A Small Indiscretion Ch. 07

The crowd in the room began clapping and laughing. Yvonne had tears in her eyes. She rushed forward to kiss him.

"Great going brother," she said as she planted a real wet kiss on his forehead. Soon all his family members were around him, congratulating him, hugging him.

Dave lay bewildered. He had been in hospital for over a fortnight, then how?

After some time everyone bade him goodbye and a speedy recovery. Soon he was alone with just Sherry and Scotty who seemed to have lingered back.

"Scotty, I don't quite understand," said Dave weakly. It would be a few more days before he could get his strength back.

"You do remember the attack on you don't you?"

"Yeah, there were two of them. Did we catch them?"

"Yeah we did. The Police interrogated them. According to the Police they had been paid by an underworld goon for attacking him. Killing him would have earned them an extra bonus."

"But why?"

"They couldn't answer that. They were just the bottom rung players who had been paid to do the actual dirty thing. The Police then began tracking the guy who had hired them. During this time they got some pretty useful information from their network of informants."

"What kind of information?"

"The word going around in the underworld grapevine was that some company had offered a large sum for taking out somebody working for one of their competitors."

Dave felt sick.

"Which company wanted me out?" he asked as he grasped Sherry's hand.

Scotty's face broke into a big smile.

"Before the Police could dig deeper, Sherry's paper came out with a sting operation story that really shook up the construction industry."

"Why don't you tell the rest of the story Sherry? After all you were right in the midst of it."

Sherry took a deep breath and then began telling Dave bout the sting operation.

"As I had told you, our newspaper was planning to take out a story on the big time corruption taking place in Government contracts, something that ultimately hits the everyday common man. My responsibility was to cover the housing project deals. During the course of investigations, my people came across some information about money and women being offered in return for lucrative contracts. That seemed to be a juicy piece of story. So I told our contacts to dig deeper."

"And?" asked Dave. He was by now full of curiosity.

"Well, here's where it began it began to get interesting. It seems that there was this woman going by the name of Susan Morrison who was really deep into it."

"Susan Morrison?" asked Dave.

"Yes, subsequent investigations revealed that her full name was Susan Gilmour Morrison and she was the wife of one Phillip Morrison," continued Sherry.

"As in Gilmour Construction Inc?" asked Dave incredulously.

"Yup that's him and it's the same woman whom you met that evening," said Sherry softly with concern in her eyes.

Dave remained silent though Sherry could see that he had clenched his fists.

"I have met him a couple of times. Seemed like a seedy fellow to me. Shifty mean-looking eyes and all that," said Dave in a reflective tone. "And yes Susan too," he added bitterly.

Sherry placed her hand on his shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze.

"Further investigations revealed that she was not only sleeping around with government officials and some City Councillors but also supplying girls to them."

"Wow," exclaimed Dave, "One does get to read about all this in papers, but happening so close to us--whew!" said Dave.

"Much closer than you could imagine Dave. She spent the evening with you and then sold the bullshit about telling our spouses about our indiscretion. She even talked to me if you remember."

Dave nodded his head thoughtfully.

"Actually they were after the Wilbur Smith Housing Project. They knew their company didn't stand a chance if you guys completed the Orbit Mall in time. So they planned a devious plan for disrupting the work there."

"Go on," said Dave though he was getting a picture of it.

"She hit upon you with the sole purpose of breaking us up so that you wouldn't be in any proper mental condition to continue at the Orbit Mall."

Sherry stopped for a moment before continuing.

"But you were strong. In spite of the odds you bounced back," said Sherry. By now she had taken both his hands in hers. She leaned forward and kissed his hands and looked up to her husband with tears in her eyes.

She had forgiven him!

Dave could see that in her eyes. They continued to hold hands with a smile on their lips like two love struck teens.

"I still wish I had been strong enough or less drunk," said Dave with a firm note.

"You never stood a chance against her you stupid boy," replied Sherry, "she's an incarnation of the Devil in woman form."

"I was your best friend. You adored me, trusted me, wanted to raise a family with me. I guess I messed it all up real big," replied Dave with a sigh.

"No, baby, you were against a She-Devil. You were and are all that I want," replied Sherry. Tears were flowing down her cheeks, "One thing I have learned over the last couple of months is that light comes from darkness and strength grows from weakness. Tables have a way of turning. I do want you back in your family where you belong."

They were again silent for some moments before Sherry continued.

"We set up some sting operations then. Once we were onto her it became quite easy, actually. In one CD we had Susan in bed with Jake and they were discussing the inspection of the Orbit Mall and how Jake couldn't get anything on you. Then they even discussed your mountain road accident."

"What?"

"Yes, Dave, that and the other attack you survived," continued Sherry.

Dave's eyes flitted to Scotty's face and then back to Sherry. He was thinking about Stella.

"Yes Chief," replied Scotty, "what Stella went through was also planned by Susan. Sherry and Stella told me about it all."

"Seems my woman never really knew me completely after so many years of marriage, she feared I would divorce her after hearing about it. Hell, if she had told me about her ordeal earlier, that woman and those strippers would have reached the gates of Hell a long time back and you wouldn't have been here in the hospital. I would have believed her always and not what some silly CD footage showed," he continued grimly.

Dave laid back on his pillow. He had been feeling bad about holding things back from Scotty, but now he was feeling relieved.

"So how does all this add up to my getting this letter of appreciation for bagging the Wilbur Smith Housing Project?"

Sherry smiled.

"Well, Dave, we also found out that in return for her husband's company being awarded the Wilbur Housing Project, she planned on spending some days in the Bahamas in the company of a well known City Councillor and Jake. She was even going to bring along another girl from Phil's office.

"Needless to say we tagged along and captured them on CD in the Bahamas. They could be seen having sex in every imaginative way possible as well as discussing the Wilbur Smith Housing Project, the Orbit Mall and yes how you had survived the attack and were going to live to see another day."

"Bad man, real bad," mumbled Dave.

"The rest as they say is history. A couple days back we ran our story on all that we had collected. We even mentioned the internet link through which the public could have a real good uncensored view of all that was being written in the paper."

Dave laughed. "I know your writing style and can very well imagine the contents."

Scotty fished around and came up with a bundle of newspapers.

"You can do better than that. Here, read it all for yourself."

Dave picked up the newspapers and began reading with avid interest. It was all on the front page, the names, the name of the contractors, the payoffs and yes, the meeting places. Some pictures even showed one prominent City Councillor and some government functionaries in Susan's "company". They could be seen at the reception desk of different hotels, entering hotel rooms and then leaving together the next morning. He recognised Jake and a couple of other guys.

"After the exposure, all hell broke loose," said Scotty with a big grin.

"Then the Government agencies began their rear guard action or, say, their cover up action. The guys in the picture were immediately suspended while the implicated City Councillor suddenly decided to resign on health grounds. Gilmour Construction, Inc. was blacklisted. They really stand to lose a lot. Phil Morrison submitted his resignation which was immediately accepted. Then looking at the fact that our company had been deliberately targeted and was a victim of a well thought out plan with the complete involvement of some Government people, we were given an extension of three weeks to complete the Orbit Mall and, yes, as of last week we completed the work," said Scotty proudly.

"Then a couple of days back, the City Council back here rolled out the names of the companies shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Housing Project. One of their benchmarks for the short listing was the quality and timeliness of the work executed at the Orbit Mall," finished Sherry.

"What about that Susan woman?"

"A funny thing happened with her, Dave," replied Scotty, "During the time we were running those clips on the internet that showed Susan with the City Councillor, another clipping came out showing her husband Phil screwing a stunning blond. Going by the date on the recording it was at the same time as Susan was doing it in the Bahamas."

Sherry sat quietly, looking down at her hands placed on her lap as Scotty continued telling about Phil.

"Susan went freaking mad. It was bad enough to be getting exposed about her services, but she was shocked to realise that her husband had been enjoying himself behind her back. All along she had been under the mistaken notion that she was doing it for "them" so to say, but it was turned out to be otherwise."

Dave smiled. The bitch deserved it.

"Last known was that she had filed for divorce on grounds of infidelity. Can you beat that?!" guffawed Scotty.

"In other words the She-Devil has bitten the dust," retorted Dave. He was not the vengeful type, but on hearing her fate he began to feel a lot better.

The two had been busy talking to each other; but had either of them looked towards Sherry when that last sentence had been said, they would have been shocked to see that the otherwise friendly blue eyes had suddenly for the briefest instant turned into a pair of spine chilling, cold, pitiless venom-spitting pinpricks. But then that was for the briefest of instants, and her face had been down looking at her lap.

It was getting late in the night. Mother O'Brien brought over two mugs of coffee to where Ma Harding was sitting. She peered over her shoulders as she placed her cup besides her.

"What are you writing down?" she asked as she settled down comfortably besides her son in law's mother.

"Names," she replied.

"Let me see," said Mother O'Brien as Ma Harding pushed the piece of paper towards her.

Mother O'Brien's eyes quickly went over the names of girl's neatly written down by Ma Harding.

"Which one do you like?" asked Ma Harding.

"You sure it's gonna be a girl this time?" asked Mother O'Brien as she took a deep sip of her hot coffee.

Dave had taken a couple weeks long-overdue leave from his office before starting on the Wilbur Smith Housing Project. They had decided to spend some quiet moments at the pad his wife's father had purchased for his daughter when she had moved to college. It was just the three of them, he, Sherry and DJ. They had had a lot of catching up to do. They planned to spend some idyllic moments strolling along the shores of the lake, reminiscing about their undergraduate times when life seemed so much simpler and uncomplicated. And yes, Sherry was in her fertile period. She had stopped taking her pills sometime back.

"Give me your pen. I want to add some of my preferences to your list," replied Mother O'Brien.

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EPILOGUE

A thundering round of applause went up as Dave stepped up to join the other senior executives on the podium. The senior City Councillor looking after the Wilbur Smith Housing Project had insisted upon it.

Over three months had passed since Dave had been discharged from the hospital. They were at the grand party organized by the City Council for declaring the beginning of the Wilbur Smith Housing Project. They had called for all the companies involved to be represented by their senior executives, and the grey-haired City Councillor standing at the podium making big political speeches had insisted that Dave be front and center.

It was a political stunt, she knew that. Dave's name had made headlines for days and days. Stories had been published about how one dynamic man had single handedly fought against the odds thrown up by a devious mix of industrial competition and conniving government servants and a few politicians too. So, today it made sense to call him up and show their solidarity with him, or the likes of him for the benefit of the public. Public memory has always been short and what is seen today would be remembered more clearly than what was read about some months back, or so thought the type of men like the City Councillor standing on the podium with the mike in his hand.

She patted her stomach and said softly, "Girlie your dad is a national hero of sorts, he's right there amongst the big and the powerful."

She was pregnant with her second child. It was going to be a girl, she just knew it. She sighed contentedly, watching the ceremonies with a benign smile, her hand again and again going over her tummy as though caressing the child she was carrying in her womb. It was an imperfect world they lived in, a world that needed girls like Sherry to be there to take care of the Daves taking on the world with their idealistic plans.

A slight movement to her right caught her attention. It was her!

Susan Gilmour Morrison was standing in the far corner of the hall, away from prying eyes and cameras. She continued to look at her, the fiery rage that she had felt so long ago on that lonely night besides the hospital bed of her injured husband began to rear its ugly head.

She watched her make her way towards the powder room. The woman had changed. The confident look and the aura of success that she had seen in Susan when she had met her face to face were totally missing. Her shoulders had stooped; there was a shuffle to her steps and she had lost weight. Susan had cut her hair short and the dress she was wearing hardly showed her off to her best. She had also started wearing glasses. But Sherry had recognised her immediately as the conspirator who had planned to kill her man, to wreck her family ... to take away DJ's father from him ... all for wealth and lucre.

Sherry got up and followed Susan into the powder room. She looked around. Susan was standing near one of the wash basins. There seemed to be no one else around.

"Susan? It's Susan Morrison isn't it?" asked Sherry in a mock questioning tone as her piercing blue eyes bore into her.

"Well, hello, Sherry," replied Susan in a somewhat tentative tone, refusing to hold her gaze more than necessary.

"Fancy meeting you here at the unveiling of the Wilbur Smith Housing Project," continued Sherry.

The two stood staring at each other like two street cats seizing up each other with their claws out before pouncing upon each other.

"I didn't know that the people from Gilmour Construction, Inc. were invited to the unveiling ceremony," said Sherry. "Or are you freelancing?" continued Sherry, letting the last two words hang in the air, the double entendre clear by the contemptuous look on her face.

Susan made to step aside and walk out of the wash room. But Sherry barred her way. That famous temper of hers was ready, waiting in the background like a tiger on a light leash just waiting for slack and the chance to strike.

Susan stood trembling, still refusing to look directly at Sherry.

"How was he Susan?"

Susan's head snapped up to look at Sherry's face.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean you bitch. I asked you whether you liked the time my husband spent with you that night. I know my man. He is a stallion in bed. He can go on and on like a powerful self propelled piston. And isn't he long and thick? When he took what you offered him, I'm sure you must have never imagined that you would be getting the fuck of your lifetime. Look at me, whore!" lashed out Sherry furiously.

The sweeping, glancing look that Susan gave her confirmed her suspicions. She smiled contemptuously at her adversary.

"I get that stallion in my bed every night. He services me all night long. And he is up in the morning for some further servicing with his morning woody," continued Sherry in her haughty taunting tone.

"You know something? I feel sorry for you and I understand also." continued Sherry as she continued to fire salvo after salvo at her cornered adversary.

"You're speaking in Chinese dear," replied Susan, still trying to edge her way out.

"If I had a pencil-thin thingy back at home for regular servicing with freckles all around you know where then I would definitely be spreading my legs like you for all the strange cocks I could lay my sight on ... making some good money through favored contracts would just be a bonus," hissed Sherry, "Afterall, a gal has to make a living and have some fun too. If the man is a good for nothing at office and in bed then he is at least useful as a pimp for satiating all one's needs."

Susan stood dazed as she listened to the burning words coming from the wrathful Sherry.

"Freckled ... how do you know that Phil has a freck..." she did not complete her sentence as suddenly realisation dawned upon her.

"You! It was you with Phil that night in the hotel," said Susan hoarsely, her eyes wide with amazement, unable to believe what she had just comprehended.

Sherry looked on silently, savouring her victory, enjoying every second of it.

Suddenly a cunning look came over Susan's face.

"Dearie, if your stallion was to get to know that ..."

She didn't get to finish her line as Sherry cut in.

"Remember seeing that Councillor on the podium with a mike in his hand?"

Susan stood glaring at her.

"The word going around is that he has some mafia links, probably that's one reason why he is trying to create such a good image amongst the public out there in front of all those cameras," said Sherry. Then she leaned closer.

"Now supposing a CD would start moving around showing a man, who decidedly looks very much like him banging a married whore, who decidedly looks very much like you, out in the balcony of the hotel room they had stayed some time back, in the wee hours of the morning, while the whore begged him to give a few favours to her husband's company, just how do you think he would react?"

Susan went ghostly white. She began trembling. Some of the people close to the Councillor were rumoured to be of the shady type and would take any extreme step to ensure their man continued unscathed.

"Fade away, bitch, this party is mine," said Sherry and walked out of the powder room.

Back in the room, the long boring drawn out speech was finally coming to an end.

Sherry lovingly patted her tummy as her eyes followed he husband making his way back to her.

"Sorry, baby, mama lost her cool for some moments. But now she promises never to do that again," murmured Sherry as Dave leaned over to give her a kiss.

The End

ALEX

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