Things come apart so easily when they've been held together with lies. Dorothy Allison
Khalil sat in front of George in his father’s office. It was time he found out everything about the business dealings George and his father had going on. Xavier sat in the chair across from him. Khalil had called him the night before to meet him at his apartment. He shared everything about his findings with him. Just because Xavier was only seventeen, Khalil felt it was still important for him to know the family business. He didn’t want him blindsided like his father had blindsided his mother and them. Plus, Xavier was a genius when it came to stuff like the spreadsheets and reports on the micro card.
George looked like he was ready to lock both of them up and throw away the key. But his days of playing cop were over so he resigned himself to listening so he could see just how much these youngsters knew about the dealings of their scoundrel father.
“I know my father was paying you an astronomical amount of money on the side, plus you’re on Holy Rock’s payroll. I don’t want to hear anything but the truth. No run around bull crap either. I’ve been through every line of those transactions. I know when they started but now I want to know why. So what do you and our father have going on?”
“You boys need to stay in your place. The business me and your father have going on is between us. I don’t care what you have or what you think you found. Yes, he was paying me, and to be frank about it, I want my money. I haven’t received a dime since he had the stroke. By the way, how is the old boy doing, seeing that you won’t allow me to see him anymore. That’s messed up.”
“We’re not here to talk about my father’s health. And you’re right, he isn’t allowed to have visitors. We want to assure that people like you aren’t coming to see him. So let’s cut the chase. You are not going to get another red cent until we know what’s going on. My mother is my father’s power of attorney, and she is in agreement with us.”
George was furious. He bolted up from his chair, placed both palms on the desk, and stared with bloodshot eyes at Khalil then Xavier.
“Listen to me you little punks. Unlike your father, you don’t know who you’re dealing with. Because he knew that I could ruin his life and everything he thinks he has in this farce of a church, he paid me and he paid me well. And if you have any sense in that drug filled brain of yours, boy you’ll keep paying me.”
“You won’t be getting a darn thing, George,” Fancy said, boldly stepping into the office and slamming the door behind her.
“Ahhh, so looks like I have the whole McCoy clan here. That makes things even better. “Fancy, you sure you want to do this?”
“I’m more than sure. And that’s not all I’m going to do. Effective immediately, you’re no longer head of Security. You’re fired. I want you out of here.”
George laughed. “You don’t know what you’re doing. Do you know the garbage I have on your husband and this family? You couldn’t possibly know because if you did, the only meeting we would be having now is the one where you’re telling me that you’re giving me a bonus! I can send you and that embezzling, cheating hubby of yours back to jail at the drop of a dime, crazy lady. And here’s something else you might want to feast your eyes on,” he said, pushing a micro card across the desk toward Khalil. “Before you make any decisions, I suggest you take a look at this.”
Khalil eyed George suspiciously. Xavier looked and so did Fancy as Khalil slowly placed the card inside the USB port. Some of the same pictures that were on the file Hezekiah had were on George’s files. But what they hadn’t seen was footage of Hezekiah and Detria talking about Fancy and how Hezekiah wanted out of his marriage. There was also a video where George told Hezekiah that he was from Chicago and that he had found out everything about him and Fancy’s criminal background, his son’s time in a juvenile detention center and his addiction to heroin.”
“So my father was paying you to keep your mouth shut about this? Well, that’s even more reason for you to get out of here and never show your face again. My mother, unfortunately, already knows about Detria Graham. And she’s not embezzling anything from this church. We’ve gone through those files and nothing incriminates her. Whatever happens to my father, well that’s on him. He’s dug his own ditch to fall into,” Khalil barked. “So, go right ahead,” Khalil warned. “Tell Holy Rock, tell the whole world about it if you choose. It won’t make us look bad. It will make him look bad, and at this point, none of us cares how much he suffers.”
“He can have that tramp,” Fancy added. “And you, you can take your blackmail files and stuff it where the sun don’t shine.”
Xavier remained quiet, taking in everything around him.
Khalil suddenly stopped. The color drained from his face when he opened the last remaining file and several images opened.
“Oh, my God!
Noooo, what are you doing?” Fancy screamed as she, Khalil and Xavier looked at sexually explicit pictures of Xavier and Raymone.
Xavier jumped up to run out but Khalil yanked him by his shirt, pulling him back down in his chair. "I got this, bro," Khalil said, maintaining his composure and looking at his embarrassed younger brother.
Fancy sat down in a chair, held her head in her hands, and wept.
“Mother, don’t cry. We still have business to tend to,” Khalil said, sounding eerily like his father.
“Yeah, you heard him. It’s time to talk about a raise,” George said, laughing. "That is, unless you want Holy Rock and the rest of the world to know about your little gay son and your cheating, embezzling husband. He's skimmed tens of thousands of dollars from Holy Rock. How do you think he afforded to take you on all of those luxury trips, huh First Lady McCoy?”
“The church pays for that and you know it.”
“If you believe that, then you’re more naïve than I thought. The church pays him well, but it’s never enough for Hezekiah. He always has to have more. You should know that, First Lady. You're not that stupid are you?"
"Leave my mother alone!" Xavier yelled. "Or I swear to..."
"Ohh, so the li'l gay boy has a backbone. Now that's hilarious.” George chuckled loudly. “But enough of this. You’re wasting my time. Now let's get back to talking about that raise," said George.
“No, actually we've talked long enough. It’s time to call the authorities.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. Do you know who I am? Do you have any idea who I know? And what are you going to accuse me of? Blackmail? You can’t prove a thing. I don’t care what you think those files show. Remember, I have the masters to everything, and what you think you have is not half of what Hezekiah McCoy had on that card.”
“But I bet I can prove that you have child pornography in your possession and let’s throw in the exploitation of minors. Those images you have are of sixteen year and a seventeen year old kids. And by the way, how long have you been into underage boys, George?”
George went from gloating to baring the look of a whipped puppy. “What are you talking about?”
“I did a little investigating of my own, George. You see, you’re not the only one who knows ‘people’ as you put it. That’s why you took those pictures. And let’s just say that the list I have of the boys you’ve brought to that downtown condo. I don’t think I need to say more.” Khalil said boldly. “Tell me now, who’s got the last laugh, Georgie Boy?”
Khalil didn’t flinch. His stony eyed gaze locked in on George. His tone was just as hard. “So, let’s get something straight once and for all. I am still my father’s son and so is Xavier. I’ve learned a lot from him. From now on The McCoy boys are running things.” He transferred his look toward his brother. “And Xavier, our first order of business is for our father and old Georgie boy here to pay the piper.”
Xavier poked out his chest and for the first time, he smiled.
Fancy wiped away her tears with the back of her hands and sat up proudly.
“So, I say, let the games begin, George. Oh, and one more thing you should probably know before your time comes to an end—you’re looking at the new senior pastor of Holy Rock. From now on address me as Pastor Khalil McCoy.