by Abby Weeks
—You won’t, Suzy said as she tied the robe around her waist.
When they were both dressed, Luke brought them back down the stairs. Ben was still talking to Malcolm, explaining all the exciting plans he had for the work that Northrop was sending his way. Malcolm seemed to be humoring him, nodding politely and listening to everything Ben had to say.
When he saw the girls come down the stairs he smiled at Janey. She smiled back, a brief, unnoticeable smile. It was the first time she’d smiled since leaving the hospital. It was such a small gesture but enough to reassure her that Malcolm was in deed there to help her. They got ready to leave the house with Malcolm.
—See you boys at eight, Malcolm said to Ben and Luke.
Suzy and Janey followed him out to the Mercedes. He held the door for them, letting them into the backseat. He went around to the front and got in the driver’s seat. He started the engine and began turning out of the driveway. The car moved slowly but steadily along the driveway, passing the trees and bushes that had been so terrifying to Janey the night before. She felt the tension in her muscles and the fear in her chest dissipate as they drove away from the house, but it wasn’t till the car got back onto the highway that she could actually breathe normally. She’d been so worried that something was going to happen before they reached the highway that would halt their escape.
Out on the highway, Malcolm turned to them.
—It’s so nice to see you again, Janey, he said.
Janey couldn’t even put into words how much of a relief it was to see him. She just smiled. Suzy looked at her, daggers in her eyes. This was the first moment that she realized Janey knew Malcolm. She didn’t understand how that was possible. This was Janey’s first time being let in on the swinging activity and she shouldn’t have known any of the men that came by. Suzy didn’t even know Malcolm. How could Janey?
—Is that heat enough for you both? he said as he turned up the dial.
—Yes, thank you, Janey said.
As the car wound through the forests outside the city, Janey began to feel an enormous weight of oppression lift from her. It was as if the world had grown brighter. She finally felt safe. After all that had happened to her in the past few weeks, and especially since she’d left the hospital the day before, she began to feel that she was finally climbing out of the dark pit she’d been in. She felt as if she was escaping Ben’s clutches.
Suzy brought her back from her thoughts by nudging her lightly.
—What the hell’s going on? she whispered to Janey.
—Don’t worry, Janey said, doing nothing to keep her voice down. Malcolm is a good friend of mine. He’ll take good care of us.
Suzy looked worried. She was beginning to realize that she’d been outplayed. She was used to being the one with the upper hand. She’d enjoyed watching Janey squirm. Well, now it was her turn for a change.
Malcolm drove them through Troy and onto the I-787 towards Albany. They got off at the South Mall by all the grand state capital buildings and turned onto Washington Street. It was an impressive neighborhood filled with state and federal buildings, public institutions, and headquarters for important companies. A few blocks farther, just past the Albany Institute of History and Art, the car pulled up to a set of high, metal gates. A guard in a little cabin nodded at Malcolm and the gates opened automatically.
—What is this place? Suzy said.
Janey had no idea. She’d never been there or anywhere like it in her life. It seemed like the entrance to a hotel. The driveway was lined with iron lamps and small, carefully pruned shrubs. The car pulled up to the steps of an enormous mansion and a uniformed guard opened the car door for them. Malcolm left the engine running for the guard to take the car away and led the two ladies up the steps and into the entrance hall of the mansion. It was the grandest, most fabulously decorated building Janey had ever seen. It was like a grand hotel.
—Where are we? she said to Malcolm.
—This is all Walden’s, he said, simply.
Janey looked at Suzy. Suzy didn’t have a clue what was going on. It was obvious she’d never been anywhere like this either. She was more used to being fucked in public parking lots, it seemed. Unfortunately, that was all Janey had been used to lately too.
They walked up through the hall and through a doorway to a large drawing room. Sitting at a chair by a fire, reading a heavy, leather-bound book, was Henry.
As soon as he saw them he got up from his chair. He looked straight into Janey’s eyes.
—At last, he said, affectionately. I’ve been so worried about you.
VIII
JANEY COULDN’T HELP HERSELF. When she saw Henry Walden standing there, looking kindly at her, she burst into floods of tears that she just couldn’t stop. She’d been through so much, she’d suffered so deeply and been so afraid for her safety, that seeing him now was just too much. Even just looking at his face made her feel safe and secure.
As he came over to her and took her in his arms, she wept openly. Suzy watched the whole thing with a growing sense of unease. This wasn’t at all what it was supposed to be. The kinds of men who usually took her away did not save women. They abused them. This was the last thing she had expected and the last thing she wanted.
—What the hell is going on? she demanded.
Henry and Malcolm looked at her as if she were an intruder at a private family reunion.
—Ah, yes, Henry said after a minute. The other woman.
—What is this? Suzy said, sounding increasingly desperate.
She looked around the room, as if seeking some means of escape. In this place, surrounded by a high fence and guarded gates, she was unlikely to find one.
—This is probably not something you’d want to be a part of, Henry said to Suzy. Might I suggest that you go wait somewhere else. Somewhere that you might be more comfortable.
—What are you talking about?
—We have rooms here where you’ll be more than comfortable.
—I’m not going to any rooms. I want to leave this place right now, Suzy said.
—I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a few hours, Henry said. We’ll let you go soon enough. It’s just that we have some unfinished business with Janey’s husband and we wouldn’t be very happy if you were to let the cat out of the bag, so to speak.
—What the hell is going on here? Suzy said, angrily. You can’t keep me here. It’s kidnapping.
Henry waved a hand in the air and in an instant, two men in uniforms came into the room. Janey couldn’t tell where exactly they’d come from, they must have been waiting for a signal. The men took Suzy away and she seemed to go quietly enough. She was reluctant but she didn’t have much of a choice.
—Where are they taking her? Janey said.
—Just to one of the guest rooms, Henry said. We’ve got dozens of them here. Hers won’t have a telephone.
—Well, it’s more than she deserves, Janey said.
Henry nodded.
—In any case, she’ll be out soon enough. I just don’t want her warning your husband before we get a chance to confront him.
—Confront him?
—Yes. I mean to confront the brute about the way he’s been treating you. First, though, I imagine you’d like to freshen up.
Janey very much wanted to freshen up. She felt exhausted. Henry had another servant come and escort her to a fabulous suite. Not only did it have all of the comforts that she could have asked for from a room, but it also seemed to have been fully stocked with clothes that were in her size. Henry sure didn’t do things by half measures. When he meant to look after someone, he thought of everything that they might need.
She took a quick shower and retouched her makeup. The bathroom was fully equipped with any cosmetics she might have needed. She took off all the leather straps. The one on her neck was difficult to remove but with the help of a mirror she was finally able to unclasp it. She put on some jeans and a sweater from the clothes that were in the closet. They were n
othing fancy, but good quality. There was also a selection of shoes and she put on some loafers.
Once she was washed and dressed she went back down to the drawing room. Henry and Malcolm were still there waiting for her.
—You must be starving, my dear, Henry said to her.
Janey nodded. She was amazed at how hungry she was. She hadn’t eaten a thing since the day before. She was also amazed at how good it felt to finally have someone looking after her. She’d been so scared out at the other house, she’d felt so alone and vulnerable. Now she felt safe and cared for. The difference was like night and day.
—Thank you so much for getting me out of that house, she said to Malcolm.
—Oh, you don’t have to thank me, dear, Malcolm said. As soon as Henry told me you were in trouble, I knew I had to come get you.
—If you hadn’t come for me I’d still be out there.
—I’m only sorry we couldn’t come sooner.
—How did you know where to find me?
Malcolm looked to Henry to provide the answer to that question.
—Well, Henry said. Let’s just say I’ve had my eye on your husband. Ever since that day when you captivated me by the window, I couldn’t take my eyes off you. I took every opportunity to watch you. I even did a little research on your life.
Janey smiled, thinking back to the research she herself had done on Henry. She still wasn’t sure if he knew that she knew about how his family had died so tragically.
—Well, I’m glad you did, she said.
—Yes. And I noticed a lot of things. I found out that you are a caring, confident, competent young woman. But the more I found out about your husband, the more concerned I became. I’d seen him act violently toward you. That was the first thing that alerted me to his proclivities. But the deeper I searched, the more I found out.
—What exactly is the swinging thing he’s gotten involved in? Janey asked.
Her mind was still racing at the thought of that meeting she’d had with the man who looked like a sailor. She had no idea what it was all about.
—Yes, well that was the big surprise. It’s an organization for married men. The organization is called, The Neighbor.
—Why is it called that?
—I’m not sure. Something about coveting your neighbor’s wife I believe. And being neighborly by sharing your wife with other men.
—I don’t think that’s what being neighborly is supposed to mean, Janey said.
—Well their idea of a good neighbor, it seems, is someone who allows you to do whatever you want to his wife, whenever you want.
—So men join the organization because they want to sleep with other men’s wives?
—That, and more, Henry said. You can also watch other men sleep with your own wife. That seems to be a big part of the attraction for many men. Then there are group encounters that can be arranged. The thing about it, is that there is actually a more sinister angle to the whole thing. It’s not just about sleeping with other men’s wives. You can also go farther.
—What do you mean?
—Well, suppose you want to hurt someone’s wife, beat her, whip her, humiliate her.
—They actually allow each other to do those things too? Janey said.
She was horrified. She knew that such things existed, but it was hard to imagine her own husband wanting to be a part of it.
—Yes they do, Henry said, gravely. There have been a number of police investigations into it. Even some arrests a few years back.
—But it still continues?
—Unfortunately it does. They just get more and more secretive. And the more careful they become, the more difficult it becomes for new members to join up.
—That must be what the man at the house was talking about earlier.
—What man?
—There was a man dressed a bit like a sailor. He seemed to be assessing Ben and Luke, seeing if they were suitable for joining the group.
—Well, they’re all extremely cautious now. Especially about new members. It seems, your husband has been desperate to get into the organization.
—So he was going to get involved in this group that would allow other men to harm me?
—Yes.
—Why?
—We would have to ask your husband that, Henry said.
—And does Suzy know about all of this?
—From what my people could tell, yes she does. She and her husband, Luke, have been involved in this scene for a couple of years. She must know what goes on. They haven’t been accepted into The Neighbor formally, but they’re getting close. From what I could discover, it can often take years to get in. The husband has to subject his wife to greater and greater forms of degradation until finally, he can become a full member.
—No wonder she was so cagey about everything.
A waiter came into the room carrying a silver tray. He put it on the large dining table close to where Janey was seated with Henry and Malcolm.
—Go ahead, Henry said. You should eat something.
Janey couldn’t resist the delicious smell. She was starving.
—Thank you, she said.
She went over to the table and uncovered the dish. It was a medium cooked steak, just the way she liked it, served with french fries and a Caesar salad. There was a little dish on the side containing homemade ketchup.
—How did you know my favorite food? she said to Henry.
Henry just smiled.
—So tell me, she said between bites. What is going to happen tonight? Why have you invited Ben and Luke here?
—That’s simple, my dear, Henry said. I wanted to give you a chance to tell Ben the truth.
—What do you mean?
—Tell him how you really feel. If you want to get involved in this organization, The Neighbor as they call it, you can tell him that. But I wanted to give you a fair opportunity to decide for yourself.
—And what about the business deal?
—Ah, that. Yes, Henry said.
He seemed a little embarrassed about that.
—That was really just childishness on my part, Henry said. I was quite upset with your husband, as you can imagine. I didn’t like the way he was treating you. You caught my eye and he had the nerve to mistreat you right in front of me. I just felt I had to get a little revenge of my own.
—So you pretended you wanted to give him your business.
—Yes. I know. It’s not exactly sporting. It was just a way I had to hit him where it would hurt. I have a lot of business interests in this area. So I got one of my medical foundations to approach him and offer him all sorts of ongoing trust and equities work. The kind of thing lawyers dream about. Managing a high value investment trust, very little work, very high fees. I was going to pull the plug on it as soon as you confronted him.
—I see, Janey said.
—Unless of course, you don’t want me to.
—No, Janey said. I do want you to. Henry, I can’t begin to tell you how grateful I am for all of this. You’ve given me my life back. All I want is to get back at Ben, get out of my unhealthy relationship with him, and give him a taste of his own medicine. I don’t know what would have happened to me if you hadn’t come along.
—Never underestimate the value of a neighbor, Henry said.
IX
WHEN THE SERVANT BROUGHT BEN and Luke into the extravagant drawing room a few hours later, they both had smirks on their faces like two cats who had just drank a quart of cream. They must have thought they’d really hit the big time, coming into a palatial mansion like this one. Ben already thought his life was on the upswing since making partner. Now he thought he was being invited to Henry Walden’s own private residence to allow the man to have fun with his wife, and at the same time increase the fees he was going to pay Ben to do the legal work for one of his trusts.
When Ben strutted in behind the servant, there was a slight look of surprise on his face. He hadn’t expected to see Janey dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt
, looking completely at home with Malcolm and Henry. Henry had taken the precaution of ensuring that there were four guards waiting behind the scenes in case things were to get ugly.
—Take a seat, Henry said to Ben.
Ben sat at the end of the long dining table a little uneasily. Janey was sitting at the other end of the table. Henry and Malcolm waited by the fire close by.
—What’s going on, Janey? Ben said.
—I’m divorcing you, darling. That’s what’s going on?
The look on Ben’s face when he heard those words was priceless. Janey would have loved to have a photo of it. After all the pain and fear he’d put her through in the last few weeks, telling him that she was leaving him was a poetic justice. She didn’t hate Ben, but she didn’t trust him, and she knew he was a danger to women. All the members of The Neighbor were.
—What do you mean? he said.
—What do you think I mean?
—You can’t divorce me.
Janey looked over at Malcolm and nodded. Malcolm brought a carefully drawn up legal document to Ben and handed it to him with a pen.
—Sign it, Janey said.
Ben looked around at Luke. Luke was waiting uncertainly at the entrance to the drawing room. He looked uneasily at the two guards standing to his left and right. Luke was a big guy but so were the guards.
—And what if I say no? Ben asked.
—If you say no? My friends here will have the police come right over. They’ve got enough evidence of your involvement in this Neighbor organization to get you into a lot of trouble. Forcing women to perform demeaning sexual activities isn’t exactly kosher in the state of New York, Janey said.
—No one forces them, Ben said.
—Oh really? I felt pretty forced this morning, Janey said.
Behind Ben, Luke cleared his throat.
—Excuse me, he said. But where is my wife?
Henry looked over at Luke with an impatient expression on his face. He spoke to the two guards who were watching Luke closely.
—Escort that, man, to his wife, Henry said. And then escort them both to the front gate. I don’t ever want to see either of them on my property again.