86
Aligned Design
Ch 15
Antonio helped Gleason from the car. He took one arm and Loomis took the other. They carried her as though she was their hundred-year-old Gran. "Please, I can walk." She tried to shrug them off as kindly as she could without offending them. "Really. I am fine now. Please." She stopped and turned to the cab driver still standing by the open back door. "Thank you again. You are very kind. Thank you."
The cabbie nodded and smiled. He turned and shut the door, walked around to the driver's door and got in. He waved to the three standing on the walk and pulled away. It was nearly two hours before he found Gleason's gift.
Navicky turned in his reader, punched out and went to his locker. He took the small duffle bag from the bottom, unzipped it and peeked inside. Yep, all set; hope this will hold all the money. He zipped shut the bag and shut and locked his locker.
He was passing through the office area when Sarah said, "Hey Joe, Bill wants to see you before you leave. Hang on a minute, will you? I'll call him." Sarah lifted the phone, punched buttons and said, "Bill to the office, please. Bill." As earlier, her voice blared across the shipping lot and areas beyond. Navicky smiled at the woman.
Son-of-a-bitch, thought Navicky. Put me behind with that jackass waiting for me. I'm on the way to riches and the boss wants to see me? Talk about timing.
"Please, boys, I am fine. Let me walk." The two men let go of her arms but walked beside her ready to catch her if she stumbled or fell. They walked with her to the lifts. "What would I do without you two? Thank you for looking out for me." She smiled warmly at them both.
"I'm going to send up some soup for you. Just a light broth. You eat it all, ok. You need to have liquids. I imagine you are dehydrated, too. Why didn't you eat today?"
She looked at the floor. "I don't know, Antonio. It was foolish of me. I thought I would eat at the university. Time got away from me." She looked up at the sweet man in front of her, "That broth sounds good. Do you think I could have some rolls with it? I have this thing for bread recently. And lots of butter? I am really hungry now."
"Do you need anything from a drugstore, Dr. Wintermantle? I can go get it for you," Loomis asked.
I am so fortunate, she thought. These kind, kind men. Looking after me. She teared up. "Oh, both you are so kind to me. Thank you. No, Loomis I am fine. Thank you."
"All right, miss, you go on up to your room and I will bring that broth for you straight away. And rolls, too. With lots of butter." Antonio pressed the up button and the doors opened. Gleason stepped in and the doors shut.
Loomis and Antonio turned. "She's really something, huh?" Loomis asked. "Do you think she has someone?"
Antonio stopped. "Are you out of your mind, Loomis? Someone like her? She's got to have someone. So don't get any ideas." Antonio was still shaking his head as he walked into the kitchen of the small restaurant. Loomis, our local Romeo, ha!
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Bobby showered quickly in the locker-room and dressed in his suit pants and shirt. He wanted to get home. He wanted to be there way before six. She's going to call. He smiled and checked his watch, less than an hour. He headed for his vehicle.
At his place, Bobby set his weapon, shield, money clip, and knife on the dresser top. Gleason's necklace was where she had left it. He hadn't touched it and he ignored it now.
He hung up his suit coat, pants and tie. Bobby stripped and then pulled on a pair of green plaid, light cotton pants and a tee shirt. He tossed his dress shirt, boxers, undershirt and socks onto the chair in the corner. His feet were bare.
Twenty minutes. He walked into the kitchen and pulled open the fridge. Slim pickens, he thought. Bobby removed a package of pastrami and a jar of green olives. He swiped a beer as well. He sat at the table, eating slices of pastrami from the package and olives from the jar, washing it down with swigs of beer. Man, I'm going to pay for this later, he said to himself.
He checked his watch and folded up the meat in its wrapper, twisted the lid on the olive jar and drained the last of the beer. He stood, turned to the fridge, pulled it open and set the meat and olives inside. He shut the door, rinsed the beer bottle in the sink, and set it in the recycle bin beside the fridge. He wiped his hands on a tea towel and walked back to his bedroom.
Bobby sat on the edge of the bed and waited. She's going to call me. She'll call. She will.
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Gleason stepped inside her hotel room, shrugged off her wrap, tossed it onto the bed, put her bag on the desk chair and went into the bathroom. She flushed, then washed her hands and splashed water on her face. She checked the time, forty minutes. She considered changing her clothes. Wait for supper, she said to herself. In that instant, she heard a knock at the door.
She pulled it open and there stood Antonio. The tray he held had several bowls, a basket heaping with bread and rolls, a small bowl full of butter packets. "May I come in?" he asked with a huge smile.
"What have you done?" Gleason said with a smile in her voice. "Oh, Antonio! What is all of this?"
"Well, miss, you said you were hungry. So, I brought you lots of things that will be easy on your stomach. Here are three kinds of soup. Eat one now and put the other two in the mini-fridge for later. You can warm them up in the microwave. I've got two kinds of fruit here, applesauce and mandarin oranges. Here's plenty of bread. Keep the napkin on to keep them fresh. And lots of butter as requested." He stepped back proudly. "Oh, and lots to drink as well." He pulled two bottles of juice from each jacket pocket. One each of four kinds.
She was stunned. "Oh, Antonio, you are so thoughtful. Thank you, love." She stepped to him and surprised him with a peck on the cheek. He instantly went deep red. He shoved his hands into his pocket and looked at the floor. "Oh, oh, miss, oh." His embarrassment was sweet.
"Where's the ticket for me to sign?" Gleason searched the tray and didn't find it.
"Oh, no, it's on the house, miss. My pleasure."
"Absolutely not! Antonio, don't be silly. Give me the ticket."
"No ma'am. The management wants to ensure your safety, health and comfort. It's on the house." Antonio turned and walked to the door. "You eat slowly, but eat it all this evening, hear?" He smiled. "Just leave the try inside when you are done. Housekeeping will get it tomorrow. Have a good night." And he pulled the door shut behind him.
This is unbelievable, she thought. She was starving. Gleason moved her bag from the chair to the floor and sat at the desk and peeked at the three soups. She recovered two of them and picked up the bowl of minestrone. Bobby's favorite, she thought. She drank the broth in small sips. Forget the spoon; she'd use it to eat the good stuff. She wanted the broth right now. Then, she took a roll, ripped it in half and slathered it with butter. Oh, this is so good. She glanced at the clock, thirty minutes.
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"Joe thanks for waiting for me. Hey, I need to switch you tomorrow. Livingston is going to take your truck and I need you to work inside. A container is coming in from the pier and you know how to sort. That new guy, Wayne, has no idea. And Livingston always screws up. So, tomorrow, that ok with you?" Jackson watched the other man. Do it, he said silently, take the switch.
"Yeah, ok, sure, no problem. I'll manage the sort. That it?"
Jackson nodded, "Yeah. Thanks. See you in the morning." Navicky turned and walked away.
Well, that was easy, Jackson thought.
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Gleason finished the minestrone and three rolls. She drank down one bottle of juice and she was full! But it was a good full. There, that's good. Oh, she felt so much better. There's something to this eating thing, she said to herself with a smile.
She organized the rest of the bowls in the mini fridge. It was a tight fit, and the applesauce leaned, but she got it all in there. The three remaining bottles of juice sat neatly in the door rack. Gleason considered having one more roll, but scolded herself and wrapped the bread securely in two cloth napkins. She set the bundle inside the microwave to protect it further from the air.
Ten minutes. She unbuttoned her top and slipped off her shoes. She stripped off her undershirt and unzipped her jeans. She slid them off and folded everything neatly. Gleason removed her light green pajamas from the drawer. She stepped into the bottoms and pulled the top over her head. She retrieved her cell phone from her bag and climbed onto the bed. She sat up with her knees to her chest and pulled her throw around her.
Five minutes.
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Pangborn watched Navicky cross the car park. He had a duffle of some sort. Ha, bet that's for the money. Jesus.
"Sorry it took so long. The boss wanted to talk to me."
"No problem. Ready?"
"Yeah. Where're we going?"
They both got in and slammed the doors. Navicky didn't see Pangborn use the bottom edge of his shirt to open the passenger side door. Pangborn crossed his arms and said, "We have to go to get my car. I'm on Delancy, between Christie and Miller. We can leave your car there and pick it up after. Where are the paintings, Joe? Where'd you put them?"
"Well, nowhere near Delancy, I'll tell you that. Let's save about ninety minutes and go from here to get the art and then I'll take you to your car." Navicky looked straight ahead as he said this.
Fuck! thought Pangborn. He was afraid this would happen. Damn it! Christ, this messes up everything. Well, I need the canvasses and my car. Shit.
"Ok, let's go." Pangborn shoved his hands into his pockets.
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Gleason glanced at the clock again.
Bobby glanced at the clock again.
Gleason picked up the phone from beside her on the bed.
Bobby picked up the phone from the cradle on the bedside table.
She hit speed dial number one.
He stared at it.
She put the phone to her ear.
He stared at it.
She heard it ring.
He heard it ring.
He pushed 'talk.'