Uncommon Thief

UNCOMMON THIEF

  A NOVEL

  by

  WILLIAM MANCHEE

  Uncommon Thief

  © COPYRIGHT

  William L. Manchee

  2016

  adapted from the novel Twice Tempted

  ISBN 978-1935722588

  Top Publications, Ltd.

  Plano, Texas

  No part of this book may be published or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or information storage and retrieval systems without the express written permission of the publisher.

  This work is a novel and any similarity to actual persons or events is purely coincidental.

  Chapter 1

  Love at First Sight

  Summer, 1965

  When Fred Fuller was young, morality—like sex—wasn’t often discussed by his parents or teachers. There were plenty of rules laid down that had to be followed, but little discussion as to the rationale behind them. At the time Fred didn’t think much about morality. Good behavior was just expected, so he did what he was told simply to avoid having angry parents or teachers. Deep down inside, he believed he was of the highest moral character. He assumed his parents and friends felt the same way about him; no one ever told him differently. But he had never explored the depth of his morality and was not prepared for the challenges that befell him in the fall of 1965.

  Fred Fuller’s greatest regret was the embarrassment and humiliation he brought to his family and friends. He could endure the consequences of his own behavior, but he knew they didn’t deserve what he had brought down on them. It grieved him greatly to see their expectations shattered, particularly since it happened before the national media. Despite his contemptible behavior, though, his friends and family had stood beside him and helped him through those most difficult times.

  It all started when Fred spotted a very attractive brunette, Maria Shepard, at the UCLA orientation program at the beginning of the summer. Fortuitously for Fred, he found himself seated next to her at one of the programs. She had olive skin and large, incredibly beautiful brown eyes that took his breath away. Unfortunately, being somewhat shy, he failed to ask for her telephone number—a stupid mistake he kicked himself for time and again thereafter. Eventually, he decided to track her down and ask her out, no matter what.

  After diligently searching all of the Ventura County telephone books and calling over thirty-seven of the Shepards listed, Fred located her and asked her out for the following Saturday night. Much to his surprise and delight, she accepted with alacrity. He was to pick her up at six at her place. It was about a twenty-minute drive east from Ventura to the small town of Ojai, and he was very nervous. Everything so far had been too easy, and Fred was expecting something to go wrong.

  As he approached Maria's house, he was impressed. It was located in a quiet, upper-class neighborhood of large Spanish-style homes. Each one had a white stucco exterior and a red tile roof. Magnificent eucalyptus trees towered high above the homes, providing not only shade but also privacy from the rest of the city. The lawns and bushes were neatly manicured, and many of the homes had private tennis courts and swimming pools.

  This setting was a little uncomfortable for Fred, as he was not accustomed to an affluent lifestyle. His father was a clerk for a local insurance company, and his mother was a checker at Von's Grocery Store. They made a decent living but had always lived in a modest neighborhood and had just recently moved to a trailer park since his father’s retirement was near.

  It was five 5:45 p.m. when Fred got to 4436 Sunswept Terrace. Since he was early, he cruised around the neighborhood a while to kill time. At precisely six, he knocked on the door and waited eagerly.

  The door opened, and a dark-haired little girl stood looking up at him.

  "Hi. Is Maria in?" he asked.

  She gave him a hard look and then replied, "You must be Fred."

  "Yes, I am."

  "Ma . . . ri . . . a!" she yelled in a voice so loud he figured Maria must be in the back yard under a mattress.

  In a few minutes, Maria appeared and stood before him with a broad smile. She was wearing a Ventura College t-shirt and white shorts. She was even more beautiful than he had remembered. He took a deep breath in an effort to maintain his composure.

  "Fred! Come in," she said, taking his arm and escorting him inside.

  "Thanks."

  "I guess you met my little sister, Jessica?"

  Jessica gave him a little curtsy and a big smile.

  Fred nodded. "Briefly,” he replied. “She's got quite a voice.”

  “That’s for sure,” Maria agreed.

  “How old is she?"

  "Ten, but you wouldn't know it from the way she acts sometimes,” Maria said, giving Jessica a disapproving look. Jessica narrowed her eyes and feigned great emotional injury. Maria sighed, stifling a laugh. “I guess I can't complain though . . . she's pretty good most of the time. Come in the kitchen. I want you to meet my parents."

  Maria took Fred’s hand and pulled him into the kitchen, where her mom and dad were seated at the kitchen table. They looked up and gave him a once-over.

  "Mom and Dad, this is Fred Fuller. Fred, this is my mom, Mary, and my dad, John."

  Fred smiled and nodded, wondering what they were thinking. Do they like me? I hate meeting a girl’s parents. It’s so awkward. "Nice to meet you."

  "Hello," Mr. Shepard replied with little enthusiasm.

  "Hi,” Mrs. Shepard said smiling. “Maria told us about meeting you at orientation, and she was so happy when you called her.”

  Maria frowned. "Mom, you're not supposed to repeat everything I tell you."

  "Oh, I am sorry, honey. I didn’t—"

  "That’s right, Mary. What were you thinking?” Mr. Shepard said. “God forbid a woman should tell a man how she actually feels about him right off the bat. No, she’s got to keep him off balance and in the dark for a while. It’s standard female torture."

  Maria laughed and shook her head as she took Fred by the arm. "Fred, I think we should leave. I don't like where this conversation is heading."

  "What do you mean?" Mr. Shepard replied playfully. “You just can’t stand to hear the truth, can you?”

  She gave him a sardonic smile. "You’re a real hoot, Dad.” Then she turned to Fred and shook her head. “Don’t pay attention to him, Fred. He gets jealous whenever I go out on a date. Bye, Mom. Bye, Dad."

  "Okay, honey, drive carefully. Don't be too late," Mrs. Shepard said. "Nice to meet you, Fred."

  "Thank you. It was a pleasure meeting both of you."

  As they left the house, Fred felt like they’d just gone ‘round and ‘round in a revolving door. Things were developing faster than he had expected. They got in the car and drove twenty minutes back to Ventura to a Polynesian restaurant called the Kon Tiki. Maria was very open and candid, as if they had been dating for a long time. She asked Fred some very penetrating questions and shocked him by sharing some of her innermost secrets. He was somewhat disarmed by all of this and began spilling his guts to her as well, which was very uncharacteristic of him. Most people considered Fred very quiet and introverted, but Maria opened him up like a can of tuna. After dinner, they continued to talk.

  "So, what have you been doing this summer?" she asked.

  "Well, I've been working for Bank USA."

  "Oh really? What do you do for them?"

  "I'm a messenger. I deliver and pick up data processing from half a dozen or so branches between Ventura and Fillmore."

  "Do you like it?"

  "Oh yeah, it's a sweet job, and it pays well. Luckily, I'm going to be able to transfer down to LA when school starts."

  "That's great. I hope I can find a good job like t
hat."

  "You probably will. UCLA has a great placement office."

  The waiter brought their check and placed it next to Fred’s plate.

  "Well, . . . are you ready to go to the movies?" he asked.

  "Not really. It's been so much fun talking. I'd rather just go somewhere quiet and continue our conversation."

  "Okay. I know a really pretty place where we can sit and look at the lights of the city."

  "That's perfect."

  Fred didn't mention it to her, but the place he had in mind was the most popular teenage parking spot in Ventura County. He wondered what she’d think when she realized it. When they got to downtown Ventura, they went up a very steep hill to the beginning of the road that led to ‘the Cross’, as it was called by the locals. It was the burial site of several missionaries who had lived and worked at Mission San Buenaventura.

  Fred always worried that his car wouldn’t make it up the hill since it was so steep, but somehow it always did. They slowly made their way up the switchbacks until they were high over the city. From the Cross, you could see the spectacular California coastline by day and the dazzling lights of the city and ocean traffic by night. Surprisingly, the parking lot was deserted, so they parked in the spot with the best view. Fred turned off the engine and slid over to be next to Maria.

  "This is magnificent," Maria exclaimed.

  "Isn't it?"

  "Yes. The lights are so pretty. I didn’t know this place even existed."

  "Yeah, I love it up here."

  "How many innocent girls have you brought up here before me?"

  "I don't know . . . I don't ask them if they're innocent."

  "Well, I'm innocent," she said.

  "That's good to hear."

  At that moment their eyes met and they began inching toward each other. Soon they were in each other’s arms kissing passionately. Maria’s soft, sweet lips felt wonderful to Fred. He hadn’t dated much, so he’d never felt such pleasure. They’d been going at it about ten minutes when they heard a pounding noise on the window. Startled, Fred pulled away and looked up only to be blinded by two glaring lights.

  “Shit! It’s the cops,” Fred whispered.

  “You kids can't park here!" the officer yelled.

  Rolling down his window, Fred said irritably, "Okay, Officer, we're moving on."

  The stern-faced officer stood there and watched Fred as he fumbled with the keys. Fred had never been so humiliated in his life. My first date with Maria and I get hassled by the police. Damn it! Quickly, Fred started the car, and drove off. They descended down the steep winding road from the Cross and headed back toward Ojai.

  Maria was silent for quite a while, and Fred felt sure she'd never go out with him again. After a few minutes, though, she turned toward him and shook her head. "Well you'd think the cops would have something better to do than harass innocent kids minding their own business."

  Feeling much relieved, he smiled back at her. "God, I know. They ought to be spending their time catching thieves and dope dealers rather than bullying teenagers."

  "Really. Listen, I know a place not too far from my house where we can go and, you know, finish our conversation without fear of arrest."

  Fred smiled broadly. "That would be nice."

  As they got to her neighborhood, Maria pointed to an alley and indicated Fred should go down it. They drove several blocks before she pointed to some servants' quarters. "Park here,” she said. “No one ever comes back here after dark."

  Fred wondered how she knew this, but he was afraid to say anything that might jeopardize the rest of the evening. They began kissing again, gently at first and then more passionately until the windows started to fog up. While their lips were locked together, Fred’s hand wandered down to Maria’s soft, smooth leg. It felt so good he was afraid to breathe for fear Maria would stop him. After a while he wondered how it would feel if he went even farther. Maria seemed to be enjoying it too, so he inched his fingers farther and farther up her thigh until she grabbed his hand and broke away.

  "Remember. . . . I told you I’m innocent," she said, "and I'm going to stay that way until my wedding night. Do you have a problem with that?"

  "No. Absolutely not,” Fred said worriedly. He’d never felt such excitement with a woman and feared he’d upset her. “I am sorry. I just got a little carried away. Can you forgive me?"

  Maria sighed. "It's okay. I'll forgive you this time."

  Fred was glad he had been forgiven but didn't want to push his luck, so he took Maria home. By the time they got to her door, he had an intense urge to use the toilet, so he asked her if her parents would mind if he came in and used her bathroom. She said they wouldn't, so he followed her in the house. She pointed down a hallway. “It’s the second door on the right,” she said.

  Just as he was approaching the bathroom door, Jessica tore by him, went inside and locked the door. Really needing go badly, Fred figured there would probably be another bathroom somewhere in the house, so he walked back toward the kitchen to ask Maria. As he approached the kitchen, he couldn't help but overhear Maria talking to her mother. Not wanting to interrupt them, he hesitated before entering.

  "Hi, Mom."

  "Hi, honey. How was your evening?

  "Great. I had a wonderful time."

  "That's good. Fred seems like a nice young man."

  "I think so."

  "So, are you going to go out with him again?"

  "Oh yes, without a doubt. He’s the one I’ve been waiting for.”

  Mary frowned. “Huh? What do you mean, honey?”

  “I mean, he’s the man I’m going to marry.”

  "But you just met him,” Mary protested.

  “So, what’s that got to do with anything."

  Mary knew when her daughter made up her mind about something, there was no dissuading her, so she decided to tread lightly.

  "But how can you be so sure? This was only your first date."

  "I’ve seen him before in my dreams.”

  “In your dreams? But—”

  “Goodnight, Mom." With that, Maria left her stunned mother in the kitchen and came back into the living room. When she saw Fred standing there, she said, "You're done already?"

  "Well. . . . yeah, I guess I am."

  "Okay. You better go. My parents won't like us alone here in the living room."

  "Sure. Thanks for letting me use your bathroom."

  "No problem."

  "I had a great time tonight. I'll call you, okay."

  "Okay."

  Fred felt a little guilty about overhearing Maria’s private conversation with her mother, but he was glad he had since he was very much attracted to her and flattered by her comment. Knowing Maria had strong feelings for him would make him much more comfortable and confident around her. Driving home that night, he felt like the luckiest man in the world.