Secrets of the Spiral Tower

by Joe Woods

  “That is most gracious of you, but not necessary.”

  “But I insist. Besides, I don’t like to eat alone.”

  During the brief shopping spree and lunch, a new friendship was forged. Willow listened intently each time Gloria mentioned her father or Connor.

  “Did Daddy and Connor have any female companions?”

  Gloria was a bit taken back by that question.

  "Oh, yes. Mr. Connor had the same lady with him for many years.”

  Willow was amused by the almost off-the-cuff comment.

  “Really. Do you know her name?”

  “No ma’am, but Hector may. They made a beautiful couple, but I haven’t seen her in the last four to five years. Are you and Mr. Connor an item? I assumed since you’re Mr. Rupert’s daughter, that you were family friends, more like brother and sister. That’s the impression that Mr. Rupert left with me when we talked. He is so proud of you and told me many times that one day you would return to take control of McKenzie Towing.”

  That comment brought tears to Willow’s eyes.

  “I guess I have failed my Daddy. After college, I left home under strained circumstances, not only between Daddy and me, but also with Connor. But, I’m home now and want to correct some of those mistakes, and make things right for all of us.”

  “Willow, I haven’t known you very long, but I feel you can correct anything when you set your mind to it. Your determination reminds me so much of your daddy’s attitude. You are certainly your ‘father’s daughter.’ I hope I haven’t over-stepped my limits. But, again, since I’ve heard about you for the past twenty years, I feel like we are friends through your daddy. I guess I had better get back to my registration duties. Thank you so much for allowing me to be with you.”

  “Oh, thank you, Gloria. You’ve been more than helpful and I feel like I have gained a new friend. I especially thank you for sharing some of your moments with Daddy. I hope we can get together again very soon. Before you leave, I want to ask you if it would be out of order for me to talk to Hector. I would like to hear about some of the time he shared with Daddy also. There could be some loose ends that I may need to tie up.”

  “I’m certain Hector would love to spend some time with you. Mr. Rupert and Hector were practically inseparable during the times your daddy was here. Hector drove Mr. Rupert all over town and attended sporting events whenever possible. They especially enjoyed watching professional basketball when the San Antonio Spurs played.”

  “Is Hector on duty today?”

  “Yes ma’am. His shift starts at three. You can find him at the bellman’s desk at that time.”

  “Good. I’ll come down then. Again, thank you so much for your assistance and your friendship with my daddy.”

  Returning to her suite, Willow wondered how she should approach Connor about his relationships. I would prefer that he give me a full accounting..

  At quarter past three, Willow casually strolled into the lobby. Hector wasn’t immediately visible, so she picked up the newspaper, taking a seat in one of the large leather chairs. Her vantage point allowed her to see people coming and going. In a couple of minutes she saw Hector approaching.

  “Good afternoon, Ms. McKenzie. I’m so glad to finally meet you. I feel like I already know you. Your daddy told me everything about you and I’m sure he must have stretched the truth about me.”

  “Good afternoon to you, Hector. It is nice to see you.”

  “Are you enjoying your stay with us?”

  “Most definitely.”

  “Glad to hear that.”

  “Hector, will you have anytime today when we can sit and talk about you, Daddy, and Connor?”

  “Yes Ma’am. You may go to my office if you desire. I’ve got a few details to take care of and then I’ll join you. See you in less than thirty minutes. Just make yourself comfortable. I look forward to reliving some of my times with Mr. Rupert. He’s such an interesting down-to-earth person. By the way, where is Mr. Connor?”

  “He left this morning to visit the Alamo. He promised he would return by five this afternoon.”

  “That’s just like him. He loves the history around that place. I think he spends at least one day there every time he comes out here.”

  “Hector, I don’t want to interfere with your job. So, I’ll take you up on your offer to park in your office.”

  “I shouldn’t take long.”

  Upon entering Hector’s office, Willow was surprised to see a collection of photos of Vicksburg scenes and McKenzie tow boats. Prominently displayed under the desk glass was a panoramic view of the sea wall and several of the buildings situated on the water front. Located in the lower right hand corner was an inscription that read: “To Hector, my pal and protector. Thank you for being a good friend.” It was signed Rupert McKenzie, President and CEO McKenzie Towing. Hanging on the wall, directly across the room from Hector’s desk, was a picture of Rupert McKenzie, standing on the top deck of the ‘Winsome M’ tow boat.

  Tears welled in her eyes.

  At that moment, Hector entered the room catching Willow in a very pensive mood.

  “How do you like my decorations?” he asked.

  “Hector, this is beautiful. I wish I had a picture like that.”

  “Yes, it is nice. And did you see the inscription by your daddy?”

  “Yes. I can see there is great admiration from both sides.”

  “That is true. You know, Ms. McKenzie, many rich and famous people come through our doors every year, and most feel their importance. It shows in negative, condescending ways to the hotel staff. But, Mr. Rupert made up for all of that rudeness by being so appreciative of the things we did for him. Every day when I come to work, I come to my office first and place my hand on that inscription. That’s similar to what football athletes do as they leave their dressing room on their way to the field. They all have a special place to touch. That routine, although superstitious in nature, gives the athlete courage to go out and do their dead level best. I get the same feeling when I touch the picture and feel the presence of your daddy. I surely would love to see him again.”

  “I’m going to work on that. I’ll fly Daddy out here for a few days very soon.”

  “Wonderful.”

  “Earlier today, I got a bit of news about Connor and a female companion. Do you know her and where she lives?”

  “Yes ma’am. Her name is Charlotte Keady. She was in the towing business also and attended the annual conferences. She and Mr. Connor became quite an item. The last time I saw her though, she had a little boy about a year old. But that was four or five years ago.”

  That comment brought back to Willow, a picture of a small boy she had uncovered when looking for a hair brush in Connor’s dresser at his Redwood house.

  “Has Connor attended the conferences during the last four or five years?”

  “Yes ma’am. I don’t believe he has missed one in over twenty years. But, if I’m not being too forward, aren’t you and Mr. Connor an item now?”

  “Well, sort of. We’ve been friends for many years. As a matter of fact, I can’t remember when we weren’t friends.”

  “That’s good. Mr. Rupert talked about you two as if you were both his biological off-springs.”

  “Hector, I have one other question. Where is Charlotte from?”

  “That, I don’t know for certain, but I don’t think she lives in this vicinity. My guess is that she lives upriver from Vicksburg.”

  “I guess I had better go back to the suite and let you get back to your job. Thank you and hope we can visit again before I leave.”

  “Ms. McKenzie, you are quite welcome. If I can help, remember I’m at your beck and call. You’re so much like your daddy; I just love talking with you.”

  As the elevator doors closed, Willow’s imagination soared, could this baby boy in the picture be Connor’s or was Connor just being a hero to a damsel in distress.”

  Once inside the suite, Willow loosened her clothes and fell a
cross the bed. Lying on her back, she stared at the ceiling, thinking now I have a problem. She pondered whether she should bring up the girlfriend and the child or just let it ride. This is going to nag at me until Connor and I discuss it. The opportunity could come at dinner tonight. But the potential exists for a ruined evening. What to do is the question.

  Willow drifted off to sleep and was awakened as Connor unlocked the suite door and called her name.

  “Willow, where are you? I had a wonderful day at the Alamo, quite unlike the last days of those volunteer Texas Revolution Fighters-Travis, Crockett and Bowie. How was your day? Did you find something interesting to do?”

  “Take a look in the closet. See what I bought you.”

  Willow had hung the pants, shirt, and belt side-by-side on the clothes rack.

  “You really did go shopping,” Connor said “Look at that belt buckle and these boots. You’re going to make me look like a native!”

  “Try them on. If they don’t fit, I have time to exchange them. I want you to wear the new duds to dinner.”

  Connor slipped the shirt and pants on, admiring his new look in the floor-to-ceiling mirror. “They fit perfectly. Thank you, dearest. But, I didn’t go shopping for you today. I guess I really screwed up.”

  “Not at all. Tomorrow, after a leisurely breakfast, we’re going shopping for me. I know there must be some very unique South Texas items I can add to my wardrobe.”

  “Unique? Yes—and it can be very expensive. But I’m certain there was nothing in the stores in New York that looks anything like what you’ll see here.”

  “That’s great. I need to change my dress and accessories to look less like a visitor and more like a resident.”

  “To pull off that look, you need to replace those silk blouses and tight pants suits with flannel shirts, and holey, bleached-out blue jeans. A good pair of walking shoes, replacing those high heels would complete your metamorphosis.”

  “Are you saying you like me better when I dress down?”

  Leaning over and kissing Willow on top of her head, he said, “You look good to me no matter what you wear.” He looked at his watch. “We have reservations at eight and need to leave here around seven thirty.”

  “No problem. How about a glass of wine?”

  “No more wine for me now, thanks.”

  Connor focused on the TV evening news. The news ended at six-thirty, as most broadcasts did, with bad news about the war. The U.S. led coalition forces had suffered one of the war’s worst battles with thirteen American service men killed and thirty–one injured. A convoy of Marines on routine patrol was hit by several Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs).

  “This is making me very ill,” Willow said. “I wish our troops would just pull out and come home. We’re never going to win this war.”

  “Pulling out the troops isn’t going to happen any time soon. I heard one of the top commanders say we will be there for the next twenty years.”

  “That is absolutely horrible and it is going to wreck our economy. We’re wasting our blood and treasures in a senseless war of choice by the president for a cause that isn’t appreciated by the people of either country.”

  “I had no idea you are so in-tuned to this war.”

  “In tune? Yes. Against, yes. If we used those resources at home, just think what good we could accomplish. We could rebuild our highways, bridges, railroads, and national parks. We could even lower our national debt and stop borrowing from China.”

  “Maybe you should throw your hat in the political ring.”

  “I’ve thought about that, but decided against it. I want to get into the day-to-day operations of McKenzie Towing.”

  “That’s good. Maybe you could take over and I could go fishing once in a while? That is something I haven’t done in several years, but would like to do again.”

  “Then it is settled. You teach me the ins and outs of the daily operation, Caitlyn and I will take over and you and your buddies can go fishing.”

  “Can we seal the agreement with a handshake?”

  “Surely, a handshake and a kiss.”

  “How much time do you need to get ready?”

  “An hour should do it.”

  “Now that you have properly attired me, we should go to the ladies shop and westernize your apparel. The black pants suit outfit looks sexy on you and I’m certain it would turn some heads. But it blinks out the message of ‘tourist’. And also, I want a George Strait white hat to complete my new look.”

  “There is a good collection of hats at the emporium on the first floor. I didn’t buy you one because I’ve never seen you wear anything other than a Mississippi State University baseball cap.”

  “That’s right. I’ve never owned a hat. But, since you’ve changed my looks, I’m changing my ways.”

  In the back of her mind, Willow wondered why Connor was being so agreeable.

  “I don’t have time to go shopping tonight, but we will tomorrow,” she said. “You’re just stuck with that tight pants suit for tonight. Yes, I know, it will stand out in your crowd of westerners, but that’s okay.”

  “Whatever you say, dear.”

  Again, Willow thought, he’s just not himself. He’s too agreeable. I wonder what happened at the Alamo today. Could he have possibly met Charlotte instead?

  It was a fifteen minute taxi ride to the Tower of the Americas. Both gazed out their respective windows and neither spoke as they zipped along the streets.

  Willow broke the silence as the taxi turned onto Hemisphere Plaza Way. Seeing the Tower for the first time, she said, “This is impressive.”

  When the taxi stopped at the east-facing portico, Connor stepped out and offered his hand to Willow. He took her hand and walked briskly through the rotunda to the glass enclosed elevator situated on the outside west-facing wall.

  “This can be an exhilarating experience or a very scary ride. Hold on.”

  Connor put his back against the steel doors and grabbed a hand rail in each hand.

  Willow laughed. “Still afraid of heights, huh?”

  “Yeah, but I’m better than I was when we used to climb the spiral tower.”

  The ride to the restaurant, a distance of 750 vertical feet equaling two and a half football lengths, took several minutes. As the sun set in the west, casting shadows back toward her, Willow was awe inspired. The meal was served in the revolving restaurant and by the time all five courses were served, the restaurant had traveled one complete circle, 360 degrees. The food wasn’t anything spectacular, but still good. Willow wasn’t completely at ease during the dinner. Seemed like each time a new dish was placed in front of her, her mind and concentration returned to the ‘Charlotte’ question.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Connor, noting that she was not her exuberant self. “Are you still feeling the hangover from last night’s binge?”

  Willow thought that may be a good way to disguise her feelings. “Yes. I guess I’m tired and not very hungry. My stomach is a bit queasy.”

  “Do you want to leave or do you feel well enough for dessert? The Texas Delight is something special.”

  “Maybe we should return to the suite. I’m sure after a good night’s sleep I’ll be better company tomorrow.”

  “That’s fine. Let me pay our tab and we’ll head back. I’ll call a taxi.”

  “Thanks for understanding. I’m sorry I’m such a drag tonight.”

  “No problem. We all get that way from time to time, especially after consuming as much monkey juice as you did yesterday.”

  In less than thirty minutes, they were standing in front of the door to the suite when Connor asked, “Shall I carry you across the threshold?”

  “Oh, that would be romantic. Let’s give it a try.”

  After unlocking and opening the door, Connor picked Willow up and nestled her against his chest and carried her into the room. He kicked the door shut behind them and preceded to the bedroom, where he gently laid her on her back side. Leaning over, kissin
g her on the lips, he whispered, “I love you, beautiful girl.”

  Hearing that comment, a tear ran down her cheek. She pulled him in close. “I love you, too.”

  Tears welled in her eyes. She turned away so he wouldn’t see.

  It was midnight before Willow felt well enough to get up and change into her pajamas. Connor was sound asleep, inhaling and exhaling deep breaths.

  Willow pulled a chair up close to Connor’s side of the bed, sat down, and in the dimly lit room watched him sleep. He was so peaceful. She sat perfectly still remembering some of the good and foolish times she and Connor had. Weighing heavily on her mind were the secrets they shared. Now Charlotte Keady has come into her consciousness. Could she represent another secret? The tears falling from her eyes intensified. I don’t want to wake him, so I had better move to another room. Curling up on the living room sofa, clutching a pillow up against her chest, she spent a very lonely night, soul searching and wondering about her future with Connor.

  Chapter 14

  Willow was awakened by a ringing phone.

  “Hello, this is Willow.”

  “Willow, this is Tony.”

  “Why hello, Tony. How are things in New York?”

  “Quite lonely with you out of town. When are you coming back?”

  “Oh, Tony, I’m not exactly sure. I’m buying a house here and soon I’ll move out of New York permanently.”

  “Really? When did you make that decision? I thought you and I were becoming a couple.”

  “Tony, this is something we need to talk about, but not over the phone.”

  “Well, when and where? Maybe I’ll fly down to Mississippi tomorrow.”

  “That’s not a good idea. I won’t be in the state tomorrow. As a matter of fact, I’m in San Antonio.”

  “San Antonio? Okay then, I’ll meet you there.”

  “No, Tony. That isn’t a good idea either. Let’s put this conversation on hold. I’ll be returning to New York in a couple of weeks and we can settle this matter.”

  “Settle this matter. What do you mean? That sounds so cold. What about the night we spent together in Manhattan? And later at your condo? Didn’t you enjoy that? Seems to me like you did.”