[ WP ] `` I need you to blackmail me . ''

`` I'm glad I found you.'' breathed the old woman, shaking her umbrella dry away from her bustled clothing. 
 `` Well, it was kind of hard to deny your offer.'' said the slender cheeked man from his threshold. 
 `` May I...'' 
 `` Oh please, come in.'' 
 She clicked her heels on the tiled floor that protected the living room carpet from dirt. After a moment of pondering, she gazed at the rows of shoes against the wall and removed hers as well. 
 `` Please, make yourself comfortable. I'll be right back with Patricia.'' 
 `` Please, dear. Take your time. We have plenty.'' 
 He hurried up the stairs with his beckoning calls following him. The woman's knit socks found purchase on the clean carpet after a few attempts. The aquarium by the kitchen area drew her in. She counted seven fish of nine, all of which were pet shop varieties. 
 `` Can I get you something to eat? Miss...'' 
 `` I was just observing your little marine biology exhibition. Your tank is looking a bit green. Your plecostomus might be ill.'' 
 He nodded and sat down on a stool. 
 `` No thank you, I've already eaten, Mr. Baxter.'' 
 `` It's-I'm sorry I did n't catch your name.'' 
 `` Your wife has n't told you? You can call me Doreen. Or Mrs. Roberts if you'd prefer.'' 
 The tank bubbled patiently as Dexter bubbled patiently. For a moment, the filter choked on a bit of pebble, but then continued under-performing once more. 
 `` So, where are you from Mrs.-'' 
 `` Sorry to keep you waiting, Mrs. Roberts. I'm Patricia Baker, you've already met my husband, Dexter.'' 
 `` Yes.'' Patricia gestured toward the couch and followed her guest there. 
 `` Dexter, would you mind leaving us? Thank you, dear.'' 
 `` Actually, pet. It might be in your interest to stay.'' 
 Dexter froze half-crouched from his stool. Patricia scooted toward one side of the couch so Dexter could nest beside her. 
 
 `` Mrs. Roberts,'' began Patricia sapping the candlelight from the air `` I do n't mean to sound blunt, but you had agreed to bring quite a bit of money in exchange for meeting you. Do you have it?'' 
 `` Yes.'' replied Mrs. Roberts, motionless. 
 `` Before we proceed any further, I want your assurance that we are n't being recorded.'' 
 `` Why would I do that? To implicate myself?'' 
 Mrs. Roberts re-straightened her already straight back. 
 `` Dexter, stop recording.'' said Patricia. 
 Dexter pulled the pen from his shirt pocket, and depressed the top until the blue light lit up, turned red, and went out completely. He then produced his phone from his pants pocket and remotely turned off the security cameras. 
 Mrs. Roberts stared at the suddenly larger Dexter. `` Is he really your husband?'' 
 `` Yes I am. I'm also good at my job. Now, I do believe there was the matter of $ 5,000.'' 
 Mrs. Roberts reached into her breast pocket and produced a single manila envelope and handed it to Patricia. Patricia handed it to Dexter, who sniffed it, held it to the light, licked it, opened it, and counted out $ 5,100. After counting twice more, he handed one of the bills back over to Mrs. Roberts. 
 The fish tank seemed to simultaneously grow louder and disappear altogether. The gears could be counted from afar as the dry grinding noise was muffled by the last bubbles of a dying machine. 
 Mrs. Roberts put the hundred dollars on the coffee table in front of them. Neither Dexter not Patricia broke their glance from the old woman. 
 
 `` I have a problem. I need someone who is knowledgeable of the law and someone who is good at being covert. I am married and I am wealthy. My husband is the CEO of a noteworthy communications company. In the past few years his business practices has been growing more and more suspect.'' 
 Patricia reached for the pen-camera and began writing on the legal pad next to the hundred dollar bill. Dexter nodded. 
 `` To be perfectly honest. I do n't know what I want. We've always had enough money to survive. To live well. We've always been very fortunate in that respect. And because of our background in the upper echelon. We ’ ve always had power and respect. And frankly, we were never close in our marriage. When we were young, the sex was so-so and we never really went on picnics or took Christmas Card photos. 
 “ I can ’ t confirm this, but I know we have close ties in organized crime. We pay off police officers too, but that ’ s never been a problem either. Subverting the law is just another sidestep in making a lot of money. ” 
 “ Then why? ” asked Patricia. 
 “ You don ’ t even know what it is I ’ m asking. ” 
 “ I ’ ll know the *what* soon enough. Why? ” repeated Patricia. 
 “ He ’ s become evil. Not in a conniving way or devious. Every time he talks to someone he ’ s so disingenuous. He ’ s simply stopped being a person. It has to stop. ” 
 “ So what do you want from us? ” asked Dexter. 
 “ I believe Mrs. Roberts is giving us access into the history of Comcast to see if there ’ s anything prosecutable. ” 
 “ No, darling. Comcast, yes. But not an investigation. I need you to blackmail me. ”
