Bill woke with Jennifer next to him and stretched as he sat up. It was time to get back to work, he had enjoyed the week away from the difficulties of writing, but it was time to work. He nudged Jennifer who smiled at him as she woke.
"I kind of miss waking up with Monica. I liked that." Jennifer said, as she started moving.
"Yeah, me too. But in a couple months, she'll be here with us every morning. In the mean time, we have weekends together." Bill said as he headed for the bathroom. Jennifer entered as he exited and attended to her immediate need. Then Bill took a moment to enjoy the view, as she got ready to shower, and headed downstairs to get coffee started. He was back upstairs as she was coming out of the shower and he took her place.
A quick and light breakfast, cereal and toast with coffee and they were in the office.
Bill made some adjustments to the storyboard to reflect his new ideas, and then sat at his computer. Jennifer looked at the pile of mail from roughly three weeks of inattention, and sighed. She had a lot to do, and she got started on it.
It was two in the afternoon when the phone rang. Bill answered it as Jennifer was out of the room. "Bill Carter."
"Mr. Carter, this is Robert Preston from the Bill O'Bannon show. We wanted to get a comment from you about a story we're doing tonight."
"Mr. Preston, I'm not aware of anything that might be newsworthy, although I have my most recent book, Death Tide, coming out in paperback form next week."
"Mr. Carter, we wanted a comment, or better yet to have you in the studio to respond to the allegations of Mr. Jeremy Lyons." Preston said.
Bill felt a chill run down his spine. "What allegations are you talking about?"
"Mr. Carter. Jeremy Lyons has presented us with documents which appear to be copies of a sworn deposition to the FBI concerning your and his activity in both the drug trade, specifically he claims to provide drugs to you, and underage women." Preston said.
Bill blinked twice and said. "He said what?"
Jennifer walked in and looked at Bill in obvious confusion. He was agitated.
"Mr. Carter. Jeremy Lyons has presented us with copies of his deposition, his sworn statement concerning both his and your activities in the drug trade and sexual abuse of children." Preston said again.
"My comment Mr. Preston, two actually. I'd like to see those documents, and everything you've just mentioned is a flat out lie." Bill said with anger ringing in his voice.
"Mr. Carter do you deny you hit Mr. Lyons when he refused to provide you with additional drugs until he was paid?" Preston asked.
"Mr. Preston, it is Preston isn't it? I have no further comment at this time." Bill hung up swearing.
"What is it Bill?" Jennifer asked obviously concerned.
"Jeremy that little shit, just confessed to the FBI, probably for immunity, that he's been providing me with drugs and little girls for my sexual proclivities. He's telling that asshole O'Bannon that I hit him when he wouldn't give me more drugs until I paid him."
"Shit. That son of a bitch. That lying little prick." Jennifer said angrily.
Bill sat back and tried to think. The phone rang again. Jennifer answered it and listened for a moment. "Bill, it's Molly."
After a twenty-minute discussion with his publisher, he hung up. Until he cleared his name, publicly, he was persona non-gratis with the publishing company.
Bill sat and fumed. He could understand Molly's actions; hell it was really all she could do. However it was damned infuriating, and couldn't have come at a worse time. He had seriously depleted his savings buying the RV and all the expenses of the last week were about to break him. He figured he had about three or four months worth of money, including paying Jennifer, before he went flat broke. He needed to clear this up, and fast. The problem is how do you disprove someone's statement. The obvious answer with the truth wouldn't work.
His contract with the Circle B was for ten million dollars. That would mean James could, and would, foreclose on the house, the RV, everything, and still be nine and a half million short. Bill's future earnings would be attached at a fifty percent rate until he paid James the money. So telling the truth, while clearing his name, would succeed in destroying him financially.
Jeremy was smarter than he appeared. He worked out some sort of deal with the Feds, to offer testimony against a public figure, in exchange for immunity. Then he went public with the documents destroying Bill in one swift and fairly smart move. The only problem is that Jeremy expected to come out on top, and didn't want to lose all he had. So he hadn't told the truth, he went for the jugular. He brought in child molestation knowing it would immediately turn everyone against him.
"Shit." Bill said again after looking at the box he was in. In order to clear his name, he had to admit to the farm, and that meant destroying James's dream, and his own he admitted. Banishment was only tolerable because he knew that the others would be making the dream a reality. Destroying the farm, even to save his own ass, wouldn't be something he could do.
Jennifer sat and watched Bill think. "Is there anything I can, or should do Bill?"
"Yeah, I hate to say it, but you're going to have to go back to your apartment. Call Monica, fill her in, and tell her to keep her head down and mouth shut." Bill said. "I need to see those documents, and I need to hear what Jeremy is saying. After that, I don't know what I'm going to do. For now, keep everything low profile."
"OK, when do you want me back, or do you?" Jennifer asked.
"You know I want you back, come in the morning like always. Assume that the press is going to be here. Ignore them, no matter what they say. Understand?" Bill asked.
"Yeah. Bill, I'm really sorry about this." Jennifer said.
"It's not your fault, it's Jeremy, and the little prick thinks he's slick. Problem is, I don't see a way to beat it just yet." Bill said. "I'm working on it."
Jennifer rose to leave. "Bill, I love you."
"I love you too, now go, get out of here before the Press shows up." Bill said.
After she left, he took the phone off the hook and unplugged the handset. He knew it would be ringing off the hook soon enough. His home office number was too well known; his cell was safe enough, for now.
He packed some clothing and loaded it into his car. He needed time and room to maneuver. He couldn't accomplish anything if he needed a parade permit to keep the cops from arresting him when the press followed him everywhere. Leaving a short note for Jennifer, he headed towards Atlanta.
He checked into a motel outside the city and turned on the Television waiting for the O'Bannon show to start. He watched it, and waited, stewing in anger. He considered going up to Rochester, the location where the little prick was, and beating him to death. Field reporters said that Mr. Carter wasn't at his home, and apparently wasn't in custody yet. The court reporter assured the talking heads that the Feds hadn't yet filed for a warrant for his arrest.
Bill sat and fumed. He needed something to work with, and he had nothing but the knowledge that Jeremy was lying. How could he use that?
He called Jennifer, no reason to have her run the gauntlet. "Jennifer." Bill said as she answered. "I don't have much time, I'm working on something, and you'll need to trust me. Take tomorrow off. I'll be in touch."
