Crime & Punishment Pt. 01

"Sorry no can do. Too much has happened. I can't live with it. We are very different you and I for all the things we have in common that is why we were such a good team. I know what I am asking is immoral and illegal as hell, but I do not see how it will miss," I said.

"That just it. I know I can live with it, the good Jesuits that taught us in high school and college drilled all the conscience out of me, but you were always the good guy, the white hat, how are you going to be able to live with this?" he asked.

"Simple. I just no longer care, something in me died when Laura fucked that creep. I want my own respect back and I mean to have it."

Steven just nodded. The stage was set now just time to play my part.

__________________________________________________

"Mind if I sit down Frank?" I said. He didn't recognize the man he had been cuckolding, but I knew him. I had waited in the municipal lot just down the street for him to park his silver Mercedes as he did every Thursday about 7 pm. I was parked well in the back away from the light. I gave him a twenty minutes head start then I walked slowly out of the lot passing by his car, a nail punch in my left hand. One quick move and a small break appeared in his right tail light unnoticeable while the car lights were out, but it would stand out like a sore thumb when they were on, of course by then he would be behind the wheel and unable to see it.

"Pat Sullivan, you know Laura Parker's husband we met at the Brentwood and Stringer Christmas party."

"Oh of course." He was a bit nervous -well he had spent most of Monday fucking my wife. It was President's day. Laura said she had to work, but I had followed her to his house. This was just over a week after the big announcement. Laura had gotten the partnership. I suspect the two were having a bit of a celebration. Anyway she came home and tried to fuck me as well, but as I had been for the last several weeks, I was uninterested. If she suspected anything she didn't say. She was all promises of how good things were going to be, she just didn't known how right she was.

"What can I do for you Pat?" he asked with a smug smile on his face - perhaps he was remembering Monday. I had waited until all but two of his drinking friends had left. Lori had been especially attentive that night and particularly careless of her ass which she dangled in Frank's face every chance she got. As a result he had three good drinks in him all doubles except the last which was a triple. As I sat down she brought two more a single for me and a triple for Frank.

"I need to speak to you privately," I said just loud enough for his companions to hear. Accommodating fellows that they were they said their goodbyes leaving me alone with Frank.

"What can I do for you?" he asked.

"Well it is like this since you have been fucking my wife, I could use some help keeping things from becoming a bit of a scandal."

That took him back a bit, but scum bag that he is he tried to deny it.

"I assure you that you are quite mistaken," he said forcing me to pull out my iphone and read off the times and places they had been to together and show the pictures of them kissing and his hand on her ass; this brought him up sharp. He was truly caught with his hand up the skirt of my slut of a wife.

"What do you want?" he finally said.

"Nothing too much, a divorce, just a simple exit from the marriage, but knowing Laura she is not likely to go down without a fight unless she is persuaded. You think you can do that Frank get the tramp to just go away?" I said.

Frank took a long pull of his drink and gave me that smug smile of his. "Well I think that we can all benefit from keeping things as quite as possible; but this is a no fault state you don't need a reason to divorce."

"Yes, but yours is a big firm. You can make it difficult for me and Laura is quite stubborn. She will take some convincing."

So we sat there for a good half hour drinking with the good Lori seeing that the glasses were never empty while we discussed how to handle my wife and Frank's lover. Just before 10 p.m. we ended the discussion, the smug, confident Frank exiting. I followed him out when he got to his car at the municipal lot he hesitated. He fumbled with his keys, and I thought for a moment he might call for a cab, but he got into his Mercedes and headed out slow and careful. But with a broken tail light he was headed into the trap. I gave him a good half hour head start before I followed. When I crossed the bridge I saw the flashing lights they had him out of the car and in the process of being handcuffed. I drove right on by.

I stopped at the Latham Diner just off the traffic circle. It was ten forty. My phone rang I could see it was Laura no doubt wondering where I was. I let it go to voice mail. I had a burger and fries and lots of coffee. Laura called about every twenty minutes. She was worried but clearly not hysterical yet. She had no doubt expected me home much earlier. I needed to be sober for the next part. Leaving the diner at about midnight full of food and caffeine, I got home before twelve thirty to an angry Laura sitting on the couch in the living room of our modest ranch house. The house she had picked where she expected to conceive her first child.

"Where have you been? You could have at least called or at the very least answered my calls."

I took a seat in the wing back chair that faced the couch and looked at her.

"I didn't call because it no longer matters," I said.

"What?" she was all confused. I didn't seem to be reacting with the contrite behavior she had expected. Her cell phone began to ring.

"You better get that," I said.

"It can wait. I need to know what is wrong with you. You have been acting strange for weeks. Come on Pat out with it. What is going on?"

"Answer your phone and you will know," I said.

Reluctantly she got up and got the phone. I could hear only her side of the conversation but I could guess the other.

"Frank I can't talk now I will see you tomorrow."

"What? That is impossible." Her eyes widened and she looked at me.

"Never, he would never do that, even if he knew." Then her head bowed.

"I see. Ok let me talk to him, I will call you back."

She put down the phone and walked back to stand in front of me.

"Frank says you, know about us and that you set him up."

"Do I know that you're a cheating whore? Yes I do. As to setting him up well I didn't force him to drink,-guess he just got unlucky."

Laura more or less collapsed onto the couch.

"I'm sorry. So sorry I just wanted to make things better for us."

"I don't give a damn what excuse you give, it is far too late."

"Pat, please don't go down this road, we can put things back together. You will see it didn't mean anything."

"Oh, but you are very wrong, it is going to mean everything. What exactly did Frank say?"

"He said to tell you yes, he will pay the two hundred thousand dollars."

"Good, that is his end. Glad to hear it."

"No! No! No! I won't let you. That is not you. You need to calm down. This is crazy."

I could only laugh at her. "What, didn't think you were worth that kind of money? Don't sell yourself short, you are one high-end whore."

She stiffened at the words, but she kept her voice calm and herself controlled. She was a good lawyer in a tight spot.

"Please don't do this. I know you won't be able to forgive yourself," she said arguing the best aspect of her case. Not her guilt but mine.

"Sorry, too late. Now we come to your end."

"My end?"

"Yes, Frank has agreed to his end and believe me he doesn't have much choice with two prior offenses. He is facing a mandatory felony even were he to escape prison he would lose his law license for at least a year or two. So Frank has no choice, which means if you want things to go smoothly you will agree to my proposal." I handed her the property settlement agreement I had spent the last week drawing up. As she read it over I saw her eyes go wide.

"Do you really hate me this much?"

"Yes."

She could do no more than shake her head. It was quite the agreement. I got everything. The house, her pension and all our savings, she got her BMW and five grand in cash and the clothing she wore. I even got the wedding rings. She just looked at me tears flowing down her cheeks. I had finally gotten through her defenses. I had won, but the victory did not feel good. I had the odd feeling that I had lost, but I pushed that behind me.

"Why, why, why are you doing this? I am so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I certainly never meant to destroy the man I love. You will never get over doing this. I am not asking for myself. I love you. Don't hurt yourself because of something that is my fault. Please Pat stop before it is too late."

"It was too late the first time you spread your legs for him," I said, then I got up and left because I just could not stand it any longer.

_________________________________________________________

Stan Kronkos was seated behind his desk. I had entered unannounced and without knocking.

Looking up he frowned and said, "What is it?"

I smiled and seated myself in the chair opposite his desk.

"Last night a prominent attorney was arrested for DWI, he blew a 2.2 on the breathalyzer, not surprising considering what he had to drink."

"So?"

"Well, it's like this. Mary Ellen did the arraignment and failed to get a blood test. She also failed to get a statement from the arresting office, Sargent Brandt, who will no doubt have a very poor memory this morning since somebody seems to have sheared the file of his daughter's drug arrest."

"What the fuck?"

"Exactly -what the fuck - or more precisely one hundred thousand dollars worth of fuck in campaign contributions from an untraceable source, all you have to do is go quietly off to run for Judge without recommending anyone as your successor and if anyone should ask, I am a very good candidate - an excellent choice."

"You're crazy. You will never get it."

"As I said one hundred thousand from an untraceable source."

Stan just sat there for a minute his mouth hanging open then he closed it and just nodded. I got up to leave as I made the door he said:

"You are the last person I ever would have believed capable of this."

"Well, you never can tell," I said.

Later that day I had a meeting with the Van Patten Democrat county political chairman, Tommy Lecour, in Malloy's restaurant where many political deals have been done.

"Well, Mr. Sullivan what can I do for you?"

"You can ask the Governor to appoint me acting DA when Stan Kondos resigns to run for judge."

"Any reason that I would have to do that?"

"I can think of one hundred thousand reasons and they are all green and have dollar signs printed on them."

"That's a lot of walking around money," he said.

The term walking around money comes from the cash given to ward captains on Election Day to cover incidental expenses. But it also refers to the discretionary funds available to the county party chairman. Money he can spend any way he pleases, no strings attached.

"Let's just say I have it and will make sure it is delivered by an unquestionable and unimpeachable source as soon as the governor appoints me."

Tommy though about it a minute and then extended his hand across the table. "I trust you are at least a Democrat, Mr. Sullivan?" he said.

"Please call me Pat and I am changing my registration this afternoon."

We both laughed.

To be continued.