Trickery & Envy (18 page)

“I don’t know Charles,” Jennifer
answered then took notice of one of their neighbors, a short elderly white woman coming from across the street. “I put them on after you dropped me off and then went for the mail.”

Officer Reynolds inter
rupted their conversation. “Mrs. Washington we’re finished here. We’re taking these items as evidence and to check for prints,” he said holding up a plastic bag that had the picture, plate and some of Vernon’s waste inside. He had in his other hand the suitcase that was left behind. The officer then said, “The minute we hear something we’ll let you know. In the meantime, keep your windows and doors locked.”

Charles
extended his hand to the policeman. “Thank you, Officer,” he said and then put his arm back around his wife’s shoulder.

“Charles lets go inside before all the neighbors come over
asking questions.”

“
Okay, but let’s see if Mrs. Kanjorski seen something. You know she likes to sit near her front window.”

The elderly neighbor
slowly signaled with a wave of the hand to Officer Jones who was about to get into the patrol car. He waited for her and when she reached him, held on to his arm for support.

“How can I help you,” the
officer said to her with a smidgen of a smile.

“I come to see if there is something going on
that the rest of the neighbors needs to know about? Wondering if you being here have anything to do with the young man that went into their house?”

“You saw someone enter the house
, Mrs.?”

The elderly lady
with a sagging face grinned up at the officer.

“
Kanjorski, I’m a widow,” and she patted him a couple times on the arm.

“Reynolds, I believe we have a witness.”

“Get the information. I need to call headquarters,” the officer replied then got inside the patrol car.

“Are you able to stand without assistance?
” Officer Jones asked Mrs. Kanjorski. “I need to take notes.”

“I reckon I can a minute or two,” and Mrs.
Kanjorski released the officer’s arm and planted both hands against the car near the hood for balance.

“Can you describe the man you saw entering the home.”

Jennifer utters to Charles, “I think you’re right. She must have seen something. Vivian thinks it was Vernon that broke in.”

Mrs.
Kanjorski said to the officer, “I sure can,” and she smiled at Charles and Vivian, acknowledged them with a slow nod of the head. “They are such a sweet couple. Well, he was African American and well dressed. He had on a suit. Though, I just didn’t understand why he’d wear gym shoes with such a nice suit.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I guess that’s just the way these young folks dress now. Oh, oh, he also had a briefcase in one hand. I thought maybe he was some kind of insurance salesmen. He just walked inside you guys house like he was invited in. So I didn’t think much of it.”

“Do you recall the color suit the man was wearing?”

“Well, it looked black, but it could have been dark blue, too. I was looking from my window. I always glance out when I’m up front knitting. I sit by the window and knits booties for my great grandchildren.”

“Did you by chance get a look at the man’s face?
Was he young, old?”

Charles
as well as Jennifer kept their focus on their neighbor hoping she could provide vital information.

“I think that young man may have been about their age
s,” she said and pointing at Charles and Jennifer. “You know I could be wrong, but I thought he might be that young man that used to live there where they now live. It was just something about the way he walked slow and sort of nonchalant. Course, I hadn’t seen him in years.”

“It was him,” Jennifer
uttered. “Charles he left the briefcase inside the house.”

“Who
is she referring to,” the officer said a glance at Jennifer.

“Vernon. He’s the
half brother of my neighbor Vivian, whose house you went to. She had a matter with him a few weeks ago. Someone had broken into her home and Vernon just so happened to show up while the police were there.” Jennifer then turned into Charles laying her head against his chest. “It was Vernon, Charles.”

“Thank you Mrs.
Kanjorski,” Charles said. “I’m sure the information you provided is going to help us. Come on, Jennifer, let’s go inside.” Charles then turned and walked away with his arm around Jennifer’s shoulder.

“Anything else you want to share,” the
officer asked Mrs. Kanjorski.

“I think that’s all I have
,” and Mrs. Kanjorski again gave the officer a couple pats on the arm before heading back across the street to her home.

***

Toni was sitting at Barbara’s bar with a near empty shot of Bourbon in hand and a lot on his mind. “I couldn’t do it,” he stated. “I don’t even know why I reflected on it.”

“
I’m assuming you are referring to the gender reassignment you were thinking about having,” Barbara replied.

Toni nods. “
I’m not going to change who I am for anyone, not even Vivian.”

“
I feel for what you’re going through,” Barbara said sincere in her feelings.

Toni looked at his drink.
“God made me this way. Why should I change who I am? I’m going to stay as I am.”

Barbara
reached for the bottle of liquor on the counter to pour Toni another shot.

Toni said,
“Did you know if I wanted to have children I could give birth?” and he moved the refill of Bourbon into his hands and peered at it.

Barbara
looked confused. “Give birth? Do you mean in the sense of actually having a baby or being able to sperm a birth,” and Barbara reached under the bar for a couple mini bags of pork skins, sliding a bag over to Toni.

“
If I sleep with a man who understood what I am, there’s a chance I could become impregnated strange as it sounds. I can also produce children during intercourse with a woman,” he said.

Barbara
was speechless.

Toni
continued. “Though the odds are greater me impregnating a woman. There’s a twenty-five percent chance that it can happen. It’s low, but the possibility is there. I do want to have children someday even if it means adopting.”

“
Wow. I don’t know what to say,” Barbara responded and moving her head from side to side. “Let me ask you this. Do you have a preference in how you would prefer to have a child? If you prefer to impregnate...I’ll have your baby.”

Toni look
ed closely at Barbara a minute. Seeing that she was serious he said, “Why would you want my baby? We’re friends. You keep on and you’re going to make me think you have a thing for me.”

“Well
actually, you have something that I desire...and I want it.”

Barbara
opened the skins without looking at Toni. She tilted her head back and let a few skins fall from the bag into her mouth.

Toni
grinned and settling back into the barstool, didn’t know how to process the information. He crossed his arms and just looked at Barbara.

“You’re serious aren’t you? You really like me like that?”
he said.

“Yeah
, I do. I like the female side of you. Despite the tight panties you wear around your chest,” Barbara said referring to the spandex Toni wore daily. “You have nice size tits. In addition, it’s not like you don’t have the other equipment I prefer.” Barbara didn’t change from being serious.

“
How do you know how big my breast are, you’ve never seen them.”

“I don’t care for jugs, and there isn’t that much spandex in the world to hold big boobies down.”

“Whatever, Barbara,” Toni said a little tickled, and smiling some at her silliness. “I’m flattered, but I’ve never looked at you for more than what we are, friends,” Toni replied honestly.

Barbara
puckered her brows. “That’s because you haven’t seen me with my clothes off...boom!” she said pointing both her index fingers at Toni.

Toni’s head fell back in laughter
he was so tickled.

“
So you’re going to pull the, when the light goes out card. I hear you but I truly enjoy just being friends. Besides, I need, or shall I say everyone needs a friend who brings laughter into their world, which you do. I love you for that.”

“Ditto
, but seriously Toni, if you really wanted a child and needed an incubator I’m here for you. Now back to Vivian, did you use a condom?”

“
No, it was spur-of-the-moment. She protects herself.”

Toni discovered the bag of skins next to h
is arm. He grabbed them and opened the bag.

“Have you ever played the horses
?”

“The horses? Why are you always coming out of left field? What
do horses have to do with what we’re talking about?” and Toni fed his mouth skins the same way Barbara did by letting them fall from the bag.

“Answer the question
,” Barbara said and then took in some more skins.

“Maybe once, or twice, I don’t care for
gambling…what’s your point.”

“
When you did play did you bet on a long shot? They do come in, some even win.”

Toni twist
ed his mouth. “I hear you though I doubt she’s pregnant.”

“How can you be sure?
You just stated that there was a twenty-five percent chance it could happen. Two, Vivian was the first woman that you’ve been intimate with. So I’m sure them little worms couldn’t wait to be freed. Lastly, you did have unprotected sex with her.” Barbara kept her sight on Toni for a rebuttal.

“
It may have been the first time. Though I wouldn’t run out and buy a stroller,” Toni came back with.

“A
stroller? You think I would spend that kind of money on a baby that’s not mine,” she said chuckling some. “But seriously. I read that woman who had their tubes tied in their twenties, that there’s a thirty percent chance of conceiving later in life. I guess having your tubes tied is similar to tying shoestrings. Eventually they will become loose or untied.”

Toni look
ed at Barbara and the last skin he was about to put in his mouth, threw it at her. “Get the hell out of here,” he laughed. “You just made that up.”

Barbara
laughed too. “So, it sounded like something that could happen,” and they continued to laugh.

Toni then lift
ed his drink and took a swig. It hadn’t crossed his mind that he may have fathered a child with Vivian.

After a few seconds
he looked at Barbara. “In all seriousness, I know that I moved on but the door will always be open for her return, even if I’m with someone.”

“Damnnn...if I didn’t know any better I’d think you fell in love,”
and Barbara grinned.

“I did
. This isn’t over, Barbara.”

“Wow
. I guess the cliché love at first sight has changed to in love at first sight” and Barbara smile dwindled after seeing the gloomy look on Toni’s face and to bring them back to a happy disposition she joked. “Well, if you ever decided to get pregnant and it’s a boy, I would name him after the first thing he sees, Dick.”

“Ooh...that’s not funny
Barbara,” Toni said, but was a little tickled. “You know what’s going down after that,” and he rose from the barstool.

“I know you’re about to leave,
but hold on, maybe this will cheer you up.”

Barbara
reached under the bar and removed a new sign she made that read, NO CHARGE FOR THE MENTALLY CHARGED and she placed it on the counter.

Toni shook his head at the sign.
“You are sick. The things you come up with. You should consider turning yourself in. But on a more serious note, I need to go,” and he turned and walked toward the stairs.

Toni reache
d the top step and resumed in slow strides toward the living room and to the door.

“I’m going to head on home,”
he said and stepped out into the still night.

“
I hope it gets better for you...really,” Barbara said and closed the door behind him.

Toni walk
ed the few feet over to his car with one thing on his mind; Vivian.

***

“Hey Robin,” a cheery, upbeat Vivian said. “Jacqueline’s not here today. I’m going to take care of you.”

Vivian had just walked out of her office anticipating Robin’s arrival.
Normally when a stylist takes a day off clients would be taken care of by another stylist. However, there were certain clients that Vivian preferred to take care of and Robin was one of them.

“I want to apologize again for what happened a
few weeks ago,” Vivian said.