Chasing My Shadow (7 page)

“Do you really think Mrs. Slippers, Sandals, or whatever would wait over ten years for you to find the items?”

She grinned at him and his troubles right then were gone.

He even laughed as he said, “That was stupid, wasn’t it? I was so involved in my life back then that I actually forgot that I don’t have a store now and that this is 1994. Do you know how good you are for me? Gosh, I’m glad you came.”

Then he proceeded to tell her all that had happened after he got to Colburgh, including discovering the cafe instead of his store, the bank trip and all of the money. “It scares me, Tara Lee, not knowing how I got that amount of money. It really frightens me.”

“Eleven years is a long time, Stone; you could have saved that amount.”

“But that big amount was deposited the same month. Where would I have got such a sum all at once?”

I suppose you could have accumulated it gradually over the years in a California bank, then deposited it all at once in the Colburgh bank. Maybe you should hire a detective now.”

“I’ve thought about it, but I’d like to wait a while to see if my memory will come back. A detective might find out what I had been doing, but until I get my memory back I won’t know why I did it or what I was thinking. I’d rather wait a little longer.”

He then proceeded to tell her about calling the doctor to find out about amnesia, taking the cab to the Malsheba apartment, describing the apartment, the landlady, the driver who had stopped and greeted him, the car following them and up to his last phone call to her. He had even shown her the money market account and checking account with the cancelled checks, and after he had told her everything that had happened since he had arrived in Colburgh and since he arrived out here at the Baltimore, even including the landlady asking for Selina, and the notes from “$” he felt a lot better. Now she knew as much as he did about his life. He didn’t mention the dream since, after all, it was only a dream.

When he had finished, she said, “I wonder who this Selena person is. You said the check was for $100,500?” She looked at him trying to think what it could mean.

“Well,” he said, “that apartment on Malsheba sure wasn’t any place that I would think any woman would want to live. I didn’t want to tell you anything until I had got out here and found out what I could first. I’m sure that landlady would have known if I had been married and mentioned it when I saw her. I really believe I must have lived there alone. She could have known this Selena woman from anywhere—maybe a movie she was in, and I may have even mentioned that I had known her. Who knows?”

It was a relief to Tara Lee that he believed he had lived there alone, but it was far from proof. She knew if the choice were hers she would have agreed to live anywhere at all with him. But how did that landlady know Selina if she hadn’t lived there? She doubted it was the explanation that Stone had given. And that note was from someone who obviously knew him well, and it was signed with an “S” or “$”. Either way it could stand for Selina. She was quiet for a moment as she tried to put the woman out of her mind then, “What about the post office at Petunia or whatever—the town the apartment was in?” she asked. “Is there a chance your mail could be there?”

“Pertula. Yeah, how about that? We could go there and see if they have any mail for me. I couldn’t believe there was so little at that Malsheba Rd. address. The woman said the rest must have been forwarded on—but of course I don’t know where. We could arrange to be at the post office early in the morning before the mail has been sorted for delivery, and wait for it.”

“A good idea.” she said in excitement, we’ll leave early in the morning…or maybe we could call the post office about 8:00 or 8:30, whenever post offices open, and ask them if they have any mail of yours that you could pick up there.” Then, thoughtfully, “No, it would be better to go in I think. Then you could just lay the two statements with your former address on the counter and, hopefully, they won’t ask for identification.”

He slumped in the chair as he looked at Tara Lee’s beautiful face gazing at him with such compassion, and suddenly brightened. “Maybe all this mess happened for a reason,” he said as he jumped up and reached for her. “How else would I have found you? And, Darling, if I hadn’t had memory problems you wouldn’t be with me now. So how can we be upset?”He was grinning.“I can’t thank you enough for coming here.All of your ideas are good, too. Have you done much detective work?”

“Right along with Perry Mason,” she laughed. It was wonderful for both of them just being together again.

They were sitting in comfortable silence later when Stone said, “I wonder where Jerry went,” Then he stopped, lost in thought.

“Come on, Stone, don’t try to figure anything out. Maybe Jerry was with you for at least part of those lost years. Your memory will return sooner if you don’t worry about it and try so hard to remember. Just let it return by itself.”

After they had visited and rested a while she got out a sheet of the hotel stationery and started a list. “(No. 1)—rent a car,” she said. “(No. 2)—Visit the post office and find out if they are holding any mail for you.” She sat tapping the pen against her teeth deep in thought, then said, “Call my parents, of course. I almost forgot that they don’t know where I am.” She immediately called her parents to tell them that she and her patient were staying at the Hotel Baltimore for a few days at least, and assuring them that she would keep in touch with them. Then back to her list.

“(No. 3)—Go back to see that landlady and tell her that you have amnesia and can’t….”

“No, please—at least not yet. Do you realize how embarrassing and frustrating it is for me not to remember those years? I don’t want people to know.”

“Frustrating, yes. Embarrassing? No. You were in a plane crash. That shouldn’t cause embarrassment—just thankfulness that you made it at all.”

“But I feel so helpless, especially if I had to talk to someone who would know what happened when I remember nothing. It’s weird, really weird. It was 1983 and now I see checks written by me dated 1994. I can’t make it seem right.” Then that feeling came over him again. It was an intense urgency that he should leave. He wanted to get away from…something or someone, but didn’t know what or whom, and he didn’t want to worry Tara Lee, so said nothing to her. Since he couldn’t remember, he tried to put it out of his mind, then suddenly this feeling would wash over him again that he had to leave at once. What had he done? Why did he feel he had to get away? He looked up at Tara Lee and almost told her, then thought, what good could it do? She certainly wouldn’t know the answer, and it would only worry her too. He knew she was concerned enough about how the landlady knew Selina, and why Selina had written him those notes as though she had every right to make demands on his time. He didn’t want her worrying about anything else. If he could only find out some of these unknowns.

CHAPTER 7
 

That evening when they got back from the dining room and a seafood dinner, Stone rested on one of the beds and Tara Lee was reclining in a chair. It had been an exhausting day for both.

Stone said, “we’ve spent all of our time talking about me and what I’ve been doing and what it all means and what to do about it, but do you realize I know nothing about you except that I love you. Even before I found out that I had lost those years when I was still at the Horizon you would never talk about yourself. You were always worrying about how I felt and trying to help me. I want to know about you, so tell me everything.”

“My life isn’t half as interesting as yours so far,” she said with a soft smile. Then she added, “Everything would take too long, but I’ll give you the highlights. First, Stone, I’m going to tell you something that really bothered me in the hospital. I suppose it’s kind of funny in a way, but when you thought it was still 1983 and told me you were thirty-one I actually thought, he’s too young for me.” She looked at him as he pulled himself up to a sitting position leaning on the pillows and headboard, and asked, “You did? You really did?”

“Aren’t I a hussy to admit it? But all I could think of was I’m nine years older than he is and that’s too much of a gap when it’s the woman who’s older.” Then she laughed her rippling laugh. “What’s a hussy? I guess I don’t really know, but let’s just say I was being pretty forward to even entertain such a thought with one of my patients.”

“I think hussy has two meanings and one of them is a mischievous girl or something like that, and the other meaning is sort of degrading and certainly doesn’t describe you. Do you realize we both must have felt the same way about each other from the beginning?” He slid back down on the bed and said, “Come over and lay down beside me—I know you’re as tired as I am—and tell me about yourself.”

Tara Lee felt comfortable lying beside him, but giggled and said, “I’m not being very professional, you know. After all, I am your nurse.”

He put his arm around her and replied, “Your occupation has just changed from nurse to fiancee. You will, won’t you?”

“Is that sort of a proposal?” she asked, “because if it is, the answer is yes. Now do I fit the other definition of hussy?”

“Not in a million years.” Then he suddenly realized what she had said. “You mean it? You’ll marry me?”

“If you’re not already married,” she said.

“Oh, no, I couldn’t be. Honest, I….”

“I hope not, Stone, but we have to be realistic. We really don’t know, do we? And we do know your landlady knows Selina, and she did put a note under your door that sounded as though you knew each other well and….”

“No, no, we don’t know that note was from her. It was a dollar sign. Remember?”

“I know it was but it could have been some kind of a code between you. It was an “S”, and remember, your landlady knew her. But even if it wasn’t Selena, it was obviously someone who knew you well.”

“But if I had been married to her, that landlady would have asked me where she was, wouldn’t she? She just said to say hello to her—and that was an after thought just as we were parting. I obviously knew this Selina, so we may have worked at the same place or something. And if I had been married to anyone at all, she would have known and asked about her. No, it’s definitely going to be you, Tara Lee, and I can’t believe my good luck.” He hugged her tightly, then said, “Now tell me about yourself.”

“Well, my parents still live in Ulmerton, near the house we lived in when my two older brothers and I were growing up. Monty and his wife live in Brookline, Mass., and Brad lives….”

“I want to know that, of course, but first you. I’m glad you still have both parents and that you have two older brothers and I’ll be anxious to meet them, but I guess what I want to know first is if you have ever been married and if you have any children—not that it would make a bit of difference,” he hastily added.

“No, to both questions. I was engaged once but he was killed in a boating accident ten years ago, and I haven’t had a serious relationship since.”

Stone sighed in contentment and relief. “I’m sorry,” he told her, “really sorry because I know that kind of heart ache and how it can hurt, but I can’t help but be relieved that you have no ties of that nature now.”

“It was a long time ago, Stone, and life has to go on. After a long while you even find out what it is like to laugh again, as you must have found out, too. There really isn’t much to tell. I went to Melbourne College and got my B.A. then took up nursing. Since I was a little girl taking care of my dolls I knew what I wanted to do. My father used to say he never heard of dolls having all the illnesses that mine did. I was always nursing them back to health. I had a lot of dolls, you see, so of course some of them were bound to be sick.”

“You’re something else, Tara Lee.”

“And now I’m going to nurse you back to health too,” she added. Then she started to get up.

“Don’t leave yet,” he pleaded. “stay a while longer.”

“I have work to do,” she said, as she slid off the bed and went to the desk and phone. “I think I had better see about renting a car. We have to have a way to get around and I’ll have to drive until you get your life straightened out and get some identification.”

“Are you the nurse now or the detective?”

“Maybe detective. They make the most money,” she laughed, “but if you need me, I’ll switch back.”

While Tara Lee was phoning, Stone closed his eyes and tried to think. Now he knew he had to straighten out his life as fast as possible so he could marry Tara Lee. Why had he written a check for such an amount to this Selina Avery? Who could she be? What was she to him? He couldn’t imagine his marrying anyone by the name of Selina Avery—or anyone else for that matter, except Tara Lee. But he also couldn’t get out of his mind the fact that people in Colburgh remembered seeing him leave town with a woman. Someone had said they were a handsome couple. He didn’t remember any women there except a few repeat customers and Jerry’s friend, Tina. If only he would start remembering something!

“Look, Stone,” said Tara Lee after she finished her call, “Are you sure you don’t want to hire a detective now? It would be much faster than trying to figure everything out yourself. Why not?”

“Let’s give me a little time and maybe I’ll start remembering. If I don’t remember soon I’ll certainly see about it. I’ve got to get things straightened out so we can get married. I wish I knew where all of that money came from, and if, when, and why I went to France. If I could just get my memory back I might have a chance.” He was thinking to himself, What am I going to find? Then he told her, “I wish I had thought to get some checks from the bank in Colburgh. I could at least have got some checks that I could use until I could have regular ones sent to me.”

“I went to the bank as soon as it opened the morning after you called, and made sure plenty of money was transferred to my checking account before I left,” said Tara Lee, “and I also have my credit card, so don’t worry about it. As soon as you get your memory back we’ll handle it.

And if you’re not married to anyone else we’ll be married anyway—then what difference will it make?”