Chapter 3

I did not realise how anxious I had become until I started dialling Arthur Symonds and felt my heart racing.

"Arthur, Paul Morton."

"Paul, after I left you yesterday I selected my team here to investigate the painting. My personal assistant, Susan found one of the original owners, a man called Ronald Jackson. You'll remember that the painting sale was a part of the liquidation of a deceased estate and Jackson is one of the benefactors. Susan found him very strange; initially he wouldn't discuss the painting but Susan can be very persuasive at times and kept him talking. It seems that he will only discuss the painting in person. He won't discuss anything on the phone or in writing and he won't come to New York to meet us here."

"I wonder why he's so sensitive about the painting?"

"Susan wasn't able to find out but rather than upset him she asked if we could visit him."

"Where does he live, Arthur?"

"Well that's the problem he lives in Minnesota."

"That's Ok. Give me his details."

"His name is Ronald Jackson and he resides at 1053 Pearson Drive, Morristown, about eighty miles south of St. Paul."

I copied his name and phone number into my address book.

"I'll give him a call."

"I wouldn't do that, Paul. He specifically told Susan that she is the only person that he will speak to and he warned her that he did not want to see the painting ever again."

"Come on, he's being ridiculous. So what do we do now?"

"How do you feel about taking Susan to St. Paul with you?"

"Well if there's no other way then that's what I'll do. I want to be with Anita until she departs for the west coast tomorrow so if possible would you contact Susan and have her arrange a meeting with Jackson late on Monday or sometime Tuesday. Have her book two airline tickets to St. Paul and book us overnight at the Ramada Inn in St. Paul. I have a meeting with my lawyer first up on Monday so I can't leave until mid afternoon."

"That's Ok. I'll call her, she's used to me encroaching on her weekends. She's my dedicated PA."

"Why not give me her phone number so I can coordinate with her."

I wrote Susan Richards phone number into my address book, "Thanks Arthur, I'll be in touch."

I made lunch and sat watching a ball game on television. I must have fallen asleep because I awoke with a start to the incessant sound of the phone ringing. The sun was low in the sky so I must have slept for a while; I struggled to get my bearings, stumbling over to the phone I picked it up.

"Hello," my voice sounded rough.

"You're cheating! You've been asleep haven't you?"

"Yes I have! Seems I had a great time last night with a stunning lady."

I heard Anita laughing then her voice sounded serious, "Mr Morton I'm inviting you on a date, dinner, dancing and..."

"I'd rather stay home," I said it slowly and heard her shocked intake of air, "with you."

With relief she continued, "My apartment is a dump, I don't have a chair to sit on or a bed to sleep in. I intend to book into a hotel out near the airport."

"Oh no you don't - no hotel for you. I'll be right over and you'll be staying with me tonight and no correspondence will be entered into regarding my decision."

"I couldn't impose on you like that."

"What miss out on a night at the Morton hotel..."

"No. I couldn't do that."

"What! I give five star service don't I?"

I could hear Anita softly laughing and it was a full minute before she could answer.

"Ok Paul, that would be delightful, my aggressive lover... you're too good to me."

Anita and I found a cabaret restaurant, the food was average but a small theatre group who were excellent, entertained us.

Our last hours together were fast slipping away as I hailed a taxi and we headed back to my apartment.

We held hands in the taxi and Anita rested against my shoulder, I kissed her forehead and asked, "What time is your flight tomorrow?"

She stirred and slowly came out of her reverie, "Five thirty."

I squeezed her hand and when I looked at her face, tears were rolling down her cheeks, she turned her head away from me and wiped her face with her hand, "I don't want to leave..."

Cupping her face in my hands I kissed her hard, stifling any further words from her.

In my apartment I dimmed the lighting and placed my favorite piece of music, Tchaikowsky's 'Capriccio Italien' on the turntable, the music was in keeping with my mood but I kept the volume low as we sat and talked while we held hands on the sofa.

Anita tilted her head slightly as she looked at me with her beautifully shaped eyes, her hair falling freely around her face, "What do you call a tenth anniversary?"

"Huh..." I was confused, "I don't think I know."

She laughed at the look on my face, "You look handsome when you're perplexed."

"I do? I mean, I'm befuddled; what do you mean tenth anniversary?"

"Well Mr. Morton, I've known you but ten days and it feels like I have known you all my life. You are everything that I ever imagined, everything that I ever desired in a man..."

"If you're going to talk like this then I think we should go to bed and talk about this some more." With that I took her hand and stooping I picked up her travelling bag and led her to the bedroom. Anita turned and dropped onto the bed on her back.

"Undress me."

I took her fashion jacket off and threw it into the chair near the bed then I started unbuttoning her blouse. Becoming aroused, she was unable to continue being passive and soon she had my belt unbuckled and my slacks fell to the floor, quickly followed by my underpants. I started to sit on the bed intending to take my shoes off but Anita had other ideas and she grabbed my erection and looking up at me with her adorable eyes, her tongue started wielding its magic on me.

After a few minutes she stood and again I was confused not knowing what was coming next until Susan said, "You're not doing a very good job of undressing me."

Quickly I found the fasteners that held her skirt around her waist; releasing the skirt I lowered it to allow her to step out of it. My head was close to her and I pressed my mouth to her crotch and through the cloth of her panties I nibbled until I found her labia then through my open mouth I blew hot air over her genitals. The sensation was too much for her and she gasped and pulled my head harder against her belly.

"I guess that you'd call that tit for tat wouldn't you."

"I will when I get that bra off," which I did with no fumbling at all.

Then she sat and with an impish look on her face she slowly unrolled her stockings, taking great delight in teasing me. It was too much for me and I leaned in and with pursed lips I pulled on her erect nipple.

She rolled away from me pulling her garter belt and panties off and with her feet she pushed the covers to the end of the bed then patting the space next her she said, "This is reserved for you but only if you behave yourself."

Overcome with lust I made to join her but as I headed down I place an arm across her chest and pinning her to the bed I forced myself between her thighs.

Through lidded eyes she gasped, "You're not behaving yourself."

I guided myself to her pelvis where her wetness told me how aroused she had become. Quickly she grabbed my erection, guiding me home she forcefully thrust up against me.

"Please behave yourself Anita." I couldn't sustain the farce and started laughing. Anita wasn't laughing her face was contorted with lust. Her need for pleasure caused her to thrust up against me again with such force that she was holding me off the bed.

"I don't want to behave, I want you... please just slowly..."

These were her last intelligible words for five minutes as she grunted and moaned signalling each orgasm crashing through her like slow rolling surf on a beach. Her internal muscles clamped me then they fluttered and clamped me again causing me to slow wanting to prolong the exhilaration. Instead Anita sensed what I was doing and started violently thrusting and I lost all contact with reality as I floated away.

I suspected that I had momentarily passed out overloaded with the intense sensations. As I came to my weight was crushing Anita to the bed, instead of freeing herself, she wrapped her arms and legs tightly around me, trying desperately to make me one with her being.

Minutes later I rolled to the side with Anita frantically trying to keep me inside her. Succeeding, she gazed at me with sparkling eyes, "I will always remember us, together like this. You don't know how much I love you. And damn it, I don't want to go tomorrow," she held me close and I could see her eyes starting to brim. I pushed hard against her, exerting pressure on her clitoris, wanting to take her mind away from her sadness. Exhausted, I started to pull away but her hands flashed out and held me tightly against her body.

The sun was well into the sky when I awoke and heard sounds coming from the kitchen. Rolling out of the bed I went to the bathroom then made my way to the kitchen. Anita lifted the frypan from the stove and leaned back to kiss me.

"Hi lover, I wanted to surprise you with breakfast in bed but since you're up would you like to eat here?"

"I'd prefer that. You're an early starter, I can see how you made it out for your early morning runs."

As we ate I told Anita about Arthur Symonds finding one of the owners of the painting. She looked disturbed when I told her about the arrangements with Susan but while she offered no comment, she was signalling that I was hers and that any other female was not welcome.

At Kennedy airport, we wended our way to the boarding gate and I started to feel the sadness that Anita was displaying. I was so on edge that the final boarding call on the intercom startled me.

"Please call me when you arrive in San Francisco, I just want to know that you have arrived safely."

"I will."

In the middle of the boarding lounge, I held her tight and kissed her, "Have a safe trip and I'll be out to see you when I get to the bottom of the painting mystery. If I'm not home when you call leave me a message, let me know where and when I can call you back."

Anita nodded not trusting herself to speak, her lips clamped tightly. She picked up her briefcase, extended herself on her toes and kissed me on the cheek then turning she waved as she disappeared out of sight down the boarding ramp.

On Monday I set out early and waiting in the reception foyer in the office of Albright, Howard and Rogers to see my lawyer Jack Rogers I found myself unable to collect my thoughts. I thumb through an old copy of Time and tried to think of what I would say to Jack and what was it that I wanted him to do for me.

He came personally and escorted me to his office and asked his secretary to have coffee served.

"How's business Paul?"

"The business is really good, but I wanted to see you about a personal matter."

"Nothing serious I hope."

"Well that's the funny part, I don't know if is serious. I think I should tell you the details and you can tell me if it's serious," I eased myself back into the easy chair and related the events leading up to Anita and I seeing the painting with our names on it.

Jack asked a few questions jotting my responses in his journal and then surprised me with his next question.

"You're not related to Oscar Wilde are you?" he asked with a smile on his face.

Confused by his question, "Excuse me, I... I don't follow you."

"It's just my twisted sense of humour Paul... bad joke... Let me explain, Oscar Wilde wrote a fantasy novel called 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'..."

"I do remember, yes I do and Dorian Gray sold his soul to the devil," laughing quietly at Jack's humour allowed me to settle down.

"Well what did you want me to do for you," Jack asked.

"I wondered if you have heard of any confidence tricks that resemble what I have told you."

"No. Nothing like that all Paul, in my opinion the staging of such a fraud would confront impossible odds."

"So as far as you know there is nothing going the rounds that resembles my case."

"That's right nothing that I know about but I'll ask around and if I come up with anything I'll be in touch."

"I have a few business problems to discuss but they can wait until I unravel this mystery."

Back in my apartment I ate lunch while I attended to a few business calls that were on my answering machine then I called Susan Richards. I had formed an image of her while talking with Arthur previously: thin lipped, light makeup, hair in bun, slim with a no nonsense attitude.

Her phone answered, I was pleasantly surprised by her voice, "Susan Richards, how may I help you." She sounded alert and her voice was light and pleasant.

"Hello Susan, I'm Paul Morton."

"Oh, hello Mr. Morton, I'm pleased to meet you and..."

"It's Paul."

"Of course Paul." My interruption had not flustered her. "I'm ready to go with you, where shall we meet?"

"I'll pick you up outside your office in thirty minutes and then we'll continue out to the airport."

The taxi stopped outside Arthur Symonds office and Susan was waiting on the sidewalk. She was of medium height, slim with shoulder length brown hair blowing in the breeze. Alighting from the taxi I introduced myself again, she smiled as she proffered her hand and her smiling heart-shaped face and perfect white teeth fascinated me. I was mentally rebuking myself for the image that I had formed of her.

Seated in the taxi, "Have you been to Minnesota before Susan," I asked.

"No Paul, I've never been there; the furthest away I've been out of New York, is Florida. Have you?"

"Yes, I have a distributor in St. Paul."

We continued with light conversation until we were in the plane.

"Tell me, what did you make of Ronald Jackson when you were speaking to him?"

"I thought that he was somewhat eccentric but I suppose that's normal for someone whose voice sounds like he is about eighty."

"When are we due to meet him."

"I tried to get with him today but he was not agreeable so I suggested tomorrow morning. He wouldn't meet with us at his home, which is about eighty miles out of town. He said that he would come to town and meet us at the Ramada. He didn't say directly but I think he comes from a farming dynasty. His excuse for not meeting us tonight was that he did not want to be driving in traffic in the dark hours."

"That's Ok. And thanks for allowing me to interrupt your normal routine by dragging you out of your office and all the way out to the mid-west."

"It's my pleasure. I'm looking forward to meeting the source of the painting. It's the coincidence of the names that I find fascinating. I'll bet it rocked you when you first saw the painting."

"That's putting it mildly."

The plane was on final approach when I turned to Susan, "Would you like to have dinner with me later. I have to meet my distributor briefly, we'll have a drink and then if you agree we can eat somewhere."

We checked into the Ramada about six-thirty and waiting for me was John Randall, my distributor. As a matter of courtesy I had told him that I would be in town and he wanted to have a drink with me, 'just to keep in touch' he had said.

After introducing Susan, she left for her room and John and I went to the bar, we traded information on market trends and how this was affecting his customers and then he left.

I went to the second level, found my room and freshened up. I went to Susan's room further down the corridor and knocked lightly. Before the door opened I thought that I heard a loud male voice making me unsure that I had the right room number. The door opened and Susan greeted me then she rushed to the console alongside her bed and turned the radio down.

"I'm sorry for the noise, but I have this phobia about being alone. I'm so happy that you invited me to eat with you tonight. I just hate being on my own."

"Since we're both strangers in town let's go and see if the concierge knows of a good restaurant."

In the corridor Susan slipped her arm into mine, I think that she just wanted to feel contact with me to ease her phobia.

The concierge was very obliging and very enthusiastic about the restaurant in the hotel, "Yes sir, I understand that the food here was not so good the last time you were here but we have a new manager and he has made a lot of changes including hiring a new chef. Now the food is first class, even locals come and eat here. Come with me to the restaurant and you'll see the number of patrons that now crowd into the restaurant."

The restaurant was crowded, I turned to Susan and she nodded. The concierge moved ahead of us and in no time we had a table.

The meal was indeed excellent and afterwards we were drinking coffee, "Tell me Susan have you ever heard of a painting with such an impact as this one."

"Only in fiction, Oscar..."

"Don't tell me Dorian Gray, I've heard that before and I remember I studied the novel in school."

"No this is certainly a mystery, let's hope we can get some background out of Jackson tomorrow."

When I asked Susan if she would like a drink she jumped at the invitation saying that she would prefer a white wine. I ordered a bottle and we sat discussing art. She had the same preferences for American art as I did but her tastes were more eclectic than mine, she had a wide knowledge of the European masters especially the Spanish Goya and Dutch Rembrandt. It was their dramatic use of light and darkness that appealed to her.

I had been topping up our wine when Susan reached over for the napkin covered bottle in the ice bucket and poured into her glass. When her glass was half full the bottle was empty.

"Sorry, let me buy the next one."

"No. No more for me. I want to be wide-awake when Jackson calls. By the way when is he coming in?"

"Eight. Well, I guess we should be thinking of bed."

I looked into Susan's face, her eyes were gleaming and she was smiling as if she were teasing me. I was uncomfortable, this was not what I had thought would be the outcome of dining with her.

Quickly I tried to divert Susan, "Are you married Susan?"

"No I haven't met the right man yet and at thirty four I'm hoping that I meet him soon. I do have a partner that I've lived with for three years but both he and I know that at some stage we will go our separate ways. We have a pretty open relationship."

Now I felt cornered. Susan had emphasised 'open' as if it were some sort of licence to choose a casual partner any time she felt like it.

I wanted to avoid any further talk and called the waiter and paid for the meal.

Again as we departed from the restaurant Susan took my arm, now her grip was tighter. She was walking steadily as we went to the elevator. I felt that she was not drunk or out of control until we entered the elevator car and she rested her head on my shoulder and then she pulled my upper arm to her face.

I walked her to her room and disengaging her from my arm, "Thank you for your company tonight, it was really pleasant."

"Could I interest you in a coffee before bed?" Her invitation was very tempting but I was constantly thinking of Anita and I was not interested.

"Thanks but I had better hit the sack."

"Should we meet for breakfast?" Susan asked.

"Yes, let's say seven. I'll see you down in the restaurant."

In my room I felt relieved that I had avoided Susan's invitation. 'You've become an emotional cripple, crippled by Anita.' I thought.

I had been sleeping soundly when a soft but persistent knocking on my door awakened me. Startled, I went to answer the door and then realising that I was naked I grabbed a towel from the bathroom, slung it around my waist went to the door and opened it about six inches.

My eyes blinked adjusting to the difference between my darkened room and the well-lit corridor when Susan asked in a pleading voice, "Could I come in for a little while, please? The loneliness is driving me crazy. Please."

I pulled the door open and Susan walked in and closed the door behind her. Her nightwear could only be described as diaphanous, leaving nothing to the imagination.

"I'm sorry Paul, I know how this must seem to you but I do have a serious problem with being alone. I just couldn't take any more in that room by myself. I've had therapy for this problem but nothing seems to help. I pride myself on my professional conduct and what I am asking is anything but ethical."

"That's alright have a seat."

"Do you mind if I sleep on the sofa? Please. I won't disturb you I promise."

"I need to get some sleep, so curl up on the sofa if that'll help you," I dropped the towel as I climbed back under the covers upset that she had disturbed me.

Susan found a blanket in the closet and spread it on the sofa. I do not remember falling asleep but I woke early when dawn was breaking and I was spooned into a warm soft body. At first I thought it was Anita but this body was softer and the perfume was not hers and worse I had an erection that seemed jammed between her legs.

Now I was trapped but if Susan was telling the truth and woke and found me asleep with me planted between her legs then she might just get up and leave me asleep. I took the easy way out and closed my eyes eventually dozing off.

I was awakened by Susan withdrawing from me and leaving the bed, she giggled as she stood upright then she went back to the sofa.

As I stirred Susan was folding the blanket; returning it to the closet and seeing that I was now awake she came and sat on the bed, took my hand and kissed it, "Thanks for your understanding of my problem and for keeping me company."

"Think nothing of it. I won't tell anyone if you don't. I love Anita and that stopped me from misbehaving. Otherwise I would have been totally swept away by you." I remembered Arthur telling me that Susan could be very persuasive when she wanted to be and I wondered if he had ever been tempted.

Her smile was enigmatic, it told me nothing of what she was feeling.