Blackmail to Die For

He had not been expecting a letter. After he read it, he stuffed it into the breast pocket of his suit and slipped the enclosed DVD into the player. That was two hours ago. Now he stood in Susan's living room, his hair a mess and scratches on his face. He pulled the letter from his breast pocket and read out loud to Susan.

"Dear Jim." He thought it funny Susan started this nasty letter with, "Dear." But then she wanted people to think she was a sweetheart. He chuckled at the thought and read on.

"I need $500,000 by Friday. I know you won't disappoint me. Susan."

Jim thought back to the day they met. Her long blond hair, blue eyes, and body to die for, captivated him. And she was coming on to him! Oh, how she loved every little thing about him--even his receding hair line. He called right then and there and canceled his appointment to get hair plugs.

She giggled and kissed him on the cheek. "I can tell your wife hasn't been giving you what you need. Why don't you come to my place and I'll give you everything your little heart desires."

He knew it was wrong and if anyone found out, it would be the end of his marriage, his career, his life. But he played it cool. He got her address and did not leave the bar with her. Twenty minutes later, he parked his car five blocks from the address she had given him, and walked the rest of the way in the cover of darkness.

He ended up in this very house, in her bedroom, doing the mattress dance. He had no idea hidden cameras were rolling, catching every move made in that bedroom.

"Blackmail," Jim said. "The gift that keeps on giving." He looked at her, sitting in a chair, bound and gagged. He shook his head and clicked his tongue. "Blackmail is a nasty business. It's too bad a woman as young and beautiful as you has to loose her footing and take a little tumble down the basement stairs." He strolled to a door next to the kitchen and opened it. "Lovely," he said. "They're concrete."

Susan moaned with her eyes as big as saucers.

"Oh, come on, Susan." Jim laughed. "You should have never played with the big boys if you didn't expect to play rough. You're not the first woman to take an accidental trip down a set of stairs." He pulled his leather gloves tighter onto his hands and gently took a few strands of her blond hair and stroked them. Then he punched her in the jaw.

Susan's muffled cry could barely be heard. Her head bounced like a tethered ball. Tears rolled down her face.

"Oh, gee, Susan," Jim said. "Did that hurt? Well, you shouldn't have tried to hurt me." Jim raised his fist to punch her again, but stopped when he heard a car pull into the drive. "Damn it," he said. "You keep quiet and don't try anything funny."

A knock on the door made Jim put his gloved finger to his lips.

A woman's voice yell from outside the door. "I know you're here, Susan. You're car is in the driveway."

Jim felt his face turn pale. He knew the voice.

"Susan, it's Jenny."

Yes, Jim's Jenny. His wife of twenty-six years!

There was another knock. After a couple of minutes he heard her heals clicking on the walkway, but the car never left. He didn't dare peek out from behind the closed curtains. Then the back door opened.

Crap, Jim thought. He never even thought about locking the back door.

"Susan," Jenny called. "Tell me that bastard husband of mine is going to pay."

Jim froze. What? My wife is in on it? Just then Jenny stepped around the corner and they stood face to face not saying a word, Jenny clutching her purse. Then Jenny shouted, "Susan," and raced to her.

Jim followed, grabbing the porker from the fireplace. Jenny spun around holding a gun. The very gun Jim had bought her for protection. The very gun he made her take to the shooting range to practice. The very gun he demanded she carried in her purse at all times. The very damn gun she now pointed at him.

"You won't shoot me," Jim said.

"Try me," she said in a voice Jim knew from their twenty-six year marriage meant business. "Drop it and back away." She took a step toward him as he dropped the poker. "Farther," she said as she guided him backwards towards the open basement door.