“Just French toast and coffee would be great. What a wonderful day,” he said through a yawn as he stretched and walked over to the window. He looked at the sun blazing through the tops of the trees like golden fire raining down in shafts of light where tiny insects and dust motes drifted lazily. Out the corner of his eye he thought he saw something move at the bottom of the garden. He squinted and leaned into the window trying to see what was there. Suddenly a deer leapt from the shadows and disappeared into the thick undergrowth. He laughed and shook his head.
“I’ll just go and shower,” He held out his hand. Would you care to join me?”
“We’ll have plenty of time for that when we get to Philadelphia. Now, shoo go have your shower while I do the toast.”
Twenty minutes later, Danny sauntered barefoot into the kitchen dressed in a white Hanes T-shirt over blue jeans. Nicola picked up two plates piled high with French toast. Danny grabbed the whipped butter and jug of Maple syrup in one hand and two mugs of coffee in the other and followed her over to the table. As he passed behind her he leaned down and kissed the top of her head.
“Mmm... You smell good,” Nicola said.
“So do you.”
They ate in relative silence caught up in their own thoughts, occasionally mentioning the weather or asking for something to be passed. Every time Nicola looked up she noticed Danny watching her. She turned away as she felt her cheeks burn with the heat of embarrassment and forked a piece of French toast into her mouth.
“Do I make you feel uncomfortable, Nic?” Danny asked after a while.
“No. Well, no, not really. I’m just not used to having a man sitting across my breakfast table.”
Danny nodded. He understood how awkward it must be for her. Even though he knew very little about her he could tell she was not the type to have one-night-stands.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve made morning after conversation,” she added and forked another piece of French toast into her mouth.
Danny reached across the table and took hold of her hand. “You don’t need to worry, I would never say or do anything to embarrass or hurt you, Nicola.”
When Danny finished eating, he rose from the table and took his mug and plate to the kitchen. “That would have to be the best French toast I have ever eaten.” He poured a second cup of coffee for himself and then held up the pot.
Nicola shook her head. “I’ve washed your things and put them on top of your bag.”
“You didn’t have to do that. I’m a big boy I’m used to washing my own clothes,” Danny said as he leaned over the kitchen bench and sipped his coffee.
“That’s okay. I had a few last minute things I needed to launder so it wasn’t a problem.”
“Thank you.”
“Have you been to the east coast before?” Nicola asked.
“Oh sure, several times, I’ve been to a lot of different places in Pennsylvania but not Philadelphia. What about you?”
“A long time ago, when I was nine or ten, but I haven’t been since then. My mother’s family came from the east but I only remember going that one time.”
“It’s a lovely part of the country. I think you’ll enjoy it. Even though I’m meeting some old Harley contacts, we’ll still have plenty of time for sightseeing.”
Nicola stacked the dishwasher while Danny handed her the dishes. “I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about tripping all over the country with a relative stranger. Even though we’d been emailing and talking on the phone almost every day for nearly a year, it’s not the same as knowing someone,” he said.
Nicola leaned back against the counter and considered his words.
“I did feel a little apprehensive at first,” she said, “but over time I found I was actually looking forward to the trip.”
Danny sensed she was studying him, giving no hint to her thoughts then she smiled and said, “I’m really glad you’re here, Danny.”
“So am I.”
* * *
Nicola was in the bedroom checking her bag for any last minute additions when she heard Danny calling from down the hall.
“Nic, do you mind if I leave these here?”
She wandered down to the guestroom where Danny was leaning over his bag.
“What’s that?” she asked.
He held up a couple of strange shaped objects wrapped in black plastic.
“These Harley parts–do you mind if I leave them here instead of carting them all over the countryside?”
“Anywhere you want is fine by me.”
A short time later, Nicola dropped a hastily scribbled note and a key, sealed in an envelope, into her neighbor’s mailbox.
“Ready?” she asked as she slid behind the wheel of the BMW and clicked the seatbelt in place.
Danny grinned. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”
Nicola turned the key in the ignition backed cautiously out of the driveway onto the narrow street, and sped up the hill.
A little further down the road, a man wearing mirrored wraparound sunglasses was humming to himself as he climbed out of his car and walked up the hill. As he removed an envelope from a mailbox, a large golden Labrador bounded down the road and leaped up to greet him. The man ruffled the dog’s ears affectionately, and laughed.
“Hello, boy.”
*****
“Who was that?” Ross asked as he wandered into the room and dropped his Pillsbury doughboy body onto the end of the bed. The springs protested under his weight, sighed, and then settled.
I peered at him over the top of my glasses. “Who?”
“That guy. The one you just mentioned.”
Rosie yawned and rubbed her eyes. “What guy?” she asked as she hitched herself up against the headboard. I leaned over and adjusted the pillow behind her back.
“The one at the mailbox with the dog,” Ross said.
“Oh, that’s just the guy up the street.” We both looked at her, a question mark hanging over our heads.
“Big dog, German Shepherd with three white paws,” she added.
Ross smiled. “We’re talking about the guy in Bee’s story.”
“Oh, sorry. I must have dozed off.”
I re-read the last paragraph and was about to continue when Rosie threw another spanner in the works.
“Is he the same guy that was driving the blue Taurus?”
“What guy was that? I didn’t hear about him. Will you read me that bit so I know who you’re talking about,” said Ross.
When I’d re-read the relevant section I looked from one to the other. “Okay? Now you’re both up to date with the story can I get on with it?”
“No!” they cried out in unison.”
“You still haven’t told us who the guy is,” Rosie said.
“Is he the one who was driving the blue Taurus?” Ross asked.
I shrugged and tried to gather my thoughts. “I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know? What does he look like?” Rosie demanded.
“If we had a description of both men we’d know if they were the same person. Then we’d be able to follow the story without any more interruptions,” said Ross.
I looked from one to the other and shook my head.
“Are you sure you two aren’t related?”
*****
On the screen in the corner of the boarding lounge at Gate 70 where passengers sat waiting to board United Airlines Flight 186 to Philadelphia, a newsreader was delivering an up to date news report.
“…Authorities hold grave fears for Amelia Hill whose blood-splattered car was found abandoned early this morning in the Manzanita parking lot off Highway One-Oh-One at the Mill Valley exit.
“Ms. Hill, described as aged thirty eight, five-foot-seven-inches tall, weighing approximately one hundred and forty pounds with long chestnut hair and green eyes was last seen at the Denny’s Restaurant in Corte Madera around midnight in the company of a man estimated to be in his early forties. Eyewitnesses describe the man
as around six-foot-two, weighing approximately one hundred and ninety-five pounds, wearing black jeans and T-shirt and a black baseball cap with a logo on the front.
“Police have requested the unidentified man to come forward to help with their enquiries. They have also asked anyone who may have information as to Ms. Hill’s whereabouts to contact them at the number shown on the bottom of the screen.
“We’ll keep you informed as further updates come in…”
ELEVEN
Even though my sister had had a bad night she still managed to put a smile on her face when she pushed the door open and walked into the waiting room.
“Hello everybody, how’s everyone doing today?”
“Good morning,” I said as we passed a couple of unfamiliar faces. They looked up and acknowledged my greeting.
Our dear friend, Mr. Takamura jumped to his feet and bowed when he saw me heading in his direction. By now my aptitude for languages was starting to kick in so I was able to decipher his words without too much trouble, when he said, “Channel Five – CBS?” So I beamed him a smile and nodded.
When he climbed up onto the chair and reached for the controls, I felt a speck of dust in my eye. Then, when he asked, “Volume good,” I noticed a loose thread on my sister’s sweater that demanded my immediate attention
“Volume perfect,” I said and gave him the thumbs up without looking up. I flicked at the place where I thought I had seen the wayward thread. “There you go, Hon, all fixed.”
At the back of the room Linda’s face colored a whiter shade of pale when she saw us coming towards her. Her eyes cast around the room while she searched for an empty chair. But aside from the two empty seats beside her, every chair in the room was occupied.
Bad luck, Linda.
“How are you today, Linda?” Rosie asked. She was about to sit down when I grabbed hold of her arm. “Why don’t you sit in the chair on the other side, Hon, then Linda can sit between us?”
Rosie grinned. “Rose between two thorns, eh, girlfriend.”
When she shuffled sideways Linda realized she was indeed a rose caught between two very prickly thorns.
I thought she was looking a little peeked so I said, “How are you doing today, Linda?”
When she said, “O... o... ok... k... kay, I g… g… guess...” I noticed that on top of everything else the poor woman had developed a stutter.
My sister knew only too well how she must have felt and decided she needed some cheering up. “Have you had any luck finding a suitable place to bury a body yet, Linda?” She waited a moment but when nothing was forthcoming she continued and said, “It’s just there’s been an unexpected development over the weekend and now we’re getting kind of desperate.”
“Ah... Well, no… Well… not really..,” Linda said and was about to retreat behind the pages of a magazine when I stopped her.
“Is that a definite, no? Or is it a… not really, Linda?”
While I’ve always been one to barge in with both barrels blazing, my sister, makes allowances for other people’s failings.
Rosie’s glance slid sideways to me. “Don’t confuse her, Bubbie.” Then she turned to Linda, and asked, “was that a yes, or a no, Linda?”
“Well…, um, no... Sorry,” Linda said grimly and chewed on her bottom lip.
I knew there was no other way than to come right out and say it. So I did.
“The thing is, Linda – she’s already dead.”
Linda gasped, horror etched in every line and wrinkle on her pasty-pale face. She had the startled look of a rabbit who stared down the barrel of a .12 gauge shotgun, and knew it was about to become lunch.
“You’ve k… k… killed her?” she stammered.
Rosie nodded. “I’m afraid so, Linda. Bubbie killed her sometime over the weekend. I can understand how you must feel. I was shocked when she told me. But now that it’s done there’s no turning back. We have to move forward and deal with this the best way we can.”
A hushed silence had fallen over the room as though everyone was holding their breath.
I looked down at my sandals, and wriggled my toes around for a bit. While I contemplated a fresh coat of polish on my nails I hummed the tune of an old childhood nursery rhyme. The farmer in the dell, the, farmer in the dell, heigh-ho the derry-o….
“But… w… what did you do with the b… body?” Linda stammered.
“Well, here’s the thing, Linda. The body is in the woods lying under some trees while we try to find somewhere to bury it,” I explained as best as I could.
Rosie nodded. “I’m sure you can understand the need for action, Linda. We’re going to have to get it into the ground before it starts decomposing.”
“What with this unseasonably warm weather we’ve been having lately. The body is decomposing, as we speak.”
Linda jumped up so fast I felt the seat for heat. Her thighs quivered like Jell-O as she hurried down the room. I sighed and picked up the magazine she’d dropped on the floor and started to read.
“Oh look! It says here Donald Trump is getting married again!”
*****
The lights of Philadelphia looked like a shower of stars as the plane circled above the city. By the time they collected their bags and picked up the SUV from the rental car company, it was almost midnight when Danny pulled into the parking lot of the Comfort Inn on Christopher Columbus Boulevard, and cut the engine…
My sister’s voice cut into my concentration.
“Did you know the first Quakers to arrive in Philadelphia in1681 lived in caves they dug in the banks of the Delaware River?”
I looked up, not sure of the connection.
“No, I didn’t know that. But thanks for the heads up,” I said, and kept typing.
“Did you know that William Penn called Philadelphia the city of brotherly love?”
She kinda got my attention–but it was wavering between, so what and who cares.
“Why?”
She shrugged.
“Haven’t a clue. It was before the time of free love and hippies and flower children. Who knows what they were into back then?”
“Maybe there were a lot of gays during that period of history,” I said, tongue in cheek.
“Could be, but I don’t think they were called gays, then.”
I shrugged. Like I care!
“Any more interesting little tidbits you want to enlighten me on before I get back to the story.”
“Philadelphia was where the Declaration of Independence was written…”
“Yes, I knew that.”
“The Constitution was molded...”
“Uh-huh, knew that one too.”
“… And the Liberty Bell was rung.”
“I actually knew that as well. Is that it?”
“Not quite. Did you know Philadelphia was also the city of firsts?”
My interest was piqued…, kind of. On a score of one to ten it would barely rate a four. My fingers hovered over the keys.
“Firsts?” I asked… and twitched my nose.
Rosie nodded. I could see she wasn’t going to let up until she had passed on this wealth of knowledge. “That’s right. Firsts. Would you like me to tell you what they were?”
“Sure. Why not? I’ve got nothing better to do. So go ahead, my little historian, enlighten me.” I leaned back, made myself comfortable and folded my arms, knowing full well she wouldn’t give up until she got it out of her system.
She raised her right hand in the air and proceeded to count off each item, folding down fingers as she went.
“The first American Hospital. The first medical college. The first bank. The first zoo. And, the first daily newspaper.”
“Is that it?” I was about to resume typing when my sister’s voice waded in through the fog.
“Nope, there’s more.”
I leaned back in the chair, folded my arms and gave her my full and undivided attention. “Far be it for me to stop you while you’re on a roll. Please continu
e,” I said with a wave of the hand.
“Okay. Here goes. Philadelphia had the first mint, the first paper mill, the first steamboat and the first sugar refinery. It was also the place where the first public school for black children was opened, in 1750.” Rosie looked up and grinned, obviously proud of her achievements.
“My, my, we certainly are a little wellspring of knowledge. How come you know all this?”
“When I married Drew I decided to learn as much as I could about my adopted country. So I spent weeks at the Mill Valley library reading up on American History.”
“I’m proud of you, Hon.”
“Of course that was years ago before Ben was born but recently I was reading the history of Pennsylvania in one of Cody’s textbooks. He had a test coming up and I wanted to quiz him.”
“Well, if I need to check any historical facts, I’ll be sure to come to you first. How did he go with the test, by the way?”
“B plus.”
“Good to know we’ve got some brains in the family.”
I was doing a spell-check when my sister’s voice cut through the silence.
“You used to go out with a gay guy, didn’t you?”
The question caught me completely unawares.
“Gay! He wasn’t gay!”
“Well, if he wasn’t gay what was he?”
“He was a cross-dresser. He liked to wear women’s clothes.”
“Same horse, different rider,” she said with a shrug.
“That was a long time ago. I’m surprised you even remember him. You would have only been a kid at the time.”
“Well I do. I remember walking in on him in the bathroom one day. He was standing in front of the toilet, his dress hitched up, frilly knickers down around his ankles – peeing into the bowl. Even at my tender age I couldn’t help notice he wasn’t a woman.”
I had never heard this before. “So, what did he do when he saw you?”
“Nothing. He just pulled up his lace knickers, smoothed his dress down and tapped the side of his nose with his finger. ‘Our little secret,’ he said.”
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