*****
Chapter 5
Mason’s Story
“Nora!” Despite the cold outside, Mason was dressed in cargo shorts and a Hawaiian shirt. His heater was on full blast, and the house felt like a sauna to Nora, who had a rich, red sweater and woolen pants on.
Mason was an eccentric man, to say the least. He’d once had a head of lush, thick hair that was his pride and joy and so, even though he now had a bald spot the size of an egg, he kept his hair long like an aging rock-star. Mason had been born into family money, and devoted his life to frittering it away. He’d tried various professions in his life - singer, store-owner, teacher and writer, to name a few. Now that he was 60, he called himself a sculptor and spent his time talking about his next masterpiece while desperately avoiding actually working on it. Nevertheless, he was a cheerful man who made friends and lovers easily, although he always managed to slip out of any relationship once it got too serious.
“What a wonderful surprise. Good of you to drop in. We last met at the book club, didn’t we? Or was it the charity drive?” he asked Nora.
“At Johnny and Anita’s karaoke party last week,” Nora said.
“Just a week, eh? Feels longer than that but, then, this weather makes the days drag on forever,” Mason said. “Well, I could use some company. It gets lonely up here in the big house by myself. I’m seriously considering selling the house and buying a small condo downtown. It’s just sentiment that keeps me here. Family history, and all.” Chattering away, Mason took Nora’s coat and hurried her along into the kitchen. “As a matter of fact, I could use some help. I woke up this morning and had a dream about France. You know I went to Paris on vacation last year and it’s stayed in my heart ever since. Anyway, I woke up and the urge struck me - eggs. I needed to eat eggs. But I wasn’t happy with just any old eggs slapped on the pan, no. Today, I woke up wanting a perfect French Omelet. I’ve been trying since breakfast and now its past lunch. I must have wasted two dozen eggs and I still can’t make a perfect omelet.”
“Two dozen eggs! Mason, that’s a lot of waste,” Nora said. “Surely the eggs couldn’t have been inedible?”
“Ah, but I need perfection. And perfection needs effort, doesn’t it? You literally can’t make omelets without wasting a few eggs. Come watch me and tell me what I’m doing wrong. Every time I try and fold it, the darn thing tears in half.”
Before she could protest, Nora had been seated upon a stool in the kitchen while Mason fired up the stove and began whipping two eggs furiously together. He poured the yellow mixture into the pan and immediately began poking it with a spatula.
“Easy! Give it some time, will you?” Nora instructed. “The egg has to set a little before you begin trying to fold it. Hold off for thirty seconds or so.”
“Alright,” Mason said, then he grumbled. “I bet this will stick to the pan, too.” He poked at the egg again, attempting to flip it over and then muttered under his breath as the egg broke apart. “You see? An impossible task!”
Nora bit her lip to hide a smile. Mason and his sudden flights of fancy. Last year, as head of the arts committee, he’d suddenly decided that Milburn needed a new statue of its founder in the town center. Once he’d gotten it into his head, the idea took root and he chased after it until the rest of the town agreed with him. Only, he went off and gave the contract to a modern art sculptor instead of a traditionalist and, as a result, Milburn’s town center now proudly displayed a triangle with two hollows. The town had tried asking questions, but Mason had already moved on to another project, and neatly placed responsibility for the statue disaster onto the next committee head.
For the sake of Milburn’s egg supply, Nora decided she’d better make Mason that omelet he so desperately wanted.
“How about I take over?” she asked. “Make me a good, hot cup of coffee, will you? I’ll take a crack at this.”
“Go ahead. But I tell you, it’s impossible. The eggs in France…ah, they’re to die for. I remember my friend and I meeting for brunch in the Latin Quarter and watching the chic girls walk by as we ate mushroom omelets…what a day that was. Say, how did you manage to make the egg mixture so frothy?”
Nora had cracked three eggs into a bowl and was whisking them together furiously. At the same time, she added butter to Mason’s cast iron pan and let it heat up a little. She poured the mixture in as he watched over her shoulder.
“Omelets are delicate things,” Nora said. “They’re the toughest thing in the world to make - until you learn how. After that, they’re the easiest.” After giving the eggs the necessary time to set, she used the spatula to move the eggs around constantly in the pan, pushing the cooked curds into the center and letting the uncooked parts flow to the edges. Pausing only to add herbs and cheese to the fluffy eggs, Nora slid the spatula under the mixture and flipped the omelet expertly. Then, she slid it onto a plate.
“Oh!” Mason was practically drooling. “My omelet!”
Grinning, Nora turned to make herself one only to find that they’d run out of eggs. Shaking her head, she satisfied herself with coffee instead.
“Wow,” Mason said, taking a big bite and closing his eyes with joy. “Good. So good!”
Nora only sipped her coffee and watched him. It was strange, really, to really see him again. They had known each other for years now, as most people in this town did, and so Nora had an image of him in her head that didn’t quite match reality. She thought of him as the good looking man who flirted with half the girls in town and went off on hare-brained adventures. But, to someone who had never met Mason before, he’d only appear to be a slightly balding, potbellied man with an appreciation for good food. They wouldn’t be wrong, either. And, whatever he was in the present, who had he been 20 years ago?
“Deep thoughts?” Mason asked.
“Confused thoughts,” Nora replied. “I was cleaning out the attic and I found this old book. I’m sure I borrowed it from someone and never returned it. Was it you?” Nora handed him a book.
Mason looked at it and shook his head. “Not me,” he said. “I’ve never been fond of crime thrillers.”
“Oh, well. I do hate not returning books,” Nora said. “But they can get so lost in the clutter. Do you know, I even found some of Hazel’s old elementary school tests while cleaning? Signed by Lori Birdwhistle.”
“Lori Birdwhistle!” Mason exclaimed. “Now there’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time.”
“That’s just what I’d thought,” Nora said. “Poor Lori. It’s so sad what happened to her.”
“Huh?” Mason looked confused. “What do you mean?”
“She was murdered, wasn’t she?” Nora asked.
“Rubbish,” Mason said. “The police made a lot of hue and cry over nothing. She ran away, that’s all. Couldn’t handle being a single mother and packed her kid off.”
“Do you think so?”
“Well, most people in Milburn think so, don’t they?” Mason’s eyes narrowed. “Unless you’ve found something out?”
“Me?” Nora shook her head. “No. I wasn’t even in town when she vanished. But I remember you and Anita were supposed to be at Johnny Teaks’ cabin that weekend, and that Lori was there, too. That was so long ago, wasn’t it? I suppose you hardly remember.”
“Lori never showed up,” Mason said. “Ah, that weekend…it was so long ago and, yet, I sometimes wonder how our lives would have been if it had never happened.”
“What do you mean?” Nora asked.
“Well, it’s all old news now, but you know me, Nora. I gave my heart to Anita all those years ago and, when she crushed it, I never quite recovered.”
“You were dating her, weren’t you?” Nora asked.
“Yes. Mind you, I had a bit of a reputation as a rake back then. But I had good intentions with Anita. I really did love her.” Mason shook his head. “When you’re young and good looking, you assume the world can’t resist you. I took it for granted that Anita felt for me just as much as I
felt for her. I was wrong."
“Oh, Mason.”
“I remember all of it,” he said. “It was Johnny’s idea to go up to the cabin. He’d first mentioned the plan a few weeks before, over dinner. I remember it well. The six of us - me, Anita, Tucker, Irene, Johnny and Lori - were all at Tom’s diner. Johnny had been dating Lori for a few weeks and I think he wanted to take their relationship to the next level over the long weekend. Of course, Lori was too straitlaced to agree to go off to a cabin alone with a man, so Johnny’s big idea was that we’d have a fun, little mini-vacation, all 6 of us. Lori couldn’t say no to that.”
“Did she seem reluctant to come?” Nora asked.
“Lori? No. Once she knew the other women would be there, she was enthusiastic. They were immediately planning what to wear. I was the reluctant one, but Anita had me wrapped around her little finger. She batted her eyes at me and I couldn’t say no.” Mason laughed. “Oh, I was so in love with her. It’s crazy. I can barely remember what she looks like now but, back then, my head was full with thoughts of her.”
“Young love,” Nora said.
“Yes, we were all young and naive, even if we thought we were mature,” Mason said. “All the time she was with me, I think Anita was plotting her move on Johnny. Well, she snared him in the end.”
“I’d say he was the one who snared her,” Nora said, feeling a little defensive of her friend.
Mason laughed. “Sure. That’s a theory. But poor Johnny was pretty deeply in love with Lori. I have that on good authority. He was devastated when she vanished.”
“Was he?” Nora asked.
“Yes. It’s so strange how it happened. We were all supposed to meet at the cabin around 8pm on Friday. I drove up early to help Johnny clean up. Funny thing is, Johnny wasn’t even there when I arrived.”
“What time was that?”
“Seven,” Mason said. “Tucker and Irene reached the cabin at around 7:30 and they were both irritated that Johnny hadn’t arrived. Johnny had the keys, you see. Tucker immediately drove off to find Johnny and came back with him half an hour later. Johnny said he’d fallen asleep at home.” Mason frowned. “Anita came to the cabin at about eight minutes to eight. I remember that well, because I made a joke about it.”
“And Lori?”
“Never showed,” Mason said. “I remember Irene commenting on how strange it was, but we’d gotten to pouring some whisky and Tucker was showing off on the guitar. I guess we all started having so much fun we plain forgot about her.”
“But that’s just strange, isn’t it?” Nora asked. “I mean, I’d understand how four of you could forget about Lori. But Johnny? The man was supposedly head-over-heels in love with her and was planning to take their relationship to the next level. A man like that doesn’t just forget his girlfriend, does he?”
“Maybe he does if he’s drunk enough.” Mason shrugged. “Though to be honest…I did feel Johnny was acting a little strange that day. Now that you mention it.”
“Strange? How so?”
“Look…” Mason frowned. “I don’t want to badmouth Johnny. You know he and I had a bit of friction between us about Anita. I’m over that now. I’ve made up with them. I meet them for dinners and potlucks - I don’t want him thinking I still hold a grudge, you know?”
“He won’t find out,” Nora said. “It’s just us friends talking.”
“True.” Mason dropped his fork and pushed away his plate. “This omelet, by the way, was fantastic.”
“I’d make you one more, but you’re out of eggs.” Nora smiled. “Now, about Johnny…”
“Oh, yeah.” Mason nodded. “Like I said, Tucker brought him to the cabin around 7:45. Johnny’s eyes looked a bit red. He was grouchy, too.”
Nora nodded, trying not to look over-eager. Mrs. Mullally had last seen Lori at 6pm and then only heard her car drive off at 7. That meant, in Nora’s mind, that Lori went missing any time between 6 and 8pm. If Johnny hadn’t even arrived at the cabin until 7:45…surely there was something fishy going on.
“Well, Sheriff Sean asked a lot of questions, but nothing ever came of it, right?” Mason asked. “I’m sure Lori just ran off with some other guy.”
“Yes,” Nora said, realizing that she had better end the conversation before Mason grew suspicious. “I suppose she did. It’s just a pity, that’s all.”
*****
Chapter 6
The Jealous Woman
The doorbell rang as Nora tossed chopped onions into a pan of hot oil. Impatiently, she wiped her hands on her apron and headed to the door, leaving the onions sizzling behind her. A pleasant fragrance filled the house. On the counter, Nora had the rest of the ingredients for dinner neatly laid out - everything from chopped garlic to sun-dried tomatoes and marinated chicken.
She opened the door, expecting to see Harvey or Hazel, and blinked in surprise. The woman on her doorstep was wrapped in an expensive tan coat, with a cashmere scarf curling around her neck. Anita Teaks, at 55, looked no older than 30 from a distance. Her bob-cut hair was perfectly coiffed, and expensive diamonds dangled from her ears. Smiling, she enveloped Nora in a hug and walked in.
“You look absolutely frozen!” Nora exclaimed.
“It’s this car of mine, the heater’s terrible.” Anita smiled. “Johnny keeps asking me to take his truck instead, but I can’t drive a manual so that’s out of the question.” She sniffed the air dramatically as she took a step inside. “Did I interrupt dinner?”
“Oh!” With a start, Nora rushed back to the kitchen and began stirring the onions, catching them just before they burnt. She added in the garlic and, once more, the kitchen was wonderfully fragrant.
“Looks delicious.” Anita took off her coat and draped it over a sofa then wandered into the kitchen, trailing her fingers along the dining table as she came.
“Sorry, just give me a second, will you? Once I put in the chicken, I’m good,” Nora said, her eyes darting from Anita to the pan.
“What are you making?” Anita asked, seating herself at the table.
“Tuscan chicken pasta,” Nora said. “It’s Harvey’s favorite. Easy, too. All I have to do is mix in some white sauce, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Then I’m all set.”
“Don’t forget the cheese.” Anita grinned.
“Of course. Tons of parmesan, and a hint of cheddar,” Nora smiled. “Anyway, what brings you here today?”
“I bumped into Mason earlier today,” Anita said.
Nora winced. What had he said? Had he told Anita about their conversation? Would she suspect that Nora was digging up Lori’s case?
Anita sighed and looked off into the distance. She bit her lip and clasped her hands together. Nora had one eye on her and one on the stove. Finally, after adding all the ingredients into the pan and leaving it to simmer, Nora sat down opposite Anita.
“Something’s weighing on your mind,” Nora said.
“It’s just that…” Anita shook her head. “I don’t know how to begin. I suppose I’m just being silly.”
“What did Mason say?” Nora asked.
“It’s not what he said, it’s what he didn’t say.” Anita sighed. “You know Mason and I were dating briefly before I got together with Johnny, right?”
Nora nodded. “I remember.”
“Yes, well. I thought Mason had put all that behind him. When I met him today…he started asking me funny questions.”
“What kind of questions?”
“He asked me if I ever thought back to our time in Johnny’s cabin, over twenty years ago. Of course I don’t think of it. I’ve put it behind me. Everyone has. But Mason seemed determined to bring it back up. He was talking a lot about how maybe if things had been alright at the cabin that weekend, he and I would still be together. I just…I don’t know how I’ll handle it if Mason starts hitting on me again.”
Nora felt relieved. Anita hadn’t realized Mason was talking about Lori. “I’m sure he’s just reminiscing,” Nora said. “That’s what we do
, now that we’re older, right? Ask a lot of ‘what if’ questions?”
“Rubbish. I look to the future. I always have. There’s never any sense in digging up the past,” Anita said. “Take that weekend at the cabin, for example. Do you know that someone else was supposed to be there with us? Lori Birdwhistle. But she went missing the same night. It was never really explained and Johnny was quite heartbroken about it. In fact, in a way, that’s what brought us closer together.”
“Johnny was dating Lori before that weekend, wasn’t he?”
“Yes. It was just a fling, of course. He’s long forgotten her,” Anita said. “Still, at the time, it came as quite a shock to him that she could leave without saying goodbye. So irresponsible of her, don’t you think? But then, she was a single mother, so that tells you plenty about her character.”
“Actually, she was a widow,” Nora said. “Her husband died abroad, fighting for the country.”
“Oh, did he?” Anita picked at her lip with a nail. “Well, in any case, Lori was rather irresponsible. She packed her kid off with some relatives and scooted out of town.”
“They found her car, though,” Nora said. “Abandoned. There were valuables inside.”
“Maybe she was mixed up in some shady business and just wanted a fresh new start,” Anita said. “It isn’t possible these days, what with all the technological advances but, back then, it wasn’t too hard.”
Nora shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. Did Johnny ever talk about her?”
“Oh, you know how men are.” Anita laughed. “All he cared about was that she had a nice pair of legs.”
“I thought you said he was heartbroken,” Nora pointed out.
Anita looked annoyed, as though she’d rather not remember what she’d just said. “Yes, well, men can be silly and sentimental sometimes. I’d rather Mason not rake up all this nonsense. Johnny’s sensitive. I don’t want him getting entangled in one of Mason’s hare-brained schemes.”
The Milburn Big Box Set Page 143