Chapter 2, The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth…
Spike entered the Sunnyvale Waldorf hotel and made straight for the elevator. When it arrived he pressed for the fourth floor. The doors slid shut and he began to go over in his mind again what he was going to say to his father.
The elevator stopped and the doors slid quietly open. Spike walked out into the corridor. Outside one room was a washing cart with cleaning material on a shelf. Spike walked passed just as the house-keeper was coming out.
“Have you done room 405 yet please?” Spike asked politely.
“Um, no sir, there’s a ‘Do Not Disturb’ notice on the door”
“Right, thanks” The woman nodded and pushed her cart down to the next room. Spike stood outside room 405 and knocked.
“Can’t you bloody well read woman, it says ‘Do Not Dis- oh it’s you…(Rupert wearing his night attire and a dressing robe opened the door with an angry flourish, ready to admonish the cleaning woman, but stopped when he saw it was his son, he turned and walked back into the room, Spike followed and shut the door behind him.
“I thought you said lunchtime” Rupert said.
“Well I want to know what’s going on – I was filming all day yesterday, and the phone was off. Like I said when I phoned you last night, I was just bringing the supper into the lounge, when I saw you ducking into a taxi outside the Alpha Theater – closely followed by the paparazzi. By the time Buffy had turned it up, it was onto a new story.
Rupert looked at his son and sat down on the bed, Spike sat on the dressing-table stool.
Rupert patted his pocket and took out a pack of cigarettes, and went to light one.
“What – smoking - dad you gave up 6 years ago!” Spike said frowning.
“It’s my nerves…I’ve got to do something, it’s too early for a drink…!” Rupert said dejectedly.
“Good god is it that bad, now tell me from the beginning…”
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Buffy wandered through the ‘Books and More’ store with half a dozen of the top ten best-seller paperbacks in her basket. She then selected two rolls of Christmas gift-wrap, and some sticky tape and labels.
She carried on through to where the magazines and newspapers were sold, and bought a thick glossy magazine called ‘Homes and Gardens’. It was the December issue and had lots of tips for making decorations, recipes for Christmas dinner leftovers and such. It was there she spotted a newspaper with a picture of a very beautiful woman on the front, with the headline
‘My night of passion with an English Knight’. She couldn’t resist and went over and picked it up, the irony wasn’t lost on her that it was the same newspaper that had run the story on Spike and Dru.
Putting down her basket Buffy opened the paper to page 3, where the front story continued. Her eyes went huge when she saw the woman from the picture on the cover standing in what looked like a conservatory of a big house. She was also pregnant.
Buffy heard a discreet cough and looked up to see a store worker looking at her standing there, reading the paper, so Buffy quickly closed it and was just about to put it back on the shelf, when on impulse she dropped it on top of her other goods in the basket. She could read it in the food court and ditch it just before Spike came to meet her; after all, he said he’d phone her when he entered the mall.
_______________
“So this, this Delilah…I don’t understand when you say you MIGHT be the father, I don’t want to know about your sex life dad, but – I thought you didn’t go in for one-night-stands”
“I don’t, that’s just it – I remember meeting her at Hugo Frobisher-Norton’s dinner-party, we shared a cab back to the hotel afterwards, and then I went to her room for a nightcap – and…that’s all I remember” Rupert said.
“So you don’t remember if you…well, you know – you don’t remember?” Spike found this hard to believe, and said so.
“How can you not know if you had sex or not – you weren’t drunk were you – you said you’d been to one of Froggy’s dinner bashes – they can be quite boozy affairs I know, but how did you – you… ‘perform’ if you were blotto? – NO – don’t answer that, it was a rhetorical question…” Spike had suddenly thought about what he’d said, and held his hands out in front of him.
“I keep trying to tell you, look, the room was very warm, I was tired, I’d drank the best part of a bottle of Burgundy, I’d had a dry sherry aperitif, and a large brandy after dinner, so I wouldn’t say blotto, just pleasantly mellow”
Spike sighed, he was leaning forward with his hands clasped, his forearms resting on his thighs. He sat up, looked behind him and rested his elbow on the dressing table.
“So if you weren’t drunk, there’s even more reason to think something odd went on – go on, so then what, you got to her room, it was warm and you’d already had a fair bit to drink – and?”
“We get to her room, it’s warm, I’d had a drink -and nothing”
“You MUST remember something...” Spike persisted, but Rupert shook his head in denial.
“Nope – I came to, I was undressed, totally naked lying in bed next to her – I don’t remember how or when I got there”
“Then you were drugged” Spike said, leaning forward again.
“Drugged – you think?” It was something that Rupert hadn’t considered.
“Well if you weren’t drunk, and you don’t remember how you got in bed, undressed and such, then you must have been. Did you have a drink when you got to her room, or did you take anything by mouth after you left Froggy’s place?” Spike asked
“No I didn’t, I think she said something about having a nightcap but – hang on…” Rupert rubbed his forehead.
“What?”
“She gave me her after dinner mint”
“She gave you her…” Spike began
“She took it out of the wrapper, turned to me and said, ‘I couldn’t eat another bite, you eat that for me,’ and she put it in my mouth – do you think it was doctored?”
“Well – wouldn’t that be down to Froggy – is he in the habit of giving out doctored mints? – Tell you what, get this Froggy on the phone will you – seems he’s got a few things to answer for” Spike said
“But it’s only 8.45”
“I don’t care, this is very important!” Spike spluttered indignantly.
“Okay, okay…where’s my phone…” Rupert opened the nightstand and took out his mobile, found his glasses, looked up the number and pressed.
“Give it to me…” Spike said waggling his fingers at his father. Rupert passed him the phone and Spike asked,
“How long ago was this dinner party anyway?” Rupert dipped back into the bed-side drawer again and come out with his desk diary.
“Ah, now I can tell you the date exactly – where’s my diary…I was playing King Lear at the Garrick Theatre…it was………(he flipped a few pages and spotted what he wanted September the 16th!”
“The 16th of September, okay now, shush, he’s answered…hello…hello Froggy?(In the background, dogs could be heard barking)....This is Sp – I mean William Giles here…yes that’s right, Rupert’s son, yes, yes I DO know what time it is thanks………this dinner party you had three months ago………yes you do, dad was playing Lear at the Garrick…it was the 16th of September - yes, that’s right, THAT dinner party, you had a guest there called Delilah…Delilah? – Dad – what was her surname?....(Rupert shook his head and shrugged) Froggy came to the rescue and said, ‘Charles.’ Charles, that’s it…how well do you know her? – Ha, I wouldn’t bet on it! Spike looked over to his dad and said quietly, he reckons not as well as you know her – I told him don’t bet on it! Ow…silly sod’s dropped the phone now…(in the background you could still hear the dogs barking) ………yes Froggy, I’m still here………I’ll tell you why, coz she’s pulling a fast one, that’s why, she’s no more pregnant by my father than she is by you! What – no, she’s not saying that…well I don’t know she’s not saying that, I haven’t read the papers…is that right, well I don’t want to know…Froggy…Frog – FROGGY listen up will you – she’s pulling a fast one, she wants to get her hands on dad’s money – where do you know her from?
Uh huh…uh huh…I see. Yes, I do think that’s all – oh, one more thing, where do you get your after dinner mints from? – You what? You don’t, coz Mrs Froggy thinks they’re passé………okay then, thanks bye!”
Spike pressed end, and passed the phone back to his father.
“You were right, seems to be the mint – Froggy just said his Mrs doesn’t like or serve after dinner mints, thinks they’re passé. And when I asked where he knew her from, he said that she was Dickie Reinhart’s date, but at the table she seemed to latch onto you. Dad…dad are you listening to me?”
“Hmm- oh yes, Dick Reinhart…he was co-producer of the play along with Sandra Maybury…”
“Have you spoken to Farquhar? You might need a good lawyer” Spike said
“Um, no – no I haven’t – I thought I might give Edward Dempsey a ring”
“Who’s he?” Spike asked
“Well, he’s my solicitor back in England – I thought he’d know more about the English law as regards Carrisbrooke, titles and stuff like that”
“Dad…before you run off selling the family jewels, consider this, she’s pulling a fast one, don’t fall for it. Bloody hell – at your age I’d have thought you’d got more sense!”
“What do you mean, at my age – who do you think you’re talking to, huh? – I feel it’s like you’re the father and I’m the son here!”
“Well it’s not, I’m the son and you’re my 50 year old father who should know bleeding better!”
“I’m 49, NOT fifty – and how dare you – oh fucl what now?.....Hello?” Rupert Flung the room door open as it had been knocked.
“Er, excuse me sir, but is everything alright, only there have been one or two concerns that there’s loud voices and um, arguing coming from here?” The hotel under-manager stood there looking slightly embarrassed.
“Oh, sorry, it’s my son, things have got a little heated, will you apologise to the other guests for me”
“I certainly will sir, well if you’re sure you’re okay”
“Yes, fine thank you, and um, sorry again for disturbing everybody,” Rupert said going slightly red himself.
“Very good sir, good morning” the manager turned on his heel and left.
“Nosy bastard” Spike said
“He was just doing his job”
“All I was trying to say was, before you start thinking about paying this woman off, there’s loads to consider – blood tests for one, and I think you ought to tell the police”
“What about – the night I came back to a beautiful woman’s hotel room and can’t remember a damn thing about it, now she says she’s three months pregnant by me?”
“Well, yeah. Tell them you don’t remember doing the deed, you weren’t drunk, and about the mint”
“But I’ll feel stupid”
“Fuckin’ ‘ell dad, feeling stupid the last of your bloody worries!”
“Don’t use that language to me”
Spike sighed and said
“Meanwhile, I’m going to do a little digging on this Delilah Charles myself”
“Don’t you start upsetting people!”
“I won’t – now remember what I said, report it to the police, coz when she’s being done for fraud, it’ll look better for you straight away and things will have already been investigated with any luck”
Rupert looked pensive, but he nodded his head.
“Promise me”
“I promise – now remember what I said, coz I don’t want any more trouble, especially not from her…her…” Rupert held his forehead and sat down heavily on the bed.
“Dad? – Dad what’s wrong?” Spike let the room door close and he raced over to his father, kneeling in front of him.
“I just…I thought it was a dream”
“What, thought what was a dream, what are you on about?”
“I saw…a big guy, huge, massive shoulders…he’s taking my jacket off”
“Where – when – dad when was this?”
“I don’t know…in a room…I could see…I don’t know, I can’t see it properly…big…dark – in front of me…I kind of whump down on something soft…and this big guy is taking off my jacket”
“This is good dad, this proves you were drugged – try and think”
“I AM trying…I can see this guy, but not his face…I feel heavy, I can’t walk…WARDROBE!” Rupert suddenly shouted out. Spike nearly fell backwards with shock.
“Bloody hell, make me jump!” Rupert grabbed spike by the shoulders and said,
“The big dark thing, I think this guy drags me over to the bed and starts taking my jacket off, I’m sitting opposite the wardrobe!”
“A guy and not a girl?”
“There’s talking I’m sure…but that’s all I’ve got”
“Great, look I’m calling the police, I’ll tell them on the desk when I go down to expect the police but not to worry okay”
“Can’t you stay?”
“Well…there’s things I wanted to do…but – okay, what the heck”
____________________
“See dad, I told you they’d take you seriously – and did you hear what they said, you aren’t the first this has happened to, and you certainly won’t be last. Oh hold on, let me see who this is…ahh…how nice, it’s the ‘lady herself” Spike held out his phone, with a number he’d got from the co-producer of his father’s play flashed up, Delilah Charles
“I believe you wanted to see me” A smooth rich voice met Spike’s ears
“Yes, I do” Spike said, matter-of-factly.
“How nice…you could come to me, I have a window this afternoon between my Pilates at three and Meditation for the Expectant Mother at five thirty – could you come for 4 o’clock?”
“No, I couldn’t, you get your skinny arse over to the Waldorf NOW or the newspapers are really going to find out who you really are”
“I BEG your pardon?”
“You heard me, here NOW – in the next hour, or else”
“Don’t you DARE threaten me!”
“Look love, I don’t care who you’ve got with you, backing you or whatever, but if you think you’re blackmailing my father into paying you then you’re sadly mistaken”
“I do not WANT your father’s money, but I do want to be treated fairly, he has a stately home, a title – he chose to impregnate me and-“
“And bollocks love, didn’t he tell you, he had a vasectomy in 2001, he was getting re-married and the lady to whom he was marrying didn’t want children, so just do as I say, and GET”
“Spike!” Rupert gasped at this lie.
Spike ended the call.
“Think that’s done the trick – now all we have to do is get Farquhar round here – and I better phone Buffy and tell her I’ll be late”
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