Elizabeth's Daughter (22 page)

  She struggled him out of his shirt. There was a business card in his pocket. “Michelle Stone
–
San Diego Coast Real Estate.”

  “Well, at least it looks like he started out legit, in San Diego, with a real estate agent.” She took the shirt downstairs to the laundry, and showed the business card to Gail.

  “Should I look into this?”

  “It depends on what you’re prepared to find out,” Gail advised.

  “Yes. Well. I guess I won’t really know that until, perhaps, the damage is done.”

  “Then....”

  “On the other hand, how much upset does this household have to tolerate?”

  “Also a valid point,” Gail agreed.

  “There he is, passed out, drunk, after being out all night. And he says he refuses to work any longer. So what am I supposed to do with him all day around here?”

  “Something tells me that’s not likely to be the problem.”

  “Yes. I know what you mean. I suppose I’d better call Edna and tell her his highness won’t be in.” She dialed the office. “Hello, Edna, this is Elizabeth. Tony won’t be in the office today.”

  “So what’s new? He wasn’t in yesterday, and he ran in and out of the door the day before. But you might remind him that he has a couple of closings that he’s going to completely lose if he doesn’t do some work.”

  “Really? Why don’t I know about this?”

  “How should I know? You’re the one married to him.”

  “That’s right, Edna. I believe I’ll come in and see if I can organize things a bit.”

  After she hung up, she turned to Gail. “He’s got closings he’s about to lose. I think he’s falling apart before our very eyes. I’m going to the office. I hope he just stays unconscious for the rest of the day.”

  When Elizabeth got to the office, she went into Tony’s office and closed the door. She ended up spending the day on the telephone trying to appease a slew of buyers and sellers and other real estate agents.

  When she felt she had everything as much under control as she could get it, she pulled out Michelle’s business card and dialed the number.

  “Hello, yes, I’d like to talk with someone regarding a real estate deal I heard of from a friend.”

  “What was the property?”

  “That’s what I don’t know. This agent talked with my friend and my friend told me it was a great deal. Or so his friend, this agent’s name was Tony I think he said, told him. Up here in Orange County.”

  “Oh, yes, I remember Tony,” the voice on the telephone said.

  Women always do, Elizabeth wanted to say. But she held her tongue.

  “I believe that’s Michelle Stone’s activity. One moment please.”

  Directly a kittenish voice came on the line. “Michelle Stone speaking.”

  Elizabeth went through her little speech again. Michelle sounded a bit surprised. “I believe Tony is interested in the property for himself.  He sure wasted no time talking about it to other people. I mean, he just looked at the condo yesterday and he, ahm, left San Diego this morning.”

  Elizabeth shook her head. Well, this was all the information she needed to learn. That she hoped she wouldn’t hear.

  “Yes,” Elizabeth answered. “My friend just called me. See, I’ve been looking for a place in San Diego. Apparently my friend got the impression from this Tony that there were other condos available there.”

  “I could check into it,” Michelle said sweetly. “If you’ll give me your number, I’ll get back with you this evening.”

  Might as well go all the way, Elizabeth thought. She gave Michelle the home number. “But please don’t call before six.”

  Elizabeth was gambling that Tony had not given Michelle his home number.

  “All right. And who am I speaking with?”

  “Ask for Gail, “ Elizabeth said. “I’m looking forward to your call.”

  That evening while they were finishing dinner the telephone rang. Elizabeth got up and answered it.

  “It’s for you, Tony.”

  Tony went across the room and took the receiver.

  “Hello? Ahm... no, of course I’m not Gail.”

  Elizabeth studied him while he talked. He turned and gave her a peculiar look, then looked away. “How’d you get this number? Yes, it’s Tony. Gail did?” He looked at Gail.

  Gail, confused, gave him a lost look in return.

  “Yes, go ahead and give me the details,” he said, not writing anything down. “I’ll talk with you later. After I discuss this with Gail. Bye.”

  He hung up and came back to the table, his brows lowered and eyes narrowed.

  “Gail,” Elizabeth said, “why don’t you take Amy out to 31 Flavors for ice-cream.”

  Gail looked at Elizabeth quizzically. “Are you sure?”

  “Quite sure. Never mind clearing the table.”

  “Well, if you’re certain.” Gail stood and took Amy out of her high chair. “Come on, baby, let’s go get some ice-cream.” She put a little jacket on her.  “We’ll be back in half-an-hour. Okay?”

  “That’s fine, Gail,” Elizabeth agreed.

  After they’d left, Elizabeth turned to Tony. “Suppose you tell me the significance of Michelle in your life.”

  “She’s a real estate agent, with some really special deals on some remarkable property. My God, Elizabeth, this jealousy thing of yours has got to stop. It’s absolutely impossible to live with.”

  “Are you telling me I’m wrong about this woman?”

  “That all depends on what sort of delusion you’ve worked up about her.”

  “The ‘delusion’ that you spent last night with her.”

  “Yes,” Tony nodded vehemently, “That’s about what I expected of you.”

  “Why are you looking to buy a condo in San Diego?”

  “What makes you think I’m buying a condo, just because I talked with another agent about some property?”

  “Because that’s what she told me.”

  “She did not.”

  “Tony, she told me that you were looking for a condo for yourself. She also, inadvertently, I’ll admit, told me you spent the night with her.”

  “That’s the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever heard. What woman would tell a wife that she’d spent the night with her husband?”

  “She didn’t know she was talking with a wife. She thought she was talking with a potential client. But she was very puzzled how I knew about the property through a third party just a short time after you left her. And she couldn’t understand why you would be advertising a property that you wanted for yourself.

  “You know what’s strange?” Elizabeth went on, “I feel sympathy for her. I know you didn’t tell her you’re married. And the poor thing’s no doubt ga-ga over you. Like women always are... at first.”

  “So you’ve put it all together, have you?” Tony sneered.

  “I guess I have, “ Elizabeth said calmly, although her heart raced. She’d hoped desperately that somehow Tony would tell her something to convince her that she was wrong. But she could see that it was not to be the case.

  “Tony, I want you out of this house. I want you out of my life as well, but we’ll start with first things first. I loved you, that is, I tried to love you. But you just wouldn’t let it happen. It seems you can’t recognize love. However, I’m not about to lose any more of my life over you.”

  “Just calm down, Elizabeth. I’m not going anywhere. Not permanently, anyway. You’re my wife, this is my home and I’m not leaving. Besides, aren’t you afraid of losing your precious Amy?”

  “Not anymore, no. And even if they were to take her away from me, because of you, it would be better than her being around your influence. Or lack of it. You don’t care about her at all. Now, please, just go pack and
get out
.”

  “You would actually kick me out on the street?” Tony tried to put on a wounded look. “Where would you have me go?”

  “San Diego was good enough for you last night. And Michelle must be dying of curiosity about what’s going on. Who Gail is, for instance.”

  Elizabeth started clearing the table. “I’ve found myself wondering all day, how may times, how many women you’ve been involved with since I’ve been with you. Goodness, Tony, you’re very sloppy about it, aren’t you? I guess you think I’m remarkably stupid. Or desperate. But I’m neither.”

  “Stop clearing the table!” Tony shouted.

  Elizabeth ignored him and carried a stack of plates into the kitchen. She returned and piled up another stack.

  “I said, stop doing that!” Tony rushed toward her, slapping the dishes from her hands. They went flying, crashing into the wall and floor. Then he hit her in the face so hard she crumpled to her knees, broken china cutting into one of her knees and her right hand.

  Shocked, she tried to stand, blood ran from her hand and oozed through her slashed jeans.

  Gail came in the back door.

  “Oh my God! What’s going on?” she cried.

  “Don’t let Amy see...” Elizabeth said.

  “I can’t stand this!” Tony yelled, bolting from the house. He ran outside and jumped in his car, tires squealing for a block.

  “It’s too late,” Gail said. “She’s already seen. We have to get you to the hospital.”

  Gail hurriedly grabbed towels and made compresses on Elizabeth’s hand and knee after checking to make sure there was no glass in them.

  “What happened?” she asked while she administered to Elizabeth. Amy stood by, eyes as round as little moons, trembling.

  “It’s all right, Amy, “ Elizabeth said. “Mommy’s okay. I just fell down and got an owie. We’re going to go for a little ride, so why don’t you go find a cuddle toy to take?”

  Amy toddled to her play pen, and reached for her two elephants through the bars.

  “I faced him about this Michelle person. He didn’t deny it. Then I started clearing the table and he told me to quit. But I didn’t and he knocked the dishes out of my hands and... I slipped and fell on them. Can you believe he was actually willing to go so far as to buy a condo so that he could go down there and play without distraction? No doubt with my money, too.”

  “Awful, awful,” Gail hissed. “Poor Elizabeth! What an awful man!”

  “Even so, Gail, even now, I feel sorry for him. Because he doesn’t know what’s he’s doing. He simply doesn’t have a conscience. He’s not all right.”

  “All the more reason to be frightened of him, Elizabeth! Who knows what he’ll do next?”

  Amy came back to Elizabeth and cuddled up against her, an elephant’s ear in her mouth.

  “I’ll feel sorry for him,” Elizabeth said, putting her left arm around Amy. “But I will not tolerate him frightening my daughter.”

  While they waited in the hospital, Gail looked at Elizabeth in the light. “Look at that, a black eye! He hit you in the face?”

  “A black eye?” Elizabeth asked, surprised. “Really? How can I go to work with a black eye? Does it look very bad?”

  “It’s going to be a real work of art, from the looks of it. Poor girl, you must have one heck of a headache.”

  “Well, I do, now that you mention it. I was too preoccupied with the pain in my hand and knee to notice it.”

  Gail jumped up and, with Amy on her hip, got an ice pack and some aspirin and a glass of water from the nurses and brought them back to Elizabeth. “We have to tell the police. You can’t let him hit you.”

  “Oh dear. No, Gail. Please, let’s not. I mean, I’m just no ready to try and sort out anything more right now. The police will take hours. And I really
so
just want to go to sleep.”

  Gail acquiesced, but not happily.

  They returned late from the hospital, Amy in Gail’s arms, dead asleep, Elizabeth stitched and bandaged, leaning on Gail on the other side. They entered cautiously, but there was no sign of Tony.  “I wonder if I can impose on you to call a locksmith,” Elizabeth said. “I want the locks changed right now.”

  “I’m in complete agreement.” Gail called a twenty-four hour locksmith. “He’ll be here in an hour.”

  “I hope Tony doesn’t came back before then.”

  “If he does, I
will
call the police,” Gail said. “And, again we should anyway.”

  “If we have to, yes. But for now, I’d rather not. If Tony comes now, then yes.”

  Gail nodded.

  “Oh, Gail!” Elizabeth started to cry. “I just can’t take any more. So much had been going on. You don’t even know what all’s been going on.”

  “Don’t worry, Pet. You don’t have to tell me things I already have a good idea about. Don’t worry. We’ll get him out of your life.”

  “I feel horrible about putting poor little Amy through this.”

  “She’ll be all right. She knows we love her.”

  “And I have several appointments tomorrow. Tony has fouled up on three closings. How can I have meetings with a black eye? I don’t even know if I can drive with my hand like this. Honestly, Gail, a black eye is not business-like.”

  “You could say you were in an automobile accident. Just take tomorrow off, Elizabeth.”

  Black eyes get worse looking for a few days instead of better, don’t they?”

  “If blacker is worse, then yes.”

  Elizabeth sighed, resigned. “Where
is
that locksmith? Even with all this excitement, I don’t feel I can stay awake.”

  “It’s shock and stress, Lizzie. Go to bed, I’ll take care of the locksmith.”

  “I feel guilty, but I just don’t think I can go on.” Elizabeth went through her purse and handed Gail her VISA card. “Give the locksmith this. I think Amy should sleep in your room tonight.” Elizabeth glanced in the living room where they had put Amy down in her play pen, asleep, “and I’m going to sleep in the guest room.”

  “Okay,” Gail agreed. “Also, I think I’ll get a box from the garage and put some of Tony’s things in it and set it outside. Just in case he comes back and tries to use that for an excuse to get in.”

  “Good thinking, Gail. Thanks. Good night.”

  “Good night, Lizzie-girl.”

  The next morning Elizabeth called Edna at the office. She knew there was some chance that Tony would be there, but she felt pretty sure he wasn’t.

  “Edna, it’s Elizabeth. Listen, I need to postpone all the appointments I made for today. I had a little accident last night and I’m indisposed. I’d be terribly relieved and grateful if you could help me.”