Blackmailed Couple II Ch. 03-04

Doc was then treated to a burst of hold music guaranteed to make a two minute hold feel like twenty. Fortunately Judy Cartwright picked up after only a very few seconds.

"Dr. Tibbets! Judy Cartwright here. It's an honor to speak to you sir."

"Thank you Ms. Cartwright. Please call me Doc. It's what everyone calls me and what I'm most comfortable with."

"Will do Doc. Please call me Judy. I can only assume that this call is in reference to Jamie Blount? Jeff must have taken my advice and brought Jamie to see you?"

Something about the counsellor's pleasant demeanor seemed forced or guarded.

"Yes Judy. Thanks for taking the time to speak to me."

"More than happy to Doc. To be honest, I had hoped that Jeff would have let me set him up with you first, that way I could have given you some background on her case, but I guess Jeff must have missed that part of my advice. I know he was quite desperate. How is the poor dear, Jamie that is?"

"Thank you Judy. I only just recently learned that you had referred them to me. Thank you for your confidence, by the way. It's true that Jeff is pretty rattled about the whole situation. A little background would have been helpful, but not essential. Still I'm glad you referred them to me. As for Jamie, I've managed to break the addiction, but not before considerable damage had been done I'm afraid."

"Oh dear. I was afraid of that. I really wish I'd known what was going on sooner. She and Jeff seemed to be doing so well before... well, you know. I'd like to wring the neck of that so-called friend of hers. How can I help Doc?"

Even though there was no particular reason to do so, Doc lowered is voice as if to emphasize the confidentiality of the information he was about to reveal.

"Judy, as you may suspect, during therapy sessions, Jamie divulged to me the original purpose of her reasons for seeking out your services. In a follow-up with Jeff, he confirmed the situation and told me of your plan for remediation." Doc paused briefly to wait for any response. Getting none, he continued. "And your involvement with the group that you recommended."

Doc paused again. After a brief moment of awkward silence Judy responded.

"I see." Followed by another awkward silence. "You're correct of course. I half expected that would come up. It's why I had hoped Jeff had allowed me to set up their appointment with you. So I could lay some groundwork."

In an effort to put Judy at ease, Doc continued.

"I just want to assure you Judy, I concur entirely with your diagnosis and the solution. Had it not been for Jamie's subsequent dalliance with the drugs, it was the ideal resolution. Especially since Jeff finally found his place in the group. I suspect you had something to do with that also?"

The relief in Judy's tone was palpable. "I'm glad to hear you say that Doc. There are so many who would have insisted on treating Jamie's underlying need as a treatable deviance and that, to my mind would only have made matters worse. And you are correct about Jeff. I knew he'd eventually get into it, he just needed a little push. He'll never be a dominant of course, he's not slave material either, but he's a nice man and he'd become a bit of a favorite. A change of pace if you will, with the ladies of the group. He's such a sweet man. Kind of a teddy bear to be honest."

Judy paused, then asked, "So May I ask where you are in Jamie's treatment Doc?"

"At a bit of a standstill I'm afraid. That's why I'm calling you. I have a couple of requests."

"Certainly, I'll help in any way I can. What is it?"

"Now that the addiction has been treated, there is still the matter of Jamie's underlying need. I'm quite certain she won't backslide and begin using again, but in order to have any hope of getting better, the need has to be addressed one way or another. Jeff indicated that when they were asked to leave the group, he was told that they could return when Jamie was clean. Is that you're understanding as well?"

Judy was silent for a moment while she considered the question.

"That is how they worded it, yes. But I'd caution that that was before they knew there was damage done. They certainly don't see themselves as any kind of rehab facility."

Judy paused again before continuing.

"But Jamie and Jeff were real favorites before the drugs took over. I'll ask and see what I can do. Even if it's a conditional return. Can I ask how Jamie is doing, physically I mean?"

"Thank you Judy, that's all I can ask. Physically Jamie is getting better. Her complexion is improving. She'll need some dental work and she's putting some weight back on. If we can give her something to look forward to, I feel confident her outlook will improve dramatically."

"Glad to hear it, thanks. You said you had a couple of requests? Was there something else Doc."

"Yes Judy, there is. I was wondering if you could facilitate an introduction to this group for me. I've got some ideas that could be considered... mutually beneficial."

***

Judy did in fact, follow up on Doc's requests to the group elders for Jamie and Jeff's readmission to the group and to Doc's proposal for a mutually beneficial relationship. The group agreed, conditioned on Doc's continued work with Jamie. The group's leadership was also enthusiastic about the possibilities of an alliance with Doc based on his proposals. If he could deliver on his promises, they surmised, the prospects were practically limitless.

When told that they would be readmitted to the group, Jamie's mood brightened considerably. Her appetite returned and she began to put on weight, enthusiastically meeting every required benchmark to readmission ahead of schedule. With the return of physical health, her complexion improved in short order. Doc was so invested and enthusiastic about Jamie's recovery, he paid for her dental reconstruction out of his own pocket. Mentally, Jamie had made considerable progress but still had a long way to go. Doc was determined to see her through as far as her damaged brain would allow.

***

It did not take long after his introduction to the group before an opportunity was presented for Doc to demonstrate his value and capabilities to the group.

A member of the group, Michael Tisdale, a wealthy and prominent member of the community, was embroiled in a bitter divorce and custody battle with his latest trophy wife, Cindi Tisdale. Cindi had hired a barracuda of an attorney who had sensed a big payday. The attorney was convinced that, prenuptial agreement notwithstanding, she could have it all. In a major blow to Michael chances, the judge assigned to his case was one known for being a strict moralist. Michael's history of philandering had been a source of salacious gossip in the local media. His chances appeared dim.

Doc was consulted as to whether there was anything he could possibly do to help. The primary concern to the group was that a media circus surrounding Michael's case may expose the group to unwanted scrutiny.

Doc formulated a plan that was enthusiastically embraced. But there was a catch. The hearing for dissolution and custody proceedings was scheduled in just eight weeks. Doc's experience with behavior modification was such that small, incremental change over time was far more safe and effective than trying to change too much too quickly. Moving with too much haste posed considerable risk to the subject's long term mental stability. The group, not surprisingly considered that risk to be of secondary concern.

Doc considered the Hippocratic Oath he had taken to "do no harm".

But only briefly.

Chapter 04

It was 11:00 AM when Cindi Tisdale pressed the button on the remote in her BMW 330i. The gate to the property and all three garage doors opened simultaneously. She pulled the car into the slot on the far right, where Michael used to park his Porsche. He wouldn't be parking there anymore.

The meeting with her lawyer had gone well. Better than she'd even hoped in fact.

Cindi exited the car and entered the McMansion through the garage. The house was quiet and tranquil. Another upside of Cindi and Michael's separation was that every other week, their two year old twin boys stayed with their father and Cindi had the house to herself. Sure, the twins were fun at first and they'd brought Cindi a lot of much needed attention when she was pregnant and then when they were babies. But since they'd gotten older, it was the twins that needed a lot of attention. That was something Cindi was poorly equipped to provide. Fortunately they had Maria, the live-in nanny. Maria loved the boys and they loved her. There were times when Cindi considered just turning over custody of the boys to Michael, but that would mean giving him a win. That was a prospect Cindi found untenable.

Cindi's lawyer, Bill Farnsworth had told her he'd found a loophole in the pre-nup that centered on Michael's faithlessness. As if that wasn't enough, he'd just informed her that the judge assigned was one who had a record of taking a very dim view of what she considered moral depravity and of philandering husbands in particular. Cindi Tisdale it seemed was well positioned to get it all. The money, the house and the kids. Everything.

Cindi breathed a sigh of relief that she'd followed her lawyer's advice and had managed to resist temptation to go out and play since she'd kicked Michael out of the house. That was after she had caught him with that tramp. Lord knows Cindy had had plenty of opportunities to play since. She was still young and she knew she was still hot, having redoubled her exercise regimen after the twins were born. When word got out that she and Michael had separated, the vultures had begun circling, hoping for a taste of the hot young socialite. And Cindi had been tempted on several occasions.

"Just a couple more months Cindi." She told herself. "Then you can let the vultures have their feast."

Her bright mood dimmed when she entered her bedroom, their bedroom, and flashed back to the scene she'd walked in on just a few weeks prior.

Michael, flat on his back with his hands gripping the big fake tits of that tramp as she rocked her hips on her husband, in the bed Cindi and Michael had shared for five years.

The irony was lost to Cindi Tisdale, that just five years prior, the tramp that Michael had been caught cheating with was none other than Cindi Tisdale herself.

Cindi's phone rang, bringing her back to the present.

It was a number she did not recognize.

"Hello?"

"Cindi Tisdale?"

A female voice that Cindi did not recognize.

"Yes, this is she. Who's asking?"

"Hi Mrs. Tisdale, this is Connie at Bill Farnsworth's office."

Cindi's lawyer.

"This is Connie you say? I've never talked to you before. I usually talk to Carol, Bill's assistant."

"Yes Mrs. Tisdale. Carol took an early lunch. Mr. Farnsworth asked me to call you directly. Something has come up and he needs to speak to you right away. In person, he says."

Cindi was confused.

"I don't understand. I was just in his office not a half hour ago. In fact I just got back home this very minute. What could possibly have come up in that time?"

"I don't know the details Mrs. Tisdale. He just asked me to tell you to meet him at our South office. He's on his way there now. I understand that's closer to your home?"

"I've never heard of a South office. I have no idea where it is."

"That's no problem Mrs. Tisdale. I can text you the address."

"Well, I suppose. If it's really important. Go ahead and text the address to me and I'll head right over. But this is highly irregular Connie."

"I understand Mrs. Tisdale. I'm sorry for the short notice, but Mr. Farnsworth was insistent that it was important he speak to you in person as soon as possible."

"Very well Connie. Thank you."

Cindi Tisdale disconnected the call. Within 10 seconds she received a text that contained a link to the address that would directly open to the map app in her phone. The directions said it would be an eight minute drive.

"What on earth?" Cindi asked of the empty house.

Cindi Tisdale went back out to the garage, slid behind the wheel of her BMW and headed to a meeting. A meeting that her lawyer's office had never scheduled, at an office that was not his.

It would be the first of several such meetings that Cindi Tisdale would have no memory of.

***

Six weeks later the local media was all abuzz about a video that had gone viral depicting Cindi Tisdale, the estranged wife of prominent local businessman, Michael Tisdale. The woman it seems, had been filmed engaged in lascivious behavior in the VIP room of a local gentlemen's club. It was uncertain at press time whether Mrs. Tisdale was an employee of the Gentlemen's Club or a simply a patron who had come to the club to let off steam.

***

Two weeks following the explosive release of Cindi Tisdale's scandalous video, Michael Tisdale pressed the button on the remote in his Porsche Cayenne. The gate to the property and all three garage doors opened simultaneously. He pulled the car into its rightful position in the rightmost stall of the garage. He unbuckled the twins from their car seats and walked them into the house through the garage. The boys squealed with delight upon seeing Maria their nanny. Michael Tisdale then went upstairs to shower before going out to celebrate his victory at a remote, undisclosed location ninety minutes outside of town.

***

Six months later Doc was in the basement of the Victorian styled mansion from which the group conducted their operations. He was getting situated into the workspaces that had been constructed to his exacting specifications. That day a small blurb appeared down on the lower third of the local news website;

Cindi Tisdale, former wife of prominent local businessman Michael Tisdale, swept up in local prostitution bust. Faces drug charges.

***

A knock at the door roused Doc from his reverie. He checked his watch.

1:00 PM straight up. His appointment had arrived.

Doc crossed the room to the door and opened it.

Mistress Linda entered training room one with Anna, naked except for her leather collar and matching wrist and ankle bands, in tow at the end of her leash.

...continued