27
Kate returned home, released from the hospital three days after she was admitted. She was given a prescription for anti-depressants, and a blood pressure kit with instructions to monitor her diastolic and heart rates. She was also asked to see Dr. Fisher, a clinical psychologist, once a week until he felt she was fit to be on her own again and care for her girls without assistance.
Kate sat at her kitchen table, both hands clutching a mug of tea.
“How is your tea, Kate? Would you like some oatmeal cookies I picked up from the convenience store at the gas station?”
Kate’s sister had insisted on staying with her for as long as she needed help. Helen was trying hard to act as normal as possible. It was no use. The police had no leads as to the whereabouts of William Monterey and no one believed his wife’s explanation. Kate was in a deep depression.
“I do not want anything, Helen. I just want my husband to come home!”
Her voice was almost a whisper. The girls were in the living room watching TV, and they knew something was wrong with their mother. It was late and she had said nothing to them about watching TV so much that day.
“Kate, I called a friend of mine from the University of Virginia. He’s a professor of physics and natural science. We dated when he studied at the University of Chicago. I have asked him to stop by and listen to your story about William’s disappearance. Maybe he can…”
Kate did not let her finish.
“What, Helen? Maybe he can tell me that it is impossible for a grown man to vanish leaving behind a downpour of water?! Helen I know what I saw, and I know it sounds crazy, but one minute I was staring at William only six feet away from me…”
Kate stopped to look around her so she could make the distance more clear.
“…from me and the fridge. You see how close we are to the fridge, can you see the fingerprints around the door handle? Can you see that scratch? That is how close I was to William!”
Helen did not want to upset Kate. She just sat there waiting for Kate to think about what she was asking her to believe.
“Look Helen, you are my sister. I do not have anybody else here, I am telling you the truth. I know what I saw. You must believe me!”
Helen reached out to touch Kate. She grabbed both her hands.
“Kate, I want to believe you. Something did happen to William. If he is not here with us then something strange must have caused him to disappear. William would not just leave, and I know he would not let someone take him from you without a fight, which I am sure would have been noticed by others. But that is what I am saying! Something strange is responsible for William’s disappearance! The police will not find him. We need to get to work and try to help William. Please talk to Paul. We need to speak with someone more knowledgeable in these matters than we, or the police are.”
Kate was beginning to accept that her sister was only trying to help the best way she knew how. She started to think that maybe it would be a good idea if she spoke to someone else who might take her seriously.
“All right Helen, I will speak to your Paul, whom by the way, you never told me about!”
The two of them smiled at each other until one of them initiated an affectionate hug. “Boy talk” had broken the tension.
The next day, Kate awoke earlier than anyone else in the house. Her system was returning to normal, and her internal clock beckoned her to get up at 7 AM, as usual. Except this day was not usual. Kate remembered that Helen was sleeping on the futon in the living room. The usual warm area adjacent to her in the bed was very cold this morning. Her husband had not left the bed an hour ago as usual. His tossing and turning had not interrupted her sleep during the night. If she snored at all, as she sometimes did during the night, no one had reached over to pinch her nose shut. It was best for her not to allow herself to get too depressed. Instead, she decided to shower and prepare breakfast.
Helen was awakened by the smell of bacon sizzling, as her futon was only a few feet from the kitchen. She wondered who might be in the kitchen this early. The girls were too young to be cooking, and her sister was in no condition.
“Good morning, Helen! How would you like your eggs this morning?” Kate was walking through the kitchen archway and came to stand at the foot of the futon, holding two eggs in one hand and a towel flung over her shoulder in the other.
“Kate, I am glad to see you in better spirits this morning! How are you feeling? Are you okay?”
Kate turned and was in the kitchen as she replied.
“Sunny side up as always, with finger toast on the side and some bacon coming right up! I am feeling fine. You had better get up and doll yourself up since…”
Kate stopped speaking.
“Since what? Kate are you…?”
Kate had returned to the archway and was staring at the back of her sister’s head. Helen stood up from the futon and turned toward the kitchen.
“Oh my God! Kate, what’s gotten into you today?”
Helen was not expecting to find Kate propped in the archway.
“…Since Paul is supposed to be stopping by this morning. You did say he was coming over? You did ask me to arrange for my mother-in-law to come over? My mother-in-law, who practically had a breakdown herself when she heard about William, and who canceled the rest of her trip to Atlantic City? Didn’t you ask me to have her watch the girls today so that Paul and us could return to the scene of the crime?”
“Oh my God, what time is it? I have not seen him in three years. I need to get ready.”
Kate turned and walked into the kitchen again.
“Relax, it’s only ten after eight. You have plenty of time and it’s not like you have to do much to look great! Here, sit down. Your eggs are ready.”
Kate was serving the eggs on a large flat plate that she put next to the bacon and toast that was already in place.
“Kate, you eat those. I am going to jump in the shower and tidy up my futon. I don’t really want a large breakfast this morning!”
“Good morning, Mommy, is Daddy home?”
Nicole was running through the living room from the hall in the direction of the kitchen.
Helen turned and grabbed her niece under her arms and, utilizing the momentum of Nicole’s speed, raised her up to greet her.
“Hey! How is my pumpkin today, is your sister up?”
Helen did not notice Tara was in the room, making her way slowly to the kitchen and rubbing her eyes with both hands.
“Yes I am up, tee Helen.”
Tara still had difficulty pronouncing the word Auntie. Helen was quick to react to Tara’s voice and put Nicole down.
“Nicole, go give your mom a big hug.”
She proceeded to lift Tara up.
“Good morning, Princess, give your auntee Helen a big kiss.”
Kate was trying so hard to be herself again. She almost had succeeded this morning. She had confidence, she had strength, and most of all, she had a mission to get on with her day and get to work! Even if the work meant finding out what had happened to her husband. She was going to maintain control and focus. But composure was impossible when she heard her daughter’s plaintive voice:
“Good morning Mommy, is Daddy home?”
She broke down on cue, her sobs uncontrollably loud. Helen heard her sister and rushed to the kitchen with Tara still in her arms.
“Mommy, what’s the matter? Please don’t cry!”
Nicole was at her mother’s side as Kate wiped the tears from her eyes and controlled her sobbing.
“I am okay, Nikki, come here and give Mommy a hug.”
Nicole jumped up on her mom. Helen reached them, and with Tara in her arms, joined in holding her sister with both her nieces between them. The doorbell buzzer interrupted the moment.
“Helen, that must be Paul. You better answer the door since you invited him!”
Kate had regained her composure and a slight tone of sarcasm was noticeable in her voice.
“Kate, I have no make up on, not to mention no bra!”
Helen set Tara down. As she stood back up, she raised her tee shirt to her neck, exposing her breasts.
“Hi, Paul, nice to see you, how have you been? I might as well open the door like this! Kate please…”
“Mommy, somebody is at the door!”
The buzzer was ringing again. Nicole was overanxious to see who it could be.
“All right, Helen, I will let Paul in. Go and take your shower, but please do not be long.”
The girls had left the room and were both at the front window trying to look outside to see if there was a car they recognized in front of their building.
“You know, Helen, if I still had tits like yours and I was trying to impress an old flame, I would answer the door like that”
“I know you would. Now let him in!”
Helen gathered up some clothing from the futon and headed in the direction of the bathroom.
Kate told herself that she would treat this visit as a business meeting and that she would try to get her sister’s friend to help. During the night she had convinced herself that there was a logical explanation to what had happened to William and that someone educated might be able to make sense of it. She was actually looking forward to Paul’s arrival.
Kate opened the door. No one was there!
“Hello!”
Kate was leaning into the doorway looking down the hall, and a man, having heard the door open, was headed back toward her.
“Hello!”
“Good morning! You must be Paul. I am pleased to meet you. I am Kate Monterey, Helen’s sister. Please come in.”
“Hi Kate, I was just going to leave and come back in thirty minutes or so. I figured you guys were still sleeping. I did come over a bit earlier than you were probably expecting.”
“It’s not too early, you’re here just in time to join us for breakfast. Helen is in the shower and will join us shortly. Can I get you a fresh cup of coffee?”
“Yes please. Just black will be fine.”
The girls had gone over to their mother and were holding onto their mother’s legs, one on each side.
“Hello, ladies, and what are your names?”
Nicole was not shy. She stepped right forward while Tara stepped back and around her mother’s back.
“My name is Nicole and this is my sister Tara.”
Nicole was pulling at her little sister’s arm but Tara was not letting go of her grip on her mom.
“Paul, please sit down and make yourself comfortable. I am going to get these guys some cereal and I will be right back with your coffee.
Kate had just stepped into the kitchen when the door buzzer sounded again.
“Paul, could I trouble you to answer the door? It’s most likely my mother-in-law, Mrs. Monterey.”
Paul had just arrived and felt a little strange to be answering the door.
“Sure, no problem.”
Reluctantly, he made his way over to the door, not sure what to say when he opened it.
“Good morning, you must be Mrs. Monterey!”
Rose Monterey was a very alert and beautifully featured petite lady, always dressed like she was going out for a special occasion.
“You must be Helen’s friend.” Rose stepped in and held out her hand.
“I am pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Paul Portelli. I just arrived myself.”
“Hello, Mom!”
“Grandma! Grandma!”
The girls darted into the living room to greet their grandmother. Kate brought out a cup of coffee for Paul and followed the girls to their grandmother. After the exchange of heartfelt kisses all around, Kate excused herself and proceeded to finish feeding the girls.
“Portelli? Is that of Maltese origin, Paul?”
“Yes, Mrs. Monterey! How did you know?”
“Well, I suppose Portelli could be Italian, but Paul Portelli is definitely a Maltese name, and your features are very Maltese. My husband, who passed away five years ago, was stationed in Malta before we were married. He never stopped talking about Malta. Just before he died we went back there for three months. A friend of his let us stay in his guesthouse in Valletta. We had found a place of our own that we planned to purchase so that we could spend the summers there, but Sam got sick… Oh, well!”
“I am sorry to hear about your loss!”
“Thank you.”
Helen could hear voices in the living room. She had showered and dressed more quickly than usual. With her hair still wet and slicked back, she walked out of the bathroom.
“Hi, Paul, how are you?”
Helen could see that Paul had not changed. Still as handsome as ever, she thought to herself, and blushed as they embraced and kissed on the cheeks.
“Good morning, Rose, I see you have met my Maltese friend!”
“Good morning Helen, I am always delighted to meet anyone familiar with Malta, it’s place very dear to my heart.”
Kate returned into the room with a nylon windbreaker on, looking very much like she was ready to leave.
“Mom, the girls have had their breakfast, there is plenty of stuff they like in the pantry and the fridge and I am sure they will show you. They will probably play in their room for a while. And by the way, thank you for coming so early.”
Kate turned and looked at her sister and then at Paul.
“Well, are you guys just going to stand there? We have a bit of a ride ahead of us. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready!”