The Cat's Dowry and Other Short Stories

by Yvonne M Remington

  * * *

  Dear Bobby,

  I am filling out the paperwork to be preapproved for any future visits. These have been trying times for all of us that knew you and Kathy. I have had many opportunities to relive my relationship with you as a mother. We have had our good times and our bad. Someone once said: "Parenthood does not come with a manual."

  I feel that I did the best job that I could. I did not always make the best choice, but it was the one that I thought was the best for us at that time.

  I will always be your mother, and you will always be my son. It is time now for us to go our separate ways, again, until such time as pay your debt to society.

  I will write you, if you wish, and I will do my best to see you on special occasions, like the holidays, but I feel that it is not in my best interest to jeopardize my health and wellbeing to make the trip to the prison on a routine basis. I have a good life and I must do what is necessary to keep it that way.

  I will only want the best for you and that will never change. I wish you the best and hope that you can make this time a productive time to look to better yourself for the time when you will be released. Remember that I always loved you and wanted to be your mother.

  Lovingly,

  Mom

  The House at the End of Flamingo Road

  Beth Hyatt reached over and turned off the alarm that was set for six am before it could wake Jeff. She had something better in store for him. The on-again-off-again relationship with her airline pilot boyfriend Jeff Turner was on again for the moment and she intended to enjoy it. His profession left plenty of room for jealousy for an insecure relationship.

  Turning over to meet his deliciously tanned body, she kissed first his neck and then worked her way down his chest. He stirred enough to respond to her advancing touch. His hands came around and grabbed her shoulders, brought her up to where their lips met. She straddled his 6'3" frame and continued exploring his lips.

  The sun was creeping in the bedroom, leaving the night shadows behind. The two cell phones on the nightstand laid quietly until one started to vibrate.

  "Yours or mine?" Jeff mumbled through locked lips.

  Beth parted from the embrace just enough to see that it was belonged to her. "It's mine. I put it on vibrate at night." She ignored the ring until the call went to voicemail. She attempted to regain the mood that had been broken, without the same result. The vibrating cell phone repeated its annoying sound.

  Beth picked up the phone and recognized her mother's name. "If my mother is calling at this hour, it must be important," She rolled over and sat up as she answered the call.

  "Hello mother, how are you?"

  "I need you to come home as soon as possible." To Victoria subtlety was rare and the quiver in her voice was evident

  "What's wrong?" Beth waited for an explanation.

  "I need to see you. I need your help and I can't talk over the phone."

  "Are you sure you're okay? It doesn't sound like it." Beth was trying to get more information but it wasn't forthcoming.

  "No, I'm not. But you are the only one that I can confide in. Something is going on here and I really need to talk to you."

  "Mother, I can't come down to Florida without some preparation, but I will see what I can do. I'll call you tonight when I get home and let you know what arrangements I have made. I do have vacation time coming. I'll talk to my boss and see what he says."

  "Please come as quickly as possible." This was totally out of character for her matriarchal mother who insisted on being in control.

  "Victoria, I wish you would tell me what's going on. You have me worried."

  "All I can say is that there are things going on here that are not right and I am beginning to fear for my safety. Call me tonight and let me know when you can come down."

  "Are Brittany and Mike of any help and are they okay?"

  "They are okay, but no, Brittany doesn't spend much time at the house between school and her social life. Mike works long hours and spends a lot of time at the bar with his friends. He isn't any help at all, actually."

  "And your other daughter, the one who lives in California, you know, Margo, the one that is always too busy to come see you."

  "Margo is in the middle of a film contract. She is the set designer and can't get away." Beth wasn't surprised.

  "I really do have to go now Victoria. Let me see what I can do."

  "You're not sending me off without finishing what you started, woman." Jeff said. They made love until both were exhausted and now running late for their scheduled workday. They showered and decided together that they would give the relationship a verbal contract with an option for renewal.

  Once at her office that she managed for Peter Hagerty, the city commissioner, she explained the situation to her assistant Ruth

  "That sounds serious. What are you going to do?"

  "I don't know. I have reservations for a cruise next month. I don't want to, but it looks like I will have to cancel it and go to Florida. I have to call Peter and see if there are any problems with me changing my plans."

  "I can cover for you. I have vacation coming but I haven't planned anything yet."

  "Good. Mother doesn't ask favors lightly, Victoria is like an 82 year old pit bull who has lived in the same house for fifty years and now that house is too big and too old for her. I think all those years living with a sea captain rubbed off; don't even think about asking her to move. That is out of the question. My children are living with her now, which helps everybody out. However that won't last forever." Beth called Peter, her boss, and asked if she could exchange her vacation time. It was unexpected and it was an emergency on her mother's part. Peter agreed to allow her to take her vacation now instead of next month. That meant that she had to cancel her reservation for the cruise and lose her deposit. Oh well, there would always be next year.

  After making final arrangements to cover her office responsibilities, she made plane reservations to arrive in Florida where she would spend the next couple of weeks.

  Beth arranged with the woman that lived in the condo next to her to feed and care for her cat, Biella, while she was gone. Beth had a good life in Atlanta and had no interest in moving back to Florida. She called her mother and advised her that she would be taking an early flight the next day and would be renting a car and would see her at the house around noon. Beth knew her daughter, Brittany would be busy in school and Mike would be at work; she did not want to depend on them for transportation so a rental car was in order.

  Victoria had never been an affectionate mother therefore no visible displays between the two occurred when she arrived at the house she grew up in, except a quick peck on the cheek. Beth took her suitcase to the guest room and unpacked.

  They were alone in the house, except for the black lab Butch, Victoria's long time companion, which gave them the time needed to discuss Victoria's issues.

  Victoria had been busy dusting the living room when Beth arrived. She had always been obsessed with keeping a clean house. She went from room to room, and made sure that it was spotless from the window curtains to the cracks in the corners to be sure there was no dust. . She liked to work in the garden when the weather wasn't too hot. That was her only devotion to the house. She kept after Beth's son Mike to do minor repairs, but he found excuses not to finish or do it half way and then Victoria would dismiss him and she would finish it herself. Mike found it a game, laughed at his grandmother, and would leave for the neighborhood bar when she got huffy or moody.

  Beth made herself a cup of tea while Victoria made them each a sandwich. They sat down across from each other at the kitchen table.

  "Okay, mother, what is going on?"

  "I'm scared to death. There are thing going on that are not right. I've been getting phone calls at all hours of the day and night. When I answer, there is no one there. There was someone prowling outside the house a couple days ago. Butch barked but it d
idn't scare them away easily."

  The house was the last house on Flamingo Road with a cul-de-sac in front. The nearest house had been vacant for over a year. The owners walked away and turned the house back to the bank a result of the recession of '08. Northerners who came down a couple months during the winter owned the house on the other side of them and it was vacant the rest of the year. There was a thick patch of woods behind the house with underbrush and a retention pond with an abandoned dirt road beyond that.

  "A car stopped several days ago with two men in it. They claimed they were looking for a family that I never heard of. They looked around and sat in their car for about twenty minutes before they left. I saw one man on the phone. The other man used the neighbor's property as a pit stop and he looked like he was checking it out. I haven't seen them since but, Beth, I'm telling you, something is not right.

  Also, the Jamison's have offered to buy this house. Herbert Jamison has made two offers to me within the last 3 months. I told him no and since I turned him down, he has been doing his best to annoy me."

  "How, they have lived there as long as I remember; I grew up in with their boys."

  "It's not what he did. It's what his sons are doing. They have used the neighbor's property to park their cars and have parties. They had a bonfire on the old Baker property and had a party that lasted until after one o'clock. I didn't dare report them. Herbert has a lot of connections with the sheriff's office."

  "Mother, don't you think that this could be a coincidence. You really can't say that anyone has been a threat. Granted they are annoying, but you know yourself that you have seen many changes over the years especially with the Jamison's and their children."

  "I don't like it. I think it's a conspiracy to get me to sell. Herbert Jamison has been buying up houses on this end of the street and I think he is pressing me to sell."

  "Have you given any real thought of selling?"

  "No. I'm not going anywhere. I always planned on dying in this house."

  The house needed major repairs. The roof needed replacing. The Florida sun demanded that most roofs needed continual attention. Her son Mike worked as an electrician's assistant but had no interest in doing anything around the house in the area of repairs. He paid his monthly room and board and other than cutting the grass and taking out the trash, that was the extent of chores for him.He used Victoria's house as a stopover and that was it. Victoria's sharp tongue and Mike's quick temper were always causing an argument and they stayed out of each other way as much as possible.

  While Beth and her mother were finishing their tea, Brittney arrived from her last class of the day and greeted her mother with joy. ‘"Mom, I am so glad to see you." Brittany was a younger version of her mother with added beauty and vitality. They hugged and Brittany gave her grandmother a peck on the cheek. She gave her grandmother respect, but Victoria was not an easy person to warm up to. She had a sharp tongue and could find fault over small things. She did not agree with Brittany often, but Brittany was more inclined to walk away and ignore the snide comments. Brittany had one more year at the local college and made up her mind that she could handle her grandmother until then. She couldn't afford to stay anywhere else.

  "So mother, how long will you be here." Brittany loved her mother dearly.

  "I have two weeks' vacation. I did not book my return flight. I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to find when I got here, so, I can't answer that right now."

  Brittany and her mother talked routinely by phone and Beth helped her out financially. They kept in touch and Beth knew the latest gossip about Brittany's life.

  That evening the three of them had a leisurely discussion and talked about what was going on that brought Victoria to request Beth's help. The town of Poseidon was a quiet town near the west coast of southern Florida. It consisted of retired communities or families that had lived in Florida for generations.

  Victoria was a hold out to the telephone landline. She refused to have it removed, even though she had a cell phone and only unwanted solicitation came in on the landline. The landline phone rang about eight o'clock and Beth answered it. She could hear music in the background and heavy breathing. She said hello then the line went dead.

  "Mother this still doesn't prove anything. Wrong numbers are common." They continued to enjoy the evening on the lanai. The sun was going down and Butch was laying at Victoria's feet when he suddenly stiffened and bolted to his feet at attention.

  "What's wrong, boy?" Victoria said. Butch bounded to the screen door, barking his most intimidating bark. Dusk had fallen and the clouds were disappearing behind the trees. There were only ominous shadows left behind. The lanai faced the woods and only an occasional rabbit or key deer would show itself to them. Beth grabbed a lantern type flashlight from the closet and headed for the back door.

  "No. Don't go out there!" Victoria shouted after her. "There might be someone lurking in those shadows. It could be dangerous."

  "Mother, I promise to be careful, but sitting here doing nothing only lets them think we are afraid."

  "I don't have a problem admittedly that, anymore." Victoria was standing nearby, nervously wringing her hands..

  Beth used the flashlight to find the obstacles left on the lawn. Butch left bones and toys scattered everywhere. Mike was bad about putting away tools that he used and Beth found that several new trees dotted the landscape since she was home last. There it was near the woods; it was too big for an animal. It appeared to be a shadow of a man. The shadows were turning into solid black quickly.

  "Who's there?" Beth had shown the light in the direction of the shadow. No answer "This is private property. You are trespassing. I'm going to call the police." It was completely dark and all shadows had disappeared.

  Mike‘s van pulled into the circular driveway, shinning it's headlights for a brief second on the backyard, blinding Beth. She turned and tripped over something and fell to the ground. With no time to brace herself, she smacked her head on something hard. Mike grabbed a flashlight from the house and went to Beth's side aiding her to a sitting position.

  "Mother, are you okay? What happened?"

  "I think so." When she put her hand up to her head, she came back with blood.

  "I think you should go to the hospital." Brittany had rushed to her mother's side.

  "I agree. That looks serious." Victoria was used to giving orders.

  "Call the police Mike. This was no accident. I was tripped. "Beth tried to get up but was unstable on her feet and blood trickled down her scalp.

  "First we get your wound looked at. We can tell the hospital and they can call for us." Mike was in charge and he dared any of the women to challenge him. Beth went along; she was in no position to argue.

  The hospital put six stitches in Beth's scalp, took x-rays and an officer came to the ER to take her statement. It was after midnight before they got home. The sheriff's office said they would be out in the morning to look for tracks. It was late fall, the rainy season was over and no one was expecting there to be tracks or evidence of a crime.

  The small group did not feel like talking; they went to bed in silence.

  At 3:45am, Victoria woke to the sound similar to a branch scraping her window. She sat upright in her bed for several minutes to be sure she was hearing accurately. She went to the window and threw back the curtains, but nothing was there. There was no wind that night. Branches couldn't make that noise. Only small bushes lined that side of the house. She tried to go back to sleep, but it started again, but this time, the sound became more intense. The sound resembled fingernails scraping on the glass. She quietly walked down to Brittany's room, slid in next to her warm body without disturbing her, and tried to sleep. Sleep did not come until the dawn came and then only briefly.

  The next morning, Mike checked on his mother before he left for work and she was still sleeping. Brittany and Veronica were having coffee on the lanai.
>
  No one mentioned Victoria's late night stroll into her granddaughter's bed. They let Beth sleep until the sheriff's deputies arrived.

  The sheriff took a full report. Beth showed them why she knew it was not an accident. First, she felt the person nearby and a bar come up in front of her to make her trip. They examined the backyard and the rock she struck her head on. Nothing near that rock would have made her trip. They did find prints but since it hadn't rained recently, they weren't distinct. The family got the usual response that they expected, and the deputies left.

  "At least it's on file, if we need it. After what you said, mother, about your late night caller, it appears that the incidents are getting more frequent and more serious. I am not sure what to expect next.

  "That's probably it. They do not want us to expect anything. They want it to be a surprise." Victoria said.

  "Well, I have to tell you, I am mad. I am feeling fine and this afternoon we are going to visit some of your neighbors. And I want to have a talk with Herbert Jamison as soon as possible."

  That afternoon, Beth and Victoria walked up to Beatrice and Dorothy Potter's house. They owned their home and had lived there fifteen years. They knew the background of most residents that lived on the road for all those years. The visit was pleasant, but not fruitful. The sisters didn't know much. The neighborhood had been quiet. The rental houses across from them were quiet and well maintained. The Jamison's were the same crude people they always were. Mr. Jamison wasn't home much, but he was always flaunting his dealership cars. The Potter sisters did not like the Jamison's but they were neighborly when they passed them.

  Beth and Victoria were tired after their afternoon excursion and decided to extend their visits to the next day. The next day they walked up the street to see who would be home that they could talk to. Because a number of neighbors worked, they decided to wait until the Florida heat subsided and the afternoon breezes picked up. Beth was feeling much better and Victoria was her usual spicy self. Herbert Jamison and another man jointly owned the tiny pink bungalow across from the Potters. The renter was a server by trade and frequently at home early on some days especially in off-season. She kept the outside of her home covered with maintenance-free plants. She had nothing bad to say about her landlord except that he would not replace anything. He only repaired with spit and glue and frequently it didn't last

  An immigrant family occupied one house Herbert Jamison owned. They spoke broken English. His son and daughter-in-law occupied another rental house. That only left one other house that they could visit. That would be the Rothschilds. They had lived on that road since the 1970's and were in their late 80's. They did not like the Jamison's either and didn't have a problem letting anyone know. Beth thought it would be best to call on them earlier in the day since Victoria said they took their naps in the cool of the afternoon.

  "Mother, I am going to walk you back home. We will talk to the Rothschild's tomorrow morning. I do however still want to talk to Herbert. I don't expect he's going to tell me anything I don't already know, however, I can get a lot out of reading his face. That is one man whose body language speaks volumes."

  The Jamison's home took a straight line from the front of Victoria's property. Her house sat in the middle of two lots, giving the house plenty of space around it if anyone should build up the vacant areas that had been idle for years. It wasn't until after dinner that there was any activity on the Jamison property. When Mrs. Jamison came home, she would walk the dogs and visit neighbors as she walked. The community considered her the respectable and more likeable of the couple.

  "Mother, would you like to take a walk." Victoria's arthritis was kicking in, her osteoporosis gave a stoop to her upper body, but she wouldn't admit to any of these ailments bothering her.

  "Let's go. If Amanda is out, we might get more out of her, than her husband and I want to be there." They put Butch on a leash and decided he needed some exercise.

  To the delight of the mother-daughter duo, Amanda did have loose lips. Before she knew what she said, she admitted that her husband was looking at buying the house that the snowbirds used in the winter. Her husband approached them with a proposal and was considering their options. It appeared that Amanda was wondering if she said the right thing. Beth hurried her mother along after that, fearing she would press for more and tip the hand they had been dealt.

  "What did you do that for? I was ready to see how much more we could get out of her." Victoria lashed out.

  "Mother, when you are trying to get the truth, you have to be sneaky as your victim. If she had given us, any more she would have gone back to Herbert and told him about the conversation. I have other plans. I want to talk to Herbert. I might have to go to him though. I want to know more about this offer he has given you and why." They finished their walk with Butch and to their delight; on their way back home Herbert was out showing his son one of his dealership vehicles he had brought home that night.

  The duo sleuths walked up to him on his driveway. Herbert Jamison stopped talking to his son and addressed the women.

  "Why, Beth, how nice. You look wonderful, except for that bandage on your head. I heard about that. That was terrible. How are you?"

  "Well, thank you, except for the head. And you?"

  "Great; couldn't be better. And Victoria, you are as lovely as ever. Is there anything I can do for you ladies?"

  "Why, yes there is Herbert now that you mention it. Mother tells me that you made her several offers for her house."

  "Why, yes I did and the offers still stand."

  "I'm still not ready to sell." Victoria chimed in.

  "My curiosity question is this, Herbert, your second offer was $20,000 above the first, but I don't believe her two pieces of property and the house is worth that much at this time. The real estate market, especially on this side of the highway is not that sound."

  "Not yet. But I like to look at the future. Besides, I also like to know who my neighbors are. I want to live here for the rest of my life and I don't want any riff-raff moving in. You know I choose my renters carefully." Herbert puffed out his chest and lit a cigar.

  The women decided at that point to make their exit. The scene was more than either one could handle.

  "Thank you for your concern; we will be the first to let you know if mother changes her mind." They said their goodbyes and headed home.

  "Tomorrow after we visit the Rothschild's, you and I are going to take a trip downtown to city hall. I smell a rat and I want to do some checking on who might be interested in this section of town."

  "Good. I know a woman who is involved in commercial real estate in this city. She is on the bridge team that I attend occasionally. Her name is Sheila Vickers." Victoria spouted.

  "You may want to call her. This plot is beginning to get transparent and I don't like it." Beth said.

  The next day was a busy and productive day. First, they visited the Rothschilds. The elderly couple was pleased for the company. They had some unkind things to say about their neighbors and went so far as to accuse them of trying to control what happened on the street. It was their opinion that Jamison was buying up all the property they could for development to benefit them financially.

  Beth and Victoria had lunch together and then descended on city hall. They talked to several clerks and a department head and got all the cooperation they needed. After several hours of laborious searches and Beth making notes, she decided they had what they needed.

  Victoria's real estate acquaintance agreed to get the information she requested. She said it would be later in the day before she could get a thorough evaluation and would call her when it ready. When she called back later, she announced that a big conglomerate from the west coast was looking to build a retirement community on a huge parcel in that sector.

  Mike was out of town on an assignment for his boss. That evening it was just the women. Brittany turned on t
he TV when a commercial appeared. It was a Jamison Dealership ad: with Herbert surrounded by six overwhelmingly sexy women: "We'll treat you right. You get the best deal at Jamison's. We'll do whatever it takes to win your business. Bring the missus and the whole gol darn family down to see our latest selections and get a free .test drive and enter to win a big screen TV....."

  That is the most disgusting ad on TV. He's not only loud he's obnoxious. I wouldn't buy a car from him, even if I didn't know him. Did you see him jumping up and down like a gorilla with a cigar in his mouth? Yuck." Brittany said.

  I agree, Brittany, but you have to admit, his tactics do win over the men, if not the women. He has been successful." Beth turned the channel to cut him off.

  "I still say he didn't make all his money through that dealership. He's as crooked as the day is long." Victoria expressed her opinion with distain.

  They had found a movie they were all interested in seeing while they were discussing the day's events. They put in the DVD and started the movie.

  "It appears that there is a large developer looking seriously into buying the woods behind us, including the deserted trail, the made-to-order retention pond plus several other pieces of adjoining land for development into a housing complex. Mother's property would give them access to Flamingo Road and an easement. Unfortunately, some families would be disturbed by this, especially Herbert Jamison and his future plans." Beth had indulged herself with a dry martini while giving her dissertation.

  "But mom that would mean grandmamma would have to move." Brittany was horrified.

  "First off, no one has said she's going to sell. We are only discussing the prospects of why this is all happening." Beth knew that Brittany and her grandmother were always fussing, but Brittany had to stay where she was until she graduated next year.

  Victoria didn't say anything, which was unusual. When she did, she said "Listen. What's that dog barking about now?" Butch started with a growl and then a bark and then a yelp and all was silent. It was dark now and the women looked from one to the other; it was 10:30pm.

  "Butch, come here." Victoria started for the lanai when two men dressed totaling in black with black ski masks entered the room, pushing Victoria back to the living room where she tripped over the ottoman, and fell.

  "Get on the floor all of you. Don't make a sound and keep your faces buried in the carpet and you won't get hurt." Their voices were gravely and struck terror in the women.

  Beth, out of instinct grabbed her mother and one of the men shoved her. She thought about fighting back until she saw the gray steel of a gun. She put her arms around her mother and directed her back to the floor. She kept her arm around her mother the entire time, knowing that Victoria would be the one to lose control and confront the intruders. The men ransacked the house. There was breakage and furniture thrown. The women stayed as quiet as they could until one of the men said: "That's it. Let's get out of her. Ladies, count to one hundred slowly before you get up. I wouldn't want anything to happen to three lovely fine upstanding people like you."

  The women did what they were told. They were all too afraid to speak while the men were there. "Mother, are you okay."

  "I don't know. Call the police. Then I will see if I can walk. I hit my knee hard when I fell." Beth called the police and Victoria stumbled when she tried to get up. The house was wrecked. Every room had damage. They found Butch lying in the yard, blood trickling from his moth.

  "He's dead; those bastards. They didn't have to kill him." Brittany held him in her arms and wept. Victoria stroked his head and tears fell on his limp body. He had been her faithful and loyal companion for ten years.

  The police took the report, dusted for fingerprints and decided the break-in stemmed in a back bedroom window by slipping out the screen. The deputies told them to take inventory and let them and the insurance company know what had been taken.

  Victoria was propped in a chair with an ice pack and a pillow under her knee while Beth and Brittany spent hours trying to put the house back in order. Exhausted, the three went to bed shortly before dawn.

  Brittany did not go to school the next day. Victoria refused to see the doctor and Beth told her that if it got any worse she would take her without her permission. Her temper was short and getting shorter. Beth and Brittany buried Butch in a corner of the property where they could place a marker and Victoria could see it from the house.

  "Mother, we have got to find a way to make this stop. It has turned violent now and I'm scared for you. It is obvious that you are a target. You are right in the middle of this, whether you like it or not. I don't like it any more than you do, but it's not going to go away on its own. We have got to do something."

  "I'm as mad as you are, dear. I can't believe Butch is gone. Not like that. I've had the spunk taken out of me after last night. I don't know how much more I can take I'm ready for a fight. What do you think our next move should be?"

  "First of all we have to decide if you would consider selling the house. Now wait and hear me out before you say anything. The house is too big. The repairs are beyond you. You have become a slave to keeping it up and you have your age against you. Brittany will be out of school in one year. Then who knows what she will do. Mike is a grown man, can, and needs to stand on his own feet. If you sold this house, you have options, and options are good. We can look into some of them. Whatever you do, you don't have to do it overnight. You have to be open to the thought."

  "Before this last week, I wouldn't have given it a second thought, but I am beginning to wonder if it might be best."

  "Okay, that's a start. Now we have two entities wanting to buy your house at a lucrative price. And I have a feeling that price could go higher if there was a bidding war. Jamison wants it for two reasons, to stop this concern from the west coast from building its' complex and for developing it for himself. I think we need to talk to these other people and see what they have to say. What do you think?" Beth smiled at her mother.

  "Let's make a call and see what we can stir up. I would love to put a spike in Jamison's coffin." Victoria was beginning to come back from her encounter with the bad guys.

  The group that represented the investors had an agent downtown. An appointment was set up for the following day. The women felt they still had cleaning to do and inventory to take for insurance purposes.

  Victoria and Beth had decided that this would be a fact-finding trip only. Any decision would need much thought. The conference with the agent proved to be enlightening. Victoria had consulted her real estate friend, Sheila Vickers to get an appraisal on her property and house. Without a full investigation, Sheila gave her a fair guess of its value, based on the market and the surrounding properties. When they arrived at the agents, they were armed and ready. They told the agent what they expected. Beth suggested they go in high, knowing that the company would come down and they would have to meet somewhere in-between. And that's exactly what they did. Two exceptions would need agreement before any deal was signed and that was one that the house would not be destroyed and the residence would not have to move for one year. The second was that any remaining neighbors who lived on that street that were not a part of the complex but inconvenienced because of the complex would be compensated. These conditions would be reviewed and their asking price would be discussed with the investors.

  "Mother, you know we will never be able to connect Jamison to what has happened here. He is connected politically and financially. He hired someone and he will get away with it. We will have to fight him the only way we can, through his pocketbook."

  The neighborhood expressed their concern over the break-in and the way they the women were treated. They even thought it was strange that the burglars knew they were alone that night. Mike was usually home in the evenings, especially at that time.

  Through inventory, Victoria decided that there was nothing of value taken, but nice pieces were
broken. The burglars were not professional. Several expensive oriental vases her husband brought back with him almost fifty years ago while on a mission overseas were broken. Victoria kept her valuable jewelry in the bank vault waiting her granddaughter to inherit.

  For the next several days while they waited for a reply to their offer, the two looked at villas foe sale within the county. At the end of the second day when Beth thought she'd seen them all, Victoria got excited about one. Come to find out one of her lifelong friends lived there. They were building a new section to be completed the following year.

  By the time they returned home, Victoria was ready to pack her bags and move in. Then the call came in from the agent. The investors agreed to her demands and accepted her price without a blink. It was time for a celebration, or was it. Victoria wanted to be sure before she signed anything that everything was in order and there were no hidden problems waiting for them. The family had a conference. They talked for hours. Victoria would take the deal. The papers would be drawn up and it looked like Beth would get the matter settled before she had to return to Atlanta. The only thing that had to be dealt with yet was Jamison and until the papers were signed, she didn't want a word leaking to him about their plans.

  The papers were signed on Friday and Beth planned to leave for Atlanta on Monday. After the papers were signed, they all went out to celebrate. Beth wanted to be the one to break the news to Jamison. They watched for him and when they saw Jamison arrive home from the dealership, Beth, Victoria and Brittany walked down towards his house.

  After the usual casual greetings, Beth made her announcement: "Herbert, we wanted to be the first to tell you that mother signed a contract with Mr. Steiner of the West Coast Land Developers for the sale of her property. They have given her a nice package that she can live comfortably on and given us the time we've asked for to move out."

  Before the sentence was finished, Herbert's face turned gray and he appeared to be faint. His wife escorted him into the house and word among the neighbors is he hadn't been seen out of his house in weeks.

  Shame on You!

  Poseidon Daily News, Tuesday April 10

  Poseidon, Florida

  Local middle school physics instructor 35-year-old Kristy Fortier was arrested yesterday on charges of prostitution. In a sting operation, she along with a male adult posing as her client but was an undercover agent was taken into custody at a motel several miles outside the city limits. Fortier has not been available for comment, however Mr. Leon Schmidt the principal of Poseidon Middle School, where she teaches is employed said Fortier would be relieved of her duties until a meeting could be conducted to see what the schools' legal rights were. Found in Fortier's possession was a little black book which is thought to be her book of clients. Fortier has been released on bail.