Accidents Waiting to Happen (42 page)

“I know what you’re up to, Mr. Tyrell.”
 
Bob’s voice trembled.
 
He had just stepped into the ring and sized up the opposition.
 
He feared his decision and hoped it was the right one.

“What do you know, Bob?”
 

Tyrell’s coldness trickled down the line and Bob shivered.

“I know what you’re doing to your clients.”
 

“Providing them with first class service at reasonable prices?” Tyrell mocked.

Bob composed himself before asking the five hundred thousand-dollar question.
 
“You’re killing your viatical clients, aren’t you?”

Tyrell roared with laughter.
 
“Bob, Bob, Bob, where did you come up with that cock and bull story?
 
X-Files, or Days of Our Lives maybe?”

Instead of being embarrassed by Tyrell’s mockery, Bob took strength from it.
 
The evidence to support his belief was in front of him and what he and Josh knew made a compelling story, even if it was all circumstantial.
 
He took a deep breath and let the executive have it, with both barrels.

“Pinnacle Investments is the most successful viatical company in the industry.”
 
Tyrell tried to interrupt, but Bob spoke over the vice president.
 
“You are the only successful viatical company in the industry, especially with an AIDS client base as big as yours.
 
AIDS patients are living longer.
 
Yours are dying quicker.
 
So are your other clients.
 
A number of my colleagues have had their viatical clients with Pinnacle Investments die from unusual accidents, just as their health improved.”

“This sounds like a crank call to me.
 
I’m putting the phone down,” Tyrell said.

“I think your next two targets are Josh Michaels and Margaret Macey.
 
Both of them are my clients, Mr. Tyrell.”
 
Bob said Tyrell’s name like he chewed sour lemons.
 
“And Margaret Macey is dead.”

Bob had nothing left to say.
 
He waited for Tyrell to respond.
 
He didn’t.

“Dexter, I don’t hear you putting that phone down,” Bob said.

Dexter Tyrell said nothing.

Bob felt he was on a roll.
 
He’d rattled Tyrell.
 
The executive would be weighing up his options.
 
Bob decided to push until he left Tyrell no option.
 
“There is a man passing himself off as an employee of Pinnacle Investments called James Mitchell.
 
I think he’s your hired gun.”

“What do you want?” Tyrell asked.

“I want you to stop.”

“What if I don’t?”

“I’ll go to the cops.”

“With what you’ve got?”
 
Tyrell snorted.
 
“They’ll laugh you out of the precinct or lock you up.”

“Maybe, but I’ll give them enough to make someone look into Pinnacle Investments’ operations and that wouldn’t be good for business.
 
Would it now?”
 
Bob smiled.
 

Tyrell was silent for a very long time.
 
Bob was happy to wait.
 
He could almost hear Tyrell squirm.

“I have an offer to make to you, Bob.”

Bob Deuce listened.

***

Josh returned home after his breakfast with Bob and found no one home.
 
He kept playing over Bob’s theories in his head.
 
Would Pinnacle go for the buy back option?
 
He hoped so.
 
He waited for Bob’s call, but it didn’t come.
 
He tried calling, but Bob didn’t pick up.

He couldn’t just sit there.
 
He had to do something with himself.
 
He decided to indulge in something he had not done in ages—climbing.
 
Bob’s mention of his old hobby had a nice ring to it.
 
Josh dug his gear out from his home office.
 
The kit, ten years old or more, was very much out of date compared to the modern lightweight rigs people used now.
 
He drove down to the indoor climbing center and knocked the rust off his old skills.
 
He found he was better off using the equipment provided at the center.
 

After ten minutes, Josh was back in the fold, no hint of staleness showed after his eight-year absence.
 
As the hours shot by, Josh went from their basic climbs to the most difficult, conquering each level with great aplomb.
 
Amazed, he couldn’t understand why he had not gone to an indoor center before.
 
The risk was so minimal he was sure Kate wouldn’t have minded.
 
But even with this brief taste, he knew if he came here regularly he would end up wanting to hit the mountains for the real climbs.
 
Yosemite was too much of a temptation to be ignored.

He came home in a good mood.
 
It had been a good day.
 
He parked next to Kate’s minivan.
 
Kit bag over his shoulder, Josh unlocked the door to the house and pushed it open.
 
The door opened only a few inches before bouncing off the security chain.
 
The door’s recoil knocked the keys out of his hand and he jumped back before the charging door took a finger or a toe as a trophy.

“Kate, it’s me.
 
The chain’s on, can you take it off?” Josh called through the crack of the door and picked up his keys.

No one answered.

Fear rushed through him.
 
Had Mitchell tried something?

“Kate, are you there?
 
Is everything okay?”

“Josh, you aren’t coming in.”

Fear turned into confusion.
 
“What?”

“You’re not welcome here anymore.”
 
Kate’s voice cracked under her tears.

Josh peered through the gap the door allowed.
 
He couldn’t see Kate.

“What’s wrong?
 
Let me in.”

Kate broke into sobs which were echoed by someone Josh presumed was Abby.
 
Kate spoke to Abby, but he couldn’t hear what she said.

“Just go.
 
Please Josh, go away.”

His stomach clenched.
 
A vivid recollection of the events at Margaret Macey’s house struck him between the eyes.
 
But this was his house, his family.
 
He wasn’t about to let the same thing happen here.
 
He wouldn’t be kept out of his own home.

“Don’t panic, I’m coming round the back,” he paused.
 
“Okay?”

For a moment, Josh waited for a response and heard only stifled weeping.
 
He raced over to the gate to get to the backyard, but it was locked.
 
He dropped his kit bag and clambered over the top.
 
He glimpsed a neighbor across the road watching the real life soap opera unfold, but he didn’t give his neighbor a second thought.
 
He darted over to the patio doors and found them locked, but had the keys to this lock and rushed inside.

Drowning in worry, he called, “Kate, Kate, it’s me.
 
It’s okay.”
 

Josh found his wife and child huddled together in the living room.
 
Kate stood with her back against the fireplace and Abby’s face buried in her stomach.
 
Seemingly, they were okay.
 
He detected no visible wounds or injuries other than their tears.
 
His panic subsided.

“Thank God, you’re okay.
 
I was really worried,” he said.
 
“Why the security chain?”

“Josh, get the hell out.”
 
Kate’s tone was as hard as steel.

The demand was hard enough to stop him in his tracks.
 
Kate’s hostility made no sense.
 
He was at a loss for words.

Kate unpeeled Abby from her.
 
“Abby, go up to your room.
 
It’s going to be okay, but I need you to do this for me.
 
Can you do this for mommy?
 
Can you?”

Sobbing, Abby didn’t want to leave, but she relented at Kate’s insistence.
 
Kate pulled Abby to her and hugged her.

“You’d better go.
 
Wiener’s waiting for you in your room.
 
He needs you.”
 
Kate said.

The sight of his wife and daughter in such turmoil tore Josh up inside.
 
What’s happened to cause so much misery?
 
He had no idea for the reason of the heartbreak.
 

Abby raced past him for the stairs and her room.
 
She took an exaggerated path around him and stared at him like he was a monster.
 
Josh murmured her name and put an arm out to her but she dodged his touch.
 

Husband and wife said nothing until they heard the bang of the bedroom door upstairs.
 
The muffled sobs through the ceiling made an unbearable soundtrack for their encounter.

“You bastard, Josh.
 
How could you?
 
How could you do this to us?” Kate said through bitter tears.

Josh didn’t have an answer.
 
He didn’t know what she was referring to.
 
He’d done so much to them.

“With the pain and misery you’ve brought to this family, you aren’t entitled to any of the love you’ve been given.”
 
Kate’s nose had run.
 
She sniffed and wiped the back of her hand across her nose.
 
“You deserve all you get.”
 

Shaking his head, Josh was still at a loss to understand.
 
“What have I done, Kate?”

“You didn’t tell me everything.
 
In the park, you gave me the edited version.
 
Keep the family on a need to know basis—was that the plan?
 
Keep the really bad stuff to yourself and make sure you don’t get into some real trouble?
 
You coward,” Kate spat.
 
Each word was a shard of glass meant to cut deep.
 
“Any of this ringing any bells, Josh?”

It was.
 
He didn’t understand how she could have found out.
 
Who would have told her?
 
Josh swallowed the knot in his throat.

“We met Bell in the mall today.
 
She told me all about you two.
 
No, she broadcast it across the store.
 
What a fool I’ve been to believe in you.
 
Moments before, I was defending you against her, when all along she knew the real you and I only knew the fucking fairytale.”
 
Kate paused to get a grip.
 
Her emotions were taking over.
 
“Your secretary!
 
Couldn’t you have been more original and fucked a Nobel scientist or something?”

Bell.
 
How she must have enjoyed the moment.
 
He should have known she’d do this once she’d lost her hold over him.
 
Destroying his reputation wouldn’t have been enough.
 
She needed to crush him under her heel.
 
Well, she’d done that.

She could destroy everything else, but he’d be damned if he’d let her destroy his marriage.
 
He rushed towards his wife with arms outstretched.

Kate stiffened.
 
Backed up against the fireplace, she clutched for something to protect herself with, and picked up the poker from the rack.
 
Brandishing the weapon with deadly intent, she jabbed it at Josh.
 
She looked like a cornered animal. “Keep away from me.
 
God help you, I’ll use it on you.”

Josh stopped abruptly, only inches from the end of the poker.
 
“Oh, Kate.
 
You don’t understand,” Josh pleaded.

“Educate me, Josh.
 
Tell me why?
 
Why did you do it?
 
Come on now, the spotlight’s on you.”
 
Kate positioned her arms like a magician’s assistant highlighting a master illusionist’s achievement.