The Accident Ch. 01-02

Harris called a cab to take him back to his small apartment. His car was a total wreck but he couldn't drive anyway. He had called his sister Shelly who lived about two hours away and asked her if she could come to stay with him for a while. She had split from her live in boyfriend so she was on the outs anyway so she agreed. She was pretty much useless, but she could cook and clean and wash clothes. So, it was better than nothing. He went in and turned on all the lights. The place was a dump but it suited him.

He checked the fridge and found two bottles of beer left so he made a note to Shelly to get more as soon as she got there. He kicked off his shoes and lay down on the couch. His side and neck still hurt but he could move slowly without too much pain. He had just settled down when the door opened abruptly, slamming into the wall with a crash.

"Well, I see you are all better and back in your shithole. At least one of you fucking backstabbing bastards is up and moving. Too bad your lover is still in a coma. Must have been your charms."

Tom walked into the room and stood over the couch. His demeanor was calm and relaxed but that could be deceiving with someone like him. The look he gave Harris was cold.

Harris tried to sit up but the pain of trying to move suddenly shot up his neck and into his head, leaving behind a splitting headache. He gently sat back down and tried not to move his head too fast.

"Jesus, Tom. Couldn't you have knocked before breaking down my door?"

Harris had known Tom all his life and knew that there was no use pretending innocence. Tom would do what he wanted and Harris had to trust to his brain to see a way out.

"Just wanted to stop and pay my respects. I never had a chance to talk to you in the hospital since they said you didn't want to see me. That hurt my feelings. I might think that you had something to hide." That smile was not reaching his eyes. It was like the man: cold and cruel.

"Tom, look. I told you in the hospital that day that I was at fault and that Nicky unfortunately believed me when I told her you were cheating on her. She had no reason to doubt me and she was really broken up over it. It was easy for me to manipulate her into going to the Holiday Inn with me. You have to believe she had no part in this."

Harris figured that if he could convince Tom that Nicky still was faithful to him and that he and Nicky had done nothing, Tom might be able to forgive and forget. Not likely, but the only chance Harris could see for staying alive.

As Harris was saying this to Tom, Tom moved behind the couch saying nothing. Harris finished what he had to say and waited. He couldn't turn his head without turning his whole body and that hurt too much.

What Tom did next came as a complete surprise. He grabbed Harris by the hair, pulled his head back so that he was staring up at Tom standing over him. The pain was intense and he broke out into a sweat. He grimaced but kept quiet in fear for his life. He felt a cold pin prick at the side of his neck and was confused until Tom moved his other hand into view, holding a shiny, serrated blade. There was a small drop of blood on the tip. The knife disappeared and the pinprick reappeared.

"I am going to ask you some questions. I expect complete truth or you will not see another day. You know me and you know I am deadly serious. Understand?" Tom spoke in the same dead voice he had used since he arrived.

"I understand. I'll tell you exactly what you want to know. Honest, I want to live."

"First question: Is this the first time you and Nicky have gotten together? Had you already fucked her before this?" Tom waited.

"Nicky and I have never been together in any way that you don't know about. That is the God's own truth. You know Nicky would never do something like that."

"Second question: Why did she believe you this time? What did you do to convince her?" Tom asked this with a little emotion, but Harris wasn't sure if this was good or bad.

"I really played that one for all I was worth. I cried and told her I really didn't want to say anything. I made her so curious that she begged me to tell her. I told her you were cheating with Phyllis. I told her I had watched you take her up to a room for a couple of hours."

He paused, waiting to see if he was still living. When Tom said nothing, Harris continued.

"She was already angry at you for telling her you had to work late but without any explanation. You never did that before and she was worried. I played on her concerns."

"So, you used my hard work and my need for secrecy against me with my own wife? You used what I had told you in confidence?"

Tom was now beginning to feel something again so he was becoming more and more angry.

"Yes, and I am so damn sorry. I just wanted Nicky so bad that I forgot about everything and just went for it. I thought she would just go with me this one time and never tell you about my part in it. I forgot that Nicky is so damn honest she could never do it any other way. She would have to tell you the truth and that's what she did."

"This is my final question and your life depends on it. What exactly happened in that motel room? I want details and I want it all. Don't even try to hold anything back. You are close to dying right now so lying will make it happen for sure. Tell me!"

Harris told Tom everything that happened, right up to the point where he had a finger inside her and was ready to make it happen when she stopped and pushed him away: the argument afterward, and Harris trying to change her mind. He told Tom everything right up to the phone call and the furious rush to get home to retrieve the letter. He told him the last sight he remembered: Nicky hitting the window and the blood everywhere. He held nothing back, knowing his life was in the balance.

He was so intent on getting all of the details right and making sure Tom knew that nothing had really happened and that his wife had called it off, he didn't notice Tom walking to the door. When he looked up, he saw Tom holding the door open and looking back at him.

"I won't kill you here and now because I still have fond feelings for Shelly. It would not be good for her to come in and find your blood all over the floor. I don't know what I am going to do yet. Say 'Hi' to Shelly for me."

Harris sank back onto the couch with a huge sigh of relief. He was going to live, at least for another day. Maybe if Tom cooled down, he would come to realize that Harris was just a piece of shit not worth the trouble of killing. Tom was cold but he was also practical, so it was a possibility. And, he had always had a soft spot for Shelly. As long as she was here, he might be safe. He took another swig on his beer before realizing it had gotten warm. He drank it anyway.

As Tom left the apartment where Harris lived, his mind was working furiously. He was pretty sure Harris had told him the truth, both about any past relationships and what had transpired that afternoon. It fit with what Nicky had said in her letter and it fit with the way Harris operated. He would have tried to convince Nicky to go along so that he could escape any blame. So, one thing out of the way.

It was also clear to Tom that Harris was going to have to die. He had done the one thing that he knew Tom could never forgive: he had tried to fuck Tom's wife. But since the Police knew about the letter and what Harris had been planning to do, his death would have to be arranged in such a way that Tom was not a suspect. That was not hard and it could be arranged without too much trouble.

The third thing that Tom had to decide was what to do about Nicky. She was in a persistent coma but the doctors all expected her to recover from that. Any brain damage was yet to be determined, but again the doctors felt this to be only a minor concern. It was just a matter of time. What bothered Tom was the lack of trust that Nicky demonstrated in her willingness to believe Harris's concocted story about cheating. That was a blow to Tom's idea of what their marriage represented to him. He had expected more from the woman he loved and to whom he had dedicated his life. Why would she believe a story like that without asking him directly? He had never lied to her before so she had no reason not to trust him.

Because of his background, trust was a very important thing to Tom. It was critical to trust the people you lived with and worked with. In his former life, you had to trust your friends or you could die. Tom took trust to a very high level. When he found that Nicky did not trust him that was a major blow to his ego and his belief in their marriage. He took his marriage vows seriously and thought Nicky did as well. But for her to consider that he could break them, and for her to think that it was acceptable to him if she broke those vows even in anger, was inconceivable. He could not accept that now and he doubted he ever could.

Since he had been the one to formulate the plans that even now were leading to a major expansion program into Europe, Tom began to make a plan to move forward. It was the best he could do with what he had now and he was determined to put it into effect as soon as possible. Tomorrow would be the beginning. If he could make this work, he could effectively solve all of his problems at once. With that thought, he drove home to his empty house.

The next day, Tom spoke with George Turner about making a trip to Europe to investigate sites and perhaps make an offer to someone there to head up the transition team. He knew some people there and had some candidates. George thought it was a great idea but wondered if Tom shouldn't stay with his wife. Tom explained that her coma was not likely to break soon so now would be a good time to go. So that was settled.

Tom next called Nicky's mother and told her that he was going to Europe for a week or so and needed to leave the twins with her. She was cold to Tom, angry over his failure to visit Nicky in the hospital. Tom told her that he had his reasons and that he would talk about it with her one day. She had her suspicions but let it go, agreeing to keep the twins.

Finally, Tom made a call to a contact from his past and gave him a job to do for him after he had left for Europe. He gave some preliminary instructions and information, making sure that only the subject he was concerned about was taken care of. He waited for a return call to confirm. He received the call and made arrangements to call his contact when the trip to Europe was confirmed.

This happened the end of that week when his dates for the trip were locked in. He asked for the job to be completed two days before his planned return to the States. He was specific about the job and wanted there to be no complications. None were expected and his contact assured him that he would be satisfied with his work. Tom thanked him and made arrangements for payment.

Tom made the trip and enjoyed it immensely. Europe was all that he expected. He found several sites that were perfect and he made an offer to an exceptional individual as head of the transition team. Everything went as planned. He received a call from Betty telling him the terrible news that his boyhood friend, Harris Templeton had been killed in an apparent robbery and break-in. Shelly had not been there at the time and was OK. It happened just a day before Tom's return. She conveyed her sympathies and knew that he and Nicky would be crushed. Tom thanked her and hung up.

Tom hung up the phone and leaned back smiling. Things had gone well, indeed. He decided to have a big dinner in one of the wonderful old restaurants that abounded in this area. He thought steak and baked potato. He slept well that night and finished his trip on schedule. He decided to contact Shelly as soon as he got back. One should make the effort for an old friend. Shelly would need comforting.

When Tom returned home from his trip, he went to see Betty, his mother in law and see to the twins. They were glad to see him and they wanted to go home with him to their mother. He again told them that mommy was still sick and that she would soon be able to see them again. He asked Betty how things were going and she told him that there had been no change in Nicky's condition and that Shelly was trying to keep things together till the funeral planned for the day after tomorrow. Tom took the twins and left, thanking her for all she had done. Her response was polite and not very sincere.

When Tom got home, he found several messages waiting for him. After taking the twins up for their bath and their nap, he went through the messages. There were at least 3 from the police, wanting him to contact them on his return, 5 from Shelly asking him to call her and various others offering comfort and support.

He found the one that he expected, a call from the Manager of Remote Services for European Expansion, a not so clever euphemism for his acquaintance. It simply said 'services completed as requested'. Tom cleared all the messages and went upstairs to unpack.

The following day after arranging for a live in maid for a while, he went down to the police station to speak with a Detective Tolliver. The questions were routine and predictable:

"Do you know anyone that wanted to hurt Mr. Templeton? Do you know who could have done this? Did you have anything to do with his murder? We know about the letter and your wife's involvement with Harris. Could that be a motive for murder? How about her sister?" And so on and so on.

He gave his contacts in Europe to the Detective to confirm his alibi and let the man go on until he felt he had done his duty. He finally told the Detective that he had answered enough questions for the day and said he had business to attend to. He left feeling that no further interest would come his way.

He finally called Shelly and she was almost hysterical. She was trying to put things together and she was simply overloaded. He volunteered to give her a hand and made plans to meet with her that afternoon. They settled on a little restaurant right near Harris' apartment and he promised to be there by 5:30. She might need comforting and Tom had no problem giving that. Shelly was a beautiful woman, after all.

With all pressing issues taken care of, Tom decided to polish his resume and give it to George Turner, requesting that his name be added to any list for Managing Director of European Operations. It was the shining jewel in Tom's plans for his future: a future that was not totally clear just yet. This was a good first step, however and one Tom had planned to make anyway.

Tom arrived at the restaurant right on time to find a harried but still beautiful Shelly sitting at a booth looking sad. Tom observed her unnoticed for a while, appreciating her great figure, her simple top trying vainly to hold in those magnificent tits, her long black hair and her long legs. She was a beautiful woman and always had been. She had a tough life because she kept making bad choices. Harris had never been much help to her and had just let her go on making mistakes and letting her suffer the consequences. Shelly would be better off without that asshole. He moved toward her.

"Hi, beautiful. I'm so sorry about Harris. We should be there for each other and I'm sorry I wasn't here for you. I am now."

With that Tom went to her and gave her a big hug, feeling those magnificent tits pressed against him. He reminded himself that he had to take this slow. Shelly had really loved her brother. He backed away and sat down opposite her in the booth.

"How can I help? What do you need me to do right now? Just tell me how I can make your life easier and I'll do it."

He watched her face lighten up with the thought of someone taking the crushing weight of burying her brother from her shoulders. She smiled at him with tenderness and he saw a tear in one eye.

"God, this is so great of you. You have your own problems with Nicky and yet you are here to help me. You have been such a great friend to both Harris and I and now we have to bury him. I know you must be hurting as much as I am."

She was great. In her grief, she still thought of Tom. He really loved this girl!

"Don't worry about me right now. Is everything in place for tomorrow? Do we need to do anything?" First things first.

"I haven't made any plans for after the funeral. Should we have some place for his friends to come after the funeral? He didn't leave much money so I couldn't even think of setting out a spread for his friends. I didn't know what to do." She was looking sad again and Tom didn't want that.

"Leave it to me. I know some people and I'll arrange for the Lodge hall next door to the church to be available and I'll have a buffet table set up and catered. Consider it done. I'll tell the minister to announce it during the service." That brought a smile back to that beautiful face and Tom relaxed. This could be OK.

The service went off without a hitch. Tom made a heartfelt eulogy and Harris Templeton, former friend turned cheating bastard was buried once and for all. After the service, about 50 of his and Tom's former friends showed up at the reception and Shelly was able to speak to most of them. She looked much better now that it was over. Tom waited until she had a moment to herself and then went over to talk to her.

"What are your plans now that Harris is put to rest? Where'll you go? I don't remember any family in the area."

He took her hand and held it while she looked at him with a sadness that almost broke his heart. For the first time, he began to have regrets about what he had done. He savagely crushed that line of thinking: he had to!

"I don't have anywhere to go now that he's gone. I left that prick I was living with for the past three years because he was always high and wanted me to join him. I've been clean for over two years and I'm not going back."

She said this with a vengeance. She had hit bottom and pulled herself back up and she was staying up.

"Why don't you come stay with me at my place? There's plenty of room and I'll pay you room and board to take care of the house and the twins. They need a woman's touch and my mother in law is not my choice right now. She hates my guts for obvious reasons and I know she'll turn the kids against me if she has a chance."

"I could do that if you really want me to. I haven't seen your kids but I bet they're full of it. What are they now, just over a year old?"

She looked quite pleased so Tom considered it a done deal.

"They are 16 months old now and they really miss Nicky. You're about the same age as her so you would be more able to relate to them. Let's get your things from the apartment and take you home."

They did and Shelly moved in that day. They sold Harris' stuff, what there was of it and Shelly took the cash and cancelled the lease so she was free of anything left of Harris. She was an instant hit with the twins and the house gradually became a home again.

The next day, Tom decided that he had to make the dreaded trip to see Betty and Harry. When Tom told Betty of the arrangement, she tried to object, but Tom just told her that things were under control and he didn't need her to take care of his kids any longer. She and Harry were free to visit them anytime they wanted and had only to call to let him or Shelly know they were coming. She could also baby sit anytime they were going to be out if she wanted. He promised her that she and Harry would always be welcome to visit the twins.

He also took that opportunity to tell Betty and Harry that he was going to file divorce papers right away. Betty started in on him about responsibility and all that but Harry must have known it was about time. He was the first to ask the question.

"She cheated on you with Harris, didn't she Tom?" I knew something was wrong when I found out that she was with Harris coming out of that hotel."