Splitsville, page 9
“I don’t know. Again, this has nothing to do with Hexitel. Perhaps it’s something Maya worked out with her wife.”
There it was again. “Can you explain this wife business to me?”
“People are partnered shortly after they join the organization. Once they indicate true commitment. It’s a spiritual relationship. People tend to do better when they have a partner, someone they can talk to. Confide in. Like the buddy system.”
“And you call them wives?”
“Can you think of a better word? It’s an all-female organization, remember.”
“It could lead to confusion.”
Clare shrugged. “We live in a world where most conventional marriages lead to divorce and wives are habitually mistreated and oppressed. I would suggest that the Hexitel definition of what it means to be a wife is far healthier than the one utilized in the outside world.”
As a divorce attorney, she wasn’t about to argue. “May I speak to Maya’s wife? I believe her name is Candy.”
“Not for me to say. Up to her.”
“I need to be able to assure the court this organization bears no threat or danger to Brittany.”
“I’ve never seen Brittany and Hexitel has never said anything about how the child should be raised or treated. We focus on professional skills, not parenting. We’re spreading an important message at a critical time. Women are starting to wake up, but this #MeToo and #Time’sUp business is barely nudging the percentage of women in the workplace—or what they earn. We want to train women to fight. We want to train women to win.”
“Sounds like you’re building a political power base.”
Clare barely smiled. “We’re building an army.”
Chapter Fifteen
Kenzi got home late, but she still believed it was important to fix dinner, even if she suspected Hailee could survive just fine on Sun Chips and Sparkling Ice. Though Kenzi was hardly a gourmet chef, she was competent in the kitchen. She preferred fresh ingredients, but thought dinner should never take longer than half an hour to prepare, which sometimes limited her options. Tonight it would be sweet potato salad in pita pockets, with a little garlic aioli and cucumber side salad.
Hailee wheeled up to the kitchen table when dinner was ready. She looked healthy and happy and gave her mother no grief about coming home late. Kenzi let her savor two bites before she launched into the mandatory mother-daughter convo. “You left your record player on.”
Hailee smiled while chewing. “I know. Isn’t it great?”
Kenzi attempted a weak smile. “Sounds kind of…old.”
“Mom—it’s Sam Cooke.”
“I know. My grandmother used to listen to this.”
“He was a genius.”
“You know, just because you like vinyl doesn’t mean you have to listen to old stuff. What are your friends listening to? Phoebe Bridgers? Billie Eilish?”
Hailee pulled a face. “Here today, gone tomorrow. I prefer the classics.”
“Where did you get these old records, anyway?”
“From Papa.”
Meaning Kenzi’s father. One way or the other, he was determined to sabotage Kenzi’s entire life.
“By the way, Mom, your pitas are the bomb.”
“Just something I whipped up fast. Done your homework?”
“Yup.” Hailee set down her fork. “Okay, is that enough family chatter? Can we talk business now?”
Her daughter never failed to surprise her. “I did want to speak to you about something.”
“Good. You go first.”
“Have you heard of a group called Hexitel?”
“How could I not? They recruit on the internet.”
“They do?”
“They’re on the prowl. All over Twitter. And Instagram.”
“They want teenagers?”
“Yeah. I think it’s like smoking. If you hook people when they’re young, they can’t give it up. Hexitel says they’re an educational group offering a wide range of college preparatory and professional seminars.”
“Tell me you didn’t attend any of those.”
“Well…actually, I kinda did.”
Kenzi almost rose out of her chair. “Why am I just now hearing about this?”
“It was no big deal. I was curious, and they offered an online session I could watch for free from my laptop, so why not? They don’t tell you it’s Hexitel upfront. They wait until it starts getting good. They say they use rational inquiry to facilitate your personal and professional advancement. Sounds promising, right? And then they want you to pay for a more detailed intensive. You get access to their exclusive manual that apparently contains all the secret knowledge you need to succeed in life. And they pair you with other people learning the same stuff.”
“But you didn’t sign up for it, right?” Kenzi leaned across the table. “Right?”
“What do you take me for? I already have friends. I don’t need any assigned to me.”
Kenzi exhaled and settled back into her chair. It was a great source of comfort to her that, despite all the obstacles her daughter had been dealt, she did have friends, and social contacts and clubs and most importantly a positive attitude and practical outlook on life. In fact, she probably exceeded her mother in those categories. “I can’t believe they’re going after kids.”
Hailee shrugged. “Some of my friends could use a little personal development.”
“Not this kind.” Kenzi wiped her mouth with a napkin and described what she’d witnessed at the Hexitel office.
Hailee’s eyes almost popped out of her skull. “They let someone spank them? In front of other people?”
“Without complaint or comment. And acted as if they liked it.”
“Wow. Oh wow.” Hailee bounced up and down in her wheelchair. “That is so radical.”
“At least it wasn’t a man doing the swatting.”
“That does not make it okay, Mom.”
“I know. But still.” She hesitated before she proceeded. “You’re my pop culture expert. Does this make Hexitel a cult?”
“I don’t know. But it makes them spooky as hell. Don’t go there again alone, ok, Mom?”
“Agreed.” Unnecessary, but she was touched by her daughter’s concern. “What did you want to talk about?”
“Actually, it’s related. It’s about your new client.”
“Honey, I’m not allowed to discuss confidential matters…”
“Who wants you to? Like I want to hear about stupid old people divorcing each other and wrecking their lives. This is about my work as your social media manager.”
Well, Kenzi thought, that does make her part of the legal team. Sort of. “What about it?”
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the KenziKlan is shrinking.”
“I did my livestream today.”
“Not from the spanky salon, I hope.”
“Earlier. Why is the Klan shrinking?”
“To be blunt—Maya Breville.”
“How could anyone on the internet know about Maya?”
“Come on, Mom, you can’t keep secrets from the internet. Not these days.” Hailee pulled out her phone and scrolled through screens. “There’s a whole subreddit about Hexitel. Mostly posts from former members who ‘escaped.’ They know Maya and they know she’s deep into it. Did you know your client has a wife?”
Kenzi’s eyelids fluttered wearily. “Yes. I need to track that woman down and talk to her.”
“Nobody online thinks your client has any business raising a child. In fact, they don’t think she should be allowed anywhere near a child.”
Of course, only losers and troublemakers would be posting gossip to online bulletin boards. “How much do they actually know? Hexitel may have a bad rap, and there may be some bad actors, but that doesn’t make it a cult.”
“Mom, you just witnessed a mass spanking. That’s a short step from drinking the Kool-Aid.”
“And this is affecting the KenziKlan?”
“I’m afraid so. Word is out that you’re helping Maya get access to the child who, according to these posts, was put in the exclusive custody of her father by a judge for the child’s own safety. Is that true?”
She tossed her head back and forth. “In a…vague sort of way.”
“Look at the posts yourself. Some people in the KenziKlan feel disappointed. Even betrayed. You’re supposed to be an advocate for women’s rights.”
“I’m representing the woman in this divorce.”
“People are more concerned about the female child than the female cult member. Look at these numbers.” She reversed her phone so Kenzi could see the screen. “It’s not tragic yet, but your numbers are dropping. As your social media manager, I have to be concerned.”
“Okay, manager, tell me what to do about it.”
“Simple. Dump the client. Replace her with an Instagram influencer.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Then settle the case. As quickly as possible.”
“Tried that. Didn’t work.”
“Mom, you’re not making this easier.”
All at once, Kenzi slumped forward, head falling into the palm of her hand. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Better figure it out fast. You’re going to need the KenziKlan and the free publicity they provide when you launch your new firm.”
“I know, I know.”
Hailee hesitated a moment. “I’m worried about you.”
“Don’t. I’ll be fine. This is just business.”
“That’s not what I mean.” Hailee rolled away from the table, then scooted closer to her mother. “Hexitel is the subject of several investigations. And yet, they leave their doors unlocked? While performing a corporal punishment ceremony? With no one posted outside?”
“What are you saying? That they knew I was coming? That they wanted me to see what I saw?”
A deep ridge creased Hailee’s forehead. “I don’t know. But there’s more going on with these people than you realize. They’re dangerous.” Hailee drew in her breath. “And I think they’ve made you a target.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Seriously? That’s the best appointment you could get? Six-thirty in the morning on a cold rainy beach?”
Sharon cackled on the other end of the phone, though Kenzi couldn’t see the humor. “You think I should accept?”
“Honey, I think you should drop this case like a hot potato.”
“You and Hailee.”
“Love that girl. She has good sense. Better than you sometimes.”
“I can’t quit now and you know it.”
“There’s always a way to dump an undesirable client. Would you like me to prepare a memo?”
“No.” Withdrawing at a critical juncture might be unethical, plus it would give her father too much pleasure. “Just set up the meeting. I’ll make it work.”
“You got it, girl. I’ll have some hot cocoa waiting for you back at the office.”
Kenzi was an early riser, a habit formed years before while being raised by her workaholic father who rose at sunrise so he could run three miles before breakfast. She skipped the running, unless it was on a treadmill, but she still rose early. She didn’t think it made her virtuous. It was just how her body worked. Even if she didn’t get out of bed she wouldn’t sleep any longer, so she started her day around 6:00, just as the sun crept over the horizon.
That said, she normally didn’t attempt speaking to anyone other than her coffee cup until at least seven. Even Hailee knew better than to plan a big face-to-face chat early in the morning. The fact that Mom was awake did not necessarily make her a morning person.
Except today. Because this was her only chance to meet Candy Trussell, Maya’s so-called wife, bright and early at Discovery Park. Candy seemed edgy about the whole situation, so Kenzi took what was offered. Which was why she was on the beach ridiculously early clutching a Venti Pike Place. Living near the birthplace of Starbucks should have some benefits.
Discovery Park was, in Kenzi’s opinion, the best of Seattle’s beaches—over five hundred acres on a bluff extending from the Magnolia neighborhood, and every inch of it gorgeous. You could see both the Cascade and Olympic Mountain skylines. Some parts of the Park had grasslands and even forests, but her meeting was supposed to take place on the north beach not far from the famous West Point Lighthouse.
After a few minutes of searching, she found a woman sitting in the sand, legs crossed. She had willowy blonde hair and a face that exemplified calm. Kenzi almost hated to disturb her. “Excuse me. Are you Candy Trussell?”
The woman’s eyes slowly opened. “I assume you’re the lawyer. Katie or Kathy or something.”
“Kenzi. I appreciate you agreeing to talk to me.”
“Maya thought it was important. Normally I won’t talk about Hexitel to anyone. It never goes anywhere positive, you know? I don’t need that kind of negativity in my life.”
“I understand. This is a beautiful place. Do you come here to meditate?”
“Yes.” Slight hesitation. “This is where I meet my coven.”
Oh my. This case just kept getting better and better.
“How can I help you?” Candy asked.
“Maya’s husband is trying to use her involvement with Hexitel in the divorce. To gain exclusive custody of Brittany.”
“About what I would expect. Michael has so much negative energy he could create an alternate universe. A very bad one.”
“There are a couple of specific problems, and one of them I’m sorry to say relates to you. You and your relationship with Maya. How would you describe that relationship?”
Candy shrugged. “She’s my wife.”
There it was. “Can you explain what you mean by that?”
“I mean what I said.”
“But you obviously aren’t legally married to her. She’s married to Michael.”
“That’s not a marriage. That’s a legal obligation. The law has taken what’s supposed to be a spiritual commitment and turned it into dollars and cents. Of course, that’s what the government does anytime they get involved in people’s lives.”
“So…you and Maya…”
“We’re both straight. At least, as far as I know.”
“She doesn’t call you ‘Master’? She doesn’t do chores for you?”
“We’re equals in the organization. She has a Hexitel master, but it isn’t me.”
“And no sex?”
“Hexitel is not about fornicating.”
“What is it about?”
“Sex magic.”
Didn’t she just say… “Can you explain?”
Candy rose, brushing the sand off her stretch pants. “Why don’t we cut to the chase? You heard me mention my coven, though you had the grace to let it go, at least for the moment. Yes, I am a witch.”
“Like…Sabrina?”
“Except real. And I don’t cast spells. Except in the way that all women do. That’s one of the primary lessons Hexitel teaches. That’s why the group is restricted to women.”
“Hexitel practices witchcraft?”
Candy punched Kenzi in the shoulder amiably. “That’s what puts the ‘Hex’ in ‘Hexitel.’”
“Is Maya a witch, too?”
“In a way. We came to Hexitel from very different places. She’s a scientist. I’m Wiccan. Worlds apart. Would you like to stroll by the beach?”
Why not? A scenic view could only improve her mental state while absorbing incredibly bad facts certain to damage her client in court. And she did love the touch of sea spray. “So you’re not a scientist like Maya?”
They strolled along the beach. “A Wiccan scientist? No. When I joined Hexitel, I was working as an exotic dancer.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I loved it. I’m not ashamed of my body. I don't think any woman should be. I lead yoga classes at a local gym now, which is much the same thing. Banishing dysmorphia and being proud of how you look. Before, I felt an emptiness. A feeling that I wasn’t in control. Because I wasn’t—till I learned to harness my sex magic.”
Splendid. “Tell me more about that. If you don’t mind.”
“As long as it’s to help Maya, and not for your next tweet. Sex magic is about harnessing the energy inherent in all women and implementing it with a specific intention to produce a specific outcome.”
“I thought sexual energy was for…you know…sex.”
“Energy can be put to many purposes. You can channel it into self-gratification. Orgasmic manifestation. Or you can put it to more productive purposes. It’s up to the individual. All magical practices are about what we want to do with what we have.”
“And what do you want to do?”
“I want to be the best person I can possibly be. Hexitel is about self-actualization. You must’ve learned that by now.”
“I have certainly heard that. Many times. But I also keep hearing about spanking and branding and…other activities that do not immediately suggest self-actualization.”
“You need to unlock your brain. Break away from dated mindsets. Those old-school ways of thinking have produced the screwed-up world we live in today. We need new ideas. Fresh approaches. What you call branding is just a small incision with a cauterizing pen. But it demonstrates commitment. A turning point. A departure. A new beginning. Spanking is harmless, but it demonstrates a willingness to submit to a new way of thinking. Let me ask you a question. Are you religious?”
Back to that again. “I was raised Catholic.”
“Okay, so you think our spanking is weird, while you celebrate the Passion of the Christ, which is basically the step-by-step torture and murder of a human being.”
“I’m sure you can criticize—”
“I’m not criticizing. My point is that, despite its odd rituals and constant focus on the state-ordered execution of an itinerant teacher, billions of people have drawn comfort from your religion.”
“Hexitel has been accused of mind control.”
“Aren’t most people influenced by their religion?”
“And there’s a significant price tag—”
