The Merchant of Menace

people’s lives, just know about them. And maybe be helpful. There aren’t that many single men in the neighborhood and I thought maybe Suzie Williams—”
    Jane yelped with laughter. “Suzie Williams? He doesn’t exactly sound like Suzie’s type!“ She was the one who’d accompanied Jane to meet the Johnsons, and she made no bones about wanting to get out of selling lingerie at the local department store via marriage to a man who could support her in style.
    Shelley said, “Suzie’s ‘type’ of man is anyone with decent table manners and a balanced checkbook with lots of lovely money in it. Or so she claims.“
    “I think it’s all a facade. I think Suzie wants to be in love,“ Jane said. “You’ll see. Someday she’ll fall head over heels with a dashing but unemployed race-car driver with long hair and a dazzling come-hither smile. Sort of like that sexy World War One guy in the pizza ad.“
    “You don’t think she’s the one to bring the Dwyers, father and daughter, into the human race?“ Shelley asked.
    “I think she’d scare them to death. I imagine you scare them.“
    “I only scare people when I need to,“ Shelley said smugly.
    Jane opened the basement door, listened for a moment, nodded approval of what she heard. “Want more coffee?“ she asked Shelley.
    “I wouldn’t object violently. Where do you stand on the Lance King thing?“
    “Oh, I forgot to tell you. Julie called this morning and said she’d uninvited him and he took it like a man.”
    They were both silent for a moment while Jane refreshed the coffee cups. “I don’t believe it,“ Shelley said when Jane sat back down.
    “I believe he said it,“ Jane said, frowning. “But I don’t believe he meant it. I’ll bet he’s down at city hall or the newspaper files or someplace else trying to dig up something to ruin me with. He’s not going to find anything. I’ve got plenty of sins on my soul, but I don’t believe any of them are public record.”
    Jane’s son Mike came home from college that evening. He wasn’t due to come home until the next day, but cheerfully explained that he’d come sooner so he could set up the electric train. Jane opened her mouth to object, but remembering the classes she’d cut in college for far less valid reasons, said nothing.
    “What’s happened to the house next door?“ Mike asked when he’d dragged his belongings into the house and dumped them in the living room.
    “New neighbors,“ Jane said. “They’re really into decorating for the holidays in a big way. Be sure and take your things upstairs right now. We have to keep the house really clean for a couple days. There’s a neighborhood caroling party tomorrow night and everybody’s coming here afterwards. And the next afternoon I’m having a cookie party. Then we can slob out until Christmas Eve when your grandmother’s coming to dinner.“
    “A cookie party. That’s great. I remember you used to go to those parties when I was a little kid,“ Mike said. “We ended up with all kinds of good stuff. Remember those stained-glass cookie things? Let’s make some of those.“
    “Pick up some Life Savers and gingerbread mix next time you’re out and we will.“
    “How about tonight? I haven’t had dinner and want to go pick up a hamburger,“ Mike said. “Where are Todd and Katie? I’ll take them along.”
    Jane bellowed up the steps for the other kids and watched the reunion of the siblings. The younger two were of ages that couldn’t openly show affection for a big brother, but they were obviously glad to see him.
    Katie gave him an air kiss.
    “Hey!“ Todd said when Mike gripped him in a bear hug. “What’s with the mushy stuff? You were just here at Thanksgiving.“
    “Yeah, but I didn’t have presents with me then. Help me take my junk upstairs.”
    Katie trailed along after them, pretending that she was going that direction anyway. Jane caught a snatch of the conversation and called after them, “Katie, quit asking about Mike’s friends. You are not in the dating market for college boys.“
    “Oh, Mother!”
    Jane stood in the middle of her still-clean kitchen. Lance King didn’t matter, the scratchy blare of a reggae version of “We Three Kings“ blasting from next door was of no consequence. The fact that she had to feed at least thirty people this time tomorrow wasn’t even much of a concern. She had her kids home and they were pretty neat kids.
    Life didn’t get much better.

Six

    But