When I made the phone call to let Ollie Pettersen know I was coming I did not know what to expect. My plan was to look for an opening and jab. Ollie’s, I soon discovered, was to jab and then look for an opening.
There was not an empty parking space on the lot. Had it been planned?
“Key,” a man in a brightly colored shirt and loosely tied necktie said as he motioned for me to stop.
“I’m here to see Mr. Pettersen,” I offered, unwilling to give up my car keys.
“Everyone’s here to see Mr. Pettersen. Give me your keys.”
“I’ll wait here until it clears out at bit.”
“It ain’t gonna clear out. Give me your keys. I’ll watch your car.”
I handed the man my keys and walked toward the showroom, beginning to get nervous. Where would my car be if I needed to get away quickly? Where would my keys be?
The glass at the front of the building had been replaced but the crack at the end was still covered with duct tape. As I entered the door I could hear the unmistakable sound of my engine being raced. The car and its driver were headed for the far end of the lot where a second exit would take them into traffic.
A salesman pounced on me the moment I entered the showroom. I told him I was there to see Mr. Pettersen.
Ollie must have heard my voice. “Randy,” he said cheerfully from the door that led into the two offices I had inspected the night of the break in. His was the smaller of the two.
“Can I get you something to drink? Mildred, get this gentleman a coke,” he said to the woman behind a counter in the larger office. She looked pleasant in a guarded way.
“Looks like you’re busy out there,” I said, referring to the lack of parking spaces and the fact that my car had been driven off someplace.
“We’re selling everything on the lot today,” he spoke confidentially. “There’s something about the fall of the year. The new models come out and when people find out the prices they come here, ready to deal.”
I thanked Mildred for the coke and Ollie told her to close the door.
He looked menacing behind the desk, all pretence of a congenial meeting having disappeared.
Ollie had had over two hours to prepare, more notice than the Clantons and McLaurys had at the OK Corral. Yet, his barrage of accusations centered on my inappropriate behavior toward his family. According to him, I had damaged his daughter’s reputation merely by being seen in her company. He praised the ability and insight that Julita had exhibited in discovering my intentions and devious mind. He said she was glad to be rid of me.
While on the subject of Rosita his back teeth locked together and the blue vein in his forehead puckered. “My neighbor got the wrong impression but I explained that you are a family friend and you were there because of an emergency. We both know better. You’re not a family friend and you are not to come near my house again.”
He had forgotten or was ignoring my vow to exclude Huley and Rosita from the subject I had come to address. By spewing his despair at having been duped by my behavior, he was deflecting any guilt he may have felt for the despicable act he had committed.
Before I could reiterate why I had come to his office that afternoon Ollie Pettersen launched another salvo. “Wipe that smirk off your face. You have nothing on me.”
I looked toward the closed door, yearning to leave him stew in his own self pity. But his man had my car. Anything I said now would be something already said, repeated from our two telephone conversations. “You’re right; I have nothing on you unless you have a conscience.”
“Oh, please, don’t lay that on me. That slut deserved everything she got.”
I had promised myself that I would keep my temper in check. Otherwise I would be stooping to his level. But I let him find my weak spot. He saw that he had me pinned against the ropes. I stooped to his level.
“That would mean that if any of the females close to you, your mother, Clarisa, Rosita….”
“Stop! Don’t mention them in that context.” He rose to his full height, shoving his chair to the wall behind him in the process. I stood also.
“I was wondering how you would advise them, to give in to the gentleman or take the burn.”
“Get out!” He was in my face, ready to pounce. “I’m warning you, the women in my family are off limits to you. Tell your slut sister I’ll get the authorities to shut that place down.”
He had played his trump card. He had me. Opening the office door he motioned for me to walk ahead of him.
As we approached the counter in the outer office I turned, “Mr. Pettersen, which neighbor told you he saw me coming out your front door at 5 A.M. on Sunday morning?”
Ollie was turning to return to his office. He stopped in his tracks, glared at me and with as much composure as he could muster, said it was Mr. Spencer. Ollie motioned with his right hand to indicate it was the same neighbor who I had seen trying to quiet the dog.
“Oh, really?” I nodded thoughtfully.
For a second I saw his jaw drop but he recovered quickly and turned to his office.
Mildred had her head down, concentrating on her work as if she had not heard my comment about leaving the Pettersen home at 5 A.M. on Sunday morning.
“It was nice to meet you Mildred. Now I’ll have a face to place with the voice when you answer the phone.”
Mildred’s smile quickly changed to a stunned look when we heard Ollie say, “Mr. Tucker has no reason to telephone here.” He closed his office door.
There was no one in the showroom and I was relieved to see my car parked near the door. The keys were in the ignition. As I drove out of the lot I spotted four empty parking spaces. Had that many cars been sold in the short time I was there?
The drive home was not a fun trip. I was defeated. His threat to have the authorities close the brothel down was the blow that brought me to the mat. His tactics had made me hit below the belt, something I had promised myself I would not do. It was a technical knockout.
Personally, I did not care if the brothel closed. But Laura would care and Mr. Waite would care. If my actions were the reason for the closure of the brothel it would put me in an unfavorable liaison with Mr. Waite. What’s more, it would test my relationship with Laura.
Would Laura abandon me? Should I tell her of Ollie’s threat? After all, I was doing it for her, something she had asked me to stop. How would she take my disregarding her request and in so doing, place us all, Mr. Waite, Laura and the other employees of the brothel in jeopardy of losing investments and income. In my case it could mean loosing Laura.
I spent a lonely stressful night. There were no messages and the phone did not ring. I looked at the package from home and recalled my family’s pleas to come home and buckle down. I recalled Laura’s request for me to wait until she was with me to open my birthday gifts.
I considered calling Mr. Waite and telling all. How would he take my indiscretion? Would he come to my defense or would he turn on me and say my youth and inexperience had bothered him from the beginning? Would he reconsider giving me the contracts? What would I tell the guys? They depended upon me to secure enough work to keep them busy.
