CHAPTER 14

Reckonings
By Margot Comstock


Kate left the East Side Squash Club late Saturday morning, feeling stronger and happier deep inside than she had in ages, it seemed, certainly since she’d left home. Reconciliation with her father was huge! And the smoothies she and Hank had shared at the club had left a sweet, fresh glow of their own.

Folks passing her on Lexington Avenue smiled or nodded in response to the smile Kate didn’t even realize she was wearing. She noticed these people and felt even happier.

She was on her way home, looking forward—with mixed anticipation—to recreating the roller derby uniform designs Pike had destroyed. As she got nearer, her smile faded. What if that creep were there again? No, he wasn’t due until Monday. Nevertheless, Kate pulled out her cell to call Marie. Marie answered.

“Hi, it’s me. Nearly home, hoping you’re there….” Kate said.

“I’m here. Nothing new. All clear,” Marie said. “Did you drop off your dad’s racquets?”

“Yes! The creep was in the street, horrible; so I went in to see my dad! He and a friend called some big guy Pike had beat up and gave the guy Pike’s address.”

“That sounds promising,” said Marie.

“Then Dad and I had smoothies at the club bar. It was nice.

“I’m almost home, here I come!”

By the time Kate reached the apartment, Marie had the door open and a hug for Kate.

“Katie, it’s super to see you looking truly happy. And relaxed. I was about to make myself a BLT. Want one?”

“Sure!” Kate said. “My favorite!”

Marie realized how much her father meant to Kate; she had never seen Kate this happy and relaxed.

“Then I’ll be hunkering down on the drawing board trying to reproduce my designs. I also have some new ideas; I think these might even be better than the ones Pike destroyed.”

Marie just grinned. It was hard not to catch Kate’s enthusiasm today.

___________

Jerome Kucinich finished the work he needed to do that Saturday by mid afternoon. Now he would check out where the Pike fellow lived in the Village. He’d deal with this bother today. He gathered some things to take with him and called the garage for his car to be brought out to the street. He put the gun in a shoulder holster under his camel-hair coat, the brass knuckles in his coat pocket.

His car was waiting when he got downstairs, his driver at the wheel.

“Thank you, Novak. We’re off to the Village to call on the fellow who attacked me a few days ago outside the sports club.”

“Yes, sir! Good mission today,” Novak said. Kucinich saw satisfaction on his right-hand man’s face in the rear-view mirror as the car moved into the downtown traffic.

Then he got out his car-based iPad and texted an associate in New Zealand. 

___________

Hank was still high from his second day of having his daughter back in his life—his amazingly grown-up daughter—when Yvette poked her head in his office.

“What’s up?” she said. “You look like you just won the lottery, makes me want to smile.”

“Ha, you are smiling! Is it the lottery that’s making you so happy?” Hank said, getting up to greet this lovely woman with a hug.

Yvette raised her eyebrows. “Well?”

“Okay!” he said. “Kate came in today! It’s so good to see her, I’m riding on a cloud.”

“So good,” she said. And hugged him back. “So where did she go?”

“She had a lot of work to do.” He told Yvette about the break-in, the destruction of Kate’s designs, the whole horror. “And today the guy Pike was outside the club when Kate arrived and he gave her the creeps. So Jerry called Kucinich and we gave him Pike’s address.”

“Whoa! You’ve been busy, you fellows!”

“Feels good,” Hank said. “This time I think it’ll be Pike that gets clocked.  You here to practice for the competition?”

“Thought I might. And then I wondered what you might be doing for dinner, et cetera…”

“How about I’m having dinner with you, and et cetera, too?”

“You’re so on,” said Yvette.

—————--

Margaret was driving home from an overnight gig with a client. Her wallet was healthy but her temperament was sour. Stopped at a red light, she saw her daughter walking the other direction, with a silly grin on her face.

Margaret registered disgust. What’s her problem? she thought. Little shit doesn’t have a thought for her mother. What I do for her!

Somewhere in her bitterness there might have been an iota of caring, if only she weren’t so tired, and if that so-called client hadn’t been so repulsive. But things were what they were, and Margaret drove on to her city pad where she pulled the drapes against the sun, dropped her clothes on the floor, took a very hot shower, and collapsed on the daybed. But sleep came slowly; she was so very angry.

In her misery, it was Hank who was the villain of her dreams, not her awful client. And never her own choices.

____________

The young women had finished their sandwiches and Marie was washing up when her iPhone rang. It was Joe, the dog walker, returning her call.

“What’s up, Marie?”

“Joe, we’ve got a problem with your helper.”

“Pike? Hmm. You’d better tell me; I’ve been having some doubts myself.”

So Marie told him and offered to show him the web cam pictures of Pike’s behavior. Joe wanted to see the pictures, and he was willing to take action right away.

“Marie, I have no reason to doubt you. This is awful. It’s especially awkward since he’s been staying here. Maybe it’d be easier confronting him if I did see the vids first. Any chance I could see them today?”

“Sure, we’ll both be here for a few hours anyway.”

“Okay. I have one pup to walk and then I’ll be there.”

“Thanks, Joe. See you soon.”

Marie went into the front room. “Joe’s coming over shortly to see the nanny cam pictures,” she said. “He’s as outraged as we are—but it’s even more awkward because he’s been letting the creep crash at his pad.”

“Whew. That’s harsh! But little Sassy will be free of Pike. And I’m super relieved Joe knew nothing about it.”

“Me, too,” Marie said. But a new little frown worried her brow.

——————

Pike didn’t get back to Joe’s until late afternoon. To his annoyance, his key didn’t work. He knocked loudly. He heard barking and Joe opened the door.  Joe stepped back but a huge dog stood in Pike’s way.

“What is this dog?” he grumbled….“He’s huge!”

“He’s an Irish Wolfhound, the largest breed. Wonderful dog. Up, Shaw,” spoke Joe. Shaw moved to Pike and rose, paws on Pike’s shoulders.

“Aaagh!” sputtered Pike.

“Down, Shaw.” Shaw stood down but didn’t back up. “You know Beethoven, of course,” Joe said, gesturing to the Rottweiler. “And that’s Benthi over in the corner. She’s a Mastiff. Weighs more than Shaw.”

Pike was stepping backward, trying with gestures to get Shaw to move away. Benthi rose up and wandered slowly toward him and Shaw.

“What’s going on here?” Pike asked angrily.

“Afraid there’s no room for you, Thomas. As for the dog walking, I’ve had complaints. You’re fired.”

As Joe closed the door on Pike, a long black car pulled silently up to the curb.




Margot Comstock
Margot is a California artist-crossword creator-game designer-writer who enjoys hanging out with her ancient Viking and cheering on the Los Angeles Lakers.


This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.