Please note that this is not a stolen story. It is my second and definitely final rewrite of this tale. After my first attempt, I received some excellent constructive criticism (as well as the usual toxic crap from the nameless, brainless trolls) and tried to incorporate these thoughtful suggestions. Chapters two and three will follow shortly.
Chapter One
Dan's POV (Point of View)
Exhausted after a sixteen-hour flight and nearly an hour in customs, I was still as excited as a kid before Christmas. In a moment I would be seeing my gorgeous wife for the first time in six weeks. She would run to me, leap into my arms, we'd both be laughing and crying, then home as quickly as possible for some passionate love making before I surrendered to fatigue.
I emerged into the large, crowded arrivals area, pushing my trolley and searching for her joyful face. Everywhere people were embracing family and friends with cries of delight but there was no sign of Tina. She's short, only 5'3", easy to miss in a crowd but I thought she'd be right up front, bouncing with anticipation. Disappointment, anxiety and anger took turns kicking me in my stomach. I phoned her cell, our home number and her office, leaving urgent messages on all three.
It was embarrassing standing there alone, obviously waiting while couples and groups went off happily together. When almost all the passengers from my flight had gone and passengers from another flight were coming through I finally gave up and despondently took a taxi home. Some triumphal homecoming!
My taxi driver was Indian and laughed when I told him I had just flown in from Kolkata.
"I bet you thought you'd seen your last Indian for a while, eh Mister." he laughed then noticed my expression.
"What's up Mister? You look like your dog just died."
"I was expecting my wife to meet me... really looking forward to seeing her... but she wasn't there."
"Don't worry Mister. She's probably waiting at home wearing a big smile and nothing else."
"Yeah I hope so." But somehow I doubted it.
The forty minute ride gave me time to think. The last email I had from Tina arrived three days ago just after she had won her case; since then nothing. It was a high profile, first-degree murder, the biggest case so far in Tina's career as a defence attorney. Her client was a French nightclub owner called Robert (he pronounced it Row-bare) Menard . The victim was William Hurst, a prominent banker who I used to know. My Dad had employed Bill, many years ago, mentored and promoted him. The poor guy had turned up dead on the river bank naked, wearing only handcuffs and a ballgag.
A BDSM session resulting in a fatal heart attack had been the initial, superficial conclusion which had caused outrage among all Hurst's influential friends. Deeper investigation found convincing evidence linking Menard to the murder.
I'd researched the case and I didn't want Tina to take it. Of course a highly respected VP murdered in a salacious manner had the press all over it and Tina would be at the center of the feeding frenzy.
The last time I had met Hurst was at my father's funeral where he had given a moving eulogy. This connection wasn't enough to disqualify Tina but was enough to make me challenge her, resulting in a heated argument..
"Your case made the news again today...it's a real media circus. You sure you want to be involved?"
"Of course I am! That's like asking Nadal if he wants to win the Grand Slam."
"But from all I've gathered, this Robert Menard's guilty. Everybody's saying that he obviously killed Bill..."
Tina snapped back. "And everybody has no right to say it! That's why I've got to take the case. Innocent until proven guilty remember."
She calmed down a little. "Anyway I've had two meetings with Robert already and he's not the monster the press is making him out to be. He's intelligent, well mannered and respectful. Quite charming actually."
Annoyed, I responded unwisely. "Tell that to Bill's family."
Tina stormed out of the room and slammed the bedroom door. Our bed was icy that night which was a shame as it was the second to last night before my trip to Nepal for Doctors without Borders.
Yes I'm a doctor, a reconstructive surgeon and yes, I've heard all the jokes about rich arrogant surgeons. Eg "What's the difference between a surgeon and God? God doesn't think he's a surgeon." Honestly, the prestige didn't matter to me and if money was my motivation I'd be doing facelifts and nose jobs. What gave me satisfaction was fixing the face of a kid born with a cleft palate and split lip or recreating the breasts of a woman after a mastectomy, helping restore her sense of self-worth and beauty.
I had been on two other missions with Doctor's without Borders and found them demanding but tremendously worthwhile so when I was asked to serve for six weeks in Nepal I was keen. Of course I discussed it with Tina and she agreed that I should go, although neither of us was looking forward to six weeks apart.