Once back in his sleeper, Bill set to work with his jpad and did all the things he had listed earlier on. Bill felt positive about cutting the ties with the past. He smiled to himself when he had sent "the" email to his wife and subsequently closed his email account. He didn't have to suffer any more hurt from a wife who no longer loved him. Momentarily Bill thought how crude and hard his wife was compared to the sensual loving soft nature of Peggy. As he had thought before, Felicity, although still beautiful to look at, was nothing but a slut and he wasn't going to put up with her anymore.
By 10.30a.m Bill had done all he wanted to sever his ties with the past. He decided he would get of off the train at the next stop which happened to be Pontiac. From there he would get the next train back to St Louis and then catch a flight to New York just as Peggy had done.
There were good reasons for heading back to St Louis. For one there was a risk that Alf or someone else from Apricot would be waiting to meet him at Chicago. It was unlikely, but he couldn't risk it. He didn't want anyone to know of his whereabouts and interfere with his mission to find Peggy. Another reason was that in all likelihood, air services in and out of Chicago would remain disrupted by the weather. St Louis being some distance further south should be no problem so he could move quickly to New York and get on with his mission to find Peggy.
When Bill disembarked at Pontiac it was just before midday. It was cold and raining with a stiff winter blast coming in from the north.
With thoughts of Peggy firmly implanted in his mind, Bill hardly even thought about the discomfort of the weather and headed straight to the nearest ATM where he drew everything out of his bank account. There would be enough cash to keep him going for several weeks and pay for things such as the train fare back to St Louis then the flight on to New York. Once in New York Bill decided he would hire a car for a couple of days while he sorted out a place to stay. He felt that once he had his accommodation sorted he would then perhaps buy the cheapest functional car he could find - there would be plenty around. It was all set in place - the hunt for Peggy was on.
Chapter 4
New York.
Bill did all the things he planned to do. He found cheap accommodation in New York in the Bronx; he bought a cheap car and gained himself a job. The car he bought (for a hundred bucks) was something else! It was a 1955, two door, Nash Rambler - sky blue in colour and had been lovingly cared for by a man who was in his nineties who could no longer drive. "The Rambler" as Bill called it, was something he wouldn't have been seen dead in only a week or so before! However he didn't care what he drove now, he just wanted to find Peggy and the less money he spent the better.
Another thing that Bill had considered when he bought the Rambler was that he blended in with the hoi-polloi of the Bronx and didn't attract any undue attention to the fact that he didn't belong in the area.
The job Bill obtained was with an office cleaning company. Bill's hope was that there might be the slimmest of chances of finding where Peggy worked - either by word of mouth or sneaky looks at office records! Bill of course had no idea what Peggy might do for a living, but the fact that she was intelligent, well educated, very feminine and beautiful, suggested that perhaps she might work in an office. Bill had even thought that Peggy could be an air hostess.
Bill could have applied for a job in the I.T. world however it wasn't appropriate to do so just yet. When Bill had first arrived in New York he saw in the business pages of the New York Times a small headline that read:
"Apricot Shares Plummet After The Brains Behind The Company Walks Out."
Bill had hoped that Peggy may have seen the headline and would perhaps know he was looking for her - it didn't work out that way.
Over the first month in New York (March) Bill struck zilch in the way of any leads to find Peggy. In spite of ads in personal columns of newspapers, spending hours watching at subway stations and airports for any sign of her, he found nothing. This didn't deter Bill because his love for Peggy didn't waver for one moment.
When time had moved on to April, Bill quit his job with the office cleaning company and took a job as a cab driver. To Bill there was maybe some small hope of picking Peggy up as a passenger.
The year moved on through summer and into fall and there was still no sign of Peggy. Bill continued to drive cabs and in some ways quite enjoyed the stress free life. He enjoyed having contact with people of the world and seeing how the "other half" lived. He reflected to himself how arrogantly insular he had been when he had lived in Dallas.
It was not until September that year that Bill saw something interesting. It was one Monday afternoon that he was sitting at JFK airport watching passengers coming and going in the hope of catching sight of Peggy. He had just dropped some passengers off in his cab and was taking a break.
It wasn't that Bill saw any female passengers that remotely resembled his beloved Peggy. No it was the copy of the New York Times that somebody had left where Bill was sitting. He had picked it up to read and relieve his boredom and frustration - there was something interesting that caught his attention.
Inside the business pages, there was a headline:
"America's Wealthiest Woman To Invest Two Billion In Nuclear Fusion Program"
Below the headline the article read:
"Today it was announced that Mountshaft Holdings Ltd would as part of its energy portfolio; invest two billion in nuclear fusion development over the coming decade. An announcement was made via a spokesman for the company today on behalf of owner and CEO - Peggy Mountshaft.
Mountshaft Holdings - a company that specializes in energy - owns fifty percent of the world's oil reserves outside the Middle East - approximately twenty five percent of the world's oil reserves in total.
The spokesman for the company advised that Ms Mountshaft had indicated there was a need for the Company to invest in new energy sources. This was with peak oil and world energy shortages looming on the horizon over the next twenty years.
In relation to energy sources; Mountshaft Holdings is the number one supplier of liquid hydrogen in the world and supplies rocket fuel for space programs; not only in the USA but Japan, Russia, and Europe.
Little is known about Peggy Mountshaft other than that she is in her mid thirties and is the most successful self-made millionaire in the USA. It is believed Ms Mountshaft graduated in geology and business and made her money by buying up shares in the oil exploration industry at times when risks were high and returns low.
It is believed Ms Mountshaft lives in the wealthy suburb of Scarsdale New York and keeps a low profile. In an earlier interview with a company spokesman, it was revealed that Ms Mountshaft puts part of her success down to remaining unknown and thus being insulated from being exploited. As Ms Mountshaft has apparently been known to say 'The world is full of parasites. If you stay below the radar you won't get sucked dry'
Maybe she is right.
Dave Gallooly
Business Editor."
On reading the article Bill felt a slight tingle of excitement. Could this be the Peggy he loved?
"It was a bit of a long shot and possibly nothing", Bill thought to himself. "However nothing ventured, nothing gained".
That night when Bill had finished his cab shift, he headed back to his rental accommodation, grabbed himself a beer and went online to see what he could find out about Mountshaft Holdings. From what he could see it was an incredible success story. The name Peggy Mountshaft was mentioned but there were no comprehensive details about her or any images of her.
While online, Bill could see the company had its main office in downtown New York and there was an address and a phone number. The following day Bill phoned and asked if he could speak to Peggy Mountshaft. That was a dead end; apparently Peggy Mountshaft spoke to no one and didn't take messages either. Even the staff at the downtown office had no idea what she looked like let alone having ever spoken to her. Apparently there was a General Manager - a woman - who oversaw world operations. Bill surmised
that she was probably a trusted employee who would be sworn to secrecy to act as a barrier between the likes of prying media and Ms Mountshaft herself. Bill wasn't even allowed to speak with the General Manager much to his disappointment.
Bill tried to find out where Ms Mountshaft might live in Scarsdale. That drew a blank too; there was certainly nothing in the New York white pages. Nothing was revealed by doing a search on "Peggy Mountshaft" - not a bloody thing.
Bill was curious now. He was like a dog with a bone, there was a gut feeling that Peggy Mountshaft was the Peggy he loved and he wasn't going to let go until he knew for certain. The question was. "How the hell would he find out?"
Bill had a brainwave. It was a bit of a long shot but he thought he would give it a go. His plan was to resign from cab driving and become a fulltime detective! Bill's idea was to sit outside the downtown office of Mountshaft Holdings in the Rambler, and then follow any vehicle that left the premises. He felt that couriers, vans, cabs or any commercial vehicle would be of particular interest. Bill thought that surely somewhere along the line, a vehicle would lead him to the Mountshaft premises in Scarsdale. Bill needed to know where the property was, and then he would plan from there. "If only", he thought to himself. "I could catch a glimpse of Peggy Mountshaft and just confirm whether it is my Peggy or not".
It was for more than a fortnight that Bill sat in the Rambler, discreetly out of sight, outside the downtown offices of Mountshaft Holdings. It was then Bill had a bit of luck, a courier van pulled up outside late one afternoon. The driver ran inside and came out with a package. Bill then followed him and much to Bill's delight the vehicle led him to a property in Scarsdale.
Bill pulled up some distance away from where the courier van had stopped outside a wide and high steel gate. The gate was designed (from what Bill could see) to slide to one side via remote control. It had vertical, un-climbable, closely spaced toughened steel bars that extended up a good twelve feet.
From what Bill could see, the property had a high wall around the entire perimeter. The wall was constructed of large blocks of rough cut stone that were coloured a light cream. There was an electric fence running around the top so there was little hope of getting over the walls. Beyond the walls Bill could see the top of what would be an elegant two story mansion. The windows were tinted in such a fashion that it was impossible to see in. Orange coloured clay roof tiles suggested possibly Spanish design.
Bill watched while the courier got out of his vehicle and then pushed a button to one side of the gate. The courier then "talked" to a grill. Subsequently a steel flap in the stone wall opened and he dropped in the parcel he was delivering. The steel flap then closed and the courier drove off.
When the courier had gone, Bill drove up opposite to the gates and discretely took a look. Through the gates he could see an acre or more of immaculate lawns and trees. Parts of the grounds were in split levels with brick retaining walls and patios. Some of the patios had pools with fountains. It was an incredibly beautiful place.
As Bill had surmised, the house was Spanish in style. There was an abundance of adobe brick, white stucco surfaces and arched windows. There were niche gardens with many pretty blue and yellow daisy type flowers and delightful creepers that festooned the numerous brick archways that complimented the architecture of the house. To the right of the gates, Bill noticed a polished bronze plaque that spelt out quite clearly:
DELAROSA RESIDENCE
Bill thought to himself. "Possibly a decoy", he wasn't put off by the name.
From where Bill sat and watched, he could see a couple of dogs roaming the grounds. The dogs didn't look particularly menacing but no doubt they would kick up a fuss if there was an intruder on the premises. There were also numerous security cameras mounted at strategic points - sufficient numbers of them to cover not only critical areas such as the gate and the top of the walls, but the entire property.
Bill realised with what he saw, there would be no point in trying to gain entry by intrusive means. He racked his brain for something more subtle.
While Bill was lost in thought and studying the property, a gardener who was trimming edges of the lawn came into view. The gardener looked up and could see Bill staring out the Rambler window. The Rambler itself was enough of a curiosity to attract attention, so Bill then moved on down the road. He thought it best he did so before maybe the police were called and he was arrested as a security threat! A Nash Rambler hanging around in an area like Scarsdale was to a degree conspicuous! Additionally Bill realised he had been sitting looking at the place for some time and could have possibly been noticed on the security cameras.
Being late afternoon Bill headed back to where he lived. He wasn't sure yet what his next move would be but at least he now knew where possibly his beloved Peggy lived.
By the time Bill had returned home it was early evening and he prepared a meal. While the meal cooked he sat and mulled over what he might do next and had a beer. He didn't feel in the slightest bit depressed because he had a gut instinct that what he had seen was where Peggy lived - it just had to be. Somehow it all fitted into place as to why Peggy had been so mysterious.
The fact that Peggy might have money meant nothing to Bill; he loved her beyond belief for reasons he couldn't even begin to define. Bill even thought that if it was his Peggy that he had found, he would work for her as a gardener - just to be close enough to see her on occasions. Tears welled up in Bills eyes as the love for his beautiful Peggy overwhelmed him momentarily.
The tears didn't last long. Bill jumped to his feet with an idea he had and it related to his thoughts of working at the Delarosa property as a gardener. Bill was excited. "Surely it would work?" he thought to himself.
In pursuit of his idea; for the next few days Bill returned to the Delarosa property and watched and waited to see if the gardener arrived. Unfortunately for Bill it appeared that that the gardener didn't work every day of the week. Bill had a couple of frustrating days with some long boring hours, watching and waiting to no avail. However it was a Thursday at 10.00a.m that he saw the gardener arrive.
The gardener, a man in his sixties and driving an "oldish" Ford utility, hopped out of his vehicle and pushed the button at the gate. It appeared to be that the gates were opened when some verbal code was quoted.
When the gardener had driven in, Bill waited - "and waited" - some distance up the road for the remainder of the day, he was waiting to see when the gardener left. Bill's patience was rewarded at 5.00p.m when the gardener re-emerged through the gate in his vehicle and headed home. Bill followed him.
When Bill had discovered where the gardener lived, he parked some distance away and thought carefully about what he might do next. Once he had a plan mapped out in his mind, Bill walked up to the door where the gardener lived and knocked. From what Bill could see; where the gardener lived was a small unit that was part of a complex that was pensioner accommodation. As part of his plan, Bill had armed himself with a few cold beers that he had kept with him in a chilly bin.
When the gardener opened the door, Bill pleaded to let him talk to him. The gardener was reluctant at first but the beer Bill had brought won the day - the gardener was tired and thirsty after his day's work and ultimately willingly let Bill in. Apart from the appeal of the beer, the gardener lived on his own and could do with the company. Besides Bill sounded and looked to be a decent sort of chap.
The gardener's name was Harry - that was all Bill needed to know.
Bill apologised profusely for invading Harry's privacy but Harry quickly warmed to Bill's soft and unpretentious nature. Subsequently the pair enjoyed a quiet beer together before Bill broached what he wanted to ask of Harry.
Ultimately after much discussion, what Harry and Bill agreed to was that Harry would phone his employers and say that he had been taken ill and would be under hospital care for a month. However he would advise that he had someone who could takeover from him for the month and that this person would turn up the following Tues
day.
Harry phoned his employers that evening and advised of the situation. He hastened to add that they had no obligation to take on his suggested replacement but he was sure they would like him. What Harry had said helped to make it appear legitimate.
This was no problem with Harry's employers. They gave Harry a digital code that was to be quoted at the gate and made it quite clear that the temporary gardener would be assessed on merit on arrival - with no obligation to retain his services.
Harry explained to Bill that his employer was actually a buxom German woman by the name of Angela Klinke. Angela Klinke seemed by all accounts to manage the place on behalf of an owner - a Mrs Delarosa - whom Harry had little to do with.
Harry suggested to Bill that for reference purposes he adopt the name Peter Martin. Peter Martin was a fellow gardener of Harry's who did excellent work at properties on Long Island. Harry gave his employers contact numbers of people who would verify that Peter Martin was indeed an excellent gardener. Apparently Peter Martin by all accounts even looked like Bill in build, hair colour and height.
Well I guess this all sounds very well. Why would a gardener like Harry do all this for a stranger like Bill? Well it was all because of the cash Bill had and the fact that Bill had held ten thousand in cash right in front of Harry's nose. Harry had never seen so much money!
With an agreed arrangement in place, Bill and Harry spent a pleasant evening together and enjoyed each other's company. Harry was overwhelmed with the money Bill had given him. Apart from that he was really happy at the prospect of having a holiday for a month! The pair talked about the world's problems and the misfortunes of life itself. Harry opened up sufficiently for Bill to ask. 'Harry, have you ever seen a young dark haired woman about the place, maybe in her thirties?'
Midnight Train To Chicago Page 5