INTERESTING ITEM ON TV NEWS
Andrew and Joanne Dennison lived in Brentwood, Essex, in the East of England.. No children. Rented house.
Joanne was working for a well-known public relations company based in Central London.
Joanne's boss, Stephen Robart, is a partner in the company and his wife, Anne, is the senior partner's daughter.
It was a Wednesday night, Andrew and Joanne were having dinner at home. "Don't forget I'm going on that two-day company course next week," Joanne said, "I'll go to work as usual on Monday but I'll be staying at the Standard Hotel on Monday and Tuesday nights, so I am there ready for the course to begin at 8 a.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. Then I'll be home on Wednesday evening after the course is finished."
"OK," said Andrew, "I haven't forgotten, I'd rather you were home with me each night, but I know what the morning commute into London's like. Staying there is the only way to guarantee you'll be there on time."
"Yes, I'm sorry too, love. But it's important to my career progression that I attend the course. Perhaps we could go out for a romantic dinner the following Saturday, then I could make it up to you when we get home afterwards," she said with a warm smile.
"Yeah, I'd like that," he replied, "I'll book a table somewhere."
It was 5 p.m. the following Monday evening, Andrew was sitting at home watching the news on TV while he waited for his pre-prepared evening meal to cook in the oven. He wasn't particularly interested in the news items until he saw that there was a politician being interviewed on the steps of the hotel that Joanne was staying at. The interview was being conducted in the early afternoon of that day.
As Andrew watched, he saw Joanne come into the shot, she had just got out of a taxi and was heading for the hotel steps. As Andrew watched his wife with interest, a man came down the hotel steps to meet her. They hugged and shared a passionate kiss before, hand in hand, they went up the steps into the hotel.
Andrew was gobsmacked for a minute, then he got angry, his loving wife was apparently cheating on him at the hotel where her course was being held, if indeed there really was a course.
Joanne had told him she was going on the course with Tara one of the other girls who worked at the same company. Tara and his wife were friends outside of work as well as working for the same company and Andrew had met her once or twice.
He checked in their phone book and found Tara's number. He called the number and a man answered, presumably Tara's husband. Andrew explained that he was Joanne's husband and asked if Tara was on the company course with Joanne. No, said the man, Tara's not on any course, I'm afraid she's out at the moment collecting the kids from her mother's. She should be back soon; can I give her a message or get her to call you. Andrew said no thanks, it's not important.
However, a few minutes later Tara phoned. "My husband said you phoned, was there something you wanted?"
Andrew said, "I was told you and Joanne were going on the course at the Standard Hotel together, were the plans changed?"
"Oh, er. Well I couldn't go at the last minute," said Tara, obviously rattled.
"Well, I saw her on TV in the background of an interview being held outside her hotel," said Andrew, "but she was met by a man, and they seemed to be very friendly, far too friendly."
"Really," Tara said, "What do you mean by that?"
"Well," Andrew continued, "They were kissing like lovers, then they went into the hotel hand in hand. I'd say that was far too friendly, wouldn't you?"
"Oh, God. You saw them," Tara gasped, "So you know then? I told her it would end in tears, but she would do it."
"Do what?" Asked Andrew.
"I promised not to tell anyone, "she said, "but as you know something's up, I'd better tell you that she's meeting Stephen Robart, her boss who's one of the partners at the agency. They've been having an affair for a couple of months now, but I'm not sure if they've done anything apart from kissing and cuddling. They've been getting together at lunchtimes kissing and fondling, but tonight and tomorrow they're definitely planning to sleep together. I told her she was being stupid, but he's turned her head with his attention and has promised her promotion as well."
Andrew thanked her for her honesty and told her that he wouldn't let Joanne know that she's told him what's been going on.
What to do now? Andrew decided that he needed to be where the action was. He called the hotel and asked if they had a room available for tonight and tomorrow. The receptionist said, yes they had a room, he's lucky they're not too busy this week. He booked the room and quickly dressed in a business suit so that he wouldn't look out of place at the hotel. He put some underwear, a couple of shirts, and a casual jacket and trousers in a case, and called a taxi to take him to Brentwood station.
It was a fast service by train to Liverpool Street station only stopping at Stratford International on the way. Arriving at Liverpool Street he took a taxi to the hotel, it was only an hour and twenty minutes since he'd left home and two hours since he'd seen his wife on TV meeting her lover.
At the hotel he checked in at reception. "Has Mrs. Dennison checked in yet?" He asked. The receptionist checked and said, "We don't have a reservation for a Mrs. Dennison, sir."
"How about Mr. and Mrs. Robart?" he asked, "I should be meeting them for dinner."
"Oh yes, they checked in earlier this afternoon. I remember them, a nice couple, very much in love." She said with a smile. "Would you like me to tell them you've arrived? Do you want me to reserve a table for you in the dining room?"
He knew it would be a waste of time asking for their room number. "No, thank you," he said, "They said they'd make the arrangements, I'll meet them in the bar later." Taking his keycard, he went to his room.
He called his wife on his mobile, but the call went to voicemail. He texted her and asked how the course was going and if she had learned anything new, or any new techniques? He asked her to call him when she was free.
Changing out of his suit and dressing in his casual jacket and trousers, with a fresh shirt and tie, he decided to go to the bar for a drink and think what he could do, now that he was at the scene of the crime. He'd pushed his anger to the back of his mind, what he needed to do now was think logically about how he could find the cheating pair, and how he would deal with the situation once he'd found them. He realised it would have been pointless going to their room even if he had the number, they'd had all afternoon to fuck themselves silly, and they were hardly likely to let him in if he banged on their door.
The hotel bar was attached to the hotel restaurant. He asked for a large Scotch and took it to a table with a wing-backed armchair. Near the bar, but far enough away not to be noticed unless someone was looking for him.