A Simple Case of Infidelity Pt. 02

~~V~~

Just outside Oakland not far from #219 Whalen and Maggie Campbell were about to sit down to watch the evening news. Victoria their granddaughter was upstairs. They thought she was asleep.

Whalen glanced up from the TV screen. Through the top part of his bifocals he managed to catch his wife's attention, "Heard whose back?"

Maggie yawned, "The 'second coming'?"

Whalen snorted, "Gail Humber called me a while ago, said she saw Leslie. Told me Leslie's got an apartment in town. Starts back at the library in a day or two."

Maggie pretended not to be interested, "Wonder what she wants?"

Whalen, pretended to be as indifferent as his wife, he shrugged, "What do you think?"

Maggie put the remote button on pause. She turned toward her husband, "Don't you get involved."

"Come on Maggie. You know me."

"That's why I said it," she replied, "let them work out their problems. If Francis wants her back well..."

Whalen pretended to yawn like his wife had, "This TV news is just bullshit. Think I'll turn in."

Maggie admonished, "Don't forget the trash."

Whalen got out of his easy chair, "I'll get it now," but as he did he surreptitiously slipped his cell phone in his pocket. He'd done his bit at home, now it was time to put 'other' things in motion. He'd call Hank Abernathy, Francis's supervisor first, then...

As Whalen walked out the door with the trash Maggie picked up her cell phone. In an instant she had her sister on the phone, "Hello Lorna. Leslie's back. Where's she staying?" After a momentary pause she added, "Yeah find out."

Upstairs Victoria heard her grandparent's conversation. She might be a teenager and in high school, but she still slept with the door open so she could see the light in the hallway. Her grandparents were old and hard of hearing. It was easy to pick up the things they said. She leaned over to her night table and disconnected her cell from its charger. She punched in the number. A second later her brother's voice was on the phone, "Yeah, what do you want Victoria?"

Victoria replied, "Mom's come back," she could hear the rustle of bed sheets on the other end.

Richard responded, "Find out where she's staying," he hung up.

Victoria put her phone back on its charger. She rolled over and hugged her pillow to her chest. She whispered, "Mom's home. It'll be all right now." She wept softly as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

~~V~~

In an old bungalow just outside Red House Francis was trying to iron out the wrinkles in the pants he'd wear in the morning. He muttered to himself, "Man isn't this some shit." He knew he wouldn't get to sleep anyway. Yeah, he'd been leafing through the albums again. He wondered if Leslie had gotten the papers. He wondered if he'd done the right thing. Everybody kept telling him he should wait a little longer. Had he been too hasty? Damn it'd been months hadn't it? What did his dad always say? 'Either shit or get off the pot.' He'd call his dad in the morning.

*****

This is the end of part two.

I hope you enjoyed part two. Comment and vote if you like, but be forewarned there may be a few things no one can be sure of. There is no guarantee where this is going. Is it a RAAC? Is it a BTB? I couldn't say. I wouldn't put my money on anything just yet. Let's let Leslie, Francis, and time work this one out.

You'll certainly be able to point out plot holes, but life is full of ploy holes. So let's not have a lot of jumping up and down and 'see here's, or 'look there's' just yet. A plot hole is a gap in a story. Let's wait and see how many gaps we've got when we reach the very end.

Say whatever you want, say it anonymously, but please no personal invective.