Chapter 14

When Marion and Bill vacated the apartment, Bill had given it to Sam Carstairs. He had been living alone and spent almost every hour in the shop. It made sense and Sam was very grateful. He had passed his 70^th birthday and his arthritis had begun to give him problems with his hands when it came to handling the small parts and delicate assemblies. Sam was reluctant to admit the gradual loss of skill, but Buck had made Bill aware of Sam's problem and by simple observation, Bill confirmed Buck's concern.

He had thought about what he would do to help Sam and Buck as they aged and the company grew. There was really no need for the shop any more. The day-to-day business had dwindled, as expected, with the onset of cheap, almost throwaway appliances. CSI was 99% of the business now and what Bill had in mind was finding a way to use the massive knowledge and experience that Buck and Sam possessed. The answer was simple. He would create a new, much needed department. Buck and Sam would train his new staff.

Sam was enthusiastic with the idea. He loved passing along his knowledge and experience and this was the perfect opportunity. Buck, on the other hand, was not so sure. He still had all his skills and enjoyed the daily workload and regular visits to their clients. Bill proposed a compromise. Buck would do the field training as an on-site teacher, while Sam would maintain the shop work and look actively for someone he could develop for the day-to-day routine. Both men accepted the proposal, although Buck was certain it would slow him down. Over time though, the plan worked well, and Buck became a very good teacher.

Buck was nearing his seventy-second birthday when his world was shaken violently. Bernice was diagnosed with leukemia. While CSI's health insurance would guard him against financial ruin, it could not protect him from the pain of watching his life-partner slowly ebb away. He was with her every day, only coming to work as a way to take his mind off her ever-deteriorating health. She lived only seven months from the time she was diagnosed, and Buck was heartbroken when finally it was over. For all their bickering and constant nattering at each other, Buck loved her dearly and he had no idea how he would cope now that she was gone.

Once again, Bill stepped in. He talked to Sam and wondered if he could stand a roommate in the apartment. Sam smiled and reminded himself just how understanding and wise this young guy was. It was Sam that proposed the move to Buck and while at first he resisted, a month later, he put his house up for sale and moved into the little apartment.

For their Twelfth Anniversary, Bill and Marion took the children to Disney World. Lexi, as Alexis was now affectionately known, was going to be eleven in June, while Bill Junior would soon be eight years old. He was hoping their vacation would be delayed for a month so that he could attend the big Daytona 500 NASCAR race, but that didn't happen. Nonetheless, he was happy to be going to Florida and excited to see Disney World for the first time.

While they were in Florida, Bill detected a change in Marion. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but she had seemed a bit distant. As he wandered around Disney World with the children, his thoughts drifted back over the weeks following Thanksgiving. Their sex life had dwindled to once or twice a week in the past year and it seemed to Bill that it lacked the passion that had been part of their union for so many years. Now, here on their vacation and celebrating an anniversary, she didn't seem to be enjoying herself the way he would have expected her to.

When they returned to Cambelltown, Marion seemed to perk up a bit. She was more like her old self, busy flitting about from place to place with her Women's Club and various social activities. She had made herself visible in the community with both charity and volunteer work. Her name appeared in the social column of the local paper now and then, and she was quite proud of the recognition. When a picture of her and Bill appeared in the local paper when they attended a Variety Club Fundraiser, she was ecstatic. She was thriving on the publicity.

It was three weeks after their return from Florida that Bill had his world rocked again. He was leaving the office for the day and looking forward to dinner with the family. As he approached his car, he noticed a white piece of paper stuck under the windshield wiper on the driver's side. At first he thought it was an advertising flyer, but when he pulled out, he saw it was a sheet of computer paper that had been folded in half. He opened it and read the typed single-sentence content.

"No wife should betray a man as good as Bill Orton."

Almost by instinct, he unlocked the door and slid into the driver's seat without taking his eyes of the paper. He sat behind the wheel, wondering what he was being told, and even if he should believe it. He wasn't certain how long he sat there, contemplating the meaning of the note. A cold chill ran through his body, and once again, the little bells were ringing. He folded the note and put it in the inner pocket of his jacket and started the car.