Equalizer

"Yes, I remember. It was in all the papers and all over the news, but he was acquitted. That was about two years ago, now. Do you think he...?"

"Tabitha says it's very possible. Gordon might not be quite as stupid as we thought he was. We don't think he did it himself. Most likely, he hired someone. His alibi was rock solid for the time his rival was killed."

"I... I understand," he said. "Unfortunately, I don't possess any firearms. Candace doesn't want me to have one. She hates guns."

"That, and she knows that if you had one, you'd never allow them to do what they did, and the balance of power would shift in your favor," I replied. "Go out right now, buy one, and wait the seven days before picking it up. I just hope that by then, we'll be finished and you won't need it."

"I hope you're right, Deck," he said.

"William, listen to me. Even if I'm right, you might still need one to defend yourself and your family. From what you've said, and what I've overheard, your wife could pose as much of a danger as Gordon. It sounds like she won't take the change in balance lying down. She could go ballistic, no pun intended. Now, I'm NOT saying to buy a gun just to murder your wife, but you may need one for self-defense. Also, remember to buy a box of bullets in the right caliber."

He chuckled at the last part. "I've shot guns before, and I know how to load them."

"Good to know. I recommend a revolver. A .38 would probably serve you best."

"Ok, that sounds good," he said. "I'll buy one first thing in the morning."

I didn't like the "first thing in the morning" part, but I decided that if all went well, he might not even need it for ol' Gordy.

"Ok," I responded. "William, just keep acting normal, and hopefully this will all be over very soon. When I'm done, your wife won't want custody, but even if she does, it probably won't work out the way she plans."

"If you can pull this off, Deck, I will be forever in your debt!" he exclaimed.

"Nah, you'll just owe me the other 25K," I chuckled.

He laughed at that. "I'll pay you as soon as you get that gorilla out of my life and do what you have to do to get Candace not to sue for custody."

"I'll do my best on both counts, and my best is pretty damn good," I smiled. "See you later, William."

"Ok, goodbye," he said and Ended the call.

As soon as the call ended, I looked up at Tabby and saw her smiling. "It's good to see someone sticking up for the little guy."

"I've always been a sucker for the underdog," I shrugged. "Besides, he offered me 50K to do the job, and I don't leave a job half-finished once I start it."

We talked for quite awhile, getting to know each other. Likes and dislikes, taste in movies, music, food, and other things. We actually had more in common than I thought we would.

My new plan to deal with ol' Gordy had pretty much solidified in my brain, so I was able to devote more attention to the lovely lady I was talking with.

We talked until Maggie knocked on Tabby's office door. When I unlocked it and let her in, she and Shelly told Tabby that they were knocking off for the night. I checked my watch, and sure enough, it was after 2200 hrs.

"Oh my lord," Tabby chuckled and blushed. "I had no idea it was getting so late."

"No problem, Tabs," Shelly said. "We'll see you tomorrow." She winked at me, and both of them gave us knowing smiles before closing the door and heading out.

"I think they think we're an item," Tabby said after they left.

"I wouldn't object to that," I grinned. "But not tonight. I have a new plan to deal with your former client. I need to get a few things straightened out first, but it shouldn't take long."

"Deck, please don't kill him. He might be an asshole, or even a total psycho, but I can't condone murder."

I stood up and took her hand in mine. "Tabby, you have my word that I won't kill him."

Her touch electrified me. Her hand was soft and supple, and I wasn't even thinking as I brought my lips down and kissed the back of her hand.

"I... I... Oh my..." she stammered. "A real gentleman? I thought chivalry was dead."

"Not dead. Just not seen very often," I smiled.

"I won't lie to you, Deck. I can't remember the last time a man kissed my hand."

I kissed her hand again. "Well, now hopefully you will."

She stood from behind her desk and pulled me over to the side as she walked over to meet me. When we were face to face, she reached up with her free hand and pulled me down into a kiss. It wasn't a hungry kiss of pure lust. It was a soft and sensual kiss promising more when we would meet again.

Her kiss caused an instant erection, and I had to fight every instinct inside me not to take her right there on her desk!

"Not until this is all over, Declan," she said softly, as if reading my mind.

"You're right," I replied, still staring into her dark brown eyes. "But when this is over, I'm taking you out to dinner, dancing, maybe some wine, and then who knows?"

She gave me a sexy smile. "I think you know, already."

"I don't want to presume," I replied with a half-smile of my own.

"Then I won't say anymore for now. Get Gordon to stay away from Turner, and then we'll have some time for us."

"Like I said, I promise not to kill him. But when I'm through with him, he's going to wish he'd never been born."

She shrugged. "Works for me. Now, I hate to kick you out..."

"I understand," I smiled. "Oh, can I get your number?"

"Sure, hon," she grinned as she took my phone, programmed her number in, then called her phone with it and saved my number in hers. "There. Now we have each other's digits."

"I'll call you when it's done, Tabby. I promise you." With those words, I leaned down and kissed her soft, full, sensuous lips again. That kiss, like the one before, seemed to last a blissful eternity.

I left her with her eyes closed as I turned and walked out of her office.

* * * * *

The next morning, I put my new plan into effect. I'd been able to get some good intel on Gordy boy, and it was time to act on it. A few hours the night before using Google and Bing to find out everything about his arrest record and court appearances told me most of what I'd already suspected and figured out about him.

One: He was richer than the Pope. Old Money didn't begin to describe him. Hell, the son of a bitch was giving Bill fuckin' Gates a run for his money... literally.

Two: He was a narcissist through and through. He took great care with his appearance, and used it to devastating effect on his "prey". Basically, any married woman he looked at.

That brings me to Three: He seemed to target married women exclusively. He had been named as a co-respondent in several Divorce cases both in Boston, where he was from originally, and even a couple here in California. He'd also been charged with assault and battery once when a man had come home to find Gordy fucking his wife. He hadn't even had a chance to act before Gordon had jumped up and attacked him. Unfortunately, Gordy had pled out on that one too.

Four: Gordon Smith was a druggy. He had several arrests in Boston for possession of Cocaine and Marijuana. He pled out on several charges, and then he actually wised up and got a good criminal defense attorney. An oxymoron, if I ever heard one, but it fit.

Five: He had rarely been turned down, but those times he had failed to seduce a wife, she had been assaulted by person or persons unknown shortly after giving him the brush-off. Usually within two or three days, she would get "mugged", but was unable to identify her attacker or attackers.

Reading that last part, I figured he had hired some guys to take "revenge" for him, when he felt he couldn't handle it himself. The single attacker was possibly him, while the multiple attackers were probably hired goons. That's how bullies operate. They rarely fight their own battles when they know that someone could take them, or if they even suspect that someone could beat them in a fight.

I found it strange that none of the three women had been sexually assaulted during their muggings. They had all named him as a man who had propositioned them, but nothing was done about it. Like with the murder trial, Gordon had a rock solid alibi, and no paper trail to show that he'd had anything to do with the ladies getting mugged.

So my initial conclusion about him that he was stupid seemed to be wrong on some levels. He was a cunning asshole. I had to give him that. He was one of those assholes that prefers to let others do his dirty work for him. I guessed he paid them in cash, so the money couldn't be traced back to him.

I'd met assholes like him before, mostly in Red River. The main difference was that the guys in Red River tended to fight their own battles instead of hiring outside help. However, the same basic narcissistic bully personality had been evident with all of them.

Gordon wasn't just a bully. He was a full blown coward. He put on a brave façade with his "I'm the only protection I need" garbage, but he refused to fight his own battles unless he was attacked outright and didn't have a chance to run away.

My biggest advantage had been that he didn't even know I existed. Now, my advantage was slightly less because he DID know of my existence now. Now my biggest advantage was that he still didn't know who I was.

This was the time, however, for me to act. Yesterday's misadventure was supposed to just be a quick surveillance op to see what kind of security he had at his house.

This new plan would be hampered a bit by the fact that I'd failed to get the necessary intel on his home security system. The good news was that I would be confronting him with something he wouldn't be expecting.

It was almost noon, so it was almost time for me to go see ol' Gordy boy again. I had just finished my shower when my cell rang.

I smiled when I saw Tabby's number, so I answered with "Hello, Beautiful."

"Deck! I'm glad I caught you. Whatever you're planning as far as dealing with Gordon, you're too late. He's already headed over to Turner's house."

"Ah, crap!" I said. I should have seen this coming. "How do you know this?" I asked.

"Turner called me. He got my office number online and called me to let me know that Gordon was on his way. That was five minutes ago." She paused, and I thought I heard Maggie's voice in the background. When she came back on, she said, "If you get over there now, you might be able to intercept him. Turner overheard his wife having a conversation with him, so he called me. Now go!"

"You don't have to tell me twice," I said. "I'll be there in five."

Sure enough, I was out front of William Turner's house five minutes later. I'd grabbed a little something on the way out, and it had taken me a minute to find it, so I was too late to intercept the psycho. His Lamborghini Diablo was already parked out front. The dumb son of a bitch hadn't even bothered to lock it!

I headed up to the door after checking something on the Italian sports car. I was wondering why he hadn't called me before Tabby. That was strange.

My question was answered when I got to his door. I rang the bell, and heard some shuffling going on inside the house. When the door opened, it was Mrs. Turner, AKA Candace who answered.

"Yes?" she asked with a sneer. I had to admit that she was even more of a knockout in person than in the pictures.

"Ma'am, are you Candace Turner? Wife of William Turner?" I asked. I was now improvising, since this latest development had shoved Plan B out the window. Mr. Murphy was definitely along for the ride. I was also working on Plan C as we spoke.

She rolled her eyes. "For the moment. What has the little shit done now?"

"He hired me as his personal bodyguard," I said with an evil smile. "He's given me full authority to defend and protect him in any way I deem necessary to keep him from physical harm. Now. Let me in."

My tone caught her completely off-guard, and she stepped back involuntarily as I stepped forward. As I stepped inside, I saw that Gordy boy had William backed against the wall. He grabbed William by the throat and turned with a "Who is it, Cand..." but the words stuck in his throat when he recognized me.

William, God Bless him, said "Meet my new bodyguard, asshole. The Equalizer."

"I level the playing field, and anyone who messes with my clients," I said as I stalked towards Gordon with a stony expression on my face.

The Asshole paled considerably as I moved towards him. He released William and took up a combat stance similar to the one he'd tried to use the day before. I could tell that he had some martial arts training, but that he hadn't stuck with it. He knew just enough to be dangerous to himself more than others.

I took a bit of twisted pleasure in the fact that his nose was swollen and was obviously broken from when I'd hit him, and even more twisted pleasure in the fear radiating from him in waves.

"Run," I said as I continued to close with him slowly.

He didn't need to be told twice. However, he made the mistake of trying to run past me to get out the front door.

It was a simple matter to turn my foot sideways and stick it out a bit, and he tripped and fell face first onto the linoleum floor. His hands, which were trying to brace his fall, slipped outward, and his broken nose was all the cushion he had as his face hit the floor.

Candace was staring at me in pure terror. The balance of power had shifted dramatically in the space of less than two minutes.

"Where are your children?" I asked in a calm, conversational tone to William. "And why aren't you at work?"

"Oooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwww," Douchebag said as he regained consciousness after only a few seconds, and his hands went to his ruined nose.

"They're at school. I would have called you, but my wife interrupted my call to Ms. Williams. I'm glad she called you for me," he seemed immensely relieved.

I nodded. "I'm glad she called me too. Now, since this is your house, would you like Mr. Smith here to be charged with trespassing?"

"Yes!" he exclaimed.

"Then call 911," I said with a nod. Then I turned to Mrs. Turner. "Mrs. Turner, you aren't going to be married to Mr. Turner for much longer. He is going to Divorce you."

She sneered. "No he won't. Not if he ever wants to see his children again!" she barked.

"So, if the Judge in your Divorce case awards Mr. Turner partial custody, you would defy that and risk Contempt of Court charges?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.

Her attitude was undeterred. "As if they could find me," she rolled her eyes in contempt. "I have enough money to disappear in Europe or Asia to a non-extradition country. My limp dicked hubby will never see his kids again!" she hissed while looking daggers at William.

William held firm. "Candace, I'm going to Divorce you. End of story. You and your ape there don't scare me anymore." So saying, he pulled out his phone and dialed 911.

The ape in question was rising to his feet unsteadily, and Candace went to grab a towel for his ruined and bloody nose.

I took that moment to move over to where Gordon was swaying groggily, and leaned in close. "Gordon Smith, I know who you are and where you live. I know how to circumvent your security anytime I want, and I can break your neck before you can scream. If you don't want that to happen to you, you will leave here now and don't come back. Because I guarantee that if you come back, you will most likely end up in jail, if the cops arrive in time to stop me. See, unlike you, I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty."

I paused for emphasis on what I was going to say next. "Your money can't protect you from me. All the security goons you could hire won't protect you from me. You've obviously had martial arts training, and I took you down twice now without even breaking a sweat. What does that say about my skills?"

Yes, I was using the "It's not that you suck, I'm just better than you" ploy.

He had no answer for that, except to try and staunch the flow of blood from his nose without hurting himself too badly.

Like I said before, this was Plan C. Plan A and B had fallen apart, so I was improvising my ass off on this one. Preying on his fear was the only play I had, at least until I could come up with a Plan D.

Candace had come back with a towel for her boyfriend's nose, and I backed off enough for her to give it to him. I just looked at him levelly, basically daring him to say anything about my threats.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and William walked over quickly and opened it to two uniformed police officers.

"Thank you for coming, officers," he said and nodded as he stepped back to let them in.

The cops took in the scene for a moment. "Mr. Turner, which one is the trespasser?" asked Officer Horton, the older of the two. He was looking back and forth between me and Gordon.

"That's him," William said, pointing at Gordon.

"You bether shuth your thrap you weakth lithle cuckth!" Gordon shouted/lisped around his swollen lips and ruined nose. He then pointed to me. "Thath athhole ruineth my nothe!"

"Mr. Shepard here is acting as my bodyguard," William said. He then went on to explain the whole situation to the cops, who wrote everything down on their notepads.

"I'd also like you to remove Candace Turner from the premises, please," William said finally. "She is going to be served Divorce papers in a few days, and I don't trust her to live here anymore."

"YOU CAN'T DO THAT TO ME, YOU LITTLE SHIT!" Candace screamed. "I OWN YOUR SORRY LITTLE ASS! YOU'LL NEVER SEE YOUR CHILDREN AGAIN!"

"Ma'am, you need to calm down," Officer Johns said. He was the younger of the two.

The front door was still open, and I glanced outside to see Tabby walking up the driveway with Maggie and Shelly right behind her.

William had followed my gaze. "Ah, my lawyers are here. Good," he said. I looked at him and caught him smiling. He'd finally taken control of the situation, and from Tabby's track record for keeping Gordon the Numbnut out of jail, it was a safe bet that Mr. Turner wasn't going to pay much in the way of alimony or child support after the Divorce was final and the dust had settled.

When they got to the door, Maggie handed a manila envelope to William first, then turned to Candace. "Are you Candace Turner, ma'am?"

"Y... Yes, I am. What's this all about?" she asked, understanding beginning to dawn.

Maggie handed her the second manila envelope. "Candace Turner, you've been served," she said with a shark like grin. She then looked at William. "That is your copy of the Divorce papers. I took the liberty of filing under Adultery on your behalf."

"I'm no Divorce attorney, but Maggie here is one of the best," Tabby said with a shrug at our questioning looks.

"That's right. Oh, one more thing," Maggie said, pulling a third manila envelope out of her legal satchel. She handed it to Gordon. "Gordon Smith, you've been served as a co-respondent in the Divorce of Mr. William Turner from Mrs. Candace Turner."

"Ok, HOW did you guys do this so quickly?" I asked with a chuckle as Gordon stood there, struck dumb by the way the events had unfolded.

Shelly answered. "Well, when we got into the office early this morning, Tabby told us the situation. Maggie drew up some Divorce papers in record time, just in case. We did it just to see if we could. It usually takes a day or two, but we did it in just a few hours."

"Maggie is damn good at her job," Tabby grinned. "One reason why I keep her around."

Everyone laughed at that, even the cops.

Well, Gordon and Candace weren't laughing.

The cops arrested Gordon for Trespassing and Assault, and took him downtown. They also ended up arresting Candace for trespassing when she refused to leave the residence. As it turned out, William had owned the house since before he'd even met Candace. It was all in his name, so it wouldn't be in Community Property during the Divorce. As the sole homeowner, he had the right to evict anyone who wasn't welcome there.