by Mary Tribbey
Chapter 7
While John drove up to his meeting with Marco on Friday at noon, he thought back over the time since he and Anne had argued. He couldn’t stop thinking about Anne. After leaving her apartment after the movie and argument, he had driven home and done something he had not done since his partner had been killed five years earlier. He got out a bottle of whiskey, and he drank until he passed out.
When he reported to the police station to work the next day, he learned he was temporarily assigned to a assist a special task force that was handling a major drug case. All day Sunday and Monday, he had been staking out the suspect’s location, and he had not been able to call her. He fretted about Anne and was quieter and grumpier than usual. When he finally got off the assignment, Even though it was very late when he got home on Monday night, he tried to call her. Her phone was either out of order or was off the hook. He kept calling after that, but with the same result. No one answered her phone.
On Wednesday, he was frantic and decided he had to see her and talk to her. He went to the hospital and looked for her. Terri and Sherri, the two sisters, said she had not been there for a couple of days. They said, “She was acting quiet and sad the last time she was here. We hope she isn’t sick.” He stopped by to see Bryan and heard the same information about Anne. Before leaving, he went to the nursing supervisor’s desk. He asked, “Do you know where I can find Nurse Anne Lanford?”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know where she is. She called Monday and left a message that she had to go out of town on a personal emergency. She said she wasn’t sure when she’d be back, but she’d call when she knew more. So far, she hasn’t called,” the woman answered.
John drove over to her apartment. Her car wasn’t in her parking space, but he walked up to her apartment anyway. He tried to look into the window. Nothing looked disturbed or out of place, as far as he could tell. No one appeared to be home. He knocked on her neighbor’s door and asked, “Do you know where Anne, your neighbor, is?”
The neighbor, a woman about 40 years old said, “She left here late Monday night,about eleven, I think. I passed her on the stairs. She had a suitcase and a jacket with her. She seemed in a hurry. I said ‘Hi’, but I guess she didn’t hear me.”
“Was she with anyone else?” John asked.
“I didn’t see anyone. I think she left alone,” she answered.
John went back to his place and spent a restless night pacing the floor. All kinds of terrible possibilities crossed his mind. Did their argument cause her to run to a rival’s arms? Have I lost contact with her again? Is she somewhere hurt and alone? Is she in some kind of trouble? Lots of questions, but no good answers. He cursed everything, especially himself, for having left her that night without telling her the truth that he loved her and wanted to marry her. He called the police and the hospitals to see if she’d been in an accident. He called her cell phone, but it was either turned off or she wasn’t answering his calls. He paced the floor and worried about her. Finally about midnight, he grabbed his suitcase, quickly packed it, and headed to his car to drive up to meet Marco.
As he drove along the highway, he kept thinking about the night he had run into Anne at Marco’s place. He keenly remembered every detail of the night he had spent with her in the hotel room. He could almost feel the warmth of her body against his. He longed to see her, hold her, and make love to her. He realized she could be almost anywhere, but she wasn’t with him. That drove him crazy with jealousy and fear. Gloom settled over him as he drove up the highway to Marco’s resort.
It was about 11 am when he arrived at Marco’s resort. He got his suitcase, went in and got a room for the night. After stowing his suitcase, he had a cup of coffee to try to perk him up. A little before noon, he went to the reception desk and said, “I’m John Williamson. I have an appointment with Mr. M at noon. Would you let him know that I’m here?” John said.
The desk clerk called and delivered the message. In a few minutes, Luigi came down and escorted John to Marco’s office. Luigi knocked and walked inside with John. He pulled his gun out and aimed it at John.
“Give me your weapons. No one has a private meeting with Mr. M unless he surrenders his gun,” Luigi explained.
John looked from Luigi to Mr. M. “It’s your game and your rules, Marco.” He pulled his jacket back revealing his gun and holster. Luigi moved forward and removed the gun. “Do you want to check for other weapons?” he asked sarcastically, “I may have a sharp pencil in my shirt pocket. I expected more trust than this, after helping save your life.” he spat out.
Marco laughed, “I like your attitude, but it’s a dangerous world, and I like to keep the odds in my favor. You’ll get it back before you leave. Thanks, Luigi, you can leave us alone now. I’ll call when I need you.”
Luigi left and closed the door behind him. Marco motioned for John to come and sit down by his desk. John sat down and looked directly at Marco. Marco noticed his direct gaze and grinned. “You have a lot of moxie. Not many people keep their eye contact like you do. I was impressed by the way you took charge when Anne told you of the plot on my life. I appreciate your part in stopping their plot. You could have just left and been safely out of here when it happened. Have you seen or talked to Anne since you left here?” Marco asked.
“Yes, I took her to get her car, and I’ve seen here at her work a few times. We see each other from time to time,” he answered evasively.
“I thought you two were closer friends than that. You don’t date or talk on the phone?” Marco asked again.
“We are good friends,” he said again.
“What are your plans or intentions about Anne?” Marco asked slowly.
“That’s none of your business. Am I here to see about a job or just to chitchat?” John asked angrily.
“Both. One depends on the other. Let me change to another subject. Tell me what you want from me. What are you looking for or hoping for?” Marco pressed.
“I told you before. I’m tired of working at penny-ante jobs doing the dirty work while someone else rakes in the dough. I’m looking for a way to earn some big money fast. You name the job, and, if the price is right, I’ll do it. If not, then find another worker. I want to work for you because I’ve heard you run a tight organization and do things right. If you don’t want my services, you aren’t the only game in town,” John grumbled.
“Don’t get huffy with me. I like to know the men I hire. Tell me some of the things you’ve done in the past,” Marco said.
“I haven’t worked for anyone as big as you. Mostly I’ve done muscle work, body guarding, running numbers, delivering packages, but I can do anything you tell me to do,” John bragged.
“I have two big problems in hiring you. You have no past. From all I’ve checked out, and I have checked carefully, you’ve only been alive two years. No record or mention older than two years. I’ve seen that before. That one I can work around.”
“OK, what’s the other problem?” he asked.
“First, another question. When you slept in the hotel room with Anne, why didn’t you have sex with her? She was drunk and unable to stop you?” Marco questioned.
“Do you have all the rooms bugged or videoed? It’s none of your business what we did or didn’t do. How do you know what supposedly happened?” he asked angrily.
“She told me. Again, I know you’ve been seeing her more seriously than you admit. What are your intentions about her?” Marco barked.
“What gives you the right to ask about that?” John answered.
“I have special plans for her myself. I won’t let her get involved with a small time hustler who only cares about himself, but I do have a solution for both of us. You want money, and I want her,” Marco said, carefully watching John’s reaction.
“You leave her out of this. She’s too good for you. Don’t even think about touching her. If you harm her in any way, I�
�ll find a way to kill you!” John yelled.
Marco laughed, “Here’s my offer. I’ll give you $100,000 cash right now if you will disappear from her life and never call her or see her again.”
John stood up, clenched his fists and shook his head NO.
“How about $250,000-----$500,000?” Marco continued.
“You could offer me every penny you have, and I’d never accept it. She’s worth more to me than any amount of money. Just leave her alone,” John threatened.
“Does this mean you love her and want her for yourself?” Marco asked.
“She’s too sweet, innocent, and pure for you—or me, but I do admit that I love her with all my heart. Please don’t hurt her,” John begged.
Marco sat back in his chair and studied John’s face. He shook his head and smiled, “Thank you for finally being honest with me. Now I know you are not the kind of person I hire. First, I am positive you are an undercover cop of some kind. You probably work for a state or maybe even a federal agency. They are the only ones who have no past. Second, you are not really money hungry. A true mob man would sell his wife or mother or both for that kind of money. Third, you did not take advantage of Anne that night when she was alone in your room and unable to defend herself. You treated her with respect and love. Mob men know nothing of these things.”
John sank down in his chair. “All right. You figured it all out correctly. I am a cop. We’ve been trying to infiltrate your organization, but haven’t had any success. I have always hated this kind assignment. I’ve been trying to get out of this assignment since I first met and fell in love with Anne. As long as I was mixed up in this dirty business, I couldn’t tell her anything. I didn’t want to put her in danger. It may already be too late for me to win her love. We had an argument last week. Now she’s left town, and I can’t find her. I’ve been worried sick about her since I saw her last week. Now what? You know I’m a cop and a spy. You’ve got my gun. If I’ve lost her, I don’treally care about living. You’d better kill me, because I promise you, if you hurt her in any way, I’ll find a way to destroy you,” John swore.
“Three months ago, I would have had you killed for snooping around here, but not anymore. Anne is a sweet, beautiful Angel. I know where Anne is right now . She’s been staying here with me. She came to me because she is hurt and confused because of you. She asked me to try to find about you. You two need to talk honestly. She loves you, and I can tell you truly love her.”
“I don’t believe you. Why would she come to you or call you?” John asked.
Marco dialed the Spa’s number and asked to speak to Anne. He pushed the speaker phone button. In a minute, Anne answered the phone. “Hello,” John heard her voice say.
“Anne, this is Marco. My appointment is running a little late. When you finish there, go to your suite. I’ll come and pick you up for dinner. Later we can spend the rest of the evening in your suite. Does that sound all right?” He asked.
“Of course, whatever you want to do is all right with me. Call me when you’re finished,” Anne said happily.
John’s mouth dropped open when he heard her agreeing to Marco’s plans. He stared at Marco with intense jealousy and anger. “If you’ve touched her or hurt her in any way, I’ll find a way to stop you or die trying. I love her, and I want to marry her,” John announced.
“That is what I was hoping to hear you say. Anne has become very dear to me. We’ve spent many hours talking to each other on the phone since she was up here with you. I deeply love her, too, but not in the way you are thinking. She is like a daughter to me. I love her, and she has changed me completely with her sweet innocence, her compassion, and love for others. I once had a beautiful wife and daughter. They both died during a bank robbery. Anne has touched my heart like the daughter I once held and loved. I would never do anything or allow anyone to hurt her. Anne came to me the way a daughter would come to her father, because she is so deeply in love with you. She has been so worried and nervous because you kept your life so secret. She asked me to find out what you are hiding, like secret life that might include a wife or a girlfriend. She admitted she wanted you to make love to her. She is so confused because you haven’t. She’s afraid you don’t love her. She cried and asked ‘Why does he always stop? Doesn’t he want me?’” Marco reported.
“I know I could have taken her that first night, but I didn’t want a one night stand. I knew, even then, that I loved her and wanted to marry her and take care of her forever. I wanted her, but I wanted her to love me. How could she have loved or respected me if I had treated her so callously?” John explained. “As long as I was undercover, I couldn’t tell her how I really felt. I didn’t want her involved or in danger, because of my job,” John said.
“If she were here right now, what would you do or say?” Marco asked quietly.
“I’d tell her everything and ask her to marry me. I love her and want to marry her so much. I’ve been going crazy with fear that I’d lost her. All I really want is a way out of this mess. Then I will do everything I can to win her love,” John said.
“I think I have a plan that will help you and me and Anne. I’m being totally honest with you, but I need your promise that you will not tell Anne or any of my associates what I am about to tell you, until I agree,” Marco explained.
“If I have your promise that Anne will be safe and protected, I will promise to never tell anyone what you tell me,” John said.
Marco stood up, walked around the desk and shook John’s hand. “Then we have a deal,” Marco said. Marco took a small cassette recorder from his desk drawer. He quickly turned it off and slipped it into his jacket pocket. He got a pitcher of water and moved over to a small table, and he motioned for John to join him there. Marco poured a glass of water and sat down. He pulled a small pill bottle out of his pocket, opened it, and took out two small white pills. He put them in his mouth, took a gulp of water and swallowed them.
“Since meeting Anne, I’ve been forced to think about my life. It has been filled with crime, dirty business deals, and evil. I feel sick thinking about all the bad things I’ve done. Anne’s sweet purity has touched my heart and made me want to change and make amends, as much as I can, for all the bad I’ve done. This is what I don’t want anyone to know, especially Anne, not yet. I recently learned I have stage 4 lymphatic cancer. It is incurable, inoperable, because it has spread throughout my body. I probably have less than five months to live, according to my doctors. During the last part of that time, I will become very ill and helpless. If you will help me, I will give you all the records, information, names and dirt on all the slime I have worked with in this state and other areas. You will have complete access to all my papers and computer records. You can video tape my testimony. I will help you clean out the illegal drugs, prostitution rings, violence, and corruption here. All you have to do is come “work for me” as my assistant. Anne has a very small understanding of what I have done, but nothing specific. I want to shield her from as much as I can. I will give you all the facts and figures. I hope this will, in a small way, help make up for part of the evil I have done. I will also tell Anne that she can completely trust you. Then it will be up to the two of you to decide what to do next. I hope you can win her love and marry her. In a few months, I will be dead, and I won’t be able to protect her. I want her to be safe and protected by a man who truly loves her. Are you willing to come and work for me on those terms?” Marco asked seriously.
Marco and John shook hands and agreed to the deal. Marco took him over and showed him his private files. Marco told him he could copy or make notes on anything. If he had questions, he would explain anything. He said he would leave him there to start seeing if anything would be helpful to his investigation. John began looking through the files. Marco went to his desk, retrieved a small digital recorder and left the office. He walked down and knocked on Anne’s door.
When Anne opened the door, Marco whistled softly. “My Angel, you look amazing. I love the way your eyes look. You are gorgeous!” he said. “I have the information you wanted about John. I recorded it for you. Come and sit down and let me play it for you.” Marco started playing the tape of his meeting with John, but stopped it before the part where he told about his illness. They sat down on the sofa and Marco pushed the button. When Anne heard John’s voice, she gasped. Marco took her hand and held it in his. When Anne heard John refuse to accept money, a tremendous amount of money, to leave her, her mouth dropped open. When he admitted that he loved her and would die before he let anyone hurt her, she had tears in her eyes. The news that John was an undercover policeman helped her understand why he had been so secretive. When she heard him say that he loved her and wanted to marry her, she smiled happily.
Marco briefly explained that John had agreed to help him and would be working for him, but would give all information he learned to the police when he was finished.
Anne asked, “What will happen to you after John turns in the evidence?”
Marco said, “Don’t worry about that, my Angel. I am okay with it.”
Marco squeezed her hand. Anne slid over and hugged him. “Are you happy with this news, my angel?” Marco asked with a smile.
Anne kissed him and said, “Yes, I just wish we hadn’t fought and parted the way we did. I hope he will still love me and want me,” Anne said.
Marco smiled and said, “He’d be a fool not to love you. I’m sure he will find you, and you will be together again.” Marco excused himself and went back to his office.
John was still sitting at Marco’s desk with papers spread out around him. “Have you found anything that you can use?” Marco asked.
John looked up, “Are you kidding. This is amazing. I still can’t believe you’re going to reveal this!”
“I think it is time to stop working for today. I have something else you might want to check out before we go to dinner. It is in room 621. You should check it out right away. It is more important than these figures!” Marco said.
He called Luigi, “Take John to Room 621 and leave him there.”
Anne started to listen to the tape again. It had only been playing about ten minutes when she heard a knock on the door. Anne stopped the tape and opened the door to let Marco back inside. When she pulled the door open, Anne froze in shock when she saw John standing in the doorway.
“Are you going to ask me in?” John asked with a grin.
“Of course, John, come in,” she stammered.
He walked in, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her. “I’ve been frantic trying to find you. Don’t ever leave me again. Why did you leave without telling me where you were going?”
“How could I tell you that I needed to come up here when you were the reason. Why didn’t you tell me about your job?” she asked.
“I couldn’t tell you. I didn’t want you to be mixed up in this mess or in be danger because of my job. Didn’t you understand how much I loved you and wanted you?” he asked.
“John, how could I know. Sometimes you seemed to want me, but you always pulled back. You never tried to make love to me. I didn’t think you really wanted me or loved me, or I thought there was someone else in your life,” she admitted.
“My darling Anne, the hardest thing I ever did was not making love to you that first night. I didn’t want to take advantage of you. I wanted to make love to you and have you give yourself to me willingly. To have taken advantage of you that night, I would have been worse than that drunk, because I was someone you trusted as a friend. I wanted you for more than one night. Even then, I knew I loved you and wanted to marry you. I think I fell in love with you while I watched you with your young patients. Until I could get out of this assignment, I couldn’t be totally honest with you. Now that you know everything, will you marry me, Anne? Think carefully, because once I make love to you, I will never willingly let you go,” John said.
Anne leaned into his embrace and pressed her mouth against his lips. She felt her body melting and molding against his body with such eager passion that left no doubt that her answer would definitely be yes. Reluctantly he loosened his embrace and pulled away. Anne answered breathlessly, “Yes, I love you, John, and I’d love to be your wife. When?” she asked. “I love you and want you so much.”
“Whenever, wherever, I want to marry you and make love to you, my wife. You haven’t ever made love before, have you?” John asked gently.
Anne blushed at his question, “No, John, I haven’t.”
“All my life I have waited and prayed to find a pure woman to love totally. Now I am sure I’ve been waiting for you. I want the first night we make love to be on our wedding night. You alone are all I want or need,” he whispered and kissed her passionately.
“We’d better get married very soon, because I want to make love to you right now,” she whispered huskily.
At a knock on the door, John reluctantly released her and opened the door. Marco looked at their flushed faces and grinned. “I see you two have already talked everything over. When do you want to get married?” he asked.
“As soon as possible,” they both answered together.
“I have a contact who can rush the paperwork through. We have plenty of room here for a wedding. I’d be happy to arrange a wedding for you tonight, if you want. Anne, I’d be honored to walk you down the aisle and give you away. There’s no reason to wait, is there? Afterwards you both could stay here while John works with me. There’s plenty of room, and it makes a lot of sense,” Marco explained.
“What about my job and my apartment?” Anne asked.
“That can all be arranged. The main thing is your getting married and being together,” Marco said.
“How soon could we get married?” John asked.
“Give me 3-4 hours and I can get everything together. I’ll need to make a couple of phone calls, but everything else we need is already here at the resort,” Marco said.
“Tonight seems like a wonderful time to get married,” John said. “Are you sure you want to marry me? Anne, can you be ready that soon?”
“Yes, John, I love you. I’m not sure how, but I’ll be ready tonight,” Anne promised.
