by Clark Graham
A man in a nice grey suit with matching slacks was escorted in. “I’m Jim Peterson, the insurance adjuster. I understand you put in a claim for the amount of sixty thousand?” He seemed to choke up a little bit on the amount.
“Yes, my vase broke.” Barry was still feeling sad about it.
“So?” Jim shrugged.
“Ming Dynasty, 16th century.”
“Oh, I see. I have to look at it.”
“It broke. I had the maid throw it away.”
Jim opened his mouth to say something, but Rosita spoke first. “I have.” She went out and brought in a cardboard box with the pieces in it.
“Broken pottery. Is this really worth sixty thousand? I mean, I have to check for fraud.”
“Not pottery, it was a vase. A very expensive vase.” Barry stomped out of the room and came back a few moments later with the invoice for the new one. “This is what it costs to replace it.”
“Ouch,” Jim said as he read the paperwork. “You couldn’t do better than that?”
“Not at two am, especially when I have to wake people up.”
“You’ll have your check in a week or two. Thank you for your cooperation.” Jim turned and showed himself out.
Despite all of the annoying people Barry had to deal with, today was looking up. Considering the day started out with him looking down the barrel of a gun with a broken vase at his feet. What is a Rex battery, anyway? he wondered again.
“Lunch is ready,” Eva called from the kitchen.
“Didn’t I just eat?”
“That wasn’t food, that was cake. You need real food in you.”
Eva could be so motherly if Barry let her. Not wanting to argue, he made his way to the table, where he, Eva, and Rosita sat down for lunch, like they always did this time of day. It was something that wouldn’t fly when his father was still alive, but Barry saw no reason to eat alone, so this was how they did it now. Bob wandered in a few minutes later with the drawn up plans in his hand.
“Won’t you join us?” Barry asked.
“Boy, that smells good. It’s better than the bologna sandwich I was going to eat.” He sat down across from Barry.
Picking up the plans, Barry studied them. The enclosed glass case was on top and instead of open shelves below that, Bob had put in doors, like a cabinet. “It looks great. Go ahead and order the lumber, after lunch, of course.”
Bob didn’t answer. His mouth was already full of the spaghetti with Bolognese sauce. Well, at least he doesn’t talk with his mouth full, Barry thought.
Chapter 5
“I need your signature and a check.” Raymond said. It was an odd way to answer the phone.
“I don’t have the insurance money yet. I’ll get it to you.”
“They won’t ship it until they have a signed contract and the money.”
Barry thought about slamming down the phone, but if he did, Raymond might cancel the deal. He had been acting odd lately. Making Barry pay full price was further evidence. “Okay, I’ll meet you at the County Club restaurant in an hour. I’ll bring my checkbook.”
“No, that’s a long drive for me from here in Poorsville. I’ll meet you at the coffee shop downtown. Corner of Main and First.”
Barry shook his head. He wanted so badly to strangle Raymond right now. “Who’s getting the commission on this deal?”
“Who called whom at two in the morning? Besides, you want the vase really bad.”
“Fine.” Barry waited until Raymond hung up. He was about to throw his phone across the room, but didn’t want Rosita to have to clean up any more than she already had, so he stuffed it in his pocket. Poorsville indeed. It’s not like Raymond is living in a slum.
Bob had left and Eva was cleaning up from lunch. “I’m going downtown,” he said to no one in particular.
“Bye,” Eva replied. She gave him a dazzling smile. He had been heartbroken when she got engaged, worrying she would quit. She was moving forward in her life and he was not.
The garage door opened, revealing a red Ferrari Testarossa. It had been his father’s car. He hated it. Fun to drive, but he couldn’t park it anywhere that he couldn’t watch it, for fear it would get stolen. It was so low, he felt he was sitting on the ground when he was in it. Going to a drive up window was hard, like when he had to reach way up to get his dry cleaning. But the worst part was when he drove down the street a lot of guys stared at him. Really, they were staring at the car, but it was still unnerving.
He had wanted to sell it, but his wife wouldn’t let him. She even tried to get it in the divorce, but her wanting it was reason enough for him to keep the car. He parked the car right in front of the coffee shop so he could keep an eye on it out the window.
He arrived early, traffic had been light and he had wanted to get some frustrations out so he had been heavy on the gas.
It wasn’t a fancy place, like the Country Club. Just walk up to the counter and order food and drink then hope he could find a recently wiped off table to sit at. The place was busy, with a lot of students there from the nearby college. A girl caught his attention. She was sitting behind a laptop, typing something. A stack of books including an applied mathematics one on top told him she was going to school here. It was the ceramic-doll-like face he was staring at.
It’s her, the burglar.
He sat down across from her, but she was so intent on what she was doing she didn’t notice.
“How did your battery shopping go?”
She looked up over her laptop and her eyes narrowed. Then the light came on and they went wide open, like saucers. “The urn guy.”
“It was a vase. A vase,” He said it louder than he intended. She rapidly stuffed her books into her bag and he knew she was about to bolt. He grabbed her arm. “I’m not reporting you to the police. Please stay.”
She was standing at this point, reaching for her laptop. She paused, looked around for a moment and then sat back down. “What do you want? Name your price. I don’t want this hanging over my head anymore. That’s not the person I am. Well, normally, anyway. I was desperate.”
“At least you got your battery back. I hear from my next door neighbor it was stolen.”
“What?” Her eyes went wide again. “His house was like Fort Knox. I couldn’t get in.”
“Who would’ve taken it then?”
“I don’t know.” Her face darkened. “Wait, I do too know. It was Donald.”
“Donald? Really, like Donald Duck?”
She looked at him. “No, like Donald my lab partner in chemistry. I complained to him about it. He must have taken it.”
Raymond sat down next to Barry. “There you are. This place isn’t usually this crowded. They just added free wi fi so all of the college students are starting to flock here.” He looked at the girl. “Who’s your friend?”
“Um,” Barry didn’t have anything so he stopped at that.
“Let’s not go there,” she said.
Raymond just shrugged his shoulders and turned to Barry. “I need a check for one hundred and one thousand even, and here’s the bill of sale.”
“A hundred and one thousand? What on earth for?” She looked at Barry and then back at Raymond.
Barry didn’t answer. He was busy making out the check.
“His vase was broken so he’s buying another one.”
She gasped, putting both hands over her mouth. “Oh, I’ve got to go.” She picked up her bag and computer in one smooth motion and was out the door in a half second.
“But I didn’t get your name.” It was too late. She was gone.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt while you were making moves on that girl.”
Barry glared at him. “Just shut up, will you? Here’s your check.”
Chapter 6
Rosita and Eva were gone by the time Barry arrived home. There was a note on the table telling him to put dinner in the microwave for two minutes. Deciding to go out instead, he left the food in the fridge. It would be one
less meal Eva would have to cook tomorrow.
The country club restaurant was busy when he arrived, but the waiter sat Barry in his favorite table in an out of the way corner. The furniture was dark and the place was badly lit. If not for the faux candles on the table, he couldn’t have read the menu. It didn’t matter to him. He had it memorized. The waiter didn’t bother to take his order, just put it in. Like the menu, his order never changed. Crab Cakes for a starter followed by the Eggplant Parmesan.
Barry stared out the large window at the darkness while he waited for his food. He heard the distant blaring of an alarm. It reminded him that he hadn’t had his fixed yet. In the upscale community, the sound of a house alarm wasn’t all that uncommon. Almost all of the houses had them and people were constantly tripping their own.
Two police cars went roaring by. He could only imagine the red-faced homeowner explaining how they once again forgot to turn it off while they went to raid the fridge.
When his dinner arrived, he ate quickly. It wasn’t that he had somewhere to be, because he didn’t. It was something about the music and the atmosphere that was just a little off tonight. Or was it him? He wasn’t sure. He thought about it some more, it was him. He was tired of eating alone.
He paid his bill and took a walk, back towards his home. To his surprise, the police cars that he had seen earlier were at Fred’s house. He slowed down to see what was happening, but the action was all inside. When he arrived back home, he watched out the window until the police cars left.
He turned on the television and settled down on the sofa. The doorbell rang a few minutes later. When he opened the door, Fred was standing there.
“I got robbed again.”
“Oh, no. What did they take?”
Fred stood there a couple of seconds looking at Barry. “Can’t say.”
“Well, did you tell the police?”
“They were at my house when I got back home. When I went in, I pretended that they had taken a piece of pottery, you know, like you have on that pedestal.”
“It was a vase.”
Fred looked over at the pedestal. “Where’s your pot, anyway?”
“My vase was broken.”
“How?”
“Can’t say.”
Fred stared at him for a second, but went on. “Anyway, there was a new officer who didn’t know me. He wanted to arrest me because he thought I was the one breaking in. The other officer did know me and he wanted to arrest me because, well, he knew me. He checked out my outstanding warrants, but I had taken care of those already, so he couldn’t. It was a rough night.” Fred shook his head then asked. “You have any more of that cake roll?”
“Yes, let me go get it.” Barry took it out of the refrigerator, cut two slices and put them on plates. Getting out two glasses, he poured some milk.
“Thank you,” Fred said as he started eating. He had moved to the table by this point.
“No problem.”
Barry thought for a minute. “How did your alarm go on? I thought you had it shut off?”
“Had it turned back on.”
The two of them ate the cake for a few minutes. Fred looked up and said, “There are many mysteries in this neighborhood. Broken pots, stolen items and the lot.”
“Yes, there are. Do you want another piece?”
“No, I have to find the thing that was stolen.”
“Was it the same thing that was stolen last time?”
“Yes and no. It was the paperwork for it. You have a good night.”
“Sure, Fred, you too.”
Fred showed himself out and Barry sat there wondering what was going on. He thought about the girl with the china doll face. What did he know about her? Wanted a battery, was taking a chemistry class. Had a gun and a lab partner by the name of Donald. Barry still didn’t know what a Rex battery was.
Turning the television back on, he listened to the news. There was nothing about a break in at Fred’s house. Bored with the show, he turned it off and sat and watched Fred’s house out the window. There seemed to be a lot more going on over there than on television anyway. An hour later Fred pulled up and carried in what looked like a rifle. Barry shook his head. New money.
Chapter 7
Barry woke up to the sound of Bob working on the shelves, with the drilling and sawing. When Barry went downstairs, Bob was almost done.
“Good morning, Mr. Hibbard.” Bob was all smiles.
“You sleep late.” Rosita was almost scolding.
“Yes, extra tired.” Barry watched Bob work for a few minutes. The man may not know a vase from a pitcher, but he was a maestro with wood. The shelves were built into the corner with curved shelves that went up about waist high. Two doors covered those up. There was a round glass enclosure with two small shelves that were tucked back along the edges. The top of the glass enclosure was topped off with wood. Bob had also installed a light to illuminate the vase.
“I took the liberty of putting a slow rotating plate on the bottom, Mr. Hibbard. I can take it out if you don’t like it.”
“No, Bob, that’s perfect.” He thought of everything. Barry smiled.
The scent of bacon cooking drew Barry into the kitchen. Eva looked up from the stove. “I was wondering what happened to you. You didn’t eat your dinner last night, either.”
“Extra tired. I went to the Country Club restaurant for dinner.”
“How much eggplant can one person eat?”
“Never enough.”
She shook her head. “Breakfast will be ready shortly.”
A few minutes later, Rosita, Eva, Bob, and Barry sat at the table enjoying eggs, bacon, and toast with Eva’s homemade jam. Barry loved breakfast. It was his favorite meal.
“I should be done with the shelves by early afternoon, then I’ll start on the window.”
Barry looked up at Bob. He was between bites. “That would be fine.”
Bob nodded. He had filled his mouth again.
Stretching as he stood up, Barry yawned. “I’m going to paint the living room and kitchen. Any ideas about color?”
“A soft green, I think, for the living room. The kitchen can be a yellowish cream to match,” Eva said. She had an eye for interior design.
“Yes, I think you’re right,” Barry said. He looked around. “I’m going out to hire a painter.”
“Si,” Rosita said as she went back to work. All the dust that Bob was creating had to be dealt with.
Bob finished his last egg and then started in on the shelves again.
Life is good, Barry thought. He was finally stepping out from under his father’s shadow. He turned to Eva. “Why don’t you come with me and help me pick out colors?”
“Okay.”
As they drove out of the garage in the Ferrari, she said, “I hate this car. It reminds me of ex-wife, it feels arrogant.”
“Me, too. Maybe we should go car shopping also?”
She laughed. “Do you really think a car lot would take this in trade for something of less value?”
“I suppose not.”
They went to one paint store then another before they found the perfect colors. When they were done, Barry had to phone all over town to find a painter to do the project, but even then, he would have to wait a week. It was afternoon before they started heading home.
“How about I take you to the Country Club restaurant for lunch, since I kept you out so late?”
“That sounds nice. I have only been there a few times. Your father used to take the staff out for Christmas Eve dinner.”
He stared at her for a minute. “I had no idea he was doing that.”
“Yes, up until he got sick.”
“I have new respect for the man.”
He drove up to the building and Eva called her mother. When she put the phone back in her pocket, she said, “Bob’s still there. The shelves are done, so he’s started on the window. She is going to cook some lunch, so they are taken care of.”
“Sounds good.”
As they entered, it felt like a whole different place to Barry. The white tablecloths had been replaced by red plaid ones. The faux candles were gone and the place wasn’t dark and dingy because all of the window shades were up and the sunlight streamed in. Instead of his normal table, the host led them to one in the middle. After they were seated, they were handed a menu.
“What am I going to do? They don’t have eggplant.”
“You’re going to turn into an eggplant. Try something else.”
Barry sighed. When the waiter came up, he looked the man over. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a straight strong jaw line. The man could have been on a Nazi war poster as one of the master race.
Barry ordered the chicken fried steak. Eva ordered the double bacon beef burger. As the waiter was writing it all done, Barry looked up and noticed his nametag. ‘Donald.’
What are the chances? He thought. “Tell me, do you normally go by Don?”
“No, I was raised as a Donald.”
“Are you going to school?”
“Yes, just up at the college. I work part time here, at lunch only. It helps with tuition.”
Barry pushed further, “What classes are you taking this semester?”
“I have a chemistry class and an English one. I’m taking a light load until the fall, then I’ll start in full time again.”
And now for the million dollar question. “Have you ever heard of a Rex battery?”
Donald went wide eyed and pale. It seemed to Barry that he was even shaking a little. He didn’t answer, just walked away.
“What was that all about?” Eva asked.
“I’m trying to find out more information on a new battery type being developed by the college. I was hoping he knew something.”
“I don’t think he liked you asking about it.”
“I don’t think so, either.”
A few minutes later another waiter came up. “Donald isn’t feeling well and had to go home. Are you ready to order?”
Chapter 8
The vase arrived from Paris the next day. Barry waited until Bob was there to unpack and put it into the glass enclosure on the shelf. “Wow, that’s a nicer pitcher than you had before, Mr. Hibbard.”
