by Barbara Ebel
Danny bit his lip. Bruce had a point, and Danny made the decision right then to not take it personally. “I’ll schedule an appointment and make use of any and all sessions.”
“Let’s try this for two months. We’ll look forward to her giving you a clean mental bill of health and then, hopefully, working with you again. We’ve been extending our patient base and could still use you in addition to our new doctor.”
Danny left, thanking the stars for second chances.
Chapter 27
Danny arrived home and gushed forth with the details of his meeting with Bruce. Casey and Mary listened enthusiastically, hoping that within a few months Danny would be a practicing neurosurgeon again. They had agreed to keep their eBay find a secret because it might only lead to a dead end.
The next day, Casey opened new email. Their minimum book bid had snagged a reply. Casey received a name and a number, in case he had pertinent questions. He saw Danny and Dakota outside in the yard from the window, so he quickly called the number. Within a few minutes, Casey slinked behind Mary in the kitchen and kissed the nape of her neck. She stopped squeezing a lemon wedge into an iced tea and spun around.
“How would you like to go to Knoxville with me for the weekend? We’ll leave Danny and Dakota here.”
“Sounds suspicious.”
“It is.”
________
Saturday morning, Casey and Mary threw a few things into the Jeep. “Have a good time together,” Mary said, scurrying out of the kitchen. She kissed Annabel and Nancy, rubbed Dakota’s hind end, and hugged Danny good-bye. Casey popped his head in. “You coming?” he asked.
“Where are you staying?” Danny asked.
“The Crowne Plaza, downtown Knoxville,” Mary said out the door. She put their MapQuest directions between the seats, powered on Casey’s cell phone, and placed it between them. Casey backed out. They had a four hour drive, so Mary took off her tennis shoes, and brought up her legs Indian style. She untied the drawstrings at the bottom of her pinstriped cotton pants, more like pajamas, and got very comfortable. “I’m going to admire the scenery. I need landscape ideas for painting,” she said.
“It may get more interesting in the mountains. Especially with everything in bloom.”
“By the way, what’s his name?” she asked. “The man we’re going to see? And what did you tell him?”
“His name is Ray. I told him he may have someone’s book that he shouldn’t be selling. We weren’t going to make any trouble, but we needed to talk to him.”
“What do you think he’ll do?”
“If my hunch is correct, I think he’s okay. He said he’d take it off eBay until we paid him a visit.”
Mary nodded off for twenty minutes at the very end as Casey followed the man’s directions. “We’re here,” Casey said, prodding her elbow. She rubbed her eyes, slipped on her socks and shoes, and craned her neck to look all around.
“I’ll try and stay out of it,” Mary said, “so he doesn’t think we’re ganging up on him.”
Casey pumped the pedal up the hill, pulled along the side of the house, and stopped. They glanced around at the pristine remoteness. Young, leafy trees and underbrush grew on the forest floor, the first few lines of thicket so gnarled and entangled, that they imagined hundreds of acres of wildlife and organic thickening beyond it.
“Not another soul around,” Casey said.
“Except for birds, it’s so quiet.”
Casey walked slightly off course from the front door to spy on a red pickup truck. Several pieces of lumber as well as an open box of drug store chocolates, a bucket, and a personal pan pizza box lay strewn in the truck bed. A car battery and tire were set on the gravel near the front end.
Not far off, a dog barked, as a man came around the other corner of the ranch house. “Howdy, been expecting yah,” he said, extending his hand to Casey. “I’m Ray.”
“I’m Casey. This is Mary. I called you about the eBay book you’re selling.”
The man was wiry, half Casey’s size. He had an outdoorsy, healthy appearance and settled a friendly smile on both of them.
“I guess you all got something tah tell me about that.”
“If it’s the same book,” Danny said, “we think it was stolen. I don’t know how you got it, but if that’s the one, I’m sure we can work something out.”
Ray fingered his mustache and looked down at his boots. “See that windshield on my truck? Got a hole from a interstate rock, spreading like cracked ice. Gonna replace it myself.”
Casey pulled up the windshield wiper. “You need some help?”
“Maybe,” said Ray, scrutinizing Casey’s face.
Mary listened carefully while a stout boxer with a dangling tongue trotted up the road and sat several feet away. Mary strove to understand the details of what she saw. The dog was collarless but a fat, olive-looking thing hung from its neck then dropped to the ground. The dog moved another foot, sat back down, while Mary looked closer. Something bulged between its front toes.
“Brown dog ticks,” Ray said, following Mary’s gaze.
Mary gasped. Another blood-engorged swollen female fell to the ground and waddled. It looked like a miniature armored military tank. “That is so disgusting. But it doesn’t look brown.”
“That’s their color when they swell bigger’n a raisin.” A drop of blood from the dog’s chest followed the tick to the gravel. Mary shivered.
“It’s a stray trying not to be,” Ray said as he studied Mary. “Been hanging here the last few days.”
“Poor thing,” she said.
“Them city people come out here, open their vehicle doors, and dispose of the best friends they got just like they’s garbage.”
Ray nodded his head to himself while he flipped the wiper back down on the window. “You two have a seat there on the cement front step and I’ll go get that book.”
When he returned, they took turns passing the book and the New Orleans verification of Einstein’s signature. “This is it,” Mary said.
“Awesome,” Casey said. “Ray, we’re sure this is Mary’s family book. It belongs to her brother, and my best friend. We believe a woman he knew stole it from his apartment.”
“Was she pregnant?” he asked.
There was an uncomfortable pause; Casey and Mary felt as if they’d been shot by a stun gun. “Was her name Rachel?” Casey asked.
“That was it,” Ray said. “I remember it because I remember thinking it a pretty name. But I can check to be sure.”
“You keep records?”
“Like the internet says, I got a reputation, don’t do nothing nobody wants that’s shady. Everything comes and goes I got a track on. I’ll get ‘er name and number.”
Casey and Mary couldn’t hold back a smile. “I’d be indebted to you,” Casey said to him.
“You don’t have to debt me anything.” He turned around to walk into the house. “Just kidding with yah,” he said. “Sit down again, if you’d like.”
He came back out, leaving the door open, making it difficult for Mary to peel her eyes away from the inside. “This is her name and cell phone number. Now it was a couple months ago she sold me this. See, I wait awhile to put it back on the web. Market it under different categories than before, too, if I buy stuff through eBay. Turn a decent profit … for me, anyways.
“But mostly,” Ray continued, “I sell and buy car parts. That’s another story. We need to straighten what we’re gonna do about the physical genius’s book.”
“You’re right, Ray. How much did you pay her for this?”
“Twelve thousand dollars.”
Casey got up from the step and placed his hand on Mary’s shoulder for her to stay put. He walked in a circle, furrowing his eyebrows as Ray and Mary looked at each other. Casey faced them. “I have an idea which may work for all of us.”
Casey carried the slip of paper with him to his Jeep and opened the driver’s side. He sat sideways on the leather seat, picked up his c
ell, and dialed. The boxer hoisted himself up with his dangling parasites and moved to monitor Casey.
On the second ring, a female voice answered. “Hello.”
“Hello,” Casey said. “Is this Rachel?”
“Yes.”
“Rachel, my name is Robert.” He said the first name that popped into his head. He knew they had been introduced briefly in the doctor’s lounge a long time ago by Danny. She might recall his true name and link him immediately to his friend. “I collect Albert Einstein memorabilia. I made a note months ago that you were selling a book of his, on relativity. I couldn’t afford anything a few months ago, but I’ve come into some cash and was wondering if the book is still available.”
“Hmm. Well, actually …” she began.
“I’m a serious collector, so I will pay top dollar. According to my note you were asking around eleven thousand dollars.”
“What do you mean by ‘top dollar?’” she asked, as if she were making a 42nd street corner hustle.
“Twenty thousand dollars, cash. But I can’t go any higher than that,” he said with disappointment. “I take it you still have the merchandise.”
It went quiet on the other end.
“Robert,” she purred, “give me your telephone number. I need to think about it. I will call you back.”
“When?” Casey asked.
“Hopefully, today. But you’ll hear from me one way or the other.”
Casey gave her his cell phone number. He walked over to Mary, who was petting a brown and white spotted dog lying in the doorway, and Ray, who had taken off his baseball cap, the green bill sticking out of his blue jeans.
“Rachel should call you,” Casey said. “She’ll offer to buy Einstein back, and I believe you’ll make a hefty profit. Then, call me.”
The two men shook hands. “Thank you for helping us out,” Mary said. She patted the beagle again on its head. Ray walked them to their vehicle and tipped his hand good-bye as the boxer in the road watched longingly at their departure.
________
Casey and Mary stopped for lunch along the way to downtown Knoxville. They approached the area known as the Old City and looked for the twelve-story building where they had booked a room. Spotting the concrete and glass hotel, they veered into its narrow covered drop-off entrance, and proceeded into the parking garage. They carried their belongings in the back glass doors to a rich wood, reserved lobby where they checked in, dumped their things in the room, and left again. They brought pamphlets with area maps and a visitor’s guide to walk around the revitalized historic district. After two hours, they went back to their room. To wait.
By 10 p.m., Casey and Mary were satiated with repeat news and videos of the same CNN coverage. Mary slithered under the comforter and channel surfed again to look for movies. Casey hedged to mention that his plan wasn’t working when his cell phone blared from the desk. He flipped open the cover. “Hello?”
“Casey, it’s Ray. She left here a little while ago.”
Casey sat on the edge of the bed, gave Mary a thumbs up.
“Everything go okay?” Casey asked
“Like a clock. Re…sourceful lady to gimme cash on a Saturday. She must’ve kept it under a mattress.”
“Common hiding place these days. What did she give you? Or, to be more accurate,” Casey laughed, “how much did you ask for?”
“Fifteen thousand dollars. Made more than a twenty-five percent profit for a few months doing nothing. And now I don’t have to advahtise it again.”
“We’re happy for you, Ray.”
“Hope she calls you.”
“Oh, she will,” Casey said. “You take care now. If I’m ever in the market for car parts, I’ll pay you a call.”
Casey showered and slithered under the sheets with Mary. They fell asleep, the volume low on The Blade Runner, but the phone did not ring.
________
Early in the morning, Casey jumped up to unplug his charging cell phone as it rang. “She could’ve let us sleep in,” he chuckled to Mary before answering.
“Hello?”
“Robert, this is Rachel. I’ve decided to sell you my historic book.”
“All right. I mean, good. I’m on the road today. I’ll be going through Knoxville. Do you think it would be possible to meet there?”
“That would be fine.”
“Twelve noon on the bike and walking path at the Tennessee River, past the City County Building and Walnut Street.”
“Okay,” she said. “If you’re bringing twenty-thousand dollars, I’ll bring Albert Einstein’s book on relativity.”
“Excellent,” Casey said. “How will I know you?”
“Look for a pregnant lady who’s going to pop any minute.”
________
At eleven-thirty, Casey and Mary left the hotel, walked across the street, between two building towers, down winding stairs, and through Market Square. It was mostly sunny; couples strolled, a young man played a guitar, and an elderly man with a long ponytail sat on a bench with a Yellow Lab and an inverted hat for handouts. Some change had missed the straw hat and lay on the ground in front of him. Customers from a few eclectic restaurants ate outside.
Mary was glad she had worn a corduroy skirt and button-down blouse; most tourists were dressed nicely. They continued walking down Market Street, between federal and county buildings with perfect lawns and a wide assortment of pansies, from deep royal blues to yellow, red and violets. Rounding the last official building, they came to the landing with a view of the Tennessee River.
“Mary, why don’t we separate and you sit on the bench down there?” Casey asked. Although he rarely wore a hat, he had brought one, so he stuck on the logo baseball cap. Anything to change his appearance so Rachel wouldn’t recall Danny’s introduction.
“Okay, I’ll see what happens,” she said, and went ahead. She walked down the long descent to sit on a park bench where runners and walkers passed by between her and the brown current below. Casey walked slowly, looking in all directions. When he reached the walkway, he held the handrail along the path, watching for a pregnant pedestrian, occasionally glancing to the businesses and factory across the River.
After five minutes, he saw her approaching from his peripheral vision. She wore a pale purple knee length dress and a thin cardigan. He directly turned to her, but couldn’t make out her hair color or style due to a wide lavender scarf worn as a headband, tied behind her neck.
She eyed him as she approached and he nodded. “You must be Rachel,” he said, when she was close enough to have a conversation.
“And you’re Robert?” She smiled.
“I am.” Her flawless skin etched over high cheekbones. He remembered her now more clearly because her eyes were so dramatic; he wondered if their aqua color came from special contact lenses. He had never seen a woman so pregnant look so beautiful.
“I was fortunate to track you down,” Casey said. “And I hope your walk was not too much trouble or far.” He gestured to the front of her dress.
“I’m pregnant, not ill.” She gave him an alluring smile.
“I’m looking forward to rounding out my collection. May I see the book?”
“Certainly.” She pulled a small satchel from the larger vinyl bag she carried and handed it to him. Casey felt a rush of disgust. She had glanced at his left ring finger.
Beyond Rachel, Mary sat attentively watching the encounter. Casey tucked the bag under his arm and carefully examined the book he had held the day before. “Marvelous,” he said. “This signature, verification, and book are just what I’ve been looking for.”
“Perhaps you can place the money in there with that sheet of tissue wrap paper,” she said, pointing to the bag.
Casey placed the book back into the light gray bag with two little handles and stuck it back under his armpit.
“That won’t be necessary.”
She pursed her lips and stopped leaning her hip on the railing. “Robert, either give me the mone
y or hand me back my book.” She took a step backwards. “Think how fast I’m going to have a cop here. A pregnant lady screaming?”
“Go ahead. A cop would be very interested in this stolen book. An officer would want me to return it to Danny Tilson, the real owner.” Casey took off his cap.
She took a deep breath. Caught, but not defeated. “Okay. Yes, bring it on. Danny gave it to me. After all, I was living with him and he gave it to me in a heat of passion.”
“The only half-credible thing you’ve mentioned is the two of you living together. We can drag Danny into this, if need be.”
“So it’s his, or yours, or whoever’s word against mine.”
“The middle man may make you look bad, too.”
“What middle man?”
“Ray, from eBay.”
“Why, you,” she said, giving him a piercing glare.
“There is also the matter of an opal bracelet.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she smirked.
Casey took four steps, stopped, and walked back two. “You know … if you weren’t pregnant, and if you weren’t a woman, I’d sock you.”
Chapter 28
Mary linked her arm into Casey’s and listened closely to his account of the river walk talk with Rachel as they veered right into a vegetarian soup and sandwich place. Excited, they thumbed through the book one more time and, gradually, they ate.
But there was a topic they both feared talking about. Mary pushed her lunch basket to the side. “Did you ask her?”
Casey rubbed his eyebrows and momentarily covered his face. “A new life is always a blessing, but Danny doesn’t need this. We just don’t know, so like the book, let’s not say anything to him. Sooner or later, he’ll find out if the baby is his or not.”
________
Annabel and Nancy had gone home to Sara’s by the time Casey and Mary returned. Danny was in good spirits after spending the weekend with the girls. They had talked about school, safety on the internet, and a part-time job for Annabel over the summer since she had turned sixteen. They had played Bananagrams and taken multiple long walks with Dakota. One walk had turned into hurling sticks for Dakota, but their arms tired before Dakota did.