Tarnished Armor
Part 168

Adam and Liza’s bedroom.

Liza enters, quickly followed by Adam.

Liza: I warned you. I warned you what would happen if you didn’t go through with this.

Adam: And you don’t have a leg to stand on.

Liza: I have so many legs to stand on that I’m going to be turning into a butterfly soon.

Adam: My dear, you are more splendid than any butterfly could ever be. But you do sloppy work. I paid a visit to Dr. Clador yesterday.

Liza: What are you talking about?

Adam: Ten minutes with me, and he was quaking in his boots. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Chandler. Yes, we do need that new wing. If you want to know what really happened...” I stopped him there, by the way. And you’re right about those inappropriate smiles. I’d say you owe me six foot rubs.

Liza: What is the matter with you? Have you lost your mind? Don’t you have any shred of decency left in you?

Adam: I think we both know the answer to that one.

Liza: Why would you do this? I told you why I needed this divorce. I poured my heart out to you.

Adam: I’ll explain why if you’ll just give me a chance.

Liza: All right. I want my explanation. And I want it now.

Adam: And you shall have it. Sit down.

Liza: What?

Adam: Sit down.

Liza: You’re not even asking.

Adam: That’s right. Sit down.

Liza remains standing. Adam sits on the bed.

Adam: Suit yourself. But I’m much more comfortable than you are.

Liza: Not for long.

Adam: All right. Let’s get started. We have established that we love each other.

Liza: Speak for yourself.

Adam: Leave the bickering until later. We love each other. We share a child whom we both love deeply. We both also lust for each other. We are wonderful partners in crime.

Liza: So nice to see that your ego has finally given over to the royal “we.”

Adam: However, we have a problem when it comes to marriage. You feel that the answer to this problem is divorce.

Liza: You’ve got that right.

Adam: Counseling is a joke.

Liza: Which no one laughs at.

Adam: That’s debatable. Nevertheless, it does not work. But I have found option C.

Liza: Option C?

Adam: Liza, has it ever occurred to you that we both are consummate liars?

Liza: No.

Adam: No? But... very good.

Liza: Thank you.

Adam: So the answer to our problem has been right under our respective noses all along, and yet we did not see it.

Liza: Please. Go on. I’m enthralled.

Adam: Sarcasm so becomes you.

Liza: Thank you. I hear Hallmark is hiring sentiment writers. I’m sure they’d love that one. Would you hurry it up?

Adam: I am suggesting that we pretend -- no, we lie to ourselves. We tell ourselves that we are not married, while remaining married.

Liza: What?

Adam: It’s perfect. All we need to do is --

Adam’s cell phone rings.

Adam: What the ...?

Adam takes out his cell phone and connects the line.

Adam (into phone): Adam Chandler. ... Yes. Yes, I did. ... What? But that’s not --. ... What?

Adam’s voice begins to rise.

Adam (into phone): All of my information indicated that there was no way...

Adam looks at Liza.

Adam: This could take awhile.

Liza: That’s fine. Apparently I have two years to wait.

Adam (into phone): Well, it did. ... Check it again. ... That’s impossible. How...?

Adam runs his hand through his hair.

Adam (into phone): Wait a minute. The light dawns. Here’s what I want you to do. Access my account. Tell me the log-in times of all of the entries from Seaford. Can you do that? ... Well, then you’re good for something. ... I’ll wait.

Adam (to Liza): This will just take a moment.

Liza: I’ll be in the bathroom.

Liza goes into the bathroom.

Adam (into phone): What? ... I don’t care. ... It’s no good to me.

Adam hangs up the phone and throws it.

Adam: Liza? I’m having a little business problem. I’d place my bets on Palmer’s involvement.

Liza (from bathroom): Really?

Adam: How nice of you to be so nonchalant. We just lost a major part of our fortune.

Liza (from bathroom): Your fortune. Separate assets, remember? Besides, money isn’t the most important thing in life, you know.

Adam: Money isn’t ...?

Adam stops in his tracks. Then he goes over to Liza’s dressing table and opens her jewelry box. He takes out the emerald bracelet and removes the key. Then he puts the bracelet back in the box and closes it.

Adam: Darling? I’ll be right back. I need to go call my stockbroker.

Liza comes out of the bathroom.

Liza: I’ll be here. Thanks to you.

Adam leaves the room.

Liza goes over to her dressing table and opens her jewelry box and takes out the emerald bracelet.

Liza: Poor, poor Adam.

Liza puts the bracelet back.


  ******


Adam’s study.

Adam is furiously trying his combination on the hidden safe.

Adam: This is ridiculous.

He tries the combination again. Then he pounds the wall.

He kicks the wall.

Then he slowly turns back to the safe and stares at it. He begins to try a new combination.

Adam: Three ... times ... to the right ... to 1. Two times to the right to 4. Three times to the right to 1. Once to the left to ...

Adam counts off on his fingers.

Adam: ... 13.

The safe swings open.

Adam: Damn that woman.

Adam takes out the metal box. He opens it with the key. The box is empty.

Liza enters the room unnoticed and quietly shuts the door behind her.

Adam: Damn her.

Liza: Damn who? Little old me?

Adam whirls around.

Adam: What do you know about this?

Liza: About what?

Adam: You know very well what I’m talking about. Stock prices appearing to soar, inside information leaked to me about a potential buy-out. And I sell. Only to find out that the prices have been dropping. Leaving me with next to nothing, and someone else with a huge asset. And then it turns out that all of my information was changed. And lo and behold, all of the log-in times for my information read as having been entered as of two o’clock this afternoon. My God, Liza, what have you done to me?

Liza: I don’t know nothing about birthing babies.

Adam: Damn and blast, Liza. Do you know what this will look like if it gets out?

Liza: It will look like you’ve given a huge present to your wife. In honor of your reconciliation.

Adam: Reconciliation? But you didn’t know there was going to be a reconciliation, did you?

Liza: Oh, Adam, if you’d just stop thinking of me as your wife, I’m sure you’d start seeing the benefits.

Adam: What?

Liza: Lie to yourself, Adam. Like you said, we get along much better when we don’t think of me as your spouse, so pretend that I’m not your wife.

Adam: What the devil are you talking about?

Liza: Upstairs. You said that --

Adam: How dare you!

Liza: Oh, I know you’re very upset right now. That little vein on your temple is beating double time.

Adam: That money was meant to be for my children. Skye, Hayley, Junior and Colby. It was a fortune.

Liza: It is. It is a fortune.

Adam: For which you've sold your soul, I see.

Liza: Really? Well, what about my freedom? Isn’t that worth anything?

Adam: Your freedom? You must be joking.

Liza begins to leave the room.

Adam: Liza!

Liza leaves the room.

Adam: Liza! Come back here!

Adam follows Liza out of the room.

Tarnished Armor Index
Part One Hundred and Sixty Seven
Part One Hundred and Sixty Nine