Cynthia Hamilton - Madeline Dawkins 01 - Spouse Trap (19 page)

THIRTY-FOUR

“Mrs. Ridley? How do you do? I’m Alfonso Winogo. This way please.” Madeline followed the attorney into his office, noting with distaste how cramped and disorderly it was. She had a hard time making the association between this lawyer and Pillman, Guillaume & Laird. She took a seat in front of the file-laden desk as Mr. Winogo cleared a place for her to sign the documents.

“I hope you’re enjoying your stay here so far,” he said, beaming pleasantly at her, as if he were a hotel concierge and not an accessory to her shotgun divorce.

“Yes,” Madeline replied curtly, ready to get this task behind her.

“It is a good time of the year to visit, after the rainy season.” Madeline smiled tightly. “Okay then, let us get down to business. First, may I see your identification and your travel itinerary, if you have it?

Madeline removed her driver’s license and handed it over. She was glad she had kept her flight information, until she remembered the notes she had written to herself—or more specifically, the heavily underlined reminder to
Kill Steven.

“It looks like all I have is the return flight info,” she said, carefully separating it from the incriminating epitaph.

“That will be fine, as I can attest to your presence in my office here today,” Mr. Winogo said, placing a legal document in front of her. “I am working in the capacity as an affiliate to the law firm of Pillman, Guillaume & Laird of Santa Barbara, California, United States of America. As their representative, I will establish the fact that you will have been a resident of the territory of Guam for a minimum of seven days. Once you have fulfilled that requirement, I will take this uncontested divorce agreement to the court and proceed to file for your divorce. Do you understand the terms of your divorce as stated in writing on the pages in front of you?” Mr. Winogo asked, reciting a speech he had undoubtedly delivered hundreds of times.

“Yes.”

“Very good. You should read the entire document and sign where indicated. If you do not understand any part of the divorce agreement, you are advised to contact your legal counsel and postpone signing said document until you are satisfied and confident that your position as stated is in accordance with your best interest. Do you understand what I’ve told you?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Any questions at this time?”

“No,” Madeline said, already well into the document. She found it to be the same as the one she signed in Santa Barbara, with no oblique or misleading language or terms added. She accepted the pen Mr. Winogo had at the ready. When she had finished, she handed both back to the attorney.

“May I have a copy of that?”

“Of course. I will make copies of your ID and itinerary also and be right back.”

Mr. Winogo left Madeline alone with the artifacts of his professional and personal life. If the photos were up to date, Mr. Winogo was a married man with four little Winogos to his credit.

“Nice family,” Madeline said, having been caught examining his brood.

“Thank you,” he said, taking a moment to pay homage to the compact woman, the three wiry sons and petite daughter, all dark haired and smiling for all they were worth. A wave of unexpected longing rushed over Madeline, making her feel acutely unloved and unwanted. She coughed to drive away the threat of another emotional breakdown.

“Well, if that’s everything, I guess I should be going,” she said, holding out her hand to Mr. Winogo. “Thank you for handling this…”

“My pleasure, dear lady. And best wishes to you in the future.” Mr. Winogo’s benediction rang in her ears as she exited the two-story stucco building and collided with the intense mid-morning sun. She hurriedly donned her sunglasses and walked purposefully to the waiting town car.

On the way back to the hotel, Madeline realized she had some shopping to do before she could take advantage of the tropical paradise she now found herself in. The driver took her to the Tumon Galleria, which was a short walk back to the Westin. Though she was aware Guam boasted duty-free shopping, she had no idea how high-end the shops were, or how plentiful. Gucci, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Armani and Rolex proudly displayed their wares, along with many of her other favorite designer labels. After the hell of the past week, Madeline felt as though she had died and gone to heaven.

Now that she had dismissed the driver, she was able to really indulge herself. She could spend all day shopping and it was nobody’s business but her own. She needed to shop for beachwear first, but as soon as that was taken care of, she would deny herself nothing. It would be retail therapy of the highest order, and duty-free to top it off. She had to pinch herself. She couldn’t wait to enlighten all her friends about the best-kept divorce secret.

Her improved outlook and light mood were dampened by this last thought. Her friends; would she have any left by the time she got back to Santa Barbara? Suddenly, nine days out of the country felt akin to hard-time on Devil’s Island.

Oh, stop being so dramatic,
she chided herself as she slowed down to admire the window displays at the Chanel Boutique.
After all the titillation dies down, everyone will go on as if nothing ever happened.

Though Madeline wanted to be reassured by her own pep talk, part of her knew nothing would ever be the same. Would she, Madeline Dawkins, be so sought after to sit on charity boards? Of course not. Besides, $500,000—though it sounded like a lot of money—would have to be parceled out very carefully to make it last. And that would have to be her nest egg; she would have to find some sort of employment to pay her monthly bills.

Now that reality had successfully squashed her cheery attitude, Madeline lost the desire to spend thousands of dollars on handbags and couture when she had more than enough of those treasures to last her a lifetime.
Besides, the way things are now, I doubt I’ll have any place to wear all that finery,
she thought glumly.

She was so dispirited, she turned around and headed for the Westin. Surely she’d be able to find a bikini, a cover-up and some flip flops in one of the hotel boutiques. If she couldn’t, she’d just stay in her room and sulk. Even paradise had its limitations when one’s life was as screwed up as hers was.

Although she felt like wallowing in self-pity, there was simply too much to like about being stuck where she was. Guam, despite her fears, was a beautiful island. It was quite small, but it had just about everything a sun-loving vacationer could want. Shopping, even for beach necessities, brought a smile back to her face.

She left the boutique amid a chorus of well-wishes, loaded down with two shopping bags. All she needed was to see the vibrant colored tunics and swimsuits to get her enthusiasm for shopping back. The boutique had better merchandise than she had expected, and she soon found herself spoiled for choice. In the end, she walked away with two bikinis, two tunics, two pairs of strappy sandals, a pair of flip flops, shorts and a wide-brimmed hat for hiding under.

After ten minutes back in her room, she was ready for sunshine and white sand beaches. But, as she strolled through the hotel lobby, she realized she was also ravenously hungry. She knew the hotel had several dining options, but as nice as they sounded, she was primed for being out in the beautiful day. Luckily, she discovered a poolside bar that served a variety of fare. She took a seat facing the beach and ordered an exotic-sounding salad, something to offset her recent diet lapses.

As she sipped a Campari and soda with a splash of mango, she felt her whole body shift into vacation mode. If she could keep her mind off Steven, she should be able to use this downtime to her advantage. She needed to recuperate from his relentless acts of sabotage and come to grips with her new station in life. She probably needed a month’s worth of appointments with a good shrink, but she was hoping a few massages, facials and something called “ocean wraps” would work just as well.

As the waitress placed a huge, beautiful salad in front of her, she thought of Jane. How many times had they split a salad like this? Countless. Her heart tightened, this time for the absence of her closest girlfriend. Madeline checked her phone and tried to figure the time difference as she wrangled with the dauntingly large salad. Every bite made her long for the chance to confide in a friend.

She’d been able to do that with Mike, to a certain extent, but that was different. Mike was like a brother to her at this point. She had known Mike for twenty years, and they’d weathered many hard times together. Now it was his turn to rescue her, and thank God he’d been there. But as much history as they had, she didn’t feel like she could really open up to him the way she could with someone of her own sex.

She wanted to talk to Jane so badly, but she couldn’t imagine what to tell her. She couldn’t just call up and say,
Hey, I’m in Guam getting a quickie divorce so my conniving, criminal husband can marry someone with a lot of money to keep him from going to jail. Oh, and did I tell you I hired a private detective to find out who raped me while having the whole thing photographed?

After only a few bites, she lost her appetite. What good was paradise if she didn’t have someone to share it with? She left a big tip to absolve her from wasting so much food and went out to the sand.

A flutter of the joy she felt earlier returned as the squeals of happy children punctuated the crash of the surf. She felt herself smiling as her feet treaded on the soft, warm sand. She walked a short distance to find a spot to lay her things, then pulled off her hat, tunic and sunglasses and went running into the water. The sensation was magical. She laughed out loud as a wave crashed against her back. She rode the current out and ducked under as a wall of water came toward her.

The water was so refreshing—clear and buoyant—and she floated on her back, rising and falling with the undulating tide. She felt like she could float out there forever, let herself be carried into the middle of the Pacific Ocean, be lost and rid of all her problems for good.

But as she bobbed along the surface, a new hope began to grow inside her. All things considered, this was not a bad way to begin a new life. That she hadn’t wanted to give up her old life no longer mattered. From this day forward she would need to think of her life as a convict saw his on the day the prison gates opened. Whatever transpired before was erased in favor of a new, hopeful start in life. This was the day the old Madeline Dawkins was re-baptized. All she had to do was decide what she wanted her life to consist of now and figure out how to achieve it.

THIRTY-FIVE

After she had showered away the sand and sea, Madeline turned on her computer. She found a time zone converter and downloaded it to her phone. It was now 3:30 p.m. in Guam and 9:30 p.m. the previous day in Santa Barbara. By the time she got used to the difference, it’d be time to reenter reality.

It hit her that this was a perfect window of opportunity to contact the mainland. Her first inclination was to contact Burt, but her eye wandered to the instant messaging icon in her tray. Nine-thirty on a school night was an ideal time to reach Jane; the girls would be in bed and she would likely be updating her blog. Madeline opened the Instant Messenger window and took herself off “away.”

Hey, are you there?
she typed and waited. After about thirty seconds, a message appeared telling her Jane was responding.

it’s about time! where the hell r u??
Madeline braced herself.

Guam.
It took less than five seconds to receive a reply.

Guam??
Madeline watched as Jane composed another reply. Now that she started this, she didn’t know where she was going to end it.

what’s going on? i finally went to your house. Erma said u moved out. what happened?

Steven sent me here to get a quickie divorce…

what? why? what’d i miss?

It’s a very long, awful story…i’ll tell you everything when i get back.

i don’t understand how this could happen so fast. your cell was disconnected. what’s your new #?
Jane replied.

Madeline stared at the computer screen. She knew she couldn’t give out her number; it was just too risky. With Jane’s limited knowledge of the situation, she couldn’t expect her to understand how evil Steven had become. For all she knew, he could be planning something even more foul now that she was 6,000 miles away.

I can’t give it to you right now.

y the hell not??

u need to trust me – it’s not safe.

now you’re scaring me.

don’t be scared. i think things might settle down now that Steven’s gotten what he wants.

which is what?

a speedy divorce so he can marry someone else.

u gotta be joking

i’m not. my P.I. says she’s already arrived in SB – from Boston.

your P.I.?
Oh boy, Madeline thought. Now she’d really screwed up.

you must swear to not tell ANYONE!
Madeline watched anxiously for the caption to show that Jane was responding.

r u still there??
she typed after a minute had passed.

i’m here. i swear not to breathe a word. i just wish i knew what was going on. when will u b back?

In a week.

Where is guam, exactly?

Middle of the pacific – 6,100 miles from sb, to be exact. it’s 18 hours ahead of the west coast. their motto is Guam—where America’s day begins.

that’s cute. I’ve only seen pics of military base there – looks awful.

it’s not – the beaches are gorgeous. And u wouldn’t believe the shopping – Rodeo drive meets duty free! You’d love it. we’ll have to come here together sometime.

no thanks – i don’t want to get divorced.
Madeline laughed.

lol. u won’t have to – i promise! I guess I should let you get back to your blog.

no – don’t go! I miss u!

I miss u 2. I’ll check in w/ u soon. xxoo

back at u!

Madeline closed out of Instant Messenger. She felt empty inside. This was only a short exile; she knew that. But she also knew she would be going back to Santa Barbara as a changed woman. The lifestyle and friends she had relied on would recede from her. As much as she willed herself to be strong and embrace the opportunity to redefine herself, she couldn’t help feeling sad, and alone.

When she came out of her soulful reverie, she realized she hadn’t had contact with Burt all day. It was now a little after ten his time. She called him from his phone, hoping she wasn’t calling too late. But from what she had seen so far, Burt seemed to never sleep.

“Hello,” he answered, no hint of fatigue.

“Hi. How was your day?”

“Very fruitful.”

“That’s good to hear. What happened?”

“I was able to make contact with two of the four individuals I spoke to yesterday. Both agreed to meet with me tomorrow.”

“That’s fantastic! I assume you told them why you wanted to meet them…?”

“Yes. I told them I’d been hired by a party who suspected there were some ‘irregularities’ concerning the paybacks on certain loans made by RAM, L.P.” Madeline felt her chest constrict as she listened to this indictment.

“Wow, it’s happening,” she said breathlessly.

“Yep, it’s on. No turning back now. I hope you’re still okay with this,” Burt said.

“Yeah, I am, absolutely. It’s just…scary and exhilarating at the same time.”

“I know. I’m used to this kind of thing—it’s how I make my living. But I seriously doubt there’s anything in your background that prepared you for the situation you’re now faced with.”

“You can say that for sure,” Madeline agreed. “Okay, walk me through it—how will tomorrow go?”

“I’m meeting one fellow at one o’clock at his home. The other guy wants to meet me in my office at five-thirty.”

“I see…”

“I’ve told them both I will show them an up-to-date title report for their respective properties as proof the loan made by Steven’s company is still showing as an lien. And that I’ll need to get a statement attesting to the fact that they have paid back their loans. I asked them to bring a copy of the canceled check showing the loan had been repaid.”

“Okay…”

“Then, I’ll tell them my client will be taking the statements to the district attorney—”

“
I
will be?” Madeline asked, alarmed by this detail.

“Yes. I have no reason to be snooping into the affairs and practices of RAM, L.P. I’m acting solely as your agent. My license doesn’t provide me the ability to investigate persons or entities on a whim. I have the authority to act on behalf of my clients. You understand the distinction, don’t you?”

Madeline was too shocked to speak. It never occurred to her that she would have to pit herself against Steven in the public arena. The thought of such a thing put her in a panic.

“I didn’t realize…I thought that you would…”

“When we spoke last evening, we went over the ways we could handle this. We both agreed the safest way was to drop the hint to the swindled borrowers and hope they went to the D.A. with their fears. The downside to that was the possibility they would go to Steven instead…remember?” Madeline nodded weakly at the recollection.

“Yes, I do remember.” She let out a deep sigh. “I guess I didn’t totally understand that I’d have a role in this.”

“Don’t spook yourself too much here—you will be delivering the goods as an estranged spouse of the perpetrator. Once the D.A. looks into the allegations, it will be a matter between their office, the victims and RAM, L.P. Plus, these people might decide they want to hire their own attorneys and sue for damages. It won’t be you against Steven. It will be the people he swindled against him and his company.” Madeline exhaled the breath she’d be holding.

“Okay. That sounds better. I just have to take the…statements to the D.A. and ask that they don’t reveal my involvement…?”

“Yes. It would be more convenient if you were able to take them in immediately, but seeing as you’re stuck in Guam for several more days, I’ll put their statements in safe place. I’ll keep trying to contact the others I spoke to yesterday—a man and an elderly woman—and see if I can get them to cooperate like the others. The good thing in a situation like this is the more people you have with the same problem, the easier it is to get them to join in. And I still have thirty-some borrowers I haven’t tried to contact yet. So you see, this is coming together very well.”

“You’re right—I see that now. I just got nervous at the thought of running up against Steven again. I haven’t recovered from the all the crap he’s already pulled on me.”

“I know, believe me. You’re a brave, strong woman with a lot more guts than most people. What your soon-to-be-ex has done to you would send frailer psyches to the loony bin.” Madeline had to laugh.

“I don’t know, I think I’ve landed in the world’s most luxurious loony bin.”

“I think your sense of humor might be your saving grace,” Burt said.

“I think
you’ve
been my saving grace,” Madeline amended.

“Glad to be of service. On another front, I’ve been back to The Edgecliff a couple times, still trying to find out who might be the inside connection. It’s slow work, trying to infiltrate without tipping anyone off. I’ll keep at it, though.”

“Thanks, Burt. I really appreciate all you’ve done for me.”

“I’m just doing what you paid me to do,” he replied modestly.