HOME OF THE RED FOX - Segment Nine

Chapter 41

         His piano repertoire ranged from music played by Artur Rubinstein to Jerry Lee Lewis. One moment he played a magnificent rendition of Chopin’s “Polonaise A-Flat” then suddenly would switch to a rousing “Beer Barrel Polk,” setting every toe in the place to tapping.

         One of Walker’s recruiters had stopped in at a local piano bar while on his travels around the country and stayed for hours listening to the music. Scott Dent, an 80-year-old musician, supplemented his retirement savings by performing his music there to the delight of the many regular patrons and those just lucky enough to wander in for a quick drink.

         The piano itself was old and slightly out of tune, but Scott’s playing overcame this. It also helped that none who listened were concert aficionados. It did not matter if the pianist wore an old tuxedo, shiny from age, but immaculately cleaned and pressed. The music coming from his talented fingers overcame all these drawbacks, taking his listeners away from their everyday cares for at least a short time.

         When asked if he would like to live in a place with a grand piano, tuned to perfection, Scott did not hesitate for even a moment. He was in the limousine with the recruiter the next day. On first entering the mansion’s ballroom and seeing the grand piano on the left side of the stage, he wept tears of joy.

         A week after Scott’s arrival, Walker walked into the ballroom, still reeling from Samantha’s close call with death the day before. He had been at her bedside in the hospital all night until a nurse had ordered him to return home for a hot meal and a few hours of sleep. Instead, he walked to the one room usually empty early in the morning, needing to be alone to sort out his feelings for the woman he had found on his floor, covered in blood.

         As he stood by the doorway, a lovely melody floated down from the piano at the other end of the room. The music played was Grieg’s “Peer Gynt Suite/Morning,” a favorite of his, so Walker decided he would stay for a few minutes to listen. Maybe it would ease the confusion he was feeling. Seeing a few chairs pushed up against the wall, he slowly walked over and sank into one, just planning on listening to one piece before going up to his apartment. Thinking of what was waiting for him up there, Samantha’s blood all over the floor, gave him second thoughts about leaving.

         Time passed slowly. The elderly man up on the stage had noticed Walker come in and continued playing, choosing all upbeat music. When he saw Walker had fallen asleep in the chair, he switched to quieter compositions, trying not to wake him. Scott had seen the worry and exhaustion in Walker when he came in and knew music, at times, soothed a troubled person.

         While Walker slept undisturbed throughout the morning, Jack was at the police station in the next town saying good-bye to Randall. He also had an assignment for the SFPD forensic agent. After the police put Ken Milton into the agent’s rental car for the short trip to the airport, Jack pulled Randall aside.

         He took his cardigan sweater out of a paper bag still containing the bone he had found in the second cavern the day before. “I wonder if you could check for DNA on a bone so old.” Jack showed the bone to Randall, who looked skeptical.

         “I remember all the animal bones down there. What makes you think it’s from a human?” Turning the bone over in his hands, he started to grin. “Ah, I see. No animal wears clothing, at least of its own free will.” The piece of rotted cloth that still clung to the bone intrigued him, and he agreed to check out the bone and get back to Jack with his results. “I’ll check out the bone at my lab, if you promise to let me know how Samantha is doing. You might also give her a get-well kiss from me.”

         Jack started laughing. “Will do, but only if Walker isn’t around.” He, like Randall, had noticed how upset Walker had been at seeing Samantha lying wounded on his floor.

         With final goodbyes, Randall drove off with Ken Milton secured in handcuffs to return to San Francisco. Jack returned to the mansion to check on the children and his two friends. He hoped life at the mansion would settle down to peace and quiet again.

Chapter 42

         The wedding day of Abe Goldman and Sylvia Fisher finally arrived. For weeks, Samantha and Sylvia had their heads together planning the big day. With Samantha firmly ordered by Walker to take it easy once she got out of the hospital, she spent the time in her room with the older woman, researching the details of a Jewish wedding.

         Walker had already arranged for a Rabbi friend of his to officiate at the ceremony and scheduled it in the ballroom on the date they had decided would be best. Abe and Sylvia wanted a small wedding, and they often laughed as they kept refusing Walker’s ideas for a more elaborate one. Their joy at the nuptials was infectious, and people throughout the mansion felt their spirits rising.

         The week before the wedding, Sylvia and Abe had not seen each other, as was customary in the Jewish religion. Although the ceremony usually is outside, the inclement weather forced it to be indoors. Since early November, storms had been almost constant, piling snow up against the sides of the mansion one foot at a time. The ballroom made a perfect background, though, with the traditional canopy up on the stage. The guests joined in on the festivities, dancing to the music of a professional orchestra provided by Walker.

         Jack walked over to Samantha, who was sipping from a flute of champagne. “May I have a dance, milady?” He grinned, “They’re playing your song.” Samantha had to laugh since it was a lively version of Neil Diamond’s “I’m Alive”.

         Putting down her glass, she moved out onto the dance floor on Jack’s arm. Her delicate, pale-green dress of chiffon swirled around her knees as he swung her around in time to the music. The only sign of her recent injury was the matching, embroidered beret, tilted to cover the shaved part of her head. She had been wearing similar headgear during the last few weeks and started a fashion trend in the mansion. Many of the women at the wedding were sporting similar hats, decorated to their individual tastes.

         Even as he danced with the new Mrs. Fisher, Walker watched Samantha and Jack. He remembered how he once felt seeing her leave with Colin for a night of dancing. For some reason, Jack did not inspire any jealousy, not that Walker would admit having that particular feeling. He still wondered, though, what it would be like to dance with her and planned on finding out.

         The chance did not come right away since men with the same idea surrounded Samantha before each dance. It was almost time for the reception dinner when Walker finally caught up with her. He claimed the last dance, scowling at the other men vying for her attention. Putting his arm around her waist, he brought her out to the dance floor as the orchestra started playing a Strauss waltz.

         Slowly, the couple danced around the room, the man tall and elegantly handsome in his tuxedo, the woman graceful in the warm circle of his arm. In her high heels, she could look straight into his eyes. Samantha found his mouth intriguing, though, as if she had never seen it before. When he smiled at her, she noticed for the first time one of his bottom teeth was slightly crooked, something she found oddly erotic. For some reason, it was reassuring to know he was not as perfect as she always thought he was.

         “Are you enjoying yourself?” Walker’s question broke into her thoughts. He looked at her sudden blush wondering what he had said to cause it. “The wedding went off well, don’t you think?”

         Suddenly tongue-tied, all Samantha could do was nod agreement. Much to her relief, a headwaiter announced it was time for dinner. The rest of the evening passed quickly, with Samantha determined to keep Walker at arm’s length to avoid further thoughts like those she had on the dance floor.

         It would not do for her to enjoy his arms holding her as she did while dancing with him. He was just her boss after all, nothing more.

Chapter 43

         Before he did anything else, Walker removed the wooden door.

         He and Jack took it off its hinges to lean against the cavern’s wall for discarding outside later. Walker vowed never again would anyone be trapped, as he and the other two men had been a few weeks ago.

         With Samantha on the mend and back running his mansion most capably, Walker was at sixes and sevens with nothing to do one morning. After breakfast, he dragged Jack back down into the cavern, determined to explore the underground area more thoroughly. Joshua had begged to come along, but for once Walker was firm with his young ward.

         “I heard from Conrad, your math teacher, you’ve been goofing off in class.” He had temporarily arranged home schooling for the two children by a few of their surrogate grandparents. Each adult would teach Joshua and Sue Beth a subject about which they were most knowledgeable. Walker planned on setting up a more permanent regimen starting in January. This left about a month and a half to find qualified teachers from the outside, giving his team of recruiters an extra job to do.

         “But, Mr. Walker, his class is so boring,” Joshua said, with an uncharacteristic whine. “At our school in San Francisco, we learned years ago what he’s covering now.” The two children had been attending a school for exceptional students until the time of their mother’s murder.

         Randall, on his visit to the mansion, had filled Walker in on the horrifying details of the children’s ordeal. He realized his wards needed more intellectual stimulation than any of his older guests could provide and became more determined to find qualified teachers for them. “Listen, Joshua,” he begged, “just humor me and behave in your classes. Conrad is doing his best, and right now it’s your job to make him feel useful, okay?”

         “I don’t understand.” The young boy did not yet realize everyone needed to feel useful, especially the older people brought to the mansion. Pushed aside by the younger generation and often told they were redundant, many of them felt useless, someone who just took up valuable space and oxygen. Walker instinctively knew which of his guests felt that way. He knew he must find a way to show them they still had a lot to contribute.

         “Joshua, trust me. You’d be doing me a big favor if you and Sue Beth would just be patient for a few more weeks.” Walker knelt to look the boy straight in his eyes. “When we make the caverns a bit safer, I promise I’ll take you and your sister down for a full tour.” He smiled suddenly. “We’ll make it a special occasion for Samantha. Her birthday is coming up, and you can be her escort. What do you say?”

         The adult responsibility of being her escort appealed to his still developing male ego. “All right, I’ll go back to class. When is her birthday, anyway? How old will she be?”

         “March 12th, four months from now.” Walker shook his head at the boy’s second question. “Sorry, kid, ladies never reveal their ages, nor do the men who care for them.” Standing up, he watched in satisfaction as Joshua ran off to rejoin his sister. The too-quiet child was turning into a typical boy for his age, seeing how far he could push the rules. His sister, two years younger, remained the sweet little girl she had always been. Walker knew even she would probably change in time. He would miss her hugs, painful though they were at times, when she outgrew them.

         With the problem of Joshua settled, he continued down into the cavern, where Jack immediately started pounding at the door hinges. Between them, they removed the door and stood for a few minutes taking in the beauty of the cavern.

         Finally, Jack looked at Walker, itching to get going. “Where do we start? Your pool or my bone yard?” The other man pointed to the right tunnel leading to the area he had explored.

         “Wait until you see what I found. This way first.” Walker was like a little boy about to show off to a friend. He watched Jack’s face as the two of them came out of the tunnel into the smaller cavern and saw Jack’s eyes go wide with excitement.

Chapter 44

         While the two men were underground exploring, Samantha came down to the entrance room at the request of the desk clerk. Waiting for her was a short, obese man, holding a stuffed briefcase and sweating profusely. Samantha shook his damp hand and led him over to the conversation area. She sat down on a chair while the man went to the sofa and sank deeply into it.

         “Ms. Ward?” the man asked in a slightly nasal voice, “I’m here as a representative of Ms. Monica Van Buren, daughter of the Cochrans. Here’s my card.” He got up to hand Samantha a business card with Luther Black, Attorney-at-Law printed on it, then returned to the sofa.

         “Yes,” she said politely, “what may we do for you?” After discovering the abuse of the parents by their daughter, Samantha had helped the elderly couple when they went to the police to have a temporary restraining order placed against their daughter. The TRO was still in effect months later, and the lawyer was the first contact they had with her. Samantha suddenly realized she never did tell Walker about any of Monica’s deceit. His illness had pushed the need to tell him out of her mind. He had never questioned why Monica did not return to visit her parents or see him again, and Samantha was more than happy not to bring it to his attention.

         “I need to serve some papers on Dan and Rose Cochran.” The man fumbled around inside his briefcase and pulled out some legal forms. He thumbed through them not once but twice, a look of annoyance crossing his face. After returning the papers to the briefcase and putting it back at the end of the sofa, he stood up once again. “I need to go back to my office for something and can be back in half an hour or so.” Before he headed for the front door, he added, “May I request the Cochrans be here when I get back?”

         “Of course,” she replied, still politely. She watched the man leave, and then looked at her wristwatch. It showed 12:20, time for the noontime meal in the nearby dining room. Most probably, she would find Dan and Rose eating there.

         People walked by the conversation area on their way to the dining room. Others passed by on their way to the other side of the large room to play in the various game and hobby rooms. The minute hand on the clock behind the reception desk moved to 22; the second hand started its next sweep of the clock.

         Samantha stood at the door of the dining room looking around for the Cochrans. Many of the diners greeted her as she walked across the room to where she saw the couple eating. Finally reaching their table, Samantha sat down and explained why she was looking for them. When a waiter came over to their table, she decided to grab a quick lunch while waiting for Luther Black to return. If he came back while she ate her lunch, the desk clerk would let her know on her cell phone. The waiter left with her order, and Samantha tried to relax, knowing the conversation with the Cochrans and their daughter’s lawyer would probably be uncomfortable, to put it mildly.

         Out in the entrance room, the clock’s now showed 12:25. The room slowly emptied of people walking through. Just the clerk was left standing behind the desk with one or two people waiting for the elevator on the opposite side of the room. The elevator arrived. As the people got on to ascend to their rooms on the second and third floors, the clock was at 12:27.

         Knowing Samantha usually had many important tasks, the kitchen staff gave her order priority. The waiter delivered her tuna salad and tall glass of ice tea just as the clock in the entrance room moved to two minutes before half past 12. As she took her first sip of tea, the second hand rotated one more time leaving one minute to go before it reached 12:30.

         With the entrance room nearly empty of guests and staff, the desk clerk decided this would be a good time to take his own lunch. He slowly walked away from the desk and down the corridor past the guests’ kitchen to the dining room, thinking of what he would order. The hour hand on the clock at the deserted desk stayed on the 12 while the minute hand moved to the 29 mark.

         Slowly, the second hand started its next circle around the face of the clock, ticking off 10, 20, and 29. After passing the minute hand, which was still on 29, the second hand then started up the clock to the waiting hour hand at the top. The minute hand slowly inched its way to the bottom of the clock as the second hand passed the 35 and the 45 marks on the clock.

         Across the room, the elevator descended from the third to the second floor with staff coming down for lunch. When it was between the second and first floors, the second hand on the clock went past the 55 mark, then 56, and 57. In three seconds, it would finally be 12:30. The elevator reached its destination, and the doors started opening to let out its occupants.

         Exactly at 12:30, all hell broke loose in the entrance room.

Chapter 45

         “Jack, what do you think of my pool? Can we fix it so our guests can use it?” Walker looked over at the waterfall with the large icy pool at its bottom. He kept quiet as he watched Jack walk back and forth along the pool’s edge and kneel to feel the temperature of the water.

         “Unless you want several heart attacks on your hands, we’ll have to heat the water.” Jack ran his hand along the sharp edge and continued, “The edges here need smoothing out, too.”

         “Can we do it?” Walker held his breath, hoping his idea man would come up with how to do it. “Also, what about permanent lighting? I can’t see handing out flashlights like these whenever someone wants to come down here, can you?”

         “Not really,” said Jack, his mind obviously on solving the logistical problems. “We can easily run lines down here for recessed lighting. That’s not a problem at all. I’ll have to think about how to heat such a large pool. I’m sure we can do it, though.” He next walked over to the ledges, carved out by centuries of water seeping through the limestone.

         “Your guests and staff will love it once we’re done, Walker.” He smiled at remembering Walker’s promise to have the place ready for Joshua. “Two months is more than enough time to get it ready for Samantha’s birthday.” The men walked around the cavern discussing what needed doing, with Jack making copious notes on a notepad. With a tape measure Walker had thoughtfully brought with him, Jack took the measurements of the cavern.

         Meanwhile, Walker explored the farthest reaches of the cavern, which he had not done on his initial visit. No tunnels went out of it, but he found a pathway leading behind the ledges wide enough to convert into a possible private changing area. He called Jack over, and they marveled at what a find the area was. More measurements made it to Jack’s notepad before Walker glanced at his watch. The rumbling of his stomach reminded him breakfast was a distant memory. He walked back out by the pool, slowly followed by his friend. Jack continued looking around while he calculated what he needed to do in the next two months.

         “How about continuing figuring out what’s needed here up in my apartment? We can have something brought up for lunch.” Before Jack could answer, the rumbling in Walker’s stomach turned into a more violent rumbling and shaking of the cavern. A loud explosion from somewhere above them shocked the men. They turned towards the pool at the sound of water sloshing out over the rim.

         “Let’s go,” shouted Walker, as loose limestone started falling down on them. Not wanting to be trapped underground for a second time, Jack did not hesitate and ran behind his friend down the long tunnel. Entering the initial cavern, they found wood from the long staircase falling down, partly blocking their way out. They also noticed light coming through where before there had been none. Something had taken out a chunk of the wall between the staircase and the corridor outside the kitchen on the first floor.

          Between that hole and the opening to the cavern, however, the two men saw the flight of stairs covered with almost impassable debris. Any misstep over it, while trying to climb to freedom, would result in a broken bone or worse.

Continued in next segment.

HOME OF THE RED FOX - Segment Ten  (18+) Chapters 46 thru 50 #1082905 by J. A. Buxton