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Trio, Book 1, Chapter 10, Part 1 from The Trio Conspiracies A Blue Hill Summer — Part One Trask sipped his coffee slowly, went easy with Morgan and was concerned about Morgan’s state of mind. They sat across from each other at the long dining table. Trask scrutinized Morgan’s face, gold with the orange and yellow glow of candlelight. Not even the event in the shower brought him out of his loneliness to stay. He thought my encounter was funny. What happened was funny but he’s become introspective again. The FM station started, No Regrets. Morgan had been sullen only a few times that Trask remembered. Morgan was sullen, sad and uncommunicative. He smiled a phony quick, 'I know you’re there smile, but I’m can’t shake my unhappiness.’ It made Trask feel lonely; a guest in strange house; his best friend not wanting to talk to him or anyone. He tried to understand. Morgan looked at Trask periodically as they waited for his parents to come in. What had Joshuah meant when he said, 'take care of him,’ as though he sensed something I didn’t see. Trask wondered where Morgan’s mind was. He put his hand down and felt his testicle. Still sore from that little shit in the shower. Young boys shouted, “Hot showers! Hot showers!” Older boys and men stripped off their suits and washed the chlorine from their bodies and shouted to be heard, making plans, making sex size comparisons, without being noticed. Trask felt like an observer in a strange land and still had not gotten used to the sounds of northern people. He didn’t think he had much of Kansas left in his voice. The music changed to, Deep Purple. “...sir, sir,” the seven year-old said, slapping Trask’s scrotum, trying to gain his attention. Trask went to ninety degrees and gasped. His face flushed. He gasped with pain. Morgan guffawed and held him to keep him from falling. Trask held his scrotum, opened his eyes, and looked at two blue eyes staring at him through long stringy blonde hair. “What?” Trask barked then coughed and spit. His ears rang and the pain spread quickly up through his stomach into his groin. His head began to hurt. His voice was ragged. He cradled and protected his manhood. “You dropped these,” the small boy said. Feels like I dropped my nuts. Trask looked at his swim suit. The boy held the wad in the palm of his hands. Morgan stepped closer to Trask and took the green suit. “Thanks, tiger,” Morgan said and watched the naked seven year-old walk back to his father. “Neat kid,” he said to the tall man. Trask noticed a nearly perfect little seven year-old body. “Thanks,” the father said, picked his son up, and carried him out of the shower. Trask’s eyes were blurry as he tried standing up straight. “He really caught you, huh?” Morgan put his hand on the small of Trask’s back to brace him. “Don’t you catch me, too,” Trask said, and tried to laugh. “Geez, that hurt.” He coughed and spit again. “And now the male announcer said, “You’re A Sweetheart.” Trask sipped more coffee as Lillian and Michael Steiner walked into the dining room. “Wow,” Trask said, “lovely, lovely, Mrs. Steiner.” He got up and walked to her chair, at the end of the table, and pulled it out. She walked up to Trask, raised her hand to the side of his head, stroked his face, and guided him toward her. She kissed his cheek and said, “My handsome young knight.” She turned to Morgan as she sat down and said, “How is my love, this evening?” “Fine, mother,” Morgan replied as he stood behind his father’s chair and help seat him. He walked to his chair and he and Trask sat at the same time. “All my men look so splendid tonight in their tuxedos. Did you bring a tux Trask or...” “It’s rented Mrs. Steiner, from your son. This is Joshuah’s tux. I hope he doesn’t mind.” “I’m sure he won’t mind, Trask,” Mr. Steiner said. “Shall we toast?” The dinner party raised four glasses. “Is Fritzi going to join us for dinner?” Trask asked. “It’s nine-thirty,” Morgan replied and set his Champagne glass down. “He’s probably asleep by now.” He smiled and Trask returned his smile. Martha served dinner, first Trask, “the guest,” she said, “then the lady of the house,” and returned to the kitchen. Trask smiled at Mrs. Steiner. “She’s a treasure isn’t she?” “Isn’t she, Trask? Won’t ever join us for dinner. Makes her own rules and has taken care of since Morgan was two.” Martha returned and set a plate in front of Michael Steiner. “Master next,” and walked to Morgan and served him from the left, and “finally Morgan, my love,” she said kissing his head. Morgan smiled. Trask watched Martha leave the room and dim the chandelier lights. Two candelabra at each end, four candles, pretty glow. The Champagne tastes good. Hm. Trask was glad the mirror in the guest room was floor length. He pulled up Joshuah’s tux trousers and buttoned them. He filled out the pants and liked the fit. He thought about checking Josh’s clothes closet and trying on other clothes. These guys know how to dress. He turned sideways, pressed his stomach flat with his hands, admired his bulge, stroked it, and thought he would go to dinner, bare chest, tux trousers, and bare feet. He laughed and walked back to the bed. He bent over to pick up Josh’s tux shirt as Fritzi bounded onto the bed and laid a large doggie bone next to Trask’s wallet. “Well, hello there Fritzi,” he said using baby talk. “How’s old Fritzi?” The terrier wagged his tail and stopped. Looked at Trask, wagged his head and stopped. Trask watched him and pet him. “You want me to pick up your bone?” Fritzi growled and alternated his glanced between Trask and the bone. Trask reached for the bone. Fritzi growled. Trask put his hand closer to the bone. Fritzi growled louder. He wagged his tail wider. Trask put his hand on the bone and Fritzi put his paw on Trask’s hand. His tail was still. “Oh I get it, you want me to hold the bone up!” Trask took the bone and held it. Fritzi sat on the edge of the bed on his back legs and begged for the bone. “He wants to be friends,” Morgan said leaning against the doorjamb, his arms folded. He wore only his white cotton briefs. “He wants you to give him a bone like everyone else does.” “I don’t have any, Morgan,” he said. Morgan walked to Trask with his hands behind his back. “Don’t let him see it, OK?” Trask put his hands behind his back, reached backward, felt Morgan’s butt, fumbled for his hand, touched the bone, and said, “OK, I’ve got it.” He held the bone up for Fritzi to see and the dog did a flip on the bed, jumped down onto the carpeting and sat up again to beg. “He’s great, Morgan,” Trask said, held the bone for Fritzi to take and watched him run out of the room with his two bones in his mouth. Morgan smiled and sat down on the edge of the King size bed. “Where’s he off to?” Trask asked, unbuttoned the white ruffled shirt and put it on. He unbuttoned his trousers, stuffed the shirttail down, pulled his pants up to his waist and buttoned his pants again. Morgan stood up and said, “Let me help button this for you.” He started from the bottom and slowly buttoned five buttons. “I apologize to you Trask for my attitude...” “Morg,” Trask said. “No, Trask, it isn’t OK. It’s rude and I don’t know what happened. I’ve been thinking about it. It’s like, I should know what causes it, but I just don’t know. I don’t remember? It’s something like, 'what is it we know, that we don’t know?’ Does that make sense?” “Not to me. What do you mean, Morgan?” Morgan straightened the top of Trask’s shirt and fluffed the ruffles down the front to his waist. “I’ve been thinking about it and I wasn’t blue or moody at all until after we talked with Johnny Carr.” “Really, Morgan?” Trask picked up the black bow tie. “Want me to do it?” “Yeah, please.” “Morgan, I really appreciate being here in your home with you, this summer.” “I’m glad you’re here Trask. Why did you say that?” “Have you found that home is not the same once you’re away?” “I don’t know. Keep talking.” He flattened the bow tie into shape. “That looks good.” Morgan stepped backward and rubbed his fly. “Very nice.” “Oh you know, I went home for spring break. My brothers were there. My mother and father were there and yet there was something that wasn’t there.” “What?” “I don’t know. I kept expecting to wake up and find ten guys sleeping in the same room.” Morgan frowned. “I think I got used to sleeping in a crowd.” “Maybe that’s it with me?” “What are you thinking Morgan?” “That may be the blue feeling only whatever it is, makes me feel sad. When I think about the guys at school, our fraternity, I feel happy, most of the time, anyway. Sometimes I feel sad about Danny.” “Yeah, me too,” Trask added. He sat down and pulled on long black hose. “Up to my calves right?” “Right!” Trask slipped on his black formal snakeskin loafers, stood up, straightened his trouser’s legs, walked to the clothes closet for the jacket. “Fits you perfectly in the seat. Jo or Mary Lee should see you now. They’d cream in their jeans.” Trask laughed at Morgan as he walked back to him. He put on his jacket, turned and bowed to himself in the mirror. “Say what?” he said, buttoned his jacket and continued bowing. “Oozing sex, beyond imagination,” Morgan said. He slapped Trask’s butt and said, “You gonna help me get dressed or not?” “Well I’ll tell you Morg,” Trask said following Morg out of the guest room and down the hall to his room. “If you went to dinner with those two flames, dressed the way you are now, you’d never make it through dinner.” Morgan turned and told him to hurry. Trask saw Morgan and his room disappear, turned toward Michael Steiner who said, “...and there is no doubt that friends are the most valuable gifts of life. So, Mr. Trask Barrow, may we Steiners formally welcome you to our home.” He raised his glass again and they drank more Champagne. “Thank you, Mr. Steiner.” Trask stood, pushing his chair back. “I feel the need for a long speech.” Lillian Steiner giggled with Mr. Steiner, who smiled at Morgan. Morgan began to smile again. He raised his glass again and said, “To my friend, Morgan Steiner, his lovely and handsome family. May we always love each other.” They drank more Champagne. “Bravo, bravo,” Michael said. “Morgan I truly love your friend. You have good taste.” “How sweet, Trask, and thank you for the kind thought,” Lillian said. Martha walked into the dining room. She proceeded to Morgan and told him in a soft voice he had long distance telephone call. “Take it in the telephone room.” Morgan nodded, excused himself, stood up and left the room. “A telephone room?” Trask asked. He looked first at Michael and then Lillian. “When telephones were first made available, people would have to shout to be heard, even across town, a short distance. The builders of this house wanted privacy not only for themselves but for their guests too. The telephone room is under the front staircase. You can shout in that room and not even be heard directly outside the door.” “I’ve never heard of such a thing.” “Yes, I think the original owners were in finance. They wanted their transactions to remain secret.” “Yes, dear, they were in finance.” “Interesting,” Trask said, “a telephone room.” Morgan pulled the door shut, heard it click and picked up the receiver. “I’ve got it Martha,” he said and heard the click. “Morgan,” Peter said, “how are you? Anything wrong?” “No, at least I don’t think so, Peter. How are you and Jennie doing?” “OK. Hollywood is still new to us. We’ve made the rounds of some of the studios. Auditioned at some dance palaces. I have a job teaching dance and am meeting all kinds of people. Jennie spends her days reading Variety and trying to stay on top of casting calls. I figure one of these days we’re gonna be selected for an epic and I’ll dance amongst the Egyptian chariots just to be noticed.” He paused. “Why did you call us Morgan. Is everything OK there?” “Peter,” Morgan said, “please listen carefully. I need some answers. I’m gonna take you back for years. Do you remember when I studied for the Toll Scholarship?” “When we were frosh.” “Yes, the first few months of our freshman year, after we pledged.” “Yes, of course.” “There was a weekend, actually the final weekend before I had to take the written exam and the oral.” “Yes, Morgan I remember it well. What’s going on?” “I’m going to relate a story of that weekend and I want you to interrupt me when what I tell you isn’t the way you remember it, OK?” “OK. Sure, shoot!” “There were sorority pledges that came to the house and some of our frosh pledges were ordered to dance with them and entertain them.” “Right!” “You and Antoine, Danny and Trask were among our group of ten men chosen to entertain them?” “Right.” “There was a lot of boozing going on.” “Right. You just go ahead and I’ll but in if you’re wrong OK?” “OK. There was lot of fasts dancing, jitterbugging, but a lot of slow dancing. There was a lot of necking. All our guys had lipstick all over their faces...” “No, Morgan, Danny wasn’t necking with his dance partners.” “Trask had a lot of lipstick on him. He came close to ejaculating...” “When?” Peter asked. “When he was dancing.” “Well, he had a hard on most of the evening. He was hard most of the time, if you remember. I know he complained of a bad taste in his drink...” “He drank from the punch bowl...” “No, I don’t think so. Antoine had received cognac and scotch from his father. It may have been illegal to ship it through the mails, but it arrived and it was good. Trask, Antoine and I had highballs from Antoine’s silver flask.” “Then if Trask got some bad hooch, it came from Antoine?” “No. Every time Trask got a refill, either Antoine or I made him his drink. Then I made my drink. He didn’t get a bad drink from Antoine’s flask. I’m not certain he really got a bad drink.” “You followed Trask into the pantry and now you have to tell me what you saw.” “Yeah! The women had left. I walked into the pantry to get some water. My throat was dry from the scotch. I have so much to drink I was getting sober again. I hate that. Trask was out of it. He was standing, holding onto the counter of the china cabinet. His eyes were wide and he had lipstick on his face. I needed some water badly so I went to the sink and turned on the faucet. I turned to ask Danny to toss me a cup or a glass and he had some lipstick on his lips and face. I was shocked...” “Why?” “Why? Because that lipstick had to come from Trask’s face, that’s why? Danny also glared at me like I had interrupted something he didn’t want interrupted.” “More than kissing?” “I don’t know. I really don’t think so.” “What, if anything, did you think had happened?” “Well, either Trask smooched Danny or vice versa.” “Pick one.” “Danny kissed Trask. I thought, at the time, more and more, that’s what happened.” “Why did it happen?” “I don’t know. Don’t you remember? Sometimes Danny would act funny?” “No, I don’t.” “Of course not. Morgan for someone as smart as you are, you missed a lot on the street of smarts.” Morgan laughed. “I guess you’re right. “But the next morning scared the hell out of me.” “What happened the next morning?” Morgan asked. “Don’t you remember? I almost took Danny apart.” “No. Tell me about it. The next morning would be Saturday right?” “Right. I don’t know why. I was restless all night. I woke up several times and Trask’s bed was empty, your bunk was empty. I imagined you had fallen asleep upstairs in the library, but several times I woke up, saw Trask’s empty bunk, and almost got out of bed to look for him.” “But you didn’t?” “Well, I did finally about six-thirty. In the back of my mind I recalled that Trask had wake-up call. I remember thinking he shouldn’t have been drinking heavily at the party. I checked the call board and got scared because there were several six-thirty calls, more six-forty-five calls and a lot of seven o’clock calls.” The line was silent. “Yes, Jennie, it’s Morgan and I’ll tell him.” “Tell me what?” “I’ll tell you what she told me to tell you.” “OK.” “Well, I ran upstairs to check the different dorms and I don’t know why I ran into the officer’s dorm, but I did. There was this large blue wool blanket. It had a big hump in the middle. The hump was Trask’s ass. He was snoring and he was sleeping deep. I slapped his butt and startled him awake. Morgan when he turned over he had what I’m sure was blood and lipstick all over the front of his briefs. He wore white cotton. He had scratches on his belly, legs and later when we got the shorts off him, it looked like someone nearly chewed on his...it was terrible...” “Peter?” “It was terrible. Here’s this kid, my fraternity brother. Boy you talk about someone who was devastated. He had teeth marks in his penis, it was swollen, and lipstick all over his scrotum. Morgan, I fight the tears just thinking about it.” “Peter?” “And he didn’t even remember what happened.” “Why didn’t you think he remembered?” “Somebody slipped a drink that wasn’t for his benefit. What do you call that?” “A Mickey...” “Yes, that’s it. Trask complained of it...” “Peter. Who mauled Trask?” “Danny of course.” “Why do you think it was Danny?” “Because Trask was out of it the last time I saw him in the pantry. He couldn’t have done anything to anybody. I wanted to put him to bed and Danny actually took possession of Trask. When I walked back into the dining room I told Danny to put him to bed. He glared at me. At that moment I don’t think I ever hated or feared any person as much as I did Danny Cochran. He was so disarming. So clever...” “Do you know, and this assumes Danny was the aggressor, do you know if he ever tried anything with Trask again or anyone else. I think he did with Trask, but there came a time, I think when we were sophomores, Danny seemed to be around us, less and less. I think either his first or second semester, sophomore year, he started taking some drama class. And that’s the tie-in with that professor...” “Professor Corber?” “Yeah, that’s the guy.” He laughed. “Jennie says to tell you there’s something wrong with Danny...” “Morgan? Hi. This is Jennie. I don’t know what you guys are talking about. It sounds terrible, but different townspeople in Green Hills?” “Yeah.” “They have reported Danny is various sexual activities, men and women, at different places around the town. And what they were doing was very, very strange. I think Danny is ill.” “Did you witness these so-called acts?” “No, but Liz Smith did. And on the steps of the Administration Building to boot.” “Holy cow,” Morgan said. “Not quite, but very bad. It was a man and they were both naked going after each other, if you know what I mean...” “Who was the other guy? Do you know?” “I think she said it was a college professor. And, there was some boy taking still pictures. They had a flash attachment. That’s what Liz told me. She and her date were out of a late night walk. A lot of that stuff was done at night. Those are the rumors.” “Thanks, Jennie.” “Hey, Morg,” Peter said. “Peter, you still haven’t told me why you thought Danny was the bad guy here.” “That morning at breakfast, Antoine and I had ordered pancakes. Mrs. Cash, the cook, was cooking, I don’t why on a Saturday morning, but we had pancakes with syrup, bacon and eggs and Danny came in. He looked like he had been dragged through the knothole. You know.” “Yeah.” “He ordered only coffee and told us, implying confidentiality. You know, keep your mouths shut about this one. He said that he had discovered a good one and he implied been sucked off four times during the night. He said he wouldn’t say who it was but he gave clues and guess who it was?” “Who? Trask?” “No, senior, you!” “Antoine slugged Danny, called him a liar and ordered him out of the dining room. Danny left, but insisted on his story. I told Danny that if he was gonna lie to get his story straight. I asked him where it happened and he said in the officer’s dorm. That told me he knew that the officer’s weren’t gonna be there.” “He could have known.” “Come on, now Morgan. Let’s have a reality check here. Did you know?” “No!” “I didn’t know, until early Saturday morning.” “Antoine didn’t know. I just thought it was strange that Danny probably mauled Trask and somehow was trying to imply that you were the culprit. That’s why we warned you so many times about him.” “I see.” “I hope so.” The line was silent for a short time. “I hope this helps Morgan. It has taken you a long time to believe anyone. You should have known this a long time ago.” “Yeah,” Morgan said. “You guys doing OK?” “Sure, fine. I have one-hundred dollars I’m sending you. My first installment.” “I don’t want the money,” Morgan said. “Well, you’re getting it anyway.” Morgan listened. “Morgan if that’s all, we should sign off. Write or call. Take care. We love you.” “Trask is spending the summer with me and my folks.” “Great!” Peter said sounding enthusiastic. “Is Trask with you now?” “No, he’s having dinner. He’s in the dining room with my folks.” Morgan heard the tap on the door. He opened it and Trask leaned against the door. “I’ve got to get to bed, Morgan.” “Trask, say hello to Peter from Hollywood.” “Oh, Peter, great!” he said and took the receiver. “Peter, I love you. Get a good night’s sleep OK?” He handed the phone back to Morgan then grabbed it again. “Oh Peter. Yeah. Give Jennie my best. You guys dance you butts off, OK?” Morgan laughed as he stood and supported Trask. “Got to go. Take care.” “Bye Morgan.” Morgan hung up, grabbed Trask tighter and asked, “Have my folks retired?” “Yep?” “Are you ready?” “Yep.” “Let’s go.” Morgan held Trask tightly around his waist and put his arm across his shoulder. “Up we go onto the next one.” Trask slowly stepped up. “I’m real dizzy, Morg,” he stuttered. Morgan laughed at Trask and asked, “How many did you have?” “One or two glasses.” “That’s what it looks like. Actually, it is probably more like five or six.” “Yeah, that’s right,” Trask agreed and stepped onto the top landing. Trask wobbled and started down. Morgan grabbed his butt to keep him from falling. “I’m even numb there, Morg,” he said. “How can I be numb and hot?” Morgan steered Trask into his bedroom and managed to get him to the bed. “Morgan, I can’t walk anymore.” “Just a little farther.” Morgan turned Trask, held him close against him and walked him backward to the bed. Stand up, Trask. We’re gonna make it. He pushed Trask down on the bed and they tumbled onto it. Morgan rolled off Trask, crawled up to the head of the bed and pulled him higher. He got his feet on the bed and looked up as the streak of Joshuah flashed across his doorway. He called to Joshuah but heard his footsteps hurrying up the stairs to the third floor and his room. He threw off his jacket, undid his tie and threw them on the floor. He opened Trask’s shirt, got his jacket off, took off his shoes and socks and pulled down his pants. What a hunk. I“m glad he’s my friend. He rolled Trask up in the covers and didn’t try to get his body under the sheets. He heard nothing from upstairs. He took a deep breath and left the room, hurrying up to Joshuah’s room. He approached the door to Joshuah’s bedroom. It was ajar. He tapped on it. “Josh?” Morgan walked slowly into the room, heard water running from Josh’s bathroom and walked toward it. He walked to the door, saw blood on Josh’s face, a swollen eye and jaw. “Joshuah, what the hell happened to you?” “You don’t want to know!” “I do want to know!” Morgan turned Joshuah and said, “Who did this to you? Is it just your face?” “Isn’t this enough?” “Who did it?” “I don’t know who they are.” “Why, Josh?” “I can’t tell you why!” “Josh, we’ve never had secrets from each other.” “We do now, Morg.” “Don’t tell my that Josh. Why did this happen?” Joshuah leaned over his sink and spit more blood. “Loose teeth?” “I don’t think so. Man, my head is still buzzing. I heard the bees when that son of a bitch hit me.” “Where did it happen. Josh, your tennis shorts are torn.” “I think they went after everything we had...” “We?” “My buddies and me.” “Are they damaged goods too?” “Fucking funny, man.” Joshuah said. He started to sob. Morgan grabbed him and held him. “Shit, Josh,” Morgan said, “this is like the time you and Bobbie Burns got into that fight. Remember? That time, though, he got the worst of it.” “Morgan,” Joshuah said, “do you know what they say about our father?” “What?” Trio, Book 1, Chapter 10, Part 1 
Trio Cast
Chapter 1
Chapter 10, cont....
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