Nemesis - Dave?

"Wow, hold on there, girl. First off I've got nothing to be sorry about; you were the one that did the walking out bit. You were the one who left the stupid note that nearly gave me a bleeding heart attack. And it was you who started talking about divorce. Now I suggest you go and see that solicitor you were so quick to threaten me with and find out what he has to say. Then call me back and give me his details so that I can pass them on to mine. Good bye, Victoria."

I hung up the phone. Was I pushing things too far? Well, yes, I suppose I probably was. But as far as I'm concerned there is only one thing worse than finding your spouse is playing around behind your back and that's when the person you love doesn't have the trust in you that they should have.

I made a couple of telephone calls that I thought were necessary, the first to Ryder's truck rental; there were a couple of things I needed to check out with them. They gave me a number and I had a long conversation with a very contrite little man. I'd meet him once at one of Chantelle's parties; I think I scared the shit out of him. Then I made an international call and covered that angle.

Half an hour later I got a call from Maria Grant. She was a little annoyed with me.

"Mr Polson, we've just had a visit from your wife and I very much suspect that you knew she had intended to retain me today to act on her behalf."

"Well, yes, I did suspect that was what she was planning to do. But as you are the best divorce lawyer around here, I thought it would be much better if you were acting for me instead."

"My clerk has sent her to another practice. I'll warn you they are very good and expensive."

"Maria, no offence intended, but can you tell me of a solicitor who isn't expensive."

"No offence taken David. It's your money; you can say what you like. But why aren't you talking to her and sorting this mess out."

"The answer to that is all in a name. Victoria is calling me David. That means she is angry with me. She would not hear what I say when I tell her I did not have an affair. She doesn't want to believe me. If she did, she would have called me Dave. It's as simple as that. Victoria has never called me David."

"I'm not sure I understand your logic. But I really think you two should get together and talk."

"Well, I am prepared to do that when Victoria is willing to listen. But then I've got some rather important questions to ask her. If I don't get the answers I want, you will be handling our divorce anyway."

"David, do you have reason to believe your wife has been unfaithful to you or something?"

"Not really, but she appears to have been pretty quick to believe that I would be. I've always found that people expect others to behave as they do themselves. I just got to thinking, has Victoria been as faithful to me as she expects me to be to her. She appears to be condemning me very quickly."

"I think I see your logic now. But it's not one I've come across before."

"Well, we will see what happens, shall we? I'll call you later, Maria."

I didn't get much work done for the rest of the morning and it wasn't until going on twelve that Vicky called me back.

"Dave, we have to talk."

Straight away, I came off of the offensive and agreed to meet her at two o'clock in the pub down the road from my office. At first Vicky appeared surprised at what she thought was my sudden capitulation. But when she returned to calling me David, I realised I still had a fight on my hands.

I was sat in a quiet corner when Vicky entered the bar. She came directly over and sat down opposite me although I had left her room in the booth to sit beside me.

"Aren't you going to buy me a drink?" she asked.

"No, you can buy your own bloody drinks. Remember you walked out on me. You don't need me!"

Vicky was taken aback. I think she still thought I had cheated on her and would therefore be the one on the defensive. She got up and went to the bar to buy herself a drink.

"Well, what have you got to say for yourself?" she demanded when she returned.

"Victoria, I haven't got the foggiest idea what has got into you. Just what you think I should be apologising for, I don't know."

"You were in Blackpool last weekend with some little tart. You were seen so don't try to deny it."

"Victoria, last week I was in Edinburgh. You know that, I spoke to you several times."

"I know nothing of the kind. I spoke to you on your mobile phone; you could have been in bloody Timbuktu for all I knew. And I've been told you were in Blackpool with a woman."

"Victoria, I was working. You know my itinerary; it's the same four times a year. Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen. Three days in each. I've been doing the same thing for nearly five years now."

"But you were seen in Blackpool."

"Okay, Victoria, who saw me in Blackpool. Whoever told you they saw me there is either mistaken or lying to you. Why would anyone go to bloody Blackpool at this time of year anyway? It must be bleeding freezing up on that coast at this time of year."

"To see the lights! Chantelle went on a coach trip last weekend to see the Blackpool illuminations and to do some shopping for Christmas. She saw you and the little slut you were staying with. She said you were so engrossed in her that you walked right past her a couple of times and she followed the pair of you up to your room."

"Chantelle. I thought as much. Vicky, how long have I known Chantelle?"

"Since you've known me I suppose."

"And do you think I would not notice Chantelle if I was staying in the same hotel as her for ... oh, yes, how long was I supposed to be sharing a hotel with her?"

"The weekend. She went up on a weekend trip. Friday to Monday."

"Where is your logic, Victoria? Chantelle is not my favourite person. But she does have presence. Do you think that any man would not notice those sexy short skirts she wears? Or that pair of Bristols that come around the corner ten minutes before she does."

I think I told you Chantelle was a looker. No guys ever miss Chantelle. Unfortunately quite a few guys have found that out, to their cost.

Victoria looked slightly confused. I think the argument was about over and she was about to capitulate and start apologising, when the door flew open and Chantelle strode into the bar. She made a beeline for our booth and then to my surprise plonked herself in the seat next to me trapping me in. With a look of triumph on her face she produced a small folder of the type they put photographic prints in.

"Right, you bastard, explain this away!" She demanded as she pulled a print out of the folder and shoved it under my nose.

I did a quick double take on the print and then started smiling. I took the print from Chantelle's hand and turned it towards Victoria.

"Oh, didn't you recognise May-Ling, Victoria? Isn't that kind of Chantelle? Look, Victoria, Chantelle has taken some nice photos of May-Ling. I hope you took some of my brother as well Chantelle. Do you know, Chan, I really didn't know they were in the country; did you, Vicky? I suppose their ship must have docked in Liverpool and Philip must have taken May-Ling up to see the Blackpool illuminations as well. You know their ship normally docks in Amsterdam."

My twin brother is married to May-Ling, a beautiful little Chinese girl he met in Singapore some years ago. They live on a container ship where he holds the post of first mate. The ship spends so little time in port that a lot of the married members of the crew have their spouses with them. Oh, and by the way my brother and I are identical twins, just like my daughters. Twins runs in my family, handy that! Vicky was crying then and Chantelle was sitting there with her mouth open. So I continued.

"Did you say hello to Phil, Chantelle? If I remember correctly you had the hots for him at our wedding. But that was a long time ago, wasn't it."

Now both of them were crying. Vicky because she had fucked up big time and Chantelle I supposed because she was upset that she'd dropped Vicky in it. I sat and sipped my beer whilst the two of them regained their composure.

After a little while, they stopped crying, but it was obvious that they had no idea of what to say. Chantelle was the first to pluck up the courage.

"Dave, I'm sorry I forgot all about Phil. I really thought it was you. The pair of you are so alike," Chantelle finally said.

"Well, we would be alike; we are identical twins after all. And I wouldn't worry about not remembering Phil though, Chan. I doubt he would remember a slag like you." That was a little uncalled for, but I was still playing very angry.

"I'm so sorry, Dave!" Vicky now appeared to have regained her courage. "I just didn't think of Phillip. Can you forgive me for being so stupid? You must see how it looked."

"No, I bloody can't!" I said angrily, both girls suddenly had very shocked expressions on their faces. "I've got a question for you, Vicky. Why? Why would you even think that I would cheat on you? We have been married for nineteen years. During that time have I ever given you reason to doubt me?"

"No, Dave, you've been a wonderful husband and a great father to our girls."

"Then, what made you so damn sure I was running around on you? And before you answer that, think; don't go telling me it was because Chantelle had told you. That would mean you trusted her more than you do me. I was your husband, the guy who has clothed you and fed you for the last nineteen years. The guy who came running to find you when you're so called friend here found herself a stud for the evening on your night outs together. Which I have never objected to, by the way."

Vicky sat there and stared at me. Obviously she'd taken in my warning and was thinking before she spoke. I waited for a little while before I continued again.

"Why were you in such a hurry to believe I would cheat on you? Could it be because you have been getting up to things you shouldn't behind my back in the past? You know, people tend to assume that others will behave as they do themselves. You see, the idea had never struck me in the past. I might be dumb or something but it never dawned on me that you would cheat on me when you were out with this slut. Because I could never imagine myself cheating on you, so I always believed you wouldn't cheat on me either.

"But you've moved the goal posts, Vicki, and changed all that now! I'm thinking I was being bloody naïve. Without a second thought, you assumed that I was cheating on you. You never bothered to challenge me or anything. Your friend told you I was cheating and you accepted it as fact, without question.

"Alright, now convince me you have never cheated on me. All those times you came home at two or three in the morning. And the times you stayed over at Chan's place. Come to that, what did you get up to whilst I was away?"

"Oh, god, Dave, I've never cheated on you. Honestly!" Victoria finally exclaimed.

"Oh, so you say. But if that's so who were those two arseholes who drove that bloody Ryder truck on Friday and why did you kiss the little prick."

I saw Vicky literally jump when I said she had kissed the guy.

"They are a couple of guys from Chantelle's office. She asked them to help me."

"Oh, yeah, and how did you pay them for their help when they got your stuff back to Chantelle's house? The same way Chantelle pays for her favours?"

Vicky knew what I was on about. Chan had often told us how she pays to get her car serviced. I'd warned her many times that the garage owner's wife was one tough woman. I saw her in action once. Entertaining but a little demeaning – come on, most guys enjoy a good catfight. I'd never seen the girl she had caught her husband with again.

"No. No! I wouldn't do that, I just gave Mike a little kiss on the cheek to thank him for his help that's all. It was nothing just a little peck."

"Yeah, but that was in public, where the whole world could see you. What did he get in private back at Chantelle's place?"

"Nothing, Dave, you've got to believe me; they just unloaded the van and left. They had to get the van back."

"If that is so, can you explain just why you were surcharged then? That van wasn't returned until ten on Saturday morning. When you book a van over the internet, girl, they send the paperwork back by email. I've read that email; that van was not returned until ten o'clock Saturday morning. So just what really happened? Now I've got to get out of here before I lose my temper. Let me out of here, Chantelle, before I push you out of the bleeding way."

Chantelle stood up and I pushed past her. I turned back to Victoria.

"I'm going to accept nothing but the whole truth from you. I've got plenty of friends out there who go to those same clubs you and the slut here have been going to. You had better decide very quickly whether you wish to try and save our marriage. At the moment, I don't give a damn either way. But if someone comes up with any stories about what you have been up to in the last few years, you had better make sure you have told me about it first. Be at the house tonight at eight tonight. I'll give you an hour to explain anything you need to." Then I walked out of the bar.

Look, I'm not daft and I don't think Victoria is really. Although I had never asked them to, my friends had always kept a very good eye on Vicky and Chantelle when they were on their nights out. Well, they would keep a good eye on Chan; it's common knowledge that she's a slapper. But I had been told that Victoria had got herself a nickname in the clubs. She was known as the Ice Maiden. Vicky was known to be great for a laugh on the dance floor but that was as far as it ever went. Vicky's trouble now was that she didn't know just who all my friends were and what kind of a slant they would put on what they told me. If she had been misbehaving, she would have to tell me herself tonight.

Having taken a late lunch I decided that there wasn't much point in going back to the office so I began to make my way back home. Once home I'd plugged the phone back in before I'd gone out that morning and I was greeted as I entered the house with the answer-phone message light flashing at me. There were a couple of messages early in the day that Vicky had obviously left before she called me at work. They were of the demanding to know where I was and why couldn't she get into the house variety.

Then there was a call from Ricky Morris. Ricky and I had been at school together. We weren't exactly friend's back then, but let's just say that on the quiet, it was with my help he got such good marks for his home work. Ricky liked to play the tough man when he was with his mates. But really he wanted to do well at school and I kind of acted as a private tutor for him.

"Dave! I've been trying to call you all the bleeding weekend. What's the story, mate? Victoria and Chantelle were at the club Friday night. Chantelle was telling everyone that you two have separated. Give me a call will you? I need to know how you want to play things?"

I returned Rick's call, but before I had a chance to say anything he announced he was coming over straight away and hung up on me. Within ten minutes his car pulled into my drive.

As I said Ricky is a hard man who, in his younger days, had gotten into quite a bit of trouble with the police. He'd sorted himself out quite nicely once he joined a good gym where he'd gotten into amateur boxing. That somehow had led to him becoming a bouncer at one of the bigger local nightspots and over time he had finished up as the manager of the place. Some say that he is also part owner of a couple of the local nightspots, which I wouldn't put past him.

Anyway Ricky has a soft spot for me as I said; he has always looked after my interests as far as Vicky was concerned. He would often call me at work or sometimes he'd pop into the pub where I had lunch and without my asking he would subtly tell me just who Vicky had been dancing with and who if anyone had tried to get it on with her. I'm pretty sure that if any guy had ever persuaded her to go outside, Ricky or his bouncers would have had something to say about it. It had been Ricky who had told me that Victoria had the nickname the Ice Maiden.

Rick turned down my offer of beer as he was working later, so we settled for some coffee.

"Right, Dave, what the fuck is going on between you and Vicky? She was in the club Friday and Chantelle was telling every one that the pair of you had separated. She said that you were bonking some little chink bit in Blackpool last weekend or something."

"Don't tell me. Chantelle went up Blackpool last week and apparently Phillip was up there with his misses. Chantelle thought it was me and the bitch told Victoria. I came back from Aberdeen to find that Vicky had moved out on me, without a by your leave."

"Oh, fuck, but you soon put her right, didn't you?"

"Well, not exactly, Rick. Let's just say we are playing mind games at the moment. I got pretty pissed off that Vicky hadn't spoken to me about it first. I was wondering if she has been playing around behind my back."

"Hey, no chance there, man. No one gets into Vicky's pants, I'm 100% on that one. When some of the studs heard there was trouble between you two, they thought they might get lucky Friday night. But from what I heard the ice was a damn sight colder than usual. Vicky and Chan left well before closing time. Oh, and the taxi took the two of them straight home to Chantelle's place. I had a word with the driver; I thought you would want to know."

"Thanks Ricky, it's good to have friends."

"All part of the service, Dave. Hey it's about time you came down to the club anyway. You never come in to see the boys nowadays."

From then on the conversation dropped back into what old friends were up to and that kind of thing. Before we knew, it was almost eight o'clock and Ricky said he had better to get to the club. Ricky was just leaving, when Victoria pulled into the drive.

I saw Victoria do a double take on Ricky as he reversed out. She had a confused look on her face as she had obviously recognised him, but she had no idea that I knew him. I was standing in the doorway as she walked up the steps.

"Wasn't that, Morris, the manager at the Star-light?" she asked. "What was he doing here?"

"Ricky Morris, you mean? Yeah, he's an old friend of mine. He came around to commiserate with me over our upcoming divorce. Come in and sit in the kitchen, I've got some coffee on the go."

I followed Vicky into the kitchen and managed to beat her to the coffee pot. This was my house now and I'd poor the bloody coffee.

"Look, Dave, this is silly. I realise you're annoyed at me, but you're being childish about it. Chantelle was sure it was you she saw. How was she to know that Phillip and May-Ling were in the country? What else would you have thought in my situation?"

"I would have thought that Chantelle had made a mistake, until I had checked up on things myself. But you didn't check up, did you? You decided to leave me."

"Look, Dave, I was wrong. I'll admit that. But why did you lock me out of the house?"

"Because you decided it was no longer your house and left it. When you walked out that door on Friday, you effectively ended our marriage."

Don't be silly, Dave. I was angry and I was trying to teach you a lesson. I realise it was a stupid thing to do. Look, I'm sorry and I want to come back home.

"Well, you made the bed, now you had better get used to laying on it."

"You mean you're not going to let me move back in."

"No."

"But why not."

"Because I don't believe you or at least I don't trust you. Tell me when did Chantelle tell you she had seen Phillip in Blackpool?"

"Tuesday when she came back. Why do you ask?"

"Before I spoke to you on the phone that night or after?"