by Larry Brown
“How do you know for sure they were dead?”
“I knew, I could see. You can look at the coroner’s reports if you don’t believe me.”
“Clay says you’re a stubborn man who seems to have a propensity for getting into fights and gunfights at that. What do you have to say about that?”
Harry sat still and quiet for a couple of minutes. He stared at Mack and Mack back at him.
Harry finally spoke, “You know Mack I’m 72 years old. I hadn’t been involved in hardly any physical fighting. But as I have aged, I have come to despise evil. I just can’t tolerate it, and by the way, I doubt Clay called me stubborn. Hard head, yes hard head, is what he would say.”
For the first time in their meeting Mack smiled and half laughed, “Harry, the questions I asked are the kinds that snake Roscoe will ask, only he will greatly embellish the way he asks them. He will do his best to piss you off. I normally tell my clients that they should show no emotion, but in your case, I say if he insults you, let him know it. The judge will admonish you, but that’s okay.”
“Does that mean you are now my attorney?”
“Yes, sir, absolutely.”
“When do you think we will go to court?”
“I don’t know, I’m trying to get it thrown out. There’s just not enough there.”
“You sound like you already started.”
“Off the record I have. I talked off the record to Judge Henry today.”
“Is that normal?”
“Harry, ain’t nothin’ normal in the Polk County Court System,” he said smiling.
“Oh, Harry, I read your books. Good stories. By the way, do you have your checkbook with you?”
“I do, you need some money?”
“Leave 5K with my sweet, but dumb, little niece on your way out.”
Harry started to speak, but Mack already had his phone in hand and had his back to Harry. Harry left thinking 5K!
Chapter 27
Harry left Mack’s office and went straight home. It was almost 4:30 pm and he realized he was just flat, wore out. Most of the time he didn’t feel his age, but now he felt like a really old man. He thought about a drink but instead went straight to his big recliner. The last few days had taken their toll. All his life he had the ability to focus on whatever situation was at hand. He could keep his feelings hidden until the work was complete. But it wasn’t that he didn’t have feelings. He did. Now they were catching up with him.
More than the physical strain, it was the mental stress that seemed to take the most out of him. In his whole life, he had never hunted or killed anything. He never wanted to hunt except maybe birds. He had thought he would like to have hunted quail and pheasant. He just never found the time.
But now he had been in two shootouts and had killed three men. He had never dreamed this is what his retirement would become. If he had to do it over, he would not change a thing. No, he had thought long and hard, and he believed he had done the right thing. Evil needed to be confronted and God had given him the ability and grace to do it and survive. That was the last thought until his phone rang and woke him. It was 7:30 p.m. It was Andy.
“Harry, I hope I’m not disturbing your supper.”
“No, not at all. As a matter of fact, I was sound asleep in my recliner. I think these last few days have pretty well done me in.”
“Oh Harry, I was calling to see what I could bring tomorrow but maybe we need to postpone our dinner until another day when you are more rested. Clay told me some of what happened and I just can’t believe it happened again.”
Harry was quiet for a moment and then spoke, “Andy, it’s kind of you to offer, but I think I’d like to have some company, your company. I had planned an elaborate display to impress you but how would you handle a steak and baked potato, salad and a great bottle of wine.”
“Harry are you sure? You know I could pick up a pizza.”
“Lord no, I can handle the meal.”
“I’ll bring dessert, Harry. I need to bring something.”
“Okay, but the dress is casual, I’m wearing jeans.”
Chapter 28
Harry slept in the next day and didn’t even shower and shave until after lunch. He had gone to Earl’s Meats to pick up filets and then to the grocery to get the rest of the items he needed for his dinner with Andy. When he returned home, he found himself settling into his recliner for another nap.
When he awoke, he could hardly believe it was 4:30 pm. He went to his office to straighten up his usual mess. Harry was a stacker. To the outsider, it looked totally disorganized, but Harry knew the contents of each stack. He smiled thinking how it used to drive Maggie crazy. Maggie, my…my, what would she think, a single woman coming to dinner.
As Harry finished, he started to the refrigerator to take the steaks out? The doorbell rang, Harry looked at his watch, 5:05 pm he could not imagine who would be at the door, maybe UPS. He walked to the front door and found Andy standing there. He was surprised he had not expected her until 6:00 or 6:30. She was holding a big bag and her smile so inviting, he was sure it could make time stand still. Then it hit him he was barefoot and in old jeans and a sweatshirt. He could only see her from the waist up and she was wearing a gold embroidered western style shirt. He just could hardly believe how beautiful she looked. Harry was just standing there staring when she cocked her head and shrugged wondering why she was not invited to enter.
Harry finally opened the door, “Andy, I’m sorry. I just didn’t expect you until later.”
She stepped in, and Harry took the bag from her.
“I’m sorry Harry, but I had an idea, and I felt if I told you in advance, you would say no. Can we go to the kitchen, there’s gelato in the bag that needs to go in the freezer?”
Harry led her to the kitchen.
“Your house is beautiful and what a view of the lake.”
“Thanks, it was Maggie’s choice, I really didn’t want this house. But I have to admit it’s worked out better than I could have imagined. Now, what’s this secret plan?”
“Harry, I came early to get here before you had started preparing anything. I want you to sit have a drink and let me do everything. But I want you to tell me to do it the way you would. I talked to Clay again and when he told me again what you have been through, and Harry I think it is frankly amazing you are not in bed right now! I appreciate your wanting to do this for me but…it’s you Harry that needs to be waited on, and I want to do this for you. Please let me do this, Harry.”
Harry started to choke up. He was fighting to control his emotions; this was stupid to react this way. He knew it was fatigue and he was struggling.
She could see him fighting to control himself and she wanted to go over and hold him, but she decided it might be better to go another route.
“Harry I am assuming a non-response means yes, but before we begin, I’m hoping you will give me a tour of your home.”
Harry had turned away from her while he tried to regain his composure. “Okay, but we need to fix a drink to take on the tour.”
“Harry, you sit and direct me.”
He sat at the kitchen island and directed her to the bar where she poured them both a Knob Creek on the rocks. Harry then gave her the complete tour. Afterward, she said, “I can see why your wife liked this place so much. It’s lovely but is also practical. It’s pretty much perfect for a family your size.”
They came back to the kitchen, and she made him sit at the island but refused to do anything unless Harry directed her. She wouldn’t even allow him to refresh their drinks. When the potatoes were in the oven, the salads made, she sat down beside him.
“Andy, I think I should at least change my clothes before we eat.”
“Nonsense, relax. You said casual, and you were going to wear jeans, and you are and so am I.”
Harry looked at her and thought, Perfectly fitting black jeans, loafers and that fancy gold blouse, she is something. And he felt like a slob in his sweatshirt.
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“Andy, question and I hope you will answer honestly.”
She didn’t reply but shifted in her seat, so she was looking directly at him.
“When I told Clay you were coming for dinner, he seemed surprised. I wonder if I hurt his feelings because I did not include him? Or, does he not like the idea of his sister seeing an old man like me? What do you think?”
She took a moment, stared at her drink, and then spoke, “Harry, Clay considers you a good, close friend. He respects you. He has said to me on several occasions that he hopes he can do what you do when he’s your age. That said, I think he is surprised I have not remarried, and I think he thinks I still will. I know he wishes I would choose someone closer to my age. My only marriage was to a man two years younger than me and look what that accomplished. He’s been dead for ten years. I respect Clay, but he lives his life, and I live mine. We are both self-sufficient adults.”
Harry sat there absorbing what Andy had said. He was trying to think of how to respond when she spoke again, “I hope that answers your question about Clay. Now, different subject. What’s your opinion of how long to season steaks before grilling?”
Harry hesitated; he didn’t want to leave that subject but was unsure how to respond.
“Well, out of the cooler, at least two hours before grilling, seasoning should go on when they are out of the cooler. The salt in the seasoning needs a couple of hours to do its thing.”
“Where did you learn this and all the other cooking skills you have? Clay says you have a real talent in the kitchen.”
“Well, I don’t know how much talent I have, but it is one of my pleasures in life. The answer to your question is cooking shows. When Maggie and I moved up north, about all I could do was grill a little. Let me say I don’t like cold weather activities. Never wanted to skate or ski, I never liked to watch hockey, and I think the NBA is a joke. So, when college football season ended, I started watching cooking shows because I like to eat. I got hooked. I was fascinated to the point that I told Maggie I wanted to try cooking. She was thrilled, and it turned out I was reasonably good at it. Even today, I enjoy watching certain people, there’s just so much to learn.”
“Harry, that’s a great story. You are a complex and interesting man, Harry Blake.”
They finished their meal, and she cleaned the kitchen and put everything back in its place even though Harry pleaded with her to leave it for him tomorrow. When she had finished, he led her to the great room. With his iPad and Bose speakers, they listened to Smokey Robinson on Harry’s favorite app, Pandora. He lit the fireplace, and they sat finishing the last of the dinner wine.
She seated herself in the middle of the big leather sectional sofa and set her wine on the big glass coffee table. Harry without thinking sat in his big recliner at the end of the couch. He looked at her and realized she was sitting exactly where Maggie had always sat. He also realized he should have joined her on the couch. Dumb ass!
He started to move, but before he could get out of the recliner, she stood up picked up her wine and said, “Do you mind if I move closer, so we don’t have to talk so loud?”
Now he was embarrassed, “No of course not, I’m sorry I should not have sat here, old habit.”
“It’s okay, Harry.”
Harry stood up, “No it’s not, it was rude and as if I didn’t want to sit beside you. As I told you earlier, I’m not quite back to normalcy. Why would I not want to sit next to a beautiful woman like you, please forgive me.”
“Harry, honestly it’s okay, I can see the fatigue in your face especially your eyes. I probably should go and let you get to bed.”
“No, please, it’s way too early for bed. Let’s enjoy the fire, the wine and get to know each other better.”
They were now sitting side by side on the sofa. Harry turned and looked at her and asked, “Andy, you’ve been alone for ten years. Have you lived with anybody? If I’m getting too personal, just tell me.”
“No, I think I told you before, I’ve dated a few men, but nothing I felt was serious even though one, in particular, was pretty upset when I told him I wouldn’t see him anymore. He was very persistent to a fault. He said he wanted to marry me. He said he had told his family and friends he was going to marry me. He was insistent I give in to him. The conversation got heated, and we both got very ugly with each other. It was obvious we did not need to be with each other. Harry, my standards have changed as I have aged. My list of requirements has changed and grown. Plus, after ten years I know I don’t have to be married.”
Harry had listened intently; he had already eliminated one of his significant doubts about her. She was definitely not a looney.
“Andy, do you ever get lonely?”
She smiled paused and said, “Yeah, I do, but it’s not a constant or all the time kind of thing. I do my best to stay busy. I like to read, watch movies, and of course I have my work and my horses. There’s always work around the farm. It’s the nights sometimes. Especially as I have gotten older when I come back to the house tired, and I would like a man to make me a drink, give me a hug, maybe hold me for just a minute or two and maybe even wash my back. Oh, listen to me; I sound so selfish. It would be nice to have someone you care enough about to do things for, somebody to make happy.”
She blushed, “Goodness, enough about me. I want to talk about you. I know the last time we were together, you told me about your guilt and meeting with your pastor. Are the guilt feelings getting better?”
Harry gazed at the fireplace, “You know one of the nicer things about cooler weather is having a good fire. I love a good fire.” Harry paused to get his thoughts together, “I’m not avoiding your question, by the way, just trying to give an answer that’s coherent. I have always been a bottom line kind of guy, maybe that’s why I was pretty good in business. So, bottom line, I have no guilt about seeing you or being with you. The only fly in the ointment is that I know, my children, deep down, will not be happy. Now having said that, how important is that? And quite frankly who knows what’s best for me? Is it them or is it me?”
“How do you know that for sure Harry?” she had now turned toward him with a hand on his shoulder. “Maybe they would surprise you?”
“It would be a heck of a surprise. No, I think the three boys, yes, the two girls, no.”
“So, how are you going to handle it?”
“I’m not, until I have to. If somebody asks, I won’t back away, I will be as honest as I can be. Until then, keep moving forward, no harm, no foul.”
“I know you said you did not think about her constantly now, but how about being alone. Are you feeling lonely?”
“Yeah, sometimes. It’s kind of like what you said. You have a tiring day, and you would like someone to pamper you a little bit. I too would like a long hug, a kiss, someone to make my drink. I don’t know why I think that because that was not her thing. She just didn’t do that. She was kind of a ‘Hey, suck it up, it’ll be better tomorrow.’ I guess it was just my fantasy to have someone care about me that much.”
“Harry, that doesn’t sound good.”
“Well I think she loved me, but over the years we just evolved into a certain lifestyle. Listen, we all have our faults. I’m probably not easy to live with. The older we get, it’s probably harder to change your ways and habits.”
“It sounds like you are on your way to spending the rest of your life alone.”
“I don’t know, maybe. Maybe just try to have some good friends to spend time with.”
“How about intimacy, Harry? Are you beyond needing that? And Harry, I’m not necessarily talking about sex.”
“Andy, to be frank, I haven’t had a lot of intimacy in recent years. As I said, we had a different lifestyle. Having said that, no I’m not beyond wanting or needing it. I feel like I am entering a new world and I’m not sure how I should navigate it.”
Harry decided to plunge ahead, “You know when I was young, I had so much confidence around women. I felt like I kn
ew what they liked. But, older women, I know for sure I don’t know what they like, what they want or what they think. And, I’m not even sure I should be concerned about it.”
Andy smiled at him and said, “Well Harry, if you need any help, you feel free to let me know.”
Harry thought to himself, Now what does that mean?
Their talk turned to Harry’s upcoming appearance at the women’s group. Either the subject or his fatigue caused Harry to begin to yawn.
“Okay, Harry, you are going to bed, and I am going home.”
“Are you okay to drive that far tonight. You know 45 minutes is a long drive. And of course, you’re welcome to stay. I have plenty of bedrooms, and I’m so tired I promise I won’t be a threat,” he said smiling.
“Thanks for the offer but actually I am staying at baby brothers, so I don’t have to make the long drive. But if offered, I might consider a rain check.”
Harry raised his eyebrows, smiled and said, “I’ll have a stack of them printed.”
Harry opened the front door for her, and she turned, gave him a quick kiss on the lips, and left.
Chapter 29
Freddy Lopez was a 52-year-old Mexican who had been in the U.S. eighteen years and fifteen of those in Polk County. He was a quiet, plain, almost unnoticeable man. He ran a manpower company that provided day laborers; some skilled, some not. His men were reliable; if Freddy said four men at a particular place at a specific time, they would be there and probably early. His rates were fair, and Freddy was well-off.
He also ran a respected and successful cleaning business. If you needed a crew for a big, one time clean or permanent weekly or bi-weekly house cleaners, he had them available. In this case, his rates were on the high side, but his ladies were very good at their jobs.
Everyone knew there were two Mexican gangs in the county, but everyone was wrong. There was one gang with two arms. Freddy always said to be successful, a man must have two arms.
