Pursuit Of The Cygnus Thief

Chapter 24 - Lion's Den

“Lion’s Den”

Chapter 24  By Roseyone

     Although I recognized it immediately, the first telephone ring did nothing to disrupt the firm grip I’d at last gained on the elusive buttoned placket of John’s work shirt. I’d been determined to see the chest tattoo Galina had told me about, I’d also recognized that I was dreaming and neither fabric nor decorum could deter me. The second telephone ring yanked me far from John, I profoundly missed him and lost all hope that I would ever be able to get a glimpse of whatever it was that stained his skin. I was face up and cold in the living-room, my dress was bunched up at the tops of my thighs, my eyes were dry and an unspent yawn lingered somewhere between the back of my throat and my jawline. With Matilda on hiatus and my father at work, I’d cranked up the air conditioner to maximum, napped on the sofa and forgotten both how hot it was outside and how little time I’d had before work at the tavern. It was just past four o’clock, I reached backward to the end table and picked up the telephone receiver just after the fourth ring.

“Amelia?” said Mr. Abel. I sat up and pulled my dress down over my legs.I was late for work and Mr. Abel had apparently returned to Assumption a full two hours earlier than Freddy had predicted. Mr. Abel repeated my name with even more of a question in his voice; I cut him off just as he started to speak again.

“-I’ll be right in, Sir.”

With Mrs. Abel out of town and Freddy headed to the drive-in instead of dinner at the tavern Mr. Abel would not bother to put on his public act until the dinner crowd arrived. I’d be forced to talk with him, to endure his nasty agenda, to wonder anew whether I could actually stab him if he tried anything. When he spoke again Mr. Abels’ voice was soft.

“Are you well enough to work?”

“-I’ll be right in.”

“I’ve heard fiction.” Mr. Abel said. I could not have been less surprised, of course he’d heard his sister-in-laws’ report, Matilda had probably repeated it two hundred times before leaving for Bodega Bay.

“If you’re not feeling,”Mr. Abel said.

“I’m fine.” I answered.

“You don’t sound well.”

“I’m fine Mr. Abel.”

“You’ve been injured.” he said. I drew my knees together. I stammered when I again told Mr. Abel that I was all right, that I would be in soon. There’d be no avoiding him once I arrived at work, Mr. Abel would undoubtedly relish my misfortune. I said goodbye quickly and hung up the telephone before Mr. Abel could say anything more. I cracked open a side window, turned off the air conditioner, there was no reason for my father to know about my electrical over-indulgence well before he read the monthly bill. With the way things were my father would swear under his breath at the bill total then blame it on Matilda when she inevitably returned.

     I shoved the paring knife into my dress pocket, picked up a fresh apron and looked out back through the kitchen window curtains. I wanted to see John once more before facing Mr. Abel at the tavern. I’d found that John made me a little more courageous, I’d found that I enjoyed looking at him but John wasn’t outside. I thought he might be in the shed or the cellar but there was no time to make up an excuse to see John before I left for work. I went through the front door stepped out onto the porch and found him there sitting in the afternoon heat on the steps in fresh clothes. John turned and looked up at me then somewhat belatedly; he stood.

“Off to the lion’s den again?” he said.

“It’s my job unfortunately.” I glanced at my watch, I was fifteen minutes late already but I counted myself fortunate; if Mr. Abel decided to dock me the loss of money would be well worth the shorter time in his presence I would have purchased.