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Pay for Services Rendered

By: thecelt



Part 1- My Story

This is a story about a Loving Wife that decides that maybe things aren't all that bad and if no one knows, it should be fine. Her husband disagrees and takes action.  Thanks as always to Angel Love for her editing and her encouragement. I have assured her that my literary style is not her fault. She does try to keep me honest.

I felt quite good as I watched my son and daughter leave. It was good to see them and to know that they were here for me. I had spent some time alone with Peter, turning over the business to him and making sure he was willing to take it over. He was studying business and I knew he wanted to run it someday but not this soon. Becky had no interest in the business but she was willing to help Peter if he needed it. They were great kids and I was proud of both of them.

I had not seen Polly, my wife and had made sure she was not permitted into my room. I had no wish to talk to her. What she had done led me to do what I had done. I would not and could not ever forgive her. The kids pleaded with me to talk with her but I refused. I wished not to speak to her ever again. But now, it was time to speak to my lawyer. He was court appointed as I had turned over all of my assets and my power of attorney to my son so I had no funds of my own. The nurse told me he was here and I agreed to talk with him.

The nurse told him not to stay too long. She made sure he understood that I was still weak and I was still in pain so the medications may make me groggy. She told me to press the call button if I needed her. With a smile, she left the room.

The man assigned to my case was a very large and very poorly dressed man who had obviously seen better days. He asked if he could take down my story both in longhand and on tape. I guess he was not very quick with the pen so I assented. It was quite a story but most of you have already read about some of it in the papers. I was told that it was also on TV. How about that? Well, I'll try to fill in the gaps but it won't really change much. This is my story.

**********

My name is Mitch Holland, and my wife is Polly Holland. We have been married 23 years and we have two children, Peter and Becky. They are in college, Peter is a senior and Becky a sophomore. They both go to Youngstown State. 

I graduated in 1982, went to work as an engineer for a local civil engineering concern and learned enough to leave in 1989 to start my own business. You may have heard of it as well: Holland Contracting. Our business is construction, primarily large projects like malls and office buildings and the like. I have been in business for almost 17 years now, starting with a small crew and growing into a major business with 114 employees. 

Polly and I met in college. We were both local and we shared a course our senior year, hers as a major and mine as an elective. She was a business major and that was her field. I was trying to fill academic credit requirements. To make a long story short, we met, she was willing to help me learn enough to pass the course and we began dating. We dated all through that senior year and after graduation. She found a job with a financial concern and we were able to see each other fairly often. We were married a year later. 

She continued to work until Peter came along. She finally stopped in her 7th month and she stayed home after that with Peter and then about a year and a half later, Becky came along. Polly was a great mother and homemaker and she seemed quite happy to be both. As the kids grew, she became a typical soccer mom, running the kids everywhere and to everything. She was content.

Our life as husband and wife was typical. We had our ups and downs, early on with money worries and then later, with pressures from kids and their needs. We always seemed to find the time to be with each other and we had a good life together for the most part. I loved her and I thought she loved me. Our sex life was good, then bad and non existent, and then on again. We had finally settled into a comfortable routine of sex on weekends and sometimes during the week if both of us were feeling frisky. Our sex was conventional, some might say vanilla, but she was always satisfied and I never had a problem. She often said that sex was just good fun and I was all she needed. I felt the same.

I would have to say that things changed about a year after Becky left for college. While the kids were close enough that we could see them fairly often, they choose to stay on campus. This gave Polly free time, time that she had never had since the kids were born. I guess you could say she had time on her hands. It was OK for a while but then boredom got the upper hand. We had the 'conversation' as I now think of it one weekend. We had been sitting out on the patio with our weekly ration of beer when she let me have the introduction.

"Mitch? I've been thinking. I'd like to go back to work. I've kept up in my field and I think I could do some kind of work with temporary accounting or bookkeeping. What would you think about it?"

"Well, first I need to catch up with you. Where did this come from? It's the first I've heard about it."

"I've just been thinking. With the kids gone, I'm left without a lot to do. The house is no trouble and we haven't joined any clubs or such. I'm bored. You're working a lot more lately and I'm alone in the evenings with nothing to do and nobody to talk to."

"Well, I guess that's true. We don't need the money, even with the kids in college, but you should have some that you could call your own. Do you really want to do this?"

"Yes, I do. I was thinking I could sign up with a temporary agency and tell them I would like to work just a couple of days a week. Maybe just two. What do you think?" 

"I'd say, go for it. You have my support."

Well, that was the beginning of the end as I remember it now. That's exactly what she did. She went down the next day and signed up with a local temp service and over the next six months, she worked off and on for a number of clients and seemed to be doing very well. She wasn't making a lot of money but she seemed to like being busy again. I saw a change in her about that time: she joined a gym and started working out and losing weight. She bought herself some new clothes with her earnings and she also spent some for the kids, giving them new coats and some other things they both needed. She was also far more amorous, initiating sex more often. I thought that it had to do with her newfound conditioning and her contentment at being busy. Actually, that's exactly what it was. For a while.

Polly continued to work off and on until one day in September of that year. I had come home from work, concerned about some of the specs on a job that I was bidding on when Polly asked me if she could talk to me. I answered in the affirmative of course. I asked her to sit with me in my den and I gave her my full attention. She seemed nervous and I wanted to let her tell me whatever was bothering her. She sat down across from me, clasping her hands in her lap. She wet her lips and began.

"I was offered a job by a gentleman that I have done work for several times. He's someone like you. He owns his own business and he needs a part time bookkeeper. He would only need me two days a week and only for four hours each day. It would be from five to nine in the evening and he would even provide transportation so that I wouldn't be alone at night. It's $150 a week."

I considered this but couldn't see why it made her so nervous. It sounded like a really good gig and the money was fine. Almost $19/hour. Better than she was making as a temp. I told her so and asked why she was so nervous.

"Well, it's an evening job and I didn't know how you'd feel about that. It's only two nights a week and I would be home the rest of the time. It's good money for a few hours and I could really make plans knowing exactly when I was going to be working. So, it's OK with you?"

"It's fine with me. Can you tell me who he is and what he does?"

"His name is Conrad Menkous and he's in transportation. I think he owns a fleet of trucks and moves things across the US. He seems to be quite rich. He has an office in his home and that's where I would be working, but there's also a staff on site so I wouldn't be there alone. It's certainly on the up and up."

Well, we agreed and Polly started the next week. I did some checking and found Conrad among the names linked to interstate trucking so that appeared to be consistent. I found no flags and nothing to be concerned about. I Googled him and found that he was about 10 years older than I and unmarried. Seems harmless and Polly liked the job. She was almost always home by 9:30 so we moved into a new routine with her out two nights a week when I fended for myself for dinner. She always came home stuffed from the leftovers served to Mr. Menkous for dinner. Polly said the cook brought her a plate when he ate. Life went on.

Just before Christmas Polly told me that she was invited to a cocktail party at Conrad's home one evening. It was for some of his clients and he wanted her to meet some of them so that she would have a better idea of whom she was dealing with when she saw their names. She apologized for not inviting me but that was Conrad's request. He didn't want her to think it was a social affair. It was business only. I understood, or at least I told her I did and she was pleased. 

On the night of the party, she came down dressed in a short black dress that was cut low in the front and deep in the back. She had on high heels and a string of cultured pearls that I had given her for Christmas the year before. It was the first time she had worn them since I had given them to her. I was taken aback by her appearance and I guess she sensed my displeasure. She immediately got defensive and irritated.

"You know why I dressed this way. Conrad is a very important man and he needs me to reflect that to his guests. It's professional and business only. You have no reason to be upset. Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you. But you've never dressed like that for any of my affairs. I'm not sure I appreciate it."

"Well, get over it. This is important for me tonight and I want to look my best. It's only a party, for God's sake. There's the car. I have to go. Don't wait up."

With that she was gone and I was alone for the first time in years. My wife was at a party and I was here at home. I didn't like it and I resented her. I pulled out a bottle of Jim Beam and indulged myself. I indulged too much apparently and fell asleep on the couch and didn't hear a thing until late the next morning. Since it was Saturday Polly let me sleep. She finally woke me with a cup of coffee at sometime after 10:00. She saw the whiskey and my glass and my condition and put two and two together and let me have it. She hated for me to drink and she told me so. She said she came home and went to bed, expecting me to be there and found me down here, soused to the gills. She slept alone and she was not happy about it. I apologized and we spent a cool morning until she finally relented. The rest of the weekend went fine and the next week was Christmas and I had time off. 

Our kids came home and we had a wonderful Christmas together. Things were good, the kids were doing well and happy at school and we had some nice gifts, in part because of the money Polly was bringing in. She had money to spend on frivolous things for the kids. The only bummer was that Polly did have to go in to work the Thursday after Christmas as usual. We let it go and the kids and I spent the evening together. It was a good holiday time but it finally ended and the kids went back to school and I went back to work.

For the next month, nothing out of the ordinary happened until one day I was having lunch with one of my clients when he asked me if I knew a man by the name of Conrad Menkous. I told him I knew who he was and asked why he was interested. He told me that he had attended a party at his place just before Christmas and had met a woman there with the same last name as mine. He described her as the hostess for the party. For some reason, I didn't tell him that the 'hostess' was my wife. I just asked him why he brought it up. He went on to tell me that she was a very beautiful woman and that she seemed to be more than just a hostess. He said Conrad had his arm around her all evening and they even kissed a few times. He just wondered if it was anyone I knew. I told him no and he just said that it was too bad since she was really hot and Conrad was a lucky guy. He said that maybe Conrad had finally found a wife for himself. We finished lunch and parted. 

As you can imagine, I was disturbed for the rest of that day and I finally told my secretary that I was going home early. This was one of the days that Polly worked for Conrad so I knew that she would be getting ready to go to his place when I got home. Usually, she was gone when I got there since she worked from 5:00 on and I was typically not home until after six. This time would be different. I drove home, curious as to what I would see. 

I pulled into my drive and went in to find Polly just coming out of the shower. She told me that she had spent the day working in her flower garden and was dirty and sweaty so she took a quick shower before work. She dressed then in a conservative pair of slacks and a long sleeved blouse, ready to go to work. She grabbed her briefcase and set it in the hall and came in to talk to me and find out why I was home so early. 

I told her then that I wasn't feeling well and I needed to come home. I told her my stomach was upset and I had a headache. She seemed concerned and tried to take my temperature but I just brushed her aside and told her to go to her damned job and I would take care of myself. I was not sick, I was angry and uncertain of my wife and I felt like hell. I didn't have a damned temperature, I was just hot under the collar. I didn't tell her any of that but that's what I was feeling at the time. 

She seemed to accept my story so she must have decided that she should act like a concerned wife. She went to the phone in the kitchen. She called someone and I heard her say that she wouldn't be coming in tonight and not to send the car. She said she would call later to let them know if she was coming in another time. She hung up and came over to me.

"There. Now there's no need to worry. I'm not going in so you can just relax. I'll take care of you so you just go up to bed and I'll fix some hot tea and bring it up to you. Go on now, go!"

I remember going to bed and wondering how my life had gone to hell so quickly without my knowing about it. I guess I had gone from skepticism to belief in just a short time. I tried to determine why I was so willing to accept the fact that my wife was cheating on me without any proof and just the word of someone at a party. I began to put things together. First, she was working at a man's house. Second, he was sending a car for her. Third, she seemed to be very tired and never in the mood for sex with me on Tuesday and Thursday nights the same nights she worked. Forth, she was buying the kids things we couldn't really afford. She always told me that since she was working, she was willing to charge some things knowing she would have the money coming in to pay for them, but the amounts she was spending didn't add up. Finally, the visual proof that George, my client saw the night of the Christmas party. Polly told me she was a guest. George told me she was the hostess and acted as if she was Conrad's mistress. 

Well, I decided to see what I could confirm over the next few days. I let her take care of me that night and went back in to work the next day. I came up with a plan to do some snooping. First, I wanted a look in her briefcase. She kept it locked when she was home but I knew where she kept the key. I knew that Becky would call her that evening and they usually talked for about 30 or 40 minutes when she did. I was going to search her briefcase during the phone call. Now, all I had to do was wait. 

Just past 9:00 Becky called. I waited for about five minutes and then walked into our bedroom and into her closet. The briefcase was there and I had taken the key from her key ring earlier. I grabbed the case, took it into the spare bedroom and opened it. The first thing I noticed was that there was nothing in there. No papers, no calculator, no notebooks, nothing that had to do with accounting or bookkeeping. It appeared to be more of a prop than a working briefcase. I almost stopped there but decided to go the whole way since I was in. I searched all the pockets and slots and finally found a single picture inside one of the pockets. I pulled it out and my heart dropped through the floor.

In the picture, Polly had on thong panties and a pushup bra but the bra was shoved up almost to her neck and her tits were hanging down as a man was fucking her from behind. I could see clearly his cock buried inside her as her panties were pushed off to the side. The look on her face seemed to be one of pleasure, her eyes closed and her mouth open. I remember just making it to the spare bathroom where I spewed my guts up. My stomach was clenched so tightly it was painful and I was having trouble catching my breath. I finally cleaned myself up and went back to put things back the way they were. As I took one last look at that picture, I turned it over to see an inscription. It said, 'I have lots more of these so just remember that.' It was signed with a big 'C'. I assumed for Conrad. Rather than put the picture back, I kept it, putting it in my wallet behind my driver's license. Let her wonder what had happened to it. 

I put the briefcase back and sat on the bed for the next 10 minutes, pulling myself together. I needed to decide what to do now. I knew she was cheating on me. I believed she was a willing participant because the look on her face was not one of pain and to make it worse, she was getting paid for it. She continued to go to work and she never asked me for help. She never let me know that she was unhappy in our marriage and she never said that I didn't satisfy her sexually. If she had, we could have worked it out or divorced or something. Not this. This was not acceptable to me. I finally decided that I was going to insist that she quit first and then we would work out what to do next. I was not sure I could forgive her, but maybe I could try. I did still love her and I loved our family. I wouldn't give it up easily.

That night, after the phone call, I told her that I had been thinking and I wanted her to quit her job. She was caught by surprise and she had nothing to say at first, but she then began to tell me all the reasons why she shouldn't quit. I listened but none of them were important to me. We talked back and forth for the next two hours but I remained adamant. She finally went to bed in tears and I slept in the spare room that night. Things were not good.

I went to work the next day without having spoken to her and tried to put things into some perspective. I couldn't even begin to make progress and knew that her decision was going to be the deciding factor. I went home to find her sitting at the kitchen table waiting for me. When I came in, she came to me and put her arms around me. 

"I'll call today and resign. I can't go on with you sleeping away from me and not talking to me. No job is worth that. I'm sorry for last night. I love you Mitch and I'm not going to lose you."

With that, she called someone and told them that she was not coming in and that she would make an appointment with Conrad and tell him she was resigning. She listened and finally agreed to a meeting the next day at 3:00 in his office. She hung up and turned to me with a smile and assured me that things would be better now. She would resign tomorrow and we could then work together to make things like they used to be. 


Pay for Services Rendered



Now, it is important to understand that at that point, I had decided that I was going to try to save my marriage. I know all of the reasons why I should just dump her cheating ass but I just couldn't bring myself to end it that way. I can't tell you why, but I just felt that I couldn't live without her in my life. I was not going to tell her what I knew and I was going to forgive her and go forward. That's how I felt and I went to work the next day with high hopes. Things were going to be OK. 

At work, things went to hell in a hurry. We were working on a strip mall in the southern part of the city and we were on a deadline to open before the seasonal rush. Things were tight but we were on schedule. Until that day. Suddenly, our deliveries of cement, building blocks, lumber and other supplies were being delayed, misrouted or cancelled. Suddenly all our truck deliveries were delayed. It continued all day and into the next day without any resolution. I spent most of my time on the phone to suppliers and contractors but they all said that they weren't responsible. They had loaded the trucks but they had no idea of why they never made it to the site. I was confused and angry until I suddenly remembered what Conrad Menkous did for a living. He was in Transportation and owned a fleet of trucks and delivery vehicles. He controlled shipping and transportation around this area. Now, it made sense!

Now I knew what had happened. Conrad was not happy that I had messed up his arrangement with his mistress. He was content with the setup and he was not going to let me change it. The son of a bitch was using his trucks to blackmail me. Well, I was not going to let him do this, but I was not sure what I could do without proof. As I was sitting there stewing and trying to decide what steps to take, my secretary buzzed me to tell me there was a Mr. Menkous to see me. I was really taken aback by that but decided then and there to deal with him. I told her to show him in.

Conrad Menkous was a big man. Taller than me and heavier by a good 50 pounds. He had a deep tan and his hair was long and wavy with a good deal of gray mixed with black. He was dressed casually but I could tell that his jacket and slacks cost more than I brought home in a month. He moved to the desk and reached to shake my hand as I stood up. I left my hands at my side as I told him to sit. The angry flash in his eyes told me he got the message. He sat and began immediately without any small talk.

"You know who I am and you know why I am here. I'll be blunt. I want your wife to return to work for me under the present agreement. I will increase her 'salary' to $1000 a week from the $500 I'm now giving her. She continues to do as I wish and your business will go back to its previous schedule but with the added advantage of having preferential treatment during scheduling. I'll see to that. This way, you have your wife all but eight hours a week and we both get what we want."

He stopped to see if I had anything to say but I kept my mouth shut. I wanted to see what this son of a bitch would say next.

"Now that we understand each other, I may wish for her to attend certain gatherings at my home, with a bonus for each one of course. If you prefer, I can have the bonus paid directly to you. I won't expect your answer today. I want Polly to be at my home Thursday just as before. If she doesn't come as scheduled, I will have to take further action. Do I make myself clear? Good."

With that, he rose and left my office. I just sat there for the next 15 minutes, thinking of what he said. There were a lot of things to take into consideration. First, Polly told me she was getting $150 a week. Conrad said $500. So money was part of the motivation for Polly, and she lied to me from the very beginning. That certainly changed things and put things into perspective for me. Second, it was clear that he could ruin my business and put my people out of a job. Finally, he was content to have her part time leaving her to me for the rest of the time. That was pretty much it. 

At home that night, Polly was unusually quiet but I didn't mention my visit from Conrad. She didn't mention going back to work so I was curious as to what it was that I was supposed to do. I avoided any conversation with her that night and pretended to have a contract to work on that would take me most of the night. She didn't push it so we ended up going to bed at different times. She pretended sleep when I came to bed and I simply rolled over and pretended to sleep. It was clear that something had to be done but I had no idea of what.

The next day at work was a revelation. Suddenly all of our deliveries were on time and several extra runs got us back on schedule. The power Conrad had over my business fortunes was made clear to me. Without question. Fine, that was that. I completed my work schedule that day and looked forward to going home to face Polly. This was Thursday and Conrad expected her that night. I had not said anything to her so I would have to decide tonight what to do. I still had no idea what I was going to do, but one thing for sure was that I was going to divorce Polly. Now that I knew that she was just a paid whore, I felt a little better as I drove home.

At home, Polly was not there. I looked around and found her briefcase missing and a note on the table. It simply said, 'Went to work. See you tonight, Love Polly.' I read it twice to be sure I had read it right. She had gone back to him! Without talking to me, without a word and without any explanation. She had gone back to her master to perform as his paid slut! She just assumed that I was her pimp now. That was the last straw. I knew what I had to do.

Just after 7:00 that evening, I knocked on the door of Mr. Conrad Menkous' lovely home. The door was answered by a young lady dressed as a maid and she inquired as to my needs. I told her my name and that Mr. Menkous had invited me to his home to discuss a business proposal. She gave me a strange, sad look but invited me into the foyer. She asked me to wait while she notified him that I was there. I thanked her and moved into the waiting room just off the foyer, but as soon as she left I followed her back into the house. She moved to a phone on the wall and pushed a button. After a few seconds, she spoke agitatedly with someone and seemed to be explaining something. She finally hung up shaking her head and moved away, into the house. I walked further in to find the stairs leading up to the bedrooms. I waited at the bottom, just back so as not to be easily seen. I heard a door open and I saw Conrad come out tying a bathrobe about his waist and I heard Polly's voice, seemingly quite agitated, saying something I couldn't make out. Conrad seemed angry and shut the door on her comments. I stepped further back so as not to be seen as Conrad came down the stairs. 

As he moved toward the foyer I stepped in behind him and followed silently as he went into the waiting room, looking around for me. As he turned, he saw me standing there. He smiled and came toward me, his voice booming in welcome.

"Welcome Mr. Holland. I'm glad to see you and I know Polly will be glad that you came to your senses. She and I have been enjoying each other's company this evening. I'm so glad you agreed to our arrangement. You'll have to forgive me but I anticipated you told her that you had accepted my offer. But, it would be rather uncomfortable for you to stay so I'll say goodnight now."

With that he smiled and went to the foyer and the door. He intended to open it to see me out but I pulled out an old and battered .38 revolver and told him that I wasn't ready to leave just yet. He stopped in shock but quickly regained his composure. I expect he was used to smoothing people over when they were angry or upset. I was to be no exception. He began to speak in a soft soothing voice as he came toward me, obviously to talk me down. I watched him come, impressed by his cool composure under stress. I wished I could do that. I told him so, just before I shot him three times in the head and neck.

I watched his face contort in shock and pain as he took the first bullet in the face. The second took him high on the forehead, between the eyes and all expression left his face. The third shot hit in the neck but wasn't really of any consequence. The first two had done the job. Mr. Menkous would no longer need my wife's services. As he fell, I stepped back out of the way. I could hear screaming from close behind me but I didn't turn. I think I heard Polly's voice screaming my name but I can't be sure now. Certain that Conrad was dead, I turned the gun on myself and pulled the trigger.

************

The last thing I remember was putting the gun to my head and pulling the trigger. I just don't know why I'm not dead. Maybe I am really dead. At least, I woke up in the hospital with a headache that made me think I was dead and in Hell. Maybe I had succeeded and this was my reward. Well, no doubt I deserved it.

Now it is for sure. I am alive. They tell me it has been several weeks since I shot Conrad and myself. The doctors explained to me that apparently someone grabbed my hand just as I pulled the trigger on myself and deflected the gun enough to cause the bullet to slide off my skull and exit just below my chin. He told me I was lucky. That's a matter of opinion to a man who was trying to kill himself, telling him he was lucky he failed. 

Once I was well enough to have visitors, my doctor told me that my wife, my son and my daughter were all here and wanted to see me. I had been unconscious for the first three weeks and conscious for only the past three days. He had allowed no visitors during that time since he was worried about my mental state. He told me I had been shouting in anger at someone but he couldn't make out who, so he wanted to wait until I was alert enough to talk to him. That was good since I told him then that I didn't want to see or talk to my wife. I did want to see my son and daughter. He made notes and told me that it was entirely up to me. He left, saying he would send Peter in first.

I talked to Peter first and we went through all of the initial assurances that things were going to be OK and that he was fine and that mom was fine and that Becky was fine. All of that garbage until he finally asked.

"Pop, why won't you see mom? What happened? You have to tell me because she is yelling and crying and in general making a nuisance trying to get you to see you. Tell me. I have to know."

I looked at my son. He was almost a college graduate and I was going to ask him to take over the business. He was going to have to take over the family as well because it was a sure bet that I wasn't going to be around. In order to make the right decisions, I decided to tell him the truth and to let it fall as it may.

"Peter. Things will get quite a bit worse before they get better. I'm in serious trouble and I am very likely going to prison for a long time. It's very important that you be willing to take over the company and take control of my assets. I want to transfer everything over to you. In order to do that, I'm going to tell you the truth about what happened, I'm going to give it to you like a man. You have to let me tell you the whole story first before you argue with me. Can you do that?"

"Go ahead, pop. I'll listen and I'll wait."

"First, your mother has been a paid mistress for Conrad Menkous for the past seven months. He was paying her for sex twice a week and he was paying her $500 a week. I found out about it and told your mother to quit. I didn't tell her I knew what she was doing but maybe she suspected. Anyway, when she quit, Mr. Menkous tied up my business with his trucking concern and almost ruined our strip mall project just to put pressure on me. Then, he came to my work to tell me what he did and to insist that Polly come back under the same conditions but at a higher salary. He was going to pay her $1000 for sex. I refused but Polly apparently couldn't resist the extra money and the night I shot Conrad, she had gone to him without discussing it with me. I went to his home, found them together and I shot him and tried to shoot myself but someone stopped me. That's the whole story."

Poor Peter. I had time to come to grips with the whole thing but poor Peter had to take it all in one single bite. I felt sorry for him. His mother a whore and his father a murderer. Way too much to deal with. I watched him struggle with the whole thing and just let him have the time he needed. There was nothing else I could do. I watched the struggle and the tears fall from his eyes. It took him a good five minutes before finally telling me it couldn't be true. I told him to look for my wallet in the night stand. He pulled the drawer open and got it out. I told him to look behind my drivers license for a picture. He found it. He turned it over and read the inscription. No more need be said. The tears came then and he cried as he hadn't cried in years, ever since he had grown into a fine man. Now, they came. 

We sat together for a while longer before he said he had to go. I told him to take the picture and do with it whatever he wanted. I let him leave, making him promise to come back later. He just nodded and left. I felt bad for him but as I said, he had to take over for me. I needed to prepare him.

Becky came in afterwards and visited but all I would tell her was to speak with Peter. He could tell her why I wouldn't see her mother. She was not happy but she was more concerned with me and my condition so we spent the time trying to just love each other. I needed that. She left after about 15 minutes promising to come tomorrow.

Well, that was that. Now all I had to do was to get better so that I could be tried for murder. The doctor said that would be another month or so. I simply wanted it over. 

For the next three days, both Peter and Becky came to visit and each time they told me that Polly had come with them. She was waiting to see me but so far, I had refused. It finally came to Peter to insist that I let her in to see me. At least once, he complained so that she would stop the constant crying and wailing and wringing her hands. He said it was becoming irritating. I asked him if he had told her that he knew and he said no. Well, then, I told him to let her in the following day but only if he came in with her. That way, she would be limited in what she would feel she could say. Peter agreed, but reluctantly.

The next day at visiting hours, Peter followed Polly into the room. I was now able to sit up and most of the bandages were removed from my head and face. I had a few bandages on the side of my head, and my lower face and neck was still almost covered and I still had a drainage tube sticking out of my neck, but all in all, I looked very good. Almost good enough to go to court. Polly walked into the room and stopped dead in her tracks. I watched her face go from the smile she began with to a frown and then into tears. She saw me as I was and began to cry. How about that? Remorse at this stage? Hah!

"Mitch, you look terrible. I don't know what I expected but not this. I didn't realize it was so bad. How do you feel? Are you in any pain? Oh, God, what have you done to yourself?"

Well now, that was a clever switch. What did I do to myself? As if she had nothing to do with it. I looked at this woman who had been my life for so many years and searched for something, anything, inside me. I found nothing but contempt. 

"Well, hello to you too, Polly. Thanks for the compliments. I feel just great. No pain from the wound at least. I guess I should thank you for ruining my shot and preventing me from killing myself. At least, they tell me it was you. I won't however. I just wish I had succeeded. You know why."

Polly reacted to my words as if I had slapped her. Either she had no clue that I felt that she being a lying, cheating slut was wrong or she hadn't expected me to mention anything with Peter present. I couldn't tell which. I just watched her as she struggled with my words and her response.

She looked at Peter and then back to me. There was a little flash of anger in her eyes.

"I don't know why you would want to kill yourself Mitch. You knew what I was doing and you told Conrad that you had agreed to his terms. Now that isn't an issue anymore, you have everything to live for. We want you to get better so that we can be a family again. We can get you a good lawyer and we can get you off with self defense. I'll testify that Conrad threatened me and you tried to defend me. We can get you off. I promise that I'll testify on your behalf. Just tell me you'll try to beat this thing and come home to us. Promise me!"

"I don't know what that son of a bitch told you but I never agreed to anything, When I came home to talk to you about it, you had already gone back to his bed. You couldn't wait to get your next paycheck. For your information, I have no intention of going to trial. I told my attorney to plead me out. I'm guilty and I'll pay for my crime. It's just too bad that you weren't there a little sooner. If you had been, we could all three have been dead. You first, Conrad second and then I would have been successful. It would have been over. Now, you get off scott free and Conrad and I pay the price. Congratulations."

Peter reacted first by reaching over to grab his mother by the arm just before she fainted. I guess my words had hit a nerve, but I was not the least bit moved by her performance. Peter moved her to a chair and sat her down. Her head slumped onto her chest and she sagged but remained upright. Peter looked at me with anger on his face and let me have it.

"Why in the hell did you do that to her in front of me? You have every right to get into it with her but not in front of me. OK, so I know what happened but she didn't know that and you sand bagged her. That wasn't right. You were the wronged party but that doesn't give you the right to be cruel in turn."

"You're right Pete. I'm sorry for doing that to you. But you have to know the pain that just seeing her causes me. I let her in because you asked me to but I never wanted to see or speak to her again for this very reason. I hate her for what she's done to us and I can't get past it. If I could, I would never have done what I did. Now I'll pay for it."

"But you heard what she said! She'll back a story of self defense. If both of you go with that, you can get off with maybe probation. You have to go that way. For Becky and me, if not for mom."

"Not a chance. I want nothing from her and I will pay my own way. She couldn't give up the easy money so she sold her body for cash. I'll accept nothing from her, ever again."

Polly had heard this last and she rose from the chair and stumbled out of the room. She was unlikely to ever come back. I was happy with that. Peter stayed for a few more minutes to discuss some details of the business but left almost as quickly. He would have to deal with Polly now. Now that she knew that Peter and probably Becky knew of her cheating she would have to live with that knowledge. I hoped it choked her, but I knew she was capable of much more than I ever gave her credit for. She would survive. I had no doubt.

I met with my lawyer several more times over the next two weeks and we were ready for the preliminary hearing. I had finally made him realize that I would plead guilty. All he had to do was determine what charge the ADA would go for. He could go for murder one, murder two or manslaughter. There were several degrees of that, too, so it was up to him. We were as ready as we could be: him with a client that wanted to just get on with it and me with a lawyer that was court assigned and getting almost nothing for his time. I had refused any lawyers from my kids or Polly. It was in the hands of fate now.




Pay for Services Rendered



Just before we went to court, my lawyer came in sort of out of breath and told me that the ADA wanted to meet with us before court. I was confused and wanted to know what he was up to but my lawyer had no clue. He was as surprised as I was. But, we went to a small conference room just outside the courtroom and met with the ADA. He was a tall, very distinguished looking man wearing a suit that I would give my right arm for. He came into the room without any preliminaries and spoke directly to my attorney. I may as well not have been there for all they cared. I listened since my fate was on the line.

The ADA began by stating that there was no issue with my guilt. He thought he could prove that I shot Conrad Menkous in cold blood and with premeditation, but he had met with two witnesses that claimed that I had shot Mr. Menkous in defense of my wife and a third that backed them up. All witnesses were credible and could cause a lot of reasonable doubt on the stand. He didn't want to go that route since a lot of people didn't like Conrad Menkous and felt that maybe I had done the world a big favor. I was confused. Three witnesses? I didn't know who they could have been. In spite of my reservations, I asked him who these witnesses were.

My lawyer told me to shut up and the ADA just looked at me in disgust. He said his boss was anxious to get this over with and he definitely didn't want to go to trial. Apparently, Conrad had some very influential friends that didn't want his activities carefully scrutinized. He was over a barrel and wanted to make a deal. 

My lawyer just laughed and said, "No jail time. He does probation and community service. We'll waive jury trial and go with recommendations. How about it? With three witnesses claiming self defense, you have no case."

"Done. I'll see the judge. I'll let you know."

With that, the ADA walked out of the room, my attorney shook my hand and said it was now up to the judge. He had no doubt that the judge would accept the ADA's recommendation since I hadn't even been charged yet. It was really in the ADA's hands, and not the judge anyway, but the judge always had the final say. We had nothing to do but wait.

It was less than an hour later when the ADA walked in, and without a look at me, gave my attorney some papers to sign and waited. Once they were signed, he looked at me in disgust and walked back out of the room. My attorney read the papers one more time and gave me a copy. I took it but asked him what it meant.

"You are a free man. Since you were never arraigned and no changes were filed, the ADA simply dropped all charges against you and you are free. No probation, no community service, nothing. Congratulations."

Just like that. It was over. I had killed Conrad Menkous in cold blood, with intent beforehand and then tried to take my own life, but no one seemed to take the latter item into consideration. I would have gone to trial if it were up to me but no one else wanted to punish me. I didn't know what to make of it. Free. 

We walked out of the conference room to find Peter, Becky and Polly, along with another woman I didn't know waiting for me. They had heard the news from the ADA and knew it was over. Becky flew into my arms and wrapped her arms around my neck and just held on. Peter gave me a huge grin and reached for my hand. Polly hung back and just watched. She made no move to join us and I ignored her after a quick glance in her direction. I wanted nothing to do with her. She and the other women turned and walked away talking to my now ex attorney. I was glad to see her go.

I had been free now just more than two months. I moved into a small apartment about three miles from my former home and it suited me fine. I had taken the business back from Peter who was happy to return to college to finish his degree. He promised to return when he graduated to help me run the business but not now. Becky returned to school as well and I understood that she and Polly stayed close. Peter had never told Becky all of the truth but he himself was cold with Polly. They still talked and Peter still considered her his mom but the close relationship they once shared was gone. I had no contact with Polly and wanted none. 

An attorney contacted me later that year with a declaration of divorce, filed by Polly. Since we lived in a no fault divorce state, no contestable reasons were stated for the divorce, simply irreconcilable differences. Generic for divorces. I read the conditions and saw that Polly wanted the house and 50% of all monetary assets but made no claim on the business and no claim on future earnings or investments. It was a very fair request and I signed it immediately, making one small note and initialing it. I noted that she had listed a savings account in her name with just more than $17,000 under assets. I had crossed that one out, wanting no part of that money. That was interesting in that she must have earned some extra money by performing for Conrad other than the twice a week sessions I knew about. She had been a busy little whore. 

It took an additional six months for the divorce to be final. I hired an attorney to control the monetary assets listed until the divorce so I would have no reason to speak with Polly. Between he and Polly's attorney, the assets were split and remained in separate accounts until the final split. Everything was moving along without a hitch. I had almost fully recovered, a small twitch, some trouble swallowing, and some limited vision in my right eye the only remnants of my aborted suicide attempt. The scars were not easy to look at but I kept them. I considered my life now and decided that it was not all bad. I had my business, my children and my own place. I was healthy again and feeling really good. I had no complaints.

********

Just over a year from the time all of my trials started, I received a phone call from a woman who told me her name was Emily Sanchez. She told me that she had some information about Conrad Menkous that I might like to have. I listened and then told her that as far as I was concerned, that case and that part of my life was over. She had nothing I wanted to hear. All she said then was that if I wanted to know what had really happened in that house, she could tell me. She then left a number where she could be reached for the next 48 hours. After that, she said, she would be gone and the truth would die with her. 

Well, how does one let a claim like that go? It was all mystery and spookiness and the stuff of movies. I just laughed it off to myself and went back to work. That evening though, while sitting in front of the TV with a frozen dinner I had nuked as my lone source of sustenance, I reconsidered. I had left the number at work and decided to call the next morning to see what I could see. With that decision made, I ate my breaded chicken breast and ate what passed for mixed vegetables, watched a rerun of CSI and finally went to bed. I liked to be up early so it wasn't too early for bedtime. 

The next morning, I found the number and called. When she answered, we made arrangements to meet at a local restaurant for lunch. She knew me by sight so she would find me. I agreed and passed the rest of the morning working on the final accounting details for the project we were completing that week. It would yield a healthy profit, a fact that made my day just about perfect.

I let Mallory, my secretary know that I would be at lunch and to call my cell if she needed anything. I reminded her of several items that had to be finished that afternoon and made sure she knew who owed us what in terms of reports and final accounts. She just waved me out, knowing exactly what needed doing. Probably better than I did.

As I was drinking my iced tea, a lovely woman of about my age slid into the seat across from me. I took in her clothes, her hair and her face, all showing the result of a lot of money. She was certainly beautiful, long black hair, brown eyes and skin almost honey colored. She must have had cosmetic surgery since her face looked much younger than the rest of her. All in all, she was a vision. She introduced herself as Emily Sanchez and asked me to call her Emily. I agreed in exchange for her calling me Mitch.

"To what do I owe the honor of your presence, Emily?"

"I would like to tell you something about what happened to you and your wife a year or so ago. Before you say anything Mitch, understand that I was together with Conrad and Polly the night you shot Connie. You never knew who the other witness to your 'self defense' shooting was. It was me. Polly and I both told the police that you had no choice but to shoot Connie that night. They believed me because I worked at the house and the other servants backed me up."

I was now completely taken. I had always wondered who that mysterious third person was and now I knew. So she and Polly had worked together to keep me out of jail. Well, I wanted to know that story. I asked her to continue and to tell me everything she knew. So here it is. 

Emily's Story.

Conrad, or Connie Menkous was a cruel and vindictive man. He was the head of a large transportation company, controlling trucking and transportation for the local tri-state area and his trucks traveled across the country, into Canada and Mexico. He was also part of the local Greek crime syndicate. He used his company to launder money from drugs, prostitution and numbers all controlled by the syndicate. He also was into smuggling, both human and contraband. He was very wealthy and he was feared by many of those he supposedly took orders from. He had many enemies and few friends. 

I worked in the house as a cook most of the time. I have a son, Luis, who is now 15 years old. He and I had been living at the house without a man for the past four years. His father, Ramon, was shot to death in an apparent mugging. At least that's what the police told me. They had no suspects and the case was closed soon after his death. I had my own suspicions since that was the same time Connie decided to have me as his mistress. To this day, I regret my actions. 

I was seduced by Connie with money and beautiful things, but most of all by his promise to see my son educated. Without considering the consequences, I let myself be taken by Connie one night when Ramon was working. I was so ashamed and I told Connie that I couldn't do that any more. I pleaded with him to not tell Ramon, but he showed me some pictures that he had taken. He has cameras in many places in his bedroom and he can take pictures of anything that happens there. He threatened to show the pictures to Ramon unless I continued to provide him with sexual favors. Even though I agreed, Ramon found out that I was sleeping with Connie and confronted him. 

Connie seemed to be apologetic and assured Ramon that he would leave me alone and everything would be well. Less than a week later, Ramon was shot and killed. Connie was very sad about it but offered to take care of me and Luis. I had no choice since my Ramon and I had never been able to save any money. We used all we had to pay our bills and put some aside for Luis' future. Connie moved us into the house and began to buy me things to wear and things for Luis for school. He was very good to us and I once again returned to his bed. He enjoyed me from then on and he made sure that Luis and I wanted for nothing. 

I seemed to be enough for Connie for the next few years since he would have me two or three times a week and he seemed to be satisfied with me. I made up my mind that I would stay until Luis was of age and his schooling was completed. I told myself that I could endure that. It wasn't as if Connie was a bad man to me. He had very simple tastes in sexual matters and he asked nothing that I wouldn't do. I was able to continue as his mistress until Polly came to work for him.

Polly was to be his bookkeeper and that is what she did for the first two months she worked for Connie. I got to know her when I would bring her food from the dinner table once Connie had finished. He always wanted far more prepared than he would eat. I believe he got some kind of satisfaction knowing he had plenty while others struggled. 

Polly always treated me with dignity, even though she eventually found out what I was. She never talked down to me and she was fun for me to be with. I was happy when she came. We became friends. 

It was one Tuesday evening when Connie came home and saw Polly and I talking. He seemed very angry and told me to come with him right away. I left and he took me upstairs to the bedroom and he had sex with me, but it was more forceful and less pleasant than usual. I didn't know what was wrong and I asked him once he was finished with me. He appeared not to have heard my question and I prepared to leave when he asked me to do something. 

"Emily, when you prepare to take some of my dinner to Miss Polly, I want you to let me know. Can you do that? I want to know before you take anything in to her."

"Of course, Connie. Can you tell me what you intend to do?"

"Not just yet. Just go and prepare something for her now. Go, do as I ask."

So with that, I went to the kitchen and fixed a plate for Polly, including some of the desert that she loved. I took the plate in to Connie, now in the library and showed it to him. He looked at it and told me to leave it there while I returned to the kitchen to get a glass of the wine he had chilling. I did as he asked and returned. He just nodded and I took the plate in to Polly. We sat together as she ate and we talked as we often did. I was not expecting anything to happen but as we talked, I noticed Polly begin to nod and sway in her chair. It was almost as if she was falling asleep. I went to her and helped her to the couch where she could lie down. As I was preparing to cover her, Connie came in.

He said nothing about her condition but told me to leave. He said he would take care of her. I left as he requested but lingered outside the den until I saw him come out, carrying Polly. He carried her upstairs to his bedroom and shut the door. I didn't know what happened after that, but I had my suspicions. He had her in there for over an hour until finally he led her out. She was walking slowly and holding her head. She appeared to be all right but still groggy. He helped her downstairs and back into the den and called for the car to take her home at the regular time.

Polly arrived the next Thursday as scheduled and Connie ushered her into the den. He closed the door and I heard nothing until Connie called to me to come in. I did as he asked and saw Polly sitting on the couch in tears. She was sobbing and moaning to herself but I didn't know why. I asked Connie and he handed me some pictures. They were pictures of Connie and Polly, both naked in his bed. One of the pictures showed him penetrating her, him on top and her laying on her back. A second one showed him entering her from behind. A pillow was placed under her stomach raising her hips off the bed. A third picture showed him with his erect organ in her mouth. In all the pictures, her eyes were closed but you could not tell that she was unconscious. 

Connie told me that there were more pictures of other things and that he had informed Polly that if she refused to do those things with him again, he would make sure that her husband got a full set. He also said he would send a set to her parents, who he informed me lived close by. He then told me to tell Polly about he and I. He suggested that we could all party together in the future. I did as he requested and Polly continued to cry. She was crying for her lost innocence, I knew then. She knew that she had no choice. I told her that Connie and I had been master and mistress for the past four years and that he was not a cruel lover and that he had been very generous to me and to my son. I urged her to cooperate. I felt I had no choice at the time and I didn't know anything about you or how you might react to those pictures. I hoped that Polly would be able to keep you unaware of her actions.

Conrad informed Polly then that he would increase her weekly sum from the original $150 to $500. He also said that if he asked any more from her, he would pay her a bonus of between $1000 and $2000 each time she agreed. He wanted her as a hostess for some of his business affairs. He was quick to assure her that no one other than he and I would ever know of this part of her life. No one else would be asked to join us. We were the exclusive property of Conrad Menkous. 

Connie is not well endowed. His manhood was somewhat small and he had very little stamina. This is why he had Polly and I, rather than frequent prostitutes. He was ashamed of his physique and had no intimate women friends. Most of the time Connie preferred to sit and watch Polly and I together. As a result, we found ways to pleasure each other that made Connie happy. In this way, we avoided most of the unpleasant duties. She and I never hurt the other and we simply brought each other to an artificial conclusion. He never knew the difference. Connie was content most times with nothing more. Even though Polly stayed for the full four hours, the encounters with Connie and I never lasted more than 30 to 45 minutes. In the rare event that Connie wanted to have sex with one of us, it was usually with entry from the back and was over in less than five minutes. 

You wonder why I am telling you this. It is important that you understand all of the things that went on in that house. There were parties and gatherings at the house from time to time and Connie insisted that Polly and I dress for them. Polly only dressed at home for the first one and Connie was not happy with her attire. He had me take her out and buy some very nice articles for those parties and she kept them there at the house as needed. During those parties, Connie made it clear to those visitors that we were for his pleasure only and that no one was to touch us in any way. There was never any sex before or after those gatherings. Connie was feared and his wishes were respected. 

There came two times that Polly tried to break away. The first was shortly after Christmas when we had a session with Connie that was less than satisfactory for him. That was the first time we actually began sexual activities with all three of us. Polly was not happy with the idea of sex with me and she protested. She said that she was going to tell you about her indiscretions and hope that you would understand. Conrad simply told me to explain to her what had happened to my Ramon when he found out and wanted me to stop. I did, but as I told her what had happened, I realized for the first time that Connie had made it happen. I had known all along but because of my son's future, I refused to acknowledge it. Now I knew.

The second time was the time when you came to the house. What happened then, you know. Connie called Polly at her home and told her to be there that night and that you had agreed. Polly was devastated. She didn't know that you had not agreed and she came that night a broken woman. Connie was particularly aggressive that evening and wanted both of us to pleasure him. We had been together about an hour when the maid called to inform him that you were there. He laughed and told Polly that her husband had seen the light and wanted to discuss the money terms. Polly wanted to go to you and talk to you but Connie told her to stay there. 

We were both frightened of what might happen and we followed Connie downstairs. We were just coming into the room when you pulled the trigger. Polly screamed and ran to you just as you put the gun to your head. Your back was to us so you didn't see us but she grabbed your hand just as the gun went off. She was the one that called 911 and stayed with you until the paramedics came. I got dressed and talked Polly into changing into her work clothes before the police arrived so that we could arrange our stories. Connie was dead and I shed no tears. You know the rest.




Pay for Services Rendered



One last thing. That night before the police came, I told Polly that we would claim that you came in to pick up your wife, found that she was being molested by Connie and that she tried to get away but he slapped her and knocked her down. You came to her rescue and in the struggle, the gun went off and Connie was fatally shot. We knew nothing about the gun or whether it was legal but we felt that was not something that we should know about. 

When we talked to the District Attorney, we told him the same story and the maid Consuela, the one you met that night, corroborated our story. It was Consuela who told the District Attorney that you were shot during the struggle. We had forgotten that and were not able to tell the District Attorney how it had happened. Again, this was fortunate since the District Attorney believed our stories since they were not identical. Or so your attorney later told us. 

Now you know all of the facts. I have become very fond of Polly and I wanted you to know the truth. She never stopped loving you but found herself in very bad trouble. I now know that she should have talked to you at the very beginning but I was one that suggested she not do that, so I feel partly responsible. She does not know that I am telling you this. She asked me not to do this, as a matter of fact. She understands that she can never be forgiven for what she did and how she let it get out of control. But I believe that you should know that she was never what you imagined her to be. What she did was wrong and it should never have been allowed to continue. If I had been less selfish and not so concerned with my son I would have supported her in her attempts to break away. But I did not, so I bear some of the responsibility.

When he understood the truth, my Luis is very unhappy with me. He will not accept the money I saved for his education. He threw it back in my face when I showed it to him. He refused the grant that Connie had made for his tuition at the local university. He will accept nothing from me now. He has moved in with his grandmother and he speaks to me very seldom now. I was a fool and I let myself be swayed by the money. Polly also let the money salve her conscience. She never bought herself anything with the money and only spent it on some things for the children and for you. 

You now know that both Polly and I have paid for our part in this. Both of us have lost those we loved, and we have none to blame but ourselves. Connie was what he was, but he was open with it. We hid our shame and kept our mouths shut when we should have spoken. We live with that every day of our lives, her without her husband and son, and me without my son. We will die knowing our shame.

Emily Sanchez rose from the seat and reached over to shake my hand. She was still composed and calm but I could see the redness in her eyes and the glistening tears unshed. She raised her hand to stop me as I started to rise and simply smiled back.

"Please, let me go. I have said what I came to say and I am content. It was very nice to finally meet you and to unburden myself to you. I hope that my small part in helping you keep your freedom will be appreciated. Have a good day."

With that, she walked away and I never saw her again. 

******

Emily gave me a lot to think about. I was able to let go of a lot of the anger after I heard her story. I had no doubt that she was telling me the truth. She had no reason to lie and she was leaving to return to El Salvador to be with her family. It seemed she knew a lot about Conrad's holdings and she knew the combination to his private safe. She was quite well off now and she had sent the money she liberated ahead of her. I wished her well.

As to Polly. I considered what Emily had told me but it really changed nothing. Polly always had the option of telling me what had happened and what Conrad wanted from her. After the first time that was actually a drug-induced situation and not her fault, she should have had enough faith in me and our marriage to tell me the truth. She chose instead to handle things on her own. I was convinced that she considered the money and decided that it wasn't that bad. She was cheating on me but I was less important to her than the money and any risk to her status quo. I decided that we had nothing left to build on. Peter and Becky were old enough to make their own choices. 

This all happened 10 years ago today. I still remember it all as if it were yesterday. I continued in my business for five years after that, then turned it over to Peter and bought myself a boat. I have been sailing from port to port now for the past five years and call no place home. I see my kids now and then and we keep in touch by phone once in a while. They tell me Polly is married now, and I was amused to find it was to the client that first told me of her status at Conrad's home during the Christmas party. I remembered that he was quite taken with her. Peter says that they seem to be quite happy. Polly always asks of me when he comes to visit but he tells her nothing. She seems resigned to that, he says but continues to ask. She always was stubborn.