Chapter 22

The staff meeting had lasted almost an hour as new policy for nudity within the house was established. The reason was the result of problems with the newer staff members. When Bill had left for Florida, they had taken the opportunity to hire several new people to work in the house. Greg was hired to be handyman and to man the security center. Cathy had worked for Jim Johnson handling public relations for John Carter. She had moved to work in the house for the family to replace Bill.

They had also hired Sarah, the granddaughter of William Redman. She was a confirmed nudist that shed her clothes every opportunity that she had. The previous day, she had answered the door completely naked when Jim had stopped by the house to have some papers signed by John. If the story was true, he was anything but disturbed by the sight of a naked woman answering the door. John felt that it was important that they provide a less controversial initial appearance to visitors and had requested that she wear clothes.

For his part, Ed found the meeting rather amusing. John’s lack of enthusiasm for sleeping with the staff was again a point of contention. Sarah and Cathy had insatiable sexual appetites and wanted to include John and Ed within their circle of conquests despite the rule that it was a job benefit that took effect after a year of service.

Amused at the outcome, Ed was even happier when the meeting came to an end. As the meeting concluded, all of the staff, with the exception of Ling, got up and left to return to their duties. Meekly clearing her throat, Ling attracted the attention of Kelly. Kelly asked, “What’s the matter honey?”

For a moment, Ling looked at John and Ed before she started to cry. Sobbing, she asked, “Can I talk to you and Beth privately?”

John and Ed looked at each other with concern and then stood to leave the room. John leaned down so that his head was between Kelly and Beth. After John had whispered something to the women, the two men left the room. As they walked out, Ed said, “I had no idea that would happen when he hired Cathy and Sarah.”

“Neither did I.”

Ed took a couple of steps and then said, “If any of them have upset Ling, we’re letting them go.”

John nodded in agreement as he said, “You bet.”

The men reached the pool room and quickly stripped. As they climbed into the pool, they could feel the tension leaving their bodies. They swam for a while enjoying the feel of the cool water. Cathy entered the room and cleared her throat their attention. She announced, “There is an Ann Moore here to see you.”

John answered, “I’ll be right out.”

Winking at John, Ed laughed as he teased, “Sorry that you have to work buddy, I’ll be here swimming and thinking of you.”

Cathy interrupted, “She wants to talk to both of you.”

John laughed as he teased back. “I’ll be sitting in that meeting watching you and knowing that you would rather be here.”

The men climbed out of the pool and went to the cabinet containing the towels where they dried themselves. As they were dressing, Cathy asked, “Where should I take her? The library is currently being used.”

“We’ll meet her in the formal dining room. Have Marguerite fix coffee and some sort of snack, please.”

“Okay, John.” She left to perform her tasks.

John and Ed finished dressing, curious as to what could bring Ann here. She hadn’t been here since the big raid and neither man knew what had happened that afternoon to her. John asked, “Do you think this is business or personal?”

“I have no idea.”

They entered the formal dining room to find Marguerite setting out a carafe of coffee and a plate of her special chocolate chip cookies. Sharing a special look, Marguerite nudged Ann when they entered. Ann quickly turned around and said, “Congratulations boys, you caught another serial killer. I just got back from the guys house. We found more than a dozen bodies in the yard. He was using the temporary agency to pick his next victim.”

This was the serial killer that Ed had identified when they were interviewing the new staff members. One of the people they had interviewed had caused that same sense of revulsion that he had felt when John and he had captured the two serial killers while he was working on his dissertation. This guy was even worse those than two. Ed shuddered as he said, “That guy was pure evil.”

John added, “I’m so glad that we didn’t hire him.”

After looking at both of them, Ann said, “Well, he’s not going anywhere for a long time. Thanks a lot. I feel good when I help lock someone like that away.”

John said, “So do I.”

Ann was quiet for a moment as she looked to the door of the kitchen. Providing moral support, Marguerite peeked out and nodded to her. Ann said, “My husband and I would like to invite you two and your wives over for dinner.”

“Sure, we can come whenever you want so long as Beth and Kelly are free from work,” John answered. He turned and looked toward the back of the house. He added, “They should be done soon. Would you like to make the arrangements with them directly?”

“No, that’s okay. I will call and ask Cathy. Just let her know that you’ve accepted the invitation.”

Ed nodded and then said, “Sure, no problem. However, the first thing they are going to ask us is what kind of clothes they should wear.”

Ann looked over at the door again where Marguerite smiled at her. Summoning her courage, she said, “None would be best.”

John did his best not to look flustered as he said, “Okay. We’ll let them know that.”

Ann stood up and said, “Well, I had better get back to the office.”

She abruptly turned around and left the house. After watching her go, the two men stared at each other. John asked, “Has the whole world gone crazy today?”

“I think so.”

John reached over and poured himself a cup of coffee. Idly, John grabbed one of the cookies and took a bite out of it. Puzzled at the shortness of the visit, he asked, “She was here for five minutes?”

Marguerite answered, “No. She’s been here since the meeting was over.”

“Why didn’t someone get us earlier?”

She answered, “She was talking to me.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that you knew her.”

Marguerite smiled as she thought back to that evening she had spent with Ann where Ann had learned to play. She answered, “We are very good friends.”

John nodded and said, “Good. She can use a good friend like you.”

Ed poured himself some coffee and took a sip as he considered the events at the end of the meeting. Curious about the problem that his wives were sorting out with Ling, he asked, “Are the new people causing any problems?”

Marguerite surprised at the change in subject answered, “No. Why?”

When Ed heard the truth in her words, he knew the problem wasn’t a result of the new staff members. Shrugging his shoulders to make light of his question, he answered, “Just curious.”

When she left the room, Ed looked at John and said, “Well, I think we know where Ann disappeared to that evening.”

John looked at Ed as the pieces fell into place. Surprised, he asked, “Really?”

“Really.”

“Wow, I would never have thought Ann was like that.”

Ed added, “I don’t think the staff are the reason why Ling is upset.”

John asked, “She was telling the truth that she wasn’t aware of any problems from the new staff?”

“Yes.”

“Drat. This must really be serious.”

Cathy entered the room. Ed noticed her entrance and said, “Ann has invited us to dinner one night. She will call you and arrange a night when everyone is free.”

“Okay, I’ve got everyone’s schedules.”

“Good.”

Cathy looked at them for a second. She said, “Kelly and Beth would like to talk to you in the library. They look quite upset.”

John and Ed ran out of the room to the library where they found Kelly and Beth sitting at the table with tears in their eyes. Concerned, John asked, “What’s the matter?”

Sniffling as her nose threatened to run from crying, Beth answered, “Ling wants to leave.”

John’s jaw dropped to the ground and asked, “What? Why?”

Kelly answered, “She’s fallen in love with a married man.”

Confused by that announcement, Ed asked, “Why would that make her want to leave?”

Angry that someone might hurt Ling, John asked, “Who is it? How dare he play with her feelings like that!”

Beth answered, “She didn’t say, but we know who it is.”

Kelly burst out in tears as she cried, “There’s got to be something we can do.”

Beth hugged Kelly and comforted her by saying, “I know. I don’t want her to go either. I love her too.”

John and Ed went over to the women and put their arms around them in a group hug. This was very serious, Ed had really come to like Ling more than any other staff member. In fact, if asked he would have to admit that he had come to love her. Ed said, “None of us want her to go.”

Kelly pulled out of the group hug. She left the room for a couple of minutes and returned with a box of tissues. She gave a couple to Beth and took some herself. She turned to John and requested, “Could you go get Jim?”

“Sure, I’ll call him right now.”

“No, go get him personally.”

John shrugged as he answered, “Okay, I’ll go shortly.”

“Please, John. Could you go, now?”

John nodded and stated his agreement. “Sure, Kelly. Anything you want.”

After John left the room, Kelly turned to Ed and Beth. She said, “You know that the married man she loves is John.”

“Oh,” said Ed as he considered the implications of that. He asked, “Does she love all of us?”

“Yes, but she’s definitely head over heels in love with John,” answered Kelly.

Beth asked, “I’ve come to love Ling in a very special way. She’s an amazing lover, so giving. How do you two feel about Ling?”

“The same way,” answered Kelly.

“Same here,” answered Ed. He couldn’t put his finger on when the change in relationship had occurred. Maybe it was one of the times when she came to his room to massage his shoulders after a hard day, even if he hadn’t asked her to do that. It could have also been the time when she had watched over Kelly when she had the flu. The feelings towards her had changed so slowly that it was hard for him to say.

Kelly asked, “What about John?”

“John loves her. He loves everyone who is not evil,” answered Ed. He had decided long ago that John was one of those people that had a nearly infinite capacity to love.

“I say we marry her,” said Beth.

There was a long moment of silence before Kelly said, “That was why I sent John away. He would believe that we are doing this to assuage his guilt.”

Thinking about how John would react, Ed said, “He will anyway.”

Laughing, Kelly said, “Not if we put it to him as though it were a done deal.”

Beth nodded and said, “That’s true.”

“Are we agreed?” asked Kelly.

Beth immediately nodded her head in agreement. For Ed, the question was much more difficult to answer. The family charter said that they all had to agree and this violated the charter. Finally, he said, “If John agrees to it, then I say okay.”

John returned with Jim in tow. During the trip to the house, Jim had asked repeatedly why he had been summoned. John was unable to tell him anything except that there was a problem with Ling. Of course, Jim thought John was being his normal secretive self. Entering the room, they found Beth, Kelly, and Ed talking quietly with smiles on their faces.

Turning to face Jim, Ed asked, “We need a ruling on a point of order. Can a majority of stock holders in the family hold a vote in the absence of another stock holder and have their decision stand?”

Jim thought about it for a second. He answered, “If they own a majority of the stock, what they decide goes.”

Kelly looked at John and said, “While you were out, we held a vote and the motion passed.”

John sat down and looked around the room. He had a queasy feeling in his stomach, almost as if he had been cheated on. He looked around the room before asking, “So what did you decide?”

“We decided to sell shares for the Carter clan to Ling.”

John stared at them in shock. “Why?”

Kelly came over to him and held his hand. “Sometimes you are a fool. Don’t you know that the married man she fell in love with is you?”

John slowly sank to the floor as the enormity of what she said sunk in. He looked around the room from his position on the floor. Everyone that he looked at nodded his or her agreement. He realized that he was the cad that had played with her feelings. He numbly nodded while saying, “I vote with the majority.”

Having gotten the decision that she had predicted without argument, Beth said, “I guess one of us should go tell her.”

Deciding that she meant he should be the one that went to tell her, he took a deep breath and said, “Okay, I’ll go.”

Beth shook her head as she countered. “No, I’ll go. It needs to be one of the women in the family.”

Jim stood there looking around wondering what he was supposed to do. Beth left and Kelly turned to Jim. “Jim, are there papers that have to be signed or anything?”