Window of Guilt (25 page)

Laurie pointed upstairs. “Grab your bags and get out.”

“What about Rory?”

“He’ll be just fine without a lying bastard in his life. From now on, I’ll pick him up after school. One more thing.”

He looked at her hopefully. “Yes?”

Laurie scooped Rocky under her arm. “Clean up your vomit before you go.”

*

Safely ensconced on his velvet-cushioned seat in the bay window, Rocky barked at dog owners walking their pets. The living room no longer “off limits,” Laurie noted he was doing his best to make up for lost time. “No Rocky,” she admonished as she created an e-mail blast to send her real estate clients. Rocky jumped off the window seat and zipped over to the computer table, wagging his tail furiously.

Laurie sighed. “Fine. Let’s go.” She shrugged into her red hoodie and grabbed Rocky’s leash. Constant doggie disturbances coupled with text messages from Ryan pleading with her to let him come home slowed her energy flow to a snail’s pace.

If emotional energy was bank currency, the amount they’d squandered through years of perpetual squabbling would afford them a trans-Atlantic cruise. In the two weeks Ryan had been out of the house, life had become much calmer.

Here she was, alone and on her own, embarking on a career that would either make her or break her, and she didn’t mean just financially speaking. The crystal clock on the piano read 3:00 p.m. A nice quick walk before she left to pick Rory up from school.

The doorbell chimed. Rocky skidded across the hardwood floors on his race to the front door. Probably a solicitation call or a bible thumper sighed Laurie as she strode after her dog. As much as she disliked being disturbed during work hours, she refused to post a “No Solicitation” sign. It was so annoying when you couldn’t even ring the bell or slip an Open House invite over a door handle. If she was willing to go out of her way to notify people of an upcoming event, she should be allowed to do so.

The doorbell chimed again. Rocky was growling his jaws off. Laurie peered through the locked storm door. She took a step back, surprised at the sight that greeted her.

*

“What brings you to our chaotic abode?” asked Laurie, waving her guest to a sea green living room sofa surrounded by two-drawer metal file cabinets she’d plopped in there this week. Each cabinet was stacked with loose papers waiting to be filed.

Brad Jr. removed his black leather jacket and carefully laid it over his arm.

“Here, let me hang that up for you,” said Laurie, reaching for the
coat.

He clutched her hand midstream. “My coat stays with me.”

Laurie extracted her hand from his grasp. “In case you gotta make a quick getaway?”

He stood alongside the flowered couch unblinking, his lips in a flat line. “Right.”

Laurie fumbled in her jeans pocket for her cell phone, just in case she needed it. “I was just about to walk my dog.” Missing. She uneasily glanced at the crystal clock. Twenty minutes until school let out. “So what’s up?” she asked tentatively.

Brad didn’t answer.

Prickles ran up and down Laurie’s arms, yet the living room thermostat held at seventy degrees. “Is something wrong?”

Brad’s face grew animated. “Wrong? Yeah, something’s wrong. My father hates my guts. His business partner thinks I’m a piece of shit. All because of that loser husband of yours.”

“Ryan? What stunt did he pull now?”

“Did Ryan file charges against Great Harvest to the insurance board?”

“I have no clue. Ryan doesn’t tell me anything.”

“Bullshit.”

“You’re calling me a liar?”

“Women are liars. It’s part of their DNA.”

“To think I actually defended you when Mitzy said you came on like a chauvinist pig.”

Tossing his coat on the couch, he advanced towards her. “That’s ’cause you’ve had the hots for me since the holiday office party two years ago.”

Cold anger surged through her veins. “Back away, Brad,” Laurie demanded.

“That wuss you married couldn’t satisfy a blind, deaf, and dumb girl,” he taunted.

Although Brad’s words were strung loose, the smell of alcohol was absent from the mix. Was he high or had he lost his mind? She headed for the door. Rocky growled menacingly. “You need to leave.”

Brad didn’t follow. Instead he grabbed Laurie and pushed her to the floor. “First you tell me where you husband is,” he said, his body looming above her. “We got some talking to do.”

Laurie rolled out from under him and jumped to her feet. “I kicked him out of the house two weeks ago,” she said tersely. “Tired of his lies.”

“You whores believe anything,” Brad guffawed. “Your husband didn’t deny those insurance claims, I did.”

Laurie’s face went pale. Mitzy had been right all along.

“I’ve been a fuck-up my whole life. My dad’s business partner would cook my balls for dinner, but my father refuses to fire me. I returned the favor by rejecting those health insurance claims that would cost Great Harvest mucho dollaros to fund.”

“What does Ryan have to do with your little scheme?” Laurie
asked.

Her attacker’s fury subsided as quickly as it had swept through her door. “I threatened to fire him if he revealed his information. He quit on the spot.”

“But he received unemployment compensation,” said Laurie.

Brad’s eyes sparkled. “My dad’s business partner directed his secretary to pay off your husband.”

“What?” Laurie asked numbly.

“You ever see a government-issued check in those blank envelopes?” Brad said testily.

That explained why he kept his “unemployment” checks in a separate bank account. “It must have made you crazy not knowing if he’d already reported you to the insurance board,” Laurie mused.

“Which brings us to the reason for today’s playdate,” he said exuberantly.

“Playdate?” Laurie asked uneasily. The Latin tango rang through the living room. Laurie’s eyes followed its source to the piano bench.

In a flash, Brad’s demonic demeanor returned. He seized her arm. “Tell me where Ryan is or you and I are going to have a cock and pussy party.”

“Fuck off,” she screamed, kneeing him in the groin.

Brad cupped her knee and shoved her backwards, causing Laurie to fall into the piano.

Rocky snapped at Brad.

“Tell your dog to shut up,” he threatened.

Tears stung her eyes and her lower back hurt like hell. “Come her, baby.” She drew the white fluff ball to her. I won’t let him hurt you, she silently promised.

“Too bad they don’t teach you self-defense in yoga class,” he said out of the blue.

Her curiosity was piqued, despite her pain. “How’d you know I take yoga?”

“Gerald hired a PI to keep tabs on you and your little family. I’m thirsty. Mind if we grab me some orange juice from the fridge?”

Laurie winced. He knew the contents of her refrigerator.

Brad grasped Laurie’s jean-clad legs and dragged her through the dining room and into the kitchen. Then he swung open the refrigerator door, pulled a carton of orange juice from the top shelf, and commenced to chug it down.

Laurie stifled a hysterical laugh. Ryan and Brad did have something in common after all.

“Your husband kept nosing around company business even after he up and quit. I sent a motorcycle buddy up to your summer home to kick Ryan’s ass but the guy cut out on me.”

“I saw the video. You destroyed our marriage, you bastard.”

Brad seized Laurie under the arms and hauled her towards the stairs. “I guarantee you we’re going to make a video better than anything you’ve ever seen.”

Rocky rushed at Brad’s ankles. Brad yanked his leash tight and hard. Rocky yelped. “I told you to keep that mutt off me.”

How could she free herself? No cell phone. Nothing to shoot or stab him with. She’d rather die than fuck this brute. Then it dawned on her. “Your orange juice.”

“Oh yeah.” Brad pulled her into the kitchen and grabbed the uncapped carton.

Laurie kicked the carton from his hands. Sticky orange liquid splattered onto Brad’s gray wool slacks and polo shirt, and puddled at
his feet. Caught by surprise, Brad dropped Laurie into the tacky mess and dashed to the kitchen sink, cussing all the way.

Laurie’s back hurt like hell, but she had no time to whine. Her son’s predicament took precedence over the rape that she’d miraculously managed to avoid. Right about now, Rory would be shivering in the cold, waiting for her to pick him up from school.

She crawled through the dining room and into the hallway, her knees as sore as a pair of un-sanded bowling balls. Her ribs ached from the being dragged through the house. Breathing in painfully, she stretched her arm towards the doorknob. Her hand had just closed around the brass knob when her hair was fiercely yanked from behind.

“I’m not through with you, bitch!” Brad shouted, bringing her face up to his.

A growling Rocky rushed at his pants leg. Gripping the back of Laurie’s shirt, Brad kicked him across the room.

Fear gripped Laurie as she gazed into Brad’s fevered eyes. Up until now, she’d pretended that Brad Jr. was just a harmless playboy who’d wanted to make it up to daddy. Even the horrendous confession that he’d paid some guy to rough up her husband so he wouldn’t squeal to the insurance company fit her perception. She’d never been a victim of domestic abuse. When Brad had knocked her to the floor, she’d excused him because he’d slipped on the orange juice splashed floor. Now Laurie realized that in less than a minute, she could be starring on CSI instead of Lifetime.

Brad towered over her. “I’m going to fuck you like you’ve never been fucked before.” Adrenalin zipped through Laurie’s veins as she watched him unzip his pants. Every girl secretly dreams of being taken by a tall dark stranger, but this was a nightmare. She looked around for something to grab but he smacked her head to face him. Holding her down with one knee, he climbed on top and began to rub his naked pelvis over her face and chest. Laurie squeezed her eyes shut and prayed.

Then she heard the door squeak open a quarter of an inch. Rocky whimpered louder. “Laurie, you okay?” came the familiar voice. “Rory
phoned and said you forgot to pick him up from school, so I brought him home.”

Brad held his penis over her mouth.

The door swung open and Rocky shot outside, still attached to the red leash. Ryan froze in the doorway, transfixed by the scene before him.

“Mom?” Rory called from behind his father.

“Ror—” Laurie tried to scream.

Giving Ryan a defiant look, Brad shoved his penis down his wife’s throat.

With one thrust, Ryan slammed the door on his son and stepped over the threshold.

Then he jumped on the taller man’s prone body and began pounding him in his kidneys. “Get off her,” he screamed.

In response, Brad stuffed his member down her throat as far as it would go. Laurie began to gag. She felt herself getting lightheaded.

Ryan pummeled his ears but the rapist was focused.

“Mommy! Daddy! Open the door. It’s cold out here!”

Inside the house, Laurie felt Brad shudder atop her, and then go limp. A creamy fluid pushed its way down her throat.

Ryan jerked the rapist’s head back from behind, then cracked it to one side. Panting with exertion, he heaved the dead weight off his wife. Then he knelt by her side and took her hand. “Laurie, you’re going to be all right.”

Laurie lay motionless, but for a tenuous smile on her lips. Then she passed out.

30

Mitzy peered into the sterile hospital room. “Hello?”

Laurie peeked up at her friend from beneath the securely tucked hospital sheets. Then squeezed her eyes.

“Your son was quite the hero, calling ‘911.’”

Laurie’s eyes popped open. She wrestled with the sheets. “I’ve got to pick Rory up from school,” she said frantically. “He’s waiting for me outside.”

Mitzy eased her friend back onto the pillow and re-tucked her sheets. “You’re a day behind, kiddo. Ryan brought him home when you didn’t show.”

Strands of memories knotted themselves around Laurie’s brain cells and she burst into tears. “Is Ryan all right?”

“He’s giving a statement to the police.”

Tears flowed down Laurie’s cheeks. “Ryan saved my life.”

“Didn’t think he had it in him,” Mitzy muttered.

“What?”

“Your father-in-law’s with him.”

Laurie grabbed her throat. “I can’t swallow,” she screeched.

Mitzy dashed into the hallway. “Nurse!”

A slightly built older gentleman in a white smock pushed past Mitzy. Quickly he read Laurie’s chart, then took her vitals. “Back in a flash. Need to get the attending doc to sign off on liquid Benadryl.” Then he disappeared from the hospital room.

“Hurry!” Laurie screamed.

“Breathe through your nose,” Mitzy instructed, “just like Uma taught us in yoga. Then visualize a peaceful beach scene up at your summer home.”