Imagining Tom

By Patricia E. Flinn

Laura Farrington was living in a cozy apartment in Greenwich Village, N.Y. working as a set designer on Broadway when the pandemic arrived and shut down the entire city.

With no means of income and little savings, she was forced to move to Jersey where she rented a cold-water flat in an old run-down tenement on Adams Street in Hoboken.

Her days were lonely and sad until she rescued a lovely golden retriever named Charlie from the local animal shelter.

One day while visiting a college friend, Laura met Tom, a handsome, unemployed actor whom she assumed was gay. He was everything she could imagine: intelligent, well-read, sensitive and mysterious.

Their friendship slowly blossomed after several unexpected encounters and intensified after a mutual friend died suddenly from the virus.

Laura was still reeling from her friend’s tragic death when she suffered another devastating shock. Tom was a suspect in the murder of his brother, Jake, who had been gunned down outside the Schubert Theater.

Laura was convinced Tom was innocent and unjustly victimized by police who were anxious for a quick arrest. She vowed to help him in any way she could. Her fascination for Tom soon turned into love, but Laura’s life took a radical turn as detectives closed in, revealing details about Tom she had never dreamed possible.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 31, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669809500

Patricia E. Flinn

Patricia E. Flinn has written several novels, short story collections, plays, and works of non-fiction. She received a doctorate in Drama from New York University and has taught in several New Jersey universities as an adjunct professor. She lives in Warren, New Jersey with her golden retriever, Dylan Thomas.

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Copyright © 2022 by Patricia E. Flinn.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 01/31/2022

Xlibris

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter 1 Moving to Jersey

Chapter 2 Friends and Other Memories

Chapter 3 Life Above the Drugstore

Chapter 4 The McCarthy Sisters

Chapter 5 Meeting Tom

Chapter 6 Sally Lunn’s Tea Shop

Chapter 7 Wishing and Hoping

Chapter 8 Metaphysical Mysteries

Chapter 9 A Case of Covid

Chapter 10 Friends in Need; Friends Indeed

Chapter 11 Searching for Answers

Chapter 12 Book-Man in Apartment 2-A

Chapter 13 Getting to Know You—Maybe!

Chapter 14 Saying Good-bye

Chapter 15 Choosing Happiness

Chapter 16 Imagining

Chapter 17 A Word of Warning

Chapter 18 From Blackboard to Badge

Chapter 19 Guilty Conscience

Chapter 20 A Visit to 7th and Perry Street

Chapter 21 A Little Afternoon Music from Enya

Chapter 22 Dr Jekell and Mr. Hyde Revisited

Chapter 23 Two More Victims

Chapter 24 Questions Without Answers

Chapter 25 Missing in Action

Chapter 26 Calling in the Dyxxs

Chapter 27 Partners in Crime

Chapter 28 Round Two With Detective Blair

Chapter 29 Meeting Inspector Pequod Dyxx and Evangeline

Chapter 30 A Near Miss

Chapter 31 A Name on a Pill Bottle

Chapter 32 Confiding in a Friend

Chapter 33 In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning"

Chapter 34 A Tangled Web

Chapter 35 A Talk Behind the Scenes

Chapter 36 Mythological Dreams

Chapter 37 Disturbing News

Chapter 38 Pieces in a Moving Puzzle

Chapter 39 Discovering He Wasn’t Who He Was

Chapter 40 A Dead Man’s Empty Pockets

Chapter 41 Twin Tragedies

Chapter 42 Starting Over

Chapter 43 Case Closed

Dedication.jpg

For My Gene,

As Always

My memories of love will be of you

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I WOULD LIKE TO express my gratitude to Anne London, editor, for her careful proofreading of my manuscript.

INTRODUCTION

L AURA FARRINGTON’S LIFE and career as a set designer in the theater were flourishing in New York City when the dreadful Corona virus struck.

No longer able to afford her expensive rent in her beloved Greenwich Village apartment, she was forced to move to New Jersey where she found a flat in an older tenement in Hoboken.

Lonely and isolated from her friends on Broadway, she decided to adopt a dog from a local animal shelter. Charlie, a golden retriever mix, quickly became her best friend.

Slowly Laura began meeting her new neighbors, an assortment of friendly, eccentric, and colorful characters whose interests included books, music and Irish culture.

The McCarthy sisters, Tara and Rita, hailed from County Mayo and loved the haunting music of Enya, a popular Irish singer-songwriter who lived in a castle and cast magical spells.

Louie Payon, a retired psychologist, who resided in apartment 2-A, collected books and adored the novels of Robert Louis Stevenson. Laura and he enjoyed discussing classical literature over endless cups of tea.

Mary, the elderly Chinese super, was the strangest character of all. She roamed the hallways at night in search of her dead husband and missing children while mopping the stairs with buckets of dirty water.

Laura missed her New York friends, Jesse, an editor at Simon and Schuster, and James, a talented Broadway actor.

One day, weeks before the pandemic struck, Laura met Tom, a handsome, unemployed actor whom she assumed was gay. He was everything she could imagine: intelligent, sensitive, well-read, and intriguing in an alluring, mysterious way.

Their friendship slowly blossomed after several unexpected encounters and quickly intensified after James, a close friend, became ill and was hospitalized with the virus.

Laura was still reeling from the shock of James’ serious illness when she suffered another devastating shock.

Tom’s brother, Jake, had been gunned down outside the Schubert Theater and Tom was now a suspect in the murder.

Laura was convinced Tom was innocent and unjustly victimized by police who were anxious for a quick arrest. She vowed to help him in any way she could.

Her initial fascination with Tom had turned into love.

After two more young men were shot to death, Inspector Pequod Dyxx, a well-respected detective known for solving difficult cases, and his psychic wife, Evangeline, were asked to assist Detective Jean Blair with the investigation.

Despite a baffling and disturbing series of events involving Tom’s sudden disappearance, Laura’s loyalty remained unwavering as detectives closed in, revealing details she never could have imagined possible about the man she now loved.

CHAPTER ONE

Moving to Jersey

L AURA FARRINGTON WAS sitting in her tiny kitchen with Charlie, her two year old golden retriever, trying to keep cool by fanning herself with a rolled up copy of the New York Times . The ancient GE air-conditioner, wheezing like a dying asthmatic patient on life support, was simply no match for the intense heat wave that had fallen in recent days.

Although it was still only early July, the temperatures had been soaring past 100 degrees every afternoon with no relief from the unbearable heat and humidity.

Poor Charlie, who loved his daily walks around the neighborhood, had been housebound for over a week, but it was simply too dangerous for a stroll on hot pavements that sizzled and melted under the burning relentless sun.

Overflowing with excess energy now, he ran through the house like a crazed puppy, begging Laura to play by dropping his tennis ball continually at her feet, and leaping into her lap for a quick pet whenever she sat down in the old recliner-rocker.

Laura did her best to keep him entertained, but there was only so much she could do in the small cramped apartment.

Ever since losing her job in New York City where she had worked as a prop manager for Off-Broadway theaters, money had been tight, bills had been piling up, and her fears had been mounting.

She tried to keep calm and carry on, as the Brits might say, but after spending the last few months trying to survive an awful, deadly pandemic that killed over 600,000 people in America and millions across the globe, her confidence had been shaken. Not only had the theaters closed, but New York City, the center of her life for so long, had completely shut down, robbing people of their livlihoods, closing businesses, and separating families.

After several of her closest friends became seriously ill with Covid, Laura’s faith in the future was shaken.

She had loved her previous apartment on Bleecker Street in the West Village where she was surrounded by friendly neighbors and convenient shops. She lived there for over three years and liked the idea of being within walking distances of all her favorite hangouts—cafes, bakeries, bookstores, and cheese shops.

Rent was her biggest expense, but since her adjunct theater jobs paid well and she was pretty frugal most of the time, she was able to swing it until the pandemic struck. The Village apartment had everything she needed and liked—a small working fireplace, a clean kitchen with a reliable gas stove, large windows that let in plenty of light, a tiled bathroom with an ancient claw-foot tub, and a cozy bedroom with a floor to ceiling bookcase that held all the books she had been hoarding since college.

With no source of income, Laura, however, realized she could no longer afford the rent or the expenses of New York City. Broken-hearted she was forced to vacate her apartment and move across the river into New Jersey. Eventually she found the tiny railroad apartment she was now living in with Charlie on Adams Street in Hoboken over a drugstore. The large front window of the pharmacy displayed headless manikins with prosthetic limbs sitting in wheelchairs and on portable toilets. Certainly not the most charming window display for passers-by, but probably good for the pharmaceutical business.

Unlike Greenwich Village, there were no trees or private gardens to enjoy in her new neighborhood, or any cozy cafes or coffee shops that she could visit. The only business close by beside the drug store was a one room barber shop run by an elderly Italian man who refused to cut women’s hair and spent most of his day reading the Daily News Racing Section.

Life in a tenement was a big change both physically and psychologically for Laura, but the rent was affordable and it was better than sleeping in a tent like so many other people with little or no money.

The toughest part for Laura was waking up in the morning after a night of dreaming and realizing her comfortable life on Bleecker Street was gone. Worse of all, she missed her friends and co-workers.

In the weeks following her move to Hoboken, she was lonely, isolated, and depressed like so many people whose lives had changed because of the pandemic. She knew she had to do something to lift her sagging spirits. She needed a companion. After much reflection she decided to rescue a dog from a nearby shelter.

She couldn’t quite believe her luck when she spotted a beautiful golden retriever-mix in one of the cages lining the shelter’s long walls. Her first dog was a golden named Bill, a much beloved member of the family for over fifteen years. Laura was heartbroken when he eventually passed away from cancer, but the memories of him never faded. She always hoped to get another dog like Bill, but between college and working, the opportunity never arrived. Now thanks to Covid she had plenty of free time on her hands. The odds of finding a golden retriever in a shelter were almost nil, so when Laura spotted a large blond dog with light brown eyes, and floppy ears in a crate at the end of the long aisle, she knew immediately this was her dog.

You’re very lucky, Sarah, the shelter assistant, said as she opened the cage and placed a collar with an attached leash around the dog’s neck. Charlie’s owners both passed away from the virus recently, and he was in need of a good home. I had no doubt he would be adopted quickly, but you arrived before anyone else saw him.

I am lucky. How long as he been here?

Only an hour. He just arrived like you. It’s almost as if the fates planned it that way. They knew you were both meant for each other. It’s the law of attraction at work again

The law of what?

The law of attraction, Sarah repeated. It’s a universal truth that people get exactly what they most desire.

Interesting, Laura mused. I must remember that.

Outside the cage, Charlie was exploding with happiness, dancing around Laura’s legs and leaping up and down like a jack-in-the-box.

You can see he’s still a baby, Sarah said. He’s only a year old. His poor owners were very fond of him. Unfortunately, they both got sick from Covid at the same time and were taken to the hospital. A neighbor took the dog to us after learning the couple had died.

They had no children or family to care for him? Laura asked, kneeling down and petting Charlie on the head.

No, they didn’t. He was their baby and until the virus arrived he was one lucky, much beloved dog.

Well, I promise to give him lots of love too and take good care of him. Laura replied.

She purchased a collar and leash and strolled out to the parking lot with Charlie safely in tow.

That night she gave him a bath in the tub which barely contained his large furry body and lion-like feet and head. He looked like a baby elephant in a shoe box. Like most golden retrievers who were bred for swimming, Charlie loved the water. Laura had a difficult time preventing him from eating the soap bubbles and sticking his face beneath the surface while she soaped his soft blond fur and poured buckets of clear warm water atop his head.

Just as she was about to dry him, Charlie leaped from the tub, shaking water all over the room and galloping through the house like a horse with his tail on fire.

When she finally tackled him, she wrapped the towel around his dripping body and hugged him. Although he already weighed nearly 50 pounds, Laura managed to lift him onto her lap stroking him until he grew sleepy.

The next morning she bought a large bed at Petsmart along with plenty of toys and biscuits. Every day she took him for walks around the neighborhood past the drug store, the Italian barber shop, and a Spanish bodega that smelled of burnt beans and frying tortillas, a scent that drove Charlie crazy.

On days when the weather was agreeable—not too hot—they would venture to the small shady park on Church Street and play, Charlie chasing after the Frisbee, and leaping high into the air for every catch. Unlike most retrievers, however, Charlie never wanted to give the Frisbee back. Instead he would dance around Laura’s legs, teasing her. Sometimes she would wrestle him to the ground and ply it from between his clenched teeth.

After a week, Laura and Charlie were inseparable. He helped her endure the weeks ahead while Covid hovered like a Damocles sword over everyone and made each day a challenge.

CHAPTER TWO

Friends and Other Memories

S OME MORNINGS LAURA woke up thinking she was still living in New York. She remembered the day she had first moved to the Village from Massachusetts, her home state. Her friend James mentioned the advantages of living there, pointing out that it was a mecca for artists, writers, poets and actors. There were dozens of small playhouses where she could find work and enjoy the company of creative people.

James was gay and lived in a rent-controlled flat on Christopher Street. He also worked in theater. They had known each other since their days at UMass where they were members of the Argus Eyes, the school’s drama group. James was a talented actor who starred in many of their productions. He played Biff in Death of a Salesman, the narrator in Our Town; Jerry in Edward Albee’s Zoo Story, and Hero in the comedy, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

Besides being good-looking with dark wavy hair and grey green eyes, James could sing, dance and perform roles with ease.

Laura was attracted to him the moment they met in college at the first rehearsal of You Can’t Take It With You. She was cast as Alice, the ingénue, and he was Larry, the romantic lead. After landing the role, Laura excitedly read the script and discovered the kissing scene in Act Two.

She had no trouble imaging that kiss, or where it might lead after the show ended, but when the cast party arrived, Laura’s hopes for a romantic relationship were dashed when she saw James kissing another actor named Jeff in the hallway outside the men’s room.

For weeks she shared her disappointment and heartache with Ann, her caring and sympathetic roommate at UMass who did her best to comfort Laura by pointing out that the best looking guys on campus were usually gay.

Although she lost touch with Ann after their graduation, Laura and James remained great friends.

Shortly after moving into the village, she met Jesse while signing up for an evening class at NYU. Laura’s class was in the theater department while Jesse’s was in literature. It was taught by a famous woman writer who at that time was number 3 on the New York Times best-selling list.

They socialized over coffee and snacks two nights a week in the school cafeteria, and soon became close friends.

Jesse Lincraft had arrived in the city from Weston, Vermont, a few years before Laura. She was hired by Simon and Schuster as a copy editor. She soon earned a reputation as a bright and witty woman with an uncanny ability to spot raw talent.

Jesse loved to laugh, joke, and tell amusing stories about eccentric authors.

Bone thin, she wore her hair so short she was often mistaken for a teenage boy, but on those rare days when she wore a bra and tight knit sweaters there was no mistaking her gender. Her deep blue eyes were both penetrating and mischievous, and when she talked about pretentious writers she was hilarious.

"This weird looking guy strolls unannounced into my office while I’m eating lunch and hands me a thick manuscript stained with tomato sauce. The Revenge of The Lab Rat. It’s a 500 page narration about a deranged rodent who murders the scientists who experimented on him. I was afraid he would stab me with the pen knife he was using to clean his fingernails if I rejected it, so I told him his book would work much better as a graphic novel or maybe a coloring book for troubled children. He liked that idea. He said he had been abused as a child, just