"...don`t ever take sides with anyone against the Family again. Ever." -Mario Puzo, the Godfather

The Gold Coast was an affluent part of Western Connecticut. The area was home to many wealthy Manhattan business executives and was a bastion of wealth. The Gold Coast was most notable for it's expensive waterfront properties located along its shore as well as the proximity of its cities and towns to New York City. Westport, Connecticut was ideally situated near the middle of the Coast.

A sleek, black taxi pulled up to a massive home on the Long Island Sound waterfront. The property's views of the Sound and sprawling green lawns that stretched for more than 6 acres were breathtaking. The woman in the cab stepped out of the vehicle and took in with her surroundings with appreciation and envy. She approached the entrance of the home with all the confidence of a Westport elite and rang the electronic doorbell. Shortly, a voice commanded her to state her business.

"I'm here to see Mr. and Mrs. Turner."

The disembodied voice was unimpressed and demanded more of answer than that.

"I'm here to see them about their son, Jonathan."

The voice was silent. Just before the speaker cut off, the woman heard a surprised scurry in the security room. A razor sharp smile kissed her lips.

The door opened by an unseen hand and the woman stepped inside. Almost instantly, two people appeared in her line of vision; one came down the stair case and the other came from an office off of the living room. In all honesty, the woman was expecting Jason and Sable Colby from Dynasty II based on her investigative queries, but the people who came to greet were very different. Both were in their mid-70s but they did not look it. Whether this was through artificial means or healthy lifestyles she did not know. The woman was thin and elegant, the man trim and fit. Both sported well kept silver hair. Hers was swept back into a trendy chignon; his hair, though receding slightly at the temples, was full of thick curls in a short cut. They dressed in rich, classic styles that saw the height of their popularity in the preppy 80s.

I would have loved to had these people as my in-laws, she thought bitterly.

One thing that stood out to her was that Blake Turner looked very much like his son and she took to him immediately.

Jacklyn Turner regarded the intruder in their residence with veiled suspicion as she asked, "How do you know Jonathan?"

Her husband gave her an admonishing look. He was suspicious as well, but he did not like to go on the offensive until necessary.

"Welcome," he said, keeping an eye on his wife as he invited the younger woman in. "Forgive us, we seem to be at a disadvantage. You know us but we don't know you."

She smiled sweetly back at him. As she took his hand, she leaned into him. "No, please, forgive me. My name is Katherine Tompkins. I'm your son's secretary."

"I see." The man glanced at his wife who gave a slight shake of her head. "We weren't aware Jonathan had a secretary."

"I work with him at the District Office." She paused a moment. She noticed how they referred to their son and adapted her speech to fit theirs. "Jonathan and I go way back. That's why he hired me."

"I see," Blake said.

Katherine looked around at the affluence that surrounded her. "You have a beautiful home."

"Thank you, my dear." Blake watched the expressions of his wife's face carefully, then gave her a slight nod. He offered Katherine his arm. "Would you like a tour?"

Katherine flashed a delight grin before regaining her composure and accepting his arm.

Jacklyn stiffened. She engaged in a silent conversation with her husband. Taking his hand, she, through a series of squeezes and pulses, transmitted her thoughts to him and he responded in kind. This type of communication came through over 50 years of partnership, both in marriage and in business.

She turned and said to Katherine with a guarded smile, "Please, do let us show you around."

The home was designed to take advantage of its lofty setting with endless water views from all floors. It was perfect for daily living but easily accommodated guests in the attached 1,200 square foot guest house. Soaring 10 foot ceilings filled the open plan with light. By the pool was a fully-equipped pool house and a Pro Links Par 3 golf course on site. Katherine knew all of this due to her extensive research on the home and it's occupants.

Mrs. Turner played hostess with great flair as she expounded on the details of the home. Mr. Turner watch their guest with a congenial smile and a hawkish gaze.

"Have you always lived here?" Katherine asked.

"Oh, goodness, no!" Jacklyn responded as though this was inconceivable. "This is one of three homes here in Connecticut. Then there's the penthouse in the City, of course."

"Oh?" Katherine sounded truly surprised. "I was under the impression that you sold that years ago."

The Turners exchanged looks behind Katherine's back as she marveled at the living room. "We have had several over the years," Blake told her.

They guided the tour to the pool and putt greens while engaging in idle chatter about the house even though no one care that much about the property.

"I hate to say it," Katherine remarked. "But Jonathan rarely talks about the work you do, Mr. Turner. What is the family business exactly?"

The older woman regarded the younger through narrowed eyes. Katherine bothered her or, at least, the fact that she continued to bring up their son bothered her. "You don't know?"

Katherine blushed. "All right," she admitted. "I do. I've looked up TTT online. Jonathan would never tell me about it. But you know the internet- you can't always believe what you read."

The Turners looked at each other as if to say, "so that's why she's here; for a job."

"TTT Corporation is an industrial manufacturer," Blake said in much the same way his wife spoke about the house. "My grandfather founded it in 1935 and it once was the direct rival to ITT Incorporated in specialty components for the aerospace, transportation, energy, and industrial markets." He gave her a side-long look. "Things of that nature."

"And when you took over it took off?"

He smiled and put his free hand in the pockets of his Hermes slacks. "Yes, I brought it into the 20th century, I suppose you could say."

Unfortunately, this turn of conversation was not one the older woman could stay out of; the subject was too close to her heart.

"Jonathan was supposed to bring it into the 21st century," she sniffed bitterly. "But I'm sure we all know how that story went."

Katherine put her hand on her chest and nodded sympathetically.

"Yes, well," Blake cleared his throat. "That was what why the corporation was named TTT, for my father, myself, and ..."

"Our son," Jacklyn snapped.

Katherine suppressed a smile. Jon was clearly the weakness in the family.

Jacklyn was now very curious about what the woman knew about her son.

"Tell me," Jacklyn said coming up along side of Katherine as her husband continued the house tour. "Does Jonathan still insist on being called Jonny or J or whatever else isn't his given name?"

"Almost everyone calls him Jon."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course. I was hoping it was only Audrey who called him that."

Katherine gave her a sly glance. "His wife calls him Jonny."

The woman wrinkled her nose. "Well, yes, we all have our pets names for spouses, I suppose."

"Let's not get into that," Blake coughed and moved them along.

The tour detoured into the secondary office where it ended abruptly and the door closed. The elder Mr. Turner pulled out a plush mahogany chair and motioned for her to have a seat. Katherine sat down.

Blake took a seat in the executive's chair on the other side of the walnut burl guilded desk. Jacklyn took a seat next to him. Their expressions were no longer friendly, but cold and serious.

"Let's talk business, shall we?" the older man leaned forward and clasped his hands on his desk. "That is what you're here for? Business?"

Katherine smiled. She had to admire their stance; they were still sharp and shrewd in spite of their ages. "It's not so much business, really. I'm here out of concern for your son."

Jacklyn's finely arched eyebrows raised slightly. "What's wrong with Jonathan?

The secretary gave a heavy and looked very upset. "Jonathan is on the verge on a physical and mental collapse."

"It's that job!" Mrs. Turner threw up her hands in frustration. "I always knew that working in those schools would be the death of him. But he just had to do his own thing and is too stubborn to come home."

"Jacklyn," her husband warned, glancing at the secretary.

She didn't hear him. "If he had to go into education, he could have been the Head of Schools at Collegiate School or another fine institution. But oh no, our Jonathan just had to show how different he was teach in inner city Philadelphia!"

Katherine dropped her chin to her chest to hide the smile she could no longer suppress. She discreetly took out her phone and began to record the conversation.

Under the table, Blake put a firm, gentle hand on his wife's knee. The older woman composed herself and fell silent.

"You are right," Katherine said sympathetically. "Jonathan is very stubborn. But if it was just the job he could handle that. It's everything else that's going on."

"Like what?" the man asked.

"Do you know about the new baby?"

"Yes, of course," Jacklyn snapped. "Audrey is due in May."

Katherine didn't expect that. She was under the impression that Jon and his parents were fully estranged. That was most certainly what Mrs. Turner had implied when Katherine called her some weeks ago pretending to be Melanie. She pushed forward. "Do you know that his wife insisted on another child after she forced him to take this superintendent position?"

The couple exchanged looks.

"No," Blake said slowly. "We have not heard that."

"Your daughter-in-law insisted that he take a higher paying job so that they could keep the brownstone in the Village and not let their lifestyle suffer any."

Mrs. Turner put her hands together as if in prayer then tapped the ends of her perfectly manicured nails together. "I see nothing wrong with wanting to maintain the house. It is in an affluent neighborhood with excellent schools. I much prefer to it where they were living in Philadelphia. Although, I believe they are only living there because it was Audrey's inheritance from her father. Jonathan certainly would not have chosen such an excellent neighborhood. He always preferred to have a trailer park nearby."

Katherine's serene look wavered. She should have realized they would approve of the housing choice. She tried another tactic.

"Jon's work load has increased significantly with this position. It's high power but also very high stress. I should know. I do as much for him as I can in the office but I can't go home with him and take care of him where he needs it most."

"He has Audrey," Blake pointed out.

"I wish he did, but she's too busy with all those kids she insisted on having. He has to go home and deal with them and all their activities. She's hands them off to him when he gets home." She paused. "Did you know she brought Shawn home?"

Katherine guessed right that they did not know this. She bit back a triumphant smirk.

"Shawn?" Blake frowned and looked to his wife who was just as surprised. "As in Shawn Hunter?"

Katherine nodded. "Even though she knew that bringing him back would cause so many old wounds to reopen for Jonathan. Shawn's presence is worse than the stress of his job."

Jacklyn gave Katherine a curious look. Under the table, she put hand on her husband's knee and tapped out a series short-long rhythms with her nails. Blake leaned forward and said seriously, "We never did think having all those kids was a good idea."

"Especially since they insist on raising them partly in Philadelphia and fully in the public schools." Jacklyn paused. "We never did approve of Jonathan taking Shawn in."

"Yes, well, he's moved back in and refuses to leave."

"I see." Blake leaned back in his chair and put his hand over his mouth in the same way Jon always did.

"I do wish he'd grow up and come home," Jacklyn said carefully. "Things would be much easier on him if he would just join the family business like he was supposed to.

"Well," Katherine looked pained. "He would be a part of the business if things hadn't gone the way they did."

Jacklyn tipped her head towards her husband. "What do you mean?"

"I don't suppose Jonathan ever told you about me."

"No." Both Turners were on guard now.

Katherine nodded sadly. "I met Jonathan when we both taught at John Adams High. We started dating shortly after I was hired. We were engaged."

If the Turners were surprised to hear this they did not show it.

"Shortly after we became engaged," she went on, "Audrey started her student teaching and she was assigned to Jonathan. She was infatuated and chased after him. Being as young as she was Jonathan eventually gave in. Of course, that broke us up. When it looked like he was going to leave her and come back to me, she got pregnant."

Jacklyn shifted slightly in her chair. Idlely she played with the Mikimoto pearl necklace around her neck with one finger.

"You poor dear," she tutted. Her eyes narrowed as she watched the younger woman. "I am so sorry to hear that. We had no idea. That must have been so very hard on you."

"It took me a very long time to recover," she confessed with an anxious wringing of her hands. "If Jonathan and I had gotten married I assure you I would have brought him home. He needs you. The children need you. It's such a shame that she won't let them have a relationship with you."

Mrs. Turner rapped out another series of taps on her husband's knee.

"Yes, well," Blake said. "Every man has his weakness. Jonathan's is a much younger woman like so many. We continue to hope for reconciliation."

"That's why I'm here," Katherine looked at them hopefully. "I want to do something special for him; something that would remind him of his youth. That might turn his thoughts to home and you."

"Sounds wonderful," Mrs. Turner said with a tight smile. "Did you have something in mind?"

"I'd like to get some of his old friends together, but I don't know how to find them."

Jacklyn gave the woman a curious look. "Who are you looking for?"

"Jonathan has mentioned an Angelo Sartori. He says they were like brothers at one time."

The color drained from Mrs. Turner's face and Mr. Turner looked sick. That was not a name they expected to hear.

Katherine was delighted by their reaction.

"Jonathan is in contact with Angelo?" Blake asked sharply. He looked angry.

"I believe so. Is there something wrong with that?"

"After everything we did to get him away from that, that monster," the older woman hissed.

"I'm sorry," Katherine was appropriately upset for disturbing them so. "What's wrong with Angelo?"

"He was a punk from the streets. Jonathan got involved with him and it very nearly ended his life."

Jacklyn shoved her chair back and began to pace. The heels of her designer pumps clicked angrily against the marble floor. "Jonathan resented everything we tried to do for him. We gave him every possible advantage and he thanked us by choosing drug addicts and hoodlums as family over blood."

"Oh, that!" Katherine acted as though she just remembered something important. She regarded them with wide eyes. "Jonathan told me about what happened. I didn't realize that Angelo was the one involved in it."

"He wouldn't go back!" Jacklyn said almost to herself. "He wouldn't expose his children to that. I don't believe it!"

"Jonathan is very loyal, though," Katherine reminded her quietly. "I doubt he would do anything to purposely hurt his family, but he might still try to help an old friend."

"Perhaps," Blake said. He didn't care about Angelo. It was something she said that made him very concerned. "You said Jonathan told you about what happened?"

"Oh, yes. There were no secrets between us," she said earnestly. "You know, given how high profile his career is, I'm very surprised this hasn't surfaced yet. With social media and the internet now, I would have thought some awful person would have brought it out already."

Blake stared at her through narrowed eyes. His voice was cold. "We paid a lot of money to make that go away. There is nothing to find."

Katherine sank back in her chair. "That's a relief. And I hope that's true."

He glared at her sharply. "Why wouldn't it be?"

She wrung her hands in worry. "The internet is a very dark place and lot of information is exchanged in its bowels every day. Even things that have been erased."

"This happened pre-internet," Jacklyn told her. "There is nothing to find. We have the only record of that time."

Katherine seemed surprised. "Well secured, I hope."

"Of course, everything is locked away where we keep personal archives secured."

"Good," she let out a sigh of relief. She tipped her head to the side and asked, "Why would you want to keep a record of that event?"

Mr. Turner looked up at his wife who was standing behind Katherine. She nodded toward the door. He looked back at the younger woman.

"We have our reasons." Blake stood up and gave his powder blue cashmere sweater a tug. "Forgive us, my dear, but my wife and I have several business affairs to attend today."

Katherine quickly and smoothly ended her recording and pocketed her phone. "Yes, of course, I appreciate your time."

The Turners escorted her to the door and gave her the customary kiss on the cheek goodbye.

Katherine sighed dreamily, "I've waited so long to meet you both. This really has been an honor. I promise I'll keep an eye on Jonathan and try to help him in some other way."

After Katherine left, Jacklyn turned to her husband. Crossing her arms over her waist, she pressed a glossy taupe thumbnail to her mauve lips. "What are you thinking?"

The man inhaled deeply and shook his head in concern. "I'm thinking that our son has gotten himself into some trouble."

She nodded. "I would hazard to say he's unaware of it, too."

"Yes," he agreed grimly.

"What she said about Audrey..." Mrs. Turner's eyes grew dark and she pressed her lips into a thin line. "I admit that Melanie was always my first choice for Jonathan. But Audrey has proved to be one of his better decisions. She has always been accommodating to us. From what I've seen of her, I don't believe she is duplicitous like Katherine says."

"What Katherine told us was a lie."

She nodded and followed her husband as he returned to the office. "She was never engaged to him."

"That could be true," he remarked thoughtful, "Jonathan didn't exactly tell us about Audrey until she was pregnant with Julia."

Jacklyn bristled at the memory of being excluded from her notoriously anti-marriage son's nuptials.

Blake took his seat at the desk again. "What concerns me is that she was asking about Angelo."

"Do you think she really knows what happened?"

"I think she knows something."

"That shouldn't be possible."

"No, it shouldn't."

Jacklyn was quiet for awhile. Finally, she said, "I don't doubt that his job is stressful and that the new baby will add to that. But that this secretary, this old flame, would come to us now about Angelo and Jonathan's past concerns me deeply. I know Jonathan isn't fond of us and the way we do things, but he is still my son."

A frowned crossed the older man's face. "He's mine, as well."

"If he's in trouble..."

Blake reached out for his wife's hand and guided her to take a seat on his lap. "She said Shawn is back."

Jacklyn frowned. "Yes, that is something I didn't know."

"Jonathan's wanted him to come home for a long time. He's had a room in the house for him for years."

"I understand the feeling of wanting your son to come home." She laid her hand over her husband's and ran her fingers over his wedding ring.

"I could see Audrey having a hand in that."

"Do you think it's a bad thing though?" she asked. "That Shawn could be causing problems for Jonathan?"

Blake considered this, then leaned his chin into her shoulder. "I think, my love, that we should find out."

Jacklyn gave him a quizzical look.

"It's been a long time since we've been to the penthouse in the City. While we're there I think we should pay our son a visit."

An early spring stormed rolled in with the black taxi that pulled up to the doors of Greenwich Junior High on Monday morning. The austere skies over Manhattan grew darker and the winds more powerful. A thunderous flash of lightening blinded the people in the streets and sent them scattering for safety.

Katherine Tompkins stepped out of the vehicle as though it was beautiful day. She inhaled the rain saturated air and smiled in approval. Entering the school office as though she was in charge, she blew by the school secretary without so much as a glance in the woman's direction.

"Hey!" Trish called after her. "You can't just walk in! You need to sign in first."

Katherine ignored her. She marched down the hall, only stopping when she reached the assistant principal's door. She gave a customary knock then opened the door without being asked.

The assistant principal finished the report he was working on and saved it before turning to her with a smarmy smile.

Katherine stepped into the darkened office and gave an unimpressed sigh. The room was like it always was when they met, almost entirely devoid of light. Today at least, the desk lamp was on. "Must we always do this in the dark?"

The man stood up and went to the door. "I like to set the atmosphere, my dear." He opened the door and gave it a loud, firm shut before locking it. "And I want everyone to believe I'm out of the office."

Katherine took her seat and regarded the diminutive man with expectancy. "Did you get the file I sent you?"

"Yes." His small, dark eyes darted over her as if scanning for signs of deceit. "Although I must admit the conversation was very dull. I am disappointed in you, Katherine. I expected more. If you can't get this job done, then we may have to reconsider our arrangement."

She glared at him, offended by both his insult to her ability and his stupidity. "Did you hear the part about the personal files?"

"And?" He clapped his hands and laced his swollen fingers together.

"The Turner family archives are housed in the TTT Corporation's offices in Stamford."

That was not in the recording she'd sent him. He raised an eyebrow. "How do you know this?"

"I've told you before that I have my ways." Offended, she was less inclined to share than before. "Your proof is there."

"How do we access that?"

"That's not my responsibility."

"All right," the man stroked his graying beard in thought. "I'll bring my man in to do his own research on the matter. These are physical files so there must be a safe."

Katherine sat back, bored, as this had nothing to do with her.

The man reached into a hidden space behind him and produce a Godinger decanter. The decanter was shaped like a globe with a glass ship inside on a highly polish wooden base. On either side of the decanter were etched glasses with the world map on them. "I realize it's just bit early, but bourbon?"

It was eleven in the morning. She gave him a sly grin and nodded.

"I have my people installed at Abigail Adams and John Quincy Adams now," he told her as he handed her a glass of the whiskey.

This caught her attention and a wicked look of delight settled on her face. "Yes, Cory came in quite upset set last week demanding to talk to Jon."

The man laughed. "I'm sure he did. And he inadvertently gave Jonathan a taste of what's to come." The man swirled his drink, took a sip, then folded his hands in front of him as dark merriment danced in his eyes. "You know, I wish in many ways I stilled worked with dear Mr. Matthews."

Katherine looked disgusted. "Why is that?"

"To watch his spirit be broken down day by day," he chuckled gleefully. "That's what they do you know, my people. They take the strong-willed, the proud, the favored, and they break them into nothing."

Katherine shared in his delight and laughed. "I'm sure Cory will regret the day he went to Jon about you."

"Yes, yes, he will." His visage darkened and sweat formed along his brow as bitterness rose within him. "Cory is the reason why I'm here. He's the reason Jon interfered with my decisions as principal. But you know, I'm glad he did. Now."

"I do hope in all of your revenge plotting you haven't forgotten about dear Julia."

"Oh, no," the man looked appalled by the thought. "My people are at her school and they know all about her. I've told Mrs. Remington to pay special attention to her."

"Wonderful!" The woman clapped in admiration, nearly tipping over the drink in her hand.

"And on your end- what information have you gotten out of Jonathan's friend?"

Katherine set the glass on the assistant principal's desk then lounged back her chair. "Nothing yet. Eli is still a bit distrustful given my past with Jon. But he's weakening."

"Do you think he really has any information we can use?"

"I do. And even if he doesn't have anything new to add, his being involved with us will do collateral damage to Jon."

The man's eyes flashed in anger. "I don't want collateral damage. I want direct hits." He slammed his fist down on to the desktop, shaking everything on it.

"Don't rush me!" she snapped. "I know what I'm doing. He's close to talking."

"He better be. Everything must be ready by spring break."

"It will be." Katherine's eyes darkened a bit. "What about Shawn? He's far too interested in finding some conspiracy somewhere. It will be harder to control him. He's out to prove himself a worthy son by protecting the family." She rolled her eyes in disgust.

"Oh, I haven't forgotten Mr. Hunter," the man assured her. "I've found a very special person from his past who will help us with data retrieval and anything else we need. He will also act as an enforcer if needed, especially if Angelo decides to go rogue."

A malicious smile graced the woman's mouth as she licked her lips. "Do tell. Who is this?"

"A brother of his. I do believe it's been a few good years since Shawn has seen big brother Eddie and I feel a Hunter family reunion is in order."

Katherine's eyes lit up with admiration for the man before her. "I've never heard of this brother. I've only heard about Jack."

A slimy smile slithery over the man's face. "Then let me tell you a few things about Eddie Hunter."

As the plot against Shawn's family comes together and begins to converge, another text comes in. Shawn does some investigative work and runs into the Boogeyman. Literally. Jon is working on his own mystery and asks Audrey to help him. Julia and Cory struggle under the changes at their schools.

For those interested, I am pulling the flashbacks from this story and putting them on their own. Look for Flashbacks. Thanks.

At the same time, we're in the home stretch now for the end of Book II and I have a question to ask regarding Book III. I'm debating on marking AiP: Books I and II as complete and letting Book III be independent. Due to the way FFN is set up there is no way link books in a series together and I wonder if it would make it harder on new readers to find the first part of the story if they are split up. On the other hand, if they are altogether it make AiP look like one really long story, which it is really.

So new poll up if you would be so kind as check it out and let me know your thoughts.

Again, thank you everyone for reading. Feedback is always welcomed.