The Abduction of Margaret O’Shea - 2. Chapter 2

Ken had a sleepless night. His brain was working overtime trying to decide what to do about Margaret O’Shea. He tossed and turned until it was dawn. His restlessness kept Joe awake also. They both got out of bed very early and showered together. It was one of those rare occasions when they didn’t make love in the shower. They dressed rapidly.

Mattie didn’t work on Sunday, so they decided to have breakfast at a nearby diner.

“Have you made a decision yet?” Joe asked after they placed their orders.

“No, but I’d like to go to church this morning. Maybe I’ll get some divine guidance.”

“That’s a good idea. It’s been a long time since we went to church.”

“I’m not optimistic about any divinity giving me guidance, but I need all the help I can get,” Ken said.

“I’ve been giving it a lot of thought also,” Joe told Ken. “This girl could have found out how rich we are, and this whole thing could be extortion.”

“That’s true, but it could also be legitimate, and if I ignore her, I could be missing a chance to meet my biological daughter,” Ken lamented.

“Do what your heart dictates,” Joe said, trying to be philosophical, “but be vigilant.”

Ken and Joe attended a gay church. They arrived early for the service, and most of the congregants were in the social hall. It was way too cold to socialize out-of-doors. They were pleased to see several men they knew from the bar where they spent a few happy hours a month.

One of them greeted them with a big smile on his face. “It’s nice to see you here,” he said. “I was afraid you were a couple of heathens.”

“Not heathens,” Ken explained. “My hours are crazy, and more often than not, I have to work on Sundays.”

The man, whose name Ken could not remember, seemed satisfied. “Seeya,” he said, and disappeared into the crowd.

The homily that morning did indeed give Ken divine inspiration. It was based on the story of The Prodigal Son.

“The boy was welcomed home without question and without rebuke,” the minister intoned. “I know,” he continued, “that many of you were rejected when you came out. I can only urge you not to bear a grudge against your parents, but to pray for them instead. They have obviously strayed very far from the teachings of Jesus Christ.”

On the way out of the church, Ken informed Joe that he had made up his mind to contact Maggie before the day was over.

“How come?” Joe asked.

“Because it’s the Christian thing to do,” he answered, and they both broke out laughing.

When it was time to call Maggie, Ken had to take a shot of whiskey to fortify himself. He was trembling so much that Joe volunteered to punch in the numbers for him.

“Hello,” a young female voice answered after the second ring.

“Is this Maggie O’Shea?” Ken asked.

“Yes, it is. May I ask whose calling?”

In true police fashion, Ken almost said, “It’s your alleged father” but at the last moment he said, “This is Ken Hall.”

“Daddy!” Maggie screamed. Then she corrected herself. “Mr. Hall, I mean. I never expected to hear from you. You’ve made me so happy.”

“Maggie, honey,” Ken said. “I’m not much for using a telephone to get to know someone. Could you meet me for dinner tonight? You can bring your fiancé if you’d like, and I can bring my husband.”

“Your husband? Are you gay?”

“Obviously. Does that upset you?”

“Not at all. I figured that most sperm donors are either gay or medical students.” Maggie laughed at her own joke.

“What do you say? Are you and your fiancé free for dinner tonight?”

“I’m free, but Mark is a reporter. He works for UPI, and he’s currently on assignment in The Middle East. I have no idea when he’s coming home. Also, I’d love to meet your husband, but at a later date. The first time you and I meet, I’d rather that it be one on one.”

“I understand,” Ken said. “Where do you live? I’ll pick you up.”

“I’d prefer that we not give each other too much personal information until we’re sure of each other. I’d rather meet you somewhere.”

Ken knew the city like nobody else, and that included back alleys. “Well tell me what neighbourhood you live in,” Ken said, “and I’ll pick a nice restaurant nearby.”

“I live in Little Italy,” she said simply. “If you’re interested, I’m not Italian, but Mark is.”

“Do you know where Vincent’s Copper Kettle is located?”

“Sure, it’s practically a Little Italy landmark.”

“Great! Let’s meet at six, and when you get there, tell the maître d’ that you’re waiting for me. He knows me well.”

When Ken arrived at the restaurant, Maggie was already there. Someone else was there also. Seated all alone at a small corner table was the owner of the restaurant, his husband, Joe. Their eyes met as Ken walked in, but Joe did not acknowledge him, not even with a slight nod of his head,

Well, Ken thought, if he wants to spy on me, let him have his fun.

The maître d’ brought Ken to Maggie’s table. He was so proud. Maggie was as beautiful as he pictured her to be. The young woman jumped up and embraced Ken. She planted a brushing kiss on his cheek. Ken was shocked, to say the least. He got himself together and sat down. His detective’s eye noted that half a glass of red wine sat in front of his ‘daughter.’

Maggie saw the look on Ken’s face. “The maître d’ gave me a complimentary glass of wine when I sat down,” she explained. “He said that you were always late, and the wine would tide me over.”

“I told you that he knows me well,” Ken laughed.

“Order anything you’d like,” Ken said, “and don’t worry about the cost. This meeting is kind of like an investigation. I’ll put it on my expense account as “investigation expense.” He said that on purpose. He didn’t want Maggie to know how rich he was …. yet.

“Investigation expense?” she asked. “What do you do?”

“I’m a detective.”

“Wow! I hope you won’t scrutinize me too closely. Everyone has something to hide,” she said. She smiled to let Ken know that she was kidding.

Ken laughed. “Let’s order,” he said.

“After we order, I have a million questions,” Maggie warned Ken.

While waiting for their order to be served, Maggie began:

“Do I have grandparents?”

“No, both my parents are dead.”

“Do I have any brothers or sisters?”

“Yes, you have two brothers. My husband and I adopted them.” Ken decided to avoid using names.

“Please tell me about them.”

“They’re both nineteen and are attending The State University at Binghamton. They’ll be home Tuesday evening for the Thanksgiving holiday.”

“I’d love to meet them,” she said.

“I’m sure they’ll be anxious to meet you as well. Do you have plans for the holiday?”

“The only family I have is my mother, and she’s gone down to Florida to spend Thanksgiving with her sister. Her parents are dead also.”

“So, you have no plans then. How’d you like to have dinner with us?”

Ken caught a glimpse of Joe who scowled at him. Joe figured out from Ken and Maggie’s body language that he was inviting her to their home. He still suspected extortion, and he didn’t want a stranger in his home until he was sure of her. Ken was less cautious. He liked Maggie and he was definitely warming up to her.

“I’d love to have dinner with my new family,” she said. “Wow, I’ll get to meet two brothers and a stepfather. That’s really exciting and something to look forward to. I can’t tell you enough how grateful I am that you contacted me.”

“Now that we’ve had the one-on-one time you requested, how’d you like to meet my husband right now?”

“I’d love to, but it’s really too late to go home with you. Tomorrow is a workday.”

“You don’t have to go anywhere. He’s right here in the restaurant. He’s been spying on us all evening. I’ll ask him to join us for dessert.”

“I’d like that. It’ll be fun.”

Ken looked up to see Joe staring at them. He waved Joe over, and the man trudged over to Ken’s table. He wasn’t happy about it. However, he pretended great happiness at meeting Maggie. The three of them chatted amicably, and the time went swiftly. Joe gave her his address and phone number and asked her to come by any time after 3 PM on Thanksgiving Day. Finally, Maggie said that she had to leave.

Don’t worry about the check, Ken,” Joe said, “I’ve taken care of. t.”

“That was really nice of you, honey, but I’ll put it on my expense account and pay you back next payday,” Ken promised.

“You don’t have to. This is an auspicious occasion, and I want to celebrate with you.”

Ken was hoping that Maggie would think they were poor, or at least, middle-class. He didn’t care if she knew the truth about their wealth, but apparently Joe wanted to keep her in the dark.

Joe had the maître d’ call for a cab, and he deposited Maggie safely in the vehicle for her ride home. Ken was beaming with joy at having found a daughter, related to him by blood, and not adopted. He kept kissing Joe, who remained very suspicious.

Unknown to Ken, Joe instructed the waiter to bag a glass that Maggie had drunk from and mark it carefully. “Do the same thing with one of Ken’s glasses,” he instructed.

“What are you going to do with it?” the waiter asked.

“Test for DNA,” Joe answered him. “Something doesn’t ring true here.”