Later that night, at Howard’s home, he sat at his computer, reading the instructions for his new digital camera. He plugged in the cable for the USB port on his computer, then downloaded the pictures he had taken of Brett and Corrie. He grabbed his cell phone and punched in a text message.
Sidney and Olive ate dinner in their dining room. His cell phone buzzed, and he looked at the viewfinder. Then, clicked on the text. “I emailed you four pictures of our subject,” Howard’s text stated. Sidney smiled, putting his cell phone down.
Olive noticed his smile. “What’s the matter, honey?”
“Oh, nothing, just some excellent business news,” he replied with a smirk.
Sidney continued to eat his dinner.
“How’s Brett doing down in Columbus?” Olive asked.
“I’m disappointed in his performance down there,” he replied.
“He’s such a sweetheart. I know he’ll succeed,” Olive said.
“I’ve given him an extension until Thursday. I’ve been extremely generous with him ever since Dorian begged me to give him a job,” he replied.
“What if he doesn’t meet your high standards?” she replied, irritated.
“It’s my high standards that pushed your father’s company to higher grounds. Look how rich we’ve become because of me,” he bragged.
“Okay. If you feel this is appropriate, and I know you’ve extremely been fair with Brett,” she replied, knowing it’s pointless to disagree with her husband.
“I feel it’s appropriate, so if he doesn’t succeed down in Alliance, I’ll probably terminate him and hire someone who will perform a better job,” Sidney said.
They remained quiet during the remainder of their dinner.
Brett walked into his room at the Residence Inn with his flight and laptop bags in hand.
Brett set them on the floor by his bed and noticed a red light blinking on the hotel phone.
“This won’t be good,” he said, pressing the play button.
“Brett, how come your cell phone is turned off? I’ve been calling for hours,” Dorian’s hotel phone message stated.
Brett turned on his new cell phone and punched in Dorian’s number.
“Where the hell have you been?” she scolded him over his cell phone.
“I’m sorry. I lost my cell phone today,” he said into his cell phone.
“Lost your cell phone? How the hell can you lose your cell phone?” she scolded louder over his phone.
“Things like that happen. Get over it!” Brett snapped, then smiled, proud of himself.
Dorian sat at their computer desk in her den. “How dare him!” Dorian screamed and beat the top of the desk with her fist. She slammed her cell phone down and stormed out of the den.
Back in Brett’s hotel room.
“Hello?” he said into his cell phone. Nothing. “That didn’t go well,” he said, looking at his phone. “Ah,” he shrugged it off.
Meanwhile, at Sidney’s house, he sat down at his computer in his den and opened his email. He downloaded the pictures Howard sent.
He noticed the two of Brett with Corrie on the flightline.
One picture was of them in front of the Mexican restaurant.
The other one is at the Blue Canoe Livery.
“Great job, Howard,” he said while creating a “Brett” folder on his computer.
Later that night, in Howard’s den, he sat at his computer. He searched online and found the book “The Idiot’s Guide to Being a Private Investigator.”
His wife entered the den and walked up to Howard with a fresh cup of coffee. She looked at his computer monitor. “What are you buying now?” she asked, setting the coffee cup down in front of him.
“A book on being a private investigator. I think this type of job Sidney has me doing could be a way to earn extra cash after I retire. You know, so that we can take some more cruises,” he said, placing his order.
“Whatever, honey,” she replied, rolling her eyes, knowing this won’t last very long.
She left the den. Howard ordered the book with the two-day delivery option.
Back in Sidney’s den, he sipped on scotch in his den. “How can I break the news to Dorian,” he pondered.
At her house, Dorian drooled at dining room furniture and expensive living room furniture on a website. She jotted down additional furniture to her wish list.
In Corrie’s bedroom in the Wedgefield housing development, she walked into her bedroom in her pajamas. She got in bed and turned off the lamp by her bedside table. She stared at the ceiling, replaying today’s events.
In Brett’s hotel room, he walked out of the bathroom in his underwear. He hummed and danced around his room.
He danced over to the TV and turned it on.
He surfed the channels and stopped at “The Great Waldo Pepper” movie.
He got under the covers and watched the movie.
Ten minutes passed.
His cell phone rang. He looked at the viewfinder and smiled. “Hey Bruce,” he answered the call.
“I thought you had to be back at work today? I went down to your office numerous times, and it was always empty,” Bruce asked.
“The report’s going slow. So Sidney gave me an extension until Thursday,” Bret replied.
“Did I hear you correctly? He’s giving you extra time?” Bruce replied.
“Yeah,” Brett replied.
“That’s strange for him to be so generous like that. Wow. But you know something, he’s been seen walking around the office with a hint of a smile,” Bruce said. “But then he’s been giving me extra harassment as I can’t do anything right,” Bruce added.
“I mean, I can understand the harassment part, but the hint of a smile? That’s weird.”
“I know. Anyway, how are things going with this female instructor?” Bruce asked.
“Great. I’ve had numerous lessons, and we even had lunch today. Then my chest pains returned at the restaurant, and I was rushed to the hospital.”
“Since you answered your cell, I take it you’re okay.”
“Yeah. The doctor at the emergency room thought it was gas from the Mexican food.”
“Wait, did you have lunch with her?” Bruce asked excitedly.
“Yes, then after I was released from the hospital, we went canoeing.”
“Canoeing? That sounds like a date to me,” Bruce replied.
Brett smiled. “Yes, it felt like a date.”
“I have some other good news; I have an interview with Sky King Aviation tomorrow.”
“Sounds like things are heading in the right direction. If you find an opening for me at Sky King, give me a holler,” Bruce added.
“I’ll, and I’ll talk to you in a couple of days,” Brett replied, and then he disconnected the call.
Brett returned to watching “The Great Waldo Pepper” movie.
His eyelids drifted closed, and then he fell asleep.
Another dream.
It’s 1918 inside a room at the English Lutheran Church of Columbus.
Meredith is dressed in a beautiful wedding dress. Her mother, Gertrude, is making final adjustments to her dress. Meredith looked sad, and Gertrude noticed.
“What’s the matter, dear?” she asked. “You don’t look pleased on this glorious day,” she added, looking concerned.
“I can’t marry Charles. I don’t love him,” Meredith replied. Her eyes welled up.
Gertrude looked at Meredith and lightly rubbed her cheek in a gesture of comfort. “I didn’t love Aaron at first, but my father thought it would be best I marry him. After your birth father died when you were only five years old, I was unsure how to provide for you. So, my father arranged for me to marry Aaron, and it only cost him ten acres of his farmland. And he took good care of us over the years,” Gertrude replied.
“But why am I the one that has to marry him. Why not Anne?” Meredith asked.
“We shouldn’t pry into these types of reasons,” Gertrude replied. She looked down at the floor.
Meredith looked bothered. “But I have to tell you something about Anne,” Meredith said. Her eyes continued to tear up.
“Tell me, what about Anne, darling?” Gertrude said, concerned.
Aaron entered the room.
He walked up to Gertrude. “Darling, would you please allow me to have a moment alone with the beautiful bride?” he asked Gertrude.
“Yes, dear,” Gertrude replied and left the room.
Meredith shook in fear.
“What’s the matter?” he snapped.
“You know what’s the matter. Anne shot and killed the man I loved,” Meredith sobbed.
“It’s his fault for trying to steal you away from Charles,” Aaron snapped back.
“I can’t marry Charles. I just can’t,” Meredith sat down and sobbed in her hands.
Aaron slapped Meredith across her face.
“You will marry Charles or else!” he threatened, shaking a finger at her.
She reluctantly nodded in agreement.
“Good, the ceremony starts in five minutes,” he said.
Meredith sobbed in her hands.
Fifteen minutes later, the church was packed as Meredith’s wedding. It’s a massive event for Columbus.
Aaron sat with his wife, Gertrude, and Anne in the front pew. Anne stared into space.
In the other front pew, Grace sat with her husband, William. She beamed with joy.
The Pastor stood at the altar in front of Charles and Meredith. Charles grinned ear to ear. Meredith stared like a zombie.
“Do you, Meredith, take Charles as your lawful wedded husband?” the Pastor said.
Meredith did not reply to the Pastor’s question. She continued her zombie-like stare past the Pastor at the stained glass window.
Charles glanced over at her. “You’re supposed to say I do,” he whispered to her.
All eyes of the church are on Meredith. Many whispered.
Meredith turned around and ran down the aisle of the church.
Aaron, Gertrude, Anne, Grace, and her husband William stood up and watched Meredith run out of the church.
Everybody else stood up.
Charles’ eyes welled up.
“Get back here!” Aaron yelled out, running after Meredith.
Grace ran after Aaron.
Anne’s eyes sparkled, looking at Charles.
Another dream inside Meredith’s living room.
She’s an old lady sitting in a rocking chair. Her eyes welled up, staring at an old picture in her hand. It was the old picture of Matthew and her taken at Irwin Gardens in 1918.
Back to reality.
Corrie woke up dazed and sweaty from her dream. Her eyes widened. She immediately opened a drawer at her bedside table and removed her “Dream Journal.” She opened it up to the next available page. Six pages are filled up with information about previous dreams. She grabbed a pen out of her drawer and jotted down her two dreams.