Want You Dead, page 2
They each took a sip.
“How is he doing?” James asked.
“It’s been rough, but it looks like he’s finally out of the woods. He’ll be able to go back to school in another month or two, which means I can finally start looking for a job.” Someone awkwardly stepped over and stood off to their side. They both noticed, but Nick tried to continue. “Thank God for Kristi’s insurance, because I don’t know what we would have done with th—”
James couldn’t take the eavesdropper anymore and turned to him.
“Hello, Harold.”
“Mr. Hammond. Hello,” Harold replied, nervously.
Harold Mantelli was a short, pudgy, balding man with glasses, and a face that always wore a sheen of sweat. He also lacked any and all sense of social etiquette.
“It’s good to see you,” James said, perfunctorily. He couldn’t stand Harold, but he was trying to be on his best behavior. He couldn’t stand a lot of the people around him, and soon, they’d be out of his life forever, but he couldn’t let them know that.
“I, uh, I just wanted to say hi,” Harold stammered.
“Is your daughter running around here somewhere?”
“Uh, no. She’s over at her mother’s.”
“Oh. That’s a shame,” James said. There was an awkward silence. “But you came, anyway?”
“Yeah. I, uh, I felt I should be here.” Harold caught a glimpse of Nick and quickly added, “For Dougie. I wanted to be here for Dougie.”
“Kristi and I really appreciate it,” Nick said.
Harold nodded and turned back to James. “But I did want to talk to you, Mr. Hammond.”
“Of course. I’m going to mingle with everyone first, but find me later, okay?” James held up his Corona. “After I’ve had a few more of these.”
“Okay,” Harold said.
James lightly clapped him on the arm. “Great. We’ll catch up.”
Nick and James walked away, leaving the awkward Harold standing alone in the midst of the other dads.
“Sorry about that,” Nick said as they stepped back into the hallway of the house. “Kristi wasn’t sure if he would come or not.”
“Jessica warned me that he would be here.”
“Speaking of which, let’s go see how they’re doing out front.”
“Lead the way.”
*
They exited out the front door and into the bright sunshine.
Children raced across the grass. Parents stood in pairs or small circles. Some of the dads held beers in their hands, while the moms held glasses of white wine that sweated with them in the heat.
Jessica and Kristi were off to one side. Kristi was scanning the yard, while Jessica was staring daggers at a man with a square jaw and dark eyes. She shook her head and broke eye contact as their husbands approached.
“Everything okay with ankle girl?” James asked.
“She’s fine,” Kristi said. “Just a little sprain. More scared than hurt. Now, I’m trying to find the magician.”
Jessica smiled. “The only person who can never really enjoy a party is the host.”
Kristi rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it.”
“Well, he’s not in the garage. We were just there,” Nick said. “You want us to look for him?”
“Would you please?”
“I’ll check out the rest of the house. James, can you check the sides and the backyard?” Nick asked.
“Sure.”
Nick went back through the front door, while James followed the path off the driveway to the right side of the house, toward the backyard.
*
James approached the gate in the tall fence leading to the backyard. To his left were equally tall, evenly spaced bushes. He checked between the bushes and found no sign of The Amazing Presto.
He reached the fence and pulled on the little rope that had been strung through a hole, lifting the latch on the other side, and opened the gate. The pirate piñata twisted slowly on the string and the softball bat rested against the tree as the gate closed behind him.
He checked behind the trees and bushes.
“Um … Mr. Presto?” he called out, feeling a little foolish, but there was no reply.
James continued through the yard to the other side of the house where there was an identical gate in the fence. He opened it and walked through.
It was a mirror image of the other side of the house down to the walkway and evenly spaced bushes.
A movement caught his eye.
The back of a cape was slightly protruding from the space between two bushes, accompanied by the unmistakable beeps and chimes of a video game.
James silently stepped up behind the wearer of the cape. He couldn’t see the man’s face, but he could see the phone in his hand, and that he was playing Candy Crush. In his other hand, he held a flask.
This could only be The Amazing Presto.
His phone sent up a series of bells and chimes as he completed a level. Suddenly, The Amazing Presto threw his head back. He brought the flask to his lips and took a long pull. He lowered the flask, coughed, and wiped his lips with the back of his sleeve.
James cleared his throat. “Excuse me?”
The Amazing Presto gasped and turned to face him.
“You startled me, mate.” He had a British accent, beard, glasses, and he quickly tried to place the flask in his pocket.
“Are you the magician?”
“Yes. Uh, yes, I am,” he stuttered and finally succeeded in getting the flask out of sight. “I was just, um, I was just warming up.”
“The host is looking for you in the front yard.”
“Right … right,” The Amazing Presto said, looking around the ground at his feet. “I’ll be right there.”
“I’ll go tell her,” James said and walked away.
He continued up the pathway, which took him around the side of the house to the driveway. He walked up to Kristi, who was now standing alone, watching over the proceedings.
“Found him.”
“Where was he?”
“Around the side of the house, getting … loose.”
She gave him an odd look. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“I told him you wanted to see him.”
“Good. I may have to move things up. Dougie’s really tired.”
James looked around. “Where’s my wife?”
“I don’t know. She was here a second ago.”
*
Jessica reached the top of the stairs.
She had timed her escape perfectly and slipped back into the house without anyone noticing.
She quietly walked down the hall to the master bedroom. The room appeared empty. The sound of the kids playing outside crept in through the open window. She made her way around the bed toward the bathroom, the door to which was partially closed.
“Hello?” she whispered.
Nothing.
She inched closer toward the bathroom. The walk-in closet was on her left.
“Hello?” she whispered again, and began to reach for the door.
Suddenly, a pair of hands shot out from the closet, grabbed her, and roughly pulled her inside.
She nearly cried out until she felt lips pressed against her neck. She instantly responded by gripping his hair and pulling it back so his face was tilted toward her. She forcefully pushed her lips against his. Their tongues began savagely dancing. She bit down on his lip. His hand slid up her shirt, while she fumbled with the zipper on his jeans.
*
The Amazing Presto stepped around the side of the house, placing a silk top hat on his head, and walked up to Kristi.
“We ready?” she asked, eyeing him up and down.
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied.
“Great. Now, that’s the birthday boy, Dougie, right over there,” she said, pointing to her son, who was standing outside the bouncy castle. “He’s getting really tired, so I think I may have you go on a little earlier than planned. That okay?”
“Have no fear, madam. It shall be done.”
The Amazing Presto bowed. When he straightened up, he held a flower in his hand that had seemingly come from nowhere and presented it to Kristi.
Kristi took the flower, and The Amazing Presto went over to the covered table.
She looked at the flower, unsure of what to make of it, and then at James.
“Whatever,” she mumbled and dropped it. “Okay, everyone! Who wants to see some magic?”
There were cheers from the kids around the yard.
*
The sound of Kristi’s announcement could be heard in the closet of the master bedroom, where Jessica was on her knees.
She took him out of her mouth and looked up.
“We should probably get back before someone notices we’re not there,” she said, teasing him with her tongue.
Through the faint sunlight that drifted through the small opening of the closet door, she could see the frustrated smile on Nick’s face as he breathlessly sighed.
“You’re probably right,” he said.
“To be continued,” she said, and gave one last kiss before standing.
“To be continued,” he replied greedily as he zipped and buttoned his jeans. “We shouldn’t walk out together.”
“Good idea. You go first. I’m going to use your bathroom to put myself back together.”
Nick was about to protest but stopped.
“Okay.” He kissed her lips. “I’ll see you out there.”
Nick opened the closet door and walked out.
Jessica leaned back against the wall of the closet, a smile playing across her face as she listened to Nick’s footsteps descend the stairs.
Chapter 3
“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls! I am THE AMAZING PRESTO!”
The magician performed a flourish and threw something at the ground near his feet. It erupted in a puff of smoke that drifted back up into his face. The Amazing Presto coughed and tried to wave away the smoke with his cape.
The children didn’t know what to make of this inauspicious start from the guy with the funny accent. Worried glances were exchanged among the adults.
“Oh no …” Kristi whispered.
James’s phone vibrated in his pocket.
He took it out, checked the screen, and creased his brow. He scanned the surrounding parents and then looked at the open front door.
“Everything okay?” Kristi asked.
“Yeah. I’ll be right back.”
James tried to take a wide arc to avoid The Amazing Presto as he made his way back to the house.
“I understand that it is someone’s birthday today!” The Amazing Presto proclaimed as James disappeared through the front door. The Amazing Presto pointed at Dougie. “You, sir! Please join me!”
Dougie stood up from his seat on the grass with the other kids and took his spot at The Amazing Presto’s side.
“It is your birthday, is it not?” The Amazing Presto asked in a theatrical tone.
“Yes,” Dougie answered.
“Do you know how I knew that?”
“My mom told you?”
“No!” The Amazing Presto quickly cried. “It’s because when it is someone’s birthday, they are suddenly filled with money!” The Amazing Presto deftly placed his hands against Dougie’s ears and appeared to pull a coin from each one.
Really? I’m paying three hundred dollars for this? Kristi thought, but as she watched, The Amazing Presto continued pulling more and more coins from everywhere around Dougie’s head, who laughed as the coins began piling up on the ground near his feet. Every time it appeared that the trick was over, The Amazing Presto would pull another coin.
“You, my boy, are a regular piggy bank!” The Amazing Presto declared.
Kristi began to smile.
Okay, she thought. That’s kind of fun. Maybe he’s not—
The Amazing Presto’s hand slipped and a mass of coins fell from his sleeve down to the grass.
“Shit,” he said quietly, but in such close proximity, everyone heard it. He made a move to grab them, but instead threw up his hands and shouted, “Dougie! The Human Piggy Bank!”
There was applause from the kids, and Dougie seemed to love it.
Kristi took stock of the reactions of the parents. She was relieved that nearly everyone was chuckling, except for Sean Winston, who wore a scowl, checked his watch, and then began walking toward the house. The Amazing Presto shot him a disapproving side-eye as he passed.
Kristi caught sight of Harold Mantelli, who was nervously watching Sean head for the door. He hesitated and then followed, once again drawing the ire of The Amazing Presto.
*
Jessica checked her hair and smoothed her clothes one last time as she approached the front door to join the crowd.
Yes, she and Nick were having an affair.
She had abided by James’s rules long enough. She needed passion, she needed desire, and Nick gave them to her.
It had started a few months ago, when they found themselves chatting at the CashFlo Christmas party. They had known each other for years. Jessica had always found Nick attractive and him, likewise. They would flirt as friends, using the firewall of marriage as justification that it was harmless. Then, they started talking without their spouses’ knowledge. It was innocent enough, at first. Eventually, they started venting to each other about their marriages. James had lost interest in her, sexually, and was fulfilling his needs elsewhere. She wasn’t sure what to do and accepted the circumstances, but over time, she saw them as absurd. She was fifteen years his junior. She was vibrant, sensual, and she knew it.
Since Kristi’s health insurance through CashFlo was better than his, Nick quit his job to take care of Dougie. That, combined with the constant demands on Kristi’s time from working at a start-up, had Nick feeling like he had been left by the wayside. He and Kristi hadn’t made love in over a year. There were always excuses; Kristi was too tired, too distracted. Or there was no excuse, only a simple “not now.”
Then, at the Christmas party, after too many glasses of the punch that everyone was sure had been spiked multiple times, Jessica and Nick found themselves alone in one of the offices. They had their first kiss. As soon as it was over, Nick hurried to the door and locked it while Jessica cleared off the desk.
That was that.
It was supposed to be harmless, a one-time thing; but one time became two, then three, then they lost count. Before they knew it, they had confessed that they had feelings for each other. The affair was supposed to be for fun, but they both knew at some point in the not-too-distant future, they had a decision to make. Until then, they were going to have as much fun as possible.
Why would she risk such a thing when James made it clear what he would do if he ever found out? Because after years of living in fear, but craving affection, she had convinced herself that James would never find out.
She did feel terrible about Kristi. They were friends, but this … thing … had happened. They had tried to stop out of respect for her, but it never worked. They would stop for a week or two, trying to talk and act as if it had never happened, all the while their hunger for each other would begin building, and culminate in an explosive night or afternoon at a hotel while Kristi and James were at work.
Jessica was so preoccupied with making sure that she was acting normal, that she almost collided with Sean Winston as he entered the house.
“Sorry, Sean,” she said, her expression hardening.
“Pardon me, Jessica,” he replied and walked past her into the hallway.
Jessica watched him go, turned, and was about step outside once more when Harold Mantelli entered, obstructing her path.
“Oh … hi, Jessica.”
“Harold.”
“I was just going to talk to Sean. I saw him come inside.”
“He went down the hall, toward the garage.”
“Thank you.”
Harold quickly shuffled off down the hallway.
Jessica double-checked to make sure no one else was coming inside and went through the door.
*
“And I believe this is your card!” The Amazing Presto announced, holding out the queen of diamonds for the kids to see.
Sarah Ferguson, the eight-year-old “ankle girl,” laughed. “No.”
The other kids were laughing as well because her card, the four of clubs, was stuck to The Amazing Presto’s forehead, a fact to which he appeared oblivious.
“Well, where is it?” he asked, shuffling through the deck.
“Your head!” came the cry from the children.
The Amazing Presto made a show of surprise as he discovered there was a card stuck to his forehead.
There was applause, but many people had been distracted by Jessica walking around to join the crowd. The Amazing Presto tried to hide his evident frustration.
“What did I miss?” Jessica asked, stopping at Kristi’s side.
“A rocky start, but he’s redeeming himself,” Kristi said, and finished her half-full glass of chardonnay in one gulp.
The Amazing Presto collected the wallet of a nearby parent. He held it in his hand, placed a black silk cloth over it, waved his wand, and pulled the cloth away to reveal that the wallet was gone.
“One minute, good sir, while I memorize all of your credit card numbers,” he said, closing his eyes and mumbling to himself. Then, he went to a small box on the table. The Amazing Presto lifted the box to reveal the man’s wallet to the applause of the crowd.
“Where’s Nick?” Jessica asked, then quickly added, “And James?”
The Amazing Presto handed back the man’s wallet, who comically checked to see if there was still money inside. The Amazing Presto laughed, grateful to have someone playing along.
“Thank you, good sir!” he cried.
“He got a text message and went inside a few minutes ago,” Kristi said.
Jessica nodded. That was nothing new. As the founder and CEO of a successful start-up, James was always getting texts, phone calls, and emails that interrupted family gatherings and other social functions. Jessica had learned to roll with the punches. It was part of the territory and demonstrated his importance.
“Here comes Nick,” Kristi said, motioning to the door with her empty wine glass.
