Page 202 of Charming Like Us

Now Ireallyneed the full story of what happened in that funhouse, but he’s turning to Banks and they’re already walking off together.

We start to head out too. But as we reach the Ferris wheel, Jesse approaches.

Pit stop #2.

“Where’ve you been?” Jack asks with the worry of a big brother.

“Where’veyoubeen?” Jesse motions to his brother’s face, the welt, and me supporting him around the waist. “You look like you got in a fight, Kuya.”

“It’s a long story.”

I upnod to Jesse. “Tell you at the hospital.”

Jesse notices Charlie leaning awkwardly, and he instantly scoops an arm around my client. “You okay, dude?”

I manage to take Jesse’s camera bag from him so he can brace Charlie. We continue our trek to the parking lot again.

“I’d be better if you overheard someone talking shit about Maximoff tonight,” Charlie replies.

His wise-ass is coming out to play.

He’s lucky Jane isn’t here to snap at him.

“Uh…yeah, I have heard someone railing on him tonight.” Jesse makes a confused face. “Why would you want to hear that? Did you guys get in a fight…I thought you two were cool now?”

Charlie suddenly looks too interested. His eyes laser-focus on Jesse. “What exactly have you heard?” Seriousness crosses my face, especially as he adds, “Have you caught any on film?”

Charlie.

Keating.

Motherfucking.

Cobalt.

Pieces of the overarching big-picture puzzle abruptly line up and connect too perfectly. My head spins. “Charlie…”

No one hears my whisper.

“Yeah, I shoot everything,” Jesse says. “I can show you tonight’s footage.”

Jack exchanges a look with me.

This is it.

This is why Charlie wanted to do the docuseries. Besides set me up with Highland,thisis the answer we’ve been waiting for all along.

“Is it an older man?” Charlie asks. “He’d only be at charity events like this one. And he’d have a proclivity for hating my cousin.”

“Yeah,” Jesse nods. “That sounds like him.”

Ernest Mangold, the CEO of H.M.C. Philanthropies. Charlie wanted his head on a spike. That’s my best theory, and I might’ve made dumb mistakes tonight—but I’m still an intelligent motherfucker.

41

JACK HIGHLAND

“Didyou hear that Maximoff left the carnival already? He didn’t even take pictures with those boys at the Tunnel of Love ride…yeah…”