Those 70ish Girls

The morning after I received the visit from the two FBI agents, I decided I needed to discuss all of this with Jack. After trying several times to reach him by phone, I finally drove to his house, hoping I could catch him in.

I was about to ring the doorbell when he pulled into the driveway. He jumped out of the car, but he was on his phone so he didn’t see me until he was almost to the door.

“I don’t know! I DON’T KNOW!” He yelled into the phone. I’ve looked everywhere and called everyone I can think of and it’s as though they’ve vanished into thin air. Yes…please send someone over. I’ll remain here. Tell them to hurry.”

“Jack…what’s wrong? What has happened?”

The girls have disappeared. I dropped them off at school yesterday morning, but they never got on the bus to come home. I’ve checked with their teachers to confirm they were in all of their classes, so something happened in the brief period of time between the end of the school day and getting on that bus. Mrs. Martin called me to tell me they didn’t come home.

“Oh Jack, what can I do?”

“Let’s go inside, Kat. The police are looking, too. They’re sending a detective over soon. You can wait with me. Where could they be, Kat? Where are my little girls?”

I had never seen Jack like this. Vanessa and Alice were is world and I could tell he felt helpless.

Soon, a car pulled into the drive and two men came to the door. “I’m so relieved they sent you two,” Jack said. “Kat, meet Blake Stedman and Tom Black. The three of us go back a long way.”

“But this can’t be,” I said. “Two FBI agents came to my house last night. They had badges and their names were Blake Stedman and Tom Black. They most definitely were not the two of you.”

“What?” Jack looked even more alarmed…and confused. “Kat, I’ve known these guys for years and why would the FBI come to see you, anyway?”

“We’ll deal with it later, Jack,” the new detective Stedman said. “What can you tell us about Vanessa and Alice’s disappearance?”

Jack relayed what he knew which was basically nothing.

“I’ve been up all night driving around looking, and making phone calls. They would never do something like this to me on a whim. Something has happened to them.”

A thought occurred to me. “Jack, when I got home, yesterday, Annette was there with a man named Carl Drake. She had a gun with her and she was acting very strangely. Those detectives told me she was no longer part of the team and Carl Drake was back in jail. Is it too far fetched to think they may have something to do with the girls’ disappearance?

“I wonder how dear old dad is doing without his little darlings,” Annette said. “I’m sure he’s half crazed by now.”

“Please Miss Morris,” Vanessa begged. “Let us call our daddy.”

“NO! My mother will be here soon with some clothes and other things you’ll be needing on your trip. She’s taking you to the mountains. You’ll love the cabin. It’s beautiful.”

“Come in,” I said to the two men at the door. “You’re FBI investigators?”

“Yes, Mam,” said the man who had introduced himself as Blake Stedman. “We’ll try not to keep you long, but we’re hoping we can clarify some things for you.”

“Please sit down, gentlemen. Can I get you some coffee or tea?”

“We’re fine, thank you.” Again it was Blake Stedman who spoke. I noticed the second guy took out a notepad and pen.

“What is this about?” I couldn’t wait to hear the answer to that one. What else could go wrong, today?

“We understand you have been working with the team originally put together by your late mother, Claire Spencer. We also know you have concerns about the trustworthiness of some of your teammates.

“I would really like to know what the FBI has to do with this, but I would like to say something first. May I speak frankly?”

“Of course. We are quite aware of the Truth or Consequences project and the good work it has done in the past. We are also aware of the present discord among some of the members. We have a vested interest in the project, but we are not the directors. Ms. Spencer, we know you have been treated unfairly.”

I didn’t know where to begin, but I took a deep breath and didn’t hold back.

“I had not seen or heard from my mother since the day I graduated from college. All these years later, I get word from her that she has deeded her property, this house, to me. She asked that she and Stella remain here until after Thanksgiving. When I arrived, I found my mother was quite ill. She had planned a big Thanksgiving party and wanted me to host it. She went to her home in Seattle so ‘the team’ wouldn’t know the extent of her illness. Sometime later, she asked Jack Stein to bring me to her. She died a few days later. By that time we were in the throws of a project assignment. I believed it had a successful outcome, but right after that, I noticed there were cracks in the dam. Here are my concerns. My mother questioned where Jack’s loyalties lie. I overheard disturbing conversations concerning Jack and Annette.

Tonight, I came home to Annette with a gun, accompanied by a man who had been posing as my housekeeper’s piano teacher. Apparently he has a vendetta against the group. I told them all I want out. There is nothing any of them or the FBI can do to change my mind.”

“I understand, Ms. Spencer. I would just ask that you hear me out before you make that decision.”

“I will, but only out of curiosity,” I said.

“None of members of project T or C will ever know who makes the assignments. Although the FBI plays a roll, we know nothing about where the assignments originate. We only know the directors operate with authority. Your mother was already doing good work with a good team when the assignments began coming to her. Each case has been a humanitarian success, however it has not gone unnoticed that Annette Morris has acted inappropriately, recently. She has become somewhat of a rogue operator. She tracked down Carl Drake and asked him to persue the job of giving your Stella piano lessons. He was really here to spy on you. His other crimes are very serious, but not violent. Mr. Drake is back in jail and Annette Morris is out of the group. A decision made by those who make the assignments and have the ultimate responsibility for the team. You can be assured Ms. Morris will not fight this and her position will be filled by someone who has been properly vetted.”

The two men got up to leave.

“One other thing you should know…Mr. Stein has agreed that you be the one to be approached with the assignments. Please consider all that I have told you. We’ll be in touch tomorrow to answer any questions you might have before you make a final decision. We’ll see ouselves out. Enjoy your evening. Ms. Spencer.

I made sure Stella was okay before I went upstairs and got ready for bed. I slept rather fitfully. One minute I was actually thinking about doing what my mother had hoped I would, and the next minute I came up with a thousand reasons not to.

In the morning I called Jack. I had to know if I could really trust him.

Annette was looking at me with hatred in her eyes. She was holding a gun although at the moment, she wasn’t pointing it towards anybody. I’d had enough!

“What are you doing, Annette? Put that gun down and please…untie Stella and remove the gag. I should have realized it wasn’t you playing the piano, Stella. Beethoven, you can stop now.”

Annette didn’t move so I went to Stella and untied her. She took the gag from her mouth but wisely remained silent. Beethoven finished playing Silent Night and didn’t begin a new song.

“Carl,” Annette said. “Meet Kat. She’s the daughter of the woman partially responsible for all the charges that were brought against you.”

Carl, who must have been posing as a piano teacher, got up from the piano bench, put his hands in his pocket and walked over to stand beside Annette.

“Give me the gun, Annette,” he said, as he took one hand from his pocket and extended it so Annette could hand him the gun. “You’re far too emotional to be brandishing a weapon.”

Annette looked at me… as she handed the gun to Carl.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said. “And further more, I am no longer involved with the people my mother associated with prior to her death.”

“I don’t believe you,” Annette said. “I happen to know you spent Christmas with Jack. I also know you rushed to see him right after you walked out on me at the restaurant.”

“You were playing games with me, Annette. I went to Jack for help to clear up my confusion, but I realized I couldn’t trust him any more than I can trust you. I told him I was done with all of you.”

“It won’t be that easy, Kat. Are you forgetting…we get assignments and we’re expected to follow through with them.”

“Well, Mission Impossible is going to have to replace me. I don’t care to take anymore assignments. I would appreciate it if you both left, now. It’s been a long day.”

I looked over at Stella who had been unusually quiet up until now. She immediately found her voice. “Does this mean I’ll have to find a new piano teacher?”

Carl and Annette agreed to leave. Annette was apparently satisfied that I wasn’t taking sides. I did have to wonder what charges had been brought against Carl and what exactly was going on between Jack and Annette.

Stella and I had a light dinner. I was trying to concentrate on a book when the doorbell rang. I told Stella I would see who it was.

I answered the door to two men. One of them showed me his badge. “My name is Blake Stedman,” he said. I’m with the FBI. This is my associate, Tom Black. May we come in?”

Annette had just told me that Jack was in big trouble and she was responsible. She wanted me to help clean up her mess…in other words, “fix it.” I asked her what she had done, and she sat there silently as if she was trying to determine if she was going to tell the truth or lie to me. I decided I would give her some of her own medicine. I got up, found the waiter, paid for lunch, and left.

I was only a couple of miles from home when I determined there was either a car following me or I was being paranoid? I decided to make an unexpected stop at a boutique on a crowded street and see what the car did. It continued on, which made me think I had been imagining things.

When I came out of the boutique, I saw two men standing across the street. They were both on cell phones and they were watching the area, intently. I got in my car and drove straight to Jack’s house. When I turned onto his street, the two men appeared to give up the chase.

Jack would be surprised to see me. I knew his address because I had found it in some of Mother’s paperwork. I only hoped that he was at home.

He answered the door and just as I predicted, he obviously was not expecting to see me on the other side.

“Hello, Kat…what a pleasant surprise. Please, come in.”

I walked in intending to ask him to clarify all the things that I was questioning. I was going to tell him of Mother’s doubts and about my conversation with Annette, but when I opened my mouth, that isn’t what came out.
“I won’t keep you long, Jack. I just came by to tell you I want nothing more to do with your Truth or Consequences project, or anyone that has any kind of relationship to it. I’m fifty-five years old. I worked hard for over thirty years and from now on my life is going to be all about me!”

I didn’t wait for him to respond. I opened the door to leave, but changed my mind when I saw the two guys who had been tailing me.

“Don’t be afraid, Kat. Those two aren’t the bad guys. You now have two bodyguards. At least for the time being.”

I could have cried. I was so confused and I didn’t like not knowing what was going on.

“I desperately need to know what this is all about, Jack,” I pleaded.

Before he had a chance to answer my question, the doorbell rang. It was the two men Jack had described as bodyguards. They saw me standing there and motioned to Jack to step outside. When he came back in, he was visibly upset.

“This is very important, Kat. When you met with Annette today, what did she tell you?”

It only took me a second to decide to tell him the truth. “She said you were in a lot of trouble. She also said it was her fault and she wanted me to help straighten everything out. I didn’t wait to hear anymore, Jack. I got up and left.”

Without commenting, he walked over and sat down on the sofa near the fireplace. His phone was in his pocket and he pulled it out to look at it. “No missed calls,” he said.

I was beginning to think he had forgotten I was there, when he finally looked up at me and gave me a tired smile.

“I’m sorry, Kat,” he said. “You’re going to have to stay here until we hear from Annette… one way or the other. The two men I hired to keep and eye on you, saw her leave the restaurant with a guy we were responsible for putting in jail several months ago. He’s still facing two more charges that could put him away for years. We have to do some investigating to see if Annette is working both sides of the fence or was she about to come clean to you which could have made certain people nervous.”

“I can’t help you with that Jack. I’m going home. And please tell your buddies their job is over.”

“You can’t do that, Kat. You could be in danger.”

“Any danger I might be facing is because of my association with you, and that ends now!”

By the time I arrived at home, I had calmed down. When I walked inside, Spirit came to greet me, I could see Trixie lying on the couch and hear Stella on the piano. All was well…

I went to my room to change my shoes. I would let Stella know I was home before I took Spirit for a walk on the beach.

I walked into the little piano room off the dining room and was greeted by Annette who was holding a gun. Stella was tied up and gagged. The funny looking piano teacher was playing the piano.

“It wasn’t very smart of you to fire your bodyguards,” Annette said.

Stella, Spirit, Trixie, and I enjoyed a peaceful and uneventful respite between Christmas and New Year’s. Even though the weather had turned colder, it was sunny and beautiful. Spirit and I went for long walks on the beach, while Trixie endured Stella’s practicing sessions on the piano. She had hired a rather strange looking teacher to come to the house two afternoons a week. She was improving, but I still occasionally caught myself wincing.

I was thinking of getting involved in some volunteer work when I was approached by one of the members of Project Truth or Consequences.

I got a call from Annette Morris. She wanted me to meet her for lunch the following day. I asked her if all of the others would be there and she said that she wanted to talk with me before she involved anyone else. I didn’t know the protocol the group followed but I agreed to meet with her. She was already seated when I got there.

“Thank you so much for agreeing to come.” Annette wasn’t smiling. “I’m famished. Let’s order lunch before we talk.”

“Of course,” I said. “You’re looking well. Annette. Did you enjoy the holidays?”

“I did. Thank you for asking. As a matter of fact, I was in a play at the Center for the Performing Arts here in Brewster. I’ve been involved in a couple of their previous productions, but this time I had a more significant part. I really enjoyed it.”

“Annette, can I ask you to tell me more about your art therapy? I’ve been wondering how you have used it in conjunction with the T or C assignments.”

“I would love to tell you more about the different ways that art can increase the ability to communicate. For instance, when we work with elderly abuse, sometimes a victim is suffering from dementia or has been so traumatized they can’t remember the details we need to help them. Music soothes and relaxes. With younger people or people not fluent in English, painting different scenes or drawing can trigger memories of what has happened. I think we all probably have the most difficulty learning who to trust. We struggle with that in our group and with our victims.”

“You sound very passionate about your work,” I said. “Annette, why did you leave so suddenly the night of my Thanksgiving party?”

“I owe you an apology,” she said. I was upset because I have had to prove myself over and over again and Jack was welcoming you without hesitation. You must have noticed how hard he was on me during the last assignment.”

“I did notice. However, I also noticed you came to some conclusions that were proven to be wrong. Marsha was innocent. She may have been foolish, but she meant no harm. I think Jack wants you to examine the situation more carefully before drawing conclusions.

Annette looked angry at first, but she knew I was right.

“Jack said you were an excellent communicator, Kat. I can see that he was right. Thank you for your honesty.”

“Of course,” I said. “Now…why did you really ask me to meet with you?”

Annette took a deep breath before she began to answer my question.

“Jack is in serious trouble. It’s all my doing and I need your help to undo the damage I’ve caused. Will you help me, Kat?”

I realized I would have to become acutely aware of what was happening around me. I recalled Mother’s concern about where Jack’s loyalties lye and the conversation between Jack and Doris that I had overheard causing me to question Jack.

“What have you done. Annette?” I asked.

Here’s to all the “older” girls with birthdays in December.

Kiss last year goodbye. We have a new age to remember.

So we’ve earned another wrinkle, or a new defining line.

I really can’t see yours and I KNOW you can’t see mine.

We hear ourselves say things that our mothers used to say.

We don’t have to listen, but we’ll say them anyway.

We look forward to our birthdays and a new year coming up.

(That’s a lot to celebrate so buck up buttercup.)

We’ll plan our annual check-up with our doctor and his staff.

They’re now as old as we are…if we cut our age in half.

When we face our bumps in life, you won’t see us surrender.

We can be as sweet as honey, or a formidable contender.

We love all of our friends and try to give them our attention.

When we’re feeling down, we give ourselves an intervention.

We smile until we’re laughing and our tears all go away.

We strive to be our best selves and we don’t forget to pray.

We’ve done a lot of living… made decisions right or wrong.

We still dance to our own tune and still sing to our own song.

Now we’re one year older than we have been in the past..

We’re the girls born in December and we were made to last.

“Spirit! Behave yourself! Jack, I apologize for my dog. I don’t know what got into him. Please come in.”

“Daddy, why doesn’t Spirit like you? Our dog likes you.” Jack’s twelve year old daughter, Alice, rushed to her father’s side while Vanessa, the fourteen year old, knelt to pet Spirit. He did not like it when Kat was upset with him.

“Not to worry, Kat. He’ll get used to me. Maybe someone in his life who looked like me abused him in some way. Where did you say you got him?”

“I found him at the SPCA. The original owner brought him in. She was getting a divorce and had to move from a house into an apartment that didn’t allow pets. It was a situation that couldn’t be avoided. Anyway, the owner provided all of his paperwork. That’s how I know that today is his birthday.”

“Dinner is served,” Stella announced.

When we all got to the dinning room, we were greeted by Mrs. Claus, herself.

The dining room had been transformed. Stella had outdone herself. She delighted in serving us prime rib with vegetables roasted to perfection, and buttery croissants. For dessert, we had cheesecake, gingerbread cookies, and homemade fudge, served with eggnog, and coffee.

After dinner, we gathered around the tree and Stella passed out gifts to everyone. She was certainly having a good time with her inheritance. Thankfully, I had purchased a gift for her. While we were looking for our gowns for the Thanksgiving dinner party, I had seen her admiring a pearl necklace in a jewelry store window. She was over the top excited when she opened it and immediately put it on.

We ended the evening singing Christmas carols while Stella accompanied us on the piano. She ocassionally hit a right note.

By the time our celebration was over, Spirit was laying at Jack’s feet. The girls were sitting on the floor. Vanessa on one side of Spirit and Alice on the other.

When Jack and the girls were leaving, they invited us to join them for a Cbristmas morning service at their church.

What a magical Christmas by the sea this was turning out to be.

The next day, a handsome stranger came into my life and immediately stole my heart. It was meant to be. Isn’t love at first sight always meant to be?

It was necessary to keep him on a short leash for a while, but he didn’t seem to mind. The only one who really minded was Trixie. I think she worried that she wouldn’t be able to get away from the wannabe pianist who, despite all the time she put in practicing the piano, didn’t seem to be improving much. She could make Jingle Bells sound unrecognizable.

I found my new love at the Brewster SPCA. He came with the perfect name. His name is Spirit. It matches his spirited personality and the spirit of the season. He was born on Christmas Eve two years ago.

“You have a birthday coming up in just a few days, Spirit. What should we do to celebrate?” We were walking along the beach. Spirit was learning how to fetch, but the breeze blowing in from the Cape was making it difficult for him to catch the ball.

“Let’s go home,” I said. “I’m sure Mother must have stored some Christmas decorations around there somewhere. We can make the house look more festive for your birthday. We’ll get Stella to stop practicing her piano for a while and play some Christmas music. We’ll light a fire in the fireplace and Stella and I can drink hot chocolate while we decorate.

Stella was excited that we were going to put up a tree along with everything else.

“I know where Miss Claire stored all the decorations” she said.

We carried box after box down from the attic, and then went to buy our tree.

The old man selling the fresh cut trees helped us pick out the perfect one and his young helper put it in the back of Mother’s old truck.

We decorated the whole house and found a beautiful Nativity Scene for the front yard.

I was putting the finishing touches on the tree and Stella was in the Kitchen preparing a Christmas Eve feast when the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it!” Stella yelled from the kitchen, but I was already there. When I opened the door, I was surprised though maybe not pleasantly so.

“Hello, Kat,” Jack said. “I hope we’re not late.”

“Late for what?” I must have looked confused because I was.

Stella came running from the kitchen. “I invited Jack and the girls for dinner. We’re so happy you could make it aren’t we Kat?”

“Of course,” I said. “The more the merrier, right?”

Spirit ran up to the girls. He was excitedly wagging his tail. And then he turned to Jack and we could barely hear his low growl.

“Jack, girls, meet Spirit.”

I was happy to get back to Brewster. All I wanted to do is read books and take long walks on the beach. The weather is surprisingly mild for December.

The first morning back, I woke up to the smell of coffee and bacon. Trixie was sitting by my bed. She was ready for me to get up and come with her down stairs. I grabbed some comfy clothes and headed for the kitchen. I was famished!

“Good morning, Stella. Breakfast smells delicious. It’s so good to be home. I never want to leave again.”

Stella gave me a knowing look, and then brought me a plate piled high with eggs, bacon, her homemade croissants, and crispy potatoes. When she brought my coffee I invited her to pour herself a cup and join me.

“I need to talk to you about a couple of things,” Stella. First of all, I’m very grateful that you’ve agreed to stay on. I know Mother’s death was devastating for you.”

“Miss Kat, I moped around here for days until I decided that Miss Claire wouldn’t like that, so I’m doing something I’ve always wanted to do.”

“It’s wonderful to see you so excited and cheerful. What is it you are wanting to do?”

Stella leaned towards me as if what she was about to say was quite profound.

“I’m taking piano lessons,”she said. “I’ve already had two. And guess what? My new piano is being delivered today. I bought it with some of the money your mother left me.”

“The next morning, I was awakened by Trixie. She was whining. This time, she was sitting on my bed, pawing at my feet. Stella was practicing on her piano. Something tells me that I will be taking more walks along the beach than I had anticipated. I think I’ll get another dog, too.

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

**I’m going to post more short stories about Kat, and also make some Christmas comments. How do you like my new Christmas boots?