The Housekeeper - Chapter 55 Part 2 of 2

The Housekeeper

By Karen Singer

Chapter 55 Part 2 of 2

Once again it seemed like a parade entering her driveway.  Janice watched as the black SUV’s surrounding the limousine parked and the guards once again got out and began searching the grounds.  She didn’t miss the men with their electronic devices either.  And when they approached her front steps, she simply opened the door and let them inside.  As usual, she noted that they were most thorough.  She approved.  Despite going through the house herself with her own device once in a while, it was nice to know she was still bug-free.  Well, free from the electronic bugs anyway.  Living out here in the country brought hordes of the tiny pests to the house that she had to constantly be on guard against. 

When the house had been declared safe, Susan finally emerged from her car and entered the house.  This time they briefly hugged before heading to the kitchen to talk.  As before, Janice had prepared the same cake that Susan had requested on the phone.  She poured coffee for them both before she sat down with Susan.

“Mmm!  This cake is so good!” Susan declared as she chewed a forkful in total delight.

“I’m glad you like it,” Janice replied with a smile.  “I can give you the recipe if you like.”

“Don’t you dare!” Susan replied.  “I’ll get fat before my time!”

With the pleasantries over, Janice could tell it was time to get down to business.  “What’s happening with that job you asked about?” she asked Susan.

“Father is meeting with the client tonight.  I’ll have to let you know after that.  I should tell you though that Father was most pleased with your proposal to let us set the price.  If the client is interested, we should all make out well from the deal.”

Janice smiled.  “I have no doubt it will be excellent,” she replied.  “If… his client goes for it.”  She decided to change the subject to something she was more interested in.  “And how about our new IDs?” she asked.

“Mm!” Susan exclaimed as she quickly shoved another piece of the cake in her mouth.  “That was one of the things I needed to see you about anyway.”  She pulled her case from the floor to the table and pulled out a large envelop.  She slid it across the table to Janice.  “That should take care of everything you need.”

Janice quickly opened the envelope and pulled out the contents.  Driver’s licenses, birth certificates, passports, and even a credit card in Janice’s new name.  Perfect!  “Thank you,” she said.  “I’m sure these will prove very useful as Carol and I build new lives somewhere.”  She realized that now with these documents, she and Carol would have to spend time inventing new background stories for themselves.  The more elaborate, the better.

But now it was time to move on to the main reason for Susan’s visit.  She watched as Susan took another slice of the cake.  “And what do I do about Jacobs?” Janice asked.

“That, I’m afraid, is a more serious matter,” Susan replied.  She stuck another piece of cake into her mouth and sipped at her coffee before saying anything else.

“How much money did you put in the bag?” she asked.

“A quarter of a million dollars,” Janice replied.  “I wanted it to be enough to make it look like he was a major player in the robbery.”

Susan nodded.  “And you said several pounds of heroin?”

Janice nodded.  “I can only guess at that.  But even I know how much even one of those bricks is probably worth.”

“And what were you planning on doing after you planted the money?” Susan asked.

Janice took a big breath and sighed before she replied.  “I have a… contact.  I used to get some special drugs from him to use on my victims to knock them out.  Last time, with Halifax, you supplied the drug instead.”

“I remember,” Susan told her as she took another bite of cake.

“I’m pretty sure he can spread a rumor around that Jacob’s was actually involved in the Mobile robbery, and possibly in a few more.  And that he has the money buried in his backyard.  I have no doubt that those rumors will eventually reach the right ears and that the FBI will be very interested in them.  I would think that within a month or two, Jacobs would find himself in a very tenuous position… and that the evidence will point to him trying to implicate me so that nobody will look at him as a suspect instead.”

Susan nodded and considered that.  “And with him in that position, you would be free and clear of the FBI’s scrutiny.”

“I hope, anyway,” Janice replied.

“It could work,” Susan said after considering it for a moment. 

“I had also thought about using his girlfriend,” Janice added, “letting her spread the word somehow… perhaps telling them she had heard about it directly from him after he got drunk or something, but there’s no way to reliably set it up and make it happen… without me going in and messing with her mind – which in this case, I’d rather not do.”

Susan thought about that.  “It probably would have helped, but as you said, there’s no way you could arrange it safely.”

“So do I stay with my original plan?” Janice asked.  “There’s more than enough in his backyard to land him in prison for a good long time.  Or do I pull my money back out and spread just the rumor about the drugs and hope it alone lands him in jail… or do I steal his drugs and find some way to sell them?  I’m afraid though, that I’d rather not have anything at all to do with even touching the drugs.”

Susan considered it all.  “For now,” she replied, “I would stay with your current plan.  But what I’m wondering is, is there too much there?”

“Too much?”

Susan nodded.  “Too much.  We don’t want to make it look like it was all planted evidence… which in this case, only some of it is.  Let me discuss it with Father and see what he thinks.  And… there may be a way that we can get those rumors spread faster to the right people.”

Janice stared at Susan for a moment before replying, “That would get him off my back a lot sooner!”  She paused to consider that for a moment before adding.  “If you can do that, then I’ll do that job for you for free… this time.  As long as you cover all the expenses for Carol and I that is,” she added.

Susan smiled.  “I think Father will be even more pleased,” she replied as she stuffed the last of her cake in her mouth.  “Mmm.  I hate that this cake is so good!”

“Hello?” Roger said into his cell phone as he was in the process of changing from Roger to Candy after school.  Carol had already tied him... extra tight… into his corset.

“Hi Candy.  It’s Jessica… Doctor Parker…”

“Of course Doctor.  How was your weekend?”

“Frustrating, embarrassing, and wonderful, all at the same time.”

“How’s that?”

“It was frustrating because I didn’t know one thing from the next, embarrassing because my stupid sister spanked me again… not to mention how embarrassing my whole situation is, and wonderful because I have the greatest daughter on earth.  God I love that child!”

Roger chuckled.  “It’s so nice to hear a parent say that about their kids once in a while.  Was that your son I saw while I was at your house?”

“You met him?”

“Not exactly.  They showed up with your sister and she sent them off to find you while we talked.  She didn’t exactly approve of me.”

“Sorry about that,” Jessica replied.

“Don’t worry about it.  There aren’t all that many who do actually approve.  I’m trying to learn to live with it.”

“I guess you are.  Listen, Candy, I just want to thank you for what you did for me… keeping me out of the casinos.  I guess you’re still sure that woman… Janice I think you said… your housekeeper – and I’ve got to get that story out of you sometime.  But I guess you still think she might have done something worse to me?”

“Let me put it this way,” Roger replied.  “It was all I could do to convince her to let me try to talk you out of going gambling again.  She wanted to head straight for you on Friday and fix you for good.  And you don’t want to know the long list of things she was thinking of doing to you.”

A small shiver ran through Jessica as she remembered what she had already been though.  She didn’t want to contemplate worse.  “I guess I really do owe you then.”

“No,” Roger replied.  “I just don’t want to see anyone having to go through what she’s capable of.  You’ve only had a mild dose.  The more I can keep from getting the full treatment from her, the better!”

“Well, I still appreciate it,” she replied.

“Um… Doctor?”

“Yes?”

“Please pardon me for saying this, but no matter what you may think, you definitely have a gambling problem… an addiction!  And… you… need… help!  Seriously!  I couldn’t believe the way you fought with me over it.”

Jessica sighed.  It was very hard to admit, but she did remember how hard she had tried to go gambling.  And she had tried to totally ignore what it would do to her… even if Janice hadn’t found out she had gone.  “Yeah,” she replied after a moment.  I do,” she admitted.  “And I guess I’ve got it pretty bad.”

“The debts you racked up should have given you some kind of a clue.”

“Not if I win once in a while,” she argued.  “It’s not a problem at all when I win… which I would have if you had let me go!”

“You’re pushing again,” Roger pointed out.  “It sounds to me like that’s the addiction talking.”

“Damn you,” she said softly. 

“You need help, Doctor.  I’ll be glad to do what I can for you, but I’m not an expert.  You need serious help!”

“Did I say damn you before?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I meant it,” she replied.

“Call someone,” Roger urged.  “Call someone who can help you right away.  Like I said, I’ll be happy to help you however I can, but I’m not the one you need to talk to.”

“Shit!” she mumbled again.

“Please Doctor, just do it!  No matter what you may think, I’d like to keep you as my doctor… and hopefully, as a friend too.”

It was the friend part that caught her attention the most.  She remembered those eyes of his – so kind, yet so troubled.  They had both been through something horrible… granted, him far worse than her.  And… she remembered wondering how he would be in bed… as a man.  And if she didn’t find out soon, within the next month or two anyway, she never would find out.  “Okay, maybe,” she replied finally.

“No maybes!” Roger declared.  “Do it.  Please!”

It was a moment more before she could reply.  “Okay, Candy.  I’ll try.”

“Good!” Roger replied.  “Can I call you later and check on you?”

“Make it tomorrow,” she replied.  “I still have a few patients to see and if you call, they’ll let me know and I’ll be forced to call you back right away.”

Roger smiled.  “Okay,” he replied.  “I’ll call tomorrow.”

“Candy,” Jessica said before he could hang up.  “You mentioned you wanted to go shopping.  I should be over with this… affliction by this weekend… I hope.  And if I am, maybe we can go Saturday.”

Roger thought about that.  “I’ll be working a job repairing some tree damage on Saturday,” he told her.  “But… maybe we can go later in the day.  My job is located halfway to Marietta as it is.  Maybe I can leave from there and meet you somewhere.”

“That’s very possible,” she said.  “And I won’t know if I’ll be stuck with my problem on Saturday again… until Saturday comes.  I just hope I’ll be done with it.”

“Okay Doctor,” Roger replied.  “We’ll talk more about it tomorrow.”

Jessica hung up the phone and sat thinking.  She had said she would try to call someone and get help.  But did she really need help?  Was she really addicted?  There was no way!

After sitting and sucking thoughtfully on her pacifier for a few minutes she picked up her phone again and called a sometime friend.  “Hello… Doctor Gumbolt?  This is Jessica.  . . .  Doctor, I need your help.  I’m a gambling addict with a major problem.”