AUTHORS NOTE: This is a work of fiction, containing scenes of marital infidelity and unprotected sex.
If any of these subjects offend you, please feel free to move on to another story more to your liking.
*
Marci Cole had just finished dressing when she heard the doorbell. She hadn't dried her hair, or put on makeup, having just gotten out of the shower. She rubbed a towel across her head as she approached the front door, wondering who it could be. She peeked out through the side window before unlocking the door. The man on the stoop was neatly dressed for business, with a tie and jacket, and held a briefcase. Seen through the beveled glass, she couldn't get a good look. Tall. Brown hair.
She wasn't worried about safety. She had training, both in self defense and in use of the firearms hidden nearby. She was a confident, assertive woman who could handle herself and others. This guy, like anyone coming to Marci Cole's door, was either harmless or not. She turned the lock, and opened the door, one hand still drying her hair with the towel.
"Yes? Can I help you?" she asked as she opened the door, taking an unobstructed look. Tall, yes; brown hair neatly trimmed. Clean shaven, well dressed, and handsome. Not movie star gorgeous, just regular guy handsome. He filled his clothes well, good shoulders, not thick through his middle yet, probably middle thirties, a little younger than her. He held a briefcase in one hand, and smiled politely when she opened the door.
"Ms. Marci Cole?"
"Who is asking?"
He reached into his inside jacket pocket as he answered. "My name is Josh Logan," he said, removing an ID card and showing it to her. "I'm with the IRS. Are you Marci Cole?"
"Yes, I am." She was curious now, and a little apprehensive. Bob, her husband, had taken the tax papers to his office with him. Was this about their taxes? "What is this about?"
"May I come in, Ms. Cole? I'd rather not do this on the front steps."
She hesitated a second, then stepped back. "Yes, of course, come in. Is there a problem?" She waited for him to step inside, then closed the door behind them. "Why are you here?" She waved him into the kitchen, and directed him to a chair at the table. She went to the counter. "The coffee is fresh, would you like one?"
"Yes, that'd be great, thanks," he said, settling into his chair. He pulled a folder out of his briefcase, placed it on the table, and set the case on the floor next to his chair. Marci brought the two cups to the table and set his down in front of him. She stepped back to the counter, and returned with milk, sweeteners and spoons.
"Thank you," he smiled.
"No problem," she replied. "So tell me, Mr. Logan, why are you here in my house drinking my coffee?" She felt a little intruded on, a little put out. Her morning had been interrupted, her privacy imposed upon, and while he seemed nice, she had no clue as to why he was here.
He sipped his coffee, then spoke as he put it down. "Ms. Cole, I..."
"Marci."
I'm sorry?"
"It's Marci."
"Alright, Marci. It's Josh." He extended his hand over the corner of the table, and they shook. He smiled again. "Marci, your husband recently submitted a return for your taxes."
"Yes." Apprehension. But not fear. She kept the records and sent her husband to his brother to get them done. They'd been doing that for years. "Is there something I should know?"
"As a matter of fact, there is. I was working with your brother in law, who does your taxes, your husband's brother. Nice guy."
"Bob?"
"Your husband? Well, sure, he was a nice guy, I guess, but I was referring to his brother Dave, who does your taxes."
"Yes, Dave is a good person." She chuckled good-naturedly, "I hope he's a good accountant!"
"Yeah," Josh replied, "he's not bad. Pretty steady, honest enough. Looks out for his clients. I was functioning as an observer in this new program we have at the IRS, spend a few days at a time with different accountants and their clients, etc." He motioned with his hand, flippantly. "You know, get a feel for what Joe Citizen feels at tax time, and all."
"And you're here to get my point of view?"
"I wish it were that simple, Marci. You see, while Dave was doing your taxes with your husband, and as I said, Dave it a pretty straight shooter, he wouldn't do something crooked, I don't think," He rested his elbows on the table and leaned forwards to her, "but he didn't catch a major error in your reported income."
"What?"
"Like I said," he calmly replied, "I was observing, so I don't critique, and I don't report on accuracy back to my office." He looked her directly in the eyes, then, and motioned to her for emphasis. "But what he overlooked could get you and your husband into some deep trouble."
Marci didn't know whether to be terrified, shocked or outraged. Was this guy accusing her of something? Had she done something? Did they owe money? Would there be fines? Charges filed? Could they lose the house? "I, ... I don't ... what? What are you telling me?"
"Now, Marci, calm down. It's all right. I didn't mention it to your husband or Dave, and after the meeting in Bob's -- it's Bob, right? -- in his office, I made an excuse to get away from Dave so I could look into it and verify what I thought I saw."
"Are you going to tell me-"
"Marci, in the office, Dave asked Bob if you had given him all the records. They were clear from their conversation that you keep all the tax records for you and your husband. Is that true?"
"Yes, yes, of course it's true, now look here, Mr. Josh, sorry, Mr. Logan, What is it you think-"
"I figured as much. Ms. Cole." He sat back in his chair and sighed. "Ms. Cole, you and your husband have under-reported your income for at least four years."
"Don't be ridiculous."
"I checked. I told Dave I needed a copy of your return to prove at least one meeting I attended. I verified the information. I logged into the IRS and checked your past returns." He sat forward again. "You have under-reported your taxable income by thousands of dollars, for several years." He took a paper from the folder. A column of numbers totaled at the bottom. "In back taxes and fees, you owe the IRS over twenty thousand dollars."
Marci was dumbstruck. She was an intelligent, competent woman. Attentive. She was no half-assed dimwit. How could this have happened? How could she have made such an error? What would Bob ..."
"Bob!" she stammered. "What did Bob say?"
"Ms. Cole, as I said, I have not mentioned this to either Bob or Dave. They said you were the one keeping the records, which you confirmed. I wanted to talk to you first."
"We don't have twenty thousand dollars," she blurted. "We ... we..."
"Ms. Cole, the IRS will accept payments over time. That's not the issue. The issue is how will you and your husband make those payments from jail?"
"Jail!" She felt herself go pale, and a flush of panic gripped her. My God, what will Bob think of her? "Jail?"
"The IRS takes a dim view of people who avoid their taxes, Ms. Cole. Failure to pay is one thing. Evading is something else."
"Oh, my God, I can't go to jail."
"Probably you wouldn't."