The Last Celtic Angel

Frank Collins, Desk Editor of Pro Horseman’s Magazine is sitting at his office when the intercom screams, “Collins, come to my office!” He looks at the lighted switch blinking and sees that it’s Old Man Ellsworth. Punching the answer button he answers, “I’ll be right up sir.” Collins picks up his assignment book and hurries down the hall toward the elevator to the Publisher’s office on the double.

Entering the elevator for the short ride upstairs he wonders what’s got Ellsworth the Publisher, so heated up this morning. Walking briskly he enters the publisher’s executive suite and greets him. “Yes sir, Good morning, how was your weekend?”

“Good thank you, have a seat Frank.” Ellsworth’s answers briskly and gestures toward the conference table at the rear of the office. Ellsworth is a large man standing almost six feet four and weighing around two hundred and sixty pounds with salt and pepper hair, he doesn’t look near his sixty six years.

Ellsworth is standing looking out the penthouse suite’s windows that over look Palm Beach while he waits for Collins to take his seat. Turning toward Collins he asks, “Frank, what have we got on this Rancho de Los Angeles business?”

“Well sir not much, I’ve sent over three staff writers to try to interview this Doyle guy, but we can’t get past the front gate. Research has turned up nothing on him except, he seems to be independently wealthy with some very good connections, both locally and nationally. He has a license to board and train horses, they also picked up some rumors that he has some kind of special ability to work with unmanageable animals. We’re still working on that angle, but nothing specific. We’ve dug up something else; he was given a Rehab license about a year ago.” Frank knows how the old man likes concise reports, so he leaves nothing out, something that the old man carried over from his old newspaper days.

“What are you telling me, he’s turning that place into some kind of drug and alcoholic half way house? No wonder my phone’s been ringing off the hook. That’s all my wife and her society crowd will have to hear. Listen Frank, find out what’s going on out there, and if it is one of those camps for no-hopers than let’s see if we can apply some pressure to get him to move it somewhere else. Melody and some of her snobbish friends will drive me nuts if we don’t, she thinks the power of the press can do anything. Keep me on top of this will you, I don’t want to be the last to know, or hear it from one of her parasitic friends, ok.” The look on Ellsworth’s face tells Collins how serious the old man is.

“Yes sir, Mr. Ellsworth, I‘ll get right on it and see what my friend at PBSO can dig up for me, he owes us some favors for the concert tickets you got for him last month.” Frank tries to reassure him, He realizes the meeting is over and gets up to leave when Ellsworth’s phone rings.

“Yes, I’ll take the call,” Ellsworth tells his secretary, and motions Frank to stay.

“Hello Honey what’s up?”......Yes in fact, we were going over the whole issue just now…Frank is taking care of it right now…He was just leaving… Of course we’re giving it a priority…… No honey it won’t be necessary for you to call her… Just as soon as I can find out anything you will know honey… Well it seems the man is quite wealthy, and has some very influential friends, so we must proceed carefully, but if he’s doing what you heard… Of course we have to put a stop to it… Rest assured Darling, I’m aware of where we live…Yes…. Goodbye, see you tonight”…

“You see what I’m putting up with; they’re fixating on this. Run this stat you hear me, she’s driving me nuts.” He’s almost pleading with Collins to help get her off his back.

Upon leaving Ellsworth’s office, Collins goes to the coffee shop for a cup of java and Danish then walks to his office. He can’t help thinking how the old man dotes on his wife who happens to be twenty five years younger than him. He thanks God Ellsworth is married to her and not him. That still leaves a huge problem, how to find out what’s going on, and does it fit into the format of an equestrian upscale photo magazine. The whole thing seems to be a newspaper story or at least one for the supermarket rag tabloids. Ellsworth still thinks he’s the editor and chief of one of his wife’s family papers like the Herald, even if they get the scoop. How does it fit with the National Horse Show story? Collins knows it’s not for him to reason why, just get it done then it’s up to The Old Man, he’s the publisher.

“Good morning Mr. Collins,” his receptionist greets him respectfully. “Your ten o’clock appointment is here, will you see her now? She’s been waiting for forty minutes, I told her you were in a conference upstairs with Mr. Ellsworth.” Agnes hands him the applicant’s folder, and frowns at her boss. Collins thinks to himself, that she really could use a boyfriend to mellow her out.

“Give me a minute to look over her resume, and application, and then send her in.”

Opening the folder and reading over a well written and concise resume, he notices she has some great qualities that the Magazine is looking for as far as background, and the application looks to be good as well. He hits the intercom and tells Agnes to send her in.

There’s a knock on his door. “Come in.” Collins answers and looks up as an attractive woman enters his office, and walks over to him and sticks out her hand.

“Hello Mr. Collins, I’m Deanna Gaynor it’s a pleasure to meet you.”