Mending the Past

by Avery June Ligon

  Chapter 32 A Gun and a Nude

  When Eileen had returned to her room, Steward had already left his address under the synthetic emerald. Eileen pulled the paper out from under the paperweight. She crumpled it and threw Steward’s address to the floor. Eileen collapsed into an oversized chair and put her hands over her eyes.

  She couldn’t call the police. Steward might be crazy, but he wasn’t a liar. The emerald must truly be his. How does Steward expect this family to keep its position and pass on its legacy, while turning our treasures to fakes, and throwing away our money in the process? What will Eddie and the baby have when I’m gone? She looked back at the synthetic emerald on her desk and groaned. Steward, no doubt, controlled half of the Mae estate. Eileen controlled the other half, but only by default. It belonged to Efrem.

  At noon, Mrs. Mae phoned Luisa and asked for her lunch to be brought to her room. Then she retrieved the crumpled paper from the floor, smoothed it out, and placed it back under the synthetic emerald.

  When Luisa arrived with her lunch, Mrs. Mae asked her to sit. “Luisa, I’m going to give you a year of pay to forget everything about the creature in the tower.”

  Luisa shifted in her chair. “About the creature in the tower, I don’t know that I can live somewhere with something that crawls-”

  “The slimy creature is merely my brother-in-law. Forget him. He’s insane, but he isn’t a danger to anything other than himself and Mae coffers.” Mrs. Mae walked to her desk and rested her hand on the synthetic emerald. “I need you to help me pack for a trip. It will be warm and I want to leave as soon as possible.”

  Mrs. Mae opened a desk drawer and pulled out a key.

  “Leave my suitcase on the bed. I’ll add to it when I return.”

  Mrs. Mae took the elevator to the third floor. The key felt heavy in her hand. She thought of breakfast with Steward as she walked toward the south wing. “The family cat,” she grumbled as she unlocked the door leading to the collection. She left the door open.

  She walked the path she had walked the evening of her wedding. Roman, Greek, Asian. She admired nothing. She meant only to search Steward’s room. She passed the room where Melissa and Steward had performed their fertility rite. She walked faster. At the end of the wide hall was an Old West display and the door to the stairs. She took the tower stairs to the fourth floor.

  “Ten years,” she said as she looked into Steward’s fourth floor room. It was the same size as her own, but much darker. Three columns of light escaped from behind paintings that hung over the windows on the north wall. Eileen walked to the desk and turned on the lamp. Amber light filled the room. She opened desk drawers. Nothing. She opened a file drawer and scanned the headings. Nothing pertinent. She tapped her fingers on the desktop and looked at the picture there. Steward and Ed. She knocked it face down. She scanned the room. Walked to the freestanding mirror and looked behind it. Nothing. Eileen looked at herself in the mirror. She straightened her shirt. She smoothed her hair. Someone was looking into the mirror over her shoulder. She spun around. No one. She looked back in the mirror. The face continued to hover over her own, its eyes locked on her. She looked over her shoulder again.

  “Oh, you,” she said to a portrait. “You scared me.” She admired his lace neck ruff. “Did you know he’s taken my emerald? Taken it. Mine. I am Mrs. Mae and the emerald sits on the desk of Mrs. Mae. On my desk.”

  The portrait looked at her.

  “You know where he’s taken it. I know you know.”

  Mrs. Mae tightened her grip on the key in her hand like she meant to crush it.

  “I want it back!”

  All three portraits watched as she turned and left. Mrs. Mae reached the third floor landing and the Old West display. She looked into the case. The key cutting into her palm was the wrong key. She put it into her pocket and walked to a wall lined with old farm tools. She grabbed a rusty head of an ax, took a few steps backward, and threw it at the glass. The glass shattered and the ax landed with a thud that echoed down the hall. She looked in the direction of the open door and then walked to the display case.

  There was a small handgun with a shining pearlescent handle. Its accompanying label said it had been used by an actress in a cowboy film. She’d killed herself on the 15 year anniversary of the movie’s release using the same gun. The actress had been laid to rest in the suburban town she died in. It gave the cemetery address. Eileen picked up the gun. She turned it in her hands looking at it from all angles. She’d never held a gun before. She opened it and shook it over her hand. Four bullets fell into her palm. Eileen dropped them into her pocket with the key. She reached back into the case and removed the gun’s label. She carried this with gun back through the house.

  When she returned to her room she found her packed suitcase open on her desk, and her lunch waiting next to it. She took the synthetic emerald and tucked it between layers of clothing. She placed the gun, bullets, and museum card on her bed. She’d have Luisa package these as museum pieces, and call the airport to make arrangements for their transportation. She rang Luisa and sat to eat.

  * * * * *

  KRS waved goodbye to Mrs. Mae as she passed through the gate. Then he picked up his phone.

  “Hello.”

  “She just left.”

  “I don’t know where, but I was told she’d be gone a week or more, and that the cook will be taking a vacation.”

  “Yes, I’m worried. My cooking isn’t so good.”

  “I will.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  When KRS hung up the phone he followed Steward’s instructions to check Mrs. Mae’s room for any information that might be useful. Maybe, he thought, I’ll just look in the kitchen while I’m there.

  * * * * *

  Mrs. Mae accepted a drink from the flight attendant. She held it and thought of the gun, bullets, and their museum card ticket. She thought of the broken display case. Well, I’m not to blame for the broken glass. I wouldn’t have been so angry, if it wasn’t for Steward. She found her bottle of sleeping pills in her purse. If Steward had his way, he’d leave me in a trompe l’oeil palace, she thought. She washed a pill down with a sip from her drink. I didn’t survive being left for some low-life woman that my husband barely knew to have the rest of my dignity and comfort stripped away. Steward hadn’t listened to her. He hadn’t listened to reason. For goodness sake, he’d considered giving the emerald back to the earth. “Insane,” she said. She noticed a flight attendant watching her. She smiled and finished her drink.

  When she fell asleep, she dreamt of a conversation between Steward and a person she couldn’t see. The unseen person promised to return the stones from which her home was built, to the quarry from where they’d been carved. The unseen person promised to replace the walls with foam blocks painted in imitation of the originals. Promises that she’d never notice. In her dream, she went home to watch for Steward from her tower. She leaned against the wall to look out the window. The texture was different. The temperature different.

  * * * * *

  Steward knew Eileen had packed the synthetic emerald. KRS had also given him the time she’d left home, so he knew the most probable time to expect her. Of course, he’d told her the emerald had come from a temple in India, so she might fly there. She could try to meet up with Ed, but Steward couldn’t imagine what she’d tell Ed. I just needed to steal an emerald, and oh, by the way, your uncle Steward’s still alive. I just led you to believe he was dead, much like what I did with your father. No, he thought, she’s unlikely to contact Ed.

  It would make the most sense for Eileen to fly to Rome, hoping to find some information in Steward’s apartment before going to India. She would have checked his room at home, but found nothing because any information Steward had relating to the linga was safely with him, KRS, and Jet. Steward slipped his hands into the gloves of his suit. If Eileen was coming to Rome, she’d arrive at his apartment in about a half hour. He’d taped a key to the back of the planter bo
x out front. His suit activated. He hung his goggles around his neck. Wearing these things is hardly the way to impress a woman, but if I wear my glasses it will look like I was waiting and watching from the roof.

  * * * * *

  When Mrs. Mae landed in Rome, she went straight to Steward’s apartment. She hoped to find some information there that would allow her to find Steward in India. Maybe she could make it to the temple before him. Wait for him there. Steward’s address included instructions to find his apartment key taped to the back of a planter outside of the building’s main door.

  Steward watched Eileen squatting in front of the plant pot. When she had peeled the key off, she let herself into the main door. Steward walked across the roof of the building, and sat down above his window to give Eileen a few minutes.

  Mrs. Mae climbed the stairs to Steward’s flat, opened the door, and began to look around. She passed through the living room, and by the kitchen in search of Steward’s desk. She found the bedrooms in the back of the house. One had been furnished with a crib next to the bed and the other had a desk. I’d almost forgotten all about that sweet little baby, she thought. Then she entered the room with the desk and opened one of its drawers. Pens, pencils, a collection of receipts. She opened another drawer.

  “Hello.”

  Eileen closed the drawer and spun around. She hadn’t expected Steward to be in Rome for another week.

  “Where are you?” Eileen asked.

  “Outside the window.”

  “Oh, honestly.” Eileen was relieved that Steward sounded friendly. He mustn’t have seen me going through his desk, she thought. She pushed Steward’s chair in and moved to the window. “Don’t you ever enter through the door?” Eileen leaned out to look for Steward.

  “I’m so happy you decided to come.”

  Eileen had just enough time to take in Steward’s smile before he had pressed his lips to hers. Well, I suppose he’s taking my presence here as accepting his invitation and his love. Not what I planned, but it has potential, she thought. Steward’s tongue ran the length of her lips and Eileen felt like her legs might let her melt to the floor. Steward released her and smiled. Eileen moved to the side, “Well, get in here.”

  Steward stood in front of Eileen and pulled his goggles, which had been hanging around his neck, over his head and tossed them onto his bed. He looked down at her and a small smile crept at one corner of his mouth. “I didn’t expect you so soon. I’ll be leaving tomorrow, and be back in about a week.”

  Eileen took a step closer. “This suit looks less horrible each time I see it.”

  “What a compliment. Would you rather I change into something a little more comfortable?” Steward took a step toward Eileen. Eileen held her hands out to call him closer and raised her lips toward his. Steward breathed in Eileen’s scent and held it in his body as he moved to kiss her. Eileen tried to think of a plan. She had a family heirloom, a massive jewel, to switch. Think of the emerald Eileen, she told herself. She found her hands in Steward’s hair. This isn’t why you’re here, Eileen. She remembered watching Steward take notes in Biology. She remembered watching his lips move as he silently repeated the professor’s words as he copied them down. It was the second day she’d lost herself looking at Steward, forgetting to take notes of her own. She’d have to ask for his. How self-serving that was, she thought. He was always so happy to stay after class and fill in what I’d missed.

  Four, three, Steward thought.

  Eileen remembered how happy she’d been to see Steward as she’d approached the altar on her wedding day. She tried to press her body against Steward’s, but he held her a few inches away.

  Two, Steward thought.

  Eileen twisted her waist in an attempt to escape Steward’s hands.

  One, Steward thought. There was the soft sound of fabric on skin. He let go of her waist and wrapped his arms around her as she pushed herself against him. She’d wrapped her arms around his neck and he was holding her off the ground. Her hand slid down his back and Eileen realized her hand was on his skin.

  Steward set Eileen on the bed. “What? You’ve never been with a man who wore de-activating clothing?”

  Eileen couldn’t find anything to say. She looked at Steward and thought that it had been more than a quarter of a century since she had been in the same room as a naked man. Well, mostly naked. Steward’s suit hung from his gloved hands around his knees.

  “I’m not amusing? What? Too presumptuous?”

  Eileen was quiet.

  “Okay, give it a second and I’ll be changed into something less comfortable again.”

  “Steward. I’m sorry, it’s just that it has been awhile since....”

  Steward’s suit reactivated. It rushed back up his body pushing his hair away from his neck and face.

  “Wow,” was all Eileen could think to say.

  Steward sat down on the bed next to her. “Do you mean to tell me that you’ve been entirely true to your vows? Has it been more than twenty five years...”

  “Yes.”

  “Wow,” was all Steward could think to say.

  Chapter 33 Dismay

  Bud woke in the morning and hopped out of bed to wake Ed, but Ed was still unwakable. Bud could see that Ed was breathing, but not being able to wake his friend was scaring him. He placed his wrist over Ed’s forehead to check his temperature. Maggie was right, Ed didn’t have a fever. Bud relaxed a little. He thought back over yesterday. What could Ed have done that no one else did? What could have put him in this state? Bud got up from Ed’s bed. “Brain Lockup. Honestly.” Bud thought over the day before as he brushed his teeth. We left the plane, grabbed a snack in the airport and came to the hotel. Maybe it was the food. They’d eaten different things. He watched himself brushing his teeth in the mirror. No, I took a bite of Ed’s food and I feel fine. Bud spat, rinsed his toothbrush, tapped it a few times on the sink, and went back to Ed. He poked at him and whispered, “Ed. Ed, I need you to wake up. Can you hear me? Listen, Sam and Maggie have started calling me names and I saw disappointment on Maggie’s face when I told her she couldn’t drug me. You’ve got to wake up with a plan. Help me.” Bud spoke louder. “Hey. Did you hear me? I need your help.”

  Maggie’s voice came drifting through the wall. “Captain Butt-Eye, is that you? Are you awake?”

  Watch out little Bud-Eye, Bud thought. Don’t let yourself get all worked up. You’ll end up with a headache and Maggie’ll think it’s the Captain trying to use your flesh and bone as a medium for communication. Who knows what she’ll do then. Bud looked around the room. How was he going to save himself and Ed from these crazy people? Did I just refer to myself as Bud-Eye? Crap.

  “Captain Butt-Eye, are you awake yet?” Maggie said.

  He needed to come up with some kind of plan and fast, before Maggie got impatient. He needed to keep her busy. He looked at the pile of envelopes. Ed was a big guy, but Sam was bigger. Just keep them happy Little Bud-Eye. He picked up the blue bandana from his bedside table and put it on. He adjusted it so that a triangle of flopping cloth hung over his eye. He looked at himself. Ruffled his hair.

  “Maggie? Sam? Are you awake?”

  “Yes,” Maggie said.

  “Come over. I’ve got a plan, and I need your help.”

  Maggie must have been dressed and waiting because she was through his door in seconds. When she saw Bud wearing the bandana over one eye a triumphant look washed over her face. This made Bud feel triumphant too.

  “What do you think we should do next?” Maggie asked.

  “Here’s what I think,” Bud said. “We don’t know how long it’ll take for Ed to wake from Brain Lockup.”

  Maggie nodded.

  “I sense that Jet’ll be too far out of our psychic scope and thus beyond our powers to pinpoint her location, if we don’t move quickly.”

  Maggie nodded again and Bud congratulated himself on having used the words “psychic scope”. Now I’m speaking her language, he thought.

&nb
sp; “We need someone to watch over Ed, right?”

  Maggie nodded.

  Great, now make her feel like she’s been a part of making the plan.

  “I’ve been thinking about this too. Ed slipped into Brain Lockup on the realization that his father might still be living. Right?”

  Maggie nodded.

  “Argh, now me thinks there be but one man who can call him back to the realm of the conscious,” said Captain Butt-Eye.

  Maggie gasped. “We must take him to his father.”

  Bud let silence wash through the room, as he transitioned back into himself.

  Maggie sat down next to Ed to look through the box of letters. She flipped through the envelopes. “Efrem Mae has been sending mail from the same address for years. India. Maharashtra. Elephanta.” Maggie looked to Bud.

  “Southern India,” Bud said.

  Maggie hid her disappointment. How long, she wondered, would it take to get Ed to Southern India. What if Jet was in Northern India? Maggie looked at Ed. He was still deep in sleep. Maybe we could have Efrem come to us, Maggie thought. Sure, she wanted to see Ed wake and see him reunite with his father, but she wanted to find her baby girl and grandson more. That’s why she’d come to India. That’s why Ed had come too.

  She looked at Bud. It would be best to act like she was going to follow his plan. “We should get him to his father. Ed’s a big guy, but I think Sam can carry him.” She took a step back from Ed to better judge his size. “Yes, if you and I help a little, Sam can carry him. Butt-Eye,” she said and watched contempt flicker across Bud’s face. She pretended not to notice and continued, “before we pack to leave we should get some breakfast, and maybe some food to bring on the train.”

  Now she’s speaking my language, Bud thought, and nodded.

  “I’m going to get Sam up. Give me ten minutes and I’ll have him ready.”