Celia's Puppies (2 page)

Standing in the middle of the quiet lane,
she gawked at the US Army General.

“
Shall we continue?” the
General asked.

Each young man took a dog. They separated
out in to a large circle giving just enough space for a quiet
conversation. When the General started running again, she joined
his jogging pace.

“
I wanted to have a
private word with you about Michael Roper,” the General said. “It’s
my understanding that you’ll interview him this week.”

“
Yes, sir,” she
replied.

She cursed herself for not reviewing her
schedule before leaving the house. In her mind, she flipped through
her interviews and shows planned for this week.

Who was Michael Roper?

“
He’s going to tell you a
story that… well, could win you a Pulitzer Prize.”

“
But it’s not
true?”

“
No, ma’am. Michael Roper
will tell you a true story and one that needs to be heard,
especially at this time. However...”

The General fell silent. He seemed to be
choosing his words very carefully.

“
Sir?”

“
I don’t doubt that you’ll
notice a few details in Roper’s story are… fuzzy.”

“
Fuzzy?”

“
Unclear. I’m certain
you‘ll notice he’s covering something or possibly diverting your
attention. He’s not an experienced liar. We expect you might notice
areas of ...”

“
Sir?”

“
Michael Roper is a true
hero. He saved the lives of at least seven men and possibly more.
He suffered unspeakable things during his service and he has never
asked for acclaim or reward. In fact, he says he was just doing his
job. His story is absolutely one hundred percent true, even if the
details are a little muddy.”

“
You’re asking me to
broadcast untruths?” Her voice betrayed her indignation.

The General stopped running. The group of
men and dogs stopped running. A bird’s call broke the sudden
silence in the lane. He turned to look at her.

“
No, I am asking you to
treat a true hero with the respect he deserves. He’s not a public
speaker or even a very good poker player. He’s too straight of a
guy. His story is true and deserves to be heard.”

“
And these
details?”

“
Are
sensitive.”

“
You’re saying he’s been
coached. I’ll notice the coaching because he’s such a straight
forward guy.”

The General started running again. They ran
in silence while she processed his request.

“
I won’t throw national
security at you. However I would not ask if people’s lives were not
at stake,” he said. “We can pull the interview. There was a
suggestion to disrupt the satellite feed during your transmission
of the show. A few well placed individuals, including myself, would
like the world to hear Roper’s story.”

“
With the details
removed?”

“
With a few details
removed.”

“
And the satellite feed? I
don’t want to interview some guy and have it not go
out.”

“
A few high level people
have used their authority to allow the interview with…”

“
A few details removed.”
She finished his sentence.

“
Exactly. These people
will be with Roper when you do the interview. You might notice
them, but probably not.”

“
If I do this, will you
come on my show?” she asked. “Talk about the war? The
soldiers?”

“
You’ve asked
before.”

“
I’ve asked for five
years,” she said.

“
Treat Roper with the
respect he deserves and I’ll seriously consider it.”

She nodded.

“
I need to get back to the
desert,” the General said. “Do we have an agreement?”

“
Yes, sir,” she
said.

The General gave a low whistle and the
soldiers closed the circle. Within moments, she held the leashes of
her dogs. Before they were out of earshot she shouted:

“
Sir?”

The General stopped running and turned in
her direction.

“
Who is Michael Roper?”
she yelled.

“
He’s married to Valerie
Lipson,” he said. Laughing, he added, “Enjoy your
Pulitzer.”

The men picked up the pace. Within moments,
she was alone on the quiet lane. She ran for another mile then
turned for home. Arriving home, her dog trainer took the dogs to
feed and water them. She was about to head upstairs when she saw
something slip under her front door.

Picking it up, she ripped open the manila
envelope to find a single sheet of paper. Near the bottom, scrawled
in a man’s handwriting, was a note that said: ‘For background on
Roper’. The sheet contained ten names, home phone numbers and
private email addresses of top level people in government or
retired military. There was even a curator at the Denver Art
Museum. One name was someone she had begged to interview. More than
once.

Looks like Valerie Lipson's secret husband
was more interesting than she thought.

~~~~~~~~

Monday morning — 8:12 A.M.

“
Ouch! Shit, Blane,” Jacob
said. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

Blane was inserting acupuncture needles
around Jacob’s sutures. When he wasn’t working as Jacob’s
assistant, Blane was a student at the Colorado School of
Traditional Chinese Medicine. Three years into a Chinese Medical
Doctor degree, he had spent the last week researching the right
herbs, salves and points to accelerate Jacob’s healing. Not quite
fluent in Chinese, yet, Blane was a star pupil.

“
Ya ‘cuz,” Blane said with
the mock Hispanic accent he used to drive Jacob crazy. “Dis guy, he
said to try dis thing and I figured...”

“
This hurts,” Jacob
said.

“
You could just take your
pain medication,” Aden said.

“
Fuck you too,” Jacob said
to Aden.

Aden laughed at Jacob. They were sitting in
a small office at the Castle. They had spent the morning making
sure every site manager had what he or she needed to get the job
done today. Lipson Construction was humming like a well oiled
engine.

Except for its President, Jacob Marlowe.

Although healing, his week old shoulder
injury, and multiple surgeries, left him at half his capacity.
Blane thought acupuncture might help accelerate his healing. Or at
least ease some of the desperate pain.

“
Hi,” Jill said. She poked
her head in the door. “Am I interrupting?”

“
Not if you’ve heard a few
swear words before,” Aden said. He opened the door for Jill. “I’m
going to check on my kids. I’ll be back in a few.”

“
Katy wanted to say
‘good-bye’ before she went to school,” Jill said. She came into the
room carrying three year old, Katy, on her hip. Pointing to the
hundreds of needles in Jacob’s shoulder and neck, she added, “Oooh,
that doesn’t look good.”

“
Mommy? He’s touching the
white stuff,” Katy said.

“
The gauze?” Jill
asked.

“
Uh huh. Uncle Blane? Do
you know what you’re doing?”

“
Good question,” Jacob
said.

“
Hi sweetie,” Blane said.
He came around the chair to kiss Katy on the cheek. “I’m trying to
help your...”

“
Daddy,” Jacob
said.

Blane beamed like the Cheshire Cat. He had
been after Jacob about Katy since Trevor abandoned them. He knew
what it was like to be abandoned. And he didn’t want anything bad
to happen to sweet Katy.

“
I’m helping your Daddy
get better.”

“
My Daddy needs help,”
Katy said.

“
Yes, he does,” Jacob
said.

Jacob held his left arm out and Jill set
Katy in his lap. Katy gently hugged him. She kissed his cheek.

“
I have to go to school,”
Katy said.

“
See you this afternoon,”
Jacob said.

Holding Jill’s hand, Katy was almost to the
door when she ran back. She climbed onto Jacob’s lap then whispered
in his ear. Jacob flushed, held her close then kissed her cheek.
She jumped off his lap and ran to Jill. Jill picked her up. Katy
waved ‘good-bye’ before Jill closed the door behind them.

“
What was that?” Blane
asked. He returned to putting needles into Jacob.

“
She said she loved me.”
Jacob’s eyes filled. “It’s like a dream.”

“
I told you. She’s a great
kid,” Blane said. “Ok, one more. That should...”

Jacob felt a whoosh of relief. His pain had
all but vanished.

“
Wow.”

“
They’re both great
girls,” Blane said. “You’re a lucky son of a bitch.”

“
I know. I keep thinking
I’ll wake up and…,” Jacob said. “God, Blane, that’s
great.”

“
We’ll keep them in for
twenty minutes or so,” Blane said. “Then we’ll do it again this
afternoon. When we can, we’ll start some of the salves on those
scars.”

“
Thanks, Blane.
Really.”

“
Well, shit, Jacob,” Blane
said. “You’ve paid for my school, taken care of me when I’m sick...
This is the least I can do.”

“
You’re family,” Jacob
said.

“
Speaking of family,”
Blane said, “your step-sister is waiting to see you. Sorry, I told
her it would be a while. Then I forgot her.”

“
Which
step-sister?”

“
Honey. The awful one is
in Thailand. I made sure she and that tool got on the plane
myself,” Blane said. His face flushed bright red with rage. “Bitch.
Can you believe...”

“
Getting angry only makes
you sick.” Jacob put his hand on Blane’s forearm. “Did Dad give you
the divorce papers?”

“
No, I have them,” Aden
said coming back into the room. “No anger, Blane.”

Blane nodded. He walked to the window to
calm down. The Hepatitis C virus had injured his liver so that
every time he got enraged, he got very sick.

“
Promise me that’s going
to happen for me,” Blane said. “What you have with Jill… what Aden
has with Sandy… that’s going to happen for me.”

“
Celia said when you were
better, you would find love,” Jacob said.

“
And you?”

“
What would I know?” Jacob
shrugged as if he didn’t know what Blane was talking
about.

“
Fuck you Jacob Marlowe,”
Blane said. “You have this gift and you won’t share it?”

“
Sorry, force of habit,”
Jacob said. “I don’t know how to describe what I see. I see you
with a family that is your family. Children, love, and very happy.
But I also see you not sick. No HIV. No Hep C. Nothing.”

“
So it will happen?” Blane
said.

Aden put his hand on Blane’s shoulder. Blane
turned to look at him.

“
He’s saying you will find
love and more,” Aden said. “But first, we have to get you well. No
anger.”

Blane nodded his head.

“
Family problem number
one? Honey Lipson. Or family problem number two? Your father’s
ridiculous divorce papers,” Blane asked.

“
Is Dad still here?” Jacob
asked.

“
I’ll get him,” Blane
said. “Should I get Honey?”

“
Let’s talk to her when
Dad’s here,” Jacob said. “Is she...”

“
She’s been crying,” Blane
said. “She seems very upset.”

“
Family problem number
one.” Jacob nodded.

“
Coming up,” Blane
said.

~~~~~~~~

Coming back from dropping Katy off, Jill
pressed open the side door. The Castle buzzed with activity and
various Lipson employees. She looked longingly at the apartment
door, but turned into the Castle living room. She was supposed
to...

She stopped walking. She had no idea what
she was supposed to do. Time for a mental list.

Laundry first. Move out? She grimaced. She
and Jacob had argued about it last night and this morning. She
thought she should return to her apartment. Jacob begged her to
stay.

Jill sighed.

Groceries? No, they have groceries
delivered. Val asked her to... God, rich people live in some
foreign land. Who knew that groceries could be delivered?

List of groceries! That’s right! Val asked
her to make a grocery list.

She was meeting Sandy at her condo in… Jill
glanced at her watch. She was meeting Sandy in three hours for a
girl’s day of hair styling and...

“
Excuse me,” a woman
wearing inexpensive but professional dress said. “Are you Jill?
Jillian Roper?”

“
I am,” Jill
said.

Lawyer? No, Jacob’s lawyers were expensive.
They’d wear better shoes.

“
Oh great. Mr. Marlowe
said you were coming back...”

“
Here I am,” Jill said.
Jill smiled at the woman.

The woman’s voice was professional but a
little rude. Maybe she was a lawyer.

“
Oh, I’m sorry. I’m
Patti,” the woman said. “I work in Human Resources at Lipson
Construction? Mr. Marlowe has some papers for you to
sign.”

“
Papers?”

“
Insurance papers? For you
and Katherine?”