by F J messina
It took a few minutes for Sonia to clomp and stumble her way down to the proper end of the rink and take her position near Nick’s door. As soon as she did, Jet gave her a wink as she passed by and headed for one last loop around the floor. Sonia wondered what would come next. It didn’t take long for her to find out.
Approaching her target’s domain, Jet picked up speed and attempted a switch from forward to backward motion. In the process, she seemed to catch one skate on another and tumbled to the ground with a thud. Her arms and legs sprawled, she lay on her back, motionless.
It took only moments for other skaters to stop and ask if she was alright. More importantly, it was less than a minute before a certain burly young man was on his knees next to her, offering his assistance, though he struggled to focus his attention above Jet’s shoulders.
Sonia was a little torn as she moved quickly through the empty space created by the bouncer’s absence. Is she okay? Did she do that on purpose? Sonia wondered if she should give up the plan and run to her partner’s aid. But imagining the dressing-down she would get if Jet had risked life and limb in order to create this opportunity and then she failed to do her part, Sonia put her thoughts of Jet’s peril aside and slipped through the door into Nick’s office.
Skates still on her feet and her trusty iPhone in her hand, Sonia saw that the office space was partitioned into two sections. No one was in the section she first encountered. She could, however, hear sounds coming from around the partitioning wall. They were not quite the sounds she expected.
Although the music coming from the huge sound system outside the office thumped incessantly, Sonia’s ears focused on the sounds of slapping and moaning. Along with that came mumbling, words she couldn’t quite make out.
He’s hitting her. Figlio de puta. That son-of-a-bitch is hitting her. Her Italian blood boiled.
Steeling herself, Sonia moved carefully to the edge of the partition, grateful that the area’s carpet was muting the sound of the skates on her feet. She wanted to go right around the partition and attack the bastard, but she knew getting video of him hitting the young woman would have a much greater effect on him. She checked her phone one last time before stepping to the edge of the partition. She stopped.
The words just barely came to her, whispered intently on the other side of the partition. “Do what I want. Do what I tell you. Do it now, damn it, do it.” The other sound was becoming clear as well.
Smack! Smack!
“Again, do it again. More. Do it.”
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Sonia couldn’t trust her ears. She had no choice. She had to know what was going on. Not wanting to get caught, she hit RECORD and carefully stuck the phone around the partition. Slowly panning back and forth, she hoped she was getting what she needed.
After a long minute, Sonia brought the phone back around the wall and began quickly looking at the images. Her heart leaped into her throat. Nothing could have prepared her for what she saw.
Smack! The sounds continued. The heavy breathing. The passionate utterances.
Sonia looked at the images again. She saw the riding crop. Closing her eyes, she rubbed her forehead. It was all too bizarre.
Smack!
Sonia slipped out of the office area, skating carefully after she left the office area’s carpet. She found a wall and pressed herself against it. Taking a deep breath and looking around, Sonia realized Jet was nowhere in sight.
As she hustled over to the skate room, Sonia passed the first-aid station. Sitting on a bench in the brightly lit room, being attended to by the over-anxious, burly young man, sat Jet. As Sonia walked by, Jet gave her a surreptitious wink.
Finally back in her own shoes, Sonia waited outside the building, leaning on her car. Her eyes locked on the front door, it was only few minutes before she saw Jet emerging from The Wildcat, limping and leaning suggestively on Burly Prince Charming. Thanking him for his heroics, Jet left him at the curb. Miraculously, by the time she made it to Sonia’s car, Jet’s limp had disappeared. She sent Sonia a sly grin and another wink. “Well, how did it go, partner? You get the shots we needed?”
Sonia twisted her lips. “Really? You couldn’t tell me you were planning on doing that?”
Jet smiled, a twinkle in her eye. “Listen. I’ve been skating all my life, survived plenty of those spills that weren’t on purpose. I knew what I was doing. Now, did we get what we needed?”
“We got it,” she ran her fingers through her hair, “but you’re never going to believe it.”
31
Sonia had gotten to the office by nine o’clock on Wednesday and had called Mandy Petropoulos. Mandy had agreed to meet with Sonia and Jet at eleven. She arrived dressed in springtime colors─pink shirt, white pants, light-green shoes. They didn’t do much to brighten her countenance. Sonia greeted her in the waiting area. “How are you?”
“Okay, I guess. Honestly, I’m not sure how eager I am to hear what you’ve got to say.”
Sonia took her by the hand. “Don’t you worry. This is not going to be pleasant, but it may not be as painful as you think. C’mon. Let’s join Jet in her office.”
Jet rose to greet Mandy. “Good morning.” She pulled up the wooden extra chair in the office so Mandy could take a seat next to her behind Jet’s desk.
Sonia took a seat in the red chair across from them. “Before we show you these images, can I ask you a question?”
Mandy looked wary. “I guess.” There was real apprehension in her voice.
Sonia spoke calmly, reassuringly. “You’ve hired Jet and me to find out what’s going on with your husband, right?”
Mandy nodded her head silently.
“You’ve already told us what he demands of you every night. And now, because he’s changed his routine on Tuesdays, you think he’s cheating, correct?”
Mandy’s voice was soft and tentative. “That’s right.”
Sonia looked over at Jet before she continued. She turned back to Mandy. “Can I ask what it is you’re hoping for here?” Her voice was gentle. “Are you hoping that he’s not? Are you hoping that he is and that our investigation will give you the strength to ask for a divorce?”
Mandy hesitated, her eyes looking up then drifting downward. “You know, I really hadn’t thought about it. I guess I just needed to know if I was right. Am I right?”
Sonia spoke, her voice more forceful. “Before we answer that, let me ask you again. If you are right, are you going to ask for a divorce?”
Mandy’s eyes opened wide. “Oh gosh, I don’t know.” Her face turned to Jet. “How could I do that? I don’t make enough money to survive on my own.” Mandy’s back stiffened. “Don’t you remember? I work for Nick. If I ask for a divorce he’ll fire me. I won’t have any money. Then I’ll probably lose the kids. I won’t have a place to live, I won’t have a job.” She seemed to collapse down into the chair. “I won’t even have my kids.”
All three women were silent for a minute. Jet turned around and grabbed a thermos and an old ceramic cup with the faded word, “Magee’s” on it. “Can I pour you some coffee?”
Mandy nodded. There was no discussion of cream and sugar.
Finally, as she poured, Jet asked, “Tell me about Nick’s relationship with his dad.”
Mandy took a tiny sip of the black coffee. “What do you mean?”
Jet pressed. “I mean, what is Nick’s relationship with his dad like? Can Nick do no wrong in the old man’s eyes? Is he always under the old man’s thumb? What gives there?” She sounded somewhat accusatory.
“Oh, I told you,” Mandy spoke softly, almost sadly, “Nick’s dad was a man’s man, a womanizer really, but he always kept Nick on a real tight leash.” A sad smile crossed her face. “It was one of those, what do you call them, paradoxes? The old man could do anything he wanted, but Nick was supposed to play it straight, at least in public.”
Mandy stopped, but neither Sonia nor Jet spoke. She found a spot on the old desk to put the cup down.
“Honestly, I think the old man really hoped that Nick was doing the same things he was, but behind his back.”
Jet nodded. “Yeah, I think I know what you mean.” Her eyes shifted to Sonia.
Sonia tried her best to be upbeat. “Let me pose a scenario to you.”
“Okay.”
Sonia looked directly at Mandy, hoping to judge her reaction to what was coming. “What if Nick did something that might embarrass the old man?”
Mandy screwed up her face. “Like what?”
Sonia continued. “Listen, I’m sorry to be circumspect, but please, just answer the question.” She kept watching Mandy’s reaction carefully. “What if Nick did something, I don’t know, something the old man wouldn’t be so proud of?”
Mandy pushed her hair out of her face. “Oh, no question about it. All hell would break loose. You’ve got to understand, these are Greeks. The most important thing for a Greek man is his honor. Of course, conquering as many women as possible counts too.” The tiniest chuckle rose out of her throat. “If Nick did anything that embarrassed Vasilios, he’d cut Nick’s balls off.”
Sonia and Jet shot looks at each other but didn’t say a word.
Mandy’s hand had trembled when she’d first taken her coffee. It was steadier now as she reached out again for the cup. “Not physically, of course, though he might smack him around a bit. But he’d certainly punish Nick big time. Why?” She looked to Jet, who was next to her, then back across the desk to Sonia, her eyes full of questions. “Why are you asking about all of this?”
Jet looked at Sonia, and Sonia nodded. Jet hit PLAY on the video file that was loaded on the open laptop that sat in front of Mandy. From across the desk, Sonia watched Mandy’s face for her reaction while Mandy and Jet watched the screen. Up popped a full-screen view of the video Sonia had shot the night before. Although the view kept changing, there was no question about what was going on.
There was Nick, his pants down, on his hands and knees. There was the tall, athletic redhead. The sounds of the voices were clear, along with the smack, smack, smack of the riding crop. Sonia watched as Mandy’s eyes widened, stunned that the demanding voice was Nick’s and that the hand that was swinging the riding crop was the redhead’s.
Mandy sat in silence, the look on her face a combination of shock and disgust. Finally, her eyes still locked on the frozen final image, she said, “What is that? How’d you get that video?”
Jet leaned toward Mandy. “Don’t you worry about how we got it. You do recognize your husband, right?” There was nothing gentle in the way she spoke.
Mandy turned to Jet. There was nothing gentle in the way she spoke either. “Of course I recognize him, but who’s that girl.” Then she turned to Sonia, softer. “Is she one of the college girls? She doesn’t really look like a college girl.”
Jet looked up at Sonia then turned to Mandy. “Honestly, we’re not sure if she’s a college girl or not, but as far as we can tell, she shows up every Tuesday with the rest of them. And several of them clearly know her.” She sat up straighter. “More importantly, what do you think about what’s going on in that video?”
Mandy’s hand shook noticeably as she put the coffee cup back on Jet’s desk. “My god it’s disgusting. That girl, that woman, she’s . . . she’s a . . .”
Jet finished the sentence. “Dominatrix.” She waited a moment for a response, but it didn’t come. Eventually, she gently squeezed Mandy’s arm. “And?”
Mandy hung her head and whispered. “And he likes it.” Silence hung in the room, the sound of the ancient heating system suddenly taking center stage.
Finally, the energy in her voice beginning to rise, Mandy sat taller again, her hands moving to her thighs. “I don’t get it. He likes it. He likes that girl,” she scrunched her face in disgust, “doing that.” Then she turned to look directly at Jet, her voice demanding. “How long does it go on? How long does she do that to him?”
It appeared to Sonia that Jet was going to answer. She decided to take over instead. “We’re not really sure. Long enough for us to make that video. Long enough, don’t you think?”
32
Sonia watched as Mandy sank back into the chair, the wind knocked out of her. How can she deal with this? My god, she must hate the fact that he’s cheating on her, but like this? It’s so creepy.
Sonia looked across the desk, wishing she could take Mandy’s hands in hers. “Listen, Mandy. Now that you’ve seen that video, you have a decision to make. There are several paths you can take. You can confront him and beg him to stop, maybe get professional help. Or, I guess, you could just let it go. Live and let live. At least you’re getting one night of peace each week. Or . . .” Sonia paused for a long moment. “Or you can use it as leverage.”
Mandy knit her eyebrows. “What do you mean? How do I use this as leverage?”
Sonia deferred to Jet, revenge being much more Jet’s cup of tea. “Listen.” Mandy turned to Jet and Jet continued. “Right now, Nick’s got everything he could possibly want. He’s got a beautiful wife and kids, a nice home, he gets his sexual needs fulfilled whenever he wants, and he’s got this other thing on the side. Oh, and one other thing. He gets to be the Grand PooPah of his own business, a business he didn’t build, making everyone there do his bidding.”
Mandy shrugged her shoulders. “I guess. Yeah.”
Sonia watched as Jet’s energy rose, her voice getting stronger. “So, let me ask you one question, Mandy Petropoulos. Of all those things, which is the one he would least want to lose?”
Mandy remained slumped in her chair, her answer almost inaudible. “The business. There’s no question, it’s the business.”
Jet leaned in, demanding Mandy’s attention, her face only inches from Mandy’s. “That’s right. Everything he has, all the power, what little money he has, even his bimbo, they all come from the business. And guess who just took over control of the whole thing?”
Mandy looked up to Sonia for help answering, “I don’t know. Vasilios?”
Jet shook her head, her voice strengthening even more, grabbing Mandy’s attention back to her. “No. Not Vasilios, you. You just got everything you need to take control of the whole damn mess. Don’t you understand? You’ve totally got Nick-The-Dick by the short hairs.”
Sonia wondered if Jet realized that the term, “Nick-The-Dick,” had, up until that moment, been used only in their private conversations. Too late now.
Trying to let a little steam out of the moment, Sonia ran her fingers through her hair then rose. She walked around the desk, stood behind Jet, and spoke softly. “What Jet is saying, is now that you know that Nick has been involved in something less than, what? Less than manly? Something he would never want his father to know about. You have power. You can make demands. And, though it’ll be messy, I’m sure you’ll find that in the end, Nick will do whatever you want.”
Jet jumped in, turning Mandy’s attention back to her yet again. “So, here’s the question, Mandy. What is it that you want?”
Mandy sat, looking first to Sonia, then to Jet, then back to Sonia again. “Well, I just don’t know. What should I want?”
Jet was about to speak, but Sonia cut her off. “That’s for you to decide.” Her voice was a calm counterpoint to Jet’s emphatic urgings. “Really, you need to go home and use whatever time it takes to think this through. Do you love him, really love him? Do you want things to continue the way they are? If not, what do you want to change?”
It was Jet’s turn again. “Or do you want to stick it to the bastard for all the terrible ways he’s treated you over the last few years. Remember this, girl, you can get whatever you want from this guy, and if I were you, I would want out. Not only would I want out, I’d want out with everything I’d need to start a new life─money, the kids, a new place to live.”
Mandy looked to Sonia, her eyes clearly asking if that were all true.
Sonia, spoke even more softly, leaning downward. “These are tough calls, Mandy. Maybe my pa
rtner, here, has a predisposition for socking it to a cheating husband, but I don’t necessarily think she’s wrong. All you have to do is show this video to Nick and you get one big ‘do-over’ with your life, a fresh start . . . if you want it.”
Mandy’s head moved slowly back and forth. “No. No, I could never do that. I could never sit there and show him that video.”
Jet’s words came quickly. “Don’t you worry about that. Sonia didn’t mean that you would have to show him the video. We would never let you do that. No, we’ll show him the video, and we’ll be certain to have a little muscle with us to ensure that nothing goes wrong when we do. In fact, we’ll set it up that you’re out of town with the kids when we confront him, and you won’t be coming back until all of this is settled.”
Sonia stood taller, her voice becoming more conversational. “Do you have someplace where you can go, someplace safe? Preferably, someplace he wouldn’t think to look for you?”
“I don’t know. I do have a couple of college friends he’s kind of forced me to lose contact with. He’d never know who they are or where they lived.”
It was Jet again. “Good. That’ll work. You start today. You contact one of them and you make arrangements to go to their home as soon as we’ve got all the pieces in place.”
It was becoming obvious to Sonia that Mandy was clearly getting on board with the plan, though she did have her concerns. “But what happens when you’ve shown him the video and he leaves here? What keeps him from coming after me and doing something horrible?”
Jet gave Mandy a wink. “Sweetheart, do you think this is our first rodeo? We know exactly how to handle this. When Nick is in our office, we’ll not only show him the video, we’ll show him the e-mail that’s ready to go to his dad, video attached. Also, it won’t be just Sonia and me. Not only will we have one of our larger male acquaintances with us, we’ll have your lawyer with us as well.”