Suddenly Single

by Larry Brown

  Then there was Andy. He wished he could take back the call to her, knowing he must have sounded like a fool. But damn, he was right. Women. Maybe he should just write, cook, fish, and stay the hell away from them all. The fact was perhaps he was not very good with them. But he really was attracted to Andy.

  Harry heard a noise and stepped out of his office looked at the other side of the house. He had closed the door to the hallway to the master suite, and there was Zelda wearing hardly anything knocking on the door. She just would not give up.

  Harry started toward her determined to send her immediately back downstairs to her bedroom. As he reached the foyer, the doorbell rang, scaring him half to death. He turned to see Andy standing, smiling at his front door. Shit! What should he do now? Zelda had turned; surprised by the bell and the fact that Harry was behind her.

  Zelda came out of the hallway and headed as fast as she could back down the stairs but not unseen by Andy. Andy’s view was a half-dressed woman running from the direction of Harry’s bedroom.

  Harry rushed to and opened the front door as Andy was starting back to her car.

  “Sorry, so sorry, Harry, I thought you might have been right, and you might need help. Boy, was I stupid and wrong! Have a good night, which it appears you already are.”

  “Dammit, Andy, stop!”

  She stopped, she had never heard that tone from him.

  “Andy, you were right. I was right I mean, you were right to come, I needed help big time. I was right about her intentions.”

  “Harry, she just left your bedroom wearing basically nothing.”

  “No, no you are wrong, Andy.”

  “I just saw her, Harry. Hey, Harry, it’s okay, you owe me no explanation.”

  “Will you please let me explain?”

  “I told you, not necessary.”

  “Dammit, woman hear me out.”

  She stood still staring toward the stairs.

  “Andy, listen carefully. You saw her leaving the hallway to my bedroom not leaving my bedroom.”

  “Right.”

  “Listen! When did you see me? You saw me coming from my office when I heard her. She had supposedly gone to bed, and after the night I have had, I went to my office for a drink and to try to figure out what the hell to do.”

  Her expression softened a bit.

  “Andy, you were right to come. No, that’s wrong. You were an angel to come. I should have never asked. I was wrong. Andy, please don’t misread this. Andy, I care about you. I am so thankful for you. I promise you nothing has happened here between Zelda and me. I thought I had finally gotten her to go downstairs on the promise that we would have a serious discussion in the morning.”

  She turned and started to kiss Harry and then pulled away. “She’s at the door, Harry.”

  Harry turned, and there was Zelda dressed in a robe staring at them. He led Andy inside, and the three of them sat in the great room and talked for over an hour. It was a very unpleasant conversation. Zelda was pissed, trying to ignore Andy as if she were not there. She badgered Harry because he had not told her about ‘this woman’ before she had emptied her heart and her plan for them, which she still insisted would be the best for Harry. Harry was bolstered by Andy’s presence and firmly told her that she was a friend and always would be. He told her he felt he owed her to hear her out, but then it got out of hand when she proposed a new arrangement. He admitted it scared him and he panicked. He apologized for not speaking of Andy and not telling her Andy was coming. He and Andy both knew he could not tell her what he didn’t know.

  Zelda finally ran out of things to say and went downstairs to bed. They watched her disappear downstairs, and Harry said, “My Lord in heaven, what a day. It seems like it has lasted a week. I’m exhausted.”

  Andy cocked her head, grinned and said, “Harry, how could you possibly resist her. She is certainly not unattractive with or without clothes. She says she has more money than she can ever spend, and, Harry, just think you would never have to make decisions again.”

  “Unfortunately, everything you said is absolutely true. I doubt I could make it 24 hours.”

  “But she obviously cares about you, Harry.”

  “You know ever since she got over Jim’s passing, she has kind of gone man crazy. She’s been all about finding a man. She has, of course, been unsuccessful so far. Zelda knows me, and I became a convenient choice. When you think about it, you have to feel a bit sorry for her.”

  “You are too nice, Harry Blake.”

  Chapter 33

  The next morning, Andy put on her robe and walked from Harry’s bedroom to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. She could hear the sound of light snoring coming from Harry’s office. She walked to the door and found Harry asleep on his office couch. He had told her he was going to the upstairs bedroom when he left her the previous night. Harry had insisted he wanted her in his bedroom in case there was more contact with Zelda. She had made it very clear he was welcome to stay, but he had felt it was not the right time after the previous night’s events and Zelda still in the house.

  Zelda was gone. Andy had not heard her leave. Zelda had left a note on the kitchen island. It was brief.

  “Harry, I forgive you and I understand about the other woman. I still believe Jim and Maggie would want you and me to be together. When you come to your senses, you know how to find me.”

  Love Z.

  “Andy, you are a lucky lady.”

  Andy read the note twice and poured her a cup of the freshly brewed coffee. She thought about the events of the previous evening. She wondered what would have happened if she had not come to Harry’s aid. But she didn’t dwell on that. He had called her for help. She knew that it was his first instinct to call her. There was something different between them. Every other man she had gone out with more than once, all wanted to bed her. Harry had never tried. She was somehow drawn to him, and she knew even though there had not been a lot of physical things, Harry was drawn to her. Their relationship had grown not like a lightning strike but more like butter melting on warm bread. As time allowed the butter to cover the bread, the two together were far better than either by themselves.

  She was thinking more and more that maybe Harry didn’t have the physical desire or needs that he did when he was younger. She had already decided if that were true, she had lived for ten years without sex and all the other parts of their relationship were more important. She didn’t understand how they had connected the way they did, but she knew for sure they were connected.

  Then she was startled; she felt his hands on her shoulders, and he bent and put his face in her hair and kissed her head.

  “Harry, I didn’t hear you. I thought you were going to the upstairs bedroom.” She turned to face him, and he just smiled and kissed her on the lips.

  “Good morning, this is such a treat to see you looking beautiful as always in my kitchen at this hour.”

  “Oh, Harry, I have no makeup, and I know what I look like, I am an old woman.”

  “An older beautiful woman. Sweetheart, you don’t need makeup.”

  “Stop it, Harry, I know better.”

  “Have you seen Zelda this morning?”

  “She’s gone. She left this,” handing Harry the note.

  He read it put it down and said, “She doesn’t give up easily, does she?”

  “On the ‘other woman’ I agree.”

  Harry laughed, “Did you ever think you would be the other woman?”

  “Please Harry, don’t go there.”

  ******

  Meanwhile, next door Hector and Felipe had settled into a routine that seemed to be working for them. They were using the house on the opposite side of the Blake house than the one they had used on their failed attempt to get the coins. The driveway was like most of the others on the street, steep so you could only see the house’s roof from the road. This one even had a sharp left turn at the bottom so they could park their car almost in a line of magnolias.

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nbsp; The lot on the opposite side of this house was wooded and undeveloped. It was perfect. The back had a big deck and screened porch that could be seen from the Blake house. It was the ideal place for them to camp. They left every Wednesday because that was the day the landscapers came. They went in and out only late at night or just before daylight to avoid detections by the neighbors.

  Hector had carefully developed a plan he was sure would allow him and Felipe to be able to steal the coins.

  Chapter 34

  It had been five days since the incident with Zelda, and now Andy had come back to his house and saved him. Harry had talked to Andy twice to tell her what she had done for him had meant so much. He had also called Clay twice but had not made contact. Harry was beginning to think Clay was avoiding him. He wanted to have a serious conversation with Clay about his relationship with Andy. Harry felt he and Andy were about to take their relationship to the next level and he wanted to make sure it would not impact their friendship. Even though Clay had said that he and Andy did not get involved with each other’s personal lives, Harry was not so sure that was indeed the case. Maybe Clay was psychic and knew why Harry was calling.

  The other sort of interesting thing that had happened was a call from Dan Walker, his neighbor who lived three doors away. Dan and his wife, Myra, ran the HOA for their neighborhood. Dan had called to tell him that there had been a bear sighting within a mile of their community. Dan told Harry most of the people were already gone to their winter homes and only six families were remaining. Dan was suggesting that the men who had handguns should keep them with them when they went out in the mornings to get newspapers or mail. It was not to use the weapons on a bear but to fire a shot to hopefully scare the bear away and secondly alert the other neighbors that there was a bear in the area.

  Harry had agreed to participate and began to think about what he would do if the bear didn’t run. Surely a handgun would not be much defense against a bear. He wanted Clay’s advice on this. Harry was thinking about his long uphill driveway that he walked daily to get to his mailbox and his morning paper. He was absolutely sure he could not outrun a bear. As a matter of fact, Harry didn’t think he could outrun anything or anybody.

  Hector and Felipe had settled into a comfortable routine on the back porch of Harry’s neighbor. Felipe was not entirely satisfied with Hector’s plan. He did not want to wait after they stole the coins; he wanted to run as fast as they could. Hector was adamant that was the wrong way to go. However, he had not executed the plan because he was not totally comfortable with their escape plan. He was afraid the law would discover the car and ultimately them. It had been bugging him for weeks. He finally came up with a solution. There was an old logging road less than two miles away. After the neighborhood was fast asleep, they would drive their car down the logging road and hide it. They would walk back in and wait. Then they would make the heist, wait, then walk to the car in the middle of the night and head for Long Island and their new life.

  Chapter 35

  It was the second morning after the bear sighting, and Harry had his .38 in his jacket pocket as he walked up his long driveway to get his newspaper. He had always considered himself a fairly observant person, but now, since the warning of the bear sighting, he watched and listened carefully to everything around him. Harry had always noticed the rustling of leaves under the giant azaleas that lined his driveway, but now he slowed his walk enough to know if it came from chipmunks or brown thrashers. When he reached the top of his driveway, he scanned not only both ways of his street but the wooded lots of his neighbors’ homes.

  As soon as Harry started to disappear over the top of his driveway, Hector and Felipe dashed across Harry’s driveway and up his front steps. Felipe was first, and as soon as he leaned on the door, it opened. It was not latched and Felipe thought nothing of it, Hector entered and closed the door until it latched. They reached for their prize and began stuffing the box of coins into backpack which would be carried by Felipe.

  Harry stepped up on his front porch thinking maybe this bear thing and carrying a handgun to your mailbox was overblown. He pushed on his front door as he always did but the door did not open, it was latched. Now Harry had a quirk with his front door. He never closed the door until it latched when he went for the paper or mail. He closed it just enough to say it was closed. Why, no reason, it was a quirk.

  Now, Harry’s antenna went up on alert. Maybe it was all the commotion about bears. But no bear latched his door. He opened the door, stepped in, and stood still listening for sounds that might be coming. Sure enough the sound of footsteps on the wooden stairs from Harry’s office to the bottom level of the house. Harry rushed toward his office but hesitated as he passed the now empty table where the box of golden coins was displayed. Harry pulled his .38 and sped toward his office. He opened the outside door looked down the stairwell which was now empty. He immediately looked to his right which is the way the intruders had come the last time. Nothing, no sign of anything. He went down the stairs as fast as his aging legs would allow. When he reached the bottom, the patio on the back of his home was empty, but as he looked toward his neighbor’s yard on the other side of his house, he saw a man’s back supporting a backpack disappear into the magnolias, his first instinct was to fire the .38 at the area. Then he thought better of it. Too far, too late. And, as he thought about it, maybe it was better if they didn’t know he knew the way they had gone.

  He needed to get to the street to see if he could stop them or at least identify the car. The problem was he didn’t have his cell phone; it was on the charger in his office. He was torn should he take the time to get his phone which he needed to call for help or not take a chance on seeing the getaway car.

  He opted for heading for the street. He crossed into the neighbor’s driveway that he’d used before and went as fast as he could to the road. He looked left and could see the long hill that led out of the neighborhood and the street was empty, so he focused on the right where they would be coming. Nothing, he waited ten minutes and there had been no activity. He walked down the street to his driveway. Everything was quiet. Walking far enough down the driveway, he could see there were no vehicles there. Damn, he immediately assumed they had gotten away. Maybe someone was waiting in a vehicle, and that’s how they moved so fast. Normally he would have cut through the magnolias to get to his driveway, but instead, he walked back up his neighbor’s driveway and over to his. He needed to get to his phone. That’s when he noticed a neighbor Claire Turner walking her dog.

  He started down the street toward her, and he saw her begin to cower expressing fear. Then he realized he still had his .38 in his hands.

  “Claire, I’m sorry,” he said as he put the weapon in his jacket pocket. “The bear thing,” he said trying to calm her.

  “Dan Walker is an alarmist. We’ve never had a bear in this community,” she said now looking more settled.

  “How long have you been out with your dog?”

  “Oh, about a half hour, we walked up to the main road and came back,” she said curiously as to why he asked.

  “Have you seen any car coming or going?”

  “Oh no, you know how quiet our little street is unless of course, the sheriffs’ cars are invading,” she said with a wry smile.

  “Thanks, Claire, have a great day,” he said turning and heading as fast as he could toward his house.

  Harry dialed Clay’s direct line, and for the third time in five days, the phone switched to voicemail. Clay was avoiding him. He then dialed 911 and identified himself and the problem and asked to be put through to Clay.

  Clay finally answered, and Harry gave him a brief summary of the events of the morning. Deputy Will Jackson was already out and was directed to Harry’s. Clay and Al Johnson in separate vehicles headed that way. By phone, Clay directed Will who would arrive first to block the neighbor’s driveway that was thought to be the last place the intruder had been seen. Clay and Al using their flashing lights made it to Harry�
��s street in a hurry. Killing their lights as they turned onto Harry’s street, they eased along and into Harry’s driveway where they found Harry standing on his front porch.

  Clay, Harry, and Al huddled, and Clay led the conversation, “Based on what your neighbor said, it appears the man you saw or men you didn’t see may still be here close by.”

  Harry chimed in, “But Clay, there is no vehicle, how do they escape?”

  Al added, “Maybe by boat?”

  Clay’s eyebrows raised and he said, “Al get around back and check out the shoreline and docks. Harry show me where you saw the guy with the backpack go into the trees. Al be careful in the neighbor’s yard, we don’t know if they are there or not and they may be waiting for us.”

  Harry said to Clay, “You keep talking like there is more than one but I only saw one.”

  “It’s a hunch, but I think it could be our two missing Guats. Harry, let me go through the trees first and make sure it’s safe.” Clay eased through the trees and waited a few minutes before he allowed Harry to come through.

  “Tell me about the house, where are the entry points.”

  Harry said, “Let me see, okay front door, of course, side door there that you saw, and of course, the two rear doors you can see. On the other side of the house are stairs that lead to that back deck you can see which lead to that screened porch you can also see.”

  Clay called Will Jackson and had him come down the driveway and check the front door. In just a few minutes, Will called back and said all looked normal and the door was locked. Clay ordered Harry to stay by the tree line. Clay walked to the side door, checked it, and then did the same thing to the two back downstairs doors. Clay then called Al Johnson and told him to come up from the lake using the tree line for cover and join him and Harry who he had signaled to come to him under the portico of the house.