Sugar and Spice Ch. 01

"All that money did not shock you?" said Wendy Esterson skeptically.

"No. It was a surprise, and a pleasant one." Teresa said. "It allowed me to fulfill a dream of mine, and fund University Hospital to research rare diseases."

"You gave them a nice endowment, then." said Robert Edwards.

"Indeed." Teresa said. "I gave them all of it." She was strangely inwardly pleased to hear the gasps at the table.

"You gave it away? All of it?" Colin Esterson gasped.

"I did set up trusts for Todd's boys, whom I adopted when we were married." Teresa replied. "But yes, I put most of it in charitable trusts for the Hospital."

"That was... truly generous." Jen Sakai said, her voice sounding stunned, and not pleasantly so.

"You gave it to a hospital?" Wendy Esterson said. "To rich doctors?"

"Just imagine what that money could've done to help the Environment, and combat Climate Change." said Colin Esterson. His mother Clarissa looked at him most disapprovingly.

Teresa said politely but firmly "You have your causes, and I have mine. I've watched too many young children die of cancer and other rare diseases that have no cure, and I had cancer myself. So I was happy to provide an endowment that will go to funding research for cures."

"That is a very noble cause." said Clarissa firmly, her eyes sweeping around the table to make sure no one dared to say anything to the contrary.

"You had cancer?" Beatrice said. "Our grandmother died of cancer."

"Yes, I heard." said Teresa. "I had ovarian cancer, but it was caught in the very early stages... when I was shot in the hip." (Author's note: 'Teresa's Christmas Ordeal', Ch. 02.)

"Leading to one of those six Purple Orders." Todd said. Beatrice and Eugenia's eyes had widened at that, and they wanted to hear more.

"Not at the dinner table, young ladies." chided Clarissa. "Yes, cancer has been the bane of many in this family. I'm glad you were able to overcome it, Teresa."

"I have one question for you." said Jen Sakai. "Is it true that your boss is the Iron Crowbar?"

Teresa smiled, what was a smile for her, and said "Yes it is." Beatrice and Eugenia' eyes widened again.

"And he's Todd's uncle as well, is he not?" asked Clara Edwards.

"Yes, he's my mother's brother." said Todd. "You guys really did check up on us."

Jen Sakai said "I happened to hear about it from news reports, and other places."

"Wow, the Iron Crowbar!" exclaimed Beatrice. "Is he really ten feet tall?" Todd burst out laughing at that, and Teresa looked up, a little bit stunned, remembering the words Amy had asked her when they first met at the Saskia Warehouse. (Author's note: 'Teresa's Christmas Story Redux'.)

Teresa said "You know, you are not the first person that has asked me that. And no, Commander Troy is not ten feet tall... but he may seem to be that way to the criminals that dare to oppose him."

"What's he like?" asked Eugenia. "Is he like The Batman?" Todd laughed heartily again.

Teresa said "Well, he did major in Chemistry like Bruce Wayne did in the comics. And he solves mysteries even better than Batman does. And he's probably just as scary to the bad guys. But to us, he's just a big ol' teddy bear."

Todd whimpered yet another laugh. "I'm sorry, everyone." he said. "If you knew Uncle Don, you'd know why I'm laughing."

"Perhaps we can all meet the Iron Crowbar one day." said Clarissa, glancing across the table at Teresa, who just slightly nodded back.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

There was a knock on my door, which opened to reveal Cindy Ross. Terry Halston of Intel came in after her.

"There's something I thought I should show you, sir, ma'am." said Halston. He expertly used the remote to bring up internal Police Channel 2 on the monitor. The DVR playback showed the national Fox Cable news.

"And that will do it for the Panel." said the host. "Finally tonight, from our Fox affiliate in Dallas." A video played, taken by someone at DFW Airport with their smartphone. A woman was singing, and we recognized her immediately as Teresa. The video showed the Flag-draped coffin being taken off the airplane by a military Honor Guard, then panned to show everyone standing respectfully. Then everyone could be heard singing the chorus as the hearse was loaded and then drove away.

The Fox host said "The woman that began the singing was identified as Commander Teresa Croyle of the Town & County Police Department. The deceased soldier was identified as Sergeant Benjamin E. Myers of the 75th Ranger Regiment, who was killed in Afghanistan as he covered his soldiers's retreat when they were ambushed. He was being returned to The City for burial. An Army spokesperson informed Fox News that Sergeant Myers will be posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his heroism..."

"Wow." I said when it was over. "Thanks for showing us that." We talked with Halston about it for a minute, then he was excused and left the office.

Cindy said "Did you find out any more about Teresa's family members?"

"Yes." I said. "And some 'strangenesses' may be coming out. I've sent a message to Takaki Nagamasa, asking about Jen Esterson Sakai's Japanese husband, Hideo Sakai. And Interpol has some very interesting things to say about Colin and Wendy Esterson. I sent Todd an email..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

After the sun set, the temperatures dropped considerably, so Clarissa had everyone go out to the large patio behind the house. Tiki torches were lighted around the enclosed, well-manicured back yard, which was also lit by spotlights from the corners of the house high above them. Electric bug zappers helped the torches repel bugs, and occasionally one heard the *ZZZT!* of a flying insect crisply meeting its destiny.

The butler Charles brought a box of fine cigars around. Robert Edwards took one, but Todd declined. "They're Dominican, some of the finest in the world that we can legally import into the United States." Robert said.

"Thanks, but I don't smoke." said Todd.

"I'll try one." said Teresa, who had no problem smoking a cigar to go along with her Scotch, neat. She took one from the box and sniffed it, per custom. "Mmm, nice. Jen, would you like one?"

"Don't mind if I do." said Jen Sakai. As Charles moved along, Jen quietly said "I like cigars, but Mother frowns on me having them. Thanks for giving me the cover."

"My pleasure. I thought you might like one." said Teresa. She puffed on her cigar, finding it to be mild and of excellent taste. "Mmm, these are good." she said.

She heard Todd's cellphone chime, and saw him look over at her as he read it. "Excuse me a second." she said to Jen, and went over to Todd, who'd walked into the yard to give himself some space as he read the email. "Everything okay?" she asked her husband.

"Yes." said Todd loudly, keeping his back to the others. Then he said quietly, barely moving his mouth, "Like I said before: don't tell Jen Sakai about our Japanese connections, nor that I speak Japanese fluently."

"Sure, but why?" Teresa asked.

"We'll talk later, but here's the email I got from Mariko-san." Todd said. He handed Teresa his cell, and she read the email, which said: "Beware Jen Sakai. Her former husband Sakai Hideo is a spy for the Red Chinese."

"O-kayyy." Teresa said quietly. "I'll confine our conversation to cigars, then." They returned to the group.

"Everything okay?" asked Clara Edwards as they came up to her and Robert.

"Fine." said Todd with his winning smile. "I was just checking in on the kids. They're staying with my uncle while we're here..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Young ladies," said Clarissa Belvedere Esterson as she came up to Beatrice and Eugenia talking with Teresa, "it's getting towards your bedtimes."

"Aw, Grandma Clarissa," said Beatrice, "tomorrow's not a school day; we're out for the July 4th holiday."

"Even so," said Clarissa, "it's been a long day, and young ladies need their rest. Off to bed with you." The girls sadly said goodnight to everyone, and went inside the house.

"I must apologize for the girls bothering you." said Clarissa to Teresa as she sat down on the wicker sofa next to Teresa. "Children should be seen and not heard."

"Please don't apologize." said Teresa. "They're a joy to talk with. And very smart, too, if I don't miss my guess."

"Yes, they are." said Clarissa. "Beatrice wants to go to Tulane, and she knows she has to get the grades to be admitted there, so she studies. Eugenia is naturally very smart, but her goal... and that may be too strong a term... is to go to LSU and find a good husband."

"Their parents's deaths must've been hard on them." Teresa said. "I'm glad they had you to take them in."

"Yes, and that is its own story." said Clarissa. "Their mother Tessa essentially eloped... like your mother did, but we'll talk about that tomorrow. Tessa and Clara did not get along well growing up. When Tessa and her husband were killed four years ago in that plane crash, Clara would not bring the girls into her home, even though she and Robert are childless. That's not a complaint, as I love the girls and they've become the center of my life. So... you adopted your husband's boys?"

"Yes." said Teresa. "Todd sowed a few wild oats in his younger days, but he took responsibility for his kids, and he's a good father. He was married before, but his wife died. And one of the kids is actually his brother's son, and after his brother died Todd took him in, too. Little Jack can be a brat, but he says he's going to be President of the United States one day. At least he has a goal."

"Heh heh. Ye-es." said Clarissa. "Well, my dear, they're waiting for me to go to bed, so they can leave and go up when they wish. Feel free to stay up as long as you like . But don't go outside the fenced-in yard areas, back or front. There are dangerous creatures out there... and not all of them are animals, but human. We have good security here, as I'm sure your experienced eye has noticed, but outside the grounds they can't help you."

"Yes ma'am." said Teresa, getting up as Clarissa did. She had indeed noticed the fences, the videocameras in various places, and realized the enclosed space in the unattached garage was very likely the security room that controlled it. She also noticed that Charles was armed and probably part of that security.

Everyone said goodnight to Clarissa, then Teresa said to Todd that as the guests, they should go inside, as well. They did so, and the others followed in short order.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Soooo... what do you think of your new family?" Todd asked Teresa as she again swept the room for bugs, finding none.

"They're... very interesting." Teresa said. "Don and your grandmother would have had a field day making observations and deductions about them."

"We don't need to be the Iron Crowbar to make a few deductions of our own." Todd said. "For example, you didn't tell them my name, but they knew it, or at least Robert Edwards did. So while your aunt denied having sent a car to pick us up at the airport, it doesn't mean one wasn't sent for us."

"I'd agree with that," Teresa said, "except that someone did respond to the placard. But you're right... they knew a lot about us. They even knew who my boss was, and that he's your uncle."

"Harumph." Todd snorted. "My mother says that the whole world knows who the Iron Crowbar is. If they were researching us in a way I think they're capable of, his name would come up quickly."

"True." said Teresa as she looked out the window over the backyard, then stepped out onto the balcony. The lights had been turned off, and Teresa could see droplets of light in the distance. The moonlight was strong, and she could make out the slight differences between the water and the land.

Coming back inside, she said quietly "I feel like I'm in one of those movies on the Hallmark Mysteries Channel. All the family tension, and then a dead body shows up."

"Well, I sure hope not." said Todd. "But if there was, whose dead body would it be? There's no love lost between Robert Edwards and the Estersons, Colin and Wendy. And I don't think it's just their political differences."

Teresa said "There's also a problem between the Edwards and the kids, Beatrice and Eugenia Windham. Particularly Robert. If I had a daughter and he looked at her the way he looks at them, I'd be borrowing Don's crowbar for a minute, and making good use of it."

Todd said "What about Jen Sakai?"

Teresa said "I noticed something very strange about her. When she introduced herself, she did so as Colin's sister, not as Clarissa's daughter. And Aunt Clarissa, ever the stickler for form and decorum, did not introduce Jen to us at all, though she introduced Colin and Wendy. And then there's that email that Mariko sent you. Did you hear back from Uncle Don yet?"

"I just did, and I'm reading it now." Todd said as he read the email on his smartphone. "He says he's checking into some things and hopes to hear something overnight, and that Nagamasa or Mariko might email me about Jen Sakai and her husband. He says to be guarded in conversations with Colin and Wendy Esterson, as well."

"Okay, then." Teresa replied. "Why don't you get ready for bed, while I finish this Scotch on the balcony."

"I'm surprised you're not looped, what with the Scotch and the cigar you had earlier." Todd teased with a bright smile.


"I can smoke and drink your sweet ass under the table, and you know it." Teresa said, giving it right back. She went onto the balcony, hearing the night sounds of the bayou, especially the frogs. She was a bit surprised how loud the sounds of the night were.

And then she heard a voice. It was from Jen Sakai's room, next to hers, to her right as she looked out the backyard. She turned and went in, putting one finger over her mouth in a 'hush' sign, and the other hand beckoning Todd to come over. When he did not move quickly, she waved him over more urgently.

"Listen." she said into his ear as she led him onto the balcony. Todd listened, and nodded in acknowledgement of what Teresa had wanted him to hear: Jen Sakai was talking to someone in Japanese!"

"Hai." Jen said, and I'll translate the rest to English: "Yes, the CEO of BOW Enterprises. He is here, at my mother's house! Yes, he would have immense knowledge of his company's technologies. Yes, he would know a lot about the Mutanix... or the company would give you that knowledge in exchange for him if he were a hostage!..."

When it was apparent Jen had disconnected her call, Todd and Teresa went into their room and closed the doors to the balcony. "Did you understand any of that?" Todd asked.

Teresa said "Mariko has taught me some basic phrases, but that was too fast for me. I did catch some words like your name, 'BOW Enterprises', and 'Mutanix'."

Todd told Teresa what he'd heard, and Teresa said "Should we go back home? You'll be much safer there."

Todd thought about it, then said "Let's stay. You're just getting to know your family."

"One of whom may be arranging your kidnapping." Teresa replied.

Todd grinned. "Now I know how Uncle Don feels about walking right into traps. If Jen is that bad, we need to bust her and her criminal confederates. I'll contact some people, get some support down here. One thing you can do is ask your Aunt Clarissa about what she does for security... for her, for this place, for the teenage girls."

"All right." said Teresa. "But don't let the dead body in our Mystery Channel movie be yours..."

To be continued.