Leaving Home Chapter 12

Leaving Home
Chapter 12

Two men in cheap suits stood before reception as we walked up. “Detective Garcia,” I asked.

“Dr. Preston, it's good of you to see us. This is my partner, Tim Rooney.” I shook hands, left, and introduced Jennie. We walked into the Plaza’s food court and sat in a booth. Jennie and I ordered breakfast, and they ordered coffee even though I invited them to join us.

“I’d be broke in less than a week at these prices. What kind of work do you do, Dr. Preston?”

“Det. Rooney, I’m officially retired, although I got an assignment to write a short program last week. That’s what I do—write computer programs. I wrote all the programs in the ‘Idiot’ series.”

“Those are good. I used one to learn Spanish.”

“Yeah, but you still speak with an Irish accent. I can barely understand you.”

“What would you know? You were born in Brooklyn; talk about an accent!”

Jennie and I laughed. “I suspect life with you two is never dull.”

“We have to make jokes when we can,” Det. Garcia explained. “Sometimes, our work can be morbid. Why don’t we get to business?” He stopped for a moment to stir some natural cream into his coffee. “Mmmm…that’s good. Okay…we got the report from the vet on your dog. I’m sure you know it came back clean. We learned that your assailant was high on meth methamphetamine. He’s still in Bellevue in the prison ward, and his arm is a mess. The doctors put several screws in it, but they still think he’ll have trouble for the rest of his life. Of course, the whole thing was entirely his fault, so I doubt we have even a bit of sympathy.

“We’ve spoken to the DA in charge of the case, and he’ll go to the Grand Jury next week. There’s no reason for you to attend or testify, but I can tell you that he’s going for attempted murder in addition to assault with a deadly weapon. There’ll be some other charges thrown in; there always are. I have your cell number so I can contact you if necessary.”

“Do you think I’ll have to testify? And Jennie?”

“It’s hard to say. It might go to a plea bargain because he has no criminal record. This guy had a great job on Wall Street and had plenty of money, maybe too much. I assume your suit was ruined. Any idea how much it cost? We’ll ask the judge to compensate you for your loss.”

“I do know. I had just bought that suit from a tailor in Hong Kong. It cost me $3,000, and the shirt was $250, both custom-made. I’m more concerned with Jennie’s dress. She tried to stop the bleeding, and it was covered with blood. I gave it to the hotel for cleaning, so I expect to get it back today. It was brand new. I just bought it that day. Do you remember what you paid, Jen?”

“Yes, just over $2,000 with tax, unfortunately. I loved that dress.”

“Well, if it’s ruined, we can see about getting a replacement. We can go to the store and ask them to order one just like it.” Jennie responded by leaning over to kiss my cheek. The detectives left a few minutes later, but not before Det. Rooney said, “I wouldn’t mind getting a dog like this for my family. Mind telling me what you paid for her.”

“I think a shelter pet is more in your future. Lady cost me $65,000.”

Garcia laughed like hell as he slid out of the booth. “Tim, get a goldfish, and I’ll spring for a bowl.”
They shook hands with me and left, still laughing.

“They seem like good guys, Doug.”

“They probably are, but I don’t envy their jobs. They see the worst of humanity every single day. We had a neighbor who was a cop when I was growing up. His wife couldn’t stand the uncertainty of his going to work and never knowing for sure if he was coming home alive or in a box.

She left him and took his three kids. A few months later, he took his own life. I can still remember the sound of the shotgun in the middle of the night.” Jennie’s eyes showed the shock she was experiencing.

We finished breakfast and returned to the suite just in time to see the bellman walking down the hall with her dress. Jennie took it out of the plastic bag, but even I could see they could not remove the bloodstain altogether. Jennie was almost in tears when I asked her for the receipt. A minute later, I was on the phone with the store. I explained what had happened and, like everyone else in the city, the manager had seen the report on the news. She said she would have to contact the supplier but would get back to me as soon as possible, probably sometime this afternoon.

After ending the call, I sat in the easy chair and gazed out the window. “What would you like to do this afternoon? Let's do some sightseeing. Most people here have never been to the top of the Empire State Building or take a cruise around Manhattan. There’s also the American Museum of Natural History, only a few blocks away, or the Central Park Zoo. It’s one of the world’s best.”

“Let’s wait until the doctor has examined you. I’m not taking any chances with your health.” And then, in what I was sure was her sternest voice, “And neither are you. I plan on growing very old with you, having many kids and even more grandkids. We’ll have other opportunities to sightsee.” Then, she leaned down to kiss me to show me how serious she was.

It was almost eleven when the maid knocked. Jennie answered the door, and the maid said she would return later. “No, come in…please; just take care of the bedroom and bathroom today.” I rose and gave her a ten-dollar tip. This was an enormous suite, and I always tipped the maid daily. I didn’t think ten bucks was too much when the suite was running me $5,000 a night.

Jennie and I relaxed as we waited for the doctor to arrive. Fortunately, he was a few minutes early. He handed Jennie a card that gave his name as Henri St. Claire, M.D., Internal Medicine, with a Park Avenue address. He explained that he was technically retired but kept his hand in by working when needed for the hotel. Taking note of my sling, he asked me to remove it so he could examine the wound.

“Ah, I see the doctor inserted a drain,” he said once he had peeled the bandage away from my skin. “That was an excellent idea. These days, these kids who think they’re practicing medicine don’t take the time or effort to do things right. It will take only a few minutes to remove it.” Digging into his bag, he removed several paper towels and dropped a long, thin, flexible tube he pulled from the wound into them, dropping the mess into a waste basket. Then, he sniffed all around the stitches using his nose before nodding with satisfaction.

“Had there been an infection, there would be an odor of mortification…of the decaying pus created by the body fighting off the bacteria. That’s the biggest concern with a knife wound. I’ll bandage it again for you, and all you’ll have to do is see your physician in another week to remove the stitches. Do you need any additional pain medication?”

“No, I still have some and prefer not to use them. They make me dizzy, and I can’t stand it. What about this sling? Do I have to use it?”

“I think you might wear it for another few days until you return home. The city is crowded, and you could be jostled.” That saddened me, but Jennie was elated. She was going to take care of me even if it killed me. Dr. St. Claire was with me for about twenty minutes and left, telling me that his charges of $250 would be added to my hotel bill. I thanked him as he strode out the door.

“See, I told you to wear that sling.”

“I give up; you win.” I was sad until Jennie carefully replaced my arm into the sling, wrapped her hands around my head, and kissed me deeply. The kiss continued until she broke it, asking if we could still go to the zoo. I got my backpack from the closet and put Lady’s bowl into it, even though I knew there were places for dogs to drink where we were going.

It was still morning, so I suggested we go to the Bronx. We have plenty of time, so why don’t we go to the Bronx Zoo? It’s bigger and, I think, better than the one in Central Park.” Jennie agreed, saying she would defer to me since I had more experience here than she did.

Once out on the street, we crossed Central Park South so Lady could take care of business, and then we walked a few blocks east until we reached the subway station for the five trains. I bought a Metro Card with six trips on it using my credit card, paying for Lady even though I knew she would be entitled to free passage. The trip north took less than thirty minutes. We walked up onto East Tremont Avenue, close to the Asia Gate of the Bronx Zoo. I knew this area well; it was where my father had often brought me years ago before I learned that he was a serial cheater.

Jennie and I had a ball. She loved the zoo, and many children asked if they could pet Lady. The day's highlight came when we accidentally stumbled onto feeding time for the tigers. The trainer dropped a massive slab of what I assumed was horsemeat into an empty cage. It was on the left of three in a row. He lifted and dropped a door that led outside from the center cage. About three minutes later, a BIG tiger walked in and turned toward the meat. Once, he was in a door we hadn’t noticed before; he dropped between the two cages, sealing that one away. Next, the trainer dropped another slab into the cage on the far right. The door outside dropped a few more times, and an even more giant tiger walked in, moving immediately toward the meat. Soon, that cage was isolated, leaving only the center cage empty. The process was repeated, but everyone gasped when this tiger entered the door. It looked to be twice the size of the first.

“Excuse me, sir,” I asked as I approached him while we exited. “Do you know how much that tiger weighs? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a cat that big before.”

“You’re probably right. He’s the biggest one I’ve ever seen, too. He was weighed a few months ago at 619 pounds. Did you know that the tiger is the largest cat, followed by the lion and the jaguar third? They’re all capable of being man-eaters, but the tiger is the worst, by far.” Jennie and I thanked him and went, eager to see what was next.

We finished around five and left through the same Asia Gate to the subway. Jennie was confused when we walked onto the platform for the number 2 train. “Doug, didn’t we take the five train this morning?”

“Yeah, we did, but this one will bring us closer to our restaurant. We’re going to the Carnegie Deli for dinner. I think you’ll like it.” Walking up to the street level at 59th West meant we were about four blocks from the deli. Blocks in Manhattan were about three times as long going east and west as they were going north and south. Even at this hour, with the sidewalks crowded with workers on their way home, the trip only took twenty minutes.
 
The window gave us a table. I ordered without looking at the menu: “We’ll split a Zorba, a hot pastrami sandwich, and two cream sodas. Can we get some water for my dog?”

The waitress had just left when Jennie whispered, “Doug…splitting a salad and a sandwich? Are you sure?”

I leaned across the table to kiss her. “Trust me. You’ll have enough to eat, and we’ll want to save room for dessert.” I had just placed Lady’s bowl on the floor by the table's edge when the waitress returned with two tall glasses filled with ice and the light amber cream soda, along with two with water that she told me were at room temperature. Those she poured into Lady’s bowl. Lady looked to Jennie for permission to drink, receiving it just as the waitress returned with a huge Greek salad and two bowls.

I attempted to toss the salad and spoon a healthy portion into Jennie’s bowl. There was still some left over when I had filled mine. We had just finished when our sandwich appeared. “Thought I’d better bring another plate for you. Good luck,” she said with a chuckle. Jennie looked at the sandwich with her mouth open. It was quickly eight inches tall with lean pastrami piled high between two thin slices of rye bread.

I removed one half using two hands and passed the other to Jennie. “Try it with some of this mustard. It’s the best.” I scooped a big dollop onto the top of my pastrami and passed it to Jennie.

“I don’t know how to pick it up, let alone eat it,” Jennie said with a smile. She finally grabbed it with two hands, following my lead, and somehow got some of it into her mouth. She must have liked it because it was gone as soon as mine was.

When the waitress returned, she cleared the table and asked if we wanted dessert. “Of course, we’ll split a piece of cheesecake.” I knew that one piece would be more than enough for us. I spoke again once the waitress had gone. “This place is famous for its over-stuffed sandwiches, but it’s even more famous for its cheesecake. Some restaurants down our way advertise that they fly their cheesecake in from Carnegie Deli every day.
Boundary House is one. Remember that? It’s great, but so filling that half a piece is plenty.” A six-inch high slab of cold white calories was placed between us a few seconds later. I went first, but Jennie wasn’t far behind me.

We strolled back to the Plaza. Several groups of young guys approached us on the way but shied away as soon as Lady growled. She’s a big dog, well over a hundred pounds—and, as we both knew, capable of breaking a man’s arm in two. Once back in the Plaza, I scooped six cups of Dog Chow into the lady’s bowl. Think she was eager? Only the discipline she’d been taught stopped her from knocking the bowl from my hands. I gave her permission even before I had water in her other bowl. I left her alone to eat while I found my beautiful bride.

Jennie was sitting in the living room, looking out the window at the park. Street lamps lit the pathways as far into the park as we could see until the trees blocked them out. I remembered almost this same view in the winter from the Empire State Building looking north. I’d been there with my parents. I was fifteen and so severely looking forward to my sixteenth birthday. It was just about my last pleasant memory with my family. It was New Year’s Day two days later, and my birthday was a week later. Then, less than a week later, I’d walked into my father’s lab, and my world came crashing down.

I sat next to Jennie, and we waited together in silence. “Is this our honeymoon?”

I almost laughed, but she turned her head and leaned forward until our lips nearly touched. “No, I hope not,” I whispered. I had to come here on business, and our situation improved the trip. Where would you like to go? We could plan for some time in July after Charlie and Toni's visit. I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”

“You know I’ve traveled all over the country, but I haven’t seen much other than interstates; most are similar. I’ve always wanted to go to two places, even as a little girl, when I read about them in books: Europe and Hawaii.”

“Both are wonderful, but they offer entirely different opportunities. Hawaii is the beach, swimming, snorkeling, and whale watching in the winter. Europe has history, magnificent architecture, cathedrals, and a better assortment of souvenirs. Hawaii has its clothing style, some of which go well at home, and there are island jewelry like pearls, shell necklaces, earrings, and pendants. In Europe, we could find sweaters, woolens, handicrafts, and jewelry, not to mention fantastic beer.”

“Doug…duh…I’m pregnant, remember.”



To be continued