Sometimes, when everything seems the most blocked, one item breaks the impasse and forward progress begins to flow in a more normal fashion again.
The visit to Vilma’s lawyer was that item for the Harmony House group.
In only a matter of minutes, Jeffrey Thomas laid out a series of actions to move their house purchase along rapidly. He had already been in contact with Evan and the developer and secured the house transfer which would be done formally in the Thomas Andersen Pitman offices within a week.
“The developer chappie would have liked the entire purchase price up front but I declared that suggestion was totally unrealistic, and substituted a payment schedule starting with a down payment of 10% on signing.”
Hilary could feel her tension evaporating with every word from the mouth of Jeffrey Thomas. He was an older gentleman wearing a navy suit and waistcoat and a tie she knew belonged to the London Hunt Club. He was shaved and combed and his grey hair was slicked back with a touch of pomade in the old style. She recognized the scent as one her father once used.
Further confidence was established as soon as she observed the manner in which he greeted Vilma; like an old friend but with respect. He shook her hand and attended to her introductions as was proved by the fact he called Mavis and Hilary by the correct names.
“Mrs. Dempster, I believe I played golf with your husband several times. He was a fine player. Many were sad at his early demise. My sympathies to you, and to your family. Is Desmond back in town?”
“Thank you for your kindness. No, Desmond is still working in Toronto. I don’t see him very often these days.”
The tone for the meeting was set and Mr. Thomas proceeded to advance through the legal requirements commending Mavis and Hilary for the groundwork they had provided.
“I have consulted a colleague in Bracebridge who put me in touch with Shelley Raymond, president of Solterra Co-housing. I now have the details of Ontario legislation concerning building codes, provincial and municipal legislation and human rights laws. I can assure you everything will be done in accord with these regulations. You need have no worries about that.”
He turned some papers over and checked his computer screen before continuing.
Mavis and Hilary had just enough time to mouth ‘Thank God!’ to each other. Vilma caught this and smiled contentedly. She was happy to have steered them to the right place and especially to the right person.
“With respect to the down payment; I recommend a bank order from each person who will be contributing. Divide the $70,000 equally and I will have receipts notarized as soon as the cheques are handed over. This will give you access to the property for inspections and any improvements you wish to make. I know this is a new build but I suggest an engineer be employed to do a thorough inspection of the footings and the roof, and the mechanical room. I have taken the liberty of asking a local company with which I have had successful dealings, to do this task for you. Here is the card. He will report to me when his inspection is complete and the cost will come from my fee.”
Hilary was emboldened by his obvious efficiency and asked his opinion of the company Honor had mentioned for the elevator installation.
“The elevator is an excellent idea, which will reduce your insurance premiums. The company has installed most of the elevators in London highrise buildings which speaks well of their reputation. Let me see the bill for the work and I will have someone review it and also supervise the actual work for you.”
Mavis felt as if a weighty cloak of worry had fallen from her shoulders. She spoke up on behalf of her friend, in the knowledge that Hilary felt the same.
“Mr.Thomas, I can’t tell you how relieved we feel to have you advise us so competently. You have given our project much thought and we are tremendously grateful to you for your work on our behalf.”
The three women emerged from the offices of Thomas, Andersen and Pitman into a day of dazzling brightness that perfectly matched their feelings. There was a new light covering of snow on the ground, and they were standing near the outdoor skating rink of Covent Garden Market with lunchtime skaters whizzing around mothers whose children were dressed in bright colours. Sounds of carefree laughter rose into the cold air.
“Look, we have to go through the market building to get our cars from the parking levels, why don’t we make a morning of it and have fresh-ground coffee here with bagels or sandwiches prepared to order.”
“Wonderful idea, Vilma! We could buy some fresh vegetables from the stalls and a celebration cake for later and isn’t there a cheese stand with selections from all over the world?”
“You two are exactly right. It’s time for a treat. I’m for some of those special chocolates and fresh bread, although not meant to be eaten together.”
Hilary’s agreement brought them all to a relieved laughter and they paused to enjoy the scene in front of them before entering the doors to the warm inside of the market building, replete with many delicious aromas of food, flowers and coffee. They wandered about through the lines of stalls commenting on the produce before making their lunch selections and finding a table near the entrance. The only requirement for the rest of the day was to bring the good news to Honor, Jannice and Eve.
“I’ll tell Jannice. I am expected at her house this afternoon.”
Vilma then told Mavis and Hilary of the discovery of an entire wardrobe full of exquisite clothing in Jannice’s attic. In a day of good news this was the icing on the cake.
“And you have no idea how it got there?”
“I believe it’s a trousseau, meant for a wealthy lady. None of it is worn. Jannice was completely astonished at finding it. She estimates it’s much older than the house so we will have to go back in her family history to discover the story.”
“That’s amazing! I can’t wait to hear what the experts say about it. You mentioned that Jannice has decided to dress up in the outfits?”
“Yes! She’s the right size, unbelievably. I contacted a wedding photographer and he has agreed to come to the house to do the work. I don’t want to risk moving the clothing.”
“It sounds like a perfect advert for the house sale; ‘A House with a History’.”
Vilma had not thought this far but Mavis’s suggestion made good sense.
Once all the food had been consumed and the shopping completed, Hilary decided to go by taxi to Honor’s apartment and tell her the good news. Mavis knew she wanted to have a private conversation with the younger woman about her finances and now that the house purchase was secured, it was a good time to find out if Honor was able to participate fully.
Mavis would drive home to Camden Corners with the groceries and tell Eve all about their meeting with Jeffrey Thomas.
Mavis hardly noticed the traffic she was so excited by the morning’s events. She was planning to fix a lovely lunch for Eve since she had missed the treats the others had shared. She parked the car in the driveway and carried the fancy cream cake in its box carefully up the front steps and into the house, after negotiating the lock and balancing the cake box in her other hand. She would collect the rest of the shopping once the cake was safely delivered to the kitchen counter.
The house was silent. She felt a tiny disappointment not to see Eve in the kitchen. All the way home, she had been planning to reveal the good news to her over a cup of hot tea. Eve must be busy upstairs.
She hung up her coat and hat and dropped her purse on the counter next to the cake box. With a happy smile she reached into the cutlery drawer and withdrew the spade-shaped cake slicer, placing it ready to use beside the cake box. She was about to call out for Eve when something caught her eye.
There was a clump of snow in the hallway leading to the stairs. It was beginning to melt leaving a puddle. She knew she had not gone beyond the kitchen in her winter boots. There should not be snow in the house. She removed her boots and checked the soles. She had wiped them on the mat inside the door and they were damp but clean.
Suddenly the silence became fraught with danger. Where was Eve? Why had she not come downstairs when she heard the front door opening?
Her heart missed a beat. Howard Dobrinski!
A chill that had nothing to do with the temperature, settled on her body. The possibility of an intruder….a known intruder, a violent man, brought a jolt of fear which focussed her mind immediately.
Eve must be upstairs right now with that man who had beaten her badly before this, without the reasons he now thought he had.
Her body said, ‘flee from danger’ but her mind took control. She turned and tiptoed into the kitchen. Beside the wall phone there was a cork bulletin board where messages were pinned. She lifted the phone in a shaking hand and searched for the card Hilary had brought from the police station with the name of the Sergeant who knew her from schooldays.
There it was. Derek Price. She carefully dialed the number and prayed it would be answered at once. She swallowed to bring moisture back to her dry mouth as she waited, counting the rings. She had no idea what she would do if an answer phone took over the call. She needed help and quickly. Anything could be happening to Eve.
A male voice on the line said, “Sergeant Price, how can I assist you?”
She whispered the words that came first to her mind.
“I need help right now at Hilary’s. An intruder. He’s...”
A rough, large hand clamped around her neck cutting off her voice. The phone dropped from her hand and clanged against the wall. He picked it up and returned it without saying a word.
Mavis Montgomery knew who her assailant was. She had never seen the man but she knew it was Howard Dobrinski.
Through her terror she wished she had left the house immediately to get help but at the same time she could not have left Eve alone with this evil creature who had stalked his wife until he knew her location and knew the habits of the other house occupants. He had waited until she was the only one inside. And now he had two captives in his control. Hilary was not expected for an hour at least. The police call was interrupted before she could explain the situation.
He tightened the grip around her throat and dragged her to the staircase. She tried to pull back from him but her foot slipped on the wet floor and she went down, hitting her forehead on a riser. He pulled her upright immediately but she was so dazed she could hardly function.
“Well, now, aren’t you the feisty one! Which one are you? Let’s go up and see what Eve has to say about you.”
The voice was deep and dark. She caught a whiff of stale beer as he dragged her bodily up the stairs bumping her legs on one after another of the stairs until they reached the top. The pain brought her back to full consciousness. She knew she had to try to think clearly before he did something to remove her options.
The door to Mavis and Eve’s room stood open. Mavis twisted her head to see inside. Eve was tied to the bed frame by her wrists. There was a wad of cloth stuck inside her mouth but her eyes signalled fear and distress as soon as she saw Mavis.
Dobrinski threw Mavis down on the second bed and turned to rummage in a drawer for something to tie her up with. She had gone limp when she saw Eve so she had only a few moments before he realized she was fully conscious.
Her mind raced faster than ever before in her life. What was in a bedroom that could be used against this large, powerful man? What could she reach quickly?
He was mouthing obscenities as he threw female underwear onto the floor in his search for less flimsy materials. She had only seconds to act decisively. She forced down panic and spared a second to glance over to Eve in the vain hope of reassuring her. Eve’s eyes were frantically looking upward, flicking up as far as her head could move. Was she having a seizure? Mavis’s eyes followed automatically and she saw what Eve meant. On the wall above each bed was a framed print of ferns. The pictures were large, in a heavy wooden frame and glassed.
Without a clear idea of what she would do, she stood up on the bed, steadied herself against the wall and lifted off the picture.
He had now found a sock drawer in the bottom of a dresser. He was on his knees pulling out short socks to find those long enough to tie around wrists and ankles.
Mavis never knew how she had the strength but she found it somewhere.
The crash of breaking glass was like a vehicle collision. He dropped sideways to the floor, covered in glass fragments and bits of the wooden frame. There was blood on the back of his head but she only remembered that much later.
She ran to Eve, pulled out the wad of cloth, and began to untie her hands. Eve gasped for air and saliva again, but as soon as Mavis released one hand she tore at the other and ordered Mavis to get the door key from the china dish on top of the dresser. This required Mavis to walk around the prone figure of Howard Dobrinski but she did it, shuddering all the while, grabbed the key, and was pushed out the door into the hallway by a frantic Eve who locked the door at once and continued down the stairs with Mavis in tow.
“We have to get away,” she cried. “He could wake up at any moment. He swore he was going to kill me. We have to get help. Now!”
Eve flung open the front door and ran outside down the steps in bare feet with Mavis following. As the snow hit her stocking feet she came back to sanity and looked around for the nearest neighbour who might be at home. The women could not run for long in this condition, in the cold. She ran forward to stop Eve without a clear idea of what to do next when a harsh sound caused her to look up.
Speeding along the street with sirens blaring was a police cruiser.
Thank God! Mavis simply collapsed where she stood. All strength left her at the sight of rescue.
Eve continued to run until she reached the vehicle which stopped just in time to avoid hitting her.
Mavis vaguely remembered hearing voices. Eve’s high-pitched and frantic. Male voices questioning and reassuring. The next thing she was aware of was a policewoman’s warm hands helping her up and taking her into her own car still standing in the driveway.
“You’re safe now. We’ll wait here until the officers can assess the situation inside the house. Your friend is with them. They will take care of her.”
A blanket was produced from the rear seat and wrapped around Mavis. She clutched at it. Her teeth were chattering together as the shock hit. She and Eve could have been killed by that…………….. No word bad enough to describe her feelings presented itself.
Unrelated thoughts crowded her mind. Where were her boots? Did she turn the kettle off? Who was going to pick the broken glass off the carpet upstairs? Why did her head hurt so much?
She unwrapped one hand and touched her forehead. A lump was already forming.
The policewoman saw the gesture and said, “We’ll get you checked out by the hospital, don’t worry. Your friend will come too. When you feel better you can give me the number of someone to call who can look after you both.”
Hospital?
Hilary?
Lord above, Hilary must not return home and find this chaos.
The calm, soothing voice of the policewoman continued.
“Now, I want you to stay safe with me. Officers are bringing the man out of the house. An ambulance has been called and I will stay with you and your friend. Do you know where the keys are so we can lock up the house? No one else should enter until evidence has been gathered.”
Mavis had to focus on the question but as soon as she tried to retrace her actions on first returning home, her mind sheered away from the moment of the attack and fixed instead on the cake slicer she had left on the countertop.
“Purse. Kitchen.”
“That’s fine. In a few minutes I will go inside and get your friend and the keys, then we’ll all go to the hospital together. Is it all right if I look for your coats and your boots?”
Nodding was not a good idea. Mavis tried to smile but feared a grimace was all she managed. She clung onto the woman’s arm not wanting to be left alone. Eventually the need to see how Eve was surviving overcame her reluctance and she murmured something about being ‘fine now’. Fine was a condition she could not even visualize at this moment. It was like a far off mountaintop.
The policewoman patted her shoulder and went off up the front steps and the reality of the situation began to get through the cold, immobile part of Mavis Montgomery’s brain.