Chapter 14

I said, “Shopping? Your money this time?”

Charles said, “You bought the VW.”

“Yes,” I waved my passbook.

“Sorry Miss Jacqueline.” Charles was apologetic.

“For what?” Jackie... ‘speak when spoken to’ ... a much nicer Jackie than the old Jackie ... the one before the fall.

“I thought it was your auto.” Charles explained.

“Oh ... it is. David just paid.” Jackie still controls me ... but without blackmail.

“Charles? Is George available?” We needed a car to go shopping ... the VW being out.

“You need a driver.” That was more a question than a query.

“The bus is gone ... so, yes.” Gone to school with Alice and Carol.

Charles picked up the house phone and George appeared from somewhere.

“Sir?” George had his leather cap.

“Take us shopping, please.”

“Certainly, sir.” He left to gather a car.

“Charles?”

“Sir.”

“Check with the staff ... see if anyone need what ever.”

There was a list ... extensive list.

We were waiting on the stoop.

George pulled up with the Bentley.

“No, George ... is there a pickup?”

“Yes sir.”

“We’re shopping for the staff.”

“I see. Be right back.”

Some crass person would call the pickup a ‘flower car’ for a funeral home. George called it a pickup ... I called it a Cadillac.

We were three in the benchseat.

“Nice pickup.”

George grinned, “Stripped down hearse, did it myself. I’ve been building them for years. Cadillac hates it.”

“Hates it?”

“Yes ... they had to start making the idea. Funeral Homes used to love them.”

“Wait ... years?”

“First one was in the ‘30’s.”

“I keep forgetting you people are all older than you look.”

“We people,” he said ... including us.