but, mercury's not in retrograde!

by McCarthy, G. L.

  could only make suggestions in that regard. Alex wished her

  sweet dreams as she needed to get back inside since it was really starting to get cold. As she hung up and walked in, it looked like Cyn had finished grading papers and was settling in to watch an old movie. Plopping down next to her, she told her Sam had said hello and hoped she had a great day. As the movie started Alex wished the rest of the week would move a lot faster than the last three days. Tomorrow she was going to her storage locker to get some of her things and start moving into her new place. She was really looking forward to that, as well as seeing her picture of Anna and Ramon.

  Chapter 12

  The evening had been fun and making a bowl of popcorn was beginning to be a movie watching must for the two friends. But as the new day arrived, with the annoying buzz of Cyn’s alarm, Alex knew that was something definitely not going to be missed when she moved into her new house. Her alarm was of birds chirping and reminded her of the ranch. Rising up, she looked out at the road to see if the truck was back, but no sign of it yet.

  Cyn was in the kitchen already doing her thing with the coffee and toast. Alex hit the shower and completed the task in record time. Coming out of the bathroom, she went straight to her post to watch for the truck. She wanted to get a good look at it today, hoping maybe it had distinctive markings of some kind. Cyn took over the bathroom while Alex kept watch as she got dressed, and wondered just how much of the living room could be seen from the road. Maybe she better make an effort to check this morning as they left for school. She didn’t want the neighbors thinking she was an exhibitionist.

  Eating her toast and drinking her coffee as she continued to look out the window, Alex realized if she moved, she wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on Cyn and look out for the truck. So this little mystery needed to be solved quickly before she could settle into her own routine.

  “It looks like our friend is on to us. I don’t think he’ll be back at least not at this time of day.” Alex didn’t think Cyn’s admirer was stupid and they needed to be more discrete in their future dealings.

  “I think you’re right. I guess we have to wait for someone to ask where my car is and hope they are the person.” Cyn knew Alex wanted to get moved and she didn’t blame her. She just wished this was over and whoever was behind it all was revealed.

  “Shall we head off to another glorious day of teaching at Taylorwood School for Girls?” Alex gave Cyn a pat as she headed for the kitchen to rinse out her cup.

  “Absolutely. I’m right behind you.” Cyn heaved a huge sigh as she grabbed her briefcase and headed for the door.

  “We’ll find out who’s behind this, Cyn, I promise. Just be patient and let fate lay out the clues for us to put together. What else have we got to do with our afternoons?” Alex smiled widely and led the way to her truck.

  Backing down the road, Alex noticed that she couldn’t really see that much of the interior of the living room and was grateful for it. As they drove, both looked for white trucks and counted six parked in driveways on their way to work. This wasn’t going to be an easy task, but hopefully the Sheriff would come up with some encouraging information. For now it was going to be another rainy day in paradise.

  As they pulled into the school parking lot, Alex’s prior recollection of no white pickups was confirmed. So their suspect had to be someone outside of school. Deciding to push the question of where Little Blue went to, Alex pulled into Cyn’s parking spot. She noticed an interesting fact as she turned off the engine to her truck. This spot was not in view of any windows that Alex could see. Anyone could have been working on the car and then been given a warning of possible approaching people by the bell sounding the end of each period.

  “What are you thinking?” Cyn could see the wheels turning in Alex’s mind.

  “Your parking spot isn’t in view of one window. I know my spot is because I was always looking to see if anyone was watching me pull in. Your “admirer” could have pulled in, started in on your car, and then the bell would have rung sending girls and staff in every direction. Whoever it was could have come at different hours of the day, maybe on deliveries. When they were interrupted by the change of classes, they had to get out of here.” Alex thought it sounded logical.

  “What makes you think different times of the day?”

  “Well, my thinking is, delivery people don’t come at the same time, because of their different routes and they don’t know the class schedule. So they never really know when the bell is going to ring to be able to finish the job. Didn’t you say the jobs weren’t finished? Like the battery cable was only half removed as well as the starter cable.” Alex looked for surveillance cameras and then realized the school didn’t have any.

  “True, but they would have to know something about the school. You know, we don’t have security walking around all the time.” As Cyn stood there she realized how isolated the parking lot was from the rest of the school. Someone could be accosted or abducted and no one would see or hear them.

  “I think we need to put in a suggestion to Mrs. Greenway regarding security and/or surveillance cameras, at least out here in the parking lot. I’m sure Miss North would love to keep an eye on them for her.” Alex figured legalized snooping was right up Miss North’s alley.

  “You’re right. But should we tell the other staff members as well? As far as we know I might not be the only one who’s had this happen to them. We didn’t tell anyone except Frederick so it’s possible.” Cyn figured she was probably the only one though, as the other teachers were such drama queens they would have made a big deal about it all.

  “Let’s tell Mrs. Greenway and let her make the call. I would think that she would have heard if anyone else was having problems. But right now we better head for class. I think we’re the last of the staff to arrive.” Alex looked at her watch and saw they had two minutes before the bell would sound.

  As they walked, Alex suggested they both write up a suggestion about the cameras and a request to meet with Mrs. Greenway and drop them off at lunch. Then they’d run it all by Frederick and would find out about regular deliveries and what kind of vehicles were used. Maybe they would get lucky and they wouldn’t all be company vehicles. Alex also asked Cyn if they could stop by her storage locker on the way home and take a load to her new place. Cyn agreed, but not before Alex reassured her she wasn’t going to leave her alone until this was resolved. Alex was anxious to talk to Anna and Ramon to see if they could hurry up the discovery of who was behind it all.

  As her third period class was busy answering the questions in the back of Chapter Twelve, Alex was looking at her lesson plan and realized yesterday was Wednesday. Even though she was spending all her free time with Cyn she didn’t want her to think she had forgotten their deal to do amazing things on Wednesday nights. But, as she looked at the calendar there was another date that was approaching too fast, and that was her birthday. In four more days she would be forty-three and not exactly where she thought she would be at this age. Looking back to when she was twenty-six and starting her teaching career, she had had visions of living in a house with a life partner by the time she was this age. Here she was, renting and just ending another relationship but at least she had a very promising one on the horizon. Luckily for Alex, the lunch bell brought her out of her reflection. She looked up to see the entire class looking back at her.

  “I’m sorry girls. I was reviewing the lesson plan and didn’t realize my mind was wandering. Enjoy your lunch and I will see you all tomorrow.” Smiling, Alex closed the plan.

  “Ms. Whitney, are you okay?” It was one of the seniors who had gone to Taylorwood since sixth grade and had grown up with Alex, so to speak.

  “I’m fine, Stacey. Sometimes it just hits us that time is flying by and we thought our life would be so different. You know what I mean?” Alex was amazed as not one girl had left for lunch. They all seemed to want to know what was wrong.

  “Is it because your birthday is coming u
p?” Stacey had organized a surprise party for her on Monday and hoped it would cheer her up.

  “That’s part of it. How did you find that out?” Smiling as she shook her head, Alex figured she’d better act surprised.

  “We have our sources. Have a nice lunch, Ms. Whitney.” Stacey and the rest of the girls said their goodbyes and headed for the cafeteria.

  “Is everything okay? Your class is leaving late.” Cyn had been outside waiting.

  “Not really. The girls caught me deep in thought about my approaching birthday and questioned me about it. Do you have any idea how they found out when it is?” Alex wondered if Cyn even remembered as they had never celebrated it before.

  “Not from me, but then your little buddy Megan is a wealth of information about her favorite teacher and hero. My guess would be that she was put in charge of finding that info out from your ex.” Cyn had never really broken the news to Alex that her life was pretty much an open book after she left on her two week leave of absence.

  “I think you need to bring me up to speed on exactly what everyone at school and in town knows about my life, all right.” Alex knew some of her life was revealed, but not how much?

  “Okay, but just so you know it wasn’t all my doing. I’m only one of three people who knew what was going on.” Cyn knew Dez had spilled her guts to the Sheriff and who knows who else.

  “Lovely!”

  Chapter 13

  After updating Frederick about the notes for Mrs. Greenway regarding security and the blind spot in the parking lot, Alex wanted to be updated on just what was known about her life by staff, students and the town’s people. Frederick told her that her life with Dez was revealed by Sally Jennings when they were trying to stop her from pushing Alex’s body over the edge of the cliff. Then Dez gave the Sheriff a report which included a few more details. Since his cousin, Carol, was married to Bob, who was a judge, more information came out to keep Megan from having the school know her mother was a nut job. So only the Sheriff, Carol, Bob, Mrs. Greenway, Frederick, Cyn and Dez knew all the details. But then there was the doctor and nurses who looked after Alex as she was hallucinating from the Ketamine, and she might have said a few things during her stay. Now if any of those people let a few details slip, well, nothing could be done about it now. As Alex put her head in her hands and stared down at the lunch table, she let out a big sigh.

  “So that explains why Carol gave me such a good deal on my refrigerator. She knew my situation and felt sorry for me. Great. I think I need to have a talk with her when I meet up with them for this week’s football game. Oh, I forgot to tell you, Cyn, if you want to go, we’re meeting them at five-thirty at the hardware store.” Alex really wanted to be beamed up to the mother ship.

  “I don’t think that’s what anyone thinks, Alex. Everyone really likes you. Remember we met Carol and Bob at the football game, before they knew anything else about you. They liked you then, and I know because the Sheriff told me so. When they found out about the attempt by Sally they were horrified that someone would try to kill you. When Bob found out the reason, he didn’t recoil at the thought of you and Dez. He and Carol totally understood and wanted to help out someone who was wronged for no other reason than being loved by another woman.” Cyn knew she should have told Alex all this a lot sooner. But, was happy Frederick had relayed the story and then she was able to provide good news.

  “She’s right, Alex. No one thinks any less of you now. In fact, when Sheriff John realized you were the same woman Carol had been raving about, he had to tell her you were in the hospital. Then of course Bob had to know everything, as he was brought in to agree to keep it all quiet and draw up the papers to put Sally away in an institution. No charges were to be brought forward unless her husband wouldn’t sign which believe me, he did in a heartbeat to protect Megan from her, as well as from the gossip. You can hold your head up in this town. You are well liked and just because a few know the whole story I think they like you even more.” Frederick knew she had become more dear to him now than before.

  “Okay, I believe you both. It does help knowing that Carol knows the truth. I think we can be better friends because of it.” Alex felt she needed to buy Carol a thank you card just the same.

  As the bell rang, Alex got up and gave Frederick a big hug and kiss on the cheek and thanked him for being there for her, if she hadn’t already thanked him before. He assured her she had and he would be there for her and Cyn if they needed him in the future.

  The remaining three periods took their time, it seemed, to be over. When the final bell sounded Alex was ready and anxious to get to the storage locker. She looked at the pile of essays still to grade that Mrs. Greenway had assigned, and put them in her bottom drawer. She had an idea of how to get them graded and she wouldn’t have to read them all herself.

  Meeting Cyn at her truck, they discussed which items to retrieve from the locker. Luckily for them it wasn’t raining at that moment, but Alex still had the tarp in the bed of the truck that she had used for that second Wednesday when she was in charge of planning something amazing to do.

  “I know we’re spending all our free time together, but I don’t want you to think I’ve forgotten about our Wednesday night outings. As soon as I get settled we’ll get back on track, so we have a few weeks to plan something amazing.” Alex could see the change in Cyn when she brought it up.

  “I’ve been wondering if we were going to continue and I have planned a few things, but they’re going to be a surprise.” Cyn had two plans, but had figured since Alex was now a couple, she might forget about their deal. She was very happy to know it was still a go.

  “I can hardly wait and you get to go first once we start up again. I will have to put my thinking cap on again. Thank goodness I have some time to come up with something brilliant.” Alex could use Cyn as a test subject so when Sam arrived she would know what worked and what didn’t, especially if she felt like the activity could be romantic with the right setting.

  The storage place was on the outskirts of town. It was open until six during the week and until three on weekends. As Alex opened the door she looked at everything and wondered what she could pull out that wouldn’t get her filthy dirty. The first few boxes were of small appliances which she would definitely need. Then there were boxes of dishes, pots, pans, metal bowls and utensils of every kind. She had forgotten just how much cooking stuff she had. The first big item was her futon which was in pieces. Being as careful as they could not to get dirty, they filled the rest of the truck bed with the pieces and the pad. That was all she wanted to deal with today. On their next trip she was going to wear her jeans. She put in her request for Cyn’s help on Saturday morning to make a bigger dent in her stuff.

  As they drove home, Alex couldn’t help but constantly check her rear view mirror to see if they were being followed. No vehicles of any make or model were behind them as they made their way towards her new house. Pulling up her little road, Alex saw a few deer enjoying the overgrown grass in her front yard. At the sound of the truck’s engine, they departed for the safety of the trees behind the house.

  Opening the back door Alex felt a familiar presence as she walked in. Putting down her keys, she walked into the back room she’d given to Anna and Ramon and greeted them. Walking back out to the truck, she found Cyn trying to get the futon pad out all by herself. Alex grabbed her and suggested she get out of her good clothes first. She had several pairs of jeans that would fit her and sweatshirts of all colors. Realizing that would be a good idea, since taking her work clothes to the cleaners wasn’t at the top of Cyn’s love to do list, she entered the house to change with Alex right behind her.

  The weather was cooperating with them as they unloaded the truck. The next project was to assemble the futon and then put the cookware away. Washing everything was Cyn’s job as she pointed out to Alex that after she dried everything she could put it where she wanted it to go. Alex wanted to flip a coin to see who got the easy job of washing, but a
greed that Cyn was right and she did need to organize the kitchen as to how she wanted it.

  The back room now had one piece of furniture. The futon fit nicely under the window with the picture of Anna and Ramon sitting on the sill. While Cyn was using the bathroom, Alex asked them both if they could assist in finding out who was behind Cyn’s car troubles. She told them she loved and missed them both and walked out of the room just as Cyn came out of the bathroom.

  “Who were you talking to?” Cyn could hear her voice from the bathroom.

  “Anna and Ramon. I was asking them how they like their new place. I didn’t realize I was talking out loud.” Alex hoped she didn’t hear exactly what she said.

  “Did you get an answer?” Cyn was curious how this worked.

  “No, but tonight in a dream I could get one, or maybe they’ll give me a sign something subtle, but obvious to me.” Alex would love a dream showing who was tampering with Little Blue.

  “Wow, that’s really cool. Are we done? I’m really getting hungry and I have leftover Chinese food to reheat.” Cyn had made it a point to split her dinner from last night into two meals.

  “Yes, I’m ready to go. So you have leftovers interesting. Is that why you wanted to do the dishes last night, because you didn’t want me helping you eat your orange chicken?” Alex was giving Cyn that look of not wanting to share with her best friend.

  “Absolutely. It was all mine, mine, mine!” Laughing as she followed Alex out, she knew she may have to part with one piece tonight, but that was it.

  As Alex drove, both women were on the lookout for white trucks. Several were spotted but the presence of a rack or tools in the back deleted them as possible suspects. Cyn stated she would call the Sheriff tomorrow and see if he had come up with anything. Pulling up the driveway, Alex was happy to be home even if it was only her temporary home.

  Chapter 14