“Are you going to carry it around with you for the rest of your life?” She asked lightly.
“No!” He told her angrily. “I’m not going to carry it around for the rest of my life. I’m going to think of a safe place to put...” He looked up. “I’m going to put in the safe.”
“What if someone opens it?” She asked.
“In the vault?” He laughed. “Who would open it in the vault?”
“People go in there all the time,” she told him.
“They do not,” he said and got up to go back to the window to look down the street. Maureen’s car still sat outside the Gift Shop.
“Yes, she’s still there, isn’t she?” His mother asked.
“You ask too many questions,” he sat back down.
“You’ve got to get that woman out of your mind, Sammy,” she said more solicitously. “I want you to help me with the plans for the park. If we can get that project started with a bit of publicity, then the people of this town will soon forget about this weekend.”
“I’m sure,” he said though he doubted it. Good gossip was good gossip and much better than any park dedicated to his father. Not that his father didn’t deserve a memorial after everything he had done for the town. Yes, he might as well help her with it. No one else would. He needed to get his mind off of Maureen. He’d probably lost her for good this time.
Hannah Lipscomb walked up the sidewalk toward the funeral parlor. She tried not to look at the place where some of the worst memories of her life had been developed. She looked across the street at the front of the New Castle Gift Shop at the pretty inscriptions on the windows. She hadn’t noticed them before. But then there was a lot of things she hadn’t noticed before. It almost seemed as if she had been blind and now everything stood out in the bright sunshine with renewed colors and meanings. She had been drunk for a long, long time. Perry Aliger, that very nice man who owned the Gift Shop, stood near the front door watching her. She waved to him and he smiled, returning her wave. Why couldn’t everybody be like him? There wouldn’t be any wars to kill people’s sons if everybody was like him. She walked past the parking lot of the Morris’ funeral home and turned up the sidewalk to Mary McDaniels’ front door. She hadn’t talked to Mary in years. She hoped that she would remember her and her husband. Mr. Lipscomb had been very close friends with Vernon McDaniels. She and Mary had never really been friends, but they had socialized a bit together in the ‘good old days’.
Mary answered her door right away and looked at Mrs. Lipscomb with a puzzled look on her face.
“Why, Hannah!” she said after a moment. “Please...Come in, please.”
Mary ushered Hannah through the living room, down the hall and into the kitchen.
“This is a pleasant surprise,” she said offering her a chair at the table. “I hope you won’t mind visiting in here. I’m baking some cookies for Tyler and Paula Anne. I don’t want them to burn.”
“No, of course not.” Hannah looked about Mary’s kitchen. “I remember this kitchen from a long time ago. It still looks the same.”
“I know,” Mary nodded. “I need to update I suppose, but it serves its purpose.”
“Oh, no, please.” Hannah shook her head. “I like it just like it is.”
“Thank you.” Mary bustled about the kitchen and brought her a cup and saucer. She tried not to stare at the woman. Hannah wore a clean pink blouse and blue slacks. Her shoes were scuffed, but clean and her face glowed with a healthy blush from her walk in the sunshine. Her hair was combed neatly over her ears and pinned in a small bun at the nape of her neck. She looked better than Mary had seen her look in years. “Tea?”
“Yes, please. That would be nice.” Hannah watched her as she unwrapped one of the little bags. “That’s some of that tea from Mr. Aliger’s shop, am I right?”
“Yes, it is,” Mary nodded and went to get the kettle. “What has you out and about this morning?”
“Well, I know it’s been a long time, Mary, but I came to ask your advice on something.” Hannah said slowly. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” Mary said somewhat relieved that it was nothing more serious. She poured water for her and sat down at the table. “No one much cares about my advice any more. What can I do for you?”
“I’m thinking of helping my cousin, Billy Johnson. Do you know Billy?” She asked.
“Yes, he reads my meter,” Mary nodded. She knew that Billy Johnson was actually her second cousin twice removed and close to Tyler’s age. She also knew that Billy Johnson was Hannah’s only living relative.
“He wants to make a loan to pay up the back taxes on my land down by the river,” Hannah explained. “He wants to fix up his daddy’s marina down there and go into business for himself.”
“I see,” Mary nodded and was surprised to hear it. Billy didn’t seem like the type to make a very good businessman.
“Anyway, that land ain’t no good to nobody as it stands,” Hannah repeated Billy’s words from the night before. “The county will sell it for taxes one of these days and since Billy is the only real relative I have, I was thinking maybe it would be a good idea.”
“It might be,” Mary agreed.
“He wants to make a loan at the Savings and Loan, but I’m afraid his credit is not so good.” Hannah looked down. She felt ashamed somehow talking to Mary McDaniels about Billy’s personal matters. “Anyhow, I thought since you and Mildred Morris were such good friends and her being the Chairman of the Board at the Savings and Loan, that, well, you could put in a good word for us. I mean for Billy. I would help keep an eye on him. Make sure he kept it up and made his payments.”
“Oh, I see,” Mary said and blinked at her in surprise. It had been years since they had talked. Hannah would have had no idea of how deteriorated her friendship had become with Mildred Morris. It was also apparent that Hannah had no idea of what had gone on after the turmoil at the dance and auction on Saturday night. “I’m sure I can put in a good word.”
“That’s all I can ask,” Hannah said and smiled at her. “You always were a good woman.”
“Thank you.” Mary’s brain began to tick. Hadn’t Mildred told her that she would do anything for her after she had given her the little box? She would just test that promise and see if Mildred had been sincere. What would it hurt? That way she would also know if she could expect any more abuse from the woman who had been tormenting her for the past seven years.
“Isn’t this the best tea?” Hannah asked as she sipped her tea. “You know that Mr. Aliger is just the nicest man. Why, he come by my house one day lookin’ for a free kitten and....”
Perry stepped back inside the shop and looked at Angelica who was wrapping a set of crystal glasses in tissue paper for a plump lady in a green dress. She was so beautiful. He shook his head. It seemed she had lost sight completely of her original study. Something about the universal element and it’s proliferation throughout this sector or on this planet... he couldn’t remember either. He worried about what he and Maureen were planning to do. He hardly thought Maureen would be in any danger even if they were caught red-handed. Sam truly loved her and he felt that Maureen still loved Sam. He could not believe that Sam would hurt her and he, Peregrin, would be there to stop anything that might happen before it got out of hand. His confidence had returned somewhat, though he still had reservations. He would just have to be extremely cautious. Maureen had said the box was on the bedside table. They would enter through the garage with Maureen’s key. He would simply cause Sam to be deeply asleep and then they would grab the box and be gone. No problem.
“My, what A lovely set of... glasses,” Perry said as he past behind the lady at the counter. He added a new dimension to the game. Angelica shot him a warning glance.
Angelica finished waiting on the lady and went to find him as he sat on the bottom step of the stairs looking in one of the kaleidoscopes.
“You are planning to break into that man’s home,” she said looking down
at him. “Don’t you think that will be dangerous? And you are taking Maureen with you?”
“We are not really breaking in,” he said twisting the toy around. “We are going to use her key. It’s not the same. Besides there should be no trouble. We will wait until he’s asleep and I’m make sure he stays that way.”
“What about her desiring to go to Beijing with you?” She asked.
“I asked her to go,” he said looking up at her.
“You asked her to go?” Angelica looked surprised.
“I think I mentioned it to you before,” he said. “I asked her to go. I told her that she could go with us.”
“With us?” Angelica raised her eyebrows. “I thought I was going back to my father after this study is complete. You told the Primus that I was to go home after this study.”
“Oh, yes. I did,” he nodded. “But you will be able to come back. Sooner or later. He expects us to be married.”
“He does?” She looked at him. This was news to her. What about Falco Atrox?
“Yes, but I don’t want to push you into anything. Of course, I don’t want to go back to Beijing alone.” He was contradicting himself again. He had been doing that every time the subject of marriage had come up ever since he had accidentally dropped the boxes on the creek bank. “If Maureen goes back with me then it will be alright and if she wants to get married, well we could, because she will probably be gone before you get back from the Center and then we can be married, if you want or if the Optimus insists. There is no way of knowing how long it will take you to complete your visit with your father and if you happen to see my father while you are there, I have a message for him.”
“I can deliver no messages to your father,” she told him coldly. “He is an Optimus just like my father. If he summons me, I will go, but I will be in no position to request an audience nor deliver a message to your father. Especially to deliver a message from his son.”
“I suppose you are right, my sweet.” He looked up at her. “You aren’t too warm in here are you? It seems a bit stuffy. I wouldn’t want you to catch cold.”
“I don’t think I am susceptible to colds, Primus.” She turned away from him and then looked back. “I also would like to think that you and the Primus Falco Atrox would want to ask my opinion of such a union and not just assume that I will continue to go along with my father’s wishes without question. Especially now.”
Perry watched her walk away from him. Had he said something wrong? Did that mean that she did not want to marry him? What would her father say? It suddenly occurred to him that he had no idea what it meant to be married to one of his own kind. His father had neglected to explain it to him. Probably just another one of those things the old man wanted to use to torment him. If he returned to the center and became re-incorporated into the universal element, then what would be the purpose of being married? He would be joined with everyone. It made no sense. But his father and Angelica’s father were separate from the Collective and yet, they were at the Center. How could that be? And for that matter, what had happened to his mother? Why had he never known her? His resentment for his father grew as he sat there thinking about things he had never thought of before. Why had his father kicked him out of the Center in the first place? He certainly had a lot bones to pick with the old man if he ever saw him again.
Angelica’s attitude had taken a sudden downturn. She no longer laughed at his jokes and eventually he gave up and went upstairs to sit at the window overlooking Main Street drinking Hawk Crest Reserve Chardonnay from an aluminum tumbler. He was depressed. Again. Angelica had a way of making him depressed one minute and elated the next. How could she do that? He wanted to go back downstairs and drag her back upstairs to make her tell him how she could exercise such a powerful control over his emotions even when he was not linked with her. It was not pleasant at all. He wondered where Maureen was at that moment and thought she was probably right where she should be... at work.
It was early Monday afternoon. Everyone was at work except Mary McDaniels and Hannah Lipscomb. They were having a very pleasant visit, making chocolate chip cookies and sharing tuna salad sandwiches for lunch. At least that part of the project was progressing again as originally planned. Perry smiled and then hiccupped, trying to improve his own mood.
Sam Morris lifted the lid of the safe deposit box and carefully set the Pandora Box inside it. He also placed a large manila envelope inscribed with large block letters “OPEN FIRST READ CONTENTS PRIOR TO OPENING BOX” on top of the little box. He hesitated before closing the lid and then frowned as he heard someone else enter the vault. It figured. Hardly anyone ever visited the vault, but let him try to come there to conduct some private business and everyone in town would show up. He glanced up and froze as he recognized the face of the blonde man peering at him curiously across the top of the table divider.
“Hello, Sam,” the blonde man greeted him. “Whatcha got there?”
“You can’t come in here like this!” Sam said as his eyes grew wide as he looked about the concrete and steel room.
“I can’t?” He asked as he walked slowly around the table. “Why not? Isn’t this a... a free country?”
“You know what I mean, Aliger!” Sam muttered in growing aggravation as he slammed the lid on the safety deposit box and stepped back. “It’s none of your business what I have in my box!”
“I already know what’s in your box.” The man’s violet eyes continued to smile evilly at him. “It’s like the bear that went over the mountain. You know what he saw, don’t you? He saw another mountain. You have a box in your box, Sam, my man.”
“You better get out of here,” Sam warned him as he backed into the wall. “I’ll call security.” Sam’s voiced quavered.
“No you won’t. The door is closed.” The tone of the Primus’ voice sent chills up and down Sam’s spine.
The banker leaned to look at the big door beyond the metal bars. It was indeed closed and it was two hours too early. He looked wide-eyed at the Primus and knew that he was now going to pay for what that idiot, Billy Johnson, had done.
“Don’t worry Sam. I won’t hurt you. Just give me the box,” he said as he opened the safe deposit box without a key and took out the Pandora Box. “I need this little trinket to make a trade,” he told the cowering Sam.
At that, the Primus nodded to Sam and walked back to the bars and waited while the safe door swung open on its hinges without a sound. No alarms went off. No one noticed a thing as the tall blonde man with the striking violet eyes walked out of the Savings and Loan carrying a small treasure chest in his hands leaving Sam in the vault with his mouth agape, staring at the key in his hand.
Maureen left work early. She needed to get home and clean up the mess in her house. She was still angry with Sam and Magnolia Springs' bumbling police department. The damages would be covered by her home owner’s plan, but she would have to clean it up. Her policy didn’t cover maid service service. She began in the dining room by picking up the larger pieces of glass, the flowers and the candles and then dragged the vacuum cleaner in to start vacuuming up the smaller shards of glass from the carpet. She vacuumed the glass in the hall and started cleaning up the broken mirror in the bedroom. Someone rang the front doorbell and she groaned. Who would be bothering her now? She hoped it was not Sam Junior. She wasn’t ready to see him. She didn’t know if she would ever be ready to see him. But Sam usually came through the kitchen door. He still had a key.
She went to the front door and threw it open with the intention of telling whoever it was to go away.
A tall blonde man stood on the porch looking down at her curiously.
“Perry?” She looked up at him.
“Maureen?” He matched her tone and looked at her expectantly. She leaned around him to see the red Mercedes in her driveway.
“You got your car fixed,” she said inanely.
He glanced back at the car.
“Yes,” he nodded. “May I come in?”
&
nbsp; “Sure.” She backed up. He was the last person she had expected to see.
He stepped into the living room and looked around.
“Can we talk for a bit?” He asked.
“Sure. Would you like some... wine?” She asked him and he smiled at her.
“No. Would you have some plain... water?”
“Of course,” she laughed nervously, but was relieved at his refusal of the wine. “I see you’ve finally got that under control. That’s good.”
“Yes. It is good,” he nodded and she went to get a bottle of spring water from the refrigerator. When she returned he was sitting on the sofa.
She handed him the water and sat in her rocker to look at him closely. He seemed upset or confused.
“Are you all right?” She asked.
“Yes. I’m fine,” he told her. “I just thought you might like some company. I was feeling a bit... lonely. Won’t you come sit beside me?”
Maureen got up and went to sit next to him while he opened the water bottle and took a drink. He turned to look at her and she felt uneasy.
“Why are you so nervous?” He asked and took her hand in his. It was like an electric shock. For a moment, blue sparks flashed before her vision and then everything cleared up.
“So!” He said releasing her hand. “Are you worried about tomorrow night?”
“Not really,” she shook her head. “I think your plan will work. It sounds simple enough. We will just have to be careful. I think we should take my car. Yours is too recognizable.”
“That makes sense,” he nodded.
“I didn’t get you into trouble with Angelica, did I?” She asked.
“No, not at all,” he said as he leaned back in the sofa and crossed his legs. “She understands completely. She is not going to Beijing with us. She is going home to her father.”
“She is?” Maureen’s face lit up.
“Yes, didn’t I tell you?”
“No, not exactly. You said she would be there the last time we spoke. But you’ve been so confused lately,” she laughed. She didn’t know any time when he hadn’t been confused. She was greatly relieved to hear this bit of news.
The Pandora Effect Page 59