The Secret Manuscript

by Edward Mullen

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Over the next several hours, Ben was consumed with reading the manuscript. Considering its value, he kept it locked in the secret room at all times, even when reading it. He was aware of how easy it would be for someone to come into his home in the middle of the night and take it from him. With the manuscript in hand, Ben stretched out on the couch, fully engrossed in the text.

  The silent alarm was triggered and within minutes, the place was surrounded by cops. Detective Todd was the officer in charge. He and his partner entered the bank with caution and when they realized the bank robber was no longer there, they began their formal investigation. While one interviewed the bank manager, the other spoke to the teller involved in the incident. Everyone else was told to wait.

  Other than the bank teller, who was noticeably shaken up by the incident, Ben was the only other person who had made contact with the robber. Ben waited around the bank like everyone else. It was a minor inconvenience, but during the wait, he made small-talk with the fellow customers to pass the time. When it was Ben’s turn, he was brought to a corner of the bank and was asked to recount his version of the event. He offered what little information he could and then asked a few questions of his own.

  “Do these guys usually get caught?” Ben asked.

  “Most of these ‘note passers’ are repeat offenders with prior criminal records. We send our best detectives out to follow any leads. With some luck, we will be able to make an arrest.”

  It was not exactly the most confidence-inspiring answer, but the police did not want to start advertising how easy it was to get away with robbing a bank.

  Less than a week later, Ben was reading the newspaper and a particular headline caught his attention. Upon reading the article, he learned the police had caught the guy who had done it. The article stated the robber had attempted to hit up another bank a few days later and during the robbery, there was a shoot-out where the man was shot and killed along with an innocent bystander. As Ben read the article, it made him really appreciate his life by reminding him how one event could change everything.

  It was two in the afternoon when Kyle came home, a time when he would normally be at work.

  “Kyle, what are you doing home so early?” Ben asked.

  Kyle let out a big sigh and was noticeably perturbed.

  “I’m having the worst week,” Kyle said. “First my team loses and now this.”

  “Now what?” Ben asked. “What’s going on?”

  “We’ll most likely lose our research grant.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, right now my team is working on a new treatment that would stave off the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. But today it was announced that a competing lab in Switzerland released a similar medication.”

  “So?”

  “You don’t understand. Whoever goes to market first has a huge advantage. We may as well pack up our bags and move on to something else.”

  “That’s terrible, Kyle. I’m sorry to hear that... but, it’s great for Alzheimer’s patients though.”

  “Yeah, I guess.”

  “So what are you going to do?” Ben asked.

  “I don’t know. I suspect our funding will be cut, and when that happens, I’ll have to start an entirely new thesis. It definitely sucks, but there’s really nothing I can do about it.”

  Ben’s eyes became heavy and he decided to put the manuscript down for a while. The stuffy room did not get proper ventilation so he rose from the couch and headed down the long corridor. Ben crawled through the fireplace and sealed it behind him. Once upstairs, Ben walked over to the large window in his living room. He saw his neighbour Gladys attempting to haul a garbage pail to the curb on her own. Ben saw the struggling senior and dashed outside to offer his assistance.

  “Here, let me help you with that,” he said, cutting across his front lawn.

  “Oh, thank you, dear. You know, I don’t mind doing it on my own, it gives me an excuse to get out of the house.”

  “I hear ya, I often have to create excuses for myself to get out as well.”

  “I find that hard to believe,” Gladys said.

  “It’s true, in fact, right now I have absolutely nowhere to go.”

  “Well, that makes two of us.”

  Ben thought for a moment and then did something uncharacteristic of him, “Would you like to go for a walk?” he asked.

  “Sure, that sounds lovely.”

  Ben and Gladys headed down the sidewalk at a leisurely pace without any direction or purpose other than to get some exercise, fresh air, and enjoy each other’s company.

  “I’m sure a nice man like you has plenty of dates,” Gladys said.

  “Honestly, you’re one of two women I’ve talked to since moving here and the other one… well, that didn’t go so well.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. What went wrong?”

  “I got in my own way,” Ben said, reflecting on the event. “But it was probably for the best, I didn’t really deserve her.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “I don’t know, I guess I had it in my mind what kind of guy a girl like her would want to be with, and then I pretended to be that guy instead of just being myself.”

  “So pretending to be this other guy didn’t work out?”

  “Not at all, it completely backfired on me since I couldn’t maintain the charade.”

  “How do you know what kind of guy she wants? After all, she agreed to go out with you in the first place, right?”

  “Yeah, but I may have misrepresented myself when we first met.”

  “How so?”

  “It’s complicated, but let’s just say I wasn’t really acting like myself.”

  “Oh, I see. Well, what’s done is done. Now, all you can do is try to learn from your mistakes and hope for a better outcome next time.”

  “Thanks. So what do you like to do in your spare time, Gladys?”

  “I like to meet with the gals at the community centre; I do that three times a week. We knit and play Canasta. I like to watch my shows — Law & Order, CSI, and a few others. What else? I like to read, bake, work on my garden… what about you?”

  “I like to read, write, and… well, that’s pretty much it.”

  “You’re still young and have plenty of time to discover what else the world has to offer. That’s one of my greatest regrets in life, not seeing the world.”

  “It’s not too late.”

  “I’m afraid it’s not so easy to travel at my age.”

  Ben and Gladys continued to walk and get to know more about each other. For some reason, he found comfort in talking with people who were much older than himself. Perhaps he liked their wisdom and non-threatening nature. The pair circled the block and arrived back where they had started.

  “Thank you for the company, Ben. I had a lovely time.”

  “I assure you, the pleasure was all mine. We can do it again whenever you like, just come knocking, I’m usually always home.”

  “If you and Kyle have no plans this weekend, you are more than welcome to come over and watch the big game.”

  “What big game?” Ben asked.

  “The Grey Cup is this weekend.”

  “Grey Cup, what’s that?”

  “I guess you don’t watch sports. The Grey Cup is the championship game for Canadian football, and this year my team is in it.”

  “Your team?” Ben asked.

  “Yes, the Calgary Stampeders are facing the Saskatchewan Roughriders.”

  “Gladys, I didn’t realize you were into sports.”

  “There are plenty of things you have yet to discover about me,” she smirked.

  “Very true. I’ll talk to Kyle and see if he watches—”

  Just then a thought entered Ben’s brain midsentence and before he finished, his eyes bulged wide.

  “What is it, dear?” Gladys asked.

  “Sorry, it’s nothing, I just remembered I have something important
to do. If you’ll excuse me,” Ben said, dashing across his lawn. “It was nice talking with you, Gladys. I’ll see you soon!”