Fairytales (44 page)

Eager to get on with the ordeal and the damned thing over with, an exhausted, apathetic Catherine flew to Santa Barbara, arriving there just in time to bathe and change into her fabulous gown and jewels. Where was Dominic, she wondered angrily … probably downstairs in his usual conference … God, how he loved those conferences—better than her, that was for sure. He didn’t even respond to her page when she arrived.

Suddenly, he rushed into the room, pecked her on the cheek, mumbled … glad you’re here as he rushed into the bathroom, showered, shaved and put on his tuxedo. Then like a hurricane, she was whisked out of the room with Dominic holding onto her elbow, walked rapidly down the hall and waited for the elevator.

The evening was a huge success. Even the mayor had flown down to lend a hand. Everyone had done their homework and it was apparent from the responsive applause. The crowd loved him … hung onto his every word … he captivated them with his sense of humor, his ability to reach the rich as well as the poor, and while he was speaking, the committee in San Diego was pushing like a panzer division. When the evening’s festivities were over, as always before retiring he spoke to Dom who had his pulse on every statistic. Yes, it looked like they were leading… “Out in front, Papa, but we’ve got to keep working, pushing.”

The next morning, a confident and happy Dominic and his entourage flew to San Diego, with Catherine saying, “I’m gonna rest and meet you later.”

But later never came … she was now missing for two weeks.

The anxiety of Catherine’s whereabouts during the interim of those days was only to be compared with the sinking of the Titanic. When Catherine did not put in her appearance … nor show up prior to the banquet at the San Diego Hilton that evening, Dominic walked into the overcrowded ballroom with a feeling of foreboding, although he conducted himself with the same sure composure and knew exactly what he was saying. Still, he kept glancing around the room from table to table to catch a glimpse of Catherine sitting with members of the family, a portion of which was always present at all dinners, rallies or whatever the occasion demanded … but as he continued speaking … something kept whispering in his ear … “We’re in big trouble … can’t put my finger on it, but? Where the hell is she?” His stomach turned and churned nervously. When the family retired to Dominic’s suite, speculations began. First Tory called the hotel in Santa Barbara only to be told that Mrs. Rossi had checked out that morning soon after the senator’s departure. What did she do, take a taxi? No, it seemed the dear lady had rented a car. What kind and from where? The manager regretted to say he could be of no help since he had no idea. The bellboy that assisted Mrs. Rossi, was he on duty? Again, the manager regretted the man was off duty until tomorrow. Tory hung up the receiver with his palm sweating. Next step … call the airlines … No leads there.

“Christ, nobody disappears in thin air …” a very apprehensive Dominic said.

“Now, wait a minute, Papa,” Tory answered, trying to calm his father’s fears. “Let’s face it … if anything had happened, wouldn’t we have heard?”

“I don’t know, Tory. I have a terrible fear somehow that I’ve never had. I can’t explain it.”

“What, Papa? Say it.”

“… That something’s happened to her.”

“Come on, Papa,” Angie answered. “You’re overreacting.”

Dominic became angry. “How come you’re so calm … all of you? This is your mother … she’s missing. We called home—”

“We don’t really know she’s missing—”

“Then why didn’t she show up tonight?”

Finally Tory spoke up. “Look, Papa, isn’t it possible she just decided to drive home?”

“Without telling me? No … besides, why would she drive? Look, she’s a public figure. Anything could have happened to her … especially with all that damned jewelry she wears …”

“Papa, just a minute,” Dom said evenly, “let’s back up for just a minute. Did you and Mama have words … an argument?”

“When? I haven’t seen her all day.”

“I mean yesterday.”

“Yesterday? You mean in Santa Barbara?”

“Yes.”

“No … she didn’t arrive until late, then we went to the banquet …”

“Think, Papa, think … were her feelings hurt?”

“Hurt? Why … why should her feelings have been hurt. We hardly saw each other.”

“Papa, Tish and I sat next to Mama last night and both of us got the feeling she was upset about something.”

Bewildered, Dominic asked slowly, trying to sort out the events of last night, “Upset? It’s no secret she’s not exactly choked up over campaigning … but she’s been more cooperative in this one than at any other time.”

“Okay, granted … but something bothered her.”

“What….?” Dominic asked, raising his shoulders and turning his palms up, “what …?”

“I don’t know,” Dom answered.

“But you said she was bothered … what gave you that impression?”

“She got up from the table without a word as you were just finishing your speech and left.”

“She did …?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, what else?”

“Well, this morning before we left, Tish said she’d stay on and take the plane with Mama later …”

“And?”

“And Mama said she wanted to be alone to rest and think out a few things and then come down later.”

“And?”

“Well, Tish got the distinct impression she was very disturbed.”

“Funny, I didn’t get that impression when I left. In fact, she seemed … happy.”

“Well, apparently she wasn’t.”

“Then how come neither of you said anything about it till now?”

“Because with all you’ve got on your mind, we didn’t want to add to your …”

“You didn’t want to upset me? If Mama was that upset why didn’t you come to me … what am I, a cream puff? I wouldn’t be able to take it?”

“The point is, Papa, Tish guessed Mama was upset … but that she wouldn’t show up didn’t even cross her mind.”

Dominic was now silent, trying to sort out the pieces, then answered, “No, she wouldn’t do that to me. Granted, she wasn’t overcome with joy, but she promised to go along with me and she has.” He paused, then asked, still disbelieving, “But … if she did, where would she go?”

“To the Farm. Where else?” Tory answered.

“Okay, but we called the airlines and no Mrs. Rossi took a flight out,” Dominic insisted.

“She could have driven,” Dom suggested.

“All the way to Arizona? Don’t be foolish. She’d be afraid to drive that distance alone.”

“Don’t underestimate Mama … she’s got more guts when she wants to do something than anyone I know.”

“Alright then … call.”

Dom picked up the phone, asked the hotel operator to place the call to the Farm, then hung up. They all waited. When the phone rang, Dom picked it up quickly as the silent family sat waiting and listening.

“Mrs. Rossi?” asked the night switchboard operator. “Why, no, she didn’t check in today.”

“She didn’t?” Dom asked, repeating the question only out of disappointment, then continued, “Do you have a reservation for her at all … anytime this week?”

“Hold on, I’ll look through the book.” Scanning the pages, she said, “No, sir, I don’t see her name down.”

“I see … now, if she does come at any time, it makes no difference when, please call this number day or night.” He gave the number to a very innocent operator, unaware that Catherine had been secreted away in a tower suite since earlier … so when she said … “Yes, sir, I have your information” … she filed away the slip of paper never dreaming it would in future have spared an overwrought Dominic plus seven children a great deal of anxiety. However, since a strict gag rule had been imposed by Mrs. Van Muir, the operator, who had no way of knowing, saw no need to even mention the call to the directress of the Farm. Dom hung up more disturbed than he pretended.

“Alright,” Dominic said, his breathing labored, “she’s not there.”

“Not yet,” Tory answered quickly to offset his father’s fears.

“If that’s where she was going, she’d be there by now,” Dominic said adamantly.

“Maybe she stopped off somewhere… overnight.”

Dominic looked at Tory. “You don’t believe that anymore than I do.”

“Fine, so where do we go from here?”

“To bed, if any of us can sleep … and in the morning, we’ll call Santa Barbara, try and get some information about the rented car. That’s the first step.”

“Then …?”

“Well, obviously she’s got to turn that car in eventually. She can’t keep driving forever and by now, she’s too well known not to be recognized,” Dominic answered.

However, for his peace of mind as well as the family’s, such was not the case. For days the Santa Barbara police department with the aid of the San Francisco department, under the cover of complete secrecy, alerted the State Highway Patrol to look for a Mercedes Benz. They were given the license plate numbers. That was the only information they had so far been able to obtain. Even if Catherine decided to go incognito, using her maiden name, at least the car had been taken out in the name of Rossi and her driver’s license bore that name … it was only another ambiguous clue, which up to now seemed to be unproductive. Dominic cancelled all his speaking engagements …

“What’ll we give as an excuse, Dominic?”

“Any goddamned thing you can think of … but for God’s sake, no excuses of sickness … that’s all we need is to start a rumor that the candidate had a mild coronary.”

When the news media asked why he had returned to San Francisco … “On very pressing official business which demanded my immediate attention.”

Each day that passed, Dominic tried desperately to believe Catherine was safe and well somewhere as the family kept trying to brainwash him. Now his anxiety about her welfare outweighed any hostility that might have crept into his overlapping thoughts. By the end of a terrifying week, he was unable to go to the Capital or function at all. He couldn’t sleep or eat. There were dark circles under his eyes and he was beginning to lose weight. In the sightseeing bus that passed daily, the passengers heard the tour director say and point out, “Now, ladies and gentlemen, on your right is State Senator Rossi’s mansion. It is considered to be one of the most…” None of them could possibly have known the gloom, the apprehension that went on behind those imposing double doors. The family never left Dominic alone. It was two weeks since Catherine’s disappearance. Now Dominic finally said to his children, as though he were delivering a eulogy:

“I guess the time has come for us to announce publicly that Mama’s missing.”

Gina Maria broke down and sobbed. Quickly, Sergio drew her to him for consolation.

“Papa … should we give it another day or so?” Angie asked.

“What for,” Dominic said with tears in his eyes, feeling all the burden of guilt heavily upon his shoulders. He had driven her to this. He wouldn’t wish his dreams, his nightmares on any enemy. He could see her lying in some ditch in some remote spot … he blinked his eyes. “We’ve waited long enough … there’s nothing to wait for. I’ve listened to many voices … Ricci’s among the few that knows. So let the public think this is a grandstand play … to hell with the public … the campaign … who needs it … who wants it…. the cost is too high.”

Gina Maria began to scream, running out of the room with Sergio after her. A very sober, subdued Tony said, “Papa, somehow, I just know nothing has happened to Mama … I just know she’s safe … somewhere.”

“No one hopes it more than me … go to church … pray, I don’t want to add to all of your worst fears, but if Mama were safe, she would have called one of us by now.” Dominic swallowed back the tears, got up from the table and went into his study, closing the door behind him. He was now prepared to have Chief of Police Howe make a statement publicly to the press… With that decision, he picked up the phone and called. Hanging up, openly crying, he said to the silent room, Catherine, where in God’s name are you …?

Catherine at that very moment was luxuriating in a soft, lukewarm tub of fragrant blue bubbles at the Farm, lying back and thinking how much she had matured. She had survived this lonely ordeal longer than she’d ever thought possible … aside from the fact that she missed her grandchildren at times with a longing she had difficulty trying to control … It really hadn’t been too bad. She also missed her children. Disappointments? She had a few … except for Tish. The boys had disappointed her by marrying girls she was not too fond of, and Roberto? Better to blind herself on that issue. But all in all, this absence would make her appreciated more. I’m finally an emancipated woman. I’ve
survived.
Getting out of the tub, she dried herself, put on her sheer chiffon gown and matching peignoir, walked into the bedroom and waited for lunch which was soon to be served. Pouring herself a sherry, she thought what a joy Mrs. Van Muir has been … I’m never gonna forget how she listened to me pour out my achin’ heart… those terrible nights when I couldn’t sleep and she came up and played gin rummy till four … after all, I couldn’t keep the poor dear soul here till dawn … I do have consideration for the workin’ classes even if I’m not runnin’ for public office … but I’m never gonna forget her kindness, sittin’ with me, drinkin’ a little brandy, joinin’ me for dinner when I was so low in spirits … no, sir, I never forget a friend … let’s see … I’m gonna buy her … ? A case of brandy. Catherine heard the soft knock as Mrs. Van Muir wheeled in the luncheon cart. Taking off the silver domes, Catherine said, “Looks positively luscious … just simply too beautiful for words. That salad’s a work of art … and you got a raspberry napoleon this time … you darlin’ … my very favorite.”

Mrs. Van Muir smiled and hoped Mrs. Rossi was doing fine.
“Bon appetit …
” she said, as she left the room.

Catherine poured a glass of clear cold Chablis into the wineglass, held it up to the light … lovely, then took a sip … put the glass down, picked up a fork and stabbed a plump crab leg, put it in her mouth and savored it. A little music would go nicely … getting up, she turned the knob on the radio as the soft melodic strains of “Amapola, Pretty Little Flower” invaded the room. Returning to her luncheon, she seated herself again and contentedly continued to eat, humming in between bites. The song ended … another began … so pretty, she thought, when suddenly the announcer interrupted the melody. “We interrupt this to bring you this news bulletin. Senator Rossi of San Francisco … candidate for United States senator …” “Oh God,” Catherine thought, “not again … now on radio … it’s not enough I bashed in the television tube … what’s that he’s sayin’?”