Chapter 1
Detective Lieutenant Jeff Chandler held a fine china plate with gold trim while he chose delicacies from the buffet. Holiday weekends at the Nation’s Top Model, Mark Antonious Richfield’s estate in Paradise, California were always amazing. Mark’s chef, Sierra, was superb and every item on the amazing display was made from scratch, including the bagels and rolls. Inside this grand thirteen-bedroom manor house, Jeff, his husband Mickey Stanton, and a dozen of their buddies spent New Year’s weekend here. Jeff, who was in line behind Blake Hunter, a former LA fireman who was Mark’s nanny. Although, Mark’s two younger sons, Jacob Bentley Richfield and Isaac Milton Richfield were fourteen and fifteen now, Blake still helped out while Mark worked full time. Behind him was Joe Scarbino. Another LAPD cop that worked for the community police unit. The guests seemed to be a mixture of Hollywood actors and law enforcement. Joe leaned against Jeff’s shoulder as he eyed the appetizing selection. Sierra made blueberry pancakes, cheesy scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, sausages, hashbrowns, croissants, and bagels, and also had fresh fruit and yogurt. “My mouth’s watering,” Joe said. Jeff chuckled to himself. Joe Scarbino was a character and usually made them laugh. He was married to movie star, Jeremy Runner, who had just completed filming another blockbuster. Taking a helping of the eggs, bacon, and sausages as well as strawberries, blueberries and pineapple, Jeff looked around the informal dining room to see where he and Mickey should sit. The home had two huge dining rooms, one formal, for sit down dinners and smart casual, and the second for buffets. Jeff asked Blake, “Where are you sitting?” Blake tilted his head to the next dining room. “Most likely, in there.” Jeff nodded. He felt something brush his lower leg and saw Mark’s eldest son’s dog, Lady, a white Saluki-mix, sniffing around for dropped food. Alexander Mark Richfield, Mark’s superstar son, was in his mid-thirties, much older than his two half-brothers, and one half-sister, Lily Hayden, who lived with her father, Stan Bergman. Jeff carried his loaded plate the formal dining room. Inside it were mostly gay couples; late-night talk-show host and movie star Carl Bronson and his actor husband Keith O’Leary, attorney Jack Larsen and his talent agent husband Adam Lewis, Blake and his Butte County fire captain husband, Hunter Rasmussen, former LA lifeguards Josh Elliot and his husband Tanner Cameron, both were now making a living off of a video channel on the internet, Mark and his former LA police officer husband, Steve Miller, and Alexander, Mark’s son, and his LAPD lieutenant husband, Billy Sharpe. As the gang took seats at the enormous table, which was under three hanging crystal chandeliers, Jeff caught snippets of conversations. “Most likely we’ll have everyone chauffeured to the airport at around four.” Jeff loved Mark’s British accent and for some reason, his pronunciations made him smile. Mickey sat next to Jeff and said, “I never want to leave once I’m here.” “I hear ya, Mick.” Jeff leaned back as Mark’s man servant, Warren, poured coffee for them. Each place setting had coffee mugs and silverware.
