CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

 

 

The pounding on the door startled Henry, but, when he realized there was someone outside the office, he yelled, "Hey, stop your pounding, I'm coming."

He swung his feet off the desk, stretching as he got up. His head was pounding now, even more so with the fellow at the door. He walked into the outer office, wiped a hand over his face, and reached for the knob. He turned it and opened the door to find a very large man and a very short man.

"Hey there, Henry," greeted Bobby in a voice that could be described as two parts friendly, one part excited, and three parts pest. Henry considered the possibility that he was having a nightmare, but Bobby continued, "This is Vlad. He is from the old country. I am not sure which one, but his English isn't so good. He does a bang up job at fixing things. I brought him up to connect your phone into the switchboard system. It is included in the rent."

"Oh, yes, well, nice to meet you," Henry said, opening the door for them to enter. He extended his hand. Vlad shook his hand firmly and gave Henry a nod. He said, "Make phone work...das?"

"Yes, thanks." Henry walked over to the desk in the outer office and said, "There are two. The secretary's phone and mine in the back." Henry pointed to his desk.

"Das," said Vlad as he set his toolbox down by the first desk.

Bobby jumped into the conversation, which had been overtaken by an uncomfortable pause. "I figured you have been pretty busy. I know Vlad well. He keeps this place running, so I took it upon myself to ask him to take care of it for you. I figured it was the least I could do. I like to keep the tenants happy."

Henry was just starting to wake up. He looked at Bobby, wishing the man had called Vlad a little later in the day, but managed a feeble smile and a nod. Bobby interpreted this as a sign to keep talking.

"Yes, everyone here loves Vlad; he makes sure that the heat is always perfect. If a door swells in the summer, he will get if fixed right up, lickity split. He has been here as long as I can remember, and I have been here a long time. A good man, that Vlad," Bobby said, slapping Vlad on the back.

Vlad looked up and said, "Bobby a good man, too!" He smiled and returned to his task at hand.

There was another bit of uncomfortable silence. It was uncomfortable for Bobby because he had run out of things to say, which almost never happened. For Henry, it was just a matter of having a splitting headache. Bobby started up again.

"Hey, you don't look so great, boss. You need something? Wait a minute. I'll be right back." Bobby flew out into the hallway and disappeared into his office.

Vlad stood up, grabbed his toolbox, and, just as he was about to go into Henry's office, turned around and said in remarkably good English, "Bobby is a good man. He means well. Nicest guy I have ever met. He will grow on you."

"I thought you didn't speak English?" Henry said with a sly smile.

"I didn't twenty years ago but now, not so bad. Don't tell Bobby, or I will never get any work done. Boy, can he talk." Vlad gave Henry a wink and went in to work on the other phone.

Henry smiled. He liked Vlad.

The door from Bobby's office flew back open, and Bobby scurried down the hall. He handed Henry a glass of water and two odd-looking, red-and-white plastic capsules.

"What are these?" Henry looked at the odd little things in his hand.

"They will help, trust me." Bobby smiled and was silent.

Henry had learned the only thing worse than Bobby's constant chatter was his deafening stone-faced silence. He was quite sure that whatever they were, he could trust Bobby, and they wouldn't do him any harm. So he threw them in his mouth and drank the water. If nothing else, Henry was thirsty, so the water was appreciated. "Thanks, Bobby."

Just then Vlad came out of the office and said, "Finished, boss." No sooner had he said it than the phone rang. It startled Henry but not Vlad or Bobby for that matter.

"We will let you get that," Bobby said as he closed the door behind him.

Henry walked over to the secretary's desk, picked up the receiver, and cautiously said, "Henry Wood Detective Agency."

A female voice came over the line, "Yes, this is Betty with the DA's office. There was an incident last night; the DA would like you to come down to see him as soon as possible."

Henry had expected this, so he simply said, "I will be there this afternoon." He hung up the phone.

He picked it back up, got the switchboard, and told them his home number. He figured Luna would be home and, though she probably needed a couple of little red capsules, too, he needed her to do him a favor. It was time to get back to solving her father's puzzles.

The operator came back on and said there hadn't been an answer. Would he like her to try again? Henry said, "No, I will try again later," and hung up the receiver. He looked at his watch, expecting it to be well past noon. It wasn't. He had been asleep for 15 minutes when Bobby came knocking. He just shook his head and went back to his desk to think. The wheels were in motion. The plan had worked. Now he needed to figure out the next clue.