Post by Jordanna on Feb 23, 2006 20:30:44 GMT -5
The week that followed Caroline Rosenstein's death was long and difficult.
Within a few days of his wife's death, Sid managed to pull himself together, at least outwardly. He took an active role in Alex and Daws' meetings with Henry Casselton--ostensibly to make the funeral arrangements, but to this small group who knew the truth, there was a far more significant undertone. Informed of all the facts by Alex, Sid had taken them quietly, but he made it clear that he would not surrender his stake in their fight against his wife's murderer.
For Alex, giving support to Sid was the least of his work. He was staying at the Rosenstein home to help comfort and care for the children, and in his compassionately helpful way, he had settled into doing much of the work of a housewife. Between soothing crying jags and cooking meals, he also took it upon himself to check in regularly at the Paragon Club, which was temporarily under the charge of stage manager Marty Stringer. Sid would not return to work until after the funeral. Even Alex could not bear the thought of performing again until Caroline was laid to rest, but he felt a need to appear to the employees now and then, as sort of an extension of Sid.
For Miriam Van Linden, the days were hard in a very different way. A fugitive, hidden away in Henry's house, she had nothing to do except read the books in his study... and wait. Henry told her very little about what was said in his meetings with Daws, Alex, and Sid, frustrating her further.
On the day Caroline's viewing was to be held, Miriam asked Henry to take her with him to the mortuary, but he insisted she remain safely concealed. She tried sincerely to accept his well-meaning command, and for most of the day, she applied herself to reading one of his ponderous volumes on egyptology--but her restlessness only increased as the hours passed.
Finally, in the late afternoon, she took an idea into her head. Although she knew it would horrify Henry, she decided to act on it anyway. After locating a phone book, she sat down at the desk to make a call.
A nasal-voiced older man answered the phone distractedly. "Paragon Club."
"Hello..." Miriam spoke in a low tone, an unconscious attempt to disguise her voice. "I'd like to speak to Alex Malone, if I may."
"Yeah, he's here. Who'll I say is calling?"
"Um..." Miriam's mind raced; she tried to think of the name of Sid Rosenstein's older daughter, but she realized Henry had never told her.
Before she could come up with anything, the man on the phone apparently took her reluctance in a different light. A wry chuckle came over the line.
"Well, never mind. I get the picture... Hang on, I'll get him." As the voice retreated from the phone, Miriam heard an added remark of, "That Foxy--and behind our backs, too!"
Equally relieved and embarrassed, Miriam waited. After a few moments, a voice she recognized from their one meeting as Alex Malone's picked up the line--sounding slightly wary and confused. Miriam could only imagine what the other man had hinted at when informing him of the call.
"Alex Malone speaking...?" It was almost more of a question than a statement.
"Mr. Malone, this is--" Miriam paused, then went on carefully, "This is the Doctor."
A slight noise of surprise preceded Malone's reply. "Huh? What are you--?" Then he cut himself off in turn, and Miriam got the impression there were scandalously curious bystanders on his end as he continued in a lower, mildly aggrieved tone of voice. "Now, look, you know you shouldn't call me here, doll."
Blushing, Miriam forged ahead. "I know. But I need your help. I want to be there tonight, to talk to you all after the viewing--but Henry refused to take me with him this morning. I thought you might be able to pick me up."
From the few beats of silence that passed before his reply, it was obvious what a colossally bad idea he thought that was.
"Oh... oh, I don't think I can do that, sugar. You know how it is."
"If you don't take me, I'll try to get there on my own," Miriam replied matter-of-factly.
A slight huff escaped from Malone. "Well... I'll see what I can do."
"Good." Feeling self-satisfied, Miriam gave him Henry's address. Then she purred sarcastically, "I'll see you soon, sugar."
The entertainer forced out a weak chuckle, and ended the call.
As soon as she had hung up, Miriam felt a swift stab of guilt for the position she had placed Malone in, but there was nothing she could do about it now. With a sigh, she returned to Henry's egyptology book, and proceeded to wait.
Within a few days of his wife's death, Sid managed to pull himself together, at least outwardly. He took an active role in Alex and Daws' meetings with Henry Casselton--ostensibly to make the funeral arrangements, but to this small group who knew the truth, there was a far more significant undertone. Informed of all the facts by Alex, Sid had taken them quietly, but he made it clear that he would not surrender his stake in their fight against his wife's murderer.
For Alex, giving support to Sid was the least of his work. He was staying at the Rosenstein home to help comfort and care for the children, and in his compassionately helpful way, he had settled into doing much of the work of a housewife. Between soothing crying jags and cooking meals, he also took it upon himself to check in regularly at the Paragon Club, which was temporarily under the charge of stage manager Marty Stringer. Sid would not return to work until after the funeral. Even Alex could not bear the thought of performing again until Caroline was laid to rest, but he felt a need to appear to the employees now and then, as sort of an extension of Sid.
For Miriam Van Linden, the days were hard in a very different way. A fugitive, hidden away in Henry's house, she had nothing to do except read the books in his study... and wait. Henry told her very little about what was said in his meetings with Daws, Alex, and Sid, frustrating her further.
On the day Caroline's viewing was to be held, Miriam asked Henry to take her with him to the mortuary, but he insisted she remain safely concealed. She tried sincerely to accept his well-meaning command, and for most of the day, she applied herself to reading one of his ponderous volumes on egyptology--but her restlessness only increased as the hours passed.
Finally, in the late afternoon, she took an idea into her head. Although she knew it would horrify Henry, she decided to act on it anyway. After locating a phone book, she sat down at the desk to make a call.
A nasal-voiced older man answered the phone distractedly. "Paragon Club."
"Hello..." Miriam spoke in a low tone, an unconscious attempt to disguise her voice. "I'd like to speak to Alex Malone, if I may."
"Yeah, he's here. Who'll I say is calling?"
"Um..." Miriam's mind raced; she tried to think of the name of Sid Rosenstein's older daughter, but she realized Henry had never told her.
Before she could come up with anything, the man on the phone apparently took her reluctance in a different light. A wry chuckle came over the line.
"Well, never mind. I get the picture... Hang on, I'll get him." As the voice retreated from the phone, Miriam heard an added remark of, "That Foxy--and behind our backs, too!"
Equally relieved and embarrassed, Miriam waited. After a few moments, a voice she recognized from their one meeting as Alex Malone's picked up the line--sounding slightly wary and confused. Miriam could only imagine what the other man had hinted at when informing him of the call.
"Alex Malone speaking...?" It was almost more of a question than a statement.
"Mr. Malone, this is--" Miriam paused, then went on carefully, "This is the Doctor."
A slight noise of surprise preceded Malone's reply. "Huh? What are you--?" Then he cut himself off in turn, and Miriam got the impression there were scandalously curious bystanders on his end as he continued in a lower, mildly aggrieved tone of voice. "Now, look, you know you shouldn't call me here, doll."
Blushing, Miriam forged ahead. "I know. But I need your help. I want to be there tonight, to talk to you all after the viewing--but Henry refused to take me with him this morning. I thought you might be able to pick me up."
From the few beats of silence that passed before his reply, it was obvious what a colossally bad idea he thought that was.
"Oh... oh, I don't think I can do that, sugar. You know how it is."
"If you don't take me, I'll try to get there on my own," Miriam replied matter-of-factly.
A slight huff escaped from Malone. "Well... I'll see what I can do."
"Good." Feeling self-satisfied, Miriam gave him Henry's address. Then she purred sarcastically, "I'll see you soon, sugar."
The entertainer forced out a weak chuckle, and ended the call.
As soon as she had hung up, Miriam felt a swift stab of guilt for the position she had placed Malone in, but there was nothing she could do about it now. With a sigh, she returned to Henry's egyptology book, and proceeded to wait.