Chapter 94

When my sister answered I asked, "Are you somewhere you can safely sit for five minutes?"

"I'm in my car parked by the Sherman Oaks Galleria. The motor is off."

"I want you to talk to someone here with me."

"Who?"

"Do you remember a classmate of mine who called you for a long time after I disappeared attempting to get in touch with me?"

"Donna somebody. She just about drove me crazy."

"I'm about to ask her to marry me and I wanted you two to talk." I handed the phone to Donna. Neither woman talked. They both cried for a couple minutes and then I hung up. Donna used four or five tissues and when she stopped I knelt in front of her and said, "Pick the spot, the date and the time when you can make me the happiest man alive. On that spot, on that date and that moment, will you marry me?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!"

"Will you quit your job, give up your lovely apartment and live with me at the beach?"

"Yes! Nick, Yes!"

"Will you help me shop for a ring?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!"

"May I make slow love to you in this bed tonight? Wake up with you in this bed tomorrow morning and have you make breakfast for us?"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

"Ok. I'm set."

"Will you love me every day for the rest of my life?" Her voice quivered as she asked.

"Or a thousand years, whichever comes last."

"Will you protect me, care for me, back me up?"

"Yes, Yes, yes!"

"Ok. I'm set."

"Since you're quitting do we want the furniture from that store?"

"It's as good as I know about."

"Ok. Let's go to the store, order the furniture and give them your notice. No. Let's go get you a ring first. Then we can go to the store. We also need to go to Costco for all the stuff we need in the house. We need linens. I give up! You can make a list and I'll drive and pay. You do like shopping?"

"Not for everything but since I sense the budget isn't in nickels and dimes that will help."

"Anything else we need to do here?"

"I need to pee and make two phone calls. I can do both quickly." She took her cordless phone into the bathroom. The first call was to her mother. I heard the opening, "Mom, you need to go shopping... for a dress to wear to my wedding! Yes, Mom, it's Nick!"

At that moment my cell chirped. It was Donovan's number. "Detective. How are you?"

"Are you psychic? Can you tell me what I have in my hand?"

"Yes! It's coming to me. Wait a second, the image is clearing. It is a file folder. Wait! On the front is a stamp that says "CLOSED."

"Yes. They both plead out. John will be out of sight and mind for ten to twelve. Crystal will be gone for six."

"No court, no publicity."

"Right. Now, to the conversation."

"I think I should tell you that within the last ten minutes I proposed to a woman who has loved me for over ten years. If you'd like I'll send you an invitation to the wedding and you'll see this is the right one for me."

"Thank you. One question, if I may? Can I keep a copy of the second DVD?"

"That is quite a compliment. Yes. Please don't show it to anyone."