On the Other Hand Ch. 11-12

Chapter 11 Going Home

Agent Kosloski took Nicole's bags out of the SUV while Nicole, Agent Caldwell and I walked to the waiting jet.

We stopped short of the stairway and shook hands once more.

"You've been a real soldier, Ms. Carlisle. I'm going to make sure my boss writes your boss to thank him for the loan of you and to tell him just how much you were responsible for helping us figure out what was going on. I know thanks aren't enough, but you have mine and the agency's for your fine work."

"Thank you both. It was a pleasure working with you. But if you ever feel you need me again, please ask for Will's permission first. He's my new boss," she smiled, tightening her grip on my arm.

"Agreed," Caldwell said with an equal smile.

The bags had been stowed and Nicole and I walked up the steps into the cabin on the chartered jet. Once inside I could see it was fitted out in executive fashion, with only nine seats. There were no other people on the plane besides us, the pilot and co-pilot. I heard the whine of the motor that raised the integrated step-door closed and sealed.

"Afternoon, folks. This is Captain Durant. We've got a short hop to Saginaw this afternoon. No headwinds and good weather. We should be back on the ground at three-ten this afternoon, with a flying time of one hour and forty-four minutes. Once we reach our cruising altitude, I'll switch off the seatbelt light and you can help yourself to coffee or any of the snacks you find at the rear of the cabin. The washroom is opposite the galley on the right. So fasten your seatbelts, close up the tables if they're out, and we'll be on our way."

This has to be the way to travel, I thought. No fuss, no muss, comfortable seats and a flying time that was at least forty-five minutes quicker than commercial out of Boston. All the seats were luxurious leather singles with build-in trays in the fuselage. I reached across the aisle for Nicole's hand and she smiled and gave it to me.

"This is going to spoil me," she said as we began our take-off on the runway.

I had to admit, this made commercial travel look like horse-and-buggy. When we reached 34,000 feet, the plane leveled off and I was amazed how quiet the whole take-off, ascent, and cruise was. The bulkhead said we were flying on a Gulfstream G200 and I tucked that away in my memory to let Jimmy know.

Nicole was still stiff and sore from her episode three days earlier and was happy to stay seated in the lush leather chair she had chosen. I got curious and wandered about the cabin, helping myself to a soft drink while Nicole declined. I was anticipating our arrival back at the Carlisle's. There was still the logistics of retrieving my car from Detroit Municipal, but otherwise, I was happy to be heading home.

When we landed it seemed like such a short trip and I wondered momentarily if they'd made a stop somewhere else. A quick look out the window told me it was indeed Saginaw and we are almost home. I helped Nicole get up and had her follow me down the steep stairway to the ground. I felt her hand on my shoulder, but she didn't stumble.

"Ms. Carlisle, Mr. Travers, I'll take your luggage and drive you wherever you need to go," the big man said with a smile.

He was another of the dark-suited men I had come to recognize and, of course, he drove a black SUV.

"My car is at the Detroit airport parking lot, so if you drop us off at Ms. Carlisle's home, we'll be fine from there."

"Yes, sir. Happy to do that. I'll be going to Detroit tomorrow, sir. I'd be happy to drop you off at the airport on my way."

I thought about all the clichés that circled around the F.B.I. and thought how different my experience was with them. They had been invariably helpful and polite, considering I had crashed their party. They were definitely interested in how I had tracked Nicole down. I could imagine they were looking for ways to plug that kind of leak in future.

"That's very generous of you. When do you plan to leave here?"

"I was thinking at eleven o'clock, Sir. We would be there just past noon. Will that work?"

"Yes. And thank you. That saves me a lot of inconvenience. I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome, Sir."

"How about that," I said to Nicole.

She smiled and leaned her head on my shoulder. "I'd go with you but I don't think I'm quite ready for a long car ride yet. But you'll be back in plenty of time for dinner, won't you?"

"You know it. I wouldn't miss one of your mother's home cooked meals for anything."

We got a joyous, but subdued greeting at the house. Angus had left work early to be there to greet his daughter and Jimmy had just arrived home from school. He didn't understand why he couldn't hug his mother, but we told him we would explain it all to him later on.

Mary's tears were there, but this time they were tears of relief and happiness that their daughter was safe and home again. I got a huge hug of thanks from her even though I really didn't have anything to do with rescuing her.

Jimmy was persistently curious about why his mother was hurt and he was pestering her to tell him what had happened. After a while, I knew he wasn't going to be satisfied with being put off, so I decided to tell him.

"Jimmy, your mother was on a secret mission when she was away. She wasn't allowed to tell anyone what it was or where she was going."

Jimmy's eyes were wide now, looking back forth between his mother and me. "Really?"

I nodded. "Yes. I can't tell you everything because I promised the F.B.I. that I wouldn't," I lied, "but your mom was helping them solve a case about a bunch of guys who were going to blow up stuff. You know, like bridges and boats and things like that."

"But Mom isn't in the F.B.I., is she?"

"Nope. Your mom is an expert at her job, and the F.B.I. needed an expert to figure out what the bad guys were up to."

"AWSOME!" he said, almost out of his seat in excitement. "Did you catch them, Mom? Did you get the bad guys?"

"Yes, Jimmy, we did," she said calmly. "But a lot of people got hurt at the same time."

"Is that how you got hurt, Mom?" he asked, now more somber as he watched his mother.

"Yes. The bad guys were going to blow something up, but they made a mistake and blew themselves up and the building that I was in."

I saw the look of horror on Mary's face, but she was fixated on the story now.

"AW MAN! You got blown up?" Jimmy exclaimed, hardly able to believe it.

"Yes, I was very lucky. The blast slammed me against a brick wall and it really hurt. It also knocked me out, so I didn't know that a lot of the stuff from the building was falling on me and burying me. Lucky for me, a fireman found me and dug me out. They put me in the hospital for a few days so I could recover and then come home."

"Mom ... that's like the coolest thing ever. You were with the F.B.I. and you blew up the bad guys. Wait 'till I tell my friends my Mom's with the F.B.I."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Jimmy," I smiled. "Not so fast. Your Mom was helping the F.B.I. and she was hurt when the explosion went off that killed the bad guys. They did it to themselves because they didn't know how to handle explosives," I said, making an educated guess.

"That is so awesome, Mom. Are you okay now?"

"I'm still sore, but I'll be okay soon."

"Did you fly on that jet again? The white one?"

"Yes. It was very nice and got us home very quickly."

"I wish I could fly on a jet like that. That would be so cool."

"Well, Jimmy, I've had about all the adventure I can stand for a while. I think I'll just be a mom from now on. I'll let the F.B.I. catch the bad guys by themselves."

"Did they put you on TV, Mom?" he asked.

"No. They want to keep it quiet in case there are any more bad guys they have to catch. I don't think you'll see it on TV any time soon."

"Aw ... I wish I could show my friends," he said wistfully.

"Your daughter had quite an adventure, Mary," I told her quietly as Jimmy ran off to his room and Nicole went to unpack. "I expect you'll see a letter from one of the higher-ups in the F.B.I., thanking Nicole for her work. The two agents I dealt with couldn't say enough good things about what she did for them.

"When I arrived that first night and saw what was left of the building, I didn't think there was any way she could have survived it. It was testing all the optimism I ever had to believe that somehow she was alive. Luckily she was,

and will be fine in a week or so. She's had a big shock to her system and it might take a while to get over it, but the doctors don't expect any physical aftereffects."

"What about mental, Will? Will some of these memories come back to haunt her?"

"Can't say, Mary. But I'll be there to hold her and take care of her if that happens. She's a strong woman and I have a feeling she'll be okay once the physical part is better."

"Thank you, Will. Thank you for everything. You are going to be such a great husband and father. I'm so happy for Nicole," she smiled kissing my cheek and hugging me.

***

Sunday was almost a lost day. I had breakfast with the family and Agent McWhirter arrived promptly at eleven. I was about to leave when a thought occurred to me.

"Agent, would it be all right if my son rode along with us?"

"Certainly, Mr. Travers."

"Thanks," I said, turning back into the house.

"Jimmy!" I called, attracting Nicole's attention.

"I'll take Jimmy with me for an outing, okay?" I asked, hoping I wasn't about to get shot down.

"Yes ... okay, drive safely," she said, a bit surprised by my snap decision.

Jimmy came running into the living room.

"Grab your coat, Jimmy. We're going for a ride with the F.B.I."

The look on his face was something to behold. "We are?"

"Yep. No time to waste. Let's go."

"Okay," he said, grabbing his winter jacket and running out the door after me.

"Agent McWhirter, this is Jimmy Carlisle. Jimmy, this is F.B.I. Agent McWhirter."

"Hi," Jimmy said cautiously, clearly awestruck by the big man.

"Nice to meet you Jimmy. Hop in."

It took Jimmy a half hour before the questions began. The agent explained that he wasn't with Jimmy's mom when the explosion happened. Yes, he carried a gun, but couldn't show it to him when he was driving. No, he had never shot anyone. He had never even shot at anyone. Yes, he had to go to college to get into the F.B.I. And on, and on.

I had to hand it to the agent; he didn't get upset or frustrated with Jimmy's constant questions. Maybe he had kids of his own and he knew the drill. On the other hand, I was sure he was relieved when the trip ended at the Detroit Municipal Airport. I thanked him profusely for the ride and for putting up with all the questions. Like his fellow agents, he was polite and courteous and made me feel good about his people.

Jimmy fell asleep on the way home. It was a relief and I guessed that he had talked himself out on the way down and could relax on the way home. He would have quite the stories to tell his friends tomorrow when he went to school. Stories that I wondered if any of them would believe. There had been nothing on the news, according to Angus and Mary, and little if anything in the newspaper when I checked the next day. I suspected that the F.B.I. had put a lid on the release of information since the suggestion was that a gas leak had caused the explosion.

***

Christmas was rapidly approaching and I was looking for ideas for gifts. I did what any sensible person would do, I consulted. I consulted Angus for Mary's gift, and Mary for Angus. I consulted both of them for Nicole and Nicole for Jimmy. It was a total failure. I heard the following phrases more than once.

"Oh, I don't really know. I'm sure he'll be happy with anything you choose." (Mary)

"I asked her and she said she didn't really need anything." (Angus)

"You know her desires better than either of us." (Mary and Angus)

"He'll be happy with anything you get him." (Nicole for Jimmy)

Now, any other man might have been frustrated, but I chose not to be. I'm an optimist, after all. I could be creative if necessary. I could figure this out myself. Right!

First priority was Nicole. Jewelry was always a winner, I thought. Something nice and elegant, like that pearl necklace she wore on our first date. Back to the jewelry store where we bought the ring. My thinking was that that fellow who served us might remember Nicole and help me with a purchase. Naturally, he was no where to be found when I arrived.

Okay, Plan B. Better to talk to a woman, right? She'd relate better to my needs. Well, I sure hope so, because six hundred dollars later I had a nice, simple diamond pendant set in gold and a pair of matching earrings. Nothing too good for my lady, I rationalized.

So, on to my next priority, Jimmy. He already had a new bicycle, so I needed something different. I spent some time in the electronics department of Best Buy, looking at what might be suitable for a kid nearly seven years old. The woman who approached me with the usual "Can I help you today?" actually could help me that day. She had a seven-year-old nephew and she recommended a portable notebook sized computer that was specifically designed for kids. It came with a typing program, some kid's games, and a "parent friendly" Internet web browser that would keep him from stumbling onto to undesirable websites. All that for only three hundred dollars.

I'd already found what I wanted for my parents. A video camera for Dad to record their various trips as well as Jimmy and my new family. Mom was angling for a new car, but I knew that wasn't in Dad's budget. I consulted with Dad and we jointly got her a paint job and detailing of her current '99 Corolla, to be done between Christmas and New Years. I was able to negotiate both items with the same company and saved quite a bit for both of us.

Now for Angus and Mary. I had an idea and I talked it over with Nicole. We could get an inexpensive one week cruise with some careful shopping. She was all for it, a reward she said for putting up with her and Jimmy for all those years. She shared with me her finances and she could well afford it. In fact, the only reason she hadn't moved out and found a place for her and Jimmy was that fact that it would have upset her parents. She also volunteered to find just the right voyage and I agreed.

So, I was ready for Christmas, somewhat lighter in the pocketbook, but happy with my choices nonetheless. The idea of teaming up with Nicole for her parents and with my father for my mother was fun. It also syndicated the risk.

By mutual agreement, we decided to have Christmas at the Carlisle's. Christmas Eve would be just the five of us with my parents arriving mid-morning on Christmas Day. We allowed Jimmy one gift on Christmas Eve and he would be allowed to open his stocking presents before everyone else got up the next morning. Nicole had dealt with most of the stocking-stuffers, and I was relieved and thankful.

We had resumed intimate relations four days after our return when her bruises and general soreness had either ebbed or gone away altogether. I was extremely careful that first time, frightened that I might hurt her and uncertain if she'd tell me.

"For the last time, Will, I'm fine. You don't have to treat me like I'm fragile. I want you to make love to me and not be afraid to touch me. Now get to it!" she demanded, only partly in frustration.

"You promise you'll tell me if I get carried away?"

"Yes ... if I'm conscious."

"What does that mean?"

"It means I'm so horny that when you finally do get around to making love to me I'll probably pass out from anticipation."

"Oh. So ... sooner is better?" I kidded.

"Yes, dammit, sooner is definitely better." She was exasperated with my seeming to be being so slow to get the message.

Afterwards, we lay facing each other, our hands gently exploring each other in the afterglow.

"Everything okay?" I asked.

"Yes, finally. I was beginning to think you were never going to do it. You were driving me crazy with your worries. Are you convinced I'm okay now?"

"Yeah ... I'm convinced. You're a pretty good pole dancer."

"As long as it's the right pole," she whispered as she gripped my resurging erection. "This one's just dandy, thank you."

"Care for another dance?"

"You have to ask?" she laughed, poking my chest with her forefinger.

Since that afternoon, we had used every spare moment to be together. But it stirred my interest in finding a permanent home for the three of us. It was four days before Christmas when we were discussing the new home idea around the dinner table.

"Well, the main thing we are trying to accomplish is to find a place we like that's close enough to both Jimmy's school and here," I said. "So far, there aren't very many homes for sale in this district."

"Aye," Angus chimed in, "I've been keeping a weather-eye open too, Lad. What does your real estate fellow say?"

"Says it's a very stable neighborhood and not a lot of turnover. He's trying to get us to look a little further out ... toward Midland even."

"I know a house for sale," Jimmy said, looking around the table.

"You do?" Nicole noted in surprise.

"Yeah. Shane Robinson's dad has a new job. They have to move."

"When did this happen?" Nicole asked. "I didn't see any realty sign on their lawn."

"He just told me yesterday. I think his mom is upset. She doesn't want to move."

"Oh, I'm sure she is. She told me she loved it here," Nicole added.

"Sounds like it just happened," I suggested.

Nicole looked at me and I could see the gears meshing. I almost knew what was coming next.

"I'll call her after dinner and we'll talk," she said, not looking up from her meal.

"Okay, Lefty," I grinned. She didn't dare look at me.

Angus picked up on it immediately and I was sure he'd inform Mary what was going on. The preemptive strike was about to happen.

"Sue is heartbroken," Nicole said as she sat beside me on the sofa. "Ken is getting a promotion, but it means moving to Cleveland, for God's sake. Yuck!"

"Hmmm ... I'm guessing Cleveland is not your favorite city."

"I've never been there," she admitted, "but one of my boyfriends was from there as he was a real ass ... wipe," she finally spat out.

"Don't sugar coat it, Sweetheart, tell me what you really think," I chuckled.

"Oh, find a new one, Will. Anyway, they have to sell and I told her that we were looking. I've mentioned you, but she didn't know we were engaged. She said she'd feel better selling to someone she knows. I've been in their house and it's really nice. Three bedrooms and a den that could be a fourth."

"Or an office," I suggested with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, that's what it is now. Anyway, she's going to get her realtor to call our realtor and we'll talk. I'll let you know when we can go look at the place."

"Thanks," I said with a somewhat condescending tone.

"What? You don't want to do this?"

"I didn't say that. I thought we might discuss a few things beforehand. You know, like budget and things that we both want in a home."

"Of course," she said indignantly. "Are you suggesting I'm not considering your needs?"

"Nope. I'm suggesting you've already got a full head of steam and we need to look at this possibility dispassionately. It's a major decision and it should be made thoughtfully."

"Excuse me while I go get a towel to get rid of the cold water you've thrown on me," she said with a disgusted look.

I grabbed her arm before she could stomp off somewhere, angry at me.

"Don't run away, Sweetheart. I'm not trying to turn you off. I want you to calm down and think about this. You've only visited the house a couple of times and been in what, the living room and maybe the kitchen?"

She stopped tugging at my hand and looked at me. I could see her thinking and guessed she was trying to remember what she could about the Robinson's home. After a brief time, I could see the frustration dissipate and a look of resignation replace it.