Chapter 8

A tangled web of deceit

 

Richard played the game for well over a year, skilfully running the lives of three people, making sure that there were no clashes, no  embarrassing misunderstandings which might result in the two men turning up at the same time and the same place. Except of course, when Becky was somewhere else.

     And in all that time neither Gerald or David suspected that they did not have the sole rights to Becky.  Of course she knew, but such was Richard's power that even though he no longer made  physical demands of her, he was still totally in control, and under his influence, she unwittingly aided in the deception.  

    Richard knew that the time was coming when he would want to  spring the trap and accordingly he left Rebecca in no doubt that it was he, and not the other two, who was really responsible for all the good things that were happening to her. If she wanted that situation to continue after her two lovers were destroyed, she would have to continue to do his bidding.

    All that Richard had been working for these last few years was near to fruition. All his plans were heading toward a climax, and then he would see his father cut down to size.  And it concerned  Richard not a jot, that when his father fell from grace his brother would go down with him.

    Meanwhile Gerald was counting his blessings. He was in his element. The last year of his life had been like nothing he ever known. Since his rebirth as a man, and the discovery of a reserve of sexual energy which had lain dormant for so long, he had been ecstatic.  His life had taken a course he could hardly have believed to be possible; a course he might so easily have missed. He shuddered at the thought that he might have lived out the rest of his life not knowing.

      A period of trying out new ladies, almost like choosing from a menu of gourmet dinners; had prepared his palette for the pièce de résistance; Rebecca Carr; Becky.

    She possessed every virtue that he desired in a woman. Stunning beauty, combined with intelligent intellect, and a personality of such genuine open friendliness, it was impossible not to like her.  It was no coincidence that most men who liked her finished up loving her.

    Gerald was no exception, but what surprised him most of all was that she should love him back. That she did, was evident in many ways, not least by her enthusiasm to be with him, and her willingness to please him in all things, not least the bedroom.

    Gerald had no reason to doubt Becky and thought her love was genuine; even less had he reason to suspect a hidden agenda on the part of Richard, even though his astonishingly good  behaviour during the last year or so had been a surprise.

    But he new nothing of his sons plans. Moreover, as it was to discover, he new nothing of his son.

    For all her qualities and her modern outlook, Rebecca had little significant knowledge of the ways of business and high finance.  She had turned her back on that world when she had the chance, and instead had chosen the theatre. Now Gerald took her on a guided tour, a short cut route to the top of that world.  That  power was held in so few hands in the corporate word was something that fascinated her, as did those people whose power it was to weald.

    Some trips abroad, always staying at hotels noted for their quality, and discretion, had enhanced Becky’s lifestyle out of all recognition. It was an experience which had given her a new insight into her own psyche, which in turn had become part of her new self belief.  As a result her performances on stage were more powerful, more in tune with a new force from deep within her, but now wanting expression.

    Gerald was pleased when Becky started to be recognised in her own right, and glad that - he believed - that due to her widened lifestyle, he was helping her. Somehow, despite the difference in their ages, they seemed to compliment each other. Occasionally in one of his quiet times he would consider how his life had turned since he met her. Could this be the love that would last him his life out, he would sometimes think?  

    Now and again he would also think of Lydia, but this was an uncomfortable area for him, and he would move on to safer ground as soon as he could.  Lydia represented a point in his life which he could not categorise, except that he was not proud of himself about her.  He had loved her, and had thought she would be the one that he would settle with.  And then came Becky.

    He would often try to reassure himself that he had done the right thing. After all, hadn't he caught her in bed with another man?  No matter that the other man was his son,  well known for his fondness of the ladies, and that they, for some unaccountable reason, found him irresistible. But just the same. . . ?

    That was as far as he ever got; never able to round off that particular line of thought; never quite able to see the justice in his own assertion, that it was alright for him to have been having it an affair with Becky, yet it was wrong for Lydia to succumb just once - he remembered her tearful assurance - to his own flesh and blood.

    So the double duet with Becky at its centre, continued to twirl and spin.  For while Gerald was leading her in the world of business by the right hand, David, by her left hand, was leading her deeper into the theatre.  David's knowledge of the theatre had not been extensive, and so he had been grateful for Richards advice on the subject, and later for his  'top name' introductions to producers and influential backers.  David himself was drawn in by the enthusiasm of these people, and was persuaded to become an 'Angel' and back one of Becky's productions financially.

    The year progressed steadily; a year like no other, during which Gerald and David danced a pirouette around Becky, almost like a trio of puppets; for indeed that’s what they were; while Richard, the master puppeteer, pulled their strings.

    And then, imperceptibly, something changed.  Something in Richards plan which had not been quite right, something unforeseen.

     For the master puppeteer was not controlling the strings as well as he would have liked, and did not notice at first that some of them were starting to sag.  Some things were happening which were not in his plan and when he started realize this it caused him anxiety; anxiety turned to anger; anger to panic.  

    But he could not see that it was not only the strings to his puppets that were beginning to go limp.  He was starting to lose control of his own actions.

    Underlying the fraying of his plan; the most surprising of Richards miscalculations; was his apparent unawareness of Becky's artistry.  So blinkered had he been in finding someone with all the right attributes  to trap his father, it had not occurred to him that she might have real talent.  His attempt to further her career as an inducement to ensnaring Gerald certainly worked at the beginning, but more recently her success had been on the bases of her own skill as an actress rather than his manipulations.  This had in turn led to serious interest being shown by other producers in the business, but outside of Richards influence.

    Becky had become aware that she was not tied to Richard as tightly as before, and confident now that  she was starting to make it on her own terms. It was certainly true that things were changing for Becky, but while she could not ignore that Richard had been a major influence, she had begun to realise that she had played her part too.  She had always believed that she was a good actress, and suddenly there were other people saying so as well.  So now, as well as getting rave reviews she was getting offers of work from sources beyond Richard’s kingdom.

     Under Richard’s guile, David had set up her first film which was now released;  it looked as though it might be a smash, and suddenly everyone wanted to know about her.  Where had she been until now?  Where did she come from?  Was she married and if so to whom; and if not, why not?

    This might have been the moment for Richard to spring the trap but he was starting to get edgy, suddenly concerned that his carefully laid plans were going awry. He decided that it was time to assert himself, to regain the upper hand, and for people, especially Becky, to find out once again, who was the boss.  In the meeting of minds that followed Richard discovered for the first time, that in subjecting Becky to all the new influences of the past couple of years  he had changed her; somehow strengthened her.  She was no longer the malleable starlet, ambitious and prepared to do almost anything. Now, for the first time since meeting Richard, she was seeing things from her perspective, and not his.

    "Get lost."  Becky was as surprised as Richard at her defiance to his latest outburst, no longer prepared to be part of his evil scheme, which somehow until recently she had not recognised.  Under his influence her mind had masked out his cruel intention, but not any more.  And her eyes, as well as just being open were seeing. Now she could see, understand, and rebel.  In that seeing; that understanding; was the first realization of the pain that Gerald and David would suffer by Richard’s plan, and appalled at his obvious delight at how distraught they would be when he discovered the deception.

    But her own words surprised her just the same.  She had never defied him before, and now, almost out of the blue she had done so, so bluntly; somewhat crudely.

    "What was that?" he spun round angrily.

    "You heard me, I'm not doing your dirty work any more."

    Richard could hardly believe his ears.  All this time he had enjoyed her complete compliance without a murmur; without seeming to understand, or to care.

    "And what's more I'm going to tell them just what you have been up to.” she continued, determined to finish what she had started.

    "It will be the last thing you do," he threatened  "you'll never work in London again."

    "Oh  yes; well I've got plenty of offers which say different."

    "You'll do as your told."

    The argument went on for a long time, but Becky stood her ground. She was as far from being a bimbo as it was possible to be, but for too long she had been blinkered.  Somehow the light had come on, as if a blindfold had been removed, and  she could see how she had been used.

    "Enough is enough." she shouted at Richard as he turned to leave, uncertain as to his next move, as more evidence that the knots were starting to undo was displayed. Fraying loose ends were beginning to appear, and Richard feared he was losing control.  

    But his row with Becky was just the beginning.  She had become the new kid on the theatrical block, and the media had taken a great interest in her.  She had been asked to give some interviews; and enjoyed a couple of television chat show appearances, which only served to increase media interest, and their desire to know everything about her.  Before long there was not much about her recent past which was not known - subject of course to Richards vetting - Now they wanted to know about her early life and background,  which was still not public knowledge.  It seemed inevitable that soon she would be a household name.

    But there was one that they all wanted to know.  Who she was sleeping with.  She was after all probably the most beautiful woman in the country, and just about every man went weak at the knees fantasizing about her.

    Who, they were asking, was the lucky man for whom fantasy had become a reality?

    It had quickly become a media free for all.

    From the beginning Richard had been adamant that she did not reveal the true nature of things.  Her relationship with the other Bomally men was to be his trump card to be used only when he said so.  He had expected media attention, but wanted the hysteria to reach a crescendo before he dropped his bombshell.  He had also told Becky to explain to the Bomally's - father and son - that to get the most out of her sudden popularity, it must look as though she was unattached; at least for the time being, but that as soon as possible, he promised, she would be able to reveal their place in her life.

    Now, unaccountably, Richard was in a flummox, finding that his position was being eroded from two sides.  The media's interest had started before he was ready. He had expected that it too would be under his control, but it had taken off on its own.  And then there was Becky's unexpected defiance.  He could not understand what had brought about her sudden rebellion.

     What had brought it about was simple.  She had woken up.  As her own sense of self worth had grown, so Richard's influence diminished, and as the realisation of the enormity of what had happened dawned, and what was still happening, it started to play heavily on her conscience.  That she should have helped in the destruction of two innocent men - men for whom she cared - was more than she could bear.  Gradually the mist dissipated and now   she could clearly see Richards plan, and her part in it. She was devastated.  Had it gone too far? Could anything be done?   Everything was mixed up, but she knew that in some way, somehow, whatever it took, it had to stop.

    The media interest continued unabated, and when no evidence of a husband or boyfriend was found, either now or in the past, the word got out that she was a lesbian.  Soon it was headline news, and quite a few young actresses, looking perhaps for their chance to have their fifteen minutes of fame, confessed to being her lover. Now, even more control was slipping away from Richard, for one of them, and then another, claimed to have a palimony contract, and  were threatening to sue Becky for ‘Breach of Promise’.

    Like the majority of people, Becky as a girl, and later as a young woman, had been riveted by the goings on of the rich and famous.  Stories of people who lived in affluence and luxury; and in the public glare; were legend, as were those of ‘celebrities’ those who aspired bask in the glow of publicity. They seemed not to care that their personal lives were on show, that the most private and intimate details of their lives were available for the price of a newspaper. Becky never quite knew what to believe about these stories, and her parents, much given to clichés, only confused her further.  ‘Don’t believe everything you read in the papers’, her father would say.  ‘There’s no smoke without fire’, her mother would counter. Now it was happening to her, only this time she knew which parts were true, and which were lies.  She was suffering bouts of extreme guilty conscience, for now she was ashamed of her part in the deception. And, not only was she  dreading the day that Gerald and Richard found out, but that the rest of the world would too.

      But then, unexpectedly, she remembered another favourite gem her father loved to quote.  ‘It never rains but what it pours’, he would say whenever there was a minor crisis.  For now, unbelievably, at the most agonising time for such a thing to happen; when, she thought, nothing more can happen; it did. Becky discovered that she was pregnant.  

    Perhaps she had been subconsciously fighting Richard longer than she was aware, and had been a little careless with her contraception. Maybe some nagging doubt had been at work, and that this might be a way to bring an impossible situation out in the open, and to an end.  

    Perhaps; and though it was not a deliberate act, its timing could not have been more critical. At first she was mortified at the discovery, but could not help a wry smile. “It’s raining father.” she had called out. Could anything else happen to her just at this time?  

    When her condition was announced to the world what followed was unstoppable.  It seemed that the whole of county’s press was out to get her.  It was the beginning of the end; the moment that Becky had dreaded.

    Richard was enraged.  It was also the moment, had it been in his control, that would have made him deliriously happy, for this should have been the point in his warped synopsis, when he would reveal to the two men, each about the other.  Nature would then take over,  setting male against male, to gain the favour of the female.  It would be a fight to the death.  But it was so unexpected that it had caught him off guard, and once again his plan had gone wrong.  After pondering on how could he emerge from this ever deepening quick sand, he thought he had the solution. He announced to the press that it was he, her manager, producer and lover, who was the lucky man.  He was acutely aware that his own position might soon come under scrutiny, and being the father a goddess's baby might give him some kudos, and might yet save him from being destroyed along with the other members of his family.

    Richard was by now so estranged from normality that until recently he could see only the unfolding of his scheme which would finish off his father.  Not once had it occurred to him that he himself might be drawn in, and that he might also burn at the stake.  Now, with surprising suddenness it had come to that, and he saw the baby as a straw to clutch.

    Becky’s announcement was a surprise to Gerald and David, both still unaware of the others amorous involvement with Becky, so both therefore believed themselves to be the father. But their shock was as nothing to their utter astonishment and fury at Richards claim.  They immediately, but independent of the other, gave TV interviews admitting that it was they, not Richard who had fathered the child. It was then that they learned that all this time they had sharing Becky's affection, and inevitably their statements to the media caused a sensation. When the news broke that a famous father and his two sons all claimed to be the father of this child they had a field day.  That a top, and very wealthy industrialist, and his two sons had been taking turns with a beautiful young women was a journalists fantasy, which none of them could resist. That the woman in question was now a top movie star, and one of the sons a celebrated theatre mogul was more than they could ever have wished.  A scandal of gargantuan proportions was looming, and overnight they were all being mobbed.  

     Previous adulation of Rebecca Sandra Carr was quickly changing to hostility, and she was openly called a whore.  Offers of television appearances stopped arriving, and very soon  stories of her sexual activities were circulated.  Tales of all night family party's at which the men would take turns with the ever willing Becky were rife.  And if that was not lurid enough, stories of orgies drugs and booze became common currency.  Claims by 'friends' that they had been invited to these orgies and had taken part in weird sexual activities of every kind were commonplace and 'first hand' accounts of such events appeared in the press almost daily.

    Trial by jury is one of the pillars of a free society, but trial by media, with little if any chance of anyone defending themselves is the other side of that coin, and the media were merciless.  Nowhere was there any sign of understanding or compassion, less less any thought that they might have got it wrong.

    It was, as one headline put it  'A four sided triangle', and all four participants were pronounced guilty.

    Finally Rebecca gave in and told the whole story, exposing Richard as an evil exploiter, and gradually a little common sense did emerge. The headlines became smaller and less sensational.  One or two pressmen who did have a little more sense and who had managed to retain some integrity got involved, and bit by bit a truer picture emerged; a picture exposing Richard's real part in the whole affair.  Gerald and David found it almost impossible to believe what was now being revealed; that for nearly two years they had been living parallel lives with Rebecca, sharing her, but each without the knowledge of the others involvement. And, if his claims of fatherhood were to be believed, sharing with Richard as well.

    Readers of the daily papers, despite the slightly less lurid headlines, found it equally hard to believe.  Weeks of media attention and police interviews left them all exhausted, but most damaging were the recriminations within the family.  Father against son; son against father, and father and son against son and brother.  It gradually became clear that Gerald and David had been led by the nose by the malevolent and deranged travesty that Richard had become. That he had been playing with then for his own amusement, and to extract revenge for what he mistakenly saw as the denial of his birthright.

    But it had all gone wrong and now it was too late for revenge, for in destroying his father Richard had also destroyed his brother, Rebecca, and himself as well.   He could no longer control events, and the loathing he created for his own flesh and blood, had set off a chain of events which would continue, like gravity, under their own weight.  For the moment all they could hope for was that some another sensation, another scandal far away, would take the searchlight off them, and on to some other luckless heads.  

    Any semblance of sanity in Richard was now gone.  He had lost his main prop when his father revealed himself to the press, followed by David.  It was out of his hands now, and everything was in the open.  No more devious games to play or lies to tell.  It was over, his father image and reputation had certainly been tarnished, and yet he was still essentially the man he was before.

    But Richard was now the victim of his own devils, and he could not stop.  He continued to exhort his father to destruction, even though his evil scheme was falling apart all around him.  He still went to the old house, wanting to goad and to harass his father.  Gerald on the other hand hoped that somehow, even after all that had happened, he could save his son from the insanity that had overtaken him.

    Richard however was not prepared to be saved.  One day while taunting his father, he laughed in the older man’s face for imagining that Rebecca ever loved him, telling him that she was just obeying orders.  And then he told his father, visibly ageing now, that more than once he had watched secretly, just for the hell of it, while he made love to her.  Gerald was trembling, but Richard was remorseless.   

    "Do you think that for one minute, that sensuous and exquisite woman could ever have fancied you, you fat old slob of a man." he had shouted.

    "She loved me, I know she did." Gerald shouted back even louder.

    "She didn't love you, she had sex with you, that's all, and she loathed it.  But she did it because I paid her, like a common prostitute."

    Gerald was red in the face, and moved to throw a punch at Richard, but his more agile son easily moved out of its path.

    "You don't get it do you? ... I opened all those doors for her, not you;  things happened for her, but only if I made them happen, and only if she did what I told her."

    He could see that his father could take no more, but Richard had never been bothered about hitting a man when he was down.

    "She never loved you at all; it was all part of the deal, part of the plan to humiliate you, and then to break you."

    It was too just too much; the last straw, and Gerald lunged again, this time he had a paper knife in his hand, which he had picked up from the desk..

    "I'll kill you." he shouted, waving the knife before him, but Richard evaded each attempt to stab him.

    He laughed as his father's vain attempts, shouting as he danced clear of each swing, "It's a pity that things unravelled before I was able to put the final part of the plan into action.  I wanted to see you crawl and beg for mercy."

    Gerald stopped suddenly, tired and drained.

    "But why ... you are my son ... why do you hate me so much?"

    "It doesn't matter any more," Richard said, quietly.  The anger seemed to have left them both.  "I am leaving today and you will never see me or Becky again.”

    "Nooo!!! ... " It was a roar rather than a shout, and once again Gerald charged. This time Richard had been caught of guard, and was not able to get out of the way.  Instead he grabbed hold of the descending arm, and avoiding the knife, twisted and threw, so that Gerald was hurled against the wall.  He fell heavily to the ground on his front and lay still, his face turned away.

    Richard looked down, shocked that his father had found so much spirit, and waited for the older man to get back to his feet.  For a few minutes he waited, but his father seemed to have been knocked out. He did not move but a quiet noise from the back of his throat seemed to suggest that he may have been winded.

     Rebecca had heard the shouting and had come to investigate.  She saw at once Gerald lying on the floor, his face near the wall.  She saw the paper knife lying where it had fallen between Gerald and the wall, just out of Richards sight. Richard waved her back and told her to pack a bag.

    "We are going away, go and get packed.”

    Ignoring Becky’s plea’s that she should take a look at him, he shouted.

    “Go. Go now.  Or I'll kill him before your eyes."

    When Becky returned some ten minutes later she found that Gerald has not recovered, but she could see some blood on the floor.  Richard was kneeling at his side and when he turned him over the paper knife was sticking into his heart.

     He seemed to be searching for a pulse; some sign of life; or death.  "He's dead." was all he would say. Richard was angry.  He was angry that Gerald was dead.  Too soon; he had not finished with him.

    Becky had witnessed this and couldn’t believe that Richard had killed Gerald while she was packing her bag.  

    "Are you ready, have you packed a bag; come on, now; now.” he shouted.

      Becky watched as Richard took the knife out of Gerald's body and hurled it through  the open widow. "You've killed him." she cried, finally getting her voice to work,  as she ran the warm, but lifeless body.  

    "Are you going to kill me as well?"  She asked looking up at the agitated Richard. "Why?" she whispered, but he didn’t answer. "Why?" she said again, but this time she sobbed. "He was always so nice to me."

    Richard was angry again.  "If you're not in the car in five minutes you might get the same." angrily pulling her to her feet and pushing her toward the door.

    She took another look at Gerald.  The blood had not spread very far but his shirt and jacket were now well soaked.  

    "We must call for the ambulance, he might still be alive."

    "He's quite dead, I assure you."

    “We can’t just leave him; I loved him," she said through her tears, "and he loved me."

    "I'll tell you who you can love and who you can't love.  Now for God's sake get going."

    He pulled her away and once more pushed her toward the door, "Now move, or they'll find two bodies on the floor."