David and Becky - Resolution Ch. 17

"I'm afraid, during Elena's sentencing in this room, she became quite vocal."

"What do you mean?"

"She made rather a concerted attack on you, Mr Emerson, informing Judge Olarescu that you were currently serving a one month sentence in prison for using the internet to send messages for which she, Elena, had been found guilty. She claims that because you had been found guilty in my court and sentenced, your conviction means the suspension of your three year sentence should be lifted, and you should remain here to serve the remainder of that time. It was impossible for me to keep her from saying this while Judge Olarescu was listening."

I was suddenly hit with the thought that coming back here had been the biggest mistake of my life. "Oh Fuck!" I exclaimed. It was definitely a bigger mistake than coming here in the first place, or while I was here, accepting that request by Becky to stay longer, or Madam Popescu's offer of a gamble to win early release.

She looked at me with dagger eyes for several seconds. "Madam Cece, would you please give the prisoner six strokes with your paddle whip for disrespecting me and this court by uttering that profanity."

I was pushed forward so my arms were on Madam Popescu's desk to hold me up, my bare bottom slightly bent to receive a beating for swearing. How else was I expected to react? The girl with the dyed blonde hair got into position before meticulously placing six hard strokes of the paddle whip across my bottom at nothing greater than five second intervals. My legs kept bending at the knees as each painful stroke landed on my already bruised bottom, but I just managed to hold myself together by the time the sixth stroke landed. I was then given assistance to stand upright again with my bottom throbbing and no doubt glowing in full view of those standing behind me.

Without any mention of what had just happened, Madam Popescu continued to speak: "Judge Olarescu asked me if it was true that you were currently imprisoned in Casavana, to which I had to confirm. It was with great reluctance that she admitted there was nothing she could do but activate the three year sentence she had imposed three months ago, but agreed that the month you are presently serving counts towards the three years. Having already served six months, that would leave you with a total of two years and five months remaining for you to serve in Casavana.

"Please no, Madam Popescu," I pleaded.

"Mr Emerson. Do you trust your wife?"

I frowned at her in disbelief that she would ask a question like that after what she was telling me. I was being tested, but was this just an elaborate trick to humiliate me by saying I trusted my wife just as I was about to be shown I could trust nobody.

"I ... I ..."

"Mr Emerson?"

"Yes," I said, almost shouting. "I trust my wife." It was a massive step of faith for me to say that.

"Therefore, do you trust me?"

"Yes, Madam Popescu." I had to stick with my declaration.

Without any acknowledgment of my answers, she continued: "Elena was very happy to hear Judge Olarescu accept what she said, but was less happy when I then explained to the Judge that Elena had been misinformed. You see, I suspected your position here may have been very precarious for you if certain information came out, so I chose not to make any new charge or conviction against you official. To put it all in a nutshell, Mr Emerson, the court session three weeks ago was a sham. You have been here on an entirely voluntarily basis, although everyone except your wife, my court administrator and I thought you were a genuine prisoner. I actually believe Judge Olarescu was happy to hear that news when i explained it."

I looked at her blankly. What did she just say? I reran her words over in my mind while she looked at me awaiting some sort of reaction. "Madam Popescu, did you say, the court session three weeks ago when I was found guilty of sending messages outside the prison, was a sham?"

"Yes, Mr Emerson."

"So, I've not been convicted of anything?"

She continued looking at me with no expression on her face.

"The three year sentence is not being activated?"

"Elena was very unhappy to hear the news," Madam Popescu said. "She was rather angry, and a tad frustrated."

I laughed with relief at the deviousness of Madam Popescu that had, for once, worked in my favour. "So, what happens now?" I asked, half expecting my chain to be released, my cock cage to be removed, given back my clothes and sent to a hotel in Keara to await Becky's arrival. That didn't happen.

"We move on to another reason why I have brought you here."

I looked at her with suspicion. As much as I'd received good news, there was always a possibility with this woman that something bad was about to happen to me.

"Please, Madam Popescu, tell me."

"As I have asked you before, I must ask you again, Mr Emerson. Do you trust your wife?"

"Yes," I replied, trying to keep upbeat and positive although I was fed being asked the same question. "And I trust you also, Madam Popescu."

"For what I am about to show you, your trust in me is irrelevant."

She slowly turned the laptop on her desk around and pointed the screen at me. "I want you to look at a couple of photographs."

When my eyes fell on the screen, my heart sank and rage engulfed me. It was a photograph of a naked Josh in our bedroom with Becky, at least she was clothed. The picture was a still from the cctv camera I'd seen in the corner of the room at home. Fucking Josh was back, why had she let him into the apartment, into the bedroom, what the hell was going on?

"She's being stalked by that guy back home, it's her ex-boyfriend, but she said she'd sort him out," I raged at the screen rather than at Madam Popescu. "Has she given in to him?"

The next photo showed Becky reaching out and placing her hand on his shoulder. I hoped there wasn't going to be photo after photo of the pair of them gradually progressing until Becky was also stripped off and ending up on the bed wrapped in an embrace with him. She had really let me down.

"That's all I have for you, Mr Emerson."

"When were they taken, Madam Popescu?" I asked, my voice shaking.

"During the last couple of days, I believe. Your wife has asked me to show you these photos and asked me to ask you this question: Do you trust your wife, and do you trust her to keep your games at a level which you are both happy with?"

"What does that question even mean? And how can she do this to me after what we've just come through?"

I was aware of sniggering from the guards in the room, but I was too focussed on Becky ... and Josh ... to be worried about them.

"She has asked me to relay your answer to her," Madam Popescu prompted me.

I could understand how the question of trust was put to me over Elena and the possible activation of my prison sentence. That was a clear set up to test my trust. But how could the photograph lie? Josh and Becky were in our bedroom together, but was this some sort of complex trick to really test if I trusted my wife. Was she also showing me in some bizarre fashion she wasn't pushing the games beyond what I wanted, and she was proving herself to me? I was going to go out on a limb here; it was a huge leap of faith, bigger than the one minutes earlier. "Yes," I said, decisively, "I trust my wife and trust her to keep our games at a level that suits us both."

A couple more sniggers could be heard behind me, but I ignored them and listened only to Madam Popescu who was turning the laptop back to face herself.

"Thank you, Mr Emerson. I will pass that on to your wife."

"Could you tell me the context of those photos please, Madam Popescu?"

"No, I cannot, as she gave me none."

"I don't understand, Madam Popescu."

"You still have a few days to work it out alone in your cell."

My mind was all over the place. In the last half hour or so, I had reached the depths of despair, the heights of joy, only to be cast down into a sea of confusion. Even without the psychology skills of Elena, Madam Popescu was able to inflict mental punishment on her prisoners, especially me.

"I do not wish you to misunderstand what I have told you regarding the suspension of your sentence. There are still some issues that need addressing regarding your time in Casavana, and when your wife arrives in two days, I will be discussing with her how they will be dealt with."

"Issues, Madam Popescu? I thought you said this one month sentence you've given me hasn't been recorded officially as a federal crime."

"You are correct, Mr Emerson."

For the first time since I shuffled into the office, she smiled at me. What did that mean? I wasn't going to find out, at least not then. The only word I managed to get out was: "But ..."

She turned to the guards and spoke to them: "Madam Cece and Madam Justyna, would you kindly take the prisoner back to his cell."

Coming next in Chapter 18: I am called to account for the error I made.