by Alan Cook
It was painful getting out of the car because I had to bend my head and that radiated down to my cracked vertebra. The doctor had said I should be thankful it was only cracked and that it would be healed in a few weeks. Meanwhile, no heavy lifting, no strenuous exercise—especially, no running. I missed that the most. In a few days I could start a walking program. Walking jars the body only a fraction as much as running does. I would walk like my father walked. I had a real job like my father had. I had almost become my father.
I walked into the complex slowly, feeling like an old man. Looking like one too, I was convinced. I rang Arrow's bell and half-hoped she wasn't there because I didn't know what to say to her.
However, I soon heard a click. It sounded like the click at the door to James' house and I automatically reached for the doorknob. It came open and I had to take a short step forward to keep my balance. This caused a shot of pain in my back.
My head in the doorway and the agonized expression on my face must have startled Arrow because she took a step backward. I attempted a smile and said hi and she said hi and then we looked at each other as I tried to remember what came next.
Finally, she said, "Come on in," and opened the door wider. "How are you?"
"Thanks. I'm fine." When I moved I was reminded of the flowers I was holding. I thrust them toward her and said, "These are for you."
"Thank you," Arrow said, taking and sniffing them. "They're beautiful. What's the occasion, other than your escape from death? I should be buying you flowers, although I must admit, I didn't expect to see you."
"I wanted to talk to you before I went back to San Francisco."
She offered me a chair and I sat down. When she saw how stiff I was she said, "Tell me about your injury, as soon as I put these in a vase."
Women instinctively know what to do with flowers. Arrow disappeared into her kitchen and reappeared a minute later with the flowers in a vase half-filled with water. She placed them on her coffee table and sat in another chair. Before I came she had changed from her work clothes to shorts and a T-shirt and her feet were bare. She looked sweet and appealing.
She laughed and said, "At least I'm not cleaning up a mess in my kitchen. As I recall, I was on my hands and knees the last time you were here. I heard part of what you went through with Stan, from Richard, but I'd like to hear the rest from you."
"Do you think my father has accepted the fact that I'm working for James?" I asked.
"I guess he's resigned to it. He said you told him James was providing a valuable service to the owners of high-risk start-ups, even if his methods were unorthodox. And that you thought you could make James a kinder, gentler person. He’s also inclined to think a little better of James because James officially told him he has stopped trying to acquire Dionysus. I wonder why James relented.” She looked a question at me.
Don’t go there, Karl. "I’m not sure, but it may have something to do with Stan and Ned. James was very upset and very apologetic about Stan. Anyway, I know I'll learn a lot from him. By the way, he gave me a week off with pay to recover from my physical and emotional wounds. I think he actually has a human side to him."
"Speaking of being human, your father was deeply touched that you risked your life to solve Ned's murder, but he doesn't want you to do it again."
"He told me that—at least the part about not getting into any more trouble."
"Is Stan badly hurt?"
"Just a brain concussion. He'll be nicely recovered by the time he stands trial. After I talked to the police I heard that they've already found out that Stan had made a large cash withdrawal from his bank on the day that Ned was murdered.
"In addition, James told both me and the police that he knew where Ned's business meeting was that evening because they were scheduled to get together later to talk about Dionysus, which, by the way, is why Ned told me to meet him at James'. He was probably going to tell James off, once and for all. That may be why he appeared to be so nervous to me. Elma told me he had a hard time telling James no.
"Stan would have known about Ned's meeting from James. He probably called the restaurant and found out it had been cancelled. He also knew about the Chinese lady, Flora Sung. Stan made it his business to know everything. James suspects Stan got a message to Ned at the home of Ms. Sung and made Ned believe it was from him, James, telling Ned to meet James near where he was shot."
"I'm sorry Stan turned out to be such a bastard," Arrow said. "I really liked him. Tell me all about your confrontation with him. But first, can I get you a drink?"
"No. In fact, that's why I came here. I'd like to take you out to dinner. Someplace better than Norms and you don't have to put it on your expense account because I'm buying."
Arrow looked perplexed, perhaps because of the solemn manner in which I had delivered my message, and said, "Is this...is this like a date?"
I had been subconsciously wondering that very thing. Now, faced with it on a conscious level, I said, "Yes. I'd like to ask you on a date."
"I hope you're not doing this because you feel you owe me something," Arrow said. "We've been through a lot together, but I think that basically we're even."
I had to say something to remove the reserve that had grown between us. I said, "I know I acted standoffish before, but it wasn't because I wasn't attracted to you." Double negative—great. "There were other reasons. But they no longer apply. I am...attracted to you and I would like to go out with you." I suddenly had doubts. "Of course, if you don't want to..."
"Give me five minutes to change into something suitable for a real date," Arrow said, smiling and moving toward the stairs. "I have just one question; if this gets beyond casual, how are we going to see each other, with you in San Francisco and me in LA?"
"I have a lot of experience with airline commuting," I said, gaining confidence, "and I don't want to let it go to waste."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
After spending more than a quarter of a century as a pioneer in the computer industry, Alan Cook is well into his second career as a writer.
Run into Trouble is about a footrace along the California coast in 1969 during the Cold War. But is the Cold War about to heat up? Drake and Melody, who worked undercover together in former lives, need to find the answer before all hell breaks loose.
The Hayloft: a 1950s mystery and prize-winning Honeymoon for Three feature Gary Blanchard, first as a high school senior who has to solve the murder of his cousin, and ten years later as a bridegroom who gets more than he bargained for on his honeymoon.
Hotline to Murder takes place at a crisis hotline in Bonita Beach, California. When a listener is murdered, Tony and Shahla team up to uncover the strange worlds of their callers and find the killer.
His Lillian Morgan mysteries, Catch a Falling Knife and Thirteen Diamonds, explore the secrets of retirement communities. Lillian, a retired mathematics professor from North Carolina, is smart, opinionated, and loves to solve puzzles, even when they involve murder.
Alan splits his time between writing and walking, another passion. His inspirational, prize-winning book, Walking the World: Memories and Adventures, has information and adventure in equal parts. He is also the author of Walking to Denver, a light-hearted, fictional account of a walk he did.
Freedom’s Light: Quotations from History’s Champions of Freedom, contains quotations from some of our favorite historical figures about personal freedom. The Saga of Bill the Hermit is a narrative poem about a hermit who decides that the single life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Alan lives with his wife, Bonny, on a hill in Southern California. His website is alancook.50megs.com.
Table of Contents
Aces and Knaves
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