Trading Control for Love

This concludes a story of two people in their 50s with very different backgrounds. Probably best to read Part 1 first.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was 4 long miserable days before Attorney Kimbrough called.

"Ms. Rothman feels badly for the delay. Trust me, she is frustrated in more ways than one. It took some massive juggling to move events and obligations around so she could enjoy a free evening AND following morning with you. I have never seen her so happy. Are you free next Friday from 6:00 PM until noon the next day?"

My enthusiastic "yes" made her giggle. She ended the call after giving me the name and address of the restaurant.

Mary continued to always be on my mind but the work was getting done so I was pleased. Friday did not come soon enough.

The Uber ride from my place was quick. For a change, Mary and Percy beat me to the restaurant by 2 minutes. Her smile was more radiant than ever. She was dressed in a red jacket and skirt with a white blouse. We ate quickly, walked briskly to the car after Mary paid for the meal complete with a generous tip. Mary asked Phillip to take us home as quickly as possible. We held hands and kissed repeatedly. Passionate kisses filled with lust and fire.

"I like this wild side of you," I said coming up for air.

"I am surprised to be acting this way, Robert. It is more than you respected my wishes and treated me like a woman last time. The physical connection was heaven. But there was a deep emotional connection I have never felt with any man before. And I would like to think you felt it also."

"I did, believe me."

We continued showing affection and making small talk. This felt like a perfect time to declare my love for her and hope she had similar feelings about me. I held her hands and looked deeply into her eyes.

"Yes, Robert? You have something to say?" asked Mary.

"Yes. I want you to know.....".

"We are home, Madam," said Phillip.

The magic spell was momentarily shattered. We exited from the car, I thanked Phillip in a flat tone while Mary unlocked the door. We made a direct path to the sofa and sat. We held each other like there was no tomorrow. The passionate kissing resumed. I gently caressed a breast and she confidently rubbed my erection.

"It seems the sofa is always our first order of business," I said.

Mary did not seem to be in a humorous mood.

"You were trying to say something in the car. Care to try again?" she asked a little impatiently.

"Mary, I want you to know....". A movement caught my eye.

"Who the hell are you?" I asked indignantly.

"Hello, cousin."

Mary whirled around and froze.

After a few moments she asked, "Gregory?"

"Very good, Mary," he replied. "How long has it been? 15 years? 20 years? A few months?"

"Has the price of drugs gone up so much you need an increase in your stipend?"

He smirked saying, "Still the same defiant stick-up-her-ass Mary, I see. Is this your boy toy?"

As I stood, Gregory pulled a gun from his trouser pocket.

"My name is Robert Lawrence. Nice pistol. A Glock?"

"Hello Robert Lawrence. Yes, it is a Glock."

Gregory looked like he was coasting along on a drug induced high.

"May I ask a question, Gregory?"

"Go ahead."

"You implied it had been a few months since seeing Mary. Were you the one who kidnapped and beat her then left her to die of exposure on my brother's land?"

He thought hard before confessing to the crime. I wanted to stay calm so the situation would not escalate but blurted out, "Why did you beat her?"

"Oh that," he chuckled. "It was nothing personal. The whole family has always looked down on me because I was smart and refused to play the wealthy-elite game. I took out my frustration on her but it was really against the entire family."

This confession did not appease me. I fought back the anger and decided the best course of action was stall for time. I confess to being scared shitless. It's bad enough to deal with someone on drugs but that person is far more dangerous with a firearm. I wanted to get Mary out of danger but was at a loss. My hope was maybe he would slip up from the drugs.

"What do you want from Mary?"

He grinned saying, "That $2 million disappeared a lot quicker than I thought it would. Between booze, drugs, friends, and travel it was gone in only a few months. So then an idea came to me that was so simple, I wondered why I didn't think of it before. You see, I am about 11th or 12th in line to inherit Rothman family fortune. So, by eliminating relatives above and below me when I inherit everything no one will blame me from hiding. And I get an unlimited supply of fun."

"It's apparent you have put some thought into this plan. Since it looks like we are doomed, may I ask how you got into the house?"

"That was easy. I work in maintenance. People here are idiots thinking they are safe so they get lazy. You would be amazed how easy it is to walk into most of these homes. In cousin Mary's case, the back door from the kitchen was unlocked."

"How did you kidnap her back in November?"

"I had just started working here and was told some of the cameras would be off for a few hours for maintenance and to keep a sharp eye out for anything suspicious. By asking a few innocent questions, I learned her house was one of them. I finished my shift and waited near her front door. I was about to lose hope when she stepped out. She was dressed very casual so I figured she was walking to one of the nearby homes. I snuck up behind her, injected a knock out drug into her neck while putting a handkerchief over her mouth so she wouldn't scream. Then ran for my car, wrestled her inside it, covered her with a blanket, and drove off."

"So leaving her to die on my brother's land was simply random choice. With no way to tie you to the land there would be no suspicion of you."

"Precisely," he said proudly.

"Wow! You really are one of the smart ones in this family. So how many different ways will you employ to kill off the others?"

Gregory looked around for a moment then replied, "I don't understand. Why use different methods?"

"If you continue shooting each one you run the risk of creating a pattern. That will make it easier for the surviving family members to increase armed guards and beef up security. Plus the police might find it easier to trace all the shootings to you. To avoid that, maybe you should watch old shows like 'Murder She Wrote' or better yet, British TV like 'Inspector Morris'. Both are long running series showing people dying in a variety of ways. You could watch them and see where the killer went wrong and plan accordingly."

Mary looked at me trying to decide if I or her cousin was the craziest one in the room.

He pondered this for a moment before saying, "That is a great idea! Thanks. It's almost a shame to kill you two but, you understand. Right?"

"I can't speak for Mary, but, yeah, I get where you are coming from. By the way, if you go with the 'Murder She Wrote' or 'Inspector Morris, be sure to take notes on the ones you like. And don't follow the murders in order. Somebody might see another pattern. Probably best to focus on earlier episodes as those are less likely to be remembered compared to the later ones."

The pistol was slowly raised.

"Since you are holding all the cards, may I ask another question?"

"Shoot," said Gregory amused by his double entendre.

"You know the staff will be the first ones questioned. How will you hide the evidence?"

"Way ahead of you, Rob. I will frame a co-worker who I don't like anyway."

"What is the motivation for this co-worker you plan to frame?"

"Got that angle figured out. I'll simply tell the police I saw her looking through the windows a couple of times. The motivation will be robbery."

"Well sir, you are definitely a genius. You mentioned you did not like her. What did she do to offend you?"

"I asked the little bitch out for a date and she turned me down. Seems she has a boyfriend. I explained who I was and she STILL said no," he replied. "Since my last name isn't Rothman, she thought I was lying."

"Well, there is no accounting for taste, is there?" I asked.

"Definitely her loss," he replied defiantly.

There was a brief silence as he basked in smugness of impending revenge. Then another question surfaced.

"What about GSR?"

Gregory looked confused.

"What the hell is GSR?"

"GSR stands for gunshot residue. It shows up on your hands after shots are fired. It's standard procedure by police to test people for GSR so suspects can be ruled out."

"Damn! A detail I missed. Any suggestions?"

I tapped my jaw a few times. I wanted to look studious but wondered if the drugs were beginning to wear off a bit. His hand shook slightly and he looked around the room more often.

"Your best bet is gloves. Not just regular gloves because GSR could still land on your skin or shirt sleeve. I'm thinking long gloves."

"Like formal gloves!" he said triumphantly.

"Exactly."

With the Glock pointed at me, Gregory said, "Mary, you have 60 seconds to find a pair of formal gloves and bring them to me. Leave your purse here and don't try using any phone upstairs or your escort is dead. Understood?"

"Yes."

Mary pivoted and took the steps two at a time. She moved remarkably fast in high heels. We heard her opening and slamming drawers until she returned panting heavily. In her hand were two beautiful white formal silk gloves.

"Now, toss them over here, cousin. No wait. Walk over here and put them on the back of this chair next to me. Any funny business and Robbie is dead. Understood?"

An angry Mary nodded, walked slowly toward the chair, carefully draped both gloves over the high back, and walked backwards to me.

Her cousin worked slowly then furiously trying to put on a glove. He couldn't do the task since one hand was needed to hold the gun. I offered to hold the pistol but that little joke fell flat. Finally, a desperate Gregory pointed the gun at my gut and said, "Put the glove on my hand. And remember, you will be dead in seconds if you try anything."

I took the left handed glove and rolled it up to the fingers. The glove was forced upwards to his elbow. The fit was tight but firm. He switched the Glock to his left hand and I repeated the same process. I walked backwards admiring my handiwork and pleased with the additional time it took. Still no plan, though. I thought of wrestling the pistol but was afraid of hurting Mary.

Greg kept flexing his fingers because the gloves were so restricting.

"Glad that problem is solved. You got time for another question?" I asked.

"What?"

I looked at the carpeting and asked, "Do you and this woman wear the same size shoe?"

"Doubt it. She is about 5 feet 4 inches and I am 6 feet 2 inches. Why?"

"You must have stepped in some dirt before coming in judging by the shoe prints on the carpet."

He reflected on this momentarily then said, "I'll tell the police I heard shots and came in."

"Another brilliant save, sir. What about her footprints?"

"I'll leave the front door unlocked so police will think she entered that way. No carpeting on the entrance way."

"Got to hand it to you. All the bases are covered. You may have just created the perfect crime."

Mary continued glaring at me. Gregory beamed even as his hand shook a little more and his face appeared increasingly anxious.

After a brief silence I said, "Just to be sure I understand things, you were the mastermind behind Mary's kidnapping and beating back in November. It was sheer dumb luck my brother and I found her as you had no connection to either of us or his land. You collected a $2 million ransom and now it is gone. The plan is to kill off a variety of heirs to the Rothman fortune so you will eventually be the next one in line. At which time you will go into seclusion for fear of your own life and also have the perfect cover for drinking, drugs, travel, and sex with a virtually limitless supply of money. In this specific case, you came into the house by an unlocked backdoor at the kitchen. Mary and I will be shot and you will plant the gun and gloves to frame your female co-worker. Will those items go into something like an employee locker?"

"There are no employee lockers."

"Hmmmmm......that might be a problem. What about putting them in the trunk of her car?"

Greg brightened saying, "That's a great idea. Thanks."

"Wait. That may not work out. How will you get the stuff to her trunk? If you borrow her keys, that will cast suspicion on you. If you break into the trunk, then it will appear evidence is being planted," I said.

"Good point. I'll just throw them in a trash can. My testimony will be enough to get her convicted."

"Sounds plausible," I replied. "So then once this blows over you will hide in plain sight and plan the next murder after you've watched some of the 'Murder She Wrote' or 'Inspector Morris' episodes. Have I summed things up correctly?"

Greg smiled like a proud parent then said, "I think we have covered all the bases. One idea just hit me. Would you two mind removing your clothes and laying on Mary's bed? The police may think the Robert here had an angry lover in case my co-worker plan doesn't work out."

Mary moved next to me speaking in her most defiant voice, "You can go to HELL!"

Gregory, thank heavens, was amused by the outburst. But he looked visibly tired and more edgy.

"Oh crap! I owe you an apology about the gloves, Gregory."

"What do you mean?"

"I just realized there will be GSR on the outside, I didn't factor in your DNA being inside the gloves instead of your co-worker. That will be hard to explain to the police."

Unfortunately, this revelation pushed him over the edge. He became enraged cursed up a storm and madly waved the pistol. He brought himself under control long enough to point the Glock at Mary. I moved in front of her trying to gauge how I could charge him, protect Mary, and get the Glock.

He grinned saying, "Suit yourself. Nice knowing......"

There was a muffled sound to my left as Gregory fell to the floor. A single shot grazed my upper left leg. I also fell and clutched the wound.

Mary screamed," You BASTARD! YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

This demure lady of high society jumped over me and charged her cousin with a frightening ferocity. Percy moved with amazing speed and caught Mary around the waist before one of her heels punctured Gregory's skull. The sight was almost comical as her legs continued running in the air.

"It's alright, Mary. Just calm down, please. Robert will be fine. I promise," said Percy in a soothing deep tone.

While Percy was keeping Mary from killing her cousin, I looked to the sound of the noise. There stood Attorney Meredith Kimbrough with a taser in one hand and a cell phone in the other walking briskly toward Gregory. Her foot pushed the Glock away as she dialed 911.

After reporting the incident, Meredith said, "Gregory is not dead. But he will be out for a while."

I asked, "How long were you standing there?"

Mary's attorney grinned and held up the cell phone.

"Long enough to record him admit to kidnapping Mary and attempting to kill you. That was a very good summary, by the way."

"Thank God someone saw the signal," said a relieved Mary still being held by Percy. She took a deep breath and said, "You can put me down, Percy. I am fine now."

Percy turned and gently placed her on the floor but stood between Mary and cousin Gregory.

"What signal?" I asked.

"The light cancelling curtains in my bedroom are always open. There is a switch near the door which opens and closes them. Meredith suggested if there was ever any trouble I flip the switch to close them and then immediately open them. I found the gloves quickly but was not certain how much noise the motors made so the drawer slamming was to cover up any chance Gregory might hear them," explained Mary in a calm voice.

I looked at Attorney Kimbrough. "Why are you here?"

She showed another one of those enigmatic smiles.

"Security saw Gregory enter the house through the kitchen door. When the curtains closed and opened twice I was contacted because I manage this property. My house is next door, by the way."

"How did Percy get here so fast?"

"Percy was home with me. We were discussing....security."

"I've always seen him with a handgun when we are at the restaurants. Why didn't Percy shoot him?"

"There was no time to waste. The taser was handy and Percy had to dress," explained a grinning Meredith.

Percy looked at her and returned the grin.

I then realized Percy was wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt while Meredith was in sweat pants and a loose sweat shirt which read "Lawyers Do It Legally". Her hair looked a little disheveled. Both were barefoot.

"Mary," she continued, "Gregory truly is your 4th cousin. And he is 12th in line to inherit. His genealogy came back earlier this week but nothing stood out."

"Do you run genealogies on everyone?" I asked.

"You would be amazed how many people send Mary and the other Rothmans birthday, graduation, wedding, or funeral announcements. The genealogy checks help ferret out the real relatives from the fakes. By the way, your genealogy is impressive."

"Oh? How so?" fearing I descended from robbers and petty thieves.

"So far, I traced you back to 1588 at the defeat of the Spanish Armada. Your ancestor was killed but saved the lives of others. One of them set up a fund for his widow and 2 young children in gratitude. She was one of the rare women who did not die in poverty upon the death of her husband or forced to remarry. They were provided for so they lived comfortably. Both children lived to have families of their own. The mother never remarried."

Sirens approached. Gregory stirred but Percy stood over him. As the police walked in followed by the EMTs, Meredith took over. She showed the officer her phone video. She led another to the security office showing the footage of Gregory walking in as well as the danger signal Mary sent with the curtains. The EMT looked at my leg and verified it was not life threatening. Mary rode with me to the same private hospital which treated her. She stayed while they kept me overnight. Phillip drove us to my place Saturday morning. I was on crutches for a few days. Her place was still a hotbed of news coverage because cousin Gregory had decided to get as much media attention as possible. Maybe he thought he would get sympathy. Maybe he just loved the notoriety. Who knows?

Meredith spun the story so I was not mentioned. The Security team were the heroes and Gregory was hired because he needed a job. She also explained to the press Mary was away for a few days recovering from the experience.

Back at my home, Mary hovered like a mother hen. I was allowed to use the bathroom by myself but only with her immediately outside the door just in case. She made sure the dressing was changed as needed, and helped me walk around the first few days. Her personal physician made daily calls at Mary's insistence and declared I was healing well. It took more than one conversation to convince her a specialist was not needed. Sandra arrived Saturday afternoon with clothes for Mary and enough prepared food to get us through Labor Day.

Saturday evening, as we cuddled on my bed, I kissed this precious woman and summoned the courage to whisper, "As I was trying to say before cousin Gregory interrupted us, I love you Mary Rothman. I began falling in love with you on our first dinner date."

Her body tensed. She didn't respond for a few long moments. Then she relaxed and said, "And I love you Robert Lawrence. More than I can ever express."

"You had me worried there when you acted distraught and got quiet. I feared you were figuring on a way to let me down easy."