No Team To Root For (12) "Barrett!" She took the glass from him and laid it in the sink. "I don't want to discuss it. It's hard enough to --- " "I think discussing it might help." "Well, I don't!" She threw the empty paper bag into a container under the sink. "Okay. You've had your drink. Now you can --- " The phone rang. Jodi picked up the receiver on the second ring. "Hello." Barrett watched Jodi's expression change. He would describe it as some combination of fear and fury. Her face alternated between an off white and a beet red. "I'm sorry, Aaron, but --- " She nodded her head several times. "But your whole life is one long streak of bad luck." There was a short silence. "Aaron, I'm not putting you down. It's the truth and you know it!" Then she raised her voice. "And just where the hell were you tonight?" Barrett looked around the kitchen trying to be nonchalant, but dy-ing to hear the other end of the conversation. "Car trouble! Did you ever think about calling and leaving a mes-sage at Alber's? It's called being considerate!" There was another long pause. Barrett continued to look around the kitchen as if he were about to remodel. "Aaron, this conversation is going nowhere. I don't know what possessed me to agree to see you again." There was another pause then Jodi raised her voice again. "Don't you talk to me that way!" Then she was silent for a while, nodding several times. "It just isn't working. I feel like --- like I'm stuck in neutral." Barrett took a couple of steps closer to Jodi. " I told you not to talk to me like that!" She shook her head. "No! This time I mean it. This time it's over!" And she slammed down the receiver. Barrett hesitated a moment then walked up to her. Her back was to him and her gaze was downward. "Is there anything I can do?" He put his hand on her shoulder. He could feel her rigid body trem-ble, even through the lightweight sweater. At first she was unresponsive. Then she shook her head and turned to him. "It's so strange. I have all these mixed feelings." Bar-rett stifled an urge to hold her. "I feel bad about breaking it off, but I feel good about making the decision." She cocked her head. "does that make any sense?" Barrett rubbed his chin "Well, the psychiatrist in me says --- yes." Then he thought a moment. "Maybe what you're really saying is that you need to end the rela-tionship, but you feel bad you can't make it work. To me, that makes a lot of sense." Barrett suddenly felt important in Jodi's life. "You seem to know so much about people and --- well --- things in general." Barrett shrugged, thinking of his own screwed up life. Jodi walked into the family room and sat down in the overstuffed chair. Barrett followed her and sat on the edge of the sofa across from her. Besides the two matching lamps, the chair and sofa were the only pieces of furniture in the room. Shelves covered the walls with assorted collectibles occupying every inch of available space. The walls were a dull tan and the carpet was an ugly brown. Barrett wondered how Jodi could stand to look at it. "Barrett, you can go. I'm all right --- really." Barrett started to get up and changed his mind. Jodi, deep in thought, went on. "Knowing Aaron as I do, I'm sure he'll call me again." She took a deep breath. "And as usual, I'll take him back." Then she raised her shoulders and threw her hands out. "So maybe this just one large moot point." Barrett pointed his finger at her. "Not if you're strong enough to stand by your convictions." He thought of Janet again. "It's really funny." she said thoughtfully. "I was so certain I wanted to end it, and now --- " "You're not sure." Barrett finished her sentence. She shook her head. "I'm not sure of anything these days. I'm confused." "Well," Barrett cleared his throat. "I'm not a therapist, but what little I know --- maybe breaking it off is best." Then he added quickly, "At least for the time being. Until you know what you want." We do have a lot in common! "Maybe." There was another long silence. "How long have you known him?" Barrett asked. Jodi again seemed lost in thought. Her gaze was focused onto a spot at her feet. "We met in Oak Park about a year or so ago." She looked up. "At a bowling alley, no less." Then she laughed nerv-ously. "I remember it was the first game I ever bowled. A whopping sixty-two!" She laughed nervously again. "It was also the last game I ever bowled." Barrett wanted to touch her, but didn't. "So he followed you here, right?" Jodi nodded disconcertedly. "What does he do --- for a liv-ing I mean?" She hesitated a moment. "He's had a dozen jobs over the past year: gas stations, restaurants, Laundromats." Again she hesitated. "He's a drunk and a bum." Then she looked Barrett in the eye. "But in his own peculiar way, he really cares about me." Barrett folded his arms and sat back. "He sure as hell has a weird way of showing it!" "And I suppose, in my own peculiar way, I really care about him." Barrett stared at her, realizing how that was possible. "Even though he is what he is and he treats you as he does." "Am I that stupid?" "Not stupid, Jodi." He leaned in toward her. "I remember you telling me how close you were to your father. Maybe you found someone to replace him." "Oh --- I don't know. I never thought about it like that." She folded her hands on her lap and looked down again. "I always saw our stormy relationship as --- well --- as being better than no rela-tionship at all." Then she looked at Barrett. "But maybe you're right." She smiled, adding. "You should open a private practice somewhere as a psychologist." "Right." Barrett laughed. "In my spare time." My personal life would make me an expert! "I can't believe I'm telling you all this." Jodi absently smoothed out the pillows next to her. "I never dumped on anyone in my life." "I'm easy to talk to --- remember?" She smiled and nodded. Barrett cleared his throat, then said philosophically, "If we're wise enough and patient enough everything always works out." Then he looked up as if reading from the ceiling. "Wisdom is an attribute. Patience is a virtue." Jodi stared at him for several seconds. "That is truly profound, Barrett." Then she leaned in a little. "How do you know all this? How come you're so smart?" Barrett laughed again. "I'm not that smart. If I was so smart I would have a better marriage." Jodi started to respond but Barrett wouldn't let her. "Anyway, I cannot tell a lie." He raised his right hand. "I read that little gem on a bumper sticker." Jodi burst out laughing. "Oh, Barrett --- honestly." She paused and their eyes met. "That's the first time I laughed like that in a long time." "And I bet it felt good, didn't it?" Jodi waited then answered shyly. "Yes. It did." Barrett leaned in and put his hand on top of hers. "See what my company does for you?" She slowly withdrew her hand. Barrett stood to face her. He put his hands on her arms and pulled her to him until their noses touched. "You must have some feelings for me." Jodi waited a long time before she answered. "I do, Barrett. It would be easier if I didn't." Then he kissed her. She hugged him tightly for a few seconds then pushed him away. "What are we do-ing?" she said softly. Barrett pulled her to him again. "If you don't know, one of us is doing it wrong." "Don't. Please." She pushed him away again. "I'm getting all mixed up inside." Jodi broke away and went to the front door. Barrett followed her. "Barrett, this is a bad time for me." She put her hand on the knob. "I can help." He smiled. She nodded and returned the smile. "I know." She took a deep breath. "This thing with Aaron isn't over yet." She opened the door. "I --- I have to work it out in my own way." "Aaron said some terrible things to you over the phone, didn't he? "Look, Jodi --- " She put her hand up. "I know Aaron is --- " Jodi made small cir-cles around her ear. " --- a little bit crazy sometimes." "So he could really hurt you." Barrett was concerned. Jodi shook her head. "He won't. Sometimes his temper gets the better of him and sometimes he makes idle threats --- " She again put her hand up to silence Barrett. " --- but he would never hurt me." Barrett was unconvinced. "I sure hope you're right." Jodi smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "Barrett, why couldn't we have met at a different time in a different life." "It's not too late." Barrett said optimistically. Jodi sighed. "It's way past my bedtime and I'm beat." She kissed him on the cheek again. "You were a big help tonight, Barrett." "I didn't do much." He spoke modestly. "Yes you did." She opened the door. "Goodbye." Barrett pushed the door open before Jodi could close it. "Jodi, what would our chances be if I weren't married?" His mouth was dry and his pulse was racing. "But you are married. We've been through this before." "We've established that. But what if I weren't?" Barrett felt him-self groping. Jodi paused. "I see your wife all the time." She paused again. "The last thing I would want on my conscience is that I caused your marriage to break up." "Believe me. You have nothing to worry about. If that's what's stopping you --- " "Barrett, how can I commit to another relationship when --- ?" "Jodi, you still haven't answered my question. I have to know." She shook her head. "It's too hypothetical." "Give it a try." Keep up the all court press! "Barrett," She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "it's get-ting late and --- " "You said you had feelings for me, remember?" She turned away for several seconds. Then she turned back to Barrett slowly and took another deep breath. "Oh, Barrett." She an-swered resignedly. "I suppose if you weren't married --- it would make a difference. I would more receptive." Barrett nodded. Jodi stiffed a yawn. "Look, I have to get to bed. I have a long day to-morrow. I'm just too tired to think anymore tonight." She gently ushered him out of her apartment. He heard the click of the deadbolt as soon as the door closed. He stood in front of Jodi's apartment for several minutes staring at the closed door. Then he nodded his head slowly. Barrett Jessop knew exactly what he had to do. XIV Barrett Jessop looked up at the clock over the arched doorway in his office. It was 7:30 pm and it was time to leave. He paused out-side his office to briefly take in his surroundings. The weather report for Wednesday, May 10 had called for clear blue skies and a slight southerly breeze with temperatures in the mid to upper sixties. But the sky was gray and ominous and the wind was unusually still. A sudden chill forced Barrett to put up his coat collar. Tonight was going to be long and difficult. * Barrett drove his Oldsmobile to Dave Pagel's Auto And Lube, lo-cated at the corner of Rush and Walnut, three blocks from his of-fice. He had to wait for a large MEYERS moving van to turn off Rush Street before he could pull into the service center. Dave Pagel was a robust looking fifty-nine year old ex-marine. He was dark complected with deep set eyes and sported a crew cut. He'd once told Barrett that he thought it would be clever to use a sign reading Pagel's Auto And Lube and spell out PAL, indicating that he was a pal to everyone that used his services. It was corny but effective. Normally Barrett would pump his own gas, but he was tired from an unusually long and hectic day --- and the day was far from over. So he pulled up to the Sunoco pump that read FULL SERVICE. "Howdy, Doc." Dave always had a smile pasted on his face. "Gonna let me do it tonight, huh?" "Yeah, Dave. And check the oil." Barrett turned off the engine. "Sure thing." Dave put the hose into the tank and lifted the hood. While Pagel was doing his thing, Barrett took a moment to look around him. The street was deserted except for two young couples he had never seen before, all riding bicycles. They laughed and talked as they rode. Barrett couldn't hear what they were saying. He wondered if their lives were in as much of a turmoil as his was. He very much doubted it. "That'll be twenty dollars and eighty cents." Dave's slightly high-pitched voice jarred Barrett's brief reverie. Barrett handed Dave his VISA. "How did I manage without plas-tic money all these years?" "I don't know, Doc." Dave's smile remained intact. "I could never run a business without it." He walked to a small island and ran Bar-rett's card through his machine. Then after a couple of minutes he returned. Barrett signed the slip and left. He pulled out of the station at 8:15. He had plenty of time. Driving on Rush Street, Barrett decided to stop at an out of the way diner called Juanita's. It was small, rustic, and a little run down, reminding him of the one seen on Mayberry RFD. He parked his car on the gravel lot and went inside. He sat on a stool by the bar. Barrett was the only patron. The menu said the food was fresh and home cooked. After ten minutes, a tall thin, unattractive woman with a gray hair net and a soiled apron took his order for a cheeseburger and a large coke. Barrett wasn't very hun-gry, but he knew that if he didn't grab a bite now it might be a long time before he would have another opportunity. Barrett, always a slow eater, ate a little faster tonight. When he finished, he looked at his watch. It was 9:30. Right on schedule. He then drove slowly to the outskirts of town and to his next des-tination. When he finally got there he knocked softly at the door. There was no response so he knocked again --- louder. Jodi Bartless was dozing on the sofa and did not hear the first set of knocks. The second set jolted her out of her lethargy. She felt as if she had been sleeping with her eyes open. Jodi could see the knocking was not going to cease and the person responsible was not going to be dissuaded. "Who is it?" called Jodi sleepily. "It's me. Barrett." There was a long pause. "I'm very tired, Barrett. Is this impor-tant?" "Yes." he said through the closed door. "And it can't wait?" "No." She hesitated then opened the door. Barrett came in quickly and stopped suddenly. He stared at Jodi's red eyes and puffy cheeks. "My God! What's wrong?" She waited a moment before answering. "Barrett, I don't want you getting involved with --- " "I'm already involved." He came closer. "Now tell me what hap-pened!" She took a deep breath. "I got off the phone a while ago with Aaron. We --- we had a terrible fight." Barrett shook his head sym-pathetically. Jodi continued. "I knew it wasn't over with him." "Goddamn it! I don't even know the son-of-a-bitch and I hate his guts!" They were silent for several minutes. Then Jodi folded her arms and said evenly, "Now tell me what's so important that it had to be tonight." "This won't take long." He walked up to her. "Now don't ask me any questions, okay? You have to trust me." Before she could an-swer, he began to methodically walk around the room, touching various objects as if he were looking for something. Jodi waited only a second. "Barrett, what are you doing?" He didn't answer. His movements were precise and intense. He picked up two glasses and studied them as he turned them over in his hand. Then he put his hands palm down on the glass coffee table. Jodi walked up to him, exasperated. "Barrett! I said I was tired. What in the world are you doing?" He glanced at her then he slipped off his Pulsar wristwatch. He read aloud the inscription on the back. "To Barrett Jessop June 3 1960 first place." He turned to Jodi. "My only award. I had the most points at a bridge tournament in Cincinnati." He turned the watch over and read the date and time. "Wednesday, May tenth ten nineteen pm." Then he laid the watch on the floor between the chair and the door and stomped on it with his right foot. "Barrett!" "Perfect!" He said and made the 'okay' sign with his thumb and forefinger. Jodi walked quickly up to Barrett, fuming. "Barrett, what the hell has gotten into you?" He squeezed her arm "I realize how absurd all this appears." Be-fore Jodi had a chance to protest he continued. "But there is a method to my madness." Again Jodi started to protest. Barrett put his hand up. "Please don't move anything until I call you later." Jodi just shook her head in disbelief. "Barrett, I think you've flipped out!" "I told you. I'll call you later and explain everything --- okay? You must trust me!" She continued to shake her head. "I don't like any of this, Barrett! I don't --- " "Please, Jodi. Promise me you'll do as I ask." He squeezed her arms. "It's very important!" "Barrett, you're shaking." "Promise me! Please." He continued to squeeze her arms. She looked away briefly, then she looked back at the agitated eye doctor. She took another deep breath and nodded resignedly. "Okay, Barrett." Then she shook her forefinger at him. "But you better have a damn good reason!" He nodded slowly. "Don't worry. I do." He looked around the room carefully then looked Jodi in the eye. "Now remember. Don't move anything." He opened the door quickly. "I'll call you later." And he was gone. When he was outside, he took a quick and final glance at the apartment then headed for his car. "Hello, Dr. Jessop." The scratchy voice startled him. "Hello, Mrs. Purdy." Barrett walked up to the elderly cleaning lady. "You're working late to-night." "Well. these apartments --- the empty ones that is --- couldn't clean 'em if they was occupied now, could I? These apartments got to be cleaned for tomorrow. And this is the only time I can do it." Magenta Purdy, in her mid-seventies, was considered by all who knew her as being forgetful, but honest and always dependable. "I know it's late," she said, "but after awhile you get used to it." She took a pail, some cloths, and a box from her Ford pick-up truck that was parked next to the walk. "Mrs. Purdy," Barrett seized the moment. "can you tell me which apartment Jodi Bartless lives in? I have to deliver a pair of glasses." He took a mop out of the truck and laid it next to the box. "Why yes. It's that one over there." She put the pail and the cloths in the box. "I didn't know you made house calls." "As a rule I don't." Barrett laughed nervously. "But there are al-ways those exceptions, you know." "Yes. I know the feeling." She picked up the box and the mop and disappeared into the darkness. Barrett made certain Magenta was out of sight before he went to his car. "Well." he said to himself. "What an extraordinary piece of good luck." He got into his car, turned on the ignition and looked at the clock on the dash. It was 10:27. Still on schedule.
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