Chapter 14
Once Jo and Alex arrived back at the Turner’s home, Kendra had another message for Jo from Brad. The final insurance payments had come through, and he would like Jo to go to his office in the morning before the service if possible.
The rest of the evening passed quickly. Charlie came over, and the three girls sat outside on the back deck laughing and talking like old times. Alex and Charlie both noticed a change in Jo. She wasn’t so sad. They were so glad for her that they both decided not to ask what brought on the change.
Once it was dark, Charlie’s mom came and picked her up. They were planning on going back to New York to finish the trip they had cut short to be with Jo, and were leaving the next afternoon following the funeral service. Charlie’s parents were concerned about their precious daughter getting a place to live in a safe area. They figured they needed to find something quickly before other students took all the decent apartments.
Alex and Jo went into Alex’s bedroom to get some rest. Jo was thoroughly exhausted by her tramp through her emotions and physically tired as well. She hoped for a good rest, as she knew tomorrow would be a hard day for her.
After retiring, Alex lay in bed and stared at the ceiling. The whole ‘stranger offering Jo a job’ thing bothered her. Also, the fact that the man offering the job seemed to be in some places they had been also worried her. What if he was with the guy who had tried to kill Jo? What if he was part of the conspiracy? Even the police were unable to find out who hired the killer.
Alex considered the direction her thoughts were going. No, if the man were part of it, he wouldn’t have purposefully wrecked his car to block the black sedan from following them. That made her wonder about the couple in the car that the older man had hit. They had seen the woman with the red hair on at least one more occasion. Was she with the old man, perhaps?
Alex let her mind run wild with conspiracy theories. She was good at that. Everyone was a suspect in her mind, until she could figure them all out. Eventually her brain got tired of chasing after criminals and Alex drifted off to sleep.
Jo woke up the next morning at peace. Though she still deeply felt the loss of her mother, she was glad she had made the effort to say goodbye to her mother the day before. It would be so much easier today to greet everyone who attended the services for her mother with her mind and conscience clear. Also, she knew in her heart that her mother would be dreadfully upset at Jo if she stayed grief-stricken for a long time. Her mother felt that each day was a gift, and should be used to its fullest. She thought back to the analogy of the tree from the day before, and the leaves. She was glad that today she could show forth the bright green leaves of her character, and that she wasn’t revealing the scars and ugliness of the tragedy. Her mother would have been proud.
Jo and Alex quickly dressed and ate some breakfast. Jo had asked Alex to take her to Brad Allen’s office this morning to finish up the financial stuff. Jo was really anxious to pay back the Turners all the money she had borrowed. She didn’t like to feel like she was starting off her adult life in debt. Today that would be wiped clean, and, who knew, maybe the job offer would pan out.
The attorney’s secretary was expecting Jo and Alex, and ushered them right in.
“The hospital finished their billing process. Unfortunately, they took the whole amount that the insurance paid. Between the specialist, the brain surgery and all the various machinery, it was quite expensive. They do say that the first day costs the most, but they included the ambulance bill with their statement, as well; it was over three thousand dollars. I guess if your mother had had additional health insurance from work, then it might have helped, but at least there was nothing owing.”
Jo sighed. She had hoped for a little for a head start. “Yeah, that is a blessing.”
“If the man had been anything other than a drunk, I would have gone after him for more for you, Jo. I just don’t see being able to collect anything.”
“No, its okay, Brad. That man is where he needs to be. He’s where he can’t hurt anyone else for a long time.”
“Here is the five thousand dollars from the auto insurance claim,” He handed her a check. “And I believe you already told me that you were paying for the funeral for your mother with this?”
“Yes. It will completely cover the funeral, and leave me some to replace my belongings. I’ve already purchased a few of the clothes I lost. There were many other things that were destroyed as well, but those will have to wait until I get a job, and I have a potential job lined up.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Oh really? Where at?”
“I’m not sure where it is, but there’s a man who lived a few doors down from me in the mobile home park who says some friends are hiring in their company. He wants to talk to me today after the funeral.”
Brad frowned. “How well do you know this man? In light of the fact that someone tried to kill you five days ago, you should be extremely cautious being alone with strangers. According to the police, they do not know who hired the man that set your house on fire.”
Alex chimed in, “I told her the same thing. I’m concerned about her interview as well.”
Brad was troubled, but he was leaving immediately after the service to take his family back to New York. There wasn’t much he could do. “Well, be careful, Jo, and listen to your instincts. You are a very intelligent young lady. Meet the gentleman in a well lit, public place if you meet him at all.”
Jo smiled. It seemed to her that everyone around her had begun to mother her since her own mother had left her. “I planned on it, but thanks for the warning. Thank you for handling my finances, I really appreciate it, and I promise to be careful.”
“If there is anything more I can do for you, please let me know, Jo. I am glad to help.”
“Thank you.” Jo shook his hand as her and Alex left, then they drove to the bank to deposit the check Jo had received from the auto insurance company. Then Jo requested to go back home.
“What do you want to do today, Jo?” Alex questioned her.
“I think today is going to be a very hard day, Alex. The funeral home director asked me to arrive thirty minutes early. I am sure that as strong as I am now, I will be transformed into a blubbering pool of tears by then, so I think today I need to just do nothing.”
Alex actually thought that was a good idea. Besides, she liked knowing where Jo was; it eased her troubled mind.
They went back to Alex’s home and Jo reclined on her bed to rest. She took the book of poetry that Alex had given her and perused through it, selectively reading a poem here and there. She was forcing her mind and body to relax, storing up her energy and strength for later.
Just before noon, Kendra brought in chips, sandwiches and sodas to the two girls. “I can’t believe how quiet it is in here,” she commented. “I had honestly thought you had left without telling me for a moment.”
Alex laughed. “No, Mom. We wouldn’t do that.”
They ate the delicious lunch, and then it was time to get ready for the funeral. Jo could feel her defenses being hit, as the time to the service grew shorter. She thought her preparation today and yesterday would help her to stand the pain but now, as the time drew near to leave, she wondered it if was all in vain. Before they left for the funeral service, Jo wrote out the check for all of the money she had borrowed from Sam and Kendra and gave it to her. Kendra tried to protest, but Jo insisted. Then they left.
The Allen family was at the funeral home when Alex, Jo and Alex’s parents arrived. Charlie hugged Jo. Charlie had been crying, so that brought tears to Jo’s eyes. Tears were as contagious as laughter, Jo realized. The Allens and Turners signed the guest book and they all walked with Jo to the front of the room. There was a wonderful flower arrangement at the front in the center, and several smaller ones scattered around. The director of the funeral home had asked for a recent photo of her mother to be the centerpiece of the room, but all of the photos had been destroyed except the few she had in her treasure box, and the few that her mother had shared with her. That was why the photo displayed in the front of the room was her mother’s wedding photo. Jo stood and stared at her mother and father. They were both so beautiful and strong, she thought – so young and vital, and now, both were gone. A tear fell down Jo’s cheek, and she quickly wiped it away.
Many people came to show their respects to her mother that day. The manager of the store she had worked at was there, along with about half of her co-workers. They couldn’t close the store for a funeral, so the employees had drawn straws to see who would attend. Jo was never made aware of that, however. She just greeted each one that approached her, and thanked them for coming. A dozen or so friends from the church she and her mother attended sporadically came as well. They were all very nice people, and of course they all told Jo how very sorry they were she had to go through so much tragedy at once. Jo wondered if they wished all her tragedies were evenly spaced out instead. She smiled at the thought, as she tried in her mind to create an equation using trigonometry to determine the proper spacing between tragedies. The crotchety old lady who was consoling her just then saw the smile, and said to another lady nearby, “Well! That girl doesn’t even show manners at her own mother’s funeral. The nerve!”
Jo tried to concentrate after that. Above anything else, she did not want to disrespect her mother. She knew deep in her heart that her mother would have loved the analogy though, so didn’t feel guilty for it. However, she must maintain the proper decorum; so solemn and silent she became. Soon all the tears around her were hard to take, and some wetness slipped from her bright eyes.
Just before the starting time, Jo witnessed the man she had spoken with yesterday, Mr. Roberts, walk in with a friend. He was wearing a suit and tie, and looked very nice. She also realized that he wasn’t nearly as old as she had imagined. Without the shorts and casual shirt, and minus the straw hat, he looked to be not more than mid fifties, not the sixties or seventies she had taken him for. She took her seat in the front, and the solemn service began.
Jo was not the only one who had noticed the gentleman entering the building. Alex and Charlie were stationed in the back. They had been assigned the task of making sure each person who entered signed the visitation book, so that Jo would be able to look back and see how much her mother was loved. Alex saw the man walk in and recognized who he was. She nudged Charlie and pointed him out. She had briefly brought Charlie up to date on the mystery man. Charlie had been informed that he was both the man who lived near Jo and the man who had wrecked behind them at graduation, keeping the assassin away. Then Alex told her about the job interview, so Charlie watched the man intently.
Suddenly Charlie gasped. She tugged on Alex’s sleeve. “Alex, look over there,” she whispered to the bewildered girl. “The woman who came in with the blond man. They were the ones in the sports car, the ones that the neighbor guy hit.” Charlie brought the couple to Alex’s attention.
Alex observed them, and tried to picture the accident. The woman definitely had the bright red hair. She looked like the woman from the restaurant the other day, as well. It had to be the same woman. The couple was wearing full business attire; expensive business attire, Charlie noted. The girls watched as they walked across the lobby toward the neighbor man who was standing off to the side. The neighbor man said a few words to the blond man, and then the couple went in and sat down. Alex slipped over to the book to see what names they had used to sign in. “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” it read. Yeah, right.
“Charlie,” she whispered to her friend, “why would someone whose car had been hit by someone else, walk up to him as if they were friends and talk to him?”
Charlie shrugged her shoulders. “Why would someone who dresses right out of an exclusive New York designer clothing shop be attending the funeral of a woman who was a cashier in a grocery store?” Charlie asked.
Alex for the first time really studied the three. She wasn’t up on fashion, but she knew those outfits were exclusive. No one in their area wore clothing like that. It wasn’t available here. “The plot thickens,” she whispered to Charlie, as the two girls walked quietly to the front to sit with Jo.
The service wasn’t long. Several people who had known her mother from her work at the supermarket got up and said some kind words about her. One man was visibly shaken as he spoke of her beauty and kindness. It made Jo wonder if the man had been infatuated with her mother. After it was over, and she had again suffered through the well wishes and condolences of the mass of people, Jo breathed a sigh of relief that she had made it. She took the precious photo of her parents from the front of the room, and gave directions to send all of the flowers to a senior housing facility nearby. They could use some brightness, she had decided. Then Jo went into the lobby where Mr. Roberts was patiently waiting for her. She noticed the couple standing nearby, talking to him. She recognized the woman immediately as the one from the restaurant, as Alex had.
“Hello, Mr. Roberts. Thank you for coming,” Jo held out her hand to him as she approached. He shook her hand, and offered his sympathy.
“Have you had time to consider where we can meet, Miss Becker?”
Alex butted in just then. “Jo, I need to see you for a moment, please. It’s urgent.”
Jo excused herself and told Mr. Roberts she would be right back. She allowed Alex to pull her across the room into the ladies restroom.
“That couple with him is from the accident at the high school, Jo. I recognize them. They were in the red car.”
Charlie piped in. “The woman is definitely the same one we saw eating a hamburger with us, too. That accident was no accident. Those three are in cahoots together. Before you take a job with him, Jo, make sure he’s not the one who hired the arsonist!”
Jo sighed. Her friends, though she loved them, were being melodramatic. “Guys, it’s going to be okay. You can go with me to the interview. I will make sure it’s a public place. I was thinking of just meeting at the café down the street from your house, Alex. It’s usually busy, but quiet.”
“I have to go, Jo. Our flight is leaving in an hour. Don’t get killed before I get back!” Charlie rushed out to the parking lot where her parents were waiting. Alex and Jo couldn’t help but laugh at her comment, but it was good. The stress level was interrupted.
“Alex, I will be fine. I trust my instincts, okay? I need to do this.”
Alex sighed. “Okay, but I am coming with you. I will be sitting in the booth nearby.”
Jo walked back over to where Mr. Roberts was standing. She apologized for the delay.
“That’s quite all right, Miss Becker. Before I say anymore, I would like to introduce two of my colleagues. This is Mr. Davis and Ms. Michaels. They work for the same company as I do, and will be helping me tell you about the job opening we have. Where shall we meet, Miss Becker? And what is a good time for you?”
“Actually, I would like to meet in an hour, if that is okay.” She handed Mr. Roberts a small piece of paper with an address on it. “This is a small café near the house I’m currently living in. I am anxious to hear what kind of job I can get. You do know that I have no college education, right?”
“Of course, Miss Becker. You just graduated from high school last week, how could you have attended college yet?” Mr. Roberts laughed, trying to ease her worries.
“All right, I will see you in an hour then, Mr. Roberts. I hope I am what you are looking for.”
“I am quite positive that you are, Miss Becker.”
The three people left. Alex noticed then that a fourth person joined them at the car they got into. Jo and Alex headed to Alex’s Mustang and saw two yard maintenance men get into another vehicle as well. Alex gasped. “I know those two men,” she said to Jo.
“Which ones, Alex?” Jo asked.
“The two in the yard care truck there,” Alex pointed to the vehicle pulling out of a parking space. “They worked at our high school the last few weeks before graduation. I remember one in particular. He was always outside of physics class every single time we exited it.”
“Well school is out, Alex. They had to get a job somewhere else for the summer, probably.” Jo surmised. Alex, deflated, sat back in the seat.
“You’re probably right,” she said. “It is a plausible explanation.”
Alex drove Jo back to her house to change clothes, and put away her parents’ wedding photo. Then the two girls got back in the car to head to the café. Alex was driving slowly. She still thought that this job interview was a bad idea.
Jo arrived at the café with Alex a few minutes before the appointed time. They ordered a milkshake each and sat in a booth. Jo really hoped this was real. She loved Alex, but wasn’t happy allowing another family to provide for her needs. She wanted independence. She wanted to make her mother proud.
Mr. Roberts arrived shortly, with the couple from the funeral home, and the man they had seen getting into the car with them, so there were four of them now. They went to a long table that would accommodate more people than the booth Alex and Jo had chosen, and Mr. Roberts walked over to Jo and asked if she would kindly join them.
Alex decided enough was enough and she had to have some answers. She followed Jo and Mr. Roberts over to the table where he had seated Jo across from himself. The other three were already sitting. “Mr. Davis, were you at our high school graduation last week with Ms. Michaels, in a red sports car? And Mr. Roberts, didn’t you run into the red sports car right behind us as we were exiting the high school?” Mr. Davis raised his eyebrows and glanced at Mr. Roberts. Alex saw Mr. Roberts nod his head. There was clearly something going on.
“Yes, we were, Miss Turner. It was a wonderful ceremony.” Alex was taken aback. She didn’t expect the man to know her name.
Just then, the two yard maintenance men from the funeral home appeared at the table. They were now dressed much like the others, in business suits, but Alex positively recognized one as the high school janitor, and the other looked like one of the groundskeepers at the high school.
Jo glanced up, saw the six adults at the table, and knew that she was in way over her head. She became frightened, and thought she should have listened to Alex.
“Weren’t you the janitor at the high school?” Alex asked of one of the most recent additions to the group.
“Yes, I was. I was also the Maintenance man at the mall when you were shopping. I was also the highway worker outside of the mobile home park as you passed.” His honest answer left Alex dumbfounded. She collapsed in a chair next to Jo at the table.
Jo, puzzled at the whole situation, swallowed hard. As frightened as she was, she needed to know, so she asked, “But why were you there? Why were all of you there?”
Mr. Roberts looked straight at Jo. “Because we were following you, of course.”