Lost Lives Ch. 02

195 HOT FM - First News Across Your Day! "First news report of the day and the lead story this morning is an aggravated assault on a bar worker who was seriously injured as he was returning home from work in the early hours of this morning. He is in the City Base Hospital intensive care unit with a series of multiple injuries including broken arm, severe spinal and rib damage, suspected liver and other organ damage which won't be known fully until the swelling is relieved, medical sources said they have placed the man in a heavy drug induced coma and were unsure at this time as to whether the twenty-nine year old victim would even survive. He was identified and was known to Police, an Official Police source said in a statement. Early police investigations had also linked his employment to a popular central city bar where he worked nights. The employer was helping the police with their investigation and an early police release stated that the injured man was carrying a large quantity of money on his person as he had ceased working for the bar and it was his last night, no money was found on the victim and his wallet,cellphone and identification were missing. The attack was not witnessed and police were urging anybody with any information to come forward. They are treating it as a violent robbery. The Mayor is holding an emergency Council meeting with Police Senior Officers and Chamber of Commerce Officials in attendance at 1:00pm today at City Chambers to review security needs within the Central Business District following the spate of vicious robbery's and attacks in the area. Police have not yet released the victims name as they are trying to reach his family members. In other news.."

Breakfast was a surprise, Steph was up before Janine and I, she had made pancakes and had the table laid, coffee ready when I walked in the kitchen. Janine was sitting, with a mouthful of food, she gave me a cheeky grin and rolled her eye's but it was obvious she wasn't too displeased with the situation.

"Good morning Mitch."

"Morning Steph." She placed a plate in front of me. "Help yourself honey, while they're hot."

Janine was looking at me like a gomel, one eye closed and her mouth stuffed full. I couldn't help myself I burst out laughing, and she being happy with that opened her mouth enough for me to see the shit stuck in her mouth and between her teeth as she smiled.

Steph turned round expectant that she would be able to share in the joke, sooo... so I pointed at Janine's face and yeah slowly a smile crept onto Steph's face, it was a nervous smile, but a smile all the same. And then it wasn't, then it was tears, she looked away from us both, hid her face in her hands and ran from the room. I looked at Janine. She'd stopped acting the fool, still hadn't swallowed her food though. She looked at me staring at her,"Vot? Vot bid I dobe?" - Kid's!

I was just about to leave the house when my phone rang, it was Ginia, "Morning sweetheart did you sleep okay."

"Thanks I did M, have you heard the news?"

"No, I haven't."

"Look I'm a bit late, but you better take a listen."

"I'm off now, I'll try the car radio."

"Okay Mitch, you want to do lunch?"

"Yep, If you've got nothing on, Glassey's? at 12:15, suit you?"

"K, see ya then, love ya."

I felt nothing after hearing the news, just nothing, I wasn't elated, I wasn't sad, far as I was concerned, he'd get what he got when he did what he done, checkmate motherfucker. That I didn't do it worried me not an inch, if I'd been involved I had no doubt my ass would be in jail right this minute, I thought about sending an anonymous 'thank you' card to Joe at Night Moves but decided it would probably be a bit of a problem if the cops found out about it.

A phone call later in the morning cancelled out the need to send anything to Joe, "Is that Mitch, Joe here Mitch, we met last night at my bar with your companion, Virgina, was it Ginia you called her?" - SHIT!

"Yes Joe, it was. You've got me at a disadvantage Joe, how did...."

"I get your number, is that the question Mitch? I'll assume it is, well Mitch, it was purely by chance that your wife's cell number was listed on a phone here at the club, let's say there was the matter of some delicate information associated with her name, the information according to the call history had this number you are talking to me on as the cell that the information was forwarded to yesterday afternoon Mitch. I was sure you and your good lady wouldn't want this information to get in to the wrong hands so to speak. Still with me Mitch."

"Yes Joe."

"So not knowing who your good lady was, I was able to locate a source that was more than reliable to provide a last name and a work place, of course after a quick check of the university website provided photo's of yourself and your wife, Stephany. Imagine my surprise that I'd been talking to the very gentleman no more than twelve hours previously piqued my curiosity. Now Mitch, given the circumstances that have arisen since we were at the club last night, I'm assuming you've heard the unfortunate bad luck that befell one of my barmen, Benjamin?"

"Yes Joe you assume right."

"Fine Mitch, let me suggest to you that the delicate information we both have regarding intertwined and overlapping shall we call them 'interest's' put us both in a predicament wouldn't you say Mitch?"

"Yes they do Joe, I get the gist that maybe we should meet and decide if we can nut out an arrangement to safe guard both lots of information getting into the wrong hands?"

"In a nutshell, Mitchell, exactly."

"Then tell me Joe, give me a time."

"I suspect you know the City Public library and if you do you know it has a quiet unobtrusive coffee shop attached where the seating and the visuals are such that a conversation can be carried out without being disturbed, over-heard or observed easily, and also that it would not be unheard of for you to frequent. Mitch I'd suggest ten thirty."

"Ten-thirty, public library, done."

I was purposely early so I chose a two seat bar-leaner in a secluded area away from prying eye's. Joe arrived bought himself a coffee, and wandered over and to my surprise went through the drama of asking if he could sit with me. I played the game and welcomed him. It was obvious that he was carrying something in his hand which he placed on the table, it was the memory-card from a cellphone, he placed it in front of him, "I was expecting Virginia to be here Mitch seeing as she has the evidence that I would need in exchange."

"Oh, Joe I'm sorry I never realised that that was the circumstance, if you're willing I'll give her a call."

I did and she said she was on her way, promising I would tell her what was going on when she arrived. She was obviously taken aback to see me sitting with Joe, but once she spied the card on the table she put together what was going on in a flash, her cheeks reddened as she realised our little ruse with recording Joe's conversation had been tumbled, "Damn, I thought we were being so subtle and not obvious."

"Oh you were, it wasn't until I was working out who and where you guy's fitted in that I realised you had been holding your cellphone all night, we do have a security camera in the bar, the tape of which has been wiped I might add, anyway a quick review of the tape and I saw you operate the phone when I started my spiel."

"So Virginia, would you be prepared to exchange like for like?"

"Yes, I would have no problem with that at all Joe, It is wiped, deleted as Mitch wanted it gone last night but I will still give it to you if you would like."

"Oh so could I see for myself?"

"Of course Joe, here I'll pull up the log history and you can check for yourself."

As Joe looked through Virginia's phone, I explained that we did not need the information on her phone as it served no purpose, we had all we needed to know from the conversation we'd had with him and that any problem we thought we may have had, or equally that he had, Joe had assured us he was correcting.

"Oh so Mitch I'm guessing you understood more about what was going on without me saying, is that right?"

"Yes, what maybe going to happen was plenty clear, it was why we moved quickly, I really didn't need our little problem overlapping in your situation, It may well of been messy."

Joe could see the logic in what I was saying, although if I'd done anything stupid I'm sure it would have been a good cover for what was really going on. "Okay Mitch, Virginia, do you have any other, er, problems with any other of the circumstance's in question?"

"You said that you had a reliable source help locate me, us. Is this a problem that may give us further need to worry."

"No. absolutely not. The source may have had involvement in your problem but believe me it was small in comparison to the problem it presented to me and my business interest's. I know that the source will not cause any more problems. So our business is complete then?"

"Yes Joe I think it is."

I looked at Gin, she had a ever so slight smile on her lips but a very bemused look on her face. I think she found the whole situation like being in a Grisham novel.

"I was pretty sure we would end up seeing eye to eye on that subject, Mitch, Virginia. I'm glad we've met an understanding."

He handed the memory card to Virginia. We all three shook hands, Joe had a smile on his face and with a quick nod to us both he turned and strode off. Three steps later and he stopped and half turned so we could see his profile, "Are you two sure you don't want to buy my bar? ....no, well think about it anyway." He turned and walked away.

"Mitch I need a coffee."

"Nope, Ginia, I don't care what fucking time it is, I need a whiskey."

There was a bar within a hundred steps of the Library entrance. The barman got the shock of his life as he was unlocking and opening up and we chased him back behind his bar, I ordered two double whiskey's with a drop of water, I noticed he raised one eyebrow at the order. Once both our nerves had recovered and Ginia had asked for a black coffee with her next single, we found a seat and she told me what her and Steph talked about this morning. Steph had arrived at work to find that Chelsea was alone. She had asked Chelsea if she knew where Dwight was but she didn't know. Steph wasn't sure why but by half past nine she noticed Chelsea was in tears about something but when she confronted Chelsea about it she had run off to the bathroom. Obviously Steph hadn't heard the news or she would of known why, however where was Dwight?

"God M. you don't think Joe offed him too, do you?"

"What do you mean offed him too Ginia?"

"Oh shit! you don't know, Benny's dead, he's being autopsied this afternoon but they suspect a lung or breathing problem."

"So Steph still doesn't know?"

"Nope, and anyway she didn't want to even talk about anything but you and Janine. She told me about breakfast this morning. She said she got a flash of what life should have been like before she stuffed it all up. Other than that she is just crossing her fingers that you're not about to kick her out."

Gin went quiet after that, she was hesitating about something, there was something on her mind.

"Want to talk about it Ginia?"

"No, not really."

"Okay, well when you do let me know."

"All right but it's just gonna make things even more complex and I don't know how to handle it."

"Oh you've peaked my interest now, you've got to tell me Gin."

"Well my son has a girl he's met that he's really set on, like head over heels for."

"Well good on him, so have you met her yet?"

"No meeting her tonight, my son's met her dad though, nice chap so Neil said."

"Great, so the problem is ...?"

"Well we were meant to meet last night but she had a prior engagement, evidently her mother wanted a heart to heart, seems she was involved in an affair and her daughter and Dad found out."

I didn't even know my glass had slipped through my hand until it hit the floor.

"You know what Gin, we've been caught up in my marriage problems we haven't had a chance to sit down with some real question's and answer's, what say we sit down and talk?"

She nodded, "Mitch let's do that, but not here okay, I've 'bout had enough of bars for the mean time. The library was nice M, let's go back there."

I started, "Gin, If this thing with Steph hadn't started would you have contacted me, you know like asked us to meet and renew our friendship?"

"Honestly M, no I wouldn't but Mitch, if you'd asked me whether I was hoping we would meet again, yes I was, every day since I'd started working again I'd got expectant that we'd meet again, you would not believe how euphoric I felt when I rang Sally to tell her I was going to be late and she said there was a Mitch, waiting to see me in my office. I remember telling her to keep you there, to stall you and not let you leave, I was in a terrible state M, I got flustered, and then I'd lose my train of thought, I spent five minutes looking for my car keys before I realised they were in my hand, I was so nervous."

"Gin, the first view of you in seventeen years, I all but melted when I saw you. I watched awe struck as you glided towards me. I couldn't believe it you still are one of the two most beautiful women I have ever met to be exact, I married the other one Gin, I'm not sorry about that just massively disappointed that part of her beauty is tainted."

"We all do things that we wished we hadn't, look I'm sure Rob, no actually I know he sez the same about me. And Mitch he's right. I will always regret my part in our marriage breakdown, it was horrible what we put ourselves through, a waste, and if it wasn't for the fact that I was distracted bringing Neil up I think I would of ended up having a total breakdown. What I'm trying to say Mitch is we've all got wart's and bruises?" She continued, "Mitch, do you think there is any chance that you and Steph can get back together?"

"I don't know, I go through my emotions in waves, you know at breakfast when she started to smile I think I got the same inkling that Steph did, just a glimpse of life three or so months ago and for a split second I felt the love I had for her back then, and then when she burst into tears it was like she flicked a switch, and I could feel the frustration and anger return again, I had no inclination to comfort her at all, how fucked up is that."

"Actually it's not, that happens and it's not unusual. With me it was a frying pan hurtling across the kitchen at the back of Rob's head, God I didn't realise how much force I'd put into that throw till it left my hand, if he hadn't turned in that split second to walk around my kitchen island I'm pretty sure it would of knocked him out, possibly worse. He was so shocked, it actually took out the glass back-splash behind the stove, he just called it quits and moved out that night. I could tell he would never trust me again, it was over. M, I could see the hurt in his eyes, .... it still haunts me to some extent, those eyes."

"Need to talk about it?"

"No, um... er yes. No...um."

"Gin how much do you think my daughter and your son know about us?"

"Oh snap! I thought about that last night and then forgot about it I got such a shock while Neil was telling me his story it completely left my mind I was flabbergasted."

"God that would have been so funny seeing your face, like 'Duh, wot son.'"

We both cracked up and started laughing so loud, we forgot where we were and got the normal scornful looks from the 'Library Set'.

"I don't think Neil know's anything. What about Janine."

"I don't think she know's Gin, but she's a smart kid, she's has a tenacity to find things out, she's done that before, so I wouldn't put it past her to be working things through."

"So how difficult is it going to be when Janine and Steph find out about me and then us M?"

"Seriously, Janine will be fine with it, if nothing she likes the stranger of things, you know quirky, - like she'll see the irony in the whole thing, what about Neil."

"Mitch he's fifteen next month and in love with your daughter, how many extra brain cells is he going to share with other thoughts about anything, you know -- eat!sleep!WOM-MAN!"

We did it again and this time we both got 'Sssshhhh'. No sense of humor, that's their problem.

But Stephany,- Steph was going to be a whole different thing.

"Mitch, I don't want to wreck my friendship with your wife, even if you guy's split, we're good friends now."

"So she is going to feel a bit betrayed, lets face it she has no idea of our past, she doesn't realise you're telling me all about your talks with her and as if to rub salt in the wound we know all about Neil and Janine. Gin, I don't know what kind of relationship you'll be left with after those revelations. But the kids will roll with it, they aren't stupid and they both know we won't treat them like that."

"Yeah, you're right."

"And with Steph, Gin, let's see if we can't find a way to tell her the other bits without stuffing up your relationship."

I realised why I wasn't stressing as much over Steph and me and it came down to Ginia, not only was she a friend for my wife but she had become a rock for me as well.

"Okay Mitch so ask me."

"Ask you, what?"

"ASK ME what you asked me before you know, before we started talking about Steph and the kid's."

"Oh, okay, So Gin do you want to talk about your marriage break-up?"

"Yes." I waited, she took a big exaggerated breath, and begun, "Well it begun to come apart long before my affair but it was that that finally killed my marriage."

"But ...what? ...wait. What? - Twice in one day she got me.

"Mitch you hate me now, don't you? I know you hate me! I can feel your pain! I should've never gone down this road."

"Ginia will you just.."

"NO! I know better than this! I should of kept my big mouth.."

"VIRGINIA will you please shut. The fuck. Up."

"SSSssshhhhhhh!!"

"Sorry people, apologies!"

"Gin, first off who starts a sentence with 'Well it begun to come apart long before my affair..' for fucks sake!! Really!... You caught me completely off guard. And while you're at it if there is anymore news like that could you see your way free to tell me now! That way I can combine any heart attack I'm overdue for now in one go!"

"Sorry."

"Secondly!" God, the library Stasi were giving us the evil eye. "Secondly, its me you're talking too, I know that if you had an affair there was more to it than you wanting a roll in the hay."

She silently looked down at the table and started to cry. Fuck. I stopped and walked over to her and gathered her in my arms, "Come on Gin, when your ready we'll start again."

"I'd always known that Rob was pretty insecure at the start, he could never understand why we had to wait with doing anything until I'd talked to you about what you wanted to do, I knew you didn't feel you could provide for us at the time but if you had said you wanted to try I would of in a minute. Even after You and I parted Rob always saw himself as being second best, which wasn't true I just could not allow myself to have unanswered question's. I felt sure that Rob would eventually understand that he wasn't second best, but as it turned out he never did. He completely shattered me when he listed it as the only reason he would want a divorce if he were looking for one, I mean it didn't count but he knew it would hurt me like it always did every time he brought it up. We were doing so well, we had Neil and were thinking of having more kids, I wanted three and he said he was on board, he never said otherwise but no matter how we tried I wasn't able to get pregnant again. In desperation I went to get tested to see if there was a problem with me, there wasn't but when I suggested that he get tested he hit the roof, so in the end it became a subject that we both steered away from. By year twelve I knew that we weren't going to have any more kids, and I still couldn't understand why. As it turned out Rob had a vasectomy straight after I'd given birth with Neil. I was heartbroken I wanted more kids, but I knew that wasn't going to happen. He had a lot of married friends when we got married, he was the last of his group to get married and I liked most of them, but three of the couples were stand-offish when it came to us, well me actually, the rest of us had nicknamed the group 'the snoots'. It was year fourteen that one of the couples Mal and Toni, good folks, Toni became my best friend. Anyway they had been out at a function at one of the upscale restaurants in the city when they saw who they thought was Rob, with Carly one of the snoots wives and her husband Dan was with a young Asian women. They were in a group of about thirty couples. Well Mal did some snooping and found out they were all members of a swinging group that hired out the banquet room every three or so months."