Dig Two Graves

Preface: This is a fictional story intended for adult audiences. This story is about vengeance and adultery. There is no sex in this chapter.

There is the fourth and final chapter. There will be an epilog which I hope to finish in a few days.

Tuesday 12:13 PM

With nothing better to do I've camped out at Bud's place. Technically I'm not fired but I'm certainly not welcomed in the office. Bill needed to go back to his office after our meeting with Susie and Vicky. He said he would be hard to reach for most of today, but to contact Janine with any new developments.

According to Tracy, Bud's somewhere down in Houston following up on a hunch. I wish he had waited and I could have gone with him, but Tracy said he left first thing this morning. The worst thing is I feel my life is falling apart and there isn't anything I can do to stop it. I know I have good people working for me but I've always been a person to roll up my sleeves and get my hands dirty. This waiting around was driving me crazy. Even the report that Tracy handed me from Bud did little to spell my frustration, as the audio and video captures from my house last night reveal little of consequence.

It's been a hell of a day and it's barely noon. In a sense, today is worse than yesterday. At least yesterday I was doing something, even if it was rushing about like a chicken with it's head cut off.

I find my attitude toward Susie and my marriage slowly changing. Increasingly I am having a harder time seeing how I will get past this. I am already struggling with her betrayal from Friday night. Now I am starting to have suspicions that she may even be part of this setup. If I do find out she's part of this, there will be hell to pay.

I reflect back to the meeting this morning. As we walked out I asked Bill about the stunt he pulled at the end of the meeting. In a way it pisses me off. Actually it's more than that. I'm not pissed off, I'm envious. He got to her. He waited ten years but he finally got his chance. The way I feel now, I don't want to wait nearly as long.

A knock on the door startles me a bit and I look up from the office I commandeered at Bud's to see Tracy enter.

"Bud's on the phone for you," she says.

"Bud?" I say into the receiver as I pick up the phone.

Tracy smiles at me and leans over the desk. For a moment I have a heavenly view down Tracy's blouse. Tracy gives me a naughty smile as she knows exactly where my gaze is fixed, as she punches the lighted button on the front of the phone unit and suddenly I hear the sound of Bud talking to someone. Tracy then presses the "hands free" button and Bud's voice is now carrying from the speakerphone.

"Bud?" I repeat?

"What the hell took you so long? Tracy have to give you lessons on how to operate a phone?"

"If you only knew how close you were to the truth!" I laugh. Tracy gives me a smile and finally straightens up and walks back to her desk, but not before giving me a little bit of exaggerated sway in her hips on the way out. "Wish I could have gone down there with you Bud."

"Yeah I bet, but you would have only slowed me down. We've dug up a few things down here, some really important things too. But before I spring them on you, I want to wait until I get everything tied up. Do you think you can set up a meeting between the two of us and Benner for tomorrow morning?"

"That might be kind of hard tomorrow morning Bud. I have that meeting at my firm where I have to give them my response. Bill and I have hardly had any time to go over the package they have offered and have scheduled time to look at it tomorrow morning."

"Shit," Bud grumbles. "Well, you'll need to hear what I've dug up before you have that meeting, and especially before you meet your wife and her lawyer."

"Can you clue me in as to what you have found out so far?"

"I don't want to be mysterious, but I still don't have my ducks lined up and it's best I keep things quiet until I know for sure. So somehow we need to meet tonight. You need to setup a time for the three of us to talk, and it needs to be late because you're going to be really busy the rest of today. I need you to fly down here to Houston pronto."

"Pronto? You mean right this minute?"

"Sooner the better. But before you do set up that damn meeting."

"OK, I'll get that done here. I'll ask Tracy to get me a flight while I try and setup a meeting for tonight. Do you think nine o'clock is late enough? And where am I going to meet up with you once I get down there?"

"No sooner than nine I think, and no you won't be meeting up with me down here in Houston. Come to think of it, you better make it later, let's say 10pm. Set the meeting up for my office there in Dallas. While you're down in Houston, you'll have your own little job to do. We got a bead on your secretary. She's actually down here if you can believe that."

"You're shitting me!"

"Nope! And I know you need to chat with her so write down this address and get your ass down here."

I scribble furiously as Bud gives me an address to an apartment. He reminds me once again to schedule a meeting for tonight and then we hang up.

First I call the number I have for Janine as I stand and start walking towards Tracy's desk in reception. Janine answers on the first ring and I quickly bring her up to speed on finding Heidi. Just as quickly she tells me there's no way in hell I'm going to talk to Heidi alone. She says for me to book her a flight along with my own and that she'll meet me at the airport.

I give Tracy my American Express card and ask her to perform some airport magic for two. I tell her to find the first available flight down to Houston and to find a return flight that would land at Love Field around 9pm.

While Tracy starts banging away on her keyboard I return to my temporary office to collect all my stuff and prepare for a dash to the airport. Tracy's just finishing our reservations as I return to her desk. I give her peck on the cheek as she hands me two e-tickets and an itinerary.

I give Janine a quick call to give her the flight information and tell her exactly where I'll meet her at the airport. We will both have to dash to make it in time. Just as I hang up I remember what Bud asked me twice not to forget. I barely caught Janine on the phone a second time and tell her that we need to get Bill in a meeting tonight and ask if she could set something up no sooner than 10:00 since our flight doesn't arrive until 9 pm? She says she'll get someone to set it up.

Tuesday 3:49 PM - Houston

"Now remember Janine," I say softly as we walk up the steps. "She's pretty shy. I'll introduce you and explain why you're here. Just smile and nod OK?"

She looks at me, smiling and nodding. It makes me laugh for one of the few times in the past four or five days.

Smiling myself I take stock of the building where Bud said Heidi was now living. I shake my head and hope this is something very temporary, for both of us. There was no security on the front door so we simply entered and took the stairs to the second floor. The hallway was at least clean if dimly lit. We walk down the hallway and are soon standing in front of 211B. With a nervous sigh and a glance at Janine, I knock on the door. At first I can hear nothing but then pick up the light sound of approaching footsteps.

I can see the spyglass in the door cover up and hear a "oh my God", on the other side of the door. The door chain rattles and two deadbolts later the door swings open to reveal a very surprised Heidi.

After the past few days I'm very unsure of where I might stand with Heidi. I watch as her eyes tear up and suddenly she steps across the threshold and surprises me with a very intense hug. Stepping back she blushes and a bit of the ol' Heidi appears. Shyly she smiles at me and it's only then she notices my colleague.

"I can't believe you here, Mr. Vickers. I'm not even sure how you found me but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised," she says, her eyes never leaving Janine. I watch as she takes in the tight blouse and tighter skirt Janine seems to favor. "Mr. Vickers?" She asks with a veiled and slightly disapproving tone.

"Heidi, you've called me Jake for ten years. I can't see any reason why you should be changing now!"

A smile faintly touches her lip while she still casts a guarded suspicious look at Janine.

Suddenly I realize that if my beliefs are correct, Heidi has no idea of what's going on back in Dallas and she's wondering why I am here next to Janine. "Janine, this is Heidi Bevis my administrative assistant, but in reality my right arm and conscience. Heidi, this is Janine Prescott. She's a paralegal." I think about explaining more but less is better at this point.

Heidi looks at both of us confused, then awkwardly steps back and invites us in.

I had been in Heidi's home in Dallas a few times to help her out with home repairs and similar activities. I know most of her family is down here in Houston. In fact my previous ill-fated trip had included some time in Houston and was one of the reasons Heidi has accompanied me on the trip. Heidi leads us into a small living room and motions for us to sit, asking if there is anything we would like to drink. Both of us decline politely.

"You're a hard woman to track down Heidi," I tease her.

She looks embarrassed and then puzzled. "I'm so sorry for leaving you so quickly. I wanted to stay long enough to make sure they replaced me within someone good enough for you, but they told me not to worry about it and that it was more important that I get down here to Houston to help my brother."

I realize Heidi must have just given the answers to several puzzles but I wasn't even sure of which questions yet.

"Heidi, are you OK?" I ask sincerely. "Are you in trouble?"

She looks puzzled again. "Y-Yes I'm just fine. I have been more worried about you. I tried to call you this morning but no one answered your phone! So I tried to call Mr. Weston and they told me he wasn't available. So I called the receptionist and asked to have you paged and they told me you don't work there anymore! Mr. Vickers are you in trouble? They told me it was just something routine. You didn't get fired because of me did you?" She asks, casting another suspicious look at Janine who has now occupied a chair facing me. Despite the seriousness of my situation I can't help but notice out of the corner of my eye the long expanse of leg exposed from her crossed legs under her short skirt. I have to force myself to concentrate on Heidi.

Suddenly I'm in one of those situations where I'm not even sure how to proceed. I glance over at Janine but she shrugs without help. Finally I ask, "Heidi, just tell me what's going on. Janine and I came all the way down here to find you and make sure you are OK."

Heidi looks at me with puzzlement. She casts another evil eye at Janine who just smiles in return. "Didn't Ms. Hinckley tell you what happened? She promised she would explain why I had to run out on you!"

"No, sit down and tell me about it."

"It's awful Jake! I mean I guess I knew it was going to happen but it's still awful!"

"Just calm down and tell me about it."

"It's my brother Bumper."

"The one that keeps having a few problems?"

"Yep that one. He did it good this time Jake. He got caught buying some more drugs and this is the third time. The prosecutor told him he was going to go to prison. You know Bumper wouldn't hurt a fly. Can you imagine what those hard core criminals would do to him if he was sent to jail?"

"When did all of this happen?" I ask with concern.

"Last week," Heidi sniffed.

"Right after you left Houston?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you call me and tell me?"

She looks at me puzzled again. "I didn't call you because I knew you were working down in San Antonio. I can't interrupt your day with my little emergencies Jake."

"As either your boss or as your friend, I think you should have! So what's the situation now? How can I help?"

"Jake?" Heidi says truly puzzled.

"What?"

"Well, don't you already know?"

"Know what?" I respond, equally confused. My attention is momentarily distracted by the sight of Janine uncrossing her legs and leaving them slightly parted like a scene out of

Basic Instinct

. I can't quite tell if she's wearing ...

"About my brother silly! You sent Ms. Hinckley out here to help me!" She says in part frustration, snapping my concentration from somewhere south on Janine's belly button to Heidi's face. A quick peripheral view at Janine's smirking face confirms my suspicion of multiple games at play.

"Ms. Hinckley showed up did she?" I continue. "Did she help you?"

"Didn't she get back to you?"

For a moment I think about playing this along and seeing where it ends up. Then I shake my head clear of such nonsense and go with what works best for me. "Heidi, I didn't send Ms. Hinckley out here. So why don't you tell me what happened?"

Heidi stares at me with astonishment and slowly sits down. I glance over at Janine which is a mistake, because she has now spread her knees another delicate inch or two confirming that she is not wearing anything under her skirt and that she has a very trusting relationship with her razor. I clear my throat and force myself to again look at Heidi.

"I thought she came out to see me at my home in Dallas because you sent her. I'm fairly certain she said that."

"Why don't you tell me what happened Heidi," I repeat firmly.

For the next twenty minutes Heidi tells me practically everything about Hinckley visiting her. Heidi found out about her brother on Monday while at work. She immediately went to Tom Weston my boss to ask for a family leave. Tom, of course, granted her request and Heidi made arrangements to go down to Houston Tuesday night. Heidi explains that while she was packing and making other last minute arrangements, her doorbell rang and she was quite shocked to see Ms. Hinckley, the executive director of HR, standing at her door.

Heidi invited her in and Hinckley proceeded to sympathize with Heidi regarding her brother, saying she also had a younger brother that got caught up in the ugly underground of drugs. As Heidi explains to me, Hinckley apparently has relatives in both the Houston police department and in the Prosecutor's department. She offered to make a few calls and intercede on Heidi's behalf. Hinckley suggested she might be able to get Heidi's brother put into a rehabilitation center instead of having to do jail time.

I interrupt Heidi for a moment and ask her if she had any idea how Hinckley would know about Bumper. Heidi again looks puzzled for a moment and says that Mr. Weston must have told her. Out of the corner of my eye I notice Janine jotting something on her little PDA device and I knew she was making sure we followed up on this loose end. I turn back to Heidi and motion for her to continue with her story.

Heidi was understandably ecstatic about any chance of her brother not going to jail. She enthusiastically agreed with Hinckley's plan. Hinckley was true to her word and her brother did get sent to a rehabilitation center. Heidi has been down in Houston since last Tuesday afternoon and was planning to relocate here permanently so that she could continue to help her brother. She had already contacted a real estate agent to sell her place in Dallas. I knew Heidi's parents were divorced, the father's whereabouts unknown and the mother could usually be found having a relationship with a Vodka bottle.

"So everything seems to be OK?" I ask a bit suspiciously. Thinking about how close Hinckley and Schmidt were, I suddenly remember that old saying about Greeks and gifts.

"As well as it could be. If it were a perfect world my brother wouldn't be messed up on drugs. But the center he has been assigned to seems quite promising. I actually have some hope he can quit."

I smile, genuinely happy for her. She's gone through several depths of hell over her brother, hell her entire family, in the time I've known her. For a moment I debate with myself to bring up the issue of the affidavit. Heidi has enough turmoil going on in her life right now.

"So did you get partner?" Heidi suddenly asks out of the blue, startling my thoughts back to the topic at hand.

"No Heidi," I respond.

"Anything but ...

" I think to myself.

"You didn't?" Heidi responds surprised.

"There's nothing for you to worry about Heidi. It will work itself out when it's time."

"But Ms. Hinckley said it was all but a done deal when I saw her last Tuesday." Heidi continues.

"She did?" I respond surprised, making another mistake and glancing over at Janine. She seems to have been waiting for just that moment and spreads her knees even further apart, just for a moment, before covering herself up by crossing her legs. In that brief moment it became graphically clear that she is not only doing a massive pricktease by flashing her shaven pussy, but given the glistening I see she is even aroused herself.

"Yes Jake," Heidi responds. "She even had me sign a glowing statement about how much you've done for the company."

"She did?" I repeat even more surprise. I realize I am still staring at the spot where I had just witness a wet naked pussy. With effort I twist my head back toward Heidi. "You signed an affidavit?"

"No, it wasn't an affidavit. I've worked for you enough years to know the difference. It was just a performance report. She had me sign the second page and initial both pages."

"It was two pages? And you said it was glowing?" I ask.

"Yes. Well the first page was glowing. The second page said something about your leadership skills and that it was an area for improvement. I asked Ms. Hinckley about that and she said all performance reports were like that. They had to put something down that wasn't so positive regardless of how good a job someone did."

I stare at Heidi for a second trying to make sense of what she was telling me.

"Did they copy Heidi's signature?"

I reach into the portfolio I brought with me and pulled out the manila folder containing a copy of the affidavit. Carefully extracting it and folding it to the second page, I hand it to Heidi. "Heidi, is this the second page you're talking about?"

Heidi scrunches her expression for a moment and then quickly reads the single paragraph. "Yes, I think this is exactly what I signed last week. But I don't understand any of this notary stuff. There wasn't a notary here last week. It was just me and Ms. Hinckley."

Before I can stop her Heidi flips the first page back to the top. I stand to try and take the document from her before she can read it. Unfortunately Heidi is a quick reader and she read enough in those first couple of seconds to stand up and twist away from me to prevent me from retrieving the document in her hand.

"Oh my God!" She exclaims.

Sighing, I sit down and let her read the entire affidavit. I glance over at Janine who is now sitting demurely, her legs still crossed, and quite interested in the interplay between me and Heidi.

Heidi slowly sits down in the nearest chair. I watch as she slowly turns crimson, the phrase "Oh my God," being repeatedly whispered.

She finishes reading the first page and flips to the second, as if she expected the second page to now say something completely different. For a long while she stares at the document.

"H-H-How ... W-Why ... Jake?" She stutters.

"Take it easy," I tell her. I had the same exactly feeling when I saw it for the first time.

"What does this mean Jake?" She asks. "T-T-This says ... well ... it accuses you ... us ... of having an affair! It says ... you force me to have sex with you ... that you made me do things like ... well ... you know!" Heidi buries her face between her hands and starts to sob.