“Where are we playing today, Dave?”
“Bogart.”
“I’m glad you’re driving, I still can’t find half of the courses in this place. I don’t know how you do it.”
“You know that big, glossy map they give you when you first move in?”
“Yeah.”
“I keep it on the dining room table and I check it out every time we play. That way I know how to get us where we are going. It’s simple.” Dave seemed amused. “For a banker, you sure aren’t very well organized.”
“I don’t have to be, I’ve got you to haul me around.”
Dave shook his head as he exited the cart lane and turned into the parking lot at Bogart. His golf cart bounced over a narrow speed bump rattling the clubs on the back of the cart. “We’re a little late, looks like everybody’s already here.”
Ed glanced at the starter hut. It was surrounded by golfers presenting their IDs and signing up for the round. “Looks like a good group today. Alfonzo’s over there by the putting green talking his head off as usual. Who’s that guy with him? He looks familiar.”
“I ran into Alfonzo last night at Glenview Country Club. He told me he was bringing a guest today-a buddy of his from New York.”
A smiling Alfonzo stopped his conversation with the guys and walked quickly over to their cart, with a large, Italian looking gentleman in tow. “And how are my Hoosier pals today? Late as usual I see.”
The quick Dave replied, “We would have been here on time, but when I picked up Ed we noticed that a sprinkler head had broken off in your yard and was spraying water through an open window into your newly remodeled Florida room. Mary had already left for the day, so Ed and I hurried over to your house. We turned off the sprinklers and did the best we could to drain all the water out of your new room.” Dave glanced at Ed, “I don’t think everything was ruined.”
“No. that one table lamp looked okay,” Ed jested.
Alfonzo roared in laughter, “Well, I guess you had a good excuse today! I’m sure glad I gave you the code to my garage door.”
Ed and Dave hastily exited the cart; there were high fives all around. After the laughter subsided, Alfonzo introduced his friend. “Hey guys, this here is Vinnie Esposito. We worked at the NYPD together, except Vinnie became a big shot detective.”
“Hi, Vinnie, nice to meet you.”
Ed slowly extended his hand for a shake; his eyes surveyed the big man’s pocked face. “You look familiar to me, Vinnie.”
“Yea, me too,” Vinnie replied. “I live in Duval, how about you?”
“I live at Bridgeport, but my wife and I come over to Duval on a regular basis to check on a friend’s house.”
Vinnie nodded, “The Smiths, that’s where I’ve seen you-at the Smith’s.”
Ed’s face broke into a smile, “That’s it. You drive that blue and white police cart. It’s one of my favorites.”
“Thanks.”
“Are the four of us playing together?” Dave asked.
“Yeah, we sure are,” Alfonzo replied.
“We’d better get going, looks like there’s only two groups in front of us,” Ed said. The four men all climbed aboard their respective carts and drove down the winding cart path toward the first tee. They pulled to a stop a polite distance from the other waiting carts and all four exited their carts and began to stretch and loosen up.
Vinnie grabbed a five iron from his bag, gripped the club at both ends, lifted it above his head and began leaning left and right, loosening the muscles in his arms and back. Vinnie was surprised at meeting Ed. It was only the day before when his nosy neighbor, Rex, told him about Ed’s wife and another man visiting the Smith’s house late at night. It made Vinnie feel uncomfortable. Ed appeared to be a very friendly and considerate type. The possibility of this man’s wife having an affair in the Smith’s house right under Vinnie’s nose was disconcerting. It didn’t help things when Vinnie noticed a Marine tag hanging from Ed’s golf bag. A former jarhead himself, Vinnie had a soft spot in his heart for anyone who had served in the military, especially a Marine. Vinnie’s investigative juices began to percolate. He needed to find out a little bit more about Ed and his wife before, as his neighbor Rex warned, “the situation gets out of control and somebody gets hurt.”
The social Ed made it easy for him. Club in hand, he approached Vinnie. “Were you always a detective for the NYPD?”
“Nah, I was on the beat for about ten years. I was a detective the last twenty or so. They usually only promote guys with experience. The ten years was worth it. It was always my dream to be a detective in the “Big Apple”. What about you, Ed, how’d you make a buck?”
Ed lifted his club behind his back and began to stretch, moving his shoulders from left to right. “I’m a retired banker from a small town in Indiana.”
“Oh boy, you’re one of those!” Ed chuckled.
“Yeah, I’m afraid so.”
“Married?” Vinnie asked.
“Sure am, forty-seven years.”
“Wow! That’s a long time! Me and Angel only go back forty-five years.” Both men smiled.
“Is your wife a golfer?” Vinnie asked.
“No, she’s an avid tennis player, among other things.” Ed’s voice trailed off at the end of the comment.
“Sounds like a busy lady,” Vinnie offered.
“Yeah, she keeps plenty busy all right.” Ed glanced toward the tee. One of the groups in front of them had just teed off and was pulling away from the tee box. “We’d better move up,” he said. “One of the groups has already hit.”
The men hopped aboard their carts and drove closer to the tee. There was one more group in front of them still waiting to tee off giving Vinnie a little more time. He slid off his cart and walked over to Dave and Ed’s cart. A cell phone rang; Dave smiled nervously, lifted his cell from the cup holder and hopped off the cart. “Excuse me,” he said. He hurried away from the tee to answer his phone leaving Ed alone on the cart giving Vinnie a chance to continue their earlier conversation.
“My wife’s just the opposite, Ed. She doesn’t do a whole lot. She likes reading books and going to her bird watching class every Thursday.”
Ed shook his head, “I wish my wife was home a little more. It seems like she’s gone all the time.”
Vinnie’s brow lifted, “Oh, don’t you two play tennis together?”
Ed grinned, “No, Vinnie, it’s not for me. It’s too hard on my back. Cathy plays in two leagues with the girls and one mixed doubles league.”
Vinnie’s brow narrowed.
The perceptive Ed noticed Vinnie’s reaction and explained, “Cathy asked me about playing in the mixed league, but since I don’t play tennis, I suggested that she find another partner. She’s started off with an old friend of ours, but he had hip surgery. Now she’s playing with a new guy-Eric somebody-I don’t remember his last name.”
“I guess I’m from the old school. If my wife plays in any mixed doubles league, it’s going to be with me, not some younger fellow!” Vinnie laughed.
Ed smiled, “What makes you think he’s a younger fellow?”
“His name. I don’t know anybody our age named Eric.”
“You’re a good detective, Mr. Esposito. I think this Eric is quite a bit younger than Cathy.” Appearing to be a little defensive, Ed attempted to defend his wife’s actions. “A lot of women play tennis with men other than their husbands in the mixed doubles league. It’s no big deal.” Ed’s voice once again trailed off.
Vinnie didn’t agree that there were a “lot” of women playing with other men in the many golf and tennis leagues around The Villages, but sensing that Ed was becoming uncomfortable, he backed off. “My wife always tells me I’m a little too old fashioned.”
Ed grinned.
“One more thing, Ed.”
“Yes?”
“I’m on the security force here at The Villages, so, if you don’t mind, I’ll kind of keep an eye on the Smith house for you. If I see anything out of the ordinary, I’ll give you a call.”
“Thanks, Vinnie!” Ed pulled out his money clip and slid a card out and handed it to Vinnie.”Here’s my card with my cell and home phone numbers.”
“Great!”
“Come on, boys, the tee’s open!” Dave shouted, as he stuffed his iron in the bag and slid in the driver’s side of the cart.
“Looks like it’s time to hit it, Vinnie. Nice talking with you.” The gas cart groaned up the steep hill to the first tee with Alfonzo and Vinnie close behind.
* * * * * *
Ed liked Vinnie, but all the questions left him a little bit uneasy. It made Ed wonder if Vinnie knew something about the Smith house that he wasn’t telling him. Once again, his suspicions reared their ugly head. He became lost in his thoughts for a moment fantasizing that his wife was in the bedroom of the Smith house in the arms of another man.
“Great shot, Vinnie!” Alfonzo yelled, bringing Ed out of his disturbing daydream. “You gonna hit or just sit in the cart all day, Ed?”
“Sorry, I was just thinking about what club to hit,” Ed replied. He hopped out of the cart and yanked a five iron out of his bag and climbed up the steep incline to the tee box. He bent down and pushed ball and tee into the ground and then stood and took a couple of practice swings. He addressed the ball, took the club back slowly and took a mighty swing. His club head bounced off the top of the ball, knocking it only a few yards.
“Take a mulligan. It’s a friendly game,” Alfonzo ordered.
Ed teed up another ball, took his stance and gave it another mighty swing. This time, the ball flew high and straight and landed on the green some twenty feet from the hole. Ed smiled, but inside he was hurting. His suspicions about Cathy were growing. He wondered where it would all end. He felt a vibration on his leg; he slid his iPhone from his pocket and punched it on.
“Hello, Jared, I only have a second, I’m on the golf course.”
“Okay, sure, Ed. Sorry to bother you, but can you come to Indiana for a few days next week? First Source is ready to finalize their merger offer.”
“Can’t you guys handle that, Jared?”
“Ed, I’ve only been president for a couple of years and you’ve been through two other mergers. I’m pretty much up to speed on most things, but this one is big. I sure could use your help.”
“Turn that damn thing off!” Dave groused as the cart jerked to a stop.
Ed put his hand over the phone, “Sorry, it will just be a minute.”
Dave frowned.
“What days do you need me next week, Jared?”
“We have some preliminary meetings on Tuesday afternoon to review everything, and then we’re meeting with the merger group from First Source on Wednesday.”
“Okay, plan on picking me up in South Bend on Monday. I’ll call you when I have my flight arrangements. Gotta go!”
“Thanks a million, Ed! Hit ‘em straight!”
As Dave ordered, Ed turned his cell off and stuck it in the webbing on the side of his golf bag. With all that was going on with Cathy, this was a bad time for him to be called out of town. But Jared was right-Ed knew more about mergers that any of the young officers who were now running his old bank. They were aggressive and smart, but they had little or no experience with mergers. Ed had to go back and help them navigate through this difficult situation.
“You and that cell,” Dave barked.
“Hey, I’ve listened to you talking to Sally a hundred times, so give me a break!”
“Okay, smart-ass.” Dave stood on the edge of the green leaning on his putter. “You’re back. I hope you don’t three putt.”
Ed smiled at his acerbic friend, but his mind was not on golf right now. He was thinking about Cathy and leaving her alone during his trip back to Indiana as he slipped the putter out of his bag and hustled toward the green.