Key Chain Alarm

"Wanted: Auto damage appraiser. Must have body shop experience. Conrad Insurance Company."

I turned my cell phone on, called the listed number, and I got a name, address, and appointment in one hour. I deleted the five calls that came from Tracey. I punched the address into the GPS and headed right over. I always liked to be early. I had never gone on a job interview before and realized that I was not dressed for one. It was too late now. What they see is what they get.

There were three other guys there when I arrived. They were all well-dressed and looking good. Each of them had a folder in his hand which I assumed was a resume. Each one entered the manager's office, stayed five minutes, and left. They didn't look happy. I was feeling pretty good because I didn't think that I could do worse than they did.

The guy behind the desk was dressed well, but the clothes didn't fit the man. He was hard, with cracked skin, and faded tats sticking out around different parts of his clothes. His hands were the things that I noticed most. They were calloused and gnarly, just like mine. This guy wasn't an executive. He was a metal-beater wearing people clothes. He noticed me smiling and sort of smiled back.

It didn't take him long to read over the interview form that I had filled out in the lobby. I think I left half of the spaces empty. I wasn't being a smartass, I just didn't have any information to enter.

"Hemmingway. Daniel Hemmingway." He paused as if in thought.

"No. I am not." I answered his unspoken question, just as I had answered a hundred times before. I was not related to the famous author.

"Well, that's a relief. I wouldn't want no intellectuals hanging around the office." He seemed relieved that I had anticipated what he was going to ask so that he didn't make a fool out of himself. It wouldn't have been that way, but he seemed to be a proud man.

"I get asked that a lot."

"My name is Grady Burgess. Why are you here, Daniel Hemmingway?"

There was no way that I was going to try and con this man. I watched three, slick talkers get excused before they could even start giving him any bullshit.

"I got drunk last night over in Chattanooga and all of my shop gear was swiped out of my truck while I slept it off. It's hard to get a shop job without gear. This seemed like a good alternative."

"That makes sense, but I am guessing that there is more to it than that. Am I right?"

"Yes sir. I just found out that my wife of eighteen years was cheating on me. My judgment last night was a little clouded. I usually don't drink that much."

"Where is your wife now?"

"Pennsylvania."

"Marcie. Bring us two coffees. Will you hon?" His voice was loud and could be heard all over the office.

Marcie was in her mid-forties, chunky, and wore way too much make up. She set two, cheap, white ceramic coffee cups down with no cream or sugar. It made sense to me.

Grady gave her a little pat on the backside before she left. "Cancel the rest of the appointments Babe. I think we found what we were looking for."

Marcie gave Grady a scowl and then gave me a little wink. I was looking a little sheepish when I noticed that Grady was smiling at my embarrassment.

We chatted for about two hours and then he carefully explained to me what the job entailed as well as the pay and benefits. The only down side to the whole deal were the image requirements.

Eighty percent of my job was going to involve contact with customers. Image was paramount. That meant a haircut and a complete change in grooming habits. I was expected to get a new wardrobe and a shoeshine kit; he emphasized that. Marcie would personally help me with everything that needed to be done.

I was expected to be in Atlanta by Monday morning for a full week of training. Conrad Insurance was an independent company, but worked as a subcontracter for several larger national auto insurers. Everything had to be done to specific standards. The company paid all the expenses related to the training, but the clothes and grooming were coming out of my pocket.

Marcie seemed to enjoy the rest of the week more than I did. I was a little project for her. I insisted on going to a barber shop rather than a hair dressers, but she made all of the rest of the decisions. Not only did I get a haircut, but I also got my eyebrows and ears trimmed and my nose hairs pruned. Marcie informed the barber that I would be back every ten days for the same treatment.

My working clothes were pretty generic; khaki pants and white shirts. She even found a jacket that went with the pants. I also got two pairs of black, steel-toed dress shoes, with a dozen pairs of black socks.

She had found a small studio apartment for me, and helped me get it set up. Friday morning, I got my Tennessee drivers license and that afternoon, Marcie gave me the keys to my company car and a laptop computer.

Before leaving me at the apartment that evening, she stood on her tip-toes and kissed me on the cheek.

"Damn it, Daniel. If Grady wasn't so darn jealous, I think I'd have to jump your bones. You cleaned up real good, boy."

I was flattered, but the thought of what she was suggesting make me shiver a little.

It was time to give Carly a call.

"Dad. Good to hear from you. Where are you or is it better that I don't know?"

"Baby, I am in Nashville right now. I trust that you will not tell your mother."

"Are you working?"

"As a matter of fact I am. I got hired at the first place that I applied at."

"I guess they will always need body men."

"Actually, it is a desk job. Well not exactly behind a desk, but I won't be working in shop. I'll be doing appraisals out in the field."

"How the hell did you get a job like that?"

"I guess I was in the right place at the right time. How are things at home?"

"Well, I am fine, but mom is a wreck."

"I thought that she would be happy to see me gone."

"So did I, but it seems to be just the opposite."

"Care to expand on that a little?"

"Well all she did the first day was sit at the kitchen table and chant over and over; "That is not how it was suppose to happen.""

"Did you question her about it?"

"She was drunk and she was not responsive. Every time I tried to talk to her, she just looked at me and repeated the mantra again. I gave up after about an hour. She drank every drop of wine in the house. At least she didn't touch the hard stuff."

"I wasn't expecting that."

"Me either. I thought that she might be pissed."

"It sounds like it was all a big plan that she had and that I screwed it up somehow."

"That's what I thought also, but I have no idea what she thought was going to happen. Apparently, she knew she was going to get caught eventually, but hadn't counted on your exodus. I don't know for sure, but it looks like she was looking forward to some type of confrontation."

"I am sorry that I messed up her plans."

There was a short pause in the conversation, so I took the opportunity to change the subject.

"What are your plans?"

"As soon as mom settles down a little, I am leaving for school. If I get there early enough, I can pick up a few summer session classes. On one hand, I hate to leave her, but on the other hand, I want to get the hell out of here. At least she has stopped her chanting."

"Well, I am leaving tomorrow morning for Atlanta. I'll call you when I get back. Okay?"

"That's fine, dad. I am glad things are working out for you. Mom is pretty strong, so I am sure she will break out of this slump pretty soon."

The training classes in Atlanta were a snap. It was mostly about putting the right information in the right block. The hardest part was overcoming my weak computer skills. I had no trouble getting a few of the young female trainees to tutor me, but found it difficult to resist their charms. They seemed disappointed in my reserve.

The next two years flew by. Grady was quite pleased with my job performance and was generous with the raises and bonuses.

I talked with Carly on a regular basis. She was doing fine in all her classes and with her social life. It was nice to see that she was dating, but as a father, I was a little anxious about the whole scene. She laughed at my concern.

I never heard from Tracey. There had not appeared to be any attempt on her part to contact me. I was not hiding, so if she had wanted to find me it would not have been a problem. She sold the house and pre-paid Carly's tuition with the proceeds. Then she left town. Tracey called Carly every few weeks, but the relationship between them never returned to what it was before the incident. I had to give Tracey points for trying. Carly had no idea where she had relocated to and never asked.

Tracey never filed for divorce. I could hold out for as long as she could.

My social life was another matter. I never thought of myself as a lady killer, but I discovered that a new persona came along with my upgraded appearance and marital freedom. I was technically still married, but under the circumstances, I didn't feel that way. Nashville was full of young ladies looking for companionship. I always made sure that they knew that I was married and not looking for any type of relationship. That turned out to be a big plus with most of them, including a few who were married themselves. I was careful not to date any of the married ones more than once and never took them back to my apartment. It didn't matter too much with the single ones, as long as they knew that I wasn't husband material.

Grady had hired two more guys to do what I did. I got to train them and supervise them. There was plenty of work to go around, but I got the feeling that something was in the wind.

"Daniel. We have to talk." Grady was serious, but what really bothered me was the words he used. This was the dreaded phase that wives always used when they wanted to spring some bad news on their unsuspecting husbands.

Grady laughed when he heard me groan.

"Don't get too excited, Daniel. It's not all that bad."

"It's a hell of a way to start a conversation."

Now we were both laughing.

"Daniel, I hate to say it, but you have outgrown the job."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"You can do better than this. I don't have any complaints, but I think you should be thinking about moving on."

"So, you are firing me?"

"No, damn it. I am trying to get you to move forward."

Marcie came in with two cups of coffee without being asked. She leaned over and whispered in my ear, loud enough for Grady to hear.

"The old fart is afraid that you are going to steal me away from him. Don't worry, if he lets you go, I'll go with you."

It was Grady's turn to groan as Marcie left the office giggling. It was a scary thought.

"Daniel. I have a job interview set up for you in Houston this Friday. American Consolidated Claims needs a man to run their national operation. They are having difficulty getting someone to run their appraisal section of the operation. I have already talked to them and they are anxious to meet you."

"That's nice, Grady, but surely they have some young college graduates with business degrees who are more that qualified to do the job."

"They tried that; three times."

"What is in it for you? I don't understand."

"In about four years, Marcie and I are going to be moving to Gulf Shores. ACC has agreed to buy the business when I am ready to sell."

"Oh, I see. You are not doing this out of the goodness of your heart. You are using me for trading."

"Exactly. See, I always said you were smart."

Both of us enjoyed another laugh at his devious but transparent attempt at taking advantage of me.

Thursday night, I was on my way to Houston. I didn't want to relocate, but everything that Grady said made sense.

I could have flown to Houston, but decided to drive instead. American Consolidated had three floors in an enormous office building. They were expecting me and I was not the least bit nervous. I knew that I was capable of doing the job and I was ready and willing to attack anyone who dared to question my academic qualifications. Knowing that their MBA employees had flubbed the job previously gave me confidence.

The first two interviews went great. During the third one, one of the yuppie middle managers started to ask about my formal business training and was immediately shut down by his boss. I smiled at the support, but was upset at the same time. I spent the last hour with the human resources director. We were discussing salary and benefits as if my acceptance was a foregone conclusion. To be honest, at that point it was. It would be difficult not to take this job.

It was lunch time and my host was anxious to show off the company cafeteria. The floor that we were on was as big as a basketball court field. Offices lined the perimeter and cubicles dotted most of the center.

"I think you will enjoy working here, Mister Hemmingway."

"I think I will Miss Thurgood. American Consolidated Claims looks like a top notch organization."

"It will be interesting having two department heads with the name Hemmingway. You might have to be ready for a little occasional confusion. You don't have any relatives here in Houston do you?"

"No. I am an only child. No brothers or uncles."

"The records department head is a woman. You don't have any distant relatives named Tracey, do you?"

The comment caught me off guard and before I could react, I noticed her across the room. She was only visible from the shoulders up, but there was no doubt that it was her. Her hair was different, but Tracey looked radiant. She was talking with a small group of employees and it was obvious that she was in charge. While I was walking, I was staring at my wife as if I was hypnotized, As luck would have it, I stumbled into a mail cart, causing a small disturbance. As I straightened up, I couldn't help but notice that Tracey was looking directly at me. She seemed a little surprised and I took advantage of her confusion to hurry off the floor.

"Is something wrong Mister Hemmingway?" There was some sincere concern about my clumsiness.

"No. I just wasn't paying attention. I was admiring the layout of the operation." The elevator ride to the lower floor seemed to take forever. As we reached the entrance to the cafeteria, I turned to Miss Thurgood and held out my hand. It was an odd gesture under the circumstances and I could tell that she wasn't expecting it, but she took it anyhow.

"Miss Thurgood. I want to thank you for your help this morning. Everyone was more than gracious and the opportunity that you presented is fabulous. Unfortunately, I am afraid that I am going to have to decline your offer. Please express my regrets to all the people who I interviewed with."

My escort was standing with her mouth open as I quietly exited the floor and the building. It was a great job and I was sure that at some point I would regret turning it down, but not today. I think I still loved Tracey and being that close to her on a regular basis would cause more pain than I was willing to endure. Why hadn't that damn bitch filed for the divorce. When she does finally get around to it, I hoped like hell that she would take her maiden name back. Grady was going to be pissed. I'll handle that when I get home.

Twelve hours later, I was back home. Interestingly enough, Grady was more apologetic than angry.

"Sorry Daniel. I had no idea that your ex was working at ACC."

I sat across from his desk and smiled as Marcie sat down two cups of coffee. I don't know how he found out. "There was no way that you could have known. It's nobody's fault, Grady. If I had any balls, I would have just taken the job and faced her. As you can see, that didn't happen."

"That doesn't make you less of a man, Daniel. There is no way that you could come out a winner under those circumstances. I probably would have done the same thing."

"I am sorry if I screwed up your deal with them."

Grady laughed a little and sat down his cup. "No problem Daniel. They still want it and the deal is still on."

Things continued as they were for the next few years. Carly graduated from college and married a nice fellow from Cleveland. I got to the wedding in time to give her away, but did not stay. Tracey was there and looked beautiful. It was extremely difficult to avoid her, but I did. Carly was disappointed that I did not stay for the complete day, but said that she understood and was glad that I showed up. I was happy that Tracey got to see her only daughter get married.I started filling my spare time taking college classes. It made more sense than going to bars and picking up floozies. Most of the other night school students were older and a few of the ladies were able and willing to fill in for the missing bar girls. Grady was happy to foot the bill for the classes.

Eventually, it came time for Grady to retire. All of the terms of the sale had been finalized. Since I had expressed my reluctance to stay with ACC, Grady had an interview set up for me with a Chicago firm. I wasn't nuts about going there but the employment package, as it was explained by Grady, was fabulous. It didn't make sense, because there were a hell of a lot of MBA's out there who were hustling for prime positions.

When I arrived at the Universal Amalgamated Insurance building, I was immediately taken to the eighteenth floor. The name on the door was familiar; Emmitt Peake. Upon entering, I recognized the executive from ACC who had defended my qualifications during my interview there. It was a pleasant surprise to say the least. It gave me a warm feeling to see qualified people get rewarded for their efforts, rather than the over-educated, over-qualified fobs.

Things went extremely well for the first thirty minutes and then they turned to crap.

"Mister Hemmingway, I was extremely disappointed at your sudden departure after our talk in Houston. When I was made aware of the circumstances, I was able to somewhat understand, but not completely."

"I am sorry for running off like that, but I was not ready to face the alternatives that would have come with the job."

"Handling difficult situations is one of the requirements of a good executive. Have you figured out some way to get over that shortcoming?"

"I am older and more mature. I feel that I can manage myself a lot better now than I could a few years ago."

"I have to be sure. I have a lot of confidence in your abilities. If I didn't, you wouldn't be here. I have set up another interview for you, but before you go, I have one question."

Of course I was a little anxious and confused. My nod gave him the opening to ask his question.

"Tracey Hemmingway kept a small glass dome on her desk. Inside the dome was an unusual black object. She never explained to anyone what it was or why she kept it on her desk. A lot of us used to sit around and guess, but we never figured it out. I have a feeling that you might be able to give us a little insight about it."

The question and the way he asked it caused me to worry. Why did he bring Tracey up now? How did she relate to this interview? His simply question about the key chain alarm was disturbing to say the least.

"Mister Peake. Did Tracey Hemmingway relocate here to Chicago when you did?"

The portly Mister Peake leaned back in his chair and smiled. "Of course she did. I value good employees and have no qualms about stealing them from other companies when I can. Tracey is one of the strongest executives in the company. She is here and I will do everything in my power to keep her. I need you to compliment her. With the two of you on the same team, We will be unbeatable."

I was looking at my feet, shaking my head slowly, and smiling. There was no getting away from her. The first time it was a coincidence, but this time it was a well planned attack.