Storiesonline.net ------- Deception by John Smith Copyright© 2008 by John Smith ------- Description: I was asked by many readers to add to this original, single chapter story. If you have read chapter 1 already, read it again as a few things were changed with the addition of the new chapters. There are 5 in all and the others will be posted as soon as they come back from editing. Codes: MF cons ------- ------- Chapter 1 Kendall Jackson wept as he watched the video. He had so hoped it was all a mistake, that his wife of seven years wasn't cheating on him. As he heard the words from his wife, he was saddened. He knew things were not the same these past couple of years, but for her to say she no longer loved him had hurt. It was in resignation to her feelings that he wasn't ready to kill her, he was just mad at her. The other person on the screen had no business being there, though. He was Kendall's supposedly best friend. Kendall didn't need to see any more, and he turned off the tape. Kendall was not prone to rash behavior. It was one of his faults. He knew it. On the other hand, this was the time to use that 'fault' to his advantage. His actions would take some planning and preparation. His life would never be the same afterwards, but as he saw on the screen, it wasn't going anywhere anyhow. The biggest hurdle he was going to face was trying to keep going as though nothing was wrong. ------- Tuesday afternoons. It had been the same for the past three weeks. Kendall had taped every session. There was enough damning information on the tapes to get what he wanted. He also found a trend. His best friend went to the gym on Tuesday morning, then to see his wife. What Kendall hated seeing the most was her doing things with his best friend that had always been denied to him. That hurt more than anything, but he used that as justification. After the review of this tape, he put his plan to work. That evening his wife 'caught' him in the living room, watching a porn videotape. She told him he was disgusting. He quipped back that if she wasn't such a prude when it came to the bedroom, it would be fun to make home movies. The comments went downhill from there. Kendall was sure she took the bait. Saturday he had set his video camera out in a visible, but not obvious place, in his home office. Sunday, it had been moved, and he knew he had that last piece. Monday, at work, he took care of all the other arrangements. The last of which was to mail off the other tapes. ------- Tuesday he showed up at work as usual. Almost as soon as he got in and shut the door, he made a call, using a pre-paid cellular phone. His secretary called in to him, saying that he had someone on the phone. He used up six minutes of time, during which he slammed his fists down on his desk twice. Kendall was sure it had been loud enough for his secretary to hear, and that was the point. After hanging up from the non-existent call, he walked out, telling his secretary he would be gone the rest of the morning. As he left, he smiled. That had gone well. Next on his plan was a drive to his 'best friend's' house. This was the most dangerous part. A screw up here would be disastrous. He backed up into the driveway and popped the trunk. Using latex gloves he took Steve's mountain bike and stowed it in the trunk. Next, he blew up a male 'doll' he'd purchased at a sex shop, two weeks earlier, out of town. Now it appeared that there were two of them driving away. The park he'd chosen was prime, but also a bit dangerous, even in daylight. Removing his shoes, he put on smooth slippers and slit the doll with a knife. Stuffing the shoes and the remains of the doll into a backpack, he donned it and stepped out of the car. He hated doing this next part, but knew it was crucial. Making a small cut on his hand, he dripped blood onto the inside of the car and then the trunk as he opened it. The bike also got just a little smear before he put a band-aid on his hand, and then latex gloves. Kendall then opened up a new package of riding gloves, covering the latex. Removing the bike, he made sure to get on it and rolled it forward. Looking back he was satisfied. Tire tracks were there. The park his car was now in was also within a five-minute ride to the commuter train station. Storing the bike in a locker, he boarded the train. At the next stop, he got off and walked a block to a car that he had parked the day before. It had been rented under his wife's name under the auspice of an accident to her car. She had been out when it had been brought to the house and Kendall acted as though he had no idea what was going on. He signed for the car and the man apologized profusely as he was sure the wife hadn't told her husband about an accident. It was a six-hour drive to the small border town where he wouldn't have any questions crossing. One dead president and no one asked questions or remembered a thing. ------- Kendall sat in a small but clean hotel that night. He watched the news report with interest. He started to worry. There was no report on him and he knew there should be. By the end of the newscast, he was feeling sick to his stomach. Then there was a special report. Kendall almost cried for joy when he saw his house on TV. The house had been taped off and the police were there. He smiled as the announcer on the scene told of an affair, videotapes, a missing husband, and foul play suspected. Now as the pieces unraveled, the cashing in of stocks and the money transferred into his wife's account and then off to a numbered Swiss bank account. The car, the abandoned bike, the bloodstains. But most of all, the videotapes, those damned videotapes. Kendall had enough money to set himself up. The numbered Swiss account had held the money long enough to register it, then it had been transferred three times. Now it was in the Caribbean, where he would soon be. He gave up his house, they'd had no children, and his parents were long gone. He was about to start a new life. As he turned out the light, he thought about his wife and his best friend. They had wanted to screw in different ways. He guessed they had never thought they'd get screwed in this way. ------- Chapter 2 Kendall woke with a start. He sat up, and looked around, completely disoriented. Then the events of yesterday started to flood his mind. After a deep sigh, he got out of bed. He flicked the television on, on his way to the bathroom. Shaking his head slightly when there was no sound coming from the TV, he stood in front of the toilet, relieving himself. Flushing, Kendall then washed his hands and walked back out into the room. He flipped the TV off, and then back on. Nothing. This wasn't the kind of hotel that had a phone in every room. Small, clean, nice people at the front desk; it was why he stopped for the night. That, and he was dead tired by the time he got this far. Flipping on the overhead light switch, he looked up. No light. 'Great!' he thought. 'Wonder where the circuit breakers are? Yeah, right. Fuses, most likely.' Then Kendall had another thought and looked out the window, hoping to see it was just his room that was out of power. His eyes were focused to the right, where up in the front of the U shaped motel was the office. People were outside, but there was no sign of electricity. Then his peripheral vision suggested a problem. If caught on tape, it would have looked like slow motion, panning across the parking lot that filled the inside of the U shaped building. "Fuck!" he yelled out. His car was gone. ------- Andy, as everyone called her from age eight on, was sitting in the middle of nowhere. Literally, nowhere. She had no idea where she was or worse yet, how she got there. Well, ok. Now let's be reasonable. Andy knew she was in Mexico, or at least that's where she had been last night. It was Spring Break and although Andy had little extra cash available to her, she had scrimped enough to have a little fun, and Mexico was less expensive than stateside. She remembered being at a bar last night. Less than clear was how many shots of Tequila she had. Now it was morning. Her bones ached. Dirt was in her matted hair. She had the same clothes on. Sitting up from the ground she was on, she held her head for a moment. Things didn't feel very good, but she needed to see something. Something very important, that the pounding in her head couldn't dissuade her from. Andy lifted her short skirt. Panties were still there. That was a good sign at least. There was a dirt road about eight feet from where she was. Andy tried to stand and realized how painful things were. It was almost as if — Closing her eyes and putting her hands over her face, she tried to remember. Well, she remembered enough, now. There had been a couple of guys, and they'd had a Jeep. The other three girls she had come down with had wanted to go off with these two guys. Andy had been less than enthusiastic, but the Tequila — The guys were going to drive. All of them had been drunk. Somewhere along the way, she'd fallen off the back of the open Jeep. Why wasn't someone here, by now? That was last night, wasn't it? What happened? There were many questions running though Andy's mind, and no answers. A half an hour later, Andy got enough strength up to stand. Her party shoes were not for walking, but given the circumstances, she didn't have a lot of choices. She looked at the road and had no idea which way she had come from, or to go now. It was a toss up at this point. Andy sighed, felt like crying but knew that wouldn't do a damned bit of good. She set off on a slow walk. ------- Kendall wasn't a risk taker. With his car gone, the power and phone lines down, he was left with few options. The old beat-up scooter he'd bought was a sad way to travel. No helmet made it fairly intolerable. He had no idea how long it was going to take him, driving at 30 miles per hour. Anything faster and he didn't feel safe. There wasn't much in the way of traffic laws, police, or medical care where he was driving through. The only comforting thing was that there was virtually no traffic. He had seen two trucks so far. Both had slowed down while they pulled around him. The first one, a family, just sort of stared at him. He was out of place. Not being able to speak the language made it worse. He knew enough to just get by, but that was it. The second truck had two guys in it and they acted like they were drunk. It unnerved Kendall when they slowed down to his speed, pulling right beside him. The passenger rolling down his window, and started talking a mile a minute. Kendall had no idea what the man was saying. Then he realized the truck was getting closer and closer to him. He put on his brakes and the truck sailed in front. As he stopped, Kendall realized he was shaking. It took twenty minutes before Kendall felt like the muscles in his legs had stopped spasming and he could get on the road, again. ------- Kendall had been told he would have plenty of gas to make it to the next town and hoped that was true. He didn't relish the thought of walking. He wanted to get to a town, get a room, get some food, and take a shower. Maybe not in that order, it depended on how long it took him to get to someplace that even looked like a town. In the heat of the day, Kendall thought he saw something on the road ahead. As he got closer, there wasn't anything. Had he been traveling faster, he would have missed it. As it was, Kendall turned around and came back. "Hello?" Kendall called out. There was no reply. "Why are you hiding? I saw you, so I know you're there." After a pause, there was a reply. "You're American?" Kendall didn't think it was the time to explain that Mexico is in America as well and what the female should have said was 'You're from the United States.' "Yes. What's wrong?" "You mean other than being out here in God knows where?" She did have a point. A bigger question in the back of Kendall's mind was what the hell was a female doing out here, by herself? He guessed that begged an answer, as well. "Are you by yourself?" Silence. "Sorry, that may not have made you very comfortable. Here you are, presumably by yourself and I'm checking to make sure of that, but hey, you can see me and I can't see you. You could be out to rob me." "What?" he heard in an almost humorous voice of disbelief. "You and that scooter?" "Not the kind of thing I'd use to pick up a gal, but as my car was stolen last night, I had little choice." She stepped out. Kendall knew he was staring. He couldn't help himself. "Sorry." She turned around, looking at what was wrong. "What?" "I was staring." "Yeah, I noticed, but I thought there was — You were staring at me," she realized and accused. "I did say I was sorry." "This is not my day." "Where are you going?" "Tampico." "That's where I was heading," Kendal said in response. A shocked look ran across her face, and then dropped shoulders and a sad look followed. Tears came almost immediately after that. "What's wrong?" Kendall wanted to know. "I've been walking in the wrong direction!" she wailed. "Ok," Kendall said in a rare rash decision, "you're coming with me." "What!" "I said you're coming with me. You can't walk around looking like that. Come on." Kendall got onto his scooter and expected her to get on. He looked back, and she was rooted in place. "Don't make me come and get you. It's not safe for you to be out here and you know it. When was the last time you ate? Bet you haven't had anything to drink all day, have you? Face it, you're not thinking straight. Now get on, and let's find a town where we can get something to eat." The thought of food did it, for Andy. As she approached the scooter, she wasn't sure about the seating position. If she made herself the driver and put herself in front, he would have his arms around her. In the back, her legs would be spread wide. With the short skirt, it wouldn't take much to grab a feel. "Come on," Kendall said. Realizing she was spacing out, he was probably right, and she wasn't thinking all that clearly, she got onto the back. "Hold on," he said. "The last thing I need is you falling off." ------- Chapter 3 The court appearance lasted twenty minutes for Kendall's wife and his supposed best friend. Pleas were entered, and bails were set. The difficulty was the press. They were everywhere. The story was too good, and well ... the news wires were slow that day. Juicy stories like this one didn't come often enough anymore. The last straw was the leaked video that ended up on Youtube. There was little question what was going on. The district attorney was wondering how he'd ever get together an unbiased jury after that video had come online. The religious zealots were ready to burn the two fornicating adulterers at the same stake. How they knew what was on those videos was an amusing speculation by many in the district attorneys office. Both of their lawyers, for a fee, got them out of town, discreetly. They had signed away a good deal of their wealth, for the bail. All in all, it had been an extremely humiliating affair. The two didn't talk to each other. They had been told it was best, right now, to not make contact. That was no problem for either one, as they were rather suspicious of the other at this point. As each knew, Kendall Jackson was not prone to rash behavior. For him to go missing was a very bad omen. It was an omen that would take considerable tact, to prove that they'd had no part in his disappearance. Their lawyers had gone over the district attorney's charges. Most were trumped up allegations. The charges were meant to grab the media's attention, more than trying to prove anything useful in the courtroom. Unfortunately, nowadays, battles were fought as much in the media, as they were in the courtroom. Little had been done in 'finding' Kendall by the lawyer teams. He had simply vanished. That, of course, didn't look good for the wayward couple. Too many court cases in the past few years had found murder convictions, without a body. Proper motivation was the key, and those damned tapes. It had been obvious that someone had taken them on purpose, but who? Had Kendall seen them? Why, after almost three months from the time the first one had been recorded, (this was known by the clothes that were worn), had they surfaced? Did someone who wanted Kendall out of the picture, find this as a perfect motive for disguising their actions? Kendall's wife and his ex-best friend hadn't bothered to see all of the tapes. It was that last tape, the one that his wife had suggested they make. After telling Kendall he was perverted for watching porn, it was the only one that Kendall may well have known about. It could have changed their outlook. Had they paid any attention, many of their questions would have been focused in a different way. As it was, they were scared out of their minds. Being threatened with spending any more time than the one horrid night they had been forced to endure in the county lock-up, before bail could be set, was enough to drive both of them insane. ------- Andy took hold of Kendall's arm as she got off the scooter. Her legs felt like rubber. It wasn't because he was driving fast. Hell, that scooter could only hit forty, max. No. It was because the roads were mostly dirt, the scooter had little in the way of shocks, and the seat had almost no padding. Andy almost pulled Kendall off balance. He reached over, telling her to hold on, and then held onto her. It took almost two minutes, but she finally stepped away from him. She was embarrassed that they had been practically embracing. Suddenly she had this 'flight' feeling. She wanted to get away from this man whom she barely knew. It was then that she realized just how stuck she was. Her hand had gone to her side, where her purse had always hung. She hadn't paid any attention to it, before. There had been many more pressing issues. Now the stark realization she was without her passport, wallet, or money; hit her hard. Kendall had seen her hand reach, and the surprised look on her face. Her dropped head and eyes searching for something that wasn't there. It didn't take many brain cells to know what she was looking for. A woman's purse was her life, in many cases. Not wanting a scene to erupt, Kendall took the best action he could think of: diversion. Reminding her that he had told her that hunger had been the cause of her lack of judgment, he felt obligated to feed her. After all, he had practically forced her to come with him. Andy looked on him, warily. She wondered if he knew how dependant she was, at this point, on his good graces. However, hunger won out, at this juncture. ------- The small open-air place had been across the street from where they had stopped. Kendall had hoped to reach a larger town. This one looked smaller than the one from which he had originally left. It did have a gas station. The fuel gauge, as well as his stomach grumbling, had caused him to stop. Ordering had been almost amusing. A small child, who was not quite ready for school, had been a sort of interpreter. After attempting to order, Andy and Kendall weren't sure what was going to show up at the table. The food arrived in no time at all, and it was excellent. As soon as both became hydrated and sated, conversation tentatively started. Kendall couldn't contain his curiosity any longer, asking what she had been doing out in the middle of nowhere. After a long drawn out sigh, Andy told him about the party with her friends ... the drinking, the guys with the Jeep... He was incredulous that they left her in the first place, and was staggered to believe someone wouldn't have come back. His questions gave her a sense of depression. The two sat in silence for several minutes. He didn't know what she was thinking, and he wasn't happy with himself for putting her in such a mood. Suddenly she looked up at Kendall, and asked what he had been doing out there. He didn't speak Spanish, and this wasn't exactly a tourist area. Kendall looked into her eyes and wondered what he should say. His face started to show the feelings welling up inside. Andy was about to say that she didn't need to know. Part of that was because of the sad look his face displayed. The other part was that she didn't know if she really wanted to know. Before she could muster up those words; Kendall told her he was, in essence, running away. He noticed the startled and very nervous look upon her face. He could have smacked his forehead, realizing how what he'd just said could be taken many ways. So he explained, in detail, what had gone on between his wife and best friend. Andy sadly shook her head, patted his hand, and told him that it sucked ... big time. Again, they were plunged into silence. After a bit, she asked why he just ran away. At that point, Kendall told Andy what he had done. She laughed. Laughed! After that died down, she explained that any good lawyer would get them off. He responded with the reasoning of why he did it. It wasn't to send them up the river for life. It was to embarrass them. He was pretty sure that what he'd done had done that job very well. She thought about that for a minute. Then she said that in a smaller city, yeah, she could see that. Where she went to school, though, no one would take notice. Talking about his town. Or the town he used to call home, eighty thousand wasn't small, but it wasn't that big either. It always seemed like you saw someone you knew, anywhere you would go. So word would get around. His wife and ex-best friend would either have to endure, or would have to move and start new jobs. Thinking about how it also caused that for him as well, he said that it now seemed to be a petty revenge. She answered that he was creative, given the circumstances. Then she went on, telling him about a psych class she attended last year. One of the lectures had been about people who suffer in relationships that downgraded them. Andy had a little grin on her face as she told him that he was very creative in doing something about it, plus he hadn't killed anyone, either. The way she said it made him laugh. He had to admit that there was no way he could bring himself to do anything like that, even as mad as he was. Andy smiled. Once again, she relaxed with a bit more understanding of who this person was, sitting across the table from her. Kendall could tell there was a bit of relief in her voice. He had brought up a subject that was not very pleasant. Feeling as though he could speak freely, he told her of the wild idea of going off to the Caribbean, and living a totally different lifestyle. Her eyes widened as she stumbled out the words that asked if he was that rich. Kendall laughed. It was a wild idea. He would have to work again, even if he did have a nest egg in a bank on Grand Cayman Island. Then he got serious, and told her he had to go back. She was puzzled and wanted to know why. Kendall explained that it wasn't to let his wife ... soon to be ex-wife ... and past best friend off the hook; it was that he needed to be alive. Andy smiled, and then she laughed, telling him she could see how being dead could be a problem. Conversation drifted after that. Andy and Kendall noticed the staff looking at them. Andy suggested that they wanted to close down, and the two of them were the only ones left in the place. That meant that the staff wanted the two to leave. Siesta time, Andy opined. That is when they ran into a snag. Kendall asked about gas for the scooter. To do that, he had to point to the scooter and then the gas station. The woman who owned the place shook her head. It took another ten minutes for them to get the story. The gas station got deliveries in town twice a week. The next would be tomorrow, at about one in the afternoon. There would be a line to get the petrol, and they always ran out. Like it or not, they were going to spend the night. Asking about a hotel was a joke. It took some time to get that idea across. At one point during their 'conversation, ' Kendall thought about how many times he'd said he didn't like it when people didn't speak the language. Yet here he was, in another country, and the shoe was on the other foot. It was frustrating. Andy was given some directions, and they headed out. They both were wondering if they'd find anything, or if the woman had just wanted to get rid of them. Two blocks down, and three over, and they were standing in front of a large house. Kendall ventured at that point to call it a hacienda, but he wasn't really sure of the correct definition. Andy knocked on the heavy wooden door, and then waited. An older woman opened the door and looked at them. Kendall spoke, but she didn't understand him any more than he understood her. Kendall was reduced to pantomiming the need for a place to sleep. She nodded, smiled, and then led them in. She was speaking Spanish the entire time. There was a large courtyard in the center of an L shaped house. At the far end she led Andy and Kendall to a doorway. Opening it, she motioned them in. Kendall stepped into a short hallway that led into a bedroom. Andy was right behind him. He stopped and Andy ran into him. Kendall pointed to the one bed, and then looked back to the doorway. The woman wasn't there. Pushing past Andy, he went out into the courtyard. The woman wasn't in sight. Shaking his head, he went back to see what Andy was doing. She was looking a bit too good in that short dress, sitting on the double bed. He was not happy with his thoughts, right then. Kendall told Andy that the woman disappeared and that they would have to find her. Andy responded that it wouldn't make any difference. He wanted to scream. There was no way he could feel comfortable in a room with just one bed, with her. Andy explained that it wouldn't make any difference if he'd found the lady or not. That was a bit confusing to him, and he wanted to know why. As Andy explained this was their only room, Kendall shook his head in disbelief. He asked how would she know? Slightly embarrassed to make mention of the fact, she told him she'd taken a year of Spanish in high school. His mouth dropped open, thinking how he'd made a fool of himself for no good reason. He was steamed and she saw it. Trying to soften her reluctance to say anything earlier, she explained that what she knew of the language was very little. She could pick up some of the words, but never got the hang of speaking the language. Her high school class and reality were miles apart. Working on another angle, as she saw him start to understand, she told him he was doing a better job than she could have. That brought back the subject at hand. Kendall, it seemed, forgot how to speak English as well, as he tried to explain that Andy was a rather attractive gal and he was a guy. He could see her mouth twitching as she tried not to smile. In response she mocked him a bit. "Really? I'm glad you told me. I had no idea," she said. Then Andy gave him a big smile as she added, "But thanks for the compliment." She wasn't making this easy, so he threw it back to her, wondering where the two of them were going to sleep. Andy looked down at the bed she was sitting on and then back at Kendall. He had to admit that he let himself into that one. She grinned, but then it faded. She outlined the solution of taking the mattress off and putting it on the floor. Then one could sleep on the mattress and one on the box springs." Kendall was somewhat relieved. It was not the best situation, but it was at least a workable solution, given the circumstances. What Kendall felt he didn't need, right then, was a 'complication.' Ok, that sounded rather heartless when his mind put that thought into form. It was also kind of stupid, as he had practically forced her to come with him. Trying to reason it out, he took the approach that he was basically a nice guy. Remember? Mister predictable. That sort of thinking had put him in a world of hurt. He didn't want it and didn't think he'd asked for it. Even though Kendall had had time to think, and had gotten a bit of revenge, the nerves were rather raw. There was another reality here, as well. He didn't need to make a fool out of himself. He thought he must be about ten years older than Andy. She was a college girl, and darned good looking. Kendall knew that there was nothing that she would see in him, even if he was in a position to make a pass at her. Given the circumstances, that would be rude. Besides, she'd probably laugh, be insulted, or take him as an opportunist. Maybe all three. He was not at all sure he could handle that. After seeing the room, Kendall and Andy left and walked around the town. As neither one had anything better to do, and as it was hot, they took their time at it. As such, there was plenty of idle chitchat. Kendall was most agreeable to have her lead that, as he was not the best at making 'small talk.' They learned a number of things about each other. Meaningless stuff, in a way. Where they grew up. Their favorite pets. What their parents were like. Class bullies they despised. Kendall thought it was going pretty well. That is until Andy asked about sweethearts. She was talking about her first kiss. It had happened when she had been in the fourth grade, to a sixth grader, on a dare. She was halfway though her story when she realized the term 'sweetheart' had brought up some rather unpleasant recent memories. Kendall realized that in recounting her story, she was trying to get him to think about earlier times. Her story was rather amusing, at least the way she described it. Then he had to think of one. It took a bit of brain searching. Tammy came to mind. Kendall told Andy of the third grader, a sister of a friend, who would lift her dress around him. He would turn red. The girl's brother never saw a thing, but got the idea that Kendall had a thing for his sister, even if it was the other way around. Looking back, it was funny. Living through it, it had been confusing as hell. That got Kendall to thinking that he never would understand women. After watching the sun start to set, and not knowing where to get dinner, they ended up back at the Hacienda. Upon arriving Kendall and Andy found out their hosts had not waited for the two. Andy and Kendall looked at each other, not realizing that they had been expected to be there. Lack of understanding the language, again. Dinner was outside, on long tables, and there were many seated. Taking their places on the bench seating where two places had been saved, Kendall was on the end and Andy was next to a girl that looked to be maybe nine or ten. The food? It was out of this world! Then the tequila showed up. Andy tried to beg off, but that just wouldn't do. Kendall thought he'd had four, or was that six shots? He had never been much of a drinker. He was having a hard time keeping up, although the stuff was good. So much better than anything the two had ever had before. It didn't burn all the way down, it just felt warm. The next morning, Kendall woke. At first, he was surprised that his head didn't revolt. The second thing he noticed was his hand wrapped around a body. A nice warm body he was spooned against. That made his head hurt. Trying to move back, he received a moaning protest from a voice that was undoubtedly Andy's. This was not good at all. ------- Chapter 4 Andy pushed back at the same time Kendall extracted his hand. All of a sudden, she bolted up to a sitting position and looked at him. She then looked at the bed, and then back at him. After closing her eyes and letting out a little noise, she said what was on her mind. She'd had too much to drink. This was the second time with Tequila, and both times it had ended up problematic. Kendall was waiting for her to go off. He wouldn't have blamed her, even though he had no idea how they even got to the room in the first place. Strange thing was she was silent after saying it had been a problem. He felt the need to apologize and tried. He was older, after all. She laughed at his behavior. This was becoming a habit. Kendall got irritated and asked how old she was. When she told him, he about fell out of the bed. He couldn't believe it, and stammered, asking how that was possible. Andy couldn't help the smirk on her face. She then told him of the two years she had spent working and saving, before heading to college. Kendall was humbled. He'd never had to work through college. His ticket was paid for, and he had hardly wanted for anything during that time. His parents had died, but the estate had paid for everything. The last of the money from the estate had been used as a down payment on his house. It had been a great start to what was to be a fulfilling life. Things just hadn't worked out that way for him. Coming back to the present, Kendall realized he had been very wrong about this woman who was still on the bed with him. She was only four years younger than he was. Not wanting 'complications' was getting harder. He knew he needed to get up, and get out of the room. A banging at the door got their attention. A man yelled through the door, in very broken English, that it was time to get into line. Andy and Kendall looked at each other. Both said the first things that came to mind. Breakfast? Bathroom? They couldn't help but laughing. Andy then told Kendall that he needed to get up and go out of the room. Surprised, he wondered out loud, "Why?" That question was answered when Andy told him that her short dress had bunched up a good bit during the night. Kendall stammered as he slid out from the covers (still dressed in his clothes from last night), but his mind couldn't turn off the idea of what she must look like under those covers. Manners or not, he couldn't help but look back at her on the bed, before going down the hall and exiting into the bright light of morning. Blinking several times in the brightness, brought a sense of reality back to Kendall. He looked around, thinking there would be a line, and hoping it wasn't for the bathroom. He saw none and then made his way down three doorways to find the bathroom door open. He quickly used the facilities, knowing that Andy would soon be needing to use them as well. As soon as he came out the door a man waved and spoke in the same broken English telling him to come, quickly. Kendall was beginning to wonder what was going on. He'd walked two blocks with the man who was obviously in a hurry. As they turned a corner towards the main street of the town, Kendall became aware of the urgency. He started to run. ------- Andy had found herself in front of a girl when she opened the door, and recognized her as the quiet girl who had been seated next to her at dinner. Andy smiled. The girl took her hand and led her down to the bathroom. Instead of letting go, she pulled her inside. Andy thought that a bit strange. The girl hadn't said a word yet, she did let go of Andy's hand though, but that was only when the girl pulled back a curtain. Andy had assumed, from the light filtering through, that there was a window behind it. There was, but there was also an old claw foot tub. Before Andy could figure out what was going on, the girl had pulled out towels, turned on the water, and pulled out a tray that held three glass jars. Holding each up to Andy, the girl took off the lid, wanting Andy to smell them. Andy thought the first one a bit odd. The second was nice. The third made her smile. That caused the girl to smile as well. She took a scoop that was on the tray and added two scoops into the bath water. The girl then took Andy's hands and gave them a squeeze, grinned at her, and then left, closing the bathroom door behind her. Andy was a bit dumbfounded, but the smell of the perfumed water was simply irresistible. For some reason, Andy didn't even think about locking the bathroom door. It was almost as if the water was intoxicating. She dropped her clothes and stepped into the tub, feeling the tension flow out of her as she sank into the water. It was almost like she was a little girl, about the age of the one that had brought her in here, once again. ------- The man caught up to Kendall when he had stopped at the end of the line. He told Kendall he would stay there. Kendall was to get the scooter. There were six cars and one truck in front of him. Kendall looked at his watch as he walked over to retrieve the scooter, which had been locked up across the street. It was nearly ten in the morning. He was surprised at how late it was, but remembered that it would be probably another three hours until the tanker with the gas rolled into town. This was going to be a long, hot, day of waiting. Rolling the scooter across the road, the man took hold of it and then smiled a crooked toothy smile. Kendall then got a lesson in local politics. Kendall would be assured a full tank, if he bought something in the shop next to the gas station. Kendall shook his head thinking that it was one clever way to insure that your wife's business works. He entered the shop, expecting to find cheap trinkets that would just be thrown away. What he found was a clothing shop. Natural fabrics, some with embroidery around the collars. Kendall wasn't in a rush. He knew he had plenty of time before he needed to make any sort of decision. He was pleasantly surprised when he found some men's clothing in amongst all of the ladies things. Stepping out of what had been laughingly suggested as a dressing room, Kendall saw a girl that he swore he recognized. She came up to him and gave him a big smile and a constant nod. He had to look in the mirror all the same, but did agree. The shirt and pants did look pretty good on him. She took his hand and pulled him to a rack. It was woman's clothing and at first Kendall thought the girl was trying to get him to purchase something for her. She pulled out a few things and he could easily tell they were too big for the girl. She could see the confusion on his face and so pantomimed to him they were for his wife. Kendall couldn't help but smile at that. He was loathed to buy anything for his soon to be ex wife. That is not who the girl was talking about though. It was Andy, whom she had mistaken for his wife. He thought it prudent not to correct the misconception, though. In small towns like this, you never knew what the prevailing thoughts were, on spending the night with a lady who wasn't your wife. Even if you hadn't realized that you'd done that! When the intended wearer was identified, Kendall couldn't help but imagine what Andy might look in one outfit or another. The girl was getting agitated at his indecision. He thought it was kinda cute. It wasn't until then, he recognized the girl as the one that had been sitting next to Andy at dinner the night before. The girl picked up a top and skirt. Kendall smiled and nodded, as it would look good together. Then Kendall stood in shock as the girl pulled the tags off. She picked up a pair of moccasin looking shoes, pulled the tags off them as well. Then stuck the price tags into his hand, and ran out the door with the two garments and shoes. He turned to see the storeowner with a grin on her face. ------- Andy had just toweled off and was looking at her dirty, two day old clothes, when the door opened. Andy shrieked. The door closed as quickly as it opened, but the girl was now on the inside. Andy was holding a towel in front of her. The girl, not paying too much heed to Andy, walked over to a chair. She took the wad of material she had in her hands, and folded it into the clothing it was. She set the shoes on the floor. The girl then turned and smiled at Andy, before walking out the door. Curiosity got the better of her. Well, after Andy had locked the bathroom door. She picked up one of the folded articles. It was a light green blouse with a slight bit of embroidery. It was very pretty. Andy slipped it on and sighed. It felt very nice. It was made of a cotton that was very soft. Clean too. Andy was quite aware, as she looked in the mirror, that she didn't have a bra on. Unless it was cold, though, she didn't have to have one. Not tiny, but on the smaller side, along with the rest of her frame. She sighed again and turned from the mirror, to find out what the other piece was. Looking at the skirt, she wondered where the girl had found clothing to fit her. Better yet, how would she pay for them? They couldn't be free, and she wouldn't ask Kendall for any money. He may have some, but it might sound like she would be willing ... No, she would just put them back onto the chair, but first, she wanted to try on the skirt, just to try it. Andy was looking at herself in the mirror. She jumped in surprise when she saw the smiling girl, behind her, in the reflection. Andy turned and saw the bathroom door open. She knew she had locked it. The girl grabbed Andy's hand, but then stopped and pointed. Andy saw the direction, and sighed. Then she slipped the shoes on. The girl then tugged her out the door. She wondered what the hurry was. The girl was pulling Andy up a flight of stairs as if her life depended upon it. It was so worrisome to Andy that she forgot about the clothing she was wearing. Andy was pulled to the front of the building. There, the roof extended, but the walls disappeared on three sides. In the center of this open air room was a square table and chairs around it. The woman of the house was sitting at the table. There was fresh fruit and some breads, in the center. The woman gestured for Andy to come sit and then directed her to a seat. Andy sat. Uncomfortably. It was then she realized she had no idea where Kendall was. Maybe he left! Maybe that's why she was here! Andy looked at the woman and saw the warm smile she had on her face. With her eyes, the woman directed Andy's gaze down the street. As soon as she saw it, her mouth dropped. The line! Looking back at the woman, she noticed a grin, and then laughter erupted. Andy couldn't help but laugh as well, realizing how much her face had told, before she knew what Kendall was doing. The woman pointed. Andy looked again and could make out the girl who had been instigating this. Her colorful red dress easily spotted. She was walking up to the line of cars. They watched while the girl disappeared for a moment and then came back, pulling a man dressed up in off white pants and a shirt. Andy was amused at how this girl got people to do as she wished. The girl waved to them. Then the man did. Andy just about fainted when realization overtook her. That was Kendall! The clothing she was wearing ... he bought! Barely making it through breakfast, Andy was ready to go down there. She used the ploy of taking him some food, but she wanted to bite his head off! ------- The line was getting longer. No one had moved, as the petrol hadn't arrived yet. No one was in their vehicles. As soon as they were in position, they were out talking to each other. Apparently this was a regular social gathering. It was a good half hour after the girl had come back, pulling him out of the store and to an intersection. She'd waved and then directed him to do the same. As odd as it seemed, he amused the girl. Now he saw Andy approaching. She looked none too happy, so he wasn't sure he was glad to see her. However, the food she was carrying looked pretty tasty. Andy and Kendall created a good spectacle of themselves as they talked loudly at each other. It wasn't quite shouting, but close. As the realization took hold that they had been directed by a non-talking girl, and the silent woman of the house; it started to become a bit more amusing. As soon as the first laugh came out, everyone around ... who had stopped to watch the spectacle ... went back to whatever they had been doing. Kendall ate the food and thanked Andy. She blushed and told him she should be thanking him for the clothes. At that point many things could have happened. Both Andy and Kendall's minds were racing. All thoughts went out the proverbial window, as a rumbling tanker truck rounded the corner and made its way towards the center of town. ------- Chapter 5 The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful. With a tank full of gas, they departed the town. Three hours later, they were at their destination. Andy knew the name of the hotel, but had no idea how to get there. Kendall stopped and got directions. After another twenty minutes, he pulled up in front of the hotel. This time Andy took a moment before getting off the scooter. She didn't want the wobbly-legged feeling she'd had, the day before. There was also another reason. She was nervous. Andy had no idea what had happened to her roommates. Why hadn't they come looking for her? Would they even be there? Had they checked out? And of course the dreaded question she didn't want to think about, had something happened to them? Asking Kendall to come with her, they walked into the hotel. It wasn't fancy, but was certainly in the 'nice' range. Walking through the center courtyard, she led Kendall up to the second floor. Stopping at room 233, she knocked. Andy and Kendall could hear movement on the other side. It wasn't hard to notice the darkening of the peephole when someone looked through it. A voice saying 'Wait just a minute' made Kendall and Andy look at each other. It wasn't that early in the morning. They should be up and dressed. Suddenly the door flew open. Arms reached out, pulled Andy into the room, and then the door was slammed shut. Kendall stood outside, surprised, and not knowing what he should do. Kendall had little time to wonder what he was going to do next. From each end of the hallway where he was standing, a fairly large man appeared. Each of them advancing on him, and rapidly speaking in Spanish. Kendall had a very bad feeling about this. There was little to do, as he was trapped in the hallway, except to pound on the door of 233. ------- Inside there was instant mayhem. The two girls were screaming at her, asking question after question, and not letting Andy answer a single one of them. When the pounding on the door started, all of them jumped. The youngest one told Andy not to worry, she called the front desk and they had two men who would take care of that guy. Andy pushed away from her supposed saviors, and ran to the door. She opened it just as Kendall was getting punched in the stomach. Screaming, "NO!" Andy threw herself between the two men and Kendall. Surprised, the two men stopped their assault, but held their ground. Andy's two roommates were at the door, shaking in fear. If Kendall had thought he would just deliver Andy to her hotel and be on his way, he was sourly mistaken. It took another three and a half hours before the story came out from all sides. This was done at the police headquarters, in a conference room, with two armed officers who spoke English in attendance. Kendall's biggest worry was that it would be 'discovered' as to who he was. He didn't want the press to find out that he was in the company of a younger woman. That wouldn't look good for him at all. He wanted to have the upper hand. Thankfully, the officers were more interested in getting the story of what happened, than in playing on the computer. In the end, the girls were given a very stiff warning about traveling with someone they did not know from one of the officers, as well as a warning against going out in the city at night without telling someone else where they were going. All three girls were told in broken, but strongly worded language, that had been very lucky. The officer also chuckled, telling Kendall that he knew of the town, the woman who owned the hacienda, and the 'lack' of petrol. He then asked Kendall how many pieces of clothing he ended up purchasing. Kendall glanced over to Andy, who, just as he, was wearing the outfit. Smiling, Kendall told the officer four pieces, but that it was money well spent. The officer noticed the glance, and Andy's clothing. He left them, laughing as he walked away. The four returned to the hotel. Andy's roommates couldn't stop saying how sorry they were. The comments were directed both to Andy, who they couldn't even remember had went with them; and Kendall, who they assumed was a bad man needing to be taken away. It was late in the afternoon when Kendall stepped out of the hotel room. Andy was right behind him. She tapped him on the shoulder, but he already knew she would be there. The other two girls had given him hugs goodbye, and another round of thanks. Waiting for the hug, with open arms, he was a bit surprised when she stepped in and kissed him, instead. After the shock of what she had done sank in, she moved to hug him. As Andy stepped back, she held out a piece of paper for him, along with instructions. After everything was settled, she wanted him to let her know how it went. She wanted to know what he was doing, and when they could get together again. To say it unsettled Kendall, was a gross understatement. Andy saw the startled look on his face. It wasn't an uncommon thing for a guy to have, when a gal told him what he was to do. She drove her point home, saying it would be 'oh, so much better' for him to contact her, than for her to dig up his whereabouts and contact him. Kendall was smart enough to see the point in that. He acquiesced, and said he'd call. ------- A car was harder to obtain that Kendall thought it might be, perhaps because he didn't know where to go for a disposable item. Being late in the day, it was prudent for him to stay away from areas of town that might hold what he needed. He couldn't just get on a plane and fly back. After all, he wasn't alive. Kendall realized how daft those ideas were. No one knew what had happened to him. He was coming back to say he was alive, so he could go on with his life. Mexico didn't document him coming in, anymore effectively than they had going out. Paying cash for everything was also a plus. With that thought in mind, he hailed a taxi and went to the airport. It was no surprise to him that there were no more flights that day. It was early evening, and this wasn't the largest of tourist towns. Tomorrow was another day. He didn't want to purchase a ticket that night, as his name would be on it. Tomorrow Kendall would be back, and shortly after that on his way into the States. The taxi ride to a hotel took him all of five minutes. There had been a second of thought to go to the hotel where Andy was. Kendall knew better, and his big head won out over his little head ... this time. ------- As the airplane taxied, Kendall was ready to exit. The sooner the better. He didn't like being in a twelve-seater commuter plane. He had filled out the customs declaration sheet on the plane and as the only thing he had to carry was a small bag, there was little to stop him passing through. Although there were plenty of rental car agencies at the airport, he didn't want that. If someone wanted to trace where he'd been, they would have to dig long and hard. Kendall took a city bus. After a day of travel, and clothing that he'd worn for a bit too long, he didn't look like the kind of person who could afford much. That suited him just fine. Stepping off the city bus, he took the two-block walk to the Greyhound bus terminal. That was a fancy way of saying a large dilapidated building with a ticket counter and several benches. Whether Kendall liked it or not, riding on a bus was the easiest non-disclosure way of travel these days. He paid cash and received a ticket. It was as easy as that. The first of three buses traveled three and a half hours in almost totally the wrong direction. So, riding a bus wasn't that easy. The seats were as cramped, the bathroom small, and they didn't have any amenities. As Kendall thought about it, riding a bus wasn't that far different from airline travel, now a days. If it happened to have gone in a straight route to where he was traveling, it might have even been as fast. Unlike the airports, though, there were no security checkpoints. He didn't need to undress and be harassed. And, although it wasn't a factor for him, it was a lot less expensive. The only drawback was the stigma. For some ironic reason, wasting time being strip searched, and allowing oneself to be under the authority of people who acted like they didn't graduate from high school, was a much more glamorous way to travel! The more Kendall thought of it, the more amused he was at the notion that airline travel was anything but a complete waste of time, other than for long distances that is. Of course, Kendall had lots of time to think. Arriving in town was going to be the easy part. What to do, where to go ... and most importantly who to see first, weighed heavily on his mind. Kendall knew he needed to do this. He had to recover his identity, and claim what was his. There would be repercussions. Questions. Although he knew he would face problems, he had no idea of the magnitude. That was the frightening part. The unknown. For some time, Kendall's thoughts were jumbled and disjointed. None of them were coherent enough to make any sense. This was not the way he liked things to be. He was, or had been in the past, an organized and sensible person. For the first time, from when he walked out of his office to 'disappear, ' he thought of his secretary. It was a rather sobering thought. She had been with him for three years. He had known at the time he couldn't have thoughts like he was now. He simply could not tell her a word. Now, as he allowed his thoughts to go in that direction, he knew his disappearance would have been devastating for her. Kendall had helped Tami get the job of being his secretary. He'd learned that if he could do something like that, loyalty would be forthcoming. That advice had paid off many times over. Tami had become more than an employee, but rather, a true friend. Her wedding, Kendall reminisced, was an extremely happy memory. That was the focal point Kendall needed. He would contact Tami. He knew her home phone number by heart. With a two-hour layover, at the first bus change, Kendall resolved he would call her. As the bus rumbled on, Kendall became nervous. He knew it was going to be an emotional call. There would be a moment of disbelief, of pain, possibly even accusation. Kendall hoped for the best, but at the worst, he had faith that Tami wouldn't betray him. If she chose not to help him, she would keep quiet until he arrived in town. ------- This was a stark contrast between flying and the 'dirty dog' as his mother had called it. In an airport he would have had a row of phones to choose from, often with seats. They would be inside an enclosed building, with air conditioning. Kendall found himself standing, and waiting, for the solitary phone. The wooden pole it was mounted to, also served as a light post. There was indication that a directory had once hung below the phone, but the paper pages were gone, not that he needed it. There was no privacy for a conversation that could bring a lot of questions. Kendall thought long and hard, as the woman on the phone talked. He resolved, if for his sanity alone, that he needed to make this call. Armed with a handful of change, the acquisition of which was the reason he hadn't made it to the phone first, Kendall dialed the number. As soon as he heard her voice say 'hello, ' his mouth went dry. She repeated her word, and Kendall forced out an acknowledgement back to her. This time it was she who paused before saying his name, questioning if it was he. It seemed he didn't need to explain. He didn't need to cause people around him to know too much. Tami had hoped that Kendall would show up. She had hoped that he was not dead. She cried. He told her he would explain later, but that he couldn't now. Tomorrow, he would call again. She somehow understood, and asked if he needed anything. His request to keep things quiet was easy for her to understand. She knew there was a lot to this story that had not been told. Just one day to wait would drive her crazy, but for a much different reason than the last few days. Kendall placed the receiver on the hook and sighed. The phone rang, he picked it up, and there was a message for him to feed the box more money. With a much lighter spirit, and pocket, Kendall went to look at the meager offerings of the vending machines. Ok, airline travel did have a few things going for it. ------- The second bus trip, took Kendall on a melodramatic soul search. When he'd found out how much he couldn't trust his wife, or his best friend, it had taken its toll on his ability to trust anyone. As understandable as that might be, looking in hindsight, it wasn't very realistic. Tami had been much more than a co-worker. He had felt the hurt in her voice, even with the relief that he was alive and doing ok. The next conversation, one that wouldn't be overheard, was going to be hard. Kendall hoped she wouldn't ask for the intimate details that took him down. Understandably, he knew he would have to tell her enough. How much was enough? He realized that as painful as it might be to think about, he needed to tell Tami everything. He had broken their relationship, and needed to repair it. The only way he knew how to do that, was to tell her how his wife's actions had destroyed him. Kendall was grateful to see three cabs waiting, when the bus pulled in. He took a cab to a hotel several miles away. He wasn't about to stay in one of the seedy hotels near the bus station. In the morning, after a good but restless night in the comfortable bed and a long hot shower, Kendall made the call to Tami. This time he could talk in private. He asked her if she was sitting. Thinking of how she would have heard what the newspapers wanted to let the public know, he told her the unabridged version of what had happened to the marriage. He expressed sorrow that he couldn't tell her, but he hadn't wanted to get her involved with his plot to discredit his wife and ex-best friend. Tami, after having a long talk with her husband the night before, could listen and hear what Kendall said. She tried hard not to let emotions take hold. It was hard for her. She, at points, felt betrayed by him. Other times, she understood and sympathized with his situation. As she was still in her first few years of marriage, Tami couldn't understand Kendall's wife at all. That was the cementing factor for her. When Kendall wound down in what he needed to say, Tami told him something that he totally didn't expect. When he got into town, he was staying with her and her husband. They had talked about it, and Tami's husband had told her that if she felt like it, to offer. By the time the tears were gone, the story told, and a slight understanding of what Kendall must have been going through; she insisted that he come stay with them. After his reluctant acceptance, as he didn't feel worthy of such a friend, she asked what else she could do to help. Kendall had thought long and hard on that one. It was the question he hoped she would raise. What he needed was a lawyer. Not that he trusted them much. However, he knew that without one, it could spell disaster. What Kendall wanted more than anything else, was a clean break. To show up, clear the air about his disappearance, but also explain why. Those damned tapes. With that evidence in the police's hand, he predicted a quick divorce. Then he was free. Well, other than the promised call to Andy when it was all over. ------- The End ------- Posted: 2008-01-18 Last Modified: 2008-09-15 / 11:00:36 pm ------- http://storiesonline.net/ -------