“Just Between Mildred Kane, the Gatepost and I”

Part 5
"The Ruler of the Twelfth House"
A mystery,
The true story of a search

I telephoned Mildred Kane at 7:00 PM the following evening.

"Hello?" a rather youngish voice cooed. Having expected to hear the voice of a very elderly woman I was surprised.

"Is this Mildred Kane?" I asked.

"It 'tis," she replied.

"I hope I am not contacting you at an inconvenient time?" I stated politely.

"It depends. What are you calling about?" she asked.

"Mrs. Kane, you do not know me. My name is Walden Welch. I live a couple of hours north of you in Sonoma, California. Your name was given to me by a person who stated that you might be knowledgeable about some information I have been seeking…information from a long time ago…about a happening in your town of Tracy."

"Perhaps I might if you would speak directly and tell me what it 'tis you wish to know?" she stated firmly. Her voice now cackled with the aging of her years.

"I paused then took a breath and continued. "Well…my grandparents had a farm in Tracy back in the old days. It was located near the town of Vernalis. Their names were Manuel and Lena Cardoza. My mothers name was Julia Cardoza. She was one of several of their children. Perhaps you knew them? Perhaps you knew her?" I asked.

There was a dramatic pause and then Mrs. Kane exclaimed breathlessly. "Oh my Dear God! But of course I knew them! Do you mean that you are Julia's little boy?"

I could not help but laugh at her question. "I am hardly a little boy anymore Mrs. Kane. I am fifty years old...but yes I am Julia Cardoza's child," I answered.

"Oh, my, my, my…I remember when you were born. I often times held you in my arms. Your mother and I were friends back in those days. I admired her very, very much Mr. Welch. She was a lovely girl and the prettiest one in town I might add," Mrs. Kane remarked kindly. "It was after she married that drunkard father of yours that we parted as friends He certainly destroyed her life, didn't he?" she stated as if commenting on a fact rather than asking a question.

"No, actually my father did not destroy her life, Mrs. Kane," I answered quietly not trying to act defensively despite the fact that her statement regarding my father was insulting. "In truth, my father recovered from his alcoholism and they remarried in 1955 and lived happily from that year until mother's death in 1972. My father died the following year."

"Yes, I was so terribly sorry to hear that Julia had passed. I cried when I received the news. As I said, I admired her greatly. I am sorry she dropped our relationship when she moved out of town. It really didn't surprise me though. Everybody else treated me the same way. So few of us are loyal to our friends. Is that not true, Mr. Welch?"

"Yes, it is," I answered in order to appease her. The martyrdom in her voice was nauseating yet I knew I must win her over if I wished for her to help me.

"Tell me what it 'tis that you want to know from me Mr. Welch," she stated bluntly.

"What I am about to ask is rather embarrassing and terribly personal, Mrs. Kane. I do not personally know you, but I must please ask that you keep what I am about to say just between you and I and no one else."

"Not even the gatepost?" she laughed girlishly.

"No, not even the gatepost, please. You see, I recently discovered that I have a sister who was born out of wedlock and adopted into another family. I thought perhaps you might know something about this?"

There was a moment of silence before Mrs. Kane stated, "But there are two such persons, Sir. Of which female child are you speaking?"

"Then you do know about this, Mrs. Kane?"

"Of course I know! All we old timers in Tracy know about Julia's two daughters. One of them was raised by your grandparent's The Cardozas…right here on their farm in Tracy. She however was the second child"

"Yes, that is my sister Marilyn. We have always known of each other and are quite close to this day. It is information about the other girl that I am seeking."

"You are aware that one female child died in infancy before you were born, aren't you?" she asked.

"Yes, that was Priscilla. She died when she was four months old," I answered.

"Then you are aware of the very first child, Mr. Welch...the daughter who was given for adoption at birth?"

"Yes, I am now aware that she exists. It is information about her which I want. Do you know anything about her? Is her name Veronica Simas? Was her maiden name Luis?" I asked.

"Yes, indeed. You have found her. You have identified your mother's other daughter," she replied slowly and distinctly. "All the old timers here in town know that Veronica is Julia's child. Whenever she is spotted on the street we whisper amongst ourselves, ‘There goes Julia's girl." We don't say ‘there goes Katherine's girl.' Veronica looks exactly like your mother. She even walks like her and has those lovely rounded calves on her legs that Julia had. Why Veronica even smokes a cigarette in the manor that your mother did, Mr. Welch. She holds her cigarette daintily at the tip of her two middle fingers while she puffs. It's charming!"

"Do you happen to know Mrs. Simas' personally?" I asked.

"Indeed I do!" was her reply. "I see her almost everyday. She lives directly across the street from me!"

Her acknowledgment stunned me for a moment. "Oh, I am so sorry that I telephoned you! I had no idea you and she were neighbors. I apologize for my lack of good judgment and I beg you to please not tell Mrs. Simas that I contacted you?" I pleaded.

"Mr. Welch, Please! I have no intention of telling Veronica Simas anything! I did not state that she and I were friends. I simply said that I see her almost everyday. It is usually when she goes to her mailbox each morning to acquire her post. We simply wave ‘Good morning' to each other…nothing more. She and I are not close friends. We are simply neighbors who keep to our own affairs. You need not be so alarmed. What is it that so disturbs and frightens you?"

I took a deep breath to calm myself and replied, "Several months ago I wrote a letter to Mrs. Simas stating that I had been doing a search to find the woman whom my mother had given up for adoption. It was, I though, a very kind letter and I would have expected that she would have answered it, but she never has. I want to know why. Despite her rejection I have decided to go on with my search to learn what else I can about her. I am hoping to find a way to make contact with her. I decided to telephone you with hopes that you might know something as to why she refuses to establish contact with me?"

Mrs. Kane broke into mad laughter for a moment. She would gasp for breath between childlike cackles, making sounds like the snort of a pig. Her behavior was vulgar, insipid and rude. "Indeed I do, Mr. Welch! Indeed I do! I know full well why Veronica would care to shun you. It is because Veronica was taught to hate your mother Julia from the day she was born. You see, her adopted mother Katherine Luiz has told your sister that your mother Julia Cardoza was a seductress and home wrecker who seduced her husband Albert Luiz, became pregnant and tried to get Alfred to leave Katherine for Julia."

I shook my head for a moment trying to comprehend fully what she had just told me. "Do you mean that Alfred Luiz, Veronica's adopted father, is also her natural father?" I asked.

"Indeed I do! How can I make myself any clearer, Sir? Katherine has told Veronica that because she and her husband Alfred are devoted Catholics they decided not to divorce and that she, Katherine chose to adopt and raise Julia's child as it she were her own. Veronica dearly loves her parents and is very protective of them. Therefore, due to Katherine's tale, your mother is greatly resented."

"I see. Thank you for sharing this with me. Under the circumstances her reaction is totally understandable. " I stated.

"Oh, there is more to this scandalous tale than thus told, Mr. Welch. Katherine Luiz is one cold, calculating, cunning woman to be sure! Now let me tell you what really happened," she said slowly and dramatically knowing full well that I had no choice but to be her captive audience. "Why everybody in Tracy was aware of the fact that Katherine Luiz was unable to bear a child. That fact was never a secret. However the woman was so determined to raise a child that she would do anything, anything at all…no matter how insane…to acquire a child. Finally in an insane attempt of desperation Katherine pretended to be pregnant. Why she actually put a pillow under her dress and would go shopping in public, trying to make people believe that she was carrying a child! Her bazaar actions were the talk of the town. Everybody thought she was wildly insane! She even went so far as to make arrangements to put herself in the maternity ward of Damron Hospital in Stockton where she pretended to give birth to Veronica! Can you imagine the madness? She actually walked out the door of that hospital carrying the baby in her arms! In truth the only thing she had given birth to was a pillow!"

Amused by her humor Mrs. Kane laughed wildly for several moments before continuing with her performance. She reminded me of a malicious child who was dangling a helpless mouse by the tail before the eyes of a hungry cat. As she chattered on with her tales, I began to feel more, and more nauseous. "You see Mr. Welch; there is a great possibility that your mother was either intentionally seduced by Alfred Luiz to bear a child for Katherine, or that she was handsomely paid to do so? There are those here who believe that both Alfred and Katherine plotted this scheme together to trap Julia into being the mother of their child. The Luiz family is a family of great wealth. One might even call them ‘filthy rich.' There is rumor from good source that Julia and your grandparents were paid a great sum for the child."

I felt my face flush hot from anger. "Mrs. Kane! I will never believe that my grandparents would take money for my mother's child! I knew them very well. They were humble and proud people. It would never have been there natures, nor my mother's nature, to ever do any of the things which you have rumored then to have done!" I blurted.

I could judge by the tone of her voice that Mrs. Kane was delighted she had upset me. "PLEASE LET ME FINISH, MR. WELCH!" she belted haughtily. "I was privy to far more information than anyone else in this town, for you see, Sir, my brother Tony was sheriff in Tracy back in those days. He knew everything that went on in this town. Need I say more? I do not know for certain that your mother and her parents took money for the baby Veronica. I only stated there was a rumor of such. I do know for absolute fact, as reported by my brother to me, that your grandfather Manuel Cardoza took a gun in hand and shot Alfred Simas! The bullet came shy of striking Alfred's heart. Wouldn't this fact certainly suggest that something greatly angered you grandfather? Now, what could that something be? So as to keep the nasty event from public knowledge no charges were pressed against your grandfather. That is fact, Mr. Welch! Now there are those who say that Manual shot Alfred because Alfred admitted to him that he had impregnated Julia intentionally so as to gift the child to his wife. Then there are those who say that Manual shot Alfred because he was insulted and angered that Alfred offered money to buy the child. You decide Sir. I have presented two possibilities to you.

"Then how in the world did The Luiz's come to adopt Veronica?" I asked. I shook my head in confusion. "None of this makes sense, Mrs. Kane. One story contradicts another. If my grandfather tried to kill Alfred Luiz then why would he have allowed him to adopt my mother's child?"

"Because it was the best of environments for the baby!" she stated firmly. "The Luiz's were excessively wealthy people. Veronica would be given the most privileged of lives. Your mother was sickly and therefore unlikely to live to an age to raise her child. Everybody was aware of the fact that the doctors had told Julia that she would not likely live beyond her teen years. That's why everyone in town pitied and loved her so. She wouldn't be alive to raise her child. How could your grandparents explain a new born baby at there ages? They were too old to bare children by the time Veronica was born. If they kept the child then people would know one of their daughters bore a bastard. To protect the reputation of their family they allowed the baby to be adopted. They also made Alfred and Katherine promise them that they would be able to visit the child at least once a month until she became eighteen. It was agreed that they would pretend to be distant relatives on Katherine's side of her family. Your grandparent's did what was best for Veronica's welfare. Surely you can see that?"

"Yes, I suppose so." I answered weakly.

"I happen to know personally that for several years your grandparents did make monthly visits to see the child. It was usually on Tuesdays as I recall. Manuel Cardoza delivered fresh eggs to The Luiz's. The Cardoza egg farm was the best in Tracy. I bought your Grandfathers eggs too. For some strange reason your grandparents visits came to an abrupt end? I have no idea as to why" she remarked.

"How do you know this for certain?" I asked.

"Because, Sir, I have lived across the street from the Luiz family since I married my late husband back in 1932. The house that Veronica and her husband Roger live in today belonged to her parents. When Veronica married she and Roger lived in the large guest house behind the family home. As Veronica's family expanded they exchanged houses with Alfred and Katherine as to have adequate room to raise their four children."

I was exhausted from the emotional whirlpool Mrs. Kane had subjected me too. "I have to go now, Mrs. Kane. I want to thank you for sharing with me what you know," I stated politely. I did not want to hear anything else Mrs. Kane had to say. Her vile tongue literally assassinated those of whom she spoke. William. Mattos had warned me to be cautious of her and I now knew why. She was enjoying being the center of attention and because of the fact that I needed information from her she was over playing and over dramatizing her role.

Suddenly and out of nowhere I was struck with an idea as to who Mrs. Kane might likely be. This idea, in fact, seemed more like a definite realization. I wondered if the spirit of Pearl Shannon was standing beside me and if she had deliberately whispered a truth in my ear?

"Mrs. Kane, is your maiden name Silva?" I asked.

"Why, yes! Yes it 'tis!'" she replied proudly. "My brother Tony Silva was once married to your mother's sister Marion Cardoza. He and Marion divorced shortly before Tony died late in the forties. Your aunt Marion bore my brothers son and daughter. I have never seen your aunt nor my niece and nephew since the day she left Tony for another man. Can you imagine that, Mr. Welch?" she exclaimed. "Even though they know I exist they have dismissed me from their lives as if I were worthless trash! My own brother's flesh and blood have done this to me! Can you imagine that! They are selfish and inconsiderate and I will never be able to forgive their indifference towards me. I deserve better treatment than that!"

I was getting more and more nauseated as Mildred Kane ranted on and on about how she had been mistreated. She would whine and whimper like a spoiled child, all in an attempt to acquire my pity. I knew that she could offer me no more information other than the rumors she had thus far managed to confuse me with. Somewhere amongst these rumors was truth, but she had so scrambled my mind with contradictions that I needed time to reassess the information I had been given.

"I'm feeling very ill, Mrs. Kane," I confessed. "I must hang up the phone immediately!" I did so and then ran quickly to the bathroom to be sick.

End of Part 5

Next
Part 6 Of
The Ruler of the Twelfth House ~
“The Chinaberry Trees”