Best Laid Plans

"It is not my intention to rub salt into your wounds boss, but you need to talk to Calvin Bostic, down in settlements before you see Richard." Richard Ryder was the president of the company. I felt pretty sure that he already knew what I wanted to see him about. The settlements division was really down in the basement, to be exact. I don't know why everyone else got windows and sunlight and they got the dungeon.

"Calvin, Emily said you wanted to talk to me."

Calvin Bostic was a quiet guy who always got his work done. He was a no-nonsense type of guy: dull but efficient. He steered me over to a private corner.

"I heard that things were coming to a head in your office. I am not into gossip or rumors, but I felt you needed to know something. About six years ago we had a guy here in our office named Raymond Upright. He was an OK guy, married with two kids. He got hooked up with your wife after an office party. She kept calling him, at home, and here in the office. He knew he made a mistake, and wanted to end it, but she wouldn't let him. She threatened to tell his wife, if he tried to dump her. The dumb shit called her bluff. Two days later, Ray's wife kicked him out. He started drinking and ended up losing his job. I don't know where he is now. Anyhow, Ray's wife threatened to tell you, about your wife's affair. As I understand it, your wife gave her ten grand to shut up. I have no proof about that last part."

"Thanks Cal. I wonder if anybody else has some good news for me?"

"I wasn't trying to get you upset Mister Terrell, but Emily said I should tell you."

"You did the right thing. I appreciate it."

I took the elevator straight up to the ninth floor. I was a little early for my appointment with Mister Ryder, but he took me right in. It was short and it was precise. The legal department, personnel department, and payroll, would take care of everything for me. When the smoke settled, I was to call him personally, from wherever I was. He gave me a card with his private cell number on the back. There were no promises, no regrets, and no bullshit. Although things were wrapped up on one hand, they were kept open on the other. I gave him a simple nod and left. I hadn't spoken a word.

Emily was all smiles when I got back to the office. She handed me the usual cup of coffee. I smiled back and said. "Get me a flight to Reno for Thursday morning, with a two hour layover in Dallas."

She made a motion with her head for me to look out the window. Sandra was down in the parking lot arguing with a security guard.

"She's been down there over twenty minutes. They won't let her in and she won't leave. What do you want to do boss?"

"Looks like the guards have everything under control. The only problem I have, is finding somebody to have supper with. I hate to eat alone."

I called Jerry to see how things were going. He said he couldn't do anything until I straightened out the financial mess. I had to show him that I had no money. Right now, I was loaded. Between the checks I had, those that were coming, and the cash in the bank, I was a wealthy man. I promised I would go to Reno early, and not come back until I was flat broke. Every once in a while, somebody would stick their head in the door, and tell me that my wife wanted me to call her. She was having all her girl friends call their husbands at work to find me.

I hung around the office for a few more hours cleaning things up, so that it would be easier for my replacement. Sandra was sitting on the hood of my car, waiting for me to come out. Emily smiled and handed me the keys to her Honda Civic. She said it was a good excuse to get her hubby to pick her up, and take her out for dinner.

"By the way, you are not going to do anything stupid in Dallas, Are you?"

"No, just tying up some loose ends. No vengeance, I promise."

I drove to Allentown and had my supper at the Outback. I was back in my apartment before midnight.

The next morning went fast. I signed more papers for Jerry, closed all the bank accounts, and cancelled all the credit cards. I even arranged to have all the utilities turned off at the house the next week. I picked up checks at the bank, insurance company, and at work. I had no idea I was worth so much money. I got a new cell phone and cancelled the ones that Sandra and I presently had. I sold my county club membership to an old friend, for twenty three thousand dollars.

My replacement was in place when I stopped in at work for the last time. He seemed like a nice fellow. He got there from Boston with a twenty-four hour notice. He knew it was a good move for him. Emily knew more about running the office than I did, so it was not necessary for me to train him. There were some things at the house I wish I had, but they were not important enough for me to go back for.Emily told me to keep her car and she would have her hubby pick it up at the airport. I had to get a couple of cheap suitcases to put my stuff in at the apartment. Anything I forgot, I could buy in Reno. All of a sudden, I realized that I had done everything I could do. All my assets were now in cash. There were no stocks, no accounts, and nothing else of value, except the house, which I was giving to my wife.

Air Blue was very accommodating. They had some seats available and were more than willing to move my flight up. I called Jerry at home.

"Hey, buddy. Just wanted to let you know I am cutting out tonight. I assume you have everything you need."

"I'm good, Bob. I can actually serve the papers tomorrow, but I still need that financial information as soon as possible."

"You might as well go ahead and give them to her. I will start sending you some proof of financial irresponsibility, as soon as I can."

"Be careful, Bob. I don't want to see either one of us get into trouble. I am sure Sandra will get a big shot to help her, probably from Philly. Of course he will be on contingency and could bail on her, as soon as things start to look bad."

"It's all up to you Jerry. Do the best you can for me. Just don't pad the bill too much. I am going to be a very poor man soon. Don't forget that. One more thing: see if you can locate a guy named Raymond Upright. There is a good chance he could use a little help. Depending on the circumstances, I might be the one to do that."

"Got it, Bobby. Have a good flight and keep in touch."

I called the condo and left a message on the machine that I would be arriving later that night. I told her I would call, and I didn't want her to be alarmed, when she heard somebody at the door. At this point I didn't know if she would be there or not. I could hope. It was odd that, I didn't even know this lady, and yet I was hoping to have a relationship, of some sort with her. At this point, just having her as a friend would be fine. Her situation made her vulnerable, and I didn't want to seem like I was taking advantage of it.

I arrived at Dallas early enough to have a comfortable breakfast. I was waiting in Todd Mitchell's office when he came in. I could tell he wasn't happy to see me.

"Mister Terrell. I would like to say it is nice to see you, but I would not be telling the truth. I think we both know that."

"Relax Todd. I hope you don't mind my being a little familiar. I am not here to bust your chops. I just wanted to let you know that I understand the situation you were in a while back, and that there are no hard feelings."

"You could have done that on the phone."

"I know, but it was on my way and I felt it was worth my time to clear the air."

"I don't understand. Why would you want to do this? I am the one that screwed up. I should be apologizing to you for what happened. You didn't do a damn thing wrong. I was young and foolish and made a terrible mistake. To this day, I am too ashamed to even tell my wife."

"You were partially to blame for what happened Todd, but I feel that most of the problem was caused by my wife. What she did, created problems for you, and now for me. I am not saying that you were completely innocent, but it was not entirely your fault. I don't want you to carry around any more guilt than you have to, because my loving wife was a slut."

"That very generous of you to say that. I don't know what to say or what to do in return."

I reached over and handed him one of Jerry's cards. "Later today, give my lawyer a call. There is a possibility that he might ask you to do something for me. It will be very discreet. He might say that he needs nothing at this time. At the most, I expect he will ask for a notarized statement confirming the affair. I promise that it will not get back to your wife."

I got up and we shook hands. It felt odd, since this was one of the men who cuckolded me, but I thought it was appropriate. Todd Mitchell was a fine man and didn't deserve to have his life compromised for one indiscretion, even though it had happened several times.

An hour later, I was back on my flight to Reno. I was trying to figure out what I did wrong. I worked hard to provide my wife and children with everything they could want or need. I think I did a pretty good job. It seems that while I was making sure everyone was being taken care of, I was neglecting my wife. When faced with problems like this we all try and determine why it happened. In my case, I usually figure out that I was somehow to blame. I can accept that, but as the circle comes round, I am forced to confront Sandra's attempts to make a cuckold out of me. That cannot be accepted or condoned. If she had been discreet, I probably would have let it all slide and forever blame myself. She wasn't discreet and I will not blame myself.

The evening ended on a high note. When I landed at Reno/Tahoe International I was pleasantly surprised to see Dora waiting at the baggage pick-up. She had on jeans and a light blue Oxford shirt. It was the first time I saw her in anything other than a uniform. It was not my intent to have her pick me up when I called. I simply wanted her to know I was arriving.

"Good evening, Dora. I wasn't expecting you."

"I figured since I had your car, it was the least I could do."

"Your not working?"

"No, I was able to cut back, because of your generous offer."

"Oh, I wasn't being generous. I was just trying to figure out a way that I could be alone with you."

"And just what are you going to do to me when you get me alone?"

"I don't know yet. I haven't planned that far ahead. Any suggestions?"

As I pulled my bags off the turntable, I noticed Dora blush a little. I figured it was time to back off, before I scared her away. I felt that she was baiting me a little when she asked the question and that was a good sign.

Thirty minutes later we were back at a newly decorated apartment. It was just little touches, that didn't cost much but made a difference in the ambience of the whole place. To thank her for fixing up the apartment and picking me up at the airport, I sprung for two prime rib dinners. I think Dora enjoyed the wine more than the beef.

"How is the divorce coming?"

"Not worth a shit. I still have three weeks to go before I can apply. You need six weeks to establish residency. From what everybody said, I thought this was going to be a piece of cake. I think I would have been better off doing this from home."

"Why didn't you?"

Dora sat for a while. She played with her food a little and then looked up. "Getting away from Tony was more important than getting the divorce. The divorce is just a piece of paper. That won't protect me from any more beatings. I think I used the divorce idea, just to justify coming out here. It didn't matter where I went. The important thing was that I went at all."

What Dora said made sense to me. I guess getting divorced from Sandra seemed important at first, but now I wasn't sure. All I really wanted to do was keep her from profiting from the marriage. Unless I was planning on getting married again, it didn't matter. I had no inclinations that way. The rest of the evening was spent chatting about more mundane things like hobbies, movies, and books. Dora didn't have any children. I didn't ask why. We slept in our separate bedrooms that night.

Dora had left for work before I even got up. There was fresh coffee and that was all I needed. I was still full from last night's feast. After a quick shower, I got down to business.

"Jerry. How is my favorite lawyer?" There was a sigh on the other end of the phone.

"Not worth a shit Robert. I got bad news for you. Promise you won't shoot the messenger?"

"Oh crap. I have only been gone one day. What the hell happened?"

"Sandra has stirred up the pot. She found out about the bank accounts and other stuff. After calling the police, she got a restraining order against everything in the world. All of your accounts are frozen, even thought they are empty. You can't come near her or the house. You cannot take anything from the house. You can not contact your children, even though they are legally adults. Most of the stuff is crap, but it will take a ton of time and money if you want to straighten it all out. She contacted the Security and Exchange Commission about your 401k and retirement accounts. Somehow or other, she has the IRS looking into things. Jerry, I don't know how to tell you this, but I don't want any part of any of it. I am out. Do you understand?"

I was a bit overwhelmed. "I guess you mean you won't be handling the divorce for me?"

"You got it buddy. For your information, she also hired a private detective to track you down."

"I wonder how she is going to pay for all of this?"

"Don't know and I don't care. Remember, if the cops or Feds ask me where you are, I will have to tell them. I am not going to risk my career for you, even though we are friends."

"I understand, Jerry. Cover your ass. I am going to make some adjustments at my end. I won't call you again for awhile."

"Thanks for your understanding buddy. I was hoping you would. See yah."

Well that put a crimp in things. The best-laid plans can go to hell in a heartbeat. I had to go to plan B, and I didn't have one. My brilliant idea, to fake losing all my money in the casinos, was shot down. I decided not to call anyone else.

Dora left me the car, which was appreciated. I don't know how she got to work. I was stuck with a small duffle-full of money and checks.

I had to go to six different casinos to cash all my checks, in for chips or credit. I was afraid to go to the banks in case there had been a hold or trace put on anything. The casinos were more than happy to help out. By the end of the morning, I had everything on deposit at several places and a bag full of cash and chips.

After a quick lunch, I started the withdrawals. In two hours, all the chips had been converted to cash and all the cash had been removed from the casino accounts. I now had a big bag of money, and lots of it. So far, there had been no problems and nothing suspicious.

It took me less than an hour to drive to Carson City. I rented a large safety deposit box, at an obscure little bank, and stashed everything, except five thousand dollars, which I kept for walking around money. I felt relieved now that everything was safe. I was looking forward to another long supper with Dora, to celebrate.

I knew something was fishy as soon as I entered the condo. Dora was trying her best to straighten things out that should not have been messed up, in the first place. She looked up and me immediately covered part of her face.

"I'm sorry, Robert. It's my fault. I don't know how he found me,and didn't know he was following me, until I got into the apartment. I should have been more careful. I am really sorry." I slowly lowered her hand away from her face. Dora had a new shiner and a fat lip to go with it. A large, bluish, bruise covered the right side of her face.

"Was it Tony?"

She nodded her head in the affirmative. "He had his two brothers with him. They are out looking for you now. Tony told me not to leave the condo."

"Where are they looking?"

"I gave them the name of three casinos. The idiots don't even know what you look like. I don't think they are thinking straight."

It was a no-brainer. We couldn't stay and we couldn't call the cops. We left everything, started driving West, and spent the night in a small, off road, motel, in Grass Valley. It only had one bed, but I was a gentleman. I brought some take-out back to the room, and got some make-up for Dora. She tried her best to cover up the bruises, but it still looked like shit. She kept apologizing to me all night. I was relieved when she finally fell asleep.

We drove into Sacramento the next day, and got some clothing and personal items. I had no idea when we would be able to get back to the condo. I had the Grass Valley motel for two more nights.

Dora and I spent the next few days getting to know each other. There was no sex and no innuendos. I felt more comfortable with her after three days than I did with my wife after twenty-four years. When I wasn't talking with Dora, I was worrying about all the other things that were happening. I was afraid to take Dora back to the condo, in case Tony would find her. I was afraid to go back to the condo myself, in case somebody was looking for me, but I carelessly left my laptop, passport and other personal papers there. I had a stupid idea that they were important to me, and I had to get them. Real stupid.

I only knew Dora a few days, but I decided I had to trust her. We were both in the same boat, as far as spouses were concerned.

"Have you ever been to Mexico?"

"No. Are we going to go to Mexico, Robert?"

"I don't know. Look, in case things don't go well, I want you to do something for me. I don't want you to get in trouble and I want to keep you away from Tony."

"Robert, you don't owe me anything. You did more than enough already. I'll be fine."

"Well, I am not sure how things are going to go for me. I have a lot of money stashed away. It's not dirty money, but I am hiding it from my wife. If something happens to me, you will have to retrieve the cash for me."

"Who is after you? You haven't said anything about that. Did you do something illegal?"

"Look, there are several federal agencies looking for me, and a private detective. I am sure the local police will be called in to help if necessary. All I am trying to do is hide some money from my wife. She is trying to make it look like I am doing something illegal."

"What am I supposed to do with this money?"

"I was thinking about that. Go to Guadalajara and wait for me. Use whatever money you need to get by, until I get there."

"How will you find me?"

"Go to the Libertad Market for coffee, every morning. I will find you. It is very large, but I will find you."

"When am I supposed to do this?"

"When you figure out I am in trouble."

"Why don't I just do it now?"

"Be patient. I'll take you with me. I would rather take you with me than go separately."

"I'd feel better if we went together. Why can't we both go now?"

The conversation was starting to get redundant, so I ignored her. I didn't mean to be impolite, just anxious to move along. Two hours later, we were over the pass and in Carson City. Dora's name was put on the access for the safety deposit box and she got her own key.

When we got back to the condo, I parked a half-block away. The complex had a lower level parking area, under the units. It was open to the outside, but covered. I told Dora to wait in the car, until I was sure there wouldn't be a problem. What sort of problem? I had no idea. The way things were going lately, anything could happen, and it did.

I was walking through the parking area, looking for anything suspicious, when it happened.

"Robert Terrell. Turn around." He was a little man, sort of wiry. The long leather coat he wore, made him look weird, instead of sinister. He wasn't menacing enough to pull it off. The large, black automatic in his fist was, though.