Chapter 70
Bear’s huge arms lifted both Brian and Irene from the floor.
He balanced Brian under his arm and placed Irene in Junior’s arms to take to the limo. Brian was babbling, and the tears were rolling down his cheeks and into his mouth. His nose was running and he fumbled for a tissue. “I have to get her stuff,” Brian whimpered to Bear. “This is entirely my fault. I didn’t take good enough care of her. I tried so hard.” His sobs were getting less controlled and bordered on hysteria.
“Brian, baby, no one could have known this. The only reason I found out is Reed had Jim Boy check your background for your membership at Indiscreet. Reed told Jim Boy to have the investigator dig a little deeper than usual, because he knew I was attracted to you and he didn’t want a repeat performance of the Antonio fiasco. If it weren’t for Jim Boy and Reed, I would have been a mushroom in the dark just like you,” Bear said.
Brian had stopped sobbing midway through Bear’s speech.
When Bear referred to the mushroom, he gave him a half smile.
“Yeah, a real mushroom fed shit and kept in the dark. Sir, I owe you, Master Reed, and Jim. I don’t know how, but someday I will pay you back for all you have done for me. I’m not talking about money, Sir, because there is no amount of money in the world that can recover the time my mother lost in this hellhole the past year. However, if there is ever anything else you need or want from me, I don’t care what it is, I’m your man…the same for Master Reed and Jim Boy, Sir. May I have your permission to go and get her things?”
“Only bring things she would consider irreplaceable. I would not dress her in a single thing that harpy provided. She will also have her own brand new towels, linens, cosmetics, and bath essentials at the house. Junior looked up the sizes and called Mama Santore and Louisa to go shopping. Get what you think she would miss and leave the rest to be sorted out later.”
Bear stepped into the limousine and sat on the bench opposite Brian’s mother. He tucked a chenille throw around her body, although it was not chilly in the late summer air. Nevertheless, Bear had to consider shock. Putting on his company manners, Bear began, “Mrs. Murphy, my name if Donald K. Drummond.
As you might have gathered, I’m both Brian’s boss and his significant other. I hope you have no objection.”
“No,” Irene answered in a weak voice. “I have always known Brian was a homosexual. I’m glad he found someone decent. I hate to ask, but do you have any idea what’s to become of me?”
“Brian had planned to place you in a luxury assisted living facility. Did you know how much money he was paying your sister-in-law to take care of you?”
“It wasn’t my concern, Mr. Drummond. Obviously it wasn’t much, because I didn’t get much care,” she shrugged.
Knowing what this miserable excuse for a human did to Brian, I have to bite my tongue and keep in mind that Brian doesn’t remember. I can’t be rude or sarcastic, even if Brian does remember. She is his mother. I need to grit my teeth and get hold of my temper.
“Brian gave your sister-in-law over seventy thousand dollars for your care alone. He also paid off all of your outstanding medical bills, charge cards, and back rent so you wouldn’t have to suffer the indignity of bankruptcy,” Bear pointed out.
Irene thought for a moment, then said, “Well, Mr. Drummond, my son must have been living the high life indeed, if he could afford to give money to Mary. It would have been better had he just taken me to live with him, or would it have cramped your style?”
Mrs. Murphy didn’t know how very close Bear Drummond was to blowing a gasket or three.
“Irene, may I call you Irene?” She nodded in an almost regal fashion. “Brian and I have started dating only recently, and I asked him to move in with me last night after seeing the appalling conditions in which he lived. Do you know he has not had enough food to eat in well over a year? I had him examined by a doctor.
Brian has been slowly starving himself to death, because he was trying to save money to help you. He lived in a fourth floor walk-up, which was a combination shooting gallery and roach motel.
One of the meanest gang mothers in Clinton runs it. Yesterday, because she saw my car, she tried to kill Brian. She thought he was whoring and she wasn’t getting her cut.”
“Was he? Whoring? Mary always claimed he was, she said something about a club at the shore. I never bothered to listen. I knew he would come home and treat me royally, and that was all that really concerned me.”
“How would Mary know such things?”
“She said she had friends…”
“I’d bet if we look at the charge cards and bank statements there will be a charge for a private investigator among them. She had to know exactly how much milk she could squeeze out of the udder before the milk failed.