Uncommon Thief

by William Manchee

  Chapter 14

  Taking the Plunge

  By four o'clock, Fred was awake and fully recovered from the fatigue of the previous day. As he started to move around, he tried to forget that yesterday had ever happened. He had taken a class in psychology and learned that the mind was very good at repressing unpleasant thoughts. If he could put the whole affair totally out of his mind, then he wouldn't be likely to do anything unusual that might attract attention. He knew it was a pretty sure bet that the FBI would consider him a suspect and would be watching him, and he needed to try to act normal.

  His first concern was what to do with the $7,000 he had taken as petty cash to spend on expenses. If he were found with it, he could be linked to the robbery. In retrospect, he wished he hadn't taken it, as it seemed it was going to be difficult to hide. He couldn't leave it in his apartment or his car for fear that they might be searched. It didn’t seem like all that much money, so he thought about just putting it in his bank account, but then he might have to explain where he got it. After pondering different ideas, the solution finally came to him. He would rent a private mailbox, buy money orders with the $7,000, and then mail them to the box. When he needed money, he would just go pick up what money orders he needed and cash them. Since the box had a combination lock, he had no key and thus nothing to connect him to the box full of money orders.

  With that problem worked out, when it came time to pick up Maria for the game, he was feeling pretty good. First, however, since he was now a millionaire and feeling really guilty about his conversation with Candy the previous evening, he stopped at a jewelry store and bought Maria a present.

  When he got to her dorm, she wasn't anywhere to be found, so he went inside and used the house phone to call her room. She answered and told him she’d be right down.

  The dorm was laid out like a resort hotel. There was a front desk, a large lobby area, recreation room, cafeteria, and elevators to all of the rooms. The dorm had two wings: one for the women and one for the men. There was no mingling of the sexes allowed, and curfew on weekdays was midnight and 2:00 a.m. on weekends.

  Fred sat down on one of the sofas in the lobby and began reading a magazine. There was a clear view to the elevators from where he was sitting, so he wasn’t worried about missing her. After a few minutes, one of elevators opened, and Maria hurriedly walked out. She was wearing yellow shorts, sneakers, and a blue UCLA t-shirt. "Hi, Fred. Sorry I’m late, but I couldn't get my hair to cooperate."

  Maria had shoulder-length, dark brown hair which she wore in a variety of styles. Today, it was in a ponytail, which was Fred’s favorite. "Your hair looks great," he informed her.

  "Thank you. You're a good liar."

  "I’m not lying. You know I love it this way."

  Maria smiled as they grabbed each other’s hand and starting walking toward the front door.

  "Where do you want to go eat?" Fred asked.

  "I don't know. What do you feel like?"

  "It doesn't matter. You pick."

  "Okay. I feel like pizza."

  "Okay. How about Shakeys?"

  "Let's go."

  They jumped in his car and got on Santa Monica Boulevard until they reached Shakeys and went in. The waitress took them to a large red booth, and they slid in close to each other as they always did. They ordered a large sausage pizza and drinks. Fred was anxious to see Maria’s reaction to his little gift, so he pulled out a black velvet box and handed it to her.

  "What is this?"

  "Well, open it and you’ll find out."

  She opened the box, and her eyes lit up as she gazed at it. "Oh, a necklace! It's so beautiful.” She smiled at him and then frowned. “You must have paid a fortune for this!"

  "Do you like it?"

  "I love it. Thank you," she said as she studied the necklace more closely. "Are those real diamonds?"

  "Well, they're diamond chips."

  "Gee, Fred, how could you afford this? It's not even my birthday."

  "Well, you deserve it. You've been so good to me."

  Maria looked at him with a sexy smile, put her hand on his leg, and then leaned over and gave him a tender kiss.

  "You're so sweet, Fred. I love you."

  With those words, Fred suddenly felt sick. What had he done? How could he ever leave Maria if he had to escape to Argentina? Tears began to well in his eyes, and he fought to hide the emotions he was feeling.

  Maria must have sensed his anguish. "What's wrong, Fred?"

  "Nothing. I’m just so glad you liked your present. Just remember, no matter what happens to us, I love you."

  Maria frowned again. "What’s that supposed to mean? Is something going to happen to us?”

  “Nothing, nothing . . . but you know, either one of us could get run over by a bus tomorrow. Life is unpredictable.”

  She gave him a skeptical look. “You’ve never been a pessimist, Fred. What’s got into you?”

  “Nothing. Forget it,” he said, wishing he’d never brought up the subject. She shrugged and looked away.

  When they’d finished eating their pizza, he paid the bill and they left. On the way to the football game the following day’s agenda came up.

  "What are we going to do tomorrow, Fred?" Maria asked.

  "Oh, tomorrow? Well, I suppose I better work on my government paper since it’s due next week. We can go to church in the morning, but then I've got to hit the typewriter."

  It was a lie, but he couldn't think of anything better to excuse his absence while he was visiting Candy. He felt very guilty lying to Maria, but he had convinced himself it didn't make much difference anymore since he was now a felon. It was only a matter of time before Maria would find out he’d been involved in a bank robbery, and then it would be over between them.

  "This is the first gift you’ve given me just because you love me,” Maria said. “I’m so happy, Fred.”

  Fred’s heart sank again as he was wrenched by another dose of guilt. “I’m glad,” he said meekly. How could this have happened?

  The next morning, they went to mass at St. Monica's Cathedral on Wilshire Boulevard. They had driven by it several times and were awed by its magnificence. They decided to go to mass there so they could see the interior. They imagined it must be something to behold, and they were not disappointed. When they went inside, Fred suddenly felt uncomfortable sitting in the house of God, knowing that he had just violated one of the Ten Commandments and committed a mortal sin.

  A million thoughts crossed his mind. Why didn’t I just call Sinclair when I found the vault open? Why did I have to be Mr. Nice Guy and close it? Will Sinclair and the FBI believe what really happened? They might have until they searched my car and found a million dollars in the trunk. Maybe I’ve seen too many movies where innocent men were bullied into phony confessions by the police. I could just see myself in the interrogation room with a couple of special agents in my face. I would be no match for them.

  Feeling very depressed, Fred thought of going to confession and getting advice from a priest, but he had never had much faith in the priest-penitent confidence. With most priests, he would probably be safe, but not all priests were true to their vows, and he wasn't about to take any chances. It was best if he kept the whole thing to himself. He knew, of course, that Steve and Randy would never betray him, but they couldn't be protected from the law, and he didn't want them getting hurt.

  After mass, Maria and he had lunch at McDonalds on Western Avenue, and then he took her back to her dorm. He told her he was going to spend the rest of the day in the library working on his term paper. She said she had homework, too, and asked him to call her later. It felt horrible lying to her. He knew he was going to have to end their relationship very soon for Maria’s sake, but he dreaded the thought.

  Once he got on the open road, his thoughts turned to Candy. Where is our relationship going? Will she really wait around for six years for me to finish my education? That’s kind of hard to believe. Could it be that s
he really does love me and the whole mistress routine is just a way to get my attention? Is there an ordinary woman under that cool, calculating façade? Maybe I should call her bluff and find out.

  At about 3:00 p.m., Fred entered the city limits of Palm Springs, California. He called Candy from the same phone booth that he had called her from before. She gave him directions to her apartment, and he was at her front door within ten minutes. He knocked at the door with great anticipation, and she opened it with no less enthusiasm.

  She smiled brightly. "So, you came. I wasn’t sure you would."

  He smiled back at her eagerly. "I told you I would."

  They embraced and kissed briefly. Then she led him to a white leather sofa, where they sat down. The apartment was small but nicely furnished. A gray cat strolled by and gave Fred a hard look.

  Candy noticed the cat’s look and said, "She’s jealous. That’s why I usually don’t bring men to my apartment.”

  “Really? She wants you all to herself, huh?”

  “Of course.”

  “Well, I can’t say I blame her.”

  Candy smiled approvingly, then gave him a once-over. “Well, you look much better than you did Friday night."

  "What do you mean?" He asked, a little offended.

  "You seemed kind of nervous and very tired. You must have had a really bad day."

  "Was it that obvious?"

  "It was pretty noticeable."

  "Well, I’m sorry. I've gotten a lot of sleep since then, so I’m feeling a much better."

  "Good. So, what do you want to do the rest of the day?"

  "Just hang out. It occurred to me on the way over here that I don’t really know much about you—like what kind of things you like to do for fun."

  She shrugged. "I don't know."

  "Well, do you like going to the movies?

  "Yes."

  "That's good. I am movie freak myself. How about football? Do you like football?"

  Her eyes lit up. "Who doesn’t?"

  "Then you’re a UCLA fan?”

  “Of course!”

  “So, what did you think about the game last night?"

  "Totally awesome. I wish I’d have been there.”

  “I was, actually,” he bragged, careful not to mention that Maria had accompanied him.

  "Wow! We're going to get along great."

  "Now it's my turn," Candy stated. "Do you like to read?"

  "Not particularly. It reminds me too much of school."

  "Well, I love to read, but that's okay."

  "Do you play tennis?"

  "Sure do. I was on my high school tennis team," he advised her proudly.

  "I’m on the junior college team," she replied.

  "Hmm. Maybe we shouldn't play tennis then."

  Candy laughed. "I think we should. It will be a distinct pleasure to beat you."

  "You may not want to beat me. I am a sore loser.”

  "I don't believe that."

  "What about golf?" he asked.

  "Never played it."

  "Well, I’ll teach you sometime. I’m not very good at it, but it’s nice to be outdoors, and there are a lot of beautiful golf courses around the country."

  "What about eating?" she asked jokingly.

  "Yeah, I kind of like to eat.

  "Good, because I am hungry. Oh, and I did pick out an excellent restaurant as you requested—very expensive."

  "Excellent. I’m a rich man. Let's go. You can give me directions on the way."

  She agreed and locked up the apartment while he went for the car. They drove about fifteen minutes before arriving downtown. Candy pointed to a red building with a green roof. Its exterior was ornately trimmed in black and gold. "There it is, the Golden Dragon Restaurant,” she said. “It has the best Chinese food in town."

  Fred pulled the car into the parking lot, and they went inside. The interior of the restaurant was very ornate and quite beautiful. The restaurant was not crowded, as it was still early. A young Chinese girl in her native garb greeted them and seated them in a quiet little table in a secluded part of the restaurant.

  "There's another thing we have in common. We both like Chinese food," Fred observed.

  "I knew from the very first time I saw you that we would be perfect together," Candy admitted.

  "How could you know that?"

  "Women's intuition."

  "Well, since you've got this whole thing worked out, I've got a couple of questions for you."

  "Okay, I’m listening," she said with curiosity in her eyes.

  "Let’s say I took you up on your proposition. What do you plan to do for the next six years while I'm getting my law license?"

  "I still have to finish college and get some acting experience. You just can't become a credible actress overnight. It would be nice if I didn't have to work, but I guess that's not in the cards."

  "Why don't you find someone who already has money so you can quit work right away and get on with your life's ambition?"

  "I don't want just any man to take care of me. I want someone special. I've been searching for just the right person for a long time. When you walked into the bank that first time and told me you were going to be a lawyer, I knew that person was you."

  "Come on! How could you possibly know that from just seeing me for the first time?"

  "I don't know, and I can't explain it. I just knew."

  "Do you believe in fate?" he asked.

  "Yes."

  "I never did until Friday."

  "What happened Friday?"

  "Friday I realized you and I were meant to be together."

  "See, I’m much more perceptive than you. It took you six weeks to figure out what I knew the first day."

  "You are definitely amazing," Fred agreed.

  She gave him a seductive smile. "You haven't seen anything yet."

  "Is that a promise?"

  "Definitely," she said with a wry smile.

  The waitress finally showed up with some appetizers and hot tea. While Candy was digging into the pu pu platter, Fred was pondering whether to take the plunge with her or not. It really seemed inevitable, and it certainly appeared they were brought together by fate. Why resist?

  He gathered all his courage, pushed his trepidation aside, and finally dove in. "Well, I've got some good news for you."

  She looked up at him curiously. "What's that?"

  "About five or six years ago, my Aunt Virginia came to live with us. She was estranged from her husband for some twenty years and had worked as a secretary for all that time. She and I got along really well. We played tennis and cards together and were good friends. Unfortunately, all those lonely nights got to her, and she began to have mental problems. My mom didn't want her to have to go to the funny farm, so she came to live with us.”

  “Really? That’s sad,” Candy said.

  “So, last year she died, and we found out, much to everyone's shock, that she had been stockpiling her money all those years and had accumulated over $50,000. When her lawyer read her will, guess who she left the money to?”

  "Who?"

  "Moi."

  "You're kidding!"

  "Nope. Now no one is supposed to know about this, so don't you dare ever tell anyone."

  "I wouldn't tell a soul," Candy promised.

  "So, I figure with $50,000 we could just about make it through college and law school without you working—assuming you’d be happy with a modest lifestyle."

  Candy looked stunned. Tears began to well in her eyes. "I don't know what to say."

  "Now, tell me dreams don't come true," Fred said.

  "I wouldn't dare," she replied softly.

  "Of course, we could do it a little differently."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I've given it a lot of thought. I know you have your plan to be a big actress and everything, and obviously you don't want anything to get in your way, but what if I were to ask you to marry me?"

  "What about Maria?"


  "I love Maria too much to betray her. I know you wouldn't care if I married Maria, but Maria would care a lot if she found I had a mistress.”

  Candy nodded.

  "It would be much more comfortable for me with just one woman, and I am willing to make a choice."

  "You'd choose me over Maria?"

  "Yes, if I believed you loved me and you could make a commitment to me."

  Candy sat silently and stared into Fred’s eyes. After a few moments, she responded, "I do love you, but I can't make a commitment. All of my life I’ve had this dream. Someday, that dream is going to come true unless I do something to screw it up. No matter what it takes, I am going to be a great actress. I would like you to be there with me, but I can't promise that I will be faithful to you, if being faithful will jeopardize my career."

  Fred sighed, disappointment showing on his face. "Hmm. I was afraid that would be your answer."

  "It's important to me that our relationship is honest. I don't want to play the jealousy game. You can do what you want, and I can do what I want, and we can tell each other everything without feeling any guilt."

  "You really think that would work?"

  "I know it will," Candy said fervently.

  "Okay," Fred said and then reached into his pocket, pulled out an envelope, and handed it to her.

  "What's this?"

  "The beginning of the fulfillment of your dreams."

  Candy opened the envelope curiously. She smiled when she saw four blank money orders, each in the amount of $500. "Is this for me?"

  "Yeah. Did I ever tell you I am a man of action? I don't pussyfoot around."

  "You didn't have to tell me. I knew that."

  "So quit your job and start concentrating on becoming an actress. I figure $1,000 a month ought to pay your rent and keep a little bread on the table."

  "Yeah, it's as much as I make at the bank."

  "Now, what was it you were telling me about sampling the merchandise?"

  Candy smiled. "Okay. After dinner, I'll take you home for some dessert."

  "Fine. I'm done. Are you finished?"

  She laughed. "Not yet. I haven't read my fortune cookie." Candy picked up her fortune cookie and snapped it apart. "Wisdom is rare in youth and beauty." She frowned. "Do you think that’s true?”

  Fred thought about it a moment and replied, “Probably.”

  She laughed. “Honesty, I like that. What does yours say?" she asked.

  He cracked his open and read it aloud. "It is the fate of the fish to swim and the thief to run.” Fred’s stomach twisted on the word thief. He would have never dreamed in a million years that he’d become one. He shuddered at the thought and wondered if the message of the fortune cookie was just a coincidence.

  "Very interesting,” Candy said, not noticing his anxiety. “Okay, let's get the hell out of here."

  Fred hailed the waitress and asked her for their check. She obliged, he paid it, and they left. By the time they got to Candy's apartment, they were both ready to explode from the sexual energy that had been slowly building all evening. Before they got to the front door of her apartment, they began to attack each other furiously. She fumbled for her keys and tried to unlock the door while kissing him passionately. A neighbor looked on with great amusement.

  Finally, they got inside. Fred kicked the door shut, and they ripped off each other’s clothes. Candy was more than Fred could have ever dreamed—passionate, sensual, and voluptuous beyond belief. He felt like the luckiest man on the planet as he felt her body next to his. Sure, he knew she was going to cost him plenty, but at that moment, he believed she was going to be worth every penny—and with a million dollars to play with, he could certainly afford it.

  After their passions finally succumbed to exhaustion, they cuddled up in each other's arms and fell asleep. A few hours later, they reluctantly got up and Candy made them some coffee. Fred was feeling relaxed and content. Their first sexual encounter had been incredible. At least that’s what Fred had thought. He didn’t know what was going through Candy’s mind, but she seemed happy and hadn’t kicked him out yet. They may have commenced a rather bizarre relationship, but at that particular moment, it seemed right and was apparently their destiny. Unfortunately, Fred couldn’t stay the night since he had an 8:00 a.m. class the next morning. With much regret, he finally went to the door, kissed Candy goodbye, and left.