The Long Goodbye

If this had been a lover, not a fuck, Kelly might have snuggled next to him, perhaps even spent the night. But he had given her what she wanted. She pulled the rubber off and tied it. Then hopped out of bed and ran into the ensuite.

She came out naked except for her shoes and thigh-high stockings which she had never actually lost. He was still lying in bed staring at the canopy. Kelly could see that he was getting hard again.

She had what she came for so she wanted to get out of there. She pulled on her dress, picked up her bra and stuffed it and the rubber into her purse. She left her thong on the floor next to the bed as a souvenir. Tedesco said, "Please stay." Kelly said, "I would love to but that wasn't part of the bargain".

He sat up and said, "But will you at least give me your name?" Kelly said, "What part of the word ANONOYMOUS didn't you understand?" Then, ignoring Tedesco she turned and walked out into the living room. She left him making a beseeching gesture.

Kelly thought, "At least I can understand what Pia saw in him." Then she walked out of condo and down to her car. It had been a stimulating evening but now it was time to get back to work.

~

The next morning I was looking at the DNA report. I was still trying to figure out what to do. It was getting frustrating. What I planned required surprise. But then again, how could I get Tedesco's DNA without tipping him off? Then Kelly walked in. She reached in her purse and pulled out an evidence bag. It had a used condom inside.

I said, "What's this?"

She said, "You wanted Tedesco's DNA?" That statement sat there for a second. Then it hit me. I was flabbergasted.

I sputtered, "You didn't???!!"

She looked inscrutable and said, "You needed his DNA so I got it."

An inexplicable jolt of white-hot jealousy pulled my frontal lobe off and stomped on it. Tedesco had fucked Kelly too!! I'm supposed to be cool, a real hard-case, tough guy. But I must have looked like a pimply faced teenager who had just stumbled on his prom date blowing the quarterback.

I had watched a video of my wife taking it in the butt and not blinked an eye. But, the thought of Kelly and that asshole rolling in a sweaty heap totally "Hulked-me-out." Kelly recoiled; with real fear in her eyes.

I said in my iciest tone, "I assume you fucked the guy to get this."

She responded in the same tone of voice, "I did what was necessary to get what you needed. You wouldn't have gotten it otherwise." Then she added coldly, "You said you wouldn't judge me."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I said, "You willingly had sex with a person I consider my lifetime enemy. You don't consider that a betrayal of epic proportions??!!" Kelly looked hurt.

She said, "I did it for you, stupid. It was a clinical act, strictly to get what you wanted. It never crossed my mind that you would take it any other way. I thought that I was doing something that would make you happy."

She added angrily, "I'll probably have sex with Zac this weekend." Zac was her current squeeze. He plays tight-end for the Bears. She said with sarcasm, "Does THAT bother you too?" As a matter of fact, it did.

Then a sudden disconcerting discovery landed on me like a cartoon safe. I had been in love with Kelly McMahan for a long time. But, there was no way I was going to admit it.

I understood; I really did. Kelly knew how obsessed I was with Tedesco. She knew how difficult it would be for me to secretly get his DNA. So, she did what she had to do to get it. It was the smart play. I marveled to myself, "I thought I was tough!!"

I knew that she had no feelings for the guy; except total disdain. Nevertheless, the picture of his penetrating her body, her reacting to his caresses and him cumming inside her just killed me.

For some reason; I thought of Henry II of England. Back in the twelfth century, he was hassling with Thomas a'Becket when he angrily said, "Who will rid me of this troublesome priest?" Four of his knights immediately got down to the task.

Of course, giving the king what he had asked for also put him in a world of hurt. So, Becket got canonized and Henry ended up wearing a hair shirt. That was what Kelly had just done to me.

It wasn't like she had crossed any lines. Single girls in their late twenties are rarely blushing virgins; especially if they look like Kelly. In fact, from work conversations I knew that she was a world-champ in the sexual arena. As far as SHE was concerned; fucking Tedesco to get a DNA sample was just a task.

Nevertheless, in proving her devotion, she had transported me to a land of conflicting feelings and irrational thoughts. I had what I wanted, but I was devastated. I sincerely believed that she did it out of loyalty. At the same time, I was not thinking of her in romantic terms any more. She was my staunch friend, closest companion and a consort battleship in life's struggles. But she was no longer a love object.

I kept telling myself that was a downright irrational way to view the situation. This wasn't high school. We had made no pledges. She wasn't wearing my letter sweater, or class ring. We had never exchanged the word "love." In fact, the closest we came to a vow, was to say that we would do anything for each other.

Well, Kelly had done just that; and my response was to shut her out of my heart.

I thought to myself, "Maybe you need to put this away for a while; revisit it after you get a little perspective." Kelly was looking at me with worry. I said, "I don't know what to say about this. I will admit that knowing you were with Tedesco makes me insanely jealous."

Kelly looked thunderstruck. I said, "Yes, I was beginning to think about you that way. Now I don't know what to think."

She went from astonished, to crestfallen. I didn't know how to interpret that. It was obvious that we both needed to put some distance between the actual event. In the meantime, there was still the matter of Tedesco.

I said, "Can we get back to Tedesco?" Kelly looked relieved.

She said, "Let's do that. I've got to admit that you have my emotions all churned up. I thought that getting the sample would be no big deal. I thought it would prove my loyalty; not make you think that I'd betrayed you."

Then she looked thoughtful and said, "I suppose I feel the same way about you. It's baffling. But there's no doubt in my mind that we have a singular bond. I want you to know that I would never violate a vow of fidelity. That is NOT who I am."

I said, "Maybe we'll make one sometime. But right now, all I can think about is the business at hand." Kelly looked disappointed.

~

I employ one of the best testing labs in the Chicago. Nonetheless, it still took almost a week to get the results: even though I have used them for years. The most telling finding was that the DNA under Pia's fingernails was Tedesco's. She had scratched him before he killed her.

Kelly and I had avoided all conversation about how the DNA was obtained. It was a topic that was too painful for both of us. I had discovered that Kelly was a lot more ruthless than I had imagined. She had discovered that I was human after all.

Tedesco was only one of several open engagements that we were conducting. Kelly had gotten so good at fieldwork that she ran the team by herself. She was off on an out-of-town job when the results came back. I sat there looking at them and trying to picture Pia's last moments.

She had clearly struggled. I had wondered if she had willingly had sex with the douchebag before he killed her. The evidence pointed to rape, not consent. She must have been terrified. But she fought back valiantly. Maybe that was the cause of his rage. I couldn't help feeling sad and alone. It made what I was planning of Tedesco all-the-more pressing and justifiable.

Kelly showed up a couple of days later. In the meantime, I had done some thinking. We were sitting in Nevins. For her part, she had stopped the leaning-in and all the other feminine expressions of interest. For my part, I was sitting back relaxed, I wasn't mad at her anymore. I had accepted the situation. It was, what it was. She was still my best friend; if not my lover.

As usual, half the denizens were leering at her and the female half was acting like she didn't exist. We were talking over my plans for Tedesco. I said, "The results came back Tuesday. It was Tedesco. Now we can do something about him. Are you still in?" Kelly looked hurt and said, "Why wouldn't I be?"

I said, "No lingering feelings?" Her eyes turned hard and she said, "You're a total asshole. Women can separate sex from love, just like men can. I never had feelings for him. All I wanted was the evidence."

I knew that but I wanted her to confirm it for me one more time. She was integral to my plans and she couldn't have second thoughts.

I said, "Okay, water under the bridge." I said, "I've rented an apartment near one of his favorite hangouts. It doesn't have a trail leading back to you, or me. I need you to lure him up there the same way you did when you got the sample."

She looked appalled and said, "I would do anything for you Joey. But not that again." I said, "All you have to do is get him far enough into the room for me to do my thing." She said, "I can do that. What's the plan?"

I proceeded to lay out the choreography and timing. It was going to require split-second coordination and perfect execution. But I had absolute confidence. I never doubt my abilities and Kelly was my mirror-self in every way.

BACK TO REAL-TIME

Kelly watched Joey slouch out the door at Sheffield's. He glanced over at the people enjoying dinner at the outdoor tables. She thought, "Seriously?!! They're actually enjoying the heat and humidity of a Chicago summer's day??!!"

He nodded imperceptibly to Kelly, as he turned and walk off up School Street. He wasn't his normal intimidating, dangerous self. In fact, he looked forlorn.

At least the heat didn't bother her in what she was wearing. Kelly was dressed to seduce, in a minimalist kind of way; short-shorts and a simple tank top. It showed off her bountiful goods without appearing slutty. She would have dressed in a G-string if Joey had wanted her too. But all he wanted was for her to lure Tedesco to his secluded doom.

He was sitting in a big booth in the back. There were a bunch of glorified frat-boys sitting with him. All them were laughing raucously at some joke. Of course, Tedesco sat in the middle holding court.

She walked up to the bar and stood there waiting to get the bartender's attention, her right leg bent and her left hip shot out, using her gorgeous hips and ass as bait. She was just about to turn and go over there. That was plan "B." Then she heard his voice behind her say, "Is that you?" He sounded almost tentative, like a hopeful school girl.

She turned faking astonishment and then gave him a melting glance. She said, "Well hello my anonymous friend." He was standing in front of her as eager as a Labrador Retriever who had just dropped a bird at her feet.

He said laughing gaily, "Come over and join us. We are getting ready to go to the Cubs game. I have a luxury box." This was where she had to set the hook and Kelly couldn't hesitate. She said dismissively, "Baseball is for little boys."

She turned and walked slowly out of the bar.

He did what she expected. She had made her way 50 yards up School Street when he bounded up next to her like Pepe Le Pew. She knew that would happen. She looked at him mischievously and said, "What happened to the game? He said, "I'd rather spend the evening with you." The meaning of THAT was crystal clear.

He said, "Do you live around here?" She said, "I have a place up the street. I suppose you can come up for a drink." It was also clear what THAT meant. Tedesco practically wriggled with anticipation. Kelly thought with revulsion, "God!! What a horndog!!"

She led him to a decrepit two decker brick apartment building. Tedesco thought, "I can't imagine a woman like this, living in such a run-down place. I wonder what happened to her? Maybe it was a messy divorce? That was a delightful prospect. Tedesco liked them helpless."

Kelly walked up the filthy staircase avoiding the garbage on the stairs as she went. Tedesco couldn't take his eyes off the flexing of the muscles in those beautiful long legs. She took out a big brass key, unlocked the door and walked in. She moved to the middle of the room and turned to face him, challenge in her eye.

He didn't need any encouragement. Tedesco had seen that kind of fuck-me look a thousand times. He moved to embrace her. She threw her arms around him. It almost felt like she was holding him in place. The woman was abnormally strong.

John Tedesco heard a sound behind him like a whip cracking. Then unbearable stabbing pain exploded through his body, centered in his lower back. It was like a bomb had hit down there. His eyes rolled up in his head. He lost control of his bowels and he passed out. As he fell he thought he heard the woman mutter, "This is for Pia."

~

The air conditioner had almost caught up to the heat. I finished the scotch in one burning gulp. I washed out the glass and carefully dried it. I had surgical gloves on so I wasn't worried about fingerprints.

I was wearing nothing but a black t-shirt and jeans, with running shoes on my feet. But I was still sweating. It had been a long drive up from St. Louis and it would be a long drive back; in the clunker, I had bought for cash. Nonetheless, the moment had come and my reflexes and senses were at Defcon One.

I heard footsteps on the wooden stairs. I merged back into the corner behind the door and waited, every muscle spring-loaded. I had already deployed the two-foot Asp Talon 60 baton. I held it at the ready.

The door opened and Kelly walked in silently. She looked like a woman on a mission. Tedesco couldn't see her face. If he had he would have turned around and run for his life. He came in behind her looking horny. Kelly had already moved to the center of the apartment, just as we had rehearsed. She turned to face him looking seductive.

Tedesco gave a low growl and strode toward her. He put his arms around her upper body squeezing her to him. She grabbed him by his butt, holding him steady for the impending hit. Tedesco must have thought it was sheer desire; his dick always ruled his judgement.

This had to be a precision strike. I would have used my old PR-24 if I wanted to beat him to death. But I needed pinpoint accuracy. He would be sore, if I hit the muscle of his back. But, there wouldn't be any lasting effects. If I hit him too high, I would kill him. That was why I was using an Asp.

The Asp weighs a little over a pound. But, with the leverage cap and the unique metallurgy, I can whip the tip at supersonic speeds. Since force equals mass, times velocity, the speed of the strike more than made up for the miniscule weight of the tip.

More importantly all that force would be concentrated in an area not much bigger than your thumb print. I am stronger than anybody you know and between that fact, and the impact of the strike it would be like Tedesco was shot.

It was a Zen-like moment. I locked my little finger in the groove, concentrating on Tedesco's T12 vertebrae. I stepped back so I could bet the entire range of motion and whipped the baton in a short, powerful arc. At the point where the strike occurred the tip was supersonic. The crack of its passage through the air sounded like a whip being snapped.

The hit was directly on the anterior body of the thoracic T12. That vertebra was separated from its rib and driven violently inward; almost two inches. The radical realignment of Tedesco's spine completely severed the spinal cord between T12 and L1. Of course, there was no blood and the impact site was limited to approximately the size of the tip of the Asp. The only thing that would indicate harm, would be the discoloration around the impact site.

Tedesco gave a massive grunt of agony and collapsed forward. His bowels immediately evacuated. The smell was horrible. Kelly caught him and lowered him to the ground. As she did, I heard her whisper, "This is for Pia."

Kelly didn't look upset, or even flustered. She looked satisfied. I knew at that exact instant that I had found a soul-mate. It's such a mushy term. But, it was perfectly descriptive of the union between Miss Kelly McMahan and me. She was the toughest person I knew.

She turned and said blandly, "You'd better get going. I'll handle the rest."

I nodded and said, "I'll see you tomorrow." Nothing else needed to be said. I had a long drive in front of me and our eternal connection was set in cement.

~

The two detectives were confused. John Tedesco had been implicated in the death of Pia Wakender. Now he was lying in Northwestern Medical Center with a spinal cord that had been severed in a way that the doctors said they had only seen in high speed automobile accidents.

But Tedesco had been found on the floor of a cheap north-side apartment after a 911 call from a burner phone. When they checked with the apartment management, they found that it had been rented by some anonymous dude under the name, "Hieronymus Bosch." That sounded like it might be an alias.

Knowing about their history, the detectives went looking for Joe Wakender. But he was out of town at a conference in St. Louis. There was plenty of video evidence that he had been there for almost a week. With proof that he hadn't even been in town, the detectives crossed him off the list; just like they had to do with the murder of his wife.

Tedesco had been medicated. So, they couldn't talk to him for a couple of days. It was a shocking injury. But his life had never been in jeopardy. He was simply half a man now, all bodily functions from the L1 down were disabled. He was in a contraption that was designed to let him rest without further damage to the injury.

Tedesco was hooked to all the regular hospital paraphernalia. He was conscious but heavily sedated. Donuts said, "Any idea who did this Tedesco?"

Tedesco just looked at him. He said, "It was the woman." That was puzzling.

Food stains said, "What woman?"

Tedesco said, "The beautiful one, the one who lured me up there!!"

He was getting agitated. The detectives didn't blame him. Both would rather be dead, than be John Tedesco. His would be a miserable life going forward.

Donuts said, "There wasn't any woman. It was rented by a guy."

Tedesco said agitatedly, "No, it was a beautiful woman. Start with her."

Food stains said, "You're going to have to be a little more specific John. There are a lot of beautiful women in Chicago."

Tedesco said, "That's all I know," and he started to cry. John Tedesco might exist another 40 years. But his life was over.

~

Kelly picked me up at Midway. I had left the clunker sitting in East St. Louis with the keys in it. At the same time, I had been prominent in several places where there were surveillance cameras. Plus, I had started a minor hassle with TSA; both on my way out and on my way back. So, they had bookend reports of my journey.

Kelly was as delectable as ever in a light silk dress that did nothing but showcase her fantastic body. I said, "Any problems after I left?"

She looked disgusted and said, "Those two doofuses stopped by the business. They wanted to know where you were. I had Frank tell them about your convenient alibi. I didn't want them to see me. It's probably a good idea for me to lay-low for a while."

I knew that my stalwart friend had put herself in the frame for me. The cops had told me that they were looking for a beautiful woman. I told them flippantly, "Aren't we all."

Kelly had cut her long sheaf of copper hair into a preppie bob. It was sacrilege. But it was prudent to keep her on the down-low. She could do nothing to disguise her beautiful face. For the foreseeable future, an out of town engagement might be a prudent assignment for her