The Root of All Evil

By Robin M. Bellamy

The Cardwells have all the money and prestige many people could only dream of having. Everything has gone well up until now. They've never had any reverence for God or felt the need to give Him any of their time, nor any of their money.

Will lies, murder, and utter deceit change all of that? Will they cry out to God for help, or will they trust their money to save them from all evil?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 18, 2015
• ISBN: 9781499072402

Robin M. Bellamy

Robin M. Bellamy is also the author of "Bare My Soul," "Grandma's Brooch," and "A Collection of Poetry: Matters of the Heart, Revealed." Please check out her website at www.robinmbellamy.com.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

My sister Susan had it all; beauty, brains, a great career, and the man of her dreams. Just six short months ago, she had met the love of her life, and his name was Darryl Morgan. Even though I was happily married, I too, had to give him a second look. The brother was truly fine. He had a set of muscles on him that were just out of this world. He was the perfect package; handsome, intelligent, and polite. Tonight, the two of them had invited the whole family to one of the classiest Italian restaurants in the area. Bellas’ was our absolute favorite place to eat. Susan said she wanted us to meet her there because she and Darryl had an announcement to make to the family. It was obvious to everyone that Darryl probably had popped the question. If indeed he had asked her, and she accepted, I was truly happy for my sister. She’d be the last child my parents had to get married. We were meeting them at 7:00 p.m., and it was already 6:15 p.m. Luckily, the restaurant was only about ten minutes from my house. I had to grab a quick shower and get dressed. Marcus was due home any minute now.

Hi baby, I’m home. Hi Marcus, I was just thinking about you. You know we have to be at the restaurant by 7:00 p.m. I know babe. It will only take me a few minutes to get ready. Now, you on the other hand are a different story. So, you have jokes huh? So, what are you wearing tonight babe? I’m wearing my red dress that I just bought last week. I knew I would be wearing it for a special occasion. Natalie, how do you know they’re going to tell us they’re getting married? It could be something else. Maybe she’s pregnant. She better not be. Can you imagine what Walter and Cecilia would say? What can your parents say? Susan is a grown woman, and she’s always been responsible. That’s true. The one thing she’s never been is irresponsible. She’s smart enough to take care of herself in that way. Well, I hope it’s marriage. Mom and Dad were just saying to some friends the other day that all of their children were married except Susan. I think they’re starting to think about grandchildren.

Well, I hope they’re not expecting any from us. I hope not either baby. Well, just five more minutes, and I’ll be ready. Okay, babe. Great, it’s just now a quarter till seven. Let’s get out of here. We arrived at Belles’ with five minutes to spare. My brothers and their wives were pulling up as Marcus and I were entering the restaurant.

Susan’s car was there, and so was mom and dad’s. Hi everyone. Hi Natalie, hi Marcus.

Susan, no matter what news you and Darryl have to share, I’m just glad you picked Bellas’ for the place to share it at. You know we love this restaurant. Yeah, I know Natalie, our whole family does. You got that right girl. Why don’t we order some appetizers? Mom, Dad, what would you like? An order of mussels with marinara sauce would be good. Okay, sis and Marcus, what would you two like? An order of calamari would be just great. I already know what my brothers want. Meatballs right? You got it sis. How about you Valerie? I’ll take some bruschetta with lots of parmesan and garlic. Okay, what about you Donna? I’ll have the crab stuffed mushrooms. Okay, babe, last but not least, what would you like? I’ll have an order of the crab stuffed mushrooms as well. Okay, what about the drinks? Susan, your Dad and I will have a glass of Merlot. Marcus and I will have a glass of Red Zinfandel. Charles? Jonathan? We’ll both have Scotch and soda, and our wives would like glasses of Merlot as well. Okay, babe that leaves you and I. I’ll have a martini. I’ll have the same.

Susan was always so organized, and she had to have everything just right. As we were telling her what we wanted, she was writing it down on a piece of paper ready to hand it to the waitress. After we ordered, we waited patiently for Susan and Darryl to make their announcement. After a long period of silence, I had to say something. The anticipation was killing me.

So, you guys, what’s your big news? Well, I’ll let Darryl tell you. Natalie, I want your sister to be my wife. We wanted you all to meet us here for dinner so that I could ask the entire family for her hand in marriage. Awe, that is so sweet. See, I told you Marcus. Marcus didn’t believe me when I told him you two were getting married. Congratulations! So, have you two set a date? Yes, we have. September 21st. A Fall wedding will be so beautiful. Well, Susan and Darryl, you all have our blessing. Thanks Dad. Yes, baby, we couldn’t be more thrilled. Thanks, Mom. Yes, thank you Mr. and Mrs. Cardwell. Thank you Cardwell family. Just take care of our baby. I will. Well, is everyone ready to order dinner? Yes, these appetizers were just little teasers for me."

After dinner was over, Marcus and I headed home. Both of us were pretty tired after such a long day. So, when we got home, we went straight to bed. I called Susan before I went to sleep to congratulate her again, and to tell her if she needed anything to just let me know. It didn’t take either of us long to fall asleep. Marcus and I both had been working a lot lately, and we just had so much going on, that we were glad to rest our heads on our pillows.

Morning seemed to always come so soon when I was really tired the night before. It’s a good thing my job was flexible. I worked in our family business as a financial consultant. I didn’t schedule any early appointments, so I could sleep in at least until 8:30 or 9:00. Then I would make a nice breakfast for myself, head over to the gym, and then go to the office. Marcus was already in the shower, he had to be in court for a hearing at 9:00 a.m. sharp. He was a corporate attorney who had been practicing several years before we met and was making a substantial amount of money. My parents had established their business shortly after they both were out of college, and they set it up for their children to run it after they retired. I personally didn’t think either of them would retire anytime soon, because they both enjoyed helping people build their financial portfolios to secure their futures. All of us worked at the firm except for Susan. She was a senior editor at a major magazine.

Initially, dad wasn’t too pleased that she didn’t come to the firm, but eventually he got over it, after Susan said she could get him some free publicity. That was right up dad’s alley. Dad worked hard, and he had lots of money. I was sure he had his first dollar framed somewhere just for kicks. He had no problem spending his money either, on whatever he deemed important enough to spend it on. Growing up, we never wanted for anything, and we want for nothing today either. He always took care of us. Mom always said that when she first met him she knew he would be a good provider. I remember when he first met Marcus; the first thing he asked was how do you make your living?

He wanted the best for his children, and he would in no way support our decision to date someone who couldn’t provide for themselves or a wife. I guess it sounds like he was only interested in money, well I guess he was. He wanted to make sure Marcus had the kind of money that it took to care for his little girl. If Marcus’s financial portfolio hadn’t come up to what it came up to, my father wouldn’t have allowed me to give him a second look. Although I was a grown woman, I too wanted to have the stability that I always had. Also, there was no way that I was going to let go of the luxurious lifestyle that I had become accustomed to.

Honey, I’m getting ready to leave. Bye, have a good day. I love you. I love you too. It was still fairly early. I had time to turn over and take a quick nap. Just as I was about to turn over, the phone rang. Hello. Natalie, I know you’re not still in bed. Yes, I am. Well, how’s my favorite sister doing? Susan, I’m your only sister. That’s why you’re my favorite. Girl, what do you want? I’m trying to go back to sleep, because I don’t have any early appointments.

Well, I was just wondering if you would come with me to look for my dress. I would love to. What time would you like to go? Say 2:00? Oh, sweetie I have an appointment at 2:00 p.m., it’s one of daddy’s V.I.P.’s. Mr. Langley? You know that’s going to be time-consuming. Girl, do I know. Could we go later? Yeah, that will be cool. Don’t let me hold you up though, if you need to go earlier. It’s okay Nat, I can just do some other things in between the time that we’re going to meet. Okay, how about I call you when we’re done? Okay, talk to you later. I turned back over and started to drift off to sleep. A few minutes later, the phone rang again. Okay, it was pointless for me to try to get some sleep. So, I got up, made my breakfast, got dressed, and headed to the gym. I worked out for over an hour. I felt really good. Then I took a quick shower, dressed, and was off to work.

Good morning daddy. Good morning baby. Where’s mom? Oh, she went out for a little bit. She’ll be back soon. You remember we have Mr. Langley coming in today right? Do you have his paperwork in order? I know Daddy, everything’s ready to go. That’s my girl.

You know I was thinking since Darryl is a C.P.A., and he’s going to be family soon, it might be nice to have another accountant on staff. We could use someone with his expertise. What do you think? I don’t know Dad, have you talked to Darryl and Susan about it? Not yet, I was just thinking about it. I did mention it to your mom. She thought it might be a good idea.

Well, maybe you should wait until after the wedding. They have so much going on right now. You’re right, that might be a good idea.

Well, I’m going to my office so that I can get to work. Okay.

I had about thirty emails to sort through and a few calls to return. Then I double-checked Mr. Langley’s file to make sure everything was everything as they say. Everything was in order. Mr. Langley was one of our high profile clients. He was worth billions of dollars.

He was a really nice man, but just so long-winded. Daddy didn’t care though. He always told us that a client like Mr. Langley was hard to come by, so we needed to do everything in our power to keep him. Why he always stuck me with him I don’t know. He never let Charles or Jonathan meet with him. I think it was because Mr. Langley was a widower and he sort of liked me. Dad was willing to do whatever was necessary to keep Mr. Langley satisfied; even if that meant a little harmless flirting with me. It was important to keep the money rolling in by any means necessary. Every time he comes in here, he says if that Marcus fellow doesn’t treat you right, I’m available. So, I guess I have to hear that for the millionth time today. Then I’ll say, Awe, Mr. Langley, that’s so sweet. Marcus treats me very well, but I’ll keep you in mind.

Coming in later always made the day go by extremely fast. It was already 1:30 p.m. Mr. Langley would arrive at 1:45 p.m. sharp. He was like clockwork, and for the last ten years, he always arrived fifteen minutes early for his appointment. Today wouldn’t be any different. As I waited for the next fifteen minutes to pass, I went into our kitchen and got his favorite beverage; an Iced tea.

I went back to my office and waited for him to arrive. I heard the front door opening, and I knew it was him. Dressed in a suit as usual, he entered my office. Hi Natalie, how are you? I’m great Mr. Langley, how are you? I’m better, now that I’m here with you. Are you still married to that Marcus fellow? Yes sir, happily. Okay, well, I hope you haven’t forgotten what I said. If he ever starts to mess up, I’m available. Awe, Mr. Langley that’s so sweet.

So, let’s get down to business. How are my stocks doing? Actually, Mr. Langley, they’re doing quite well, based on the last report we ran, which was this morning. Considering the current state of the economy, it’s good that they’re holding up. I really appreciate all of your help. No problem Mr. Langley.

Before I leave, I’m going to put $10,000 into the Farlow account. Okay, I’ll go ahead and put that information into the system and send the check to them. Okay, thanks sugar. You’re welcome, Mr. Langley. Okay, I’m going to head on out. Have a great afternoon Mr. Langley. You too.

I couldn’t believe that my appointment with Mr. Langley ended up being short. He must have had someplace else to go.

Daddy, I’m getting ready to leave. I’m going with Susan and mom to help pick out Susan’s dress. Okay, baby, see you later. Bye.

As I left the office, I called Susan. Hey, sis, we’re on our way. Okay, I’m in the bridal shop on Thirty-First and Brenner. The dresses in here are amazing. There’s so many to choose from. Remember you only have a few short months, and time is of the essence. You sound just like mom. Well, it’s true. I know. I want the day to be just perfect. It will be sis. You and Darryl are in love. That in itself will make the day absolutely perfect. Awe, thanks sis. Okay, Mom and I will be there in about ten minutes. I’ll see you then. Bye sis. Love you. Love you too, bye.

We arrived at the bridal shop in exactly ten minutes. Susan was sitting there with about ten different gowns. Wow, Susan, they’re all so beautiful. I know. Thank goodness you and mom are here to help me decide.

Well, that’s what mothers and sisters are for. Mom, I’m really glad you’re here. I wouldn’t be anywhere else baby. And, Natalie, thank you also. No thanks needed, big sis. I’m happy to do it. You did it for me. I want you two to meet Judy. She’s been helping me since I walked in the door. Judy, I would like you to meet my mother and my sister. Hello, it’s nice to meet you Judy. My daughter has been telling us how helpful you have been to her. Thank you. No problem at all, ma’am. I was glad to do it. Judy, you’ve shown my sister some beautiful gowns. Yes, I believe our shop has some of the finest gowns and accessories in the area. Well, I guess I’ll try all of them on, so you all can tell me what you think.

So, Susan began modeling some of the most beautiful gowns I’ve seen since planning for my wedding day, of course. My dress was absolutely gorgeous. Since Susan and I had similar taste, I know her dress will be breath-taking as well.

Mom, Nat, this is the one. I feel differently in this one than I’ve felt in all of them. I love it baby, and as long as you love it, that’s all that matters. Yeah, Suze, it’s gorgeous. You’re going to take Darryl’s breath away. I also have to commend you on choosing a gown so quickly. I should have known though. My sister knows what she wants, and when she finds it, it doesn’t take her long to make a decision.

Okay, ladies, since we’re here, we might as well look at the Mother of the Bride and Matron of Honor gowns. Okay, that’s fine. I’ve got your father’s credit card, and since it is tradition for the bride’s father to pay for the wedding, let’s start off the buying with our gowns. Mom, sometimes you are so funny. Well, it’s the truth, and you know your father wants to make sure his girls are taken care of. So, Nat, let’s get to looking. Okay, Mom."

I don’t know how we did it. Surely, luck had to be on our side. Mom and I both found the most beautiful gowns, and surprisingly, they were fairly reasonable. Ladies, why don’t we go get some dinner? Okay, that’s cool with me.

All this gown shopping has made me extremely hungry, and I haven’t eaten since breakfast. Where do you want to go Nat? How about Ray’s? I could really go for some soul food tonight.

Okay, sounds good to me girls. I’ll get a take-out platter for your father. You know how much he loves Ray’s ribs? Well, you have to admit that his sauce is out of this world. Marcus and I eat there at least once or twice a month. I mean it’s hard to find a restaurant these days where practically everything they make is good. I know exactly what I’m going to get; barbecue ribs, collard greens, and macaroni and cheese. Maybe I’ll even get a side dish of potato salad and cornbread too. Wow, Nat you must really be hungry.

Yes, Suze my stomach is talking to me. I guess I better get Marcus a platter to go too, because he will be upset if he finds out I went to Ray’s without him, and didn’t bring him anything back. Besides, Ray’s platters are so huge, I won’t have to cook for at least two days. So, let’s get there already. All this talk is making me hungrier.

Ray’s was packed as usual. He always has a jazz band playing, so people not only come for his good food, they come for the great music the band plays. We were lucky to find a good table. The other thing that was great about Ray’s was that he always kept a full staff on hand, so there was never really a long wait no matter how busy they were.

Our waitress came right over. We ordered, and shortly thereafter, we were feasting on hot, delicious, food. This was a great time for the three of us, because even though we were in the midst of planning an event that could be somewhat stressful, it was also an opportunity for us to bond with each other. It had been a while since the three of us had gone out together. Pretty soon, all of us would be married women, and our time together would probably be even more limited. One thing that wouldn’t change though would be the fact that we were family, and that we truly loved each other.

Well ladies, I think I’m going to head home. Marcus will be excited about getting food from Ray’s. I had a wonderful time. Love you both. Okay Nat. Thanks for coming with mom and I. Yeah, thanks sweetie, we enjoyed having you with us. You all are welcome. Good night.

Driving home from the restaurant I thought about Susan’s upcoming nuptials, and I started to feel sad. I guess it was because I realized that she and I wouldn’t have as much sister time anymore. I also suddenly became really concerned about the fact that Susan had only known Darryl for six months. How much could you possibly know about a person in such a short amount of time? Maybe the niceness was a put on.

Perhaps I was being paranoid. Why was I having these thoughts now? Initially, I felt good about him and their engagement.

Hi babe, I’m home. Hi honey. How did the dress shopping go? It went well. Susan found a beautiful gown, and mom and I found ours too. Great, sounds like she had the same luck you had when you found your gown so quickly.

Well, you know it’s like this Marcus, when you find the right one, you just know. It feels right. I have a surprise for you. What’s that babe? I brought you a platter from Ray’s. You did? Awe, babe thanks. I was just thinking about that place. I ate a snack, but you know I can make some more room for Ray’s food. I know. You can always make room for his food. Enjoy it. I’m going upstairs to take a shower. Okay.

I wanted to turn in a little early tonight. Despite the short work day I had, I was still tired. So, I showered, got into bed, and grabbed a book to read. Before I knew it, I was knocked out.

The next morning I felt totally refreshed and full of energy. Going to bed early must have done the trick. I put the coffee on, made breakfast for Marcus and I, and scheduled some doctor’s appointments for us. We were both overdue for our annual check-ups, so I figured we had better get scheduled for one.

Good morning babe, you’re up early. Good morning. I got a really good night’s sleep last night, and I feel extremely rested. That’s good. You should feel rested though, because you were doing all of that snoring. Marcus, I don’t snore. I just breathe differently than the average person. Because I truly love you, I’ll let that slide without commenting.

Whatever. I do believe I have heard noises coming from your mouth on a few occasions too. So, what is your schedule like today? Good thinking, you changed the subject.

I figured I better, or I’ll be sleeping on the couch tonight. Now Marcus honey, when have I ever made you sleep on the couch? You haven’t, and I certainly don’t want you to start either.

Well, I have a few mid-morning appointments, lunch with a client, a work-out at the gym, and dinner with you tonight. What does your day look like? You know the firm has this important trial coming up soon, so I really have to work on preparing for that, and I have a few clients to meet later today. Also, I’m meeting with opposing counsel to discuss a settlement. After that, I’ll be free. Okay, I made breakfast, and I scheduled appointments for us to get our annual check-ups. Sounds good, thanks.

While eating breakfast, I decided to discuss the odd thoughts I had started to have about Darryl. Maybe odd thoughts weren’t exactly what they were. They were more like unsure feelings that I couldn’t seem to shake all of a sudden. Of course Marcus told me I was probably being paranoid, and that because Susan and I are so close, my feelings could be a way of trying to protect her. All of that may be true, but it’s funny how at first I felt great about him, and now I don’t feel so good about him. Whatever I did though, I couldn’t let it be known to my sister that I was having these funny feelings about her fiancé.

"Have a