Double or Nothing

by Wells, Donald

“Give me a moment to get dressed and I’ll come with you.”

  “No baby, David that could be dangerous, please stay here and I’ll be back soon.”

  Allison opens the door to leave and finds six large, Styrofoam coolers filled with groceries and other supplies blocking her path. There’s no note attached, just the supplies.

  Alison knows immediately that it must have been Frank that left them and it must have been during the night. It is a seven-hour drive from New York City to get to the farmhouse and another seven hours back. Frank has not abandoned her. He still loves her.

  Alison starts crying as she stares at the supplies and then begins beating the coolers with her fists as she shouts uselessly at them.

  “Why did you have to fall in love with me Frank? I didn’t ask you to love me!”

  David puts his glass down and goes to her, he pushes the door closed and hugs Alison from behind. “I’m not the only man you love, am I?”

  Alison shakes her head no as she fights to stop crying.

  “What are you going to do about that?”

  She turns around and stares at David. “I choose you. I’ll always choose you, I love you so much.”

  “Then love me enough to choose happiness. Go to Frank and build a life with him. I’m a wanted man with a target on his back, that’s no life. Frank can love you freely and make you happy. What kind of love would I be giving you if I knew you could find greater love somewhere else and I kept you from it? That wouldn’t be love, it’d be selfishness. I would spend my life knowing that I could have made you happier just by letting you go. I love you enough to let you go Alison. I love you that much.”

  “No! This is my second chance, my second chance.” Alison collapses against him, quivering, as she erupts into a full outpouring of tears.

  David leads Alison toward his bedroom, to lie down on the bed as her body is racked by her crying. He lies beside her and takes her into his arms, still she cries.

  David whispers, “Love’s a hell of a thing isn’t it?” and feels her nod in agreement.

  A short time later, her crying ends. The two of them lie in bed with the morning sun now lighting the room brilliantly. She, fully dressed in jeans and a sweater, he, wearing only a pair of white boxer shorts.

  David looks at Alison intently. “Why have we never made love?”

  Alison wipes tears from her eyes. “I was waiting until you were stronger.”

  “I’ve felt strong enough for weeks now and you know it. It’s a thing we avoid. We talk of doing it in the future, but we never do it.”

  “Would you like to make love now?”

  “That’s not what I was getting at. It just strikes me as odd that’s all. We love each other, but we’ve both avoided taking that step.”

  Allison stands and begins to undress. When she’s naked, she climbs back into bed and lies beside David.

  David slides off the boxer shorts and he and Alison embrace each other and kiss passionately. David then looks into her eyes and asks a question.

  “Are you sure about this, knowing that Frank could love you better?”

  “Yes I’m sure, make love to me, let’s forget the world.”

  David closes his eyes. “May God have mercy on me.”

  “Why do you say such a thing?”

  “Because in my soul I know that I’m not the man for you and I’m taking you anyway. I’m taking you away from the man who is.”

  “I love you David; this can’t be wrong.”

  “It’s wrong. It’s wrong and I don’t care. My need for you is stronger than my love of you. How could that not be wrong?”

  Before Alison can answer, David kisses her hard on the mouth and holds her tight.

  Alison, mind in turmoil, returns his kiss and slides her hands over his body. As David moves down to suckle her breasts she finds his question coursing through her mind.

  My need for you is stronger than my love of you. How could that not be wrong?

  This is not the first time this thought has entered her mind these last few weeks in one form or another, and like all those other times, she answers it with her only excuse.

  This is my second chance.

  David moves down farther along her body and gently parts her thighs. As his mouth makes contact with her sex, she shudders from the pleasure and trembles from the guilt.

  My need for you is stronger than my love of you.

  But he loves me now. This is our second chance.

  David is rapidly sending Alison toward an orgasm with his oral attentions as she tries to make her mind go blank. Her mind however, is relentless.

  You were having a bad dream. You kept saying ‘I’m sorry June,’ over and over.

  No! No, he’s mine now, not June’s!

  My need for you is stronger than my love of you. How could that not be wrong?

  It is wrong. It’s wrong and I don’t give a damn.

  Why? Because you love him so much?

  Yes, because I love him so much, even more than June does.

  But not enough to let him go?

  No, anything but that. I love him too much.

  Your need for him is stronger than your love of him, and you know that’s wrong.

  Yes I know it and I don’t give a fuck. Leave me alone!

  Then your love is a lie. It’s envy in disguise, self-pity in a mask and selfishness gone mad. May God have mercy on you.

  David feels Alison’s hips writhe beneath his grasping hands as he pleasures her and knows her orgasm is near.

  Suddenly she bucks her hips upward so violently that she loosens from his grip. She has climaxed. However, it was not a climax of the body, filled with pleasure. It was a climax of the soul, filled with pain. It was a climax of guilt.

  Alison moves away from David and sits huddled against the headboard, weeping softly.

  David rises up on his knees and silently watches her, instinctively knowing to remain still.

  Alison is quiet for a time, after long, awkward moments, she speaks.

  “David, do you remember June?”

  “June my old dog? What about her?”

  “I lied to you David. June’s not a dog. She’s a woman. She’s a woman that you love.”

  “What are you saying? Are you saying that I have someone else?”

  “Yes goddamn it yes. I’m sorry I lied to you.”

  David looks up as though he were trying to remember something. “June has big brown eyes and the most beautiful smile in the world, doesn’t she?”

  “That’s not the way I would’ve described her, but yes, it fits her. David do you remember her?”

  “I’ve been seeing that face in my dreams for weeks, but it’s weird, I see her more than once sometimes, like I dream in double vision.”

  “June’s one of a set of triplets. Her name is June Davenport and—”

  “—And I used to call her Mouse. She was my Miss Mouse…although… I can’t remember why I called her that.”

  “Yes, you used to call her that, why I never knew.”

  “Alison…I’m remembering things now, tell me more.”

  “David, please don’t hate me for what I’ve done, for what I’ve tried to do. I, I love you so much.”

  David reclines on the bed and pulls Alison over to lie beside him.

  “I could never hate you. I love you and I always will, you’ve given me a second chance. Now please, tell me about my life. Tell me about June.”

  The two of them lie there, naked, holding each other, as Alison tells David about the love of his life. And for as long as Alison lives she will never understand why these moments with him were the happiest the two of them have ever shared.

  34

  Saturday, September 13th, 11:24 a.m.

  Special Agent Robert Morgan looks around the plush paneled interior at Martin Associates and then admires the view from the high-rise office. Jack and Kelly watch him from behind their L-shaped desk and smile at his surprise. Morgan moves away from the windows and p
lops into a client chair.

  “These digs are sweet. I thought you guys would be starting out in a fourth floor walk-up.”

  Jack grins. “No Bob, I’ve been considering making this change for some time, so I had managed to put away quite a bit of money.”

  Morgan looks over at Kelly. “Mrs. Martin may I say that you are as hot as ever, married life agrees with you.”

  “Thank you Morgan, that was almost sweet.” Kelly says.

  “Well that’s enough small talk, I’ve got new info on that Alison babe.”

  “What is it Bob?” Jack asks.

  Morgan takes an index card out of his shirt pocket and passes it across the desk to Jack. “That’s an address in a place called Plum Pennsylvania, actually a farm just outside of Plum.”

  “Alison James owns a farm? She doesn’t seem the type.” Kelly says.

  “She’s probably not, it was left to her by her aunt who died in March.”

  “I bet that’s where she is. Bob this is great work, thanks for your help.” Morgan abruptly rises and heads for the door.

  “We never discussed this Jack. If Lindstrom knew I was giving you guys info from our computers he’d chew me out for a month.”

  Kelly catches up to him and gives him a peck on the cheek. “Thanks Morgan,”

  Morgan actually blushes a shade. “I didn’t want you guys thinking I was a total jerk.” He then winks at them and leaves.

  Kelly goes back and sits next to Jack, he’s looking up the location of Plum Pennsylvania on his computer.

  “Wow, it’s a long drive. I’ll call my sister and ask her to watch Cathy overnight, Cathy loves being with her cousins anyway.” Jack says.

  “If we leave by noon we should be there by about seven.” Kelly says.

  “I hope Alison is making plenty of food for dinner.” Jacks says.

  1:33 p.m.

  The sound of the car startles both of them as they finish drying the last of the dishes from their lunch. David peeks out the window to see who’s come to call, praying it’s not the police. It isn’t.

  He turns from the window and gives Alison a huge grin. “I’m going to go take a long walk.”

  Alison gives him a puzzled look and David opens the door to reveal Frank.

  David hears Alison’s sharp intake of breath behind him as he offers Frank his hand.

  “Frank, I want to thank you for everything you did for me, Alison explained it all.”

  Frank looks at David’s hand for a long moment and then shakes it.

  “You’re welcome Manning, but I did it for her.”

  David says, “Still, I thank you…and I’ll see you later.” and then he walks out the door.

  “Where the hell is he going?”

  “He’s taking a walk in order to give us some privacy. Hello Frank, I’ve missed you so much. Thank you for the supplies last week.”

  Frank says, “I was in the neighborhood.” and nearly smiles.

  They stand on opposite sides of the room, looking across a divide of pride and pain.

  “David has nearly all of his memory back.”

  “Too bad for you, when did he start to remember his girl June?”

  “When I told him about her. I’ve let him go Frank, he belongs with her. I see that now.”

  Frank walks toward Alison until he has covered half the distance of their rift. “Did you really tell him about her? You’ve really let him go?”

  “Yes and…it’s OK.”

  “Manning chose her over you?”

  “Yes, I always knew he would, given a choice.”

  “I’m sorry Alison.”

  “For what?”

  “I’m sorry you’ve lost your second chance.”

  Alison closes the gap between them and takes Frank’s hand. She then leads him toward her bedroom. “You’re my second chance Frank.”

  “Alison,”

  “Yes?”

  “David Manning’s an idiot.”

  “Damn right,” Alison says.

  Due to bad traffic and getting lost on backcountry roads, Jack and Kelly don’t find the farmhouse until nearly eight o’clock. Night has fallen and they can see a face peek out from a lighted window as they park.

  They walk toward the house and Frank opens the door and simply motions for them to enter. David stands at the stove and stirs a ladle in a pot.

  “Hello you two, Kelly, long time no see.”

  Jack looks surprised. “You remember us David?”

  “Yes, my memory has returned, thanks to Alison. Now, I have two questions for you, do the two of you like beef stew and are you hungry?”

  Kelly grins. “Yes to both,”

  “My friends and I were just about to eat, join us please.”

  Jack and Kelly take seats as Frank sets two more bowls on the table.

  “David you seem to be in a very good mood for someone whose life has been turned upside down.”

  David smiles as he begins serving the stew.

  “I nearly died Jack. If not for these two I would have. Even if I had survived, I might be in jail right now. Instead I’m healthy, I’m free and tomorrow I’m going back to clear my name. I’m also going back to get June. How is she? Have you seen her?”

  “She’s fine now, so is Carol.” Kelly says.

  David stops serving. “What do you mean she’s fine now? What happened?”

  “David, last month June threatened to kill herself by jumping to her death.” Kelly says.

  “Oh my God I’ve got to go to her tonight.”

  “If you do you’ll be in jail tomorrow.” Jack says.

  “But I’ve got to let her know I’m alive.”

  Kelly stands, she goes over to David and places a hand on his shoulder.

  “She knows you’re alive now, when she tried to kill herself she didn’t.”

  “How does she know?”

  “She says she felt your presence.” Kelly says.

  David smiles. “My little psychic Mouse, God how I miss her. I’ve got to go back.”

  “David as soon as you go back the police will arrest you, they suspect you of commissioning a murder.” Jack says.

  “I know, poor Blake.”

  “David it’ll be poor you if the police find you. Don’t rush into anything, give this some thought.” Alison says.

  “Do you know who’s framing you? Who wanted you dead?” Kelly asks.

  “Yes, I remember the shooting now. I recalled it yesterday while I was out walking. The man said his name was Mr. Parker and that April and May Davenport sent their regards, or words similar to that.”

  Frank makes a face of disgust. “April and May Davenport? They had their own dad killed?”

  “And they wanted me dead and framed for it. I have got to get June out of there.”

  “With their money they could take this to court and win. Your best bet at clearing your name is a confession from one of them, maybe turn one against the other.” Jack says.

  David sighs. “That’s easier said than done, April and May are extremely close.”

  “Hmm, it could work.” Frank says, thinking aloud.

  “What could work?” Alison says.

  “David I think I know how you can clear your name.”

  “I’m all ears Frank.” David says.

  “Fuck yeah, I think it could work.” Frank says, again, half to himself.

  “Don’t keep us in suspense Frank. Tell us your plan.” Alison says. He does, and the five of them spend the next few hours fine-tuning it.

  35

  Monday September 15th, 9:32 a.m.

  June whispers, “David where are you?” as she sits on the edge of her bed and gazes down at her engagement ring. This was to be her and David’s wedding day, the first anniversary of their reuniting.

  There comes a knock on the door.

  “Who is it?” June asks through the locked door. She has lived exclusively in this room since her confrontation with April, awaiting David’s return.

  “It�
�s May, June, April would like to see you in the living room. She wants to talk to you.”

  After a hesitation, June answers. “I’ll be right down.”

  When June enters the living room, she looks around warily.

  April offers her a cup of coffee. “If you’re looking for Dr. Rowlands I believe he’s in his room, drunk; he’s been drinking quite heavily since you kicked him in the family jewels.”

  “May said you wanted to talk.” June says brusquely, as she sits across from April.

  April smiles. “Yes, I thought it was time we made peace.”

  June sips at her coffee. “I would like that April, I really would.”

  One of the maids knocks gently at the open door. She’s about twenty-years-old with a trim figure and pixie cut blond hair and glasses.

  “Yes, what is it?” April asks, in a huff.

  The maid enters and places a white pastry box on the coffee table.

  “I’m sorry for the interruption Ma’am but this just came for Miss June, would she be one of you?”

  June smiles at the woman. “I’m June, Kari, thank you for bringing this to me.”

  The maid says, “You’re welcome June,” and turns to leave the room.

  April calls out to her. “Why are you still here? I sent the staff home for the day.”

  “I’m the last one Ma’am. I just wanted to see that Miss June got her package.”

  April says, “Well you’ve done that, now leave.” and watches as the maid scurries away.

  “You’ve given everyone the day off, why?” June asks.

  “Out of respect for you dear. This was to be your wedding day wasn’t it? I thought you might be very depressed today and wouldn’t need a bunch of people underfoot.”

  “I’m not depressed April, David will be—” June halts in mid-sentence. She has just noticed the writing on the box that was delivered. June smiles as she picks up the box.

  “What is it June? Why are you smiling so?”

  “This box is from the 8th street bistro.”

  “Yes?”

  “That’s where David and I met a year ago. This is from David!”

  June opens the box. She reaches in and takes out two almond croissants, David’s favorite croissants. There is something else in the box, a small, white rubber mouse.

  “June, David couldn’t have sent that, he’s dead.”