“A wealthy yuppie goes on a killing spree”
Approx. 3,419 words
EDNA AND THE PROMOTION
©2003 by Mae Ondracek
“But Mr.
Tupper, I thought I was next in line for the promotion. Why did Brad Lions get it?”
Mr. Tupper
patiently tried to explain to Edna why Brad had gotten the promotion, “Ms.
Fielder, Edna, don’t you understand that I prefer you to have the promotion
after Stella Johnson leaves next month?
Hers is a much more important position and I don’t think Brad could
handle that job.”
“I don’t care
about Stella’s job. I want to work in
Mrs. Chases’ department. We get along
very well and ….”
“I’m sorry,”
Mr. Tupper interrupted her. “But Brad
gets this promotion. It’s all settled,”
and he walked away.
Fuming, Edna turned and stormed into her
office, “You can’t do this to me. I’ll
show you,” she said to the four walls.
Being in a
Steno Pool was tough and a promotion was a good way to move up the ladder. But now she sat at her desk, thumping her pen
on the top and thinking what she should do.
Finally a light bulb dawned above her head; she jumped up, and
exclaimed, “That’s it!”
She hurried
down the hall to Brad’s office, knocking softly on the door, she said sweetly,
“Oh, Brad, are you in there?”
“Yes. Come on in Ms. Fielder. What can I do for you?” Brad asked.
“Why nothing,
Brad, I just want to congratulate you on getting the promotion. Of course you knew I wanted it, but Mr.
Tupper thought you were the best one for the job, so I just had to come and
say, ‘Congratulations!’ and no hard feelings.”
“Why, thank
you, Edna. I didn’t think you’d talk
with me again,” Brad said.
“Oh, that’s
silly, Brad. A promotion shouldn’t hurt
our friendship,” Edna said sweetly, while batting her eyelashes at him.
“Our
friendship?” Brad asked.
“Well, you’ve
tried to get me to go out with you for the last four months and I thought, just
maybe, you’d like to go have a couple of drinks after work, to celebrate.”
Edna leaned
over his desk, her blouse dipped outward, and Brad’s eyes dropped from her face
down to her gaping blouse. He gulped and
said, “Why, Edna, I’d like that. I
didn’t want to go home to the TV right after work anyway and celebrating is a
grand idea.”
Brad stood up,
extended his hand and said, “I’ll wait for you after work.”
Edna took his
hand in both of hers and said, “It will seem like such a long time till then.”
Edna turned
and headed for the door with a strange smug look on her face. She thought, ‘This is it, Brad Boy. That promotion will be mine.’
Edna made a
quick run to the drugstore and was back before anyone missed her. She could hardly work the rest of the
afternoon and it was a relief to see the clock hands creeping up to
Edna smiled
sweetly at him and said, “I’m sure it will be, Brad. Let’s go to Drakes Bar for a drink.”
“Good enough
for me, “he said as he took her elbow and guided her towards her car. “I’ll follow you there.”
At Drakes Bar,
he guided her to a secluded table where the light was low. They ordered drinks and Brad told Edna how he
hoped this could blossom into a fine relationship. He had always admired her professional and
ambitious ways and he would like to have a woman like that.
She put a
finger under his chin and said, “Do you think you could find us some pretzels
to munch on, I’m a little hungry.”
“Will do; now
don’t go away,” he said, “I’ll be right back.”
She hastily
reached into her purse and drew out a small vial of liquid she had purchased at
the drugstore and quickly added a few drops to his drink. “Oh, thank you, Brad,” she cooed as he placed
the bowl of pretzels in front of her.
“These slender ones are my favorite,” she said as she started munching
on one.
Brad ordered
another round of drinks, excused him self, and went to the men’s room. Edna again quickly put more drops in his
drink. When he returned to the table, he
suggested they go to his place for dinner.
“That will be
great, Brad. I’ll go home and get into
something more comfortable and be there at seven, alright?”
“That will be
fine. It will give me a chance to clean
up and get something started. Hope you
like pork chops?”
“I sure
do. See you later,” Edna said as she
hurried out the door. She watched as
Brad came outside. He was holding his
head and didn’t look to good. She
thought, ‘Good luck, Brad, you might make
it to your place.’
She watched as
Brad slowly backed up and headed out into the street, driving a little
erratically. Edna heaved a sigh of
relief, knowing he wouldn’t make it home and that promotion would be hers, now.
She changed
into slacks and t-shirt and sat down to listen to the news. She only half listened because she was busy
congratulating herself, until she heard the announcer say, “ ….and the car
crashed through the safety rail, flipping end over end until it hit the lake,
where it came to rest on its top. The
ambulance crew is working hard to retrieve anyone who might be inside.”
Edna clapped
her hands and said, “This is better then I had hoped. Good bye, Brad.”
She watched
closely as the announcer said, “There was a man inside and they are bringing
him up. The para-medics are giving a
thumbs-down, which means he didn’t survive.
We will not show him until his next of kin is notified. Now for the rest of the news…..”
Edna turned
the TV off but her stomach felt a little queasy and food didn’t sound
good. She donned a jacket and went for a
walk. It wouldn’t be easy forgetting she
had a hand in his demise, but if that promotion had been given to her Brad
would still be alive.
She arrived
home, ate a bowl of soup, and tried to read.
She couldn’t concentrate on the book, so she turned on the TV just as a
news bulletin came on, “The car that went through the guard rail earlier, was a
blue Ford registered to a Brad Lions.
The para-medics couldn’t get him out of the car because of the pressure,
inside and outside, and it was reported that he drowned.”
Edna quickly
turned off the TV and spent a fitful, restless night. She spent a lot of time the next morning
trying to get the dark circles from under her eyes before she could go
shopping. At ten A.M. the doorbell rang
and Mr. Tupper was standing there. “Good
morning, sir. Did you need some extra
work done today at the office?”
“No, Edna,”
Mr. Tupper said. “I have bad news. Brad Lions drowned last night when his car
went through a guard rail on his way home.”
Edna feigned a
great swoon as Mr. Tupper caught her and helped her to the couch. “Did…did they say why or how it happened?”
“No,” Mr.
Tupper said, “Except maybe he was driving too fast to make that curve. Are you all right?”
“Yes, I’ll be
fine. It is just such a shock. Thank you for letting me know.”
“I thought all
my workers should know right away, instead of waiting until Monday. Hope it doesn’t spoil your weekend,” Mr.
Tupper said. “I’ll see myself out.”
After Mr.
Tupper left, Edna sat up and wondered, ‘Why did he come over? He has never bothered before.’
At work Monday
morning, Mr. Tupper called a meeting of the staff and made the announcement
about Brad and the promotion to Mrs. Chases’ department would go to Mary Lou
Ringer. Edna gasped! She couldn’t believe he wasn’t giving the
position to her. As they filed back to
their respective offices, Edna was raging inside. This just wouldn’t do. Mary Lou didn’t know beans about Mrs. Chases’
department; in fact she didn’t know beans about anything. Too bad Mary Lou didn’t drink. Oh, well, she’d just have to think of
something else.
Edna stopped
to congratulate Mary Lou on getting the promotion and asked if she would like
to have lunch with her Saturday afternoon.
“Why, thank you, Edna. I’d like
that, where would you like to go?”
“You pick the place. It’s your promotion we’ll be celebrating.” Edna gave Mary Lou her most winning smile and
went back to her office. On Friday
afternoon, Mary Lou stopped Edna in the hall and asked, “What do you think
about having a picnic out by the lake?
I’d really like that.”
“That would be
great,” Edna exclaimed. “I’ll make my
famous spumoni desert and we can pick up fried chicken and the works. What a great idea. See you at
It was a clear warm day and the lake
was like glass. They watched the
children sailing their boats, and the parents talking and
laughing. They savored every bit of
chicken and all the side dishes, and then Edna said, “Now for a little
dessert. “Everyone just loves this,” and
she handed Mary Lou a small container as she opened hers and ate.
“This is really good,” Mary Lou
exclaimed. “What flavoring did you put
in it?”
“I added a small amount of amaretto
for that extra flavor.”
“It is fantastic!” Mary Lou said, “Would you share your recipe?
“Of course, I’ll bring it to work on
Monday.”
“This has been a great
afternoon. Thanks for suggesting it,
Edna.”
“My pleasure, we’ll have to get
together more often. See you at work
Monday, Mary Lou.”
They parted company, heading their
separate ways, Edna wondering if her concoction would work so that she could
get that promotion.
Monday morning at ten A.M., Mr.
Tupper announced, “Everyone to the assembly room, stat!”
When everyone was seated, Mr. Tupper
asked, “Has anyone seen Mary Lou Ringer this morning?”
Everyone shook their head and Edna
asked, “Did she have the day off?”
“No, she did not,” Mr. Tupper
stated. I called her home and the phone
line was busy. Everyone back to work
except Jill Amount.”
When everyone had left, Mr. Tupper
said, “Jill, you live about three blocks from Mary Lou’s apartment, don’t you?”
“Yes sir, but I don’t see her much.”
“That’s all right,” he said. “I just want you to go with me to her
place. She never misses work.”
“Sure, Mr. Tupper,” Jill said. “I’ll get my purse.”
Two hours later Mr. Tupper and Jill
Amount returned. Jill’s eyes were red
rimmed and Mr. Tupper was very annoyed and sad looking. His voice boomed out, “Everyone to the
assembly room, now!”
“Miss Amount and I went to Mary Lou’s
apartment and had the custodian let us in.
Mary Lou had knocked the receiver off the hook and she was lying on the
floor in a fetal position, holding her stomach.
She was dead but the coroner will find out what she had taken.”
There were many groans and someone
said, “Oh, my God! Not another one of
us?”
Mr. Tupper had sat down with his head
in his hands, but when he looked up, he said, “Something is not right. Why is it happening to those promoted to Mrs.
Chases’ department? Now who is next in
line for that promotion? Jill has
refused, so it must be Jake Olson.”
“No, sir, I don’t want it. I’ve got a wife and three kids to think
about.”
“Drat! Miss Jones.
You wanted the promotion before.
I guess it is up to you.”
“Sorry, sir, I cannot accept it in
light of what has been happening. I’d
rather leave the Steno Pool, first.”
“My God! What is the matter with you all? These two deaths are just something that
happens once in a while. The job isn’t
jinxed, you know. Edna Fielder, the
promotion is yours.”
“Great! I mean if it was at any other time.” Edna quickly changed her tone and continued,
“I would have loved to have had that position, but I agree with the
others. No one should be put in that
position until we know why this has happened to Brad and Mary Lou.”
Mark Hanson stood up and said, “Well,
sir, I know I am low man on the totem pole, but I am not afraid of any jinx,
nor do I believe in them. Mrs. Chase
needs help and I’d like the job until we know what is going on.”
“Good for you. Thank you.”
Mr. Tupper said. “Then that is
settled.”
Below down cast eyes, Edna looked
daggers at Mark as they all returned to their respective offices. She threw her notebook on her desk as she
cursed herself for being too quick to turn the promotion down. She’d just have to get rid of Mark,
somehow. He had a girlfriend, so it
would be a little harder to get a date with him.
A strange flash of an idea came to
Edna on Wednesday, ‘Get the girlfriend.’
She dropped her pen on the desk and
quickly stood up. ‘Where did that idea come from?’ she wondered as she looked
around. ‘Get the girlfriend’ kept running through her mind, but Edna didn’t
even know her. Edna hurried to Mark’s
office and knocked on the door. “Come
in.”
“Well, hello Edna. What can I do for you?” he asked.
“I just came to congratulate you on
the promotion. I’ve been swamped with
work and couldn’t come sooner. I’ll bet
you and your girlfriend will celebrate this weekend.”
“I’m afraid not. Lil is in
“Wow!
What a woman,” Edna exclaimed.
“That is quite a job she is taking on.
Good luck to her and you, too.”
Edna walked back to her office and
thought, ‘That was a bad suggestion, ‘Get
the girlfriend.’ I’ll just have to
see if he will have a drink with me Friday evening after work.’
On Thursday she met Mark in the hall
and smiling shyly, she asked, “Mark, would you care to have a drink with me
tomorrow after work? Just to
celebrate. That is, if Lil won’t be back
before then.”
“No, Lil won’t be back for another
week. That is a great idea and one drink
with you won’t hurt.”
“That’s good. Do you know where Drakes Bar is? I go there once in a while.”
“Sure I do,” Mark said, “but I’ll
follow you there.”
“See you then, Mark,” Edna said as
she shyly lowered her eyelashes and walked to her office. ‘Boy,
that was easy,’ she thought, as she began her work.
Friday she met Mark at the door at
Mark stood up and said, “Well, I’ve
bent your ear long enough. It’s a long
drive home and I don’t like driving up that last steep incline in the
dark. Thanks for the drink and we’ll do
it again when Lil can join us.”
“That’s a great idea, Mark,” Edna
said, “and congratulations again.”
They each drove off in different
directions but Edna soon stopped and turned her car around. She knew where Mark lived and she better
hurry or she’d miss her chance. Traffic
was light, so Edna caught up with Mark but kept at a safe distance, not turning
on her lights. As they neared that steep
incline, Edna gunned the motor and pulled along side of Mark’s car, forcing him
onto the soft shoulder and he was unable to regain the road.
He glanced at the other car and
couldn’t believe what he saw as his car went over the edge. At first, he managed to slow the car down by
braking, but he could feel the rear end starting to move skyward. He grabbed his briefcase and keys and jumped
out as the car upended, hit the bottom of the ravine, and burst into
flames. He looked at the road above and
wasn’t sure he could climb back up there with a broken leg. He noticed someone standing at the edge of
the road and he’d bet his life on it, that he heard, “Now that promotion will
be mine.”
Mark lay still until he heard a car
drive off, then he slowly dragged himself up to the road. No one else lived up here, so he knew he had
to drag himself the last one-fourth mile home to get help. It seemed like an eternity passed before he
reached his house, praying he hadn’t lost the keys when he jumped out of the
car. Heaving a sigh of relief, he
withdrew the keys, opened the door with great difficulty, and dragged himself
to the phone.
At the hospital, Mark asked the nurse
to call his boss, Mr. Tupper and the police.
When they all arrived, Mr. Tupper asked, “What happened to you, Mark? You’ve driven that road many times and
nothing ever happened. Were you
drinking?”
“Yes, as a matter-of-fact I did have
two drinks with Edna, to celebrate my promotion, she said.”
Then he told Mr. Tupper and the
police what had all happened, “and when I heard her laugh and cry out, ‘Now
that promotion will be mine.’ I knew it couldn’t be anyone else but Edna. I think she was the cause of Brad and Mary
Lou’s accidents, too.”
Mr. Tupper couldn’t believe that Edna
would do such a thing but asked the two officers to accompany him to Edna’s
apartment. They readily agreed and Mr.
Tupper told Mark the promotion would be waiting for him whenever he was ready
to come back to work.
“Thank you, sir, but I will be laid
up for a long time and Mrs. Chase needs someone now. I think you better ask Jake Olson again. I’m sure he’ll take it, knowing nothing more
will happen. I hope you arrest Edna,
lock her up, and throw away the key.”
“In due time, Mark,” Mr. Tupper said,
“I’m sure that is what will take place.”
Then to the police officers, he said,
“O.K. let’s go get her.”
The three men heard Edna singing, ‘The promotion is now mine,’
over and over again.
Mr. Tupper knocked on the door as the
two officers stood out of sight. Edna
opened the door and was surprised to see who it was, “Why, Mr. Tupper, what
brings you out so late at night?”
“I was wondering if you heard about
the car fire in the ravine near Mark’s place?”
“No, sir, I haven’t had the TV on.”
“It hasn’t been on the news, yet.”
“Well, who was it? What happened? I hope it wasn’t Mark, as we did celebrate a
little, but with only two drinks each.”
“Yes, it was Mark’s car. It seems he was forced off the road, by a
woman driving another car.”
Edna’s hand flew to her forehead and
she gasped, “Not Mark, too. He was
telling me that he and Lil were to be married soon. That position must have a jinx associated
with it. I’m glad I didn’t take it.”
“I’m sure you are, Edna,” Mr. Tupper
said. “The only promotion you’ll get,
now, is to jail.”
“But I didn’t do anything, Mr.
Tupper,” she cried.
“Sorry, Edna,” Mr. Tupper said, “We
have a very good witness who claims you were the one who forced his car off the
road.”
“You’ll have to prove that,” Edna
cried. “No one else was on the
road. I…I mean…”
“Forget it, Edna,” Mr. Tupper
interrupted, “Mark is alive and he saw you on the road, gloating, when his car
exploded into flames. Cuff her, men, and
get her out of my sight. Two innocent
people killed because of your greed,” he turned away and left the police to do
their job.