One Lane Bridge

by

Linda Lattimer and Suzanne Weaver

“Guess so,” Frank said, tapping his fingers on the counter top.

Stephanie felt her body skyrocketing, ready to explode without any given notice.

“So, tell me good friend, have you managed to catch the guy?” Brock inquired.

“No. But my part is over for right now.” There was no way he was going to divulge any information to anyone other than Stephanie.

“Good. Maybe now you can spend more time with your wife.”

“Excuse me?”

“What I meant, Stephanie has been so miserable without you. I’m glad you’re home. You know how women get when the husband goes away for a while.”

Frank continued eyeing Stephanie. The heat of his stare burned within her body. Yeah start counting down, she thought. The rocket is about to launch.

“Are you two sure Stephanie’s little dizziness was all you were discussing before I entered?”

Stephanie eyed Brock almost pleading with her stare to keep quiet. He must keep silent about their affair. Something registered in Frank’s mind after Brock’s sudden remark about his dead wife. It was as if reality came into full focus.

Brock noticed Frank’s inventory of Stephanie’s moods. He decided to give her a small break.

“It’s about this woman I’ve been seeing.”

Stephanie picked up the glass from the floor. She placed it in the sink then gazed out the window in a locked trance, trying to occupy her mind on what lay outside.

Brock walked over and retrieved the ring off the table. Opening the box, he showed it to Frank. “I wanted Stephanie’s opinion about this ring before I ask the woman to marry me. I mean, after seeing how happy the two of you are, I thought why not go for it all. Here you built that big house for me, and believe me, it’s lonely all by oneself. So, what do you think Frank? Would you give this ring to the woman you loved?”

Frank glanced at the ring. Stephanie unlocked her stare from the outside view. She turned and watched Brock closely. She was very uncomfortable with his actions.

“I don’t see why not. Did you see it Stephanie?” Frank asked.

She nodded yes.

“Would you accept a ring like this?”

“Frank, I’ve already told Brock it was a very nice ring.”

“Then what are you waiting for Brock? Why don’t you go show it to Helen now?”

Brock looked perplexed. Helen? Why would Frank mention Helen?

“I asked Stephanie who the woman was that you were seeing. She told me Helen.”

“Oh yeah,” he said smiling. He remembered the prostitute he had brought home to stage his act for Stephanie. “I had to think there for a moment. I knew I hadn’t told you her name. You had me going there for a minute, Frank. I figured you had been investigating me or something.”

“Do you have something to hide?” Frank asked, returning a forced grin.

Stephanie’s stomach was in knots, twisting and churning as if she were rapidly beating batter to a cake mix. Was Frank putting the pieces together? Any minute her marriage and her life would be over.

“Who me? Not on your life,” Brock answered.

Brock glanced at Frank, then over to Stephanie. “You know Frank, you may have a point. I think I’ll go ask her right now to be my wife. After all, Stacy is gone. It’s time for me to get on with my life. You and Stephanie probably want to be alone anyway. I’ll go and catch you later.”

Frank handed him the ring. Brock walked out, leaving Stephanie alone to face any consequences.

Stephanie suspected Brock had carefully laid this plan to trap her. It was working. She had a pretty good feeling that Frank was putting all of this in a nutshell. Soon her world would tumble down. For a moment, their eyes met in silence. The inevitable was about to drop like the bomb she had so many times considered.

“Stephanie, I told you all about my case. Was there something that you wanted to tell me?”

“Frank, what news could I have to tell you? You know about the baby.” She had no idea how the words were flowing out of her mouth.

“Yes. Let’s get back to the baby,” he stated, while slowly edging a bit around the room trying to keep his composure. “When did you say you were due?”

She swallowed hard. “I told you honey, in August.”

This was only slight pressure, considering what was going to happen when he did strike her with everything.

“You wouldn’t hide anything from me. Would you Stephanie?” He inquired, uncertain now about her trust.

Come on Steph, just say anything. You can get through this that is if you’re clever enough to talk your way out.

She sort of laughed. “Am I under investigation too?”

Frank pounded his fist hard on the cabinet. “I see nothing funny here. Just tell me one thing. Is that my baby?”

She stared at him, wetting her lips. Her mouth felt dry. This time it wasn’t from lack of thirst. She wanted to run and hide. But that wasn’t possible.

“I resent that Frank Henderson. How could you even ask me a question like that? I’m appalled that you’d even insinuate such!”

She started to walk past him, but he grabbed her arm.

“Who started it?” he demanded.

“Started what?” she retaliated.

“The affair, I’m not dumb, Stephanie. Please give me some credit.”

“What I give you, is a man with his mind working overtime. You’ve got a good imagination, Frank. Here you go off on this case. And when you do finally return, you accuse your wife of having an affair. Now that’s sick! Don’t you think if I was having an affair the whole office would know about it?”

“Drop it, Stephanie. It won’t cut it this time.”

“This time? This time, Frank? What do you suspect there have been other times, but now that I am pregnant you are suspicious of some sordid affair that never happened.”

He observed the letter addressed to him on the table. Releasing hold of her arm, he walked over and snatched it off the table.

“What’s this? I never received a letter from you.”

Stephanie hastily jerked it from his hand. “I wrote that a long time ago when you upset me over the phone. You didn’t come home for Christmas. I was hurt. I explained that already. So I sat down and wrote some mean things to you.”

“Why didn’t you mail it?”

“Brock saw it. He said it would hurt you if you knew how badly you had upset me. Here you were working on a case. He said I shouldn’t disturb you with little spats.”

“Why don’t you let me be the judge? I’ll hurry and read it now. Then let you know.”

Frank started to reach for the letter but Stephanie put it behind her.

“No Frank! I don’t want your return spoiled because of some silly nonsense I scribbled on paper.”

“This has nothing to do with any phone call, Stephanie. Or any words you formed on paper!” He shouted. “Why can’t you just be honest with me?”

She felt the tears getting ready to mist. Yeah, his mean streak was starting to manifest.

“I know I wasn’t honest or fair when I didn’t tell you about me being in the Bureau, but please Stephanie. Please. If there is something going on between you and Brock, I want to know now. Don’t keep me in the dark,” he urged.

Too late to refrain from any tears. They swelled in her eyes, then ran down her cheeks. That alone gave Frank his answer.

Frank hit the cabinet door inches from where Stephanie stood. “I knew it!!”

His hand plunged straight into the glass panel. It caused an open cut. Blood issued from his hand.

Stephanie stood frozen--afraid to move.

“What, did you think I would never find out? You must think I’m stupid, Stephanie. I’ll ask once more. Who started it?”

She stood afraid to answer.

“I’m waiting!” he shouted, loud enough to cause her to flinch.

“I-I really don’t know for sure,” she said, stalling to get the words out. “He has been making these advances at me for a long time. And well, when you left…” her words were strained, choked from the tears.

“When I left!” he said in disgust. “Doesn’t that take the cake? The guy moves in next door, to a house I help repair for him with my own hands, Stephanie. And what do I get in return? The minute I hop on an airplane, my wife hops into the sack with him. How convenient for you both. What about when I came home for that one day? After I left, did the two of you start it all over again?”

“He forced me then.”

“Forced? I find that hard to believe!” he said, raising his voice even louder. “What, did he hold a gun to your head or a knife to your throat? Give me a break!”

“When it first started, I hoped to get pregnant. I could give you that baby you wanted. After you came home for that day, I knew I could no longer continue to sleep with Brock. I loved you. I wasn’t pregnant then Frank. So it has to be your baby. When I told Brock I was calling it quits, he threatened to tell you everything,” she admitted, crying.

“Oh, stop your crying!” he exclaimed, shouting directly in her face. “You knew this was coming. I trusted you and that so-called friend. How could you do this to me? To us? You witch!”

He moved away from her for a second, not speaking.

Stephanie wiped her tears. Frank wasn’t listening to her about the baby. She was almost positive that it was his. But he refused to hear a word. She told her mind to try to stay calm. She knew Frank’s silence wouldn’t last forever. And he called her a witch, she would never forget that look of scorn reflected on his face. He could have called you worse.

“Tell me, did you think this little plan of yours would work? Or backfire in your face?”

“I wanted to give you a baby. That’s all you ever talked about day in and day out. Don’t you see, it all worked out? You’re the father.”

His intense gaze spelled kill. The veins bulged in his neck. She could feel the daggers spinning at her body, sending a sharp agonizing pain.