The Typewriter

Chapter 11 or Day 11 of NaNoWriMo 2012 (1, 868 words)

Chapter 10: Miles Dragonslayer at Dragonview cemetery (addition)

Miles stood in front of the granite headstone marking his grandmothers grave. On the right side of the stone was the name Stella Nolan with a date of birth and a date of death. On the left side of the stone was the name Andrew Nolan, Stella's husband, it was the date of Andrew's death that aroused Miles' curiosity. Andrew Nolan had died in the Year of the Red Dragon in the fifth cycle of the Gray Moon.

"Interesting," he said, "Mom was born in the Year of the Gold Dragon in the third cycle of the Orange Moon. A little over two years after Andrew's death."

"I guess you're wondering about the date of my father's death," Jake sighed. "It's not a mistake, Miles."

"Then Andrew Nolan wasn't my grandfather!"

"No, your grandfather is buried over here." Jake led this nephew to the Applewhite grave site and pointed to Luther Applewhite's headstone.

Chapter 11: Miles' Takes Another Look at J. Parker's Diary

Miles leaned back in his staring at the ceiling. He now had one more thing to add to his to do list, contact Miss Lydia and inform her that there was a treatment for the disease which killed her father. After five minutes of meditation, he decided he could wait until the first of the week to contact Miss Lydia. He knew the disease had not begun to effect her because she was still capable of holding a pen in her hand and signing her name..

The headaches were proceeded by weakness in the hands, arms and legs. He remembered, the first time he and his mother noticed weakness in her hands. It was at breakfast, two years before her death, she picked up the coffee pot to pour them another cup and dropped the pot on the granite tile floor. The hot coffee spilled onto her legs, so he took her to the Oasis Hospital Emergency Room. She did not want to go because she thought she could apply first aid to the burns herself, but he was not taking any chances at her age. They found out a few days later that the weakness was a symptom of Sorcerers Syndrome and that his mother had about three months left to live. Fortunately, the treatments had extended her life about two years.

Setting up in the chair, he picked up the assignment report from Gray Landscaping, the foreman, Morgan Jones had brought it in a day early. According to the report one of the parolees, Jose Fastrunner was in his last month. Getting up, he went to the filing cabinet and removed Fastrunner's file. Inside the file was an envelope addressed to Parole Officer Parker from Mrs. Walton-Gray. On the back of the envelope, which had been opened, was a note that read, Tell Walton-Gray that Fastrunner can't remain in Dragonview J. P. The time stamp on the note was the morning of the day that Parker disappeared.

Opening the envelope Miles read the memo inside

To: Parole Office Jay Parker
From: Mrs. Mary Ann Walton-Gray
Subject: Permanent job for Jose Fastrunner

Mr. Parker this is to inform you, that I intend to offer Mr. Jose Fastrunner a permanent job here in Dragonview as the groundskeeper of the Applewhite estate. Ms. Applewhite has commented several times on the excellent job Mr. Fastrunner does in keeping the grounds clean and the gardens green.

M. A. Walton-Gray
Gray Landscaping

Miles frowned, Why, he thought, would Parker try to prevent an ex-parolee from getting a permanent job. He checked the reason for Jose Fastrunner's imprisonment. There isn't any reason the man couldn't accept that job, at least nothing mentioned in his file. Perhaps I'd better take a closer look at Parker's diary.

Getting up from the desk, Miles went to the coffee maker, poured the remaining coffee in his cup, and started another carafe brewing. Then he went back to his desk, sit down, and took Parker's dairy out of the top drawer. He turned to the first entry and read.

Day 1 in Dragonview:

I arrived in Dragonview this morning. At first, I thought this was a modern metropolitan city, but I was wrong. It may look like a metropolitan area, but it's really a corn-seed country town with all the superstitions and fears I thought that I had left behind in Parker's Landing. Everyone in town, seems to be afraid of Lydia Applewhite, the woman that owns most of the land and buildings in Dragonview.

According to one of the parolees, they think she's a witch with the ability to make people disappear. It always amazes me that people (my wife included) still believe in sorcerers and magic in this day and age. All most every, so called, man in Dragonview trembles like a bird in the mouth of a cat, whenever HER ROYAL HIGHNESS (as they call her behind her back). Well, I'm going to have to put up with these sheep shearers until I can convince Dragonslayer to transfer me to someplace less superstitious. J. P.

"Damn prejudice bastard," Miles shook his head and then took a sip of coffee. "No wonder Parker never advanced to a team leader."

Day 2 in Dragonview:

I met HER ROYAL HIGHNESS today. She came in for the rent money, I give it to her in soft currency rather then hard currency. She ask if my predecessor's request for hard currency had been approved. I told her that paying in hard currency was against company policy and that's why he was transferred. The bitch bought the lie, the truth is that I found the paperwork on his desk when I arrive; he left a note saying to send it in, but, of course, I tore it up.

I will say this for Miss Lydia (that's what she likes people to call her) she is a handsome woman. She must of been real pretty in her younger days. Good looking and rich, now that's my kind of woman; it's too bad that my harpy of a wife won't give me a divorce. Oh well, I didn't tell Miss Lydia I was married and I'm not stupid enough to keep "The Harpy's" picture on my desk, so maybe I can get something on the side. I just have to figure out how to lower her guard. J. P.

Miles got himself another cup of coffee, but instead of turning to the next page he wrapped both hands around the cup and sipped the liquid as he stared fixedly at the office door. The thought struck him that, perhaps it was Miss Lydia with which Parker was having the affair. Her first name did begin with L and when she had picked up this month's rent money, she had inadvertently referred to Parker as Jay.

Still Miles could not believe that Miss Lydia was foolish enough to fall for any line Parker would use. He continued reading each entry. Finally, he came to Day Seven. He got up and poured himself another cup of coffee before reading the entry.

Day 7 in Dragonview:

I visited Jose Fastrunner today. He works on the Applewhite estate five days a week. When I talked to him, he was working in the private garden weeding the herbs. Apparently, Miss Lydia grows her own herbs; Fastrunner said that Miss Lydia chooses the herbs for the garden herself. He said she collect unusual and rare herbs. Maybe I can use that to get past her guard. I wish I knew which rare herbs she doesn't have, but Fastrunner claims not to know the names of the herbs themselves. He says he just knows what not to pull up.

I'll write my mother a letter and ask her to send some of her rarest herbs. Mom has an extensive garden and grows herbs to sell to the local witches. I suppose if you're going to make money off crazy old women selling them herbs is a good way to do it. I haven't written Mom in a long time, so maybe I should send her a selection of the local flora. She should be able to find something she likes.

Miss Lydia wasn't at the estate this morning, Fastrunner said she went to the cemetery to visit the graves of her husband and daughter. I'll have to check that out, perhaps put some flowers on their graves myself. Maybe I'll put a picture of "The Harpy" on my desk and tell Miss Lydia I'm a widower. That ought to pull her heartstrings. Unfortunately, Fastrunner didn't know how her family died. I'll have to do more research before I use the grieving widower line. J. P.

Rubbing his stomach, Miles leaned back in his chair. There was a sour taste in his mouth and he could feel the bile rising to his throat. He did not know how much more of Parker's diary he could read without getting violently ill. He looked at his watch, it was five minutes past noon. He knew he should go to lunch, but he did not want to eat anything at the moment. Opening the right desk drawer he took out some antacid tablets, put one in his mouth, and swallowed it using the last sip of cold coffee in his cup.

Day 8 in Dragonview:

There are two stories about the death of Miss Lydia's husband and daughter. In one story, they were standing in front of a wall when a driver lost control of a car when the breaks failed. The car hit the other side of the wall and knocked it down on the pair.. In the second story, her husband and daughter were in a carriage. They were driving past a wall when a speeding hit the wall and the wall fell down on the carriage, trapping the pair. Before anyone could rescue them they died.

If I could find out which story was true then I could use the other one when Miss Lydia comes for the next rent check. By that time Mom ought to have sent the herbs to me. I ought to buy an onion, just in case I need to cry when I tell Miss Lydia how my wife died. The story has to sound authentic and I have to look like a grieving husband. Perhaps, I'll tell Miss Lydia that I lost my only son.

The combination of the grieving widower and the herbs should lower Miss Lydia's guard. Then I can begin enjoying myself in this corn-seed town. I may as well enjoy myself here because I doubt that Dragonslayer or any other team leader is going to give me a transfer; at least, not one that's over a hundred miles away from my Harpy wife. J. P.

Miles closed the diary and put it back in the top drawer of the desk. He knew he had to read the rest of the entries, but that would have to wait. It was all most mid afternoon and he was supposed to have supper at his Uncle Jake's in about three hours. He knew it would take that long for his stomach to settle.