Chapter 152

"I'm not sure I want to say anything. If I'm wrong I would be starting something that might hurt someone and if I'm right it will certainly hurt all of us."

"Is it something that you saw or did?" I asked.

He hesitated. No fish interrupted so he said, "I saw your wife parking her car behind the Marriot."

"Whose wife and when?"

"Your wife. Three weeks ago. And, day before yesterday."

Jack asked, "Are you implying that Nick's wife is fucking around?"

"I don't know what she's doing. I know I've seen her twice at the Marriot in a month."

"What were you doing at the Marriot?" Paul asked.

Mike looked at him like he had to be retarded. "I deliver supplies to the Marriot three times a week. The Marriot and every other hotel in the area."

"Right. I forgot."

My head was spinning. Why would Mary be at the Marriot twice in a month? Could she be fucking around on me? I needed to get home and check this out. I didn't go home. I stayed fishing with the guys. If I took off it would say that I believed Mary was cheating on me.

When we got back into the city I picked my car up at Jack's house and headed home. When I got home Mary wasn't home. I sat at the computer thinking about how I could find out what Mary was doing. Over the two hours before she came home I found some things on the internet that would help me find out. I ordered them and had them shipped to my office.

When Mary did come home I put the move on her and she let me fondle her chest but didn't want to have sex. She blamed hot flashes and menopause. No surprise there.

Life for the next week was normal for Mary and me, with an undercurrent of wondering and suspicion. I looked for and listened for any hint about what she might be doing. I called her at random times and everything seemed fine.

The night after the first package arrived I worked in the garage and mounted a GPS transmitter on her car. From my lap top I could locate and track her without her knowing. The next day another package arrived and I installed it in her car as well. Now I could listen in on everything said in her car.

The next morning Mary wasn't scheduled to be at the hospital and at breakfast she said she might do some shopping. From my office I tracked her to the mall and then to the market. She was home with whatever she bought by one in the afternoon. At one forty she left home and drove south for ten minutes, east for ten minutes and then wound around until she was at the Marriot. I left the office and drove to the Marriot. In five minutes I found her car and parked where I was well hidden but could see her car easily.

At four-twenty she walked out of the hotel and straight to her car. As she pulled out and headed for the exit Alex White walked out of the same exit and nodded at her as she drove past him. Alex White! I was shocked. Alex had one of the nicest, best looking wives in our circle of friends. He got in his car and drove away. I sat in the parking lot until my cell rang.

"Nick."

"Mary. You are so short on the phone. Couldn't you say hello?"

"Hello."

"What do you want for dinner?"

"How about you, naked on the table with a little ranch dressing?"

"Darn! We're out of ranch dressing! Anything else?"

"Something light and healthy. A salad or salmon." My thoughts weren't on dinner they were on being normal so she wouldn't suspect that I knew anything.

"OK. What time will you be home?"

"Just after five."

"Ok. See you then." She hung up.

Having a thought I got out of my car and went into the Marriot. As I approached the desk I saw the daughter of one of my clients behind the desk. I chatted with her for a couple of minutes and then I asked, "One of my friends told me that another friend was staying here. Could you check for me?"

"Sure. What's his name?"

"Alex. Alex White."

Her fingers danced on the keyboard and seconds later she said, "He is in room 188, just like always."

"Just like always?"

"Every Thursday morning he checks in and is gone the next morning. He always has room 188. Sometimes he is here on other days too, but always on Thursdays."

"Can the computer tell how long this has been going on?"

Fingers danced and she said, "First time was in January."

"Would you get in trouble if you gave me a printout of his record?"

"No one would know I did it. Is something going on?"

"Let's just say he's been coming into town more often than his friends knew about."

"Do you want the print out?"

"Yes, please." She gave it to me in a Marriot folder. I wasn't sure what I would do with it but I knew it would be useful.

I tucked it in my briefcase and drove home. Mary had a salmon salad ready when I got home. We ate and she told me about her day shopping. By her telling the story she was in the mall until three and then stopped in the market on the way home. She sat right there and lied to my face. I wondered if she had showered when she got home to get the hotel and sex smells off her.

Asking to be excused, I went to the bathroom and peed. I also checked and the shower was wet and there were clothes in the hamper. The panties smelled like sex. Damn! I was really getting pissed. Why in hell would Mary be fucking Alex every week for months? She sure as hell wasn't fucking me!

We cleaned up after dinner and she perched on the couch with a book. My retreat was to the computer. I looked up the list of people in our circle and found the email address for Alex's wife. She had two. One at home and one at her office. I used my other email address and sent her an email to her office address. The return address she would see would be one she wouldn't recognize.

My note to her said, "If you would like to know who, when and where Alex is cheating on you respond to this email. I have evidence that will be of interest to you. I don't want money."

I sent it at eight-ten. At nine I looked and her response was there.

"I can meet tomorrow at almost any time. I am showing a new home at 1212 Oak St. in Clairmont almost all day. You could drop in around one and I can take lunch then. You could drop in anytime the house is open and if no one else is there we can talk."

I erased the emails, hers and mine, and went to bed. I was asleep when Mary came to bed.

In the morning, Mary was cheerful and getting ready for a day at the hospital. I got dressed and went to work just like always. At twelve I called Mary and asked, "Can I take care of dinner tonight?"

"Are you going to cook?"

"Is there something you'd like me to cook?"

"Jambalaya!"

"Then that's what you'll get."

I checked the GPS and she was at the hospital. I drove from my office past Alex's office just in time to see Alex and two other men walk into a deli. I parked at the curb and quickly installed another GPS tracker on his car. Then I drove to a sandwich place and got a sandwich for me and a salad for Alex's wife. At one I parked two doors down from the open house sign and walked to the open house.

When Helen saw me her face paled and she got up off the couch and went to the front door. She put a sign out that said 'at lunch til 2.' Then she came back inside.

We sat on the couch. Her eyes were full of tears and she looked like if she spoke she would break down. I suddenly was afraid of the same thing. From my briefcase I pulled the Marriot papers and handed them to her. She looked them over and the tears did fall.

In a whisper I said, "I'm so sorry."

She looked up at my face and said, "The bastard has been cheating on me for months!"

"He's been cheating for at least part of that time with my wife, Mary."

"I'm so sorry." She paused, blew her nose and then said, "He is so screwed!"