This waiting was getting on her last nerve. Martin was sitting in jail. Someone fronted him money and he has been sending her e-mails full of garbage daily. He claims he is innocent of all charges. The girl, Trey, and Rich duped him. He had no idea what they were involved with. He claims the same thing almost every day. She wonders if he is trying to convince her or the cops reading the letters every day. He is wasting his money each one of those e-mails costs sixty cents each. He could buy half a coke with that kind of money. His lawyer must be fronting him; because everything they have except her trip money is frozen. That was fine with Renee. She can live for sixty days on eight thousand. She can't count the times she has thanked God she saved that money. The best part is he didn't know about it. Then again maybe he had money set aside she knew nothing about either. It can go both ways she realized.
*
Renee was in her office the sales were going well even with the down economy. She was quick to take a low-ball deal. The salesmen still get their cut but right now she would rather be known as the good deal place than the pervert's palace.
Agent Parker sauntered in the showroom Renee knew the second he pulled the door open. Something buzzed between her legs, as she popped up from behind her desk, and scanned the showroom. She smiled as their eyes met, he did to; but immediately wiped it from his face as he approached. The whole case could be thrown if it was found he was involved with the perp's wife. His problem was he thought about her all the time.
He had no reason to be there but made up a reason knowing the dealership was on his way to a meeting. He was working a different case now. They found the apartment the Jamie Lynn was living at, and it was full of run aways. Jamie was the lucky one she got away from there for work and to see Martin. The other seemed to be used for sex and photos with no way to get away. The whole place was shady in the far east Austin area it was being checked out by the local police it all seemed shady and lots of men were being arrested. They were arresting men as they came to partake of the boys and girls for days after the place was raided. They had officers waiting for a door knock and would arrest them on the spot.
The Blankenship case is being worked on in different cities by different agents. The e-mails and sites on his computer sent them to several locations. Making his way to her office she watched as he dodged desks and people. The place was packed for a Friday evening. One reason she was still there approving car prices.
"Hey, how are you doing?" He asked.
"I'm good, I have wanted to call you, but my attorney told me not to bug you," she told him as he took a seat.
"No, bug away. What did you want to know?"
"Well, what all do you have against him? My divorce is in the works, and I need to know if he is getting out soon?"
That smile crept back on his face. "No, not unless the judge is in cahoots with him. He isn't going anywhere except Nevada to face more charges and then to Illinois. He has been linked to a young girl who has been missing for about six months."
"Do they think she is dead or just missing?" Renee asked not liking the sound of missing girls.
"Not sure, there is nobody, but the theory is she is in some home of a sexual sadist. Pictures of a girl who looks a lot like that girl have been found on Martin's computer along with some other sick photos."
Leaning closer to her desk she asked, "So he had sick child porn on his computer?" she asked not believing he could be that sick.
"Sweetie he has thousands of pictures. We are waiting for a search warrant to photograph his and the other two men's bodies to compare them to pictures of men with children. I can give him this. He seems to have just started this fetish in the last year," Agent Parker told her trying to comfort her. She seemed to be close to falling apart and he didn't need a scene in the dealership.
Renee was looking for a way out. Her husband was having sex with young girls and was letting someone film him. What the hell is wrong with him and how could she not tell there was a problem?
"Renee women all over this country have husbands doing some of the sickest things and they had no idea. There was a man up in Wichita Falls who killed twenty-seven women over ten years and his family had no idea. Everyone said he was the nicest person. Don't down yourself for not knowing. I'm sorry I upset you."
"No, hey I asked right," she offered with a sick smile.
"Yes, but I feel guilty for upsetting you. I was so looking forward to seeing you and I just upset you."
"No don't be silly I was, I mean, I am happy to see you. What brought you by?"
"I heard you have been receiving e-mails and was wondering if I could see them. I could get a warrant, but I figured you would be easier just to ask."
"Yes, I'm easy," she said and glanced up at him, "and I even have them printed out. I was going to give them to my attorney and have him stop the correspondence. I don't want to hear from him," she said handing him a stack of papers.
"Unless you get a restraining order there should be no stopping him for now. You could just not open them."
"True but I keep hoping he will apologize and admit his wrongdoing. But no, he just keeps claiming he is innocent and hopes I'm stupid enough to believe him if he says it enough."
He hated she was becoming so jaded. He just wants to scoop her up hug her and kiss her to take her pain away. Then he wants to ravish her so she will forget all about him. Instead, he patted her hand and left it at that. Once the investigation is over, he plans to make a date with this firecracker and see what happens.
Renee watched him walk out papers in hand thinking she blew that. He must think she is a fricken idiot. How could she not have known? She has spent weeks going over their lives and the only thing that changed was the trips were becoming more frequent. He came home every time horny, with no signs he had been having sex with anyone. How is a woman to know it's not like they get a sloppy dick from overuse? Ahh, but they may need Viagra to keep going. Ok, now she needs to check with his doctor and see if that medicine does what he claims it does. Maybe he just needed it to get it up for her.
"Oh, who the hell cares? I'll be divorced soon enough. Let them figure it out," Renee protested and scanned the showroom.
*
The e-mails came in hot and heavy and slowly changed to him begging her to come and see him. Agent Parker was right. There was no way to stop him. If he has the money to send them. She just can't resist opening them. Call her stupid or nosey she read them all. On a Tuesday afternoon after sixty-five e-mails, she decided to go see him and tell him to stop sending them. She had had it with his crap and was going to tell him to his face. That would be her final act of defiance.
"I'm here what do you want? If you're looking for forgiveness you're insane," Renee said she could not believe she relented and came to see him. He looked terrible, thin, older, and he needed a haircut. The visiting room was packed with a lot of rough-looking people. The inmates and the ones visiting were all scary. She is sure no one knows who she is. With little make-up and her hair contained in a French braid, she looked nothing like the vivacious woman in the TV commercials.
"Oh, come on honey, I had no idea what those guys were into. You know me better than that," Martin whined wishing he could hold her hand. He desperately needed her on his side. They have a no-contact policy, and his visit would be over if he did touch her.
"I know no such thing. I had no idea you were luring young girls twelve to fourteen years old and less from their homes to have sex with you and some are still missing. One is on a website being abused and raped by men and you're the one who took her to that world. No, I don't know you and we will be divorced in nine days, and I also hope you never get out of jail. I hope you accomplished what you wanted; I came. Now don't contact me again," she said the anger showing in her expression he couldn't miss.
"Aah Renee come on and talk to me," Martin asks using the charm that always won her over. He looked over his shoulder to see who all heard that dressing down she gave him.
"You're a pervert, a child rapist, and you have abused me for the last time," Renee told him and turned to look at the guard to see if she could leave. She didn't want to sit there for the next twenty minutes and listen to his BS. Receiving a sympathetic eye from the guard she stood and told him, "Don't contact me again I have nothing to give you." She turned and walked towards the door she entered.
"How's the dealership," Martin called out she turned back towards him and said, "struggling with all the bad press."
The guard was escorting him back to the cell area. Good riddance.
What the hell had she seen in him? All she sees now is a slimy pervert. To think she had tried to please that man for nine- years. A chill crossed her body even on this hot September day as the sun beat down on her. She walked away from the jail vowing to never see him again.
She already knows he won't be at the divorce hearing. His attorney contacted Dusty demanding half of everything. He will be there to make sure he gets paid. Dusty has already told her that was not going to happen. He may receive a small portion that he may be able to put in an account to buy things from the commissary but nothing more. In her mind, he didn't even deserve that. What is he going to do without his sick websites to fill his long hours? Renee mused as she drove away.
She needed to go home and get ready for her day at work. This is her life now. Working at the dealership and trying to keep her head above the rumors and truths that have filled the airwaves and blogs. So far, she has kept her head above the deep sucking hole Martin has found himself in.
Brodie has been leading the charge addressing every message bloggers post with his or her name on it. Many just disappeared from the web. He was letting everyone know she left him immediately when she found out about the DUI. She was another one of those uninformed wives you hear about. Business trips were his excuse. Her saving grace is that none were local girls. Many women have been sympathetic to her plight. In nine days, she can wash her hands of him for good. She hopes.
*
Changed and ready to go Renee stood looking in the mirror at the way her hair looked. She liked the way the kinks formed when she released the braid. She will have to remember this look for the future. She felt surprisingly calm. She was able to tell him exactly what she thought of him and now he can sit in his cell and think about what he has done. Renee naively thought he could feel remorse. His only remorse is that he got caught she surmised. She spent the rest of the day going over what she said and how bad he looked.
*
The next day she made it to the dealership when it opened. It was not busy but the bays in the service center were full, and cars were parked waiting their turn. Renee knew that meant money was always coming in. The true worth of a dealership is how people view the dependability of the repairs. In turn how much money rolls in from the service center will make or break a dealership.
Ricky Barber collected up his paperwork and followed Renee to her office. She has replaced the computer the cops took and was able to keep up with the inventory and sales. Not much more but at least she has learned that much.
Seeing Ricky at her door she smiled and bid him in. Placing her purse on a side table she asked, "So how was our last week sales," she asked. Ricky sat the papers on her desk and took a seat. "Rumor has it that you went to see Martin the other day."
"Rumor more like Bradley's big mouth. Yes, I did go see him and he looks old and tired. Orange is not his color."
"I'm sure he was happy to see you."
"I don't think he will be asking me back. I kind of rimmed him a new one. No, I won't be going back to see him again. So how are the numbers?"
Before he could say anything a transport truck with eight new vehicles pulled into the lot as the crew got busy unloading them. Renee always loves watching them unload. The ones on the top were always the most exciting. Watching them slowly roll to the ground. It must be nerve-racking for the driver knowing he has all that money in his control. Drawing her attention back to the paper work she sat as they discussed the profit margins.
She loved this work and the place she just hoped she didn't lose it because of Martin's stupidity. So far only a mention of a drunken driving charge out of Nevada have been reported in the mainstream media. She wonders how long that will last with blogger wild conspiracy theories. She is keeping Brodie well-paid to keep it at bay. Anything that pops up he squishes it.
*
Something told her to look up as a tingle ran over her and grabbed her attention. Agent Parker was walking towards her office absent that handsome smile. He looked concerned prompting Renee to stand and prepare herself for whatever he has come here to tell her. "Agent Parker what brings you here?" Renee asked, not sure she wants to know. He looked grim as if she had done something wrong.
"How have you been?" he asked as she made a hand wave for him to come in and sit. He did as he instructed closing the door before he sat.
"I have been good. I only have seven more days and I will be seeing the judge for my divorce."
"I heard it was soon. I also heard you went to see Mr. Blankenship."
"I did he kept e-mailing me begging me to come and see him. So, I did. Then he sat there trying to convince me he was innocent. He told me it was those other men's fault. He had no idea what they were up to. I told him I was not a fool that he was a pervert and to not contact me again. Then he had the nerve to ask me how the dealership was doing. I went dressed down so people may not recognize me, and he blew it by asking. The man is a fool."
"Ok, I was wondering why the disguise. I saw the video of your visit."
"Why was I not supposed to see him?" Renee asked concerned he was going to arrest her. No one told her she couldn't see him.
"No, he asked you to come, right?" he asked still sounding concerned.
"Yes daily," she said and got busy on her computer and printed out several of his e-mails. Handing them to him she sat down and let him read them. "I have probably thirty more, but they all say pretty much the same thing."
"So, he was telling you he was innocent and that is what got you upset?"
"Right, he was treating me like I was an idiot that he could convince me of anything. Like it was my fault he was in this predicament, and I could tell you guys I was mistaken. That was when I laid into him."
"Did you yell your concerns to him?" Agent Parker asked
"No, but I was not quiet nor was he. He kept looking to see if the guard was coming to get him. Why?"
"He was jumped in the common area and badly beaten before the guards could get to him."
"Well, isn't that what happens to perverts? He knew it was a possibility. We have talked about how child molesters are treated in jail before they get caught. He was convinced they deserved what they got. Besides, he wouldn't let it go. I was willing to have a nice conversation, but he kept trying to convince me he was a good guy," she told him and asked, "So, how is he?" she expected to hear a broken nose and a few broken ribs.
"He died in his cell," Agent Parker told her, and she dropped to the floor. He hadn't realized he had such an attentive audience because men came running from every direction. Packing her office, they had her up in her chair before he knew it as Bradley fanned her face with one of those reports. She came to and batted at the papers being waved in her face.
"I'm sorry Renee, I wanted to tell you in person; but apparently I didn't do it properly," Agent Parker told her as the other men backed off and he held her in the chair.
"I'll be fine guys just some bad news. Let me processed the information and I will get with you," she told them patting hands of the men as they left her office.
"Again, I'm sorry," Agent Parker told her as the last person left her office. They were all still watching closely he notice as he scanned the showroom. Not a customer in the place, maybe this would be a good time to let them know.
"So, what happened to him?" she asked.
"They think a rib punctured his lung and he told the guards he was fine he just wanted to lie down. He died in his sleep. The guards said he didn't seem badly injured. I saw the video and he walked away from the fight on his own. Sure, he was nursing his side, but he walked away."
"That sounds like him acting tough. Don't they at least check on the men after a fight?"
"Not really, they have so many fights. Someone would be in the infirmary all the time. If they complain yes; but they don't force them to seek help. Again, I'm sorry."
"No don't be it was merciful. He would have been beaten in prison too. Once everything he was involved in came out, "So does this mean his name won't be involved in the case anymore?" Renee asked sounding hopeful this nightmare may be over.
"I'll see what I can do. So far it has been only been the DUI on him to the public," Parker told her.
"I would like to keep it that way,"
"I'm sure you would. You need to contact your lawyer and cancel your divorce."
"Would that be considered an accident?" Renee asked thinking about the death benefits the dealership has on him.
"I would assume he didn't ask to be punched out." Besides the fainting, she has taken it well Agent Parker thought. "Do you plan to tell your employees today? I can stay if you need me to answer questions."
"Yes, thanks that will be helpful," Renee said and reached for her phone.
*
"Mrs. Blankenship needs to talk to all employees in the main showroom in five minutes. It won't take long, and you can go back to what you're doing right after," Kathy told everyone over the loudspeaker.
Pulling her compact from her purse she checked her face and dabbed a touch of powder on her nose. "Ok let's do this."
She walked out to the showroom as he followed the little firecracker. Everyone stood at the entrance the most open area in the place. It gave them a chance to approach the customer with a helpful handshake as they entered the place.
"Thank you for your attention, I received some sad news just now as some of you already know. This is Agent Parker with the FBI I'm sure a few of you have seen him around here a time or two. I know it is common knowledge that Mr. Blankenship is in jail. He was in a fight earlier and was injured so badly he succumbed to his injuries and died as he slept last night." Renee told the concerned group as they shifted in place. "I will set up a funeral for next week and close the dealership for the afternoon. I know he was very proud of this place and all his employees as am I. We will work past this and continue to be the great dealership and great place to work that we have always been. Thanks." Renee said taking Bradley by the arm and he took her back to her office. Agent Parker followed them, he knew he could leave, but he wanted to again voice his concerns and let her know she could call him for anything. Martin is no longer involved so he can pursue her when he feels he has given her enough time to grieve.