FORSAKEN AND BETAKEN
by Catherine C. Straub
Chapter 11
Those who are last will be first,
and those who are first will be last.
— Matthew 20:16
When a mystery persists — and all leads have to be followed?
Are they certainly present, all the time? Percy took all the notes. Flo
had explained about the accountant family, she came from… Two uncles
worked with my grandfather. Moreover, Percy needed information on
people; she was connected to during her life, like her dead husband — and
his connections if he owed money.
“Can you ‘name’ anyone else, you’re connected — with during your
life.”
“I did not meet — say my expired mate links? I never went out with
him — like some couples. I raised our kids never seeing a park, unless I
took them? My other connection is people in church? We do go to meetings
at times, play cards. Right now, I’ve gotten together with an
old neighbor, Doctor Chad Badly.”
“Is his ‘family still around’ the area?” Marcy appeared more
shook up with the whole mess. Who was this mystery culprit…? The two women and
Percy agreed to be watchful at the shower… Percy stood to make his way
over wrecked items to speak to his one officer. Flo took a rest…
stretching. What a day! This matter ruined the whole day for her. Marcy
set a coffee in front of Flo, poured one, sat down across from her, and
took her hand. Pictures of monsters filled her brain. She wondered how
many locksmiths — needed to fight these marauders.
“How did they ever get inside? Did you think of that? Marcy
gets us a coffee.”
Percy — realized only two honest officers were previously left at the
prescient. He came from the city area, and what was going on? Was there a
rotten lawmen still active getting back at the family? He had his work cut
out for him with this case? The teacher still swore his innocence. It was
foreign for them to expect, he would fess up to any wrongdoing. He’d been
arrested in his hometown of Houston, Texas, for molesting kids, but never
prosecuted. He had to pull pervert acts — on others at the school or around.
They must find his women victims?
“Chief, Flo asked, when is Mitchell’s body to be released for the
funeral.”
“I’ll let you know soon.”
The cops were ready to leave. They said the thrashers came in the
side door, using a Jimmy — to open the door. The window down stairs showed the
alarm was working. “I don’t think you should live here. It’s your
choice if you have some type of protection.” Some thing told him, the
trouble started with the dead hubby. They were going to bring his twin
brother in? He worked the business; they shared as partners. They all
entered the outdoors. The foremost matters on Flo’s mind — someone to clean
the house? Flo idled if Kieran could work the business part time.
When Emmy came home, she ran to her room — her concern was the dog and
items, but they were safe and sound? She held the snoozing Cherie to her
heart then chided herself… being so selfish. She had a bed here — where she
was raised. She knew the items she owned.
At times, Emmy’s mind did get carried away ever since Flo planned
the wedding due to the shower set for Saturday? Flo found Emmy holding
Cherie, in her room. “Thank Heavens; they never looked in your room. We
have to pick up everything that is strewn on the floor and sort it. Most
are old recipes, and I have a meal in the oven?” Emmy hurried there
thinking about her lifesaver, Aunt Flo.
“Come on, she put her arm around her shoulder, only two more days
until the shower.” Emmy wondered what her Aunt’s case was — hers was leaving
the house, hoping Eugene, her first choice, be released.
“I bet that brother of the man you married did this. They
were as ‘thick as thieves.’ He never wanted to leave his coffin. He could
stick up for Job and his wants; he’s deprived of. Job never was any good,
look at the kids.”
“I too is coming around, to that idea? I put the money into buying
this place and furnishings. He never made one iota payment. I used funds my
grandmother left me?” Emmy wished she could have talked to Aunt Flo more, but
when her marriage was decided, she clammed up.
“Eugene’s trial is coming up next Monday, Flo was reminded. I
cannot bare the thought of him around here. I had to review his life here,
to keep him in prison?” They skipped seeing her nutty daughter, the
prior day in the afternoon when Beth was exonerated. Today, she attended
school. Aunt Gen made it at eleven at night bringing her clothes and
books. For a half hour after class, Emmy visited with Eugene. He warned
her to be leery of this new guy just in case….
Marcy came backs over for their prayer session, and helps her
straighten up?
“I want the police to check this new boyfriend of Emmy? Would you
give a call there, while she’s over talking to Thomas? She said his name is Chet
Ames. His family lives in the city area of Chicago.
“Emmy, What is it? Thomas sat down on his bed? I’m surprised
to see you at this time, when we do our homework?” He greeted her with a
grin. Why did he never take the initiative to move out? He was only a
junior, she mused?
“I’m thinking of moving into an apartment, the night of the
shower. He gawked at her… like she’s a Martian. “You and him are an item,”
he croaked.
“I’d not call us an item. I had to get out of this house. I
told you that before.”
Emmy awoke in the morning after soothing Thomas’s wounded feelings
the prior day. Flo had a sumptuous breakfast ready for her. They would
never part, and Emmy knew too — when she dressed. Done at last, she walked
to school with Thomas.
Marcy came over surprised — peering at her kitchen. Shocked with the
circumstances, they said, half a rosary before speaking ….
“I’d never known you got a break here, the table seats are not
slashed.”
“My side bar is marred on top, but I’m going to refinish it?” She
appeared happy Marcy noticed — and that’s what’s central. “I feel sure it has
to do with brother dear, the jerk with a wife — not caring a wit.”
Emmy separated from Thomas at the entrance, and went to her class.
She looked for Chet around the area, but he was not in sight. At that
moment, he had an easy freshman girl outside. When she and he came
inside the building some one that knew Emmy informed her about it — and she
ignored it, privately for a minute. She had Thomas on the outside world.
She would continue with him, he needed her? She remembered how fortunate,
she was not taking anything out of her room. She had a hard time
liking a man, who told her he’d help with the kid, and
deceived her only if she left the area with him. Now he paid for an
apartment and just saw a freshman.
“Aunt Flo, I’m not departing from home.” She found her with Marcy.
“I’m over here to discuss tomorrow. Maybe again, we should sleep
over here you know until we find if it is Farth behind this criminal act?”
Thomas heard Flo exclaim, and what she said, and snuck out to see Emmy. He found her
finishing dinner and rushed to her. “So? You are staying in the neighborhood,”
he knelt at her feet, holding her ring hand.
*****
Farth lingered in his cell… madder than ever. The witch of a
sister in law deserved what she got! Forever it seemed he’d listened to
Garth’s complaints about Flo sole owner of the house. He never once
thought of his wife Sue, a fat pig to him. He was relaxing when they came
to interrogate him once again. … He felt like shouting — he got back at
her, for his dead kin? He was getting sick of the law regime.
Percy called Flo at Marcy’s. “He confessed Flo, but still feels ‘he
should not get any punishment’ for vandalizing the house — what he felt his
kin deserved?” She stood dazed. His ghost was not here anymore (all
the damage he done to kids). She wanted no reminder in the walls either.
“I don’t know why I married the criminal. I never imagined his twin would
smash up the place.”
Emmy peeked out the door (holding Cherie) when the phone rang? So,
the rat’s brother did it — two cads.
The prior day to the shower, the funeral was held for Mitchell
Junior. Flo, Marcy, and the Mitchell girls and husbands attended, and they
all cried their hearts out.
The grand shower (no rain falling) at 12:30 people, started
coming. Flo made sure she introduced them to “Emmy: the Guest of Honor.”