Chapter 8.  Death and Conception

 

Grandma Berkmann died on schedule.  The Flare sugar worked.  She went to sleep on Thursday night, seven days after Vic fed her the fatal dose, never to awaken.  The nursing home staff was shocked.  Grandma had become their success story.  She had been getting better fast, but suddenly, she was gone.  “Heart failure”, the Doctor said.  He could find no other cause of death.  She was the best looking, 84 year old corpse he had ever seen, but her heart had quit pumping during the night.  “Her skin is amazing.  It seems to radiate light!” he noted.

 

Sonja Berkmann had been a founding member of Solid  Rock Fellowship in West St. Louis County.  Per her wishes, LeClaire Funeral Home arranged to have a Visitation wake for her in the large Sanctuary of her Church on Monday evening.  Her Funeral Service and Burial were scheduled for Tuesday Morning.

 

The Project team learned of the death early Friday.  Vic left a note, on their common calendar, indicating he would be tied up until Wednesday with Funeral proceedings and family activities.  Dr. Angelo came into the team office, saying, “I know we’re just getting acquainted with Vic, but I think it best that we be supportive.  Miriam, will you select a nice condolence card we can all sign.  I’ll order a bouquet, and we’ll send the card and flowers to the Funeral Director.”

 

Miriam responded, “Certainly.”

 

“And, Miriam, since I live so close to your dorm, maybe I could pick you up about 5:30 Monday evening, and we could go to the Visitation together.  OK?”

 

“Sure,” Miriam agreed.

 

“Dan, it’s up to you about the Visitation.  Don’t feel compelled to go, but it would be a nice gesture.”

 

Dan replied, “Sounds like a good idea to me.  I live out that way.  It won’t be inconvenient.”

 

...

Monday evening, Vic joined his family in the Church Sanctuary.  He had been there many times.  His parents were not Church-goers, but when he was young, he often spent weekends with Grandma and Grandpa Berkmann, and they always brought him to this Church on Sunday mornings.  And, almost every Easter, Vic’s family had joined Grandma for the morning service. 

 

Before the doors were opened to visitors, the Funeral Director, Baxter LeClaire, called the family to the casket to view the deceased.  Vic was  awed by Grandma’s glowing complexion.  He had not anticipated that Flare would produce such a striking effect.  He said nothing.  He didn’t want to link himself to anything related to Grandma’s death.  Secretly, he congratulated himself, “Grandma looks so much better lying here than she looked in the nursing home.  I’ve freed her from her debilitated body.”

Vic’s Mom and Aunt Maggie, Grandma’s younger sister, couldn’t say enough about how nice Grandma looked.  Mom said, “She was making such a dramatic recovery during this past week.  I thought she might even be able to return home.  Vic, do you see why I wanted you to come?  Doesn’t she look well?”  Vic agreed.  Vic’s Dad remained stoic.  He didn’t want to be around death.  He didn’t even want to contemplate it.  He was there to do his duty as Grandma’s son-in-law.

 

Mr. LeClaire formed the family into a condolence line.  He placed Vic’s Mom at the head of the casket; his Dad, at the other end.  Next, came Vic  and Aunt Maggie.  Visitors were directed to pass from Aunt Maggie, on the right end of the line, to Vic’s Mom on the left.

 

Dr. Angelo and Miriam arrived about 6 o’clock.  As they approached the Visitor Registration Desk, Miriam was surprised to see Shelly Ruskin signing in.  As Miriam added her signature, she called out, “Shelly, I didn’t expect to see you here.  We’re always racing past each other at the dorm, but I never get to visit with you.  My, you look nice in that dress.”

 

“Thanks,” Shelly responded. “As always, you look great.  Mrs. Berkmann was my boyfriend’s Grandmother.  I thought I should come to support Vic.”

 

It took Miriam a few seconds to digest what Shelly had just said.  Vic had never mentioned her at the office.  Suddenly, it was clear, he was in love with Shelly.  With an approving smile, Miriam said, “How sweet of you!  We’re here for Vic, too.”  She tugged on Dr. Angelo’s sleeve to draw him into the conversation and said, “Doctor, this is Shelly Ruskin.  She has a room on the same floor as me at the dorm.  Shelly, this is Dr. Angelo.  He heads up the new Strings Project at the University.  Vic’s part of our research team.  I didn’t know you and he were dating.”

 

“So, you’re Vic’s girlfriend,” Dr. Angelo interposed with a pleasant smile and a firm handshake.  “It’s nice to meet you.”

 

“Yes,” Shelly responded, “we’ve been dating for months, seriously.”

 

The turnout for the Visitation was large, so the girls chatted about life at Browning Hall, advancing slowly.  Vic was troubled when he saw them coming.  The girl he planned to dump was conversing with the one he wished to captivate.  He stiffened his mind and his body.

 

Shelly introduced herself to Aunt Maggie, and then, while Miriam and Dr. Angelo followed suit, she gracefully pivoted to Vic.  She rose up on her toes and pulled Vic’s head down to give him a firm kiss.  Then, she whispered in his ear, emphatically, “We need to talk, soon!  I’m pregnant!”

 

Vic was discombobulated.  Intellectually, he knew no one but himself had heard Shelly’s words, but emotionally, he felt like the whole world had heard her scream, “I’m pregnant!”  Desperately, he wanted  to keep this information secret.  To win Shelly’s compliance, he knew he must feign happiness.  Thinking fast, he forced a grin and said, “Wow!  Let’s go out in the hall to talk about that.  But first, let me introduce you to my parents.” 

 

Vic dragged his Dad and Shelly over near Mom, and away from Miriam, and said, “Dad ... Mom, this is my girlfriend, Shelly Ruskin.”

 

Mom brightened and, displaying a warm smile, she responded, “My, Shelly, you’re such a beautiful, young lady.  I hope Vic is treating you well.  Thanks for coming out to support us.”

 

Shelly answered, “I know Vic loved his Grandma.  I thought I should come.”

 

Vic cut the conversation off, “Shelly, I need to introduce my parents to Miriam and Dr. Angelo.  Wait in one of the pews over there, and in a few minutes, we can talk.”

 

Shelly was meekly obedient, but Vic’s mind was careening, “How humiliating ... Did Miriam see the kiss? ... What’s Dr. Angelo thinking? ... Did Shelly forget to take her pills? ... She’s got to have an abortion! ... I don’t want to marry her, I want to dump her ... This could mess up my career!”

 

As an actor resuming his princely role, Vic turned to Miriam and Dr. Angelo, thanked them for coming, and introduced them to his parents.  Miriam’s  majestic demeanor caused Vic to vehemently wish that Shelly was out of his life.  Then, he would be proudly introducing Miriam to his parents as his girlfriend.  As she strolled away, he came back to reality.  He raced to Shelly’s side and escorted her to a dark hall that branched off from the main entrance lobby. 

 

“Does anyone know?” Vic demanded.

 

“No,” Shelly said, “I wanted you to be the first to know.”

 

“So, how do you know you’re pregnant?” Vic asked.

 

“When I skipped a period, I bought one of those self-test kits.  It was positive.  Aren’t you happy about this?” she asked as she gazed into his eyes.

 

Vic knew he must hide his true feelings.  He caressed her intimately, pressing her lithe body to his and giving her a deep kiss.  She relaxed in his arms.  Then, he lied, “I’m happy, very happy, but I’m overwhelmed!  I don’t know what to think.  Listen, I have to finish up here.  Why don’t you go back to the dorm and get into some comfortable clothes.  I’ll call you when I leave here, and we’ll meet at my place.  I’ll bring our favorite pizza and a nice wine.  We’ll think this through and wash our worries away with intimacies.”  Vic presumed he would be able to talk her into an abortion in the quiet of his bedroom.

 

“OK,” Shelly whispered.  “I want this baby to be the cement that binds us together, forever, Vic.”

 

Vic’s heart sank.  Somehow, he had to soften her up and get her to see things his way.  He wrapped his arms around her again, squeezed her tightly, and whispered, “We’ll make it all right, but promise me you won’t tell anyone our secret till we have solidified our plans.”

 

“OK,” Shelly said as she melted into his embrace.  She offered her beautiful, smiling face to Vic, and they shared a tender kiss.  “I’ll be waiting for your call,” she voiced as she walked toward the Church entrance.

 

The kisses had been seen by a surprised observer.  As Dan Diederman was waiting in line to sign the Visitor Register, he had glanced down the dark, side hall, and, with his extraordinary vision, he had seen Vic and Shelly.  The scene was so intimate that he wondered why Vic was chasing Miriam.  He seemed to be deeply involved with the girl in his arms.  Dan watched as she walked toward himself and slipped out the door.  He shrugged his shoulders and moved along with the other visitors.

 

...

Meanwhile, the Doctor was taking Miriam back to her dorm.  “Were you as nonplused as me back there?” the Doctor asked. 

 

“Yes,” said Miriam, “I had no idea that Vic had a serious girlfriend, and I was awed by the appearance of the deceased.  I’ve never seen a dead person look so alive.”

 

“My exact thoughts,” said Dr. Angelo.  “But, we’re just getting to know Vic, and maybe that Funeral Director has invented a new ointment ... a better way to present his clients.  What do you think of our team, so far?”

 

“Oh ... there’s no doubt the fellows are both handsome and brilliant.  But, they’re so-o-o different.  Vic seems to be full of secrets, and he’s hard to read.  Dan is an open book.  It’s nice to sit with him in Sunday School, and he seems to like the Church.  He says he comes to hear me fiddle.”  Miriam giggled.

 

“My guess is that he likes the fiddler even more than he likes the sound of her fiddle,” the Doctor said.

 

“Do you think so?” Miriam asked.  “I hope so.”

 

“Well, if not,” the Doctor continued, “there are many other guys at the Church who are showing an interest in you.”

 

...

Back at the Visitation, just ahead of Dan, was an intriguing couple.  He didn’t know them, but they were an interesting pair.  She was Nurse Edith Kilmaury from Grandma’s nursing home; he was her very recent romantic interest, Sam Moreno.  Sam was a stocky, powerfully built man.  He seemed to be on alert, as he surveyed the surroundings.  His countenance suggested a Mexican heritage.  A welcoming smile decorated his face.

As Dan was consoling Aunt Maggie, he listened to Edith visiting with Vic.

 

“Edith, thanks for coming out to support us.  You were such a blessing to Grandma while she was in the nursing home,” Vic began.  He wondered who the husky fellow with her was, since she had been so flirty the last time he visited the nursing home.

 

“Well, Vic, sorry for your loss.  My staff fell in love with Sonja and your family as we got to know you.  Vic, this is Sam Moreno, my new friend, he heard me say so much about your Grandma that he wanted to escort me to this Visitation.  Sam is a detective with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, so, I feel especially safe when I’m with him,” Edith concluded with a grin.

 

A few more words and Edith and Sam moved on to console Vic’s parents.  Vic thanked Dan for coming out.  He mentioned that Miriam and Dr. Angelo had preceded him.  Then, Vic introduced Dan to his parents.  Normally, Dan averted his eyes from viewing corpses in caskets, but as he was exchanging pleasantries with Mr. and Mrs. Bobreaux, his eyes were drawn to Mrs. Berkmann.  The aura radiating from her body was eye-catching.  She seemed to be much younger than he expected.  He tried not to show his amazement.  As a stranger to the family, he felt it best to keep his thoughts to himself.

 

As Dan left the Church, he couldn’t get two thoughts out of his mind, “‘Who was Vic’s intimate girlfriend?’ and ‘How could a corpse look that well?’ ... especially since Vic had said his Grandma was in a dire condition.”

 

Edith and Sam lingered longer than Dan.  Sam knew the Funeral Director quite well.  They had cooperated on many investigations over the years.  Sam spotted Baxter LeClaire in one corner of the Sanctuary.  He steered Edith in that direction.  When they were close enough, Sam spoke, “Baxter, you must have come up with some new lotion for your clients.  How did you get Mrs. Berkmann to look so healthy and young?”

 

Baxter smiled, “You know, she came in the door looking like that.  The embalmer called me to the lab when she arrived.  He was amazed at her complexion.  She looked too healthy to be dead.”

 

Edith interrupted, “I was on the other end of this.  I and my staff were startled when we found her dead.  For a week prior to her death, she showed tremendous improvement.  Then, she died.  Sam, Sonja Berkmann looked like that as she was being removed from the nursing home to Mr. LeClaire’s funeral home.  I saw it with my own eyes.”

 

Baxter replied, “Never before have I received so many compliments on the way a deceased client appeared in her casket.  It is unique.”

 

“It’s one for the record books,” Sam added.

 

At 8 o’clock, the Church doors were closed.  As soon as he could, Vic headed for his rendezvous with Shelly.  He signaled her with loving words and began gathering the delicacies for his attempt at “friendly persuasion”.  “Her favorite pizza, her favorite wine, a passionate romp with her favorite lover, and she’ll see it my way,” Vic bragged to himself.  “Abortion is the answer.  Then, I’ll drop Shelly and corral Miriam.”

 

But, even after all that, as Shelly lay cuddled in Vic’s arms, she whispered, “Vic, I can’t murder our baby.  Think what a wondrous child he or she will be.  We’re both attractive.  We’re both intelligent.  We’re both athletic.  Our child will be a marvel.”

 

“It’s not a baby ... not for nine months.  We can have children later, after we finish our degrees.  Look, an abortion is a simple procedure.  In a few minutes, it will solve our problem.  I can’t have a baby out of wedlock.  Dr. Angelo is a strict Christian.  He might dump me from the research team.”

 

“It is a baby ... a wonderful baby.  I’m going to have it.  I’m going to raise it,” Shelly affirmed.  “If you truly love me, you’ll marry me.  We can do it quickly.  We can elope to Vegas.  If you won’t marry me, I’ll be heartbroken, but I’ll go it alone.”

 

Vic knew he was in a tight box.  If he refused her notion, when she began to show, word would leak out that he was the father.  That could spoil his career with Dr. Angelo.  For sure, it would end any chance of his winning Miriam.  He had to comply or ... at least seem to comply.

 

His mind turned dark.  Prompted by the evil spirits dwelling in him, he considered the use of Flare.  “Since Shelly says she will be miserable without me, Flare is the perfect solution,” he reasoned.  “One dose of Flare and she’ll never be unhappy ... there will never be a child!  With her and the baby out of the way, I’ll win Miriam and save my career ... And, fortunately, I’ll be out of town for a week.  Shelly will be dead before I return.  No one will be able to point a finger at me.”

 

The cleverness of his evil plot excited him.  Quickly, he began to implement his “perfect” solution.  “That’s a great idea,” he mouthed, cheerfully.  “But, we can’t do it this weekend.  I’m leaving for a symposium in Aspen, Wednesday, and I’ll be gone for a week.  Why don’t you get ready, while I’m gone, and the following weekend we’ll fly away to Vegas, and you will be ... ta dah ... Mrs. Victor Bobreaux.”

 

“Is that a proposal?” she squealed, clapping her hands together.

 

“You bet!” said Vic.  “Wait here.  I’ll be right back with two glasses of wine.  We’ll toast our glorious future together.”

While Shelly stretched out on the king-size bed, dreaming of her bright future, Vic located the Flare shaker and sprinkled the sugar into her glass of wine.  Carefully, he held his glass in his right hand and hers in his left.  He hurried back to her.  As he handed her the Flare glass, he said, “Here, sit up now, for this toast to count, both of us must swig the whole drink in one gulp.”  She arose and held her glass high, grinning, as Vic continued, “To the wife of my dreams and the fruit of her womb, I pledge my ardent love, forever.”

 

Vic and Shelly clicked their glasses, threw back their heads and gulped the last drinks they would ever share.  Vic shouted, “Yahoo”, as he set the glasses on his dresser.  His problem was solved; he was truly happy.

 

Then, he surprised Shelly.  Laughing, he took her left hand and drug her into his commodious shower.  “There’s room for two,” he said, as he turned on the water and playfully began splashing Shelly.  She was giggling, too.  She had no idea why Vic kept sprinkling her face with water.  He knew.  He wanted to get any traces of Flare off her lips before she kissed him again.  She was thrilled to see him so happy and playful.  When the showering ended, before he lay down to sleep, Vic took the wine glasses to the kitchen and dropped them in the plastic-lined waste-basket.  He washed his hands, thoroughly.  Finally, he felt safe.  Flare would not do him in.