Chapter 2 Planning

I'm a computer guy as I've already explained. But once in a while when I'm faced with a problem that isn't easy to solve I revert to pen and paper. I was determined to develop a plan that would allow me to extract every last dime I could from my modest wealth. I was going to need it in my new life, whatever that would be.

So I began to make a list of things.

The more I thought about it, the more appealing just abandoning the marriage looked. But that would require a very different strategy. If I could find a way to protect more of my assets, it would put the ball in my loving wife's court.

In a perfect world I would re-mortgage the house to the hilt and pocket the cash. Since the mortgage was paid by monthly direct transfer, it would give me some getaway time before the two conspirators would realize what I'd done. Joint ownership had put a stake in that idea. I needed an option and with the state my mind was in that afternoon I knew it wasn't going to come to me then.

My last note about whom I should trust was a reminder to me to be very careful about the people I talked to and what I talked about. I wanted to do nothing that would tip off Sandra or Randall about my knowledge. I pretty much ruled out telling the kids. I was sure one or both of them would spill the beans so they were going to have to be kept in the dark at least as long as their mother.

I did my damndest to act normally that afternoon. As usual on a Sunday evening it was just Sandra, Merry and me for dinner. Jon was living on campus and we seldom saw him apart from holidays or when he needed money. I managed to get my emotions under control by the time I picked up the package from the Chinese restaurant. I didn't have much of an appetite but I was determined not to draw attention to myself.

I wasn't very effective at work over the next week. I was constantly trying to work through the problems facing me, coming to terms with the deceit and treachery of my wife. I was going through various stages of emotions: anger, frustration and depression before returning to anger. As for Randall Teller, I was committed to revenge. One way or another he would pay for his sins.

Within a few days the genesis of one or two ideas began to form. If there were two main objectives for me they were to protect my twenty-fifth anniversary stock award and to somehow extract at least half the equity from our home, if not more. If I focussed on just one or two things I would probably be better off.

Gradually, I began to become immune to my feelings when it came to Sandra. If she wanted sex, I gave her every excuse I could think of to avoid it. When I thought she might become suspicious, I reluctantly gave in with none of the enthusiasm I might have previously shown. She didn't seem to notice and on top of that she was much less aggressive herself.

I suspected that was the result of her affair but I monitored her e-mails to Randall just to make sure I hadn't aroused her suspicion. Aside from a reduced sex life, I thought I behaved pretty much as I would have in the past. It wasn't always easy. There were times when I was very angry and had to leave the room to cool off but I was careful not to portray the rage inside me too obviously.

In every plan there are risks. It was time for me to take the first risk. I phoned my boss, Tom Yardley, and requested an appointment.

At precisely three-thirty on Friday afternoon I presented myself to Tom's secretary and was told to go right in.

"Hi, Dex. Come right in a make yourself comfortable. Would you like a coffee?" he asked, pointing to the carafe on the sideboard.

"Yeah ... thanks, Tom." I poured myself a black coffee, my hands not being quite as steady as I would have liked them to be.

"What can I do for you?" he asked.

"Uhhm, Tom ... I'd like to talk to you about something very personal and I need to know that what I tell you won't go outside this office."

He gave me the strangest look and was clearly wondering what in the hell this was all about.

"As long as it isn't illegal, Dex, sure. It won't go anywhere from here."

"Thank you. It's a very delicate topic and you'll understand my problem when I lay it out for you."

"Go ahead," he nodded, his eyes riveted on me.

"I have discovered that Sandra is having an affair."

I didn't miss the look of complete astonishment on Tom's face. He knew us very well and I'm sure he was as shocked as I had been with my discovery.

"Are you sure?" he asked, still displaying disbelief.

I handed him a copy of an e-mail I had brought with me. I had blanked out Randall's name just in case he might know him. The e-mail detailed their plot to extract the most money from me they could along with the usual love-talk. I sat quietly as Tom read the message.

"I can't believe it!" he said, shaking his head. "I would never in a million years have thought her capable of something like this."

"Neither did I. Unfortunately, I have about thirty e-mails dating back over a year that indicate how their plan was formed and when they intended to enact it."

"How does this affect Pinecone?" he asked.

"They don't plan to trigger the divorce until I receive the twenty-five hundred shares on my anniversary date. They'll get at least half of that in the divorce and the longer they keep it the more they will be rewarded."

"Jesus Christ, Dex! This is the nastiest thing I've ever heard of. I still can't believe Sandra would agree to take part in it."

"Believe it, Tom. I'm pretty sure her lover is pulling the strings here. He's very knowledgeable about stocks and maybe he's thinking that if he can get the lion's share of my holdings, he can skip with it ... maybe even leaving Sandra holding the bag."

He continued to shake his head in amazement as we talked. Finally, he let out a long sigh and leaned back in his big chair.

"What can I do to help?"

"I need to protect those stocks from falling into the wrong hands. I want you to hold them back until I've rid myself of those two vultures. As long as they are not legally in my possession they can't be claimed as community property in the divorce."

"All right. No problem. What else?"

"Is there any paper around that says you will present me with those stocks on the date of the twenty-fifth anniversary?"

"No. You know me, Tom. Our word has always been good. We work on a handshake and good-faith basis. After nearly twenty-five years I thought that we knew each other well enough to trust each other."

"Absolutely. I just don't want them claiming that I was entitled to the stock and the paper trail proves it. Right now, as far as they are concerned, it's just hearsay. But that does bring up another point."

He looked at me, waiting for me to continue.

"There's a rumour going around that we might be taken over by a bigger firm. If it's true, will my anniversary award be protected?"

Tom chuckled, shaking his head. "I heard about that rumour and I can assure you it isn't true. Quite the opposite but that's not something I can discuss right now. Rest assured, your job and your anniversary bonus is safe."

"That's good to know, Tom."

"Anything else?"

"Yes ... this is a biggee, Tom. I'd like a leave of absence beginning when I've got all my ducks in a row and until my divorce is final or the situation is resolved. However, as far as the outside world is concerned, I'll have resigned and left town and you have no idea when or if I might be back."

"That is a biggee, Dex. You run that department. I can promote Dorothy to replace you but that leaves a big hole in our design staff and a problem for me to handle with Dorothy if and when you come back."

"I've thought of that. Are you still looking for a site representative for the Sint Maarten airport job?"

"Yes. Are you volunteering?"

"Yeah. But here's what I want you to do. I don't want you to pay me. It will tip people off that I'm not really gone and the next thing you know word will get out and my wages might be garnisheed. Just set aside what you would pay me and I'll collect it when I'm ready to get the stocks."

"Okay ... I guess we can do that. Anything else?"

"Tom ... it's got to look like I'm gone for good. We've got a bunch of jobs on the drawing board and there's no reason that I can't be your site guy for some of the less demanding ones. I have some cash and, if I have to, I can live off my RRSP for some time so I won't need immediate access to my salary. I can do my taxes on line so there won't be any trouble that way. All I have to do is set up a mail drop and I should be able to make this work."

"What about the house? You can't just give it to her. Not now."

"No. That one I haven't figured out. The mortgage and the house are in both our names. If I could find a way to have the house in just my name I could mortgage the place to the hilt, pocket the money and leave her stuck with the payments. That part I haven't worked out yet."

"Yeah ... that is a problem. It's almost like you have to start all over again," he said, scratching his chin.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if you put your house up for sale and bought a new one you could probably work it so that the house was just in your name but the mortgage was in both names. That would leave you free to put a second mortgage on the new house. The court would probably order you to make some kind of payments on the mortgage but if you weren't around, well ... that would make it her problem, wouldn't it?"

"I'll have to think about that. It sounds complicated but right now I'm damned if I'm going to let them get the equity in that house and leave me with nothing. I worked to get that mortgage down and I want to take advantage of it. I'm sure the courts will ignore that but I'm going to do what I have to do to keep everything I can get my hands on."

"Okay, Dex. Just try and keep everything legal. You want to protect your passport and your future here at Pinecone. I'll do everything I can to support you."

"Thank you, Tom. I really appreciate that. I'll keep you informed of what I plan and let you know my timing. Thanks again," I said as I rose.

Tom got out of his chair and walked with me to the door.

"I'm very sorry about what's happened, Tom. I don't know what to say besides that. I'm still having a hard time thinking Sandra would do this to you ... but ... well, good luck," he said sadly, patting me on the shoulder.

I felt better after talking to Tom. He was one of the originating partners of Pinecone and we had a great relationship. In time he would have to tell Wolf Balak, the other partner, what was going on. Wolf was more involved in the marketing side of the business. He looked for any new opportunity that he thought we could handle and would go after it aggressively. He called on architects and general contractors to keep our name prominent in their thoughts. He spoke several languages and was invaluable in keeping the office humming with activity.

So aside from the home equity, I at least had some kind of plan to deprive my wife and her lover of some of their ill-gotten gains. I was weary after the meeting with Tom so I headed home, not looking forward to the weekend. I was getting tired already of the pretending that everything was normal. That was a bad sign. I had a long way to go before I could trigger my plan and I still had one big hurdle to overcome.