Ingrams & Assoc 1: Double Bluff Ch. 04

"And what's in it for you?" asked Silverano.

"Sorry?"

"Oh Mary. You show up here with this little sex toy and then tell me you're quitting. Why bother dropping her at our door? What's it to you?"

April had to be careful here – the weakest part of the whole plan was Silverano believing in her altruistic gesture. She knew she had Jenny – Jenny was more sexually charged and less likely to look for reasons she would take what was offered and enjoy it, but Paul Silverano, he was a negotiator. This was what he did – look for the reasons why people do what they do.

"What's it to you? I mean, seriously, what do you care? You'll owe me a favor. A man in a powerful position, owing me a favor, that's not a bad thing for a girl out in the big bad world, is it? Also... well, she needs a place. While she's been great helping me out, what she needs is not something I can give her, at least not like you can. I like Lara and she needs something good in her life. I pulled her out of something and I feel like I owe her, to get her someplace she can thrive. I just want her to be happy, and I can't do that for her."

Silverano studied her. She did her best to maintain an open face, and it wasn't that difficult because everything she had said was the truth, if not the whole truth. She met his eyes and they stared at each other until it became uncomfortable and she looked away, pretending embarrassment.

Silverano took in a deep breath and released it. "Ok," he said, "I don't totally buy it, but she does look fun, so ok. I won't look a gift horse in the mouth. Are you sure she's...what we need? Jenny and I? And what's her back story? Pretty little thing like that – surely she should be some suburban soccer mom?"

April hid a smile. She'd got him now. "Her backstory, well, she fucked up a good marriage when she discovered her own desires that she'd never acknowledged. She got thrown out, unsurprisingly, when her husband discovered her indulging in those desires. She's bummed around since then and got herself into some hot water and that's when I met her. I gave her a place to stay. That's as much as I can really tell you; if you want to know more, ask her. She'll tell you what she wants to. As for appropriate for what you and Jenny are looking for, oh yeah. Most definitely. No question there. She'll take all you dish out and ask for more. Don't hurt her though, do you understand? That is not part of the deal, and I will be around for her."

Silverano looked up when Jenny and Lara returned to the table and leapt up to pull out his wife's chair. As he did so, he winked at April and said, "Message received and understood."

Jenny sat down with a smug expression on her face as well as a receding flush. Lara hesitated until Jenny looked up and nodded at her, at which point she sat down.

"All good, dear?" asked Silverano in a weary voice.

"Oh yes. I'm sure Lara here will be a fine housekeeper. I was just...inspecting her credentials," replied Jenny, with an even larger smirk, if that was possible. "She definitely pays more than lip service to the role."

Silverano just stared at her, then leaned in and said, "Again dear, this is a public place. I have a reputation to keep up. It's not going to go well if people are listening to you come hard in a bathroom stall at a top-rated restaurant. I mean for God's sake – I'm still sitting at the table."

Jenny just waved a hand at him. "Oh, be quiet. You'll get yours in a bit. Trust me, it's worth the wait. Mary, hon, thank you," she said, taking April's hand in hers. "I think this is going to work out for everyone." She stroked the back of April's hand, then leaned in and said, "You might want to sniff that hand. See if you can tell which one of us that is... She's got instructions to touch as many people tonight and transfer her scent as much as she can. I think this is going to be fun."

Jenny leaned back, picked up her wine glass and took a long drag, looking April directly in the eye.

April rolled her eyes at Jenny and turned to Lara and said, "All right?"

Lara gave a small smile back and said, "Oh yes. I love imagination."

April nodded and picked up a menu and turned to the others and said, "Yeah, steak I think. It's on you, Paul, so I'm having the best there is."

The rest of dinner went well, with Lara contributing very little, apart from asking to see the ring of the waitress, holding her hand carefully, and then touching the bald head of the waiter, after asking him if he shaved it or not. Paul and Jenny had at least two glasses of wine too much. After dinner, as they were waiting for Paul's driver – he'd given in and used a service for his evening events – in the foyer, April held Lara's hand.

Lara smiled hesitantly at her and said, "I think this is going to work out. Thank you, Mary. I can't believe how I've landed on my feet. Thank you."

April squeezed her hand and replied, "Well, you remember me, okay? You have the phone. Call me every now and then."

Lara gave her the dazzling smile back and then the car arrived and Silverano, Jenny and Lara were whisked away. April stood, waiting for her car to be brought around and staring after the red lights of the car, hoping she had done the right thing.

-----

The next day April sat across from Paul Silverano, watching him, as he watched her. So much had happened since she'd first been shown into this office. Silverano was dressed almost exactly as he had been the first time she'd seen him: jacket tossed across his chair, same charcoal suit, but different tie – purple this time.

They stared at each other for silent minutes before Silverano coughed and sat forward in his chair and said, "Well, I suppose we should get through this, then. I don't really know why we are doing an exit interview bearing in mind dinner last night, but HR demands it, so here we are. Is there anything you want to say, Mary? Anything we haven't already covered in our...er, time together?"

April debated what to say. With all that had happened, where did she start? How far did she go?

"I—" she began before Silverano interrupted her.

"Because I have a lot to say. Mary, if that is your name, do you know why I'm such a good negotiator?"

April shook her head.

"Because I'm a good poker player – same set of skills. When you are negotiating with someone, you read the tells, just like you do in poker. And I'm very very good at poker. Hell, when I go to Vegas with the boys, I spend one evening alone, just playing at the high-stakes tables. I've done very well for myself over the years. It's what my friend Brad and I do when we get together. We have a little competition to see who can play better."

He paused to grab the bottled water on his desk and internally April exalted. She now knew where the money that had started this whole operation came from. He wasn't crooked or being blackmailed, he was just hiding it from the IRS! This was a crucial piece in the puzzle, and the fact that he didn't just come out and tell her he had a hidden bank account made her feel even more like This Was The Truth.

With all that in her head, she kept her expression neutral.

"I've studied the art of micro-expression reading, I've read everything I can find about looking at people and seeing if they are lying or not. All part of the profession. And you, Mary, well, you are lying about something. Quite a lot of something I think. You are a PA from the pool like I am an astronaut. You sleep with me, you sleep with my wife, you then suddenly replace yourself with a little sub toy for me and Jenny, how very..." he groped for the right word, "altruistic of you. You show up here, go on and on about your adopted family, seduce people and so on. It's almost as if you have an agenda here, don't you agree?"

April didn't know where to go with this, so she just tilted her head, pursed her lips and said, "I think you may be reading into this whole situation a bit more than is there, Paul."

"Yes, I'm sure I am. But still, you are lying. I'm still not entirely sure what you are lying about, but I'm pretty sure you are from one of the service groups. Oh, I wouldn't ask which one – what would be the point? You'd lie to me anyway. But I'm sure you are here to watch over me during these negotiations. I'm sure of it."

It was time to grab this bull by the horns. April narrowed her eyes and said, "Even if what you were saying is true - and I'm most assuredly not saying it is – so what? What do you care? You got a more stable relationship, realized a few fantasies, had some hot sex. What does it matter?"

He gave a mirthless laugh. "Yes, I suppose you can look at it that way. Yes. You certainly can. I don't think that's the only dimension though, is it?"

April wanted to change the subject, although her curiosity about other aspects of this operation still bothered her and she just didn't know how to ask Silverano without confirming everything he suspected. Her eyes fell on the pictures of his family and the other neighborhood kids on his desk, and wondered at how strong the Italian gene was, since they all looked so alike.

It clicked and she knew. She knew it all. She knew what had happened, how and why Silverano was so stable, and why they'd had no luck working out what had happened with the DNA results.

Her eyes flicked up to Silverano who was still watching her closely. She saw the ghost of a smile; he'd seen her make the connection. He also knew she'd have no chance of proving it, not without doing a hell of a lot of damage.

She rolled her lips around her tongue, trying to decide how to drop this little bomb.

"You know what Paul? If I were what you thought, the one thing that I'd be wondering about is,what happened to those DNA results? I think we both know what they should have shown, don't we?"

He met her eyes, unperturbed. He would, indeed be a good poker player.

"I mean, imagine a situation where a man has kids, and the DNA results from those kids change over time? One minute they are not his, then they are re-tested and they are? That's strange, don't you think?"

Paul rubbed his nose and remained silent.

"I mean, imagine further this man has a friend who is into cutting edge molecular biology research. It would stand to reason that he might be able to adjust those tests, perhaps even modify the DNA samples, yes? It's certainly an interesting line of research. People might be prepared to pay a lot for a process like that? As much as, oh, four hundred and seventy thousand, perhaps? You can see how people might be concerned about such a situation?"

April knew she was playing a dangerous game, revealing some of what she knew and confirming what he already suspected. But it wouldn't matter at all if whatshesuspected was reality, and the more she considered it, the more she thought it was.

"But even then, there are other answers. I mean, what if the samples didn't come from his kids at all? What if they came from someotherkids?"

More silence and April filled it as Silverano sat, stone-faced.

"What if there was a man,for whom balance and justice was paramount? And he discovered that his wife had cheated on him not once, but twice. What if this man was an ethical man – and he loved his children, even as he discovered they were not biologically his. This man is a mover and shaker, and one who is not afraid to take a risk. What would he do, do you think?"

Paul stirred and answered, "Oh, I've no idea, but I'm sure you'll come up with something creative."

"You know what I think our man, who is obsessed with balancing the scales, would do? I think he'd find a way to ensure that the people who gave him kids to raise got one back. From him. I think he found a way to ensure his sperm was used to impregnate the wives of the men who had cuckolded him. He's a clever man, this guy, so I don't doubt he found a way. Perhaps he intercepted a sperm bank. Perhaps he seduced these women. Perhaps he even told them what he was doing. It doesn't really matter. The only thing that matters is thathe retained balance. They gave him a bastard child? He gave them one right back. That would explain where the DNA results came from, wouldn't it? They didn't come from the children in his immediate family; they came from the ones in other people's families."

April stopped and took a breath. Paul Silverano stared at her intently, but still with no expression on his face.

"It would also explain how the two new DNA samples indicated that he was, indeed, the father of two boys, when we all know he wasn't the father of his own boys. He'd just substitute one for the other, particularly if he was responsible for getting those samples in the first place. Wow. I have to admit, that's some pretty cold shit there, don't you think? A man who could do that, methodically cuckoo those who've have cuckolded him, without their even knowing it. That's a man to reckoned with, don't you think? A man who would know his place, know his worth and be pretty balanced. A man who could negotiate treaties. I guess the only thing that would rattle him would be unexpected DNA tests."

Paul Silverano rubbed his jaw as he stared at April. She couldn't tell if he was nervous or trying not to smile.

"See, the thing I wouldn't understand about this extremely hypothetical situation is why he stuck with his wife in the first place? I mean, why stay with someone who had such disrespect for him in the first place? Why not just leave?"

Silverano pursed his lips, then slowly answered, "Well, you might try the oldest reason in the book, Mary. Maybe he just loved her."

April raised her eyebrows at that. "Seriously? You think that was enough?"

Silverano shrugged. He took a breath and let it out and said, "This guy you talk about. Maybe he's been knocking around with the same group of guys for years. Maybe these friends have shared a lot. Scrapes, their first beer, driving, girl friends?" He looked hard at April when he said that but it was her turn to remain impassive.

"When they were first married, maybe there was a lot of experimentation. Maybe they shared too much. Maybe they did something that alienated one of the group to the point where he left, ran away to California. Mistakes were made. And they agreed to just drop it. Go back to being regular Joes. Maybe one of them loved his new wife to the point where he didn't deny her anything, after all, he was getting some strange too. Maybe things went on behind his back once they agreed that they'd settle down."

Silverano shrugged again and played with one of the executive toys on his desk for a moment before speaking again.

"Maybe this guy was aware that his wife was playing, but knew it was a short-lived thing. Maybe he just went with it for the time being. And when a pregnancy occurred, and he did the math, he realized who was responsible. Maybe this guy knew that balance had to be restored, and so he did what he needed to. I'm sure we can make up ways he did it. I'm sure that there are many ways you can imagine that would happen."

April sat there, absorbing what was being said. She interrupted, "Would they have even been aware of it? The other women I mean?"

Silverano arched his eyebrow at her and said, "Mary, whatever else this guy is, he doesn't go around raping people or tricking them. Of course he'd make sure they understood what was going on. And to be fair, I would imagine that both of the women were mighty pissed and justifiably ok with some revenge in that way."

April snorted and said, "Oh, I'm sure."

"The thing is, this guy would love his own children anyway. Regardless of who the sperm donors were. Let them laugh, if they ever did. Balance was restored and marriages and friendships spared. It would have been an effective solution, I'm sure. This way, this man gets two extra children to love. Who wouldn't want that? Anytime I, sorry,hefelt disrespected, he'd look at those two children and know he had the last laugh. Strangely enough, in the years following, this guy would have recognized the regret that both his friends felt at what they'd done, and both would make sacrifices and do their part to ensure his career rise was meteoric. He wins from all angles."

"Apart from having a faithless wife," replied April.

Silverano chuckle. "Does she seem faithless to you? Like I said, it was experimentation. It was checking out if the grass was greener. This guy would have done some of it too, it's not like there's not blame to go around here. He knew where the grass was most green, and she came to understand it too. Once they had that out of their systems, they recommitted themselves to each other and their kids. Of course, there were other...issues, that needed resolving. I'm sure you understand that..."

Now it was April's turn to chuckle. "Oh yes. Does she know? That the children she bore are not yo...from the guy in question?"

"Well, honestly, does it matter? She's going to love those children just as much if she knows as if she doesn't."

"I don't know. Does it matter? You tell me. If she did, I would assume there was some self-imposed penance to pay?"

"Perhaps."

"How do you know it won't happen again?"

"He doesn't. That's the point about relationships and trust, Mary. You can never guarantee it won't happen again. You can't stop it. You can only react once it's happened. Would this guy deal and accept it again? Probably not. But putting your foot down doesn't stop desires in other people – it just drives them underground where they'll come out at inopportune moments. I'm sure you know that. Either you trust someone or you don't.

"Whatever else this wife has been in the past, right now, he's convinced they have a partnership that she won't betray any more. I know, I know, once a cheater – but by the same token, sometimes you have to visit Paris to know it's a city you detest once you are there. That doesn't make it ok, but life isn't about ok.

"It's not like this guy is any saint, is it? He got seduced by a hottie who worked for him. Willingly. She might have been a pro but he could have said no, and he didn't. He's as much of a failure at monogamy as she is. You could look at it as tit for tat, or that he makes mistakes too. But I can guarantee you this – he'll spend a lot of time making up for it."

"So, to be clear, in this situation, the other parties are unaware and the wife may or may not be aware, but this guy knows all and has played God?" asked April.

"If you want to put it that way, yes. I wouldn't. I would put it more as a man who was pushed against a wall and held justice and fairness in high regard, and who did what he had to in order that the scales were balanced. That's how I'd put it," replied Silverano, in a harder tone.

"I understand. Well, good thing this is all very hypothetical then," said April.

Silverano steepled his fingers and sat back in his chair. It creaked as it leaned back. "Indeed," he said.

"Wait," said April, suddenly, as something occurred to her. "What happens if the kids end up a match for the donation? I mean, the DNA tests are being done in the first place because of need for bone marrow. What if one of the kids was a match?"

Silverano smiled at her and said, "Wouldn't matter if they were. That's already covered. The guy concerned is already a match."

"Why bother with this at all then?" persisted April.

"Because it has to be above board. This could happen again. The guy would need these results on record."

"Still, it's a hell of risk if anyone runs those results against, say, the mother? It would show that she wasn't the biological mother." April wouldn't let it go. Her nature required her to run every detail down.

Silverano actually chucked at that. "Mary, there comes a point where you have to just organize what you can, get the ducks in the row and know you can't cover everything. You just do the best you can."