ONE GOOD TURN

ONE GOOD TURN

A True Story

In the late 1920’s, a Washington D.C. hotel manageress, Mary Lindsay, was on vacation driving through the Midwest when she came upon a city-bound train that had broken down.

Some passengers were milling about on the track and one of them approached Mary, asking if she was headed for town, and if she’d be good enough to give him a lift. She said she was only too pleased to assist, and drove him to the Lexington hotel, whereupon he urged her to call him should she need any help whilst on her visit.

‘A. Brown – Antiques Dealer’ his business card read. Nice man, she thought.

Two days into her stay, Mary’s purse was snatched, leaving her desperate as it contained all of her cash as well as traveller’s cheques. For a time, she had no idea what to do; but then she remembered Mr. Brown’s offer, and called him.

Without hesitation, he told her not to worry and instructed her to meet him for dinner in a West Side cafe at eight that evening when, he said, he’d be only too pleased to assist her.

It was several minutes past the agreed time and Mary was beginning to think she’d been stood up. Having no funds, she’d not ordered so much as a glass of water and was making ready to apologise and leave the luxurious establishment when a waiter approached, bearing a bottle of premium Champagne on a salver. It was, he told her, a gift from the gentleman who regretted that matters of urgent business had arisen and precluded his attendance. She was to order whatever she wanted; his treat.

Not wishing to take advantage of such generosity, the woman opted for one of the cheaper menu selections - though even that was outrageously expensive by her standards.

Returning from the ladies room, Mary noticed a package that had been left on the spare seat at her table. It bore her name, so she opened it and inside was her purse with not a single penny, or cheque, missing.

As the waiter helped her with her coat, she asked, “Tell me; this Mr. Brown. Is he always so helpful, and so magnanimous?”

“Al Brown?” the waiter was smiling, teasing.

“The man paying for my meal; the one who, somehow, recovered my money.”

“Don’t put it about;” whispered the waiter, “he’s not really Al Brown. He’s Al Capone.”

** ** **

Copyright Albert Woods (2014)

Thanks for reading this.

For anybody interested, I have my first complete novel up on Amazon – available for Kindle or PC.

It’s a crime/political thriller whodunit, and is dirt cheap.

A recent review:-

This is an enjoyable thriller set in post-War England. It is infused with period detail and really gives you the atmosphere and attitudes of the times. A roll call of famous and infamous historical characters contribute to a delightfully sophisticated plot that keeps you guessing to the end "who did it and why?"

You can read the synopsis and first chapter for free! So must be worth a look.

Just search the title on Amazon:–

‘EIGHTEEN to TWELVE’