James Grippando - The Pardon

He grabbed the pot and the keys to his rental car and he was off, wondering with a growing dread if the grave he was about to visit was his own.

Jack and Cindy were in bed by 9:00 p.m., and they didn’t stop making love to the sounds of “Love Jazz” on the radio until well after the deejay said, “Thank God it’s Friday.” Afterward, Jack decided he had to find some way to tell Cindy the truth about Gina. She was risking too much for him to be dishonest with her. Before breaking the news, however, he wanted to confirm Gina’s position. He wanted to be able to tell Cindy that Gina wouldn’t be telling their sordid story to the world-as a witness for the prosecution.

The following afternoon Jack was deep in thought as he headed to Gina’s townhouse, driving so slowly that even carloads of tourists zoomed by him on the expressway.

Gina had just returned from jogging when Jack knocked on her door. She wore orange nylon shorts, Nike running shoes, and a skimpy tank top that had been pasted to her body by a good hard sweat. Her long brown hair was pulled back and tied behind her head.

“Can I come in?” he asked, standing in the open doorway.

Gina sipped her Gatorade Lite, her expression as cool as the ice in her glass. “Sure,” she said with a shrug.

He stepped inside and closed the door, then followed her to the kitchen. “I realize this isn’t your favorite subject, Gina. But the way you left Manny’s office yesterday, I felt like we should talk.”

Gina went to the refrigerator for a refill on her drink. “I’ve pretty much said it all, haven’t I?”

“That’s what I’m here to find out. That crack you made yesterday about not wanting to help me. That worried me.”

“Well,” she said with a wry smile, “maybe I did lay it on a little thick. But you got the point of my performance: I don’t want to get involved. That shouldn’t surprise you, Jack. I honestly don’t think it even upsets you. I could see it on your face. The last thing you wanted was for me to be your alibi.”

“You don’t know what I want, Gina.”

“Oh, no?” she said coyly, switching to a low, sexy voice. She suddenly felt challenged. She moved closer to him, so close that he could feel her breath on his cheek and smell the sweat that reminded him of things he should never have done. She reached behind her head and tugged on the sweatband, letting her hair down. “Let me put it another way, Jack. Did you actually want me to say I touched this body,” she said, gliding her open hand lightly over his chest, a half inch away from touching him, but never making physical contact. “That I felt the weight of it on top of me. That we tangled and sweated and screamed in the night, that with each thrust I dug my nails into your back and sunk my teeth into your chest, crying out for more, even though you were more than enough for any woman. Is that really what you wanted? And if you did,” she whispered, now looking deeply into his eyes, “did you want Cindy in or out of the courtroom when I said it?”

Jack pulled himself away from her. “What happened between you and me was a mistake. I think we both regret it. And you certainly could have been my alibi without making it sound so lurid.”

Gina emptied her Gatorade into the sink and opened the liquor cabinet. She filled her glass with Campari and ice. “Are you negotiating with me?”

“Negotiating for what?”

She arched an eyebrow, then sipped her drink. “Do you want me to say you didn’t leave my townhouse until after four o’clock?”

Jack knew her serious look, and she was definitely being serious. “Just hold it right there, Gina. You’ve totally got the wrong idea. I didn’t come here for that.”

“I didn’t say you did. But, then again, think about the last time you came here. You didn’t come here to make love to me. But you did.”

“And I wish it had never happened.”

“Do you? Or do you just wish Cindy would never find out about it?”

He looked away, trying not to lose his temper. He brought his emotions under control, then gave her a very lawyerly look. “Listen, Gina, I didn’t come here to talk you into being my alibi. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t going to testify against me.”

Her eyes widened. “Don’t be absurd, Jack. I would never do that.”

“And as far as what happened between you and me-no, I haven’t told Cindy yet. But she’ll know everything. Just as soon as I find the right time to tell her.”

“There is no right time, Jack. I know Cindy. I know her better than you do. If she finds out about us, you can bet that neither one of us will ever see her again. The only reason there’d ever be to tell her anything is if I were going to be your alibi. And I’m not. So it’s final. I won’t have you shooting your mouth off to Cindy in some juvenile attempt to soothe your conscience. I won’t allow it.”

“It’s not up to you.”

“Oh, yes, it is. Because I’m taking back what I said earlier. I can’t say I would never testify against you. Because there is one way I would. If you tell Cindy about us, I swear I’ll tell the police everything-including how you came to my apartment thinking Eddy Goss was after you and Cindy.

“And that’s only the half of it. I’ll tell the world what really happened between us-how you really got your scratches and bruises. I’ll tell them how I invited you inside my townhouse because you had scared me to death about Eddy Goss. How I trusted you when you said you’d sleep on the couch. And how I scratched and bruised you only after you snuck into my room, tore off my nightgown, and forced yourself on me.” She took a long sip and finished the rest of her drink. “It’s your choice. Just grow up and keep what happened between us to yourself. Or face the consequences.”

Jack stared with disbelief. “Why are you doing this? Why not just live with the truth?”

“Because the truth helps no one. If I tell the truth to the police, it hurts you. If you tell the truth to Cindy, it hurts us both. So those are my terms. Neither of us talks. Or we both talk. Take your pick.”

He would have loved to tell her to butt out of his relationship with Cindy, but he couldn’t. Maybe she was bluffing-he certainly couldn’t believe she would fabricate a rape claim. But he was in no position to take that kind of risk. “All right,” he said with resignation. “I’ll take your terms, Gina. And just be glad I don’t have a choice.”

“Smart boy,” she said, smiling. She raised her glass. “Can I offer you some Campari?”

He didn’t bother to answer as he let himself out.

At 5:30 A.M., Wilfredo Garcia was awakened by a loud knock on the door. He’d been up most of the night, his mind racing. It had been almost thirty-six hours since he’d beeped Officer Cookson, but he still hadn’t heard back. He was beginning to worry.

The knocking continued. Wilfredo rolled from his mattress, which lay on the floor.

“Un momento.” He put on his robe and stepped into his slippers, then shuffled toward the door.

There was a place for a peephole in the door, but the little window had been removed and replaced with a wad of putty. Wilfredo removed the putty and peered into the hallway. It was dark, as usual, but he could see well enough to recognize the midnight blue uniform.

“It’s Officer Cookson,” came the voice in the darkness.

The old Cuban gentleman opened the door just a crack and peered through the opening. He was a foot shorter than the policeman and nearly twice as old.

“Can I come in, sir?”

Wilfredo felt a mixture of relief and anxiety. He didn’t know what to expect, but he certainly didn’t expect a cop to show up at this hour. Nonetheless, he nodded his head obediently and opened the door the rest of the way. The officer stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Wilfredo switched on a lamp with no shade, then turned and faced his visitor.