Trouble

Prologue August 2011 Martin Dogget puttered about the main floor of his large house, shutting off lights and double checking that the front door was locked. The house was quiet. Benjamin and Martha were away at school, Benny at Harvard studying law, Martha at Montana State getting an undergrad degree in business marketing. Kent was spending the weekend out with friends. Graduation was fast approaching. Another year and he too would be off to university, hopefully undertaking a degree in business management and finances. The last few years had been good. Business at the chicken plant was booming and profit margins were growing by leaps and bounds. He had developed strong business relations with local farmers, local employment agencies, and with a large national network of suppliers and retailers. His eldest had graduated high school with honors and was well on his way to becoming a lawyer. His daughter had gone through a troubled time near the end of high school but had still gotten accepted to Montana State. And Kent’s grades were more than promising. Yes, his personal empire was growing and solidifying. The phone rang. Martin glanced at the clock and then glowered at the noisy intrusion. It’s already late. The nerve of some people calling at this time. Who do they think they are? They could wake someone. It had better be an emergency. “Hello?” The word came out gruff, irritated; he didn’t care. “Mr. Dogget?” “Speaking.” “This is Officer Thiessen down in Bozeman,” a male voice said. “I have your daughter, Martha Dogget down here at the station with me.” “Is she all right?” “She’s fine, sir, just a small spot of trouble. The gentleman she was with was driving a stolen vehicle.” Martin pinched the bridge of his nose. This wasn’t the first phone call he’d received telling him Martha was in trouble. “She lives in Bozeman, at the university. I’m all the way out in Florence. If she needs a ride home call her a cab. She can afford it.” “It’s not that, sir, it’s that I have two signed statements in front of me and need to file one of them.” Martin’s mood darkened further. “What do they say?” “One is a sworn statement from your daughter stating that she knew nothing about the car being stolen and that all of the fault lies with the individual she was riding with. The other says, in her own words, that she encouraged the theft.” This was new. New made him wary. “What is it you want?” “I understand your family’s reputation is very important to you and that you would very much like this sort of situation to remain quiet.” He groaned internally. Leave it to Martha to push things this far. “How much?” “I’m glad we understand each other. I don’t want to inconvenience you too much, so we’ll say two thousand dollars and this unfortunate piece of paper here will find its way to the shredder without anyone else being the wiser. Do we have a deal?” “Tell me where you want the money sent.” Officer Thiessen provided the email address and security phrase, then said, “I’ll hold on the line until I have confirmation of the transaction.” Martin dragged the cordless upstairs to his computer, powered everything up and logged in, his fingers heavy on the keys, betraying his annoyance. The whole process took a few minutes, but he finally hit the send and confirm buttons, then said, “There. You have your money.” “I would love to take your word for it, but if you could just hold on the line another minute until it arrives.” “Is this necessary?” “Of course.” He refreshed his computer screen a few times until the email popped up. “Here it is. And the security code works. I thank you for your understanding in this matter. As you can hear, the damaging report is disappearing into the shredder.” “Then we’re done here.” Officer Thiessen heard the phone disconnect and smiled, hanging up the receiver. Across from him, Martha Dogget sat, legs crossed, skirt riding up her legs, reveal smooth, pale thighs, one foot tapping the side of the desk. The money from her father had been the second part of the payment. She’d already provided Officer Thiessen with the first, more personal part of the payment. She was touching up her lipstick, her gaze intent on a little pocket mirror. She snapped her compact shut. “I told you he’d pay it. You could have asked for more. He would have paid.” Maybe, but two thousand extra dollars in my account will already be hard enough to explain. Any more and I’d be sure to find trouble with the tax man. “Your boyfriend isn’t going to like being left on the hook for this,” he said, deflecting the subject. “Then he shouldn’t have stolen the car in the first place. He knew the risks. Besides, he’s an ass. He deserves it. If I never see him again it’ll be too soon.” She unfolded her legs and stood, her hips swaying as she came around the desk and sat in his lap. “You on the other hand, you’re kinda cute.” He cleared his throat. “I appreciate the payment from your father, and the – uh – favor earlier. But I’m married so let’s leave it at that, okay?” She kissed him passionately, full on the lips, her dirty blonde hair falling over his face, and then pulled away. “If that’s how you want it. No skin off my nose.” Her voice didn’t share the passion of her kiss or the sultry flirting of her earlier comments. She stood. “I’m free to go?” He nodded. His cheeks felt hot and his heart was hammering in his chest. He gripped the arms of the chair tightly. “Do you need a ride back to the dorms?” “You offering to walk me up to my room and tuck me in tonight?” she purred, back to flirtatious. “I can drop you off in front of the building,” he said, struggling to maintain the last shreds of his professionalism. “I can call a cab,” she said. “Or a friend.” She blew him a kiss. “I know the way out, no need to get up until you get your little friend calmed down.” He glanced down at his lap and noticed she was right. He’d pitched a tent in his pants, and only a half hour after she’d ‘paid’ him to call her father and let her off the hook on the stolen car charge. He told himself it wasn’t his fault. Martha Dogget was almost twenty with a movie star body, wearing high heels that made her legs go on for days, a skirt that left little to the imagination and a top that hugged her perfect t**s and flat stomach. He covered his erection with his hands which just made her laugh. “See you around, Officer.” She blew him a kiss and sauntered out, giving him a perfect view of her fine ass until she turned the corner, accompanied by the rhythmic click of heels on linoleum. When she got back to her dorm her roommate, Katy, was just getting ready for bed. “I didn’t expect you back at all,” Katy said. “Thought you were spending the night with Justin.” “Change of plans,” Martha said. “How was the party?” “You didn’t miss much. So, what did you get up to?” Katy was toweling her hair. “Justin stole a car and we wound up at the police station. He might have got away with it if he hadn’t been driving like a drunken fool.” “What?” Katy dropped the towel and stared. “How can you say that so calmly?” Martha shrugged. “It wasn’t a huge deal.” “Did you know the car was stolen?” “Of course not.” With the report in the shredder Justin was the only one who would know she was lying. “s**t. I knew that Justin was trouble. You have to get a better taste in men.” “What can I say? I like my boys bad.” “You’re going to end up in some serious s**t one of these days,” Katy said. Martha just smiled. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be just fine.”