Werebeasties

If she didn’t come up with the money, Jared would go to her mother and upload the tape to the internet. She wouldn’t put it past him. He would do it. She knew Jared too well. If he didn’t get what he wanted, he’d throw tantrums and do something horrible just to make his point. Her ex was a spoilt child. His mother and his grandmother were ‘he’s a sweet a boy and he can do nothing wrong’ types. The two women disapproved of her relationship with Jared and had been quite furious when she’d married him. Jared had been a sweet man at the beginning, but his mother and grandmother kept whispering poison to him that eventually turned him into a lazy jackass who turned her life into a living nightmare.

If she did nothing, she’d become a laughing stock for the whole town. Jared would brag about what he’d done in the local bar and before noon time, everybody would know what she was doing. Her friends. Cousins. Neighbours. How was she supposed to live like that? She couldn’t pack her bag and move. She didn’t want to sell the house. She had to live in that town.

Her father had been a reverend and everybody in town kind of looked up to them. Her mother’s health hadn’t been good since her father had passed away.

Sam swallowed hard. Her nerves wound tight. There was only one thing to do. She must recover that tape from Jared. She could deny everything if Jared tattled to her mother, but graphic evidence like a sex tape would destroy everything.

She turned the shower off. Shaking, she shed her clothes and shoes. Her mind spun. She must find out where Jared was staying in Colorado and ransack his place for the tape. If he didn’t have it here, then she could go back to Indiana to Jared’s apartment.

Sam towelled and changed into dry clothes. She went looking for her purse and fumbled with the address book. Jared had a best friend, his cousin, who he partied and hung out with almost every day. Mike would know where Jared was going.

She took her cell phone and dialled Mike’s number. A sleepy voice answered her on the third ring.

“Yo.”

“Sam here. Mike, do you know where Jared is?”

Mike sounded surprised. “Hey, Sammy. What’s shakin’?”

“Do you know where Jared is? My lawyer needs him to sign some papers.”

“What papers?”

“The settlement papers. If he wants his money, he has to sign it fast,” Sam lied. Jared and Mike were close. If Jared was about to be blessed with a boatload of cash, Mike would like to know. The two were crackheads and barely had a brain to split between them.

“Oh.” Mike sounded excited. “He went to Colorado, man. Couple days ago.”

“What for?” Sam played along.

“I dunno. He didn’t say.”

“Do you know where he’s staying?”

A pause. “I think he said something about Willwood or something. I ain’t sure. He just got some dough from his grandma and he said he wanted to splurge. Why don’t you call his cell?”

Dough from his grandma, my ass. “I did. But he didn’t answer.”

“Tough luck, man. Were the papers important?”

“Duh. I wouldn’t call you if it wasn’t important.”

“Is it about the money?”

“Yes, it’s about the money.”

“Then, maybe,” Mike paused “I could sign it and hold onto the money since Jared’s busy?”

Sam snorted. Everybody in Jared’s family was like a vulture when it came to money. “You’re not the one who’s getting divorced from me, Mike. Sober up.” She disconnected.

So, Jared was staying in Willwood. Sam searched on Google maps for a location of a Willwood hotel. It turned out to be Willwood Lodge. She wrote the address on a piece of paper.

Her heart beat fast. She’d made up her mind. Tonight, she would sneak into his room for the tape. She knew her ex’s habits. Jared wouldn’t come to his room until at least twelve o’clock. He had to have his beers between dinner time and midnight. That meant he would be in a bar somewhere. Probably spending the seventy-five-thousand dollar cheque David had written for him.

That fucking bastard.

She could go to Willwood after dinner. She had told Adam she had her period. She assumed the men wouldn’t want to sleep with her until it was over. She could tell Adam she’d forgotten to pick up a couple of items from Walgreens. Adam might let her drive the Mercedes again. But first, she needed to give the keys back to him.

Sam inspected her clothes in the mirror. She was decent. No makeup. She didn’t feel like putting it on right now. She slipped into her canvas shoes and went looking for Adam.