Chapter 14 - (b)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gary's bronco pulled up in front of Mcginty's and
he cut off the engine. For a moment he sat looking
around. It had stopped raining for the time being.
By the dim glow of the street light, he glanced
at his watch to check the time. It was 10:00 pm.
Opening the paper he held it up to the light to
see clearly. The headline about Tom's murder was
no longer there and he heaved breath of relief.
Calling the cops seemed to have helped.
As he stepped out of the bronco he glanced around
the darken shadows of the building and surrounding
streets. It was hard to believe that a murder was to
have taken place here tonight. He felt a sudden chill
quickly tugged up his coat collar and walked hurriedly
into the bar.
Inside, the music was playing softly with only a
few people scattered about. A small group
sat at the bar while others watched the news
on the small TV over the counter.
Marissa was sitting at a table by the office door
writing something in a notebook and raised her
head as Gary walked up to her. She knew his smell.
"Gary...are you ok?" she asked, concerned.
"Yeah, I'm fine" Gary mumbled looking around for
Tom then spotting him talking with a customer.
Tom looked up and spotted him, then made his way
over.
"Mr. Hobson, can I get you something?" he asked
leaning on the counter.
"Yeah Tom. Aspirin... a..and a glass of water would
you please." Gary said plopping down into a chair.
"Tough day huh?" Marissa asked putting down her
pen, and paper work.
"If you only knew," Gary sighed, rubbing his face
in his hands. "It's been a long night."
"I can tell. You sound exhausted"
"Did you call the cops?" Gary whispered glancing
up from his hands. He wanted to be sure.
"Yeah, I did just like you asked." she said, "They poked
around outside for a while but...saw nothing."
"Good....good." he sighed rubbing his side.
"So... you were able to save the woman?"
"Yeah, if you want to call it that." he said, not wanting
to go into any details at the moment.
"Hungry?" Marissa asked, knowing that he probably
hadn't eaten since that morning.
Tom appeared with the bottle of aspirin, and a glass
of water and Gary downed them both in one motion before
he answered.
"No...not right now. I think I'll go shower, and lie down
for a minute." he said, clunking the glass down on the table.
"Ok...but you were going to tell me something."
Marissa said reminding him.
"Oh it..it was nothing." Gary said warily, trying to
dismiss it. There was no need to worry her, and
besides, the murder wasn't going to occur. Something
had changed it. Maybe it was the police's presence
around the bar that night. He didn't know for sure.
"I do want you and Tom to go home early tonight."
he suggested.
"What are you talking about Gary?"
"I ..I just feel we should shut down the bar
early tonight that's all."
"Something to do with the paper?" Marissa
asked, her eyes staring blankly past him.
Gary, glanced over at her and drew in a tired
breath,"Yeah," he admitted hesitantly.
"What? Tell me."
Gary thought for a moment, then he glanced around
the bar before leaning forward. "The bar was supposed
to have been burglarized tonight Marissa." he explained.
"According to the paper, a male employee was
supposed to be seriously hurt. I-I figure that was
Tom. But something happened...th...that changed it."
"Tom was supposed to have gotten hurt?" Marissa
sat up in her seat.
Gary drew in a breath thinking he should have
waited to tell her. "Yeah...but after you called the
cops, it changed. Must have frightened them
off." he said.
"This is scary Gary" Marissa said. She felt a sudden
chill and rubbed her hands up and down her arms.
"Yeah...but it's okay now." he assured her.
"You're sure?"
"Of course I'm sure, it's no longer in the paper"
"So what are we going to do?"
Gary looked over at his friend. He worried about her
safety too and didn't want her anywhere near the
bar tonight just in case the or whoever returned.
"We're not doing anything, it changed, and t-that's
it." he grumbled, "Toms okay that's all that matters."
They were both quiet for a moment. Remembering
that April had been there earlier he quickly changed
the subject.
"What did you tell April?"
"Oh, I told her that you were out on an errand, and that
you would call her when you got in." Marissa smiled.
"Well,...thats good." he nodded. "That's good."
"She left something for you though."
"She what?"
Marissa slid a small white envelope from beneath her
pile of notebooks and handed it to him.
"What's this?" he asked.
"It feels like an envelope to me Gary." she smiled
settling on her seat, anticipating what was inside.
Gary shot her a look before he opened the envelope.
He removed the small letter inside, and unfolded it slowly.
The handwriting was the neatest he had ever seen,
written in pink ink. He read the note to himself.
Gary,
I really enjoyed the company that we shared the
other night, and just wanted to thank you for the
kindness that you've shown me. You are a very
pecial man Gary Hobson, and if you weren't aware
if it, I just wanted to tell you. In person would have
been nice, but you weren't here. Some lucky lady
will win your heart some day, if you are willing....
Affectionately yours,
April
Folding the letter, Gary tucked it back inside of the
nvelope and slip it into his coat pocket.
Silence.
"Well?"
"Well, what?"
"What's it say?" Marissa grinned, crinkling her nose
at him teasingly. Resting her chin in the palm of her
hand she waited patiently for the juicly details.
Gary stared at her for a moment, before leaning forward
to whisper in her ear, "She wants to borrow the cat."
"Gary!" Marissa shrieked, surprised by his unexpected
answer and his breath tickling her ear.
"Right now, I have a phone call to make. A-And I want
you to get Tom to drive you home." he said rising
rather stiffly from his seat. "Close up early tonight."
he reminded her as he headed towards the office.
"Sure Gary." Marissa answered softly. She knew it
was useless trying to talk him into staying opened.
The danger was over according to the paper, but
if he wanted to close, then she would respect his
wishes.
"Ah, Gary." She called to him over her shoulder.
"Huh?" he turned around.
Looking preplexed she asked, "You didn't happen
to take Tom's key to the bar by accident when you
left this evening, did you?"
Gary paused, sliding his hands over his pockets.
"No....no I just have mine."
"Humm...it's probably nothing." she murmured
thoughtfully. " I'm sure it'll turn up."
"Yeah." he said, turning to leave.
"Oh--and Gary?" Marissa called again.
Slightly irritated, Gary paused to turn back
around. "What."
"Take care of that finger will you."
Surprised, Gary blinked, his gaze dropping to his
bandaged finger. How does she do that? he frowned
glancing back up at her.
Marissa smiled and opened her notebook. "I felt the
bandage when I handed you the ahh...letter."
"Oh." Scratching his head he shot her another bewildered
look before he exited the bar.
To be continued..........................
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gary's bronco pulled up in front of Mcginty's and
he cut off the engine. For a moment he sat looking
around. It had stopped raining for the time being.
By the dim glow of the street light, he glanced
at his watch to check the time. It was 10:00 pm.
Opening the paper he held it up to the light to
see clearly. The headline about Tom's murder was
no longer there and he heaved breath of relief.
Calling the cops seemed to have helped.
As he stepped out of the bronco he glanced around
the darken shadows of the building and surrounding
streets. It was hard to believe that a murder was to
have taken place here tonight. He felt a sudden chill
quickly tugged up his coat collar and walked hurriedly
into the bar.
Inside, the music was playing softly with only a
few people scattered about. A small group
sat at the bar while others watched the news
on the small TV over the counter.
Marissa was sitting at a table by the office door
writing something in a notebook and raised her
head as Gary walked up to her. She knew his smell.
"Gary...are you ok?" she asked, concerned.
"Yeah, I'm fine" Gary mumbled looking around for
Tom then spotting him talking with a customer.
Tom looked up and spotted him, then made his way
over.
"Mr. Hobson, can I get you something?" he asked
leaning on the counter.
"Yeah Tom. Aspirin... a..and a glass of water would
you please." Gary said plopping down into a chair.
"Tough day huh?" Marissa asked putting down her
pen, and paper work.
"If you only knew," Gary sighed, rubbing his face
in his hands. "It's been a long night."
"I can tell. You sound exhausted"
"Did you call the cops?" Gary whispered glancing
up from his hands. He wanted to be sure.
"Yeah, I did just like you asked." she said, "They poked
around outside for a while but...saw nothing."
"Good....good." he sighed rubbing his side.
"So... you were able to save the woman?"
"Yeah, if you want to call it that." he said, not wanting
to go into any details at the moment.
"Hungry?" Marissa asked, knowing that he probably
hadn't eaten since that morning.
Tom appeared with the bottle of aspirin, and a glass
of water and Gary downed them both in one motion before
he answered.
"No...not right now. I think I'll go shower, and lie down
for a minute." he said, clunking the glass down on the table.
"Ok...but you were going to tell me something."
Marissa said reminding him.
"Oh it..it was nothing." Gary said warily, trying to
dismiss it. There was no need to worry her, and
besides, the murder wasn't going to occur. Something
had changed it. Maybe it was the police's presence
around the bar that night. He didn't know for sure.
"I do want you and Tom to go home early tonight."
he suggested.
"What are you talking about Gary?"
"I ..I just feel we should shut down the bar
early tonight that's all."
"Something to do with the paper?" Marissa
asked, her eyes staring blankly past him.
Gary, glanced over at her and drew in a tired
breath,"Yeah," he admitted hesitantly.
"What? Tell me."
Gary thought for a moment, then he glanced around
the bar before leaning forward. "The bar was supposed
to have been burglarized tonight Marissa." he explained.
"According to the paper, a male employee was
supposed to be seriously hurt. I-I figure that was
Tom. But something happened...th...that changed it."
"Tom was supposed to have gotten hurt?" Marissa
sat up in her seat.
Gary drew in a breath thinking he should have
waited to tell her. "Yeah...but after you called the
cops, it changed. Must have frightened them
off." he said.
"This is scary Gary" Marissa said. She felt a sudden
chill and rubbed her hands up and down her arms.
"Yeah...but it's okay now." he assured her.
"You're sure?"
"Of course I'm sure, it's no longer in the paper"
"So what are we going to do?"
Gary looked over at his friend. He worried about her
safety too and didn't want her anywhere near the
bar tonight just in case the or whoever returned.
"We're not doing anything, it changed, and t-that's
it." he grumbled, "Toms okay that's all that matters."
They were both quiet for a moment. Remembering
that April had been there earlier he quickly changed
the subject.
"What did you tell April?"
"Oh, I told her that you were out on an errand, and that
you would call her when you got in." Marissa smiled.
"Well,...thats good." he nodded. "That's good."
"She left something for you though."
"She what?"
Marissa slid a small white envelope from beneath her
pile of notebooks and handed it to him.
"What's this?" he asked.
"It feels like an envelope to me Gary." she smiled
settling on her seat, anticipating what was inside.
Gary shot her a look before he opened the envelope.
He removed the small letter inside, and unfolded it slowly.
The handwriting was the neatest he had ever seen,
written in pink ink. He read the note to himself.
Gary,
I really enjoyed the company that we shared the
other night, and just wanted to thank you for the
kindness that you've shown me. You are a very
pecial man Gary Hobson, and if you weren't aware
if it, I just wanted to tell you. In person would have
been nice, but you weren't here. Some lucky lady
will win your heart some day, if you are willing....
Affectionately yours,
April
Folding the letter, Gary tucked it back inside of the
nvelope and slip it into his coat pocket.
Silence.
"Well?"
"Well, what?"
"What's it say?" Marissa grinned, crinkling her nose
at him teasingly. Resting her chin in the palm of her
hand she waited patiently for the juicly details.
Gary stared at her for a moment, before leaning forward
to whisper in her ear, "She wants to borrow the cat."
"Gary!" Marissa shrieked, surprised by his unexpected
answer and his breath tickling her ear.
"Right now, I have a phone call to make. A-And I want
you to get Tom to drive you home." he said rising
rather stiffly from his seat. "Close up early tonight."
he reminded her as he headed towards the office.
"Sure Gary." Marissa answered softly. She knew it
was useless trying to talk him into staying opened.
The danger was over according to the paper, but
if he wanted to close, then she would respect his
wishes.
"Ah, Gary." She called to him over her shoulder.
"Huh?" he turned around.
Looking preplexed she asked, "You didn't happen
to take Tom's key to the bar by accident when you
left this evening, did you?"
Gary paused, sliding his hands over his pockets.
"No....no I just have mine."
"Humm...it's probably nothing." she murmured
thoughtfully. " I'm sure it'll turn up."
"Yeah." he said, turning to leave.
"Oh--and Gary?" Marissa called again.
Slightly irritated, Gary paused to turn back
around. "What."
"Take care of that finger will you."
Surprised, Gary blinked, his gaze dropping to his
bandaged finger. How does she do that? he frowned
glancing back up at her.
Marissa smiled and opened her notebook. "I felt the
bandage when I handed you the ahh...letter."
"Oh." Scratching his head he shot her another bewildered
look before he exited the bar.
To be continued..........................