The Red Headed Waitress

Karin was relieved, but also disappointed. It would have solved the mystery if Nadine had blurted out a name. "That's good Nadine. Sorry if I upset you."

*********

Monday morning, Karin was standing in the TSA line, waiting to suffer the latest indignities. As a former New York City police officer assigned to anti-terrorist activities, she understood the need for security, but it's been almost twenty years since nine-eleven and the powers that be still hadn't figured out a better way to screen passengers. How many times has she watched an agent pat down some confused little old lady who forgot to put her lipstick on the conveyor?

By the time the plane landed and Karin walked out of the Phoenix airport to catch a cab, her contact in Arizona had left a message where she could find Jason Holland. He was working as a waiter at a local Olive Garden. Karin made certain the hostess seated her at one of Jason's table. It was late in the lunch hour; the place was thinning out. Holland approached Karin's table with his big 'welcome' smile flashing. "Good afternoon...." was all that left his lips when he saw the photograph of himself, naked in bed with the redhead, lying on the table. "What the ..."

"Hello Jason. I'll have the soup and salad lunch special, a diet cola, and the chance to talk with you at your earliest, and I mean earliest, convenience."

"Can you please put that away before someone sees it?"

"Why Jason? Are you ashamed of it? The lady who is supposed to be in bed with you, the lady whose husband is divorcing her because of this photo, is thinking of posting it on the Internet. Her life is already ruined, why shouldn't yours be ruined as well?"

"I get off at two. Can we meet across the street at the coffee shop and discuss this?"

"I'll eat lunch and wait for you there. Don't disappoint me by not showing up. You'll make me very angry and that's not a good thing." Karin said this last line with enough menace in her voice to give Jason the distinct impression that the woman was not joking. Karin enjoyed her lunch and walked across the street.

At two-o-three, Jason sat at the outdoor table across from Karin. Karin didn't waste a moment.

"Tell me about the photos."

"I can't. I was paid four thousand dollars and signed a non-disclosure agreement."

"That's too bad. You're between a rock and a hard place. You'll have to decide who you want to piss off - whoever paid you to pose for these photos or my client. She's ready to post these photos publicly and sue you in the amount of one-hundred thousand dollars for perpetuating a fraud; her husband is divorcing her based on these photos."

"One-hundred thousand. I don't have a hundred-thousand!"

With ten years police experience interrogating suspects, Karin innately sensed when to play good cop and when to play bad cop. "Tell that to the judge, asshole. Or -- tell me what happened and who paid you. Otherwise, be prepared to have your life go circling down the toilet bowl."

Jason Holland folded like a cheap wet napkin.

"I was contacted through my agent. I met a man who offered me four thousand dollars to pose for simulated sex photos. I was told these would be used for private purposes, they'd never be seen publicly and was given a contract to sign which included his guarantee to me and my non-disclosure agreement.

"I met the man the following week at a hotel, there was a woman there, we posed in bed, simulating sex. The guy stood next to the bed and took a few dozen shots. The next morning I waited for a similarly looking woman to leave her hotel room, I was told to pick up the pen lying in front of the door, ask the woman if the pen was hers, then walk away. The same guy was directly across the atrium, in the room from the previous night, taking photos of the encounter."

"Had you ever seen the woman at the door before?"

"No"

"Where's your copy of the contract?"

"In my apartment, locked up in my desk."

"Describe the man."

"A big guy, maybe six-two, thirty-something, bi-racial, bald head; kind of reminds me of Vin Diesel."

"What about your bed partner?"

"Cute face, brown eyes, red hair which I think was a wig, nice body."

"Ever see her before; in any of your acting gigs?"

"Never; I'd remember that face."

"Didn't you question why you were hired to do this?"

"It was four-thousand dollars. To tell the truth; I assumed it was some guy who needed proof his old lady was cheating and I was just providing the proof."

'One more sleaze-bag' was what Karin thought, but didn't say it out loud. "Let's grab a cab to your apartment; I want a copy of that contract."

Jason didn't argue. Within an hour Karin was back downtown. In her briefcase was a copy of the contract and a signed statement from Jason Holland that the woman in the sex photos was not the woman at the hotel room door.

The earliest flight with an available seat back to Portland wasn't taking off until nine-thirty. Karin sat at an outdoor table at a sidewalk café drinking a glass of wine and enjoying the dry heat. So different from the Portland Spring weather. She'd have to see if Bill could get a few days off so they could get a long weekend down here soon.

Karin spent the next two hours arranging a meeting with Peter French for Wednesday. She left a message with Tori Brown's agent, inferring she might have an acting gig for her and to have Tori call her.

The toughest call was to her client; Karin didn't give Nadine all the details of today's meeting with Jason Holland. If Bill's theory that the object of this ruse was to split the couple, and given it was a man who set up the sting in Arizona, it made sense that Nadine was the object of this man's attention. Karin had already asked Nadine whether she thought that could be the case and Nadine denied it. Was she lying or naïve? Or maybe the theory was wrong.

Karin was disappointed by the time she ended the call to Nadine. Nadine denied knowing a Howard Stone, the name on the contract, and his physical description didn't ring any bells. Karin spent another hour on her smart phone trying to trace a Mr. Howard Stone; she found a few references to people with that name, but none of them fit the description of the mystery man.

One nice bit of luck -- Tori Brown called her back and arranged to meet the following afternoon.

It was just after one a.m. by the time Karin collapsed into her own bed.

*********

Tuesday afternoon, Karin met Tori Brown in her agent's conference room. Karin and Tori were alone, the agent only stuck his head in the door to let them know he was available if there was a contract to sign. Karin decided to use the same direct approach that worked so effectively with Holland.

"Ms. Brown, or should I say Ms. Dori Smith, tell me about your job at SIC."

Tori's face paled at the words. "Hey, what is this? I was told we were here to discuss a part in a movie."

"I lied. Just like you lied to Nadine French. Ms. French is prepared to sue you for your part in the destruction of her marriage. You'll be served by the end of the week; we're suing you for two-hundred thousand dollars for your part in the fraud."

Tori's face grew even more pale at the number.

"I can't talk to you. I signed a non-disclosure contract."

"That contract won't protect you from legal damages. You have five minutes before I walk out the door and call Ms. French's attorney."

Tori's acting skills could always be counted on to get her out of trouble. She started to tear up, her lips started to quiver, she bent down placing her face in her hands, her voice shaking. "I'm sorry, I needed the money after I was laid off at work. I was nearly homeless, the money I received just barely kept me from losing my apartment."

Tori looked up, surprised to see the hard expression of indifference on Karin Roland's face. 'Who is this woman?' thought Tori, the tears always worked.

"I was a New York police officer for over a decade. Do you have any idea how many actors and actresses I pulled over for various reasons while I was working patrol? You're very good, I must admit. I once stopped one of the Kardashians and your routine had her beat. It's the quivering lip, I think; that's what sets you apart. You now have two minutes before I leave."

Tori hunched over and the real tears started.

"Let's start out simple. Describe the man who contacted you."

Tori looked up. "It wasn't a man; It was a woman."

Karin did her best not to register surprise at learning there was another party involved, a woman. "Describe the woman."

About this time, Tori's agent popped his head in the door again. "Everything all right in here? Need any coffee or anything?"

Karin smiled at the agent. "No, we're fine. Thanks." Tori's head was faced away from the door and the agent didn't stick around to see his client's tears.

"Go ahead; you were saying."

"Mid-thirties, I would guess. Shoulder length brunette, expensive cut and color. She wore expensive clothes. An attractive woman, five-seven in low heels, medium build."

"White, black, or..?"

"White, a little bit of sun. Either lives in the South or had been on vacation down South; not a spray-on tan."

"What name did she give you?"

"Helen Rhodes."

"The CV with your publicity photo stated you do accents; Ms. French thought you were English or Australian. Did you do the headhunter Erin Smith voice, too?"

"Yes. It was supposed to be an androgynous voice to add to the confusion."

"Well, it worked. I spent hours searching for a recruiter with either the male or female versions of Erin."

Just like any actor, Tori gave a half smile hearing Karin's complement.

"How much did you get paid and what were you told to do?"

"I met Nadine French at an office the first day to have her sign some papers and set up how she'd be paid directly to her bank account. I only went back to that office two additional times when I was expecting Nadine to stop in; everything she submitted was via the internet or through emails. On the rare occasions when she called, or if a restaurant called to verify Nadine's credentials, I answered on a phone Rhodes provided. I'd answer with my SIC English accent."

"Did Helen Rhodes sign the non-disclosure contract?"

"Yes."

"Did you ever meet a big man; about six-two, bald, bi-racial?"

"No, only Rhodes. Can you tell me what this was all about? Rhodes stopped by my apartment Wednesday evening, said the job was finished, took the phone and key to the office, handed me two-thousand in cash and reminded me about the non-disclosure agreement. It's the last thing she said to me."

"How much did she pay you all together?"

"Forty-five hundred."

Karin told Tori the entire scam seemed to have been set up to get Nadine out of town so she could eventually be photographed in bed with another man. That the photos were faked, but good enough that Nadine's husband planned to divorce Nadine.

"Damn, that's cold. Tell you what, if you promise not to tell anyone where you got it, how would you like a photo of Helen Rhodes?"

"You have a photo?"

"Yea, it was all so weird I had my roommate sitting in the café across the street the second time I met with Rhodes. She was able to get a photo with her phone. It's not great, but it's better than nothing. I have it on my phone." Tori showed her the photo.

"Can you forward it to me?"

Ten minutes later, Karin was walking out of the agent's office with a fuzzy photo of Helen Rhodes that had been taken from a distance by Tori's roommate. She had one more piece of the puzzle, but still didn't know where the pieces fit.

Karin called Peter French. "Mr. French, I know you agreed to meet with me tomorrow; but I think you might like to meet today given the information I'd like to share with you." Peter agreed to meet Karin at the pub around the corner from the long-term stay hotel where he was living since leaving the apartment he once shared with Nadine.

********

Peter French was sitting in a booth at the back of the bar, drinking a pint of dark ale. Karin stopped the barmaid and asked her to bring a glass of Merlot to the booth. Peter stood up as soon as Karin approached the booth with her hand held out. As they shook hands, Karin was surprised by Peter's physique. Nadine had told her that Peter was a computer programmer, the man standing in front of her had the body of a football player and the face of a movie star.

With the introductions out of the way, Peter jumped right in.

"You said on the phone you've been hired by my wife and have proof she wasn't the person in the photos. That's the only reason I agreed to meet with you. My attorney told me she hasn't been at home and hasn't been served. Depending on what you tell me, if it doesn't prove Nadine's innocence, do you agree to tell me where she is?"

"Yes, but it won't come to that; I'll come right to the point. Here's a signed declaration by the man in the photos; his name is Jason Holland. Mr. Holland is an actor and was hired to pose with a woman who was supposed to fool you into thinking it was your wife in bed with him."

Peter interrupted. "That's awfully hard to believe."

Karin waited until the barmaid brought her wine, Peter waived her off when she pointed to his half empty pint. With the barmaid gone, Karin pulled the photos out.

"Take a good look at the photos. Notice these two didn't capture Nadine's face? Also look at the angle of the photo; do you think someone could have taken those without Nadine being aware a third person was in the room with a camera? Now look at this last photo, the one at the door. There's no intimacy between the man and Nadine. This shot was taken from across the atrium, Holland had just picked up a pen that was left in front of your wife's door, Holland asks your wife if the pen is hers, the photographer takes the photo and Nadine never sees the man again, until you give her these photos."

Peter kept paging through the three photos, trying to digest everything Karin was telling him.

"I have a statement signed by Jason Holland, confirming what I've just told you. One more thing; Nadine's job was a ruse to get her out of town on a regular basis. Someone or someones wanted her out of town until you decided to divorce her based on these photos. Last Thursday, Nadine showed up at the SIC offices and the place was empty. Her contact at SIC, Dori Sims, is actually Tori Brown, also an actress paid to pretend SIC was a real company."

"Who would do such a thing?"

"Maybe you tell me; Nadine can't explain it. I admit, I thought it was someone who wanted to pursue Nadine after you divorce her, but I'm having my doubts. Do you know this woman?" Nadine showed Peter the fuzzy photo on her phone.

Peter looked at the photo without saying word, then fell back, staring into space. "Damn, I am such an idiot! How could I be so damn stupid?" The expression on Peter's face would have been humorous if the situation wasn't so serious. Karin waited patiently for Peter to explain.

"That's my boss, Greta Hesse, the founder and CEO of Hippolyta. This is crazy; but now it makes some sense. She's been dropping little hints - how traveling spouses can be tempted on the road; how even the strongest marriages rarely survive the suspicion, if not outright infidelity. I called Greta Tuesday evening, told her I needed some time off; that she was right, that Nadine had cheated and we were through. Greta offered to pay for my move to the home office in L.A. I always thought her flirting was a little over the top, almost harassment, but she knew I was devoted to my wife."

"So she created this entire thing because she has the hots for you?"

"Yea, unbelievable, right? A little over a year ago, at the company holiday party, Greta got a little drunk; very out of character for her. She said a couple things to me about Nadine not being in my league, 'that little waitress' is how she put it. I ignored the comments and two weeks later, when I went down to the home office, Greta apologized. I told Greta if anyone was out of anyone else's league, it was me; that I was happy in my marriage and the lucky one."

"Wait, do you know a man; about six-two, bi-racial, a Vin Diesel kind of guy?"

"Sounds like Andre Hillman, Greta's personal bodyguard."

"He's the photographer. He hired Holland down in Phoenix and took the photos here."

The two of them sat quiet for a minute - drinking and thinking.

"How did your boss know about the parrot tattoo and the special earrings?"

"Probably from the holiday party. There was a photographer there. Nadine wore a backless dress and didn't cover the tattoo. She was probably wearing those earrings at the party; they're her favorites when we go out."

Peter stared into Karin's eyes. "I really screwed up. Do you think Nadine will ever forgive me?"

"Why don't you call her and get it started. Even Nadine said she'd have thought it was her in bed with the guy if she didn't know better. They thought of everything: the hair, the tattoo, the earrings. Your boss played on the inevitable concerns when spouses travel. You both were played by someone willing to do and spend anything to make you suspicious."

Peter and Karin spent another half hour discussing what he'd do about his boss' treachery and came up with a plan. Peter dialed Greta's personal number. The call couldn't be used in any legal proceeding, but it would verify Greta's involvement.

Greta was pleased to see it was Peter's number on her phone's read out. "Hi, Peter."

"Greta, call me slow, but I just figured it out. How you were behind Nadine's job, sending her out of town, giving her the opportunity to cheat on me until she finally ended up in bed with another man."

Greta couldn't believe her luck, Peter still thought it was Nadine in the photos; but she wasn't ready to admit her part in the scheme. "Peter, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Please, Greta. If we're going to have any kind of future, you need to tell me the truth. We can't start a relationship if we start it with a lie. Tell me why you did it."

"Because, you big goof-ball, I'm madly in love with you! How could you not know that? But of course - because you're a typical clueless man when it comes to love. That's why you didn't know your wife was cheating until I showed you the proof. Now get yourself down here where you belong."

Peter heard enough and needed to get off the call before he lost it; imagine - this woman calling his wife a cheat. "It will take me some time to get things straightened out. Hang in there for a few weeks. OK?"

"I'll wait Peter, but not for long. I've already waited too long. I love you."

Peter hung up. "My gawd, the woman is completely delusional."

"Now call Nadine." Karin got up to leave. "I'll take care of the rest as we agreed. You take care of Nadine." She stopped to pay the barmaid for the drinks and couldn't help but overhear Peter. "Hi babe; I'm sorry, sorrier than you can ever know. Can I come home? I miss you and I love you."

Karin walked to her car thinking that sometimes this job is all right. She booked a flight to L.A. from the app on her phone.

Karin walked in the door to find Bill and Anthony in the kitchen making dinner together. Karin kissed Anthony on the cheek and Bill on the lips; Bill put his arm around Karin's waist and squeezed with possession.

Karin looked up into Bill's eyes. "Have I ever told you how much I love you?"

"About ten-thousand times or more. Why, what did I do now?"

"Is dinner ready? I can tell you while we eat. I'll go get washed up."

"Wine? We're having spaghetti tonight."

"Yes, please. I'll be right back."

At dinner Karin told Bill and Anthony about the crazy case and how Bill's reference to Sherlock Holmes helped steer her in the right direction, despite some detours. Both Bill and Anthony were fascinated.