Truth Is Like the Sun

Chapter 1

Elvis Presley had to face it: the life he carefully crafted out of ignorance was falling apart. He wondered every day if he made a mistake when he married Priscilla. As far as the rest of the world knew they were happily married still yet, in reality, Priscilla already moved out of Graceland and now lived in Los Angeles . . . with his karate instructor.

It would be an understatement to say that the betrayal stung. He wanted Mike Stone's head on a stick. Priscilla told him that she no longer loved him on Christmas Day last year.

She took his little girl from him. Losing her hurt the most, more than the humiliation of Priscilla with Mike Stone of all people. He still walked past little Lisa's room and strained his ears because with a young child, silence meant trouble. Then, it always hit him that Lisa wasn't there.

His career wasn't going the way he wished either. At first, it had been nice to tour the US and do his Vegas shows but now, there years inyo the seventies, they all blended together into one. He should have been able to go to Europe, the UK, Australia, maybe even Asia. He should have been able to perform on TV.

That was what Elvis thought he should be able to do, anyway. Colonel Parker had other ideas and what the Colonel wanted, the Colonel got, be it cheap movies or endless Vegas shows.

Sometimes the only evidence of change was his ever-growing child. He never got to spend enough time with her, now even less so than before. Mike Stone probably saw her more than he did at this point. Elvis' hands balled into fists at the mere thought of the man. He had to focus on other things now. Namely the meeting with the Colonel, who was seated across from him with a cigar hanging out of the corner of his mouth.

"Is she back now?" the Colonel asked. Elvis' neck flushed as his fists clenched even tighter, so tight that his nails, as short as they were, managed to somehow dig into the palms of his hands.

"She's not comin' back, Colonel. We started divorce proceedings."

The Colonel nearly choked on his cigar. "That is not a good idea."

"Tell that to her. She's the one who says that she doesn't love me."

"You don't have to love each other. You just have to stay married for the sake of your career. You bring her and Lisa in here once or twice a year to take some press photos, fool 'em." Tom paused to puff on his cigar.

Elvis leaned back in his chair, letting out a snort of contempt. "Fool 'em," he repeated bitterly. "That's it, huh? Just fool 'em. Live a lie."

"For your career. I'd never lead you wrong, Elvis. You know that. If it weren't for me you'd be paying support for somebody else's bastard now."

A strange feeling settled itself in his stomach at those words. "What are you talkin' about?"

"The little girl you dated in '61. The one with the crazy mother."

"What?" The word exploded from Elvis' mouth as violently as his body from the seat. He shoved his chair so hard the impact echoed for what seemed like minutes.

"Calm down now. Just think. How convenient is it that she got pregnant just when you broke it off?"

"It happens!" Elvis screamed, bringing his fist down on the table. An untouched can of Pepsi upturned, spilling its contents over the table and floor. Still, the Colonel did not even flinch. Instead, he puffed on his cigar with a bored look on his face while Elvis hovered in between anger and self-hatred; wanting to tear the Colonel's head off and weighing his culpability in events long passed.

Elvis grabbed the Colonel by the collar and pulled him out of his chair, unaware that he had even done so until he had pushed him against the nearest wall. The cigar slipped out of the Colonel's mouth as it fell open in shock.