The Lieutenant

He was dressed in his good suit. He had a cup of black coffee, newly refilled, on a coaster, on the end table, by the couch where he had taken up his position. Legs crossed, refreshed, he felt—serene.

He heard the screen door to the kitchen slam as she hustled the groceries into the house. He smiled mischievously: if she'd known he was there, he'd have been the one getting the groceries out of the car. This was getting good, he thought.

He could hear her puttering around in the kitchen putting things away, and likely getting things ready for dinner. He recalled how she intended to lay out his options to him today. He figured that that would be something she'd planned to do after dinner; it was her style. It occurred to him that each knew the other pretty well. Well, after twenty-plus years of marriage that was to be expected, he supposed.

The noise stopped. He knew she'd finally noticed the coffee pot on and nearly full. She'd be asking herself if she'd somehow forgotten it and left it on. Then, she'd remember that it had not been her. Then, she'd start wondering and looking.

"Max?" she called out. He decided to answer.

"In here, dear," I answered. I waited.

She came into the front room and looked at him sitting on the couch. He was well dressed and confident looking. It shook her.

"Max! How? When? Have you been here the whole time! You couldn't come and helped me with the groceries, announce your presence. Something?"

"I was just relaxing thinking of the little talk that we're going to have," I said.

"Talk! Okay, I'll say we're going to have a talk. I've been wanting to talk to you for a few days now, really longer," said Ginger.

"Oh?"

"Yes Max. Max, I have a lover, and I want a divorce," she announced. Her confidence had returned.

"Hmm, and why would that be, dearheart?" I said.

His calm demeanor shook her confidence yet again. He was taking things in an awfully blasé way, but she continued. "Well, how about because you cheated on me! How about that?" she said.

"And, why would you think that I had cheated on you?" I said.

"Because you had been seen by two different people going into Colby's Inn on several occasions with that hussy!" she said.

Two different people? Interesting. But, I had time.

"Really, and just who is this hussy that I am supposed to be fucking? You are accusing me of fucking her right?"

"Yes, and it's Denise North," said Ginger coolly.

Denise was a secretary at Electro. She'd worked directly for the asshole.

"Denise left town weeks ago. Quit and left town," I said. Suddenly, I had it. The asshole had used Denise, probably fired her, or maybe paid her, who knew. But, she wasn't there to corroborate the truth or fallacy of anything. Neat, I thought. Mr. Williams was nothing if not thorough.

"And if I might ask, who was it that saw Denise and I sneaking around?" I said.

"James Michaelson and Mar..." she cut herself off. "I doesn't matter it was two of them," she said.

"And Mark Williams," I finished for her.

"Well, yes, since you have to know. Your very own boss."

"Boss, yes, but not for long," I said.

"What do mean?" she said. She was beginning to suspect all was not right, that she was the one on the carpet, not her husband.

"Sit down, Ginger. I have a few things to say. When I'm done you can talk, but please do me the courtesy of not interrupting till I'm done. After all, I didn't interrupt you and the asshole today while you were fucking him," I said.

She almost fell into the recliner she'd been standing in front of.

"Wha..."

"Yes, I was just in there. I heard it all." I nodded toward the kitchen. The shock on her face was precious.

"Okay," I said. "First off, I never cheated on you, not with Denise, not with anybody else. Secondly, you're a sucker. Williams made you believe I'd cheated so that he could get into your pants. I'm not sure where Michaelson fits into all of this, but he's evidently backing Williams, and if he is, he's had it.

"Next: Inadequate? Little faggot? I deserved to be called names like that? Tell me, dear, how long have you hated me?" I said.

She was terrified now. She tried to gather herself. She was searching for words. She was dead-mortal-lead-pipe-cinch certain now that I had seen them on Tuesday. "Well, I admit, I may have been a little harsh..."

"A little harsh! You tore the heart out of me. I have loved you, honored you, protected you; and all you can say is you were a little harsh! I'd say you went a little beyond harsh, dear.

"I am sick at heart from what you've done to me. Now, I would like to hear what you have to say for yourself," I said. I was actually forcing myself to fight back tears. I didn't want to give up the advantage here, but she saw it, and reacted.

"You're telling me you didn't fuck Denise?" she said.

I nodded, I was afraid my voice would crack.

"But, Michaelson? Your boss?"

"They lied," I said quietly.

She was beginning to think that maybe she'd made a huge mistake. "Maybe I should have asked you, confronted you," she said. "But there were two of them. And, Mark said that there were others—"

"No, there weren't and aren't," I said.

She didn't say the words out loud; she mouthed them: Oh my gawd! Now she was crying. She was at a loss.

I looked at my watch. I'd told Rafael to wait till noon to make the call. It was still a full hour yet.

"Ginger, I said quietly, there will be no divorce. You'll just have to get used to having your little faggot around. You won't be cheating on me anymore, and I mean ever; you won't like it very much if you do.

"I'm not sure how I am going to get by you disrespecting me like you did; but I'll do it somehow.

"You'll continue being the mother of our children, going to sodality meetings, and being the wife that I 'deserve' not the stupid ass whore you've been acting like this past while. Do you have anything to say?"

She was staring. She was almost catatonic. "Max, I—I—I think that I'm sorry. So sorry. I don't know why I should, but I believe you. But what did he..."

"Hope to gain? The arrogant little shit wanted into your pants, and that's all, and he succeeded. But, he'll pay. I can assure you of that," I said.

We talked for some time, and then the phone rang. "Please get it," I said. "It's Williams. Talk to him."

"How do you...?"

"Just answer the damn phone," I said forcefully.

They talked for about two minutes. Finally, she hung up the phone. "He admits having lied to me. He said he's sorry. Just sorry! He's ruined me—us—and he's sorry!.

"I want you to go to him. Not today, but in a week or so. It will be the last time you see him, but I want you to see him and talk with him. Let him know how you feel. I need you to see him and tell him how it is."

I had an ulterior motive in wanting her to see him. He would be "her" object lesson. It would be one she would never forget.

"Max, about my wanting a divorce..."

"I told you, there will be no divorce, and that's the end of it."

She nodded. She was too unnerved to argue the point, and she clearly didn't want to in any event.

"We will speak of this again after you've done what you need to do," I said. "Don't forget, in a week's time." She nodded.

Nine days later, she made the call to her ex-lover. He sounded strange, but he invited her over.

She'd find him alone in his apartment about four miles up the road. I gave her ten minutes to get there. Geezsus, how I would like to have been there, but that wasn't the plan.

******

She mounted the steps to his second story apartment. She knocked lightly and entered without waiting for him to open the door.

"Hello," he said.

"Hello," she returned.

"My husband..." She took a seat across from him.

"He knows," said Mark. "I'm aware."

"He told me to come here," said Ginger. "I'm not sure why, really. But, he insisted. You lied to me, Mark. You all but ruined my life and his and our children's. That was just plain evil."

"I wanted you, but that isn't even possible anymore. Your husband is a very dangerous man," said Mark.

"You're lucky he didn't beat you to death after he found out," said Ginger.

"Beat me to death? I wish he had," said

Mark. "What he did to me is far worse."

"Worse than being dead?" said Ginger. "I hardly think so."

"You say he told you to come here to talk with me, but you didn't know why," said Mark.

"Yes."

"Well, he had a reason. I am being forced to be here with you too," he said. "I think it is the second worst moment of my life."

She inclined her head as if to say she didn't understand.

"I have something to show you. If I do not, he will kill me and all of my family back in Illinois. He is not bluffing.This is the why you are here," he said.

Mark stood and dropped his pants.

"Don't you take your..."

She stopped in mid-sentence. Her mouth hung open, no words escaped. Her face reddened as he lifted his limp cock upwards. "Mark! You're...!"

He started to cry. "I guess I blew it," he said.

******

The phone in the kitchen rang; it shook me out of my reverie.

She was screaming into it! "My gawd! Max, how could you have done something like this! It's awful! The worst! He didn't deserve this. My gawd!" She settled down but she was sobbling.

"Get home now. Leave him. And, Ginger, yes he did deserve what he got." I hung up.

She was home in nine minutes. I braced myself for the assault. She stormed into the living room; her face was streaked from her crying. I was again seated on the couch. This time I had a straight vodka in my hand.

"Geezsus! you monster," she said. "You castrated him!"

"I was here the whole time," I said. "I didn't do a damn thing, but confront you with your infidelity. And, defend myself against your threat of divorce.

"He on the other hand was rubbing his hands together in anticipation of porking you tonight. You know, during your sodality meeting," I said, about as sarcastically as I could.

Her face flushed momentarily.

"You must have had help, but you did it," she accused.

I just sat and waited.

"You cut off his balls," she sobbed.

"But, I let him live, and his family" I said. "That could change if anything untoward happens to me. Anything!" I said.

Ginger was having trouble even blinking. Her mind raced. If she had been terrified before she was way beyond that now. "Who are you?" she said, at last. "He's a eunuch. What have you done?"

"Who am I? Someone it is not a good idea to mess with. Learn that now, immediately. I am not bluffing," I said.

She was shaking. "No, I don't suppose you are," she said.

I knew she'd get over it. I also knew that she was not going to be looking for anymore strange either. Not ever.

******

A couple of weeks after the day of reckoning, we were all seated at Uncle Enzo's table. The conversation was light and happy.

After dinner, he and I were out on the veranda smoking pipes. Aunt Betina would never allow smoking in the house.

"I hear you handled your situation," he said.

"Yes."

"Good. Ginger is a fine woman. But, she's a woman. She needs a man's hand to guide her. Just do your job, and let her do hers. It's the way of nature," he said.

"I understand," I said. And, I did.