IV
This situation had gone on long enough. I knew Bonnie was going to find ways to keep me on the hook as the building gigolo and while I had nothing against getting laid now and then, I hated to be manipulated. I picked up the phone and dialed Bonnie's number.
"Hello."
"Hi Bon," I said knowing she recognized my voice "Listen, I'm not going to do this anymore. I'll find another way to get you the cash, and I'll get it for you today, but I'm not going to be hanging around at your beck and call any more."
I paused and there was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.
"Ok, Sweetie," she finally said, "I wish it hadn't come to this."
The phone went dead.
I sat for a few moments contemplating what she had said then decided that no matter what she had meant, I needed to get her the cash or I wasn't going to be in any kind of bargaining position whatsoever.
After spending the majority of the day tracking down the contractor that I had finished a job for a few days earlier and convincing him to pay me before it had been inspected, I stopped at a bar and had a few drinks thinking about how I was going to approach Bonnie. I considered just slipping a check under her door or dropping it in her mailbox, but she could always claim that she hadn't received it. With her cryptic comment on the phone that morning, I wasn't putting anything past her. I shot a couple games of pool and had another beer, then decided to face the music. I was going to have to do this face to face no matter how mad she got. When I pulled into my parking space, I noticed a police car parked in front of the building. My first thought was that Bonnie had gone ahead with the eviction, and there were cops with an eviction notice waiting to escort me out of the building. I slipped into the back door and made my way to my apartment, but the hallway was empty and there was no notice on my door. After checking inside, it was apparent that no one had been there, so I figured I was just being paranoid
"She doesn't have the guts to pull anything like that." I thought
I grabbed the cash and headed to Bonnie's apartment to put an end to this situation for good. When I reached her apartment, I saw the two cops standing in her doorway, one with a pad out taking notes, the other standing with his hands on his hips listening to Bonnie explain something.
"Oh Hi, Sweetie." Said Bonnie to me interrupting whatever she had been explaining, as the cops turned to look at me.
"Hi Bon," I said tentatively "What's going on?"
"That sweet new tenant Terry in 239 had her apartment broken into last night." Then turning back to the police she asked "Is there anything else you need from me?"
"No Ma'am," the one said "I think we have everything. Give us a call if you think of anything else, or if you can figure out what happened to that video."
I felt my knees get weak as I contemplated what was going on. I hoped I hadn't lost all the color in my face. My mind spun trying to figure out what Bonnie was doing.
The cops turned and Bonnie walked them out the entryway of the building chattering at them all the way. When she returned, her demeanor had changed dramatically. She looked at me icily. I held the envelope with the money in it up for her. She looked at it but didn't take it.
"Come here," she said coldly "I want to show you something."
I followed her into her apartment. She went to her television and replaced a videotape in the VCR with one that she removed from the cabinet underneath.
"Terry in 239 had her television and some jewelry stolen last night." She said not looking at me "I don't suppose you know anything about that?"
"You know I don't"
"No," she said "All I know is what the police would think if they saw this."
She pushed "Play" and I saw an image of a hallway in the building. There was nothing for a while, then suddenly I saw an image of myself walk out of the stairwell. My heart sank.
"Do you remember that security system we had put in last year?" she said mockingly "No, I guess you weren't here then."
I had always been aware of the cameras, but Bonnie had once told me that they were non-working decoys. The building owner had been too cheap to install a real security system. I watched the image of myself as I walked to apartment 239, and tried the knob. With the lights having been on, my face was well illuminated and unmistakable. The counter in the corner of the screen showed today's date and read 12:34 A.M.
"You set me up, Bonnie" I said sinking into a chair
"Oh Sweetie," she sneered condescendingly, "you did it to yourself. Look."
On the video, I turned and looked both ways down the hall, then looked closely at the door catch, fumbled with it a bit then rather forcefully opened the door. Bonnie switched the tape off, and looked at me.
"True," she said, "It doesn't show you walking out with anything, but it does show enough to put you in jail. Oh Hi Terry," she said suddenly looking up at the door.
In the doorway stood the stunning redhead I had fucked into a state of bliss early that morning. She gave me a sneering smile, then turned to Bonnie.
"I saw the police leave." She said
"Oh, yes." replied Bonnie, "They were very helpful. I explained the mix up with the security camera tapes and they gave me a number to call if anything turns up."
Bonnie walked to her bedroom and returned carrying a small television with a jewelry box resting on top.
"You just have to be so careful anymore," she was saying "you just don't know who to trust."
"I guess not." Replied Terry taking her 'stolen' items from Bonnie. "Let me know if you need anything else."
"I sure will."