Fallout 02: Prime Suspect

"Don't you dare," Julie said, slapping his arm.

"So, when are you going to leave him?" he asked.

"Not until after the kids are out of the house," she said. "Maybe not until after he retires. That way I can get a good chunk of his pension."

"You know, I've been thinking about asking to have you transferred to my section," he told her. "You'd still have your seniority and we'd be together for good. What do you think?"

"Maybe after the kids are gone," she said. "Once they graduate, it wouldn't matter. Right now, they need me there with Tom."

"Okay, how long are we talking about?" he asked.

"Well, Julie will be 17 soon," she said. "I'd say no more than one and a half, maybe two years, tops. Given that we've been doing this for 20 years, that should be a piece of cake. I really do wish you'd at least meet your kids just once. I think once you see them, you'd fall in love with them."

"No, no, we agreed, remember?" he asked. "From the time you first got pregnant, we said I would have no contact with them. We even agreed that you would pass them off as Tom's, remember?"

"I know," she said. "I just think it would be nice if you met them."

"Maybe one day, after you divorce the cop," he said. "By the way, we have a reservation for dinner. Better get ready."

"Okay," she said. "I'll go shower and change. See you downstairs in, say, a half hour?"

"I'll see you then," he said, giving her a kiss.

"I really do love you, Alf," she said, echoing her words to Tom. "And I always have." Tom felt like he had just been punched in the stomach.

"And I love you too, Jules," he said. "See you downstairs, okay?" He got up and left the room. As he watched, Julie pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number. A few seconds later, his phone rang. He pulled it out and considered letting it go to voicemail. After a few rings, he answered.

"Yeah," he said.

"Uh, Tom, it's me, Julie," she said.

"I know," he said.

"I just wanted to let you know I made it to New York okay," she said.

"Good," he said.

"How are things coming with your case?" she asked.

"I think we'll have it all sewn up by the time you get back," he said. "I'm very close to nabbing my prime suspect."

"I'm glad," she said. "I can tell how much this has bothered you."

"You have no idea," he said.

"I'm getting ready to head out for dinner, but I'll call you tomorrow evening, okay?" she asked.

"Okay," he said.

"I really do love you, Tom, you know that, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure," he said. "I'll tell the kids you called and made it. Talk to you later. Bye." He ended the call and wondered if she noticed that he never said he loved her. He looked at the video feed. She looked at her phone for a few seconds after he hung up. He could tell by her expression that she was worried. Good, he thought. He verified the video had been recorded to his hard drive and saved it so he could burn it to DVD later on. Turning off the monitor, he headed into the living room. By then, the kids had arrived home from school.

The next day, he got a call from the DNA lab, letting him know they had the results of his test. He went over and picked it up. He wasn't surprised to find that neither of the children here his. Now it's official, he thought. He took the DVD he burned the previous night and the DNA test to Lucy's office.

"The DNA test is good, but you know I can't use the video as evidence in court," she said. "Still, I think we have enough to start the process. We'll file for divorce based on adultery and fraud. This is a community property state, but the court takes adultery into account when it comes time for division of assets. I'm still not sure we can do much about the paternity fraud, though, since the evidence can't be admitted into court."

"What if I could get her to admit what she did?" Tom asked. "Maybe in the presence of witnesses."

"Let me think on that a bit," she said. "Get with me on Wednesday. I'll have something figured out by then."

"Okay, Wednesday it is," he said before he left. That night, Julie called as normal, always right after fucking Alf. She was good, making sure her lover was quiet as she talked into her phone. Apparently, after many years of deception, they had this all worked out. Tom made sure never to tell her he loved her.

On Wednesday, he met with Lucy as she asked. This time, another man was in her office. Tom knew him -- Marvin Morrison, the District Attorney. There was another person, a sheriff's deputy named Sarah Miles. Tom had worked with her several times in the past and they had become good friends. They all shook hands before the meeting began.

"Lt. Williams," Marvin said. "Lucy has brought your case to my attention, and I agree that what your wife did was a willful fraud, but we need more than the video captured in her hotel room."

"So, what do you suggest?" Tom asked.

"Maybe if you could get your wife to admit that she fraudulently signed those forms, we can detain and charge her," Marvin said. "When is she due back?"

"I believe she's due back on Saturday morning," Tom said. "I'll ask her when she calls tonight."

"Good," Marvin said. "I also suggest you have a witness. You know Deputy Miles, I believe?"

"Yes, I do," Tom said.

"That's even better," Marvin said. "Get your wife to admit what she did, preferably on audio, then the deputy here can serve her divorce papers and arrest her at the same time."

"Alright," Tom said. "I'll let you know when to expect her," he told Sarah. "I'll make sure the kids are gone. I don't want them seeing their mother hauled off in handcuffs."

"Good idea," Marvin said. "You get her into my custody and I promise we'll throw the book at her." That night, Tom verified her return when she called.

"You still planning on coming back Saturday morning?" he asked.

"Of course," she said.

"Good," Tom said. "Maybe we can have a celebration or something."

"That would be so nice," she said. "You know I love you and I miss you, right?"

"Yeah, of course," Tom said in a neutral tone of voice.

"Don't you love me?" she asked. "You haven't told me you loved me or missed me at all this week."

"Yeah, I loved you," he said. "Talk to you later. Bye." He ended the call, wondering if she caught the past tense he deliberately used. He looked at the monitor and saw her look at the phone with a worried expression. He smiled as he did so. As he watched, she set her phone down and climbed on the bed with Alf.

"Well?" he asked.

"They want to have a celebration when I get back," she said.

"How quaint," he said. "So, what's bothering you?"

"Tom," she said. "He's been... cold all week long. He said he's been working on a case that's really bothering him, but I'm starting to wonder if he knows about us."

"He doesn't know shit," Alf said.

"You don't know Tom like I do," she said. "I think he knows, and he's planning something."

"So what if he knows," Alf said. "What's he gonna do? Divorce you? Heh, you'd end up with nearly everything and he'll end up living in a cardboard box eating cat food. Who knows, maybe he'll eat a bullet as well. Then you'll have everything. Now, why don't you shut up about him and focus on this instead," he added, taking his cock in his hand. Julie smiled as she put it in her mouth.

Tom turned off the monitor and let the video save to his hard drive. He put on a brave face for the kids and went out to join them for dinner. On Friday, he got a call from Lucy and went to her office. Sarah was already waiting for him.

"Okay, Tom, here's the divorce papers," Lucy said. "We're filing on the grounds of adultery and fraud. I've asked for custody and that you keep the home. I've also asked for a 70-30 split of all marital assets given the long-term nature of her affair and her fraudulent activity since the beginning of the marriage. It's possible a judge may see it differently, but we'll see what happens. I've also filed against Alf Henrickson, seeking substantial relief for child support and expenses. Deputy Miles will serve the papers on Saturday, and will also arrest her if you can get her to admit to paternity fraud. I've forwarded the papers against Alf to New York and asked that he be served on Saturday morning. Any questions?"

"Nope," Tom said. "Be at my place by 7:30 if you can," he told Sarah. "Her flight is scheduled to arrive at 7:00 am, and it doesn't take that long to get home from there. You know the address, right?"

"I know, Tom," she said. "I'll be there."

"Thanks," he said. He took a deep breath and let it out. "This is it, I guess," he told them. "Showtime."

That evening, he packed a couple bags and took the kids to Julie's parents house. They were confused about what was going on.

"Isn't Mom coming home tomorrow morning?" Andrew asked.

"Yes," Tom said.

"So, why can't we stay here, then?" Marie asked.

"Listen, kids, I have to talk to your mother about something, and it would be better if you two weren't here when that happened," Tom said. "I'll explain it all Saturday afternoon, promise."

"Are you getting a divorce?" Marie asked. "Please, Dad, don't tell us you guys are splitting up."

"I'm afraid it can't be helped," Tom said.

"Did you cheat on her or something?" Marie asked. Tom shook his head.

"No, I've never so much as thought about another woman the whole time we've been married," Tom said.

"Are you saying she cheated on you?" Andrew asked.

"Please, kids, work with me on this," Tom said. "I'll explain it all to you tomorrow afternoon, promise. And don't say anything to your mother." They loaded the car and drove to Julie's parents house. It was a quiet ride, except for Marie's crying. When they got there, Julie's mother met them at the door.

"What's going on, Tom?" she asked. "Why is Marie crying?"

"I'm sorry, Maggie," he said. "I need to speak with Julie in the morning when she gets back. I promise I'll fill all of you in on what's been going on tomorrow afternoon."

"You're not going to hurt her, are you?" she asked.

"No, I'd never do that," he said.

"You're divorcing her, aren't you?" Maggie asked. "Is there another woman?"

"No," Tom said. "It's the other way around. I'll explain it tomorrow. Thanks for taking the kids, okay?"

"Okay, Tom," she said. "You'd better tell us the whole truth tomorrow."

"I will, trust me," he said before leaving. That night, he spoke to Julie briefly. He watched her on the video feed, sitting naked on the bed with Alf.

"So, you'll be here tomorrow morning as scheduled?" he asked.

"I will," she said. "How is your case coming along?"

"Just about wrapped up," he said. "I expect we'll have our suspect in custody by this time tomorrow."

"Good," she said. "Then maybe things will go back to normal."

"Maybe," he said. "I gotta go eat. Talk to you in the morning. Bye." He ended the call and watched her on the video. He could see tears on her face as she looked at her phone. He smiled. Oh yeah, he thought. There'll be a lot more of that tomorrow.

...

And here it was, Saturday morning. Sarah showed up just before 7:00 am and helped him set up the back deck for the final confrontation. Tom had just ground out his cigarette as he heard Julie's car go into the garage. He hoped she wouldn't hit the large pile of trash bags that held all of her clothes. He listened and could hear her high heels clicking on the floor as she walked to the back deck.

"Tom?" she asked when she opened the back door. He waved her out to the back deck.

"Julie," he said. "I trust you had a good flight."

"Yes," she said, looking around. "What's going on? Who is this? Where are the kids? What's with the cruiser out front?"

"The children are with your mother right now," he said. "This is Deputy Sarah Miles and that's her cruiser out front. Please, sit down. We need to talk."

"I need to take a shower first," she said.

"No, Julie, I said, sit down. We need to talk, NOW," he said in a firm tone of voice. Shocked, she slowly sat in the seat opposite Sarah's, putting her at a 90 degree angle on Tom's left side. He pulled out a digital audio recorder, pressed a button and set it on the table. "I hope you don't mind if we record this little conversation," he said.

"I suppose given the nature of this, I should read you your rights," Tom added. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?" he asked.

"Of course," she said, shocked. "But I'm not one of your suspects. I don't need a lawyer because I haven't done anything. What's going on, Tom?"

"Actually, you are a suspect," he told her. "My prime suspect, in fact." He pulled out two sheets of paper and placed them in front of Julie. "Do you recognize these forms?" he asked.

"Yes, of course I do," she said.

"What are they?" he asked.

"They're the kids' birth certificates," she said. He nodded his head.

"For the record, they are certified true copies of birth certificates for Andrew Jackson Williams, age 18 and Marie Constance Williams, age 16," Tom said for the recording. "Whose name is that on the signature line, there?" he asked.

"That's my signature," she said. "On both of them."

"Can you please read the text beneath the signature?" he asked.

"Yes, it says 'on penalty of perjury, I attest the above to be true and factual,'" she read.

"Who is listed as the father?" Tom asked.

"You are, of course," she said.

"Read the name, please," he said.

"Thomas Jefferson Williams," she read. He pulled out another sheet of paper and put it in front of her.

"What's this?" she asked.

"This is a DNA test performed by Acme Laboratory here in town," he said. "You will note three samples -- Sample A is one taken from an adult male, namely, one Tom Williams. Sample B is one taken from Andrew Williams and sample C is one taken from Marie Williams. Please read the summary below."

"It says that the test subjects represented by sample B and sample C are related, but neither sample is related to the test subject represented by sample A," she said.

"In English, that means I am NOT the biological father of the two children corresponding to those birth certificates," he said. "So please tell us who the father really is."

"Why, you of course," she said, her voice trembling. He shook his head.

"Please direct your attention to the video on the laptop," he said. She watched, her eyes wide, as he played video of their first encounter the previous week.

"How did you get that?" she asked.

"I'll ask the questions," he said. "You and your lover, one Alf Henrickson, just admitted that he is the real biological father of the children in question. And the two of you admitted you schemed to commit fraud by having me listed as the father when you knew that was not the case."

"Alright, dammit," she said angrily. "I admit it. I wanted his children, not yours. And yes, I signed the birth forms listing you as the father. It's my right to decide who I want to father my children."

"But you don't have the right to commit fraud," he said. "Tell me, what did you say to your colleagues at work about your long-term relationship with Mr. Henrickson?"

"What?" she asked. "What business is that of yours?"

"Do you know one Alice Blackstone?" he asked.

"Yes, I do," she said.

"Do you remember what you told her some five years ago?" he asked, pulling out another sheet of paper.

"Vaguely," she said. "I told her we had an open marriage."

"But we don't, do we?" he asked.

"We never agreed to that, no," she said.

"Do you remember what else you told her?" Tom asked.

"Something about you being injured," she said.

"According to her, you said in no uncertain term that I had been injured in the line of duty and could no longer perform sexually," he said. "Do you recall that?"

"Okay," she sighed. "Yeah, I remember that."

"And according to what my lawyer found, you told a few others the same thing, correct?" he asked.

"Yes," she said.

"So you admit lying about me to justify your actions with Alf, correct?" he asked.

"Yes," she said quietly.

"I see no reason to continue with this interview," he said. He looked at Sarah and nodded his head. She stood and handed Julie a manila envelope.

"Julie Williams, you have been served," she said. Tears began falling down Julie's face. Sarah looked at Tom, who nodded his head again. "Please stand, turn around and place your hands behind your back, Mrs. Williams," Sarah said.

"Why?" Julie asked.

"You are under arrest for two counts of paternity fraud and two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud," Sarah said.

"What!" Julie exclaimed.

"That's right, Julie," Tom said. "In this state, what you did violates the law. Adultery is also a misdemeanor in this state, but the DA tells me he probably couldn't get a conviction on that. Nevertheless, I think it would be a good idea to get yourself an attorney." He looked at Sarah before speaking. "Take her away." Sarah began leading her away. Julie turned and looked at Tom, tears falling down her cheeks.

"Tom, please, I love you," she cried. "Please don't do this."

"I'm relieved to hear you say that," Tom said. "I shudder to think what you'd have done to me if you disliked me." He watched as Sarah led a crying Julie to the cruiser out front. Sarah put her in the back seat and drove away. Tom was relieved it was over, but he felt an emptiness inside that surprised him. He had loved her for more than 20 years. How could she have betrayed him like this?

Now it was time for the hard part. He would have to face the children and Julie's parents and tell them what happened. How do you explain to two children that you had to have their mother tossed in jail? Even though Alf was the sperm donor, he was the one who raised them. He grabbed his laptop and a USB drive that held an edited video and drove to Maggie's house, wondering what he would say to them. When he got there, he knocked on the door. Maggie answered and invited him inside.

"I guess it's time to explain everything," he told her. "Where are the kids?"

"They're out back," she said. "Let me go get them."

"You might as well get Cliff as well," Tom said. "He needs to hear this also." Cliff was Julie's father and Tom had always respected him. A few minutes later, they were all in the front room.

"What's going on, son?" Cliff asked. "Where's Julie?"

"I suspect she's being booked into the county jail by now," Tom said.

"Jail?" Cliff asked. "For what?" Everyone else was shocked as well.

"It's a long story," Tom said. "Let me explain." He looked at the kids before continuing. He hoped they wouldn't hate him after today, but in his heart, he knew that what he had done was right.

"A long time ago, your mother decided she didn't want my children," he began, causing everyone to gasp.

"But, we're your children," Marie said, shocked.

"I raised you, but I'm not your biological father," Tom said. "There was a guy she was engaged to over 20 years ago. Before she met me. She wanted to marry him, but he didn't want the responsibility of children."

"Wait a minute, I remember that guy," Maggie said. "Big guy, blond, long hair, a Norwegian, I think. I have a picture around here somewhere of them." She pulled out a photo album and found the picture, then showed it to Cliff. His eyes grew wide when he saw the resemblance between Alf and the kids.

"Yeah, his name is Alf Henrickson," Tom said. "Anyway, Julie decided she was going to have his children, even though he didn't want any. So she did."

"So she's in jail for having sex with another man?" Andrew asked.

"No, she's in jail for something called paternity fraud," Tom said. "When you guys were born, she filled out the birth certificate and signed it, saying I was your father, even though she knew all along I wasn't. Worse yet, she and this Alf character conspired to have me raise the children he gave her as my own.