4.
Ted didn't do well poor.
He wasn't supposed to handle public funds but Ted thought, naively, that his friends could have helped him out, find a job that could help but the few times he tried approaching one of his old acquaintances he was rewarded by a door slammed on his face. It took him close to three months before he found a job he. His college degree, his extensive business experience, the billions he made and all he was qualified, all he was allowed to do was answer phones.
Somewhere, Gloria, his former secretary was laughing.
One day Ted got hold of a computer and googled his name. The first thing that popped out was a picture of him from before. He looked at the picture and felt sick. He had a stupid smug grin on his face and Ted remembered what he'd thought when the picture was taken: He was king of the world and nothing could possibly go wrong.
A week later he was arrested for insider trading.
Ted closed the site.
The news of Charlie's trial re-opening was hard to miss, this being LA, it was everywhere. He even heard a rumor that some kids were planning a documentary on Charlie. He watched with the rest of LA as evidence after evidence came out in favor of Charlie. Things were looking hairy for the prosecutors.
"Good for you, Charlie." Ted raised his beer. "Now, take them for all their worth."
Two weeks later he returned home to his crappy apartment to find someone waiting for him, Ted's first instinct was to run, in case he was there for the rent but the guy wore a suit, an expensive suit.
He remembered wearing those. He could still run, the guy didn't seem to notice him, too busy staring at the setting sun--
"Charlie?"
The man turned and a smile filled his face. "Hi, Ted."
--
The next time Ted saw Detective Reese, he offered her coffee. She arrived early he was on the steps outside of the mansion, coaxing Charlie's horse to stop eating the flowers.
"Hey," she said but her eyes were on the horse.
"We're moving him to the orange grove tomorrow," he explained.
"I thought he bought that for his ex-wife?"
"He did but Jennifer sent it back."
For the first time Ted saw a hint of amusement, like she approved but it was gone the next time he blinked so he may have imagined it. "Wanna come in? Charlie's probably ready."
Reese shook her head once. "It's okay."
Right. The last time she was inside the mansion, there was a girl in nothing but Charlie's shirt. "Charlie didn't--"
The hand came up quickly, swiftly cutting off any more discourse. "No," she said in clear, precise tones. "Really. I don't want to know."
"Oh." Ted made an equivalent of a mental backtrack and panicked. "Uh. Coffee?"
Reese considered it then nodded. "Why not?"
"I have to…" The horse neighed and began to move, restless. It moved its head again and neighed loudly.
"I'll look after the horse while you get the coffee."
"Are you sure?" Because she had on an expression, like she couldn't believe she'd just said what she just said.
"Just get the coffee," she said with a resigned tone, as she took the reins from him and started awkwardly patting the horse on the nose. The horse looked equally dubious of this treatment but didn't move.
"Uh, how do you take your coffee?"
The horse butted its head against Detective Reese's shoulders. She held on to his reins and scowled at the horse until it stopped. "No cream, lots of sugar."
Ted nodded. "I'll be right back."
He entered the house, walked to the kitchen only to find Charlie already standing there with a cup of coffee in his hands. He was smiling.
"How long have you been standing there?"
"Time is an illusion, Ted," Charlie answered, "one that we must rid ourselves of."
Ted didn't respond; he was used to Charlie's Zen. "Is that for Reese?"
"Black as night, sweet as sin."
"I'll take that as a 'yes'."