Book 1 of the H&K Series : Path of Knowledge

Chapter 7

Bob arrived home after seven at night, fuming as Hank pulled up behind him. He pulled into the carport before climbing out of the Honda SUV, muttering to himself. Hank walked up and closed the gate before Bob could take hold of the gate.

"That bitch!" Bob fumed.

"Assistant DA Craig?" Hank asked. "How did you guess?"

"Common sense. Her husband was arrested after what he tried to do to Tess."

"Well, she had me riding patrol and arranged for my partner to put me out to check out an empty building. She was waiting. She had the audacity to walk up to me and kiss me. Can you believe that bitch? She wrapped her arms around my neck, and I had the toughest time pushing her away. She grabbed my crotch, dude. Can you believe it? And then she said something completely off the wall."

"What was it that she said?"

"She said, the last time was nice, but the next time she wanted it in her office. What the hell is she playing at? Is she trying to come onto me because of what her husband tried to pull? Or is she trying to entrap me?"

"Do you think she was recording her little ambush?" Hank asked.

"That could very well be. Craig must be trying to create false evidence to make it look like something is going on between the four of us. And I stumbled right into that black widow's web."

"Do you have any time off accrued?"

"Three weeks. Why?"

"You need to get out of town, tonight. Call your captain and tell him due to the situation, you need time off. Take Tess and the kids and go. Don't go anywhere you usually would go. Take them to that Dude Ranch Katharine and I have been trying to get you two to go to for years. It's remote. No one will know you there. You can see any strangers coming and protect our wives and your kids."

"Might be a good idea. I'll run it past Tess now," he said as he entered the house followed by Hank.

Tess was staring at her cell phone with horror on her face. As Bob opened the door, she exploded.

"You bastard! You've been having an affair with that whore all this time?" Tess screamed. "I have to ask myself if Doctor Martin hitting on me some form of payback for your affair with his wife?"

"Hold it, Tess." Hank stepped toward her. "I bet you received a video, probably audio along with it, didn't you?" Tess nodded. "It has to be a setup to discredit you and Bob. I would bet that the video is a fabrication. Bob was called to her office under pretenses. Craig had it all set up. She had to have. How else would she be able to send you a video with sound? She's trying to turn you against Bob, to doubt the truth that Martin and his wife are sleazy bitches."

"Then explain all these! Try to deny these!" Tess demanded.

Tess threw her phone at Bob. Hank was right; someone had sent Tess a video with audio of Bob and Samantha Craig embracing and kissing, but the pixelation in the video was all wrong in certain areas. Several pictures were showing them at a table in a restaurant, next to each other holding hands. Then there was one of them sitting on the bed, Samantha Craig's left hand on Bob's right thigh near his crotch. The room appeared to be a hotel room, a menu on the nightstand read "Ritz Carlton."

"Tess, these are all lies. I have never cheated on you with anyone, especially Samantha Craig." His statement was lost as Tess swung her open hand to slap him. Hank caught her hand before she could connect.

"Tess, look at the pictures," Hank said, pointing. "They're photoshopped. Professional job, but you can tell that they're photoshopped. Look at the walls and then look at the bed. That's your comforter that we got you for Christmas a few years ago. And look at the left hand of the woman. That's your hand, your wedding ring, and the slight scar on the side of your thumb. Don't you see it?"