57 Mabel Finds Her Family
Mabel woke up in a strange bed in a strange house. It was light out. The police kept her late asking questions. She still found it amazing she was alive and had survived that bloody chaos last night. How did she get here? Joy brought her. It's her house. Tommy was already here but asleep. My God. Does he know? Oh the poor boy. He lost his parents, murdered. Then Mason and Daisy, his foster parents, were killed in another…same sort of attack. They were trying to kill the Hesburghs and probably poor Tommy too. Were they safe here? She sat up and looked out the window. She put on her clothes from last night and went out into the hallway. She heard voices. It was Tommy. Poor, poor boy. He was talking to himself, or his imaginary friends. She moved to where she could listen unseen. He stopped talking.
Tommy called out, "Good morning, Mabel."
She left the hallway and entered the kitchen. "How did you know I was there?" He was sitting by himself eating cold box cereal .
"Daisy told me."
"Daisy? Oh, Honey, I'm so sorry."
"She'll be OK. She says…" He stopped. He looked back and forth. Tommy had done this behavior before. He was so immersed into this delusion about his imaginary friends that he would go to great lengths to pretend that they were talking to him - even talking among themselves. And he was doing that now. And he would never cut it short. His was the most extreme case, well, she didn't have much experience, but it seemed extreme to her.
"What's the problem?" This was not the time to force him to confront reality. "Who's here with us now?"
He pulled his attention back to her. "Well, Ray's here. Benny's with Aunt George. Lin is right there. And now Daisy and Mason are here too." He put a spoonful of cereal into his mouth. Cheerios.
She hadn't had those since she was a kid. She shook the box, plenty left, almost full. She was starving. She was really sad that Daisy and Mason had died. She cried all last night through question after question from the police. That Roxy detective took her under wing early on and helped her along with another police officer. One or the other kept her answering questions for hours. They wrote out her statement for her and she signed it and then they arranged for Joy to bring her here. But whatever, she had to eat. She went to a cupboard at random and opened the door.
"Mabel."
She turned. Tommy said, "It's that one. And the spoons are in that drawer over there."
The kid sure learned fast. "How'd you learn all this so quick?" She found everything and then milk in the frig and sat down to eat with him.
In between spoonfuls he explained, "Well Aunt George came in this morning. And Joy was up early too. They let you sleep and went together to the Waffle Haus and then to the hospital."
That was surprising. She didn't understand the why and wherefores but she knew that Joy did not care for George. No one offered to explain. But that they got into a car together was surprising. "They rode together?"
"Yep. I know. Big change."
"Why do you think that is?"
And there we go. He acted like someone was talking to him. He said, "I don't know." And stuffed his mouth full of more cereal.
Oh well. It was worth a try. "And they left you alone here. After what happened last night."
The little guy looked at her. "Mabel, I'm not alone. I keep telling you that."
"OK. OK. We're not alone." She munched on cereal. Then. "Did George or Joy explain to you about Daisy…and Mason?"
"Yeah, they're doing a resurrection…" He stopped abruptly.
"Go ahead. Did your friends tell you to stop?"
"Yep."
"Which friend?"
He didn't like to lie to her and if he ran into a conflict with his imaginary friends and telling her something he would just stop talking. Better she found to approach whatever the topic was from another direction. "So we have quite a crowd with us today in the kitchen. Let's see. You said Ray and Lin, but not Benny, and then Daisy and Mason. Right?" She wanted to cry at the thought Daisy and Mason.
"Yep."
She was pulled back to the horror last night and forgot her train of thought with his friends. She really did come close to dying last night. She got up and looked out the window. "I hope the police catch those men."
"Won't matter now. They're dead. All four."
She turned from window. "They're dead?"
"Yep."
"How do you know that? And I only saw three."
"Aunt George told me. Ray and Benny were there. Daisy's sure happy. Mason too. Even Joy was happy."
She was speechless. She looked at the boy. He must have felt her stare because he looked up still chewing and met her eyes. Then he started looking back and forth around the kitchen. One of the two of them really did not have a grip on reality. She used to be sure it wasn't her.
"How…how would Aunt George know that?"
"She was there too."
"Where? She was where? She wasn't in our house last night. I mean when the shooting started."
Oh oh. He wouldn't look her way. He wasn't going to answer. She looked out the window. She hadn't called Uncle Duane. He knew nothing about any of this and he sure would want to. She got a crash course last night in his concerns about getting the boy away from Trip's loose protection. Tommy's two foster parents were dead now. Surely Trip would let the boy go to his grandfather. They all were almost killed last night. Not the first time for Tommy and where were they the morning after? Sitting alone in a house. Those men, well assuming they were alive, could walk in and kill the two of them and there was no one to stop them. She heard the door open. Oh my God. She froze.
Tommy seemed to notice her fright. "It's OK Mabel. Joy and George brought Reggie home from the hospital."
How did he know that? She waited. She heard Joy call out, "Tommy, we're back."
Tommy jumped up and ran into the front room. She followed. George really did look like she had been awake all night. She forced a weak smile and headed upstairs…to her room no doubt. Reggie smiled broadly at Tommy and gave him a big hug. Joy looked on.
Joy said, "Glad to see you're up, Mabel. You feeling better?"
"I'm fine. I didn't get shot. And I sure didn't get killed." She waited. Reggie and Tommy went into the kitchen. To Joy she whispered, "He thinks Daisy and Mason are here with him."
Joy froze. There was a long pause. "I heard you were traumatized badly last night."
"What?"
She called out, "Reggie."
"Yeah, Mom."
"Could you come here?"
Reggie returned. "I'm starved. I could not eat that hospital food. What?"
"Mabel's trauma is showing up." Then Joy left for the kitchen. She stopped at the door. "How would you guys like some oatmeal, or maybe bacon and eggs?"
"Sounds great."
"Which one?"
"Both."
Mabel waited through this exchange. Joy came back to the door. "Mabel, you?"
"Mrs. Lass, the eggs and bacon sounds wonderful."
Reggie was looking at her. Mabel met her eyes and said, "Tommy thinks that Daisy and Mason are around as in not dead. I saw their bodies last night. They are dead and even if you don't tell him every little detail…"
"They're not dead."
"What?"
"They're fine."
Mabel felt the room move a bit. She looked for and found the couch and headed for it. "They're fine?" Reggie came over and sat next to her. "OK, Reggie, where are they then? I'm so sorry about your loss. Maybe you're not feeling well."
"Thanks, I'm fine. And hmm. I wouldn't worry about Mason and Daisy. I know it looked bad last night but in truth they were not killed and weren't even wounded."
Mabel knew she was lying - she had to be. Mabel saw them shot, both of them, and fall, and nobody could have survived the hits they took, and by God if they did she would have heard about it from that Roxy detective. "OK. Then where are they? Maybe in the hospital?"
"No, they're here."
She studied Reggie's face. She was lying - she was sure. "OK then. Could I see them?"
"Yes, I'm sure they'll be back soon."
"This is insane. I saw them shot and die last night. And I think we're all sitting ducks here in this house. What's to stop those men from finding us and finishing the job?"
"Mabel. It's OK. Those men won't be bothering us."
"Because they're dead?"
"Yes. They're dead."
She was as loony as Tommy talking to his imaginary friends. "Who told you that? Ray? George?"
She hesitated. "Really, Mabel. You're safe here. Just relax."
"I think my Uncle Duane is right. Tommy needs to go back to him where he will be safe. My Uncle…"
"Oh Mabel, don't talk like that. Please… OK. OK. How about I show them to you?"
"Show whom?"
"Daisy and Mason, of course."
The woman was crazy. "Sure, Reggie, show them to me." She stood up and extended her arms palm out and did a slow turn around. "Where are they?" She welcomed this new revelation. Give it to me.
Joy came back into the room with Tommy right behind. She said, "What's wrong?"
Reggie said, "Mabel's upset. She thinks those men are coming back."
Joy said, "Mabel, it's OK. They're dead. Dead and gone."
Tommy said, "She gets upset when you tell her good news."
Reggie broke in. "Just wait here. I'll go get them." Reggie walked upstairs.
This would be good. They're all fruitcakes. "Sure. Go get them. And if you can't then I will call my…"
Tommy cut her off. "Daisy, don't let them take me."
Joy walked over. "Mabel. Seriously, stop talking about calling your uncle right now. Don't do it and don't talk about it. Don't even think it."
"And why would that be?"
Joy said, "Because young lady you will call down a world of hurt on your head ."
"Is that a threat?"
"Think of it as a truck heading directly for you. And think of me as a friend who's pulling you out of the way of said truck."
She puzzled on this and then from behind she heard Daisy, "Mabel, what's this? You think we're dead. Honey, they missed us."
Mason said, also from behind, "Bloody right they did. It was close, but they missed us. You, young lady, fainted away. You must have imagined that whole dead thing. And by the way do not eat all the Cheerios. I'll be wanting those…soon."
Adrenaline shot through her flashing a 'run now' signal that got converted by some quirk in her synapses into paralysis. She stood still. She ever so slowly turned around. She wasn't sure what would be worse - that they were there or not there. She looked. They were there.
.
.
Mabel woke up in the same not so strange bed in the same not so strange house. It was still light outside her window. She got up. The blankets were off and she was fully dressed. She found her purse and reached for her phone. Enough was enough. Her phone was gone. What the? She got up and went out into the living room. That girl, George more often than Millie these days, was there watching the TV with Tommy on the couch. And Reggie was in a chair.
Tommy said, "Hi Mabel. When we going to study again?"
"Soon, Tommy, soon."
She found a chair and sat down. She was even more hungry now. Starving. But… "My phone is missing."
George did not take her eyes from the TV. It looked like a Star Wars movie. She handed her phone to her. "I borrowed it." As if that explained taking her phone. George reached over for the remote and paused the movie.
Tommy said, "Hey…"
George said, "Please do not call your uncle again. Let things settle down." She raised the remote, but didn't press play.
"I thought I saw Daisy and Mason."
She lowered it again. "You did." George looked her directly into her eyes and held her there. She couldn't turn away. Her mind was playing tricks on her. Her eyes looked brown. Weren't they supposed to be blue? Her intense gaze made Mabel uneasy.
"Why can't I call Uncle Duane? Don't you think he would like to know Tommy's OK?"
"Trip will inform him of anything he needs to know when he needs to know it."
"Really? And who are you to decide that?"
She smiled. "I'm Tommy's aunt."
Mabel stood up. This was crazy. These people were crazy. Ever since she'd come to live among them it's been one nutty thing with errands and comings and goings…. "Look…Aunt George…I saw them killed…"
"Sit down, Mabel, and don't get excited."
She decided to sit down. This Aunt George wasn't all that big but when she looked into her eyes she did start to resemble a truck, a big one…heading her way. Mabel said, "They are dead, I'm sorry but that's the truth of it."
"You just saw them and heard them."
"That was some sort of trick."
George smiled. "Daisy, Mason, could you come in here?" She pointed towards the foyer. Mason first and then Daisy appeared from maybe the kitchen. Aunt George said, "Tommy go give Daisy a hug. And Mason too."
Tommy jumped down from the couch and ran full tilt into Mason, who picked him up and handed him over to Daisy. She held him in her arms and Mason broke into a big smile. Daisy smiled too and said, "I know you're concerned for Tommy. I appreciate that, I really do. I saw you looking for him after the shooting stopped. And I like your teaching. He's been learning a lot." Daisy stopped smiling. "But, Mabel, he will be staying with us…forever. We're his family now. You're welcome to stay and continue teaching, but I want you to understand that the spying on us has to stop."
Mabel started to protest, but Daisy cut her off. "We know all about it." Daisy carrying Tommy moved closer. Mabel's eyes were playing tricks because Daisy's feet didn't move. She continued, "You have a choice to make."
Just as Daisy's words were sinking in Mabel looked behind Mason where some movement caught her eye. From the very bedroom Mabel had been sleeping in a little Asian girl moved into her view. The little girl stopped and stood there watching her. Then, from behind her a very large man…the man she saw once before came into view. He stopped too. She stood up and…
.
.
Mabel woke up in the same bed in the same house. It was still light out but for sure afternoon. She got up. The blankets were off and she was fully dressed. She had to get to her clothes from the other house. That detective Roxy hadn't said anything about when she could go back. Maybe with a bodyguard she could go back and get her stuff. She put her hand to her head. She needed to talk to Uncle Duane. She needed to take Tommy somewhere with some protection. That house… She found her purse and reached in for her phone. Her phone was gone. What the… She got up and went out into the living room. That girl, George, was there watching the same movie on TV with Tommy on the couch. And Reggie was in the same chair.
Tommy looked up and said, "Hi, Mabel."
Joy was now in the chair Mabel had been sitting in. Joy caught sight of her and stood up. "Don't say anything. Let's get some food inside you, young lady." She followed Joy into the kitchen. Joy said, "Sit down. I've got something for you. You really need to eat. It's not healthy to keep fainting like that." She put several cookies on a plate in front of her. "Let's start with eggs and bacon."
She watched Joy bustle from one thing to another and she bit into a cookie. They were homemade oatmeal and pretty good. Extra cinnamon she guessed. Mabel said, "That girl, Aunt George, keeps taking my phone. I think she took it again." Reggie walked in and sat down. She picked up a cookie. Mabel expected her to say something but she kept quiet and watched her mother. "I thought I saw…but I'm not sure anymore."
George came in and took a seat and a cookie. They were eating all her cookies. Her head was spinning. What was real? What wasn't? George said, "Do you understand the choice…?"
Joy said, "Can we let that go for now? She needs to eat something. Then let her choose whatever."
She really did need to eat. She put her hands to her face elbows on the table - something her own mom would not tolerate. Tommy came in and sidled up to her. He tried to put his arms around her. "It's OK, Mabel. You'll be OK." And he patted her shoulder.
Aunt George said, "Reggie, I need to drop by the Waffle Haus and then we can swing by the hospital." She got up and headed out.
Reggie said, "Sounds good." She got up to follow her out. Before Reggie left she put her hand on Mabel's shoulder and said, "Everything will be just fine. We'll take care of you."
They acted like she was the one with loose screws in her head. She looked up as Joy put a plate of warmed up scrambled eggs and two pieces of bacon in front of her. At least this time she didn't faint.
.
.
After she had eaten the world looked better. Tommy wanted to watch another movie. He knew her sensitivities about horror movies and picked another Star Wars, whatever, at least it did not have ghosts, zombies, or God forbid, vampires in dark houses lurking about. Tommy started talking to his imaginary friends and sometimes paused it to discuss some plot point. Hell, she felt like joining in. Maybe with a little more time she would be able to hear them too. It was funny how Mason, or was it Lin, or Ray, explained parts of the movie…from what Tommy was saying. She tried hard but she couldn't hear Mason or any of them. She didn't think Joy could either. At least she didn't pretend she could, but it didn't seem to bother her. Go with the flow.
They were in the middle of the movie and the door bell rang. She froze. Oh my God. Joy got up to answer the door. "I'll get it." She paused the movie and headed toward the door.
Mabel said, "No. Let it ring."
"It's OK, Mabel, really. It's OK."
Tommy suddenly jumped up and ran into a bedroom. Mabel did not like that at all. She got up and scrunched down behind her chair. Joy opened the door. It was Uncle Duane. She stood up. Thank God. He was an anchor to that sane world she used to be part of.
"Uncle Duane. How did you find me?"
He pushed his way past Joy. Joy said, "I did not give you permission to enter."
"I didn't ask you. Where is my grandson?" He stood in the middle of the foyer. "Ma'am, just give the boy up to me and I'll be on my way." Three men, obviously armed, walked in behind him. Mabel could see at least two more outside. "Mabel, where is the boy? Is he here with you?"
What was that Daisy had said? Something about having to make a choice. It was obvious. Tommy should be with his grandfather. Wasn't it the obvious way to go here. "Didn't Trip talk to you?"
"Trip? Getting familiar, I see. He did. I did not like what he had to say. Why did I have to find out from him that my grandson was almost killed last night in another assault? Where were you? Why didn't you call me immediately?"
"I was in the middle of it, and almost got killed. I was lucky…"
He brushed any explanation off. "Where is Tommy?"
She didn't mean to lie. Some part of her took over and out it came. "He's with Trip, now."
Her uncle was making no effort to hide his skepticism. He walked closer. Joy kept silent watching. She was confident…of something. He said, "With Trip? Not here? That's odd."
"Yes, Trip has him."
"Why aren't you, his teacher, with him?"
Now her little lie, her choice, became her very own. She treasured it. And she let it grow as she walked farther down the path she had chosen. "Well, Uncle, the whole thing last night…people shot, the hospital…we can't stay at the house right now. I'm staying here for the time being, and Tommy is temporarily with Trip and Charlotte."
"Is he now?" He looked around appraising the situation.
She expected Joy to explode, but oddly she just smiled. She stepped away from the door, turned to him, and said, "Would you like something to drink, tea or coffee?" She said it with such a charming voice, but Mabel could detect a hidden - hidden from her uncle - twist of gloating like she knew something, like maybe she was a move ahead of her uncle.
It wasn't hidden well enough because he picked up something too. But he couldn't know the what or why of it. She saw his eyes stop on the TV screen. That movie was still paused. He smiled. He moved into the living room and sat down on the couch in front of the screen. Ahh, a Star Wars movie. "I would love some tea. If you don't mind." He nodded to his senior man, and sat back.
Two men started moving through the house. One downstairs and the other upstairs. The senior one called to one of the outside men to come in and had him join the search upstairs. Joy took all of this with total calm. Mabel sat down in a chair and waited. This could get ugly when they found Tommy. Really ugly.
Joy brought out tea cups and placed them on the coffee table. She smiled while she poured the tea. She looked over at the nameless man standing a few feet away. "Would you care to join us?"
The man shook his head.
Uncle Duane looked her over sizing her up. "So what happened, Mabel? Last night? That must have been a terrible experience to suffer through."
He was sure he'd won. Trip was nowhere in sight and even if he showed up now her uncle had made sure to come with several of his own men. He probably heard that Trip's bodyguards were in the hospital. And that Charlotte lost her baby. So Trip would be distracted. Why did he seem so confident Trip did not have Tommy? "It was terrible, Uncle. Three men came through the front door and started shooting. A few bullets came whizzing by my face and…well…I fainted. And I don't know what happened after that. I spent most of the night at the police station and then Mrs. Lass was kind enough to let me stay here to recover."
He studied her as she spoke eyes drilling into her. "Really? And Tommy? Was he at the police station with you?"
"No. They questioned us separately."
The men came down the stairs and one of them walked up to their boss and reported, "Upstairs clear."
The man downstairs entered to stand near his two companions. "All clear downstairs."
Uncle Duane sat up. "Check outside and the look for a basement."
The three scattered. One to go out to the backyard and two made to look for a basement door.
Joy perked up and said, "The yard sorta speaks for itself. The basement is accessed under those stairs, and there's a really great hiding place just under the porch. You can see inside and access it from the right side facing the house."
Uncle Duane seemed to suspect some trick. His brow furrowed up as he studied Joy and her ever so slight smirk. He obviously knew, somehow, that Tommy was or had been here and he came fully expecting to find him.
Soon enough the three returned empty handed. Uncle Duane reached over and picked up the lukewarm tea and sipped it. "This is really fine, Mrs. Lass."
"Thankyou."
He motioned to his man and within seconds all but the senior of the bodyguards were outside. The senior man took a seat. Uncle Duane put the tea cup down and sat back. "Mrs. Lass…"
Joy smiled broadly. "Yes, Mr. Ferguson."
He smiled back. "I apologize for barging in like this. But please see this from my point of view." He waited for some response. Got none and continued, "My son and his wife were murdered. My grandson…and your daughter, escape by some miracle from that team of professional killers hired by God knows whom. They then almost killed Mr. Hesburgh and his wife and in fact did kill his remaining sister…" He looked over at her. "What was her name? Meigan, I believe. And my grandson was left unprotected in that other house…I warned Mr. Hesburgh." He looked over at her. "Trip. I told Trip that it was foolish to leave the boy unprotected. And what happened? What happened? Last night they tried again. I understand that your future son-in-law was almost killed. By some miracle he's going to survive."
"Mr. Ferguson. I understand completely. I forgive your intrusion. Really I do. I am very sympathetic to your plight."
"I should think so. After all you know how traumatic it is to lose a child." He stopped to look around. His eyes settled on a portrait of Reggie. "Your surviving daughter is very pretty." He looked around again. Didn't find whatever he was looking for. "What was it? Eleven years ago and you lost your eldest daughter. I don't see her picture. Her name? Georgia wasn't it? So tragic…and she was only 18 years old."
Mabel could feel the room swirling. She stood up…
.
.
Mabel woke up in the same bed in the same house. It was dark in here and out the window. Thank God that day had finally come to an end. She didn't move. Was she insane? Well, don't they say if you can really ask the question? She looked from side to side, found a lamp and switched it on. She got up. The blankets were off and she was fully dressed. She put her hand to her head. She tried to remember. She didn't want to remember. She had to though. Her mind had processed information, reconciled impossible facts, and settled into peaceful acceptance. Of? Her purse was there. She got up and edged toward the bedroom door, opened it and peeked out. Uncle Duane and his men were gone. If she had a genie and three wishes, the first one would be never to meet him again. The living room was dimly lit. The TV's light was flickering on faces and furniture. She stepped out. There was a movie playing. She could smell buttered popcorn.
Tommy said, "Oh, oh. Turn it off. Hi, Mabel." He put down his bowl, and got up to give her a hug.
"Hi, Tommy. I am so glad to see you here. Where did you hide?" She didn't wait for the answer. "I'm sorry. Don't stop the movie for my sake."
Tommy said, "It's OK. It's got ghosts and I know you're still afraid of ghosts."
His wording had a new significance for her. The change in perspective was subtle. She understood he really meant and was concerned that she was afraid of ghosts, not afraid of the thought of ghosts or pretend ghosts, but ghosts. They're real to him…maybe they are real period.
Joy reached over and turned a lamp up and its light didn't remove shadows but showed faces…all turned her way…waiting…for what? Reggie was there. Joy said, "We had dinner, but we saved you some. Beef stew. I'll warm some up in a bowl."
Reggie got up and said, "I'll take care of it Mom, you stay here."
Joy said, "Let me get her something to drink to go with that. Georgia, you want anything?"
"Coffee?"
"Can you sleep with coffee?"
"Umm. It's OK cause I've got…an errand to run later tonight. Two actually."
Mabel sat down in an unoccupied chair. That girl, Georgia, who looked no more than 18 years old, was watching her, a little too closely, and she carried just a hint of a smile.
Georgia said, "So, Mabel, I hear your dear Uncle Duane paid a visit on you today."
Tommy broke in. "Aunt George, he came to take me away. It was scary. He brought a whole army of big guys."
Some part of her urged her to not ask, but another part pushed the question out. "You saw them, Tommy?"
"We all did."
"All of your friends?"
George didn't move her eyes from Mabel. And Mabel, even as she bantered so dangerously close to some edge she couldn't see, couldn't take her eyes off of Aunt George.
Tommy sat down on the floor and leaned back against the couch. "Yeah it was funny. They couldn't find me. Lin was running in front of them and Ray…" He stopped and looked off into empty air.
Aunt George said, "It's OK, Ray."
Tommy continued, "Ray went out and listened to their guys in their SUV. And Mason wants to remind you, Mabel, not to eat all the Cheerios. He's hungry."
George said, "Mason, you just think you're hungry. And you've still got two days to go." She paused. "Yeah, I'll get you some pop tarts. Strawberry? Or how about blueberry for a change?"
She heard the microwave ding. Joy brought out some coffee for George. Reggie handed her a bowl of stew and fork and put a glass of water on the coffee table in front of her. She settled back. A weight was lifted. She asked, "What's the movie?" They all seem to hesitate as if at a boundary and they weren't sure if they would cross, or maybe whether she would cross. "It's OK. I can handle ghosts, especially pretend ghosts in a movie."
Tommy said, "It's one of my favorites, The Sixth Sense."
She settled back. She'd seen it before with her old roommate. It had a new meaning for her. Everyone settled back into their seats on the couch or their chairs. She could see Aunt George still watching her. Joy lowered the lamp light again. The screen flickered back to life and shadows jumped behind the lights on the faces surrounding the screen. She looked around. Odd how she didn't feel any kinship with Uncle Duane. He didn't care about her at all. She could see Mason, Tommy now on his lap. Daisy was down there next to Mason. She looked up behind George, who was still watching her, and she could see Ray. There was an odd interplay between this dim directed light and the surface of a ghost. He smiled at her. And down on the floor on Mason's other side was Lin. She was entirely focused on the screen leaning into Mason. Where was Benny? That was the least of her unanswered questions. The important thing - she had the right questions.