I felt my body drop from within and it seemed like the room was spinning. No words came from me only a hoarse whisper.
"H-h-h-how?" was all I could say
"Sometime before midnight he had an altercation with someone outside Hidden Treasure, I guess it's a dance club."
"Marty..." I mumbled "Oh god..."
"What?"
"Marty O'Brien, was it Marty O'Brien?"
Roger looked at me before slowly nodding his head
"Yes..." he said slowly "They had some words, then it escalated and somebody took a swing at the other, the security cameras will probably tell better."
"Marty...damn it, Marty." I mumbled again "Does he know about this?"
"Yes, and from what I've been told he's on a plane home with his own attorney."
"So he and Chris got into a fistfight?"
"Right, the casino security broke things up, and he disappeared."
"Then what happened?"
"From that point, things get a little fuzzy. Chris left the complex..."
"Was anybody with him?" I asked
Roger hesitated answering
"Yes." He began "Candy from Tigress was with him."
This only got worse
"Oh no...was...was she..." my voice trailed off
"Yes, she was in the car with him."
My eyes closed and I couldn't form the words to ask the next question. But Roger knew what I wanted to ask.
"She walked away without a scratch." He said quickly "She called 911."
"Car, what car?" I was confused "We didn't drive here."
"Candy had a rental car that he was driving. They were on the highway and somehow he lost control, hit a Jersey barrier and was hit by another car."
"God, no..."
"Look, Jim. This is unfortunately a delicate situation. I'll handle everything, the casino security and maybe the state police might want to talk to you since you were with him in the Playboy club."
"Why me?"
"You were one of the last people to see him alive. You might be asked about his state of mind."
"Christ almighty..."
There was a silence between us
I took a deep breath.
"What about his family, have his parents been contacted?" I somehow asked
"Yes, the state police did that. And a friend I have on the force called me."
The rest of Roger's explanation went by in a haze for me. I didn't know what else to say. I'd just lost not only a business partner but my best friend. He'd convinced me that being out west was the place for me. I owed so much of my "new life" as it were to him.
Now what do I do?
"So that's all I know at this time." Roger said with a resigned sigh. He knew this was a loss for him as well. Much of his success had also been because of our friend.
"I'll call you in a few days." He said as he left.
As we walked to the door he gave me a hug.
"I'm very sorry, he was my friend, too." He said
I nodded.
I called my parents. My Mom was with his family since they lived practically next door and had been friends for years. I decided the best thing to do was go home for awhile. Roger had a driver waiting for me but there was a cold, sad feeling to my ride home. I didn't even play the radio. I just let the miles tick off, the chilly grey that was outside matched my mood.
Over the next few days, I saw a steady stream of people go in and out of his house. I heard members of his large family came in from different parts of the country. Some I hadn't seen in many years, funny how funerals bring families together sometimes. His funeral was a solemn occasion, I was asked to do his eulogy, what I said there I'll keep to myself. Besides, I think if I told half of what we did it wouldn't go over well at a funeral service. Kinda like that Seinfeld episode with George's infamous "curse toast".
Roger was there too, and pulled me aside at the wake.
"I'll call you tomorrow, unfortunately there's some important business we need to take care of." He said
"Right, let's get this done."
He looked surprise at my response, it seemed so unlike me. But I needed to get something resembling a routine back in my life. The shorter I "lived in misery" as the song goes the better.
When I returned home after the wake, it was still chilly everywhere. It was strange being back in my old bedroom, looking back over scattered mementos of the past. I guess it was therapeutic, seeing old photos, some with Chris, reliving old memories, it made things easier somewhat. I even found some old cassette tapes I'd made from long ago. They still played too, another memento of the old days as I heard voices from long ago. Outside my window I could see a blue Mustang slowly coming down the street. Then see its turn signal start blinking. Probably someone going to see those two skanky girls who lived across the street from me, I thought. Chris and I remembered those girls, and long ago we'd agreed that neither of them was worth our time.
A few minutes later, I heard our doorbell ring and my Mom talking to someone downstairs.
"Jimmy! Someone here to see you." She called
Another sign I was back home, someone calling me "Jimmy".
Nobody ever called me that back in LA!
I went downstairs and stopped suddenly when I was near the last step.
It was Blake.
"Hi." She said in that voice only she had in times like this.
She looked so casually gorgeous in a Navy pea coat, its collar up and a plaid Burberry scarf wrapped around her neck. Black leather boots worn outside matched leggings and stretching just up to her knees finished off the look of the ever-so stylish Ms. Lively.
She softly wrapped herself around me.
"I heard about your friend, I'm so sorry." She said in a sympathetic voice
"My god...I can't believe you're here" then realized who was standing by us "Oh, Mom, this is..."
"Hi, I'm Blake Lively." She jumped in extending her hand "I worked with Jim and Chris on a project in San Francisco awhile back."
Mom was completely charmed by Blake.
"I have to go out for a bit, Jim, think you'll be OK?"
"Oh yeah, I'll be fine Mom."
"Good, so nice to meet you Blake." She said as she left
"Yes, you too." She said with a smile
We were alone, in my childhood home of all places. In the kitchen, we sat and talked.
"Um, I guess the first thing I need to ask you is..."
"My agent called me in New York and told me. I was there for New Years and all." She said calmly "I really felt I should be here for you."
"And I appreciate that, I really do." I said "But I'd love to know how you found my address, my old home address that is. I mean it's not often I get a Hollywood star in my parent's kitchen."
She smiled
"I made a few phone calls." She said "He must've been something special."
I nodded.
