Page 6 of The Beachside Cafe 6
“Please, if you do anything, tell Cheyenne I wasn’t a bad guy. I wanted to take money from these evil people because I didn’t know what else to do. They could have destroyed my life. They could have killed me, you and Cheyenne and anyone else I got involved with in telling the story about IDL. So instead of taking that route… and maybe I should have… but instead, I decided to get as much money as I could from them and send it overseas. John has been handling my account there the whole time. He’s been depositing the money in the account automatically. I’ve never touched any of it. There must be more than a million in there by now.”
“That’s why it took me by surprise,” Jaymee said aloud. “He wasn’t spending any of it so I didn’t even know it was there.”
“It hurts to think that Cheyenne will be left with a bad impression of me. Especially if anything bad happens to me and it’s not natural, like a heart attack. But since I’m gone, John has been instructed to give that account to you and Cheyenne to be shared equally. There’s a lot of money in there, Jaymee, and you could put it toward your café. With that money, you could start three or four more cafés, I bet.”
Doug became quiet for a moment, a contemplative expression on his face. He was looking off to the side and chewing on his upper lip. He suddenly sat back. Jaymee could see how nervous and restless he was.
“I’m making this because I need you to understand why I made the decisions I made. By withholding the evidence I had of the corruption and deceit and… deaths going on at IDL and asking for money for that silence, I’ve managed to set you and Cheyenne up for the rest of your lives. You don’t have to worry about hard economic times and a failing business now. Not that the café would fail. I’m sure under your leadership and guidance, it will get through all the hard times with flying colors.”
Jaymee glanced at Cameron to see what he was thinking of this “will”. He slid his eyes to meet hers.
“Well, he is right about that,” Cameron said quietly, making Jaymee smile.
“IDL is a dangerous and bad company, Jaymee. I don’t know if my death has made any changes and I’m hoping that when the blackmail comes out afterwards, it will draw some attention to them. They need to be shut down.”
“I think Doug is making himself into a martyr,” Cameron remarked. When Jaymee looked at him, he shrugged. “Doesn’t that seem right to you? He’s claiming martyrdom.”
“It sounds like that to me, too. And it might be deserved. I guess that depends on what the truth is.”
“He’s giving you all that money...” Cameron let his words trial off as Doug continued on the screen.
“I hope Cheyenne can forgive me. And you, too, of course. I did love you both tremendously. And I know I didn’t show it very often. At least not to you, Jaymee. I’m sorry about that. I’ll try to be more loving to you if I can.”
Jaymee hadn’t seen a difference in Doug that she could remember. It was almost like he’d made the video directly before his death.
“I wonder…”
Jaymee looked sharply at Cameron, who met her gaze and shook his head.
“Doubtful,” he said.
“Please say what you were going to say,” Jaymee prompted him, speaking quickly so she wouldn’t be distracted from the screen too long.
“I’m just wondering if he suspected that he was a target and that’s why he made this. It can’t have been too long ago. He looks just like he did the last time I saw him.”
“I agree,” Jaymee nodded. “I was thinking the same thing.”
“I hope you can forgive me, Jaymee. I hope you and Cheyenne have the best lives you can possibly live. I won’t be there for Cheyenne’s wedding. Give her a kiss for me and a big hug. Tell her I love her, that I always loved her, despite the way it might have seemed at the end when you find out what I’ve been doing. I love you both. I really do…” He stopped and stared into the screen for a moment. “I love you, Jaymee. I love you, Cheyenne. You made my life worth living. I hope you can forgive me for being the worst.” He grinned and Jaymee automatically grinned back. She could see the old Doug in her mind when he smiled. It reminded her of when they’d first been together.
It was at that moment Jaymee realized they had actually had a few good years together in the beginning. When Cheyenne was just a baby, they’d gone on family trips and picnics and had good times together.
Sadness washed over Jaymee as she watched Doug reach forward and click a button. The video of him stopped and the tv went blank.
FIVE
Jaymee was left stunned by the video. She reached to the coffee table and grabbed the remote. She pointed it at the screen and turned it off.
Both of them remained on the couch, silent, thinking. After a moment, Jaymee turned sideways, pulling one leg up to face Cameron.
“What do you think?”
Cameron stretched one arm on the back of the couch and the other on the armrest next to him. His eyes were on the black screen. “I don’t know,” he mumbled. “He just handed you the keys to the kingdom, dear.”
“But it’s not honest money. It’s dishonest money.”
“Dishonest money gained from dishonest people,” Cameron suggested. “Doesn’t that kind of even it out? If not, it should. Think of all the good you could do with money like that.”
Jaymee thought about it. He was right, there could be a lot to come out of getting an enormous amount of money like a million dollars.
