Authors' Notes: This story was written because I have a true love of Scarecrow and Mrs. King. I rediscovered it over a year ago and I have been enthralled with it ever since. I hope that you, the reader, will take the story as it was written, just for fun! This has been Beta read by two people. Any errors not caught, I take total responsibility for!
Thanks to my two Beta's Tracey and Karen, for putting up with my crazy writing style! They are very much appreciated.
Thanks to all you readers and to those of you that post reviews and feedback.
I really do appreciate comments and feedback.
Not too many chapters left!
Chapter 29
IFF
"Mr. King, how did your conversation with your employer go?" Billy asked once Joe returned to the conference room.
"It didn't go too well," Joe said.
"No? What happened?"
"They said that I was fired."
"Well, what did you tell them?"
"I said, well, that I was tied up."
"Tied up?"
"I said I was tied up all weekend and I couldn't make it to a phone."
Billy held back a laugh. "Well, I'm sure we can straighten things out." Billy stood up and poked his head out of the room and bellowed, "Where is Francine? Somebody get Desmond in here quick."
"Sir, I'm right here," Francine said as she raced around the corner. "What's the matter?"
"Get on the phone, call back Mr. King's employer and talk to whatever person it was—"
"Mr. Ralph," Joe supplied.
"Yeah, whoever told him he was fired when he said, that well, he was tied up all weekend."
"What?" Francine asked her eyes wide. "Oh! Yes, Sir."
Francine quickly redialed the number. "I'm on hold. What do you want me to say?"
"I don't know, something, anything—use your ingenuity," Billy said, his hands going up in the air. "Then if that doesn't work, tell them that you are with the IRS and that if they don't reinstate Mr. King, you will come down there and investigate their files and bookkeeping practices." Billy then turned and began talking to another person in the room.
"Hi, this is Ms. Desmond, from well, where isn't important," Francine said innocently as she sat on the desk, her legs crossed. "May I speak to Mr. Ralph?" There was a slight pause. "Hello, my name is Ms. Desmond and I understand that Mr. Joseph King was fired today after he called to explain about his little mishap this weekend…"
Billy stopped his conversation and turned to listen to Francine do her routine over the phone. Simply amazing! Billy turned to Joe and said, "Give her about five more minutes—they'll be begging to have you back with them."
"Yeah," Francine was saying, "that's the long and short of it," Francine said then giggled. "Sure, any time. Yes, here is Joseph, I mean, Mr. King now."
Joe took the phone from Francine. "Yes Mr. Ralph, Sir. Yes, I truly appreciate it. Yes, she really is something. Can you meet her some time?"
Francine was waving her hands back and forth.
"No, I don't think that will be possible. Okay, I'll be there first thing tomorrow morning."
"I would ask what exactly you said," Billy started, "but I'm sure I don't want to know."
"Only that the reason Joe was tied up," Francine looked at her fingernails, "was due to a force of nature that he had no control over but was of such a nature that he'd had the most fun, a man could ever imagine having. But Joe isn't privy to telling any of the details."
"Francine Desmond!" Billy bellowed.
"Well, you said to use my imagination."
"I said use your 'ingenuity', but good work!"
"Billy, you're welcome."
"Thanks for your help. I think," Joe mumbled.
Mr. Furrow's House
Amanda stood back and watched as Meg walked into the house. Meg's eyes lit up immediately as she looked around the room.
"You know, as I explained earlier, I was never in this house, but…but some of these pieces are the ones my dad when I lived with him and my mom," Meg said softly, so quietly, Amanda almost didn't catch what she was saying.
Amanda smiled to herself. She seemed like such a nice person. Amanda found herself liking her and empathizing with her, in spite of the circumstances involved around the agency and Joe.
"Do you have any idea where the missing pages might be?" Lee asked, his words directed towards Meg, but his eyes glued on Amanda.
"No, I don't know what to tell you." She touched her aching shoulder, rubbing it gently. "But you know I do have one idea-"
"What is that?" Amanda asked.
"My mother used to have a jewelry box. I haven't seen it in years. My mom used to keep important papers in there. I wonder if it is still around. The box was small, more of a square than a rectangle, brown with small jewels glued on the front of the box."
"If he did have it still, it may be in his bedroom, perhaps on a chest of drawers or dresser," Amanda thought out loud.
"Yeah, that's a good idea," Lee said. "This place has two stories, I'm sure there's a bedroom upstairs."
"Meg and I will go," Amanda said.
"Dr. Smythe and I will look around down here," Lee inserted.
"Okay," Amanda replied.
Dr. Smythe looked as though he may object, but refrained from opening his mouth as Amanda and Meg headed up the stairs.
After a few minutes looking around, Amanda and Meg came back downstairs, with frowns upon their faces.
"No luck! No jewelry box," Meg said sadly.
"Wait! There may be one other place, that your mother would've had it. Think about it a minute." Amanda said.
"Amanda, we've looked everywhere down here and we haven't seen a jewelry box or any papers that fit the description of what we're looking for," Lee said.
"Hmm! Are you sure?" Amanda questioned.
"We are sure, Mrs. King," Dr. Smythe replied.
"Did you check the bathroom?"
"No, why would we check the bathroom?" Lee asked.
"Watch it buster! You are beginning to sound like your old self." Amanda whispered to Lee for his ears only. In turn Lee genuinely smiled.
"Amanda is right. Some women keep their jewelry boxes in the bathroom and if I remember correctly, that is where my mother kept hers," answered Meg.
"Well…there are two bathrooms," Lee said.
"We'll go back upstairs," Amanda said as she and Meg walked back up.
Within a few minutes, they came back down with Meg carrying a small brown box with two drawers in her hands.
"If I remember correctly, there is a hidden panel underneath. My father showed it to me once, a long time ago, and way before I left..." Meg's voice trailed off.
They sat down at the dining room table. Everyone else watched as Meg opened the bottom and pulled out an envelope. She opened it then looked at the words.
"My Russian is limited, but there are clearly four words written here and they seem as though they could be the missing ingredients," Lee said.
"Well, let's get back to the office and show this to Francine," Dr. Smythe said. "We know that she is the language expert."
"Dr. Smythe, Lee? Ms. Furrows might want a few minutes," Amanda said, as she watched the look on Meg's face.
"Oh, sure!" Lee and Dr. Smythe said in unison.
"I'll wait outside as well," Amanda agreed.
"Thank you!"
Once everyone was outside, Meg walked back upstairs. She made a point of walking through every room, upstairs and downstairs, running her fingers along various items, from the television set upstairs, to the small sofa in the living room. "Vati, my Papa, I loved you. And I know you loved me. I miss you!"
When she was done, she held the jewelry box in her hands and headed towards the back door.
