Joseph stopped his car in a driveway, checked the surroundings carefully, then casually walked to the front door and rang the bell.
Susan Vayo opened the door with a wounded countenance.
“Hello, Joseph. What brings you by, as if I don't know already?”
“Morning, sunshine. You look superb as always. How's business? Are you going to invite me inside?”
She stepped away from the door and turned her back to him. “Please enter. You can't imagine how much I enjoy these visits.”
He walked past her and sat on a sofa in her small living room.
She lit a cigarette and crossed the room to a tiny end table with doors, opened one and took out an envelope. She dropped it on his lap and sat beside him. “There you go, sir. Things are slow, and that's not my fault. Economics is tough all over and when it is, men even cut back on sexual activity.”
He opened the envelope and counted the money. “Not bad, sunshine. It's only twenty-five less than two weeks ago.”
She sighed, lay back on the sofa, and puffed a cloud of smoke toward the ceiling. “Is there anything that bothers you? I mean, why do you still come around and expect a cut? How many years do you plan on doing this?”
“Hey, I stuck my neck out for you. Remember?”
“Yes, you did. And no, I can't forget. You never give me a chance. Why didn't you just marry me if you want so much from me? I'm working to support your habit and I'm available. . . .”
He grasped her tee shirt and pulled her up a few inches. “Would you rather be in prison? I could arrange that, You know. You’re the one who screwed up, not me.”
“Maybe a life sentence there might not be bad. At least I wouldn't see you there.”
“That’s a stupid assumption.”
“Really? The way I figure it, I’d be out by now and free of the system controls. And again, I wouldn’t see you again.”
“I can't be that bad.”
“Maybe, maybe not.” She finished her cigarette and sat to crush it in a half full tray. “You were nicer when you first started this crazy game. You played with me then and it was good. I loved those times and you. Then you got me started turning tricks and You disappeared, except for when you need money.”
He stuck the envelope and in his inner coat pocket and rubbed her stomach. “I have to be careful. I never know from one day to the next when the wife will snap around and want sex. It wouldn’t be good to be unable to perform.”
“That's a unique and lame excuse. You got me started and now you don’t want me.” She sighed forlornly. “Never mind. You're not mean, so I'll keep the money coming until you get tired or fired. Please let yourself out.”
She curled up on the sofa for a nap and twenty minutes later, she stood at her door again gazing at a strange woman.
“Yes? What can I do for you?”
“I’ve been having erotic sexual fantasies and someone told me that you're a prostitute. So I'm here to find out and get some relief.”
Susan did a double take. “Excuse me? Are you a cop or something? Hit the road and don't bother people when they're napping.”
The woman pulled out a hundred dollar bill from her shirt pocket.
“You're a prostitute, I'm a customer, everyone has a price. What's yours?”
Susan stood open-mouthed and watched another hundred appear.
“I'm sorry. I can do that for men, but not women. You look good, Miss. You shouldn't have a problem like that.”
Another hundred appeared.
“I really don't think I can do that. I’d probably throw up.”
“I don't think you will. My name isn't Miss, it's Amanda and when we're finished, I think you'll like me so much you'll invite me back.”
Another hundred appeared in her hand.
Susan stepped back from the door with downcast eyes. “I think I've gone too far off the deep end.”
Amanda closed and locked the door behind her and tucked the $400 into Susan's blouse. “No you haven't gone off the deep end. Let's start our exotic adventure on the sofa.”
Amanda stepped from Susan's shower and dried. She inspected her face, gratified with the progress of disappearing bruises. She dressed and went to the kitchen.
Susan greeted her and signed the six page letter. “Here you go, my beautiful friend. Fresh off the printer and super damning.” To that she added two notebooks and two photographs. “I'd like the notebooks and photographs back. Are you sure this'll work?”
“It will work. Trust me.” Amanda gathered the pile of papers together and lightly rubbed Susan's back. “Just follow the map, meet me at nine and you'll disappear for a spell to safety. You need a break anyway.”
“Thanks, Amanda. You're really very kind, even though you shook me up for a moment. I really thought you wanted to have sex.”
Amanda smiled and shook her head. “Nah, I'd probably throw up.”
Brownie arrived at Indian River to find another woman with Amanda. “Another one? She isn't bruised.”
Amanda corrected him. “She is wounded where it doesn't ever show, in the mind and heart. Sexual abuse hits you there out of sight and does the damage, far more than the physical act.”
She lay a friendly hand on Brownie's shoulder. “While I was out of commission, I remember being used sexually by some of Joseph's friends. That was during a time when I had speech difficulties and I couldn't protest, stop them or defend myself, however, one part of my mind buried every gross experience, and replayed them later. Joseph used me as a diversion and a favor for some of his friends. Susan isn't that far gone yet and I want to give her the opportunity to get out now, while she's still young enough to recover.”
His face flushed with anger. “I'd like to eliminate him for you, my friend. I think that would end a lot of pain for you.”
“I appreciate that, but I need to do it for myself. Thanks for the offer, though.” She kissed his cheek.
“So what's on for tonight?”
“Did you bring the helmet?”
“Got it.”
“We go for a bike ride first, then I want you to take Susan to your house for the night. I'll give you directions and you can deliver her to my friend, Jan, tomorrow night before you go to Harrisburg. The day after tomorrow, she'll be lost in Pennsylvania and Joseph will be mad enough to eat nails and stinging from hornets in his underwear.”
He put an arm around her and walked back to the car. “Where's the bike?”
“Under an awning, right inside my back yard.”
“It's his?”
“Yes. Is that a problem?”
He chuckled and hugged her. “No. I've done crazier things, trust me. Let's get it on.”
Brownie talked with Susan while Amanda drove to Smyrna and parked two blocks away.
She shut off the engine and turned to Susan. “Slip behind the wheel, and if trouble arises, come quickly. I know he still has a few guns around the house. I don’t think he’d use them, but I’d prefer to be safe.”
“Do you have a dog?” he asked when they neared the driveway.
“No.”
“Do you have the spare keys?”
“He keeps them on a nail, right above the bike. He reasons he's so mean that no one will bother it. Wrong.”
“I love you, Amanda.”
“Good to hear that.” She kissed him quickly and disappeared into her back yard. She walked near the fence to where she could see the bedroom window on the second floor.
“He's there,” she whispered and handed Brownie the key. “Can you move it away from the house first?”
“Good plan. Where do you want it?”
“The first house on the right after you pass the Dairy Queen in Camden headed southbound. Jimmy will be expecting you and I'll pick you up there.”
He saluted and moved the motorcycle through the gate and down the driveway. He pushed it half a block, started it and drove away.
Amanda waved and ran back to where Susan waited. She scrambled into the passenger's seat and laughed. “Follow that biker, but don’t keep the meter running.”
“You’re a total imp,” Susan said and followed the motorcycle.
“Not yet, but I'm working on it.” Amanda snuggled into the seat, satisfied with what she had accomplished.
The mailman delivered a 5" stack of mail to Judy, the receptionist, in the Dover Probation Office. She began to sort through it, open the envelopes, and date-stamp the contents. She found merely one marked “CONFIDENTIAL - FOR YOUR EYES ONLY.” It was addressed to Howard Nelson. During a slow period, she distributed the mail and lay the letter on Howard's desk as he talked on the phone.
Howard opened the envelope and unfolded a letter with three photo copies of 5" x 7" photographs. The woman's face was so bruised that he did not recognize her, but he felt he knew her.
Dear Howard,
This may be difficult for you to understand, but this is the method Joseph Matkins used to request a divorce. To many people, he is wonderful, and it's my misfortune to be the only person he wishes to abuse. He's not hurting anyone else, or is he? Did you know that the only time he abuses me is when he's drunk? Did you know he had a drinking problem? Or is that something a man can shut off at the front door of the office?
Amanda Matkins
Howard looked at the photos again, folded the letter and placed it with the envelope in his briefcase. He tried to ignore the letter and review the prior week's client records, but the pictures of her face kept flicking across his mind. He sighed and lay the stack of records aside.
“Spouse abuse? Drinking problem? I think Amanda has passed the point of vicious. If what she says is true, what else are you doing? This makes no sense. The main question is, what do I do with this? This puts me in a hard position. Damn, man, what're you thinking?”
The phone beeped twice and Judy spoke. “Mister Nelson? Joseph is on line three.”
Howard picked up the receiver and pressed the button on line three. “What's up, Joseph? Really? Damn the luck. I understand. No, take care of that first, then come in.”
Joseph strode vehemently between kitchen and the backyard and stared at the place where his motorcycle used to sit. He had heard the motorcycle starting in the distance, but he attached no importance until he went to move the garbage can to the curb for pickup.
Eventually the police finished with their investigation and Joseph met the mailman at the edge of the drive and complained about losing his bike. He took the one manila envelope and noted the address and postmark of Perryville, Maryland. “You again!” he swore and opened the flap. He removed a thick package, containing Susan's information, copies of the payments and photographs of Joseph and Susan together.
He gritted his teeth and read Amanda's left handed writing:
Joseph,
Don't you agree that this is rather shocking behavior for a married man? These days I guess you have to tie a husband up to keep him faithful. Whatever happened to morals?
Anyway, there are ten copies of this around, along with the originals in a safe place. Five of my friends have them, (yes, I do have some friends) and will mail the pre-addressed envelopes with the attached exposition, if anything nasty happens to me. Can you guess where they will go? Can you guess where my friends are? My, this is a problem.
I hope I don't have to repeat myself. That really irritates me. Your ass is mine and the revolution has started. The quicker you learn, the sooner you can enjoy all the delights Joyce's body can offer.
Amanda and Jade
“Damn you, Amanda!” He shouted and threw the package on the ground. “I should have refused to take you out of the hospital after the accident. I should have left your ass there with the freaking jade bear. Shoved it in you and sewed it shut!” He grabbed up the package and stomped into the house where he tossed the envelope on the table and called Brian.
“What's the word, Brian?”
“Nothing yet, man. Be real for a change. It's only been two days or so. The word's out and my people are watching’. We'll find her, so relax, man. What did she do to piss you off so bad?”
Joseph opened his mouth and stopped himself. Do you have this line tapped, Amanda? How did you know about Susan? “Never mind that. Just work faster, okay?”
He immediately drove to Susan's house and her car in the driveway pleased him. He let himself inside and she was nowhere to be found, but she did leave a note on her pillow.
Little boy Joe,
Lost his dough.
He lost his wife
he thought for life.
He lost his hooker
and couldn't book her.
And when he falls,
will have his balls?
Little boy Joe,
No screw, no mo'.
Amanda
“When I find you, I'm going to take that bear and shove it!” He swore and pounded the wall with a fist. “I swear, I'll kill you afterward and damn your exposition!”
He hurried down the hallway, turned the corner to the kitchen and stopped short. The kitchen was filled with jade green light and in the middle of the floor stood a two foot tall jade with black nose twitching.
“You should learn, Joseph Matkins. You can spare yourself, but I feel you won't. Cooperate, with Amanda.”