Chapter 15

“Magus!” Irene shouted.

“What?” Magus shouted.

“Nothing.” Irene shouted.

Magus shook his head and muttered, “That woman has a set of lungs on her and she has discovered that she likes using them.”

“Magus!” Irene shouted.

“What?” Magus shouted.

“There’s a woman to see you!” Irene shouted.

“Does she have an appointment?” Magus shouted knowing that he didn’t have any appointments for that day.

“She says she doesn’t need one!” Irene shouted.

“Who is she?” Magus shouted.

“Stephen’s mother!” Irene shouted.

“Send her in!” Magus shouted. He muttered, “This can’t be good.”

Karen walked into the office and sat down across from Magus. She looked at Magus, gave him a tight lipped smile, and then in a frosty voice asked, “What have you done to my son?”

“He’s at school,” Magus answered.

“I know he’s at school. I didn’t ask where he was. I asked what you have done to him,” Karen said.

“I gave him a job,” Magus said. He sat back and smiled at her hoping to thaw the icy atmosphere in the room.

“That’s not what I’m talking about,” Karen said.

Magus asked, “What are you talking about?”

“I just discovered that my son is living with a prostitute and a nymphomaniac and has a girlfriend,” Karen said.

“Don’t you just love it when you discover something new? I know that I do,” Magus said. He sighed theatrically and said, “I wake up every morning just hoping that I’ll discover something new that day. It gives me a reason for getting out of bed.”

Karen said, “Don’t change the subject, Magus.”

“I thought we were talking about your new discovery,” Magus said.

“We are. My son has a girlfriend and is living with a prostitute and a nymphomaniac,” Karen said.

Magus said, “Your son is very talented. Have you seen a copy of the book he edited?”

“Don’t change the subject, Magus,” Karen said.

“I thought we were talking about your son,” Magus said.

“We are. My son has a girlfriend and is living with a prostitute and a nymphomaniac,” Karen said.

Magus shook his head and said, “I think we’re having a failure to communicate. Maybe we ought to just drop this subject and come back to it at a later time. How are things back in the five Millvilles area?”

Karen growled. She said, “Don’t change the subject, Magus.”

“I suppose you’re curious about his current living arrangements,” Magus said.

“Yes.”

“Curiosity is good. I find that it is indispensable in my line of work,” Magus said.

Karen tapped her foot and said, “I’m waiting.”

“Did I ever tell you that you are a remarkably patient woman?”

“I’m not,” Karen said. “You better start talking or people will start referring to you as the late Magus of Solutions Incorporated.”

Magus shouted, “Irene!”

“What?” Irene shouted back.

“Call Cathy and ask her to come here!” Magus shouted.

“Okay.”

“Call Titus,” Magus shouted.

“What should I call him?” Irene shouted.

“Tell him he has a dinner date with his mother and Mel,” Magus shouted. He could hear Irene giggling at her own joke.

“Okay.”

Call Mel!” Magus said.

“What should I tell her?” Irene shouted.

“Tell her she has a dinner date with Titus and his mother,” Magus shouted.

“What is her number?” Irene shouted.

“Get it from Titus!” Magus shouted.

“Okay. Should I call his mother?” Irene shouted.

“Why?”

“To tell her she has a dinner date with Titus and Mel.” Irene shouted.

“No,” Magus shouted. He muttered, “She’s driving me crazy.”

“Thursday!”

“She can’t yell back yet,” Irene shouted.

“Thursday, come in my office!” Magus shouted.

Rubbing her ear, Karen said, “I see that you’re still shouting in the office.”

“Now you want to change the subject,” Magus said shaking his head. “Women. You can’t get them to stay on topic.”

“Magus, you are this close to being dead meat,” Karen said while holding her fingers an inch apart.

He leaned forward and looked at her fingers. He leaned back and said, “I’ve been closer than that.”

There was a knock on the door. Still holding her jaw closed, Thursday said, “You bellowed.”

“Yes, Thursday I did bellow,” Magus said. “Come on in and meet Stephen’s mother, Karen.”

“Hello, Karen,” Thursday said. “I’m Willa.”

Karen looked at Thursday and asked, “What happened to you?”

“Crooked cop,” Thursday answered.

“Thursday lives with Stephen,” Magus said.

“Really?” Karen said. She wondered if she was the prostitute or the nymphomaniac.

Magus asked, “Would you mind telling Karen what you normally do for a living?”

“I’m a prostitute,” Thursday said. She could see that Karen wasn’t exactly pleased by her answer. A lot of women had that reaction.

“Are you having sex with my son?” Karen asked getting directly to the point.

“Do you want me to? It is just a hundred and fifty for an hour or a hundred for a half hour,” Thursday said having a little fun with the woman. She looked over at Magus and said, “I’ve never had a mother arrange for her son to get laid. It has always been the father doing that.”

“No, I don’t want you to have sex with my son,” Karen said.

“Am I too expensive? For Stephen, I’d be willing to discount my services,” Thursday said. She wished that she had a camera. The look on Karen’s face was ‘priceless.’

“No.”

Smiling at Willa, Magus said, “It was nice of you to offer.”

“Thank you, Magus,” Thursday said.

Magus said, “I have a great idea. Why don’t you and Karen go out for lunch together?”

“I don’t normally do women,” Thursday said. She winked at Magus.

“Oh my God,” Karen exclaimed.

Thursday said, “Relax. I’m just teasing you. Stephen is a great guy and he isn’t interested in doing anything with me. We just live in the same house. Don’t worry! I’m not going to do anything with you, either.”