Behind The Lies

by Mark R Beckner

  At 3:00 pm, Aaron has been fully awake for several hours. Early indications are Aaron may have avoided long-term damage. Damage to his larynx still makes it difficult for Aaron to speak, but doctors expect that to come back soon. Doctors speculate Aaron was found within seconds of his heart-stopping and resuscitation efforts by medical personnel saved his life.

  At 3:30 pm, Detectives Walker and Baker arrive at the hospital to see Mrs. Livingston and her son. They explain how the investigation transpired and they now know Aaron did not kill Wendy. They tell Aaron and Mrs. Livingston that Brad McGivens has been arrested and charged with 1st Degree Murder.

  “Aaron,” says Walker, “the DA is going to drop all charges against you today. When they release you from the hospital, you will be able to go home with your mom. We are deeply sorry you had to go through this.”

  Aaron gives a slight smile and nods, indicating he understands and is grateful for their work in clearing his name.

  Fourteen Months Later, January 24th

  This past August, Brad McGivens and his attorney reached a plea bargain agreement on a reduced charge of Second Degree Murder. The DA believed the jury might find it believable Brad only wanted to date Wendy prior to meeting with her and his killing of her was a reaction to his anger, not premeditated. Brad accepted the plea to avoid a trial and possible conviction for First Degree Murder. He was sentenced to 48 years in prison, with the possibility for parole after 24 years.

  Detectives Walker and Baker have continued to stay in contact with Aaron, who is now in his senior year, throughout the last 14 months. However, it is Walker who has interacted with Aaron the most, even becoming something of a mentor and father figure to him.

  Aaron is now doing well in school. His grades are still good, and he is doing much better socially. He is not sure why, but after all the details became public, the kids at school seemed to be more interested in him. This helped increase Aaron’s confidence in social situations. Also, the six months of therapeutic counseling helped Aaron recover from the trauma. He even has a girlfriend now. He also knows part of his recovery is due to the attention and friendship of Detective Don Walker.

  Aaron gets out of school at 3:30 and heads to Johnson’s Café where he is meeting Walker for their weekly chat over sodas, or sometimes even a burger and fries. Kind of like a check-in on how things are going.

  “So, Aaron, have you decided yet what you are going to do after you graduate?” asks Walker.

  “I’m going to apply to Michigan State. They have a good criminal justice program there and I’d like to major in criminal forensic science. My goal is to someday work in a crime lab.”

  “That’s great, what made you decide that?”

  “Well, I like science and technology, and given the fact that forensic science helped me so much, I thought, this is what I want to do.”

  “Good choice Aaron, I think you will make a great criminalist.”

  Deadly Liaison

  Justin has checked into the Comfort Inn Suites in Castle Rock, Colorado at 3:00 pm. He has already fixed himself a scotch and water and is now just relaxing in his t-shirt and boxers, waiting for Naomi to arrive. They have used this hotel in the past, as it is convenient and somewhat hidden from the highway. It is a beautiful, sunny spring day and Justin can see the large rock butte that overlooks the city, and from which the city gets its name, Castle Rock. The rock butte was formed millions of years ago after a volcanic eruption deposited large amounts of hard rock called rhyolite. Fifty million years later, erosion has left the rock monument standing tall overlooking the plains to the east of the Rocky Mountains.

  Castle Rock is a suburb city approximately 24 miles south of Denver. It is the seat of Douglas County. Castle Rock is an attractive place for professionals, many of whom commute to Denver. Most of the housing is upscale.

  Justin King is 41 years old, divorced from his ex-wife Molly. He keeps himself in good physical condition and stands 6’1” at 195 lbs. He wears his brown hair in a nice professional cut, tapered at the ears, short on top, and combed to the side. King owns KC Spark Electric in Castle Rock with his partner and friend, Ryan Cooper.

  At 3:20 pm, King hears a knock on the door and gets up to answer it. “Hey, about time you got here.”

  “Yeah, the traffic was crazy today,” says Naomi. “I wish they would finish that construction. Seems like they’ve been working on it forever. How are you honey?”

  “Just fine now that you’re here,” replies King. “I’m already primed with my scotch. Would you like some?”

  “Sure, just let me freshen up and change my clothes into something more comfortable,” she says with a sly grin.

  Naomi goes into the bathroom while Justin fixes her a scotch and water. When Naomi exits, she is wearing a bright red see-thru teddy that looks like it just came off the rack at Victoria’s Secret. The red highlights her long shoulder-length chocolate brown hair and well-tanned skin. Her 42-year-old body looks like it could still belong to someone in her twenties. She is 5’4”, slim, well-shaped figure, and has stunning brown eyes. Justin wastes no time in inviting Naomi to join him in the queen-sized bed.

  It doesn’t take long for the slinky outfit to come off and the passionate lovemaking to begin. The sex is good for both, but especially for Naomi. This new relationship with Justin has revitalized her spirit and hope for the future. She likes to believe there is a future for her and Justin.

  There is only one problem. Naomi is still married to her husband Ryan Cooper. It’s not that her husband is bad, he has just become boring to Naomi. She no longer feels they have the same connection and interests they once had together. Naomi wants excitement and adventure, while Ryan seems perfectly content to run the business. He is usually too tired at night to go out or do anything Naomi thinks is fun. And the sex life has not been so great either.

  She is considering divorce, but is too afraid of living on her own without the income she and Ryan enjoy from the business. They also own a large home in Castle Rock, and she is afraid of having to sell and split the profit with Ryan. She knows she would get a large settlement, but would it be enough to live the lifestyle she is now accustomed to? After all, if she divorces, she will lose her inheritance of half the business. She’d get some money as a buyout of course, but nothing like what the business will be worth in a couple of years. The business is steadily growing, and the outlook is very bright.

  Justin and Naomi started their affair approximately six months ago. After more than a few drinks at an office party, Justin started flirting with Naomi. They ended up in Justin’s silver BMW 4-door sedan. Ryan was too busy buttering up clients to even notice Naomi was missing. They’ve been meeting almost once a week since, sometimes two when they can get away with it.

  Ryan Cooper does more of the business side of KC Spark Electric, while King handles the operations side. Thus, Cooper is usually more involved in meeting with potential clients, attending vendor meetings, conferences, and such. King manages his schedule around his time at worksites and generally works fewer hours than Cooper. For instance, Cooper has a business meeting in Colorado Springs today, giving King and Naomi another afternoon together.

  Eight weeks ago, King hatched a plan to get Cooper out of the picture and allow Naomi and him to get married. This plan, if it works, will give Naomi and King full control of the business, and allow Naomi to keep the house and all their assets. It has taken some convincing, but Naomi has finally agreed. The best way to insure her happiness and financial security is to kill her husband, Ryan Cooper. King promised Naomi he has a way to kill Cooper painlessly and peacefully. They will drug him with a lethal dose of a sedative.

  King had been married to Molly for 12 years before she kicked him out of the house after one too many discovered affairs. They have two kids together, Alex, who is now 16, and Ethan, now 13. The divorce did not go so well for King. He lost possession of a large 5 bedroom, 3 bath home on a two-acre lot with a swimming pool in the foothills outside Castle Rock. S
avings, investments, and other possessions were split in half and King was ordered to pay Molly $3800 a month in childcare. King was able to keep his half ownership in KC Spark Electric.

  Since the divorce, his standard of living has been drastically reduced. He now lives in a two-bedroom condo in nearby Lone Tree. He’s been divorced for almost two years now, but still carries anger over what he believes to be an unfair settlement and the awarding of $3800 in childcare payments. Even with the success of the electric company, he can no longer afford the luxuries he had while married.

  After finishing off their sexually intertwined pleasures, Justin and Naomi relax naked in bed with another scotch and water on ice. Soon, it is time for Naomi to get dressed and head for home before Ryan’s arrival.

  “We are set for next Tuesday, right?” asks Justin.

  “Yes,” replies Naomi, “Ryan is scheduled to be out of town next Tuesday, so we have the whole night.”

  “That’s great. So you’ll meet me at my place and spend the night, right?”

  “Yes, just have to be home before the afternoon on Wednesday.”

  “Alright, we’ll finalize our plans next Tuesday then,” Justin tells her.

  “Okay, love you sweetie.”

  “Love you too, honey.”

  The Next Day

  King arrives at work and Cooper is already at his desk going over the invoices from the previous three days.

  “Morning Ryan,” says King as he walks in the door.

  “Hey, how’s it going?” replies Cooper

  “Good, the project at the Streamside Condos is finally going well and I believe we will be back on schedule by next Monday.”

  “That’s great,” says Cooper, “because my meeting went well yesterday. They’d like to meet again next week to talk contract. If we get it, we’ll probably have to hire some more help.”

  “Business just keeps getting better,” a pleased King responds. If we get that contract, this business is going to expand even faster than expected, thinks King. This would certainly be outstanding for my plan with Naomi.

  Cooper continues, “I’ll be out of town next Tuesday and back Wednesday afternoon, so I’ve set the meeting for Thursday in Colorado Springs. Would you like to attend?”

  “I would, but I want to be around to make sure we have no setbacks on the Streamside project. I trust you’ll make the right deal for us.”

  “Yeah, it’s probably best you stick around.”

  King and Cooper have known each other since working for another electrical company when they were in their mid-twenties. They became friends and would often hang out after work. King even attended the wedding between Cooper and Naomi. King was already married to Molly, and they were expecting their first child when Cooper and King decided to start their own electrical company. Cooper had inherited some money when his father passed away, and this was used as seed money to start the business. King paid Cooper back half of the initial investment over a period of seven years. They each own 50% of the company and have been in business a little over sixteen years.

  King has always had more interest in the operations side of the business. He has the knowledge and skills needed to accomplish projects on time and usually under budget. Cooper enjoys both sides of the business, but knows the personnel, budgeting, accounting, and contracting side of the business is not King’s strength or interest, thus he decided early on to focus on that part of the business. It has worked well for them as the business has continued to grow over the years.

  Recently, however, Cooper has noticed King does not have the same energy or enthusiasm he used to have about the company. In Cooper’s opinion, King started to lose focus after his divorce from Molly. In the past, it would be rare for a project under King’s supervision to fall behind schedule. In the last couple of years, King has not been so great about completing projects on time. Cooper also believes King does not put in the same amount of time and energy that he does. It is starting to annoy him. He knows it will have to be addressed at some point in the near future.

  Cooper and his wife Naomi live by themselves on Sandy Lane, in a quiet Castle Rock neighborhood. They decided early in their marriage not to have children. Their home sits near the end of a cul-de-sac on two acres of land full of Aspens and pine trees. The home’s location provides plenty of privacy. The home itself is approximately 4800 square feet, with four bedrooms, three and a half baths, a large great room with a designer stone gas fireplace, and a large sunny kitchen. The floors in the living area are solid oak. Off the great room are two French doors leading to an executive-styled office. The finished basement includes a recreation room and an entertainment media area. The upstairs master suite has a second gas fireplace, marbled bathroom, and a walk-in closet that is bigger than some bedrooms in smaller homes. An attached three-car garage and covered back patio complete the home. The Coopers had the custom home built six years ago.

  For a while, the home, her part-time job, and her outside interests kept Naomi satisfied, even though she was feeling unappreciated by her husband Ryan. Recently, it’s no longer been enough. Naomi works part-time as a nurse at a local medical clinic. Once the electric business started doing well, Naomi cut back her work hours to pursue other interests, such as horseback riding. She owns a horse named Biscuit and keeps him boarded at a local ranch. She normally tries to ride at least once a week, so long as the weather cooperates. Her other interests include meeting friends regularly and chairing a reader’s book club twice a month.

  King and Naomi have always gotten along well. She has always found him attractive and enjoyed his flirting with her soon after his divorce. It was all just friendly banter until the office party six months ago. She is not sure what it was, but King was very charming that night and his flirting created a desire inside of her. She finally gave in by sneaking off with him to his car for some romantic kissing and caressing. After that night, it was not difficult for King to convince her to meet him at a hotel just two weeks later. The affair has continued since.

  Naomi has been relentless over the years in keeping her figure and good looks. For Ryan, not so much. He is not in terrible shape, but has put on some weight, and doesn’t have much of his blond hair left. He has a husky look and his belly now slightly protrudes beyond his belt line. Naomi no longer finds herself attracted to her husband like she once did. It is not all due to his increased weight and hair loss, but also because he does not give her the same attention he used to. Naomi had not seriously thought about leaving Ryan until her affair with King. Now, she is thinking about going along with King’s plan to kill Ryan. She’s just not sure yet.

  The Following Tuesday

  As planned, Cooper is out of town again on business. Naomi drives to Kings condo in Lone Tree after leaving her work at the clinic. For this occasion, Naomi has packed black, lacey lingerie. She arrives at approximately 6:00 pm.

  King has ordered out Chinese food for the evening and has the table prepared. The menu consists of vegetable Chow Mein and Kung Pao chicken, and a bottle of Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Merlot, one of Naomi’s favorites.

  During dinner, Naomi brings up the topic of their plan to kill Cooper. “Justin, I’m not sure I can do this.”

  “You won’t have to do anything,” King tells her. “You won’t even be there until after it’s over. I have access to a sedative that will quickly and painlessly put Ryan to sleep for good. And the best part, it’s a drug that is hard to detect unless you are specifically looking for it, and there will be no reason for them to test for this drug.”

  “Yes, I know, you’ve told me all this, but I was married to the guy and did love him at one time. I still care about him.”

  “Naomi, he’s a good friend of mine as well, and I don’t want to do this either, but it is the only way if we want to have the type of life we both enjoy. Look at me now after my divorce. I went from a beautiful home in the foothills to this two-bit condo. I can’t afford a mortgage right now, nor do some of the things I�
��d like to be doing. Divorce is something to avoid if you can.”

  “Lots of people get divorced, Justin.”

  “Yes, and look at how many of them are miserable. Do you want to lose your home?”

  “Well, no, of course not.”

  “Do you want to travel like we talked about?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you still want nice things and nice clothes?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then this is the only way. I will not be able to provide the things you want unless we get full control of the business. Ryan will never just give that up. And we need to be able to keep your house. Even if you no longer want to live there, we can sell it and buy our own place, or build our dream home.”

  It all sounds so good to Naomi, but she just isn’t sure she can go through with it. She also doesn’t want to end up in prison. After all, she has watched the TV drama Orange Is the New Black. That is not the life for her.

  “Don’t worry Naomi, I’m taking the risk. If something goes wrong, no one will even know you were involved. Besides, he’s only going to work himself to death anyway. Look at him, he’s out of shape, never exercises anymore, doesn’t sleep. I will just be speeding up the process for him. All I need is for you to find him afterward and play your role.”

  “You make it sound so easy and impersonal.”

  “That’s because it is! Look, do you want to marry me?”

  “Yes, I love you Justin.”

  “Then this is the only way. I’m not going to live my life in a constant struggle to have the things I want. I want you and me to have a good life. This is the way to get there. If you file for divorce, it will be messy, your income will at least be cut in half, the business will suffer, and both of us will lose money. You have no kids Naomi; you’re not going to get $3800 a month like my wife gets.”

  “I suppose you’re right Justin. Are you sure he will not feel anything?”