An Offer He Can't Refuse: Carlyle

"I suppose we could. Would you want to?"

"Yes. Maybe something over close to Mom and Dad."

"That would be closer to the airport. Why not?"

"I'll look around."

"Wouldn't that change the school the kids attend?"

"It would be much better for them. They wouldn't be right on a main thoroughfare like we are now." Mike nods thinking of the girls with their bikes. Down in the back seat Julie and Rick are too busy overheating each other to hear what they are talking about.

Mike helps them get everything unloaded and then jumps into the Mustang. He waves and is gone to the airport. When he arrives he finds the rollup doors wide open and the vehicles in front but no one is around. He walks inside marvelling at all the studding already in place and works his way to the back before he hears voices. He looks and finds everyone in the lunchroom. It has been cleaned out and modern florescent lighting installed.

Conrad waves him in and Mike joins him. He's with a woman in a hard hat at the table. He introduces his engineer, Hillary Drummond.

"Hey buddy, this lady has saved you a fortune this morning. You tell him, H.D."

She spreads open drawings that were scrolled between them and explains, "When you told Connie about the annual tax burden of added connections to the main it got me thinking. I hadn't taken that into consideration so I looked over the plans again. You see how the existing line goes under the furnace room and the stairs here?" She points it out on the diagram. Now to tie in your exec WC from the far end and the other two from upstairs is not a problem. There is lots of drop so they can be tied in anywhere.

But with the public WC's on ground level there is insufficient drop for public washroom by-laws plus the outflow wouldn't handle it. It's too small. You see what we're up against?" Mike nods.

"Okay, so this is what we do. Under the stairs here we put an exchange box buried down lower than the existing line and feed it into it along with the rest. From the exchanger box we take a larger line to the main in place of the existing. You end up with one connection. How's that?"

Mike looks at the diagram, "That'll work? That'll work! Wow! You did it! That's neat! Remind me to never say a derogatory word about female engineers."

She looks at him with an amused expression. "Did you ever do that?"

Mike grins, "No, but I've thought it."

She laughs, "Well, at least you're honest."

The workmen have mainly all gone out by now and Mike hears loud banging and saws going. Conrad nods at him to follow him outside. When they get outside the room he shows Mike where they are reinforcing the load bearing points on each end of the lunchroom.

"Your boardroom is going to be right above us so these will be the main load bearing points in this area. We've added three load bearing points along this line and the end walls." He steps back about ten feet. "Now this wall when we put it in will be modern heavy studding for maximum load bearing. Now halfway," he turns, "between here and the front we will have another load bearing line that will have five load bearing points on it. Your floor upstairs should be as solid as this concrete down here.

Mike hears a jack hammer start up. He shakes his head. Conrad shouts, "They're starting through the concrete for the exchange box!" Mike and him walk outside and he shows Mike the roll up doors; "We are going to leave those as is until last. They will give us outside access to both floors for materials. When we finish the upper section of them are going to be windows upstairs anyway. We'll just have to stud in the bottom half of each."

They are walking towards the west end. A plane comes circling close overhead and touches down on a runway over near the tower. "That's Westjet in from Calgary. You get so you know them all after a while. Those 737's all sound the same."

Mike hears the distant roar of the huge jet engines reversing thrust to slow it down. They come to the old pedestrian entrance and Conrad pushes the door open. "They took out that back wall so now the office and reception area is all one room. That's where your public washrooms are going." Once again the jackhammer drowns him out. He steps back out with Mike.

They go around the corner and along the wall. They round the corner and he points at the wall of the main building again. "You see they have already punched your side door in that wall. That's the staff entry for downstairs on your diagram."

He points up the wall, "We'll add in the overhang here just before we do the siding. Same at the other end. What do you think?"

"It's going faster than I thought. Are you ahead of schedule?"

"We're just starting. Ask me that three weeks from now."

"I'm impressed."

"Oh oh, I think I hear a truck of lumber arriving. Was there anything else I can explain for you? If not, just wander around."

He takes off around the building and Mike tries the new side door. He comes in not too far from the lunchroom. He checks the first door and finds a janitor's room. Next to it are two washrooms and then the lunchroom. He steps inside and goes to the first-aid room. He is surprised to see it clean and spotless with the old equipment in place and new first-aid supplies in the cupboard. He supposes the workmen are using it. He sits on the narrow cot and thinks about Connie. He bounces up and down on the mattress and thinks it must be a new one. He gets up and leaves with a smile on his face.

He wanders around the site watching studding going up and holes being drilled in the concrete to anchor bolts for base plates, wheelbarrow loads of broken concrete being wheeled outside to a pile and chalk marks being snapped along expansive areas of the concrete floor. Everywhere everyone is busy at what they do best, construction. Mike thinks he will never tire of all the activity but he does and goes to his car.

He looks at his watch and jumps in. He roars off for home. On the way he stops by and picks up the sets of prints. His friend does them at home on Sundays if there is a rush on them. Mike has to put up with the banter when he picks them up and suspects his friend has kept a few of the better ones. As long as they never surface he could care less.

At home he spills them out on the desk and gives a low whistle. He studies the new ones and is shocked at the detail. He thinks, "Wait until Trudy sees these!"

He sorts out all the ones that positively identify the participants and then adds two shockers of the action. He makes two piles of the identical ones and gets out the reports.

First he reads over Elsie's report and reconsiders on the shocker pictures. He looks for less graphic ones but ends up putting in the two he had first picked. No sense trying to soft-pedal it, he figures. He puts the photos and the report in a large envelope. He marks her name and address on the front.

Then he does the same for Norman Sewell's case. He throws the two reports in his briefcase and dials Elsie's number.

"Hello, is this Elsie Marlow?"

"Speaking."

"It's Mike Claymore, can I speak plainly?"

"Yes, I'm alone."

"Ma'am I have your report. May I bring it around to the house?"

"Yes, if you come right away. My husband will be home at five."

"Would you rather I waited until after he goes back to the store?"

"No, I would rather see the results now."

"Very well, ma'am. I will be right over."

"Thank you."

He hangs up and he figures by her tone of voice she suspects what the results are. He calls to Marlene he is going out and blows her a kiss.

He races across town and out to the Marlow residence. He rings the bell and a middle-aged woman answers the door. She is fairly attractive and invites him into a sitting room.

"I presume you have bad news. In a way I expect it."

"I'm glad for your sake it didn't take me a few weeks to catch him, ma'am. It can get fairly expensive."

"What have you got?"

Mike opens his briefcase and pulls out the envelope. He shakes out the photos and report along with the bill. He sorts out a photo and hands it to her. "Is this your husband?"

"Yes, it is. Where was this taken?"

He sorts out another with the two of them. "Do you know this woman?"

"No, who is she?"

He passes her another one of them kissing.

"Who is she?!"

He passes her the two shockers. She just looks at them. Finally she says, "Are you going to answer me?"

"I can't divulge her name or address unless you are going to take legal action. If that is the route you choose to take please have your lawyer contact me and I will give him the details. It is a matter of privacy laws, ma'am."

"It looks like you took these pictures over their shoulders. Where is the privacy in that?"

"I have very good telephoto lenses, ma'am. They were taken from a block away."

"Do you have the bill?"

"Yes ma'am and the report. These and the photos are your property now." He hands them over.

"Please wait, I'll make you out a cheque." She leaves the room and comes back shortly. "There you are, Mr. Claymore. Thank you for your prompt service. My lawyer might be in touch with you."

"Thank you, ma'am. It was not a pleasure bringing you this report but I do appreciate your business and if you have friends with doubts you might mention my name."

"I'll do that, sir. In fact my friend might well be in touch with you soon. Good day now." She walks him to the door.

Mike settles in the car and backs out onto the street. He pulls away and dials his cell phone.

"Hello Norman, did I catch you on the road home?"

"Yeah, I just left work. Is that Mike?"

"Yeah, it is. I have the report on your wife. Can I meet you somewhere?"

"Oh oh, sounds like I was right."

"I'm afraid so buddy. I was having doubts myself until the other day. It surprised me. Rose is a fine looking lady."

"Meet me at the Rendezvous Restaurant. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"I'll be about ten. I'm across town."

"Okay, see you."

Mike drives through Clearbrook and then Abbotsford to the Rendezvous. He pulls in and parks. He brings his briefcase and goes inside looking for Norman Sewell. He spots him waving his hand and nods as he starts across the room to meet him. He has an alcove table with some degree of privacy.

Mike sits down opposite him opening his briefcase. He hands him the envelope. Norman opens it and pulls out the contents. He glances at the report and then the photos. "Son of a bitch! Who is this bastard?"

"Norm, keep your voice down. You knew what these photos were going to show before I got here. I can't tell you his name unless you are taking legal action. You know that. I've explained it in the past."

With a bitter frown he looks at all the photos and shoves them in the envelope. He speaks slowly in a normal tone of voice. "Mike, I hoped I was wrong. I love her with all my heart. What do I do now?"

"You can blow your top and divorce her or you can destroy these pictures and forget you ever saw them. It's up to you."

"Oh my God, could you forget it?"

"I have, yes."

"I don't know if I can. I don't know what I'm going to do when I get home tonight. I feel like getting drunk."

"You'll take the photos and hide them, likely in the trunk of the car and then you'll think it over for a few days. Then you'll decide."

"You do a lot of these, eh?" Mike nods.

"Is this the final bill?"

"Yes, unless you want me to keep watching her."

"You think there must be others?"

"No, not at all." But inside he is sure there are. Since Norm does not know the man involved he imagines she has started like most women caught up in affairs. They start with a friend, co-worker or acquaintance and then when they get away with it they either stop out of guilt or move on to another man. He suspects Rose has other secrets in her closet.

"I'll give you the balance at the end of the week. I'll put it in the mail."

"Thanks Norm. I'm sorry it worked out this way."

They have a drink together and then leave. Mike goes home for supper.

After supper he calls Trudy to bring her up to date on what's happening at the airport, what happened with the Marlow's and the Sewell's and his plans to check with the Workman's Compensation on Clegg. He mentions needing another officer in Abbotsford and she agrees. She wants to help him with an ad campaign for Abbotsford for business.

Marlene brings him coffee and helps him by sipping on it as he talks to Trudy.

"Love, I was going to run something low key for now and save the real big ad campaign for when we open the head office next year." He tries to reach the coffee for a sip but Marlene sips it.

"If you are hiring help there you need to run something fairly ambitious now to keep the work flowing in, darling." Marlene is trying to hold it for him to sip and he coughs.

"Darling, are you okay?"

"Some coffee went down the wrong way." He sputters. Marlene grins and pushes the cup to his lips again.

"Are you okay now?"

Mike pushes the cup back, "Stop!"

"What? Stop what?"

"I was talking to Marlene." Marlene sips the coffee.

"She's there? What's she doing?" Marlene holds the coffee out to him again. Mike shakes his head.

"Huh? What'd you say?"

"What's she doing?" Marlene tries to put it up to his lips again. Mike takes the cup.

"She's trying to make me drink my coffee." He grabs a sip and Marlene puts her finger under the cup so he drinks more than he intended. He sputters again trying to swallow.

"Why's she doing that? Good heavens, now what?" He can't answer because he is trying to get the coffee down.

"Darling, are you there?"

Mike strangles out, "Yes!" Marlene has the cup again and sips watching him over the rim of the cup. Mike backs away from the desk with the phone. Marlene holds the coffee out to him and lets on she is going to pour it in his lap. He grabs for it and she pulls it back.

"Michael, what are you doing? I'm going to hang up if you don't talk to me."

Mike pushes back from the desk and says, "Sorry love, Marlene is playing games on me. What were we talking about?"

"You're ad campaign for Abbotsford!" Marlene sips on the coffee watching him.

"Look. Put something together and I'll do the same. We can fax our ideas to each other and come up with..." He jumps to catch the cup before she spills it in his lap. He catches her wrist as well and holding the phone with his shoulder grabs the cup in his other hand. She comes up off her chair and lays across the desk with him holding her hand. He finds the cup is empty. She grins as he lets go her hand.

"For God's sake, go take her to bed!"

"She isn't teasing me for sex, she's playing with the coffee."

"And what do you think that is?" Marlene stays across the desk and walks her finger up from his knee into his crotch grinning mischievously.

"Oh! Now she's teasing for sex! I guess I gave her the idea."

"Sure you did! Ha! What's she doing?" She's scratching his zipper.

"Playing with my cock."

"I'd call that teasing for sex!"

"I mean she's scratching my zipper, not really playing with my cock. Well, let me restate that. She is playing with it now! I got to go!"

"Okay darling. You have fun." Marlene has his fly open and is stroking his bulging manhood.

"Bye for now." He pushes the phone onto its hook and Marlene rolls back off the desk. She goes to the stairs and waves her fingers at him with a devilish grin.

"You really should do up your fly, lover." She takes off up the stairs. Mike groans and does up his fly. He grabs his cup and heads upstairs to get fresh coffee.

Shelly and Marlene are on the couch with Emma watching TV. He brings his coffee in and sits down with them.

"Well, do you feel a year older Shell?"

She leans her head on his shoulder, "I am."

Mike puts his arm around her, "I know you are, kitten. Did you lock up your bike tonight?"

She peeks up at him, "For sure I did. I didn't thank you properly for the aprons. Thank you, Daddy." Quick as a wink she reaches up and kisses him on the lips then settles on his arm. Over her head Mike shakes his at Marlene. Shelly snuggles down against him and places a hand on his chest.

Marlene speaks up, "I think you look sleepy, little girl. You've had quite a day. You better head up to bed."

Shelly murmurs, "Do I have to, Daddy?"

"You heard your mother. You have had quite a day."

She reluctantly sits up between them and asks, "Will you come up and tuck me in, Daddy?"

"You bet! We'll both be up before long. Go get your bath."

She leaves them and Mike sips his coffee. Marlene whispers, "Now she'll go masturbate in the bathtub."

"Don't say that, love."

"Mike, don't be blind. She worships you."

"What can I do? I don't want to hurt her feelings."

"She'll grow out of it in time, I suppose."

"I'm sure she will." He adds, "I hope all our daughters don't do that." He grins at Marlene.

"Why?"

"It's embarrassing. I don't know what to say or do around her. I love her but I'm scared to show it. I never know how she'll take it."

"I think you have another one that feels the same."

"Huh? Jan has never shown any signs of it."

"I mean Crystal."

"Oh." He thinks about it. "You might be right." He asks, "Has Rick ever made any advances on you?"

She smiles, "No outright advances but I see him often looking me over at the club. I imagine he takes it out on Julie."

"Everyone looks you over!"

She giggles, "Oh lover, you're prejudiced!"

"I'm being honest with you! There's not a man out there that wouldn't just love to get his hands on you."

"Oh Mike, get serious!"

"You really don't know how beautiful you are, do you?"

"I'm just as God made me." Mike nods agreement.

She beckons with a finger and he kisses her passionately. She slouches back on the couch and pulls him with her. She presses her body to his welding them together in a tight embrace.

"Oh lover, you're still hard!" She releases him and toys with him unaware of hungry eyes watching from the staircase. Shelly rubs herself harder and faster then scrambles up the stairs afraid her cries will give her away. She runs into the hall bathroom with her hand between her legs. Rick sees her from his room and grins.

Chapter 16:

July 22

"No you didn't!"

"Did too!"

"Didn't!

"Did!"

Mike whispers, "Are you gonna get up and settle it?"

"They'll sort it out." She splays her hand on his chest and rubs it.

"I wonder what it's about?" He rubs his piss hard on her wet labia by shifting his hips.

"No idea," she wiggles her bottom against him. "You have to check that couch today. I think we broke a spring in it last night."

"Daddy, Rick has a key to my bike lock!" Mike grabs the sheet and pulls it over them. Shelly's voice comes from the partly open bedroom door.

"What did he do, Shell?"

"He had my bike out! I know he did because it's locked different than when I locked it last night." Her voice is in the room and Mike looks to her in the doorway.

Rick hollers upstairs, "I did not!"

"You did! You did! You did!"

"Did not! Did not! Did not!"

Mike nudges Marlene, "You better get up, love."

She snuggles closer, "Not me! It's your kids, you get up."

"Daddy?" comes the plaintive cry.

Marlene whispers mimicking her, "Daddy, you better do something." She wiggles her ass on him making him harder. He reluctantly slides out from under her and puts his feet on the floor on the far side of the bed away from the door. He pulls on a robe and stands up.

"Kitten, you'll have to wait until I go to the bathroom. We'll be right down."

"Thank you, Daddy." She withdraws from the door. Mike goes to the bathroom.