Chapter 32

Legion decided that Abby ... and the Utes ... were more important than the business. There IS the tiny possibility that it was the Utes and not Abby that held his interest.

The Firm sent a car and driver, the train was on time. The chauffeur attested to that at the police station ... she also attested to the fact that she was new to the job ... and had no idea who Legion was or what he looked like.

He did NOT respond to her sign ... or the plethora of pages over the terminal speakers. The pages began 30 minutes after the arrival and ended after an hour of no contact ... and then the clerk shut the ticket window in her face.

Uncertain as to her next move, she asked the guard and he sent her to the cops. They were immediately suspicious, questioned her to a fare-thee-well ... found her sign in the trash ... arrested the window clerk for non-compliance ... he wouldn’t answer to the banging on his window.

They found a generally unreliable and unemployed witness who admited to seeing the driver holding the sign ... he was more interested in the holder of the sign than the sign itself as her upraised arms stretched the already tight chauffeurs’ jacket to near bursting.

The Firm (Hall, Willows and Day) were concerned. Their most important client and his bags and bags of money had vanished from this Earth.

Mr Willow was especially concerned.

The driver, Megan, was his 18 year old daughter on her first commercial endeavor ... college money. The Firm motto: Working builds character.. There were posters and placards throughout the office.

Meg was a State Licensed Babysitter and saved every penny. The Chauffeur Job held the promise of good tips and an excellent resume.

The police had her and suspected foul play.

The Vault closed at five.

Instead of looking for a designated driver, Legion direct us to the nearest exit and the cab rank ... he walked past several cabs until he saw a Yellow cab. He approached the turbaned driver.

“Buranda?”

“Yes.”

“The Toy Vault.”

“Sumner,” said the man.

“Yes.”

The cab opened the back door, two of us got in the back ... Leon took the front. The driver pulled smartly away from the kerb.

In the cab talk turned to the previous night. In other words ... Alice was bored.

Alice’s stomach announced the existence of fasting. “Why aren’t you two hungry? You got as much exercise ... oops.”

“Oops?”

“I’ve been trying to keep the elephant in the box.”

And I said, “It’s not an elephant ... but it is the biggest I’ve ever had.”

Alice said, “I didn’t need to know that.”

We were expected at the Vault. There was a forty foot shipping container on a flatbed trailer near the garage door. Satisfied with our bonafides, the garage door opened and the ‘34 drove out up the ramp and into the container followed by the ‘35. The tractor took the trailer to the freight yard. The overhead crane made the switch from rubber tires to steel wheels, a diesel switcher added our container to a consist of rail freight. We signed ... the yard super signed. We went back to the passenger train, I kissed Leon, loaded our luggage and we women ... the train pulled out, Alice waved and we headed for the buffet car.

“I wonder if I’ll ever see him again.”