Spirited Away

by Fern Michaels

  “If Bernice didn’t take them all to Robert’s, I’m sure we must have a few.”

  Inside, Goebel was seated at the table with two cups of coffee, one for Sophie and one for Toots. He had the half-and-half, the sugar, and he’d found the pralines she had stashed in the pantry in a large plastic container. “Something tells me you two need something sweet to go with this caffeine.”

  “As usual, you’re right on the money,” Sophie agreed as she sat down next to her husband. She took a praline off the plate, then took another and placed it on the plate across from her. “Eat this, Toots. You look like you’ve just seen a ghost. Scratch that. You have seen a ghost. More than once. You look like you could use a stiff dose of sugar.” She pushed the plate across the table so that Toots could reach it. “Go on, your blood sugar needs a spike.”

  Toots took a bite of the praline, then washed it down with a gulp of sugar- and cream-laced coffee, just the way she liked it. “Yes, that was just what I needed.”

  Toots watched Goebel and knew that he was watching how she and Sophie were interacting with each other. “I don’t think I’ve had anything to eat since dinner yesterday,” Toots said, just to make conversation. “Of course, I had all that booze at your place last night, probably way more than a woman of a certain age should have, so this is good. I need sugar. Lots of sugar.”

  “You’re rambling, Toots. It’s not like you to ramble on and on,” Goebel acknowledged. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  Toots observed Sophie as she glanced back and forth between her and Goebel, as though she feared what Toots might say.

  “Yes, I’m fine. Shit, Goebel, I haven’t had anything in my system but alcohol and caffeine. I’m just a bit shaky, really. Sophie saw this when we were outside smoking. That’s why we came in, right?”

  “No, we came in because I smelled coffee, then when you sat down and I looked at you, I decided you needed a pick-me-up because you really look your age right now.”

  Had the situation not been of such importance, Toots would have flipped her the bird. But this was not the time to act like . . . themselves, she thought. No, it was the time to let Sophie do whatever she needed to do, but because Goebel was watching her, she stuck her tongue out, then said, “Kiss my old wrinkled ass.”

  In a voice that reeked of false bravado, Sophie said, “Hey, isn’t that Bernice’s line?”

  “If it is, then I’m claiming it as mine right now; that is, if you, Mrs. Blevins, approve?”

  Toots was trying for lighthearted and fun, but she wasn’t sure if she was successful because no one was laughing.

  “I suppose Bernice wouldn’t mind, but I know for a fact your ass isn’t wrinkled,” Sophie added, catching on and trying to keep the conversation from getting too serious.

  “When did you see my ass?”

  “More times than I care to remember.”

  “Gawd, that’s really disgusting, Soph. Have you been spying on me or something?”

  Out of the corner of her eye, Toots saw Goebel grin as they bantered back and forth. This was good, this was what she’d been striving for.

  “No, I haven’t been spying on you. I’ve lived around you long enough that I’ve had a few peeps. Now, let’s leave it at that, okay?”

  “What’s okay?” Bernice called out as she and Robert entered through the back door.

  Sophie shot Toots and Goebel the look. “Nothing that concerns you.”

  Frankie came trotting downstairs, searching for the source of the noise. Coco, Mavis’s Chihuahua, trailed behind him. The two were best buds when Chester, Abby’s German shepherd, wasn’t around.

  In her late seventies, and two years after major heart surgery, Bernice looked better than she had in years. And she knew it, too. Robert, her newfound love interest, followed her around like a lost puppy. “You are rude, Sophia. Did anyone ever tell you that?”

  “Never,” Sophia replied in her best smart-ass voice.

  “Then let me be the first,” she retorted. “What’s going on?” Bernice took the empty carafe from Goebel and brought it to the sink, where she rinsed it out, then refilled it. She emptied the coffee grounds, then refilled the basket with more of Toots’s premium blend.

  Robert, ever the dutiful boyfriend, remained by the back door. “Get in here. You look silly just standing there like a statue,” Bernice ordered. “Sit down for a minute. We’re going to have a cup of that fine coffee you like so much.” She shot Toots an I-dare-you-to-saya-word look while waiting for Robert to sit down.

  “Yes, do make yourself at home, Robert. What’s mine, after all, is Bernice’s,” Toots said sarcastically. Toots was sure Bernice caught the dig. When Robert and Wade had purchased the house next door, Bernice had led them to believe that she owned this house, and that Toots was a guest. They’d cleared that up quickly, if she remembered correctly.

  Bernice gave Toots the bird, a habit she’d picked up when the girls came for their first visit to Charleston all those years ago. It was their version of a kiss-my-ass sort of salute.

  “No need to bring up the past, Toots. If it weren’t for me, this place would be a mess. I don’t remember the last time I saw any of you load the dishwasher or mop these hardwood floors, or shine all these windows.” She finished her speech, then turned her back on them while she waited for the coffee to finish. “And I know you took the stash of pralines Jamie brought over last night, too. Those were for a special occasion.”

  “Stop your whining, Bernice. Jamie makes pralines daily, and we can get them anytime. And what was your special occasion, anyway?” Sophie singsonged.

  “I’m not telling anyone just yet. Right, Robert?” She looked at Robert, who just sat there with a grin as wide as the moon.

  “Yes, dear,” he said obediently, and the grin on his face got even wider.

  Toots shot up out of her chair like she had springs on her derriere. She grabbed the pot of coffee before Bernice had a chance to pour Robert and herself cups. “You’re not getting any of this stuff until you spill the beans. I hate keeping secrets.”

  Goebel and Sophie looked at her as if she’d lost her mind.

  “Yes, Bernice, you know how we all deplore keeping our private lives private,” Sophie added.

  Toots brought the pot of coffee to the table. “I didn’t mean it that way. I meant we always tell one another when there’s something special going on in our lives.” She circled the table, refilling their mugs with coffee.

  “Don’t say one word, Sophia,” Toots murmured as she filled her dear friend’s cup. “Got it?”

  Sophie rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her coffee. “This is disgusting. It tastes like elephant poo.”

  “How would you know what elephant poo tastes like?” Toots innocently asked.

  Goebel snickered, and Robert joined in. Bernice shook her head disapprovingly.

  “It can’t be any worse than this crap. It amazes me how some people think of something as gourmet, like this stuff, and another, such as myself, classifies this as crap. And, no, I have not tasted elephant poop, but had I, I’m sure it would taste like this coffee.”

  Goebel spoke up. “Ah, Sophie, don’t be too hard on Tootsie. Remember those slimy raw oysters you eat. I, for one, am sure they taste like snot.”

  When Toots had envisioned lightheartedness, she truly hadn’t thought of elephant feces, but it took the attention away from the malevolent force that lurked in Sophie and Goebel’s home. “I agree, Goebel. You couldn’t pay me enough to put one of those nasty-looking things in my mouth,” Toots said, just to keep the diverting conversation rolling along. “Now, Bernice, are you going to tell us what your secret is, or are we going to have to beat it out of you?”

  “You’re so darn nosy, Toots. When the time is right, Robert and I will tell you. For now, just forget it,” Bernice said.

  Toots wasn’t going to argue with her or try to drag it out of her, at least not now. There were far more important issues to deal with. Whatever Bernice and
Robert’s secret was would simply have to wait.

  The back door slammed, and they all turned to see Ida, minus Daniel. “What things are we putting in our mouth today?” she asked, clearly having been there for a few minutes, or at least long enough to hear that part of their conversation.

  “I think we should be asking you that question,” Sophie said. “And speaking of things, where is your boy toy today?”

  As was the norm, Ida was dressed to kill. Not a single strand of platinum blond hair dared to stray from her perfectly cut bob. A walking advertisement for Seasons—her line of cosmetics and skincare products that had put her name alongside such icons as Estée Lauder and Coco Chanel—she looked svelte, confident. Today she was wearing a mint-green sheath dress that hugged curves that would rival those of a twenty-year-old, and matching high-heeled sandals. A slim coral wristlet dangled from her slender arm. The only mar on her otherwise unblemished appearance—her coral lipstick was smeared on her lower lip.

  “I see you’ve got sex on the brain as usual,” Ida commented dryly. “Goebel, is she not woman enough for you?” Ida asked, then winked.

  “I see you’re still a slut,” Sophie shot back. “Don’t even think about coming on to my husband, Ida. He doesn’t like women like you anyway,” she added with a smirk.

  “Women like me?” Ida chirped. “Exactly what would that be?”

  Toots took control of the conversation before the two started another verbal war. “Both of you put a cork in the festering holes beneath your noses, okay? We’ve heard all of this before, and it never, ever leads to anything positive.”

  “She’s right. You two need to kiss and make up,” Goebel said.

  Sophie’s eyes about popped out of her head. “Make up, maybe. Kiss, never!”

  Ida sat in a chair next to Toots. She took a praline from the plate in the center of the table, crammed it in her mouth, oblivious to the shocked expressions on everyone’s face, then repeated herself. “What are you all staring at? Haven’t you ever seen a woman enjoy something sweet?” Ida asked, then, before they could answer, she took another handful of pralines and proceeded to cram them in her mouth, one after another, barely chewing them before she swallowed. She reached for Toots’s mug of coffee, downed what remained, then slammed the mug down. “What? Why are you all staring at me?”

  Sophie was the first to speak. “I’ve known you for more than fifty years. In all those years, I have never, ever seen you display such a lack of manners. What in the hell has come over you?”

  With pieces of praline stuck to her chin and mouth, Ida seemed to really consider Sophie’s question. “I think I should be the one asking you that question. I was just at your place, and it looked like a tornado had gone through it. The kitchen cabinets were open, broken dishes were scattered all over the kitchen floor, and the smell was atrocious. You should take more pride in your home, Sophia, but now that you mention it, ever since I left your house, I’ve felt strange, a bit disoriented. I hope I don’t catch a bug from your nastiness.”

  Chapter Five

  Tuesday, September 6, 1955

  Bishop Verot Catholic School

  New Jersey

  “What makes you think they want to be rescued?” Teresa asked her new and only friend.

  Sophia dropped her smoke on the sidewalk and stomped on it. “Look at ’em. They look like they’re scared shitless.”

  Teresa laughed. Sophia sure had a way with words. For this reason alone, she wouldn’t invite her home. At least not yet. Tomorrow, she might change her mind. One thing was for sure—seventh grade wasn’t going to be nearly as boring as she had thought only that morning.

  “If you say so,” was the only reply she could come up with. She watched the pair. They did look a little frightened. Maybe, like her, they were new to this school.

  “Follow me,” Sophia instructed.

  Together, they strode across the schoolyard, stopping when they reached the two girls. The tall blonde with perfectly even features recoiled in obvious fear when she saw them. The other girl, short with strawberry-blond hair, a round face, and eyes that sparkled with mischief, grinned, then took the tall blond girl’s hand in hers. “Hi,” she said in such a friendly way that Teresa liked her immediately.

  “Hey,” she said, then held out her hand the way her mother taught her to do when introductions were made. “I’m Teresa Loudenberry and this”—she nodded to Sophia, who was busy scrutinizing the two—“is Sophia De Luca.”

  The girls stared at one another for a few seconds before the strawberry blonde broke the silence. Following Teresa’s lead, she held out her hand. “I’m Mavis Chapman, and this is Ida. This is our first day of Catholic school.”

  “Mine too,” Teresa said, just to reassure the pair. They did look a bit on the shaky side.

  “Yeah? Well, it ain’t all it’s cracked up to be. I mean that in the worst way. The nuns suck, the curriculum is way behind the public schools, and the boys are mostly stupid, except for Kip Alderson. He’s smart and will help you cheat on math exams if you pay him enough. Last year his going rate was two bucks. Might be more this year since we’re gonna study algebra.” Sophia smirked, then went on, “The only decent thing about this crap hole is the food.”

  The blond girl’s mouth dropped open, and the other girl, Mavis, placed a hand over her mouth to muffle a soft giggle. “I’m not very good at math,” she replied in a sugary-sweet voice.

  “Then you’ll want to hook up with Kip before he’s bombarded with all the class cheats. There’s a lot of ’em, too,” Sophia said. “What about you?” She looked at the tall blonde. “You got a last name?”

  Ida rolled her eyes. “Of course I do. It’s Spencer. Like the actor, Spencer Tracy.”

  “Well, that sure as hell makes you special,” Sophia blurted.

  Ida Spencer’s already pale features turned a shade lighter. “That’s a mean thing to say.”

  Sophia laughed. “Ah hell, I’m just messin’ with you. Look, take my advice. If you wanna get by in this shit-hole school, you’re gonna have to take a few punches. You hang with me, and I’ll show ya the ropes. Of course, if you’d rather hang with the likes of Kip and his gang of pantywaists, then by all means, do, but everyone will think you’re a lezbo.”

  Ida’s face went from pale to flaming red in a split second. “Why would you say such a thing?”

  Teresa wondered why, too, but waited for Sophia to explain herself.

  “Hey, I’m just tellin’ you girls how it is. You’re either with me, or you’re not. I ain’t gonna force any of you, that’s for damned sure!”

  Mavis spoke up. “You’ve always gone to Catholic school?”

  “Yep.”

  “Then I think we need to follow Sophia’s advice. Let her show us the ropes. What about it, Ida?” Mavis asked in the most adultlike manner.

  Ida looked to Teresa, then back to Mavis. “I suppose it’s okay, but I just want you to know I am not a . . . lezbo and just because you’re friends with someone . . . like that, doesn’t mean you’re the same way!”

  Sophia clapped her hands and laughed. “Well said, my new friend, well said.”

  Teresa thought Sophia acted like a girl twice her age, and she liked that. The girls in her sixth-grade class had all acted like babies. Suddenly, she was very glad that her parents had insisted on sending her to Catholic school. Somehow, she just knew these girls would all play important roles in one another’s lives. But there was no way she would ever reveal this to her parents. Let them think she hated school. If they thought she liked Catholic school, they might insist she return to her old school. Well, not really, she thought, but she wasn’t taking any chances.

  Taking charge of the conversation, Sophia asked, “Any of you have math class next period?”

  They all looked at the schedules they’d been assigned and nodded.

  “Then you’re about to meet the meanest nun of them all. Sister Clara Marie. She’s older than dirt and can’t hear, or at least she a
cts like she can’t. But try whispering in the old bat’s class, and her hearing is supersonic. And forget passing a note. She has eagle eyes and can see even when her back is to the class.

  “She thinks she’s Isaac Newton, or maybe even Einstein, but her class has been the same forever. She’s an easy A if she likes you; if not, well, you’re fu—. . . screwed.”

  “Why do you use such foul language? Aren’t you afraid one of the nuns will hear you?” Mavis asked Sophia.

  They all laughed, except for Ida.

  “I think it’s very tacky to use profanity,” Ida remarked.

  “Frig ’em,” Sophia said. “They all cuss. I’ve heard it. Whore. Bastard. Ass, though minus the hole. They’re not the perfect creatures they pretend to be, trust me on that. Wait till you spend a few days in detention; you’ll hear all of them cussing.”

  Ida spoke again. “I don’t plan to get a detention, so I will have to take your word for it. You didn’t answer my question, though. Why do you curse so much?”

  All eyes were on Sophia as she contemplated her answer.

  With a mischievous glint in her dark brown eyes, Sophia said, “Because I can, and I like to see the reaction I get.” She laughed out loud.

  Teresa joined in, and couldn’t help but admire her new friend. She had guts, she’d give her that.

  Taken aback at Sophia’s honest answer, Ida spoke up, but in a friendlier tone this time. “Oh, well, don’t expect me to join in. I find it very distasteful.” Ida raised her perfectly shaped eyebrows.

  “Five bucks says you’ll be cussin’ like a sailor before the end of the term.” Sophie held out her hand to Ida, which Ida quickly shook before yanking her hand away as if she’d been burned.