Law and Disorder: Part 5

Yes, our story is still going. If you've missed any of the other parts, click for Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4.


Tammy and William made their way to his study, which was basically a little den located off of his bedroom. She shut and locked every door behind her as they went through the two rooms.
"That wasn't a very nice greeting, Pumpkin," he said, trying to lighten her mood. He practiced with Tammy long enough to know when she had a bone to pick with someone.

"Dad, a few months back, you came up to take care of some firm business, yet you never came to see me? That seems a little strange, being that I am running the firm," Tammy began grilling him.

"Your Mom told you this?" He asked back.

"Yea, I know that it is Thanksgiving, but this is also a business trip for me. I have a bunch of questions that I need answers to, and it all seems to lead to you."

"You are acting crazy, Honey. What's going on?"

"Do you know who B. Greenhill is and why she has been getting well financed by the firm?" She asked.

He did not respond right away, he knew that he could not dodge her. She had the tenacity of a bulldog.

"B. Greenhill is Jennifer Dobson," He replied, staring down at the floor. "The money that she has been paid over the years is because of the guilt that I carry.""Guilt?? Over splitting us up?" she responded, already sensing the true answer, but wanting to hear her dad say it.

He knew that it was all going to come out anyway and figured that she might as well hear it from him.

"No, not over splitting you up," He said reluctantly, "Over the fact that I was the one who got her pregnant! Her daughter, Patricia is your half sister."

Shocked as she was, anger took over. "You Lousy Bastard!" she said in a hostile voice. "You ruined my friendship, you hid a sister from me, you paid this girl enough money to live like a queen, you cheated on Mom! With a high school girl! My Fucking Dad, holier than thou lawyer, couldn't keep it in his pants! You make me sick!"

"Now you look, Jennifer was 17, but she was no innocent school girl. She asked me for a ride home. I am not going to go into details, but I will tell you that I did not initiate any contact with her. She was the aggressor."

"Great excuse, Dad." Tammy scoffed. "She asked for it. She wanted it. You are disgusting! So is this why you killed her?

"Killed her???" William seemed genuinely surprised. "Jennifer is dead??"

"Yep, knife in the chest. Mom's missing kitchen knife, if I had my guess." William collapsed in his chair, muttering to himself for a minute before he spoke again.

"Why would I kill Jenny?" He asked Tammy, in a much slower and softer voice.

Tammy pulled an envelope out of her pocket. "I found this in Jennifer's room. No one else has seen it but me. I thought that it looked like your handwriting, but was not 100% sure until a few minutes ago."

She began to read the note:

Jennifer, I cannot give anymore than I am giving. If it comes down to you blowing the whistle, then I might have to take some drastic action. You have been well compensated for your part in our little secret. I have upheld my end of the deal. You cannot keep changing the rules as you go, or someone is going to get hurt.

There was no signature.

"I did write that," he confessed. "When Jennifer moved out of her parent's home, she came to me for money. She said that if I did not give her five hundred every month, that she would tell our story. Over the years, as the firm grew so did her desire for money. I should have come clean and put a stop to it, but she mailed me statements showing that the money was going into a secure account that only Patricia would be able to draw from when she got older. I think that I let it go because I felt so guilty and wanted to support my child, even after Jennifer married that Greenhill guy. When I turned seventy, I sent her a note telling her that I could no longer do it. She threatened to tell everyone that I was the father. It would have ignited a shitstorm!"

"You mean like what we have now?" Tammy broke in.

"This will blow up only if you allow it to," William responded calmly. "I wasn't physically threatening her. I meant someone would be hurt emotionally. You, your mom, Jen, Patricia, Helen, Ted, everyone. I am sorry that she is dead, but all of that crap could end right here in this room."

He went to hug Tammy and she withdrew from him. "Don't touch me, don't call me, you are dead to me! Harold Greenhill is sitting in jail, waiting for me to come up with something to set him free. I am keeping this note, and I am leaving right now. Don't even think about throwing your knife set away. It would make you look even more guilty."

"You are defending Greenhill? How did he just happen to find you? Ask yourself that one!"
Tammy stormed out of the room. She crossed the hall and grabbed her small suitcase, which she had never unpacked. She made her way out to the kitchen where her mother was still laboring away.

"Tammy, dear," her mother said, sounding concerned, noticing her flustered appearance, "Have you been crying? What's Daddy done this time? I wish that you two would not fight."

"Mom, I can't stay here. I have some...um...business that is really important. I may have to do something that is going to be hard on all of us. Promise me that you won't hate me."

"Hate you!?! Never sweetie! You are just like your Dad, business first. You do what you need to do, Baby. I wish that you could stay."

They hugged and then Tammy grabbed her bag and disappeared out the door. William came into the kitchen and sat down at the table. "What was all of that about? Tammy was pretty upset with you?" Lara asked him.

"It was nothing. We just had a little spat about business," he replied.

Lara smiled. She knew more about his business that he could ever imagine.

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Stay tuned. Otin's posting part 6 tomorrow and I'll have the finale here.