by Larry Brown
Harry called Clay for an update on the roads and power. Clay laughed and wanted to know if Betty had worn him out? He wanted to know if Harry was trying to get rid of her. He said this laughing, but he gave him one more sarcastic jab, “Hey, Harry, I’m envious man,” and he laughed again. The good news, he told Harry, was there was a warm front that should hit the area around midnight and by noon the next day the roads should be clear. He also told him that about half the county now had power, but he had no clue if that included Betty’s neighborhood.
Harry hung up and relayed his conversation with Clay. Meanwhile, Betty called a neighbor and was told that the power company had promised restoration by noon the next day. So she was destined to be there with Harry until midday tomorrow.
“Harry, I am sorry, you are stuck with me until midday tomorrow.”
“Hey, it’s not your fault, and are we still taking the truth serum?”
She shook her head in the affirmative.
“Okay, well, I don’t feel I’m stuck with you.”
She looked at him and almost in tears said, “I just feel like I have probably ruined what was starting to be a very nice friendship.”
Harry walked over to her and embraced her. “I told you to forget what happened. It’s oaky.” He held her tight for several minutes and finally said again, “It’s okay. Remember it’s truth serum time.”
She gently pushed him away, smiled, and kissed him on the cheek.
Harry asked her what she usually did on Christmas day. She said usually one of her friends or neighbors felt sorry for her and invited her to share their Christmas meal.
Harry asked her to join his family and share Christmas with them. He told her it would be a real mob scene. He said the celebration started after a church service on Christmas Eve. The family tradition was pulled pork and Brunswick stew for which he was responsible. He told her they had always invited friends who had no family to join them. In her case, she was invited to come back Christmas day for their big Christmas dinner.
“I want my children to know my really good friends. You should know I have also invited Clay since he will not have Andy to be with this year.”
“Harry, that’s so nice of you but are you sure you want them to meet me? Will they be defensive? I mean have they ever met Andy?”
“No, but being truthful, I would have invited her if she had not left.”
“How do you think they will react?”
“I don’t know, for sure, but probably, two of the boys will be okay. The two girls may be a little annoyed with me. The other boy and his family will not be here.”
“There won’t be a fight, will there?”
“No, I don’t think so. My family is reasonably civil,” he said half laughing. “And if it turns bad, we will have the sheriff there,” they both laughed. “So do you accept my invitation?”
Betty paused, “Yes, yes I do, and thank you.”
The rest of their day and early evening Harry stayed in his office and worked on his book. Betty had insisted he do this and she borrowed a book from his office and read. She chose ‘The Cuban Affair’ by DeMille.
At a little after seven, Harry came out and suggested cocktails and food. Betty opted for a cup of tea and suggested something light for her. She said the mid-afternoon breakfast had filled her. Harry suggested BLT’s. Afterward, they found an old movie on TMC to watch ‘The Quiet Man’ with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. When the movie ended, Betty was sound asleep still fully dressed. He was a little unsure of exactly what he wanted to do so he opted to leave her alone. He got comfortable in his big recliner, turned on the news, and promptly went to sleep.
He was awakened by the sun coming across the lake. Betty was no longer on the couch. He went back to his bedroom and found her fully dressed and asleep on top of his bed. He slipped out, went to the kitchen, and made coffee. He looked outside and saw ice melting everywhere. The warm front had come in during the night. Things would be back to normal soon.
Betty was up about the time the coffee finished brewing. There was no mention of Betty’s intoxicated antics from the night before. Betty passed on breakfast after Harry called Clay about road conditions. He gave the all clear and Betty said she was going straight to her business. They parted as friends, with a hug and a peck on the cheek. When she left, they were both thinking what might have been if she had not gotten drunk.
Chapter 55
The storm had passed, and Lakeview was getting back to normal. Lakeview had two Mexican restaurants. One was where most of the gringos ate and was in a prime spot in the town. The other place was on the edge of the Hispanic community and where the Hispanics ate. It was called Casa Grande. At 10:00 pm, a Cadillac pulled into the back of Casa Grande, not visible to the street. The driver was a huge black man who opened the back door of the car allowing Roscoe Abernathy to exit. The driver/bodyguard was named George. George opened the back door to the Casa Grande and was met by two armed Hispanic men. They asked George for his weapon. George turned to Roscoe and said, “I ain’t givin’ up my gun.” The voices of the three men grew louder and a door opened off the hallway, and Freddy Lopez appeared. Freddy calmed everyone down and invited Roscoe to come in alone. He said something in Spanish and then in English to George,
“You wait out here and try not to shoot each other. They will bring you food and drink.”
Freddy closed the door to the private room and shook hands with Roscoe. “Freddy, thank you for meeting me. It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.”
“You are right and now I hear you want to be a senator. That’s a big step.”
“I do, and yes, it is. I think the timing may be right. I think a lot of people are disgusted with the guy who has been there so long. That’s part of the reason I wanted to meet with you. They’ll begin to do the first real polling after the New Year, and I need to be able to show I can win my home county. I need the full backing of all the minorities, and that includes the Hispanics. That’s where you come in. Freddy, I know all you have to do is pass the word, and I’ll be golden.”
Freddy smiled, waved his hand, and started to speak. Before he could, Roscoe continued, “I’m not asking for something without something in return. With this run, there will be a lot of jobs. Some full time and a lot more part-time. Since that’s your business, I would expect you to handle all of this for the campaign. I expect my first big check to come in from the NAACP in the next couple of weeks. Plus, I have some big money from the entertainment world. Money, will not be a problem. Can I count on your support Freddy?”
“Of course you can, my friend. I have many people who need to work, and they are generally favorable to my suggestions at the voting booth,” he said, continuing to smile at Roscoe.
“You are too modest. We both know you are like the Godfather to these people.”
“This is a small town, and everyone needs a helping hand.” Freddy stopped smiling and became serious, “There must be something else I could do for you?”
“Winning this county is going to be critical for me to get support around the state and in the party. Believe it or not, one of my biggest worries is one man.”
Freddy frowned, “Which opponent?”
“Oh, it’s not an opponent. I know you at least know of this guy, Harry Blake.”
Freddy nodded.
“He and I have had several run-ins. One made a lot of news in court. There is no doubt in my mind the man is a racist. He is also selfish and unreasonable. The bottom line is; he has threatened to campaign against me. He has threatened his money and his time against me. He has become a celebrity of sorts and could be a real thorn if he carries out the threats he made.”
Without a smile or change of expression, Freddy said, “Do you want him to go away?”
“Whoa Freddy, I’m not that kind of guy.” Roscoe paused, “I mean if something happened to the guy, I probably would not send flowers. But I would never hire a hit.”
Freddy now smiled, “Just asking.�
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“The guy is no candy ass. He has killed a number of men who tried to take those damn gold coins of his. As a matter of fact, as I think about it, they have all been minorities. Two of my people and four of yours.”
Freddy corrected Roscoe, “The four were not mine, they were Guatemalans.”
“Okay, okay but you know what I mean. I don’t know of anything specifically you can do in that regard, but if he were distracted in some way, it could be helpful.”
Roscoe stood and said, “I have a case of 15-year-old single malt in the car for you. I’ll have George get it, and we will be on our way.”
Freddy walked to a cabinet and retrieved a box of Cuban cigars and handed them to Roscoe, “I know how much you like these.” The two men embraced, and the meeting was over.
When Freddy was sure Roscoe was gone, he reached under the table and unsnapped the tape recorder. He played it back for just a couple of minutes to check the sound quality. He decided it was time to have a visit with Harry’s housekeeper, his sister Ruth.
Meanwhile, Roscoe sat in the backseat of his Cadillac on the ride home tinkering with his NAACP lapel pin which wirelessly connected to the thin line recorder in the inside pocket of his suit coat. He was amazed at the sound quality.
Chapter 56
Christmas – Shadow Lake Farm
After a lengthy emotional exchange, the two girls had not only convinced Andy to stay until the week after New Year’s, but she also committed not to make her final decision on leaving until then. Andy had reluctantly changed her mind solely on the emotional plea made by the two girls. She had admitted to herself, it had been fun being with them and sharing their excitement about Christmas. She had convinced herself that another two weeks wouldn’t matter in the big picture of her future.
Christmas Eve dinner had been planned for late because Jack had things to do. He had told the girls that he and Santa had final details to work out before the big day. Everything Andy needed to do had been done. She decided to take a late afternoon ride to have some quiet time to herself. Even though she had made the decision to stay through the holidays, she really and truly was not sure what her long-term future should be.
Andy rode to an isolated hill that overlooked the airstrip. She was just thinking she had never seen or heard a plane use it. As her thoughts were about to shift, a small single-engine airplane lined up and drifted down slowly and quietly on the end of the runway. Immediately, two Jeeps pulled up at the end of the runway. One was driven by Dax alone, and the other had three workers. They were obviously there to meet the plane.
Her first thought was that it was strange to see this happening on Christmas Eve. Then she realized there was another vehicle coming down the service road that led to the airstrip. It was a white van. Since the day of the abduction every white van she saw, she did her best to see what the passengers looked like. She watched the scene unfold.
The plane taxied to the end of the runway, where it did a U-turn and was ready to take flight. Dax was out of his Jeep talking to his three workers. The white van pulled up next to the plane, and two men got out. One went over to speak with Dax and the pilot, who had now joined Dax. The other man opened the side door to the van while the second man from the plane opened its side door. The three workers went immediately to the plane and began moving bundles of packages from the plane to the van.
Andy stared in disbelief. The two men from the van both wore dark suits with open collar shirts. Her mind was racing. It was the same two men or was it. Yes, it had to be them. It was them, wasn’t it? One the men from the van began to look around, and when he got to the direction of the hill she was sitting on, he turned to Dax and pointed at her. Dax turned, looked in her direction, and stared for a moment and then started talking to the man. Andy turned her horse and made a fast retreat to the barn where she turned her horse over to one of the workers, and she headed back to the house.
She was shaking. What did this mean? What was that all about? As she reached the entrance to the house, she heard the little plane take off and disappear into the clouds. She decided to keep quiet about this until after Christmas when she could have a private conversation with Dax.
Dinner was to be served at 8:30 pm, and after getting ready, she noticed it was only 7:30 pm, she decided to call Clay. Poor Clay, for the last number of years she and Clay had rotated houses on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. They enjoyed each other’s company, and after all, they were the last of their family.
When Clay answered, she could barely hear him. The background noise was people talking and laughing and obviously having a good time. Clay had her hold while he walked outside.
“Where are you, Clay? It sounds like a party.”
“I guess I forgot to tell you. I am at Harry’s. Most of his family is here. They have this tradition of pulled pork and Brunswick stew on Christmas Eve. As usual, when it comes to food, Harry is the best. His family is a hoot. They are really good people. Much better circumstances than when I first met them. They are all so curious trying to figure out if Betty is for Harry or for me.”
“Betty Matthews is there?”
“Oh yeah, the guys think she’s pretty neat, but the girls are a little standoffish. It’s funny.”
“Clay, I just called to check on you. I’m glad you are not alone and are having fun. What are your plans for tomorrow?”
“I’ll work in the morning, but I’ll be back here in the afternoon for Christmas dinner.”
“Will she be back tomorrow?”
“Oh yeah. Are you jealous?” he said laughing.
She said no without thinking, wished him well and headed downstairs to dinner.
After dinner, the girls spent their time picking out their gifts. They shook them, checked for noise and weight, and made guesses about what was in the packages. They kept Andy and Jack entertained entirely. Jack insisted on getting everyone to bed; he said they all had to rise early for their Christmas surprise. The girls did their best to get a hint from their father, but he was steadfast. They all relented and settled into their rooms for the night.
Andy was awakened by a female voice. She looked at the bedside clock, and it registered 4:15 am. Maybe someone on staff was outside to wake Jack. The voice continued, it was squeaky, and it was coming from the outside deck. She got out of the bed without turning on the lights and pulled the curtains back to see if she could tell where the voice was coming from. The light from Jack’s suite clearly showed Jack and the female flight attendant both clothed in robes standing on the deck. She closed the curtains and got back into the bed. After tossing and turning for an hour, she decided to go to the kitchen for coffee. Before the coffee had finished brewing, she heard voices in the hallway. It was the flight attendant with the squeaky voice telling Jack goodbye.
At 6:00 am her cell phone rang. It was Jack telling her she had 45 minutes to get ready to go on a trip. He told her what to pack and to be on time. She was to take only personal items, no clothes, other than what she was wearing. She thought this was strange, but she complied. She was the last one down, and the first thing she noticed was all the gifts under the tree were missing. Jack hustled everyone into a waiting car; they headed to the airport. When they had boarded the plane, he told them they were headed for a surprise destination. The female flight attendant served everyone a beautiful Christmas breakfast. She was young, good-looking, and had a terrible squeaky voice.
They landed in the Caribbean, then were boated to a private island with a magnificent villa that was decorated for Christmas with all the presents under the tree. The villa was located on a beautifully manicured piece of property adjoining a wide white sand beach. There was also a large pool and an adjoining guest house where Jack had decided to house the pilot, copilot, and flight attendant. The villa had six bedrooms, three on each side of the villa. Jack put Andy and the girls on one side, and he had taken a suite on the opposite side of the villa, the one next to the guest house.
They had no unpacking to d
o so they quickly gathered in the main living room by the tree and the presents. Jack explained that his gift to Andy and the girls, in addition to the trip, was a complete wardrobe for the trip; everything from swimsuits, underwear, and clothes for all other occasions. He said they hoped he liked his taste. He also told them they would be going back to Shadow Lake Farm on New Year’s Day.
Chapter 57
Christmas – Pine Lake
It was almost 6:00 pm on Christmas Eve, and the family that was coming for Christmas had arrived, settled in, and had just returned from a Christmas Eve service at Harry’s church. Four of the five children and spouses were all in the kitchen having drinks and munchies as Harry prepared the food. Only Pete and his family were unable to come. It was a strange year in that all of the grandchildren ended up at their in-laws in the same year. It was a tradition of many years past that Harry always cooked pulled pork and Brunswick stew on Christmas Eve. He cooked Boston butts for six hours the day before, and while they were preparing, he made the stew. It had also been a tradition of Harry and Maggie’s to invite any friends who had no family around to join their family.
It seemed everyone in the kitchen was talking at the same time, so Harry had to bang his big wooden spoon on the side of the stew pot to get their attention. “Everyone knows that Maggie and I always invited friends who were going to be alone to join us. This year is no different. I have invited Clay Hardaway to come. I think you all probably remember Clay from Maggie’s funeral. Clay and I have become really good friends since then.”
Paul, their youngest son, spoke up, “After all the shootouts you have been in Dad, he probably considers you a deputy.” Everyone laughed.
Paul spoke again, “Hey, isn’t he the one who has the sister you are really friendly with. Is she coming also? She’s the redhead who is a lot younger and hot.” This provoked laughter again.
