Dirty Laundry - Part II

Conditions at the Munchers were rapidly deteriorating. Poor Lindsey was now near hysterics, and there was nothing Mel could do to quiet her. "We have to pull ourselves together, baby. We need to call the police," Melanie tried to reason with Lindsey.

"No. We have to wait, and talk to Tony first." Justin attempted once again to get either of his lovers on their cell phone. Shit, why the hell wasn't Tony answering, and where the fuck was Brian?

Melanie turned, and looked at Justin. "Talk to Tony? How dare you take his side?" she barked.

"How dare you jump to conclusions?" Justin fired back. "You're supposed to be a lawyer. Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? You're no better than the homophobes who fabricated this story in the first place. Can't you see that this is just a ploy? What better way to push Proposition 14 than to label us all as pedophiles, and child molesters?"

"But what about the picture?" Lindsey sniffed.

"WHAT ABOUT THE PICTURE?" Justin threw the question back. "It was just a hug in the middle of a public place."

"Why was Tony's shirt open, and why did he swear Gus to secrecy?" Mel began her cross examination. "Why is it that we're just now hearing about this? If everything was so innocent then why is Gus afraid to tell us what happened?"

"I don't know, but there must be some explanation…." Justin said.

"If that pedophile ever comes near my son again I'll kill him myself. In the meantime, I'm calling the police…" Melanie headed for the telephone.

Justin followed her. "Mel, you're not being fair. You know what this kind of publicity will do to him…."

"If he's not guilty then he shouldn't have anything to worry about!" Melanie began to dial.

"That's not how the heterosexual mind works, and you know it. How many cases have you handled where just an accusation has ruined an innocent man's life? Mel, you're going to bury Tony if you, or Lindsey, show any indications that you believe this bullshit…" Justin pleaded.

"That's too fucking bad." Melanie waited for the police to answer.

Justin snatched the telephone wire from the wall. "I won't let you do this!" he said.

"You fucking faggot!" Melanie dashed down the stairs for her purse, containing her cell phone, with Justin in hot pursuit.

Gus had been watching the commotion, and listening to the questions raised about him. The words being tossed around were strange, pee-do-file, child moo-lest-her. That's what Mel called Tony. They must mean something very, very bad, because mommy Mel was threatening to kill Tony. Gus certainly knew what kill was. That's what happened to bad people in the movies. They always get killed in the end. Tony wasn't bad. Why did Melanie want to kill him? Was it because of the promise Gus insisted that Tony gave him? Gus concluded that a decision had to be made. He couldn't let Tony be blamed for something that wasn't his fault. His pop always taught him that a man has to take responsibility for his own actions. The brave youngster took a deep breath. "Mom."

Amidst the ruckus between Justin and Melanie, Lindsey had nearly forgotten about her son. "What is it, sweetheart?" She sat down on the bed, and pulled him to her.

"Mom, it's my fault," Gus confessed.

"No, it's not your fault." Lindsey hugged him tighter.

Gus struggled for air. "Mom, I made Tony promise not to tell," he said.

Lindsey held her son at arm's length, and looked into his eyes. "Gus, whatever Tony made you do was not your fault," she assured him.

"He didn't make me do anything. I went to see him. I just wanted to invite him to Pop's party." Gus began to cry.

Lindsey listened in amazement as Gus recalled through his tears his intricate plan to get his father, and Tony together. It was no less than genius how the 5yr old waited for Mel, and Jenny Rebecca to go to sleep, manipulated his way to The Plaza Hotel, got Tony to agree to attend the re-opening of Babylon, and returned home without anyone ever knowing that he had been gone. "Gus, why was it so important for you to get Tony and Brian together? What about Justin, don't you like him anymore?" Lindsey asked.

"Guys aren't like women. They can have two boyfriends," Gus quoted his father. "Am I in trouble, Mom?"

Lindsey thought for a moment. "I'm afraid you are," she said. "What you did was very dangerous. You knew better than to sneak off like that. Anything could have happened to you."

"Is Tony in trouble?" Gus sniffed. "Is mommy Mel going to kill him?"

"No. Tony's not in trouble, and no one is going to kill him." Lindsey smiled.

The words had barely left Lindsey's mouth when the last thing that Brian said to her suddenly made sense. If this was beyond a police matter, it could only mean one thing… "Oh my god! Gus we have to get to Brian," she said.

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"Wake up Mr. Massey, we're here." Tony's driver opened the passenger door of the limo, and gently shook his boss.

Tony opened his sleepy eyes. "Already? I must have dozed off," he yawned.

"Dozed? You were snoring like a freight train. You must be exhausted," Bill laughed.

Tony climbed out of the car, and draped his leather carry-on over his shoulder. He shaded his eyes from the glaring street lights, and looked up at Brian's window. Good, the lights were still on.

"You'd better check your messages, your cell phone has been ringing off the hook. I didn't have the heart to wake you up. You were sleeping so well. Would you like me to wait on you, sir?" Bill asked.

"No. This is the end of the road for me tonight." Tony smiled. "Thanks Bill."

Brian estimated the drive from Pittsburgh to Chicago to be between six, and eight hours, depending on how many state troopers were patrolling the highways. Damn airport security. He could have already been halfway to Tony if he could have figured out how to get through the fucking metal detectors. Brian picked up the small caliber revolver, and held it in his hand. Funny, it didn't look like it could take a life. However, Omar assured him that it could. The question now was if Brian had the same fire power as the personal arsenal he was holding. Did he have what it takes to take the life of the man that he loved, the man who violated his son? Brian shoved the pistol into the front of his jeans, and secured it in place with his belt, then covered the handle with a loose denim shirt. He was about to pick up his keys, and head for the door when suddenly it opened.

"Anybody home?" Tony called out.

Startled by the unexpected arrival, Brian stood silently behind the frosted glass walls of the bedroom, and watched as Tony placed his carry-on on the floor near the door.

"Hello!" Tony called again.

"I thought you were supposed to be in Chicago." Brian stepped out into view.

"I'm spoiled now. I can't sleep without my boys. Hello, precious." Tony smiled and glanced around the loft. "Where's my other one?" he asked.

"Justin is over at Mel and Lindsey's," Brian said.

Tony looked down at his watch. "At this hour? It's almost eleven o'clock," he pointed out. "Is something wrong?"

Brian picked up the newspaper from the dresser, and started down the bedroom steps. "Yeah, something's wrong," he said.

"Is Tiger ok?" Tony asked.

Brian handed Tony the newspaper. "You tell me," he hissed.

Tony's eyes scanned the headline of tomorrow's early edition of the Pittsburgh Tribune: Cleanup On Liberty Avenue Implicates Heavy Hitter. "Where did you get this?" he asked

"Michael gave it to me. When was Gus with you at The Plaza, and why is this the first time any of us is hearing about it?" Brian cut straight to the chase.

Tony continued to look at the incriminating evidence. The photograph of him hugging Gus with his shirt wide open certainly looked bad. "I thought he was lost…I…I thought something had happened to him, or to you."

"What?"

"The police brought Gus to The Plaza. I thought something had happened….Maybe there had been some kind of accident." Tony scrambled to find the right words. "Who took this picture?"

"Fuck the picture! When I asked Gus what happened he told me that he promised you that he wouldn't tell. What was he not supposed to tell, Tony?" Brian demanded.

Tony looked up at Brian. "What are you insinuating? Are you trying to say that something inappropriate took place between me and your son?"

"I'm trying to say that you'd better start talking," Brian warned.

"I'm not dignifying this bullshit with an answer. You know damn well that I would never hurt Gus! Who do you think I am? Do I look like Michael Jackson to you?" Tony tossed the newspaper back at Brian.

"I have to know what happened," Brian insisted.

"Nothing happened!" Tony said.

"Then why did my son run to his room when I showed him this picture?" Brian growled.

Tony was about to blurt out the whole story when he remembered his promise to Gus. "I need to talk to Tiger," he said.

"No, you need to talk to me, and you need to start talking fast, or there won't be anything left of you for Melanie to call the police on," Brian assured him.

Tony couldn't believe what he was hearing. The police? "This is crazy, Brian. I'm telling you that nothing happened between me and Gus. Let's just go over to Lindsey and Mel's, and we can straighten this all out."

"We can straighten it out here!" Brian said.

"Not before I talk to Gus." Tony turned, and began heading for the door.

"Don't turn your back on me, Tony! Don't open that door! Tony!…Tony!…Tony!

Brian pulled the revolver from his waist, and fired.

NEXT WEEK: Dirty Laundry, pt 3

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