by Murray Segal
“And, a PI man was arrested after he wouldn’t leave the Walmart Store. He was holding up a sign that had the cent sign on it.”
“Are you ever going to get to the good news? Or is there any?”
“Oh sure. Residents of the area are now able to take a law enforcement course without travelling out of town. Sounds like they need a lot of graduates from this course. Finally, the railroads in the area are making improvements to their tracks, which handle a large amount of freight. That’s just a few of the articles from the August 3rd and August 10th issues.”
“Sounds to me like this place is just like anyplace, USA, riddled with crime. I wonder if the residents are happy with all this crime.”
“When I get on the Star Herald’s staff, I will do a man in the street survey. That should be good for two lead articles. To answer your question, the people are not happy with all this crime. PI is the ‘Epicenter of Anxiety,’ so says a story from the August 17th issue. They are quoting a New York Times story which is based on the number of times that people Google the word ‘Anxiety.’ Maine is the leading State and PI is the leading metropolitan in the state. “Interesting someone in New York is calling PI a metropolitan area? The author talks about economic levels, the low level of education, and opiate withdrawal as causes of this anxiety. An official of the Acadia Hospital in Bangor says there aren’t enough mental health providers up here. He adds that the residents should use online sources as an alternative.”
“Goodness. Let’s get out of town right now!”
“Somehow, I believe that most of this is overstated, if not totally wrong. On the other hand, the August 17th issue carries stories of at least 11 local area residents involved in drug trafficking, including heroin. That’s the bad news. The good news is that they all have been indicted. There is a story about the death of a Mars Hill woman who crashed her car into a house. But what the heck, that’s not in PI and it could and does happen all the time in all kinds of places.”
“Oh, right. I’ll start packing the bags again.”
“No. No. Wait. There is more good news. The local Ruby Tuesday restaurant will not be one of several in the state to close and a new community center is set to open soon.”
“I guess we are staying, huh?”
“To coin a phrase, The Die is Cast.”
“Try coining a phrase with more pleasant words. I am too young to die.”
“There are some classified ads that are of direct interest to us. I see ads for three different apartment complexes. They’re the Town and Country, The Scovil, and Williams. The Williams looks good to me. We will start there in the morning. Ok?”
“Sure.”
“The Williams has two bedroom apartments starting at $550 per month. Add them to our morning agenda. The sooner we find a place the better. Maybe this morning. Yes?”
“Aye, Aye boss. But you better drive today. After hearing about all the anxiety, I am much too full of it to drive to the town.”
I am steady at the wheel all the way back to PI. No anxiety here. When we arrive, we drive by all the apartment complexes and decide to try The Williams first. As we sit in their parking lot Silvia looks at me and asks, “How do we respond if their application for an apartment asks for references and other information which we can’t supply?”
“First things first. We’ll find the agent and ask to look at whatever vacant apartments are available. If they have something that suits us we will figure out a way to supply the information. Maybe we can get someone to use as a source or maybe convince the agent that he or she really doesn’t need it. Sometimes the sight of cash makes things happen, or in this case go away.”
A stylish looking woman is staffing the office. Dressed smartly in a dark business suit which contrasts and focusses her blonde hair. A nameplate on her desk says Marcelle Williams.
“Hi, Ms. Williams, my name is Harry Stein and this is my wife Silvia.”
“Good morning. Nice to meet you. Have a seat.”
“Thanks.”
“What can I do for you?”
The woman appears to be highly organized judging by her physical appearance and that of the office. She is cordial but maintains a business-like veneer.
“I must say it is nice to be dealing with the owner.”
“Actually, my husband Jack is the owner.”
“Close enough. We have just arrived in PI and are looking for an apartment to rent. It must be furnished because we are not sure how long we will be here. We’d rather not ship our furniture, until our plans firm up.”
“Well if you want something on a month to month basis, I’m think we can accommodate you.”
“Well, we are willing to sign a 6-month period and pay the entire amount up front.”
“If you are willing to pay 6 months in advance, we will certainly have something for you. How many rooms do you require?”
“We’d like at least two bedrooms, one of which we would use as an office.”
“There are some details we can talk about, but first let me show you what is now available. Once you have a look we can come back and go over our lease requirements. Come with me.”
We can tell she is in charge by her words, which fall just short of an order. Husband or no husband we are talking to the boss. We follow her out the door.
“One of the vacant units is over there close to the street, and the other one is over there beyond the pool.”
“Let’s look at the one closest to the street first.”
“Sure, come on with me.”
We follow her to the apartment which is not far from the office.
“It is right here on the ground floor with parking for two cars very close to the front door.”
“Do you have any units with a garage?”
“No, we don’t. The front door opens into an entry way. There is access to the two bedrooms off to the left and the kitchen and living room off to the right as you can see. The apartment is furnished only with the basic things but we can modify that to suit your needs if what you want is available on our site. The rental price for this unit is $550 dollars per month. That includes all utilities.”
“I think I like this one and it would be ok to be close to the street. We are used to traffic noise. I’d rather hear that then a bunch of noisy kids trying to drown one another.”
The apartment is freshly painted but sparsely furnished. I catch Silvia’s eye and she gives me a barely perceptible nod.
“This one will do. Can we sign a lease now and how long will it take for you to get it ready?”
“Depending on your needs it will only take us a few days to have it ready. You certainly can sign a lease now. C’mon back to the office and will get the paperwork done.”
We follow her back to her office. She hands us a standard lease. Well, I think it’s standard but then again, I have never leased an apartment.
“The only thing we’d like to have would be a desk in the second bedroom. Is that a problem?”
“Hold on a minute and I will find out.”
She dials the phone.
“Hi Pete. Do we have any desks in the warehouse or in a vacant apartment? I have a nice couple who are about to lease apartment 77 and they need one. Thanks Pete.
“You are in luck, there is one in a vacant apartment that we can bring over this afternoon. How will you be paying the rent?”
“Well, we have just arrived, as I said, and don’t even have a local checking account yet. I can pay in cash if that works for you.”
“Works perfectly.”
“Great. I assume that we will be responsible for linens and things, but anything else required of us?”
“Nothing. The rent includes all the utilities and the space comes with two parking spaces. We can have the apartment ready for you as early as the day after tomorrow. Is that soon enough?”
“It’s fine. We are staying at a B & B in Grand Falls. The day after tomorrow is good.”
“Well then, thank you and welcome to Presq
ue Isle. I hope your stay is pleasant. If there is anything else that you need, come see me. We always try to accommodate our tenants. Here are two keys to the apartment.”
“Thanks, and have a great day.”
As we leave the complex, I turn to Silvia and say, “This is our lucky day. I certainly didn’t anticipate finding an apartment so quickly and easily. The housing God is smiling on us. A good day to buy a Powerball Ticket.”
“We just spent over $3000. And why the hell did you go and offer to pay for six months up front? I don’t suppose that the size of her boobs had anything to do with it. That was plain stupid. We can’t afford a ticket or anything else for that matter.”
“Aw. Don’t be a Gloomy Gus. Do you want to stop by the University and talk to them about a job? Are you familiar enough with the town to do that now?”
“My knees get a bit wobbly when I think about that. Besides I am really, really pissed at you. I could use another few days of getting acclimated to the area. Shoot, I’ll bite the bullet and at least find out how the process works. Give me a few minutes to simmer down and then we can go.”
At the University Silvia picks up an employment application at Preble Hall, the Admissions and Administration Office. She tells the Administration person that she will take the form home, fill it out there and come back tomorrow and submit it.
“How come you did that?”
“Did what?”
“Took the application with you instead of filling it out then and there?”
“Fear, I suppose. My background is so weak in terms of academics that I need some time to figure out how I might shape it to give me some chance of getting on board.”
“My advice to you would be to come clean and let them know upfront that your background is weak but you know English, know how to teach and how to write. I think you can handle all that very nicely. You must have some confidence in yourself. If you don’t it will be easy to read. Your UNH teaching experience should qualify you if they have an opening.”
“Easier to handle a job flipping burgers at Burger King. There’s no guarantee that New Hampshire experience will count for much up here.”
“Hey. This is a side of you that I don’t see often. I suggest that you look at this in terms of survival. We both need decent jobs to make it through this ordeal. Where is the Silvia that I used to know?”
“Aw shucks. I’m still here somewhere. I just need a day to pull myself together. Survival is important to me, I’m too young to die. Unless we just give up and sell the MDTW to the Nazis.”
“I think we have talked about that alterative. It’s my thought that that would literally be a dead end. The Nazis will not likely leave loose ends around. And that’s exactly what we would be, two loose ends. Besides that, it would be a cheaper course of action for them. They wouldn’t have to pay us for the MDTW. Think of this as survival.”
“You are right, of course and I don’t like to think of myself as a loose end. Or any kind of an end, for that matter. It’s time to find you a job. Ready to try the newspaper? I promise the old Silvia will surface tomorrow morning. Maybe even this afternoon.”
We take the car over to the offices of the Star-Herald at 40 North Street, which is right downtown. After we find a parking space I tell Silvia that I want to talk to them alone.
“Hah; who’s the big baby with cold feet now?”
“Guilty. Why don’t you shop for a new fur coat while I embarrass myself privately?”
“I’ll do that. Could I have your credit card please? I’ll see if there is a Frederick’s of Hollywood here in town”.
“There you go, the old original Silvia is returning. The wise ass Silvia. The hilarious Silvia. Leave now!”
She leaves. I enter the office and ask to speak to Steve Frederick, the editor.
“Mr. Frederick is in a meeting just now with one of our reporters. If you could wait a few minutes, I think he will be free to talk to you. May I tell him the nature of your visit?”
“Yes. I hope to find work on your reporting staff. My name is Harry Stein and I only recently arrived in PI.”
“Have a seat Mr. Stein.”
“Mister Stein was my father. I am just Harry.”
“Ok Harry. Make yourself comfortable. You will find some old newspapers on the table in the corner.”
“Ten minutes later she goes into the editor’s office and comes out with him in tow.”
“You must be Mr. Frederick. Harry Stein.”
I extend my hand which he shakes vigorously.
“Mr. Frederick was my father. I am Steve.”
He glances at his secretary while she tries to hide a giggle without much success.
“Come on into my office so we can talk. Have a seat. What brings you here today?”
“My wife Silvia and I have just arrived in PI and are looking for work. She is hoping to work at UMPI. I was hoping to land a reporting job on your newspaper.”
“My goodness. What a coincidence. The guy who just left my office was one of our best reporters. This must be a message from the newspaper God because I don’t believe in coincidences. Is there any particular area of reporting that interests you? Do you have any writing experience?”
“While I will work hard in any reporting role, I have a strong interest in writing about crime and its impact on the community. And no I don’t have any experience on a newspaper. Outside of being the editor of my high school year book about a hundred years ago and writing copy for my typewriter shop in New Hampshire, I have no writing experience. I am a quick learner though.”
“Our full-time reporting staff is quite small, as you might expect. This means we are much like the Patriots and each player must be very versatile. Interesting. I didn’t know there were shops that specialized in typewriters, anymore.”
“There aren’t very many. A handful scattered around the country.”
“I’m afraid you won’t find any of them around this office.”
“I didn’t expect I would but I am also good on my Toshiba.”
“If I could find a place for you, how soon could you start? I have a gap I need to plug as soon as possible. I think what I need to do is give you a chance to write a piece for the paper. I certainly like your spunk.”
“I couldn’t possibly start until tomorrow morning.”
“This would be a test and if you passed it, I will put you on the staff. Assume that there is a murder here in town involving a man who has suddenly taken a pistol and shot his wife and his best friend. Take it from there and give me a piece that would be suitable for the front page, above the fold.”
“Thank you. See you in the morning.”
“Aren’t you even going to ask what your salary would be?”
“No. Let me have a two-week tryout and we can talk salary after that. Ok?”
“Alright. You are one unusual guy.”
“That’s what my wife says, only the word she uses most often is weird. See you tomorrow morning.”
“Bye.”
I call Silvia on her cell to ask her where she is.
“I’m at the mall. No fur coats and no Fredericks of Hollywood. Sorry. But I did manage to find a smart new ensemble that I can wear when I have a job interview at UMPI”.
“Too bad about the Fredericks. Can you pick me up?”
“I am just standing at the cash register. Are you finished already? “
“I am.”
“Why don’t you walk up to that antique shop on Main Street and I’ll meet you there?”
“OK. That’s Hand Me Down Antiques. Right? See you there.”
I get there before Silvia and start looking around. Surprise, I see a portable typewriter. When the owner spots me looking at it he approaches and asks, “Are you interested in typewriters?”
“Hi. I am interested in certain kinds. What I’m looking for is a large office machine. Preferably an Underwood model. Do you have anything like that?”
“Not here but I might have at home. I have a larg
e barn with stock stored in it. I could look tonight. Are you going to be here overnight or are you just passing through?”
“My wife and I have just moved here. Speak of the devil, here she is.”
“We could stop in tomorrow morning if that would give you time to search your barn. What time do you open in the morning?”
“I am generally here at about ten.
“I am starting a new job tomorrow morning so I won’t be by until lunchtime.”
Later, in the car, Silvia says, “Wait until you see what I bought at the mall.”
“And you wait to hear the news I have for you.”
“We can go home tomorrow?”
“No. But the editor of the paper has given me an article to write and if I produce a good piece, I’m hired.”
Silvia drives and we are back at the Inn in a half an hour or so. As soon as we get to our room she starts to unpack here bundles and undress at the same time.
“Yum, this is a terrific surprise,” say I as I too start taking off my clothes.
“Not now you sex fiend. I just want to show you what I bought.”
She grabs one of the packages and heads for the bathroom. Disappointment for me.
“You look great,” In say when she comes out of the bathroom.
“Thank you. If clothes make the man they can make the woman as well. Now, see what I have for you. You need to look spiffy if you expect to do a good job at the newspaper.”
“What do you mean if? I already have the job as a reporter provided I pass the editor’s test. He didn’t seem to care a wit about my clothes.”
“You’re kidding me. Right?”
“Of course, I’m not. In fact, I expect to spend this evening writing away like mad.”
“I’ll be dammed. When do you have to hand in your test article?”
“Tomorrow morning at 8 o’clock.”
“Really. I thought we might have a date.”
“We can. I will only be spending a couple of hours or so on the feature. “
“What’s it going to be about?”
“Well it’s a hypothetical story about a man who picks up a pistol and shoots his wife and best friend. I take it from there.”