A Difficult Autumn by Jeffrey Allen White (best summer reads .txt) 📕

He even helped two teens get scholarships into colleges as he helped them to apply for it and they were both accepted. Mikey was proud of them as if they were his own boys. He had pictures of them all over his house. When they were young, in school, prom dates and even when they were married. Mikey was there proud as ever. The two boys, now men treated him with respect and held him in high regard. Mikey even had pictures so them and their respective families in his wallet and would show them off every chance he got.

Shep was driving now as he made his way to Betty’s Café. It was just ten miles across town and with no traffic, he would make it in ten minutes. Shep passed his office on West Haven. He had his Private Eye for Hire office there for seems like thirteen years. It was small and had a private office with a front room for his secretary receptionist, Maureen. Maureen had been with Shep for nine years. Replacing Helen who went and got herself pregnant and had to move to Oswego with the bum else he‘d run out on her. Maureen was the best; she kept Shep up to date with all his appointments and always was great with the clients. Even the assholes that came in occasionally and hassled her. As sweet as she looked and she was sweet, she could also handle just about anybody and anything. Maureen was seeing this person named Chuck who drove for Hasten’s Market. However, it was an on-again off-again relationship. Chuck liked to drink and that was a problem for Maureen. She had 6 brothers but they all were good men and that‘s what she was looking for. She was thirty-two years old but looks twenty-five years old and that always made her happy. If Chuck did not straighten up by the holidays, Maureen was going to call it quits for good. She had many chances of finding Mr. Right and turned down many fellows just to be with Mr. Not So Right Chuck. Shep could see Maureen’s 1946 gold colored sedan parked on the side as he turned past onto Peach Street.

“Peach Street.” Shep thought, “That’s the color that Manning woman said she’d be wearing.” He could have asked her hair color or what car she drove for recognition but what she was wearing was the first thing that popped up into his head. He was now pulling up to Betty’s Cafe. The morning crowd was there. He would be lucky to get a stool at the counter between two fat truck drivers, but two stools at all seemed a long shot. He parked his car and walked into the café adjusting his tie. Looking around he scanned the busy joint and saw the servers and the cooks and Mrs. Belvin, the cashier. He turned to her. “Good Morning, Mrs. Belvin.," he winked and said with a smile.

Mrs. Belvin looked at him and then over at the booth near the rest rooms in the back and then back at him. “She’s been there waiting for you Shep. Look like she has been crying. You been bad to her honey?” Mrs. Belvin was the motherly type and could get away with saying what she wanted.

Shep looked over the woman sitting alone in the booth and nodded thank you to Mrs. Belvin. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a few dollars, and handed them to her. “Here buy yourself something," as he handed it to her.

Mrs. Belvin smiled and took the money putting it into her cleavature. Looking around as if to see what others were noticing. “I’ll send some coffee over,” she said as she walked into the back.

Shep walked over to the booth and stood before Mrs. Manning. She was a nice looking woman, even perhaps beautiful maybe a couple of years ago. Her crying did not help and it made her eyes puffy and aged her a little. He thought to himself that she was a nice looking doll though and had a great shape for what he could see. Her peach colored suit was nice and crisp and she had her white hat draped over her left eye. “Mrs. Manning, I presume?“

Oh, Please sit, Mr. Shepherd,” she looked around anxiously and tried to compose what she would say. “Thank you for coming on such short notice Mr. Shepherd.," she has taking off her gloves and putting them into her purse. She paused for a moment.

Well for starters, call me Shep,” he sat down across from her. He noticed her hands were very nice looking and was younger than he had first thought. “Now what can I do to help you Mrs. Manning?” He could see she was indeed more beautiful and younger than he first presumed. She was polished and poised and she had the build a woman should have. Shepherd kept his eyes on her and he got in the booth.

Irene looked around the room as to see if anyone were listening not even noticing the eyeing she was getting from Shep. She leaned in to Shep. “I am so afraid, I had no one to turn to, no one I could call for help,” as she moistened her lips which were full and lush. “I am terrified. And I don’t know where to go.” she started to cry a little.

Shep reached for her hands and touched it feeling the softness and the delicacy of them. This was no homemaker, he though, She had class and did not seem to do any menial labor. He looked at her clothing again and could see they were smart and expensive. “Let’s say we start from the beginning, tell me what has happened to make you so… frightened.” he turned his head around to see if others were watching them.

She began,”… you see, Mr. Shepherd, I had nowhere to turn. I was alone and well I never thought I would need help especially from…” she hesitated

“…from a private eye?” he finished.

“Yes, a private investigator,“ she calmed herself and sat up straight. “You see, Mr. Shepherd, I… I think that, I think that I might have…” she held back a title. Shep waited and studied her, “… killed someone,” she finished.

Shep tried to not look surprised but he was surprised. He was outright thrown overboard with that statement. “Killed someone? Who? Who do you think you might have killed?” he asked calmly still holding her hands and speaking very quietly.

Irene pulled her hands away and turned to look out the window. “It was a man, Mr. Shepherd, a man named Horace Manning. I had been married to him and…” she turned back to Shep, “and it is this man I think I might have killed.”

Shep was perplexed but did not show it or at least tried not to show it. “This Horace Manning, how exactly did you ….end his life.” he tried to make it sound more pleasant as of he could.

Irene starred at Shep. “I think I might have killed him with a gun. She confessed.

“A gun” he retorted “Was it or wasn’t it a gun Mrs. Manning? Don’t you know? Where you drinking or driving or…“, he was cut off.

“No, no, none of that. It was a gun, my ex-husbands gun. I have it here in my purse,” she started to open it as Shep abruptly pushed it closed. “Wait a minute lady, don’t be opening up and showing off any pistols in this place. We’ll have a mob.” Shep composed himself. “Just move your purse over to me and I will look into it.”

Irene pushed the purse over reluctantly; it was my ex-husband’s gun. He left it in our home when we divorced.” Irene felt more reassuring.

Shep opened the purse to his side, looked in it, and saw the gun, a thirty-eight caliber. He could make out the odor of gunpowder and knew it had been fired recently. He took the gun from the purse and put it into his jacket pocket. Irene looked surprised. “Just wait a minute; I want to check it out. I’ll just hold it for you.”

Irene took her purse back after reaching in a getting a handkerchief to wipe her nose. “Excuse me Mr. Shepherd; it’s just that I never shot anyone before.”

“Had she just said that?“ Shep said to himself, as he had to hold his face still. He wanted to laugh but thought it would be impolite to say the least. He questioned her again. “What happened?” Tell me from the beginning. I want to know everything.” Shep pulled out a small notebook and worn pencil and began to write.

Irene was not sure what he was doing but went on from the beginning as he had asked. : You see, Mr. Shepherd, I was married to Horace for 8 years and then we divorced two years ago. I caught him having an affair with a young girl from his agency. He was in marketing and she was in the steno pool. I had suspected something but was not sure until one night when I found her number written on a piece of paper and called. I cannot tell you how shocked I was when I heard Horace on the other side. He had answered the phone. She could hear him saying that he would “get the phone, darling," when she realized she had caught him red handed. “That night I left and filed for divorce the next day. Horace did not return that day or the next and a week later, he had sent some men to pick up his clothing and effects. I had already had them packed and waiting.” She explained.

Shep could see this woman was set and was in control of her emotions and thoughts now. She had packed his belongings and had them ready for him or anyone to pick up. This was not an hysterical woman who was not in control or afraid even. “Did
you see him again.

“No, not until we were in court for the divorce and we said nothing to each other. He did not even look at me and offer any explanation. He was there and then he was not.” Irene wiped her nose again. “After six months, I had heard he broke up with that steno girl and I was happy if you can say that. I did not speak with him again until just last week. Almost two years later. We had gone our separate ways and I received the house and some money and I receive alimony of course“.

Shep jumped in, ”So when did you see him again? Did he call you? Did you call him? What had happened for him to contact you after two years?“ Shep wrote as he spoke as they drank their coffee.

Irene sipped the coffee. “Horace had telephoned me late one night. I was just going to bed after