A Long Afternoon Today & 031 Everyone looking for Melissa, Sylvia and Alice (Agent Amanda Story)

Good Morning Ted and Jody:

 

I have read and almost fixed the first 8,000 words of Democratize Money.  There is one 3600 word section that even I find turgid.  I will have to go back and see if we can’t make a more fluid presentation of how banks create money (but then this is the heart of the dismal science) and why they fail at it when it is most needed.  Maybe if I put it at the back of the book as an appendix no one will read it and I won’t have to fix it.  None-the-less, I still think having a 50 to 100-page monograph (I know I will end up calling it a book) for my “signature issue” after my “Impeach Trump” stance, can only help.

 

Nancy laid out her quilt yesterday to measure for the final inch or two border.  So, I snapped a sneak preview of what it looks like.  Quite stunning.  She is good at this.

 

She had two days without the vertigo.  We go to the ENT around 1 today.  Then at 3 I go to see the hearing aid man.  They replaced the inside of the hearing aid—strange they would keep the plastic shell.  I still need more clarity of sound from them.

It is still raining.  Not sure how many day this makes it, but I heard tell a fellow down in Wilsonville is building one big boat and has put an advertisement  in the newspaper calling on pairs of animals to come to his place?

Stay dry, warm, healthy, happy and most of all stay out of the wind.

Warmest regards, Ed

031 Everyone looking for Melissa, Sylvia and Alice

Fiction in 1114 words by T. Edward Westen, 2017

 

“While they are off to the Clay-Liston fight, I’ll pop over to check out the address I got for Melissa Higgins from Haphazard House,” said, Special Agent Fleishman.

 

“Who is Melissia Higgins?” Asked Amanda.

 

“We don’t know.  But she seems to be plagiarizing stuff that isn’t written for another 600 years.” Special Agent Fleishman replied.

 

“Do you mind if I tag along?” asked Amanda.

 

Edith Gunderson said, “I’ll just wait here.” She chuckled and added, “with Millie.”

 

Special Agent Fleishman and Agent Amanda vanished and appeared between two buildings a few blocks away.  Special Agent Fleishman looked at the numbers and said. “It would be,” pointing across the street, “that one.”

 

“That is an address of convenience,” Said Amanda.

 

“What do you mean, convenience?” asked Special Agent Fleishman.

 

“Look at the sign in the window. ‘Mail Boxes, Remailing, Checks Cashed, Notary.’ Rather than a post office box, they give their clients a street address and a number.  That way people who send you things think they are sending them to where you live, an apartment,” replied Amanda. “A friend of mine used this service when we were in college.  It kept her former boyfriend from having a starting place for stalking her every day.  She had them forward her mail from the convenience address.  So she never had to go there.”

 

“She must have had to go there to set the account up,” replied Special Agent Fleishman.

 

“The one she used, she saw an advertisement in the college newspaper.  She clipped a coupon and sent it in with a check. She got her box key and address by return mail,” replied Agent Amanda.

 

“Well, we mght as well go in and see if we can learn anything,” Said Speicial Agent Fleishman.  “Follow my lead.”

 

After crossing ghe street, Special Agent Fleishman held the door open for Agent Amanda and said, “Milady.”

 

Amanda was taken off guard, but nodded her head in appreciation anyway.

 

Approaching a man seated behind a counter smoking a cigar, Special Agent Fleishman put his card for Fleishman and Fleishman on the counter and said “My Good Man.  Smoking in a place of business is punishable by 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

 

The man quickly stood up and carefully cut the lit end of his cigar off and put it his cup of coffee.  The remainder of the cigar he put under the counter.  “Happy now?” he asked.

 

“Not in the slightest,” said Special Agent Fleishman.  “Miss Higgins here has come to locate her sister to tell her that their dear old mother is on her death bed and you assault her with that smelly and gross residue of your filthy habit.”  Special Agent Fleishman pulled out a cell phone and said, “I’m calling the police to report you, you cur.”

 

Agent Amanda reached out her hand to restrain Special Agent Fleishman and said, “Perhaps, Anderson, if you give the gentleman a chance to assist us it won’t be necessary to call in the law.”  She looked at the man behind the counter with expectation showing on her face and raised an eyebrow.

 

The man stammered, “Ye…s, yes, what do you want to know.”

 

Agent Amanda looked forlorn and said to the man, “This,” she said sweeping her arm to include the room they were in, “is the only address we have for Melissa.  Now Mom only has a few days to live and Melissa was her favorite.  It would mean so much to my poor dying mother to see her golden Melissa.  You see, Melissa writes children’s books and that meant more to Mom than my medical degree or our brother Tom’s election to the State Supreme Court.  So, can you help us find her?

The man reached for a ledger on his counter and asked “What is her box number?’

 

“117,” replied Melissa.

 

The man flipped a few pages and ran his finger down the left margin and said, “Ah, here we have it, he turned the ledger so Agent Amanda could see it.

 

Agent Amanda opened her purse and said, “Oh dear me, I must have left my pen at the bank this morning.”

 

The man fumbled in a drawer, pulled out a pen and note pad and said, “Here, use this one.”  He glanced at Special Agent Fleishman who was standing stone faced with a cell phone still in his hand

 

Agent Amanda copied the information on the entry and looked up and asked the man, “I don’t suppose you have a phone number, do you?’

 

The man held up a finger and moved to a file cabinet in corner of his office and opened the third drawer.  He fished about in the drawer for a few moments, and finally pulled up a previously folded sheet of paper with an envelope staped to it.  He carried his find back to Agent Amanda as if it were a trophy, and handed it to her.  “This is all I got.”  He glanced again at Special Agent Fleishman whose expression had not changed and hastily added, “Please, keep it.”

 

Agent Amanda took the paper and glanced at it and the envelope.  “Thank you ever so much.  I am sure with this information we will find Melissa in time.”  She turned to Special Agent Fleishman and said. “I think the gentleman has been more than helpful and will never smoke in her again.  No need to call in John Law.”  Turning back to the man behind the counter.  “Again, thank you.”

 

The man replied, “It has been my pleasure.”  His face and overall demeanor, however, belied his words.

 

When Agent Amanda and Special Agent Fleishman closed the door on their way out the man collapsed and reached for his cigar.  Thinking better of it, he took it outside.

 

Upon entering the ally between the buildings across from the addesss of convenience, Special Agent Fleishman looked around and said, “Let’s go back to Edith Gunderson’s office.  They disappeared.   Reappearing in Edith Gunderson’s office, Special Agent Fleishman asked, “What did we get?

 

Edith Gunderson said, “You weren’t gone long enough to get anything.

 

Agent Amanda laughed and said, “Time is relative.  We learned that we are after the same person.  Melissa Hickson is Sylvia Chu is Alice Beaverton.”  She held up the paper with the envelope attached and said, “Mellissa forwards her mail to herself care of Sylvia Chu.  And we have a new address to check out.”

 

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Said Special; Agent Fleishman. “But you,” he said pointing to Amanda “Put one very impressive impromptu act. I was beginning to feel story for Melissa’s poor dying mother.”  He laughed, “Remind me never to play poker with you.”