by Rich Amooi
“Did you go to San Jose State?”
Cedric raised his eyebrows. “Yeah. What’s your name?”
The woman held out her hand. “I’m Pamela Deville.”
“Nice to meet you. DeVille? Like the Cadillac?”
She smiled, still holding on to Cedric’s hand. “Just like it.”
“Sorry, I don’t remember you. What was your major?”
“I—” Pamela suddenly had a pained look on her face. “Oh God.”
She looked like she was going to pass out.
Cedric wrapped his free hand around her back to hold her up. “Are you okay?” Pamela leaned forward and slammed her face against his chest. Cedric used more of his arm to get a better grip on her back so she wouldn’t fall to the ground. “Hang on. I got you.”
She pulled her face from Cedric’s chest and blinked a few times. “I just got dizzy all of a sudden. That was weird. I’m sorry.”
“No need to be sorry. You okay?”
“I think so.”
“You sure? Can I let go of you?”
“Yeah, yeah, I think I’m fine.” She stood up straight. “I was in a hurry this morning and skipped breakfast. That probably wasn’t a good idea.”
Cedric pointed to a basket of cherries. “Eat some cherries to get something in your system.”
“No. I’ll be fine, thank you.”
“No charge.”
“You’re very kind, but no, I’ll be okay.” She kissed Cedric on the mouth and smiled. “Thanks, though, that was very sweet.”
Cedric stood there, motionless. What the hell just happened? He wiped his mouth, disgusted that a stranger kissed him.
As she walked away, Tony slapped Cedric on the back. “Dude, you don’t even have to try and girls just throw themselves at you.”
“I don’t care about her. I want Ellie.” He wiped his mouth again. “The problem is, I can’t have her because my promise to my mom is a priority.”
“I’d take the girl.”
“I can’t go back on my promise.”
“Vlad’s a dirty cop and he uses his authority and the system for his own interests. That’s bullshit.”
“I agree.”
An older woman approached the booth pushing a shopping basket on wheels.
“Good morning, Mrs. Grundog,” said Cedric. “How’s the family?”
She smiled and rubbed her belly. “The family is going to get bigger, Cedric.”
“That’s great.” Cedric went around the table to hug her. “Number seven. That’s a lucky number.”
“We’re lucky to have them.” She eyed a few baskets of garlic, chose one, and handed Cedric the cash.
Cedric pushed the money back in her direction. “It’s on the house. Congratulations.”
She put the cash back in her purse. “You’re too kind, Cedric. When are you going to meet a nice girl and settle down?”
“That’s the million dollar question.” He waved goodbye to her.
“I’ve got it!” Tony slapped his hand on the table. “Mr. Chronic Fainter.”
“Owen? What about him?”
“You said he was a PI.”
“And?”
“And you need to have him dig up some dirt on Vlad to use against him.”
Cedric sighed. “It’s not that easy.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s not.”
Tony slapped his hand on the table again and Cedric jumped.
“Quit doing that.”
“Call Owen.”
“No.”
Tony held out his hand. “Give me the phone, I’ll do it.”
Cedric didn’t answer.
“How much do you like Ellie?”
Cedric looked at Tony and shrugged. “To be honest, we’re past the like stage. I’m falling in love with her.”
“Then fight for her dammit. What does it hurt to call Owen? Nothing! If he says no, then no big deal, you’ve wasted a minute on the phone with him. Call him.”
Cedric pulled out his wallet to retrieve Owen’s business card. He dialed the number.
“Owen Fitzpatrick.”
“Owen, it’s me Cedric, got a minute?”
“Hello, Cedric. What’s going on?”
“Remember my situation?”
“Of course.”
“Well, would you by chance be free today sometime?”
“Absolutely. Where are you?”
“Right now, I’m at the farmers’ market in Willow Glen, but I can stop by later.”
“No, I’ll come see you. I’ll be there within the hour.”
“Perfect, thanks.”
Thirty minutes later, Owen approached Cedric’s booth, smiling. “Beautiful day.”
Cedric looked around. “That seems to be the mutual consensus because everyone is out.”
Owen held up an empty canvas bag. “And a great day to buy cherries.”
“They’re on the house today, thanks for coming by.”
“No worries. How can I help?”
Tony stepped forward. “Cedric is being blackmailed.”
“Is that right?” said Owen.
Cedric shook his head. “Blackmailed is such a strong word. I’m trying to buy my grandfather’s old property in Gilroy. Ellie’s ex said if I wanted to buy it, there were certain guidelines that needed to be followed.”
Tony waved his finger in the air. “That’s bullshit. He told Cedric to quit dating Ellie or he’d have no chance of buying the property. He’s a cop and his brother is the County Supervisor controlling the sale of the farm.”
“That’s blackmail indeed. Which County Supervisor?”
“Dominic Cunnings.”
Owen nodded. “Ah, I’ve heard of him. He got in trouble a few years back for accepting gifts from a general contractor in exchange for favors. They slapped him on the wrist, he returned the gifts, and that was the end of that.”
“Can you dig up dirt on him?”
“Tony watches way too much television,” said Cedric.
“On the contrary,” said Owen. “Some people make it easy. One case I was working on not too long ago, it took me exactly two hours to get evidence that the guy was cheating on his wife.”
“Will you do it?” asked Tony.
Cedric grabbed Owen’s canvas bag and placed two baskets of cherries inside. “You can’t just follow him until you see something odd. That could take months and I don’t have that much time.” He handed the bag back to Owen.
Owen smiled. “Thank you. It helps if I know what I’m looking for. If you know about some of his illegal activities, that would be ideal.”
“Ellie would know for sure,” said Tony.
“No. If he finds out she was involved, there’s no telling what he would do to her. The guy doesn’t seem stable to me. Forget it, this was a bad idea.”
“Can I get your card, Owen?”
“Of course.” He pulled a card from his wallet, handing it to Tony.
“No, Tony,” said Cedric. “I can’t take the chance of losing the property.”
“I’m just innocently asking a person for their business card.”
“I know you.”
Cedric had images of Vlad harming Ellie flashing through his mind and he shuttered.
Tony stuck the card in his wallet. “So, you’re just going to—”
“Forget it, Tony.”
Later in the evening, Cedric was at home, pacing back and forth in his kitchen. He stopped, took a sip of his coffee, and then continued with his pacing. Tofu’s head followed him back and forth, like he was watching a tennis match.
“I’m going to get an ulcer from this anxiety.” He looked over to Tofu. “Do you even know what anxiety is?”
Tofu wagged his tail.
“No, you don’t. You’re a dog and you only know how to eat, sleep, and poop. That’s it. Am I right?”
Tofu jumped up and walked over to Cedric who filled his cup with more coffee. He picked up Tofu and scratched him on the head.
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“I wish you could help me.”
Tofu licked Cedric’s ear.
“I appreciate the effort, but a lick is just not going to cut it. You need to learn to speak.”
“Arf!”
“No dog talk. You need to learn to speak English.”
“Arf!”
“Okay, you don’t get it. Don’t you have another body part to clean?”
Cedric’s cell rang and he grabbed it from the counter.
“Hey, Michael.” He set Tofu back on the floor.
“I just got your message. Did you make a decision?”
Cedric let out a loud breath. “No, but I’ve worn a hole in the carpet, so at least I’m doing something productive. Or maybe that’s destructive.”
“Sorry. I wish I could help.”
“You can. Just tell me what to do so if I find out it’s the wrong decision in the future, I can blame you.”
Michael laughed. “You wish. Look, I know this is hard for you, but if it were me, I would choose a person over a property.”
Cedric put his coffee cup in the sink. “But I’m not really choosing the property, I’m choosing the promise I made to my mom. Which happens to be the property.”
“I know this may sound silly, but … why don’t you talk with your mom? Go to the cemetery if you have to. You may not get the answer directly from your conversation with her, but you may receive a sign.”
“What type of sign?”
“I have no idea, but there’s usually a sign if you look hard enough. So, just watch for it and pounce on it.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Two days ago.
Technically, two days, six hours and fifteen minutes.
That was the last time Ellie spoke with Cedric. It was such a wonderful time, followed by two days of doubt and uncertainty.
Ellie tried to concentrate as she scrolled through the list of borrowers with overdue books, but her mind was on Cedric. Why hadn’t he called? She had left him two messages yesterday, but still … nothing.
“Ellie!” said Peggy, startling her just as she sat down.
Peggy was a smart woman and Ellie was sure it wouldn’t take long before she—
“Are you okay?” Peggy rubbed Ellie’s shoulder. “Did something happen?”
Ellie tried to force a happy face. “I’m fine, just not feeling that well. Maybe it was something I ate.”
“Oh dear, I’m so sorry. I hope you feel better soon.” Peggy handed Ellie another manila envelope. “This just arrived for you.”
“What’s this?”
“I don’t know, open it!”
Ellie opened the envelope and pulled out the contents, which included a full-access pass for the annual American Library Association Conference, confirmation for five nights at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco, and transportation to and from the event. There were even meal vouchers.
Ellie looked confused. “I don’t understand.”
“You are the most intelligent person in this building. I’m quite sure you do.”
“No. I can’t accept this. This was a lot of money, especially for the hotel.”
Peggy laughed. “For some odd reason, you are under the assumption that I bought this for you.”
“You didn’t?”
“I’m kind, but I’m not that kind.”
Ellie read the letter enclosed. “Congratulations, you’re one of three randomly-chosen librarians in Santa Clara County selected to attend our annual conference absolutely free.”
Peggy hugged Ellie. “This is wonderful!”
Ellie didn’t respond.
“Where’s your smile, Ellie? Obviously, this was meant to be. Look, it’ll be good for you to be there as the incoming Branch Manager.”
“They don’t give people a lot of notice, do they?”
“What’s important is you can go!”
“This is crazy. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I would love to go. I was hoping to go. But with the cost of Derek’s funeral services and his—” Ellie felt some strong emotions coming on quick and had to cut them off. She knew it wasn’t just about the conference or Derek. Cedric had her torn apart as well. She had to hold it together. “I just figured I would have to wait until next year.” Ellie glanced at the documents again. “This is tomorrow.”
“I can have your shifts covered. Take the rest of the afternoon off to go home, pack, and get ready.”
“It says there are two shuttles in the morning, one at seven and one at eight.”
“Great! Go and enjoy! Because once you get started as Branch Manager, you’ll be busy for quite some time. Don’t forget your toothbrush. Have fun!” And with that, Peggy walked off with a spring in her step.
Ellie couldn’t help but smile. Peggy was one of the most positive people she knew—well, besides Grandpa Frank. He and Peggy were a good match for each other.
Ellie was thrilled to be able to represent her county at the conference. Not to mention the amazing education sessions and author events she’d be able to attend. Just when she thought her life was turning to crap again, the universe threw something wonderful right in her lap.
Funny how things like that happen.
Why shouldn’t she go? The conference was the perfect distraction that she needed to get her mind off Cedric. It wouldn’t be easy, but a week away with twenty thousand people from all over the country was definitely a good start.
Seven hours later, Ellie was packed, parched, and pooped. She took a sip of water and then slid into her bed, barely able to keep her eyes open. What a day. Disastrous and wonderful. She checked her messages for something from Cedric.
Nothing.
It was as if he just disappeared.
*****
The next morning, two chartered buses full of Silicon Valley librarians would leave San Jose, headed for the city by the bay, San Francisco. Ellie had arrived thirty minutes before the first bus so she could be in a front row seat, across from the driver—her preference so she could always see the road. Otherwise, she would get motion sickness.
After a smooth ride to the city, Ellie felt like a rock star, walking into the Hyatt Regency hotel, spinning around to admire the world’s largest atrium and looking forward to a week immersed in all things related to libraries and books. She took a deep breath and smiled before heading to the reception desk to check in. This was just what she needed.
Ten hours later, Ellie felt wonderful and exhilarated after her first full day at the conference. A day that included a morning welcome, two sessions on children’s books, an intimate networking luncheon just for library branch managers, and three afternoon author sessions.
Ellie made her way back to her room for a quick shower before heading to Eclipse, the hotel restaurant. The paperwork said the reservation for her welcome dinner was for seven, so she had exactly thirty-eight minutes. She hadn’t even had time to think about Cedric during the day and that was a good thing. Upon entering the restaurant at exactly seven on the dot, Ellie was escorted to her table.
“Enjoy your dinner.” The hostess gestured to the open seat at a table occupied by a man who looked exactly like—
Vlad.
Pickles!
Vlad grinned. “Hello Ellie, I brought you these.” He handed her a bouquet of yellow roses.
“What is this?” Ellie asked, looking around, ready to blow a fuse.
“Flowers.”
“I know they’re flowers. What I mean is … what the hell are you doing here?”
“I come in peace.”
Ellie turned to walk away and Vlad grabbed her arm.
“Please, Ellie.”
“I’m leaving.” She shook her arm loose and turned to leave.
“It’s about Cedric.”
Ellie stopped and turned around with her hands on her hips, waiting for Vlad to say more.
Vlad held up a large envelope. “He’s not who you think he is and I have proof.”
Ellie tilted her head and stared at the envelope. “What
are you talking about?”
“Have a seat and I’ll show you. You need to see this, to know the truth.
“Why should I trust what you say?”
“I told you at the fundraiser. I’ve changed. I’m a new man.”
Vlad was hung up on money and power and stature and there’s no way he could’ve changed overnight. His cruel behavior in the sushi restaurant proved that.
Still … what was in that envelope? She shook her head and slid into the chair. Maybe a little wine would be okay before she found out what was in the envelope and told Vlad to go screw himself. She held out her glass and Vlad poured.
“Thank you for joining me.”
“Please just give me the envelope.” She took a sip of wine.
“At least eat something. You must be starving, in that conference all day with barely a break.”
The waiter brought some fresh sourdough bread with garlic butter, and Ellie broke off a piece and buttered it. She took a few bites and ate it. “How did you know I was here?”
Vlad opened his mouth to answer.
“Never mind. It doesn’t matter, just give me the envelope.”
Vlad handed her the envelope. “I’m sorry you have to see this.”
Ellie untied the string around the clasp, opened the envelope, and pulled out the contents. Five 8x10 photos were inside. Photos of Cedric and a woman. In the first two photos, the woman and Cedric were talking. The second photo showed Cedric hugging the woman. In the last two photos, Cedric and the woman were kissing. The photos had a time stamp on the bottom.
With yesterday’s date.
Ellie was numb, almost as if she had no emotion whatsoever. “You could have Photoshopped these.”
“Seriously? Look at them, they’re authentic.”
Ellie shuffled through the photos a few more times, before putting them back in the envelope.
Vlad took a sip of his wine. “Have you heard from him recently?”
“No.”
“Well, there you go. I’m sorry you had to find out from me.”
“No you’re not. You’re enjoying this!”
“Please Ellie, there’s no need to get upset with me. I have no ulterior motives. I just want to be friends.”
“Friends?” Ellie laughed and took another sip of wine.
“I’m serious. Let’s go up to the room and talk about this in private. You’re probably tense from a long day. Take a hot bath and I’ll give you a massage.”