Shades of Errol Flynn - Chapter Four

A new chapter of this draft serial will be posted every Wednesday. Your comments are always welcome!

Prologue~Ch. 1~Ch. 2~Ch. 3~

Ellen arrived home from work and smiled at the sound of loud Celtic music coming from the apartment. A Celtic band meant a gourmet dinner. Ellen blessed the memory of David, the boyfriend of Jessica’s who wanted to be a chef. Jessica had spent hours with him in the kitchen, helping him study for his exams. Who said nothing good ever came from a bad relationship?

She followed a tantalizing smell into the tiny kitchen.

“I swear you’re psychic when it comes to food,” Jessica told her. “The stroganoff is just this second ready.”

Ellen laughed. “Comes from having five older brothers who eat like horses. You’ve got to be fast in my family, or starve.”

“I’ve always wondered how you stayed so skinny.”

Jessica dished up supper with a flourish. They ate slowly, savoring an all too rare home cooked meal. Mostly they just took turns buying take-out. Ellen, more often than not, just brought take-out from her family’s Chinese restaurant.

“So, what was in that mysterious envelope Howard gave you this morning?” Ellen asked.

Jessica looked at her, chagrined. “You know, I forgot all about it. I did notice it was from Aunt Sandra though.”

“That old tight wad sent you something through the courier? Maybe it’s a birthday cheque.”

Jessica snorted. “I doubt it, El. Aunt Sandra’s always been suspicious of the postal system. She claims they have secret ways of snooping through private mail.”

“That’s nuts!”

“Tell me about it.”

They left their dishes to soak in the sink and went into the living room. Jessica pulled the battered envelope out of her bag and broke the seal.

“Well,” Ellen demanded impatiently.

“Sandra and Jeremy are relocating to Arizona. She came across some of mom’s old things and she’s shipping them to me by bus. A whole box of them.”

“Jessica, that’s great!”

Jessica was still frowning. This was totally unlike Sarah. What was really going on?

“What’s the matter?”

“I can’t help feeling there’s something strange about this. Why now, when for so many years she’s told me she didn’t save anything of my mother’s?”

“I don’t know, Jess. Maybe her conscience is finally kicking in.”

“Somehow I doubt that very much.”

“Well, you’ll just have to figure it out when the box arrives.”

Two days later, Jessica and Ellen’s morning off, the bus station called to tell her the box had arrived. While Ellen went grocery shopping, Jessica went to the bus depot. She was still having mixed feelings when she picked it up.

The box was just large enough to be awkward, and it was heavy. She left it on the floor and went into the kitchen for a diet soda.

“That’s funny,” she said, turning around. “I don’t remember leaving a plant on the table.” A purple African violet in full bloom rested dead center on the vinyl tablecloth. “I must be more tired than I thought. Good thing this is Friday.”

She took her soda into the living room, but before she could settle in her favorite chair there was a clatter on the stairs and the door burst open.

“Howard, you were told about barging in without knocking.”

He may be a friend, and landlord, but that didn’t give him the right to invade her privacy.

“Jessica, did you see it? Is it here?” Howard was flushed with excitement. He stared wildly around the room. “I don’t see it, where is it?”

“Howard,” said Jessica patiently, “It’d help if you told me what you were talking about.”

“Have you seen a . . . uh . . . an African violet?”

“You mean the one in the kitchen? Did you leave it there?”

“Kitchen!” Howard darted out of the room and reappeared carrying the violet. “I did it, I really did it!”

“Howard, look,” Jessica lead him over to the couch and pushed him down. She’d never seen him so worked up before. “Now, take a deep breath and relax. You’re going to make yourself sick.”

“But . . .”

“Not a word,” Jessica said sternly. “Not until you calm down.”

Howard opened his mouth and shut it again. He took several deep breaths, trying to pull himself together.

There was a loud thump from outside the door.

“Hey, you wanna lend a hand with these groceries?”

Jessica hurried to help Ellen.

“I picked up the mail too,” Ellen said. “Oh, hi Howard. How’s it going?”

“I. . . . I . . .it—”

“Breath, Howard,” Jessica told him. She hurried Ellen into the kitchen.

“What’s with Howard?” Ellen whispered.

“I don’t know, I think he’s having some sort of breakdown.”

“It’s all that weird magic stuff he’s always messing around in. Sometimes he really gives me the creeps.”

“Howard’s completely harmless.”

“Well, he’s your friend, you deal with him,” Ellen told her. “I’ll put away the goodies.”

“Thanks a lot,” Jessica made a face at her and took a soda out to Howard.