The Case of the Lady in Apartment 308

by Lass Small

  With her clothes paint splattered that way, she appeared to be a real pro. But the clothing was too big for her.

  Now that was interesting. Was she deliberately in large clothing? Or was she wearing someone else’s clothes? Ed found the immediate response to the question was that his body would love to have her inside his clothes.

  How strange it was for him to be drawn to an indifferent woman. Why her?

  It was probably because no woman had hustled him since he’d lost his job. He was lonely. He’d dated, he was in groups with a date, he didn’t have any trouble finding a woman willing to go out with him. But they were no longer anxious to trap him.

  Every single one asked first if he had another job…yet. It was getting to be a nuisance. And he considered that Marcia had never asked him if he was employed…

  Of course. She thought he was…by the owner of the apartment house. She thought he had the job of being a rent collector.

  He asked Marcia, “Would you like to eat over in your place? Or would you like to go down to the basement?”

  “The basement.”

  “We could eat at the table in your apartment.”

  “The basement.”

  Ed left in time to go back and set out their lunch. He’d set the table in the basement.

  Walking down the stairs, yet again, he thought: Why didn’t she find another job? Then he considered his own position. He, too, was doing something other than what he had been doing. And he wondered if Marcia had been in middle management and was another released discard.

  So they had lunch together. She came into the basement, sat down and began to eat. She hadn’t wiggled or smiled or even greeted him.

  He said, “Hello.”

  She looked up at him with some puzzlement. “We just saw each other upstairs.”

  “Are you hungry?” He smiled his killer smile.

  “It’s noon.” She discarded that as a conversation subject.

  So he asked, “Did you read about the new congressional bill this morning?”

  She didn’t bother to look at him. “I’ll see it in the evening paper.”

  Ed settled a little and smiled. “Well, they—”

  “Don’t spoil my reading about it.”

  “I just thought you might like to know.”

  “I will, tonight.”

  So they ate in silence. She blotted her lips with the paper napkin. She did that as if it was fine linen. She laid it casually beside her plate as she would a linen napkin. Then she said with courtesy, “Thank you. That was very nice.”

  With that, she got up and went off, out of the basement.

  She had used him.

  Actually, she’d been courteous and shared his lunch at his invitation. She just wasn’t interested in him.

  Ed’s view of himself slumped.

  However, two days later, he invited her again to eat with him in the basement. He had pork chops with rice, canned tomatoes and peas with the pork drippings enhanced with Worcestershire sauce, cooked onions and some water.

  His mother had made the meal. She’d given him two pork chops for his lunch, but he had shared the food with Marcia.

  She ate it with some savor. “This is clever.”

  And when she’d finished, she commented, “With an elegant name like Hollingsworth, how did your parents name you—Edgar?”

  She didn’t like his name. He said, “My friends call me Ed.”

  She spooned the lime sherbet silently.

  He said, “I’m really a homeboy.”

  She responded, “Marriage doesn’t interest me, at all!”

  That was clear enough. Ed felt somewhat deflated. Why? He wasn’t seriously interested. But he considered her silently sitting across from him. Her eyes were downcast as she slowly, silently relished the sherbet.

  It came to him that, while she had been emphatic about marriage, she hadn’t rejected an affair.

  And she had had two meals with him.

  He perked up a little. But she rose and said, “That was nice.” And again she strode out of the basement, leaving the used dishes on the table.

  Ed thought maybe he ought to find a more suitable place to feed her.

  Where?

  It was the evening after that when Rudolf and Amy Smith invited Ed to go fishing early, early the next morning. “We’ll have breakfast on the boat. We’ll get back here about eight that morning.”

  And before he realized what his tongue was doing, he asked, “May I invite someone along?”

  Rudolf perked up, but his wife elbowed him, and it was she who said, “’Course.”

  So Ed drove back to the apartment house and went up to the third floor. What if she was out on a date? So he wasn’t anticipating any reply to his knock.

  However, Marcia came immediately to the door and looked up at him as if she had expected someone. No big smile, just surprise he wasn’t someone else. Who?

  She asked, “Yes?”

  That was all the greeting she gave him. And he indicated he was willing to enter the apartment and visit, but she stood firmly in the door.

  So he stood there crowding the partially open door and gave his invitation. “Two people I know have a boat on the river. And they’ve invited me to go along tomorrow morning about six. We’ll have breakfast on board, and Amy is a good cook.” That’s how he told her another woman would be along. “We’ll dock about eight. Would you like to come along?”

  She didn’t move. But she looked at him soberly. Then she said, “Okay.”

  She’d agreed! But she hadn’t smiled or moved out of the blocking manner by the door. She said, “I’ll be at the dock at a quarter of six?”

  “I’ll come by for you.”

  “Okay. I’ll be by the front door.”

  “I’m so glad you want to go along. It’ll be nice.”

  “Okay.” She moved the door a little to indicate the conversation was finished.

  Ed stepped back. “I’ll see you in the morning at the front door.”

  “Yes.” And she began to close the door.

  He said, “I’ll bring the poles and bait.” He smiled as if she would think he was bait for her.

  She made no reply but began to close her door. The contact was over.

  Ed had looked. He couldn’t see that anyone else was in her apartment, but the door hadn’t been all the way open.

  As Ed stepped back into the actual hall, her door closed altogether. She hadn’t smiled or said thanks or even tried to appear friendly.

  Ed went down the two flights of stairs and out to his car. He got into it and considered. She really wasn’t eager about him. Why did he pursue her? He didn’t know.

  Was it the challenge?

  Surely he wasn’t the kind of man who just had to see if he could attract some reluctant woman. Was he guilty of such conduct? Yeah.

  He realized he’d been doing such foolishness all his life. He’d been doing that ever since he realized girls were wonderfully different from boys.

  He was deliberately trying to attract a woman who wasn’t at all interested…almost not at all. She was going fishing with him. Yeah. With him and the Smiths. With another couple in a small boat, what did she have to worry about?

  Why did she bother at all? With her nothing company at two meals, and now a fishing trip, what was the threat that lured her?

  And he knew. Just like that, it came to him!

  She wasn’t going to pay her rent! Yeah. That was it, exactly! When it came due, she wouldn’t pay. She was one of those.

  Disgruntled, he drove back to the compound. He parked his car and then walked over to see the Smiths. Ed said, “We’ll be there.”

  Rudolf grinned widely. His eyes sparkled with his curiosity. But Ed wasn’t about to give Rudolf or Amy any satisfying expansion on who Marcia Phillips was. They’d soon see for themselves…and be disappointed.

  As Ed walked back to his own place, he thought how curious Rudolf would become when he saw how indifferent Marcia was to her co
mpanion. Then Rudolf would wonder why Ed had asked Marcia along.

  The next morning, there Marcia was at the door. She got into the car as he stopped. He said, “Good morning.”

  She gave him an acknowledging glance but said nothing.

  She didn’t smile but just settled herself in the car. She had her own fishing pole. It was a take-apart, clever one. It was not a bamboo pole.

  How had she known it was his car?

  So Ed puzzled on that in the brief silence it took to reach the pier and park on beyond.

  The eager Smiths were on the pier. Marcia smiled at them and even shook hands. She had good teeth. It was the first time he’d seen them. Bad teeth was one of the reasons he’d considered for her never smiling at him.

  He watched her shaking hands with both of the Smiths. She’d never touched Ed.

  He didn’t feel that she was “with” him. He felt that she had just used him for transportation. To be someone’s donkey transport was diminishing.

  He became a courteous, but silent observer who was helpful. He carried the two food baskets Amy indicated. Marcia carried her own pole.

  The boat had an awning over it, and the poles were thin and sturdy.

  Ed gave a helping hand to both of the women to step into the boat.

  Rudolf didn’t do that sort of thing. He went to the engine and started it. He used it on low power.

  They didn’t go speeding down the river. They putted along. At that time of summer, it was already light. It was a soft light and it was so quiet. The city was not yet rumbling along.

  Peoria is a city of over a hundred thousand. It straddles the Illinois River, which is at least two blocks wide, and goes down Illinois to finally empty into the Mississippi just above St. Louis. St. Louis is on the west side of the Mississippi.

  In the quieter side waters of the Illinois River, Rudolf putted their boat along north of the city.

  There were fields and trees. And the air was sweet. The sun wasn’t yet up. The day was still hushed. Then barges came along. Grain barges. People were already working.

  Of course, that was so in the city. Maintenance people, postal people, restaurant people were already beginning their days.

  And the group of four was fishing. They anchored on the edge of quicker water and tossed in the bait on their fishing lines. Three of them had the traditional bamboo poles. Marcia had the clever rod.

  With some curiosity, Ed watched her assemble the sections and bait her own hook. She was an independent woman who was not interested in allowing a man to help her or cosset her.

  She wasn’t what he wanted.

  Amy chatted quite a bit with Marcia, but the latter’s replies were scant. Amy didn’t seem to mind.

  Amy caught the first fish. Rudolf got the next two. And Marcia got one. Ed never did catch one.

  He wasn’t competitive.

  The others all…well, it was their hosts who comforted Ed by saying they’d share their catfish with him.

  Marcia didn’t offer any portion of her fish.

  She readily helped Amy put out their breakfast. She did that as if it was second nature. She’d never offered to help Ed with a meal or clean up after one. She’d acted like a guest.

  Of course, she’d been invited to be a guest.

  Well, she was there with the Smiths, too. She was invited as a guest, but she hadn’t hesitated to offer help and she’d helped.

  Amy had a real breakfast of ham and scrambled eggs with fat homemade rolls oozing with icing. Totally fattening. Absolutely great!

  On occasion, Ed would turn his head minimally and give the woman—who was his guest—a judging look.

  Ed realized she was a difficult woman. To continue to include her in his life would be a big mistake. She would give a man nothing. She would use him. That was all.

  So Ed discarded Marcia before they even went back to the dock.

  However, having been raised by his mother and father, Ed did take the woman back to her apartment. He didn’t walk inside with her. He stopped at the front steps and allowed her to get out without any help from him.

  She exited the car with silken ease, sliding out with no trouble. She carried her own things plus the fish she’d caught and she closed the car door.

  Ed left. He drove back to his compound. There he showered and went back to bed. He lay thoughtfully considering. And once more he gave up on the woman altogether.

  When he wakened, there were three messages on his answering machine. He turned up the volume and listened to that woman, Marcia, who said in a normal voice, “You are invited to a fish dinner tonight at 6:00 p.m.”

  That was all. No comment on the outing. Just that he was invited.

  The second was his mother, who said, “Some woman called and asked how you like fish cooked. Who was that?”

  As he was listening to the tape, his mother called again. She asked, “Who was that female?”

  And her second son replied, “I don’t know.”

  The third call was from a manufacturing firm out in California, which said, “We haven’t been shaken off the continent as yet, and we’re hiring. Your résumé was quite interesting.” And the male voice added, “Please call John. I’m John.”

  The voice cheerfully gave the number and said, “We’re looking forward to hearing from you.”

  Ed thought John sounded like a guy with humor and ease. Ed went to his file and looked up the company, what he’d read on them and what he’d written to them in application. It was a good company.

  Maybe California was the answer to his restlessness. It was a long way away. Perhaps that’s what Ed Hollingsworth needed.

  When a man has abandoned an area—or a woman—his attitude changes. With the incident past, he can become hateful and critical…or he can be tolerant and kind.

  He could be kind.

  4

  As Ed showered and shaved, he wondered how Marcia had found his mother’s phone number. He hadn’t dared mention the question to his mother. Her radar would perk up if Ed seemed curious about any woman.

  Had Marcia asked Amy for the number when they were on the river? How would Amy have known? Did Amy know his parents’ names and phone number? How? Why would she have given the number to Marcia?

  When the two women had been talking, had Amy’s ready talk been in reply to Marcia’s questioning? Questioning about Edgar Hollingsworth?

  Was…Marcia…curious about him?

  He was going to her place for supper. She was going to share the fish she’d caught. They’d be alone together under different circumstances.

  She’d tell him that her silence had been because she wanted his body so badly that she hadn’t been able to think straight enough for idle conversation. That she hadn’t dared to speak to him because she couldn’t keep her hands off him.

  Sure.

  He’d go to her apartment with his bouquet of fl—

  He was going to take flowers to her?

  Well, that was ordinary. Most guys did that. It wouldn’t be unheard of. He could pick some of those blue flowering weeds from in back of the apartments’ garages. They’d be flowers, but nothing to knock her over.

  It’d be subtle.

  But she would be touched. She’d smile at him and say, “Okay.”

  And he’d pretend he didn’t understand her submission. He’d give her his small, double whammy, subtle killer grin and say, “They’re like your eyes.”

  She’d fold.

  They’d quickly be naked and tussling around in the bed, with him trying his damnedest to keep up and— The fish would burn in the oven.

  He’d exclaim, “The fish!”

  But she’d say…she’d say…“Who cares?”

  She’d use his body recklessly with great lascivious hunger. She’d use her nakedness and busy fingers and hungry mouth to do outrageously sensual things to his helpless parts.

  And when he finally lay, drained and exhausted, she’d say to him, “Move in here with me.”

  He’d
gasp weakly and put up a protesting, defensive hand as he moaned in terror.

  Ignoring his drained exhaustion, she’d just go at him again.

  The water in the shower was cooling. He’d been standing there, daydreaming for too long. Well, she had invited him to supper. He’d go. He’d call her back.

  Dressed and pacing, Ed went over the words he’d say in response to her invitation. He changed the words around. He added some compliments. He wrote it out.

  He hadn’t done that since he was sixteen! Twenty-one years ago!

  But he did write it out. He switched words around and discarded some and added some and worked on the acceptance more than he’d ever worked on a résumé.

  Women are a trial.

  He tossed aside the written—and learned—acceptance when her answering machine replied. He said in a male voice that was his own, “Thank you for the invitation to share the catfish. I’ll—” And the machine shut off.

  There’s no way to erase an answering machine. So Ed called back and finished. “—be there at five.”

  Why had he called her first? He still hadn’t replied to John about the job out in California.

  Well, taking a day or so to respond to a job interview wouldn’t be unheard of. He couldn’t appear desperate. A delay could work in his favor, making them anxious. He’d go over the material of the California office and figure out a neutral response.

  Why would he waffle now when he’d already decided to go to California?

  It was a move to contemplate quite soberly. After supper, he’d think about it.

  Why wait until then? Was he going to give the silent, push-away woman of reality another chance?

  No. He was just going to study the California option more closely.

  If he hadn’t been sure about it, why had he applied?

  Well… It was a long way out there. The ground wasn’t steady, the trees burned readily and it cost more to live.

  It wasn’t cheap in Peoria.

  But he owned two pieces of real estate which needed his attention.

  Rudolf would love to take over the supervision of both places. And he’d do a good job of it. He was a fix-it man. That’s why the compound hadn’t dissolved entirely. And Rudolf hadn’t even been hired for the maintenance. He’d just done it.