A Shadow of Death in The Woods (14 page)

Chapter 20

Lydia and The Cat Show Up

Friday came. I spent a large part of the day setting up for dinner. I wanted it to be perfect for a lot of reasons. Primarily, it made me feel good and I needed something to make myself feel good.

I had quizzed Jane and decided that chicken would be a good choice. I was going to present mashed potatoes (of course) with the chicken along with green beans. I had found some “fresh” green beans in the market. The beans were going to be deep fried and then coated with sesame seeds. I went to the liquor store and bought several bottles of wine. One was for making chicken Marsala. The others were for drinking. While at the grocery store I found fresh mushrooms. It makes much better chicken Marsala if the mushrooms are fresh. More flavor.

I was going to bake fresh bread rolls to serve first with real unsalted butter. I would time those so they would be served hot right from the oven.

I was ready.

Bob and Jane drove in and parked. They were a little early. Most people are late but it was their cabin. I had taken off my apron. I thought it would be tacky to greet people in an apron. Especially Lydia. Except Lydia wasn’t there yet.

Jane explained that they just talked with Lydia on the phone. She was only five minutes out and they had rushed over to be here when she arrived. I got the feeling that they didn’t want me to meet Lydia without them being present, which, socially, I guess, was correct.

I discovered that at the mention of Lydia arriving, I was nervous. I couldn’t imagine why. To me she was just another woman but somehow I felt a certain amount of anticipation or even mystery about her finally showing up in person.

Right on the nose a car drove up to The Cabin. Bob went out to help. Soon he came in with a woman, some luggage and a pet carrier. I was not prepared for what I saw. She was nicely built but very tall. She must have been close to six feet tall, maybe more. She had auburn hair with blue eyes. Her complexion was smooth. She was a very beautiful woman.

Bob introduced us. I stuck out my hand. When she took my hand, it felt like a shot of electricity went through my body. This was an extraordinary woman.

She stepped back and continued looking at me. Finally, she said, “My, but you’re a big one. Bob said you were big but he didn’t say you were this big.”

I have found that there are three kinds of woman in the world. Ones that like big men just because they are big. Some who are afraid of big men. And some who don’t care one way or the other. I liked the last category. I couldn’t figure out what category she fit in but in any case I found her deeply offensive. You don’t meet someone and start commenting on their looks in such an analytical and, possibly, negative fashion. You might think it but you didn’t say it. It didn’t bode well.

Just to be nice, I smiled and said, “What you see is what you get.”

She said, “Well, I don’t want any.”

Now it was even worse. I decided to shut up.

She bent down and opened the pet carrier. Out came the ugliest cat I had ever seen. He was huge and I was tempted to make a comment about his size but decided instead to be nice. Besides the cat had not offended me. She had. Why pick on the cat? The cat was an orange tiger cat with many battle scars. I guess technically that made him a tabby. His head was huge. He came out of the carrier, looked around, acted like he didn’t like what he saw and disappeared in The Cabin.

I asked if he had a name and was told that it was The Cat. I found that amusing since I called my ex-wife Kat. Once again I decided to keep my mouth shut on that point. I was beginning to learn.

I did point out that dinner would be ready in ten minutes if everyone could get ready by then. Lydia wanted to know what we were having. It was another rude move on her part. I was having a hard time figuring her out. It had been a long time since I had met such an obnoxious person. I had the feeling that she was doing it on purpose for some effect. I was sure she knew better. Maybe she was trying to get a rise out of me.

I stuck to neutral ground and said that if she got ready she could shortly find out by sitting down at the table.

We finally got seated and I served the food. The table conversation went well and for a nice change Lydia was not offensive. For dessert I had baked an apple pie and served it with a slice of sharp cheese. The pie had come out very nice if I say so myself.

After dinner Bob suggested we go into the library. I started cleaning up the table and Jane gave me a hand. I noticed that Lydia made no move to help. Jane and I quickly got everything cleaned up and the dishes in the dishwasher.

We joined Bob and Lydia in the library. As usual Bob had an agenda. He tried to get Lydia and me to exchange information to see how much we had in common. Lydia was having none of it. She only wanted to dig at me whenever the opportunity presented itself and she made sure it presented itself often. I was getting tired of it and her. What was her problem anyway?

I was sitting in a large leather-covered chair wide enough to comfortably accommodate my frame. I had several brandies and was trying to ignore Lydia when I sensed someone watching me. I looked around and spotted The Cat looking at me. Cats don’t generally look you in the eye. They consider eye contact to be offensive. True to form Lydia’s cat looked directly at me. In fact he stared at me. I thought it well that I wasn’t going to be at The Cabin long. I was glad to note that she and her cat would be leaving Sunday so she could go back to teaching at a university. I didn’t know what The Cat did. Probably stared at people.

I decided that at least I would not be rude. I stopped looking at The Cat. At the same time I tried not to look at Lydia and I tried to avoid the conversation. Bob kept pestering me to join in. Thus preoccupied I didn’t see The Cat move. I sensed something near my leg. I looked down and it was The Cat. He reached up with his paw and gave my pants a yank and softly meowed. I thought how strange his soft meow was. I realized he was telling me he was coming up on my lap. I knew that if he missed, he would shred my leg so I reached down and helped him up. While this was going on I wasn’t paying any attention to Lydia. When The Cat got on my lap, Lydia started having hysterics. She said that The Cat was mean and didn’t like strangers. Bob and Jane just stared. Lydia started toward me to get The Cat. I could just see myself getting scratched real good so I told her it was okay and to stay away. Much to my surprise and amusement she obeyed.

I took my hands off The Cat as soon as he got on my lap. Cats don’t like to be held much. I petted him a little and let him walk around my lap a few times. Then he lay down and started bathing. Lydia’s eyes bulged out. She claimed she had never seen The Cat behave this way.

I like cats. Cats are noble creatures. They are an interesting combination of curiosity and caution, wanting people around but seemingly aloof, wanting to be independent but depending on people for survival. It takes a lot of understanding to get along with a cat. Like I said, I like cats. I like to have them around but I don’t handle them unless I sense that they want petting. Cats generally like me because I like them and I respect them. I don’t paw at them and I don’t try to “play” with them, digging their bellies. Most cats hate that and view it as an attack. I watch for the cat signals and we get along.

I thought well at least the evening wasn’t a complete loss. I had made one friend, The Cat.

Lydia, though, I was afraid was going to be more trouble than she was worth. I was sorry that she was going to be at The Cabin. She was a big disappointment. I would just have to do my best to stay out of her way. Thankfully The Cabin was huge so that was not so much of a problem. While she was in residence, I would stay mostly in my apartment.

I could see that Bob was frustrated with the evening. For some reason he really wanted Lydia and me to get along. Perhaps if he hadn’t tried so hard, it would have gone better.

Bob and Jane went home, leaving me with Lydia. I immediately went to my apartment without saying a word to Lydia.

I got ready for bed. I sat in an easy chair, reading a bit before getting in bed. While sitting there, I heard a faint scratching and a loud meow. Curious, I opened the apartment door and in came The Cat. He rubbed my leg and purred. He then started a systematic investigation of my apartment. I figured once he was satisfied he would leave my apartment. I sat down to read some more and The Cat disappeared.

I got sleepy and decided to go to bed. I looked for The Cat and didn’t see him. I left the apartment door open so he could leave when he wanted and headed to bed. Much to my surprise The Cat had beaten me. He was already in my bed. I picked him up to throw him out. He let out a deep growl that let me know if I wanted to live peacefully, I should leave him alone. I put him back down on the bed. He looked at me as if I had made a serious social faux pas.

I got in bed. The Cat got up close to me and lay so he was up against my leg. I didn’t know just how this was going to work out but I was tired and went to sleep.

Chapter 21

Lydia I Hellfire

Lydia got up early Saturday morning. She didn’t usually get up so early on weekends but she was upset. She didn’t like the stranger. He had no right to move into The Cabin. She wanted to be alone. It was bad enough that Bob and Jane rented The Cabin to people but that was business. She could understand that. Besides the renters always kept their distance and things worked out fine. Usually the renters went out each day skiing or whatever and that made it even better. This new stranger wasn’t a renter. He didn’t belong here.

He was some kind of “special” friend of Bob and Jane’s. Well, that didn’t make him her friend. She didn’t want a friend. And he was a man. She was even less interested in a man. And he was so huge. She had ever met a man so big. He was tall, which was okay, but then his muscles seem to bulge through his clothes. It wasn’t attractive at all. He looked like an ape, except he wasn’t hairy. He really irritated her.

She knew it wasn’t rational behavior on her part but so what. It was the way it was.

Then to top it all off she couldn’t find The Cat this morning. That had never happened before. She had a cat door so he could explore The Cabin but he always slept in her apartment.

She went down the hallway to find The Cat. She was passing the stranger’s apartment when she noticed that his door was open. She was standing there gaping for no reason when the stranger appeared wearing a pair of jeans and a T-shirt that looked way too small for him. He looked even bigger than he did last night. He seemed big enough to completely fill a doorway. She was horrified and let out a small scream.

He looked alarmed and confused. He finally said, “How may I help you, Lydia?”

She was stunned and couldn’t think what to do. She heard herself saying, “Don’t call me Lydia. Call me Ms. Harding.”

“Okay, Ms. Harding, how may I help you?”

“Why is your door open?”

“To keep The Cat from scratching on it. Last night he scratched on it until I opened the door so I left it open.”

“You have my cat?”

“Well, he was around here some place. He might have left.”

Lydia was beside herself with an anger she didn’t understand. She blurted out, “Why are you stealing my cat?”

“Whoa. I am not stealing anyone’s cat. He came here on his own volition.” He decided he better not tell her the cat slept on his bed. I wasn’t sure what might happen but it wouldn’t be good.

She snapped, “You leave my cat alone. And you should close your door.”

“Well, Ms. Harding, he was going to wreck the door by scratching on it. He was meowing and keeping me awake.” That wasn’t strictly true but he needed every defense he could find. Besides it sounded like it was true. It was almost true. This woman was nuts, completely nuts.

Lydia didn’t know what to say so she asked for her cat. The stranger looked around for The Cat and found him on the sofa. He said, “There he is. Go ahead and take him.”

“I am not coming in your apartment!”

For the first time Jack could see that she was afraid. He said, “Look, I will not harm you in any way. You are safe here.”

“I’m not coming in your apartment!”

“Okay. I’ll get The Cat if I can and give him to you.” He got The Cat and thought he might lose a hand in the process. The cat wasn’t interested in being moved at the moment. He finally got him to the door without injury to either of them. Lydia grabbed him and left in a hurry.

Lydia was shaking like a leaf when she got back to her apartment. She closed the door and locked the cat door so The Cat couldn’t get out. She didn’t know why she was so afraid. The stranger hadn’t done anything wrong but she just didn’t like him and she didn’t like the fact that he was living here. And he was a man, a big one.

She felt tears rolling down her cheeks. Her life was fragile and this stranger was pushing her to the edge. She decided to call Bob.

Bob answered his phone. For a minute he couldn’t understand what she was saying. It was something about someone stealing her cat. That didn’t make any sense. Who would want to steal that ugly animal? Finally, he got her calmed down enough so he could figure out she was talking about Jack. Jack had stolen her cat.

There is a lot of uncertainty in the universe but one thing Bob knew for sure was that Jack didn’t steal her cat. There had to be another side to the story but he couldn’t get one out of Lydia. She was hysterical.

He jumped in his car and drove over. Lydia answered her door. She, of course, wouldn’t let him in her apartment. No one ever went in her apartment. She even did her own plumbing repairs. He talked with her at the door. She looked terrible. He couldn’t believe that things had gotten this bad in one night, not even twelve hours. He got her calmed down after he promised to talk with Jack.

“Jack, Lydia says that you stole her cat.”

“No, I didn’t steal her cat.”

“She says that she found her cat in your apartment this morning.”

“Yes, that is true but he came here on his own, uninvited.”

Bob and Jack got the story straightened out after a few minutes. Bob was exasperated. He didn’t see how a cat could cause so much trouble. Well, of course, that wasn’t the real problem. The real problem was that Lydia didn’t want Jack in The Cabin. It put him in a bind. He needed to have Jack stay in The Cabin and he wanted Lydia comfortable.

Bob and Jane had reared two girls. Even as teenagers with raging hormones his daughters were not this bad.

Bob decided to take them both to the library for a talk. However, Jack pointed that it was lunch time and suggested that they have lunch. Bob called Lydia. She wouldn’t come to his apartment until Jack put on a shirt.

Jack thought that a small and reasonable concession. He put on a shirt over his tee shirt and started setting the table for three.

Lydia came in, looking both shy and defiant if that was possible. Jack had made chili and home-baked bread. He put the food on the table and invited Bob and Lydia to eat. It was always best to eat first and talk later on a full stomach.

Bob kept a chit chat going through lunch. After lunch they got down to business.

Jack figured that The Cat was not the issue. The issue was his living in The Cabin so he volunteered to leave The Cabin while Lydia was there. That seemed the simplest solution.

Bob didn’t like it. He turned to Lydia and asked, “Do you think that is a fair solution? Do you think that Jack should have to leave the only home he has so you can stay here alone a few days a week?”

Lydia’s eyes filled with tears. Jack was beside himself. He didn’t want to cause anyone this kind of pain. He could see that Lydia had some deep emotional problems. Jack didn’t want or need to be involved with this kind of situation. He had enough problems of his own without getting involved in her problems.

Bob was clear that they had to work it out. He said, “Lydia, I am asking you to give Jack a chance. I swear that he will not hurt you. I am going to tell you something that you must promise never to tell anyone. Do you promise?” Lydia nodded yes.

“Jack saved my life and he saved Jane’s life. He is a man of honor and he is an Officer-of-the-Club. Jane and I owe him our lives. There is no way I can turn him out. Do you understand that?” Lydia nodded yes.

“Lydia, I swear to you that you are safe with Jack. In fact, you are safer with him here than you are alone. With him around no one will bother you ever. Do you hear me, Lydia?” She nodded again.

With that Bob said he had to go home and that he expected us to get along. They didn’t have to be bosom buddies but they should at least be civil.

*   *   *

Lydia got up and went back to her apartment. She wasn’t happy. It hadn’t gone well. However, it was interesting to learn why Jack was such a good friend. She had no idea what Jack had done.

And he was an Officer-of-the-Club. She was never told exactly what that meant. She knew Mike and Paul were Officers. She believed that it meant that they had done someone in the club a favor, a big favor. She had a hard time believing it but she had a suspicion that it meant that they had killed someone in the process or at least they had put their own lives in danger.

So this explained why Jack got to stay here. It also meant he wasn’t going to leave until he wanted to. She might as well face it and figure out how to get along with him.

She remembered how afraid he made her feel. She analyzed it and realized that Jack had never once done anything threatening to her. He had always been a gentleman. Maybe she had overreacted. Still she didn’t want him here.

The Cat came and jumped up on the sofa, reminding her about The Cat incident. Now that she was calmer she realized that the stranger had been telling the truth. The Cat liked the stranger for some reason. She had seen that in the library. She had never seen The Cat go to a person and get on his lap like that. The Cat must like the stranger a lot. She wondered if this made the stranger more trustworthy. Did The Cat know that the stranger was a good guy?

This brought her back to what Bob had said. She trusted Bob. There were only two men in the world that she trusted: her father and Bob. She had absolute faith in Bob. He said she could trust the stranger. Maybe so. That didn’t make her feel like trusting the stranger but she decided she had to give it a cautious try. She would take it slowly and see what happened.