Chapter 14

 

Chapter Fourteen

 

Thursday Morning – 12:30 AM

 

The tires of the Lincoln Navigator squealed as Stuart Jaffe maneuvered his SUV through the almost empty parking garage at the Tyson’s Galleria. When he got to the top of the garage he slowed, leaned across, opened the passenger door, and pushed Victoria Sherwood’s inert body out onto the pavement. He was reasonably sure no one had seen him. The last of the late night movie goers had gone home. Before heading back down to the exit, Stuart allowed himself to take one more look at Victoria in the rearview mirror. She’d been a lot of fun. Why did she have to go and mess it up?

 

When he was back out on Route 123, he reached for his cell phone and punched in the programmed number of the only person he was sure he could trust. Even at one o’clock in the morning his call was answered quickly with a crisp “Yes, Boss. Is everything okay?”

 

“No. Meet me at my house in thirty minutes.”

 

He ended the call without saying goodbye and headed for his home in Great Falls, careful not to exceed the posted speed limit.

 

Carl was waiting at his front door when he got there. He had his own key but he’d chosen to wait outside until his boss arrived. Jaffe unlocked the front door, walked directly to the bar and poured himself a scotch. He didn’t offer one to Carl who had followed him inside and was waiting wordlessly a respectful distance away, waiting for his boss to speak first.

 

Jaffe didn’t say anything until he had drained the glass, poured himself another drink and settled himself comfortably in a leather chair near the unlit fireplace.

 

“Carl, I fucked up.” Jaffe finished his drink and held the empty glass out to Carl who still hadn’t uttered a word since entering the house. He stood, holding the empty glass, waiting patiently for his boss to assign the next task. Jaffe waved his hand dismissively. “I’ve had enough.”

 

Carl rinsed and dried the glass and returned it to the bar.

 

“I killed her Carl. I killed Victoria. She just wouldn’t be content with what I could give her. She wanted me to divorce my wife and marry her. When I told her I would never leave Bonnie she went crazy. She said she was going to the press. I couldn’t let her do that, Carl. That would ruin me. I’ve worked too hard to be brought down by that little s**t. She was a nobody. I didn’t have any choice, Carl.”

 

“Of course not, boss.”

 

“The evening started out so great. We had dinner at that little restaurant out past Leesburg, You know. The one we went to last month. Victoria and I almost never went out in public together but I figured that spot was dark and remote enough that I wouldn’t be recognized. I don’t know how it began. Maybe she had too much to drink. She started picking at me. She’s done that before but never like tonight. I cut dinner short and got us out of there before she could make a scene. In the car on the way back home she just went nuts. I was just trying to make her shut up. But when I put my hands around her neck I just couldn’t stop. I choked the life out of her.” Jaffe held hands in front of his face studying them. “I choked her with my own two hands.”

 

“Would you like me to dispose of the body, boss?”

 

“No, Carl. I’ve taken care of that. But there is something else I need you to take care of for me.”