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“Money has a way of easing things.”
“You paid him off?”
“Cayo was dying. I didn’t want him taking knowledge of the abuse to his grave. And Mama T and Victor were still alive. If more money was what it would take, it was a small price.”
“You said more money…you’d been paying him all along? Is that why you bought him the house?”
“Cars, whatever. It was all part of the deal. I know that offends you, but you wanted the truth and here it is.”
“Yes, I’m offended…disgusted, but not by you, Mick. Never by you. I detest your father.”
“Welcome to the club.”
“You still pay him?”
“Indirectly through my lawyer. Doesn’t matter. It gave me the freedom to quit and start up Papa’s Kids.”
“Papa T would have been honored by how you chose to celebrate his memory. And something else, Mick. He would not have wanted you to choose basketball or pay off Malcolm to protect him.”
“Maybe not. But the alternative wasn’t an option. The money worked to keep Malcolm away.”
“Not really,” she points out. “How did you get the note?”
“He had it delivered to the house. He wanted me to know that he had found out about us.”
“That’s what you received Tuesday morning?”
“I found it on the doorstep after my run.”
“That’s why you pushed me away. To protect me from Malcolm.”
“I couldn’t let him hurt you.”
“Hurt me how?”
“Christ. I never wanted you involved in any of this, Dee.”
“I’m already involved. Just tell me.”
“Your instincts were right about O’Malley. He’s part of this.”
“How?”
I tell her about O’Malley confronting me at Mort’s Deli. “He’s long believed that there was a story. Quitting at the height of my career and fading into the background only armed those suspicions. And punching him in the face didn’t help quiet them any. He tried to entice me into giving him an exclusive in exchange for dropping his plans of a lawsuit. When I didn’t bite, he goaded me with information he had acquired from a source that was working at the Lemon Lounge the night of Lexie’s party.”
“Information about us?” Her breaths quicken.
“Not specifically. He didn’t know who you were, but he’d heard enough to assume the woman I was with wasn’t a casual date. I tried to play it cool, disinterested. But O’Malley picked up on my defenses. I could tell he wasn’t going to let it go until he found out your identity.”
“That’s why you hired bodyguards for me?”
“Yes.”
“How would that stop him from finding out?”
“It wouldn’t. But I wanted you protected in case he did.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
