Free Madam of Maple Court by Joan Elizabeth Lloyd Page A

going to the country club, but now that Vin's death had begun to recede in everyone's mind, a few of the men had begun to act differently with her. Coming on to a possibly sexually frustrated widow had become a new sport, and wives had started to view her as dangerous.
    "I was wondering whether you'd been unable to arrange anything," she said into the phone.
    "I was hoping you'd have changed your mind."
    "I haven't," she said. "It's important to me." She'd thought a lot about why she needed this and was no closer to understanding. All she knew was that the idea banged on her brain and wouldn't let go.
    "Okay. I've set up a meeting with one of the women who run the club for tomorrow lunchtime," he said. "We're meeting at a little Chinese place called Oriental Wok in the West Sixties at noon." He gave Pam the address of the restaurant. "Does that work for you?"
    "Yes, but what do you mean 'we'?"
    "I'm going to be there to be sure the meeting stays pleasant and nonconfrontational. Any hint of unpleasantness and I'll drag you out of there, bodily if I have to."
    "What kind of a woman do you think I am?"
    "I'm sorry, but I'm not taking any chances," he said, his voice brooking no protest. "I vouched for you, for your intelligence, your integrity, and your ability to keep this a personal thing, not a public one. I'm going along to be sure nothing gets out of line."
    "Out of line?"
    "No violence, no tape recorders, no nothing. My trust in you goes only so far, Pam. I don't really know you at all except for the fact that you're furious with the club for supposedly ruining your marriage."
    "What do you mean supposedly? Those people got their hooks into Vin and bled him for every cent he had."
    "Hold on, Pam," Gary snapped through the phone. "Let's get one thing straight. He went to them. From what I was able to find out, there's never been a report of coercion of any sort at the club. They had something he wanted and he visited the place of his own free will."
    "How can you say things like that?" she said, trying not to cry. She thought she'd reasoned it all out, but there was sudden pain. "What could he get there that he couldn't get at home?"
    "You're the only one who can answer that," he said patiently. "I don't want you to tell me anything, but think about this. Was your sex life everything it could have been? Did Vin really get what he wanted from you in the bedroom?" When she took a breath to snap out the obvious answer, he continued, "Don't answer and try to stop the knee-jerk 'it was terrific' Be honest with yourself for a moment. Unless you're honest, you won't be able to understand the reality of what went on."
    She held her tongue, then let out a long, shuddering breath. "Okay, I'll be good. I'll see you tomorrow."
    Pam clicked the End button on her cell phone. Tomorrow. She'd find out what she could about this Club Fantasy and then, if there was even a hint of anything illegal—besides the obvious, of course—she'd blow the whistle. There had to be blackmail or something like it involved in Vin's payments. He couldn't be visiting a place like that every other week for sex. That wasn't the Vin she knew.
    She rubbed her eyes. Recently she'd found out lots of things weren't the Vin she knew.

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Chapter 6

     
    The following morning was bright and clear, azure blue skies with puffy white clouds. As she drove south on the Saw Mill River Parkway, Pam didn't see the spring flowers or the new green all around her. Rather, she concentrated on the road and tried to steady her nerves. She wanted this meeting, but now she wasn't sure exactly why. Did she want to berate the woman for entangling her husband in some sordid business, or was she curious about what activities he'd been interested in? She had to admit that she was curious, and that curiosity had surfaced sometime yesterday. What had he wanted? Needed?
    Now she had deep doubts about the wisdom of this meeting. Maybe Gary was right. Why had she wanted it in the first