Sal Gabrini: Just The Way You Are (12 page)

“What is
this video about?” Gemma asked.

“Come and
see for yourself,” the judge said as he turned on his desk computer.
 
Gemma and the prosecutor walked behind the
desk.

“It’s
instructive to me that you announced in court today your decision to turn over
the representation of Shaun Merriment to your law partner.”

“That’s
right,” Gemma said.

“Why all of
a sudden?”

Gemma was
surprised by the question.
 
That wasn’t
his business.
 
“I felt my law partner
would be a better fit.”

“Or perhaps
this was the reason,” the judge said and pressed Play.
 
The video was of two people making love:
Shaun and Gemma.
 
She was floored.
 
That woman appeared to be her!

“That can’t
be!” she said, looking closer.
 
“That’s
not me!”

“Looks like
you to me,” the Judge said.

“Me too,”
the prosecutor said.

The judge
stopped the recording.
 

“That’s not
me,” Gemma said firmly, her heart pounding.

“I’m going
to refer this matter to the Nevada Conduct Board.
 
Take it up with them, Mrs. Gabrini.
 
And no need to recuse yourself from the
Merriment case.
 
I’m removing you
myself.”

Gemma
couldn’t believe this turn of events.
 
But she knew she had to keep her wits about her.
 
She had to think!
 
“May I get a copy of the tape?” she asked
suddenly.

“Not from
me,” the judge said.
 
“The conduct board
will provide you with a copy.”

Gemma didn’t
like it.
 
She felt as if she was being
railroaded.
 
But she knew she had to walk
away.
 
She grabbed up her purse and
briefcase, and headed out of chambers.
 
All she could think about was Sal.
 
All she could think about was what Sal was going to do to her when he
saw that tape.

By the time Sal
made it back in town later that night, Gemma was sitting on the terrace off
from their bedroom sipping juice and perusing a magazine.
 
But her mind was still in that judge’s
chambers.
 
She still couldn’t believe
what she saw on that tape.
 
It was her face,
it was her, making love to Shaun Merriment.
 
It wasn’t possible.
 
But it was on
that tape.

And the way
the judge looked at her as if trash was more respectable.
 
The way he said he was going to refer the
matter to the conduct board.
 
The way the
prosecution delighted in the mishap, and couldn’t wait to run and tell the
story too.

And now Sal
was home.

When she saw
him walk out onto the terrace, his suit coat off and his hands in the pockets
of his pants, she knew he had had a tough trip.
 
And he didn’t even know her dark tale yet.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” he
said.
 
His mood wasn’t exactly upbeat at
all.

“How did it
go?” she asked him.

He leaned
over the banister and looked out over their yard.
 
It was a beautiful night.
 
Clear skies and a nice breeze.
 
But Sal and Gemma’s hearts were heavy.
 
“It went alright,” he said.
 
“Bunch of bullshit child’s play, but at least
they got the message now.
 
Cut the complaining
and get to work.”

Gemma had no
idea what work they had been complaining about, or even who
they
were since Sal never discussed that
part of his life in any detail whatsoever, but at least he was satisfied.
 
“Good,” she said, and sipped more juice.

Sal looked
over at her.
 
She wore one of the sheer
peignoirs he had purchased for her.
 
This
one in particular, a golden tan, was his favorite because it purposely did a
poor job of hiding her gorgeous brown body.
 
He could see everything, even down to her nipples and bikini line.
 
It was for his eyes only, and his eyes were
feasting on her.
 
But even with such a
powerful distraction, Sal could tell in her eyes that something wasn’t
right.
 
“What’s going on?” he asked
her.
 
“You feel okay?”

Gemma
couldn’t say that she did, because she didn’t.
 
“No,” she said.

Sal hurried
over to her, his heart beginning to pound.
 
Gemma rarely admitted to not feeling well unless she was in bad
shape.
 
He sat on the edge of the extra
wide chaise.
 
“What is it?” he asked
her.
 
“Do I need to call the doctor?”

“No, it’s
not that.
 
I’m okay physically,” Gemma
said.

“Then what’s
wrong?” Sal asked.

Gemma sat
her glass on the side table.

“What is it,
Gem?
 
Tell me what’s going on.”

Tears tried
to well up in Gemma’s eyes, but she fought them.
 
“I went to notify the court today that Mark
was going to take over my murder case.”

“Like I told
you to do, right,” Sal said.

“But the
judge called us into his chambers.
 
And
showed us a video.”

Sal stilled
himself.
 
Videos in his line of work were
never good.
 
“A video of what?”

Gemma looked
at her husband.
 
His eyes could be caring
sometimes, but mostly, like now, they were too intense.
 
“A video of me supposedly making love to my
client.”

Sal had not
expected to hear that at all.
 
He stared
at her.
 
“A video of what?”

“Sal, I
never slept with any client of mine in my life.
 
But. . .”

“But what?”

“But it was
me on that tape.”

“What do you
mean it was you on that tape?”

“It was
me.
 
I mean, it looked like me, but it
can’t be me, Sal.
 
I never slept with my
client.
 
I swear.”

“Then how
did they have video of you making love to some guy?”

“I don’t
know,” Gemma said helplessly.
 
“But I
know I didn’t do it.”

“So what are
you trying to tell me, Gemma?
 
You’re
trying to say somebody drugged you and raped you?
 
Is that what you’re saying?”

“No.
 
I mean, I don’t know.
 
But I don’t see how that could have
happened.
 
I was never alone with Shaun
like that.
 
And it was like it happened
in a motel somewhere.
 
I was never in any
motel with him for him to drug me.”

Sal touched
and then squeezed her thigh.
 
He was
worried.
 
First they vandalized her
office.
 
Now this.
 
And that shit in Chicago, was it related to
this?
 
“Show it to me,” he said.
 
“Show me the tape.”

“I asked the
judge to give me a copy,” Gemma said, “but he wouldn’t.
 
He said he’s turning it over to the judicial
conduct board and I’ll have to get a copy from them.”

“What
conduct board?”

“That
oversees lawyers.
 
They can suspend my
license, Sal, for something I didn’t do.
 
And I didn’t sleep with that boy.
 
I swear I didn’t!”

Sal’s jaw
tightened.

“You believe
me, don’t you?” Gemma asked, staring at him

Sal looked
at her.
 
“Hell, yeah, I believe you.
 
You’re no liar.
 
If you say it’s not you, then it’s not you.”

Gemma felt
relieved.
 
But still worried.
 
“What are we going to do?”

Sal was
already thinking about their next steps.
 
And then he pulled out his cell phone.

 
“Who are you calling?” Gemma asked.

“Reno.”

“Reno?
 
Why?”

“Because I
need that tape and this is his town.
 
He
can get things done.
 
This isn’t my
town.
 
I’m a newbie here.
 
We need that tape before I make any
move.
 
I need to know just how wise, or
unwise these fuckers are.”

Gemma didn’t
argue with that.
 
She wanted to know too.

When Sal
ended the call, he looked at his wife, and then down at her luscious body.
 
He wanted to fuck her badly, but they were
both too unsettled.
 
“Put on some
clothes,” he said as he stood up, “before Reno gets here.”

“He won’t be
able to get that tape tonight,” Gemma said doubtfully, standing too.
 
“Will he?”

Sal
nodded.
 
“He’ll get it tonight,” he
said.
 
“This is Reno’s town.”

And Sal was
right.
 
Within the hour of that phone
call, Reno Gabrini was coming into Sal and Gemma’s house with a copy of that
love scene on his cell phone.

“Your cell
phone?” Sal asked.
 
“Couldn’t you just
get a CD?”

“What are
you talking?” Reno responded.
 
“You’d
better be glad I got it on my phone.
 
If
that judge’s clerk wasn’t crooked, I wouldn’t have been able to get shit.”

Reno handed
his cellphone to Sal.
 

“Have you
seen it?” Sal asked him, and Gemma looked at him too.

Reno’s eyes
said yes.
 
“No,” said his mouth.

Sal knew he
was lying, but didn’t push it.
 
He was
grateful to have the video.
 
And when he
pressed Play, Gemma began pacing the room.
 
She couldn’t bear to see it again.

But Sal
looked intensely at it, from beginning to end.
 
It wasn’t more than a couple minutes long.
 
Two people making love.
 
The woman absolutely appeared to be
Gemma.
 
But . . .

After Sal
watched the video over and over and over again, and then for a final time,
Gemma stopped walking and looked at him.
 
“I never had sex with him, Sal,” she said.

Sal
nodded.
 
“I know, babe.
 
This chick ain’t you.”

Reno was
surprised.
 
“Looks like her to me,” he
said.

Sal looked
at him.
 
“I thought you said you didn’t
see it.”

“I didn’t
see it per se, but I might have glanced at it to confirm I had the right thing.”

“Yeah,
right, Reno.”

“Why are you
certain that isn’t me?” Gemma asked her husband.
 
“What do you know, Sal?”

“I know they
doctored it.
 
I know that’s your face,
but that ain’t your body.”

Reno
frowned.
 
“How would you know that?” he
asked.

“Because I know
her body better than she knows it, that’s how,” Sal said.
 
“I’m always checking it out.
 
I’m always looking at it.
 
I know her body.
 
And that naked lady in that video is not my
wife.”

Gemma looked
at the video again.
 
The face in that
video, and that body if she were to be truthful, looked like her to her.
 
It was grainy, and nothing was perfectly
clear, but it looked like her.
 
“How can
you tell it’s not my body?
 
Even I can’t
tell that.”

“That’s not
your body,” Sal said.
 
“That’s your
face.
 
But they did some cutting and
splicing because that’s not your body.”
 
Then he looked at her.
 
“I know it
too well.
 
Especially your ass.”

Reno cleared
his throat.
 
“Okay, too much
information,” he said.

Gemma looked
at Sal.
 
“So what do we do next?
 
I know I’ve got to prepare to face the
conduct board.”

“Don’t
worry,” Sal said, putting on his suit coat.
 
“When I finish with this Shaun Merriment, there will be no need for any
conduct hearing.”

“And, I
suspect,” Reno said, “no need for any merriment either.”

Sal smiled.
 
“That’s lame, Reno,” he said, “but
true.”
 
And then he kissed Gemma goodbye.

“Bye, Gem,”
Reno said, as he followed Sal out.

After they
had gone, Gemma sat down on the sofa.
 
She was exhausted, but pleased.
 
And then she found herself smiling too.
 
Sal knew her body better than she did.
 
That was, to any woman, a dream come true.

Shaun
Merriment didn’t know what hit him.
 
First he was driving along, in his mother’s old Mercury, minding his own
business, when suddenly he was rammed from behind.
 
He tried to look through the rearview, to see
who had been so careless, but before he had a chance he realized he was losing
control.
 
The car careened off of the
dark highway, spitting up dirt as it swerved and swerved, and it didn’t stop
until it rammed into the bark of a tree.

When he
realized he wasn’t dead, he quickly climbed out through the window.
 
All he could think about was gas leaking and
the car eventually exploding.
 
But just
when he thought he had made it to safety, two big men were grabbing him and
dragging him back to the highway, and then tossing him into the back of a
van.
 
A van, from the damage he could
see, that had caused the accident to begin with.

He
recognized both men as soon as he was thrown into the van.
 
Reno Gabrini, whom he knew owned the
PaLargio, and Sal Gabrini, his attorney’s wife.
 
It felt surreal being in a dusty old van with such powerful men.

The van
began driving off before a word was spoken.
 
After several minutes and still no words, Shaun decided to speak up for
himself.
 
“I don’t know what this is
about,” he said.