Something Missing_ A Novel - Matthew Dicks [26]
Martin couldn’t help but like her.
In addition to knowing her eating habits, her musical preferences, and the ways in which she spent her money, he also knew the color of her panties (almost exclusively black, with a couple of jungle prints and a lacy little thong probably bought by her husband in order to spice things up), her bra size (34B), and the time of the month she menstruated (thirteen days ago). He knew that she was on the pill, kept a journal that was probably a secret from her husband, and had a vibrator in the bedside table that he suspected was not. With this knowledge, he felt as if Cindy Clayton was not only his client but was also his friend, and as such, he also felt that he had an obligation to her. He simply couldn’t allow her to use a toothbrush that was, in all likelihood, permanently contaminated with fecal matter.
So his options were limited. He could remove the toothbrush from the home, but this would mean violating Rule #1:
If the missing item will be noticed, don’t acquire it.
Surely Cindy Clayton would notice that her toothbrush had disappeared, and though this might prevent her from brushing her teeth with the contaminated device, it all but assured that Martin would also be forced to discontinue the Claytons as clients.
Discontinuing a client was nothing new to Martin. He had done it many times, but never as a result of a mistake on his part. Most often, a client would become pregnant, and with the prospect of children on the way and a less predictable schedule, Martin would be forced to end the relationship. This was never easy, for he typically invested an enormous amount of time getting to know his clients, so the loss was a great one. Not only did he feel as if he was losing a business partner, but he often felt as if he were losing a friend. It was never a happy time for him, despite the couple’s likely joy over the news. Typically, Martin found out about the pregnancy shortly after the client, and oftentimes on the same day. Early on in his career, he had made a point of searching the bathroom waste cans for evidence of a used home pregnancy test, and six times had found the remnants of such tests. Each time he could clearly see that the client was pregnant. Discontinuation would follow shortly thereafter.
But to discontinue the Claytons at this juncture was not something that Martin wanted to do. He liked the Claytons immensely. He found them to be a neat, orderly, and extremely reliable couple that could always be counted on in terms of schedule and acquisition potential. The Claytons did not like change. They stocked their refrigerator and cupboards with the same items each week and always placed them in the same spot. They rarely switched brands, vacationed at the same Caribbean resorts each winter, and showed no signs of planning for a new family member. Losing the Claytons would mean losing one of his most reliable clients.
It would mean losing a friend.
This left Martin with only one option: replace the toothbrush. He would have to switch Cindy Clayton’s toothbrush for a new one. This meant that he would need to exit the house, acquire an identical toothbrush, and return before Cindy arrived home from work around 4:30. He knew from the calendar hanging in the kitchen that Alan was expected home at 5:00 that day for a dinner date with his wife at Chowder Pot, a Hartford-area restaurant, so as long as he was out of the house before 4:30, he would be safe. He quickly glanced at his watch again: 1 minute, 27 seconds remaining in his visit, and in the top right hand corner of the display, the actual time: 3:19. He was surprised to