Blood Brothers by Keith Latch Read Free Book Online

few
blocks from the river and just a hop, skip, and a jump from
downtown, Beale Street is a festival of excess. Some Memphians
prefer the immortal Bourbon Street farther down south in New
Orleans, but the preference is, more often than not, due to
familiarity rather than true allure.
    From piano bars to sidewalk beer stands to a
horse drawn carriage ride, the glitter of this place is hard for a
new inductee to fathom. Smells of wonderfully prepared food from
long-standing bar-b-que joints, hamburger diners, and even a
Brazilian steakhouse arouse hunger, and the promise of two-for-one
beers will satiate the thirst. At the end of Beale stands the
Orpheum Theatre, a fine playhouse still visited by some of the
world’s biggest productions.
    From Beale you can move out and find AutoZone
Park, the home field of the Memphis Red Birds. The Pyramid, a
wonderfully designed, but ultimately costly mistake, gives the
skyline a unique distinction. Mud Island, more a sandbar than an
island just below the bridge leading off to Arkansas, boasts a
multitude of Mississippi River related family activities that
attract more and more people each summer. The zoo, located on the
opposite side of the city, also brings throngs from the tri-state
area in at least once a summer, sometimes twice or more.
    In short, in a land of small towns, Memphis
reigns as the top metropolitan destination. For with big cities,
comes big city entertainment.
    The Peabody, the city’s one and only
four-star hotel, sits only a few streets from the river, the
Pyramid, AutoZone Park, and Beale Street. The destination for the
elite, visiting dignitaries, touring superstars and such ilk, the
Peabody is the place for everyone to visit to watch the ducks
parade in and enjoy their indoor pool. The ducks have been marching
twice a day since the early 1930’s, and it seems like a visit to
Memphis isn’t complete without seeing them. Beyond the majestic
ballrooms, the elegant rooms and the valet parking is the famed
Sunday Brunch. Michael had dined there on several occasions, twice
even bringing his wife with him.
    The drive from Benedict to Memphis had taken
a little over two hours and as soon as he was checked into his
suite, Michael ordered room service while he awaited his guests.
This little jaunt was much more than pleasure. Tonight he would be
inking a deal for a fifteen story building, only several blocks
away. Michael had purchased the building five years ago for a steal
and now, when the deal went through, he would make a profit of
almost five hundred percent. No chump change here. The purchaser,
Medrick Pharmaceuticals, was throwing a glitzy gala in the ballroom
downstairs, a real black-tie event. Stephanie used to accompany him
to such functions, but a time had come when he’d stopped inviting
her and she’d stopped volunteering. He always attended these events
stag, giving the cover story that Stephanie was home with Christal.
But that did not mean he would be spending the night alone.
    At two o’clock this afternoon, however, he
had a quite different meeting planned. Entrepreneur Magazine was
doing an article on him, and he was meeting with a staff writer for
an interview and a photographer for a photo shoot. Truth be told,
he was really excited. He was wealthy, true enough. He had built a
land development company from scratch. He had achieved much more
than he’d ever thought possible, much more than anyone else would
have thought as well. He did not consider himself a bad person.
Perhaps he wasn’t the best husband the world had ever seen, but he
prided himself on being a good father. He contributed a respectable
percentage of his income to his community. Last year’s Toys for
Tots drive had been financed, in no small part, by none other than
Michael Cole. He was loyal to his friends, the few he had. But to
receive recognition for all his accomplishments thrilled him to no
end. Almost as much as the lifestyle he kept, recognition meant so
very much to