Chapter 33: Frank's POV (Friday, October 21st)

"Frank, good morning. It's nice to get back into the routine," Jacob Bilinski said after he got into the back of my car. He's one of my regular pick-ups but was on vacation last week.

"Not too bad. Same crap, different day. How was your trip?"

"It was great. I can't believe how big my nephews are getting. It seems like they were born yesterday."

"How old are they now?"

"Kyle is 10, and Jeremy is 14. Jeremy is the quarterback on his high school's JV team."

"That's great. I would have liked to have a son, but sadly, it wasn't in my cards. Now, I keep hoping for a grandson, but at the rate, Valerie's going, I'll get more granddaughters, not that I don't love them. And Stephanie, I'm not sure she wants to have children."

"Speaking of Stephanie, how is she? I haven't seen her around in a while."

"She's doing good. She is working out of town. Her company needed someone in one of their other branches," I say, trying to be vague. I don't want anyone to pick up on Stephanie's engagement.

"I'm glad that she's doing well. Please tell her I said hi when you talk to her."

"I will," I say, remembering Jacob was in Valerie's grade at school. He was a nice boy and turned out to be a successful man. Jacob works in Philadelphia as an accountant. He never wanted management nor a partnership, though he was offered one. He prefers to deal with his clients and put in overtime when necessary, but at the end of the day, go home to his wife and kids. According to my dear ex-wife-to-be, Jacob wasn't ambitious enough. I internally roll my eyes. He would have made a better husband for Valerie or Stephanie than Steven and Dickie.

"Do you need me to pick you back up at the normal time?"

"Yes, I should be getting out on time. If not, will you be available later? I don't want to infringe on dinner time."

"My evening is free. If you need to adjust the pick-up time, just text me."

"Thanks, Frank. I'll talk to you later," Jacob said as he got out of the car, briefcase in hand. As typical, we arrived ten minutes before his train's departure—enough time for him to grab a coffee and a muffin before he boarded. Once I ensured my path was free, I began driving towards the club.

I'm not even three blocks away when my cell phone rings. "Hello, Frank Plum speaking."

"Hello? Frank? It's Albert."

I roll my eyes. What does my son-in-law want? "Morning Albert. Are Val and the girls okay?"

"Yes, they are, but, um, I need to speak with you. Are you free?"

I mentally go through my schedule. Today is Friday, so I am free until one. "Yes, Albert, I'm free. Where do you want to meet?"

"I think we should meet somewhere private. I would suggest my office, but you know the Burg."

I sigh. The only place we can meet away from prying eyes is at Rangeman. "I'll call you back with a time and a location in a few minutes. Is that okay?"

"Yes, thank you."

I hang up on Albert and use my voice command to call Tank. He picks up after the second ring.

"Frank, is everything okay? Did your car break down?"

"No, I'm fine, Tank. Nothing like that. I was wondering if I could borrow one of your conference rooms so I can speak to Albert. He asked to meet with me somewhere away from the prying eyes and ears of the Burg."

I hear Tank laugh. "So dough-boy needs to talk to you? I wonder what that's about."

"No idea. But meeting with the clown is the last thing I wanted to do today."

"I understand. Conference room B is open all morning. You can use that one. It is on the control room floor if you don't mind. As you know, all of our rooms have eyes and ears. Do you want them engaged?"

Recording the conversation might not be a bad idea, but I will ask Albert if he minds. "Is there a way to disengage them after I'm in the room?"

"Yes, you can say 'dead zone,' and whoever is on the monitors will disengage the devices. You'll see the light above the door turn blue."

"Perfect. Is ten-hundred okay?"

"Yes, that's fine. I'll put you on the schedule. Do you want us to give Doughboy the full treatment?"

"No, go light. I don't need him making a mess."

"10-4."

I hang up, knowing the conversation is over. I enjoy speaking to Tank and Brown. They keep the conversation to a minimum and get to the point, which is refreshing. I called Albert back and gave him the details of our meeting. Once he has everything written down, I continue to the lodge.

After an hour of poker at the lodge, I head back to meet Doughboy at Rangeman. I can't help shaking my head. Albert has a good heart and treats my daughter and granddaughters well but is timid. He allows Val to call him her "scumpie dunkins" or whatever nonsense she uses. It's embarrassing. I mean, there's nothing wrong with your wife calling you "Hun" in the privacy of your own home, but in public?

I arrive at Rangeman and enter my code. A few weeks ago, Tank was shorthanded and didn't have someone to cover the lobby. I volunteered to help, and since then, I have taken a shift several times a week. I park my car in my assigned spot and head to the stairs, using my fob to get to the fifth floor. I know Tank will have someone escort Doughboy when he arrives. I arrive on the fifth floor and greet a few men with nods and handshakes.

"Mr. Plum, I didn't know you were pulling a shift today," Bobby says.

"No, I'm here to meet with my son-in-law."

"Oh, so that's what Tank meant. Well, I'm glad to see you anyway. How's the diet going?"

When I left Ellen, I realized that my lifestyle was not healthy. While Ellen is a good cook, she prefers foods high in fat and low in vegetables. I was tired all the time and felt indifferent. It wasn't until my first week on my own, when I was making my food myself that I realized that my diet was contributing to my issues. So, I decided to eat healthier, and Bobby has helped me develop a solid nutritional plan.

"It's going well. I feel more energetic and less weighed down."

"I'm glad. It looks like you are slimming down a bit too."

"That's correct. I had to use a new notch on my belt."

Bobby nodded with approval. "If you want, I can develop a low-impact exercise program to help you reach your goals. Remember, it's not about weight loss for you. It's about feeling and being healthy."

"I may take you up on that soon. Now that I'm getting settled in the apartment, I should be able to handle a program."

"Whenever you're ready."

We hear the elevator open and see Albert quickly exit, as Cal is his escort. I can see he was intimidated by his size and his tattoo. To think that Cal fainted when Val was in labor. I manage to contain my chuckle.

I nod to Bobby, signaling the end of our conversation, and walk with Albert into the conference room. When we get in, we sit opposite each other.

"Do you want coffee or water?" I ask him, knowing that both are readily available.

"No, I'm fine. Listen, Frank."

"Wait, before you go on, I want you to know that our conversation is being recorded, both audio and video. Let me know if you don't want this to be recorded, and I can stop it."

"No, it's fine. I don't care."

I nod, letting him know he can continue.

"Frank, I don't know where to begin. This is such a shock to me, and I'm still trying to cope."

I watch his body language; he is upset, angry, and confused. "What's wrong? What's going on? Is your business in trouble?"

"No, it's worse. Let me start at the beginning," Albert says as he runs his hand over his face. "You remember over the summer when Lisa broke her leg?" Al pauses, and I nod my head. "Well, it started then. When she was in the hospital, I saw her record. It said that she had type B blood. That confused me because I'm type A. However, I wasn't sure if I was entirely type A, so I had my blood typed. There is no way that any child of mine could be type B. They can only be type A or type AB.

"Since Lisa was born, I sometimes wondered if she was mine. I knew that the chances of me producing a child were slim, but I thought that my doctor was wrong. After finding out her blood type, I became more suspicious. Lisa and Samantha don't really look like me. So, I ordered three genetic testing kits you see advertised online. I collected the spit from myself, Lisa, and Sam and set the kits away." He goes into his briefcase and pulls out a report. "I'm not their father. We have almost no DNA in common. Then, I did it with Mary Alice, and Angie. The four girls are siblings. I have no idea who their father is.

"I love Valerie; at least I did. Now, I don't know what to do. She deceived me. She lied to me. She made me think we had a family, but we don't. At this point, I don't even think the baby she's carrying is mine. I can't afford to continue to support her and now five children. I always thought it was strange that Stevn didn't pay child support, and any time I mentioned it, she would change the conversation. I understand why now, he's not Angie's and Mary Alice's father either."

Of all the things Albert could say to me today, this was the last I thought I would hear. Valerie is not the perfect Burg woman? I wonder if Ellen knows. Damn, now I wonder if Ellen was faithful to me. I look at Albert and see a broken man.

"I'm at a loss for words. I don't know what to say. First, I'm sorry that my daughter did that to you. I thought we raised her better, but I didn't do a good job. Second, I will support you, whatever path you choose to take. You didn't ask for this. I am grateful for the help you gave Val and the girls."

"I'm considering filing for a divorce and a formal paternity test on 'my' children. As much as I want to stay in their lives, I'm sure Val won't let that happen. Since I am not biologically their father, my rights are limited. I will also hire a PI to find the girls' father. He should support his family, not just knock their mother up. However, I will wait until after we get the results from the PI investigation."

I nod and sigh. "Rangeman has a PI division. I can ask Tank to look into this for you if you want. If you use them, it will stay between us until you are ready to go public."

"You're right. That's a good idea. I'm sorry, Frank."

"You have nothing to be sorry about."

I step out of the room and get Tank. He comes into the conference room, and within half an hour, Albert signs the PI contract and is ready to leave. With an awkward nod, we part as I stay behind to think about how I did wrong by both my daughters. I also vow to not let my granddaughters suffer the same fate. I should have been a better father. While I can't change the past, I can shape a better future.