Chapter 33 - Fugitive
Amanda returned to the Professor’s office at the same time next week. She had not seen him in private and he had avoided her eyes in class which was unusual as normally he looked at her way too much. It made her uncomfortable, like he was seriously sweet on her. For her it was just profitable sex, though she had started to increasingly look forward to her weekly trysts for the pleasure they brought her. She would sometimes think of him privately with affection remembering these times.
It would be nice if he could find the money to continue, she could not cave in on that, better to move on to another person, she had two other possible candidates in mind.
So she would play hard ball if she must, not full and immediate exposure but a trickle, first releasing less incriminating bits to keep the wind up him and give him a chance to find at least part of the money that would buy more silence. That would be best, she thought.
She found she was unusually nervous today, not her normal super cool self. She wondered if she had a premonition of a problem as she lifted a hand to knock on his door.
She paused and undid the top two buttons on her blouse, still feeling a desire to keep the sexual thrill going; it was more pleasurable doing it for high stakes than simple lust. Perhaps he was still trying to assemble the money. If so she would give him another free sample to keep him keen. She found this thought turned her on, big time.
When she knocked she heard a muffled, “Come In,” but the voice was strange; it sounded pained.
He was sitting at his desk, still not really looking at her, his face drawn. He pushed an envelope her way, it seemed skinner than usual.
He spoke, still not looking up. “You need to take that money and get out of here. My wife found out about you and the money, she checked my accounts and demanded to know where it had gone. I ended up telling her about our affair and that I paid you because you filmed us and threatened to release it. She confronted me last night. She had been suspicious and asking me questions all week. In the end I told her as it seemed the only way to save our marriage and for me to keep access to our children.
“She called the police today; told them I am being blackmailed by you. They came and met us this morning and questioned me. I told them what happened. They asked when I would see you next and I said I expected to meet you tomorrow. When that time comes they will be here to arrest you, to charge you with extortion.
“As a result I expect to lose my job and you are likely to end up in jail. My job is as good a gone, but I do not want to see you in prison.
“On my way here I got a small amount of extra money that my wife does not know about. It is here for you. It will give you enough to cover your travel and living costs for a couple weeks.
“So I strongly suggest you leave town and go somewhere far away, overseas would be best as they are likely to trace you and arrest you if you just go to another state.
“Provided you are not here tomorrow I can say I do not know where you are or where you have gone. If they cannot locate you elsewhere it might just go away for us both. If they arrest you I will be forced to give evidence against you. That will be bad for me and even worse for you.
“The funny thing is, despite knowing what you are like, someone who uses and manipulates people, I find myself very fond of you. You are very bright and have great ability. I don’t want you to end up in jail like any other convicted criminal.
“Part of me wishes I had enough money to set you up in a nice place and let you enjoy a good life. Maybe that person would have become a better you, someone who lived up to all the potential you have inside you.
“However that time is past and this is the only help I can give you. You must go and go quickly. Even now you need to be careful. The police may already be looking for you, though I think they have yet to seek an arrest warrant. I understood that this afternoon they were going to try and trace the money, to see if you deposited it. If they get information that shows you receiving large sums of money I think they will arrest you.
“So I suggest you go back to your house very unobtrusively and collect anything essential like a passport and vanish. It would be even better if you could ring a friend from your house, ask them to get a few essential things for you and meet you somewhere, make up a story that sounds plausible and meet them in a local cafe.
“Then, as soon as possible, you should leave town, perhaps take the Airtrain to JFK where you will have the best choice of aeroplane options to faraway destinations.”
Amanda found herself struggling to take it all in, to comprehend how quickly her world had turned on its head. She had thought she was clever; now she was a fugitive.
He was right. She must get out of here quickly. Unexpectedly she felt sad about saying goodbye to this man. As lovers it had started ordinary but become increasingly good. But what moved her was his unexpected kindness. She knew that what he had done today would not benefit him. It may make his situation worse if shown that he had helped her.
But yet, despite her using him in a get rich scheme, and him knowing it, he had treated her with unexpected decency. She felt a tear in her eyes at his goodness. It made a tiny chink into her otherwise hardened soul.
She stood up and walked over to him. He put out his hands, took her hands and pulled her to him and held her against him, stroking her head like a favourite daughter for a long minute. Then he pushed her away.
“Go now; perhaps one day you will realise that this was a good life lesson and remember me with kindness. Perhaps you could send me a postcard from a far away and exotic destination. I won’t promise to come and meet you but you never know.”
She reached forward and kissed him gently on the lips, a kiss of affection rather than passion. “Thank you, you have been good to me. I will send a postcard when I can, signed with a big A, carrying with it my affection.”
Lost Girl Diary Page 36