ODDS OF LOVE : SEASON ELEVEN

Episode 25

" This is apparent twat level bullshit from a total cockwobble , " Nigel said with disgust as he and Richard in their bedroom listened to the podcast link emailed to Richard from Jeremiah with the words " Watch this. It will affect the case".

The podcast of a radically magnificent looking preacher named Lazarus Jones who was talking, screaming, emotionally assaulting them with the worst lies they had ever heard in their lives especially about Faith and the case. They were smearing her good name and career to dangle her up as a weapon against the police and White America.

" I agree," Richard said as he closed out the repulsive podcast. He had had enough. He had never came across the man before but then again unless it was legally based he was not much for podcasts. And unless it was music or cooking oriented Nigel wasn't listening to or watching it. He wondered at that last name. Jones ? Was he some relation to Reverend Joy Jones? Then he shook off that notion. Jones was a common name really, and the two were as different as apples and oranges.

He was glad he had asked Jeremiah to be first chair on the case. Because he was a Black man. In fact he was considering adding Amanda Charm to the team because she was a Black woman. He just might do it because he sensed the flamboyant minister Lazarus Jones might end up manipulating everything into a far more troublesome situation than it already was now.

Nigel's phone dinged with a incoming text and as he read it Richard felt distress growing within him.

" What's wrong? Not Gerald is it ? Or ...... Mary and Niles? "

Nigel with a pale face handed him the phone with the open text from Lyle on it.

" Read that , Richard. Lyle has a sort of.... ability where he can see certain things. I guess it's like ESP or something of that nature. Anyway he saw you. He saw you in a dream being threatened by someone who had a gun. "

Richard read the message and suddenly felt like someone walked over his grave.

Nigel urgently said," Do you think it could be right? Are you in danger? Damn it all. What if it's Niles ? He tried to kill you first in England after all. What if ..... What if he was the one who shot you and Lyle that day in the park? They never found the shooter. What if you were the actual target that day? "

He was starting to look completely panicked. " Remember what he told you before he and Mary left the park ? That there was more than one way to get a trust fund? What's he planning? "

Richard didn't want to believe his son still wanted to kill him. He didn't want to in his heart because that was his son. His firstborn child. Yet in his head he could see it so easily.

His son might want to kill him. Still. His son hated him that much.

He wanted to weep.

" And," he reluctantly asked," what if it was him who broke in and beat you? He was wearing a mask and you say you still can't recall any of the beating. It could have been him. "

Now he was starting to panic.

Nigel admitted to Richard that when he had heard him at the dinner he had crashed on Mary's invite that his voice sounded very familiar.

Nigel swallowed hard. " Glad we have the dogs and the security system. "

Richard laughed harshly. " Right. If only you and the children would stop spoiling King and Queen. "

Nigel narrowed his eyes. " I don't spoil them. It's you that buys the gourmet organic doggie food that you saw Rebel recommend on that show of his. "

Richard smiled slightly. " And it's you that carries them up the stairs to protect their legs. "

They looked at each other and then laughed out loud. They reached for each other without words at the same time.

Finally Nigel said," Restraining order?"

Richard laughed bitterly. " Useful in name only. "

Richard sighed. " Maybe I will give Niles back his allowance. And increase it with the new baby coming. Maybe ten thousand like I give your mother. "

Maybe if he opened the money back up Niles would spare his life because he was" useful " once more to him.

Maybe that would protect Nigel too.

Richard still felt like weeping.