THE CUMMINGS OF MILLY FORD
CHAPTER 4: FABULOUS FREDDY
Freddy felt a kiss on his bicep from his wife's lips, as she held his arm tightly with both hands, sat in the window seat of the homeward bound plane.
He smiled at her, and she beamed back.
"That was a hell of a ride," she said.
"Yes," he agreed, "it was."
"Thank you for rescuing me. My hero."
Freddy didn't feel like he had rescued Milly. He felt it had been a close call. But then, wasn't that the part of it? The risk, the danger, the potential consequences?
When he had heard the knock at the door at seven o'clock that morning, he had half expected it to be Matt saying that he was taking Milly away.
But when Freddy opened the door, it was Milly who was stood there, dressed in nothing but a pair of men's boxers, with her arms folded across her naked breasts.
"Take me home, Freddy," she whispered, and almost collapsed into his arms.
Matt had just left for a business breakfast, and she had taken the opportunity to sneak out.
She was battered and bruised, covered in bite marks, hickies, dried and crusted secretions. He ran a bath, filling it with her soaps and smellies, and lowered her gently into the wet warmth.
"I'll call the airline," he said. "Get our flight brought forward."
She nodded.
"Oh, shit, Freddy! My passport! It's in Rick's room."
"Don't worry about that. I'll get it. You say here and keep the door closed."
Using Rick's keycard, he returned to the apartment next door.
Danny and Tony were both snoring heavily in the living room, Matt's bedroom was empty, and Freddy retrieved Milly's phone where she had left it. In Rick's bedroom all was the same, and Freddy grabbed Milly's pink trolly case and began packing it with her things. Her passport, keys, and purse.
He stared at the bed on which his neighbour had fucked his wife, the result of his trickery, deceit, and deception. Freddy wanted revenge, but it wasn't in his nature, and all he could think of was itching powder in the sheets, or turning the sheets inside to make an 'Apple Pie' bed. Shit, he might just as well put clingfilm over the toilet bowel. Useless.
Then Freddy spotted the white dress that Rick had bought her, and in a fit of anger he tore it to shreds. He saw Rick's clothes, and had an idea. What would a woman do to exact revenge?
A sharp pair of scissors from the kitchen cut the toes from the socks and the crotch from the shorts. They made light work of the shirt sleeves, and deep rips in the trousers. The Armani jacket was altered beyond repair.
Then there was the black dress that Matt had bought. Freddy was about to attack this too, but he rather liked it, and so had Milly. He didn't feel as though he had anything against Matt, so he folded it carefully and added it to the suitcase.
In the hallway, he noticed Tony's black trousers thrown to the ground. Out of the pocket had partially-fallen a plastic bag. In the plastic bag was a browny-green mixture of what looked like seeds, leaves, and stems. A citrous, woody smell came from the partially open bag. Freddy suddenly realised what it was and backed away. But, a thought stuck him.
He tore off some cling film from the kitchen, wrapped his hand in it, and collected the bag. He found Rick's suitcase and sprinkled a small quantity of the seeds and leaves inside, dropped the bag inside a zippered compartment within the suitcase, and placed the suitcase back where he'd found it. He then washed his hands and arms thoroughly with hot soap and water.
As he left the apartment, he saw Rick's passport lying on the small table by the door, which produced another notion of mischief. Carefully, and with great precision, he tore out the first page; the one with Rick's photograph, the passport number, the date of issue. The one that Customs and Excise would look at. He took this page, cut it into several pieces, and dropped them down the waste disposal. He then put the passport carefully back in place. And then added the keycard - he would no longer be needing that - just as Rick had left it.
He collected Milly, and took her and their luggage down to the tiny Fiat 500 hire car in the car park. He put her in the passenger seat, as she called Sam to congratulate him on his new position as full-back in the first team, while Freddy busied himself trying to squeeze their cases in the minuscule boot.
As he was squeezing Milly's pink trolly case into the boot, a large Bentley pulled up a few meters away.
"Freddy!" called Matt, stepping out of the back seat. "Going somewhere?"
"Err," said Freddy, looking over to his hire car. Could Matt see Milly in the passenger seat from where he was? Possibly not. "Yeah, family matters. You know?"
"I see, I see," said Matt, nodding his head and fixing Freddy with a poker face. "Did you get any chance to think about what I said last night?"
"Yes," said Freddy. "You want to cut Rick out of the project?"
"Already done. What do you think I've been doing this morning? He's out, that cocking-sucking deceitful, lying bastard."
"Lying?" Freddy swallowed. What did Matt know?
Matt fixed Freddy with that poker stare. "Yes, Freddy. Lying. You know what I mean."
Freddy looked toward the car and Milly, and turned back to Matt, who was staring at Milly.
"You know?" asked Freddy.
"That it's
your
wife that conniving bastard was screwing? Of course I know, you dip-shit."
This was bad. Really bad. This was why Matt had cut Rick out of the project. But why was he still considering that Freddy should still be involved?
"When did you find out?"
"Humf, I thought it was strange how you reacted to those photos and videos. I thought at first that you wanted to get inside Milly panties and that he'd beaten you to it. Then I wondered if you knew her somehow.
"And when I saw her come out of your apartment, that evening I picked you all up for dinner, the dynamic between the three of you was, just, well, not right. Over dinner I saw your wedding rings. The same 'D' section shape, the same fine detailing along the edges, the same tone and colour of gold. I didn't get where I am today without noticing details, Freddy. Those rings can only have come from the same jeweller at the same time.
"But that wasn't what really told me you two were an item? Do you know what finally told me, Freddy?"
"No?"
