Page Content (OCR)
The Call - Twelve The Call - Twelve living in this big old house all alone. “But I don’t want to take just anybody in to live with me, you know, because the place is full of very valuable antiques. I know Mike real well, and he trusts you enough to be your roommate. And I’ve heard of your family. The Rice name is pretty well-known around here, and respected. I’m sure you’re an okay guy, that’s the point. So last night when I heard you were moving, I figured you might want to move in here. You can have the whole second floor, and I’ve got my bedroom and stuff down here.” “Are you sure?” Ted asked uncertainly. “Yeah,” Ralph replied, “I think it would be great. With other people in and out of the place, I don’t think I’ll be so aware of the quiet. I still miss Miss Flowers, too. But I’ve got to settle down and start concentrating on my studies more, if I’m ever going to finish this master’s degree. What do you think?” Ted took another look around the house, and after consid- ering his nonexistent alternatives, he decided to accept Ralph’s offer. They didn’t know each other very well, but Ralph seemed likable and Ted was easy-going, and he didn’t see any reason the arrangement wouldn’t work. Before the weekend was over, he moved his things into the upstairs bedroom and settled in to enjoy the space and the privacy. With their different schedules, Ted and Ralph didn’t have much time at home together, but they became better acquainted and found they were really beginning to like one another. The house was large enough that they could enter- tain their friends without getting in each other’s way, and it was seldom that Ted or Ralph ever went into the other’s pri- vate space, and then only by invitation. Each kept to his sepa- rate part of the house, sharing only the kitchen and living room. Ted knew how careful Ralph was with all the treasures Miss Flowers had accumulated, and he did his best to be careful, too. Not long after Ted moved into the rambling old house, however, things began to happen that were decidedly out of the ordinary. One day, for instance, when Ralph went upstairs looking for Ted, he went into the bedroom and Masquerade of Angels 112 found a string of pearls on Ted’s bed, curled neatly in a circle. The pearls had belonged to Miss Flowers, but they had been packed away for safekeeping after her death. Ralph was angry to think that Ted had been poking through things he should have left alone, and when Ted came home, Ralph con- fronted him. “What were you doing with these?” he asked, showing Ted the necklace. “You’re not supposed to get into Miss Flowers’ things.” “T have no idea what you’re talking about,” Ted replied in surprise. He had never seen the pearls before. “They were on your bed,” Ralph said angrily. “And I don’t appreciate you snooping around in things.” “Wait a minute!” Ted replied. “I don’t know how those pearls got into my room, but I sure didn’t put them there.” “Well, they didn’t just get up and walk in there by them- selves, did they?” “How the hell would I know?” Ted answered, stung by this unexpected accusation. “I never saw them before! And I don’t make a practice of messing with your things or with Miss Flowers’ stuff, so you tell me. How could they get into my room?” Ralph didn’t know what to think. Ted’s denial sounded genuine, but all he knew for sure was that he had packed the pearls away after his godmother’s death, along with other of her belongings. If Ted hadn’t taken the necklace to his room, Ralph couldn’t explain finding it there. The subject of the necklace was eventually dropped, but for the first time there was a feeling of doubt about Ted in Ralph’s mind. And thereafter Ted was extremely careful to avoid any part of the house except his own quarters. He didn’t like being mistrusted, but, like Ralph, he couldn’t account for the strange incident. The same thing happened a few weeks later. Another piece of jewelry turned up in a place where it shouldn’t have been, and once again Ralph accused Ted of meddling in his personal things. Again Ted denied any involvement, and again the two men argued but came to no understanding about the situation. A third time occurred, and Ted was Masquerade of Angels 113