Art of War (A Stern Family Saga Book 3) Read online

  Maybe that’s why I’m having a hard time giving up this casino. I know Judith or whoever else wants me out of the picture, but I’m not ready to give up. I’m not backing down from this fight. I know Kyle thinks I will, but I won’t. I feel like I have something to prove, and I have no clue why. I might go down, but I won’t do it without a fight. If that bitch Judith or the Sterns want a war, then I’ll give them one. All I have to do is find some shred of hope that it can be done and that my fight will not be for nothing.

  We arrive at the casino to an empty parking lot. Kyle pays the driver while I look at the large building that kept my father away from me. I thought I would feel hatred towards being here, but I don’t; it’s just a brick and mortar building. But I see the life in it, I feel the appeal it must have when the lights are all on and the place is booming.

  “Wow, this is it, huh?”

  I nod. “Yep, let’s go inside.”

  I unlock one of the many doors, and we enter the building and look for the main lights. It’s massive with loud, vivid colors. There are playing tables for all the games and thousands of slot machines. I can see a bar and a restaurant with a buffet layout. I also hear the humming of the slot machines running, they’re all still on.

  We continue to look around, and I can’t help touching everything as I pass. I’m in amazement that my dad ran this place. It’s more than I could have possibly imagined.

  “Kyle, we need to find his office.”

  He’s totally stunned, just like I am, but he nods his head at me. We work our way to the halls and begin our search for his office. Door after door we open until we find his. I start off by looking around the room; it’s a large office with warm wood resembling the panels in our club.

  “I think I know where my mom got her idea for our club design.”

  “You think? It’s exactly the same wood, stain and design.”

  I notice there is a painting of a couple on the wall. It’s a man standing in a suit and a woman sitting in front of him. I’ve never seen them before, but I notice the necklace; it’s my pearls.

  “Hey Kyle, look at this, it must be my grandparents. Look at her necklace.”

  “It’s your necklace, isn’t it?”

  “Yep.”

  I study it for a few more minutes. The woman has kind eyes; in fact, they’re my eyes. I wonder if she would have liked me. Then I study the man, he looks stuffy and maybe a little like an asshole. Maybe he was kind; I don’t know, but I don’t think so. I continue to look around, seeing more pictures of my father with different people. Sadness creeps up on me because this is his office and there’s not one picture of me. What father doesn’t have a photo of his child? As I continue to look, I notice there’s none of Judith either.

  Shaking my feelings away, I tell Kyle, “Help me look for a box.”

  “What kind of box?”

  “I don’t know, but my dad told me it was mine, and I want to get it before Judith can come up with some reason to have me thrown out of my inheritance.”

  As Kyle’s looking for the box, I start looking at the paperwork on my father’s desk. Some I can’t make out, and some I know are financial reports, but they’re dated and wouldn’t help me in the long run. I continue to look through his desk to find anything that would maybe help me. While searching his desk, I find two little buttons under the desktop. I press one, and one of the paintings moves.

  “Jesus, what was that?”

  “That, Kyle, is a safe.”

  I stand up and walk over to the safe. It has a digital combination lock.

  “Do you know the combination?”

  “No, but maybe I could figure it out.”

  “Murphy, I don’t think you should touch that. What if it has an alarm on it? You know, one like if you mess with it too much, it’ll lock you out and call the police.”

  “Maybe, but I want to try. I’ll give it three tries, and after that I’ll leave it alone.”

  I try to think of any number combo that he might have used. I try his birthday, but it failed. I think some more, but I don’t know what else to try. I don’t know that much about him. I mean, I don’t know his wife’s birthday or his anniversary, but then I think of my mom, her birthday. So, I try that one, and nothing.

  “What did you try?”

  “I tried my mom’s birthday, thinking that maybe that was it, but now I’m out of options. Maybe I should just wait till I can get a locksmith here to open it for me.”

  “You have one more try. What about your birthday?”

  “Mine? I guess I could try, but I doubt that’s it. It’s worth a shot, though.”

  I try, and sure enough, the damn door opens. Well, hell, it was my birthday. Kind of makes me smile. I open the door all the way and start looking into it. It’s filled with papers and books. I find one book that looks very interesting. It’s a ledger, and it has names and amounts in it.

  “Okay, Murph, that’s enough. Put it back, you can’t take it.”

  “Why the hell not?”

  “Because it’s not yours yet, and that would be stealing.”

  I think about what he said, and he’s right. I can’t legally take it yet.

  “You’re right, I can’t steal it, but I can take pictures of it. Here, take my phone. I want pictures of every page. I’m going to look for more.”

  After sifting through the rest of the papers, I decide all I need for now is that book. Then it hits me there was another button under the desk. I go back around the desk, press that button and the picture of my grandparents pops.

  “Shit, Murph, you have to warn me when you do that. It scared the shit out of me.”

  Laughing, I say, “Sorry.”

  We both go to the picture and pull it open and see a wide square cut out in the wall. It holds a large locked file box.

  “There’s your box. What’s in it?”

  “His love.”

  “What?”

  “That’s what he said, it’s a box that holds his love.”

  “Look, I’m finished taking all the pictures of the book’s pages. Can we leave now? Being here makes me feel like a criminal.”

  I say nothing to him as I just stare at the box. What could be in there? His love. I start to feel jealousy towards an inanimate object.

  “Murph, close the painting and let’s go.”

  I start to pull the box out of the wall.

  “What the hell are you doing, Murphy?”

  “I am not leaving here without this box.”

  “You can’t do that, Murphy. You would be stealing it.”

  “I don’t give a shit. It’s mine, and I’m taking it before Judith or the Sterns can find a way to take it from me!”

  After giving it some thought, Kyle says, “All right, let me do it. You know you’re going to get us thrown in jail. I just know it, but I’ll do it.”

  “Thanks, Kyle.”

  “Don’t thank me, just bail my ass out if we get arrested – and I want the best attorney your money can buy.”

  “Done and done. Have I told you lately that I love you?”

  “No, and I don’t want to hear it now. I just thank God I don’t like pussy because I couldn’t handle being your man. Poor Mr. Right; whoever he might be is going to have to go through hell for you.”

  “Funny, but the trick is on you because there is no Mr. Right. He’s a myth, a lie parents tell their daughters. Sort of like Santa Claus. But lying about a Mr. Right is just a cruel, sick joke.”

  “I hate you sometimes, Murphy; you’re just trying to ruin it for me. I’m still looking for my Mr. Right. I guess I’m just going to have to prove it to you that he does exist.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Just get the box and let’s go.”

  We go back to the hotel with the box in tow. Once in our room, Kyle puts it on the coffee table. We both sit down and stare at it.

  Kyle asks, “Are you going to open it?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “What do you mean, you don’t know?
You made me steal it for you, and you’re going to, what, just stare at it?”

  “Leave me alone. I don’t know what to do with it. Part of me wants to open it right now, but part of me is scared to find what’s inside.”

  We’re both quiet for a while, and then Kyle says, “I get it, just think about it. It’s not like it’s Pandora’s box. It’s just a plain box.”

  “But it’s a box that holds his love, and I don’t know what that could mean, but I don’t think I’m ready right now to figure it out. Can you move it to my bedroom dresser? I’ll decide later. I’ve had enough adventure for one day.”

  Kyle agrees and gets up to take the box to my bedroom. I need to call my mom.

  “Hey, Mom, how are you?”

  “Oh, Chéri, I’m so glad to hear from you. I’m fine, but I’ve been so worried about you. Tell me what’s been going on?”

  “I went to see the casino today. It was closed for a mourning period.”

  She practically shouts, “Today? Why weren’t you at the funeral?”

  “I…shit, Mom, Judith hired security to have me thrown out if I tried to go. It’s all right, though. I used the time to go check out the casino.”

  My mom shouts, “I should’ve kicked that bitch’s ass when I had the chance to. Damn her. Look, maybe I should come down there for a while to help you out?”

  “No, Mom, thanks for the offer, but I can handle it and her. The will is to be read tomorrow. When I take over ownership of the casino, I’ll be able to tell you more about how long I might need to be here. But don’t worry about me, I’m handling all of it.”

  “Are you sure, Mon Chéri? I feel like you’re not telling me something.”

  “Yes, Mom. Look, I have to go. I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  We hang up, and I wait for Kyle to come back into the room.

  I am so mentally exhausted but not physically. “Kyle, let’s do something. You want to go shopping?”

  “Why, yes, yes, I do, and I think you owe me something very nice and expensive.”

  “You do, do you?”

  “I sure do.”

  “Fine, but I’ll have you know your friendship is costing me a lot of money. You might have to start putting out.”

  “Fine, I’ll buy my own shit. I’m not a prostitute, I don’t sell my dick for trinkets.”

  “Oh my God, you are such a queen!”

  “I know, and don’t you forget it. Now get your ass up, and let’s go shopping.”

  10

  Murphy

  We go to the French Quarter. We find a lot of small boutiques and an open area called the French Market with outside shopping booths. There are people playing jazz music on the streets and all kinds of panhandlers. Some are reading tarot cards and are willing to tell your future. Then there are cartoon sketch artists. It’s all so lively and exactly what I need today to take my mind off the funeral. Some people would throw stones at me for shopping and enjoying my life on a day like today, but I don’t give a rat’s ass what people think. I just want, for a little while, to forget everything. To forget my broken heart that never truly healed.

  “Hey, Murphy, look at that lady. She’s telling fortunes. Let’s go, I want to know about my future.”

  I agree, to pacify him. We meet the lady called Madam Clarissa; she’s an older woman claiming to be clairvoyant. We sit down, and she asks who wants to go first.

  Kyle jumps up and down, loudly saying, “Me, I’m first. Tell me about all the handsome strangers I have to look forward to.”

  Madam Clarissa laughs a little at him and then begins to read his future. She tells Kyle to shuffle a deck of tarot cards. Once he’s finished, she proceeds to flip them over. She says his future looks bright and that he will be successful in his business. She says that his one true love is around the corner but that it won’t happen for a long time. She claims that they will meet soon but will not fall in love till later.

  Next, it’s my turn. I shuffle the cards like Kyle did, and she begins to flip them over.

  Madam Clarissa starts reading the cards and says, “You are a tortured soul. Confusion and deceit lay in your way. You're stubborn and headstrong.”

  Kyle says, “That’s the truth. What about a Mr. Right in her future? Do you see him?”

  I slap his arm and tell him to hush.

  Madam Clarissa laughs again and says, “Interesting, it seems you two have already met. But you don’t want what he has for you.”

  Kyle asks, “Why? Is it small?”

  Both Clarissa and I start laughing. “No, sir, I cannot tell you that, but I can tell you he is her protector.” She now looks up at me and says, “He is the one to offer you everything, but you get in your own way.”

  She then pauses, and I ask, “What is it?”

  She looks up, pointing to a card. “It’s this card. Let me see your hand, please.”

  I show her my hand, and she turns it till my palm is facing her.

  “You should leave, but you can’t. Happiness awaits you here with the love of your life, but so much pain. I see sorrow in your heart. There has been a death, but there’s another to come.”

  She pauses and releases my hand. “You should be careful, but you can’t run from your future.”

  She continues to watch me as I grab my wallet to pay her. Then she reaches out to me. “I am sorry for your loss.”

  I’m baffled, and I look at her, confused. How could she possibly know I just lost someone? I didn’t tell her anything or hint to it.

  I stand and leave without another word as Kyle follows behind.

  “Wow, she knew. She’s for real.”

  “No, she’s not. It was all bullshit, she just guessed. You can’t possibly believe that crap?”

  “Well, not at first, but listen, Murphy, the stuff she said about you and your loss, that’s too much to be a coincidence.”

  I stop to look up at Kyle. “Well, then if I were to believe her, she contradicted herself. First she said I should leave because I could possibly be in danger, but then she says I can’t because my happiness lies here in New Orleans. Now you tell me, if I am to believe her, what should I do?”

  He thinks about it and says, “Maybe you’re right, she is contradicting herself. I guess she was just grasping at straws. I mean, she said you already met your Mr. Right, and I know all of the guys you’ve met, and none of them are right for you.”

  “See, she’s full of shit.”

  We continue our shopping, buying some clothes and a lot of souvenirs for our club family back home.

  Later that night, we go to sleep in our individual beds and I toss and turn thinking about that stupid Madam Clarissa. Maybe just to be safe, I should be more cautious. Fuck, I want to go back home, where everything is simple, but I can’t, not now. Then I think about this so-called Mr. Right that she said I already met. Who the hell could that be? She said I’m going to get in my own way of happiness. Happiness with a man? I doubt it. I need to sleep, I need to quit thinking about all this crap and just sleep. The reading of the will is tomorrow, and I need to be ready for anything Judith could throw at me.

  11

  Zander

  I walk into my childhood home knowing my mom won’t be happy with my findings, which are zilch. Murphy Larussa Jr. is either good at not getting found, or he’s not here.

  I find her in her office. “Hey, Mom, you busy?”

  “Hello, Zander. No, come in. Tell me, have you found him yet?”

  “That’s why I’m here. I’ve been searching, I checked all the upscale hotels myself, and they have no Murphy Larussa registered. My guys have checked all the lower end hotels and motels, with no luck either. We even extended the search outside of all the other parishes and cities. I have a guy who checked all apartment rentals also. Then I checked the airport and car services, none have the name Murphy Larussa. I’m at a dead end with this one. I know you think he should be here, but maybe he didn’t come. He wasn’t even at the funeral. You
were there, and neither of us saw anyone out of the ordinary. What do you want to do?”

  I watch my mom as she leans back into her chair. She’s not happy, I know that face. Shit, I’ve never had this much trouble; this should have been an easy job.

  Finally, my mom says, “Nothing, I don’t want you to do anything else. I found out that Murphy’s will is going to be read tomorrow. I think we are going to invite our mystery man to our masquerade ball. It’s late for an invitation, given that the party is at the end of the week, but he should still have enough time to figure things out.”

  “What if he’s not here? Maybe he won’t even be here for the reading of the will.”

  “That’s possible, but I doubt it.”

  “Tell me who and where the attorney’s office is, and I’ll go deliver the invite.”

  “No, Zander. You are intimidating, and if this man is this careful, he must be scared. I don’t want to give him any cause to run. So, sit back, we’ll wait for introductions at the end of the week.”