need for me. Get this, he cooked me a delicious meal, he came for me when it was ready, he was happy that I enjoyed it, and to top it all off he was turned on and wanted me again, physically. That so worked for me.
We didn’t dress the entire day though we did put robes on when we called Tut. Charlie helped me with Miles’ things and removed all of the filled and labeled boxes to a central location for easy dispatch. My focus was still on the desk; the going was slow because I was thorough in my examination of everything.
Before I was satisfied that I’d not missed anything of importance from the desk, I’d put several more things into the box of treasurers that I’d set aside. One was a file marked ‘Tut’ that was stuffed in amongst old mortgage payments and receipts, another was a small address book, and the rest were pictures that I planned to question Tut about.
Charlie and I called Tut twice during the day to satisfy ourselves that he was ok. He was in a good mood at each call and made us laugh with his crazy antics. He squawked and whistled at Charlie and when I heard him make those sounds, I truly wished that I knew what he was actually saying.
The second morning after the ‘Big Bash’ during my meeting with Wyatt I found out that Cary Colton had been there and tried to gain entry to the party but was blocked from getting through the door and escorted off the premises after making a scene. The scene was, however, caught on camera and would probably appear in a number of English tabloid newspapers. Wyatt said that there was no telling which way the tabloid would slant the article and we’d just have to wait it out and then either weather the storm or try to set the record straight.
Four to Go… Traveling Red
As it turned out the London papers, all of them, embraced me and all of the companies of the ‘New Holdings’ and turned their venom on to Cary Colton, rejecting him as ‘an American shit bag outsider’ trying to stir things up, make a mess of what was clearly running smoothly, and besmirch the fine business acumen and reputation of the lovely CEO responsible for the conglomeration of businesses throughout Europe, North America, and South America.
“You never know which way these things are going to blow.”
Wyatt explained.
“It could have gone the other way and they could be calling you the ‘shit bag outsider’. For now we can count ourselves lucky and can use any information that the tabloid may find on Cary Colton; you know they’ll print anything they can find on him and make it worse than it really is.”
“Glad they got it right this time. Wyatt it bothers me that Cary Colton went through all the trouble to come here in the first place.” I replied.
“Not only will he not get cooperation or backing he’ll find it difficult to get any information about you or the companies you own. But even if he has information about you he really can’t do anything with it here because you are the one with the local backing. Don’t know what you did but you must have said the right things to the right person.” Wyatt said.
“I’d like to know who that right person is so I could thank them.”
“Millie thinks that it was Trudy, Roscoe’s wife, who posted the article and encouraged all the tabloids to pick it up. Millie heard Trudy speak highly of you personally during the party and when we were saying good bye she mentioned how happy they were to get to meet you. She said something about the first American in years to be of any real value.”
“Trudy, yes I remember; she was wearing one of my designs from our spring line. Her body is perfect for the dress. At the time I thought about using her frame for more designs. Wouldn’t it be nice to have an ally within the written media even if that ally writes yellow journalism?”
“Looks like we already have one.” Wyatt said.
“Switching the subject, how’re you doing going through Miles’ things?” Wyatt looked like he was checking items off a list.
“I’ve got most of the clothing boxed up and ready to be taken. Who should be contacted for removing the boxes?”
Wyatt smiled at me. “A moving company is coming on Friday and will remove anything you ask.”
Wyatt gave me a slip of paper with an address of where we wanted the ‘Good Will’ items to be taken.
“My turn to change the subject.”
I took over the conversation.
Setting the thin ‘treasure’ box on the table between us, I started.
“I have a few pictures in here I’d like for you to look at and tell me anything you know about them.”
Wyatt examined the first picture which was the one with the young man alone, wearing a fedora and smirking at the camera.
“I think this is a picture of Miles’ twin brother, though they weren’t maternal twins. He was murdered and the guilty party was never caught. I heard that his brother’s murder was the reason that Miles became so hard. It all happened long before I ever knew him.”
Next I showed him the picture marked 1927.
“This is Miles but I don’t know who the girl is. They can’t be out of their teens, they look so young.”
Wyatt turned the photo over and read the back.
There were other pictures that I’d set aside that Wyatt recognized. The last picture that I showed him was the one of Tut and Cleo. Wyatt recognized Tut but didn’t know the other bird.
“Can you tell me anything about Tut? He’s on my mind all the time because he’s plucking out his feathers again.”
I let Wyatt think for a moment. He picked up the picture and then reached for the ornate magnifying glass that looked older than the photos he was examining.
“There’s a date in this picture.”
He was looking at the picture of Tut and Cleo.
“October 1963.”
Wyatt read out loud.
“I’ll search through the data base for the businesses and let you know by the end of the week.”
Before we ended the meeting I promised that I’d have everything ready for the movers by Friday.
Design ideas began to jump into my head and even though I went looking for Charlie, I first found the tools to put the ideas down on paper while they were fresh in my head.
Charlie found me sitting at the dining room table drawing as fast as that pencil could fly. He knew I couldn’t stop; so he took a shower and made us some food before he interrupted me.
The scent of the BLT’s drew my attention and the sight of the food right in front of me felt like magic. Charlie kissed my head and asked if it was a good time to take a break and have a meal. Damn it was good being his woman!
Setting the design work aside, I thanked Charlie and dug in. While we enjoyed the food, I brought him up to date about my meeting with Wyatt and he filled me in on the project going on at the ‘Three Women’ office.
We had a couple of hours before
