Craig had more respect for Eric Millard after that evening. Not much more, but a little more.
* * *
Craig was flabbergasted when Garth showed him the pictures of Lorne Davis from the afternoon at the coffee shop. “It’s Chrissie! My ex-wife! I can’t believe she’s with him, of all people! I don’t know what to do! What am I going do? We gotta take him down!”
Garth tried to calm him down. “Take a deep breath. Settle down. We’re gonna get him. We’ve got lotsa evidence.”
Craig was embarrassed Chrissie was dating Lorne Davis. Didn’t she know he was a lowlife? Then, he was embarrassed for getting so upset. He didn’t know why he reacted like that. He really didn’t care what she did or with whom she did it. He didn’t hate her. In fact, he had no feelings for her at all. Craig had come to a realization many divorced people discover: the opposite of love is not hate; the opposite of love is indifference.
Robbie and Heather, however, were a different story. They were unwitting partners in this mess Chrissie had created. Craig would never forgive her for that. She continued to play access games and manipulate Robbie and Heather. Craig feared his children would be scarred forever by their mother’s psychological abuse. It was possible they could develop emotional problems that would affect their ability to trust. Their future relationships could suffer as a result.
Craig had every right to be worried about his connection with Robbie and Heather. Chrissie continued to belittle him. She made the kids feel bad if they so much as mentioned their father. She had deliberately turned access into a nightmare. As a result, Craig had not seen much of them in recent months. However, if he took her to court, it would be Robbie and Heather who would pay the price. A court case would be a lose-lose situation for everyone, except Chrissie. Chrissie always won.
Now, maybe Craig could change that. Dragging Chrissie into this Davis affair might make her feel like a loser. It would give her something else to think about, besides trying to make everyone’s life as miserable as hers. For once, she would have no one to blame—but herself.
* * *
Loretta waited anxiously in the Water Street Cafe. This meeting would be difficult. She was about to tell someone the person they date is a liar and a womanizer. Not an easy thing to do. When Vikki Millard came in, Loretta waved at her. Craig’s description was right on, she thought.
* * *
Loretta had told Craig she wanted to warn Vikki. “I want to show her the proof we have about Lorne Davis. She deserves to know, and I should be the one to tell her. Hopefully, she’ll dump that skirt chasing letch.”
Craig agreed it would be better if the information came from a woman, especially one with intimate knowledge of Davis. He also hoped Vikki would have something more to add to their case.
Craig called Vikki and asked her to meet with Loretta. He told her they had gathered some unsavory and incriminating evidence against Lorne Davis. He was worried she could be in danger. Vikki agreed to meet Loretta. Craig was glad. Davis didn’t deserve someone as nice as Vikki.
* * *
Vikki sat down, and after some small talk, Loretta told her about the truth they had uncovered about Lorne Davis. Vikki interrupted, saying Lorne swore up and down his fling with Chrissie Andrews was a one-time thing. He promised it would never happen again.
“Chrissie Andrews,” Loretta said, “is just the tip of the iceberg.” She showed Vikki notes and cards she had received from Lorne and photos of them together. “Vikki, he was dating both of us at the same time.” Loretta also showed her pictures of Davis on dates with Chrissie, as well as three other women. The pictures showed them on a variety of occasions: in his car, at restaurants and motels. The women were all clients of the SOE and had already come forward to lodge complaints. Vikki sat in silent disbelief. “I’m so sorry, Vikki. But Lorne Davis is a horrible person.”
“I am such a fool.” Vikki wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I believed him. I feel so used.”
“You belong to a big club. We were all taken in by him.”
Vikki was mad as hell. “I want to show him all this. I want to watch him squirm when I prove he’s nothing but a lying, cheating son-of-a-bitch!” Other people in the café at nearby tables couldn’t help but hear Vikki’s rant.
Loretta had to calm her down. She was afraid Vikki would do something foolish. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Vikki. I have a feeling we don’t know the real Lorne Davis. I’ve heard a lot of gossip about him. He’s not what he appears to be. His ex-wife says he is an abuser with a hair-trigger temper. Why don’t we let my husband Garth and Craig handle this?”
Vikki took a deep breath. She had never considered that Lorne Davis would ever physically harm her. “You’re right. But it would feel so good to nail him with the truth.”
“The boys will do that,” Loretta said. “They’re ready to expose Lorne to the SOE.”
“I know, Craig told me. To be honest, once I found out someone like Craig was out to get him, I was convinced Lorne was a liar. Guess I just wasn’t ready to admit it.”
Loretta and Vikki became friends that night. They sat and talked and talked. They shared stories about their lives and loves; two women drawn together by circumstance and linked forever by friendship.
Vikki told Loretta after she and Eric separated; she met Lorne the night he spoke to her businesswomen’s group. He gave a lecture on family law, support orders and how the SOE helps women collect from delinquent fathers. Vikki and Lorne spoke for a while after the meeting. He asked for her business card. He called her a few days later. “One thing about our horny Lornie—he was awesome in bed.” Vikki tried to keep a straight face.
“Phew.” Loretta wiped imaginary perspiration from her forehead. She and Vikki giggled like two schoolgirls.
Vikki suddenly became serious. “You know, now that I think about it, Lorne probably volunteered to give those lectures simply to meet women.”
Loretta agreed. “I have no doubt.”
Vikki told Loretta about Jim Roberts and the gossip about them having an affair. “It wasn’t true. I was dating Lorne and I was faithful to him.” She and Jim were just friends. She was in charge of designing a marketing strategy for Victoria Crossing. They had several business lunches together, but they never dated or saw one another apart from work. She wondered who was responsible for mailing those pictures to Jim’s wife. She felt horrible about his suicide and couldn’t imagine how Craig dealt with finding him in the garage.
Vikki was so genuine and straightforward; Loretta couldn’t help but believe her. Besides, she had no reason to lie.
As Loretta told her she and Garth had reconciled, Vikki’s was thinking about Craig Andrews. He had been on her mind ever since he called to arrange this meeting. Chrissie gave up quite a catch when she let him go. Vikki made a mental note to ask Loretta if he was seeing anyone.
Vikki tried to concentrate on what Loretta was saying but her thoughts turned to Lorne Davis and what a jerk he was to her. She needed to concoct a plan to get even with Lorne. She couldn’t help it. She owed him for the cheating, the lies and the heartbreak. Vikki didn’t realize Loretta’s assessment of Lorne’s character was right on. No one knew the real Lorne Davis.
They soon would.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Endings and Beginnings
The evidence was irrefutable. Charles Talbot’s desk was covered with dozens of photographs, each one showing different women with Lorne Davis. He had sworn statements from Loretta Hodgson, Grace Myers and several others accusing Davis of professional misconduct. They all alleged he had carried on intimate love affairs with them while they were clients of the SOE. Craig and Garth had supplied him with videotape showed Lorne going into various motels with different women and an audio recording of a phone call between Lorne and Loretta. Lorne could be clearly heard telling her he missed her and
wanted to rekindle their love affair. Charles had him dead to rights. He was going to enjoy this.
Charles called his secretary on the intercom. “Jennie, please tell Lorne Davis I want to see him right away.”
“Yes, Mr. Talbot.”
Talbot walked to the window and looked out over the city. He thought back to the days before he joined the Justice Department. He was a young prosecutor in the D.A.’s Office and part of a hard working, honest team of lawyers fresh out of law school. They were short on experience, but had high ideals. They held the legal profession and the rules of conduct in high esteem. They despised lawyers like Lorne Davis. We would have nailed him back then, Charles thought. Like I will today.
* * *
Julie Helmer assumed the letter was from Chrissie because of the Towercrest Realty logo on the envelope. Actually, it was from one of Chrissie’s employees. The letter could have been from anyone of them; it was typed and unsigned.
Julie read the letter and slowly put it down on her desk. She was afraid this day would come; the day Chrissie’s drinking would catch up to her. It must be getting bad. Her own employees don’t know what to do. She knew how they felt. One of her best friends was in trouble, and Julie didn’t know what to do about it.
* * *
Craig was early. He made a point of being early for important events, and this certainly qualified as one. He hadn’t been on a date since he and Lisa parted ways. They mutually agreed their relationship should not have moved beyond friendship. They went back to being friends and stayed in touch, even after Lisa started dating a new guy. Craig was happy for her.
Craig was slowly building a new life. He had opened his office supply company a few months ago. He didn’t have sufficient start-up capital, but his bank manager approved a loan using Craig’s car as collateral. The business was off to a good start. Craig had a lot of contacts from his days in real estate, and he used them all. He was also personable and honest which are definite assets in sales. The future looked bright for Andrews Office Supply Ltd.
Craig checked his watch. He calculated the walk from his car to the door of her apartment building would make him exactly two minutes early. Perfect. Don’t want to appear too anxious. Craig entered the lobby. He located her buzzer: “V. Millard” and pressed the button.
“Yes,” Vikki said, over the intercom.
“Hi, Vikki. It’s Craig.”
“C’mon up. I’m almost ready.”
Vikki’s voice made his stomach flip. Craig was keyed up. He was thrilled when Loretta told him Vikki had asked about him. When a chick wonders if you’re seeing someone, chances are you’re someone she’d like to see. And she did make that pass at me a few years ago—even if she was only kidding. The idea of dating Vikki appealed to him. He had always been attracted to her. She was stunning, intelligent and easy to talk to. Craig was happy to hear Vikki was interested. He called her the next day to invite her out for dinner.
His hands were shaking as he pressed the button for the elevator. I think I’m more excited than nervous. A grown man shouldn’t feel this way. Craig did feel like an inexperienced teenager. But he couldn’t help it. Anticipation can do that. Anticipation can be delightful.
* * *
It was over quickly. Two security guards, Rick and Al escorted Lorne Davis from the building. They could barely conceal their joy. Davis had been nasty to them on many occasions. They had to take it because he was a big shot in the SOE. Now, they had the pleasure of escorting him out, an arrogant bully whose day had come.
It is not often in life when a day like this comes along—a day when we actually witness our archenemy get what they deserve. This was such a day for Rick and Al. In the elevator, they snuck a glance behind Lorne’s back and gave each other a thumbs-up. They held the door open for Lorne and watched him walk across the street to the parking lot.
“Bye-bye, Uncle Lorne,” Rick said.
“Don’t forget to write,” Al said. They broke into laughter.
Lorne sped out of the parking lot. He could not believe the amount of evidence Talbot had: photographs, videotape, audiotape and sworn statements. Evidence so damning, Lorne didn’t bother to refute the allegations. He offered no explanation, no rebuttal—he knew he was done. Talbot fired him on the spot.
Lorne was seething with anger as he drove past the new waterfront condos on Glenrose Parkway. “Never in a million years, would I have guessed that bitch Hodgson would tape my phone calls! What did I ever do to her? I tried to help her! And Joyce Myers! Both of those dames would have nothing without me. I forced their deadbeat husbands to cough up a lot of money. Oh, and speaking of deadbeats—Garth Hodgson. That dirty scumbag and his buddy Andrews. Tailing me and taking pictures! They’ll curse the day they screwed with me! Nobody makes a fool out of Lorne Davis! Nobody!”
* * *
Lorne came by his attitude towards life honestly. His father was a drunk who didn’t draw a sober breath until the day he died. When they were kids, Lorne and his two brothers watched him beat their mother too many times to count. They learned to get out of sight when he came home all liquored up. Lorne and his brothers knew all the places to hide. They knew their mother was in for it.
Their father was a mean drunk. He would smack his boys or inflict pain anyway he could. He would punish them if he caught them reading or studying. He cursed them with each stroke of his leather razor strop. The old man was afraid his kids would be smarter than him. Every night, Lorne and his brothers would wait until their father passed out. Then, they would sneak into the cold-storage room in the basement to do their homework.
One afternoon, their father came home early. Lorne’s older brother Dave, a senior in high school, was at the kitchen table, studying for an exam. The old man grabbed an extension cord out of a drawer and whipped Dave across his back. Dave had reached his limit. He went berserk. Lorne watched Dave pound their father to the floor. Dave wouldn’t stop. He couldn’t stop. His fists were full of rage from years of abuse. Later, Dave said he would have killed him if Lorne hadn’t pulled him away.
Lorne helped Dave haul their father out the front door. The old man struggled to free himself. He screamed and cursed as they dragged him down the front steps and across the lawn to the street. Dave and Lorne held him down and told him they never wanted to see him again. They threatened to kill him if he ever came back. He must have believed them. They never saw their father again.
Life was easier for Lorne and his brothers after that, even though they were dirt poor. Their father never paid a cent to their mother. She worked hard as a cleaning lady during the day and a cashier at a convenience store in the evening. She was a devoted mom and loved her boys. They loved her as well and let her know it.
Lorne had fond memories of those days after his father left. They lived in a two-bedroom ramshackle house on the outskirts of town. They had no car, no phone and the only money the boys had came from their after-school jobs. All the brothers wore hand-me-down clothes and used folded newspaper to cover the holes in the soles of their shoes on snowy winter days. They didn’t have much, but they had each other and they were safe. You can’t put a price on that. Sometimes being rich has nothing to do with money.
* * *
Lorne was beginning to cool down by the time he drove past Towercrest Realty. Towercrest—hmm, Chrissie Andrews. She didn’t rat me out, and it’s been too long since I got lucky. That’s exactly what I need right now. A little horizontal distraction would take my mind off this.
Lorne was no fool, however. He had to find a job immediately. His child support payments were substantial, and he certainly didn’t want to fall into arrears. He knew the system and how easily it could be twisted to make a deadbeat’s life miserable. He had no doubt Talbot and the SOE would use his own tricks against him and show no mercy. Lorne was right.
* * *
br /> Although it was a first date, Craig and Vikki talked like lifelong friends all the way to the restaurant. When he called to invite her out for dinner, Craig asked Vikki if she could suggest a place she liked. Vikki told him one of her favorite restaurants was Athens by Night, a charming authentic Greek place.
The savory smells of garlic, ouzo and saganaki greeted them when they arrived. The interior was decorated in traditional white and blue. The floor was mosaic tile and a mural of white cloud frescos adorned the stucco ceiling. Hanging ferns and plants served as privacy partitions, sectioning the restaurant into small comfortable areas. The hostess seated them at a cozy booth in a secluded corner. Craig was glad he had called earlier and requested a romantic table.
Glancing at the menu, Vikki told Craig she loved Greek food and usually ordered an assortment of mezes rather than a main course. Craig had never met anyone else who would order an entire dinner of appetizers. It was something he particularly enjoyed, especially in Greek restaurants.
They both ordered traditional Greek salad and decided to share appetizers of taramousalata, tzatziki and spanikopita accompanied by a basket of warm pita bread. A bottle of Assyrtiko, a crisp white from Santorini, cooled in a wine bucket on a stand beside the table. They ordered coffee and ouzo after supper. Vikki told him she always liked “a little something sweet” to end a meal, so they shared a piece of baklava for dessert.
Craig couldn’t believe how comfortable he felt and how much they had in common. As Vikki talked, Craig was mesmerized. He agreed with her opinions about every topic they discussed. He was amazed. He had found someone whose beliefs and philosophy mirrored his. Craig had yet to learn Vikki felt the same. She was as enthralled with him as he was with her.
The waiter came by and asked if they would like anything else. Craig looked around to discover the restaurant was empty. The tables had been stripped of their cloths and the chairs were overturned on top. When had that happened? Craig checked his watch. “We’ve talked the whole evening. It’s midnight.”