”
Lilly said, “I haven’t seen Bobby lately.”
Beth said, “He has moved to Hotville to work for his uncle and with his cousin. His uncle is the Mayor there.” Beth yawned. “Well, I guess we have intruded and gossiped long enough. It was good to finally meet you. And we will have to go out some time and hit the bars.”
Janet said, “Yeah. That sounds like a plan.”
After her guest had left, Janet got in the shower. “So Billy Bingo has been involved in detective work. And he also helps decorate homes. That is some more combination. He is total player; having sex with both Lilly and Beth. Yet he is capable of deep love. Interesting.”
After her shower Janet called her Aunt Tess. “Hey. I just found out that Billy may have been involved in the murders for the same reason you are involved in murders. I don’t know why that didn’t occur to us.”
Tess Favor said, “He is a writer?”
“No. He is involved in security, detective type work. The reason he has not been doing anything lately is that he is mending a broken heart.”
“Well, you know catching someone on the rebound never works out well.”
“I am not interested in trying to meet him or anything. I just thought I would catch you up on what I found out.”
Tess said, “I guess Billy must have had an interest in investigating crimes even as a child. You told me that the database showed he was a person of interest even in the murders of George Destone and Tommy Harris. He was young when those murders happened. He was hardly old enough to be a detective.”
Janet said, “If I remember what you said when I told you about that, your reaction was that he must have a person of interest as a witness and not a suspect.”
“Because of his age and what happened to him when he was young may be what caused him to become interested in becoming a detective.” Tess moaned in frustration, “Billy might still make the subject of a good story but if he did not kill Kane Bishop then I am not sure from what angle I could make the story come together.”
Janet asked, “Do you have any other story ideas?”
“A few. If you come up with anything on Billy or something else, let me know.”
“I will. Bye.”
“Bye.”
* * *
Tess Favor visited her niece Janet from Hotville. Tess sat down in the floor to help Janet sort through some of the boxes as Janet tried to decide what to unpack and what to send back with her Aunt to put in storage.
“Snooping on Billy and his parents I have felt sort of jealous.”
“How so?”
“Billy has been depressed over some girl and with my snooping I could see how his parents have worried over him. It looks like they have something special.”
Tess said, “I think you and I have something special. Have I not been a good Aunt?”
“Of course you have. Watching them caused me to wonder about my parents.”
“Your real parents or your adopted parents?”
“Both. Neither wanted me. I don’t even know why your sister, mom, wanted to adopt me.”
“Her husband at the time had some connection to your real mother. I don’t know the details. He was a biker and really sort of bad news but my sister loved him. Then he was murdered and she took up with Ned. She went from a marriage to a biker to a marriage to a missionary.”
“I think Ned hated me from the first moment he laid eyes on me. So mother put me off on you.”
“Honey, I know there were times I traveled a lot but please know I have always loved you. If not for my sister I would have loved to have adopted you and had you call me mom.”
“Are you hurt I have even thought about this? I love you like you are my mom.”
“Of course I am not hurt. It is understandable to sometimes think and wonder what if.”
“I guess. Just know that I am very grateful for what is and grateful for having you in my life. So what do you think of my place?”
“It is nice. I totally love what you have done with your boxes.”
Janet gave her Aunt Tess a slight, teasing punch to her arm. “You. You. I know. Boxes, boxes, boxes. So what do you say we leave these boxes and go sit by the pool. I will fix us drinks to take with us.”
“Ok.” Tess stood up from the floor. She walked over to the window and looked out toward the pool. “So who are those two rough housing at the diving board?”
Janet walked over to the window. “That is Frank and Maureen Bingo; Billy’s parents.”
“A lovely couple and playing like they are teenagers. Sometimes I wish I had that kind of relationship with a man.”
Janet nodded. “Tell me about it.”
“Then I think, no. I like being single.”
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* * *
At the pool Maureen Bingo climbed upon her husband’s strong shoulders. They stepped upon to the diving board. Raymond Bing watched them dive. “I wish I knew where they have that fountain of youth.”
Raymond’s cell phone began to ring. “Hello.”
“Hey Raymond, this is Hutch.”
“How is it going?” Raymond took a drink of bourbon from his glass. He put out his cigarette.
“Some ways good. I think Bess and I may be getting back together.”
“Great. I am with her parents now. They are playing at the pool like teenagers and I am sitting here like an old man.”
“You really need to try to meet someone.”
“Tell me about it.”
“What about Billy?”
“You can’t be serious. He is still moping around, all depressed about Rachel and Dirk.”
“Look. Bess is working on an article where some college kids are getting a man, Kyle Kingerstone, off death row and released from jail.”
“Yeah, my nephew is one of the ones who have been working to get him released.”
“I know. I saw where Howard Bing was involved. Here is the thing. There is a chance Kyle is actually guilty. Your nephew may have just helped get a serial killer released from jail. I see where Howard is planning on coming to New York with Kyle to do interviews and such. I wanted to let you know that your nephew may be in danger.”
Raymond watched Janet Silverton and the erotic mystery writer Tess Favor walk up near him and sit at a table next to where he was seated. He smiled at them and they smiled back.
Raymond said, “Well of course I am concerned about my nephew for my half-brother’s sake but Howard and I do not exactly get along. Howard is a total racist, homophobe, little Nazi. I thought maybe he was starting to change when I heard what he was doing to get what we thought was an innocent person released from death row. Then my brother told me that Howard was only doing it because his girlfriend was involved in researching the case and he was after some pussy.”
Janet and Tess sipped on their drinks while they listened to Raymond. The volume on the phone was turned up where they could also hear Hutch.
“But you do not want your nephew killed, do you?”
“Of course not. I am sure he will someday grow out of being a dick. Most of us eventually do. So what you are saying is that I should fly to New York with my nephew and be his body guard.”
“I am agreeing with Bess on this. I think Kyle may be guilty and a dangerous psychopath. So yeah, I think your nephew needs protecting”
“Okay. I understand. I will keep in touch. Bye.”
Tess moved over to the table where Raymond was sitting. “I could not help but hear. So your friend thinks that Kyle Kingerstone is actually guilty of the killings?”
“Yeah. So I guess I will be going to New York with my nephew who totally hates me.”
Tess reached out her hand to Raymond. “My name is Tess Favor. I write erotic mysteries.”
“I recognized you. I enjoy your writings very much.” Raymond shook Tess’ hand. “My name is Raymond Bing.”
Janet moved around to sit next to her aunt. “I just recently moved in here. So you are the half brother of Lilly Coint?”
“Yeah my family is kind of weird. Our different parents got married like they were playing musical chairs or such, but I do love my siblings. We haven’t always got along but we pretty much do now.” Raymond turned and looked at Maureen and Frank smooching in the edge of the pool. “Yo love birds, do you think I can get Billy to stop feeling sorry for himself and to go with me to New York to help protect my Nazi Nephew from a serial killer.”
Frank and Maureen got out of the pool. They dried off. They then sat down at the same table with Raymond, Tess, and Janet.
Maureen said, “You can talk to him and ask him. I think he is starting to get out of his funk. Linda Webster visited him one day. I am not sure what it was about but it did seem to help Billy.”
Frank said, “Mention visiting Bess in New York and that might get him to travel with you.”
Raymond stood up. He dropped a book of matches and knelt down to pick them up. In that position he looked at Janet’s legs. He looked at her inner thigh and though her birthmark was somewhat masked with makeup he saw she had a birthmark in the shape of a dagger. It was a birthmark like Billy has and Kane Bishop has. Raymond knew that it was a birthmark common to very powerful witches. Raymond stood up and looked into Janet’s eyes. He said, “I noticed your birthmark.”
Janet laughed. “Looking at my legs, hey.” Then she said, “Yeah, it is so ugly. I try to keep makeup on it to keep it covered up.”
Frank casually leaned over to see if he could see what they were talking about. “I guess that birthmark must be kind of common. Billy has one similar. And also I once had an affair with a woman who had a beauty mark that very much resembled Billy’s birthmark.”
Maureen said, “Yeah.” Maureen shook her head. “God.”
Raymond stared at Frank. “So you tell your wife about your affairs.”
Frank said, “We no longer have affairs. We have three ways.”
Raymond laughed, “Yeah. You two never invite me to join you in the bedroom.” Raymond looked back at the two with a naughty grin as he left the pool area and walked toward the Bingo Apartment.
Maureen yelled at Raymond as he walked toward the Apartment. “We’ve thought about it.” Then Maureen looked at Janet. “I’ve noticed Billy sneaking peeks at you when you’ve been out. You are a very beautiful woman.”
Janet blushed. “He has probably seen me sneaking peeks at him as well.”
Tess laughed. “We may have to throw them a party where just maybe they will introduce themselves instead of spying on one another.”
Janet said, “Aunt! I understand Billy has been heart broken and…”
Frank said, “Yes. Over a woman. And I had about decided he was mostly into dudes.”
Maureen moaned, “Frank. You may have just killed any chance Billy had with Janet.”
Janet looked up toward the sky and laughed. “No. That does not bother me. Like James Dean was quoted as having said, why should anyone want to go through life with one arm tied behind their back? Or something similar. I mangle quotes all of the time.”
Tess nodded. “I once had sex with a woman. I really liked her but the sex was awful.”
Maureen said, “You write very beautiful lesbian sex scenes.”
“Thank you. In fantasy I totally love the idea of two women in love and making love but then when I actually tried it. Like hell. It just didn’t work for me.”
Maureen said, “When I first experimented I liked the sex but what followed was a nightmare. Then I went through a phase where I totally hated even the thought of sex with anyone. Thank God Frank and I found our way back together and I became honest with him about things.”
Tess said, “You two are a lovely couple. Playful and obviously in love.”
Janet started to mention something but then stopped. Janet agreed with her Aunt. “Yes. You two are a lovely couple and I kind of suspect that Billy and I will get to know one another.”
Frank said, “Well, you two do have matching birthmarks.”
Janet looked at her Aunt. Then she looked at Frank. “I am adopted. Is it possible that I am related to Billy.”
Frank shook his head no. “If we go back far enough we are all related but like I said that is a common birthmark.”
Maureen said, “Frank was not always so sure about that. He became paranoid that Billy had been switched with another baby in the hospital so he had a test done to prove that he is the father of Billy.”
Janet asked, “Does anyone else in either of your families have a similar birthmark?”
Maureen answered, “No. I have a birthmark on may arm that no one else in my family has.”
Tess said, “Yes. I do as well. Scientist do not believe that birthmarks are in anyway genetic. They say they are the overgrowth of melanocytes. An old wive’s tale is that birthmarks are caused by some kind of fear during the pregnancy. Some birthmarks, such as the strawberry birthmark, are more common in babies who are born premature.”
Janet shrugged. “I thought birthmarks are genetic. I guess I am wrong again.”
Frank grinned. “Hey. I thought the same thing. When I saw that birthmark on Billy it totally freaked me out.”
Tess looked at Frank with a thoughtful stare. “So your wife had a baby in the hospital at the same the woman you had an affair with was giving birth. Or am I not following what you’ve said correctly?”
Frank nodded, “Yeah. You understood my drift. If I am sounding glib now, it is really because it was so painful.”
Janet nodded. “Cover the hurt. I understand.”
Frank said, “It was perplexing when we found ourselves there at the hospital together and then she, Amberline, died in childbirth.”
Tess let out a sorrowful moan. “Oh my God.”
Frank continued, “After Amberline and the baby died, I was with her husband for I don’t know how long, trying to comfort him. It was very awkward. Thank God he didn’t know about the affair. When David was told about the death of wife and his baby he left his son in the waiting room. He ran out into the parking lot and something told me I needed to follow after him and so I did. When I reached him he had pulled a gun from beneath the seat of his car and he had put the barrel of the gun into his mouth. So I stopped him and we talked and talked.” Frank stared at his wife as she ran her finger around the tip of her glass. “The affair nearly destroyed my marriage.”
Maureen said, “The thing is that I knew he loved her. There I was with a new baby and Frank came close to having a nervous break down. Then there was the birthmark thing and Frank thought the babies had been switched.”
Tess sadly smiled. “It must have been awful and I am sorry we brought up this painful memory.”
Maureen said, “It was painful then not just because of the awful situation but because I was so naive and seriously just not thinking right. I was actually jealous that Frank consoled his own grief by consoling her husband. I didn’t know about how Frank had stopped her husband’s suicide attempt until later. Regardless I should not have been jealous. I should have been with Frank helping to console David and making sure their boy Dirk was okay.”
Frank said, “I had to do that because I felt so fucking guilty. I would like to say I helped David and Dirk because I was a good person but a large part of it was guilt.”
Maureen said, “Guilt or not, it was right thing to do. You did right.”
Janet said, “I could tell by the way the two of you having been taking care of Billy while he has been in this funk that you two are very good people. Very good parents.”
Alicia Silver, shape shifted to look like a little girl climbed out of the pool. She looked at Frank, “I couldn’t help but over hear. If you were having an affair with the woman, how would you having a paternity test prove that the babies had not switched? You could have been the father of both babies.”
With a devilish grin Alicia, as a little girl, walked from the pool area. Frank and Maureen watched the girl make her exit and then they looked at one another. Frank said, “No. Amberline said a paternity test had been done and that I was not the father of her baby.”
Maureen said, “Well, Billy is my son. My mother wanted me to have a maternity test and I told her no. If Amberline lied about you not being the father and the babies were switched at birth I don’t want to know.”
Frank looked at his wife. “Wait. So back then you wondered if the babies had been switched and you were not Billy’s mother?”
“No! My mother made an issue to point out that your paternity test did not mean the babies had not been switched if Amberline had lied. I don’t care. If Amberline had not died then I might have been concerned that Billy was her baby and not my baby. As it was, I didn’t want to know. I don’t want to know.”
Frank took Maureen in his arms. He held her close.
Maureen softly cried, “Billy is my son.”
Frank nodded. He whispered, “Yes.”
Janet said, “That was one strange little girl. She gave me the creeps.”
Tess added, “And where the hell did she come from. I didn’t see her anywhere in the pool until she climbed out of the pool.”
Frank said, “We were just swimming and I did not see her.”
Maureen puzzled. “Neither did I but she was there so she had to have gotten into the pool at some point.”
Tess looked at Janet and then quickly looked away. “Strange.”
Maureen looked at Janet and then looked at Tess. “I am so sorry we practically have been spilling our guts to the two of you. You come out to the pool for some sun and fun and listen to a soap opera. Oh God. I am sorry we rattled on. And to a writer. Some of this stuff does not need to be repeated.”
“Understood!” Tess blushed and laughed. “I have no idea why I told you all about my experiment with lesbianism. I guess we are sitting here like old friends. Now we are new friends. That is a good thing. Isn’t it?”
Frank said, “Yes. It is a good thing.” Frank held up a glass from where he and Maureen had sat with Raymond earlier. “To new friends.”
Maureen, Tess, and Janet held up their glasses. “To new friends.”
* * *
Raymond walked into Billy’s bedroom. Dressed just in boxers, Billy rested in bed watching television and laughing at the rather silly humor. Raymond said, “Janet and her Aunt Tess are at the pool with your parents.”
Billy jumped out of bed and ran to the window to look toward the pool. “I guess by the time I get to the pool Janet and her Aunt will be gone. You should have called me and tried to have kept them there.”
Raymond walked over to the window and put his arm around Billy’s shoulder. “Well, hon, you are not doing anything to try to match me up with anyone so that did not even cross my mind.”
“That Janet is one good looking woman though. Isn’t she?”
“Yes, she is but look, I have a favor to ask you.”
“Matchmaking?”
“No. Get your mind off sex.”
“What?”
“I need you to go to New York with me to make sure that my nephew does not get into any trouble. I was telling you about Kyle Kingsterone and how my nephew had helped to get him off death row.”
“Yeah.”
“Hutch called me and it seems your sister Bess has been working on the story. Bess and Hutch think that Kyle actually is a serial killer and that my nephew is in danger.”
“Fuck. A serial killer!”
“I figure the danger period is just while Howard is in New York. Now, I warn you, my nephew Howard is a total dick. Still, I would be very thankful if you would go to New York to help me protect the dumb ass.”
“Okay. I will call Detective Face and see if he can give me any background after I let him know what is going on.”
“Good.”