Christmas with the Franks Read online

  He looked accusingly at the old man.

  “We need to serve what our guests like, Dad. Not what we have on hand.”

  “Shut up, you moron!” the old man growled. “You don’t stand by your product. That’s always been your problem. Sausage has made our fortunes. It deserves your respect.”

  Teddy Junior was growing redder by the minute.

  “Sausage is going to be our downfall, old man, if you don’t fall in line with the times.”

  Amanda was looking frantic. She placed a hand over her husband’s arm, sending a silent message.

  “Over my dead body!” the old man screamed. “Frank Foods will not be selling that vegetarian nonsense.”

  Although there were four people between me and the old man, I could feel his angst. Amanda leaned forward and spoke in a mild tone.

  “Let’s not talk about business at the dinner table,” she said to the old man, widening her eyes.

  “Same old Ted,” Sophia spoke up from the other end of the table. “Crass as ever. Money hasn’t softened your edges at all.”

  “Call me what you want,” the old man sneered. “Don’t forget who pays your bills.”

  That should have shut the old woman up. She bristled with anger and jumped up in her seat.

  “You owe me much more than that, you cheat!”

  “Please, Grandma,” Julie said softly. “Please don’t fight. It’s Christmas.”

  A young kid seated next to Julie sniggered and dropped bits of sausage under the table. This short, squat young man was the scion of the Frank family.

  “Stop feeding the dog, Ryan,” Amanda snapped. “I told you to keep him out. We’ve got company.”

  “Why does Chorizo get to stay for dinner?” Ryan asked petulantly. “Dollar stays too.”

  Tony peered under the table, trying to spot the dog.

  “There’s danger lurking in these corners,” Madam Isadora spoke portentously. “Nothing good can come of fighting at the Christmas table.”

  “Your act doesn’t start until after dinner, Madam Isadora,” Amanda spoke primly.

  Isadora’s chin wobbled as she waved her hands in the air. She warned us about all kinds of doom that was going to fall on us. She was in character alright. Tony and I stared at our feet, trying not to giggle.

  “This is the grand party everyone talks about?” Tony whispered.

  “When do we start eating?” Pappa spoke up. “I am hungry.”

  The two old men looked at each other and cackled loudly. The Frankenstein snapped his fingers again and Chamberlain ushered in a couple of maids. They were carrying trays with bowls of soup. Everyone started lapping up the soup. It was a broth with chunks of sausage in it. The maids picked up the various trays of sausage and went around the table, serving everyone. There was a variety of bread on the table and bowls full of condiments like relish, mustard and some kind of fancy mayonnaise.

  I guessed we were pretty much on our own when it came to the sausage. I started making a big sandwich out of all the fixings.

  “Save room for dessert,” the old man called out, holding aloft a fork with a chunk of brat.

  I crossed my fingers and hoped it didn’t feature more sausage. Pappa wasn’t looking too happy but he munched on a sausage roll Motee Ba had fixed for him.

  The thin, bald man seated across from me burped loudly and excused himself. He cleared his throat and looked at me.

  “I beg your pardon. All this stress drives me nuts.”

  He buttered a piece of bread and took a small bite.

  “Frank Foods makes the best sausage in the country, you know. The old man has spunk, though, serving it for a Christmas dinner.”

  I nodded politely, wondering who this formally dressed nervous man was. His tall frame and brown eyes probably meant he wasn’t related to the Franks.

  “Have you met our Employee of the Year?” Ted Junior called out. “Meet William Derry, Meera. He’s one of our most intelligent workers.”

  The man called William Derry blushed, bowing his head at the old man.

  “Damn fool tradition if you ask me,” the old man grumbled. “He’s just doing his job, isn’t he? No need to waste more money on him. We already pay them too much.”

  “We pay them adequately,” Junior objected, “based on industry standards. Our employees deserve the best, Dad.”

  “Do they give us their best?” the old man demanded. “Tell me that.”

  He flung a finger at William Derry.

  “You! Tell me about it. Does every one of your coworkers put in the same effort every day at work?”

  “They don’t,” Ted Junior agreed. “That is why we are honoring Mr. Derry here. He has gone above and beyond in the line of duty. He has surpassed our expectations and exceeded all his targets.”

  “Why are you thinking of giving the company away then?” the old man boomed.

  Sophia Frank let out a gasp. All the guests at the table turned to look at her.

  “Is the business in trouble, Ted? Will I have to miss my annual cruise?”

  “You can go on your cruise, Mama,” Junior soothed. “The business is fine.”

  “Let’s not talk about business now,” Amanda reminded them again.

  She looked up at Chamberlain and gave a silent signal. Dessert was brought out. There were two kinds of pie and a six layer chocolate cake. I silently heaved a sigh of relief.

  My Dad had been quiet all this time but I had seen him steal a look at his watch a couple of times. This was so not his kind of crowd. He must be counting the minutes until we could take our leave and go home.

  The attractive man who had been standing close to Amanda earlier spoke for the first time.

  “So what do you get for being Employee of the Year? Other than the privilege of dining with the masters, that is. Any hard cash involved?”

  William Derry looked embarrassed.

  “There’s a small sum involved. We are very grateful. I am taking my girls to Disney in January.”

  “So at least a couple of thousand bucks?” the man persisted.

  William Derry hesitated.

  “How does it matter to you, Noah?” Ted Junior spoke up. “Leave the poor man alone. It’s not as if you are going to get off your bum and start working at the plant.”

  The man called Noah smiled lazily.

  “I just might. You never know.”

  The old man’s eyes gleamed as he pointed a bony finger at Noah.

  “It’s time you took your rightful place, boy. Maybe you can help me fight off those tree huggers.”

  “He knows nothing about the sausage business,” Ted Junior protested.

  Noah pulled at his ear and laughed out loud. He was having fun baiting Junior. I wasn’t sure how he was related to the Franks. Maybe Henry could enlighten me after dinner. I didn’t have to wait that long. She kicked me in a not too subtle way and whispered.

  “He’s the prodigal son.”

  I stared at her, astonished. Henry nodded and mouthed ‘later’. I was sure I would get the details after dinner.

  “Business can be taught,” the old man said, petting his cat. “Noah will never sell the business. You better watch out, Junior, or I’ll write you off.”

  Ted Junior turned as red as a candy cane.

  “Are you threatening me, Dad? After all I have done for the company?”

  “None of that matters if you are giving it away.”

  “A merger will benefit everyone,” Junior said, shaking his head. “You know that! It will help us increase profit.”

  “But Frank Foods won’t belong to us?” the old man whispered.

  “We’ll have partners,” Junior nodded. “Investors.”

  “Over my dead body!” the old man declared dramatically.

  He sprang up, as fast as someone his age could. He picked up Chorizo and tipped his head at Pappa. He started walking out of the room. My grandfather stood up and followed his friend, tapping his cane on the lush carpets.

  �
�More dessert?” Amanda asked, looking around the table.

  I admired her composure. She was doing her best to be the perfect hostess. A clap of thunder boomed outside and rattled the window panes.

  “The weather’s getting worse,” Motee Ba muttered. “We should get going.”

  “We have some entertainment planned for you,” Amanda told us. “Let’s head into the parlor.”

  “Can we have our fortunes told now?” Julie asked eagerly, jumping up to help her grandma Sophia.

  “This should be interesting,” Tony said under his breath.

  Henry Robinson stood up and clapped her hands.

  “Let’s see what you got, girl,” she said to Madam Isadora.

  Madam Isadora stood up and adjusted her robes. Then she almost floated out of the room, followed by the rest of us.

  Dinner hadn’t exactly been dull. But things were about to get more interesting.

  Chapter 3

  Old Theodore Frank reposed in front of the fire in a large wing chair that almost swallowed his tiny frame. Chorizo lay curled up in his lap. He stroked her fur as he spoke softly with Pappa. My Pappa was ensconced in another chair, tapping his cane as he gossiped with his friend. The two oldies were oblivious to the horde of people that had just come into the room.

  Madam Isadora settled into a straight backed chair in the centre of the room. A round table had been set up with a few chairs around it. The table held a glowing orb and a deck of cards.

  “Is that supposed to be a crystal ball?” I nudged Tony.

  Madam Isadora closed her eyes and muttered under her breath. Her eyes sprang open and she summoned Amanda.

  “There’s too much light here. The spirits don’t like it. I need candles.”

  “Let’s shoot some pool,” Noah said to the men.

  Ryan followed him. My Dad looked uncertain but he soon stepped behind them. Tony looked after them longingly.

  “Where are they off to?” he asked Amanda.

  “We have a game room at the end of the hall. Nothing much…just a pool table and a ping pong table. Why don’t you join them?”

  Tony didn’t spare me a look. He made tracks toward the game room followed by Julie.

  “Come with me,” Old Ted said to Pappa. “I want to show you something.”

  The two old men doddered along and went out.

  “They’ll be fine,” Amanda assured Motee Ba. “Dad’s study is right here on the first floor. He likes to show it off.”

  I looked around the room. The girl called Crystal was sitting on a sofa, filing her nails with great concentration. She looked bored. Henry sat on a chair right in front of Madam Isadora. Sophia Frank sat down next to Crystal.

  “The lights please…” Madam Isadora commanded.

  She had the air of someone who didn’t have any time to lose.

  Amanda sighed and called for Chamberlain. He came in with two hurricane lamps. A candle glowed in each of them. Chamberlain pulled some hidden switch and the room was plunged in semi-darkness. The two candles barely lit the cavernous space.

  Motee Ba nudged me toward a set of couches and we sat down.

  Henry clapped her hands loudly.

  “So tell me, what does my fortune say?”

  Henry’s sister Carl let out a small yelp. She’s silent most of the time and follows Henry around like a shadow. She looked frightened.

  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I opened them and looked around me with a fresh perspective. The atmosphere suddenly seemed eerie. The crystal orb glowed in the darkness and I wondered what kind of material it was made of. Madam Isadora moved her hands around it and the orb began to rotate around an invisible axis. Must be some kind of photo-electric switch, I reasoned. I gave full points to Madam Isadora. She was working hard to earn her fee.

  Madam Isadora peered into the orb and her eyes glowed red. I wondered how she rigged that. A swirling mist rose around her. I looked at Henry’s face. Henry Robinson is as tough as they come. There wasn’t an ounce of fear on her face but she was beginning to look intrigued.

  “I see a faraway land…” Madam Isadora hissed. “You will cross mountains and oceans before you find your true home.”

  Carl gasped. We all knew the sisters were planning to relocate to England in the coming year. Queen Isadora must have big ears.

  Henry snorted in a way only she can.

  “I could’ve told you that. Tell me something I don’t know.”

  Madam Isadora whirled her hands around the orb again, spinning it in first one direction, then the other.

  “That is all the spirits have for you tonight.”

  Amanda looked at me with a hint of a smile.

  “Do you want to go next, Meera?”

  I shrugged.

  “Sure, why not?”

  I sat down in the chair Henry had vacated. Madam Isadora closed her eyes and stretched her arms toward the ceiling. She waved them around a bit. A sheen of sweat appeared on her forehead.

  “You have a dark aura,” she began.

  Her hands moved toward the orb. It shone with a blinding light and began spinning like crazy. Then it went dark and smoke rose around Madam Isadora.

  “Danger!” she cried. “Something’s not right.”

  She stared at me wide eyed and I thought I saw genuine terror in her eyes.

  “How about a tarot reading then?” I cajoled. “Let’s see what the cards have to say.”

  Madam Isadora gulped and picked up the pack of cards. She began shuffling them but they slipped out of her hands and scattered on the table.

  “The cards are not ready,” she whispered.

  I wondered what had rattled the woman. I wasn’t going to be that hard on her.

  A flash of lightning lit the grounds outside and I thought I saw a figure walking away in the distance. I blinked for a moment and it was gone. Fat snowflakes fell rapidly and clung to the trees. I figured it must’ve been an illusion.

  “We should get going,” Motee Ba said to me. “The weather’s getting worse and it’s almost 9 PM. Why don’t you go get your grandpa?”

  I nodded and stood up. My Pappa gets really nervous in bad weather. It was time we headed home. I walked into the hall and started searching for old Ted’s office. I heard the tapping sound of Pappa’s cane and he came around the corner.

  “I was just coming to get you, Pappa.”

  “We need to leave, Meera. Where’s your father? The storm’s coming sooner than they predicted.”

  He followed it up with some choice comments about the weather department and how accurate they were.

  “I’ll go look for Dad and Tony,” I promised.

  I waited until I saw Pappa go into the parlor and sit next to Motee Ba. Then I followed the sound of the pool balls clacking against each other. Noah had lined up the eight ball and was about to take his shot.

  Dad greeted me with a look of relief.

  “We’re almost done here, Meera,” Tony said.

  Noah won the round and they did some weird handshake. Ryan and Noah slapped Tony on the back and shook hands with Dad. Julie asked me when she could come and meet me.

  We said goodbye and walked back to Motee Ba.

  “Drive safely,” Henry said. “We are right behind you.”

  “We have that four wheel drive,” Pappa told her. “We’ll be fine.”

  I looked around for Amanda. She had tried hard to make us feel welcome.

  A shot rang out, startling everyone.

  Chamberlain pursed his lips, the strongest reaction I had seen on his face all night. He had come over to see us out.

  “Poachers…” he muttered.

  Dad shook his head.

  “No one in his right mind will go poaching this late, Chamberlain. Not in this snow. This sounded much closer.”

  Ryan and Julie ran in just then, followed by Noah. Their faces were blanched white with shock.

  Julie burst into tears as Ryan exclaimed.

  “Someone shot Grandpa!”
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  “We know he had it coming,” Sophia snorted from a corner of the room.

  “He’s dead, Grandma,” Ryan screamed. “Grandpa’s dead!”

  Dad rushed out with Noah at his heels. They bumped into Teddy Junior who was standing inside a door, looking stunned. I peered over his head at the scene inside. The old man lay slumped on his desk, motionless. Noah stepped up to him and felt for a pulse. He shook his head.

  “Let’s call an ambulance,” Dad said.

  He walked out and dialed 911.

  I ushered Ted Junior and Noah out and closed the study door.

  “Don’t touch anything,” I told them. “This is a crime scene.”

  “What are you saying?” Ted Junior screamed. “He could still be alive. He needs our help.”

  “The ambulance is coming,” Dad said, hanging up his phone.

  Ted Junior kept vigil outside the door. Noah sat down on the floor next to him. I went back to the parlor with Dad.

  Pappa was looking dazed. Motee Ba sat next to him, stroking his back. I didn’t know what had happened to the Frankenstein. Maybe he was just injured. I was more worried about my grandpa.

  The time passed slowly. It was almost half an hour before the paramedics arrived. Julie sat in a corner, sobbing quietly. Ryan sat next to her, staring at the ceiling.

  Noah had been right. The paramedics were too late. The bullet had passed through old Theodore’s heart and killed him instantly.

  “Not much we can do here now,” they said. “We are short staffed and the creek is rising. We need to get away before we are stuck here.”

  Swan Creek is named after a little creek that dried up long ago. But once in a while, every ten or twenty years, it fills up and floods the area. The Frank estate was situated outside town across the creek. I worried about how we would get home.

  Pappa was thinking the same thing. He stood up and whirled his cane around.

  “We need to leave, Andy. Right now.”

  “No one’s going anywhere,” a familiar voice bellowed.

  Stan Miller walked in looking important. He rolled his eyes when he spotted us.

  “Patels! I should have guessed.”

  Stan Miller is not the brightest bulb in the stack. But he gets by. He had been my sworn enemy once. Now we had declared a truce. He had benefitted from it in a big way. He was almost getting used to me solving all his cases.