In Search of Satisfaction (24 page)

Then, he went home to Yoville and Carlene.

Though Richard did not change his way of being after he returned from his trip, Carlene knew that he knew … something. There was a difference. The distance now between them was made by him. This did not make her feel ashamed or hurt; instead, she became angry.

Carlene had been planning his death for many years. She still held the capsules, but time had passed and she had never used them. Either he had bought his own medicine while on his travels or he was gone so often she could not set up a regular system. But now, he was home much more often for longer periods of time. Now she wanted him gone … for good. She bought a new supply and prepared them once more.

She had, for the last eight months or so, taken charge of his medicine. Sending for it, issuing it to Baily, who did not see the necessity for any change from the old way but who questioned nothing. Richard held up well, but he was tired more often now. Carlene thought, “If there was just something, anything, to excite him, scare him, shock him, I believe it would kill him. He is dying on his feet! What is taking him so long?! Maybe that doctor lied about that salt, that medicine!”

She was too cautious to ask any other doctor or person. “I have time, what the hell!” So she waited.

She was still waiting this morning as she sat before her pictures, thinking over her life, the past, the present, the future. The spider slept and waited. And Yinyang was on her way.

• • •

t
he sun was getting warmer as the day moved on. Yin had not found the little shack Josephus had told her about. She would need rougher clothes and shoes. She planned to go back again, soon. She was not giving up. She had to make her life.

Now, Yin held her head high with a serious, little hat perched on it, stepped firmly to the main road and turned in the direction of the Befoes.

When she reached the walkway of the Befoes’ huge, immaculate house with its manicured lawns, she almost hesitated, but her feet went down to the ground and forward as if of their own will, and she started the walk of 150 feet or so to the wide front terrace-porch. She could see a man sitting there—a white man with a Negro man sitting sideways on the porch steps. They both watched her as she came toward them. She did not smile. She looked what she thought was businesslike, serious but pleasant. Her heart beat wildly. “This is my life,” she thought. Mr. Befoe didn’t turn his eyes away; he smiled slightly as she reached the house.

t
he picture of Richard, her husband, lay face down on the desk, and Carlene’s thoughts returned to herself. She caressed the picture of Richard the elder, her lover. She was about to pick his picture up again and pour herself another drink, when she heard voices floating lightly on the air coming through her window. “Why it sounds like a woman’s voice. A young woman’s voice.” She leaned forward to her window to see who Richard might be talking to. She saw a pretty, young woman, not too young, but young. Very neat, crisp white blouse beneath a navy blue, well-cut suit of the latest style. The dark shining hair was pulled severely back and topped with a small but charming hat. Carlene leaned closer to the window, not caring whether she was seen or not.

“Has one of his bitches come here to find him? No, no that is not a whore, she looks like a lady. What does she want with Richard? Oh, the bank, maybe. Or a lawyer, that dumb man Syntoll. But what is she doing here?”

The spider awoke and moved further back into the corner as the movement and sounds came close to it. “I don’t like all this light,” the spider thought. “I need the darkness. My own home.” She moved cautiously
out of the corner of the window as Carlene reached for the bellpull to call Minna. The spider’s legs rushed over the sill and down, down beneath the top of the desk until it found shadows shading into darkness, then she rested briefly. When she had adjusted to the darkness, she could take her time finding her future home, her nest for her babies. “There are so many wonderful places here.” And she began to spin the web she would need for sustenance. After long hours it would be connected to several things which gave her more avenues for search. She rested. And waited.

Carlene rang for Minna and waited, and as she waited she could hear the voices through the open window, but not clearly.

Yinyang was arriving.

s
he had watched the men watching her approach; Yin spoke first, “Good morning.”

Mr. Befoe nodded, saying, “Good morning.” Mr. Creed just nodded.

She stepped up on the first step. “I am … my name is Yinyang Krupt. I am here to find … inquire about,” her voice grew strong, “my house. I understand …”

Mr. Befoe nodded again, “Yes, I know the house, certainly. I think we’ve been taking care of the place, taxes, yard work.”

Yin thought, “You know you haven’t.” But said, “Well, sir, I intend to pay you … all you have spent on my house and the land.” She decided to smile, thinking, “Hell, what does a smile hurt?”

Richard Befoe smiled. “Mrs.? Krupt.”

“Miss.”

“Well, Miss Krupt, I have a law office here in town, I keep my records there. There is an attorney there, Syntoll. He will help you find out …”

Yin continued to smile in what she thought a business manner, “I’ve already spoken to him, he said I must see Mr. Befoe because he keeps all the records here at his home.”

Richard frowned, he didn’t care for Mr. Syntoll anyway. He talked too much without knowing what he was doing. Richard already had an older, more settled and experienced man in mind, a recent widower,
who would be willing to take Syntoll’s place and live in such a place as Yoville. But now, he said, “Did he now?” looking at Yin’s clear and lovely smile.

“Yes. I have looked at my place, Mr.…?”

“Befoe. Richard Befoe.”

“Mr. Befoe, I have looked at my place and there does not seem to have been a great deal of money spent on it.”

“Well, ten years is a long time.”

Yin looked down for a moment, then up at Richard, still smiling agreeably, “I don’t count money in years, I count money in dollars.”

Richard Befoe laughed, his laughter surprised him, and Creed. “What do you intend to do with the place, Miss Krupt? Do you wish to sell it?”

Yin stopped smiling. “Do you wish to buy it?”

Richard was indifferent, “Well, no, there really is quite a bit too much wrong with the place, and then what would anybody want with it?”

Yin smiled lightly. “Good! Because I plan to live there again. It is my home. And since you know it needs so much, then I can’t owe too much to reimburse you for all you have spent.”

Creed looked down at his foot and laughed silently. Richard glared at him and then laughed out loud. “The early bird gets the worm.”

Creed shook his head, “Yea, but the worm was early too, what does he get? Sides gotten?”

Richard looked back to Yin. “I don’t think it will be too much, I’ll look into it and let you know.” His eyes appraised her. Satisfied and curious. She smiled fully, feeling a bit relaxed.

Minna came out of the house and approached them, saying, “Mrs. Befoe say who is the visitor?”

Richard answered, “Yinyang Krupt, her old friend’s daughter.” Minna left, but returned shortly. “Mrs. Befoe say have Mrs. Krupt come up to her, please.”

c
arlene was still sitting at her desk going through her mail when Yin was ushered in by Minna. She looked up briefly, nodded, looked
back at the mail and said, “Have a seat, Mrs. Krupt. It is Mrs.? Or Miss?”

Yin sat in the seat across from the desk instead of the one beside it. “Miss.”

Carlene lay her hand on the desk, “Such a handsome young woman and still unmarried? Or widowed?”

Yin said nothing. She crossed her hands on her lap and waited. Carlene Befoe put her mail down with a sigh. “Invitations. Everyone seems to be having fun.”

Yin smiled slightly. “It is nice to be included in their pleasure.”

Carlene sighed again. “I probably will not go. The yacht trip sounds interesting, but …” She looked directly at Yin. “I remember your mother. We were … friends. She met your … her husband here in this house. Oh, and I have wondered for years whatever became of a very beautiful diamond ring I … loaned her, which she never returned. And then she passed away and I never got my ring back. Do you know of it?”

Yin was a little angry but controlled it. “I seem to remember a ring my mother wore sometimes, but the one I remember was hers.”

Carlene picked up the invitations again. “Are you sure?” When Yin did not answer, Carlene looked at her again, smiling. “Yes, the yacht trip sounds good to me, such a beautiful way to travel.”

“You should go. It is a beautiful time of year.”

“Oh, the date is almost a year away. You know how you have to plan that sort of thing early, there is so much to do to prepare for it. But … I’m sure I won’t go. I have a bad hip. Gives me problems. Rocking on a boat for two weeks would not be attractive to me.”

Yin thought the pain might be what made Mrs. Befoe so discourteous, she felt sorry for her. “You look very well. Surely the hip will not hurt long.”

Carlene said dryly, “It hurts almost all the time now. Even if I stay in bed, off my feet.”

“To stay in bed is not the best thing for that, I don’t think. You should use it, exercise it.”

Carlene looked up, interested, laying the mail down again. “You sound as though you are a nurse … or something.”

Yin smiled. “I know a bit about it. I … once nursed a … 
friend with similar problems.” She wanted to change the conversation before this woman started with her crude questions. “Mrs. Befoe, I am here to acquire information regarding my house.”

“The Krupt house?”

“Yes, my house.”

Carlene was silent a moment. “You resemble your mother. I knew her quite well, before the questionable death of your … the Krupts.”

“Questionable?”

“Yes, questionable. They could both die of their … ailments, but at the same time?”

Yin looked down at her hands. “I know nothing of that. I was a child. I was … sent away before their deaths.”

“Oh? Where on earth to?”

“New Orleans.”

“So, Virginia had relatives in New Orleans?”

“I was sent away to school.”

Carlene was silent again for a moment. “Yes, school. There are certainly none worth attending here in Yoville. You’ve been gone about fifteen years or more.”

“Yes. And I would like to know about my house and land. What is the amount required to pay you back?”

Carlene mused, “The bank is the lender.”

“I understand Befoe is the bank. How much to pay to the bank then?”

“Did you speak to Mr. Befoe about this?”

“Yes, that is what I was doing when you … when I was brought up here to you.”

“What did he say?”

“He said it would be checked into. It couldn’t be very much.”

“I don’t know why he said it couldn’t be very much.” Carlene turned to her mail again.

“Because it is obvious that very little has been done to the house or the yard … in fifteen years.”

Carlene’s face was serious when she turned to Yinyang. “Well, then … it will be looked into. Where are you staying? Will you be going back to New Orleans until the matter is cleared up?”

“No. I intend to be here, to help clear it up. I intend to live in my home. I am presently staying at the … hotel? with Mrs. Whitman.”

Carlene laughed a little. “That must be charming,” she said with sarcasm.

Yin smiled but did not laugh. “That is why I am impatient to move into my own house.”

“It needs a great deal of repair. Do you … work?”

Yin hesitated. “I can … teach.”

“And … you can nurse.”

Yin shook her head. “No, there are just some things I know.”

“Doctor Dont might need someone like you.”

“I am not seeking employment.”

Carlene smiled. “Tell me more about my hip. What is better for it?”

Now Yin smiled. “Well, massage works wonders for bones and muscles.”

“Do you do that also?”

Yin’s smile faded. “I have done it … for my friend.”

“Was your friend a man?”

“No, I hardly think I would do it for a man. I have never been married.”

“But you would for a woman?”

Yin fidgeted with her hands. “If … she were my friend.”

“Well, then … we shall try to be friends … at least friendly. I did know your mother, you remember. And you will be needing some funds, if you intend to fix that old house up. I can pay you.”

Yin’s voice was a bit strained. “Simply help me by giving me the information about my house, and I will pay you.”

Carlene’s voice hardened a bit. “You seem not to want to help me.”

“What I really want, Mrs. Befoe, is to acquire my house, repair it and move in.”

Carlene ignored that. “What else have you been doing all these years?”

Yin spoke clearly. “Someday, when I am all settled, I shall come for tea and we can chat. Now … I am solely interested in …”

“Your house.”

“Yes.”

Carlene was silent a moment. “How do I know you are the heir?”

“There is no other. Of course, you know.”

Carlene looked at Yin a long moment, taking in the clothes, hat and shoes. “You have certainly not suffered.”

“Was I supposed to?”

“You are impertinent.”

“I am impatient. I do not wish to remain where I am any longer than I have to!”

Carlene tilted her head, saying, “We have a guest room. Upstairs near my sister Sally’s room. You could stay there.”

“Then you do not think it will be long before my business is cleared up and I can get settled in my house?”

Carlene laughed lightly. “What I am thinking of is my hip … and what you may know to help it. The massage. The exercise.”

“Mrs. Befoe, there are doctors all over the world that can help you.”

“I do not like to travel in pain.”

“They would come to you. You are rich.”

“One trip. One short trip at a time. That would hardly be significant enough to do any real good. You, on the other hand, will be here.”

“Will I?”

They looked at each other a moment. Carlene thought, “This might be the one who can excite Richard to his death.”