The Horse Farm - Chapter 2-50

Louise waited for Jo in a cramped but tidy, two-person booth at the salad place.

Jo seemed agitated as she pushed through the glass front doors. Her tight black curls bounced like a pom-pom as she marched in high platform shoes past a queue of customers. Her matching black jacket and skinny jeans outfit sported little silver zippers that shook as she walked. 

Louise didn't know quite how to receive her friend in this state. "Why are you so frazzled today?" 

"Oh, my God!" Jo exclaimed as she slammed her oversized brown leather handbag onto the table. "These people are driving me crazy!"

Louise looked around the room quickly. The walls were bright white with ten-inch chocolate and orange stripes painted horizontally just above table level. 

"They're just waiting in line."

Jo looked back over her shoulder. "Not THOSE people, silly! The people in my office!"

"Oh."

"God, I need to get another job!"

"I thought you LIKED your job," Louise argued.

"Well, I do, sometimes, but not today!"

"Okay," Louise said calmly. "Take a breath. You're here. You're going to be okay."

"Oh, crap!" Jo snapped while waving a hand in front of her face. "Somebody's wearing perfume. Do you smell perfume?"

Louise looked shocked. "I ... I don't smell it."

"Well, it's horrible!"

"I'm sorry, Jo. I can't remember when I've seen you this agitated."

"I am not agitated! Oh, God, it's that smell again!"

Louise slid to the edge of her seat. "It's okay, hon! We can move to another booth."

Jo settled down a bit as she considered the option. "No, it's okay. We can stay here."

"Are you sure? I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"It's okay!" Jo said while slipping her sunglasses into the enormous purse.

"Don't worry," Louise assured her. "We've all had those days. Tell me what's going on!"

"Hmm!" Jo sat back and collected her thoughts. "Well, first of all, the IT department is a bunch of idiots. None of them can fix my computer."

"What's wrong with your computer?"

"It keeps crashing," Jo explained, "and I have a big deadline today."

"That's bad."

"Yeah, and then, my assistant is totally worthless."

"The new one?"

"Yes! The idiot!"

"Does this idiot have a name?"

"Lauren. Lauren the Idiot."

"Okay."

"I just wish that my old assistant would come back," Jo lamented.

"Jason?" Louise asked.

"Jerome. Jerome was the best!"

"Didn't he move to London or something?"

"Barcelona. But I still want him back."

"Okay, so your new assistant is worthless?"

"Yes, Lauren is worthless, and I wish that my boss would put me out of my misery and fire her already. And then there's the art department."

"Oh, what happened there?"

"There's this one chick who does nothing and takes a million days off and gets away with it because she's doing her boss."

"She's doing her boss?"

"We all think so."

"Well..."

"Yeah, well, anyway, that's my life."

"It sounds pretty sucky," Louise said in a ridiculously cheery voice.

"Definitely sucky! So, enough about me, darling! How's your day?"

"Better than yours!" Louise replied with relief. 

"You seem okay," Jo observed. 

"Amazing, isn't it. I'm usually the one with all of the drama."

"See that?" Jo quipped. "I saved you the drama!"

"Oh, well! Speaking of drama..."

"Uh, oh! What happened?"

"Well," Louise explained, "yesterday, Terri picked me up after work..."

"You rode with her to work?" Jo asked.

"Yeah," Louise didn't want to confide that Terri had slept over, so she embellished a bit. "We were thinking about going shopping, and it just worked out that way."

"Okay." Jo suspected that there was more to the carpooling arrangement, but she decided not to push it.

"Anyway," Louise continued, "we stopped by my place so I could drop off my briefcase."

"Yeah?"

"So - and this is where it gets weird - she parks in front of my house. We both get out of the car, and ..."

"Douglas!" Jo gasped.

"How did you KNOW?"

"Because he's the only person in the world who's that conniving," Jo explained.

"Oh, you've got that right!"

"And that CREEPY!" Jo added.

"Seriously creepy!"

"So, what happened?"

"Oh my God! That moment was so surreal!"

"I bet."

"But you know Terri. She's all business."

"What did she do?"

"She told me to go into the house and call Francisco."

"Wow!" Jo exclaimed. "That IS dramatic!"

"Oh, you don't know the half of it."

"Did he come over? Racing in heroically with his Ferrari?"

"Not exactly," Louise clarified, "He came, but later. A lot of other stuff happened first."

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Jo said, apologizing for the interruption.

"It's okay. Anyway, I wasn't sure what to do," Louise went on, "so I also called my neighbor, Jay."

"Marine Corps Jay?"

"Marine Corps Jay."

"Oh, my God, he's hot!" Jo gushed.

"He's in good shape for an older guy," Louise agreed.

"He's in good shape for a YOUNGER guy! - So, what, he came over?"

"No. Walter got there first."

Jo raised a hand to stop Louise. "I'm really confused." 

"I know. I'm not doing a good job of explaining this. Here's how it went. We pulled in. We got out of the car."

"Creepy Douglas was there."

"Creepy Douglas was there," Louise confirmed.

"Terri sent you inside."

"Terri sent me inside, and I called Frank..."

"...who didn't show up."

"Who didn't show up until later," Louise continued. "And then I called Jay. And then Walter came back from his business trip."

Jo brightened up. "Oh, how did THAT go?"

"Let's stick to one story at a time," Louise suggested.

"Oh, yeah! Right."

"So Walter shows up and starts to talk to Douglas."

"Oh, man! Was it tense?" Jo asked.

"Not really," Louise said. "Walter was very calm. I think he was just trying to keep Douglas distracted."

"Oh, good idea!"

"Yeah, and then Jay came over."

"Oh, wow! So like, two against one!"

"Kind of."

"Oh, my God! I can smell the testosterone!"

"Jesus, Jo! Terri's at the mercy of her stalker ex-boyfriend here, and all you can think about is testosterone?"

"Sorry! I mean, I'm really sorry. I wasn't thinking about - you know. I was just thinking that there could have been a conflict."

"Well, luckily not," Louise went on. "Somehow, Jay smooth talked Terri into following him into the house."

"Really?"

"Yeah - I'm not sure exactly how he managed that, but it was slick."

"I bet! And SO heroic!" Jo swooned. 

"Totally."

"Oh, wait! You mean that Walter was left there with the psycho?"

"Yep."

"What happened?"

"Nothing, really," Louise said. "Walter was very calm. He kind of talked Douglas down, and after a few minutes, he just walked him over to his car."

"And the guy just left?" Jo asked incredulously.

"He just drove away."

"So, when did Francisco arrive?"

"About two minutes later!"

Jo became frantic with excitement. "Oh, my God!"

"Yeah, it was a tense afternoon."

"Jesus!" Jo exclaimed. "Poor Terri! She must be a wreck."

"Jo, I have NEVER seen her so shaken. When Frank walked in through the front door, she cried like a frightened toddler."

"Oh, no!" Jo was suddenly overcome with emotion. With the back of her hand, she quickly wiped a small tear from the corner of her eye.

"It was rough."

"Louise, I hate to ask," Jo added.

"Walter?"

"Yeah."

"He's fine," Louise confirmed confidently.

"Thank goodness!"

"We're all fine, except for Terri. She's still a mess."

"I'll bet."

Neither woman spoke for a moment as they pondered the seriousness of the situation. Eventually, Louise broke the silence.

"There's this thing after work with my colleagues. Would you like to go?" 

  

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

The Horse Farm - Chapter 2-49

Francisco inspected the property warily as he guided the Ferrari slowly up the private road. There were no suspicious vehicles on the premises, just the groomer's Subaru, the trainer's Toyota SUV, and the Ford and Chevy pickups that the farm hands drive. 

He parked the bold red car in front of the white doors of the five-car garage. He left it facing the road in case Terri needed him quickly.

Francisco climbed up out of the Ferrari and walked with a mild limp toward the front door of the house. He had strained in his hip the other day while helping the farrier examine one of the two-year-olds. "I need to call the chiropractor," he thought to himself, "after this problem gets settled." 

He pulled a ring of keys from his pocket, unlocked the front door, and entered a code into the alarm system. He set his jacket down on a decorative wooden table and walked through the house to see if anything seemed out of place. The air smelled dusty, but the help had gone for the weekend. Francisco opened two windows and made a mental note to speak with the cleaning lady on Monday.

He followed the white plaster hallway toward the kitchen but stopped to use the toilet near the side coatroom. The smell of leather from his boots and work shoes permeate this shadowy end of the hallway. He dried his hands on a paper towel and closed the door gently. Francisco preferred paper towels; they left his hands feeling cleaner than cloth. 

In the kitchen, he slid an unopened carton of lemonade out from the refrigerator and opened it. He poured a glass and drank it, then poured another. He placed the carton back into the refrigerator and walked toward the office. Pausing for a moment in the large front hall, he looked out over the rolling green hill that sloped gently toward that main road. It was a beautiful day. It was about to become a momentous day.

Francisco headed into the office and eased into the desk chair. He moved some loose mail off to the side of the desk: a bill, a glossy magazine, a community newsletter, and several fundraising requests. He reached downward toward his left and felt a twinge of pain. He swiveled until he found a more comfortable position. 

Unlatching the wood cabinet, he exposed the door to a metal safe. He dialed the combination, opened the safe's door, and removed a gray folder and a somewhat out-of-date-looking mobile phone. He placed the folder on the desktop, reviewed the contents carefully, and dialed a number into the telephone. A woman's voice answered and asked for a customer ID.

Francisco replied: "Three - four - six - five - nine - zero"

The voice was cold and emotionless. "PIN Code?"

"Nine - three - nine - two - seven - one."

"One moment, please."

The voice was warmer when it returned a few seconds later. "He'll be right with you, Mr. Mela. Thank you for waiting."

"Thank you."

Francisco looked at his watch and checked the time against the clock on the wall. The wall clock was one minute behind. He stood and walked over to reset it.

A gentleman came onto the line. His voice was calm and stately with a breathy quality that suggested old age. "It's been a magnificent morning in Devonshire."

Francisco completed the cypher. "The valleys are fragrant with lilac."

"How may I help you today?"

"Did you receive my proposal?"

"We did! Most intriguing."

"Are you amenable to this transaction?"

"We have considered it carefully," the voice replied, "and we feel that it would be in our best interest to accept."

"Do you agree to the terms?"

"We are in full agreement."

"Excellent!" Francisco exclaimed, albeit in a restrained manner. "It's urgent that we move on this promptly."

"The necessary arrangements will be in place no later than tomorrow at noon your time."

"Thank you very much!"

"Do give our best wishes to your father."

"I shall."

"Cheers."

"Goodbye."

The stately voice dropped the line. 

Francisco closed the file and placed it back into the safe along with the telephone. He stood and walked to the window again. All seemed calm.

Francisco pulled another phone from his pocket and dialed a pre-programmed number. When the person on the other side of the call answered, he simply said, "They're ready."

Francisco listened for a moment, then continued.

"Okay, but we need to do this soon, tomorrow or Sunday at the latest. I have bought us a couple of days, but I want this matter closed by Monday."

"That's fine."

"Sunday will work. Yes."

"Okay, call me as soon as you are ready."

"Right."

"Understood."

"Oh, and by the way, Francisco will be staying at the Parisienne for two nights."

"No, he didn't want to go to his mother. I had to come up with something else."

"Yes."

"Yes. Have someone look after him there, two men at all times."

"That's right."

"Well, if this pendejo shows up anywhere near the hotel, they'd better do what they're paid to do. Otherwise, I'm calling the old man."

"No. Nobody wants that."

"Okay. Give me a call."

"I'm ready. The car is ready."

"That sounds good."

"Bueno."

"Arrivederci."

  

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

The Horse Farm - Chapter 2-48

"My dad did something crazy last night!"

"Oh, really?" Isabella joked. "That never happens!

"Funny!" Francisco acknowledged.

"What is it THIS time?"

"I told him we were going shopping," Francisco explained.

"Okay?"

"So, he's like, 'Why don't we get you a hotel room so you won't have to drive back and forth?'"

"That's strange!" she observed. "Which hotel?"

"Grande Parisienne."

"No way!" Isabella's deep, breathy voice betrayed her astonishment.

"I'm afraid so."

"Wow! That place is like..."

"Expensive?"

"I was going to say opulent, but that, too."

"I've never been there," Francisco confided.

"You've never been to the Grande Parisienne?"

"Well, I've been in the ballroom for weddings and stuff. I meant that I've never stayed there."

"Oh, it's amazing! The décor in the lobby is all hand-crafted gold leaf. And they have a bunch of rare art on display and this really ritzy Swiss watch store."

"Well, I guess you're the expert!" he teased.

"Well, I've never stayed there either. My Dad's company used to hold events there. When they did presentations, the hotel would give them a room where they could store their materials."

"Ah, that makes sense."

"When I was little, he used to take me with him. I remember jumping on the beds."

"Really?"

"Yeah! He wasn't too happy about that."

"I can imagine! Anyway, since I have the room, I was thinking that maybe we could have dinner downtown after we shop."

"Yeah! Wow! That sounds nice."

"You don't have... plans?"

"No, he's away - baseball camp, lacrosse camp, something like that."

"Okay, then!"

"Okay, then!"

"Dinner it is!"

"Yay, I'm excited!" she exclaimed. "La Grande Parisienne! C'est formidable!"

"Wow, that's pretty good!"

"Eh, well, I try," she said playfully.

"Well, I am quite impressed."

"Thank you, dah-ling!"

"Are you making fun of my mom again?"

Isabella let out a quick chuckle. "How could you tell?"

"I'll pick you up tomorrow, smarty!"

"Okay!"

"Bye!"

"Bye!"

-

Walter walked past Susan's desk on the third floor; unfortunately, she wasn't in. The chair sat flush against desk as the cleaning people had left it the night before. 

Walter looked toward the lady in the next cubicle. "Is she in?"

"No, Friday," the colleague explained. "She's working from home."

"Oh, okay." Walter's voice sounded slightly deflated.

"You can reach her by email. She's working, just not here."

"That's fine," he said. "I just wanted to thank her for a restaurant recommendation."

"Oh, in Colorado! How was your trip?"

Walter was surprised that Susan's colleague knew about the business trip. He didn't even recall the woman's name.

"It was...busy," he recalled. "There's never enough time to do the fun things."

"Yeah, isn't that always the case?" the lady observed while beaming a broad smile. "If she calls, I'll let her know that you stopped by."

"That's okay," Walter countered nervously. "I'll... stop by next week."

"Okay!"

"Thanks!"

  

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

The Horse Farm - Chapter 2-47

Louise waited for the woman in the next cubicle to leave for her 10 o'clock meeting before dialing Terri. She didn't want colleagues listening in if the incident with Douglas came up.

Terri's voice sounded weak and distant. "Hello?"

"Are you at work?" Louise asked. She had expected Terri to stay home under the circumstances.

"Yeah. I wasn't sure, but I decided to come in."

"Are you doing okay?"

"I am really freaked out," Terri said deliberately, "but there's an important meeting this afternoon."

"Oh, no!" Louise reacted.

"Yeah, and I didn't sleep well either. I kept thinking that the phone might ring and it would be him."

"Oh, my gosh! That's terrible!"

"Why did he just show up like that?"

"I don't know, Terr," Louise tried to assure her. "I don't know."

"It's not fair!"

"It's not."

"Well, anyway, I'll just keep busy and try not to think about it."

"Oh, that's so sad!" Louise noticed Antonio walking in her direction. "Hey, sorry! Can you hold on for one second?"

"Sure," Terri replied in a lifeless voice.

"I'll be right back!"

"Okay."

"Hey!" Louise said to Antonio as he walked past. It was the relaxed, sultry 'Hey' that only people who have been lovers can share, a word that drips with covert emotion.

"Hey!" he responded with a warm smile.

Louise looked up into his piercing eyes. "Um, I just wanted to let you know that I won't be able to make it tonight." She bit her lower lip gently as she wait for his reaction.

"Sure! No problem!" he said. "We talked about this already, right?"

"Right!" she exclaimed. "Just checking."

Antonio looked at the phone in Louise's hand. "I'll let you take your call."

"Okay, sorry!"

"No worries!" he assured her with a smile.

"K - Bye!"

"Ciao! Ciao!"

Louise spoke again to Terri, "So sorry!"

"It's okay. I know you're at work."

"Are you gonna be okay?"

"I'll be fine. Frank's gonna pick me up after work. Maybe go somewhere, out of town - not sure."

"I hope you can get away."

"Yeah, I'm sorry! I know I was supposed to go with you to the dance tonight."

"Oh, no!" Louise assured her. "I actually just... The guy was just here. I told him that I couldn't make it."

"I'm sorry I wrecked your plans," Terri said.

"Don't say that! You didn't do anything!"

"Are you sure?" Terri asked.

"Oh my God, Terri! What you've been through!"

"You could go with Jo."

Louise thought it over quickly. "Eh, I don't think so. Too weird!"

"Okay, well, whatever you decide, I hope you have a good time. I trust you."

"Thanks!"

"And thank you SO much for your help yesterday."

"Oh, of course!"

"And thank Walter..." 

Louise heard Terri's voice break. "Terr? Are you okay?"

Terri was crying now. "Thank Walter for being so brave."

"Oh, Terri!"

"I've gotta go!"

"Of course! I'll talk to you later."

"K!"

"K, Bye!"

Louise was more worried about Terri now than she had been before the spoke. It was so unlike Terri to break down like that at the office. She must have been horribly shaken by the unexpected encounter with Douglas.

Louise dialed Walter's office. "Hi!" he answered.

"Hey, there! How are YOU?"

"I'm doing okay. What's going on?"

"I just talked to Terri."

"Is she doing okay?"

"No, she's a mess! She started crying on the phone."

"Oh, that terrible!" Walter sympathized.

"I think she's still in shock."

"I imagine," he noted. "Do you want to go over and see her after work?"

"Mmm, maybe. She and Francisco might go somewhere, try to get out of town."

"Well that sounds like a good plan."

"How about you? Will you be working late?"

"Not too late. Eight, maybe."

"That's late!"

"It comes with the new job, I'm afraid."

"Can you ask them to un-promote you?"

"You know, sometimes I think about that."

Louise let out a laugh. His comment helped to relieve the tension she felt after speaking with Terri. "Okay, big shot! I guess we'll see you after eight."

"Okay, love you!"

"Oh, wait! I forgot!"

"What?"

"Terri said to thank you for being so brave."

"She said that?"

"She did!"

"Wow! That's really nice."

"I just wanted to pass that along."

"Thanks! I appreciate it."

"Okay, I'll see you tonight."

"See you then."

Louise leaned forward with one elbow on the desk. She scanned mindlessly through her phone directory as decided what to do next. She stopped on Jo's number and decided to call it.

"Hey!"

"Hey!" Jo responded. "What's up?"

"Would you have time for lunch today?"

"Mmm, 12:30?"

"Yeah, I can do that."

"Salads, or...?"

"We can do salad."

"Okay, I'll see you there."

"See you!"

  

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

The Horse Farm - Chapter 2-46

Young Francisco was surprised to see his father sitting in the study this early in the evening. "I thought you went out with Terri."

"We did," his father said looking up from a stack of papers that were shining in the light from his desk lamp. "She's upstairs. She's not feeling well."

"Why didn't you just take her home?"

"We were already here," his father explained. "She'll be okay." He gestured for his son to come closer. "Please, sit. I'd like to discuss something with you."

"Something about the farm?"

"Oh, no!" his father exclaimed. "I just wanted to check in and see how you're doing."

"Fine, I guess."

"Excited about going to university?"

"Well, not yet, but..."

"You know, I was thinking," his father interrupted. "Before you go off and get busy with your studies, maybe you should spend some more time with your mother."

"Uh, I guess."

"You could go this weekend. I'll get you a ticket."

"That's okay, Dad. Mom was just here. I mean, she literally just left."

"Well, I know!" his father argued. "But the two of you really had only the one dinner together. That's not much time."

"It was a nice dinner."

"What I'm saying is, I'm sure that she would have enjoyed the chance to spend more time with you."

"Maybe another time," Young Francisco countered. "I'm going out with Isabella this weekend."

"Oh, where are you taking her?"

"Shopping. She's going to help me pick out clothes for school."

"Oh, that's so nice!" his father remarked. "Well, you know, you could take her with you."

"Take her where?"

"To your mother's. She loves to shop."

"Dad! I am not taking Isabella to see Mom! That's ridiculous!"

"Why is it ridiculous? They get along well."

"Dad! - Hello! - Isabella isn't my girlfriend. She's dating Tommy."

"¡Hijo de puta! Just like his father!"

"Papa!"

"¡Lo siento!" the elder Francisco apologized. "But you know what I mean. That kid's been a jerk since he was four years old. If she marries him, she'll be sorry for the rest of her life."

"I can't say that I disagree, but I'm also not in charge of the rest of her life."

"Okay, I'm sorry, son. Forget about your mother."

"Thank you."

"Where are you two going shopping."

"Downtown."

"Excellent!" his father exclaimed. "Always trust the advice of a woman, Francisco! They usually know best. - Ah! You know, I have an idea!"

His son was becoming impatient now. "What is it?"

"Why don't we book a room for you at the Grande Parisienne? That way you won't have to drive back and forth, and you can take your friend out to dinner."

"Dad! What the heck is going on?"

"Nothing!"

"Don't tell me 'nothing'! The Grande Parisienne?"

"It's a nice hotel."

"It costs an arm and a leg!"

"Your mother likes it."

"Why do you keep going on about Mom? And why is Terri upstairs sleeping when it's not even 8:30?"

His father clenched his jaw tightly and stared back admiringly toward his grown son. This was not going well. It was time for the truth.

He took a deep breath and pushed his chair back away from the desk. "You're right, Francisco. I do have to tell you something.

"Earlier today, after work, Terri ran into her ex unexpectedly. It was a bad situation."

"Were you there?"

"No."

"What happened?"

"He just showed up, even though she made it clear that she didn't want to see him. She hadn't spoken with him since he went to prison."

"Prison?" The young Francisco was stunned. "You mean like a drug dealer or something?"

"Not exactly," his father explained. "White collar crime. Some sort of political scandal."

"You mean like Grandpa?"

"That's enough!"

"Sorry."

"Anyway, the guy is bad news."

"Dios Mío, Papa!" The young man burst into laughter.

"What's so funny?"

"This is the kind of situation that you warn ME not to get into! If I got involved in something like this, you'd disinherit me."

His father smiled and relaxed a bit. "I see your point. I'm sorry, Francisco. I didn't know about any of this when I met her."

"You just asked her out because she's..."

"Yeah!"

"I understand!" his son said approvingly.

"Yes, well... now, unfortunately, we are in the middle of something that I did not anticipate, and we have to take precautions."

"What kind of precautions?"

"To begin with, I don't want you riding your motorcycle until this blows over."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. I'm sorry."

"So, you think this guy is dangerous?"

"I think that he is...unpredictable, like a wounded animal."

"So, how long are we talking about?"

"Not long," his father assured him. "I have something in the works."

"Okay, just don't tell me!"

"Oh, it's nothing like that!" his father assured him.

"So, I guess Grandpa isn't involved."

Francisco, Sr. took a breath. The remark had caught him off guard. "No, he doesn't know about this. I didn't want him to be involved."

"Maybe you should have called him," Young Francisco suggested. "Just in case."

His father paused again, quietly staring off toward an imaginary distant point. "If I don't think that I can resolve this quickly, I shall make that call."

"Well, I'm sure that your plan will work," his son assured him. "They usually do."

"So, can I reserve that room for you?"

"Does it come with a mini bar?"

"I... think so."

"Deal!"

"And no motorcycle for a while. You'll drive the Suburban, okay?"

"As long as you don't need it."

  

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved