The Heist

by Theresa Sederholt

  “Dad, you know she’s dating, right?”

  Another sucker punch in my gut. “No, I didn’t, but I can’t say I’m surprised. Your mother was never one to let the grass grow under her feet.”

  “Well, somebody had to do something, so I made you a profile on The Over Fifty Crowd. It’s a new dating website for people your age.”

  I think my chin just hit the ground. “You did what!? Have you lost your mind? Why would you do that without asking me first?”

  “If I asked you first, you would sit here and hem and haw over the whole thing.”

  “I know you’re right, but I just don’t think I’m ready. Can you please take it down or at least deactivate it?” She gets up, presses the newspaper into my chest before heading inside. As she walks away, I hear her mumble something to the effect that I’m a stubborn fool. Nice to know what your daughter really thinks about you. Hopefully, she cools off soon.

  Me: Hey, just wanted to let you know that I’m bringing Brook with me. I thought she would be good moral support for Emma.

  Amelia: That would be great. See you soon!

  Amelia

  I’m happy that he’s bringing Brook. It will be nice to meet her and put a face to the name. Plus, she will be a good distraction for Emma. Chloe worked another double, so I’m sure she’s out for the count. If I don’t keep her updated on everything, there will be no living with her.

  Me: Hey, I wanted to leave a message for you. Mitch is coming over today with his daughter Brook. Emma came in a day early. I’ll let you know what the house is worth and what needs to be done.

  Chloe: Hey, I just got up for a cup of coffee. Glad Emma is there for you. On another note, guess who has a profile on The Over Fifty Crowd. Yep, it’s our friend Mitch. When you get a minute, check it out. I found it to be very interesting. Call me later.

  Oh my gosh, I can’t believe he’s on there. So many times, I was tempted, but then my nerves got the better of me. Should I pull up his profile or mind my own business? Oh, fuck that; I need to see what it says. I quickly fire up my tablet and go on to the site. After saying no to every pop up under the sun, I finally get a one-week free trial. I put in Mitch Stein and up pops his picture. I’m not sure when it was taken, but he looks happy. It lists his likes and his stats. Then there is a small bio. It just doesn’t seem like him. Out of the corner of my eye I see Emma coming down the steps. I quickly close my tablet. The last thing she needs to see is me on a dating site, checking out Mitch’s profile.

  “Good morning, Mitch will be here soon. He’s bringing his daughter, Brook. She’s around your age and thought you might like someone to hang out with. I hope you don’t mind, I’ve wanted to meet her, so this was a good opportunity.”

  “So, what you’re really saying is, you’re as nosy and heck and you want to use me as an excuse.” She laughs, so hopefully she lets me off the hook.

  “I’m curious; you said you were friends with him before dad vanished, so why did I never meet him or any of Dad’s friends?”

  “That’s a question you’ll have to save for Mitch.” There’s a knock on the door. Speak of the devil; Mitch is here.

  As I let them in, I’m taken back on how tall Brook is. Her legs seem endless. She has beautiful chestnut hair and eyes that match. “Come in, please.” I quickly make the introductions.

  “So, Emma, your mom said you have some questions for me. I’m all ears, so ask away,” Mitch says.

  “Mitch, what can you tell me about my father, and please don’t paint him as a larger-than-life superhero.” At first, I thought maybe having Brook here would make Emma shy about asking him questions about her father, but it doesn’t seem to bother her.

  “I see you take after your mom. Well, Emma, your dad and I grew up together. We both went to Catholic school. He graduated from college but had no idea what to do with his life. With my help, he bought this house. We renovated it, and your dad was really good at it. He talked about flipping houses for a living. He was a man ahead of his time. His other great love was being on the ocean. As kids, we hung around the marina, him more than me. He was always taking odd jobs just to go out on anyone’s boat. One summer, he got us both jobs as deckhands on a yacht. After that, his dream was to have his own yacht. Unfortunately, that never came to be.”

  “If you were such good friends, why didn’t you come around after he left? If it were me, I would have checked on our family a lot over the years.”

  Wow, she just went right for the jugular. I lean in a little more; even I want to hear this one.

  “I think I was in denial that my best friend was gone. I never knew anyone that just up and disappeared without a trace. And honestly, I was a little scared. I was young and stupid. I didn’t know what to say to your mom without feeling awkward. As time continued to march on, it became easier to just stay away.”

  “Do you have any idea why he disappeared? I mean, you have to admit it’s very odd.”

  I suddenly realize I was holding my breath, anticipating his answer.

  “It is very odd. Like everyone else, I have no idea. I’m sorry. I wish I had more answers for you.”

  “I guess I have to forgive you. Besides, it’s not healthy to carry a grudge after all of these years,” Emma says with a sigh.

  “Do you have any other questions for me?”

  “No, my job here is done. Now why don’t you get those comps out and we can go over everything.”

  I watch Mitch and notice once he gets nervous, the tops of his ears turn bright reds. “Of course. I made copies for both of you. If you notice, I found three houses that sold or are up for sale. They closely match this house, with the exception being they are renovated and yours isn’t. I would say with the minor fixes that came up in the inspection report, you can walk away with six-hundred-fifty thousand dollars. It shouldn’t take me long to sell it since the market is hot right now. I’m able to cut the fee down, so instead of you paying a total of six percent I can knock it down to four percent.”

  “How much will my mom have to pay for the repairs?”

  “Around two or three grand max. But Amelia, you have to figure out where you want to live before you do anything else.”

  I’m staring at him like he has three heads while I try to quickly do some mental math. “How much am I going to have to pay in capital gains?”

  “You’ll need to sit down with your accountant. There are deductions he can take to get it down. I know since you lived in the house two years or more it knocks two-hundred-fifty thousand dollars off of the sale. There is a formula that your accountant will use. Depending upon where you decide to go, you could pay for a house in cash. You have a lot of options, but you don’t have to decide today. You and Emma should enjoy the weekend, discuss all your options, and we will talk more about it on Monday. First and foremost, you need decide where you want to go.”

  “I had no idea this house was worth that kind of money. You’re right, I really need to make my decision as to where I’m going first. I’m leaning towards Asheville, North Carolina. I’ve been researching it, and it seems to have everything I’m looking for. Chloe offered to go with me to check it out.”

  “Mom, who knows, maybe you’ll end up on an episode of House Hunters.” She’s laughing and Brook joins in.

  “Oh, and if you decide to sell, you might want to start thinking about downsizing. While the inspector was here, I went room by room and made a list of some of the stuff you will need to purge.” He starts flipping through his papers until he finds his list and passes it to me.

  “Holy Hanna, it’s three pages long!”

  “I warned you ahead of time. Buyers don’t want to see your stuff; they want to visualize their stuff in the space.” He’s packing up his things, but I’m fixated on his list.

  “Okay, ladies, Brook and I are going to head out. Emma, it was very nice to meet you. Enjoy your weekend at home.” He gets up to leave as Brook and Emma exchange numbers. They also make plans to meet up later for coffee.
I’m glad he brought her with him. Emma has her friends, but this is a connection to her father, no matter how distant it may be.

  Mitch

  As Brook and I head home, my mind wanders back to that summer on the yacht. We had the time of our lives. We were young, fit, and tan. Needless to say, for us, it was a summer of love or, at least, that’s what Peter called it. That was also the summer that Peter discovered older, married women, many of them.

  “Dad, are you listening to anything I have to say?” I realize Brook has been talking to me.

  “Honestly, no. I was lost in my memories.”

  “I’ve never seen you like this.”

  “Like what? This is me doing my job.”

  “No, you’re very melancholy. I said I thought you handled Emma’s questions about her father very well. You hardly ever talked about him. I didn’t know you were that close.”

  “When my dad moved us into the projects, Peter was the only one who would talk to me. Back then, the world was very racially divided. Different nationalities mixing together was frowned upon. Neighborhoods were actually divided by nationalities. You never ventured out of your neighborhood. The world is nothing like it is today. In some ways, the world was better back then.”

  “How so? I would think, as a whole, we are more tolerant now.”

  “Just the opposite; we are less tolerant now. I think the internet changed the world forever. The internet is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it opened the world beyond our little neighborhood. On the other hand, it lets bad people into our living rooms. Sometimes they’re in the form of bullies or pedophiles and sometimes they create scams to steal from those who don’t expect it. Like I said: double-edged sword.” Look at me calling the kettle black.

  “I can understand your feelings, even if I don’t agree with you. So, back to Peter; how did he die?”

  “He went out to get Amelia something when she was seven months pregnant and never came back. No one knows what happened to him. Amelia had to wait twenty years to finally declare him legally dead. That was last week. Emma never knew her father, only the stories her mother told her.”

  “But you only met Emma today, how is that possible if he was your best friend?”

  I take a deep breath and slowly exhale. “It’s complicated, at best. I’m here for Amelia and Emma now and that’s what matters most.”

  “Really? How complicated could it be? I think about all the things you and I did together and, poor Emma, she had no one.” I didn’t think it was possible, but I feel even worse now.

  “Can we change the subject, please? I’m trying to do the right thing now. That should count for something, shouldn’t it?” She keeps staring at me like she’s trying to dissect me or something.

  “Oh, my God, Dad, I don’t know why I didn’t notice this sooner; the way you looked at Amelia—you had a thing for her, that’s why you stayed away. Tell me the truth, Dad. I told you, that I never saw Mom light up when you entered the room, and the same goes for you. Yet, the way you look at Amelia is different.”

  “I’d like to change the subject now. What are you doing for the rest of the day?”

  “I’ll let you out of the hot seat for now. I invited Emma to go for drinks with Vanni and me tonight. Was Uncle Doug friends with Peter?”

  “Yes, but not as close as I was. Uncle Doug marches to his own drummer. I think it’s nice that you’re including Emma.” The three musketeers live on . . . how ironic.

  Brook and Vanni left to pick up Emma, and I finally have the house to myself again. What a crazy day. First, I get interrogated by Emma, which I was expecting. Then, my own daughter decides to give me the third degree. That I wasn’t expecting. I wish I wasn’t in so deep with the hunt for the jewels. I have a bad feeling that this is not going to end well for any of us. I have an idea I want to run by Doug. It’s still early enough, so I head next door. He never locks his door; I let myself in and can hear the television blasting.

  “Hey, Doug, I wanted to run something past you. Now that the kids are gone, I figured we could talk in private.” We head into the living room and he shuts off the television.

  “Yeah, I was hoping to talk to you about Amelia’s house. Did you get a chance to look around?”

  “Well, yes and no. I was limited to what I could do because of her surveillance system. I didn’t want to look like I was snooping or possibly doing something nefarious. I really don’t think the jewels are hidden in the house.”

  “Why?”

  “Nothing in the house was touched since the day Peter left. It’s actually kind of creepy.”

  “Look, Mitch, they have to be somewhere.”

  “What about telling Amelia everything. We could give her Peter’s cut. Lord knows there’s more than enough.” He’s stroking his beard, which he usually does when he’s deep in thought.

  “What if she goes to the police? She could be one of those goodie two-shoes.”

  “Doug, do you really think they would believe her? They didn’t when she reported Peter missing. Now she’s going to try and convince the police that he was part of an international crime ring?”

  “Yeah, a ring that consisted of three guys on spring break. You’re right; no one would believe her. Let’s wait till the kids leave. Now tell me about the house. How much are the repairs going to cost, and do you think we should just buy it outright?”

  “I don’t think the repairs are going to be high. I think we could bring it up to code and make any other repairs for five grand. That would include making the basement apartment legal.”

  “Do you want to rent it or flip it?”

  “I think we should rent it. We would have a nice monthly income.”

  “Okay, after the kids leave. Now tell me about Amelia; do you still have a thing for her?”

  “I put that to rest twenty years ago. Let’s just focus on the house. I’ve got to go. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” I get up and head out, leaving him no time for a rebuttal. If I don’t, he won’t give up and I’m not prepared to go down that road with him.

  Brook

  “Emma, thank you for coming out with us tonight. I can’t believe our parents were friends for so long and we never met. So, tell us about yourself.” She’s fidgeting and seems nervous. I want her to feel comfortable with us. I don’t know the whole story that my dad skirted around today. I do know my dad, though, and, for some reason, he’s acting like a guilty man.

  “Nothing much to tell. I had a normal childhood. I’m majoring in chemical engineering. I love dogs, country music, and live for my morning coffee. That’s about it. Now tell me about you guys.”

  Vanni and I give her the express version of our lives. It’s all pretty basic except, of course, I now have a steady boyfriend.

  “Vanni and I made my dad a profile page on The Over Fifty Crowd dating app. We should make one for your mom. Did you notice the way they looked at each other? The pheromones in that room today were off the charts crazy.”

  “I didn’t notice because I was focusing on the information your dad had about mine. It might be good to make the profile.”

  I pull my iPad out of my tote and fire it up. “No time like the present to get the ball rolling. Emma, did your mom say anything to you about her past?” I know I’m fishing but something with my dad is so off.

  “No, she doesn’t like to talk about it. Over the years, when I would bring up my dad to try and find out more information, she would seem so sad. After a while, I just stopped asking. What about you, has your dad said anything?”

  “No, which is all the more reason I need to get to the bottom of this.” I pull up the website and begin the search. “Okay, I’m in now, let’s start building a profile for your mom.” It feels very strange to do this. She gives me enough information to build the profile. While she searches her phone for a picture, I write the bio. Finally, I’m done, and I pass Emma the iPad.

  “What do you guys think?” I ask. Vanni pulls her chair closer to Emma, so she can see over
her shoulder.

  “Emma, do you think your mom will get upset with you about this?” Vanni has a point. I’m close with my dad; I know how far I can push him. I don’t know Emma’s relationship with her mom.

  “I think it’s great. I also think my mom’s best friend, Chloe, will find it before my mom ever will. If nothing else, Chloe and Mom will have a good laugh about it.”

  “There’s a feature on the site to poke someone you’re interested in and send a hello. I’ll go back to my dad’s profile and poke your mom.” A few clicks and I’m done.

  “Okay, now we wait. I hate waiting.”

  “Brook, I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone that likes to wait. Does your dad even know about this profile?”

  “Yeah, he wasn’t happy about it.”

  “Let’s just forget about the whole matchmaking thing. So, tell me about your boyfriend. Is it serious?” This must be what it feels like to be in the hot seat. It actually makes me squirm a little.

  “We just moved in together, so yeah, it’s becoming serious enough. I’ve dated in the past, but I never had the butterflies in the pit of my stomach feeling until I met Benjamin. He’s met my mom but not my dad. I told him over the phone the other day that we are living together and that my mom already met him. That’s why I came home this weekend; I wanted to make sure he was okay with everything.” Even though this is personal, I’m very comfortable with her.

  “Is he?”

  “No. He might look happy on the outside, but I’m sure on the inside he’s flipping out. He’s conservative in his thoughts about women. It’s probably his Catholic school upbringing.”

  “Did you also go to Catholic school?”

  “Yes. I went to Mary Queen of Heaven through the eighth grade. After that, I put my foot down and demanded I go to public high school with everyone else in the neighborhood. Vanni is a year older than me, and she went to the public school. My parents finally gave in, letting me go as long as Vanni promised to look after me. What about you, Emma?”