STRANGER (3)

CHAPTER THREE

2:45pm, Thursday.

“How is our subject?” a husky masculine voice said over the receiver. “Stubborn”, she had the phone cradled between her jaw and her right shoulder “I’m getting tired but it’s actually sweet though…the way he loves the bitch! He’s a good guy” she took out a Nutella jar from the fridge and transferred the phone to the other ear. “Don’t get distracted, he has what we want” the voice said. She crossed over to the other room, drew the metal chair and sat down; scooping a generous amount of ice cream in her mouth she looked intently at the wall plastered with pictures in black and white of Morgan and Brendan and newspaper clipping. “Is he going to get hurt? Will he come out of this unscathed?” a minute trace of concern in her voice. The man at the other end of the line repeated. “He has access to something we want. He might be collateral damage, don’t get attached” He yelled anger welling up inside him.

“Okay! I get it!” she sighed, he’s such a good guy, she thought. Suddenly the other phone on the table rang and she picked it reluctantly and stared at it with a light frown, jumping the next minute when she saw who was calling. “Oh my God!  He’s calling” she gasped. Pick it up, leave the line on” he said. She sighed; taking two deep breathes and slipped in the role,

“Hello?" she said softly. “Hello Lydia” Brendan said into the receiver, he sounded so angry and upset and spoke hurriedly “are you home? Can I come?” he asked, not bothering for pleasantries. “What?” she asked, “do you still want me Lydia?” She shook her head, hoping the man at the other end of the line didn’t hear the conversation.

“Brendan what’s wrong?” she asked. “Are you home?” he asked briskly. She looked around her, the empty room she sat in with his pictures and Morgan’s, the jar sitting on her thigh. She bit her lower lip. “Yeah”

“I’m coming over” he said frankly and hung up. She cursed under her breathe, grabbing the other phone, “did you hear that? He’s coming over” she said racing to the living room. The man at the other end of the line smiled slyly at the computer screen, whatever he watched gladdened him deeply. He had a new plan.   “Yes babe, change of plans. I’ll be there in 10 minutes. Till then, keep him entertained” he hung up. His dark eyes still fixated on the screen and an even darker thought prowl in his mind.

*****

The same day…

12:30pm.

“Ben what do you think?” Brendan placed his hands on his waist staring at the only member of his team available with a raised brow, he really didn’t care what Ben had to say, and he just wanted to be home with Morgan. Michael frowned and  grudgingly replied, “it’s a unique campaign sir, its detailed and I think Morris  Watt will be looking at big gains with this ad” he planned to spend the day on his couch playing video games and use the funeral of his co-worker as an excuse.  Brendan nodded he really didn’t care; his mind was faraway at home in the sheets with his wife. 

“Alright, Get the ad to Bradley’s office immediately with the presentation” he threw his legs off his desk, put on his jacket and briefcase and car keys and headed for the door. “Sir?” Brendan turned around at the door, “I’m going home. If Bradley doesn’t show up at 2:00 you can go home to your video game” he added before exiting. Michael made a YES! gesture with his arm, he cleared Brendan’s table before leaving with the tape and the presentation to his cubicle.

Brendan couldn’t hide his excitement. He walked briskly to the elevator door and got in with 4 other people. He had the rest of the day planned; he would drive to the flower shop and pick up some roses and lilies then make a final stop at a wine shop buy her favourite red wine and head home. She was obviously home he thought, gripping the steering with excitement. She had only one errand- to the bank and back home. With Morgan it was the little things that mattered; showing up at her workplace with lunch when she was busy or sending flowers to her office every week. Since she quit her job at the bank everything changed.  She stayed at home now fulltime, running errands for their charity and for the church, and her regular visit to the gym. She lost her parents in a plane crash a year ago and everything turned sour. He wanted to take her on vacation to Columbia where she grew up with her adoptive parents.  

He made a stop at Roots Flower Emporium where they sold the most exotic floral bouquets and wine.    He couldn’t stop smiling; he liked the images his mind formed. Making Morgan happy was his lifelong goal, He remembered the day he introduced her to his friends as his fiancé. And just like they’d said he didn’t deserve her. She was amazing he thought, still is.

He parked behind her car in the driveway and jogged up the stairs. With no sight of her in the living and the kitchen he walked up to their bedroom. The door was ajar, he slowly pushed it open looking around him suspiciously, a masculine trouser flung over the wooden chair. Morgan lay in bed naked, one hand on her forehead and the other on her chest with her eyes closed. She breathed heavily, licking her lower lip as she turned to pick her phone from the side drawer.

“Morgan?” Brendan said through cracked throat. He stared in disbelief; he didn’t need a philosopher to explain the state of the bedroom with his wife naked in bed and a masculine trouser that wasn’t his. She jerked up at the sound of her name, threw her long legs off the bed then crashing to the side of the bed on her knees and began to cry.  Her hands searched for her robe frantically with her eyes still fixed on him. Brendan felt his knees buckle.

“Are you ready to go-” an average height man in briefs came out of the bathroom behind Morgan. Brendan lifted his gaze from his adulterous wife kneeling beside the bed to the man behind her- Bradley. He felt a sharp excruciating pain in his chest then a sudden weird release like someone turned off the switch to his brain. His sanity slowly slipped away and his fists clenched in rock hard moulds. His eyes locked on Brad watching in disbelief as he helped Morgan up to her feet and pushed her behind him, she buried her face in her palms.  

“You need to leave Brendan” Bradley said, daring him to make a move. In his mind, the rose bouquet in his left hand wilted and fell to the ground. But the wine bottle, he gripped it and aimed at Brad’s head, he heard Morgan scream his name and in one fluid motion he lounged for Brad driving his fists in his jaw, Bradley staggered backward burying his face in Morgan’s’ neck.

“Get away from her you bastard” Brendan screamed he threw a punch in his back again, causing Bradley to fall to his knees and pulling Morgan down with him. He turned to return a punch but Brendan caught him by his arm and dragged him away from Morgan, he feel on his face. Brendan shot a death glare at Morgan; she was on her knees again with both hands clasped together as she pleaded. Bradley crawled to classic ottoman, he reached for his trouser and jacket and tried to put one foot up before Brendan rushed to him again,  kicking his abdomen continuously until he couldn’t bear Morgan’s screams, he pulled her up and shook her several times “you want to protect him? You do? ” he yelled panting deeply.

She looked deeply in his eyes hoping to see that warm reassuring look that she still had him wrapped around her finger but the Brendan she knew was gone. All she saw was anger, bitterness and a distinct glare of death in his eyes. She looked behind him at Bradley, he was already up to his feet, and he glanced back at her through bloodshot eyes shaking his head as he staggered to the door. Brendan knew he was gone, it hurt him more when he realised that she cared for Bradley. There he stood intent on ending her life and she looked to Bradley to save her. His hands moved to her back pulling her into a tight hug, she hugged him back, confused at his reaction but welcoming altogether. Maybe he would forgive her, she thought. She rested her head on his shoulder enjoying the warm protective hand on her back. And then slowly it rose to her neck and he gripped the back of her neck fiercely, gripping her neck strongly. She began to struggle, trying to free herself from his grip, but he rested his chin on her soft silky hair with a smile on his lips as tears ran down his eyes. “Brendan! Let me go!” her fists repeatedly punching his chest before she managed to push him.     His wrist remained firmly around her neck; he lifted her off the ground, dragging her back towards the bathroom where she had consummated her affair severally with his boss and  he slammed her head on the bathtub, she fell into the tub facedown, coughing repeatedly as blood trickled down her hair and neck.  Brendan picked the bouquet of flowers and hurled it at her.

She cried loudly, repeatedly screaming “Get out! You bastard!” and he did that. He took off his jacket, and tossed it on the bed before grabbing his keys and storming out and slammed the front door so hard its hinges creaked.

  He waited for the traffic light to turn green; and slowly the thought started flowing in again. He was broken and couldn’t think clearly anymore, it would ease the pain; he thought if he had an affair with Lydia he would feel better. She brought out the worst in him; he hit a woman and not just any woman-his wife! The woman he’d sworn to love and protect and she made him do it. That day he lost a measure of his sanity. ‘You need to leave’ the four words that set him off completely, the man slept with his   wife and fired him! Brendan shook his head, outraged by brad’s guts, clenching the steering wheel in disgust. The traffic light turned green and he sped off.  

“Hey!” Lydia greeted him at the door; he nodded with a forced smile. “Can I come in?” he asked, she stepped away from the door to let him in. He stared at her apartment. It was scarcely furnished but very neat. “You just moved in here?” he asked, searching for a better way to ease into the real reason he was there. “Yeah…still moving” she drove her hands in the pocket of her ripped shorts and walked over to the couch.

 “Are you okay?” she asked eyeing his bloody knuckles. He nodded.

“Morgan is having an affair” she gasped, “with my boss” he finished. He crashed heavily beside her. “Oh My God Brendan I’m so sorry” she lied, her brows drawn together in deceit. “I don’t know how long it’s been going on” he said and then he couldn’t contain his hurt anymore. He buried his face in her thighs; she ran her hands through his hair and patted his back whispering soothing words to him. Lydia pitied him, in that moment she wasn’t thinking about her selfish interests in his predicament, but she started to care about him. She rolled her eyes, irritated at herself but she couldn’t help him, she looked down at him again. “Brace yourself Brendan…this is just the beginning” she thought to herself. He sniffed and looked up at her, “so…I came here to…” he couldn’t form the words,  all the pain Morgan caused him he still couldn’t bring himself to break his vows to her. “Do you still want me?” he asked bluntly. Lydia’s eyes widened. How do I handle this?

“Brendan I think it’s best if you think this through, you’re hurt and making decisions in this state is very bad and you might regret it” she said, a slight soothing smile on her lips. Brendan stared down at his shoes in shame. He nodded; taking in her words. Just then her phone buzzed and she hurriedly picked it up from the side stool, she glared intently at the screen with a slight frown. And looked up at him, “something just came up…I…you can stay if you want to, I won’t be long” she said getting to her feet. He sniffed again, “No…I need to go anyway, I need to get my shit from the office” he said. She ran her hands though her hair nervously as she followed him to the door.

She watched him leave before shutting the door and walked to the bedroom, she smiled up at the old haggard woman in her 60s lying on the bed. Her neck awfully twisted to the right with her chin resting on her collar bone. The only thing that moved were her eyes, her hands were at her side. Her forehead was wrinkled and she had a permanent look of torment and pain in her eyes.  Lydia walked to the woman she cradled her face and kissed her forehead.

“It’s finally happening Mama” she sat on the bed and squeezed the woman’s hands warmly.  “Soon we’ll go back to Columbia and move back to our old house. You’ll be fine Mama. I promise I’ll take care of you” she said, her eyes watered. The old woman’s brows furrowed her eyes suddenly watery also but she didn’t move she lay still as a corpse. “Don’t worry I know you’re proud of me” she brought her rough hands to her lips “I have to go out now mama. I won’t be long I promise” she whispered, getting to her feet and placing a final kiss on her mama’s forehead before leaving.

The guard on duty at Bradley Locke just got out of the bathroom when Brendan walked in the building. His face suddenly turned red. “Sir, I’ve been instructed not to allow you into the building by Mr Bradley and asked me to clear your table” he hesitantly walked over to Brendan with a brown box containing all of Brendan’s personal items which he kept in the office. Rick liked Brendan and it upset him that he had to follow such orders.

A drunken Brendan smiled up at the guard. “C’mon Rick! I’m just going to get something from my office” all the alcohol he’d consumed since he left Lydia’s’ helped him smile.   “Sir…” rick “Mr Bradley personally gave that order” the man screwed his wife, fired him and banned him from entering the company he helped build. “Look…it’s a safety deposit key. I left it in my drawer and I need to get it. You can escort me up there if you want” he said innocently. It wasn’t just any key. It was the key to his new life. The contingency. Rick stared at Brendan again, he hesitated.  “I have to stay down here. I’m the only on duty tonight. I’ll come up there if you’re not done in 5 minutes” Brendan beamed, just as he’d planned.  The elevator door came down as rick returned to his station.  “Rick” the fat man turned around quickly. “Don’t come to work tomorrow” he said. “Come work for me instead” Brendan said finally as he entered the elevator.

 When the doors of the elevator open at the 6^th floor. He stepped out, checking his wristwatch; the office was dark and empty as he expected. He made sure to avoid the cameras and slipped into Bradley’s office, watching the time closely, Rick said 5 minutes, the exact time he needed.  He walked behind Bradley’s desk and searched the cabinet for a file, he sighed when he found the file, closing the cabinet and raced down the fire exit stairs at the other side of the office. When he reached the ground floor, Rick wasn’t there anymore. Brendan didn’t bother take the brown box as long as he left it there he was never in that building that night. He walked a few blocks to where he parked his black Audi.

A call came in, big brother Larry was calling; he was probably calling to scold him about hitting Morgan. He swallowed hard and prepared to defend himself, he’d had it with people taking advantage of him because he liked to play the nice guy. He answered the phone wearing a stern look, like he could see Larry. “Hello?” he answered. Larry waited a moment, his pulse racing. “Brendan?” he was unusually calm. Brendan rolled his eyes hard; his brother finally took another approach this time, he thought. “Where are you?” Larry continued, he ran his hands through his hair and watched with shock as he watched his brother’s wife being pulled out of their apartment on a stretcher in a black bag with Brendan’s photograph on the screen labelled “WANTED”.

“Morgan is dead” his voice trailed off at the last word.