“Yikes, Mrs. Boone is mad. You’re right. We were just a plastic card, and we shouldn’t let ourselves be used like that, worse of all, by our own kids.”
“Now for some good news, Layla called. She and Dewey are heading to Maui next month to pay their respects to Mr. Soo. Dewey is staying with Mr. Soo, and Layla is going to be staying with us.”
“What? I was looking forward to a long spell of alone time with you, with no one around, so I can grab your cute little ass anytime I feel like it,” George said, grabbing Annie’s butt.
“They’ll be here ten days at the most, then you can grab my ass anytime your heart desires. Do you mind so much having Layla here?”
“Yes, but I will be charming and gracious and make you proud.”
“I’m always proud of you, my love.”
CHAPTER 28
Rays of morning sun streamed into the kitchen through glass windows as Layla sat at the island counter, waiting for a batch of Agnes’s cookies to come from one of two ovens loaded with sheets of cookies. “How much longer, Agnes? My mouth is watering.”
“Won’t be much longer. Get yourself some milk or coffee, better yet, get yourself a beer.”
“A beer while I’m eating cookies? Agnes, that’s goofy.”
“I make these when Dewey is home, and he and Ted can watch a sports event together to add to the goodies I set out for them to munch. For some reason, these go great with beer. Don’t tell them the main ingredient is mincemeat. They’ll never eat another one.”
“Mincemeat is funny. I love mincemeat pie, but some people won’t even try a bite. It’s like buttermilk. You either love it or hate it.”
“Neither man would ever consider eating a piece of mincemeat pie. I bake one at Thanksgiving and Christmas just for me. I tell them the cookies contain my secret ingredient, and I can’t divulge it,” Agnes said with a chuckle.
Layla watched Agnes take the cookies out of the oven and lay them on a cooling rack. She reached for the first cookie from the rack, jostling it back and forth in her hands to cool. Layla blew on the side, then took a bite, sucking in air as she chewed. “Oh, these are so good. You’re right. I need a beer. How weird.”
Layla went to the refrigerator and got a bottle, asking Agnes if she wanted one.
“I’ll wait until all the cookies are baked. Then I’ll have a beer and cookies. There will be some left, right?”
“I’ll save you a couple. After all, you’re only making four dozen so.”
“There will be some for Dewey when he gets back from Tokyo, hopefully tomorrow or the next day. He feels bad he can’t be here with you now, but this is a big deal for his company and it’s his duty to make sure he handles it personally.”
“I know, Agnes. As long as he leaves me in your good hands, I’m happy. He’s always there when I feel down, and he never complains. He just listens to me while I whine.”
Agnes took off her oven mitt and leaned over the counter, looking directly at Layla. “He’s in love with you. It’s was love at first sight, and he keeps hoping you will feel the same way. He’s brilliant enough to understand it will be a long-term thing. He will never rush you, and frankly, you’ll have to make the first move. I know him. He would never jeopardize your friendship with a romantic overture. He’s a wonderful man. Aside from the fact he’s a genius, he’s generous and kind. He’s lonely, although he would never admit it. Staying absorbed in his work is not the same thing as being in a loving relationship.”
“You’re not the first person to tell me that. Annie and Mr. Soo said the same thing. I value Dewey’s friendship more than you can imagine, and I love him in a fashion. However, I’m not ready for anything else right now. It’s too soon. My feelings about love and marriage are still healing. Maybe that sounds silly with a good man like Dewey out there more or less for the taking, but I owe him more. If I’m going to ever be in love with him, I owe him my total self. Does that make any sense?”
“It does, and that makes me know if you two end up together, it will be right. Anytime you want to talk about anything, I’m here to listen and I give damn good advice,” Agnes said, nodding.
“Thanks, Agnes, I’ll probably take you up on that. I seem to need directional help with my life currently. I feel so out of place in New York. I feel nomadic, like I’m searching for something, some type of inner peace. I think it’s the loss of my daughter and maybe my marriage too. I’ve always been a person with specific goals, and I worked hard to attain those goals. Now I have no goal, no direction, just go from one event to another, looking for I have no idea what.”
Agnes patted her hand, saying, “Don’t rush into anything that doesn’t feel right. You’ll know where you’re supposed to be when the time is right. Like Dewey, you are very intelligent. You got thrown for a hell of a loop, and you have to get your bearings back. I saw Dewey like that when his father died. He was at a loss for over a year. He was just going to work and filling space, then he finally took time-out and went to Maui while his team developed the digital process he had started about a year before he lost his father. When he got back, he was renewed and had direction.”
“I was thinking about doing a charcoal of Dewey. Would he like something like that?”
“He would love it. I’ll have Ted put canvas down so you won’t have to worry about getting anything dirty. If you want good light, the greenhouse windows on the other side of the indoor pool would be an excellent place to sketch.”
“Perfect. If I start now, maybe I can finish before Dewey gets back from Tokyo. Of course, I need to take some of the cookies with me to keep up my strength until dinner.”
Layla put six cookies in a stack and wrapped them in a napkin.
“I’ll call Ted and have him bring a canvas for the tile. Did you bury those jars of mincemeat in the trash outside like I asked?”
“Yes, Ted will never find them. Your secret is safe.”
Layla sat on a stool with her sketchpad resting on a podium Ted had in storage, pleased with the bright sunlight coming through the windows and hoping she would be finished before Dewey returned home. She missed him and wanted to give him her gift as a way of letting him know how much she appreciated their friendship.
When the large DewMaster jet landed, a group of exhausted executives and technicians made their way to a waiting fleet of SUVs. They shook hands and congratulated each other on a job well done. Luggage was unloaded, and Dewey felt a tinge of disappointment that Layla hadn’t joined Ted in meeting the plane.
“I thought Layla might accompany you,” he mentioned to Ted, trying to sound casual.
“She’s been working on a project for a couple of days, something to surprise you with, and she’s finishing up or she would have met your plane. How did your trip go? Did they buy your digital program?”
“They were very happy, asking for more than originally proposed. This is going to be a very big money project, and it will put our digital base on the map. I can’t believe what a remarkable team I’ve assembled over the years. They had all the right answers and helped me seal the deal, truly a team effort.”
They pulled into the driveway and stopped in front of the steps. Layla and Agnes both came out as Ted and Dewey unloaded luggage.
Layla threw her arms around Dewey’s neck and hugged him close. “I’m so glad you’re home, and I hope everything went well for you and your staff in Tokyo.”
Dewey hugged her back, thinking this is what he wanted out of life, Layla hugging him, saying she was glad he was home. Although he would have liked a passionate kiss to go along with everything else, he was thrilled with the greeting he received.
“Everything went better than anticipated. We got a bigger contract than planned. It will mean our digital program is now able to compete with the top runners in the market. Has Agnes kept you fed?”
“I weighed myself this morning, I’ve gained thre
e pounds since I got here, and what a pleasure it has been. Agnes’s cooking is so great, and Ted watches over me like a doting parent.”
“I hear you have a project you’ve been working on,” Dewey said, enjoying the fact Layla was still in his arms.
“Yes, but it’s not quite finished yet, and I’m not telling you about it until it’s done. It’s a surprise.”
“Great. Now you’ve got my curiosity piqued. Any hints?”
“Nope, you’ll just have to wait.” Layla turned and put her arm around his waist, walking with him inside.
Agnes smiled at Ted, nodding approvingly at the sight of Dewey and Layla. “Someday, we’ll be attending their wedding.”
“Yep, but not right away. Dewey would marry her in a minute, but she’s not ready yet.”
“Ted, you are sometimes wiser than I give you credit for,” Agnes said, smiling at her husband.
After dinner, everyone drifted into the den where the fire roared. Dewey explained a little more about the digital process between yawns. Finally, he excused himself, saying he was being hit with jet lag and had to get to bed.
Layla went to her bedroom, spending the night and a few early morning hours finishing her charcoal portrait. Before she presented him with it, she was going to ask Agnes’s opinion, wanting to be sure she had captured everything about his face. Drawing him, she realized he was a very handsome man with fine, strong features. She stepped back and looked at the face staring back at her and felt she was seeing Dewey for the first time and she liked what she saw.
“You are a sexy man, great eyes, charming smile with a touch of mischief in your eyes,” she said to the portrait.
Layla asked Agnes for an appraisal of the portrait. Agnes gasped when she saw what Layla created.
“My god, you have captured all the facets of Dewey in one drawing.”
“Does that mean you like it and I should give it to him?”
“He’ll love it and be overwhelmed.”
No one saw Dewey until late in the afternoon when he came into the kitchen still looking tired. Everyone was sitting around the counter, eating cookies and having a beer.
“Dewey,” Agnes said, “I’ll fix you something to eat. You must be starving.”
“I am. I’ll have a couple of cookies to tide me over. Fix me leftovers from last night’s great dinner.”
“You look like you could use more sleep,” Layla said.
“I need more sleep and would still be sleeping, but hunger got the best of me. Sorry, Layla, I’m not being a very good host, but between the jet lag and all the worry about the presentation, I’m drained.”
“Heavens, don’t worry about me. I’m enjoying myself.”
After Dewey ate and started back to his bedroom, he asked Layla if she was ready with her surprise.
“Yes, but it can wait until you’re rested.”
“No, no, no, now that your surprise is ready, I would never be able to get any sleep. You had better show me.”
“All right, it’s still up in my bedroom.”
“My god, Layla, that’s me!” Dewey exclaimed as he slowly approached his portrait. “You did this? It’s remarkable. I don’t look like this. This guy is handsome. I’m the computer geek, remember?”
“Maybe that’s how you see yourself, but this is how the world sees you, and to verify my mind’s eye, Agnes agrees with the outcome of my labors.”
“I’m truly touched. No one has ever done anything like this for me before. You’ve seen me as I didn’t even know I existed. How can I ever thank you?”
“This is my thank you for all the times you’ve flown me here and there. You’ve opened your home to me, and I can talk to you like I talk to no one else. This is my thank you for being my dearest friend.”
CHAPTER 29
George looked closer in the mirror above his sink, ran his hand over his forehead, and sighed. He strode to where Annie sat at the counter, making a to-do list of his errands.
“Honey, my forehead seems to be expanding.”
“Is that all? The other day, while walking by the closet mirrors, I noticed I too was losing something, my ass! I’m getting a flat bottom and my boobs sag. This getting-old stuff is losing its glamour. It was fun getting the senior discounts, but now I’m seeing the results of aging and the fun is waning.”
“You’re still sexy to me, but will you still find me desirable when I’m bald and have to wear Coke-bottle bottoms for glasses?”
“George,” Annie said seriously, “you’ve always been the most desirable man I’ve ever known. To this day, you turn me on. I’ll see you reading the morning paper or watching television, and I simply lust for you. Maybe that sounds strange after all these years, but it’s the way I feel about you, and that feeling is never going to change. Enough lustful thoughts, I’ve got to get you going on these errands. First off, the bank. I figure we should draw out $500 in cash. Here is a list of what denominations to request.”
“Don’t you trust me to do anything by myself?”
“Of course. It’s just that, if I don’t write things down, I forget what the hell I want you to do. Like I said, this getting old is maddening.”
“Next stop?” George asked Annie, nuzzling her neck.
“Ooh, that’s nice. George, be good or I’ll get distracted, and you’ll be running errands at midnight.”
“And who brought up the lust subject?” George asked with a grin as he nibbled her earlobe.
“OK, now your next stop is the vitamin store. Here’s a list of what we need. Next, the dry cleaners. Here is the receipt for what’s there, and over on the table is what needs to be taken in. And last, your favorite place, the grocery store.”
“I hate going to the grocery store because no matter how good we do it week after week, we are back there doing the same thing the next week, and then we usually go midweek because we’ve run out of something or need something. Do you have a list for the store?”
“Pick up a half gallon of 2 percent milk, a box of raspberry oat bars, and some fresh fish for dinner, anything you feel like grilling. I’ll nuke some potatoes and do a salad with our fish for dinner. Does that meet with your approval? Since you are doing all the running around, I’ll clean the grill.”
“Now you’re talking. That meets with my approval. Guess I had better be on my way,” George said, gathering his lists along with the clothes for the dry cleaners. “Lock the slider after me,” he called back to Annie.
He was getting the cash from the bank teller when he looked up and saw Donnie motioning him to come back to his office. George finished his transaction and swung the gate inward, walking toward Donnie’s office.
Donnie Munson came out and greeted George warmly. “George, glad to see you folks are back from vacation. Hope all went well.”
“We spent a wonderful week visiting National Parks in Utah with Dewey and Layla. You’ve got to take the wife and kids to see the Grand Canyon. It’s truly unbelievable, and go to the North Rim, not many people. The second week we split between both our kids in the Los Angeles area, they ran us ragged. Made us appreciate the quiet pace of Paia even more.”
“How is Layla doing?”
“You know, she and Kyle are divorcing? I believe he and Kim are now a couple. That and the loss of her baby would not be easy on anyone, but she’s involved in her art restoration work and looks a lot better than when you saw her last. She’s still in the healing process. I’m sure that will take some time. How are things going on the Visitors Center?”
Donnie grimaced. “Had I known what I was getting myself into, I’m not sure I would have proposed the project or at least not volunteered to head the makeover. The permit process and environmental aspects are daunting. I’ve lost weight. A miracle! I never lose weight over anything,” Donnie said, shaking his head.
“When I worked for the airlines, I w
ould occasionally be sent to the mainland for engineering conferences. It was always a laughing topic about the environmental restrictions put on projects in Hawaii and in California. So I imagine getting permits is a major task.”
Donnie asked, “Have you noticed how we leveled the right side of the front yard? We were going to put in gravel and use that area and the area farther up at the entrance to the Visitors Center for parking. We anticipate special events usage, so we want plenty of space to ease street parking. Anyway, the gravel came and was disbursed as planned. However, it was not correct according to the environmental code. It would create too much dust when used by numerous cars at once. The contractor said he had been using that particular gravel for several years, and it had always passed code. We found out it was fine for private residences, but for multi-car use, it was not acceptable. So all those tons of gravel had to be shoveled and put in piles, then a front-end loader came in and loaded it back into trucks to be hauled away. Since there was dirt in with the gravel, it was not salvageable and had to be dumped. The contractor is a terrific guy and agreed to eat half the cost, but the other half came out of the foundation funds. I’m just sick about the whole thing and feel responsible.”
“Donnie it’s not your fault. If I told you the number of times projects at the airport had to be redone for similar reasons, you would be amazed. Has you contractor determined what type of gravel you need to use?”
“He’s still working with the powers that be, but it’s another reason the project has slowed. Stop by this coming Friday afternoon. I’ll show you around, and you can see what has been accomplished so far. You’ll be surprised at how large the old market is, and you might come up with some ideas with your keen engineer’s eye.”
George grinned, knowing he was being flattered but was anxious to see how things were evolving, so he agreed to meet Donnie on Friday. Donnie suggested he bring Annie if she was up to being inside the old market again.
Maui Murders Page 17