Ethics of a Thief

by Hinrichsen, Mary Gale

  First, she transferred her weight to one foot, placed her hand on her hip and took in a deep breath. She let out her breath and said, “Around three thirty.”

  “Call if plans change.” He handed her his card.

  “No, thanks. We have one, remember?” She then, softly, grabbed hold of his arm. “I truly appreciate the update. I find it interesting.”

  He grinned, “You’re welcome.” He turned to the children. “Goodbye, have a safe trip home.”

  As they drove off, they waved.

  The first thing Danny did was tune the radio to his station, then glanced at his aunt. “I wish my parents had a safe trip home.”

  She reached for his hand. “I know, Honey, so do I.”

  “Where now?” he said.

  “Your house, to get clothes for tomorrow.”

  “Can I pick my own outfit?” Lisa asked.

  “Yes, you may, Sweetie Pie.” She smiled.

  While driving, she thought about the arrests, but questioned if Forelli was the murderer or an easy scapegoat. To her, she wanted justice to be brought to the right person, whoever that might be.

  When they reached her sister’s home, she searched for the right key. When she opened the door, it smelled stale, so, speedily, she opened the windows. The children headed for their rooms. Abigail yelled, “Don’t forget. You need something for both the viewing and the service.”

  At once, Danny came and found her. “What’s a viewing?”

  “It’s a place to visit your dad in his casket. It’ll be open so you can see him.”

  “Why?” He asked.

  “So, you and others can say goodbye, or remember him. Close friends and family will be at the viewing, but, at the service, there will be a much larger group.”

  “Why have both?”

  “The viewing is for you, the service is for everyone who wants to pay their respects and say goodbye to your dad. It’s like a church service, but people will come up and talk about your father.”

  “Do I have to say something?”

  “No. Not unless you want to.”

  “I don’t,” he said, while quickly shaking his head. “Is there anything else?”

  “Yes, after the service, the casket is closed and brought to the burial site. You and your sister will sit next to me in chairs. The minister will talk, say some prayers and then we leave. When everyone is gone, the casket will be placed underground.”

  “Do I need to say goodbye at each place?”

  “Only, if you want. You can also look at him, touch him, talk to him or just recall things about him. The viewing helps you to accept his death.”

  Soon, his shoulders slumped and his eyes drooped. He silently returned to his room and sat on his bed in thought. When she checked on him, she sat and held his hand. “Danny, I’m so sorry you have to go through this at such a young age. Are you going to be okay?” After nodding, he stood and walked to his closet and selected some of his Sunday’s best clothes, and some games.

  “Can I bring these?”

  After, Abigail nodded yes, Lisa called out. When she entered Lisa’s room, she saw some dresses and pants outfits on her bed. With tears, she said, “I don’t know what to wear.”

  “Pick your two favorite dresses and a pants outfit -- tomorrow you can decide.”

  “But, which shoes should I wear?” she asked, while sniffling.

  “Show me what you have.”

  Lisa dragged out three pairs of shoes from her closet. Abigail pointed to the black patent leather. “These will work, they’ll go with everything. Do you have a hanky and a purse?”

  The girl found a small handbag, “I have this.”

  “That’ll work.”

  The girl gathered some dolls and stuffed animals to sleep with. “Can I bring these?”

  “Sure. That’ll be nice.”

  Once they packed, locked up, and left, they headed for the grocery store. When they finished, they returned to Abigail’s place and made sandwiches for lunch. Soon, Danny and Lisa retreated to their separate rooms with games and toys in hand. Abigail decided to lie down for a few minutes, but soon fell asleep. Once she woke up, she quickly checked on the children. They, too, were sleeping.

  After walking into the kitchen, she took out a container of frozen apple juice. After putting it in a pitcher, she added water and ice. While stirring, her thoughts were of Matt. What a mess. I need to nip this and tell him not to contact me again. She laughed at herself. I’m the one that visited his friend’s workplace, and placed myself in a position to run into him. I feel like an idiot, thinking about pushing him away when he isn’t pursuing me. The truth is, I’m desperately trying to avoid falling in love with the man.

  Soon, Danny came into the kitchen. “What’s the time? Do we need to go? Should I get Lisa?”

  “Not yet. Have some apple juice.” She handed him a full glass. “When you finish, go get your sister.” But, as he turned, Lisa was walking toward them.

  While rubbing her sleepy eyes, she said, “I fell asleep.”

  “We all did, Honey. We needed it.”

  “Can we call Mommy?”

  “Yes. Have Danny dial for you.”

  As she listened to them speak to their mother, they were much more talkative and didn’t seem to mind that she couldn’t respond. They avoided asking questions she couldn’t answer. Instead, they eagerly told her about their day.

  Quickly, Abigail grabbed the phone. “I need to talk.” She said, “Hi Alisa, I want to tell you that you did a wonderful job raising your children, I’m proud of you. Lisa and Danny love you so much.” After placing her hand over the speaker, she said, “Don’t say anything about the funeral, she doesn’t know Daddy died.”

  After grabbing the handset, Danny nodded.

  When the call ended, they sat silently while sipping their beverages. Danny asked, “When’s Mommy coming home?”

  “This week, that’s my understanding.”

  “Can she go to the funeral?”

  “No, she needs to get better before going anywhere.”

  “But, she is coming home, to San Diego.”

  “I know. But, she’ll have a team of medical professionals to keep her stable.”

  “What does stable mean?”

  “To make sure she is okay. They’ll check her blood pressure and vitals.” As they listened, they also quietly tried to process.

  “Now, go get dressed. We’ll get to the mall early and look around.

  Lisa looked at her feet. “I need socks.”

  “Anything else?”

  “A hanky.”

  “You can use one that belonged to your great-grandmother.”

  After Abigail finished her shower and got dressed, she felt refreshed. She went to check on Lisa. “Need any help?”

  “No. Come in.”

  When she entered, she saw Lisa’s dolls and animals propped up on her pillows.

  “Did they take a nap with you?”

  She grinned and nodded.

  “Ready to go?”

  They got in the car and headed to the mall. When they arrived, Abigail decided to shop for socks first. After finding them, Danny asked to check out the boys’ department. He found a shirt he liked that fit. “Can I wear this to the viewing?”

  She nodded. “It looks nice on you. Your parents would be proud of your taste.”

  Abigail thought they were both dealing with their father’s death as well as could be expected. But, she was somewhat concerned about the viewing the next day. “Okay, you two, we need to go. Danny, lead the way.”

  When they reached the store, Matt was leaning against the building with his arms crossed. He looked handsome with his green Tommy Bahama shirt and tan slacks. His shirt brought out the green in his hazel eyes.

  Danny ran up and asked Matt, “Did you go inside?”

  “No. But, look at this.” He pointed to one in the store window.

  “Wow! That’s great.”

  “Let’s see what else they have
.”

  While shopping, they checked out every available telescope in the store, but none of them grabbed Danny. So, Matt asked the clerk, “Can you bring us the one on display in the window?” The tall, slender clerk delicately squeezed into the window and retrieved the item, and then placed it in front of the boy.

  Danny checked out the eyepiece and asked, “What’s the distance I can see with this one?”

  “Farther than our other telescopes.”

  Meanwhile, Matt took Danny by his shoulder and turned to him. “Do you like it, or should we go check other stores?”

  “I like this one. Can I get it?”

  “Sure. If it’s what you want.”

  “Is it in stock?”

  “I’ll check.” As quickly as he pivoted and left, he returned. “Sorry. It needs to be ordered.”

  Danny cocked his head. “Can we take this one?”

  “No. We can’t sell displays, but once you place an order, it’ll arrive in a few days.”

  “That’s fine,” Matt said. “Do I pay now?”

  “No, when you come back.”

  “Can it be engraved?”

  “Sure. It’ll be around twenty dollars more.”

  After giving the clerk their cellphone numbers, Abigail also gave Danny’s complete name for the engraving.

  She mused, Well, I failed miserably. This is not a one-stop event.

  As they left the store, Matt said, “Are you through shopping?”

  “Yes, unless Danny wants to look elsewhere.”

  When he saw the kids checking out toys in a window, Matt said, “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure. What’s up?”

  “Want to go to the Cheesecake Factory?”

  “Goodness, it’s a miracle. You mean, you didn’t ask the kids first?”

  “No, Smarty Pants. So, what’s your answer?”

  “My answer is … let’s see, yes!”

  “That’s great, thanks for saying yes.”

  “Tomorrow is the viewing, so having vanilla cheesecake with raspberries sounds pretty good. It beats sitting at home agonizing.” They headed for their separate cars and drove to Fashion Valley. It was busier than usual, so parking was hard to find. Abigail decided to use the valet. When they reached the restaurant, Matt was outside. He said, “I gave my name, but it is a forty-five minute wait. Want to check the directory? There might be another telescope store.”

  They agreed and went to the directory. After checking it, there was no specialty store listed, so they decided to window shop. After going into a few stores and walking around, Matt checked his watch. “Hey, we need to get back.”

  Once they returned and were seated, Danny told Matt, “I like the telescope we ordered, I don’t want to look anymore. Can’t we just wait for it to come in?”

  “You’re the boss, it’s yours. End of subject.”

  “Now, it’s my turn,” Abigail said to Matt. “I insist on paying for our meals, and don’t argue, I already gave my credit card. We want to thank you for all of your kindness.”

  He counter-offered, “Can I get the drinks and tip?”

  “Fair enough.” She smiled, triumphantly.

  After ordering beverages, they studied the menu. Abigail said to the kids, “Order your meal. After you eat, then select a dessert.”

  Then, Matt looked at her. “Does that go for me, too, Miss Wilson?” They both heard the children giggling.

  “No. You’re a big boy. Order any way you like.”

  While sitting with the menu, it hit her. He knows my last name? I never gave it, so how did he get it? I’m playing with fire here; is he too clever for me? What should I do, confront him and make a big deal of it, or let it go?

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  The children would need their grandparents by their sides, so Abigail was glad her parents came home in time. As she was getting ready for David’s viewing, there was a knock on her bedroom door. “Is it time to go?”

  After opening it, she said to Danny, “Soon. We’re leaving early to eat at the Soup Plantation.”

  “But, I’m not hungry.”

  “That’s a first, but, I do understand why. None of us are in the mood for food. But, at least, let’s try to find something to eat, even if it’s fruit or soup.”

  “Okay,” he said, with his head hanging low.

  Later, when she went into the living area, the children were quietly sitting on the couch. Lisa looked like a little lady in her pretty pink dress with white trim. Danny had on his new blue-plaid shirt and khaki slacks. “Well, look how nice you both look. I’m impressed. Are you ready to go? Do you have everything? Lisa, where’s your purse?”

  “In my room.”

  “Is your great-grandmother’s hanky in it?”

  Lisa nodded.

  “Can you get it? We need to get going.”

  After locking up, they got in the car and drove, but the boy didn’t turn on the radio. Danny and Lisa were both too quiet.

  “So, Danny,” Abigail asked, “Can I ask you something? Are you afraid?”

  “Of what?”

  “Seeing your daddy in a casket?”

  “No. I’m afraid of not saying the right thing.”

  “There isn’t any right or wrong here -- just be yourself. And, don’t worry about others -- that goes for you, too, Lisa.”

  “I don’t feel good,” Lisa said. “My stomach hurts.”

  “None of us feel great. This is hard on all of us.”

  “But, I can’t eat.”

  “That’s fine. If you don’t find something, you don’t have to, okay?” When they arrived at the Soup Plantation, they went through the line with trays. Abigail selected a salad, wheat roll and some iced tea. Lisa had Jello with whipped cream and chicken noodle soup, while Danny’s tray was full with an array of food items.

  When they sat, they ate what they could and left the rest. When they were finished, Abigail said, “Ready?” Each of them slowly walked to the car without saying much. While she was driving to the viewing, Abigail was looking forward to seeing her parents, but was concerned about the children. “Are you two okay?”

  “Can I touch him?” asked Danny.

  “Yes, but his skin will be cold.”

  “But, why?” asked Lisa.

  “Because, after people die, their blood stops flowing.”

  After parking and getting out of the car, Abigail suddenly was filled with dread. Nonetheless, she led them through the lobby and into the viewing room. Ruth, David’s mother, and her family were standing and greeting visitors. Abigail gave the woman a long hug. “I’m so very sorry about your son.” Soon, Ruth turned to her grandchildren. “You both look so nice for your daddy.” Danny hugged her without letting go, and Lisa held onto her aunt’s arm and cried. So, Abigail said, “Let’s wait for Nana and Papa in the lobby. Okay, Honey?” Lisa grabbed her hand, and together they walked silently to the foyer and remained.

  Within a short time, her parents pulled up and came though the entrance. They looked exhausted and seemed as if they had aged. After exchanging hugs with Abigail, Elizabeth wrapped her arms around Lisa. “I love you, Sweetie. You’ll be okay. Your family loves you, and we’ll take good care of you.”

  Sometimes, Abigail thought, a child needs the comfort that only a grandmother can give.

  John, Abigail’s father, was tearful, while asking, “Where’s Danny?”

  “With Ruth.”

  “Good. How’s he doing?”

  “We’ll soon find out.”

  Together, they walked into the viewing room. As they entered, they saw Ruth next to the casket with Danny. When he reached into the casket to touch his father, he quickly pulled away. “He’s cold.”

  Lisa came and stood next to her brother. “Aunt Abigail told you, Danny.”

  “I know.”

  While in front of the casket, the boy occasionally tried to touch his dad’s face or hand, as if trying to comprehend the situation. On the other hand, when Lisa glanced at h
er daddy, she tightly hugged her Grandmother Ruth’s arm and buried her face while whimpering. As Abigail and her parents looked on, tears filled their eyes. Everyone wanted to protect the kids from such pain, but they also knew that Lisa and Danny must grieve.

  When Steven and Carry appeared, they hugged his parents. Steven stood behind them while touching his dad’s shoulder. Occasionally, he glanced toward his sister. Suddenly, Lisa noticed them and ran into her uncle’s arms. “Daddy’s dead.”

  Soon, Danny noticed Grandpa John, so he quickly went over and said, “Did you see Daddy?” Without waiting for an answer, he pulled John’s hand and led him to the coffin. While standing next to his grandson, he took a glimpse at David’s lifeless body.

  After Ruth left to greet new guests, the Wilson family quickly came to the casket. It was hard for John to watch his grandchildren try to make sense of things. But his real concern was the future -- when Danny wouldn’t have his dad as a coach or when Lisa couldn’t have her daddy walk her down the aisle someday. It was good they couldn’t think ahead. They had enough to contend with right now.

  When Grandma Elizabeth was seated, Lisa sat on her lap and buried her head while sobbing. The child was comforted by her grandmother stroking her hair. Her sobs turned quickly into whimpers. “It’s good for you to have a good cry after losing your daddy.”

  At that moment, as Abigail watched on, she was very grateful for her parents. While John was standing next to Danny at the casket, the boy talked to his dad. “I’m going to miss you. I love you so much. I was glad you and Mommy were together, but now I have to say goodbye forever … and I don’t want to.” The boy was so choked up that, when he touched his daddy’s hand, tears fell into the casket.

  Although, she hated to see them suffer, it was better than them holding it in. Soon, Lisa went and stood next to her brother and held his hand. As they gazed at their father, both grandparents came and stood behind them -- touching their shoulders. As Abigail watched, she sensed God’s presence and knew many prayers had gone up for the families.

  In the background, Steven and Carry stood watching. There was little they could do, but be supportive. When Abigail came up to them, she asked, “Want some coffee?” Carry gave her friend a hug. “How are you? This has to be hard on you, seeing those children grieving.” She stepped back. “I’ve been so worried about you. It seems like I’ve been praying for you and the kids all day long.”