You Get What You Pay For by J. C. Laird (reading tree TXT) 📕

her modest black dress, but the hat and sunglasses had vanished. She had pulled her hair up and off her neck, pinning it in back. Her flawless, bronze-tinted skin glowed in the light. Both men had taken an involuntary step back when they had first turned and seen her. Haskins recovered first. He chose to ignore her initial salutation and nodded towards Jeffrey. “I’d like to introduce Jeffrey Anderson, the late Adam Anderson’s brother. And I’m David Haskins, his attorney.”

Gabby closed her eyes and turned her face skyward, enjoying the warmth of the sun. “I know who you are, boys.”

Her comment was disconcerting, but Haskins attacked. “I’m not going to beat around the bush. After Adam made large withdrawals from his bank account and Jeff heard about his planned escapade in Vegas, we had a private detective follow him around town. We’d like a little information from you, Ms. Duchene… or whoever you are. You see, we’ve done a little research on you. Morrison and Dunlap, LLC has never heard of you. They received an initial call from Adam, but never returned a call to him; they only deal in well-heeled, high-end clientele. We checked all the other escort agencies. None of them have heard of a Gabriella Marguerite Duchene either. We haven’t been able to come up with any information on you, but we will. I figure you’re just an enterprising, independent scammer, using your looks to con and rip-off the gullible and naïve. In Mr. Anderson’s case, you took advantage of a mentally incompetent man. If you don’t relinquish the money you duped Mr. Anderson out of, I’ll be filing civil and criminal charges including, but not limited to, fraud, misrepresentation, physical, emotional and financial exploitation of an organically brain-damaged individual, one suffering from mental and emotional dysfunctions. And, of course, prostitution, illegal in Kent County.” He smirked. “We might even try elder abuse.”

Gabby had remained silent during Haskin’s recitation, her smile remaining in place, but a smile now morphing, becoming grim and brittle, her dark eyes smoldering, darkening even more. Her jaw muscles clenched, her voice now cold and hard. “No, you won’t.”

Haskins’ looked dumbfounded. Jeff just looked dumb. Again, the lawyer was quick to recover. “Excuse me, but I will not stand here listening to some two-bit whore…”

Gabby kept going, her eyes boring into the suddenly flustered attorney like lasers. “It was

1998 and you were just starting your law practice with your partner, James Whitmore. It was the same year that Cyntex Technology went public with its IPO. You remember, the company with your old college buddy on the board of directors, Jimmy Kemp? That little illegal piece of insider trading enabled you to make a big killing in the stock market and allowed your law practice to get off to a flying start. Your partner, Whitmore, had scruples concerning the whole thing, but then that unfortunate accident fixed that little problem, didn’t it? And the IRS might be interested in your questionable bookkeeping methods, your investments, and several tax returns.”

Haskins had paled to the color of the overhead clouds, his mouth hanging open.

Next, Gabby zeroed in her fiery glare on the shorter man next to him, who appeared ready to bolt and run. “And you, Mr. Jeffrey Xavier Anderson, Bernalillo councilman and married father of two teenage boys, I hear you intend to run for Mayor of Bernalillo. Politics, a noble career,” she mocked. “But I wonder if your constituents and your family know of your penchant for young boys? I wonder what the victims’ families would think. Then, there was that 12-year-old boy a couple of years ago who had trouble living with your little sodomy predilection and jumped off the I-40 overpass.” Jeffrey had turned an ashen gray and made a gagging sound. Gabby looked at both men in disgust.

Haskins finally croaked out, “How… how…?”

Gabriella’s voice was cold and hard, a contrast to her blazing eyes. “I have my sources and they are very good sources. And I can keep digging if you want. I can unravel every frayed, loose end of your miserable, little lives. Not a good thing for either of you. You will also drop any legal or civil actions concerning Adam’s will. Further, I do not want my ears polluted by hearing your names again. This matter is over, or you will be over. Boys, listen and listen carefully. Don’t force me to come back. If I do, I will destroy you.” She gave each another withering glare and strode off towards the house. The two cowed men were scurrying out the backyard gate before she ever made it to the door.

Little Jessica was in the living room talking to two of her pre-school friends. When she saw Gabriella enter, she detached herself and ran over to her. “Hi, Gabby, are you lookin’ for my mother?”

“Yes, I am. Is she nearby?”

“Just in the kitchen. Should be back pretty soon.”

Gabby grinned. “Well, that’s okay, it’ll give us a chance to chat.”

Amanda came around the corner several minutes later, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. She saw Gabby and Jessica talking and walked over, smiling. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” she said.

“No, Jessica and I were just swapping stories.”

Jessica began tugging on her mother’s skirt. “Mommy, Mommy, I have to tell you some ‘portant stuff…”

Gabby put her forefinger to her lips. “Shhhhh, Jessica, it’s still a secret, remember?”

Jessica looked crestfallen but remained quiet.

Gabby turned to Amanda. “I have to go soon; my sister and brothers are meeting me. And, Amanda, I don’t want you to think any less of Adam for what he did with me. He—”

Amanda interrupted her by stepping forward and embracing her. “Gabby, don’t say another thing. I can’t pretend that I approve of what you do. All I know is that my brother had a very sad finish to his life, and you were the only one who brought him any happiness at the end. You brought him joy. Despite the pain, he was in the final weeks of his life, he always smiled whenever he talked about you. Somehow, you turned a nightmare into a dream. I can only thank you for that.” She stepped back, tears in her eyes.

Gabriella’s eyes filled, blurred. “Adam was a good man,” she sighed before adding cryptically, “Always remember, you get what you pay for.” She took Amanda’s hand in her own, giving it a quick squeeze. “You two, take care.” She bent and kissed Jessica on the head. “Be good for your Mom.” Then she turned and disappeared out the door.

Jessica was back to tugging on her mother’s skirt. “Mommy, here, this is for you.” She was holding an envelope.

She took it from her daughter. “What is it, sweetheart?”

“Gabby gave it to me to give to you after she went home.”

Amanda opened the envelope and removed a cashier’s check made out to her for $105,000. She gasped, her hand covering her mouth. “Oh, my God,” she whispered.

Jessica’s wide, childish grin turned into a frown of concern. “You okay, Mommy?”

Amanda stared at the closed front door. “I don’t understand this… why… why did she…?”

Jessica’s grin returned, bigger than ever. “It’s okay Mommy, Gabby ‘splained everything to me, I’ll ‘splain it to you.” The little girl was literally jumping up in down with excitement.

“She was on a sorta ‘signment.”

“You mean assignment?”

“Yeah, that’s what I said, ‘signment. It means jobs. Gabby does lots of different jobs, some sad and some fun, lots of special kinds of ‘signments for a lotta different people who earn it and need it. She said she’s good at everythin’ she duz. Uncle Adam dint know her ‘signment was for him and was free, but she wasn’t ‘sposed to tell him anythin,’ so she saved the monies he gave her to give back to us. Her ‘signment for Uncle Adam was to make him happy cuz of all the unhappy stuff he had. Gabby said Uncle Adam had pre… had pre… preee-paid, that’s the word… prepaid… for his dreams and prayers already!” A look of consternation crossed her young face. “I’m still thinkin’ ‘bout that one. She said that other thing too, ‘bout payin’ for what you get, or somethin’ like that. Oh, yeah, she said Uncle Jeff and his mean friend won’t be bothering us never again, neither.”

Questions were flooding Amanda’s mind. She knelt, brushed the hair from her daughter's face and looked into the innocent blue eyes. “Sweetheart, did Gabby say who she really was, or where she came from?”

Jessica rolled her eyes upward in mock exasperation. “Oh, Mommy, those are easy ones, ‘cept she did kinda add to her name. Geez, dint I ‘splain it good ‘nuff? Dint she tell you her sister and brothers were meetin’ her?”

“Yes, hon.”

“Well, duh, Mommy, her brothers are Gabriel and Michael, and her sis is Mikaela! Get it, Michael and Gabriel, and Mikaela and Gabriella? Didya think angels were all boys?” Jessica shook her head in wonder; sometimes grownups were so silly. With that, Jessica skipped away in search of her friends.

Amanda stood, staring at the check. Maybe it was her stunned imagination, but she thought she could detect the faint sweetness of tangerines...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Imprint

Text: John C. Laird
Editing: Valerie Fee
Publication Date: 06-17-2012

All Rights Reserved