The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20

by Jacqueline Druga

  “Why is that?” Josephine asked.

  “I’m his son,” Hal answered.

  “Holy Jesus!” Josephine snapped. “Joey has another son!”

  Frank grunted loudly. “Uh! Hello! Everyone knows this. If you weren’t so drunk all the time . . .”

  “Frank.” Hal stopped him, “Enough. Leave the woman alone.”

  Josephine smiled. “My God, are you a hot one,” she told Hal.

  Hal awkwardly smiled. “Thanks.”

  She winked. “Wanna get lucky?

  Robbie nudged into Hal. “She’ll hook you up, Hal.”

  “Oh, yeah,” Frank instigated. “You can finally lose that virginity you’ve been saving all these years.”

  “Both of you . . .” Hal pointed to Frank then Robbie. “Are assholes. Excuse me.” He walked by Josephine.

  With a whap, Josephine smacked Frank.

  “What!” Frank blasted.

  “Way to go. You ruined it for me!” Josephine snapped.

  “No, I didn’t,” Frank argued. “If you’re nice and quit bitching at me, maybe I’ll fix you up with him.”

  “Let me get this straight.” Josephine tipped some. “I’m nice to you and I get to sleep with boy-toy over there.”

  “Yep,” Frank nodded.

  “In what way nice?” Josephine asked. “I’m not performing any sexual favors on your ugly ass.”

  “Hey!” Frank yelled. “No! Quit picking on me.”

  Josephine contemplated, “Quit picking on you and I get him?” She rubbed her chin. “Forget it. I don’t need laid that bad.” She stammered back to her chair.

  Frank tossed up his hands.

  Robbie tilted his head. “You tried.”

  “I did. Hold on.” Frank felt a tap to his shoulder. When he turned around, he screamed.

  Jason tugged his own ear. “Problem?”

  “No, you scared me. I forgot you weren’t dead anymore.”

  “I see.” Jason gave a quick look at Robbie. “Frank, I just needed to remind you about another meeting. I’d like to get one in soon, Christmas is in a few days and we need that spirit lifting.”

  “Got it.” Frank replied. “Just to be safe, I’ll let Hal know I’m prepared.”

  “You do that,” Jason informed.

  “Be right back.” Spotting his brother by the podium with Danny Hoi, Frank had to intrude. “Hal.” He poked Hal. “Hal.”

  “What!” Hal turned around.

  “I need to speak to you.”

  “Obviously. One moment.” Ignoring Frank’s mimicking ‘one moment,’ Hal returned to Danny. “Here are my father and Dean’s votes. I’ll just make a short speech and we’ll proceed. Let’s keep this short and painless.”

  “Got it.” Danny took the votes. “I’ll be over there.” He pointed.

  Nodding to Danny, Hal exhaled. “Now.” He turned to Frank. “What is it?”

  “Just in case.” Frank patted his tee-shirt pocket. “I wanted to let you know, I am prepared.”

  “Prepared?”

  “Yes. I know how these meetings go. Just in case people need answers about the meteor, I have them.”

  “On a sheet of paper in your shirt pocket?” Hal asked.

  Frank looked. “Yes.”

  “I see.” Hal nodded. “Would this statement be similar to the grizzly bear statement you gave the community not that long ago?”

  “Um . . . .” Frank pulled out the paper. “Well, it’s similar . . . hey.” Frank yelled when Hal stole the paper

  Hal breathed in irritation. “Similar? God, Frank, it’s the same stupid statement. You just crossed out bear and put the word meteor.”

  “Hal, the same message gets driven home. Why change an effective speech?”

  “Why give one should be the question, Frank. “

  ”Because there’s a meteor coming.”

  “Frank!” Hal snapped. “There is no meteor coming.”

  “Oh yeah? Well people said there was no bear but there was.”

  “What are we going to do if one does sail down to Beginnings? Nothing.”

  “Hal,” Frank huffed out. “I’m working on it. I saw that movie. I was thinking of showing it to everyone for getting prepared. I’m also searching out Lyme caverns . . .”

  “Frank.” Hal held up his hand. “Please stop this. If you start to display any more signs of progressive degenerative intelligence we will be sending the short bus to take you on your rounds.”

  “I can walk.”

  “Ex . . . . excuse me” Handing the statement back to Frank, Hal walked over to the podium.

  Staring down at the open sheet of paper, Frank nodded, impressed. “It’s a good speech.”

  “I like Ellen and all.” Larry Gaines stood up amongst the crowded Social Hall and all those seated. He turned to look at Frank who stood way in the back next to Robbie. “I like her, Frank. I do. I know I work for you.”

  With his arms folded, projecting a calm exterior, and with his headed titled, Frank gave a nod. “You speak your mind. Go on, Larry,” he said then wished there weren’t so many people in that Hall or Frank would read his mind.

  Larry peered around as he spoke. “As I said. I like Ellen and I’ll be the first to admit, I didn’t like Bev, but the only side of the story we ever got was Ellen’s. I mean, John Matoose was known to work with the Society. He did it for protection of his family but no one shot him. How do we know Bev wasn’t just hiding from her father? We don’t. Murder is a crime, no matter who the victim and let’s not forget there was another victim in all this, that baby Bev carried.” Larry again looked at Frank. “I’m sorry, Frank.”

  “Not a problem.” Frank lifted his hand. “I understand.” After Larry had taken his seat, Frank leaned into Robbie and whispered. “Oh, he’s walking the fuckin worst beat for at least a year.”

  Jenny stood up. “Well, I disagree. Bev was nasty, mean, and I saw firsthand some of the things she did. Ellen has lived here since the beginning of Beginnings. Telling her she has to leave, whether it be for a day or a month, is wrong.”

  “So is murder,” Larry argued.

  Frank grumbled another whisper to Robbie. “Scratch walking the worst beat. He’s walking the killer baby region.”

  “People.” Hal drew their attention. “Jenny, as much as I appreciate your argument for Ellen, a platform of debate is not why we are here. Ellen admitted her own guilt. We, her peers, sentenced her. Now the only decision to be made is whether to suspend that sentence or not. There will be no more debates on how long she goes. That is determined already. There will be no more arguments about the act of murder or how vile a person Bev was. It is a simple check mark that you must make. A check mark that must be made within your own clear conscious. The question to be answered is, will the loss that Beginnings suffers over the departure of Ellen for one month’s time outweigh the act of murder? That is the question you will answer. That is the determining factor. Mr. Hoi has the ballots. No one will know what you voted so vote freely.”

  After watching Hal step from the podium, Frank glanced at Robbie who had a thinking look. “Why are you thinking that?”

  Robbie snickered. “Thinking what?”

  “That Hal is so much like Dad.”

  “Well, Frank look . . .” Robbie stared for a second. “You knew I thought that?”

  “Uh, Robbie? I read minds now.”

  “That’s right. Anyhow . . . he is. He’s just a natural leader, like Dad.”

  “Like me,” Frank said. “And Hal doesn’t end up running this country, I do. Remember that. Let’s go get our ballots. We’ll stand real intimidating by the turn-in box.”

  “Sounds good.” With a shrug, Robbie followed Frank.

  ^^^^

  Elliott supposed the hooting and hollering was above normal level for Hoi-Hoi on the Range and in all honesty, Elliott would have preferred not to be there. But he had his reason and his reason was the instigation of the hooting and chanting. He glanced across the establishment a
t the men who encircled the pool table laughing and shouting.

  Finishing his water, Elliott set down the glass, slid from his bar stool and having had enough walked, to the group of men. He could slightly see the blonde head of the center of their attention.

  “Gentlemen,” Elliott spoke up.

  Silence.

  At the same time, the group of ten men turned and snapped at attention.

  “God!” Ellen emerged forward. “Can’t these men go out and have a good time without you or Hal constantly throwing your authority in their faces? Relax guys, you’re out having a good time.”

  The men didn’t budge.

  Elliott moved more toward the table. “Gentlemen, may I have a word with Dr. Hayes . . . alone.”

  Upon the completion of his request, the men dispersed.

  “Hey!” Ellen called out, slamming her cue stick. “Elliott, what is wrong with you?”

  “I needed to speak with you.”

  “Well, couldn’t you have found a better way rather than scaring away my friends?”

  “Ellen . . .”

  “Dr. Hayes, please,” Ellen said smugly.

  “Dr. Hayes, I don’t believe those men were your friends.”

  “What do you know?”

  “I know with the relinquishing of the rumor that you are, how did I hear it, searching for a new UWA prospect. You are also portraying an air of promiscuity.”

  “Oh, bite me, Elliott,” Ellen snapped. “I am not. I’m having fun. You’re pissed because you are easily being replaced.”

  “Replaced?” Elliot questioned. “I didn’t realize I had a place to begin with.”

  “Really?” Ellen spoke a little above normal level. “I suppose I just let every man grab my breasts.”

  Silence hit the Range.

  Elliott cleared his throat and looked around the room. “Keep talking, gentlemen.”

  The mumbling of conversation continued.

  “What do you want, Elliott?”

  “Does your husband know you are in Bowman, searching?”

  Ellen rolled her eyes. “I’m having a good time with my friends.”

  “They are not your friends.”

  Ellen’s voice shrieked. “And neither are you! You made that abundantly clear! So take your attitude and your high and mighty judgmental self and get lost!” She dropped her voice. “I’m here to take my mind off a decision that right now is being made about me. I don’t need you, Sgt. Fuckin Ryder, to bring me down.”

  “Do you need to swear?”

  “Fuck you.”

  “All right,” Elliott remained calm. “Upsetting you is not what I wanted to do. I just wanted to speak to you.”

  “I thought. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought, just this morning, you told me you wanted to keep your distance, that you didn’t want to cross any friendship boundaries, and that you didn’t want to talk. Did you or didn’t you say that?”

  “I did.”

  “Then why are you talking to me?” Ellen asked.

  “I changed my mind.”

  Ellen gasped loudly. “Oh, and you were the one saying you aren’t Frank. Well, aren’t you being just like Frank by changing your mind? People can’t just change their minds over decisions that affect other people’s lives, Elliott.”

  “I have. I erred in not accepting your apology.”

  “Well, forget the apology. I take it back.” Ellen folded her arms.

  “You can’t take back an apology.”

  “I just did.”

  “It’s on the same lines of changing minds,” Elliot argued. “If I can’t change my mind then you can’t rescind your apology.”

  “Fine.” Ellen threw her hands in the air. “You can’t change your mind. I can’t rescind my apology. Guess what?” She smiled. “We’re back to square one. You’re still mad at me.”

  “I’m not,” Elliott stated.

  “But your mind isn’t changed, so you are.”

  “Ah.” Elliott lifted a finger as he leaned closer to her in an arguing mode. “So going by that, if you never apologized and I have never changed my mind, that means yes, I’m still angry, but therefore you are still remorseful.”

  “I’m . . . I’m confused.” Ellen walked away and grabbed her pool stick.

  “Ellen, can we just put this behind us?”

  “You’re too pissy, Elliott.” Ellen chalked up her pool stick. “Really. I can’t deal with a wishy-washy guy.”

  “I am not wishy-washy.”

  “You changed your mind. One second you’re mad and then next you aren’t.” She shrugged and put down the chalk.

  “I want this settled.”

  “There’s no way.”

  “I beg to differ.” Elliott smiled. “There is a way. Plus, it will pass time while you wait here in Bowman.”

  Ellen tilted her head in curiosity to him.

  “We’ll settle it the way many a men have done before.”

  “How’s that?” Ellen asked.

  “Best out of three.” Elliott laid his hand on a pool ball and rolled it to Ellen.

  Ellen laughed. “Oh, you’re in trouble. I’ve been winning all night. I’m pretty good.”

  With an ‘uh-hmm’ Elliott nodded. “And keep in mind I’ve been watching you play all night.” He winked ornery with a smirk and grabbed the rack. “You break.”

  ^^^^

  Almost as if he couldn’t shuffle the cards and speak at the same time, Dean waited until the noise of the flipping cards had completed. “You’re sure you don’t mind talking about this?”

  “I don’t mind at all,” Joe replied, hitting the fake cigarette as if it were real.

  “Good. As I was saying . . .” Dean dealt out the cards and paused. “I’d like to start the treatments day after tomorrow.” He dealt some more, then paused again. “The first series of treatments will not be a high dosage so . . .” He finished dealing. “You should still be able to move about during them.”

  “Unlike you with those cards.”

  “Excuse me?” Dean asked.

  “Some scientist.” Joe picked up his cards. “You can’t shuffle and deal while talking.”

  “I didn’t realize I did that.”

  “You do. I bet you can’t walk and chew gum at the same time.” Grumbling, Joe checked out his cards. “These suck.”

  “So are you in agreement?” Dean asked.

  “On what?”

  “The treatments.” Dean smiled when he looked at his cards.

  Joe rolled his eyes. “Dean, you have a good hand. The secret is to not let me know.”

  “I didn’t.”

  “You smiled. Ever hear the phrase ‘poker face’?”

  “You’re avoiding my question.”

  “No I’m not.” Joe picked up a card, then laid one down. “I heard and no, I’m not in agreement with the treatments. I’ll have them but not until after Christmas.”

  “That may delay your full return to work.”

  “Then it delays my return. Hal will do fine.”

  “That makes me feel good that you’re in no hurry to get back to work,” Dean said.

  “There’s a lot I can do without fully returning.”

  “I know, but usually . . .” Dean froze. The living room door opened.

  Somehow the air of demeanor that swept in with Andrea was as cold as the December air right outside the door.

  Andrea tried. She really tried not to relay much upon her entrance, but somehow she knew she blew it. Was it in her face? Her movements? She hadn’t spoken a word. Whatever it was, something tipped Dean off enough for him to not only drop his cards but lower his head as well.

  Joe slowly turned in his chair. “Andrea.”

  Andrea shut the door. She daintily cleared her throat. “Dean . . .”

  Dean’s hand lifted and he shook his head. “I . . . I don’t need to hear.”

  “I do,” Joe stated. “I do. It needs to be said or it won’t be real. Tell us.”

  Andre
a’s eyes shifted from her husband to Dean. “The votes were counted. It wasn’t unanimous, but the majority was, well, the majority by a long shot. Twenty-seven, to One-fifty-three. Within . . . within one week . . .” Andrea’s voice cracked. “Ellen must leave Beginnings.”

  ^^^^

  “Eight ball, corner pocket,” Ellen said seriously. “Off the bank.” She leaned over with the cue in her hands and eyed her shot. She and Elliott were the only two remaining patrons at Hoi-Hoi on the Range. Not that is was late, but for the first time, Elliott used his authority to ‘clear house’. Bobbing her head in cockiness to the beat of the slow country song, Ellen took her shot.

  The ball sailed across the table, banged into the far bank, ricocheted left. and basically rolled in no real direction, back and forth, until it stopped.

  Elliott nodded and took his lean over the table. “Eight ball, side pocket, no banks.”

  “And you think this is a possibility?” Ellen looked. “It’s way over here.”

  “Eight ball,” Elliott reiterated. “Side pocket.” One simple rev and he hit the shot, sending the ball directly into the pocket. “I believe I won . . . again. What does that make Ellen, eight times in a row?”

  “I won the one.”

  “No. You won none.” Elliott set down his cue stick. “You only were able to sink the balls because I put them in for you. You . . . you . . .”

  “Suck at pool?”

  “I was going to be more polite,” Elliott said with one eye closed. “Now can we end this and make amends?” He extended his hand. “I believe I’ve earned it. I’ve received more insults from you this evening than I have from everyone my entire life. Truce.”

  Ellen stared at his hand, then with a smile, shook it. “Truce.”

  “Thank you.” Elliott leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. “Want to play a . . .” Noticing the far off look in her eye brought curiosity to Elliott. “Ellen? What is it?”

  Ellen swallowed. “Hal’s back.” Her eyes locked upon the door that Hal just walked through.

  Whispering, Elliott lowered his head to her. “Perhaps it is good news.”

  Turning to face where Ellen did, Elliott saw that the news wasn’t good.

  Hal walked in, removed his bandana, and kept it in his hands before him. He gave some sort of awkward forced smile, then after a long blink, he looked over his shoulder.