Triple-Edged Sword

"He's cheating on me," Hailey said, tears forming at the corners of her eyes as she looked down at the table, untouched coffee cups steaming upon it. Her friends glanced at each other, uncertain where to look, mouthing phrases that might have been expressions of sympathy and disbelief. After an uncomfortable moment, Agatha rested her hand on Hailey's, giving it a soft squeeze.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "I mean, you and David go back to college, and..."

"It's that slut of a secretary," Hailey spat. "And yes, I'm sure. I saw them, Aggie. I saw them."

Agatha glanced at Kay, took a deep breath, and said, "What did you see?"

"We had a little fire at the office, nothing serious but we had to close for the day, and I thought I'd surprise Dave at work, maybe talk him into a long lunch. When I got there, that bitch Judy wasn't at her desk, so I went straight in, and I saw him giving her something, a present."

"That doesn't mean..."

"There was lipstick on his collar," she replied. "And I heard her telling him about the party they were going to have tonight."

"Party?" Kay asked. "Look, this..."

"Except a week ago, Dave told me he was going to Chicago for a conference. Leaving this afternoon. That's why I thought I'd surprise him, have a little time with him before he had to go away." Her head bobbed down to the table, Agatha reaching around to hold her in her arms. "He's going away with her for the weekend, isn't he. The bastard."

Kay frowned, and replied, "Have you talked to him about this?"

"I ran out of there," Hailey said. "Just ran. Then I tried to call him, but he wasn't picking up. There was someone else in his office. Some guy. I didn't recognize the voice. Said that both he and Judy were out of the office."

"I know it looks bad, but...," Kay began.

Her eyes narrowed, Hailey replied, "This isn't the first time."

"What?" Agatha said.

"Two weeks ago, I found condoms in his backpack. After that hiking trip he took. So he said. We've been trying for a kid hard enough the last year, Aggie. I thought they might have been old, but when I got home, I took another look, emptied the damn bag. I found the receipt. Bought last month. And he's made calls to Judy from the house phone, quite a few of them, all recently. All in the last week. And on Wednesday, he was late home from work. Two hours late, but I know he left the office on time, and he wouldn't tell me why."

"What are you going to do?" Agatha asked.

"I don't know," she replied, shaking her head. "I don't know."

Frowning, Kay replied, "I still think you don't have any proof that anything's going on. I know it looks bad, but you don't know anything other than that he bought her a present. They've worked together for a while, haven't they? Maybe it's just her birthday?"

"No," she said. "January ninth. We both went to her party." Wiping her hand across her face, she replied, "I saw her making eyes at him then, but he just ignored her. Damn it, I don't know what to do..."

"Talk to him," Kay said. "Before you do anything stupid, talk to him. See if he has a good explanation. And no, I don't know what it might be, but..."

"I tried!" she said, her voice shrill, loud enough to draw stares from everyone else in the coffee shop. "I tried. He won't answer my calls. I don't know what hotel he's staying in, and I really don't think he's going to Chicago, do you?"

Frowning, Agatha said, "You don't want to be sitting in an empty house all weekend, babe. Why don't you go away for a few days. See your folks, maybe."

"Yeah, they'd love that," Hailey said. "They never liked Dave in the first place. Maybe I should have listened to them when we first started dating." She sighed, then said, "You might be right. I can't just sit at home and wait while he's..."

"Just don't do anything rash," Kay said, rising to her feet, giving her a soft pat on the shoulder. "I've got to get back to the store. Call me, hun. Let me know if you need anything, or if you just want someone to talk to. You don't have to face this alone. Though I still don't believe it. He's one of the good guys."

"Yeah, they all look like that at first," Agatha said. "Remember Sandy."

"He was never one of the good guys," Kay replied. "Take it easy."

As Kay walked off, Agatha glanced at her watch, frowned, and said, "I've got to go back as well, but if you want me to call in sick so we can..."

"No," Hailey replied, shaking her head. "No, there's nothing you can do. I'll call my folks and tell them I'm going up to the lake. See what they say."

Nodding, Agatha replied, "Good idea. And call me, as well. Any time. Even if it's two in the morning."

"Yeah, I will," Hailey said. She reached into her pocket for her phone, sliding through the list of contacts as her friends walked out onto the street, looking for the familiar number. It picked up on the third tone, and she said, "Daddy, I've got to talk to you..."

* * * *

"Good God, Dave," Judy said, as he walked into the office. "You look like hell."

"I feel like it," he replied with a smile, tossing his jacket over the back of his chair. "That damned thing just ran and ran. I missed my plane, had to catch the red-eye. Hate those things."

"You can never sleep on a plane," she said with a faint chuckle. "Remember Capetown?"

"Don't," he said, dropping down onto his chair with a thud. "Just don't." He glanced up at the clock, and said, "Beck been in yet?"

"I think he had a worse weekend than you did. Called in, said he would be out with a client until this afternoon."

"That's Beck-speak for a hangover."

"Rank hath its privileges." She frowned, then said, "Have you even been home yet?"

"Not yet," he said. "Thought I'd just touch base here, then swing back to the apartment to grab a shower and a change of clothes. Anything that can't wait for an hour or two?"

"Not a thing, boss," she said with a cheery smile. "Don't worry, I'll put anyone off until you can make yourself look normal. And don't stink quite as much. And by the way..."

There was a knock on the door, and a man wearing a pressed suit stepped in, a dark glint in his eye and an envelope in his hand, he stepped over to Dave, then glanced at a photo on his phone before tucking it into his pocket.

"David McBride?" he asked.

"Yes."

"You've been served, sir."

"What?" Dave asked, glancing at Judy. "Tell me this is some sort of joke."

"This is no joke, sir." Tapping a button on his phone, the man said, "Good day."

Ripping open the envelope, Dave looked down, eyes wide, and said, "It's Hailey. She's filed for divorce. Citing adultery."

"What?"

"With you!" he yelled, looking up at his secretary. "What the hell has got into her..."

Another, familiar figure appeared at the open door, the frowning face of his superior, Don Evans, his shirt wrinkled. Dave looked up, the papers scattered on his desk.

"I see you've heard."

"You knew about this?"

"I did," he replied. "A complaint was filed against the two of you this morning. That you've violated our non-fraternization clause. I'm sorry about this, but..."

"No!" Dave said, looking at Judy. "No, you aren't. Beck's been your blue-eyed boy for years, never mind that he staggers in an hour late every day." Pushing himself up from his chair, he took an angry step forward, and said, "You want to smack me down? Go right ahead. Judy has a four-year old kid she's supporting. You are not suspending her. Understand?"

"I really don't..."

"Let's not pretend that I couldn't make more of a stink about this than you'd like. I know what happened. The Judge called a few of his poker buddies and called in some favours because my wife had a brainstorm and thinks I'm cheating on her. Fine. That's my problem and I'll deal with it. But you are not going to drag someone else through the mud with me."

"Dave, you don't have to do this," Judy began.

"I'll resign. Right here, right now, on the condition that Judy' job is safe. That's the best damned offer you're going to get, and the one that saves this pathetic joke of a company some face."

Don looked at Judy, curtly nodded, and said, "I'll see that you get a reference, Dave. And I really am sorry about this."

"Not as sorry as you'll be trying to convince Clarke that Beck's the man to handle his advertising this quarter." Reaching for his jacket, Dave said, "I'll send you my new address for my last paycheck. Whatever god-forsaken motel that turns out to be. My guess is that my darling father-in-law's already emptied our joint accounts."

"Wait," Don said, reaching into his pocket. He took a deep breath, and said, "Whatever you might think of me, I didn't have a choice about this." Pulling out his wallet, he counted out half a dozen notes, and said, "Three hundred bucks. Enough for a few nights. We'll call it a golden farewell. And look, if this all gets straightened out quick, you can come right back next week."

"Keep them, Don," Dave said. "I wouldn't soil my hands with them. And the only way I'm coming back here is if Satan gives me a ride on his snowplough." Shrugging his hands through the sleeves of his jacket, he snatched up the papers from his desk, stuffed them carelessly into a pocket, and walked out of the office.

"Dave," Judy said, a tear running down her cheek, as the door slammed shut.

* * * *

"You really have a problem, Mr. McBride," the shyster said, sitting behind his desk like a spider in its web.

"I've got a few thousand bucks," Dave said. "Not enough to fight this."

Rifling through the documents, he replied, "There's a pre-nup, I see."

"Her father insisted. In the event of adultery, I don't get a dime."

"Judge Baker," the lawyer said with an exasperated sigh. Sitting back in his chair, he looked Dave coldly in the eyes, and said, "I'm going to ask you a question, and I want an honest answer."

"I have never committed adultery."

After a moment, he nodded, and said, "There's no proof listed here. That's interesting. Not surprising, though." Folding his hands together, he said, "The way I see it, you've got two choices. Just two. You can let this happen. Which will cost you nothing, aside from the fifty bucks you owe me for this meeting." With a crooked smile, he added, "Under the circumstances, I might even forgive that."

"Why?"

"Because I really don't want to annoy Baker if I don't have to. Man has friends in this town."

"The second choice?"

"Fight it, and let the chips fall in court, and hope that you can beat whatever evidence they've managed to throw together against you. That will cost you, though. Probably more than you've got. You could end up working for me."

Raising an eyebrow, Dave replied, "I thought they'd banned slavery."

"Never told me that in law school. Though I will say one thing. I'm the only guy dumb enough to take you on as a client around here. Largely because I don't give two shits for whether or not I get a career in this town. Believe it or not, I actually like it down here." He looked out onto the street, the flashing neon sign on the other side advertising expensive beer and cheap women, and said, "I grew up on this block. You get used to it after a while."

"I need some money to live..."

Raising a hand, the lawyer said, "Five hundred up-front. If you can't give me that, then even I can't help you. As for the rest, if you win, we'll take it out of your split. Or the joint account, if you could reconcile. We could try for counselling..."

"She won't even talk to me," Dave said, looking down at the dingy floor. "We've been together for twelve years, and she won't even talk to me."

Frowning, the shyster replied, "Whatever she thinks she's got on you must be something pretty damned special. Either that, or she's having an affair..."

"What?" Dave said, rising to his feet, his hands bunched into fists.

Looking up at the angry man, the implacable lawyer replied, "It really isn't that unusual. Fake some sort of story to frame the other guy, put him off-balance. For all you know she's screwing a football team, right now, laughing her ass off about you." As Dave took a step forward, the lawyer's eyes hardened again, and he said, "Get this through your head, Mr. McBride. She filed. She's the enemy. Treat her any other way, and you're wasting your money and my time. You got that?"

"Yeah," Dave said, taking a deep breath. "I still don't believe it, though. I mean, the Judge always hated me. He wanted her to marry some banker from up state, the son of a friend. Like something out of the damned Middle Ages."

"Then I suspect you need to get her away from him. There's no way you can pass a message?"

"Maybe," he said, frowning. "Maybe."

With a sigh, the lawyer said, "Give me the retainer. I'll give you, say, forty-eight hours, and sit on it. If you manage to pull off a miracle by then, I'll give four-fifty of it back. Otherwise, we unleash hell. My way. Got that?"

"Sure."

"Now get out of here. I do have other clients, and most of them aren't anything like as much trouble. Of course, most of them are crooks, so they know how the game's played already."

Nodding, Dave reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, and counted out five fifty-dollar bills onto the table, one after another, the eager eye of the lawyer tracking his hand with every pass. With a nod, he turned, walking out of the office, past the receptionist with the painted smile and fake blonde hair, and stepped back onto the street, turning in the direction of the motel he'd found after a long search, one of the cheapest in town.

"Hey, Mister," a voice said, when he'd taken barely a dozen steps from his lawyer's office. "What you seeing a crook like that for?"

"I owe a guy," he replied, non-committally, keeping his pace.

"Mister," Voice replied, growing harsher now, "A friend of mine says you should just pay up."

"I don't..." A hand reached around him, and he could feel the point of a blade in his back. "If you want money, I don't..." Before Voice could make a move, he took a half-step forward, then kicked back with his other foot, swinging it into his would-be mugger's ankles. The figure behind him sprawled, and he heard a thud as he dropped to the sidewalk. Dave moved to run, but he heard a loud report, felt a searing pain in his side, then collapsed to the ground, everything growing dark, the wail of a siren the last thing he heard.

* * * *

"Daddy, I've got to go to him," Hailey said, reaching for her bag.

The Judge remained in his chair, shaking his head, and said, "Bad idea. It'll hurt you more than it'll hurt him."

"But..."

"I already made his lawyer an offer. I'll cover his medical bills if he agrees to the divorce. Then he can go back to his slut of a secretary, and you can get on with your life."

"Daddy, I..."

Pulling a file from the desk to his side, the Judge said, "My guy's already found evidence of three more assignations. All with this Christina woman. Mostly on company time." Shaking his head again, he said, "They should have fired him rather than allowing him to resign, but I suppose it made things simpler."

Sitting down in the nearest chair, Hailey wept, and said, "Daddy, I don't know what to do."

"You did the right thing. He's not good enough for you, and this proves it. Did he make any attempt to contact you?" he replied, knowing about the block he'd placed on her phone, preventing any of his calls from reaching her. "He didn't. He's just after some money, that's all, and when it comes to the negotiation, I'll give him some to make him go away."

Taking a deep breath, she said, "I still want to see him."

"Hailey," the Judge replied, "Tell me something. Are you sure he was cheating on you?"

"I don't know," she said. "I thought she was, but I just don't know."

"Then you need to make a choice, and make it now. Go to him, and you're with him, and not me or your mother, and I'll pull all of my support for your divorce. Stay here, and we'll keep you safe and happy. Hell, you shouldn't be working in some flea-trap accountancy firm. You want to be back up here, find some rich husband to treat you like the Princess you are." He smiled, and said, "Want me to call you a cab? To take you and see the guy who cheated on you?"

"No," she replied. "No, I..."

"Best this way. A clean break. For both of you. Besides, my guy tells me he's only going to be in overnight. Just a precaution."

* * * *

"You're a hard man to kill," the lawyer said, as Dave's eyes flickered open. "A knife wound and a gunshot, and somehow you managed to live long enough for the ambulance to get to you. I've got to admit I'm impressed."

"Where...," Dave asked, his voice a raspy whisper.

Rushing feet scampered into the room, a flash of red racing through the door, and Judy said, "He's awake?"

"He is," the lawyer replied. "I was just about to get you."

"What happened?" Dave asked, looking up at Judy, her face tired, streaked from tears. "Are you alright, Judy?"

"That's a keeper," the lawyer said, shaking his head. "Stuck in a hospital, out cold for days, and the first thing he does is ask how you are."

"I'm fine," she said, perching by his side. "I'm fine. Now you're awake, anyway."

"To answer your question," the lawyer added, "You're in Giles Memorial. Someone tried to mug you. I guess they saw you counting those notes through the window. Sorry about that. Doesn't pay to show off that much cash." He grimaced, then said, "You're going to be fine, no permanent injury, but you'll have to take it easy for a few days." Reaching into a pocket, he pulled out Dave's wallet and handed it to Judy, saying, "The cops even got this back intact. Caught the guy a couple of minutes later. Well, I say caught. Dumb bastard ran right into the squad car. Friend of mine sprang this for you."

"Thanks," Dave said.

"I might have put back some of the five hundred, as well. Two-fifty. As I said, I felt a bit responsible. Don't let it fool you. I'm still a snake."

"I'll remember that," Dave replied. He looked around, and said, "My insurance..."

"The lady's covering it," the lawyer said, gesturing at Judy.

"How..."

"I had a little money saved up," she replied. "Eight thousand. A lottery win, four years ago. I was saving it for an emergency."

"No, no," Dave replied, shaking his head. "You need that money for you and Brandon, not for me. I'll..."

"You're as good as broke," the lawyer said. He paused, sighed, then said, "Though technically, you've had another offer from the Judge I suppose I should tell you about. He's happy to cover your medical bills, and give you five thousand to get started, in exchange for your agreement to the divorce."

"And Hailey?" Dave asked.

"I called her. She never came."

"Not once," Judy spat, eyes narrowing. "That bitch never came once. Didn't even call to find out how you were. One of Daddy's secretaries did that instead."

"Damn it," he replied with a sigh. "Can I think about it for a while?"

"Sure," the lawyer said. "You'll be out of here in a couple of days, they say. We can work out who pays the bill later."

Nodding, Dave replied, "Right."

"Brandon wants to see you," Judy said, a faint smile crossing her lips. "He said that he'd send G.I. Joe in to help you next time."

For the first time in a while, Dave smiled, and replied, "I'd like to see him. Can you bring him tomorrow?"

"Sure," she said.

"That might not be so smart," the lawyer said. "Frankly, I wasn't sure about you being here, Judy. I wouldn't be surprised if the Judge doesn't have someone watching right now."

With a sigh, Dave replied, "That doesn't matter now, does it. They've convicted me in their own mind." He looked up at Judy, and said, "You were here the whole time?"

"She was," the lawyer said.

"What about..."

"I quit," she replied. "Beck decided that I was his for the taking, and I decided that I was someone...I mean, that I didn't want him."