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THE MIDNIGHT SKULKER 33

Schaumberg, Illinois

Saturday, March 3, 1974

11:38 a.m. : The boxes stacked in the basement, “Sammy, Ellie, Sherry; you guys take a bunch of boxes and, really neatly, try packing some of the books and toys that you want to take with us. You, too, Sammy. Then with a ‘marker’… You guys have ‘markers’, right?”

“Yes, Daddy.” Sherry said.

“Sure.” Ellie said.

“Yeah.” Sammy said.

“Okay, when you get the boxes packed, write your name and write ‘books’ or ‘toys’ on each box. Then later I’ll come and tape them closed and we’ll take them to the basement. Okay?”

                                                         ****

11:46 a.m. :  Mitchell tried to call Edwin Plankow again, with the same results.

“Guess he didn’t come in today.  I’ll call him Monday.”

 Monday, March 5, 1974

9:07 a.m. Central Standard Time

The children off to school, Mitchell and Marsha sat for a few ‘quiet’ minutes before he summoned the courage, and ambition, to get his galoshes and overcoat on to brave the snow covered environment to drive the –snow-blown – eighteen miles to Skokie and his first call of the day. Actually, considering the day before the three day trip to San Diego and the weekend, his first call in six days was to his best printing customer: ‘Hanover Plastics’: manufactures of, to scale, model automobile and airplanes.

 “Before you leave, why don’t you try Edwin again?”

“Glancing at his watch, “Yeah, he should be in by now.” Dialing the number, he let it ring seven times before breaking the connection. “That’s strange. He’s always in before nine and, if not him, Geraldine.”

“Maybe they’re both snowed in someplace.”

“He lives in an apartment in Lincolnwood and I think she has a home someplace in Skokie that, no matter how much snow, would have been plowed by now. Hell, they’d have been plowed by Saturday afternoon like we were.”

Finishing her glass of orange juice, “Try calling from Skokie, why don’t you.”

“Finishing his coffee, “I’ll do that.” Sighing “might as well get going.”

                                                      ****                  

“Hi, baby!”

How’s it going, Mitchie?”

“Pretty good actually. Got a nice order from ‘Hanover’ for some ‘snap-out’ forms and two hundred thousand envelopes.”

“Nice way to start the week… You try Edwin again?”

“Yeah, but still no answer.”

“Wonder what’s going on.”

“I haven’t the slightest idea.”

“Edwin’s secretary; Geraldine? You know her last name?”

“No, I only know her as ‘Geraldine’ or ‘Gerry’, why?”

“I was thinking that if you can’t reach Edwin, then maybe we can try ‘information’ in Skokie to see if we can get her number.”

“Good idea. Shame I don’t know her last name.”

“Well, at least the snow let up. How are the streets?’’

Stamping his feet in an attempt to keep warm within the telephone booth, “Traffic’s still slow, but the streets aren’t too bad.”

“Pretty amazing to think that in a month we’ll be away from all this crappy weather.”

“Yeah,” watching the thick plumes of the vapor of his breath, “I keep telling myself that, and still find it hard to believe.”

“How many calls you got left?”

“Three. Then I’ll try calling Edwin again.”

“Okay, honey... Talk to you later."

“Bye, baby."

                                                                     ****

“Marcie.”

“Hi. You try Edwin again?”

“Yes.”

“So?”

“The operator came on and told me ‘this was no longer a working number’.”

The line silent…. “So what are you going to do?”

“Soon as we hang up, I’m heading there to see what’s going on.”

To be continued

©November 11, 2011 / Mark M. Lichterman