The luggage arrived on the doorstep of the Cornel home before anyone was awake. Loretta was the first to see them. She had talked about this issue for hours with Sam for a couple of days and went over the details of the phone calls. Sam decided that perhaps it was all a sick hoax. Sam had never heard a word of any of the calls. “I had no idea of what was said or by whom,” he said with kindness. He had been beginning to wonder if the calls were even real until the suit cases arrived. He had never seen her receive one of those calls.
“It’s all just an awful prank dear,” was Sam’s answered over and over again. This didn’t sit well with Loretta, obviously. She had nearly killed Sam just the night before over these accusations made by a stranger over the phone. She had let her temper get the best of her. She had forgotten her father’s words that she had heard for much of her life. “Always take time to analyze the situation and see if it makes sense, before you do something you will regret.” She had reacted on emotion before really looking at what was happening around her. Sam had always seemed to be the perfect husband until now. How could it be that he had a girl friend?” But who would do such a thing, Loretta wondered.”
Then the luggage had arrived as promised. The recriminations started all over again until she was exhausted.
When Sam thought that they had settled on the idea that it was a hoax, that’s when she slapped him. He didn’t hit her back. He was stunned. This had never happened before. They had argued before, yes, but no one had ever been hit.
“Perhaps you should just use that luggage that has been sent here and go stay with your sister for a fews days,” Sam said as we walked away from his wife. “I don’t have a girl friend and she won’t miss it. Leave the girls here. The nanny and I will manage. Take some time to relax and think this all over. In time you will see that I have done nothing wrong and that we are both victims of something very bizarre and out of our control.” Susan was soon packing in her bedroom. She used her own luggage.
Sam called Jason and asked him to gather a few of their men together and to go around town to all of the stores that sold luggage of any type and try to see if they could trace where the luggage had come from and who might have bought it. He knew that it would be a difficult task since they weren’t the police and there were many stores, but he relied on the fact that people like to talk. He and Jason worked on a scenario that they might tell the people in the stores that they might come across that they were the one who received the luggage wished to return it. They had the brand but not the receipt as it was given as a gift.
Jay got up in the morning and went out into the garage and pulled the large bag of weed down from the rafters and placed the bag onto the floor in front of the passenger seat of his car. He didn’t think it would be that noticeable as he drove to the golf course. He would not drive as fast as he usually did this morning. That would be foolish. He went back into the house and into his kitchen. It was seven AM. He hadn’t had much sleep, but he was used to that from years as a police officer and didn’t require much.
He fixed breakfast for Julie. They had a nice breakfast, as usual. “How is your project going dear?” Julie asked. “I don”t want any details, just the basic stuff.” “All is going according to plan and no one has been hurt or will get hurt. I am certain of that.” “Well. I’m glad. I still don’t think you should be putting yourself in danger over this episode with your nephew. The police should handle the matter.” “I know how you feel dear, but I need to play a part in this for a few reasons.” “I know, but I don’t agree, so let’s just drop the subject before an argument starts.” “I agree with you there dear.”
Jay left his house at eight thirty to meet with David and Susan at her house. They would meet at Susan’s do their make up and then drive to the parking lot of his club in two cars. Jay had to go by his brothers market and pick up the Nova on the way to his make up session.
The old Nova was still sitting there unmolested when he pulled in to change cars. It looked a little worse for all the years of wear and tear, but it started on the first try. He looked for black SUVS in traffic but saw none. He now did that automatically. It was ingrained into his brain like brushing his teeth. It was just something he had to do.
Sam left his house at eleven thirty for the meeting. He had a stomach ache and his mind was racing. He had a narrow scratch running across his face.
By the time Sam left his house, Jay and David had their make up done and were already at the golf club looking over the parking lot. They parked in the center of the lot.