Leonardo, Section 2

Meanwhile,

back in Trenton



Janice glanced sideways at the forbidden door one more time. "May be he meant for me to see inside." She thought to herself. A silent streamer of pure sun edged through the sliver of open space.



Normally closed and locked by word and deed, Janice knew Leonard didn't want her in that room. She had never asked, but often wondered, and he had never volunteered any reason why this door alone must stay shut and locked at all times.



She glanced again, and went back to vacuuming the rugs. "Mister Leonard", as she insisted her son call him, kept a simple house. One or two rugs of Persian style, though they looked to have been bought third or fourth hand, a strict sofa and pair of straight backed chairs took up most of the living room. In one corner, probably the only new piece of furniture Mr. Leonard owned, was a decently expensive record player. Leonard had show her how to operate it; the few dials and knobs meant little to her. But the records he had seemed so strangely inviting that she would always play one when she worked at his house. The names weren't as common as Presley, Sedaka, or Nelson. Like many women her age, Presley had his allure but Janice tried to understand the selection of Vivaldi, Pavoratti, and Bach. After a while she just gave up picking and started from the right side and played one each day. All of the records were pushed into the rack, except the next one she hadn't listened to was just a fraction of an inch out. Surely Leonard wouldn't notice?



Keeping herself far from the open door, Janice played something labeled "The Year 1812, Festival Overture in E flat major". Janice thought Billy should hear this one; it seemed so alive! Or maybe it was just her today. Janice had felt extremely guilty when Billy burst in on her and Leonard, especially when it looked so...adult? Janice mused. Leonard had seemed so in control at that moment, and so close. She had thought about that closeness for a day or so, his aftershave mixed with a hint of oven cleaner gently layered on a freshly starched shirt.



Janice had given that afternoon some thought, and more than once her memory said Leonard was thinking about something he wasn't saying. The way he looked at Billy seemed so, fatherly? "Maybe he had a family and is divorced?" Janice thought to herself. "Or maybe he hasn't divorced, he's here so seldom that he might tell his wife he's away on business and then comes here for...for what?" Janice couldn't really think of what Leonard might stay in Trenton for. Heaven knew if she could find a way out she'd certainly go!



When Leonard had first moved onto their street, the neighborhood ladies had talked about the handsome stranger after Mass for several weeks. His rooms had a garage but he didn't have a car, and he was gone for several weeks every few months. What few pieces of furniture he had seemed to come from thrift shops around the city. She wasn't sure who did his buying, but they seemed to have some taste, if not high quality standards.



Then one day he had shown up on her stoop wearing a black suit, tie, and fedora. His accent was middle class, she had thought, though he really didn't seem like the heavy worker type. Not quite from the City, but definitely not from Trenton or anywhere close by! He had smiled at her. Before saying anything, he just smiled. Billy had been playing in the front yard and Leonard had nodded to the boy as one gentleman acknowledges another. And then he was at Janice's stoop, smiling!



"Mis'ess York?" He had said, as if she were the Lady of the manse. "Please forgive my intrusion on your time. I had inquired about finding someone trustworthy who could help keep my house clean. You come highly recommended! Would you have the time to add my small house to your schedule?"



Janice had graduated high school, thank you very much, and no one outside of old dead playwrights used words like 'intrusion' and 'inquired'. She half expected him to start talking in Latin like the old priest did but he smiled at her again, and he really seemed nice. Well, when you're trying to raise a son, pay the bills, and not have the sort of reputation a few of the other girls at the factory had, you took your smiles where you could get them.



It was a couple weeks of house-cleaning before Janice was given the key. Leonard, still "Mister Leonard" at the time, said he would be gone for an extended time but left enough money to cover. Of course, as nothing got messed up from one week to the next, Janice sometimes felt guilty about charging him full rate for less work.

He had explained it once, oddly enough right after he had come out of that very room and locked that very door. "Mis'ess York." He had said, even though she reminded him that she did have a valid first name. "Mis'ess York. A man finds friends he can trust and at that point money is not as important. I feel I can trust you to take care of my house, and that when I return everything will be exactly as I left it, except cleaner. That makes me very happy, and for that I insist on paying you full price. It is not what you don't do when I'm away, but what you do even though I'm gone that makes your work so valuable to me!"



She had thought about that a few times. While Leonard never really shirked from her or Billy, she had often wondered if he was one of those men who couldn't stand the slightest bit of dust. Some people, she knew from the few nursing classes she had taken before having to leave college to care for a newborn, some people developed phobias about dirt and dust. They would have positively choked in fear when Billy came home after that fight a few weeks ago. Blood and dirt and no telling what else!



Billy hadn't said what the fight was about, but Janice knew he had gotten the worst of it. Once the principle had mentioned to Janice that Billy seemed a bit...slow..."Maybe he would be better off in a special class that cared for those who have such a hard time in school?" The principal had asked. "My son is not slow, sir. We've had a hard life and his daddy doesn't pay what he's supposed to. That's all! You keep my son where he can learn the most and go to college! I will not have him treated like a...a..." Janice couldn't finish the sentence but had stomped out in fake rage before bursting out in tears.



Often she wondered about Billy; what he would be when he grew up, what sort of man he might become. Janice so wanted a father for him, one who would actually stick around and stay sober. One who would teach her son to be a gentleman.

Janice jumped when the guns went off! Looking around for broken glass and making sure she wasn't hurt, she jumped again when the second volley sounded. Then, wide eyed, she looked at the stereo as the sounds of cannon came from the record player. Giggling, catching her breath, she thought to herself "Billy must hear this one! Won't he be surprised that music has guns in it!"



Smiling, gently running her hand over the back of the sofa, Janice looked at the door. She wasn't sure what Mister Leonard wanted to stay hidden, but she felt strongly enough about him that his secrets were safe with her. She smiled, thinking of him. Thinking of his smile as in her mind he watched her stride over to the door and pull it shut.



There was just a small pang of regret, and Janice wondered yet again what was locked away in Leonard's house. Little did she know her world would turn upside down right as she stepped through the door in her own home.



Billy, struggling to not cry, angry, confused, just looked at her. "Mom...Mr. Leonard...he...". Splayed across the small kitchen table in front of him were several pictures, some official record, and a drawing. Billy's hand was wrapped in a hand towel, with spots of red showing through.



"Billy!" Janice gasped. "What have you done?"



"Mr. Leonard lets me put up his garden tools in his house, and I know where the back door key is. I had cut my hand on a piece of glass I dug up so I started to wash it off." Shrugging, sniffling a little, he said "I saw he had left the office door open and I wanted to see inside. I didn't break anything, honest! He has a lot of drawings and pictures and written stuff. And lots of books." Pointing to the table with his unblooded hand, Billy added. "And that's when I saw this. I didn't think it would hurt anything, but..."



The first thing she noticed were the photographs. There were half a dozen, all of the same beautiful woman. Taken in six different cities. There she was in Paris, the Eiffel Tower in the background. And then in Rome; Janice recognized the Trevi Fountain from the movies. She was in New York City, getting into a taxicab. She was on a beach, with signs behind her in Spanish – maybe Mexico? She was standing outside a house on a suburban street. And finally she was on a dock, next to a sailboat. She was blonde, she looked like she kept herself in good shape, and she was, Janice guessed, around her own age, although you could never tell for sure just from a photo.



The next thing she noticed was the letter. Dated last month and obviously in a female's script.



“L.

I think we’re going to be spending some time together in the near future. I’m looking forward to it. I haven’t told any of my friends about us. I assume you haven’t either. I don’t think anybody needs to know, do you?

Love,

A.

PS – Make sure to bring your winter clothes! You know how the weather can be where we’re going!”



"Well, that settled things." Janice thought to herself. But there was more. There was a copy of the girl’s college transcript. Her name was Alicia. She’d gone to Radcliffe – that meant she was rich, and probably snooty as hell, and her family went back to the Mayflower. And she’d gotten straight A’s. It was odd that Leonard had gone to the trouble of getting her transcript. And the photos reminded her of those “candid” pictures in the movie magazines, the ones that were taken from far away with one of those special lenses. Janice wondered if Leonard was spying on the girl. Maybe he suspected her of cheating on him? Maybe he’d hired a private investigator? Maybe he was a private investigator? That would explain quite a bit, Janice decided.



But it wouldn't explain the drawing, she reminded herself. It was the woman in the pictures, smiling, holding two infants. You could tell it was her; the same full bodied hair, the same strong eyes. Janice didn't know where the drawing came from, nor did she know how the woman kept such a figure after giving birth to twins. Janice didn't know how to undo this mess since she had just closed the door that was always locked...



Slowly, mechanically, Janice gathered all the evidence. Leonard had appreciated her work, he had commented on how well she stocked his pantry and how nicely everything was arranged. He had commented on her lasagne and how he thought it must be close to the real thing. Whatever that was. "Billy." She said. "You will have to apologize to Mr. Leonard when he gets back. This is none of our business, son."



"But he likes you mom! And you like him! I've seen the way you two look at each other!"



"Billy, Mr. Leonard has his private life, and I doubt this woman, whoever she is, will bother with us on Weber street and I doubt she cares how Mr. Leonard and I talk."



"But she does, mom. I saw her. I TALKED to her!"



Janice froze. "You..."



"The other week when I got beat up by Johnny Morton, she stopped by Mr. Leonard's house and asked if he were there. She said not to mention it 'cause it was going to be a surprise."



"When did you get beat up by Johnny Morton? Why didn't you mention this before?"



"Aw mom! She said her name was...Alice...no...Alicia. She gave me a neat way to get even with Johnny Morton and it worked! The principal was so red faced and he gave Johnny a whoopin' like no one else!"



Gaping for a moment, Janice eyes became moist. "Billy, please, go do your studies." Waving him off, she sat down with the papers and bit her lip to keep from letting him see how she felt. "Please Billy, go on to your room."