First Mamma — she might know where her son-in-law is. If she doesn't know, then you'll phone his family in Ohio, then Charles, hospitals, the police, in that order...
The tooth was aching — perhaps a bit of the breakfast sweet roll had lodged in the molar. On the kitchen shelf there was a box of red, yellow, blue toothpicks for hors d'oeuvres — the shiny plastic kind.
The bobby pins were shiny black.
Marian forced herself to sit down, eat a sandwich of stale bread and cheese. She took out the carton of milk — the food was comforting, the fears organized — she took a large gulp of milk from the container and gagged.
The milk was lumpy, curdled and smelly. Rancid.
...How can the milk be rancid? It's stamped Tuesday, clearly Tuesday, so he must have bought it yesterday or the day before! How could Tuesday's milk be rancid unless…unless he bought it a week ago, two weeks ago...
Robbers, black bobby pins, stale smell in the apartment, the unfinished schedule, the wasted day, failed surprise, and why was the milk rancid — it went round and round as she dumped out the toothpicks, arranged and re-arranged them, put them carefully back into the box.
At ten o'clock, Marian heard a large POP .
The extra special, dry white wine for dinner that was being chilled in the freezer had exploded.
++++++++++
Chapter 6
"Evening, Mr. Cooper," said Jimmy, one hand on the elevator lever controlling their ascent, the other covering a yawn. "Guess I should say 'good morning'! How's the weather doing out there?"
"Still pretty cold," Ferris Cooper said. He was carrying his brief case. The Early Bird edition of the newspaper was under the arm of his leather coat. The elevator man's yawn was contagious, Ferris yawned as they climbed to the fourteenth floor.
"When I came on at midnight I had a feeling we were in for cold night." Jimmy started moving the lever up slowly though they were two floors away from stopping. He took pride in giving the tenants a smooth ride, coming to a stop without vibration or shudder like a perfect landing. "Yes sir, we're in for a few more bad weeks according to what I heard on the radio."
"I hope not." Ferris wasn't concentrating on Jimmy, he was remembering the lock on their front door — it wasn't working properly, the key was sticking. He had been intending to talk to the Super about a replacement. "Damn that lock! What time does Pete come on duty tomorrow?"
"Two p.m. Can I do something for you, Mr. Cooper?" Jimmy asked.
"Oh no thanks. I'll see Pete tomorrow." The bachelor life Ferris had been leading over the past month was getting to him. "I'll make it my business to get home earlier tomorrow evening."
"They sure do keep you working long hours in the T.V. business." Jimmy closed the elevator gate behind Ferris. "Yes sir, it's a hard life!"
It was two-thirty a.m. Ferris was glad to be home. He could have stayed overnight at the girl's place but he liked to wake up in his own bed. Also, he wanted a change of clothes. Also there were things to take care of so that the apartment would be in good order for his wife's return. "First thing, I'll get this lock fixed, then I'll order groceries..."
The moment the door was open, something struck Ferris as strange. There was a different smell in the air. A perfume? Then he dropped his keys into the pewter plate on the foyer table and saw Marian's key ring.
"It can't be!" But it could be, it had to be — her coat was there on one of the brass hooks. Her hat and scarf were on the overhead shelf. He felt ill, almost as if he were going to pass out.
Somewhat unsteadily, Ferris found his way to a living room chair. "What can I tell her...? She must have been wondering where I was... What can I say...? How can I explain...?" Ferris could not get his brain to function.
He put his head in his hands.
"God dammit, Andrea is nothing to me! I can't let something like this hurt Marian. I'll have to tell her I've been with a client at a meeting!"
He
The tooth was aching — perhaps a bit of the breakfast sweet roll had lodged in the molar. On the kitchen shelf there was a box of red, yellow, blue toothpicks for hors d'oeuvres — the shiny plastic kind.
The bobby pins were shiny black.
Marian forced herself to sit down, eat a sandwich of stale bread and cheese. She took out the carton of milk — the food was comforting, the fears organized — she took a large gulp of milk from the container and gagged.
The milk was lumpy, curdled and smelly. Rancid.
...How can the milk be rancid? It's stamped Tuesday, clearly Tuesday, so he must have bought it yesterday or the day before! How could Tuesday's milk be rancid unless…unless he bought it a week ago, two weeks ago...
Robbers, black bobby pins, stale smell in the apartment, the unfinished schedule, the wasted day, failed surprise, and why was the milk rancid — it went round and round as she dumped out the toothpicks, arranged and re-arranged them, put them carefully back into the box.
At ten o'clock, Marian heard a large POP .
The extra special, dry white wine for dinner that was being chilled in the freezer had exploded.
++++++++++
Chapter 6
"Evening, Mr. Cooper," said Jimmy, one hand on the elevator lever controlling their ascent, the other covering a yawn. "Guess I should say 'good morning'! How's the weather doing out there?"
"Still pretty cold," Ferris Cooper said. He was carrying his brief case. The Early Bird edition of the newspaper was under the arm of his leather coat. The elevator man's yawn was contagious, Ferris yawned as they climbed to the fourteenth floor.
"When I came on at midnight I had a feeling we were in for cold night." Jimmy started moving the lever up slowly though they were two floors away from stopping. He took pride in giving the tenants a smooth ride, coming to a stop without vibration or shudder like a perfect landing. "Yes sir, we're in for a few more bad weeks according to what I heard on the radio."
"I hope not." Ferris wasn't concentrating on Jimmy, he was remembering the lock on their front door — it wasn't working properly, the key was sticking. He had been intending to talk to the Super about a replacement. "Damn that lock! What time does Pete come on duty tomorrow?"
"Two p.m. Can I do something for you, Mr. Cooper?" Jimmy asked.
"Oh no thanks. I'll see Pete tomorrow." The bachelor life Ferris had been leading over the past month was getting to him. "I'll make it my business to get home earlier tomorrow evening."
"They sure do keep you working long hours in the T.V. business." Jimmy closed the elevator gate behind Ferris. "Yes sir, it's a hard life!"
It was two-thirty a.m. Ferris was glad to be home. He could have stayed overnight at the girl's place but he liked to wake up in his own bed. Also, he wanted a change of clothes. Also there were things to take care of so that the apartment would be in good order for his wife's return. "First thing, I'll get this lock fixed, then I'll order groceries..."
The moment the door was open, something struck Ferris as strange. There was a different smell in the air. A perfume? Then he dropped his keys into the pewter plate on the foyer table and saw Marian's key ring.
"It can't be!" But it could be, it had to be — her coat was there on one of the brass hooks. Her hat and scarf were on the overhead shelf. He felt ill, almost as if he were going to pass out.
Somewhat unsteadily, Ferris found his way to a living room chair. "What can I tell her...? She must have been wondering where I was... What can I say...? How can I explain...?" Ferris could not get his brain to function.
He put his head in his hands.
"God dammit, Andrea is nothing to me! I can't let something like this hurt Marian. I'll have to tell her I've been with a client at a meeting!"
He
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