Charles Richards rejoined his friends at their table in the nightclub toward the end of the Christmas Party on Friday night, December 14, 1956. His wife Diana was onstage again for her last set.
He had called his and Tom's boss at the FBI and told the Assistant Director about the night's developments. Peter Woods was going to call it in to Washington. But he was worried because they'd gotten this information through a social situation. He was sure headquarters would still require some other type of concrete evidence before they'd authorize anything further. Charles advised his partner what Pete had said.
"Oh, damn..." Tom muttered.
Jonathan North spoke up. "Would the FBI lend any credence to the fact that, in addition to two of their agents, an L.A.P.D. detective and a patrol officer also witnessed the suspects together?"
"Yes," Rick Estevez added. "Jon and I would certainly be glad to tell them that we saw them, too!"
Charles sighed. "It's not just the fact that we saw them together. The problem is that we only saw them socializing together. It doesn't mean that Robert Warren, or Clark, is involved with their business! We need to catch them on business premises... it would be more credible."
"OK, OK! This is enough shoptalk for tonight! This is supposed to be a party. Let's just have some fun... OK?" Lynda Seldon pleaded desperately with her hand pressed to her lower abdomen.
My nerves are on edge and I'm feeling a little queasy. I don't want to upset the baby...
Why are you holding your stomach like that?
"Sweetheart, are you OK?" Tom asked his wife worriedly. She looked at him and smiled and nodded. "You're sure? You'll tell me if you feel like anything is wrong, won't you?"
"Of course, Tom. I'd never let anything go wrong with our baby."
He smiled back at her and lifted her hand to kiss it.
Barbara North sat forward and leaned toward Lynda. "I didn't want to say anything while Diana was at the table, but I think I'm pregnant, too!" She and Lynda smiled at each other.
They turned to look at Dawn Estevez when she gasped. "Oh, my God... I wasn't going to say anything, either. But I think I am, too!"
Everyone looked at Charles. There was a stark expression on his face. "I appreciate you not saying anything to Diana yet. She just found out last weekend that she's not, and she was very upset. So, please keep this to yourselves for a while, OK?" They all nodded. He added, "Thanks."
I know it's my fault she's not pregnant yet... Stop that before she hears you...
Charles looked at his beautiful wife onstage. She was singing a Christmas carol in her lovely soprano voice. His chest tightened and his eyes welled with tears.
Your voice really is the most beautiful sound I've ever heard, pretty lady...
Diana looked straight at him and smiled.
After her last song, Diana joined her friends. She nibbled on hors d'oeuvres and downed a couple shots of whiskey. She glanced around at her girlfriends. They were all sipping non-alcoholic beverages.
Oh, God...don't tell me...
"So, Barbara and Dawn, when were you going to tell us that you're pregnant?"
Everyone looked at her, their eyes wide, especially Charles.
How did you pick up on that? I wasn't even thinking about it...
"Oh, for God's sake, Charles! I don't have to read your thoughts. None of them are drinking alcohol! I'm not stupid... I can put two and two together as well as you can!"
"What do you mean by read his thoughts?" Lynda asked.
"She can hear what I'm thinking now. I've been practicing communicating with her ever since that night I told her what to do about that bastard Ed Hood. I thought I had to concentrate really hard to send her my thoughts. But now she can hear just about everything I think when I'm near her," Charles replied.
"Damn, partner. You better be careful what you think about around her!" Tom chuckled.
It's a good thing she can't read my thoughts... I love Lynda, but Diana has a hot little body, too, and it's real easy to fantasize about her. Hmmm...what about her and Lynda together...
**********
The couples spent the rest of the evening chatting and laughing together.
Diana did her best to turn off her disappointment at knowing that all three of her girlfriends were pregnant and she was not. And she couldn't help but notice that Charles was doing his best to keep his thoughts to himself. She couldn't pick up anything from him... even though she noticed the grim look on his face.
In their car on the way home, Diana did her best to try to read what was going through her husband's mind.
Oh, hell... she's trying to read my thoughts...think of something...anything... OK... uh... get back to that fantasy of watching her and Lynda together... Oh, yeah, baby...
"Oh, my GOD, Charles!" Diana exclaimed with a nervous laugh. "What the hell are you thinking?!! Lynda and me together?!! That's so..."
"HOT!!!" Charles finished for her.
"WHAT?!!!" Diana exclaimed. "It turns you on to fantasize about Lynda and me... together?"
"Well... I was involved, too. But, yeah, I've fantasized about some girl-on-girl action between you and all your girlfriends! Tom told me that he has, too!"
"OH...MY...GOD!!! I married a pervert! How would you like it if I fantasized about you and Tom together?!!!"
Charles winced. "Hey... you made my skin crawl on our honeymoon when you told me about your fantasy of you sandwiched between me and The Duke! Don't go putting any images of me and Tom in my head... I have to work with him every day!"
"Yeah, I know. You've been spending more time with him lately than you have with me!" Diana said sullenly. "Do you guys talk about Lynda and me while you're spending all those boring hours together? Is that how you two came up with this fantasy of her and me together?"
