Authors:
“You’re right, and sooner or later I know I will have to face the police, so we may as well stay here and hope for the best. Best or worst, it will be over sooner if we stay than if we run.” Then he shook his head, “How did she get this number? And now I find out that I apparently got that apartment through her. I wish I’d never heard of her. And how I wish I hadn’t dragged you out here. I know we can prove you didn’t know anything about me, but we shouldn’t have to.”
“Stone, you didn’t drag me out here. I asked to come out. I wanted to come, and remember, I love you, and since I do love you, I am already involved—whether I’m with you or hundreds of miles away. And whatever happens this is just where I want to be.”
A few days later Tara Lee said, “I’ve got to go out and get a few things. Anything special you want?”
“No, but I’m going with you. I can’t stay cooped up here any longer. It’s been three days since Chelsea called, and how long since we moved in here? These are small rooms, but no matter how large the room you are in, everywhere you look there’s a wall. At least you get out once in a while—and I’ve got to get out too or go crazy.”
“What if someone sees you?”
“I don’t really care. No one knows me here anyway.” He sighed, and said, “I’d sure like to know when Chelsea is coming back. I not only can’t remember anything, but I’m a prisoner in this place. And now we know that woman knows where we are.”
“She’s in more trouble than you are, so let’s not worry about her, and give Chelsea two more days,” said Tara Lee. After all he did say he was going to look up Jerry before he returned, and remember he said he had to be back to work a week from Wednesday, and that will be the day after tomorrow. If he isn’t back in two days then let’s go in to the police station and get this thing over with.”
“I guess so.”
He did go with her when she went shopping, but agreed to wait in the car while she did her errands. He had the window down and was enjoying the breeze. This must be the way people felt when they had just got out of prison. It felt good just to look farther than four walls. Even looking out the windows of the apartment he couldn’t see much more than the distance to another apartment house. He was looking down the street as far as he could when suddenly a boy about nine or ten was at the car window. “Hey there, do you happen to have the time?”
Stone glanced at his wrist, then remembered he didn’t have his watch,and turned on the switch to read the car clock. “Ten minutes past three,” he answered.
“Thanks, mister. Got to…hey, you look familiar—don’t I know you?”
“I don’t think….”
“Yeah, I remember. I was visiting Aunt Rena in Pertula one week and you helped me fix my bike. I sure appreciated that. Don’t you remember? You said it was the same color as one you used to have.”
“It must have been someone else.”
“No, it was you all right. I don’t forget faces.”
Stone was getting uneasy and wished Tara Lee would hurry. “Why did you want the time?” he asked.
“Oh, gosh, thanks. I have to be home in twenty minutes. Thanks,” and he hopped on his bike and rode back the way Tara Lee and Stone had come. Stone breathed a sigh of relief when he had left, and he soon saw Tara Lee coming. He got out and opened the back door and put the bags on the seat for her.
“Did it seem good to get out?” she asked.
“You bet, but some kid recognized me.”
“Are you sure?” she asked anxiously. “He knows who you are?”
“No, not who I am, but he saw me in Pertula once when he was visiting and said he knew it was me because he never forgets a face.”
“Oh no.” She was frightened, and drove straight back to the apartment, forgetting to pick up batteries for the flashlight.
They took care of the groceries and the third bag held the newspaper. “Good, you remembered to get it,” he said, as he took it over to a recliner and opened it. There on the front page was his picture. This time he wasn’t with anyone else. It merely stated that the police would still like to talk with Mr. Langston, and if anyone knew where he could be found to come in or call them.
He showed the picture to Tara Lee, and she nodded. “I know. When I saw it I was scared, then when you told me a boy saw you who never forgets a face I was more scared. What should we do? Do you think he’ll recognize the picture and know who you are and call the police?”
“I don’t think he’d do that. He says I helped him fix his bike. Anyway, let’s hope he doesn’t, but I think I’d better go in to the station in the morning, don’t you? I don’t understand what’s keeping Chelsea, and the longer I wait to go in, the worse it will be for me.”
“I’m sure Chelsea will come when he can, but yes, you’re right. With that last picture out, we surely have to go in.”
That evening they had reached a new low and were dreading the trip to the police station in the morning. They finally realized they had to go to bed and try to get some sleep.
About four o’clock the next morning Stone awoke to the smell of smoke. His window was slightly opened, and he rushed to the window to find out where it was coming from. There seemed to be a glow in the air but it was hard to place it. Suddenly he realized it was coming from the upper floor of their building. He banged on Tara Lee’s door and told her to get out fast. Once they were outside their building, he told her to go to the next building and call 911 then stay outside, and he rushed back and up the stairs banging on doors as he ran and yelling “Fire”. People started stumbling out of the house, as there were four apartments in the building. He grabbed one little boy who had fallen on the stairs and, yelling to his parents that he had their son, he rushed down the stairs and out the door. A woman was staring up at her apartment almost in a daze. He dumped the crying boy into her arms and flew back in and up the stairs again. At the top of the stairs he nearly collided with an hysterical mother hunting for her baby. She said she couldn’t find her crib.
“I think she’s already out,” Stone told her. The smoke was much worse up here. He headed her in the right direction down the stairs and said, “Go out and see if you can find her.” Then he rushed into the apartment choking as he got down on the floor and crawled around hunting for the legs of the crib. He crawled into the next room and finally found the crib, grabbed the baby and holding it low where the air was better he felt his way as quickly as possible down the stairs and out the door just as the first firemen arrived with their hoses.
Once he had found Tara Lee and knew she was safe he handed her the baby who was now crying loudly. It was music to his ears, and soon her hysterical mother arrived. Stone then got the people back away from the building so the firemen could move in.
He rejoined Tara Lee and said, “Come on. We’ll have to leave as we are. I don’t think anything will be saved.”
“I don’t have the key to the car,” said Tara Lee. “It’s in my pocketbook and so is my checkbook. We can’t go anywhere—and certainly not in our pajamas.”
They sat down on the lawn along with the other tenants and waited. Stone, who had been so much in command before, now felt absolute helplessness. Now neither of them had any identification, and it was soon obvious that nothing much would be saved.
When the fire was finally out the ousted tenants gazed at the charred walls having given up hope of anything being salvaged. Anything left was saturated with water or burned to uselessness. A man walked over to the group gathered on the lawn. “It’s Mr. Blaisman,” Stone heard a young man say.
“Who’s Mr. Blaisman,” he asked Tara Lee.
“The man who owns most of these buildings,” she whispered. “That’s the name I made the check out to.”
Mr. Blaisman was an elderly man, probably in his seventies, with snow-white hair and broad shoulders, but with a short, stocky build. He strode in front of the group and said, “We should just be thankful that you all got out. Now we have to find places for you to stay. I have enough apartments empty to accommodate you, so as I call your names come forward please. The second names he called were Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Derling. Tara Lee poked him to remind him who he was supposed to be, then rose. It was now daylight and Stone got to his feet to join Tara Lee in finding where their new lodgings were. Everyone was so upset about losing their homes that he hoped no one would even notice him, let alone recognize him.
“Well, well, Mr. Derling, you’re quite a hero they tell me.” Thankfully he didn’t realize that Stone wasn’t the man who had been with Tara Lee when she and Chelsea had rented the apartment.
“Oh, yes he is,” called the young woman whose baby he had saved. My husband was away on business, and I was frantic and this young man saved my Nancy. I can never thank you enough,” she said to Stone. Thank God you were here.”
“And he saved my four-year-old son,” said another woman. Thank the man, Arnie,” but Arnie was still too scared to do anything but whimper and the woman, holding Arnie in one arm, gave Stone a grateful hug with the other. Stone saw the flash and knew someone had taken a picture and he mumbled something to the woman, then holding onto Tara Lee’s arm he started to leave.
Mr. Blaisman reached out to them and said, “Our hero and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Derling, will be taken to an apartment at 135 Alandra St.” and he handed Stone a key. “God bless you folks.” A cab driver appeared at once and told them to get in his cab, and he drove them around the corner to their new apartment.
“Look at that sunrise,” said their driver. “Isn’t it a beauty. Got to look at the good side of everything. You could easily have missed that if it hadn’t been for the fire. You’re also lucky to have a landlord like Rodney Blaisman. He ain’t very big but his heart sure is. He called our company and asked for four cabs as soon as he knew the building was going. Said he had to relocate some tenants.”
“That was wonderful of him,” said Tara Lee. “We really appreciate it.”
“Yes, we do,” said Stone, but he was more discouraged than ever now as he knew it would be only a matter of time before someone would recognize him and the police would come for him. It would have been so much better if they had gone in to the police station as they had planned. Now it was hopeless.
When the cab driver drove up in front of their new apartment, their driver said, “I’m on stand-by for Mr. Blaisman and I’ll be back.”
Stone opened the door with the key the landlord had given them and entered as quickly as possible with Tara Lee right behind him.
“I hope nobody recognized me,” said Stone. “What did that cabbie mean that he was on stand-by and would be back. Why?”
“I don’t know, Stone, but everyone has been so nice to us, and you were wonderful you know.”
“Look at us,” he said. “All we have are the pajamas we have on. No clothes, no money, nothing. And we can’t contact Chelsea and he can’t contact us. And we can’t go in to the police station. Now what?”
“Well, let’s do the obvious,” she answered. “Take showers and wash our pajamas.”
“And wear what?”
“We’ll have to wrap ourselves in something from here,” as she opened the linen closet door, “and wait for our pajamas to dry.” Suddenly it struck them both funny, and they laughed and hugged each other. “That’s better,” she said. “Much better. You go first.”
When the doorbell rang, Stone was in the shower and Tara Lee went to the door to find the same cab driver. He started to hand her a pile of clothing, then noticing how sooty she was, went by her and laid them on the sofa. “That will be a starter,” he said.
“But who…? Where did they come from?
“Blaisman,” he said. “You’re sure lucky to have him on your side. I suppose until they find out what started the fire he feels responsible since you were all in his building,” but responsible or not he would still do all he could to help.
“Where did the clothes come from?” she asked, bewildered.
“From people in the other apartments that didn’t burn. This may not be a very prosperous neighborhood, but everyone’s hearts seem to be in the right place. Blaisman went door to door himself asking for donations, and everyone gave something.” As he went out the door he called back, “Good luck! Be back.”
She stood staring at the door not believing what had happened, then went to the kitchen sink to wash her hands, and look over the clothes.
She found a pair of pants that looked to be about Stone’s size except probably too short. She also found a large tee shirt and, when the shower was turned off, she took the two items to the bathroom door, and opened it enough to hand in the clothes. “The Genie just came out of the bottle and left these,” she said as she closed the door.
“Is he still out there?” he called.
“No, Genie went back in the bottle.”
When he came out dressed in the too-large tee shirt and too-short pants he asked, “Did the landlord come with these?”
“He sent the cab driver with them.”
“I’ll be darned,” he said, as he looked down at his pants. Tara Lee couldn’t help but laugh. He saw the humor as he did look funny. “And what goodies did the genie leave for you?” he asked. “I hope they’re as nice as mine.”
She held up a pair of pink shorts and a yellow tee shirt. She also found slippers in nearly the right size and a pair of thongs for Stone. She grabbed the shorts and tee shirt and disappeared into the bathroom.
While Stone was sitting on the sofa counting his troubles, the doorbell rang again. This time the same cab driver brought a plastic bag and gingerly handed it to Stone. He said, “One of the tenants in a neighboring house found this pocketbook where your apartment was.” Stone looked inside and saw the soggy, sooty pocketbook and took it to the sink to open it. The key ring holding several keys was still warm when he picked it up.
“That was sure nice of them and of you,” he said. “How could they look for anything in that hot ash?”
“Actually that corner of the building was partly standing, and mostly water damaged. The man who found it said his wife saw the clasp and thought it might be a pocketbook so he found a branch and hooked it through the handle and pulled it out. He left it until it cooled, then put it in the plastic bag and gave it to Blaisman. I hope something was saved.”