‘Dick gave me fifty bucks,’ Terry went on. ‘So it won’t cost you anything and I can do with the money.’
‘I want a cup of coffee,’ Helga said. ‘Can you make coffee?’
‘Oh, sure.’
Terry got to her feet, looked around and without being told, made her way into the kitchen.
Helga smoked two cigarettes. Goddamn it! she thought. So I sleep alone again tonight! A broken arm! You don’t take a boy with a broken arm into your bed. So again she must wait! Her fists clenched. Would there ever be an end to this eternal waiting?
Terry came into the living room with a pot of coffee, cup and saucer, sugar and cream on a tray. She set the tray on a table close to Helga.
‘That machine you were using for coffee,’ she said, ‘is for making tea.’
Helga felt a moment of inferior complex which she immediately shook off.
‘Oh? Who uses a machine to make tea for God’s sake?’
Saying nothing, Terry returned to the kitchen. Helga heard her beginning to clean up.
The coffee was excellent, just as good as Hinkle made for her. She drank two cups, then getting to her feet, she went into the kitchen. Terry had already cleaned the stove and was now washing the stains from the wall.
‘What is your name?’ Helga asked although she already knew.
‘Terry Shields.’ The girl didn’t pause as she rinsed a cloth in the sink.
‘All right, Terry, until Dick is well enough you can work here.’
Terry paused and looked directly at Helga who wished some kind of expression would light up the girl’s face, but the expression remained wooden.
‘Okay. Do you want me to cook?’
‘Can you cook?’
‘Most women can, can’t they?’
‘I will be lunching out every day,’ Helga said preferring to ignore what the girl had said. ‘I would like dinner: nothing elaborate.’
‘Do you want to eat this junk in the cupboard?’
Helga stared at her.
‘Junk?’
‘These “Heat and eat” packs.’
‘What’s the matter with them?’ Helga demanded, now angry.
‘Please yourself.’ Terry shrugged and she scraped the rest of the goulash from the saucepan into the trash bin. ‘If you want me to cook for you, give me some money to buy decent food.’
After a moment’s hesitation, Helga went into the living room, found her purse, took from it four fifty-dollar bills and returning to the kitchen put the bills on the kitchen table.
‘Go ahead. I’m going out now. You don’t have to stay here all day. Fix the place and come back to cook dinner tonight. I like to eat at eight-thirty.’
‘Okay.’
Helga felt this was the moment to exert her authority.
‘I would prefer you to say, “Yes, Mrs. Rolfe,” instead of “Okay”.’
‘Okay, Mrs. Rolfe.’ Terry looked at the four fifty-dollar bills. ‘Do you want to feed an army?’ She flicked aside three of the bills. ‘Fifty is enough.’
Helga picked up the remaining bills, feeling irritated.
‘You seem competent, Terry.’
‘If I had your money, I wouldn’t need to be,’ the girl said and began to clean one of the saucepans.
Helga stared at her, then, as the girl paid her no attention, she went upstairs, changed into a green linen dress, took a beach bag with a wrap and a bikini in it and returned to living room.
‘I will be back about six,’ she said. ‘Lock up, please. I have a duplicate key. I expect you here around seven.’
‘Okay, Mrs. Rolfe. Rest easy. I won’t steal anything.’
‘You will stop being insolent if you want to continue to work for me!’ Helga snapped. ‘I don’t expect you to steal anything!’
Terry looked at her, her face expressionless.
‘You won’t be surprised, Mrs. Rolfe,’ and she moved by Helga and went up the stairs to the bedroom.
For a long moment, Helga stood motionless, then with an impatient shrug, she went to the garage and started the Mini. As she drove to the Diamond Beach hotel, she considered the new situation.
Dick out of action and now this girl. She had to admit the girl intrigued her. From her she might learn more about Dick and she wanted to know more about him. She realized to her surprise that her sexual need had faded. She was lonely. This girl could provide a stop-gap until Dick was well enough to come to bed.
Her bags, carefully packed, were in the hotel’s lobby. She paid her cheque, shook hands with the hotel manager, lavishly tipped the Hall porter and then accompanied by smiles and bows, she drove back towards the Blue Heron villa. She would unpack, she told herself, then drive to the Ocean Beach club and become a member. She just couldn’t go on living here without company. From the club’s brochure she had read in the hotel the club offered everything to pass time: there was a casino, a swimming pool, tennis, golf, dancing, bridge and high speed motorboats to hire.
The traffic was heavy and she was forced to crawl along the main sea road, but she was relaxed and didn’t mind. Passing a big Self-service store, she saw Dick’s mother standing at the bus stop, two big shopping bags at her feet.
Helga swerved into the bus stop and pulled up.
‘Hello, Mrs. Jones,’ she called. ‘Can I give you a ride?’
The big fat woman’s face broke into a beaming smile.
‘That’s a little car, ma’am and I guess I’m a big woman.’
She came up to the car, leaning forward smiling at Helga.
‘We’ll manage.’
Helga opened the off side door.
Mrs. Jones heaved her two shopping bags on to the back seat, then laboriously climbed into the front seat. The car sagged a little. As she closed the door, Mrs. Jones said, ‘That’s real nice of you, ma’am. Not many folk stop to give a lift. I guess my dogs are giving me gyp this morning.’
Dogs? Helga thought. Feet?
‘My son has been telling me about your place, ma’am,’ Mrs. Jones went on. ‘He says it is fine and big and splendid. I told him he was a lucky boy to have a room like that.’ She looked searchingly at Helga. ‘Ma’am, I hope he is taking proper care of you. I told him he has to be conscientious. This is a chance of a lifetime, I told him. He knows. My boy is no fool. He knows when he is well off.’
Helga’s mind raced.
‘So he likes his room?’ she said. ‘I’m so glad.’
‘Yes, ma’am. He described it. He even has a T.V. set.’
‘He only began working this morning,’ Helga said, fishing for information.
‘That’s right, but you remember, ma’am, he came to see you yesterday evening. He came right back to me and told me all about it. I thought he would stay home with me while he worked for you, but he explained you needed someone around all the time.’
‘I have friends who visit me,’ Helga said. ‘Dick will be helpful.’
‘That I can see, ma’am.’ Mrs. Jones nodded. ‘It’s a fine chance for him.’
Helga’s face was expressionless as she said, ‘I would like your advice, Mrs. Jones. Dick did mention a girlfriend... Terry Shields. He suggested she might also help in the villa.’
For a brief moment, she took her eyes off the traffic and looked searchingly at the big, fat woman at her side. She saw the dark face become set and a heavy frown creased the forehead.
‘That girl? A no-good white trash!’ Mrs. Jones snapped. ‘You have nothing to do with her, ma’am. Dick’s a good boy, but he’s sort of crazy in the head about this no-good girl. You keep him working, ma’am. You see he doesn’t have too much free time. If he does, he’ll go running after this no-good girl.’
‘What makes you think she is no-good, Mrs. Jones?’
‘If you had kids, ma’am, if you were a mother, ma’am, you would know what is a good girl and what is a no-good girl. I know. I’ve seen her. She’s no-good.’
‘You saw Dick last night?’