Carolyn drove Bob's old Honda to his house to exchange it for her own car. She noted gratefully upon arriving that Bob's wife wasn't home. Bob invited her in and she used a spare bedroom to remove the leg brace and the hidden radio transmitter and microphone. She had carried in a spare pair of flip-flops which replaced her "orthopedic" shoes. Then she and Bob talked a few minutes about getting the audio from his bank surveillance on a CD for her use and Bob's next assignment.
"OK, what's next...you want me to shake down this Donna Steele chick?" asked Bob. He was referring to the hooker that Ronald Cruikshank, the bank president, hired to be his occasional handicapped escort. Bob had traced her phone number and cross-referenced it to find her residence.
"I need you to play bad cop. Get her nervous enough to tell you when she's meeting Cruikshank again. Make her think you're after him, but that you'll bust her for hooking if she doesn't cooperate. Then, I want pictures of the two of them together. Nothing fancy...just a few for the record. I don't need any bedroom photos or anything like that. Can you get it done this week?"
Bob agreed, and Carolyn slipped him two $100 bills with a wink.
"Maybe a little more when you're done. And...you still get dinner for two," laughed Carolyn.
Their understanding was that this escapade was off the record and never to be discussed. Bob wasn't sure what all this business was about, but was too loyal to Carolyn to ask too many questions. Carolyn was a tough lawyer who was very private about the details of assignments she gave him. She paid him well and it was not his concern what she was up to. He had to admit to himself, though, that his employer was quite the actress. If he didn't know Carolyn and had simply seen her in the bank he would certainly have taken her for a bona-fide polio victim.
Carolyn hugged him, thanked him for being a great friend. She stowed the brace and shoes, along with the crutches she had used, in the trunk of her Lexus and left. She called Denise from her cell phone and reported that the first phase of their plan had gone quite well. Denise was thrilled and invited Carolyn over for a drink. Carolyn happily agreed.
Upon arrival at Denise's complex Carolyn saw the same woman at the mailbox who had been getting her mail the last time Carolyn came over. That time she had been wearing the leg brace and was practicing her polio role on crutches. Chuckling to herself, Carolyn parked and got out of the car. She turned to see the woman looking at her oddly, and then watched her jaw drop as Carolyn simply walked up the entryway to Denise's apartment. The situation reminded Carolyn of neighbor Gladys Kravitz's reactions on the old "Bewitched" TV show when she witnessed some of Samantha's magic.
Carolyn knocked on the door and it was opened by a nice-looking man. She was momentarily startled, but recovered and introduced herself.
"I'm Bart, Denise's friend. Come on in. Denise is in the bedroom."
Carolyn entered the apartment and sat on Denise's couch. Bart offered her a glass of the chardonnay he and Denise were sharing. She happily accepted his offer. As he brought her glass Carolyn saw Bart's gaze unmistakably drift to her feet, fully exposed in the cheap flip flops she was now wearing. She remembered that Denise had told her Bart loved feet and she found herself oddly glad that her pedicure was just a couple of days old.
The two made small talk for a few minutes. Bart seemed to Carolyn to be a genuinely nice guy, to her relief. He had none of the smirky, condescending attitude of Ronald Cruikshank, the banker, and the only other "devotee" Carolyn knew. Soon, Denise appeared. She was walking on her rosewood underarm crutches, which Carolyn knew was unusual. Denise preferred forearm crutches and used the several pair that she owned almost exclusively. Denise was dressed casually in a T-shirt and jeans and was barefoot. The right leg of her denims was rolled up to accommodate the shortness of her paralyzed leg and her tiny foot swung freely above the floor. Carolyn noted with amusement that Denise now sported a silver ring on the middle toe of her crippled foot—an adornment for Bart's benefit, she was sure.
She swung across the room and flopped down in the recliner next to where Carolyn sat on the couch, placing her crutches neatly beside the chair. Bart took a seat at the opposite end of the couch. Denise took her wine glass and held it up to Carolyn.
"To our success," she toasted. Carolyn reached over and clinked glassware with her friend and they all drank.
Denise began the conversation. "I told Bart what we're up to, Carolyn...I hope you don't mind. He's sworn to secrecy. Right, Bart?"
Bart nodded in agreement. He looked slightly uncomfortable.
Carolyn decided to be her brash self. "So, Bart, I understand that you're in the 'devotee' camp with this clown Cruikshank. But Denise has assured me that you're a good guy."
