Barbara Levenson - Mary Magruder Katz 03 - Outrageous October Read Online Free PDF

Catherine and my neighbor was pinned up on the refrigerator. All systems were go. There was nothing left to do but start the SUV and say goodbye to the Carlos era in my life.
    The trip up to Boynton Beach to inform my parents of life’s turn of events was necessary to keep them from calling out the state police and the FBI to find their missing daughter. Besides it was on the way and it would be easy to start from their place in the early morning.
    The usual traffic filled the turnpike even in midafternoon. The report on the radio warned of a tractor trailer rollover accident closing all but one lane. Just the usual, but the report allowed me to change routes and arrive at the gated community a little before five. And I was two hours further north.
    The guard came out of his little house. He was wearing his usual uniform; a cross between a ship captain and a high school band member.
    “What is your destination, please?” he asked.
    “I’m here to visit my parents. I’m Mary Katz, Abe and Hope Katz’s daughter. You’ve seen me many times.”
    “Your name, please?”
    “I just told you. I’m Mary Magruder Katz.”
    “Let me see some ID.”
    “You’ve got to be kidding.”
    “No, I’m serious. My job is to keep outsiders out.”
    “Look, I’m in no mood to be hassled. Get on your phone and call Hope Katz and tell her Mary, her daughter is here. Do it,” I barked. That caused Sam to stand up in his crate and give out an ominous real bark.
    Captain Courageous shot into his guard shack and dialed the phone. In a minute he returned, handed me my visitor’s placard and opened the gate..
    I have never understood why a group of elderly retirees whose main occupations are golf and bridge need to be secured from their relatives. Maybe some of them don’t want to be disturbed by the real world of their grown children.
    Mother was waiting in the doorway. She came out to the car as I drove up the red brick driveway.
    “Mary, all this for an overnight?” she said as she looked inside the car.
    I opened Sam’s crate and he bounded into the house. He loved visiting his “grandparents” who were good for lots of snacks from the dinner table.
    “No, I’m headed on a little vacation. Let’s go inside so we can talk.”
    “What’s wrong, honey? You look like you’ve been crying.” Mother put her arm around my shoulder as we walked inside.
    I was trying not to turn on the waterworks again. I thought I was all cried out. When Mother put her arm around me the flood began.
    Mother handed me a Kleenex from her pocket as I collapsed onto the family room sofa.
    I blew my nose and a torrent of words rushed out at the same time. “I have returned Carlos’s ring. He’s a lying bastard. He lied to me that he had a business dinner he couldn’t cancel and I caught him having a cozy dinner with Margarita, his ex.”
    “I can’t believe that. What do you mean you caught him? Were you following him?”
    “Of course not. Lucy and I went out to dinner and he was in that same restaurant, the rat.”
    “Well, what was his explanation? He’s so crazy about you, Mary. There must have been a good reason.”
    “If he had a good reason, he could have told me instead of lying to me. I didn’t wait for some fairy tale explanation. I sent the ring back by messenger. He tried to call me and to get into the office to see me, but Catherine got rid of him for me, and I’m not taking his calls or text messages or e-mails. I just made the decision to take a couple of weeks of vacation. I’m burned out anyway. I just need to get away and think.”
    “Well, where are you going?”
    “Please, don’t be angry. I’m keeping my destination totally secret from everyone except Catherine. She’ll be speaking to me every day to keep the office going, so if you need me, let her know and I’ll call you or you can call my cell.”
    “I’m not just anyone. I’m your mother.”
    “If you know where I am, you’ll let Carlos wheedle it out of