Laughter filled the room.
"I assume that these misbehaving housewives and scoundrels are solely the products of a vivid imagination," Bell said.
Susan smiled tightly.
They used to be.
"Of course."
Elizabeth put a hand on Susan's knee.
"Your novels sound intriguing," Bell said. He sipped his tea and put his cup on its saucer. "I'll look for them the next time I'm at the library."
"I have a better idea," Susan said. "Let me provide you with signed copies of all of the books before we leave Santa Barbara."
"I like that idea. Thank you for your generosity."
"It's the least I can do for cutting and running Monday night. I should have stayed in the auditorium after your lecture. It was rude of me to leave."
Bell chuckled.
"Don't be so hard on yourself," Bell said. "You did what most people did. You left when the show was over."
"Don't you mean 'lecture'?" Susan asked. "A 'show' is a performance. Don't you believe in the theories you shared with us?"
Bell smiled.
"Oh, I do. Forgive my choice of words. When you give lectures to people who seek your autograph and give you standing ovations, lectures can seem like performances."
"There's no need to apologize, Professor. Even if you are a showman, you put on a good show. I'm glad I attended the lecture. I think time travel is a fascinating topic."
Bell looked at Amanda.
"How about you? Did you enjoy Monday's program?"
"I did," Amanda said. "I admit I wasn't thrilled at first about attending a lecture at the start of my vacation. I had my fill of lectures in college, but I'm glad I went to yours. I liked what you said and how you said it. I would pay to hear you speak."
Bell turned to the senior in the room.
"Elizabeth?"
"You know where I stand, Professor," Elizabeth said. She sipped some tea and placed her cup on its saucer. "I'm your number-one groupie."
The professor laughed.
"I suppose you are. Thank you for the support," Bell said. "That goes for the rest of you too. Thank you for attending the lecture, giving me your thoughts Monday night, and coming here today. I am both flattered and thrilled."
Susan studied Bell as he smiled at his wife and took another sip of tea. She didn't know what to make of the professor, who was equal parts academic, showman, and conversationalist, but she knew she liked him.
What Susan didn't like was the nagging feeling that Professor Bell had invited the visitors into his home for reasons he had not yet shared. She stared blankly out one of the large picture windows and pondered the matter until she heard a familiar voice.
"Susan?" Jeanette asked.
"Yes?"
"Is something wrong? You appear distracted."
Susan smiled at her hostess.
"Perhaps I am. I was just thinking about how my vacation has gone. I never expected to do even half the things I've already done, such as attend your husband's lecture or spend an afternoon in someone's home. I pictured more shopping and beachcombing."
"Oh," Jeanette said. "I hope we're not keeping you from anything."
"You're not," Susan said.
"Well, if we are, please let us know. I often forget that visitors to this area don't have as many chances to see and do what we see and do every day."
"We'll be here eleven more days. I think we'll have ample opportunity to hit all the shopping malls and tourist traps."
Jeanette laughed.
"I suspect you will."
"There is one other thing on my mind though," Susan said. She shifted her attention to Bell. "It's a question for you, Professor."
"Oh?" Bell asked. "What is it?"
"I'm curious as to why we haven't talked more about time travel today. Wasn't that the main reason you wanted to see us again?"
"It was."
"Then why have you asked us more about our backgrounds and interests than about our views on our new favorite topic?" Susan asked. "I thought you wanted to take Monday's discussion 'to the next level.'"
"I do."
Susan looked at Bell with puzzled eyes.
"OK."
"I apologize if I misled you," Bell said. "I do want to talk more about time travel. I wanted to talk more on Monday night, but I couldn't. Not until I did some homework. I had to learn more about you and your family before I could continue our conversation."
Susan tilted her head.
"Why would you have to do that?" she asked. "Why are our backgrounds important?"
Bell looked at Susan closely.
"They are important because I have to know if I can trust you with the information I'm about to share with you."
The visitors sat up.
"You have our attention," Susan said.
The professor smiled.
"That's always a plus," Bell said.
"What's this about?"
"Put simply, dear lady, it's about the opportunity of a lifetime."
"You're not peddling property, are you?" Susan asked.
Bell laughed.
"No. I'm not. Though I suspect if I were, I might succeed. It's pretty hard to go wrong selling real estate in this part of the country."
"I won't argue with that," Susan said with a smile. "I've already seen several houses here that meet my standards."
"You have my word that I won't try to sell them to you," Bell said. "You have my word that I won't try to sell you anything."
Susan leaned forward.
"If you're not offering us houses or stock options, then what, precisely, are you offering? What is this 'opportunity of a lifetime'?"
Bell glanced at Elizabeth and Amanda. When he was apparently satisfied that their interest in the discussion hadn't waned, he returned to Susan.
"The opportunity I'm offering you is not an asset but an experience. It's a journey of sorts, a journey that few human beings have ever had the chance to take."
"A journey?"
"Yes."
"A journey to where?" Susan asked. "The moon?"
"No," Bell said. He smiled. "The twentieth century."
Silence gripped the room.
"Did you say 'the twentieth century'?" Susan asked.
"I did."
"People can't send others to another time, Professor."
"I can."
Susan glanced at her couch-mates and saw a mother and a daughter transfixed by what they had heard. Both stared at Bell like he had just said he was God.
Susan looked at the professor.
"You have proof of this, of course."
"I do," Bell said.
"You're full of it," Susan replied.
Bell smiled.
"Jeanette tells me that every day," Bell said. He sipped his tea. "On this particular matter, though, she knows I speak the truth."
Susan turned to Jeanette and watched her nod.
"What kind of nonsense are you peddling?"
"We're not peddling anything," Jeanette said. "We're simply telling you that it is possible to travel through time – at least to the 1900s."
"How do you know this?" Susan asked.
"I know it because I've done it. We both have. Several times."
Susan felt anger build inside her. She didn't know what this was about, but she knew she didn't like it. Her view of this kind and gracious couple was beginning to change.
"Then prove it," Susan said. She turned to Bell. "Show me evidence that the two of you have traveled through time."
The professor sighed.
"There's evidence right over there," Bell said matter-of-factly.
Bell pointed at a dozen or so thinly framed photographs that adorned a nearby wall. Each of the photos was black and white and appeared to feature the Bells.
"Your evidence is a photo gallery?" Susan asked.
"My evidence is a photo within the gallery."
"You'll have to do better than that."
"I will," Bell said
. "I assure you. I will."
The professor got up from his couch, walked to the gallery, and removed a single eight-by-ten-inch photograph from the wall. He then walked to the other sofa and presented the picture to the skeptical novelist.
"This is it?" Susan asked. "This is the smoking gun?"
Bell answered the condescending statement with a smile.
"It's one of several, in fact," Bell said. "Go ahead. Take a look."
"OK. I will."
Susan watched the professor warily as he returned to his seat. She didn't know where this was headed and wasn't sure she wanted to know, but she didn't see any harm in playing along. So she did as her host had instructed.
Susan examined the high-resolution photo for a few seconds and then handed it to her mother. Elizabeth looked at it for a little longer, shrugged, and passed the image to Amanda. When Amanda finished inspecting the object, she returned it to Susan.
"Well?" Bell asked.
"It's a lovely photo, Professor, but it's hardly proof of time travel."
"Take a another look at the picture, Susan, and tell me what you see."
Susan reluctantly complied. She picked up the photo with both hands and studied what appeared to be a recent image of the Bells standing below the awning of an old brick building. Each of the subjects wore stylish 1920s clothing.
"I see you and Jeanette standing in front of what looks like an old restaurant or hotel," Susan said. "You look like you're ready to go to a Roaring Twenties party."
"We were," Bell said.
"Was this taken on your anniversary?"
Bell smiled.
"As a matter of fact, it was. It was taken in San Francisco on October 30."
"So it was taken about a year ago?" Susan asked.
"In a sense, it was."
"What do you mean by that? It was either taken on October 30 or it wasn't."
Bell gave Jeanette a knowing smile and then gazed at Susan.
"Let me help you out."
"Please do," Susan said with an edge in her voice.
"Look at the picture again," Bell said. "Look closely at the items on the sidewalk. Do you see a discarded newspaper?"
Susan inspected the photo.
"Yes," Susan said.
"What does the large headline at the top say?"
"It says: STOCKS COLLAPSE."
Bell glanced at Elizabeth and Amanda before returning to Susan.
"That newspaper was published on Wednesday, October 30, 1929."
"So?"
"The photograph was taken on the same day."
"You're lying."
"I assure you, madam, I am not," Bell said. "Jeanette and I were in San Francisco the day after the markets crashed in 1929."
Susan passed the photo to Elizabeth and gave Bell a hard stare.
"I don't believe you. That newspaper may have been produced in 1929, but this photograph most certainly was not. I could obtain a similar picture from hundreds of studios. With decent software, I could probably make one myself."
Elizabeth looked at the photo and then at her host.
"I'm afraid I agree with Susan. This picture is lovely and compelling, but it is hardly proof that you traveled through time."
Bell gazed at Elizabeth and turned to Amanda.
"I assume you feel the same way," Bell said.
Amanda nodded.
"I do. It's insulting, in fact, that you would try to pass off that image as an original. I've done enough photo-editing work to know that something like that could be produced easily."
Bell smiled.
"You're right, of course. You are all right. I could have easily doctored a photograph using software that is available today."
"So are you admitting that you did?" Susan asked.
"No, Mrs. Peterson, I am not," Bell said. "That photo is quite authentic."
"You're testing my patience, sir. You're going to have to offer more than a bogus photo to get me to believe your claim – or even remain in this house."
"I will," Bell said. "Trust me. I will. I fully expected your skepticism and knew I would have to produce far more than a photograph to address it. That is why I hedged my bets and went on a treasure hunt of sorts. I knew I would need to obtain something particularly compelling to rid you of your doubts."
"What are you talking about?" Susan asked.
Bell sipped his tea.
"Do you know why I invited you to come here today instead of yesterday?"
"I haven't a clue," Susan said curtly. "Did you have a business appointment in 1929?"
The professor chuckled.
"No. I did not," Bell said. He sighed. "But I did have one in 1958."
Elizabeth turned her head.
"I think I've heard enough," Susan said. She looked at her daughter. "Are you ready to go? I'm sure we can find something better to do this afternoon."
"I'm ready," Amanda said.
Susan turned to Elizabeth.
"Mother?"
Elizabeth stared at Bell like she was locked in a trance.
"Mom?" Susan asked. "I'd like to leave now."
"Hold on," Elizabeth said. "I want to hear what he has to say."
Susan sighed. She glared at Bell.
"You have ten minutes, mister."
Bell looked at Susan.
"I won't need five."
"Then get on with it," Susan said.
Bell acknowledged the command with a nod and then turned to Elizabeth. He gazed at her like a son might gaze at a mother before sharing some troubling, even disturbing news.
"I wasn't kidding when I said I had business to attend to in 1958," Bell said. "While you and your family enjoyed Santa Barbara yesterday, Jeanette and I went on a mission to the Bible Belt. We went to Oklahoma."
Susan felt her anger rise again as she watched Bell bring up a time and a place that would surely hold her mother's attention. She wanted to leave immediately but decided there was no harm in playing the game a little longer. She jumped back into the conversation.
"You went to Oklahoma?" Susan asked.
"We did. Mrs. Bell and I spent two weeks, in real time, traveling to and from that wonderful state. While we were there, we visited the small town of Miami," Bell said. He looked at Susan and then at Elizabeth. "Perhaps you've heard of it."
"You know I have," Elizabeth said.
Susan grabbed her mother's hand.
"You don't have to put up with this, Mom. We can leave now, if you want."
Elizabeth looked at Susan.
"I want to hear this."
"All right," Susan said. She looked at Bell. "Please continue, Professor."
Bell gazed at each of the women.
"As I was saying, Jeanette and I visited Miami. We spent most of a glorious June day sitting in a large park, where we watched mothers attend to their babies, children play on the swings, and a young couple enjoy a picnic under an oak tree."
"What did the couple look like?" Elizabeth asked.
Bell smiled sadly.
"The man was tall and had a boyish face, a nice smile, and dark, wavy hair. He wore a white, short-sleeved shirt and khaki slacks," Bell said. "The woman was a pretty blonde who wore her hair in a ponytail. She wore a pleated pink dress and carried a white purse. Neither the man nor the woman looked a day over twenty."
"What else can you tell me?" Elizabeth asked.
"I can tell you a great deal. I can tell you that the woman talked a lot and laughed a lot until about thirty minutes into the picnic, when she cried out, shook her left hand, and pulled a ring off her finger. I can also tell you that she appeared to be in considerable pain and that when the pain did not subside, she pleaded with the man to take her to a hospital."
As Susan listened to Bell describe a scene he could not have witnessed, she wondered what kind of person could believe his nonsense. Then she looked at Elizabeth, saw a tear roll down her cheek, and concluded there was one.
"Mom? Are you all right?" Susan asked.
Elizabeth nodded at Susan before returning to Bell.
"What happened next, Professor?"
"The man approached an elderly chap who sat on a nearby bench. When the old man pointed north, in the direction of the closest hospital, the young man returned to his lady," Bell said. "He threw his arm around her, guided her to a blue sedan, and drove her away from the park. He did not bother to retrieve any of the items on the picnic table."
"What did you do after they left?" Elizabeth asked.
Bell smiled kindly.
"I think you know what I did, dear. I did what I went there to do."
Susan gasped and put her hand to her mouth as Bell reached into a pocket of his tailored vest and pulled out a ring. She didn't need a second look to know it was the diamond solitaire that had once belonged to her mother.
Bell got up from his sofa and walked around the coffee table. When he reached Elizabeth, he smiled again, extended his hand, and offered the ring to a seventy-eight-year-old woman who had not seen its shine in fifty-eight years.
"My jeweler cleaned the ring yesterday," Bell said. "When he asked if I was giving it to Jeanette, I said no. I said I was returning it to a friend, a friend who deserved to see it at its best."
Elizabeth took the ring, examined the inscription, and turned away. When she looked again at Bell, she did so with eyes brimming with moisture.
"Thank you, Professor," Elizabeth said. "Thank you."
Bell looked at Amanda, who beamed, and then Susan, who fought off her own tears, before returning to Elizabeth. He kissed the old woman on the head, reclaimed his seat on the other couch, and grabbed his wife's hand.
"I'll give you ladies a moment to collect yourselves," Bell said. "When you're ready to talk, just let me know. I think it's time we take this discussion to the next level."
CHAPTER 7: SUSAN
An hour after Geoffrey Bell had rocked the world of three Chicago women, Susan looked at two of the women to gauge the fallout. She saw a mother who appeared to be locked in a nostalgic trance and a daughter who smiled like she had just been told that Santa Claus was real.
Susan took a sip of fresh java, placed her mug on the coffee table, and gazed at the man who had surprised her in more ways than one. She wasn't sure where she wanted the discussion to go, but she was sure she wanted it to continue.
"Let me see if I heard you correctly, Professor," Susan said. "You said your great-grandfather was the one who discovered the secret of time travel?"
Mercer Street (American Journey Book 2) Page 4
