Excerpt:
“No. You asshole. You know exactly what that sounded like.”
Roger smiled at his cousin. “I understand. I was just teasing. But do you think being gay is wrong.”
“No. Do you?”
“No. So you and Judy. Tell me more. The times I was around the Duddley family I always thought she is very pretty. And sweet.”
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Hearthville Serial 3
What Happened To Victor:
A Paranormal Suspense Gangster Horror
By Charles Peters
Copyright 2019
All Rights Reserved
This Story is Not Free, Purchase For Your Kindle, $2.99
Chapter 10
Roger said, “I don’t think I’ve ever been here, The Purple Bird Billiard Club, before. It looks like a rough place.”
Steed smiled. “It is around the corner from the mental hospital where mom is. I shoot pool here with Don Higby and Clyde Smith. They work at the hospital. Don is a little screwed up mentally himself and his friend Clyde is also kind of a screw up, but I like them. I don’t have many friends in this town.”
“You date Judy Duddley. You aren’t friends with Victor and Stewart? I remember Jossette telling me what an impression Victor had made on you when you were younger. I had noticed and she explained it to me.”
“No. Victor doesn’t even remember me from the past. Currently, I think he kind of hates me.”
“Doesn’t remember you? What about Stewart?”
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“I was never around him that much. To be honest my memory of Stewart is kind of hazy. Let me just put it that way: hazy. Although I know that my not remembering him better than I do is kind of weird given his popularity. I guess everyone knows Stewart. When I’ve thought about it I do remember how close you and Stewart were and I am pretty sure I was around him some, but not like with Victor. And now I see almost nothing of Stewart so the point is that it is not that odd that he does not recognize me. I am pretty sure I did not fit in with his friends and I barely made an impression on him back in those days. But I kind of thought Victor would figure out who I am and we would be pals, though we would keep my secret.” Taking note of the expression on Roger’s face Steed said, “Weird. I know.”
Roger smiled. “Secrets can be fun.”
Steed poured some salt on the table and circled it with his finger as a way to distract himself from his embarrassment. He didn’t know if Roger knew about the idea that Rita had planted his mom’s head. Steed realized that what he had just said about Victor sounded gay.
“My thoughts on Victor are not what that sounded like.”
Roger lied. “I don’t know what you think that sounded like. Do you want to explain what you mean?”
“No. You asshole. You know exactly what that sounded like.”
Roger smiled at his cousin. “I understand. I was just teasing. But do you think being gay is wrong.”
“No. Do you?”
“No. So you and Judy. Tell me more. The times I was around the Duddley family I always thought she is very pretty. And sweet.”
Steed said, “She is a total darling but she is not always sweet. She has two brothers. She can be tough. Judy has this idea on how she can get me closer to her brothers but I don’t know. When she starts talking family I consider that she doesn’t know who my family is. On getting to know each other better it is like a push and pull between where at times it is like we are pulling each other closer but at other times it is like we are pushing each other way. I don’t think when she is pushing me away it is only because she is picking up on me pushing her away. So, you know, some days I don’t even know for sure where I stand with Judy. Some nights I go to sleep thinking that tomorrow she is going to break up with me.”
“Yeah. I don’t know about the Duddley family. We were friends and then we weren’t. Mom meets with Victor some but I haven’t seen Victor or Stewart or Judy since shortly after we moved to Atlanta. There are times I do think about meeting with Victor, probably more than with Stewart although I was closer to Stewart. At one point Victor did have a major influence on me when I needed to be straightened out and of course there was his relationship with Jossette. So yeah, at times I think about Victor. I know he loved my sister.”
“I know it is awful to say it and I am not really putting him down. I am not sure how to phrase it and I may sound more harsh than I intend. But I am not sure Victor doesn’t have some kind of lingering psychological problem. I know I look different and I am going by a different name, but still how would he not know who I am. We cried in each other’s arms at Jossette’s funeral.”
“He was at Jossette’s funeral. I didn’t know that. But I was a mess at the funeral. I wish I had known he was there.”
“At the funeral Victor was as big of mess as I was. It was an awful day for all of us. Of course I am sure our grief didn’t compare to what you were going through.”
“It was rough. And I still miss her. I miss my sister.”
“I do also.”
Roger coughed. “So Victor was at the funeral and you two cried in each other’s arms. And he doesn’t remember you? I mean, I know it is true that your looks have changed but he knew who you were at the funeral.”
“Yeah. I know. It is weird. I double dated with him and Jossette. He made such an impression on me. He gave me a new attitude when I seriously needed one.”
Roger said, “I remember Jossette talking to me about that. I had noticed that you had gone from being a nervous, sickly boy and suddenly found your confidence. Jossette told me that Victor did that for you. And you know, he kind of did that for me too. It was only when I realized that I didn’t have to be the greatest at football that I truly began enjoying the game and I became a better player.” Roger cleared his throat. “I miss the Dudley family though I’ve been angry at them. Still. I don’t know. Do you seriously think Victor has psychological problems?”
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“Judy says she wants me to get closer to her brothers but I am not sure she really does. I think she is conflicted on that. Maybe on some level she thinks Victor has psychological problems. Then again, maybe I am reaching and imagining and projecting because I am not being honest with her. Judy doesn’t know who I am and right now there is no reason for her to figure it out. I am not sure she and I had ever really even met in the old days. We had seen each other but not up close and personal. Judy not knowing who I am is actually kind of convenient. I like that she doesn’t know who I am. I like that she doesn’t know that my father is rich and is a gangster.”
“I am not sure whether Judy would care that your father is Arthur Ramsey but I don’t know.”
“I am not sure either. I feel comfortable with her not knowing but at the same time it is awkward and I am not always comfortable with my lie of omission. To her I was talking about how Victor and I were not getting along but I didn’t mention that he should remember me. I, of course, didn’t tell her why I felt so hurt by Victor. To her, his dislike for me is just because he doesn’t like any of her boyfriends. And then she told me how much she liked Victor’s first girlfriend, Jossette. Of course because they were so young she didn’t think it was that serious. I was shocked when I discovered that she didn’t know that Jossette is dead. I felt kind of crappy that I didn’t tell her.”
“But Victor was at the funeral.”
“Yeah. But here is the thing. Judy and I started talking about Victor’s love for working on cars. We have that in common.”
“Yeah.”
“And she told me that when Victor started working on cars was when his father started taking him to Dick’s Junkyard when his father was afraid to let him out of his sight. Victor had either accidentally taken an overdose of drugs or he had actually tried to kill himself. Judy didn’t know why but I asked her when that was. I put the timing together. It was right after Jossette had died.”
Roger said, “All I know is that the Duddley family had nothing to do with us after we moved. Socially, that is. Of course, you know, Victor is part owner of some of mom’s patents. Mom made sure he was paid. He is rich.”
“I didn’t know that. He sure doesn’t act rich. He still lives at home.”
“And you think he tried to kill himself over Jossette. That does not make sense to me because he and the rest of the Duddley family treated Jossette and me so badly after we moved. It wasn’t like we had moved to the other side of the planet. We had just moved to Atlanta.”
“Well. He told the family it was an accidental overdose. Still, his father was worried. And I think rightly so.”
“So you don’t currently like Victor?”
“Of course I like Victor. Jossette loved him and he is Judy’s brother. He just doesn’t like me. That bothers me more than it probably should.”
Roger considered what Steed had said earlier and how Steed had felt embarrassed. Roger wondered if Steed did have some kind of unrequited man crush on Victor. Still, he was not about to suggest that to Steed. He knew that Steed liked women.
Steed repeated, “Victor just does not like me.”
Steed knew he was not telling Roger the full story. It was too awful of a story to tell.
Roger said, “He doesn’t like you and he doesn’t know who you are. The more I think about it, the more weird that seems. You went on double dates with him and Jossette.” With something of an evil grin Roger asked, “Who was that girl you used to date back then?”
“Please. You know I dated Rita Angster. Her mother and your father had an affair. You are hardly likely to forget that shit.”
“Dig that in, will you. Fuck.” Roger laughed. Then Roger said, “I need to make a point to see Tabitha. I haven’t seen her lately. It is hard to believe Tabitha and Rita are half sisters. Tabitha is so sweet and Rita is such a monster.”
“Tabitha has your father’s genes. He is a sweet man. I am not sure what happened to Rita. At one point she was sweet and kind though painfully shy. She was a really plain girl but that didn’t matter to me. Before she changed and things went bad, I loved her. I really did.”
Roger said, “Where Tabitha works for your father, do you see Rita much?”
“No. I saw her the other day which was the first time in a long, long time. It was weird. I don’t want to talk about it.”
Deven brought Roger and Steed their order.
Steed smiled as Deven positioned the drinks and plates on the table. Steed said, “So Deven, should I pay in cash or chaturbate tokens.”
Deven screamed, “You son of a bitch. Yeah. I know who you are. You just would not leave it alone. Would you? You are the asshole who told Trish about my cam show on chaturbate. You are the one who told her where I live. You son of a bitch. I hate your fucking guts.”
Deven threw the table over. He began throwing punches at Steed. With his temper flaring he screamed. “Why did you want to ruin my life? Why? What did I ever do to you? Why would you want to hurt me like that?”
Steed didn’t fight back as Deven continued to throw punches and even landed a few. One punch struck Steed hard in the gut. Another punch clipped Steed’s jaw. Roger started to throw a punch at Deven when he saw that Steed was not fighting back but Steed stopped him. Steed pushed Roger away. Instead Steed grabbed Deven and hugged him in his arms.
Steed said, “Man, you were spending money that you don’t have on that bitch. She was just using you. I heard Victor trying to tell in as polite of way as possible. I heard Judy being blunt to you about the way Trish was using you and talking bad about you behind your back. Victor and Judy tried to tell you but you wouldn’t listen. Trish was treating you like crap and you were taking it.”
Deven said, “I love her. And now she will have nothing to do with me. She knows that I am poor. She knows I am one step from being a whore. Why did you do that to me?”
Steed said, “When Judy told me how Trish had cheated on you with Wallace Walgrave that was the final straw.”
Deven said, “I love her. Maybe I don’t care if she let Wallace Walgrave fuck her.”
Steed said, “But see, you love her enough to not care. She broke up with you for making money on chaturbate and being poor. She does not love you. She never loved you. She was just using you.”
Deven said, “I hate you. It was none of your business. Why did you interfere?”
“Maybe it was not my place to do what I did. But I did it. And I would say I am sorry but I am not.”
Earl walked up to where Steed continued to hold Deven. Earl patted Steed on the back. Earl said, “Son, you know that you are better off without her. You need a girl who will do chaturbate with you because you know couples make more money.”
Steed let go of Deven and helped Earl to turn the table up right. Roy brought a bucket of water around to mop the floor from the spilled food as Deven picked the dishes up. None were broken.
Deven said, “I guess I am fired.”
Roy said, “No. I will give you a bonus for providing a bit of entertainment.”
Earl said, “Son, go get Steed and Roger their order again. I will pay for the ruined and the new.” Earl handed Roy some money. “Roy, are we good.”
“Sure.” Roy tried to hand the money back to Earl but Earl would not take it. Roy said, “Keep your money. I am not going to fire Deven.”
Steed looked at Earl. He asked, “Do you think I did wrong?”
“No. You did Deven a favor.” Earl called to Deven. “I am going home and give your mom some loving. I think I’ve been being too much of a heel to your mom as well. I need to do better. You sleep over at Steed’s place tonight. Neither of you deserve to be treated like shit. Not by Trish. Not by me.”
Earl nodded at Steed. “You did good.” Earl left.
Roger and Steed sat back down at the table. Deven very quickly returned with the order. As Deven arranged the order on the table Deven said, “I am sorry. I don’t know why Earl invited me over to your house.”
Steed said, “There is no reason to be. You are welcome to sleep in my guest bedroom tonight.”
“Thanks.”