Page 35 of Special Agent Joseph

When she saw how upset he became, Megan wished her words back. Hoping to make him feel better she added, “Hey, you’re clearly not that man anymore. Let’s drop it and go get something to eat.”

Muttering under his breath, he came around to her side of the vehicle to give her a hand.

She couldn’t help herself but point out what was obvious to her. “See what you’re doing here? The old Joseph wouldn’t have thought about me.”

Joe shook his head and turned to let Jack out too. Automatically, he petted the dog before answering her. “Who knows what I did or didn’t do anymore? It’s still all a mystery. One I hate hanging over me.”

“That I understand.” Not knowing why it seemed so important, Megan reached for his arm and held onto him, pretending to want his support to walk to the house. Sensing he needed a friend, she couldn’t withhold her understanding any more than she could whip a puppy.

Once inside, Joe led her to a stool by the island in the kitchen. Then he began gathering food from the fridge to make sandwiches for them. Before he’d gotten past the initial moves, Maria arrived breathless. Her revealing, snug-fitting, black silky dress could only be called a hooker’s outfit. One that highlighted her large breasts and bare legs extremely well. With thick makeup painted on and hair teased to look ready for a party, she stopped her rush when she saw both Megan and Joe’s shock as they stared her way.

Speaking first, Maria exclaimed, “Mister Joseph. You called. Here, let me make that for you.” She shuffled further inside the room, taking the package of ham from his hands. Stuttering, she added, “You-you pushed the button. I thought you wanted for me to come.”

Everyone had froze in place… well, except for Jack who ignored them and went to lay next to his dish.

Finally, Joe broke the awkward silence. “What button? I don’t understand.”

Red-faced, Maria pointed to a panel of six switches on the wall. “The middle one is to ring for me. When you come home late, you call me, and I come.”

“I thought those were for the island lights.” Shocked, Joe repeated her words. “Wait, you said I call, and you come?” Then he pointed at her. “Like that? Dressed for what… a party?”

“You like me to look this way. No. You insist. It’s part of the deal, Mister Joseph.”

“Please, Maria. I’ve asked you before to call me Joe.” When she nodded, her expression was so troubled that it seemed to spur him on. “Look Maria, we need to talk because I don’t get it. Why did you make this kind of an agreement with me?”

“You don’t remember? Of course not. Then I explain. But promise you won’t be angry with me.”

“I promise.”

Interrupting, Megan patted the stool next to her and gestured for Maria to come and sit. “I’m here, honey. You can tell him what you told me.”

Maria looked down at the counter, speaking slowly, like one might do for a child. “You expect for me to-to accommodate you at times like this… when you come home late. You call for me, and I come. That way I get to keep my job.”

Joe’s shock couldn’t have been faked. Megan knew when criminals lied, and she’d swear on a stack of bibles that Joe had no idea of any of the things Maria just divulged. “You’re saying that you’re my personal… like… hooker, maid, and housekeeper all rolled into one big… what did you call it… accommodation? Jesus. And what do you get for doing all this?”

“You know what.” Her voice became agitated. “The video.” When he shook his head, she added, “The video of me taking money from a client. And-and what we did in the hotel room. After the Mirage Casino closed down I needed money to send to Russia to help pay for my mother and son to emigrate. You know all this. You threatened to arrest me if I didn’t do what you say.”

As was his habit, Joe’s face contorted to the right while he thought about her answer. His cheek bunched up and his mouth pinched in a sexy way that caught one’s eye. Finally, he said, “Okay. But prostitution’s just a misdemeanor here in Nevada,right? So how come I’ve got so much power to basically make you my slave?”

“When I begged you to let me go, you said you’d show it to my mother.”

“Your mother?”

“Yes. She arrived finally and looks after my son. They live in a small apartment in North Vegas. Sundays I go to see them always. It’s my day off. We made the deal.” Agitated, Maria added, “you promised you wouldn’t show this to her if I live here for you. And you give me a wage so I can help her.”

Joe grunted. “I saw the measly amount you’ve been paid and tripled it. What Joseph gave you was a joke.”

Her eyes widening, Maria admitted, “I didn’t know if you meant for me to have all of it. I didn’t spend the extra money in case you made a mistake and wanted it back.”

Joe looked at Megan and then back toward his maid. “Maria, how big is the casita out back?”

Stunned and frightened by the question, Maria looked first to Megan as if she had an answer. When Megan shook her head perplexed, Maria turned back to Joe, obviously frightened by the question. “You want I should leave?”

“No. No, of course not. I can’t look after this huge place by myself. And you’ve been a great help. No, I wondered if it was big enough for a family.”

“Yes. It has two bedrooms and a den. I keep it spotless, Mister Joe. I love living there.”

“Then why in the hell didn’t you bring your mother and son to live here with you?”

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