Chasing My Shadow (14 page)

Tara Lee said, “We were so sure it was Selena until we found out she was in France when the notes were written. We did a lot of guessing didn’t we?” Then she asked, “What about the New York apartment? How did you find that?”

“I had been offered a job managing a Collectibles Store in New York after we dissolved our business here….”

“So you accepted after all,” said Chelsea. Great!”

“Campbells and Stockman?” asked Jerry.

“That’s the one. A lot bigger than ours but I think I can handle it.” Then to Tara Lee, he asked, “Would you like to live in Patterson?”

“Anywhere you are,” she replied, but how did you find the apartment?”

“Tina can tell you,” he said, with a grin.

“I’m sorry,” said Tina, and I feel like a complete idiot, but Selina had told me she had lived in an apartment not too far from us for two years when she was working on a film there. Her description sounded like a lot of beautiful apartments, so when Stone called me that night sounding so desperate and saying he wanted to get out of California and come to New York immediately, my first thought was the Laurel Apartments. A beautiful one was vacant and seemed reasonable, and I told the landlord that a friend of ours had recommended the Laurels to me and we had another friend looking for one. I guess I was bragging a little when I told him the friend who had once lived there was Selina Avery, and of course he remembered her and was glad to save it for a friend of hers. I’m sorry, Stone.”

Stone said, “It wasn’t your fault. She’s an actress and can fool anyone into thinking she’s a nice person.” Then he explained, “When Tina called me and gave me the landlord’s number to call, I arranged over the phone to rent it, and sent off my check. I told him I was in a hurry and he didn’t mention Selina’s name to me. I guess that check didn’t make it in time for my last bank statement. And, Jerry, I owe you $1200, your share of the three-way divvying up what was on hand. I was bringing it to you. I had spent some of mine, but still had more cash than I wanted to carry, so decided to put some of the larger bills in my shoes so I would have less in my wallet. I didn’t have time to go to the bank so was going to pay you in cash. I’ll write you a check as soon as I can get some checks sent to me. I guess I have a permanent address now. I had better call the landlord in the morning—I believe his name was Mr.

…Plourdon?” He looked at Tina.

“That was it,” said Tina, “Clyde Plourdon.”

“I paid him the first and last month’s rent plus security,” said Stone, “so I’ll be OK, but I want him to know that we’re on our way there after an unavoidable delay.” He laughed then. “I don’t even care who knows I had amnesia now that my memory is back.”

“So that’s why you were on the Grayline to New York and ended up in Ulmerton,” said Tara Lee.

“Yeah, Selina called and tried to talk me into going to France with her and, when I would have no part of it, she tried to entice me by promises of lots of money if I would cooperate with her and Newberry. When I found out what the story was, I was furious to think she would expect that I would agree to that. She said I owed it to her because she had suggested me for the modeling jobs. I hadn’t known that or I would have turned the jobs down. That made me angrier than ever, and all I wanted to do was to get as far away from her as possible, and as soon as possible. It just obsessed me, and I wished I had never met her and would never see her again.” He thought for a minute, then added, “If it hadn’t been for those commercials that started with the modeling I wouldn’t have been able to pay her back though—and I’m thankful I could do that. I did try to call you, Ray, but you were out, so I figured I’d call you from the airport, but I barely made the flight.”

Then Tara Lee said thoughtfully, “If you had missed that flight, Stone, you wouldn’t have lost your money, all identification, and your memory.”

“But if it hadn’t all happened, how would I have found you?”

Everyone cheered at that. It was a happy crowd.

“This calls for a celebration,” said Tara Lee. “I think we have some wine and some crackers and cheese spread. Maybe I can even dig up some cheese cake.” She headed for the kitchen and Tina followed her.

It seemed to Tara Lee that she had known Tina forever and she asked, “Am I being forward to ask if you and Jerry are all right now?”

“No, you’re not, you’re being my friend, and I’m happy to tell you everything is wonderful again. When I heard of Jerry’s accident I knew then that the most important person in the world needed me and I needed him. I had been homesick and childish. Now I know wherever Jerry wants to live is home, and where I want to be. Nothing will ever separate us again.”

They heard the door keep opening and shutting as the men carried in the boxes Ray had sent back for Stone. He had borrowed Clem’s van so he could bring them over from his place. The laughter and chattering from the living room between the three friends went on as the girls worked. They were laughing about all of the boxes that they were bringing in that would have to be sent back to the same place.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. “Oh,dear,”said Tara Lee,“I’ll bet it’s some neighbors complaining of the noise. I was so happy I never thought about that.”

She and Tina returned to the living room just as Stone opened the door to two policemen. Stone introduced them to Tara Lee and their friends, then informed them that he had had amnesia and now had his memory back and could explain anything they wanted to know. He started all over again explaining everything.

“I know I should have gone into the station,” he told them, “but I couldn’t tell you anything as I didn’t know what happened. I kept thinking I would get my memory back any time and would know what happened.” He opened some of his mail, enough to satisfy the policemen that he was telling the truth. There was a check for $8,000 for a commercial and several offers for more modeling jobs. The policeman, who was taking notes of each transaction, told him he didn’t have to open any more. They were convinced.

Ray Chelsea said, “Underwear is paying pretty well this year,” then they all laughed, including the policemen. After Tara Lee’s invitation to join them one officer said, “I wish we could, but we’re still on duty—and this is one report we’ll be happy to take back with us.”

As they started to go, Tara Lee said, “May I ask you how you knew where we were? Did a young boy call you?”

“No. No one called us,” said the older officer. “Remember, Miss Derling, you paid the bill at the Baltimore with a check on a New York bank—and hotel clerks keep records of those transactions. After we found that out we decided we were either looking for the name Derling or Langston, and then it was easy. We didn’t try to find you at first as we suspected you were not involved. But when Miss Avery began to state dates and amounts we decided to check rentals, motels and hotels. When we found you had checked out of the Baltimore, we had to get the information we needed to pick up Mr. Langston rather than wait for him to come in.”

“And that’s the way Selina Avery found out too?”

“She called you here?” he asked in surprise.

“At the apartment that burned. We couldn’t believe it.”

“Then she probably did. She’s a pretty good actress and make-up artist. I’m sure she made a good enough story so the clerk believed she was a long-lost sister, or something else to Langston—or even a police woman.” He laughed wryly. “She fooled us for a while, but she’s now back in custody awaiting trial.”

The policemen left first, then Chelsea left to take Jerry and Tina back to their hotel, and Stone and Tara Lee promised to call them as soon as they arrived in Patterson, also to keep in touch with Ray Chelsea, Clem Rainer, and others he had known. Stone got Clem’s telephone number from Ray so he could arrange with him about paying for the rented car and getting it back to the agency.

CHAPTER 13
 

As soon as everyone had gone and they were alone once more, Stone hugged her and said, “Do you realize that without all of your help I’d still be stumbling around in the dark and remembering nothing. Now I’ve finally caught up to where I left off living. Well, how do you like life with me so far? Exciting enough for you?”

“Oh, Stone, it’s wonderful that you have your memory back. It’s such a relief—but, no, I wouldn’t mind if the rest of the time was a little less exciting. But good or bad, you’re stuck with me now.”

“I hope so, Darling, I certainly hope so. What would I have done without you? Now are you going to call your parents and tell them our plans?” asked Stone. “Let’s get married as soon as possible.”

“Would you mind if we wait until morning?” she asked, laughing. Suddenly she asked,“Stone,why did you live with Selina for a few months? Everyone seems to know you did, and I can’t help but wonder why.”

“Well, when she came to Colburgh to look at the paintings I had found for her, she told me she was a successful actress and could easily get me into the movies. I had mentioned that I had done some acting in summer theater. I knew Jerry and Tina were staying only to help me out in my business, and was sure they had better things to do. I also knew it would be a long time before the business could support three people, so when she was so positive she could get me acting jobs I agreed to go back with her. I still thought I could have got the Collectibles Store paying but knew it would take years, and her promise sounded inviting. Jerry really liked the collectibles business too, but knew as well as I that it was a pretty iffy situation when we were just getting started, and seemed relieved when I suggested the auction.

“When I saw that house of hers I couldn’t conceive of living in a place like that. Anyway, she had promised me my own apartment there and, since I had very little money left from the auction and trip, I agreed to stay until I could get some money coming in. After a while I realized how things were between her and Newberry and that she was telling him, and anyone else who would listen, that I was living
with
her, and never mentioned that I had my own apartment there.

“I had met Ray while we were both looking for work and got to be good friends. He had been out here longer than I had and introduced me to Clem Rainer, Tom Perring, and some of the others. He told me, when he found out, that he thought the whole set-up of Selina’s had been to make Newberry jealous and she had no intention of helping me—or trying to. He also said she didn’t have enough clout now to help anyone if she had wanted to. I agreed with him and immediately moved out.

I stayed with Ray until I got a job working in a department store, and when I got enough money, I moved into the Malsheba place because I could afford it. It was handy and I wasn’t there much anyway, so I just stayed.”

“Poor Stone, you really wanted to get back into acting, didn’t you?”

“I guess I thought I did once, but when I told Ray about the Collectibles business I had in Colburgh, he seemed interested and I immediately realized that I really wanted to try it again. It was great getting back into it. There is a lot of money in it and after Ray got the part and left, Campbell’s and Stockman made me a very generous offer that I couldn’t refuse. And I had to buy some better clothes before starting work for them which, I hope, will be in some of these boxes that Ray picked up for me at the post office.”

“Who sent them?” she asked. “Ray said they weren’t addressed in your writing.”

“That was Mrs. Morgreen, my landlady at Malsheba Rd. Bless her. I’ll have to find out if I left her enough money to send them. She probably thought it strange that I didn’t mention it when I saw her. I sure hope some of my contact lenses got in those boxes. When Clem asked me, `what’s with the glasses?’ I began to doubt if they were really friends. Couldn’t understand as I had been wearing glasses since I was in my early teens. I guess no one out here knew that as I had got contacts before I tried to get acting jobs. I had to have them, but I also had to pay for them in very small installments.”

“How did your landlady know Selina Avery?”

“She came there to tell her that I was a friend of hers and I had told her where I was working but she had forgotten to write it down. Of course Mrs. Morgreen told her. When Jerry and Tina went to see her I’m sure she gave Jerry the $100,000 as another way of controlling me. She made use of that didn’t she? I also found out from Janet Kirkland that Selina was furious when she found out I had made so much money from the commercials that started from her recommendation of the underwear modeling. It seems that she had tried to get work there and had been told they were looking for someone younger. After that and the fact that I wanted no part of hers and Newberry’s mess, I guess she was determined to do what she could to get me in trouble. But no more.”

He picked up Tara Lee and whirled with her. “Isn’t it wonderful? Isn’t it perfect, Darling?

“Umm, perfect,” she sighed.

“Who knows,” said Stone, “maybe some day Jerry and I will start our own business again. We both loved the challenge of it—and you and Tina seemed to hit it off too.”

“It sounds wonderful, Stone. I can’t believe it’s all finally over and we’ve got our lives back.”

“Over? It’s just starting. You’re going to call your family in the morning and start planning our wedding.”

END

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 

Eleanor (Davis) Trevithick was brought up in Piermont, N.H., and lived most of her married life in Schenectady, N.Y. and Holiday, Florida, and later, Piermont. After her husband died, she moved to Woodsville, N.H. She has written poems, music lyrics, articles, and short stories. This is her first novel.