Double or Nothing

by Wells, Donald

Mouse holds the hat up.

  “Are you asking me if you can have it?”

  Mouse replies by nodding her head yes vigorously. David smiles and places the hat on her head, tilting it at a jaunty angle.

  “You look marvelous my dear.” David tells her, he guides Mouse by the shoulders to the nearest mirror. Mouse looks in the mirror and a shocked expression covers her face, and, to David’s great surprise, Mouse opens her mouth as if to speak, then just as quickly she closes it.

  David wonders once again if Mouse’s lack of speech is a physical problem or if it is instead elective, perhaps some sort of survival mechanism. The four street Rats that attacked her in her lair were probably far from the first horror she’s had to face while living on the streets. Overcome with a feeling of protectiveness for her, David puts his right arm around her and hugs her. Mouse responds to him by removing the hat and resting her head upon his chest tenderly. From behind them comes a cold voice.

  “I see you’ve found a replacement for me David.”

  David turns to find a strikingly beautiful woman staring at him. She’s five-foot-ten with long blond hair. Her pale blue eyes shine like bits of ice as she glares at Mouse, who is now hiding behind David.

  “Hello Alison,” David says, while taking her in.

  “Is she actually hiding? You must have been telling her horror stories about me.”

  “Actually Alison, Mouse has no idea who you are, she operates on sheer instinct, which I now see is flawless.”

  “Mouse? Her name’s Mouse? What kind of kinky nickname is that? Was Gerbil taken?”

  “Mouse and I aren’t lovers, we’re simply friends if you must know.”

  “We were friends who became lovers David, and the way you two were holding each other just now looked more than friendly to me.”

  Before David can answer Alison, Mrs. Parsons comes over and interrupts.

  “Here is your credit card back David. Her clothing will be delivered tomorrow morning to your apartment sometime between nine and noon. Oh, and here are the items you wanted to take today. Are you also taking that lovely red hat?”

  David glances at Alison. “Yes.”

  “Fine, I’ll just add it to your bill. Thank you for shopping with us David, you’ve made my day.”

  “You were very helpful Mrs. Parsons, thank you.”

  Mrs. Parsons walks away and David stands facing Alison, while holding the bags containing Mouse’s new clothes.

  “You never took me shopping for clothes, we also never lived together, but only because you never wanted to. What makes Miss Timid there so special?” Alison asks, her voice now a mixture of hurt and anger.

  David closes his eyes. I didn’t need this today, I really didn’t.

  “Alison, we are broken up. We are no longer even friends. What I do and who I do it with are none of your business, understand? None of your business!” Behind him, David feels Mouse shift uneasily.

  Alison smiles seductively at David. “You are so cute when you’re angry.”

  She goes to David and kisses him, her arms are around his neck while her body presses against him. She releases David and stares into his eyes.

  “Any time you want more of that you know where to find me, all you have to do is ask and I’m yours.”

  Alison turns and walks away, suddenly she stops and looks back at Mouse, who is now peeking out from behind David. “Goodbye Rodent,” she says to Mouse, and then strolls away.

  Mouse gives the departing Alison the closest thing to a dirty look that David has ever seen upon her face. She then moves around to stand in front of David and look at him. She reaches up with her right hand and rubs off the lipstick left behind by Alison’s kiss. When she’s done, she leans into David and puts her arms around him, hugging him.

  “Mouse if I didn’t know better I’d say you were jealous.”

  Mouse’s only reply is to hug David tighter.

  After shopping, David decides to stop for coffee before heading home. He notices that the cafe inside a nearby bookstore is empty and enters.

  As he and Mouse pass by racks of books, she stops and begins grabbing at copies of children’s picture books on a display stand as an awed smile covers her face. The colorful books are about the adventures of an anthropomorphic family of bears. Mouse appears captivated by the books and David once more sees her open her mouth as if she were about to speak, but she remains silent.

  “What is it? Do you remember these books from your childhood?”

  Mouse just keeps staring at the books in her hands. David sets down his packages and selects a copy of each bear book, sixteen in all. After purchasing them, he and Mouse sit in the cafe where he watches her turn the pages, mesmerized, and thinks David, remembering.

  At some time, most likely in childhood, Mouse has seen these books before. She ignores her soda and with a strange smile on her face looks through all sixteen books.

  A short time later, David and Mouse return home to find Mrs. Johnson sweeping the stairs.

  “Hello Mrs. Johnson,”

  “Hello David, oh, I see you have company.”

  “Yes, this is my cousin. She’s visiting me for a while.”

  “Hello, it’s nice to meet you.” Mrs. Johnson says.

  Mouse gives her a big smile.

  “Mouse doesn’t talk Mrs. Johnson, she’s a mute.”

  “Mouse?”

  David hesitates, searching for an explanation. “Oh yes, uh, Mouse is a family nickname for her, her real name is—Minnie.”

  This prompts Mouse to quiet laughter.

  Mrs. Johnson smiles at Mouse. “It’s nice to meet you dear.” She turns to resume her sweeping but then suddenly halts. “Oh David, some good news, I think someone’s finally reopening the theater next door.”

  David abruptly stops climbing the stairs.

  “What makes you say that Mrs. Johnson?”

  “I was out sweeping the front steps earlier when two vans pulled up in front of the theater. A bunch of men got out of each van and went running around to the alley, a little while later they came out and started removing rolls of carpet from one of the vans. Not long after that they returned outside and threw rolls of carpet back into the van. I guess they put down new carpet and then took the old carpet away, they were very quick about it though.”

  “I’ll see you later Mrs. Johnson.” David says quietly.

  After entering the apartment, Mouse goes back into the office and looks out at the hole in the side of the abandoned theater. She turns and gives David an anxious look.

  “You won’t have to worry about the Rats, Mouse. They’ll never bother you again.”

  Mouse gives him an odd look, but then sits and browses through her books. David stares down at the empty building and knows that he will never again see the four Rats that had infested it.

  The rolls of carpet Mrs. Johnson saw carried into the building were just those, rolls of carpet, but the rolls of carpet that came back out held the remains of the Rats.

  He had casually mentioned his problem to Al, and Al had made it disappear. Was what Al did so different from what David himself has done?

  People have offhandedly mentioned problems to him such as Mrs. Johnson and her I.R.S. troubles, and David had taken care of them as easily and as illegally as Al had taken care of the Rats.

  He also knows that if he could have, he would have killed them himself for attacking Mouse. Still, David is a bit alarmed to discover he feels only relief at the Rats’ demise, after all, they were human beings.

  He then looks over at Mouse and remembers the terrified look on her face as she escaped from them, next, images of what might have befallen her had she not gotten away enter his mind.

  “Fuck ‘em,” David mutters under his breath, he then goes over and kisses the top of Mouse’s head. She smiles up at him and then continues to peruse her books.

  David sits down at the desk to sort through his mail. Moments later, Mouse comes over to him with her books and hands them to h
im.

  “Why are you giving me these? Do you want me to read them?”

  Mouse nods her head.

  “Ok, let’s see if this sounds familiar to you.”

  David moves over to the red futon in the corner, and, with Mouse settling in next to him, he begins reading one of the books.

  Mouse’s face lights up in joy as David begins, but by the time he starts reading the second book she appears bored and a bit restless, noticing her demeanor, David stops reading. “I think your taste in reading material may have changed over the years.” He goes to the bookcase near the desk and searches for a moment. “Ah ha,” David says, as he finds his copy of Alice in Wonderland. He sits back down next to Mouse and begins reading, she’s smiling by the time he reaches the second page. David reads to her off and on until bedtime and his nighttime reading becomes a regular habit.

  The following weeks are full of activity as David reconfigures his apartment to accommodate his roommate. The bedroom that David was using as an office is converted back into a bedroom while the computers and desk are moved into a corner of the dining room.

  David finds he has a knack for understanding Mouse’s unique patois of gestures and soon the two communicate effortlessly. He handles Mouse’s claustrophobia and lack of self-consciousness by hanging a second shower curtain across the bathroom doorway. He also notices that as the weeks pass, Mouse becomes uncomfortable at being seen undressed and begins pulling the curtain closed whenever she’s in the bathroom.

  It seems to David that her sense of self is expanding and that the cocoon of otherworldliness she appeared to have been locked in is dissipating.

  He watches her constantly, fascinated by her.

  Early on, David realizes that she’s illiterate, although her lack of speech makes him unsure of that judgment. What he does know is that she shows no response to notes he’s written and given her to read. Basic math appears to be a strong suit however and David finds that whenever he withdraws money from an ATM machine, Mouse appears to sigh with relief.

  Her appetite for television is voracious, and to his surprise, eclectic. He finds her watching shows on political commentary as often as he discovers her watching cartoons, yet mirroring his own taste in entertainment, she seems to enjoy watching mostly crime dramas and murder mysteries.

  David also finds that despite her lack of speech and seeming illiteracy she has a surprisingly large vocabulary, understanding and reacting to things said on TV. David had observed Mouse to be child-like in most ways, but in the weeks following her moving in with him he begins to see signs of the woman within.

  She is still imbued with a great innocence, but at times, David looks into her eyes and sees a woman looking back, or perhaps, it is only wishful thinking.

  When the rest of Mouse’s wardrobe arrived, David was tickled to see her change clothing sometimes as often as three times a day.

  Inside the living room closet door is a full-length mirror and Mouse uses it often, checking her appearance and smiling.

  He watches her now as she primps in front of the mirror.

  “You really like having a lot of clothes, don’t you Mouse?”

  Mouse smiles shyly and nods her head yes.

  “Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, we’re going to visit my sister, but when we get back we’ll do more shopping, OK?”

  Mouse smiles that big smile that lights up her whole face.

  David gently brushes her hair back from her eyes. “You my dear are turning into a clotheshorse.”

  The phone rings and David answers, it is his sister Carol.

  “Hello Davey, I’m calling to confirm that you’re still coming by tomorrow.”

  “I sure am, oh, and I’m bringing a friend, OK?”

  “Good, otherwise it was just going to be you and me and you’re boring. It’ll be good to have someone else to talk to, it ah, it wouldn’t be Al, would it?” Carol asks.

  “No, it’s a woman, but don’t expect any deep conversations.”

  “Oh Davey don’t tell me it’s that actress, that Alison, I can’t stand her.”

  “No sis she’s not Alison, she’s not even a girlfriend, she’s just a friend.”

  “Since when are you just friends with a girl?”

  “Since now, all will be explained tomorrow, OK?”

  “OK, oh by the way, how are you sleeping? Do you still have that nightmare?”

  “Actually no, not in weeks, it’s a new record for me.”

  “Maybe it’s gone away for good.”

  “I hope so, listen I don’t even want to think about it. I’ll see you tomorrow sis, love you.”

  “OK little brother, I love you too, bye bye.”

  “Goodbye Carol,”

  Tomorrow should be very interesting.

  Thanksgiving Day is a crisp, sunny, fall day.

  Thousands of fallen leaves crunch under the tires of David’s silver Corvette as he motors along. Mouse, sitting in the passenger seat, looks out at the scenery. She wears one of the dresses Mrs. Parsons picked out for her. It is a bright wool print that falls to just above her knees, sitting in the car raises the hemline to mid-thigh.

  David has more than once glanced over to look at Mouse’s exceptional legs. Each time he has, he mentally reprimands himself for doing so, and then moments later, finds his eyes drifting over again.

  David’s sister Carol lives in Westchester County, New York, on the outskirts of the village of Tarrytown.

  Her house is a rambling three-story structure that was built nearly a century ago. David knows it well. It is where he grew up.

  When David was fourteen and Carol twenty, their parents were killed in an auto accident. Carol then raised David while going through college and medical school. Now, Dr. Carol Manning is a general practitioner and has her office in the rear of the home.

  “Happy Thanksgiving Davey,” Carol says, as she hugs David and gives Mouse the once over. Mouse smiles at her brightly. Carol is a tall, slim woman with hair as dark as her brother’s, and in her blue eyes is that same glint of high intelligence.

  “Sis, I’d like you to meet Mouse. Mouse, this is my sister Carol.”

  Mouse stares at Carol for a moment and then goes over and gives her a hug.

  Carol looks at her brother, confused. “Mouse?”

  David heads for the living room. “Let’s sit down and I’ll explain.”

  “Davey you can’t just keep her like a pet. She must belong somewhere. There could be people out there looking for her.”

  “I know that Carol and I’ve spent the last two months searching missing persons reports looking for any that match her. I’ve found nothing and you know I’m good at finding people.”

  “Oh yes, about that, was that Chrissie Johansson girl one of yours?”

  “Yes.”

  “I am so proud of you. I’m also scared, the laws against what you do are getting tougher all the time and I don’t want you to get into trouble.”

  “I won’t sis. You’re the only one that knows what I do.”

  Carol looks over at Mouse, who is just sitting and listening.

  “What about…Mouse? Oh I feel silly calling her Mouse, anyway does she know what you do?”

  “I don’t know what Mouse knows and doesn’t know. I’m not even convinced that she’s really a mute, I just know she doesn’t talk.”

  “My office is right here. I could examine her if you’d like? It’s probably a good idea anyway, living on the streets can’t be the healthiest thing for a person.”

  “That’s a good idea, I just don’t know if she’ll let you.”

  Carol stands up. “Let’s find out.”

  They go into Carol’s office and Mouse immediately looks uneasy. David takes her by the hand and tells her it’s OK. Mouse then relaxes and they go into an examination room.

  When David tries to leave at Carol’s suggestion, Mouse grabs ahold of him and with her eyes pleads for him to stay. He does, he stands in the doorway with his back turned while Carol pe
rforms her examination.

  When Carol finishes, Mouse goes over to David and he opens his arms for her to fall into, Mouse then puts her arms about him.

  “Well she’s healthy, and barring anything unusual showing up on her xrays I’d say that there’s no organic reason for her muteness. I would tend toward a psychological trauma.”

  “I haven’t given up trying to find out who she is, in fact, tomorrow I’m going down to the library to do some research. I think I’ve gone as far as I can go on the Internet, it’s time to look through old newsprint.”

  “What happens once you find her family? Could you just hand her over and walk away?”

  “I told you, she and I are connected. I don’t understand it myself. I just know we’ll always be a part of each other.”

  Carol grins at David. “I understand it completely.”

  “You do? Then explain it to me will you sis.”

  “David, duh, you’re in love.”

  “In love? With Mouse? Carol that’s silly, she’s like a child.”

  Carol looks at Mouse and David standing with their arms about each other. “Uh huh,”

  “I’m only holding her because she’s upset after her exam, that’s all.”

  “OK, I won’t press the issue, let’s go eat.”

  Sitting at the dining room table, Carol is appalled by Mouse’s table manners. Mouse picks everything up with her fingers in order to put it into her mouth. David encourages her to use her fork, and for a while she does, clumsily, and soon reverts to using her hands.

  “Carol don’t make faces, she’s eating the only way she knows how.”

  “I’m sorry, but I see now why you think she’s been on the streets a long time, it’s as if she’s never learned to hold a fork.”

  “I know, sandwiches have become the norm at mealtime. I’ve been teaching her but it’s almost like it’s unnatural to her. On the other hand she knows how to comb her hair and brush her teeth and all the other niceties of grooming, it doesn’t make sense.”

  “Unless…” Carol starts, and trails off.

  “Unless what?”

  “Wait here, I’ll be right back. I want to try something.”