The Lovely Chocolate Mob - By Richard J. Bennett Page 0,98

how you treat your hub-hub; he is your meal-ticket, as well as being your pathway to riches.”

“After the divorce, there’ll be plenty to live on,” Helen said, “And he’ll have to pay me for child support for the next ten years!”

Walter slowly stood up, looked down at her and said, “You could do that. Or… you could put on your big girl panties and see this thing through. The only reason I agreed to be a part of this was because of your four kids, that plus the fact that Randall is busting his butt trying to keep your husband alive and your marriage together, you spoiled, rotten little brat!”

Helen looked surprised as if she’d never thought of this before, as though no one had ever spoken to her that way, because in truth nobody ever had. Walter wasn’t finished.

“You’ve always gotten everything you wanted ‘cause you were cute; you treated others as if their feelings didn’t matter, but now there’s another cutie who’s about to take what you’ve got, including your family. And here you are, sitting on your duff because you’ve found your feller is human just like everybody else, who probably burned himself out keeping you living in style in that mansion, and instead of forgiving him like Randall forgave you, you’re gonna… why you…” Then Walter stopped and looked off into the distance, and quickly calmed down. “I told Randall I was going to be nice to you.”

“What am I supposed to do?” asked Helen, a bit shell- shocked at this outburst, and rattled that anyone could see into her soul.

The Last Inning

I was watching the girls and could see one of them answer her cell phone. It was Mindy. She talked, and then a look of recognition came over her face, and her mouth worded “Oh!” She hung the phone up and motioned to her sisters to follow her. She came over to where I was sitting, apologizing and saying, “I’m sorry, Mr. Owen, I didn’t recognize you!”

“That’s all right, girls,” I said. “Now listen, and don’t say anything. I need for you to follow me because we’re going to see somebody you love.”

The two younger sisters looked at each other like they didn't know what I was talking about; Mindy looked down at them and mouthed another word: “Daddy.” The two girls almost went ballistic, and I put my finger over my mouth, saying “Sh-h-h-h-hhhh!” Mindy did the same; it was important we not draw any attention to ourselves.

I walked down the steps, with the three girls following maybe six feet behind me. I turned to go down behind the bleachers, and we walked to the far right area, almost under the bleachers, where no one was. I told the girls to stay there, behind the bleachers in right field, and I'd go in and get their father.

I went back into the right field bleacher entrance, looking for Dr. Burke, who wasn’t sitting where he was supposed to be! “Oh great,” I said out loud. “What happened?” Looking around, I finally spotted him and the sunglasses and the silly wig and mustache, down behind the fenced-in dugout area, behind his son’s team. There he stood, with everyone to see, trying to make contact with his son. I could see J.R. spin around, wondering who that man was. I saw the sunglasses come off, saw him peel the mustache, and then the look of surprise on J.R.’s face. Fortunately, Dr. Burke had left the wig on, so most of the people behind him didn’t see the obvious change. Dr. Burke was on the outside of the dugout, and J.R. on the inside, their hands touching at the fence like visitors in jail. I was making my way down to that area and could see the team coach give a concerned look; one of his players had some outside business and should be concentrating on the game. However, since it wasn’t J.R.’s turn to bat, there wasn’t too much of a problem, and the coach turned his attention back to the game. I made it down to Dr. Burke in time to hear him say, “I didn’t do it, son. I didn’t steal that money, and I didn’t kill Old Man Lovely.”

J.R. said back, “I know you didn’t, Dad.” Just then the coach turned around again, and the look of recognition spread across his face. He went from little league coach to concerned citizen in a flash, then he pulled out his cell phone and started