Maybelle's Affair

by Terri Reid

  He shook his head and laughed scornfully. “The thing is, sweetheart,” he said. “You don’t have a damn thing to say about what I do and how I do it.” He stood up and tossed her a weak salute. “Have a nice night.”

  Chapter Thirty-nine

  “He took the bait,” Alex said after finishing the conversation with Daphne. “Stanley should be getting a call soon.”

  “I’m ready fer it,” Stanley said. “I’ll play it as cool as a cucumber.”

  “I set up an app on your phone that will automatically record any phone conversations you have,” Bradley said. “You don’t have to do anything but answer the phone, and it’s activated.”

  “They can’t tell I’m recording them?” he asked.

  Bradley shook his head. “No, it all happens in the background.”

  Stanley’s phone rang and, startled; he dropped it on the table.

  “Stanley,” Rosie urged him. “Answer your phone.”

  Fumbling to pick it up, he scowled at her. “I’m trying to, dagnabbit!”

  He finally picked up, took a deep breath and answered the phone. “What?” he grumbled into the receiver.

  There was a pause on the other end of the line. “Is this Stanley Wagner?” Chuck asked warily.

  “Yeah, it is,” Stanley replied. “Who’s this?”

  “My name is Chuck Lynch…” he began.

  “Do I know you?” Stanley interrupted.

  “No, not yet,” Chuck said smoothly. “But you’re going to be grateful that I called you.”

  “You got a mighty high opinion of yourself,” Stanley countered. “Don’t have much use for folks like that.”

  Chuck loosened his tie and took a deep breath. This call was harder than he’d thought it was going to be. “I apologize, Mr. Wagner,” he said. “I only want a minute of your time.”

  “You got 59 seconds now,” Stanley said.

  Alex turned away from Stanley and put his hand over his mouth, hiding his laughter.

  Mary beamed at Stanley, like a mother watching her child perform in a school play. “He’s brilliant,” she whispered to Bradley.

  Bradley nodded. “Yes, he is,” he agreed.

  Chuck began to panic. He had no other prospective clients; he had to land this one. “Um, Mr. Wagner, I represent a local group of investors who meet regularly to swap investment strategies and share knowledge,” he said. “I was told that you might be a benefit to our group and I was hoping that you would consider joining us.”

  Stanley narrowed his eyes. “What’s it gonna cost me?” he asked.

  “Nothing,” Chuck said. “Absolutely nothing. As a matter of fact, we provide the group with a place to meet, refreshments and we actually offer a free life insurance policy. We do have some investment professionals if you are interested in obtaining their services, but it’s not mandatory.”

  “What’s in it fer you?” Stanley asked.

  “We’re interested in your perspective,” he lied.

  “You mean you’re interested in my money,” Stanley countered. He paused a moment, tapping his fingers on the table to pass the time.

  “No,” Chuck argued. “We are interested in having you become part of our exclusive club.”

  “Ain’t got much time fer clubs,” Stanley said. “Well, your time is up.”

  “Please, Mr. Wagner,” Chuck pleaded. “Why don’t you just come by once to see if you like it?”

  Stanley sighed loudly. “Fine, I ain’t got much else to do now that Rosie left,” he replied. “When and where?”

  “Tomorrow morning at ten,” Chuck said. “The stone building on the corner of Galena Avenue and Exchange. Fourth floor.”

  “I know the place,” Stanley said. “I’ll try to be there.”

  Chuck breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Okay, great, I’ll see you then,” he said.

  “Yeah, if I decide to come,” Stanley replied. “Good-bye.”

  He hung up without giving Chuck a chance to reply.

  The tableful of people burst into applause after Stanley hung up. He smiled sheepishly at them and then let his face split into a grin. “Can’t say I’ve had as much fun in a long time,” he admitted. “I reckon that young man was getting pretty hot under the collar.”

  “You were amazing,” Mary said.

  “Stanley, I never knew you were an actor,” Rosie gushed, wrapping her arm through his. “You were masterful.”

  He shrugged and blushed slightly. “It t’weren’t nothing.”

  “No, man, you were awesome,” Dave said. “I only wish I could have seen Chuck’s face while you ran him through the wringer.”

  Stanley smiled again. “Well, maybe I ought to be wearing a camera and a microphone when I meet with him tomorrow. Then you can get the whole show.”

  Chapter Forty

  The meeting had ended, and only Rosie and Stanley were left, standing hand in hand next to the front door. Mary pulled Bradley into the kitchen so that the older couple could have a few minutes alone.

  “Are you go to be okay?” Rosie asked Stanley.

  He nodded slowly. “Well, I ain’t saying I’m not gonna miss you, Rosie-gal,” he said. “But, I’m gonna manage.”

  She smiled. “I’m going to miss you too,” she said. “I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep this up.”

  “It’s only been one day,” he replied gently, pleased at her response.

  “One day too many,” she said. “You promise me that you won’t do anything…” She paused.

  “Stupid?” he inserted with a grin.

  She shrugged. “Well, I wasn’t going to use that word,” she said with an answering grin.

  “Cause you were being polite,” he replied. Then he lifted his hand and cradled her cheek in it. “I won’t do nothing stupid because I ain’t risking not ever seeing you again. You’re my life, Rosie-girl.”

  She sniffed back a tear and nodded. “You’re my life too, Stanley,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “You remember that.”

  He leaned over and placed a tender kiss on her lips. “I will always remember that,” he said. He looked over his shoulder at the door and then back at her. “Well, I guess I better get going.”

  She nodded, not releasing his hand. “I suppose so,” she said, her gaze still locked on his eyes.

  “I’ll make myself one of them tv dinners for supper,” he said.

  “Oh!” she exclaimed. “Wait! I nearly forgot.” She rushed away from him and hurried into the kitchen. “Mary, where is that bag…”

  Mary opened the refrigerator and pulled out a small shopping bag filled with small plastic containers. “Here you go,” she said, handing it to Rosie.

  “Thank you,” Rosie said, grasping the bag and hurrying back to Stanley. She handed him the bag. “I got up early and made these for you.”

  He looked into the bag and then up at her. “What’s this?”

  “All of your favorite meals,” she said. “All you have to do is heat them up. Then you won’t have to eat those horrid tv dinners.”

  His eyes glistened with grateful tears, and he leaned forward and kissed her again. “You’re my angel, Rosie,” he said.

  She sniffed again and dashed a few errant tears from her cheeks. “You’re my hero, Stanley,” she replied.

  He nodded regretfully. “I guess I’d better,” he said, nodding towards the door.

  “I suppose,” she said, slowly sliding her hand from his. “I’ll miss you.”

  “I’ll miss you every minute,” he replied. He turned and opened the door, glanced back once more. “I love you, Rosie-gal. Don’t ferget that.”

  Then he walked out and closed the door behind him.

  Tears slipped quickly down Rosie’s cheeks as she stared at the door. Then she breathed a shuddering sigh and blotted her face with her handkerchief. “Mary,” she called, her voice trembling. “I do believe I’m going to go upstairs and rest for a bit.”

  Without waiting for a response, she hurried u
p the stairs to the guest room.

  Mary and Bradley walked back into the living room and watched out the front window as Stanley walked slowly down the sidewalk alone, pausing only once to gaze up in the window on the second floor where Mary knew Rosie was watching and waving.

  “They are so sweet,” Mary said softly.

  “Yeah, I think being without Rosie is the hardest part of this whole operation,” Bradley agreed, standing behind her and looking at the same scene. “Are you still worried about him?”

  Mary turned and looked up at her husband. It still surprised her that he was so in tune with her feelings. “Yes,” she admitted. “What happens if Chuck decides not to wait until tomorrow? What happens if he goes to Stanley’s house? What happens…”

  “Okay,” Bradley said, pulling Mary into his arms. “I think I’m getting the drift of your concerns. So, what can we do about it?”

  “Do?” Mary asked, shaking her head. “I don’t know that there’s anything we can do.”

  Bradley shrugged. “We could ask Mike to stay with him,” he suggested. “Or I can have an unmarked car watch his house all night. This is an official investigation, so it’s not a problem.”

  She looked up at him. “Really?” she asked, hopefully.

  He placed a kiss on her forehead. “Really,” he replied, stepping away from her. “I’ll call it in right now. He’ll be watched over all night long and he won’t have any idea it’s happening.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief. “That would be great,” she said. “And then Mike can come with me.”

  Bradley froze in his steps and then turned back to face his wife. “Go with you where?” he asked.

  “Just across the street,” she said. “To speak with Maybelle and Gilbert. They were going to watch over Daphne today.”

  “Is Dave going with you?” Bradley asked.

  She shrugged. “I didn’t ask him,” she replied.

  “Ask him,” Bradley said. “Please, for me.”

  She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I will be happy to ask him for you,” she said, tiptoeing and placing a soft kiss against his lips. “I’m crazy about you.”

  He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back. “The feeling’s mutual,” he replied, then he kissed her quickly and stepped back. “Okay, stop distracting me. I’ve got to call the station, and you’ve got to call Dave.”

  She grinned at him. “Yes, sir!”

  Chapter Forty-one

  Chuck unlocked the front door to the building that held the offices of the investment company. At this time of night, ten o’clock, the building was deserted, as well was most of downtown Freeport. He slipped through the lobby door and then closed and locked it behind himself.

  He walked across the marble floor to the stairwell and glanced up the dark, steep stairs. The building had been constructed in the early 1900s, and the building codes were more lenient back then when it came to lighted staircases and wide steps. He started to move toward the staircase and stopped, a chill running down his spine. He looked around the shadowy entrance area. No one else is here; he chided himself.

  No one alive, a voice inside his head taunted.

  With a visible shiver, he stepped away from the stairwell and walked a few more steps to the ancient elevator in the corner of the lobby. He pressed the black “up” button and waited, listening to the groaning of the cables and the clanging movement of the mechanicals as the elevator made its way to him. The door opened, the dim, tiny space awaiting him. He paused, for just a moment.

  It’s this or the staircase, he thought, and then he stepped inside.

  The door closed with a bump, and the elevator began to slowly make its way up to the fourth floor.

  “Chuck.”

  He turned quickly and looked around the tiny enclosure. He was sure someone had just called his name. He pulled out his phone to see if he’d accidentally called someone, but his phone was off. He stepped back, so he was up against the back wall, and continued to glance around the enclosure. He knew what he’d heard, and it had to come from somewhere.

  “Who’s there?” he finally stammered, his throat dry.

  No one responded. Chuck took a deep breath and focused on the floor lights. “Four, four, four,” he breathed anxiously.

  Finally, the fourth-floor light lit up, and the doors slowly opened. Exhaling softly, he stepped out of the elevator.

  “Chuck.”

  His name was like a feather on the wind, wisping past him. He jumped around, searching, trying to find any logical explanation. But there was nothing. Nothing except the cold chill that ran up his spine and the realization that he was certainly not alone.

  He ran down the hall to the door to his office and tried to quickly put the key into the lock, but the more he tried, the more frazzled he became. Sweat beaded on his forehead and he impatiently wiped it away with the sleeve of his expensive suit.

  “That’s going to stain.” The voice, this time, seemed almost sympathetic. And female.

  Chuck yelped and dropped his key. He plastered his back against the door and trembled with fear. “Whose here?” he cried out. “Who the hell is here?”

  His breath was escaping in gasps. His eyes were frantically searching the hall for another, reasonable, logical reason. “It’s a joke,” he stammered, wiping his forehead again. “It’s just a joke. The guys are playing it on me.”

  His fear turned to anger, and he studied the hallway carefully, looking for a hidden camera or a speaker.

  “I know it’s you guys,” he snarled through gritted teeth. “You all think you’re so damn funny. Well, you just wait, because I’m going to make sure you get yours.”

  Suddenly, the key floated up from the floor and stopped at Chuck’s eye level. Chuck stared at it in wordless agony. A muffled moan broke from his mouth, but his eyes could only stare at the key hanging in mid-air.

  “And we’re going to make sure you get yours, Chuck,” the voice said softly.

  With a primal scream, Chuck pushed himself away from the door and ran down the hall. He bypassed the elevator and ran down the stairs, slamming himself into the walls on the landings as he took the stairs four at a time, nearly breaking his neck. The sound of the lobby door crashing open and slamming closed echoed all the way up to the fourth floor.

  Maybelle laughed delightedly. “Oh, that was so much fun,” she chortled.

  Gilbert smiled at her, pleased with her response. “Well, I never could abide a bully, and he’s the worst kind.”

  “You handled him masterfully,” Maybelle said, admiration glowing in her eyes. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard a man scream quite so loudly.”

  Gilbert chuckled softly and nodded. “The look in his eyes when we handed the key to him…”

  “We were only trying to be helpful,” Maybelle laughed.

  Gilbert looked down at the key in his hand and grinned. “Well, it looks like our friends won’t have to do any breaking and entering tonight,” he said, placing the key on the ledge of the office sign next to the door. “Looks like Chuck has left us a key.” He turned to Maybelle and smiled. “That was quite obliging of him, don’t you think?”

  She nodded. “Yes, quite,” she agreed, slipping her arm around his. “Shall we return to the mansion and report on the success of our venture?”

  He looked down at her, joy in his eyes and nodded. “Yes, I think we should.”

  Chapter Forty-two

  Mary, Mike, and Dave walked up the sidewalk to the Finders Mansion. It was about 10:30 and the neighborhood was quiet, with only a few glowing windows advertising the occupants of those homes were still awake.

  Dave looked up and down the block and smiled. “School night,” he said. “That’s why everyone is in bed so early.”

  Mary nodded. “Parents are exhausted, kids are exhausted,” she agreed. “And I think everyone is just looking forward to nice weather.”

  “I remember looking forward to Spring Break,” Mike said
. “It seemed like the months just dragged on between Christmas Break and Spring Break. Then it was all downhill until Summer Vacation.”

  “All downhill?” Dave asked.

  Mike grinned. “My grades,” he said with a laugh. “Once the weather turned nice, I couldn’t concentrate for the life of me.”

  “I had a similar problem,” Dave admitted. “But it started in the fall and lasted until the summer.”

  Mary laughed. “You both sound like my brothers.”

  “Oh, so you were an excellent student, I take it?” Dave asked.

  Mary shrugged. “Of course,” she said and then after a pause added, “But only because I wanted to show my brothers up. It was all about competing with them.”

  “Now there’s motivation,” Mike agreed.

  They stopped at the front door, and Mary pulled out the key, unlocking the door. They had all just walked into the front hall when Maybelle and Gilbert appeared in front of them, laughing so hard they were crying.

  “What happened?” Mary asked.

  Startled, the ghosts jumped.

  “Oh, Mary,” Maybelle gasped, placing her hand over her heart. “You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

  Then she looked down at her translucent body and chuckled. “Okay, perhaps not,” she said. “But I must admit, I was more than surprised.”

  “What’s the joke?” Mike asked.

  Maybelle glanced over at Gilbert, and he nodded his permission. “Gilbert and I were making life a little more interesting for Chuck,” she admitted. “We decided to meet him over at the building this evening. I think we made him a little nervous.”

  Gilbert stifled a laugh and covered his mouth with his hand.

  Mary glanced at the two of them. “What did you do?” she asked.

  “We might have called out his name a couple of times,” Gilbert said. “When we were in the elevator with him.”

  It was Mike’s turn to choke back laughter. He caught Mary’s disapproving face and turned away.

  “You called his name?” Mary asked. “Anything else?”

  “Well, I might have mentioned that his suit was going to be stained when he wiped his sleeve across his forehead,” Maybelle added. “And, of course, that might have been what caused him to drop the key to his office door.”