Shell Game – Chapter 2 – Molly Brandt
Less than a half-hour later, Evan heard the front door open, followed by the sound of muffled voices in the reception area. Evan straightened his tie and smoothed his hair as he listened to the click-clack percussion of high heels approaching on the waxed floor tiles. Letting out a long breath and bracing for Sophie’s re-entry, he secretly hoped that whatever problem had just walked in would be a turn toward good things.
The door to his office opened, and Sophie entered alone and smiled.
Evan tried to look past Sophie to see who might be in the lobby. “What do you have for me?” Evan said and gripped the armrests of his chair.
“There’s a woman out there,” Sophie nodded back to the reception area. “Says she saw your ad in the phonebook.”
Evan shook his head, “Is that right?”
“You want me to show her in?”
“Does she look like she has money?”
Sophie stepped closer to him and lowered her voice, “Evan Gold. I realize your life is in a bad way, but this is a real person, not just a payday. We’re still, I think, in the business of helping people.”
Evan sighed and wiped his forehead. “You’re right. Sorry. I’ll snap out of this eventually. Go ahead and show her in.”
“Evan,” Sophie made sure she locked eyes with her boss, “she looks scared.”
“I’m sure she does,” Evan said.
Sophie walked over to the side of Evan’s desk and whispered, “but…” then stopped suddenly and looked back toward the door.
“What is it?” Evan said. “Is everything okay?”
Sophie stiffened her back and shook the feelings from her head. “I’ll show her in,” she said and exited the office.
A moment later, Sophie returned. Following her was a creature that seemed to have walked off the pages of a fashion magazine. The woman wore a sleeveless silk dress, navy with white trim, and a neat bow over her navel. Gracing her trim neck was a delicate golden chain. In her gloved hands, she carried a matching navy pocketbook. A real Times Square looker, Evan thought. She was possibly the most beautiful woman Evan had ever seen. He was instantly confused as to whether this was a sign of good tidings or not.
“This is Molly Brandt,” Sophie said, making introductions. Evan stood to greet his guest; his mind focused on any facial tick, any cue from her hands, any indication from this woman’s body language what her angle was. “Miss Brandt, this is Evan Gold.” Evan Gold smiled and extended his hand.
“Thank you so much for seeing me, Mr. Gold,” Molly blushed, taking Evan’s hand in hers. Her voice sounded husky and tranquil, like wind blowing through pines, and Evan thought he detected just the hint of sorrow in it.
“Glad to meet you, Miss Brandt,” he said. “It is Miss Brandt?” She nodded. “Please, have a seat.” He looked back at Sophie. “Thank you, Ms. Landis.” Sophie exited the office, and once again, Evan motioned for Miss Brandt to take a seat.
After she did, Evan sat behind his desk and noticed this woman had difficulty making eye contact. Once she had satisfactorily adjusted herself in the seat, she only slightly raised her head to Evan and gave a weak and almost apologetic smile.
“How can I help you today, Miss Brandt?”
The woman pulled a white handkerchief from her pocketbook and dabbed at her eyes. “Mr. Gold,” she began but then stopped. She put the cloth over her mouth.
“Let’s start with something simple,” Evan began. “My secretary says you found our offices through an ad we don’t have. So, how exactly did you find us?”
The woman shook her head slightly and stood quickly. “I shouldn’t have come. I’m sorry to have wasted your time, Mr. Gold. You must have more important things to concern yourself with than my small problems.” She turned to leave.
“Now, hold on a moment,” Evan stood and walked to her, “you just got here. You have a lot on your mind. There’s nothing else on my schedule. Why don’t you just have a seat, take a moment, and when you’re ready, you can tell me what’s going on.”
The woman turned her head toward Evan. “Oh, Mr. Gold,” was all she could get out before she broke down in sobs. Evan guided her back to her chair and then poked his head out of the office door and asked Sophie to bring in some water.
Evan sat on the edge of his desk and looked at the woman. He couldn’t tell if this show of emotion was honest or a play for his sympathies. She’d started on the wrong foot with the blatant lie about the ad, but people in duress can think all kinds of things are absolute that aren’t. He told himself he should give her a chance at least to tell her story. After all, wasn’t she the kind of person he got into the business for – the vulnerable people with nowhere else to turn? They couldn’t all be liars and cheats, could they? Could they? He decided to let this play out a few moments longer, take this situation at face value instead of assuming the worst in people. The woman took a moment to regain her composure, and Sophie entered with a pitcher and glass of water on a tray.
The woman took the glass and thanked Sophie. “Anything else?” Sophie asked from behind the woman. Silently she bulged her eyes back at Evan and pursed her lips before mouthing, “Help her!”
“No, thank you, Ms. Landis, we’re fine,” Evan said. Sophie glared at Evan while she exited and closed the office door behind her.
“First of all, Ms. Brandt,” Evan began, “you can stop calling me Mr. Gold. Call me Evan. I’ve never been one for formality.”
The woman finally made eye contact with Evan; her perfect azure irises connected with Evan’s brown ones. Adrenaline shot through his body. “Thank you, Evan. Please call me Molly.”
“That’s better,” Evan smiled, “Molly.” Evan moved back to sit in his chair. “See, I think we’ll get along just fine. Now, let’s start at the beginning. What brought you in today?”
“It’s my father,” Molly said. “He’s missing. He’s run off to ‘join the circus,’ so to speak.”
“Any reason you can think of why your father would do that?” Evan asked.
“There’s a man, Jason Charles is his name. You have to understand, Mr. Gold, I mean Evan, my father is the kindest, sweetest of men. However, that kindness makes him, how should I put it, a little gullible.”
“I see. And you think this Jason Charles…” Evan coaxed.
“My understanding is that Mr. Charles sold my father on a story of how he could make a quick dollar. Now, he’s stringing my father along and depleting our savings. To say I’m concerned…” she dabbed at her eyes. “My mother and sister are also concerned. We were able to cobble together enough money for me to take the train here and see if I could find him.”
“Why do you think your father is in Athens? This isn’t exactly a tourist destination,” Evan smirked and pointed out his dingy windows.
“Mother received a letter from him. The return address was from here,” Molly said.
“Do you have the letter with you?”
Molly shook her head.
“What did the letter say?” Evan asked.
“Oh,” Molly waved her hand in mock carelessness, “that he was fine and not to worry. Can you believe it? He said not to find him, so naturally, I was on a train the next day. I went to the address as soon as I got here, the address on the letter, but the landlord there said she hadn’t seen my father in a few days.” Molly once again covered her face in her handkerchief to hide her emotions. “Mr. Gold, I’m so worried. I can’t even begin to tell you.”
“Did you uncover any information about where your father might have moved to?” Evan asked.
“By fortune, I happened to run into Mr. Charles, and I can tell you undeniably that he is a cad and a rounder and, and, and… I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t have ties to one of those organized crime families back east.”
“I see,” Evan repressed a smirk. “That aside, did Charles say anything about your father’s whereabouts?”
“No, not really.” Molly pinched her nose with her handkerchief and sniffed. “Sorry, Mr. Gold. Evan. I’m an absolute mess.”
Evan thought and rocked back in his chair. He searched forward and played with a stray pencil. “So, you don’t even know if your father is still in Athens? He could be miles from here. Did you consider that? Maybe your father is fine, but he and Charles split up. Why does there have to be something nefarious going on? I know this may be hard to hear, but sometimes men get a mind to wander, and they will leave the safety of hearth and home and do all kinds of foolishness. I’m not saying I agree with it, mind you, but I wouldn’t say there’s necessarily a crime involved here. Maybe he just wants to be left alone, and after a while of sowing whatever wild oats he has left, he’ll come back.”
Molly looked hard into Evan’s eyes. “I’d at least want him to tell me. I’d want him to tell that to my face. I just want to see him, and if he wants to do whatever it is, as you say, men do at this time in their life, which is ridiculous, by the way, then so be it. But I want to be able to tell my mother and sister that he’s okay. But…” her voice trailed off.
“But the landlord says she hasn’t seen him. Charles says…” Evan began, then stopped. “What did Charles say again? Is your father still in town?”
“He didn’t say,” Molly looked at the floor. “Though I guess he must be.” She looked back up to Evan. “I worked out a meeting with Mr. Charles. Tonight. He said he would bring my father. So, yes, he must be in town, right?”
“Maybe. If this Jason Charles is a conman, I think it would be safe to distrust much of what he says. Have you thought about that? What if your father doesn’t show up?” Evan asked.
“Then I guess I’ll just meet with Mr. Charles. There has to be something he can tell me about my father.” She shot her eyes back at Evan. Once again, Evan felt the electricity of her gaze. “I simply can’t go back home empty-handed, Mr. Gold.” She looked down, “I mean Evan.”
Outside his door, Evan heard the front door jangle open again and the confident rhythmic stride of his partner, Gabe Silver, approaching the office door.
