Part Five

He Said

Late in the afternoon, Dan made his way out to the airport to wait for Trixie’s arrival. He felt the need to talk the situation through with her and, considering their clashing work schedules and her unexplained absences, this seemed like his only opportunity in the near future. He located her car and then found a place to sit in sight of it. When she came into view, her appearance caused his hopes to fall. Her expression was weary and her posture spoke of discouragement. She noticed his presence and something like dismay crossed her face.

“What is it?” she asked, when she was near enough. “Is something wrong?”

He shrugged. “Not more than usual. I just wanted to talk to you. This seemed like a good chance.”

She hesitated, seeming unsure. “I’m sorry you wasted your trip. I don’t think this is a good time.”

“Then when?”

“Sorry?”

“When can we talk, Trixie? I think we should make a time.”

She shook her head and began walking to her car. “I’ll call you some time. Maybe tomorrow.”

“I wish I could believe that,” he muttered. Aloud, he added, “At least hear what it’s about.”

She stopped. “So, what is it?”

“I need to talk to you about this guy Dumassi,” he began. “We’re thinking–”

“I just want to go home, okay?” she interrupted. “It’s been a really bad couple of days and I don’t want to hear that name again any time soon.”

“Can you just listen for a minute?” he asked, in as calm a voice as he could manage.

“I’m tired. I’m frustrated. I feel like I’ve wasted my whole weekend on a wild goose chase. I just want to go home and forget this whole thing ever happened.” She frowned at him, almost as if this were all his fault. “And I don’t really feel like hearing how well things are going for the rest of you when everything I seem to do on this investigation goes wrong.”

He gritted his teeth for a moment, holding in the unkind words he wanted to say. “Can you at least hear me out?”

She let out a sigh. “So, what are you thinking?”

“I think we need to get together and work through everything we’ve got,” he answered. “From what Jim has already given us–”

“No,” she snapped. “If you bring Jim into this, you can leave me out. I don’t want anything to do with him, all right?”

“No, it is not all right!” Dan shouted, losing his temper altogether. “How are we supposed to beat this guy if we can’t work together? Are you so selfish that you’ll let him get away with this just because you don’t feel like seeing Jim?”

“Selfish? You’re calling me selfish?” she fumed. “He’s the one who did this to us! It was his lies that got us in this situation and I’m sick of hearing them. I don’t care what he has to say; it doesn’t matter because he’s not telling the truth.”

Dan threw up his hands. “I don’t believe this. Just because Jim might – and I really mean might – have said something that wasn’t quite true, once, it doesn’t mean that everything he’ll ever say again is a lie.”

“Don’t twist my words!”

“I didn’t.”

“You did.”

He took a breath, trying to calm down. “Trixie, what is this really about?”

She looked away, then in a small voice admitted, “I think he cheated on me.”

Dan forgot to take his next breath. After a moment, he asked, “What made you think that?”

Trixie shook her head. “There was… evidence. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“What did he say when you accused him?”

“I…” She frowned. “I don’t think I ever did accuse him. But he lied to me about where he’d been. He wouldn’t ever explain why he was in Buffalo – twice, that I know of.”

For a long moment, Dan considered his next words. “Trixie, are you sure you haven’t jumped to the wrong conclusion?”

Her anger flared once more. “I didn’t jump to a conclusion. I looked at the facts and made just about the only deduction to make from them.”

“Just about?” he wondered. “So, there’s another interpretation you could make.”

“No.” She glared at him. “I heard him say he didn’t care what I thought. He used my name in that sentence. I know that I’m right.”

Dan did not try to stop her this time when she stormed away. He stayed where he was, deep in thought about what he had just heard. While he was certain that Trixie was wrong, he was also sure that there was more to the situation than met the eye. He did not know what to do about it and, even if he did, there were more pressing matters to consider. He just hoped that this did not complicate things further.

She Said

At the same time, Honey, Mart and Joshua were visiting Manor House and casually chatting with Honey’s parents. Jim was also expected, but had not yet arrived. For reasons she could not pinpoint, Honey suspected that he would not show up until it was almost time to eat.

Her prediction proved true. Ten minutes before the meal, a weary-looking Jim entered the room and made polite greetings. Honey noticed a shared glance between her parents, but made a point of not meeting her own husband’s eyes.

“I was beginning to wonder if you had forgotten,” Madeleine commented, with a smile.

Jim’s cheeks tinged pink. “I’m sorry. I got caught up in something and lost track of time. I didn’t make you wait, did I?”

Matthew shook his head. “No, it’s not time, yet. You do seem to have a lot on your plate at the moment, Jim. And I always thought that school teachers spent their summers doing nothing.”

This jest brought a smile to Jim’s face, but Honey could not help but feel it was a little forced.

“I seem to have more to do now than I did when school was in session,” Jim answered. “I’m glad for the opportunity, though. It’s really helped the progress on the house to be available almost any time.”

From there, the conversation turned to what was happening at Ten Acres and this carried them through until it was time to enter the dining room. As they moved from one room to the other, Honey found herself separated from her brother. He and the other men continued discussing construction, but her mother had other ideas.

“I wanted a word with you,” Madeleine began in a low voice. “Your father and I are rather worried about Jim and we wanted to know if you had noticed anything different about him lately.”

Honey sighed and wondered just how much to say. “I think he’s feeling a lot of pressure from more than one direction.”

Her mother nodded. “He’s too hard on himself. In a way, he’s too independent. I’m glad – we both are – that he can support himself and that he handles his disappointments so well, but… your father and I have the feeling that he’s keeping some big secrets and that they’re ones that he would be better off sharing.”

Inwardly, Honey reflected that ‘disappointments’ was a gross understatement when describing the losses Jim had suffered in the last couple of years. She also considered that her mother was absolutely right and that Jim should be sharing more of his burdens with those who loved him. She was in a quandary about how to answer, however, since Jim had either failed to shared these secrets with her, or sworn her to secrecy.

“I don’t know how to make him share them,” she admitted, at last. “I’ve tried waiting for him to tell me; I’ve tried encouraging him. I don’t think it would help to demand a confession, or I would have tried that, too.”

Madeleine ran a gentle hand across her daughter’s arm as they parted to take their seats. “Just do your best, Honey. Try to keep him close to the family.”

Honey nodded and stepped away. As she looked up, she noticed that Jim was watching her. The bleakness in his eyes sent shivers down her spine.

He Said

From his place in the front passenger seat of the car, Brian could see much of the surrounding neighbourhood and he was pleasantly surprised by it. After some days of procrastination, he had done the research Indira suggested and had decided to call the number she had given him. He had been asked to come in for an interview and, given that he was still without a car of his own, Jim had agreed to deliver him to the address.

“Are you okay?” Jim asked, as he pulled up outside.

Brian nodded. “Thanks. I’m fine.”

“Give me a call when you’re done. You’ve got the phone, haven’t you?”

He slipped it out of his pocket to show that he had. “You didn’t have to do that.”

Jim waved the matter away. “There are always spare phones for the household at Manor House. It’s nothing; it just makes it easier.”

Brian opened the door. “Thanks for the lift, Jim. I appreciate it.”

“It was nothing. I’ll see you later.”

He eased himself out, checked that he had everything, then closed the door, twitched the fingers of one hand in an approximation of a wave to Jim before he pulled out into the traffic. Brian turned to the building and noted its neat, clean appearance. The front windows were shiny and so was the door handle. Blinds shielded those who might be waiting within. With a sigh, he went inside.

On the other side of the door, the general impression he had formed continued. The interior lighting was well-designed, neither harsh nor dim. The soft grey walls and deeper carpet were restrained and conservative, while an abstract artwork lent a splash of red to the scheme. The same red was repeated in small amounts here and there.

To one side of the waiting room was a desk and at it sat a young woman. As he approached, she smiled and asked, “Would you be Brian Belden?”

“Yes,” he answered, returning the smile.

She stood and waved him towards a door. “Catherine will see you right away.”

She held the door open for him, closing it behind him while she remained outside. He found himself in a small office with a desk and a couple of chairs, a bookcase filled with large tomes and very little else. At the desk was seated a diminutive woman with glossy dark hair that hung past her shoulders.

“Welcome,” she greeted. “Please take a seat. I’m Catherine Wells and you must be Brian.”

They exchanged pleasantries for a few moments, before the formal interview began. Within minutes, Brian felt that he had perhaps come to the right place. Catherine shared business premises – and assistants – with her brother, who ran a company that supplied specialist equipment to people with medical problems. Not only were they both well aware of the kinds of limitations that Brian suffered, they had employed people like him on several previous occasions.

“Most of the times we’ve done that, they’ve left us because their condition improved enough that they could go back to their regular job,” she assured him. “Be warned, though – I’ll know if you’re not looking after yourself. If I hire you, you’ll be accountable to me for doing the right amount of exercise, eating well and not overdoing it.”

Brian nodded. “I understand.”

Catherine smiled. She asked a few more questions, then offered Brian a job. He did not hesitate to accept. Not only was this his ticket out of Sleepyside, he had an inkling that it might be his first step towards recovery. The prospect heartened him.

She Said

“Hello,” Di greeted, after picking up the phone.

“It’s me,” Dan told her. “You got some time? I wanted to bring you up to date and see if we could hash out a plan.”

She made herself comfortable on the sofa and told him to go ahead. As his narrative went on, the frown lines between her eyes deepened.

“So, what are we going to do?” she asked when he had finished. “How are we going to stop him?”

On the other end of the line, Dan sighed. “I’m not sure. I’m having a little trouble getting certain people to cooperate with each other, which limits our options.”

Di wondered for a moment whether it would help for her to call Trixie and yell at her for a few minutes. She really felt like doing so, but in the end decided it would be counter-productive.

“And more than just not cooperating with each other,” he continued, “there’s the problem of Jim not wanting to go to the police. And without his testimony, we’ve got nothing in terms of evidence.”

“What options does that leave us, then?” she wondered. “Without any evidence… well, there’s nothing to do, is there?”

A short pause ensued. “I’m thinking that we have two choices.” Dan’s voice was soft as he spoke. “One, we can try to get more evidence.”

“That could take a long time,” she mused, frowning. “I don’t know how long Jim can hold out. The last time I spoke to him, he sounded ready to break.”

“Yeah, I agree. The second thing is, we could trick him into breaking his parole conditions, which would buy us a little time.”

“How long?”

He made a disgusted noise. “Only a few months.”

“It’s better than nothing,” she answered. “It would be better if we could trick him into being caught breaking the law. Maybe, if there were extra charges, he’d get a longer sentence the next time.”

“That’s a thought,” Dan answered. “How do you suppose we could do that?”

She pursed her lips, thinking. “It’s not much of an idea, but I was kind of wondering if we could leave some sort of false information trail for him to follow. What do you think?”

There was another pause as he considered the idea. “It would have to be done well. I don’t think he’d fall into an obvious trap.” His next words were in a more satisfied tone of voice. “You know, that gives me an idea. I think I know how it can be done.”

By the time they hung up, a workable plan had been formed. Diana smiled to herself as she thought of it. Dumassi would not know what hit him.

He Said

The next day, by convoluted means, Dan made a time to meet up with Mart. He wanted to talk to him in as private a setting as possible and not anywhere near Sleepyside. For the plan to work, it was critical that their target not catch wind of this meeting. With that in mind, and also a vague suspicion that surveillance equipment might be involved in some way, he arranged for them to meet at a college friend’s apartment and for a sizable meal to be delivered. He also managed, by bribery, to convince Mart to empty his pockets and take off his watch before entering the building.

“What’s with the cloak and dagger stuff?” Mart asked, as they sat down to lunch together. “You up to something?”

Dan shrugged. “Not yet. I’m going to be, soon, if you let me.”

Mart raised an enquiring eyebrow, his mouth too full of food to speak.

With an evil grin, Dan told him, “So long as she lets me, I’m going to have an affair with your wife.”

Mart just about spat his mouthful, then started to choke. “You’re going to what?” he finally managed to splutter.

“Don’t worry, man. It’s all in a good cause. If this works, Dumassi is going to go down.”

“And you think you can achieve this by messing with Honey behind my back?”

Dan rolled his eyes. “I’m telling you all about it in advance. It’s not going to be a real affair, just a trap to get him to try to blackmail one of you – Honey, most likely.”

Mart scowled. “And how is this plan supposed to work?”

“It’s simple. First, we drop a little, tiny hint in front of him that there’s something going on between Honey and me. Next, we… creatively arrange events so that he can get some incriminating evidence. Then, if he falls for it, he’ll approach Honey with a blackmail demand. It doesn’t matter that it’s not a real secret – it’s still illegal to make the demand; we checked. She’ll string him along for a while… then, bam! He’s caught and we don’t have to worry any more – at least, until he gets out of jail.”

The scowl on Mart’s face deepened. “You’re willing to risk Honey’s reputation on this? Are you insane?”

“I don’t think there’s all that much of a risk,” Dan argued. “I think there’s a very real risk of Jim cracking up under the pressure pretty soon. I also think it’s only a matter of time before this guy gets onto whatever it is that Brian’s still hiding – if he hasn’t already. Something bad is going to happen if we don’t take action against him. Di and I have thought about it and this is the best chance we’ve got.”

“It doesn’t risk either of you, I notice,” Mart griped. “There must be another way.”

“Look, we’re pretty sure this guy wants money.” Dan waited for Mart to nod agreement before continuing. “The ones most likely to be able to pay are Jim, Di and Honey, right? Jim is… not stable enough to help us. Agreed?”

After a moment’s pause, Mart conceded the point.

“Di is too far away,” Dan continued. “We tried to think a way around that, but it’s not going to work. He’s stuck here and I don’t think she should have to give up her new job for the greater good.”

Mart shook his head. “No, I guess not.”

“You see where I’m going, don’t you?”

“I don’t have to like it,” Mart countered.

“I’m not asking you to like it. In fact, at some point, I’ll be asking you to tell me how little you like the way I’m hanging around your wife.”

Mart turned away, deep in thought. “I really hope this plan doesn’t end up wrecking friendships instead of putting that bastard away.”

A chill ran through Dan at the thought of making things worse. “Me too.”

She Said

“Finally! Something to do!” Honey exclaimed in a low voice, on hearing the plan from Mart.

In deference to Dan’s paranoia about being overheard, they were in the middle of a wide expanse of grass fifteen minutes’ drive from Manor House at a time when they knew Dumassi would be at work. Their son was at that moment being showered with attention by his paternal grandmother.

“You’re going to go along with this?” Mart demanded, sounding hurt and incredulous. “Honey, please!”

She looked at him long and hard, then nodded her head. “Jim needs me to do this.”

Her husband looked away. “That’s not what I wanted to hear.”

She kissed him softly. “I know.”

“I don’t want your reputation to suffer.”

“I don’t care about it all that much,” she answered, kissing him again. “Jim needs me to do this. I’m the obvious next target and… well, since I don’t have any real vulnerabilities, we need to manufacture one.”

“You’re being entirely too reasonable about this,” he grumbled. “I wanted you to put up at least a little resistance.”

“I’m not going to have a real affair,” she promised. “I love you, Mart, but I love my brother, too, and he’s really suffering. If there’s something I can do to help him, I’ll do it.”

Mart lowered his head and kissed her deeply. “Okay. Just… don’t let me see any of it.”

She nodded. “You know I won’t. Anyway, that would defeat the purpose.”

The next day, she strolled through one of the businesses downtown – incidentally, the same one where Dumassi worked. It was a pet supply store and she wandered into the aisle dedicated to artificial aquarium plants. Dan approached from behind her and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Hello,” she purred, turning her face towards him. “Fancy meeting you here.”

“I didn’t think I could get away,” he answered, “but I think we’re in the clear. Are you still on for tomorrow afternoon?”

“Mm-hmm. He’ll definitely be out of the way. Come around about… four-thirty?”

“Okay.” He leaned in and placed a kiss on her neck.

“Not here!” she whispered. “Anyone could see.”

Dan let out a wicked laugh. “Let them.”

“No. I don’t think I want anyone to know. We need to be more discreet.”

He nodded and stepped away. “Tomorrow.” There was a promise in his voice and the slight smile on his lips.

Honey formed a similar smile and nodded. As Dan walked away, she noticed that one aisle over a worker had resumed his task of stacking kitty litter. The sound had been notably absent during the conversation.

Mission accomplished, she thought to herself as she left the store. Now, he just needs to take the bait.

For the next couple of weeks, Honey and Dan carried on their mock affair without any sign that the plan was working. They posed near open windows, had highly ambiguous conversations and lingered at the door, purportedly saying affectionate goodbyes. Nothing seemed to happen, other than that Jim reported no contact with Dumassi in that time.

As the days passed, Honey began to think that their duplicity had somehow been discovered and that it might have all been in vain. Still, she held out hope that he might be biding his time. And so it was that an unexpected knock on the door sent a thrill through her.

She opened the door and found herself face to face with Dumassi. Her heartbeat accelerated and she hoped that she was wearing a suitably puzzled expression.

“Can I help you?” she asked.

At once, he began to look predatory. “Yes, I think you can.”

Honey tried to look even more confused. “I don’t understand.”

Dumassi held up a photograph. “Look familiar? I have some more.”

She reached out a trembling hand and took the blurry print-out. Her gasp was involuntary. She found it easy to look up at him with guilt in her eyes because that was exactly what she felt on seeing the supposed evidence.

“I’ll be in touch,” he promised.

Honey slammed the door and leaned against it. A slow smile broke across her face. Yes! she thought. It’s going to work!

He Said

“Jim, my darling! It’s so lovely to see you,” Indira greeted. “Hello, Brian. Come in, both of you.”

Jim shared a glance with Brian, who was standing behind him on the doorstep of the latter’s new place. “She lives here now?”

“She doesn’t,” Indira answered for him. “She is just here to help.”

“I don’t think I’m anyone’s darling,” Jim told her, torn between being amused and embarrassed. “It’s good to see you, though.”

“Thank you.” She kissed his cheek, then Brian’s. “Well, don’t just stand there. Start bringing things in. That’s his room right over there.”

Jim nodded and turned back to his car, which was piled to the roof with Brian’s belongings. Even before he had picked up as much as he could carry, Indira was beside him, asking for her share.

“You don’t expect Brian to help cart all this up, do you?” she asked, not expecting an answer. “So, what can I take?”

Jim made some suggestions, then waited as she retrieved them. He clicked the lock button and the lights flashed. Then the pair began the trek back upstairs.

“I’m really pleased with how this is working out,” Indira confided. “I think Brian’s looking better already and, from what I’ve heard, his new boss should really keep him in line. I think it will be good for him.”

“I hope so,” Jim answered, rather absently.

Indira did not seem to notice his distraction. “So, now that I’ve got him back on track, I’ll have to work on you, next.”

“What? No. I’m fine,” Jim stammered, his steps slowing. “There’s nothing wrong with me.”

She raised an eyebrow as she passed him. “Sure.”

“There isn’t.” His brow creased into a scowl. “Really. I’m fine.”

“I’m going to be a doctor, you know. People are going to tell me all sorts of gruesome secrets, so I don’t see why I shouldn’t practice on you now.” She smiled back at him. “You can critique me on how I handle it, if you like.”

“I don’t have gruesome secrets,” Jim grumbled.

“All the better,” she answered, grinning. “The regular kind will be fine to start with.”

They reached Brian’s room and set down all of the things they had carried, then turned to make another trip. In the time that they had been in the room with Brian, the topic was dropped by mutual consent, but the moment they were back outside, Indira took it up again.

“So, how about it?” she asked. “You can tell me anything. I promise I won’t tell anyone and I promise I won’t make inappropriate responses.”

Jim stopped and stared at her. “I really don’t think…” He trailed off, unsure of how to word his objections without seeming rude.

Indira looked at him in bemusement. “What are you trying to say, Jim? You think that I’m not the right kind of person for this?”

He felt uncomfortable and dropped his gaze. “I didn’t say that.”

She touched his arm. “It’s kind of what you’re thinking, though. You’re thinking that no one is going to want the crazy lady for their doctor and that you don’t want the crazy lady knowing all your most dreadful secrets.”

“I think you’ll make a good doctor,” he answered, skirting the issue. “You’re very perceptive.”

The corners of her mouth turned up. “I notice that you don’t dispute that I’m crazy.”

He shook his head and began walking again. “Did you want me to?”

The small smile grew into a grin. “What would be the point?”

Once more, he shook his head, unsure of how to answer. They walked in silence until they reached the car.

“You don’t have to tell me what’s wrong, Jim,” Indira told him, in a soft voice. “Tell someone, though. Don’t keep it all bottled up.”

He took a moment to rearrange things in the back seat, giving himself time to compose a reply. “There’s not really much to tell. I was headed for all the things I thought I wanted, then they started disappearing from my grasp, one by one, until there was nothing left. And it wasn’t the end of the world. I just made new goals and kept going. I’m not having a crisis. I’m not falling apart – no matter what anyone tries to tell you. I’m just… a bit disappointed… a bit more world-weary… a bit less ready to believe in happily-ever-afters. But it’s not a big deal, okay?”

She looked at him for a long time without replying and something in her gaze was almost unbearably sad. “If you ever want to tell me the rest, let me know.”

Jim nodded, but looked away.

She Said

When Trixie answered the phone, the first thing she heard was: “Trixie! It’s happening!”

“What is it, Hon?” she asked, catching the excitement in her friend’s voice and matching it.

A squeak came down the line. “It’s worked, it’s worked. Dan and Di’s plan has worked and Dumassi demanded money from me – actual money and an actual, specific amount of money to be delivered by a specific time – and now I have to report it to the police and we think this is actually going to work. Can you believe it?”

During this speech, Trixie’s mouth dropped open and she was silent so long that Honey called her name.

“Sorry. I was just thinking… But, that’s great, Honey. Are you going to do that now?”

“Yes. And that’s actually why I’m calling, because I need someone to mind Joshie and I thought Aunt Trixie would just love to do that. Just think, Trix, you’d be contributing to the serving of justice.”

Trixie cringed a little at the role to which she had been relegated, but agreed at once. “Do you want me to come to you?”

“If you can,” Honey answered. “Oh, and if anyone calls, I need you to kind of deflect any questions, okay? Unless it’s one of the Bob-Whites, of course, or my parents, or your parents, or–”

“Yeah, I get the idea,” Trixie interrupted, laughing.

“Sorry. Of course you do. But can you come right now? I want to get this over and done with.”

Trixie agreed and they ended the call. She grabbed a couple of items on her way out the door, pushing down the slight bitter feeling of having been so close to the investigation and yet not taking a very big part. She told herself that she was glad that it was almost over and she even believed it. She was even glad that her friends had become such competent detectives. Neither of these facts gave her much comfort.

He Said

Dan checked the screen of his phone to see who was calling before deciding whether to answer. He saw Honey’s name and his heartbeat quickened.

“What’s up?” he greeted.

“I just wanted to let you know that I’ve finished,” she answered. “It’s enough for them to arrest him.”

He breathed a sigh of relief. That had been his main concern. “Good. Is there anything you need from me?”

There was a pause, after which Honey’s voice sounded hesitant. “Could you, by any chance, pick something up for me, only if it’s too much trouble, please say no and don’t agree until you’ve heard where it needs to be picked up from, okay?”

“Uh… sure. What is it?”

“It’s an ink cartridge for my printer… but it comes from the place right next door to where Dumassi works.”

Dan closed his eyes. He could see why she did not want to run this errand herself, but wondered whether it was wise for him to do it for her. “How soon do you need it?”

“I kind of need it right away. Yesterday would have been better, but… well, as soon as I get home, which will be really soon.”

He sighed. “Okay. I’ll get it for you. What kind is it?”

She rattled off the information and he inked it onto his arm, not having a piece of paper handy. It was not far out of his way and so he dropped straight in. The cartridge was easy to find and he was soon on the way out. Ten paces from his bike, he heard an unwelcome sound.

“Stop! I want to talk to you!”

Dan turned and saw Dumassi, in his work uniform, running towards him.

“I don’t think I want to talk to you,” Dan countered. “Excuse me.”

“No. You’ll listen to what I have to say, or you’ll regret it,” the man insisted.

Dan shook his head and kept walking.

“You want me to yell my business with you to the whole street?” he asked.

At that, Dan turned and walked back towards him. “Let’s get this straight: you and I don’t have any business.”

The other man raised an eyebrow. “You think? Your little girlfriend has been slow in coming up with the money. I want you to think carefully about what will happen if she doesn’t pay up.”

“You’re mistaken. I’m between girlfriends at the moment.” Dan took a couple of steps away as he saw a police car pull up outside the pet supply store and two officers got out. “Maybe you should be getting back to work.”

Dumassi shot the place a scornful look. “I have more lucrative business to attend to.”

Dan laughed. “No, I don’t think you do.”

A man emerged from the pet supply store with the two police officers and pointed to Dumassi. They started in his direction.

“I’ll tell everyone!” Dumassi yelled. “They’ll all know your dirty little secret.”

“What secret?” Dan asked, as cool as ever. “I don’t have any secrets.”

“Your affair with Honey,” the man oozed.

Dan shook his head. “I’m not having an affair with Honey – and neither is anyone else.”

“I have proof!”

Once more, Dan shook his head. “You have a few mildly suggestive pictures. You don’t have proof because it never happened.”

Dumassi stood staring at him, mouth open. The two police officers were nearing them now, but he paid them no attention. As they closed in, Dan took a few steps away, with the intent of giving the man a little privacy.

“Wait! Don’t you walk away!”

Dan turned to him. “I think these officers want a word with you. I thought you might like that to be alone.”

He began to walk away again. At the edge of his hearing, Dan could hear them beginning the routine to arrest him.

“You tricked me!” Dumassi yelled, over the top of the policeman reading him his rights. “This isn’t fair!”

Dan glanced back, giving him a cool look and no verbal reply.

“You’ll pay for this,” the man threatened, looking Dan straight in the eye.

He shrugged. “Seems to me, you’re just getting what you deserve.”

“Oh, no. I deserve a lot better than this. I’ll get it yet, too. Just you wait and see.”

The two officers guided him into the car and Dumassi was gone.

“Good riddance,” Dan muttered, as it disappeared from sight. “I hope you never return.”

The End