Ardmore Pt. 04

"David?"

"I'm still here. You caught me off guard. I'm accepting your invitation. I don't know about this weekend though," I said after clearing my throat. I was afraid to ask what kind of money we were talking about. I would let me 'better-half' explain that to me. Surely she would have an estimate.

In a more serious tone I opened another line of discussion. I had the feeling that Cassie had some anxiety about who had shot my wife when she placed her original call. I relayed to her the information obtained from the State Police that this was a random act, a hate crime. Then, for my own benefit I posed another question.

"Whatever happened to Wes after we left Rui's employ?"

She gave a very confident response. "None of those people are around anymore David. Wes and that crew are dead, killed in the early eighties in several mob hits. Remember the Philly Don, Angelo Bruno? Wes was part of the faction that opposed him. As for Kelsey, he's doing 25 to life for bank robbery. He was an accomplice even then. He would be free, except for the fact that a couple guards lost their lives in the theft. Even Rui is out of the picture. He sold the club and moved to Arizona a decade ago."

"Sounds like you kept close tabs on these folks."

"Of course I did, for the first five years anyway, though now it seems like another lifetime."

We continued to converse for almost an hour, mainly about our families: her kids and mine, Sydney of course. She mentioned her husband several times. It was obvious that they were well matched. Knowing the circumstances under which we came to meet I could not have been happier for her. It occurred to me that I sincerely missed talking to my old friend.

Chapter 15: An unfortunate discovery

For the two additional days she was hospitalized my wife was encouraged to walk around the corridors to regain her strength. Being confined so near where we lived meant that Adrienne was now being overwhelmed with visitors. Her spirits improved as she accepted more and more guests.

People in town knew my wife for her charitable works so the outpouring of affection was understandable. The continuous flow of visitors forced me to limit my stays to less than an hour each day. The limited time was actually a relief. The strain of not being able to speak with her about the nature of her relationship with Jane was taking its toll.

On the second day of Adrienne's stay I was informed that she could be released the next afternoon. Her progress had been remarkable. While she still tired after standing for long periods her overall energy level was improving steadily.

That afternoon I went home with the intention of doing one more sweep of the house for clues. I was restless and sensed that I was overlooking some vital piece of information. Once again the investigation started in our file cabinet, and once again everything seemed to be in order. In fact, the very order of it all suddenly was unsettling.

After several hours I gave up. The key to this mess was Adrienne and a conversation with her was unavoidable. I tried to switch my attention to the more mundane subject of our health insurance. A review of both of our benefits statements as well as some phone numbers for inquiry purposes would be a good beginning.

My wife was going to require a lot more outpatient treatment. There was rehab for her shoulder and probable counseling sessions for inevitable bouts of PTSD. I thought our insurance would cover those services but I needed verification. Thinking along those lines I went looking for our health insurance folder in the file cabinet.

Of course Adrienne had two folders prepared, one containing my policy information and another hers. My school district supplied insurance was more generous than my wife's coverage so I quickly grabbed mine before heading off to the kitchen.

With Allie and Drew eating out at their grandparents there was no urgency to start fixing dinner. Instead I put on a fresh pot of coffee to help me concentrate. An insurance review was second only to a sedative in putting one to sleep. Nevertheless, I read on, even taking notes occasionally. When I finished I flipped over loose papers looking for addendums. I found none, only a blank claim form from Adrienne's folder.

Satisfied that I had everything, I started to fix myself something to eat. It was to be a simple meal: a couple of cans of chili and a salad. The chili I would augment with some spices from the cabinet. With Adrienne absent I could season the mixture as hot as I wanted without her warnings.

The meal was not as satisfying as I expected. I finished and suddenly found I had no energy to get up from my seat, let alone remove the dishes. My eyes became fixed on the curtains hanging on the window near the sink. I could feel Adrienne's presence having touched every item in the room. Her scent was in the very air. This was HER home, HER place. In the silence the room screamed for her return.

How could I live without her? What shell of a man would I become if she left me? What would I become if I left her? Was either possibility unthinkable? No matter how hard I tried to remain positive, that nagging doubt kept resurfacing. If she had cheated on me with Jane it would mean the end of us. I would not share, not even with a memory of a lover. The dead don't leave. They live forever in us. No, living with Adrienne if she were Jane's lover was not an option.

I prided myself on being flexible, open, and willing to consider opposing views and new ideas. And yet, I hated my inflexibility in this circumstance. Adultery was a non-starter, even if it could by definition never happen again with the same third-party. The only way I could function in this home was to find a way to believe that my fears were unfounded. I had to remove all doubt.

The strain of my fears must have shown on my face for I was interrupted by the appearance of my daughter. I'd neither seen nor heard her enter the house.

"Daddy? Daddy? Are you OK?" Allie touched my shoulder.

"Oh, I'm fine. I was merely lost in thought." The tenor of my voice must have alerted her because without another word she approached me from the back and wrapped her arms around me while I sat.

"Mom's back tomorrow", she whispered. "We'll all feel better when she's home." The embrace lasted a few moments longer before Allie began walking away. "I've got to get her an outfit and shoes. Pickup will be around two."

Even with Allie in close proximity, the house remained uncharacteristically quiet. It was then that I thought about Drew.

"Where's your brother?"

"He's at Papa Nick's. He was going to come back with me but Leo showed up. Drew and Papa Nick were talking with him when I left. Something is drastically wrong at his house."

"Why do you say that?"

"He was carrying an overnight bag when he came in."

With that Allie sort of hunched her shoulders and continued towards the stairs. If Gary had not informed my in-laws of problems in his marriage, they certainly knew now. Having their grandson show up at their doorstep hoping to stay the night had to be a disturbing sign. I would have to remind the kids not to mention any of that to their mother tomorrow.

"By the way, why was your phone off Wednesday night?" I said as she reached the stairs.

"I forgot to turn it on."

"Alexandra, was I born yesterday? Do I have stamp across my forehead that says 'stupid'? If you have plans on seeing this young man in the future then we best meet him by next weekend. Understood?"

"Yes, Daddy", she said without argument.

Why my daughter expected that I would not call her friend Jocelyn once I returned home is beyond me. Once I spoke with the girl it was obvious she was covering for Allie. If you are going to have a friend lie for you then at least they should be convincing. The same goes for a younger brother (as Julia could attest).

I made a mental note to have a similar conversation with my son when he returned. I knew that he had lied for his sister as we drove up to Williamsport that first night. Better for him to have told me she was with her boyfriend then give me that line about Jocelyn. They both exercised extremely poor judgment.

According to the clock it was only a little after nine and normally too early for me to go to bed. Early or not, my muscles ached. It took considerable effort to go back to our spare bedroom/office and replace the file folder. After a last check of my email I went upstairs to bed.

Sleep came without much opposition. I remember thinking the phrase "connecting the dots", and repeating it over and over again. That was the last conscious thought I had before darkness engulfed me.

I awoke with a start, eyes open in fright, struggling to adjust to the requirements of the room. Eventually I recognized that the room was bathed in a gentle light from street lamps. I heard the sound of my breathing and realized I was concentrating on every breath.

My heart was racing. The bed felt damp. It was then that I noted my body was hot and sweaty. Something had dragged me out my sleep. A glance at the night stand showed that it was 2am.

"Oh no, not again, not that damn chili", I thought. Then it hit me. Something WAS out of place. Something in the files was out of place. What was it?

"The dots were out of place", I mused. Without giving it conscious thought I was in my closet reaching for my robe, then looking for my slippers. Once dressed I remembered to turn on some lights as I made my way back downstairs to our home office.

Immediately I pulled my insurance folder, then thought for a moment and pulled Adrienne's too. Opening my folder I flipped through all the pages until I found the blank claim form for Adrienne's insurance carrier. The form did not belong there, it should have been with my wife's other insurance papers. She was too anal about these things to have made such a small mistake. Something must have interrupted her concentration.

I then opened up her folder, replaced the errant form and started skimming through the other documents. It took very little time to find it. When I did I read it several times thinking it was a mistake.

I had wanted to remove all doubt about Adrienne's activities, now I mentally began connecting the dots. For the first time in days I had clarity about my wife's adventure with Jane in the woods. However, clarity did not bring comfort. My stomach began doing flip-flops as I reread the document through watery lenses. The situation was much worse than I had feared.

Chapter 16: Adrienne returns

We signed Adrienne out and took her home at 2pm the next day. There were so many family and friends there that she and I had no opportunity to talk privately. The same crowd followed us home. A couple hours later she was fast asleep.

Her nap only lasted a few hours until Gary showed up and the two of them huddled in the office till nine or so. There were some things I had to do with Drew relative to his play the next semester so we were tied up during Gary's visit. Then when he was gone the phone started ringing and Adrienne talked on the phone till almost midnight.

I headed off to school early the next morning. There was a police car parked in front of the house as part of an arrangement with the Lycoming County D. A. They police were not cleared yet to end their guardianship. Their presence made leaving for a few hours an easy decision. I was looking forward to spending time engrossed in other matters.

My teachers had voted for site selection which meant that a committee of staff was charged with interviewing and selecting teachers and other staff for openings in the coming year. As principal I still had the final hiring decision but that was only on paper. I was actually getting enjoyment from having my teachers engage in the process.

That morning there were only four of us in school: our senior secretary, the union rep, the building engineer and myself. Sydney was the union rep, a position she had held for several years. The committee had charged her and me with checking the references of candidates we had rated highly, and to whom we wanted to extend offers. The task mainly involved making phone calls to prior employers (mainly administrators like myself).

Other than waking up with Adrienne, sitting across a table working with Sydney was one of my favorite things to do. She was truly a delight; always very positive, witty, blessed with a great sense of humor and very easy on the eyes. She also had a voice that could make men weak. Meetings with her never seemed to last long enough. This morning was no exception.

We were getting very candid comments from everyone we called. While some of the employers were initially taken aback having to speak with us about this subject on a speakerphone, Sydney had a way of gaining their trust and making them feel at ease. In minutes they were confiding things about our applicants that we would never get from their applications or interviews. The process was working remarkably well.

About mid-morning my secretary informed me that a Mr. Danas was in the outer office waiting to see me. We had been working steadily since before nine and it was the perfect time for a short break. Sydney agreed and was just standing up to leave as Gary entered my office.

"Sydney, this shouldn't take too long. What say we reconvene in, 15 minutes? Oh, before you go I'd like to introduce you to my brother-in-law Gary Danas. Gary, meet Sydney Caldwell our best, no I better say, one of our best teachers."

"It's a pleasure to see you again", said Sydney as she extended her hand.

Gary was somewhat taken aback. You could see the wheels turning as he struggled to remember where they had met.

"You are you related to Leonides?"

"Yes, he's my son", responded Gary.

"I see the resemblance. I had Leo for 7th and 8th math. You should be very proud. He's a gifted student and was a pleasure to teach. You probably don't remember, but we met during parents/teachers conferences years ago." She gave him a devious smile after she said that.

They went on like that for another minute or so. I wasn't paying attention to what they were saying so much as how they were saying it. It was always interesting to see how men reacted to first meeting Sydney.

Even though she had a habit of dressing like the matronly Ms. Dove of movie fame, it was impossible to hide that shapely body and if one missed the body the voice and face were sure to merit a longer look.

Gary was a born salesman so I assumed that he was used to encountering very attractive, very smart women in his travels. As he took her hand I could see he was being his professional self, his eyes never strayed below her face. His reaction was predictable, but Sydney's was not. Gary might have missed it, but she scanned him from head to toe before he was one foot into the room.

Judging from her smile as they shook hands she was pleased with what she saw. That was a new one for Sydney. I had never seen her warm up to anyone so quickly. She was very open with me, but I had known her since she was a child. Our relationship was special, so special that none of the staff knew that we had been acquainted long before she worked in the school.

As she left the office I caught her glancing back at Gary through his reflection in the glass window of the door in front of her. The glance caused me to smile as he took a seat. He had forgotten that they had met many years before when she was but a child. She obviously had not. However, given his demeanor my guess was that whole production went right by him.

"My apologies for not calling first. I tried your house. Drew said you were at school. "

"Not a problem. Sydney and I needed a break. What was so important?"

"David, how is Adrienne's mental state? Is she showing signs of depression?"

That caught me for a loop. My wife seemed as well as one might suppose for having been shot only a week ago. I didn't expect her to be doing standup comedy. What I did expect was a slow recovery with setbacks along the way. I wondered what she had done to provoke him.

"No, she's had a little trouble sleeping through the night, but that's to be expected. Why are you asking?"

"Well, yesterday morning she called me to come over and review her life insurance coverage. I reviewed her policy online and called her back at the hospital. Based upon what she's gone through I didn't think anything of it. Last night she called and asked me to come over and review the kid's college funds. It was somewhat of a waste of time, since I'm the one that set the plans up for you guys. "

"OK, sounds like she's worried about not being here. Remember that she barely escaped death. Her requests seem a little usual coming so close together, but it's probably normal behavior under the circumstances."

"I'm here today because she called me again this morning."

"I'm not even going to ask..."

"It's not what she's asking for David; it's something else. She gets on the line and I get the impression she wants to tell me something. It's like she gets ready to say it, then she backs away. I'm tempted to ask her what it is but I don't want to upset her. Do you have any idea what's going on?"

I threw my hands up and shook my head as if exasperated myself.

"You two still haven't talked about why she was camping with Jane in the first place, have you?"

"No, I'll find out tonight. I'm pretty sure I already know the reasons."

He raised his eyes brows momentarily expecting me to elaborate. When I didn't he continued. "Well, I promised to be at your place at nine. She wants me to review your retirement plans. "

"Don't worry, why don't you call her and reschedule. Tonight might not be the best time. Any progress with Leo?"

"No, Giselle either. I wish she showed as much initiative as my sister. My wife thinks taking large sums out of our bank account doesn't require a notification to her husband."

"What?"

"Hey, I don't want to go into it here. You're busy and I'll tell you later."

After he left Sydney and I continued working until noon, at which time I closed up the school and headed home. The walk did me good. It allowed me to make another decision. My quest for a Doctorate would be put on hold indefinitely. My family deserved all of my attention for the foreseeable future.

I took the long way home past our baseball field. On a hunch I wanted to see if I could find Leo. It paid off; I caught sight of him practicing with Drew and some of their teammates. I took a seat in the stands and waited.

They had evidently started much earlier in that morning. They timed their practice to avoid the heat of the afternoon sun so I did not have long to wait. I caught up with Leo as he and Drew were preparing to leave.

I asked my son to hurry home to his mother. There were some prescriptions she needed right away. When he left I started walking with Leo.

Leo is not only my nephew, but my godson. After his father, I'm his closest male relative in terms of temperament and affinity. We've always been able to talk easily and I counted on that same rapport working that afternoon.

We discussed the practice, his play, and then I maneuvered the conversation to his relationship with Eileen. It was obvious that he really cared for her; for he was anxious to tell me all the wonderful things she had done for him, and how much he admired her. Whether this was a case of puppy love or the beginning of a serious romance only time could tell.

Eileen had introduced him to art, to a world he had not taken seriously before. With her he had traveled to most of the museums in the area and many of the hidden treasure troves known by the most devout adherents. As he retraced their adventures I found myself wondering why his mother would have objected to Eileen's influence. Certainly the girl shared many of Giselle's same interests.