14
A knock on the door awoke Harley and Mallet from a sound sleep. "What the hell? Who is it?" Mallet called, sleepily. There was no answer, just more incessant knocking. "Who are you and what do you want?" Harley yelled loudly, making Mallet jump. "God, woman! You're gonna give me a heart attack!" "Just go open the door."
"Phillip?" Mallet stood frozen, staring at the man before him. "What did you say?" Harley questioned, joining Mallet at the door. "Oh my God!" Harley gasped. "But, but-" "But I'm dead?" Phillip finished her sentence. "Yeah. But you can't be dead, because you're standing right here. And you can't be here because you're dead!" "Cool it Cooper. I think you're gonna drive the man insane... That is, if he's not already." "I'm not insane," Phillip answered. "But may I come in?"
Once inside, Phillip began to explain everything. "My father and dear Aunt Alex decided that I wasn't fit to run the company any longer. They began terminating all of my stocks, as well as those belonging to my ex-wives." "Right, but what does that have to do with you being dead?" Harley asked. "I'm getting to that. The two geniuses thought, basically, that the only way they could get every ex to surrender their stocks was if they somehow disappeared me." "In other words, make it out like you're six feet under?" "Right. But I was getting really tired of this stupid charade, so I decided to reveal myself." "But why us? Why now?"
"Well, Harley, I heard about your little plan with Blake. You know, to get info out of Sebastian. And I figured you guys were the safest. You don't want anything to do with my family, and you wanna find the truth." "Ok, so, why not go to someone who can actually be seen? Like, say, Gus?" "You just had to bring him up, didn't ya, Cooper?" "Mallet, stop. You know I didn't-" "Yeah, sure. Go on Phillip." "Thanks. I didn't go to Gus, because he's got Spaulding blood coursing through his veins. I know that it can take a hold over you at any moment, and I didn't wanna risk it."
"Ok. But now we have to- wait a minute! You were alive this whole damn time and you let me go down for your murder? What the hell were you thinking?" "I'm sorry Harley. I only just found a way to escape. I would've come forward sooner. You know that. But I couldn't. I'm really sorry." "I forgive you, and I'm sorry for flipping out like that. It's just-" "You had every right to flip out." Mallet laughed at Phillip's comment. "What's so funny?" Harley glared at him. "It's just, well, you're the queen of flip outs. It's your specialty hon. But that's why I love you." "Um, ok. Thanks, I guess. But what are we gonna do now? About Phillip?" "We should call Frank, and tell him the whole story." "Tell him to bring Gus with him." "Why?" "Because I wanna tell him that it's over between him and I. I wanna tell him that I'm with you now."