Chapter 1

December 2, 2012

I stood at the lectern and looked at the festive crowd. It was the law firm's annual Christmas party and typically the event where they announce the newest partners and senior partners. There must have been a couple hundred people in the ballroom of the Hyatt and they were all standing and applauding and whistling and clapping.

After twenty years with Douglas and Shutes I had made senior partner. I was overwhelmed by the response of the crowd. I had done my best to be a good manager and attorney and I spent a lot of time looking out for the little guy inside and outside the halls of the firm and the courtroom. This was a day I had dreamed about for most of those twenty years - making senior partner.

Looking out over the crowd I focused on my wife of twenty-five years who was standing with tears in her eyes at the table directly in front of me alongside the firm's most senior partner John Wiley and his wife Annabel. Now my task was to make a short amusing speech and remember to thank everyone who had been involved with my success. I guess I could begin with my wife who had started an affair with John about six months ago. I figured I deserved the senior partnership on my own, but certainly my wife spreading herself for him couldn't have hurt.

I raised my hands trying to tame the overwhelmingly inebriated crowd. I was possibly the only sober person in the room since the announcements were never made until after dinner and drinks - lots of wine and all the typical nonsense associated with a Christmas Party. The firm picked up the tab for the hotel rooms for the night or cab rides home since it would not be a good thing for one of the best litigation firms in town to have a few of its members spending the night in a Chicago jail.

After a few more minutes people began resuming their seats at the large round tables in the ballroom and the din abated enough that I could begin my speech. I noticed that John was now sitting closer to Keri and his right hand was under the tablecloth, probably stroking her nylon-covered leg. I had watched her dress in the hotel room and watched her roll those smoke-colored stockings up her gorgeous legs and attach them to a garter belt. She winked at me as she left off her panties, promising a passionate night after the festivities. I had smiled at her, barely managing to keep from throwing up. Just two days before this festive occasion a private investigator had sat in my office and laid it out for me, photos and all, but I had not been surprised.

In the hotel room I wondered why she was going to grace me with some hot sex since it had been months since we'd been intimate - did she realize that? Or was she so busy screwing John that she forgot to give me a little. Did she think I wouldn't notice the absence of sex and the other signs of infidelity along the way? We used to have a very active and imaginative sex life but that stopped about six months ago. Of course as a litigator I was working a lot and Keri as the toast of Chicago caterer to the rich and powerful and famous, she was busy too, but that never stopped us in the past.

She had just turned forty-five and was more beautiful than ever at five eight and maybe 110 pounds, all the curves in the right places and the most beautiful blonde hair. She was lots of men's dream girl and I had won her in college. Too bad I couldn't keep her. Sometimes tragedy and triumph follow close on each other. Maybe I could use that thought in my speech I mused.

But anyway I guess she was going to give me a mercy fuck or congratulations on making senior partner fuck, or maybe a goodbye fuck. Or maybe she was going for a quickie with John during the festivities and planned on giving me sloppy seconds. At least our lack of love-making over the months had spared me that. But who knew what she thought the night would bring - well in fact I did. I knew I wasn't going to be spending the night or any future night with her. She could screw the entire law firm for all I cared. Actually I cared deeply. But infidelity was something I could not or would not stomach - especially with that smug bastard John Wiley. He wasn't a very good lawyer but he was a good politician and knew where all the bodies, literally and figuratively were buried in Chicago and in Springfield, the state capitol. I could barely tolerate the guy and Keri knew it. Why did she have to take up with him, the smarmy bastard?

I had figured out she was having an affair early on but never let on, doing what a good litigator did, gathering the evidence and keeping my cards close to my vest and planning my exit. Actually since I then tended to avoid her I probably made the affair easier, but I could hardly stand to be in the same room with her for any length of time. I usually came home late and left early, my frustrations taken out on a punching bag at the gym. Under the supervision of a personal trainer I dropped that extra ten pounds I had carried around the last five years and then dropped another ten as I shaped up even more. I don't think Keri noticed. Certainly she never saw me naked. I replaced my suits with custom tailored ones and my new physical fitness seemed to give me more confidence in the courtroom - not that I needed it much. I had a reputation as a ruthless litigator, but the tone up and the obvious admiration from some ladies gave me what I thought was an extra edge. Plus with the hole where my heart had been I was unstoppable. Oh don't get me wrong, I wasn't some shark who represented the bad guys. I did some high profile cases to earn the big bucks but I also did pro bono work that made my reputation in certain sectors of Chicago as the champion of the little guy or gal. I was proud of my reputation and won some significant judgments against companies who let bad managers or sexual predators abuse their employees.

Originally John and the other managing partners expressed some concern about my crusades considering the legal actions were often against their cronies, but the first time I brought in a multimillion dollar award I got their attention. I knew from the grapevine - my long-time assistant was wired in and got me a bootleg copy of the minutes of the meeting - that the managing partners, had debated hotly about the wisdom of giving me a senior partnership. It was John Wiley who pointed out that if they didn't give it to me I would probably jump to another firm and that was something none of them wanted.

I wondered about his motivation - was it because he thought he'd have less access to Keri if I jumped ship? Or was it the fact he was bedding Keri that swayed his decision. I guess I'd never know.

I knew our daughters would be shocked that I was splitting with Keri. We had twins, Megan and Jessica who were out on the coast at UCLA on track and field scholarships. They were tall and athletic and got their beauty from their mother and height from both of us. They were going to join us in a few of days for the Christmas holidays. Keri already had our big house in Lake Forest decorated for the holiday and our annual party guest list read like a Who's Who of Chicago royalty. Too bad I was going to miss it. Actually I was happy to miss it. I hated that party and many of the guests were the kind of sleaze-ball politicians that gave Illinois a bad name and kept our prisons full.

As things calmed I adjusted the microphone and said, "I'm sorry to interrupt the festivities, but I promise to be brief."

There were a few catcalls and laughs but the crowd settled finally and mostly gave me their attention. For some reason John's hand was back on the table and he looked a little peeved. Maybe Keri told him he wouldn't be getting any tonight. Of course she wouldn't be getting any from me this night so maybe John would get lucky later.

"I have been with this wonderful firm for my entire working life and when I made partner I thought that was the best day of my life. During all the years with the firm I have made many friends and it saddened me to see some of them go - not just because I had trained them so well, but I knew they were going to be using all my tricks against me!"

That got a quiet chuckle.

"It has been my privilege to work here and to work for people who understood my commitment to the underdogs of this city."

That comment elicited a nice round of applause. Keri again had tears in her eyes. From the adoring look on her face I could almost believe she cared.

"Now my work has been recognized with my selection as senior partner."

There was more applause including Keri who was smiling broadly.

"And I want to thank all who made this honor possible, including my loving wife Keri who spent lots of time alone while I was visiting some of Illinois' finest court houses and penal facilities!"

She smiled at that. I wondered if she thought about all the times I was alone while she was out screwing around.

"I also must thank my office wife Carolyn, who puts up with me when I'm not on my best behavior and who is always in my corner."

I pointed to Carolyn, a pretty brunette who had been with me the past ten years. She also had two daughters and was devoted to her husband. I envied the guy. She was seated near enough that I could see her blush. Then she gave me an odd look. From that look I realized that she knew about Keri and John Wiley - but she had not told me! How could she do that to me? It probably meant that the rest of the office knew that I was a miserable cuckold. The hole, where my heart should have been, just got a bit bigger. I kept the smile plastered on my face despite the pain I felt, as she was applauded.

"Years ago, when I was an associate, Mr. Shutes told be a little story about the slaves rowing a first century galley ... the overseer - that's the guy with the whip ... says to the slaves, I've got good news and bad news ... The good news is that the Captain has ordered double rations all around. This elicited a cheer from the men ... The bad news is that after lunch the Captain wants to go water skiing."

Lots of laughs, especially from the associates who knew full well, that they were the galley slaves.

"Now for the tough part of this speech ... I'm not going to get a chance to water ski."

There were lots of puzzled looks and it seemed I finally had everyone's attention.

"Recently something was confirmed that I had suspected for the last few months..."

Suddenly Keri's face showed concern. I knew she was thinking that maybe I had discovered her affair and she was rolling through all her responses or denials. Her face reddened as I paused.

"I have a heart condition..."

There was lots of buzz around the room, and comments like, "What did he say?"

"And if I don't take care of it immediately it could prove fatal."

Keri's face was a mix of emotions. First she seemed relieved I hadn't discovered or mentioned her affair, and then as my words sunk in she wore a look shock and surprise - shocked and surprised that I hadn't told her. Finally she looked furious because the first time she was hearing this supposedly dreadful news was in a very public place and the announcement to a room full of people. I was surprised when her anger was replaced by a look of sadness. Finally she just stared at me with a look of disbelief.

"I am so sorry that I won't be around to see this firm continue to prosper and to see the promising men and women seated here tonight become partners themselves. I'm egotistical enough to believe that I still have much to share with many of you."

I looked at John. His face was blank. Was he regretting my loss to the firm, or thinking about having Keri all to himself now. It no longer mattered.

"John, my resignation is on your desk and I have assigned my cases to others. It has been an honor to work in this firm and I appreciate the opportunities I've been given. I wish you all good luck. Thank you and goodbye."

There was a stunned silence as I turned away from the lectern and stepped through the curtained backdrop behind me. I then moved to the door concealed by the curtain - one of the doors that the serving staff used which accessed the hallways to the service kitchens on each ballroom floor.

Minutes later I was outside the hotel and walking through the falling snow as it added a new coat to the streets and sidewalks. I turned a corner and went down an alley to meet my ride. I had chosen that spot because there was no security camera there.

"Good evening, Mr. Ryan" said a hulking man with a heavy Russian accent. He wore a dark topcoat and held an umbrella as he stood at the open back door of a black Audi A8L. I brushed the snow from my tuxedo jacket and entered the unlighted but warm back seat.

"Good evening Dmitri."

In moments we were away, taking a southerly route out of the city that was known to have few if any cameras. The heavy snow also helped to obscure any images from the cameras. I was running away and I didn't want to be found at least until it was advantageous for me to reappear.

I pulled my laptop from the briefcase that was on the seat next to me and logged on, taking the time to closely review my list of things to do. I also made sure that money had been safely transferred to untraceable offshore accounts. I didn't leave Keri destitute, but even if I had, her income from her business would keep her very comfortable. I did not share my end of year bonus from the firm with her. This year she had deserved none of it since she had abrogated her duties as my wife for most of the year.