Unfaithful

"I didn't know you felt that way about me," I said.

"You're not listening. I love you. You're a good man and husband. You have cared for me and about me. But you never let me all the way inside. Anna is just coming to the realization that you are not being honest in our sessions. I know you are not. Deception comes naturally to you, but if we are to have any chance of mending the wound to our relationship, you need to, for once, be honest with me."

"What do you want me to say?"

"Tell me what I can do to make you forgive me. I never intended to hurt you. Please, let's put it behind us."

"You can start by telling me about Eshe Faraji," I said.

"Shit, what has he got to do with us?"

"He's after you, and you've been keeping him waiting in the wings. A kiss here and there. What's that about?"

"All right, he is an attractive man and just my type. A woman needs a man, at least I do. My husband has been keeping me at a distance. So yes, maybe I've been keeping him in reserve. So, I let him steal a kiss or cop a feel, but I have never done anything more. He has no chance if my husband will come back to me," Simone said as her tears began to wet her cheeks.

I knew her as well as she knew me. In a moment, her nose would run, and she would turn away to sob out her grief. It was only partly real. Simone was caught between sorrow and anger. She wanted it all behind her so that she could return to the family without the consequences of her actions. I didn't fear Dr. Faraji. Yes, he was sexually attractive to my wife, but she wasn't the type of woman who succumbed to sexual attraction. I had seen her flirt with men before when she wanted something. The question was what did Simone want from Faraji?

You needed more than slick and sexy with Simone. She looked for a man to give her more. She wanted and needed a strong emotional connection. It's what had betrayed her in Africa, this need to be with a man. Held in his arms and protected. She was such a strong woman, but still, she was a woman. I had lived long enough to know that women crave male companionship, and sex is the smallest part of that craving. Was this what her kiss with the doctor was about?

"Will you promise never to do it again if we can put out relationship back together?" I said.

"Of course," she replied without hesitation.

"That means no more Médecins Sans Frontières or any other humanitarian escapades," I said.

"What?"

"You heard me. No more adventures away from the family. You're my wife, not the world's savior."

I could see the conflict within her, and I think maybe for the first time she was facing the actual choice. She must eventually choose between her family and her avocation. It was a choice between me and the many. Being with one man and serving mankind. Simone may have come back home, but it was never for good and always. She intended to go off again, whether she vocalized that fact or not.

Simone didn't respond. She sat for a moment, thinking, and then slowly rose and headed for the stairs. I gave her some time, and then I followed. When I reached our bedroom, I found the door locked. I wasn't sure whether that answered my ultimatum or if she was still thinking about it. I slept well that night on the living room couch. I had made my decision.

Tara was in my office bright and early. The Cheshire cat grin she was wearing told me that her hunt had been successful.

"Had me one of those big striped carryall bags concealing a directional mic. One of my men and I were playing the loving couple in the White Tail Inn. We had a booth at the back that had an unobstructed view of the barroom while we pretended to make out. Got Bobby Leboc spilling the whole thing," she announced with an amount of glee that I hadn't seen in her since she left the police.

Placing a recorder on my desk, she turned on her tape. She had it cued to the conversation.

There was a lot of bar noise, and Leboc began speaking in what he must have believed was a whisper, but it came in clear on the tape.

LEBOC: You have no choice here. The DNA will give you away even if she miscarries, and if she gives birth? Well, it wouldn't be too hard to figure which officer of African descent was making it with the pretty white inmate.

SECOND VOICE: But the risk! I don't want to get in deeper than I already am. After all, she was begging for it, and I paid for the pills. You guys all said it was safe.

LEBOC: It was safe, but accidents happen, and this is the ultimate fix. You pay five grand for the doc, and she goes to sick call, complaining of cramps continuing after her period with continued bleeding. The doc will take care of the rest.

SECOND VOICE: But what if it goes wrong?

LEBOC: Nothing goes wrong, and if it does she's in a hospital for God's sake.

"It goes on like that with the black guy whining for a while, but you get the idea," Tara said, shutting off the recorder.

"We know who the black officer was?"

"Had my man follow him home. He's Charles Washington up from NYC. Currently lives alone in Latham. I'll have more after we check him out," she replied.

"Good, document the tape and prepare an affidavit for a wiretap warrant on officer Washington," I said.

"My, you are cool. This is a whole new can of worms, right?"

"No, actually it's the hook that was there from the moment Stan Katsaros offered the bait we took."

"I don't get it," Tara said.

"You will as soon as you check out who Mrs. Katsaros sees as a gynecologist," I said, sending Tara off to complete her tasks. It wasn't really a hunch. I knew Tara would look, but I didn't need her to. Sometimes one and one make more than two.

For my part, I called my new law clerk's cell phone and told her to check officer Charles Washington's work assignments and get me the name, age, and a picture of every white female housed in any unit he worked in.

"Start from today and go backward. The faster, the better," I told the rather perplexed young law student.

Then I drew a surveillance warrant for Officer Washington, after which I called my good friend Deke Hudson to invite him to lunch.

_______________________________

The Route 9 Diner is south of the city on the western side of the river. It's not all that far from Route 32 and the thruway interchange. A lot of diesel traffic goes past, and it's a good place for a diesel mechanic to lunch near his shop. The diner looks nothing like a traditional diner. It's a big barn of a building made from prefabricated sections. I was already in a booth drinking coffee when Deke arrived.

"Glad you called, Jim. I've been meaning to get us together," Deke said, taking a seat across the booth.

As Deke sat down, the waitress was there to get his drink order and tell him the specials. She gave him a friendly and familiar smile. This was his home turf, and he was comfortable—very relaxed, just as I wanted him to be.

"It's been too long," I said, "and I didn't mean to come down so hard on you when we last spoke. It's the situation. I know you and Claire were just trying to help."

"No offense taken. It's an emotional thing. Takes some adjustments," he said.

"How is Claire? Still working long hours?" I said.

He gave me a bit of a suspicious look at this last comment but quickly shrugged it off and treated my words as if they were benign.

"Well, it's good money. Don't get me wrong, the shop does well, but we depend on her job for all the benefits and that steady check. The cost of running a small business these days is just incredible, but you must know that," he said.

"Yes, you're right. Between the payroll taxes and the comp, disability, and health insurance, there is little left," I said.

"Oh, don't forget the liability insurance, self-employment tax, and the sales taxes," he added.

"So is that why you let Claire have an affair with Eshe Faraji? Because I never figured you for a cuckold," I said, dropping my suspicions on him.

If I had any doubt, it was quickly dispelled. Deke froze and looked as if I had hit him. And, I guess in a way I had. But he recovered and tried to deny it.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said.

"Sure, you do. Claire, my wife has always claimed, was the best surgical nurse in this part of the state. It was only to be expected that Dr. Faraji, as head of surgery, would want her in his operating room while Simone was away. Faraji is a sexual predator. He's certainly not the kind of man to pass on an attractive nurse.

"But you're probably wondering who told me that Claire succumbed to his charms. Well, that, oddly enough, was Claire herself, with an assist from my wife. Now, it wasn't what they said but the way they said it. First, when I asked Claire about Dr. Faraji, she hesitated. Not much, I admit, but just enough. Then Faraji brought my wife back home very late and stole a kiss as she exited his Porsche.

"I confronted her about being with Faraji; imagine my surprise when she told me that Claire had arranged the ride and had been in the Doctor's Porsche for her own ride home. Now, with another man, that might have been an innocent ride, but not Faraji, and certainly not when you consider that you live twenty miles in the wrong direction."

Deke looked a little confused, so I enlightened him. "DMV records gave me who owned the Porsche and where he lived. Faraji didn't drop your wife at your house; he dropped her at his condo on the way to my place. He lives only a few miles from me. She spent the night with him while you were at home with the kids."

Deke hesitated a minute and then gave it up. "You have to understand. There is no way a guy like me can compete with a rich doctor. The guy has everything. He's got looks, money, and I'm told a big cock. All I've got is bills and three boys to take care of. So, I looked the other way, and, well, Claire . . . she makes it worthwhile.

"I get treated well, and Eshe, he won't be in the picture forever. I let her have her fling. So what. And you should know he's coming after your wife next. The question you need to ask yourself is, does fighting it get you anywhere? No man ever made out well in a divorce where there are children. I stood to lose everything and so do you," he finished.

"You may be right, but then again, this game may have a funny twist," I said, just as the waitress brought our food. I had her box mine and left Deke to eat in peace.

_______________________________

I didn't expect Lisa to pop into my office on the afternoon that I put the squeeze on Deke, but she did.

"I have the information on the fertility clinic," she began.

"Oh, good," I replied.

"There's no obligation at this point. They just want to test your sperm as a potential donor."

"No problem, but I'm getting busy, so the sooner, the better. You ready to be a mother?" I said, giving her a smile.

"I think so. I know how much I want to try. But how is Simone with this?"

"She will be fine," I said.

"I hope things are getting better between you two. I know you love each other very much, and your girls need the two of you so much," Lisa said.

"You sound like there is some big problem," I said.

Lisa looked down at her hands before she answered. "I've gotten to know you, Jim. You're only a little like your sister. You're not as open or forgiving. You don't have to be a lawyer to see that there is a problem in your marriage, and the cause would only be a surprise to someone truly innocent in the ways of this world we live in." As she finished, she raised her eyes and locked them on mine.

I had known for some time that my sister was a lucky woman. Lisa was not only beautiful in body and soul, but she was amazingly intelligent in a completely female way.

She knew exactly what issue stood between Simone and me, and no one had to tell her.

"Don't worry. It will work out," I said.

"I pray that it does for the sake of Vicky and Beth. I love them as I hope to love my own, and I would hate to see them hurt."

I picked up the card she had given me for the clinic and placed it in the corner of my desk blotter. "I'll call first chance I get," I said.

"Thank you, and think about it, please. Think about what is best for your daughters before doing anything," she said.

I didn't miss the double meaning, and I understood that she had come, in part, to plead with me to get past my problems with my wife for the sake of my daughters, whom she had come to love.

_______________________________

Pollyanna Randell, aka Anna Rand, aka Anne Randy, aka Scarlet Randy, had brown hair and brown eyes. She was five foot two inches of pure female. She had the sex appeal of Marilyn Monroe and the innocent appearance of a schoolgirl. She looked about old enough to be in junior high school, although her prison record said she was nineteen.

Rebecca, my law clerk, had done her work well. She had brought the possible candidates for Officer Washington's paramour down to just three. I eliminated the other two on the basis of pure male bias. I was betting it was the innocent-looking Polly, as she preferred to be called. The girl had two indecency convictions, both of which stemmed from her lap dancing profession. Her current sentence was for possession of heroin, but the probation report said she wasn't a user. She got caught holding but for whom was unclear. It was someone she was more afraid of than she was of prison.

"Do you understand these rights?" I asked.

We were seated in one of the prison's lawyer conference rooms. I had Rebecca with me as a witness and a tape recorder to make a record. I had finished reading angelic-looking Pollyanna her rights. A necessary precaution against what she might say.

"Do you think I need a lawyer?" Polly asked.

"Your choice, but since you're the victim, I wouldn't think so," I said.

At the word "victim," her eyes fluttered just a little.

"No one in custody can consent to sex with one of their custodians," I explained.

"Sex?' she asked.

"We're going to get along much better if we are honest here," I said.

"I was just asking what you were talking about," she said.

"Officer Washington and your pregnancy," I said, letting a harsh edge into my voice. I could see I had shaken her a bit. "Do I need to force a urine test?" I asked.

She thought about it and must have decided to give it up.

"What's in this for me?" she asked.

"You got two years to go on your sentence. I think we can get the governor to commute the rest of your time."

"I'll be out in a year with good behavior anyway. You need to do more. I wasn't just with Charley Washington. I can give you others," Pollyanna said.

"More?" I asked as my brain went into overload.

"Turn the recorder off and send the girl out," she said, breaking into a sly grin.

I hesitated, not wanting to be alone with this witch. I was under no illusions. The innocent face hid a wicked soul.

"What's the matter, afraid of little me?" she taunted.

I turned to Rebecca, "You got a watch?"

"No, I use my phone, and they take that when I come into the prison," Rebecca replied.

"Here, take mine," I said, handing her my wristwatch. The watch was a good one if not terribly expensive. A gift from my wife when she was a fourth-year medical student. Simone had worked extra shifts at the hospital to buy me the gift. I treasured that antiquated method of keeping time.

"Take the watch and leave for exactly two minutes," I told Rebecca.

When the door closed on my assistant, Pollyanna wasted no time getting down to business.

"A big-time lawyer like yourself would certainly know someone who could help me find a good home for my baby," she said, placing one hand on her belly.

I wasn't fazed by the sudden concern for a child she was prepared to abort.

"Any particular type of help you seeking?"

"You know, private adoption help with a suitable couple."

"A rich, suitable couple?"

"Preferably rich."

"A mixed-race baby might not be so desirable," I said.

She laughed, "Charley Washington thinks too much of himself. I've got several better candidates. He was just the easiest to accuse," she said.

"Okay, you get out early, and I find a lawyer to handle a private adoption," I said.

"Good, I talk when I've seen the lawyer," she said.

The deal was made. I had the superintendent put Pollyanna Randell into protective custody until I could get the deal done. The next step was to flip Washington and then Leboc. As it turned out, that took all of two heartbeats when Officer Washington got a look at Pollyanna's statement and realized his fellow officers were making a patsy out of him. Leboc collapsed as soon Washington turned on him.

Leboc gave me the man I truly wanted, but I knew the word of a whore and a dirty CO were not going to be good enough to bring down the real target. I needed a respectable witness.

_______________________________

I could see the displeasure on Superintendent Blake's face. We were in her office. She was seated behind her desk, but I was standing.

"I believe the subpoena is clear," I said.

"But you are seeking medical records?" she replied.

"Yes, and the order was signed by Judge Clement of the State Court after I provided him releases from each patient."

My clerk, Rebecca had spent two weeks gathering those releases from current and former prison inmates. The names had been provided by Leboc. The promises Rebecca made in return for the releases, I and the governor would be working to meet. Some got reduced sentences, and others were added to the pardons review list. But I had the releases and the Judge's order.

Superintendent Blake could see where this was going and by now she must have heard the rumors that officers Leboc and Washington were informing on their comrades. Camila Blake sighed, shook her head, and picked up her office phone. Forty minutes later her staff was placing the files on her conference table, and I was giving orders to copy them. I would take the originals and leave the copies. I was watching the process carefully, even though I knew what I would find. The Superintendent and her staff were silent in their work.

I had brought Tara and two of her staff to assist in securing the records. The last thing I wanted now was a break in custody. In all, we carried six banker's boxes of records to Tara's truck. Everything now depended on the next step.

I could see that my sister was still skeptical.

"No confidence in your brother?" I asked.

She was driving so I could look at her face while she stared at the road.

"Seems like a lot depends on an accomplice giving you her testimony," Tara said.

"We know how it worked, and that will help. We know the gynecologist sent the women to the hospital for treatment. The same doctor admitted each patient and the same nurse was assigned and signed her name to each record."

"Yes, but without the nurse, all you have is the word of felons that they were pregnant and the doctor changed that condition. These records say something entirely different. You think a jury won't believe the doctors?"

"I'm counting on the nurse," I said.

____________________________________

"Do you understand these rights?" I asked Claire Hudson.

"Jimmy, why are you doing this to me?" Claire demanded.

I'd had her arrested by the county sheriff's road patrol on her way to work. I put my wife's best friend in a jail cell for a few hours and then dropped her in an interview room for two more. I knew she was scared by that time—and hopefully ready to talk.

"You've committed crimes," I said.

"What? You can't believe that."

"You assisted illegal abortions and falsified records."

"Why would you say such things?"

"I have the records with your signature all over them. Your name and Faraji are on all the surgical records."

"So, that's normal procedure and abortion is legal in this state."