The Brass Statuettes Ch. 13

Jason sighed in frustration. She had him; she knew it and so did he. Self-denial was impossible. Were she to bare all, so must he. "I was questioned by the FBI about the Company stock fraud."

Darlene gasped. "Why would they ever question you?"

"I think Frank Bennett set them on me," Jason said. "He doesn't like me, you know."

"That's just nonsense, Jason," Darlene countered. "He's jus' like his wife—straight-laced as a Baptist preacher in a revival tent in July. With him, it's nuthin' but business."

"Well, why else..." Jason started to say.

"What'd they ask you?"

"Not much," Jason answered. "They wanted me to sign something to let them see our records at the stockbroker and I said that I wanted a lawyer first. Then the agent left."

"Oh, Jason," Darlene shrieked, "how could you? Now they'll nevah stop. Why would you do that? You have nuthin' t' hide."

Well..."

"What?" Darlene yelled even louder, her eyes wide.

"I was afraid they'd see the time I sold the Pro-Tech stock when we were at the University. I might have exaggerated the cost on our tax return."

Darlene buried her face in her hands. "Jason, do you really think they give a damn about that?"

"I didn't exaggerate it; I made it up. The stock was a gift from Pro-Tech for the research I did for them. It didn't have any cost at all." Jason paused as Darlene looked at him. "It was to save on taxes."

"But, Jason," Darlene said, "they aren't interested in that. The Western stock deal was for millions; that was pennies."

"I sold the Pro-Tech for five hundred thousand," Jason protested. He paused to think about what he had just said. "I guess I panicked. They're going to get to see the papers, anyway."

Darlene had her face in her hands again. She mumbled something at him that he couldn't understand. "I wish we were back at the University again," he told her.

Darlene sat up straight. "Oh no! Not that again," she fired back. She stood up from the bed, anger in her eyes; she pointed a finger at him from a long, slender arm that she thrust out from the silken robe. "Ah tol' you—Ah'll nevah go back there. You promised!"

"Would it be so bad, Darlene? The money would be a lot less, but it would be enough. We would have a lot more time together."

"Ah tol' you!" Darlene shouted again.

"I got a call the other day. Ferrin Whitttier called me. He's President of a University in Upstate New York. They're searching for a Dean of their Engineering School."

"No!" Darlene screamed. "No—nevah. Ah couldn't stand it. You got to make it right here at Western."

Jason felt pathetic lying naked on their bed. Darlene was still in her robe, standing over him, looking angrier than he'd ever seen her. His idea of late-afternoon sex was degraded to a humiliating pipedream. Darlene was panting after her tirade; she finally calmed down.

"Ah see that you're somewhat less excited than you were a few minutes ago," she announced in her most haughty way as she looked down at his flaccid penis. Her hands were mounted on her hips. He was about to tell her that he would recover, to just stay with him. She had already turned and was marching back to the bathroom.

"It's just as well," she declared as she walked away from their bed where he lay. "Ah was nevah very excited, mahself—raht from the start." She halted and dropped the silk, lavender robe to the floor as she reached the bathroom door. The robe pooled at her feet and Jason saw the back of her. It was as perfect as the front. He rose up to call to her—to beg her to come back to their bed as she was, without the robe. He would promise her that they would never leave their adopted life. He could not, and she stepped through the open door and disappeared behind it.

************

Frank had called Trudy from the office to let her know that he would be late. She saved dinner for him in the oven. When he finally walked through the door she noticed he wasn't carrying his briefcase. She was glad because it meant he wouldn't be working that evening—catching up and reading what there had been no time to read in the office. He was nearly always tired after a day at the office. He was different than usual, though, and that always set her on alert.

"How was your day?" she asked as he shuffled into the kitchen. Frank grunted something that Trudy didn't quite make out, but she wouldn't ask Frank to repeat what he'd said. "I saved dinner for you; it's in the oven. Do you want to change your clothes first? You can sit down right now and change later, if you'd rather."

Frank stopped in his tracks, pondering the question. The lines worn into his face and his inability to decide on something so simple told Trudy how weary he was. "Do you mind if I skip dinner tonight?" he asked, and turned and headed for the stairs. Trudy grimaced and said nothing as he walked out of view. She put the food away and turned off the oven. The task took a couple of minutes and then she followed him upstairs.

"I thought I'd put my bathing suit on and sit by the pool for awhile," she said as she began unbuttoning her blouse. The blazing hot evenings of mid summer had passed, but it was still warm enough to sit by the pool. Frank hadn't yet finished changing. He'd hung up his suit, but was still in his underwear. "Why don't you join me?" she suggested as she kicked off her shoes.

"I dunno, Trudy. I'm whipped. I might just read a while. Where're the girls?"

"Out," Trudy answered. "Patricia went to a movie with 'you-know-who'. Margaret got invited to Jenny's house to listen to music."

"Jenny's parents home?"

Trudy smiled at the question. Good old Frank—ever vigilant, even in his weary state. "Yes, I made sure before she left. They'll both be home around twelve." She slipped off her blouse and unbuttoned her shorts. She paused before she slipped them down and stole a glance at Frank to see if he was watching her. She couldn't quite tell, so she pushed the shorts down all at once. She stood in front of her dresser in her bra and panties. Frank hadn't said much, but she also noticed that he could have finished changing, but didn't. She pulled open a dresser drawer to find a bathing suit.

"Why don't you come out to the pool, too?" she re-issued the invitation. She pulled out a two-piece suit. It was her skimpiest one; she hadn't worn it in a couple of years. She quickly turned toward Frank to give him an eyeful as she slipped off her bra. Then she stepped out of her panties. "We won't have many pool nights left in the season."

She pulled on the bikini bottoms. She gave him a look as she lifted the top but paused before covering her breasts. "He must feel down. He'd never let me get my suit on once I had my clothes off," she observed in a silent thought.

She dipped her breasts into the cups and walked over to him. "Can you fasten the back, Frank?" she asked. Frank did as she asked. "He's a hard case tonight, but I'm not done yet," she thought.

"I think I will join you," Frank conceded.

"Good!" she replied. She would have normally put a tee-shirt on to cover up until she got to the pool. This time, she decided to forego it. She swayed from the bedroom with only a towel to protect her. Bring us a couple of cold beers when you come out," she called to him over her shoulder.

It didn't take Frank long to catch up to her and take a chair alongside hers near the pool. "Need a glass?" he asked her. She shook her head and he twisted the cap from an amber bottle and handed it to her, and then one for himself.

"I think you're whipped," she admitted. "You've got that tired look." Frank shrugged and they both took healthy gulps of the cold beer. "Anything you want to tell me about?"

Frank took another swallow and then sighed. He leaned back in his chair. "You know, Trudy," he began, "I don't mind working hard. I don't even care if the going gets a little tough. I can take all that."

"No doubt about it," she agreed.

"When I'm not sure why I'm doin' it the fight gets drained out of me."

"You don't say things like that very often, Frank."

"Sometimes, Trudy, I wish I was back in the CPA business doing debits and credits for mom 'n' pop stores."

"Sometimes I wish it, too," Trudy answered. "We both know it's not going to happen; that's not what you were meant to do. You know that even better than me."

"Let's just say that today some people acted in a way that was very disappointing," he answered.

"It happens. You can handle it. Like you always say, 'keep the big picture in mind'."

"Right, the big picture," he sighed and took another swig from his bottle.

"Something terrible must've happened," Trudy repeated. "You hardly ever get like this."

"Well, the first thing was that our celebrated VP of R&D went on the run when he was supposed to be interviewed by the FBI this morning."

"What? You're kidding!" Trudy laughed. "Does anyone know where he is?"

"He showed up later and told them 'he forgot'," Frank said. "But that's not the worst of it. He told the FBI agent that he thought Aaron Fishman had something to do with the stock manipulation."

Trudy sensed anger in Frank's voice. She leaned forward, determined to pay closer attention. She hardly knew who Aaron Fishman was; she vaguely recalled being introduced at some company function or another. She understood why he was angry. Frank was never afraid of battle; combat with someone unable to fight back was taboo. "Why would Jason pick on someone like that?"

"I think part of it was that he panicked and threw out a name to take pressure off himself. The other part of it is that he's resented Jason ever since I brought him upstairs to help me on the forecast. He's got it in for him 'cause he's Jewish."

"Oh no, Frank," Trudy exclaimed. "You're not going to let that happen, are you? I know you would never let that happen."

"I already spoke to the agent and he told me he wasn't buying it. They have to talk to Aaron, anyway. He was in on all the details of the forecast."

"That Jason is a worm," Trudy said.

"Yeah, I knew that already. That's not the big problem. Guys like Jason are here today and gone tomorrow. What really got to me was that I told Alvin and Al Crossman about it. They want me to let Aaron take the fall to protect Jason. They're afraid if there's a scandal involving a corporate officer the company's stock will collapse."

"I can see why you're disappointed, Frank. I would be, too."

"It's me who I'm disappointed in," Frank corrected. "I should have told them to go to hell. Instead, I just argued with them. They still think they're gonna hang it on Aaron."

"I know you too well, Frank. You would never let them do that."

"I'm trapped, Trudy. If I walk out they'd get someone else to do it for them."

"You'll figure it out, Frank. You always do. It'll get tough—that's when you're at your best. You've done it so many times before."

"I should have reminded them that the stock will collapse with a resignation of the CFO. I should have said that, but I'd have been bluffing. I never bluff. I always thought that Alvin was above this kind of thing."

"Don't be too hard on him," Trudy said. "He has a lot on his mind. He's got to deal with Gloria, for one thing. He'll think it over and see it differently—you'll see."

"That's no excuse," Frank replied. "When you take on a job that big, you're expected to be a big person. You know, he tried to tell me that I owed it to him to feed Aaron to the wolves because he saved me from getting canned by Mueller and Lambert."

"Don't give up on him," Trudy said again. "He'll come around." They stopped talking for a minute and drank the last of their beer. "I will hang in there, Trudy. I'll do it because of you—because I know you expect me to."

Trudy took Frank's hand into her own. She leaned close to him. "I would never bet against you in a fight." She kissed him on his cheek.

"Do you want to go in the pool for a swim?" he asked.

Trudy grinned and shook her head. "Not tonight," she answered.

"But you went to all the trouble to put your suit on and..."

She put a gentle finger over his lips. "Some other time," she told him. "I just thought of something even better."

"But Trudy," he protested, "What could be..."

"Frank, you're the kind of man a woman like me wants to be in bed with," she whispered. Frank looked at her but didn't say anything. They were still holding hands and she kept her face close to his. "Right now."

**************

TO BE CONTINUED

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