The Cat's Dowry and Other Short Stories

  * * * *.

  The months went by quickly. Life was running smoothly except for Paul Bartelli. He sent her flowers and jewelry, which she sent back promptly.

  Each time he called, he had been drinking. He said he simply wanted to talk. Her hope was that he would get tired of her refusals and quit calling.

  She usually ignored his calls. One time she did not check her caller ID and answered her phone to find him on the other end.

  "Hello." She knew immediately that she made a mistake. It was Paul and he had been drinking,

  "Itzy, why do you torture me like this. My life hasn't been the same since you walked out on me. I wish you would at least give me a chance to prove myself to you. We could be so good together."

  "You sound like a broken record, Paul. This is not funny. I do not want to make this whole business public, but I will if you don't stop calling me. That means your wife will know as well as all your business associates." This was not an idle threat. She would do it, but he didn't know that.

  "My wife doesn't care. Why do you think I cheat on her, she started it." Paul whined.

  "But I don't think she wants the public to view her dirty laundry. I am warning you one last time, I have police connections now and an employer who will back me up. You have to stop calling me. This is the last time I'm going to say this. The next time I will get a restraining order out. Get a life Paul; find someone who wants to pimp themselves." She didn't give him time to respond. She hung up the phone before he had a chance to answer. After a week and still no more calls, she felt she might have got through to him.

  Joe took a promotion at one of the firms' locations closer to his home but further from, Itzy and they drifted further apart. Gabby and M L's relationship was still hot and enjoying each other immensely.

  Itzy loved her job and enjoyed the people she worked with. Everyone was on first name basis. Business was good and it appeared that Clyde was good at what he did. He spent five years with the Hillsborough Sherriff's Office, but had a chief that was homophobic and did not like Clyde. He still had many connections on the force that helped each other out whenever possible. That chief had left the force recently. The relationship with the current chief was one of total cooperation.

  Itzy was thoroughly impressed with the software that was available for the agency to use in finding people and tracking down information. She wondered if she would be able to find Maxie Donavan with this information.

  She liked working with Joyce, but she was a by-the-books type of person. Itzy didn't feel comfortable asking for her help directly, but the thought kept entering her mind; there had to be a way to ask for help from the agency. The timing had to be right.

  Itzy immersed herself in her job. Clyde did not spend a lot of time in the office and when he did, it was mostly after hours. Joyce kept a certain distance between herself and Rebecca, the receptionist. Itzy respected this and found that it didn't affect her ability to do her job. She continued to learn policies and procedures. She did occasionally work strange hours but found it refreshing and a challenge. If a file was not ready for computer impute, Joyce would ask her to come in later and stay until she finished. It appeared to Itzy that the longer she worked there the more the barrier between the two of them dissolved. When Joyce invited Itzy to join her for lunch at the restaurant down the street from the office, Itzy agreed. They actually talked girl talk. The second time it happened Itzy got up the courage to discuss her mother's file. Joyce was astonished and sympathetic. It was Itzy's hope by bringing it up, that Joyce would talk to Clyde about the case and possibly give her permission to use the company resources to move the case along to the next step. She would try this approach first before asking permission directly. Now all she could do was wait and hope. There weren't any other avenues open at this point. The following week Joyce again invited her to join her for lunch.

  During lunch, Itzy got her wish.

  "I talked to Clyde about your mother's case, and he and I agreed that there would be no harm in you using our resources to track down her killer."

  Itzy acted surprised and pleased. "Oh how wonderful. I'm so pleased. You can't imagine what an opportunity that would be."

  "The only restrictions are that, of course, you do it on your own time and you need to log your hours for Clyde. Do you see that being a problem?" Joyce's professional persona appeared out of nowhere.

  "That's more than I could have asked for. You have no idea how much this means to me. I will be more than willing to abide by those rules." She knew in her heart that if she had taken the direct approach with Joyce she would not have been so fortunate.

  "That is why we feel that you deserve this opportunity. Clyde loves a good challenge and he feels that you can find this man with our help."

  Itzy felt revitalized and this was the break she needed. Finally, it looked like her mother's death would be avenged. The next day she brought her file to work and showed Joyce.

  "Do you mind if I take a look. I might be able to give you some pointers."

  "No, I could use all the help I can get. I'm definitely boxed in at this point."

  Clyde was on assignment, which meant that the office had some breathing room. He has an aura about him that commanded busyness when he was in the office. As likeable as he was, it was always nice to see him leave for a break. Even Rebecca wanted to know more about Itzy's mother's file. Itzy didn't have a problem with that. She liked Rebecca. She would be what she would want in a sister if she had one, genuinely sweet and adorable.

  Joyce and Rebecca both expressed a desire to help her do whatever was necessary to catch this man.

  "Right now, I think I understand the system enough that I should be able to do this by myself and I need to do it by myself if I can. I'm going to stay late tonight and see how far I get. I really appreciate the offer and I will let you know how it goes, tomorrow."

  That night after Joyce and Rebecca left, she grabbed a cup of coffee took off her shoes and got to work. She started a file on the desktop and documented her start time as requested. She impute the information into the computer and waited. While she waited, she called home to check in.

  "Hi, Gabby." She got her voicemail. This meant she was still at the shop. She wouldn't answer directly; she checked her messages and would return her calls later. "Just checking in. I'm at work. I just started...oh my god I don't believe this. Something is coming through on Maxie already. Call me!" She hung up the phone and stared at the computer monitor with her mouth open. There he was everything she needed, just like that. Maxie Donavan was using the name Charles Simpson. He lived at 159 NE 34the Avenue, New York City and worked as a janitor at PS239. He had a wife but no children. There was a recent picture and the scar over his left eyebrow and the skull tattoo on his neck were visible and identifiable. It was him without a doubt. She saved the file and made a back up. She printed the summary page, closed the computer and looked at the clock. Twenty minutes. Still no word from Gabby. She called again and left the message "I'm coming home. I got what I was looking for".

  The next day she showed Joyce.

  "I'm impressed. That didn't take you long at all. Good work, but then again, you had done all the legwork in advance. That is a powerful program you used."

  "Thank you. I'm not sure what to do now. I've been searching so long. I never thought about what I would do if I found him."

  "Clyde will be coming in this afternoon. Let's set up a conference with him. I'll block off some time, late, say, 4:30pm and see what he's got to say."

  Itzy was glad it was a busy day. She had a hard time concentrating with this new knowledge rolling around in her brain. She did her best to stay focused until 4:30. Clyde arrived at 1:30, went to his office, and closed his door. This was not unusual. He could get loud and he found that it disturbed the front office so with the door closed he was at liberty to get as loud or talk as personal as he chose. He agreed to the prearranged meeting at 4:30.
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  At 4:30 Joyce and Itzy sat down across from Clyde and presented him with the information

  "I'm impressed, and Joyce, you know I'm not easily impressed. Itzy, I think we've overlooked some of your qualifications."

  "Itzy has been a real asset to me. I am glad we hired her. Is there something you can do for her with this information? She wouldn't ask, but I will."

  "Of course. Leave this with me. Tomorrow I will make some phone calls. That's one nice thing about doing favors for people; you always get them back. I'll keep you posted."

  Itzy didn't sleep much that night. Gabby, M L and Dolly kept her company until after midnight and then bid her a goodnight.

  Clyde was in the office early. He really was an early person by nature; however, his professional life didn't always give him that luxury.

  "Itzy, I've turned the information over to the FBI. They will take it from here. I expect an arrest today. Seems that he is wanted on some other charges in other states. They promised to let me know as soon as he's in custody."

  Ironically, the date that day was March 30. The 25th anniversary of her mother's death. It was at 2:30pm when the call came in from the NYC division of the FBI, telling Clyde that Maxie Donavan was in custody and being booked with three counts of murder one and 5 counts of aggravated assault, one on a minor.

  Itzy broke down and wept tears of joy. Clyde, Joyce and Rebecca consoled her. When she was able to get herself composed, she called Gabby and left her a voice mail: "It's over. He's in custody."

  The Last Straw

  The cell phone on the nightstand played "Hey, Jude". Aileen Priestley looked up from her pillow, the clock next to her bed read 12:30AM. This could only mean trouble. She first thought it might be Jack and he had a problem. Jack, Aileen's boyfriend reported in yesterday somewhere between Florida and Kentucky, driving too many hours on a rundown tractor-trailer. She reached for the phone and answered.

  "Hello." a pause and then she heard her son Bobby's distraught voice.

  "Mom, I'm so sorry, this time I've really done it."

  "Bobby, what's wrong?" Awake now, sitting on the side of her bed, Aileen's old fear that haunted her over the years reared its ugly head. In the thirty years since Bobby's birth, she knew someday something irreversible would happen and he'd find himself in trouble that would not go away.

  "Mom, Kathy is dead. I killed her." Through the sobbing, he continued. "I'm at the jail now, you were my one call. I don't have much time. We had a fight and I hit her. She picked up a butcher knife and in the struggle to protect myself I pushed her, she fell on the knife and bled out before I could get help."

  "Oh, Bobby, I'm so sorry. Where are the kids?"

  DCF has them; I don't know any more than that. My time is up I have to go. Would you see what you can do about the kids and come see me as soon as you can. You won't be able to do much of anything else. I really messed things up good this time."

  The line went dead. Aileen sat there, transfixed with the silent phone held to her ear. She turned on the lamp next to her bed; maybe that would make the surreal call make more sense. It didn't help. She sat frozen in place until her roommate and best friend Joyce Ferrera knocked and entered her bedroom.

  "Aileen, what's wrong? Is it Jack?"

  "It's Bobby. He's in jail." Her fibromyalgia started flaring.

  "What happened?"

  "Kathy is dead." The words didn't want to come out.

  Joyce sat down on the bed next to Aileen and put her arms around her. Aileen sunk into her open arms and heaved a heavy sigh. There were no tears. It wasn't real but a bad dream and she would soon wake up. Aileen heaved another heavy sigh that came from deep in her chest.

  "Aileen, are you alright? Do you want to talk about this?" Joyce had been her best friend since high school, and that was a long time. They now waited tables together at the Happy Horse Eatery outside the city limits of Ocala, Florida.

  "I don't know."Aileen still found it difficult to form words.

  "Many problems have been solved over a soothing cup of tea. I'll make us some." She held Aileen's hand and led her to the kitchen. Aileen sat at the kitchen table with her head in her hands until the hot cup of chamomile tea appeared in front of her. She then found the words to repeat the conversation that had transpired with her son. When she finished Joyce responded.

  "So I guess the next question would be, what's next?"

  "I don't know. I've got so many questions; he only had a few minutes to talk." Aileen, feeling better could think about what she heard.

  "It's been slow at the Horsey with the northerners gone, why don't you take the day to sort things out and get your answers. When is Jack expected back?"

  "He's running a load up to Kentucky and I think he said he'd be back on Thursday. I don't even know what day that is."

  "It's Wednesday, so you should have some answers by the time he gets in town. Now do you think you could get some sleep?" Joyce chose not to marry, her choice completely. She had one committed relationship in her early twenties that ended badly. She found her solace in her volunteer work at the children's ward of the county hospital.

  Aileen and Jack had been in a committed relationship for almost a year. The one thing that kept it running smoothly was the fact that Jack Haggerty drove long haul tractor-trailers and was gone sometimes for weeks at a time. This gave Aileen the space she needed so she didn't feel trapped and out of control. She and Bobby's father never married and she didn't regret it. She married for the first time when Bobby was twelve. That marriage lasted four years and ended because of Bobby's arrest for B&E at fifteen. He and two of his friends broke into a local convenience store. Bobby got off with probation, but the marriage did not survive. Bobby did not adjust to other men in his mother's life and Bobby usually won out. Aileen was almost glad to be relieved of the tension the triangle produced when the marriage failed. .

  The next year when Bobby was seventeen Aileen and Martin Oliver began dating. Martin owned a local bar and Aileen worked for him. The relationship was progressing nicely and had reached the stage where they were talking about living together. Bobby accepted him on the surface, but was jealous of the attention his mother was getting from Martin. Before they had the chance to make the move of cohabitating and before Bobby's eighteenth birthday, he along with one of his buddies broke into the bar and stole a case of Jack Daniels and one hundred dollars from the till. Martin would not press charges after the arrest, but it was the end of their relationship and her job.

  When Bobby met Kathy Stone she was four years younger than him, Aileen was hoping this would settle Bobby down. He always felt that he had to prove himself in everything he did. Even though Aileen knew he had a self-esteem problem and tried to help him overcome it, it never seemed enough. There came a point where, at the age of eighteen, she simply told him that they had to go their separate ways before he destroyed any more of her life. It was a blessing when Bobby and Kathy started to get serious. She got pregnant quickly and Bobby was worried. He was not used to responsibilities. As Aileen suspected, Bobby actually became a good father. Only after the second child a girl came along that, she saw they were fighting constantly. Aileen could never figure out why they stayed together. They were opposites in every way and the bickering got worse. The boy Ethan age six acted out at school and the girl Eleanor age 5 whined and cried every time you looked at her. Aileen got to the point that she did not like being around them. When she had the opportunity to talk to her son alone, he avoided the subject by refusing to talk about it. Jack told Aileen that he didn't want them over when he was there. It was them or him. Aileen understood and abided by Jack's feelings.

  Aileen slept fitfully that night. Memories of Bobby's childhood kept creeping into her dreams. He had always been a headstrong child and wanted things his way. So many times over the years, she had stuck by him when he needed her. So many times, she wished things could have been different, but she always felt they never bonded the way
that a mother and son should have and they never would. She always knew he resented her for not giving him the father he always wanted. However, he always knew she would be there for him.

  Joyce got up first and made coffee the next morning. When Aileen heard her, she brushed he long strawberry blond curls and put them back in a ponytail washed her face and joined her in the kitchen.

  "I don't suppose you got much sleep." Joyce said as she poured Aileen's coffee.

  "Off and on; it's like a mother's worse nightmare. I feel that every ounce of stuffing has been ripped from my insides."

  "Why don't you call Charlie at the Horsey and tell him you have an emergency, which is true, and need some time to get your business in order. I'd take off to be with you, but Charlie couldn't handle the place by himself.'

  'I don't see any other way." Aileen had already produced a list of the phone calls in her head that she would have to make and she planned a trip to the jail. Secretly she was glad Jack was out of town. His comments about Bobby's anti-social behavior would not be welcome right now, however true they were.

  Charlie was a peach as usual. He not only understood, but also was sincere in offering any help that he could. Since Aileen and Joyce came onboard, the local crowd grew significantly.

  After a light breakfast with Joyce, Aileen started with a call to Bobby's best friend Arty who lived next door to Bobby and Kathy. According to Arty, Bobby's version of the story was not only accurate it was all there was to tell at this point. Unfortunately, the children saw the whole thing. Arty and his 'wife' Molly thought it was just another fight and did nothing until they heard the sirens.

  Aileen had no intentions on calling Kathy's parents, at least not yet. They lived in Ohio. She knew from what Kathy said that they were not on good terms with their daughter over her relationship with Bobby. That being the case, they would not want to hear from Bobby's mother.

  Aileen had always told Bobby that if anything happened to either of them, she could not take care of the children. She suffered from fibromyalgia for many years and could not handle stress. Her job also only provided her with the income she needed with little room for luxury. She felt horrible to think it, but she also would lose Jack, and she could not lose any more men in her life because of her son. She always hoped she would never have to make that decision. Now it looked like her worst fears were coming true.

  She knew she would get nowhere on the phone so she headed for the jail. As expected, she was shifted from one department to another; then one person to another, until she found a sympathetic female sergeant who steered her to the DA's office. Because he had not been fully processed and arraigned, she could not see her son, but she did find out he was scheduled for arraignment that afternoon. According to the DA's office, he was caught "red handed" and confessed. They were going for second-degree murder. They were waiting for a public defender and then a hearing.

  She was leaving the building when she heard her name. She stopped and turned to see Nicky Montaigne walking her way.

  "Oh my, a voice from the past." They hugged and then stood at arm's length to survey each other. Nicky had a real sexual vibe for Aileen once. She could have gone for him, except he was the arresting officer when Bobby broke into the bar and the timing was not right. They had not spoken in several years.

  "I'm a detective now. In addition, no, I'm still not married. I'm still waiting for the chance to woo you when the time is right. I see you're still as pretty as ever." Nicky loved to flirt and good at making a woman feel special.

  "You always did have a way with words, you old devil." Aileen said.

  "What are you doing here, if I may ask?" Nicky inquired.

  "It's quite a story, if you have the time."

  "How about we talk over a cup of coffee? I'd like to say a beer but it's a little early."

  They proceeded to the cafeteria and found a table in the far corner where they could talk privately.

  When Aileen finished telling him the reason for her being there, he said, "I can't promise anything, but I've got a bit of clout around here. I'll make some inquiries and see what I can do. It sounds pretty cut and dry, but I would think that he should be able to get some leniency because it was an accident. Alternatively, so he says. I couldn't help but like Bobby, but he certainly had his issues with authority."

  "Thanks, Nicky. You do know I appreciate anything you can do?" Aileen was sincere.

  "I've got to go, but I will call you if anything comes up. By the way, are you seeing anybody right now?" Nicky was a transplant from New York City, but he lived in Marion County long enough to know those who had lived there for a while. He knew Jack Haggerty who was a horse country kind of guy and a true Florida from a Cracker family.

  "Tis a shame; oh well, my day will come, mark my words."

  They went their separate ways and Aileen headed for home. She stopped at the store on her way home to pick up essentials for dinner. As she opened the front door and deposited he groceries on the kitchen counter, her phone played "Hey Jude." This time it was Jack.

  "Hi baby doll. I'm at the Florida-Georgia border. I should be rolling into your place before midnight. That okay?"

  "I'm looking forward to it. I'll be expecting you. Is everything okay?" Aileen was noticing Jack's short quip sentences and found she was using them more and more.

  "Just peachy, looking forward to a nice hot shower, a good home cooked meal and some sugar. This truck is beginning to smell like a wet dog and old garbage." Jack made her laugh. She knew that he really loved her, even without the need for a commitment. As simple as he made life seem, he had a college degree from University of Florida in Economics. He helped maintain this parents thriving horse farm behind the scenes but wanted nothing to do with the steady responsibility. Being in their seventies his parents wanted Jack to take a bigger part in the company, but had rejected their pleas each time. He being an only child did not help. He also knew that the day would come when he would not be able to turn them down. This was not a day that he was looking forward you. Driving truck gave him not only the freedom he craved but also the opportunity to get away from the responsibility he did not want.

  "Tell you what, I'll have a plate in the frig that you can warm when you get in. I may be asleep, but wake me when you come to bed." After last nights' fiasco, Aileen had the first smile on her face that she could muster from the day's trauma.

  "Yes ma'am. You can count on it." After Jack hung up, Aileen turned and saw Joyce starring at her."

  "When are you going to tell him?"

  "Certainly not on the telephone; and to tell the truth, I don't know. It looks like it's going to be another one of those nights. One nice thing did happen today." She proceeded to explain about Nicky.

  "And how are you going to explain Nicky to Jack?" Joyce knew that Jack had a jealous side, but Aileen always got him out of it with good results.

  "I'd like to say, I'm not going to tell him, but Jack and I always promised that we wouldn't keep anything from each other. I will tell him everything. They know each other but not well. Ocala isn't really as big as some people would think." Aileen proceeded with the spaghetti she had planned and when she was finished, she prepared a plate as promised for Jack, then she and Joyce sat down and discussed the day's events. They was both ready for an early night. They watched some TV then went to bed.

  Jack was later than he expected. It was almost 1:30 am when he slid between the sheets and nuzzled Aileen's neck. Aileen threw her leg over his and responded to his advances. Her breasts brushed his check and his lips soon found them responsive. Aileen knew that this was not the time to discuss Bobby. There was only the desire to fulfill each other and make up for the 10 days apart.

  When Aileen and Joyce decided to room together, they found a split bedroom house. Because of Jack, Joyce agreed that Aileen would have the master bedroom on the far side of the house. For this, she was glad, especially on nights like this. They took full advantage of the pri
vacy. Tomorrow would have to take care of itself.

  The next morning they both slept in and continued their love making from the night before. Jack was in great physical condition, in spite of his time behind the wheel. He rode horses and worked for his parents ranch and though he didn't do as much as he once did, the muscles still responded. Aileen hated exercise, but when she wasn't waiting tables, she ran. She started running in her early twenties. She found it was the only way she could relieve stress.

  "I am sorry to break this up, but I have the lunch crowd today and time waits for no hungry cow poke." Aileen announced. "Besides, there is something I want to tell you before we go our separate ways today."

  "Okay' darlin' we'll talk over coffee. I'll take a quick shower and meet you in the kitchen. I want to check on the folks when I leave here."

  Bless Joyce; she knew Aileen needed space this morning. She left her a note, saying she was at the children's ward at the hospital.

  Jack sat down to his favorite giant mug filled with coffee across from Aileen.

  "That's a pretty serious face you're wearing this morning. Especially after last night"

  "I didn't want to break the mood, but now I don't have any choice. I got a call from Bobby the night before last. There was a fight between him and Kathy, she went after him with a butcher knife and he pushed her. She fell on the knife and died before he could get help. He's being held without bail on second degree murder charges."

  Jack starred at her with his mouth open. No words came out.

  "This is why I couldn't call you and tell you about it. I didn't know what to say at first. Then I felt that I didn't have enough information to tell you everything. I went to the jail yesterday to see if I could learn anything. I ran into Nicky Montaigne before I left and he said he would do whatever he could to help" Aileen was waiting for some sort of remark about Nicky, but he had not recovered yet and sat quietly.

  "What about the kids?" Jack finally spoke.

  "DCF took them. Kathy's parents are supposed to be coming in from Ohio. It's ironic; I always said Kathy would be the one to take them away where I would not get to see them, now this. It didn't quite end up the way I perceived it, but it looks like they are out of my life, at least right now."

  "So what happens next? Is there anything we can do?

  "Not really. He pled guilty. He is going to prison. He should have had his hearing by now. I took off work yesterday; I can't do that to Charlie again today, so I will have to wait until I hear something."

  "Are you going to be okay?" Jack went over to her and put his arms around her. She turned to face him, put her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest.

  "That's the strange part, I don't feel a thing. It's like the last straw. I do need your strength though Jack, now more than ever. I am sadder for the children than anything. But I am also sad that I could never be what Bobby wanted me to be, whatever that was."

  "I will see you after work. Call me if you need anything or hear anything.

  I'll be off by 3 30. If I don't hear anything by then, I will stop by the jail."

  How about if I pick you up and we go together. You don't have to go through this alone, you know."

  "I'd like that. I'll meet you back here at 3:45 if that's okay?"

  "It's a deal."

  The locals packed the Horsey looking for the wonderful hamburgers that was its specialty. Joyce and Aileen shared the shifts alternating when not in season, like now. She left her phone in the break room while on the floor waiting tables. She checked several times for messages. By her last break, she got her message. She checked her voicemail. It was Nicky. He spoke to Bobby's public defender. Because Bobby pled guilty, the hearing was short. He would be going before the judge for sentencing in about one week. It was summer and most judges took their vacation then. The public defender planned to submit a brief asking for leniency counting on the fact that the killing was listed as an accident, however with Bobby's other felonies it might not work. Nicky made it clear that he would still keep her informed of any developments and made it clear that he would love to have lunch with her soon. She smiled to herself as she thought 'I still got it.'

  As promised, Jack was at the house to take her to the jail she would like to talk to her son. There was still so much left unsaid. When they reached the jail, he could not have visitors. She asked why, but did not get an answer. The person on duty did not know, except maybe it wasn't visiting day. When she asked when she could see him, he did not know that either. Aileen was so frustrated, see walked out with Jack behind her.

  "What happened to 'if I don't know, I'll find out.'?" Aileen quipped. "Nicky has been so helpful, I hate to impose any more, but all I want is a simple answer to a simple question."

  "I tell you what, you've had a rough week, let's go have a nice romantic dinner at Nuncio's and put our cares behind us for the night?"