Read White Crest Page 9

CHAPTER NINE

  RELOCATION

  Mac’s alarm clock ordered her out of bed relentlessly for fifteen minutes before she acknowledged it and rolled out to greet the morning sun.

  Her theory about two tranquilizers being twice as good may or may not have been accurate. However, one thing was certain. Two pills leave you considerably lethargic the morning after.

  It took considerable effort to override the pressing desire to go back to bed but she was finally able to make her way to the bathroom. She stuck her head in the sink and ran cold water through her hair to wake up. Then she wrapped a towel around the wet hair and sauntered to the kitchen.

  She started a fresh pot of coffee and sat at the kitchen table with her chin in her hands while she waited for it to brew. When it was ready, she poured a cup and dropped two slices of bread in the toaster.

  Mac finished her toast and headed back to her bedroom to get ready to meet Danny.

  She put on her blue, pin stripe suit with a white blouse, brushed her hair and returned to the kitchen to find her travel mug.

  She found the mug, filled it with coffee and left the house. She waved to whoever was in the surveillance van and was halfway up the hill to her rental car when she heard, “Mac. Don’t forget the bug!”

  The bug? Oh yeah, the microphone, she thought. She turned and saw Marcia walking toward her.

  “Thanks, Marcia. I forgot.”

  “Going to meet the boss today?”

  “I was headed for the airport when you stopped me.”

  Marcia fixed the bug on Mac’s lapel, brushed a small strand of white lint off of her shoulder and said, “Good luck.”

  Mac nodded and continued up the hill. Marcia watched her until she started the car and drove to the access road. Curtis was also watching. He was sitting in some tall grass about a block down the beach and watched Mac and Marcia with a pair of high-powered binoculars.

  Mac drove to the airport and went into the main terminal. She checked the flight status board and saw that Danny’s flight was on schedule and due to arrive in fifteen minutes.

  The uneasiness normally generated by one of his visits was absent. He would call and say he wanted to visit some of her stores and she would panic. But no longer. Even her reflection in a shop window displayed an expressionless face. There just wasn’t anything there.

  She looked around the terminal and noticed many things that went unnoticed before.

  She saw a banner hanging above the crowd, swaying to and fro with the circulating air from the air conditioner. She watched as people passed under it without once looking at it. Somebody probably spent a lot of time making sure the wording was just right and the people who had to hang it, had to make sure it was suspended perfectly. Who knows what trouble they had to go through to get permission to hang it. And what about the cost? For what? No one even looked at it.

  She admired the shine of the waxed floor and wondered if the maintenance people took pride in their work or if they just did it to bring home a paycheck.

  Mac watched hundreds of people passing by and for the first time she saw people’s faces. In the past they were just passing masses of varied shapes, sizes and colors.

  She wondered why the policeman was leaning against a counter cleaning his fingernails and not walking among the people.

  Mac turned her attention to a mass of passengers rushing into the terminal from a gate that had just deplaned its herd. Midway back in the crowd she saw Danny walking briskly toward her.

  Mac made eye contact and watched him walk to meet her. He was dressed in his gray pin stripe suit and was wearing his brown, five hundred dollar New York shoes.

  Danny was smiling as he finally reached Mac and said, “Hi, Mac. How’s the vacation been?”

  “You really don’t care, so why are you asking?”

  Danny shut the smile off quicker than a light goes out when you hit the switch. He looked to the right and to the left and said, “Is there a place we can sit down and grab a cup of coffee?”

  “A cup of coffee? You don’t need a ride to a hotel or motel?” she asked.

  “I won’t be staying long, Mac. I have a return flight that leaves in two hours.”

  “There’s a fast food joint down the hall on our left.”

  “All right.” Danny switched his briefcase to his other hand and turned in the direction indicated by Mac. He always walked at a brisk pace when he was going somewhere, but as soon as got where he was going, he took his time.

  They stood in line silently, staring at the menu that neither was going to order from.

  Danny and Mac stood side-by-side at the counter when Danny ordered two large coffees. Mac looked over at him and asked, “Dutch treat?”

  “No, I‘ve got it,” he replied.

  They got their coffee and walked to a table large enough to accommodate Danny’s briefcase. He mixed his coffee, opened his briefcase and removed a pen from his suit coat.

  He took a sip of his coffee and winced when he realized how incredibly hot it was.

  Mac finally found a reason to smile. “A thick cloud of rising steam generally dictates caution to the drinker!”

  Danny wiped his mouth and produced a white sheet of paper with some text typed on it. He handed it to Mac and said, “Read this and tell me what you think.”

  Mac held the paper in one hand and read. It was an e-mail addressed to Steve Carter, Vice President of Operations and Danny Fisher, Regional Sales Manager. It said, “Try to use your credit cards, asshole. Just thinking of you, Mac.”

  “I can assure you, Dan; I had nothing to do with this e-mail.”

  “Maybe not directly, Mac, but it’s because of you that it was generated. It is because of you that neither Steve nor I can use our credit cards. The accounts have been frozen. The FBI has been notified and is hopefully straightening it all out for us. They say that a preliminary check of the records indicates that we’ve had our accounts hacked by someone who knows the ropes. Steve is so mad I’m surprised you didn’t hear him all the way down here.”

  “I’d be pissed too,” said Mac.

  “Steve has decided that it would be best for all concerned to put you in a position where you could devote all of your time to clearing up the mess your personal life has become. With that in mind, he has prepared a generous severance package to be effective immediately upon signing. You knew this was coming, didn’t you?” Dan handed Mac the several pages of documents and took another sip of coffee.

  “I never really had much doubt. I’ve been in the business too long to miss the danger signs.”

  Mac started to read them and then stopped. She looked at Danny and said, “Did you ever name your dog?”

  There were a couple of summertime burglaries in Dan’s neighborhood a few years ago so he went to an animal shelter and picked out a puppy. He brought it home and put it in his backyard. It was about a half-acre of beautifully manicured grass, surrounded by a six-foot wooden fence. There was a small, in-ground swimming pool with a concrete patio and lawn furniture. Mac had been there once for a summer barbeque, but that was before the puppy arrived.

  Dan fed and watered the dog on a regular basis but never played with it or bought it any toys. If it rained, the dog had to use the patio table as shelter. When winter came, his wife, Laura, made him buy a plastic, molded igloo for the dog but it had to be placed in the corner where it did minimal damage.

  The dog was starved for affection and attention. Anytime guests would arrive for a barbeque or pool party, it would have to be chained in the corner. Otherwise, it would jump all over them, begging to be petted.

  Danny viewed the animal in the same manner he viewed his electronic home alarm system and never bothered to give the dog a name.

  “Laura calls him Lucky, because he’s lucky to have a home,” replied Dan coldly.

  “Lucky. I wonder,” said Mac as she resumed reading.

  Mac completed the maze of legal double talk and said, “I thought you said it was a generous s
everance package. This is our standard deal.”

  “Exactly. Given events of late, it’s generous of us to give you anything.”

  “Oh well, what you make on the popcorn, you lose on the peanuts. Somehow I don’t hear the love in your voice, Dan,” said Mac with a smile. Mac extended her open palm and said, “Are you going to let me use your pen or do I need to cut a finger off and sign it in blood?”

  Danny frowned, “Knock off the crap, Mac. I supported you all the way, until this credit card crap came up. I was the one who talked Steve into giving you a working vacation to see if you could pull out of the dive. Be professional about this and just sign,” he said as he handed her the pen.

  “Be professional? What about all the years of dedication and devotion I gave the company? What about all the seventy and eighty hour weeks I put in while other district managers were home watching television or out playing golf with you? I’ll sign the severance pack but don’t you ever talk to me about professionalism.” You can say a lot of things to Mac but one boundary you never cross is her dedication. She was beginning to crawl out from a deep, dark pit of depression. It is a pit we all have. It is full of demons who drink your self-esteem and marksmen who shoot out any light that may cast a ray of hope. It has slimy walls to prohibit you from getting any substantial grip and pulling yourself out.

  Danny was definitely lowering the boom but when it hit its mark, it generated a bright spark from Mac, like a hammer glancing off a nail. He was throwing her a rope and didn’t even know it.

  Danny looked at his Rolex and slid the band around his wrist with his opposite hand.

  “Take note that I want my retirement check sent to my Florida address. Once I pay off the private detective agency, which you suggested by the way, and all my outstanding bills, I might have enough left to buy a bag of coffee.”

  Danny reviewed the paperwork and was satisfied that she had completed the necessary parts. “I need the keys to the company car and I need to know where to pick it up.”

  Mac opened her purse and pushed some items around until she found them. “Here are the keys. The car is at my complex in Atlanta. Would you like me to give you directions?”

  “That won’t be necessary. Do you still have the same address listed on the emergency recall sheet?”

  “Yes, it hasn’t changed in years.”

  Danny removed another sheet with two credit card numbers. “I am instructing you to destroy the two credit cards listed on this form which were issued in your name. They have already been cancelled so you wouldn’t be able to use them anyway. Nonetheless, I need you to sign here indicating you will destroy them immediately. Any attempt on your part to use them after you sign this form will constitute credit card fraud and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

  “Do I get to keep the diamond ring I just bought with one of them?”

  “All charges made within the last thirty days will be examined by our auditing department. Any unauthorized expenses will be charged back to you. Your final check for unused sick and personal days will be held until all accounts in your name have been cleared by the auditing department.”

  “I was kidding, Danny. You know I was. I’m probably the only district manager that hasn’t doctored their expense account. How about your expense account? Are you sure it could pass a close examination by auditing?”

  Danny thought about what Mac had said. There were a few presents for his wife and a new golf club that had been “creatively maneuvered” as business expenses.

  “I will also need your set of keys to the stores.”

  “They’re at my cottage. You’ve probably already arranged to have the cores changed anyway.”

  “Of course I have. I still need you to ship them via overnight express to my office.”

  “What about my plaques?”

  “You’re what?”

  “The plaques you presented to me at the national sales meetings. You gave me one for outstanding cost control, one for superior management performance and another for outstanding sales performance. Remember?”

  “What about them?”

  “Would you like those back as well? I could ship them overnight with the keys.”

  “Knock it off, Mac. You may not have a job right now but I do. I’m just doing what I have to do. You’ve been in my position before. You know it’s nothing personal. It’s just business.”

  Mac looked down at the forms and signed all of them very quickly. Mac tossed Danny’s pen back to him and reached for her coffee. She took a sip and choked on it as it went down because she was startled by what she saw behind Danny’s left shoulder. It was the little girl in yellow. She was just standing there and smiling at Mac.

  “Hi there,” said Mac warmly as she looked past him.

  Danny whipped his head around in both directions and saw several people moving about but none of them seemed at all interested in their activities.

  “Having fun with me, Mac?”

  The girl darted from where she was standing and swatted at Dan’s briefcase. It went flying off the table and landed upside down underneath the table next to them. Mac watched it land and when she turned to look back, the little girl was gone.

  Danny also watched as his briefcase became airborne and said, “What the fu--.”

  “Way to go, kid!” said Mac as Danny bent over and started scooping things back into his briefcase.

  “What kid? You saw who did that? Where did he go?”

  “What makes you think it was a he?”

  “Stop messing with me, Mac. If you saw some kid do this, then that means they’re with an adult. We need to find the responsible adult. Actions like that deserve reprimand.”

  “You’re absolutely right. I have a civic responsibility here. It was a little girl dressed in a yellow outfit. She looked to be eight, maybe nine years old. There’s an airport cop over there by that ticket counter. Why don’t you run over there and see if he can find her and bust her for illegal briefcase manipulation. Maybe he could nail her for hit and run. I’m thinking she ought to get maybe five to ten years for what she did.”

  “I hear ya’, smart-ass. You’d be pissed too if this was your briefcase and you paid what I paid for it.” He spotted a tear on a corner and said, “Damn little brat. See what she did?” He nursed the tear like it was a family member that had just been wounded in mortal combat. “Kids are only good for two things.”

  “And what would those two things be?” asked Mac.

  “Nothing and nothing squared.” Danny gathered the last of the contents and was about to close the briefcase with he saw a small, gray jewelry box. He picked it up, opened it and snapped it back shut. It was Mac’s gold service ring. It had an oval cut ruby in the setting, with her name engraved on the inside of the band.

  The company awarded prizes to employees based on a point system. Each employee was awarded points for sales performance, personnel turnover control, loss control, etc.

  The way it was structured, it generally took up to five years to earn enough points to be awarded a prize as elegant and expensive as Mac’s ring.

  Danny opened the expandable file pouch in his briefcase and threw the ring in. He thought he had left it in his office. Either he neglected to remove it or his secretary, Nicole, put it in there thinking he forgot it. In any case, he was more determined than ever to send it back and make sure she didn’t get it.

  Mac’s whole demeanor changed since the girl appeared. She felt uplifted and less depressed. Happy was still around the corner from her but at least she didn’t feel as low as she did on the way to the airport.

  “What was that? Another gift for your wife?”

  “It’s none of your damn business,” said Danny as his cheeks turned an angry shade of red. “Did you sign everything?”

  “Not everything. I wasn’t around for the Magna Carta, the Declaration of Independence, the…”

  “KNOCK IT OFF, MAC!!” shouted Danny. A few people from surrounding tabl
es looked in their direction briefly and then returned to what they were doing.

  He sorted Mac’s copies from the mess and slid them to her.

  “Why? Are you going to fire me if I don’t behave? Oops, I forgot. Been there, done that!”

  Danny slammed his briefcase shut and stormed away from Mac without uttering another word.

  Mac rested her head on her left palm and watched him march away. She smiled as he groomed his hair while he walked. “And to think, I actually thought I was going to miss you!”

  She pushed the papers together and folded them in half. As she did, something slid out and made a light clanking sound on the table. It was her ring. The same ring Danny closed back into the gray box and tried to bury in his briefcase.

  Mac picked up the ring, read her name on the inside and admired the ruby. She pushed it onto the ring finger of her right hand. She smiled and said, “Perfect fit!”

  Mac turned her attention to the table opposite of hers and saw an elderly gentleman with his hands clasped, just sitting and staring at her. He was wearing a black suit with a white shirt and dark blue tie. He had the deepest blue eyes she had ever seen. They were such a stark contrast to his light skin and shiny white hair. He wasn’t eating or drinking anything and it didn’t look like he was waiting for anyone.

  Mac took her folded papers, stuffed them in her purse and got ready to leave. As she stood, the gentleman stood also and said, “Go with the bump. It’s just a pothole.”

  Mac froze in her tracks and said, “Excuse me?”

  The man smiled slightly, took a few steps away from Mac, then stopped and turned. “Go with the bump. It’s just a pothole.” He smiled again and merged with a group of people that was passing by.

  Mac shook her head and said, “It is just a pothole. I’m good at what I do and I still know some people. This old dog still has a few tricks left in her!” She adjusted the strap on her shoulder purse and decided to leave the airport.

  She had just exited the automated glass doors to her car when she saw two policemen helping an indigent man into their police car. He was soliciting people for their change and was loudly expressing his reluctance to leave. She saw that he was missing a leg above the knee and nearly all of his front teeth were either missing or black from rot. His hair was past his shoulders and all knotty. His face and ragged clothes were filthy.

  As she watched the man struggling to remain outside of the car, a quote sprang to the forefront of her thoughts. “I cried because I had no shoes, until I saw a man that had no feet.” She couldn’t recall when or where she heard it but it helped her put recent events in her life into a better perspective. She looked to the sky and said, “Thank You!“

  She drove home, parked her car and walked down to the van. She tapped on the van door and said, “Hello in there.”

  Marcia slid the door open and said, “Well?”

  “You already know how it went,” said Mac as she tapped the microphone.

  “All I know is that you’re okay. She knows how it went,” said Marcia as she pointed to Donna who was pulling into Mac’s parking area.

  “Donna followed me!?”

  “She listened in and followed you to make sure you were okay; off the clock, I might add.”

  “I’m not being charged for her time?”

  “Not this time. The airport was out of range for the microphone. Donna followed you because you were feeling pretty low when you left. She was afraid you might lose your focus and run into some problems. And the airport parking lot is a good place for a random assault, should your attacker be in the area.”

  “Wow that was really sweet. I didn’t see her once. Damn, anyone could have been following me and I wouldn’t have known it!”

  Donna joined the group and said, “Have you decided whether you want us to continue surveillance or not?”

  “I think I can afford a couple of more days. By the way, thanks, Donna. Marcia told me that you’re not charging me for the time,” said Mac humbly.

  “Every now and then I have a weak moment. Not very often though, so don’t get used to it!” she announced hastily. Donna looked at Marcia and stated authoritatively, “I’m going back to the room. See you in a bit.” She said goodbye to Mac and left.

  “Donna is a damn good person, Mac. She’s one of the best in the business. She can be very caring but she can also be very guarded and private.”

  “I understand.”

  “You seem much better now. You have a more positive sound in your voice and you don’t look so sullen. Are you okay?”

  “I’m better. There are a couple of issues I still have to deal with.”

  “Are you ever going to tell me how it went?” asked Marcia with sincere curiosity.

  “It went as I expected it to go. I got fired in near record time. No small talk about how the world is doing, etc. Basically, just hello and goodbye.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I was considering my possibilities all the way home. I think I’ll go back to Atlanta, pack my things and bring them down here. While I’m there, I’ll make a few calls and see if I can connect with any companies located here in Florida. I did some networking while I was gainfully employed and made a few good contacts. One of them may be able to help me find a position in this general area. I really love it here and hate the thought of leaving now that I really don’t have to.”

  “How long do you think you’ll be in Atlanta?”

  “Probably not more than a day or two. Since I rented a furnished apartment, all I have to pack is my clothes, some knickknacks, a television, a computer and some dishes. I bought the bed and some other odds and ends pieces of furniture but nothing worth hauling back with me. Carrie Wiggins, my apartment manager, will either offer me a fair price for them or sell them for me.”

  “That’s one hell of an apartment complex you live in.”

  “Yes, it is. I won’t miss it though. This is where I belong and if at all possible, this is where I want to stay.”

  “Will you and Donna follow me back to Atlanta?”

  “Sorry, no. We’ll have to keep a presence here to preserve the security of your cottage and maintain the integrity of the equipment. We may not have to be 24 hours a day but we will have to keep a close eye on your place. Robert and another investigator will take over while you’re there.”

  “Damn!!”

  “Sorry, Mac. I know it will add some dollars to the total but that’s the best way to go.”

  “Well, that’s certainly a down side but that’s not what I was thinking about. I was thinking about a vehicle. I was allowed to operate my company car for professional and personal use so I sold my old car years ago. Now I have to buy a damn car! When this is all over, I’ll be lucky if I have enough money left to buy a cup of coffee!!”

  “Like I said, we could cut our coverage here back a little. It could save you hundreds.”

  “I’ll do whatever you think is best. You guys are the experts but I might just skip it when I go to Atlanta. I’ll only be there a couple of days and most people think I’m here anyway.”

  “That may not be wise. If you will recall, your apartment was entered illegally and searched while you were here. You could wait until this all blows over before going back.”

  “I could but my rent is due in another two weeks and I can’t see paying for another month if I won’t be there.”

  “Will your lease get in the way?”

  “I doubt it. With my assault in their parking lot and the bogus cop with Karl, my guess is that Carrie will welcome my departure. She likes things neat, clean and organized. IMAGE is everything to her and I’m splashing mud all over theirs.”

  “I’ll talk it over with Donna and see what she suggests.”

  “Sounds good. I think I’ll go inside and finish up some loose ends. Then I’m going to see Shingo for lunch. Would you like me to bring you something from the Shack?”

  “No, thanks.”

  Mac looked at
the van interior and said, “Don’t have too much fun in there!”

  “That’s why we have seat belts! Sometimes it’s more fun than we can handle so we have to lock ourselves down!!”

  Marcia slid the van door shut as Mac walked around the van and went inside the house.

  Mac looked around the interior of the cottage and said, “It feels so good to be here. I won’t have to make many changes if I’m able to stay. I should be able to swing it. If I don’t land something right away, I should still have enough money left to live here for quite awhile. The cottage is paid for. All I have to worry about is utilities and food. I don’t see why I’d have any problems finding a position that will pay me enough for those expenses. I don’t have to find an executive position and jump back into the stress and chaos. Maybe getting fired was really a good thing after all.”

  Mac looked at a camera and said, “I’m not losing it, I promise! I talk to myself all the time!”

  She thought about going back into the attic and sorting some more things out but decided to rearrange the living room furniture first.

  She pushed the couch, rocking chair, two end tables and a worn club chair against the walls. She put her hands on the coffee table and was getting ready to move it into the dining area when something in the jigsaw puzzle caught her eye. She saw the surf coming onto the beach and it appeared to be further inland than before. It was coming up the beach where the boat and man had been. Beyond that was a flat grassy area that led to rows and rows of palm trees. Between two of those palm trees was a small yellow stripe. She studied it for a couple of minutes and tried to make it out but it was too small.

  Mac went to the corner cupboard quickly, looked through the bottom cabinet and found her mother’s magnifying glass. She returned to the puzzle and studied it once more.

  “Well, I’ll be damned!” she exclaimed.

  It was the little girl in the yellow outfit that had given her the paint set, had played with Waldo and knocked over Danny’s briefcase. She was standing between two giant palm trees. She had one hand on the back of a tree and had the other hand in the air, as if she were waving toward the beach.

  Mac looked at a camera and said, “Hey, Marcia. You really need to see this!! I’ll meet you at the front door.”

  Mac dashed to the door, unlocked it and opened it. Then she ran back to the puzzle and located the girl again.

  Marcia ran into the living room and said, “What’d you find?”

  Marcia left in such a hurry, she still had her headset on. The cord from the headset was swaying to and fro like the pendulum in Mac’s grandfather clock.

  Mac was staring through the magnifier and said, “Here. Take this and focus it on the thin yellow line, right there.” Mac handed the magnifying glass to Marcia and pointed exactly where she wanted Marcia to look.

  Marcia moved the lens up and down until she had a clear image.

  “What do you see?” asked Mac excitedly.

  “I see a young girl standing between two palm trees. There’s a huge black beetle on the trunk of one of them.”

  “The girl’s wearing a yellow t-shirt and appears to be wearing matching yellow shorts. She has straight blond hair but I can’t make out the color of her eyes. It seems she is waving to someone in the general beach area, although I can’t see the object of her attention. Judging by her relative height in relationship to her surroundings, I would estimate that the black book bag with some type of yellow design is approximately two feet to her right. I can’t make out the yellow design on the bag.”

  “You see a book bag!?”

  Marcia removed a pen from her breast pocket and put the tip of the pen just below the bag. She handed Mac the magnifying glass and said, “Right there.”

  Mac looked at the book bag and smiled. “They’re yellow daisies. That’s the young girl I’ve been telling you about! I didn’t imagine her.”

  Marcia stood and said, “I can see that you didn’t imagine her but when you saw her outside, it could have been a manifestation of your imagination. When you worked on the puzzle, you were tired and it’s possible you saw her subconsciously. As a form of release or even strong desire, you brought her from your subconscious to your conscious mind and visualized her as if she were real.”

  “Great hypothesis but you know you don’t believe it!”

  “I do my very best to base my decisions on fact and concrete evidence, Mac. Sometimes I entertain the impossible as possible but only as a last resort. I still think there are other conclusions to drawn.”

  “You sound just like Doc Belcher…waiting for the tests to come back.”

  Marcia smiled, “Like I said before, it’s the strangest thing I’ve seen. Letting something go that you don’t understand and moving to something else beats psychotherapy and is a whole lot cheaper!”

  Mac took another close look with the magnifying glass and said, “I don’t know how, why, when or where but she has definitely been out of that puzzle.”

  Marcia looked at the puzzle one more time and said, “I’ll be in the van if you need me.”

  “Okay. See you later.”

  Marcia left as Mac began talking to the puzzle. “How do I get you to come out of there? Is it something I say or do that draws you out?”

  Mac thought back to the airport and tried to remember what she was doing and saying when the girl showed up. She remembered that they were talking about her plaques and sending back the keys. She repeated as many key words as she could recall but nothing happened. She rubbed her finger gently over the girl’s image and said, “Please come and stay long enough for me to talk to you. Can you hear me?”

  Mac waited and waited but the girl didn’t budge. I’ll use reverse psychology, she thought. “Okay. I guess I’ll finish rearranging the house. No sense fooling around with a bunch of pieces of painted cardboard. The whole thing is nothing more than my silly, childish imagination anyway.”

  Mac moved the couch closer to the fireplace and changed the angle of the club chair slightly but in the end, decided everything was just fine where it was originally.

  She went back to the puzzle and saw that there were still no changes.

  “Oh well, I suppose I’d better move on to the attic.”

  Mac dragged out the stepladder and climbed into the attic. It was at least twenty degrees colder than the living room. She went back down, put a light jacket on and returned to her mission.

  She opened an old box that had probably been up there for at least ten years. It had a set of glass mixing bowls, an old hand crank egg beater, a pastry cutting wheel and various other kitchen utensils. She chuckled because it was the same exact box her mother bought at a yard sale. The stuff had never made it out of the box. It probably went straight to the attic as soon as her mother came home. She could certainly part company with those items.

  She found various other items she had never seen before. There was an old modem that you had to actually stick the telephone handset into. She found a manual typewriter with no ribbon, a turntable with no arm and an eight millimeter movie camera that had crusty battery acid stuck to the handle.

  She combined those items into one box and set it next to the attic entrance with the kitchen utensils.

  After she moved a big stack of weights, which her father bought in case he ever decided to get back into shape, she determined that she no longer needed the jacket! She was warming up quickly. I think you guys need to go. I have no desire to build my biceps. Maybe I can con Shingo into hauling them down for me.

  She was quickly learning that there was probably one of everything in the attic. It was like a mini-museum.

  Then she found reason to pause. She had uncovered a box she had forgotten about. It was about the size of her microwave and contained her most favorite toys--her dolls. There were only four of them and she remembered wrapping them in aluminum foil to keep them “fresh” and form a protective barrier from bugs.

  She took great care to safeguard her dolls and
used towels her mother bought at a yard sale to cushion them.

  She selected one of them randomly and peeled back the layers of silver foil to reveal her most cherished doll, Miss Julie. The twelve inch, cloth doll was clad in a pink dress that was hand sewn by Mac’s mother. Chunks of the yarn hair had fallen out and made her look sickly. Flecks of color were missing from the painted eyes, enhancing the sickly appearance of the doll. The painted nose had disappeared completely but the doll still had a distinguishable smile.

  She brought the doll to her chest and gave it a careful hug. “Poor Miss Julie,” said Mac. “If I can fix a boat, I can fix you. I’ll get some new yarn, some bright paints and maybe even a new dress. We’ll have the joy back in those eyes in no time. What do you think ?”

  Mac took the doll downstairs and put it on her dresser. “Rest here until I can fix you.”

  She spent the next few hours hauling boxes down and piling them on her front porch. She called a local charity, told them where they would be and planned to acknowledge her growing hunger by dining at Shingo’s. Before leaving, she checked the puzzle one more time. Still no change. The girl hadn’t budged.

  Mac left the cottage, walked down to the van and tapped on the door. When it opened she said, “I’m going to do lunch at Shingo’s. Would you like anything?”

  “No thanks. Donna’s coming by any minute for shift change. I appreciate the offer though,” replied Marcia.

  “I’m not sure when I’ll be back but I still have the microphone.”

  “I’m going to grab a bite and take a nap. I’m not sure when I’ll see you again. Be careful. Nobody knows where Curtis is and if he’s our man, he’s had plenty of time to get here,” said Marcia.

  “I’ll be careful,” said Mac as she turned and started walking down the beach toward the Cuda Shack.

  About a block in the other direction, Curtis was still hiding in the tall grass, but he wasn’t watching with the binoculars. He was sleeping on them.

  Shingo was sweeping the floor when Mac entered the Cuda Shack. “Isn’t that what you hired Brian for?” asked Mac.

  He rested the broom against a table and gave Mac a hug and a smile. “Hey, Mac. How did it go with the boss this morning?”

  “He came, he saw, he fired!”

  “I’m so sorry. What are you going to do?”

  “I’m not sure yet. I really want to relocate here. I love it so much, I just can’t think of any concrete reasons to ever leave again.”

  “Wow! That would be wonderful! It would be great to have you back on a permanent basis. Do you really think it’s possible?”

  “I did a lot of networking while I was employed and I’m thinking I might be able to get something close enough to make it happen. My biggest concern is that I’m unemployed now. That’s a real negative factor with some companies. When you’re employed and batting like a champion, everybody wants you. But when you get fired while batting like a champion, they assume you were doing something illegal and want no part of you. I’ll give it my best shot anyway.”

  “Brian won’t be here forever. You could always come to work for me.”

  Mac smiled and said, “Thanks, Shingo. You’re a sweetheart.”

  “I’m serious, Mac. The only problem is that I couldn’t afford to pay you very much.”

  “I’ll keep it in the back of my mind. I won’t totally rule it out.”

  Mac felt a sharp pain in her head and began rubbing her scalp with both hands.

  “Are you okay?” Shingo asked sincerely.

  “Yes and no. Do you have anything for a monster headache?”

  Shingo thought briefly and said, “I have some prescription pain medication leftover from my trip to the dentist. I don’t think I told you but I had a tooth pulled and ended up with a dry socket. It was the worst, nonstop pain I’ve ever had. It was absolutely horrible. I think I have a couple of pills left in the office. I’ll be right back.”

  Mac sat at a table, lowered her head and continued to massage her scalp.

  Shingo emerged from the office hurriedly and quickly poured a glass of water for Mac.

  “Here you go, Mac. Try taking just one at first. If that doesn’t help, go home and take the second one. If you take two of these, they put you out like that,” he said as he snapped his fingers.

  Mac swallowed the pill and continued rubbing.

  “I’m going to finish sweeping and give the pill a chance to work. Can I get you anything else?”

  Mac shook her head and said, “I’ll be all right in a couple of minutes.”

  Shingo picked up the broom and continued where he left off. He got the dustpan, gathered the accumulated mess and dumped it in the backroom trashcan. When he came back out, Mac was returning to normal.

  He looked at Mac and said, “Migraine?”

  “No. It’s a little worse.”

  Shingo walked to the table and saw the grim look on Mac’s face. He pulled a chair out slowly and sat. “A little worse? How much worse?”

  “I’ve been having headaches for several months. I used to think they were collateral damage from the stress and strain of my job. Then they became more frequent and harder to get rid of. I finally went to see Doc Belcher and he ran some tests. I have a bone disease that is relatively uncommon in women. Nonetheless, I have it and it has started in the bones of my skull. The bones are expanding and putting pressure on my brain, thus causing the headaches.” Mac paused and rubbed her scalp a little more.

  “Will you be okay?” he asked, hoping with all his heart she’d say yes. Shingo presented a strong, tough and sometimes even harsh exterior but he was a real softy on the inside. He never married and never had any children, but if he had, he would have loved to have a daughter like Mac.

  He was close to getting married once. He met a woman, Roberta, who had been married and had two young children from a previous marriage.

  Roberta left her husband after struggling and failing to help him get his violent temper under control. She drew the line in the relationship when his temper crossed into disciplining the children. She tolerated his yelling and wailing on her for four years but couldn’t stand to see it happening to the children, so she left.

  They dated for about nine months and Shingo found himself thinking of her just about every waking minute. They had occasional interruptions from the ex-husband but they were minor and never came between Shingo and Roberta.

  Roberta was a woman of slight build and in sharp physical contrast with Shingo’s stockier frame. He loved spending a quiet night with her on the couch and just snuggling.

  They went just about everywhere together and finally moved in together to save money. The money that was being spent on Roberta’s apartment went into a savings account for their honeymoon. They had thought about several different exotic places but hadn’t selected one in particular.

  He had an excellent rapport with her children and they responded well to his direction. He thoroughly enjoyed their company and both he and the children sucked up the love and attention they shared. He spent hundreds of dollars on toys and gadgets for them to play with and made sure they had proper clothing to wear. He was more their father in the few months he knew them, than their biological father was in four years.

  Then one night he got a horrible call from Roberta’s mother. Roberta had been working the late shift at a warehouse and stayed an extra hour to get a little authorized overtime. She was driving home at three in the morning when a drunk driver went left of center and crashed into her head-on. Roberta was airlifted to the hospital and received emergency surgery for severe head trauma but didn’t make it out of the operating room.

  Shingo was devastated. His loss was compounded when the children were put in the custody of the grandparents. Roberta’s parents lived several hours away and Shingo tried to visit the children for a couple of months but the schedules were too conflicting. Time and distance took their toll and he lost all contact with the kids.

  “The doctor isn’t
sure how advanced the disease will become or what bones it will ultimately involve. Only time will tell.”

  “Damn, when it rains it pours!” said Shingo.

  “I had a crisis over all of it and ended up cussing God out. I was feeling so low about my life and wondering why God decided to leave me out of the good life part.”

  “I felt the same way when Roberta died and the kids were snatched away from me. Before I met her, my life was empty. Then she entered and it was like someone lighting a candle in a dark room. As suddenly as the light was lit, it was blown out again. I know I can trust you not to repeat this, Mac, but I cried for several days after she left.”

  The two held hands across the top of the table while looking caringly into each other’s eyes.

  “Are you better now?” asked Shingo softly.

  “I’m better, but not good. It’s frustrating to think that there are people out there breaking every law known to God and man without any repercussions. Many lead a much better life than me and never seem to have to pay for any wrongdoings. I could be driving along the highway, doing the speed limit, and throw a toothpick out of my window. With my luck, a police helicopter would just happen to be in the area and come swooping down and cite me for littering.”

  “I know what you mean,” laughed Shingo as he nodded.

  “With all the organized religions out there, each having their own deity to worship, which one do you think is right? Maybe we’re looking to the wrong source for help.”

  “People have a habit of either trying to explain things in their life, or come up with some sort of justification to validate it. We can justify anything in our lives. Think about it for a minute. I can say, out of sight, out of mind. Based on that statement, when you leave, all thoughts of you should go with you.”

  “I agree,” she responded.

  “How about if I say, absence makes the heart grow fonder? Based on that statement, when you leave, I should be thinking of you all the more and missing you greatly. I should be anxiously awaiting your return.”

  “That’s funny because I agree with that statement also.”

  “They’re both statements based on identical situations, yet they are opposite one another. Which is actually true?”

  “Good point, Shingo.”

  “I used to think about things like which religion is right and why things happen the way they do, Mac, but over the years I’ve only been able to come to one conclusion that works for me. Good things and bad things that happen in my life aren’t a result of my lifestyle. They are things that just happen to keep our life cycle on earth continuous. Let’s say a lightning bolt strikes a tree and catches it on fire. The tree burns and dies or maybe the bolt just splits a giant limb from it. The tree wasn’t doing anything wrong. It wasn’t evicting birds and squirrels and telling them to move on. It was just standing there, being a tree. It had nothing to do with right or wrong but that tree had to die, or part of it had to die to provide new life of some kind. We see the cycle of life in nature and transfer it to our human existence. The problem lies in defining it. People can’t just accept the idea that things happen just because they happen. We have to have an explanation. If we can’t explain something logically, we make something up that people will believe and accept. People need things to be understandable. Nature doesn’t. Do you think a flower’s bloom would be as beautiful if it had to worry about how it was going to get water and fresh nutrients to keep it alive?” Shingo looked at Mac questioningly and gave her an opportunity to digest what he was saying and answer.

  “It’s funny to think of a flower on tranquilizers!”

  Shingo smiled and nodded. “I try to live within the laws of man, do my best to respect my neighbor and try to accept things as they are because that is the way they must be. The criminals have their role to play or they wouldn’t exist. It’s just as necessary to preserve their way of life as it ours, in order for life to progress as it should. I have no idea why things have to change so aggressively but I didn’t make the planet or the rules. I just have to live by them. Things are what they have to be.”

  “I see your point, Shingo. I just wish there didn’t have to be so much bad in the world.”

  “There’s no peaceful way for a lion to track down its prey and kill it. They have no chefs to prepare it and no knives to cut the meat cleanly from the bone. All of their prey runs from the lion out of self-preservation, much the same way we run from our predators. We need good and bad to keep balance in the world. Can you imagine how many people would be on this planet right now if we had no wars? I wonder if we don’t invite war as a means of keeping the population under control. I’ll bet if we found the courage to implement birth control laws, we’d see a drastic decline in war. Subconsciously we know we can always reproduce to keep our species going. It’s like going to a casino and betting a couple of hundred dollars. If we lose, it’s not that big of a deal because we know we have more money at home in the bank. If you were going to be broke afterward, you might have been more reluctant to gamble it away. I think the same would be true about our species if we limited the number of people to be born. We would no longer have a need subconsciously to thin the herd and we no longer have an unlimited number of young to replace our fighting forces.”

  “I understand what you’re saying, Shingo. I’m not sure I agree with it, but nonetheless, I do understand where you’re coming from.”

  “You mentioned that you felt like God left you out of the good life picture. I don’t mean to sound cruel and hurt your feelings, but I think you have been blessed with a wonderful life. You had very loving and caring parents, you never wanted for food, clothing or shelter. You have a great friend…me, and you have a wonderful place to live. Millions in this world have it tremendously worse, yet they seem content and some even seem to be happy.”

  “I was feeling sorry for myself. I know there have been many good things in my life. I just wanted them to last forever,” said Mac.

  “We all do, Mac. Life and what happens to you during your visit here on earth is solely up to you and what you want it to be. Your viewpoint and attitudes toward it are unique to you. It probably doesn’t help you much but I’ve never found there to be one special, ‘magic’ answer to anything.”

  “Just talking to you helps, Shingo. It makes me feel less alone with my problems.”

  “I wish I could help more. Is the headache gone?”

  “Nearly. There’s still a slight throb.”

  “How about a super deluxe, Shingo Shack special?”

  “What in the world is that?”

  “No idea, I just made it up!” laughed Shingo.

  Mac smiled and said, “If it has anything to do with a hamburger, I’m all for it.”

  “With sweet tea?”

  “Now you’re cooking, man.”

  Shingo patted Mac gently on the shoulder and started for the kitchen when a man entered the Shack.

  “Afternoon, Shingo.”

  “Hey, Larry. How’ve you been?”

  “Busy as hell. I finally made your frame for Billy and Katherine’s photo.” Larry Sullivan held up a rectangular shaped object wrapped in brown paper.

  “Thanks, Larry,” said Shingo as he went over and took the photo frame from Larry.

  “What’s the payment to be this time?”

  “Well, I took today off and thought I’d try to get some fishing in. How about if I trade some of my labor for a frozen tub of squid?”

  “Coming up,” replied Shingo as he went to the kitchen. He went to his regular freezer first and retrieved a couple of hamburger patties and then to his bait freezer. He got Larry’s bait and went back to the front.

  “If I can throw it, you can catch it!” exclaimed Shingo as he tossed the squid to Larry.

  Larry barely raised his hands in time and nearly ended up with frozen squid in his mouth.

  “How about a warning shot next time!” quipped Larry.

  Shingo smiled and unwrapped Mac’s hamburger pa
tties.

  “Thanks, Shingo. I’ll name my first fish today after you!”

  “What a man! Thanks for the frame, Larry.”

  Larry turned and headed for the door. He looked at Mac like she was familiar to him but said nothing.

  Shingo threw the patties on the grill and turned to Mac. “What else has been going on? Any more ghostly visits?”

  “I’ve been experiencing a special relationship with a little girl that only wants to make herself known to me. In our first meeting, she left me a paint set. Then when I painted the boat on the jigsaw puzzle and it disappeared, she came and got her paints back.”

  “Whoa,” said Shingo. “You painted a boat in a jigsaw puzzle and it disappeared? You need to slow down and bring me up to speed.”

  Mac went into great detail regarding the jigsaw puzzle, the man, the boat and the little girl. She mentioned the slight shimmer in Marcia’s video tape and everything else that had been happening to her. She even mentioned the library incident.

  “That’s about everything up until now,” she said.

  Shingo put the finishing condiments on her hamburger and walked the plate over to her.

  “Sounds like you’ve really had your hands full lately.”

  “That’s like saying water’s a little wet,” said Mac.

  “You need to do a thing or two outside of the box and get your mind off of those things.”

  “What did you have in mind,” asked Mac.

  “When was the last time you went bowling?”

  “Good grief! I haven’t been bowling in years and years,” she said as she took a bite from her hamburger.

  “Why don’t you go bowling with Naomi and me tonight?”

  “Naomi? I thought you said there wasn’t anyone special in your life right now,” said Mac with a mischievous smile.

  “Yeah, her full name is Naomi Stanton. We’re not linked romantically. She’s a nice woman I met at the community college while I was taking a stained glass course. I was having problems scoring the glass without breaking it and she helped. We got to talking and found out she goes bowling every Wednesday night, just like me. Funny thing about it is that I was bowling the same nights she was and never saw her.”

  “Sounds like a destiny thing, Shingo. What’s she like?”

  “She has short blond hair, hazel eyes and the top of her head comes to my nose. She has an attractive face, a great smile and a terrific sense of humor. She’s a waitress down at Hank’s.”

  “That’s cool, you’re both in the food business, so when you marry her, she can come in and help you here!!” exclaimed Mac as she continued working on her patties.

  “Wait just a minute, Ms. Mason. There’ll be no more talk of marriage. We’re just good friends right now. We haven’t even gone on an official date yet. Marriage is so far down the road it’s not even on the map!”

  “I’m just kidding, Shingo.”

  “Well, what do you think? Does the head feel good enough to roll a few balls?” asked Shingo.

  “Sure. It would be nice to have an uncomplicated evening of entertainment.”

  “We’ll be up there around nine o’clock.”

  “I’ll be there,” said Mac as she took the last bite of her hamburger.

  Mac was wiping her mouth with a napkin when Brian walked in. He looked in her direction and said, “Afternoon, Mackenzie.”

  Mac brought the straw in her ice tea to her lips and took a drink, making it a point to look down and not at Brian.

  He frowned and gritted his teeth. Arrogant bitch, he thought. His face shifted gears and produced a smile when he turned to Shingo and said, “What’s on the agenda for today, boss?”

  “I’ve already swept the dining area. Grab the broom, sweep down the kitchen and haul the trash out. After that you have a bunch of dishes to wash.”

  “No problem, boss man!”

  “Are the private detectives still watching out for you?” asked Shingo.

  Mac pointed to the little microphone and said, “They can hear my every word.”

  Shingo raised his eyebrows and sat back in his chair. “Anyway to turn that thing off?”

  “I have no control over it. I could take it off and put it somewhere but it has no on-off switch.”

  “Good thing I asked. I’d better be careful what I say from now on.”

  Mac chuckled and said, “I doubt you could ever say anything to me that would considered too threatening or too personal.”

  “So you and Naomi haven’t been on an official date yet? Was she ever married? Is she about your age? Are you planning on dating her?”

  “There you go again with the shotgun questions. When you string so that many questions together, I can barely remember them, let alone answer them.”

  “Sorry, Shingo. Was she ever married?”

  “She was married for a few years but her husband left her because she couldn’t have kids. She had her tubes tied years before the marriage and neglected to tell her husband before they got married. She tried to tell him several times but wanted to be with him so badly, the words just never came out. She’s two years younger than me and we’ve discussed dating but our schedules are too conflicting right now.”

  “Have you guys kissed yet?”

  “What kind of question is that?” replied Shingo as his face turned a little red.

  “Just curious about the romance aspect,” said Mac with a sly smile.

  “I told you we weren’t romantically linked yet. I’ll let it go at that.”

  “Okay. I’ll stop the interrogation,” stated Mac.

  Shingo looked into Mac’s eyes and said, “Are you going to be okay financially?”

  “It’ll be tight but I should be able to manage for several months. My private detective bill will probably knock my socks off and I have to think about getting a car. I can’t afford to keep driving a rental.”

  “I don’t have much money tucked away but you’re welcome to it if you ever need it,” said Shingo sympathetically.

  “I’m not good with charity but I appreciate the offer.”

  “It won’t be charity. It’ll be an interest free loan. Pay back whatever you borrow, when you can afford to pay it back,” said Shingo, even though he would never ask her for the money to be returned.

  “Did I ever tell you how much I love you, Shingo?”

  “Yes, several times. And I love you too, Mac.” Shingo held Mac’s hands in his again and said, “I’ll do anything I can for you. If it comes to the point where you need a place to stay, you can always call my home your home.”

  “Thanks, Shingo. Speaking of homes, when I get back to Atlanta, I’m going to check with my attorney and make sure you’re still listed as beneficiary to the cottage. I’m also going to see about getting the cottage deeded into your name, just in case I have to face a bankruptcy scenario. I don’t ever want to lose my parent’s house.”

  “I’ll make sure you never have to face that situation, Mac. Don’t worry.”

  Brian had finished sweeping and came from the kitchen to get Mac’s dirty dishes. He couldn’t help overhearing the conversation between Mac and Shingo. He grimaced when he saw them holding hands.

  “You’re a wonderful man. I’ll make sure Naomi knows just how wonderful you are tonight at the bowling alley.”

  “Don’t embarrass me, Mac.”

  “I won’t, but I’ll make sure she knows the Shingo I know and love.”

  Brian heard the part about the bowling alley and figured it would be his chance to get closer to Mac. He cringed when she expressed her love for Shingo. You’ll get to know me and love me too, you bitch. All you need is a real man for a couple of hours to show you what real love is. I know what you need and I’m just the man to give it to you.

  Brian picked up the dishes and returned to the kitchen. Mac waited for him to leave the room and said, “That pill you gave me is making me groggy. I think I’ll go home and nap for awhile so I’m rested for tonight.”

  “Okay
, Mac.”

  Mac was headed for the door when Waldo woke up. He yawned, stretched and walked slowly with waging tail to Mac. She saw him out of the corner of her eye and waited for him to reach her. She bent down and said, “Hi, Waldo. How you doing, buddy? Did you have a good sleep?”

  She scratched his head and back while he tried to greet her with his slobbery tongue. She then patted him on the head, gave him a little kiss and said, “See you later!”

  Waldo sat down and watched as Mac waved goodbye to Shingo and walked out the door. He turned around, took a few licks of water from his water bowl, went back to his bed and quickly drifted back to sleep.

  As soon as Mac got home, she checked the jigsaw puzzle for any movement of the little girl. It remained unchanged.

  She changed into her nightshirt and crawled under her comforter. She could barely keep her eyes open. She set her clock for eight to give her plenty of time to wake up and get ready. Seconds later she was in a deep sleep and if she had any visitors, she was unaware of them.

  The alarm clock buzzed for ten minutes before she finally acknowledged it. She went into the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. Then she changed into jeans and a heavy, purple, turtleneck sweater. She brushed her hair and dug through her chest of drawers to find some socks to wear. She slipped on some sneakers and went to the living room to check the puzzle once more. When she realized that there had been no change, she rubbed the yellow spot and said, “How do I get you to come out of there? Why won’t you tell me what this is all about?”

  She was staring at the puzzle when she heard a knock at the door. “Give me some kind of clue,” she said as she went to answer the door.

  “Hi, Donna. What’s up?”

  “We heard that you’re going to the bowling alley tonight. Every hour that passes increases the risk to your safety. I have a radio wave locater I’d like to put on you before you leave.”

  “Will I be broadcasting live?!” said Mac with a grin.

  Donna took a bandage from her pocket and said, “I’d like you to put this patch on one of your shoulders. If anyone sees it and questions you about it, just tell them it’s a required medication. If someone is trying to kill you, they may try to abduct you first. If they do, we’ll be able to track them with the transmitter embedded in the bandage.”

  “Cool stuff, Donna. How far does it transmit?”

  “It depends on the environment it is placed in but generally speaking, anywhere from one to five miles.”

  “I have so many electronic gizmos around me, I’m sure to draw lightning if it storms!”

  “You never seem to take the threat against you very seriously,” stated Donna.

  “I experienced a single punch to the abdomen. Other than that, all I have to go on is what your operatives have observed and deduced. It doesn’t always seem real to me. Going to the doctor and seeing the x-rays, that was real. Having my boss fly down here and fire me at an airport was real to me. All the money I’m spending on private detectives seems real to me. The girl I keep seeing probably isn’t real but she seems real to me.”

  “Don’t submerge yourself in denial, Mac. Face facts and be prepared. Let’s hope you don’t have to be attacked and killed to have it seem real to you,” Donna said coldly.

  Mac was initially offended by Donna’s straightforwardness. Reality checks rarely announce themselves and when they hit you, they hit hard. She hired these people to help her but they were the only ones taking it seriously.

  Mac raised the sleeve of her sweater and applied the patch. “Anything else I need to do before I go?”

  “Not from a security standpoint,” replied Donna.

  Mac felt another headache coming on. She didn’t want it to progress to a debilitating situation so she took a pain pill before leaving to meet Shingo and Naomi.

  “The bowling alley is about a mile south of here. I should be in range of the microphone and transmitter. If they decide to move to another location, I’ll be sure to pass it along in the microphone and allow you time to set up new surveillance.”

  Donna noted the change in Mac’s voice and demeanor. She had gotten her point across. “Thank you, Mac. Please understand I’m here to protect you to the best of my ability. I hope you didn’t take offense.”

  “I’m going to leave now. Are you coming out with me?”

  Donna nodded and returned to the van. Mac grabbed her jacket and turned out the lights. It was a beautiful night and it wasn’t that far so she started walking to the bowling alley.

  Brian was watching from the Ferguson living room and when he saw Mac leave, he dashed out to join her.

  “Hi, Mackenzie. On your way to the bowling alley?”

  Mac sighed and said, “I thought you had to work tonight.”

  “Shingo doesn’t trust me alone there yet so he closed early to go bowling. I had nothing to do so I thought I’d tag along.”

  “Oh boy, I know I’m thrilled,” stated Mac with measured indifference.

  “Are you a good bowler?” asked Brian in an attempt to generate a conversation.

  “No.”

  “Do you bowl a lot?” he asked.

  “No.”

  “What’s your average?”

  Mac sighed deeply and replied, “I don’t have one.”

  “I’ve only been bowling three or four times. My high score was one fifty-seven. I never broke a hundred in the other games,” he said.

  Mac looked out toward the ocean and made no attempt to converse with Brian. Her pain medication was kicking in and the emerging headache was washed away.

  “What kinds of music do you like, Mackenzie? I brought a bunch of music CDs to listen to while I was here. Would you like to come over, have some pizza and listen to CDs after bowling?”

  “No!”

  “Look, I’m just trying to be nice to you. You treat Waldo better than you treat me and he’s a dog.”

  “You realize private detectives are watching me and my house, don’t you?” asked Mac.

  “I’ve seen them coming and going. I’ve also seen the cameras around your house.”

  Mac pulled at her sweater where the microphone was attached and said, “And you realize this is a microphone?”

  Brian looked at it and said, “Okay…so?”

  “Donna, keep the scope focused on the back of his head. If he says another word, pull the trigger.”

  Brian whipped his head around and looked anxiously in all directions. He didn’t see anything or anyone but Mac had mentioned a scope. He didn’t say another word until they got to the bowling alley.

  Brian stepped ahead of Mac and opened one of the double doors for her but she used the other one instead. He looked back one more time and was certain Mac was just bluffing about the scope. He hesitated at the doorway, looked across the parking lot and said, “Okay, shoot!” He squinted, raised his shoulders and lowered his head just in case there was a shot. When he realized nothing happened, he smiled like the cat that ate the canary and went inside.

  Mac had already been introduced to Naomi as Brian joined the group.

  “Naomi, this is Brian Caufield. He’s my part-time help.”

  Naomi shook Brian’s hand, smiled and said, “How do you like working for Shingo?”

  Brian knew the situation called for Naomi to make a remark like that and he was angry that he had to play such stupid social games. However, he was after the big prize, Mac, so he said, “He’s a wonderful guy when he’s not sleeping on the counter!”

  Everyone had a good chuckle and then went to rent a lane.

  The lane attendant assigned them a lane and rented shoes to Mac and Brian. Shingo and Naomi were regular bowlers and had their own shoes and bowling balls.

  They sat at their lane and changed shoes. Shingo was the first one done and said, “Who wants a beer? I’ll buy the first round but we’ll bowl for the rest.”

  Everyone raised their hand so Shingo left for the drinks while the others prepared to bowl.


  “Shingo said he’s known you since you were a child,” stated Naomi as she returned from setting her ball in the ball rack.

  “Yes, we go way back. He’s always been a wonderful friend to me. If he was younger and I was a little older, I’d be chasing him with a ring. He’s going to make some lucky woman a wonderful catch. It’s not that I think a woman needs a man to be happy and fulfilled but if a woman was in the market for a great partner, she couldn’t do any better than Shingo.”

  Naomi laughed and said, “Yes, I agree. I can also see what a truly loyal friend you are!”

  “Here comes Shingo now. I guess I’d better find a ball,” said Mac. She wasn’t done hyping Shingo but she also didn’t want him to hear her doing it.

  “Why don’t you use mine?” said Naomi. “It’s light enough for you and it’s not all banged up like the house bowling balls.

  “Let me see how it feels,” said Mac as she went to the ball rack and lifted it. “The finger holes feel fine and you’re right, it’s not too heavy. Thanks.”

  “I use a fifteen pounder. That way it doesn’t wear me out as fast. I tried using Shingo’s ball one night and thought it was going to pull my arm out of the shoulder socket,” stated Naomi.

  “Where’s Brian?” asked Shingo.

  “He’s way down there looking for a ball. Do we get any practice throws?” asked Mac as she stretched her arm and legs.

  “They have a computer now that charges you by the frame. They’ve made significant changes since you’ve been bowling. It counts how many balls you roll, automatically keeps your score and displays it on the overhead screen.” Shingo pointed to the huge monitors hanging above the bowling lanes. “At the end of the game, the attendant asks the computer how frames you bowled and how much you owe.”

  Shingo looked for Brian and saw him all the way down at the last lane. He was still trying to find a ball. “Why don’t I start? Who wants to go next?”

  Mac and Naomi looked at each other and said simultaneously, “You go.” They both laughed and Naomi said, “Okay, I’ll go next, then you and then Brian, if he ever gets back.”

  Shingo walked to the ball rack, took his bowling towel and wiped off his ball. He shuffled his feet back and forth a few times and held his hand over the vent in the ball rack.

  Mac turned to Naomi and said casually, “I think I admire Shingo’s warmth and wisdom the most.” She paused and then continued, “Actually, his kindness, gentleness and sense of humor are also very admirable. It’s unfair of me to say I just admire one aspect of his personality.”

  Shingo made his approach, stopped just short of the foul line and released the ball. It went about three fourths of the way down the lane and made a wicked hook to the left. Pins exploded in every direction but two somehow avoided his sweeping wrath. They stood like goal posts on a playing field and challenged Shingo’s skills.

  “Another wonderful thing is his generosity. He’d give you the tattoo off his back if could. He’s also very forgiving and understanding. I remember one time when I was young, I came up to the diner and ordered an ice tea. After one swallow, it occurred to me that I forgot to tell him I wanted a sweet tea. Back in those days, restaurants and diners had glass sugar dispensers. Now they have ‘packets’. Anyway, I attempted to use the sugar but the opening on the container was blocked shut from the humidity. I tried to turn the lid loose and clear the opening but it was turned too tight. I struggled and struggled but to no avail. I remembered seeing my mother tap the lid of a pickle jar on a table to loosen it. So I tapped the lid of the sugar dispenser on Shingo’s counter. I tapped a little too hard and broke it. There was broken glass and sugar everywhere. I felt terrible and started to cry. Then Shingo came over and said, ‘Thank you.’ I was puzzled and asked him why he said that. He told me he was glad to see someone trying to sweeten the world instead of souring it. I helped him clean the mess up and he hasn’t mentioned it once since then.”

  Shingo rolled his second ball down the lane and missed both pins. He smiled back at Naomi and Mac and said, “I did that for several reasons. First of all, I wanted a warm-up frame. Secondly, I didn’t want to dazzle you too soon with my brilliant play and discourage you from bowling. Lastly and most importantly, I wanted to show you both what not to do in the same situation.”

  Naomi leaned over to Mac and whispered, “You buying any of that?”

  “Not a word,” replied Mac. “See what I mean? He’s a great guy, isn’t he?”

  “I was sold on Shingo long ago, Mac. You can stop pitching!”

  Mac smiled widely and said, “You’re up, Naomi!”

  Naomi rolled her first ball as Brian returned with his house ball. He put it on the rack and sat next to Mac. He looked in her direction and commented, “I didn’t think I’d ever find a ball that was just right for me.”

  Mac sighed and watched as Naomi rolled her second ball and got a spare.

  “Who’s next,” asked Brian. “Hey, Shingo, whose beer is whose?”

  Shingo pointed to a cup and said, “That one is yours.”

  Mac got up and went to the ball rack. On her first roll, she garnered a perfect gutter ball.

  “Hey, Mac. If your ball is going to the right, move to the right to compensate,” Shingo advised.

  Mac looked at Shingo and moved six inches to her right. She took aim and let go. Her second ball was slightly better but still captured the gutter.

  Mac smiled at Shingo and Naomi and said, “Since Shingo shared some of his expertise on his first roll, I thought I’d reciprocate. I was merely showing you guys what not to do!”

  Mac sat down and had a drink of her beer. She noticed that Brian had already finished half of his.

  Brian bowled and managed to get the same split that Shingo got. He faired slightly better by getting one of the two pins left. When he came off the lane, he sat immediately to Mac’s left and actually brushed against her leg with his.

  Mac scooted next to Naomi and engaged in some small talk with her. Brian felt the familiar chill again. It reminded him of trying to hack into someone’s computer without the password. He looked at Mac and thought, I’ll get in somehow. There’s always a backdoor. It’s just a matter of time until I find yours, bitch.

  About midway through the third game, Mac had consumed more than twice her normal alcoholic intake. Her pain pills enhanced the effects of the alcohol and she started getting dizzy and borderline drunk. Some people become loud and obnoxious when they’re intoxicated but Mac always got quiet and reserved.

  Shingo had never seen her drink that much before and he had never seen her drunk or even close to drunk so he didn’t know what to look for.

  In fact, they had so many beer frames, they all probably drank way too much beer.

  “Come on, Mac. It’s your turn,” said Shingo with a huge smile. “You’ve got third place clinched.”

  “I’m not feeling well, Shingo. I don’t want to finish the last game.”

  “Are you sure?” he asked.

  Mac nodded and said, “Positive. In fact, I think I’m going to head home. The night air might make me feel better.”

  Mac gathered her things, gave Shingo a kiss on the cheek and shook Naomi’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Naomi.”

  “Likewise, Mac. Let’s get together some day next week.”

  “We’ll do lunch. Goodnight, all,” said Mac. She turned and headed for the exit.

  “Hey, Mac!” shouted Naomi. “You forgot to change your shoes.”

  Mac was slow to look down. She looked back at Naomi, pointed her index finger at her and said, “You’re so right!”

  Naomi leaned over to Shingo and said, “Do you think she’s okay enough to walk home? She really seems out of it.”

  “I really don’t know,” he replied.

  Mac returned to the bench, sat down and untied her bowling shoes. “Would you guys take care of these for me?”

  “Sure thing, Mac.” said Shingo. “Why don’t we all call it a night and I can give you a r
ide home?”

  “Nonsense. You guys are having fun and I don’t want to rain on your parade. I’ll be fine. I promise.” She raised her hand to wave and turned, keeping her hand in the air until she was outside.

  Donna was listening in on the conversation and decided it would be best to meet Mac near the Cuda Shack and walk her down the steps. Donna watched Mac take the pain medication and knew the side effects when they were mixed with alcohol. She didn’t really want to leave the cottage unattended but she also didn’t want Mac negotiating the many steps from the Shack to the beach. Besides, she could always review the video tapes before allowing Mac to go inside her house.

  Donna strapped on her utility belt, a pair of binoculars, the remote tracking device and walked briskly toward the Cuda Shack. She still had her headset on and could listen to Mac’s every word.

  Back at the bowling alley, Naomi was still concerned. “We really ought to give her a ride or follow her home.”

  “You’re right,” said Shingo. “Let’s call it a night.”

  “You guys stay put. Hell, I live next door to her and I have to go that way anyway,” said Brian as he whipped off his bowling shoes and changed into his street shoes. “If you’ll turn those in for me, I can leave right now and catch up with her. Goodnight, Naomi. It was a pleasure meeting you. Goodnight, Shingo. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Brian raced out the door and ran through the parking lot looking for Mac. He looked in the direction she should have been going and saw nothing. He looked in the opposite direction and saw what appeared to be a woman crossing the street and headed toward the beach. He was certain it was Mac and ran after her.

  “I don’t feel comfortable letting Brian take her home,” said Shingo as he bent over and removed his bowling shoes. “She has live surveillance to assist her but I still have a bad feeling about him.”

  “Follow them, Shingo. I’ll take care of things here,” said Naomi.

  Shingo stood and felt a little dizzy. “I think I should have skipped that last beer!” he said as he grabbed the scoring table to keep his balance.

  Donna looked through her binoculars toward the bowling alley and then back at the cottage. She was surprised that there was no sign of Mac. She should have been well within range of the high-powered lenses.

  The reason Donna couldn’t see Mac was because Mac was headed in the opposite direction. She was going past the Lansdale Motel and was off the beaten path to a parcel of beach rarely traveled by the normal visitor. It was a huge chunk of beach that shared a border with a natural wildlife preserve. The state still owned it and as such, any real property development was strictly prohibited.

  Mac was returning to a section the locals called Horseshoe Mound. It was the u-shaped mound that she and Billy spent their last day together. It was the only place Mac felt genuine love and warmth. She never again felt the same degree of compassion and tenderness they shared that day. Not even when she was married.

  She climbed into the mound, leaned against the back wall and planted her palms in the cool sand. She looked out over the ocean, took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. The incoming surf slapped the shore with the same rhythmic cadence that it did on their last day together.

  Mac leaned forward and removed her shoes and socks. She burrowed her toes into the sand, closed her eyes and drifted back to that last day with Billy. She missed the way he gently brought his soft, full lips to hers and kissed her in a smooth flowing, sensuous manner. She missed his confident smile and captivating eyes. She ached to be in his embrace and feel as safe and secure as if she was wrapped in a cocoon of love.

  A biting wind rode the surf inland, but Mac didn’t feel it. The medication and beer helped bring her to a storage center of memories. There was no lock on the mental door this time. Hidden yesterdays were back in the limelight and running hand in hand with emotional pain.

  She thought back to the hours they spent on the beach and hungered for the sound of his voice. She longed to hear him talk enthusiastically of his lofty goals and adventuresome dreams. She’d settle for any conversation with him but she knew that it was impossible. Billy was gone and never coming back. Never coming back; what a devastating, totally depressing thought.

  Mac slid to her back and stared at the stars. Billy used to call them night lights for the angels. I never should have let you slip out of my life. I should have done whatever was necessary but I didn’t. I let you float out to sea like a piece of driftwood. Now you’re gone. You’re gone forever and there’s nothing I can do about it. She brought her forearm across her eyes and wept.

  Just then, Brian jumped onto the sand next to Mac. She heard the thud of his landing and opened her blurry eyes. “Is that you, Billy?” she said in a sobbing voice.

  Brian knelt down, brought his hand to Mac’s face and covered her eyes. “Shhh. Yes, it’s Billy. Close your eyes, my love.”

  Mac kept her eyes closed, raised her arms and embraced Brian. “You’ve come back to me, Billy! I wished on a star that you’d come back to me and my wish came true!” she said as she brought him closer.

  “Yes, I’ve come back. I heard your wish. I love you, Mac,” he said as he kissed her on the lips. “I love you, I need you and I want you…now!”

  Brian ran his hand up Mac’s sweater and started massaging her breast.

  “I’m ready, Billy.”

  Donna heard the conversation and said, “Billy, my ass!!” She looked at the direction finder and said, “Where are you, Mac?” She thought for a minute and realized that if she heard the surf in the background, Mac was probably on the beach. She flew back down the steps and sprinted up the beach. She looked at the direction finder as she ran and saw the distance closing between her and the green dot on the small screen.

  Brian helped Mac get her sweater and bra off in no time but he was struggling with her jeans. Mac stood and said, “I’ll do it, Billy.”

  Brian started unbuttoning his shirt and said, “I want you so badly!”

  “And I want you, Billy. I’ve always wanted you. I’ve always loved you.”

  Donna looked at the direction finder and saw that she still had at least another mile to go. Her adrenalin kicked in and instead of slowing down, she ran ever faster.

  Shingo was walking up and down the street trying to find either Brian or Mac. When he got to the top of the hill overlooking Mac’s house, he had a clear view and should have been able to see one of them. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and called Naomi.

  “I can’t find them!” he said in a panicky voice.

  “I’m getting in the car now. Should we call the police?” suggested Naomi.

  “I’m going to check with the surveillance people first,” he replied.

  “Where do you want me to go?” she asked.

  “Why don’t you drive south and see if you see anything.”

  “Call me after you check with the security people,” said Naomi as she floored it.

  “You do the same if you see anything,” said Shingo as he hung up his phone and ran down the hill.

  Mac was having a hard time getting her jeans off. They were tight and her eye-hand coordination was diminished. Her hands kept slipping from the fabric and she paused a couple of times to rub her eyes.

  “Let me help you,” said Brian when it looked like she was going to fall asleep standing up.

  Mac shook her head and said, “I’ve got it, honey.”

  Brian was completely naked and holding her shoulders to help keep her steady. “You’re so beautiful,” he said as she finally got her jeans off and dropped to her knees. Brian eased her to her back and admired Mac’s naked body on the beach.

  Donna had finally gotten to within fifty feet of Brian and Mac. She dropped the direction finder and unfastened her stun baton from the utility belt while running at top speed. She gripped it tightly in her right hand and pushed the power button with her thumb.

  Brian stood at Mac’s feet and said, “I’m going to give you a ni
ght to remember!”

  Donna came charging directly at Brian and said, “Hey, asshole. That’s my line!”

  She stopped two feet short of Brian, bent over and put her hands on her knees. She had to pause momentarily and catch her breath.

  Brian brought his hand up, made a fist and said confidently, “And how do you plan to do that?”

  Donna slapped the stun baton against Brian’s testicles and sent 600,000 volts of electricity surging through his body. Brian dropped like a rock and went into spasms on the sand.

  “Just like that, stud!” Donna was catching her breath and slowly coming back to normal. She smiled as she watched Brian flopping around on the sand like a fish out of water.

  She waited until the spasms died down and then put a set of handcuffs on his wrists and ankles. “Brian Caufield, I’m placing you under citizen’s arrest.” Once he was secured, she went to Mac, who had fallen asleep and missed the whole thing.

  Donna shook the sand from Mac’s jeans and attempted to wake her. “Hi, Mac. Time to go home. Let’s get you dressed.”

  Mac opened her eyes slightly and mumbled, “Time…to…go home?”

  “Yes, Mac,” replied Donna as she fastened Mac’s bra. She helped Mac with the rest of her clothes and when Mac was completely dressed, Donna called Deputy Collins.

  “Collins here.”

  “Hey, deputy. Donna Garrison with Breson Detective Agency. I was with Marcia Labonte when you stopped by Mackenzie Mason’s house. We only talked for a few minutes. Do you recall our meeting?”

  “I sure do. How can I help you?”

  I’ve got a hot dog and some scrambled eggs to go!”

  The deputy chuckled and said, “Where’s the pick up?”

  “We’re in a u-shaped mound on the beach, about a mile south of the bowling alley.”

  “Are you in the Horseshoe?”

  “Could be, I’m not sure.”

  “I have a pretty good idea where you might be. I’m on my way.”

  Shingo got to the security van and banged on the door. He heard no reply so he tried to look through the darkened windows. He was worried and thought his hunch was right. If the surveillance person was gone or disabled, something was terribly wrong.

  He called Naomi again and said, “No one’s here at the van. I see some tracks in the sand heading south. I’m going to follow them.”

  “Be careful, Shingo.”

  Shingo followed the tracks to the steps and noticed that the spacing between the footprints doubled. It quickly occurred to him that the space doubled because the person making them started running. He began running but at a much slower pace than the owner of the tracks.

  Naomi pulled over to the side of the road and called Shingo.

  He stopped running and answered the call while panting. “Hello.”

  Naomi heard the panting and was alarmed. “Shingo, are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. I was running and I’m a little winded. Did you find anything?”

  “I’m at the end of the road, literally. The gate to the wildlife preserve is still closed and locked. There’s no sign of anyone. I’m going down to Horseshoe Mound and look around.”

  “I’m headed in the same direction. I’ll meet you there,” said Shingo.

  Shingo didn’t have any running left in him. The most he could muster was a jog, which was quickly downgraded to a fast walk.

  Deputy Collins came barreling down the highway with lights and siren going all the way. He saw Naomi’s car and assumed it was Donna’s. He parked behind it and ran to Horseshoe Mound.

  Naomi saw a small yellow light moving back and forth and followed it to the source. It led directly to Horseshoe Mound. When she arrived, she saw Donna holding a flashlight in her hand. Donna pushed the power button on her baton and said, “And who would you be?”

  “My name is Naomi Stanton. I’m a friend of Mac’s. Is she all right?” queried Naomi as she looked at Mac

  Donna hadn’t met Naomi before but she recognized the voice and name from Mac’s conversations at the bowling alley. “She’s tired. Other than that, she’s fine.”

  Naomi looked at Brian. He was face down in the sand and still bound securely. “I guess there’s a good reason why he’s naked.”

  “Actually, no. It’s a bad reason why he’s naked. He was about to rape Mac,” stated Donna.

  Naomi went to Mac and asked, “How are you holding up?”

  “I just want to go to bed,” she replied.

  Shingo arrived just in time to hear Donna’s remark. He looked at Brian with contempt and thought about kicking him. “Why don’t you give me a minute or two with him alone,” urged Shingo.

  “Can’t do it. Mac’s already been through enough. I don’t want to have to arrest her good friend as well.”

  “Looks like a party here!” said Deputy Collins when he arrived. “What kind of charges are we looking at, Donna?”

  “I’ll start with assault and attempted rape. I’ve probably got a couple of other things I can hit him with but I’ll sort all of that out at the station.

  Donna released the handcuffs around Brian’s ankles and stuck the cuffs back in her utility belt. She picked his pants up and handed them to the deputy.

  The deputy helped Brian get his pants back on and then switched Donna’s handcuffs on Brian’s wrists with his. He handed them to her and said, “I’ll meet you at the station. Let’s go, Mr. Caufield.”

  “What about my clothes?” asked Brian in a shaky voice.

  “Don’t worry Mr. Caufield. They’ve got a brand-new orange outfit waiting for you just a few minutes down the road.”

  “I’ll be down as soon as I can get in touch with my partner and arrange for continued surveillance here.”

  “It’s a miracle you got here when you did!” Naomi said to Donna.

  “Yes, it all worked out very well indeed.”

  Shingo shook Donna’s hand, gave her a pat on the shoulder and said, “Naomi’s car is up on the street. We’ll drive Mac back to her house because I’m not sure she can make the walk,” said Shingo as he put his arm across Mac’s shoulders.

  “Okay,” said Donna, “I’m going to walk back because I dropped an expensive piece of equipment along the way and I need it back!”

  They guided Mac to the west and helped her to the top of the mound. Naomi took one of her hands while Shingo took the other. Once they were back in the grassy area, Shingo put his right arm across Mac’s shoulders again and walked her carefully back to Naomi’s car.

  While Naomi was helping Mac, something in the sand caught her eye. She picked up the heart shaped object and brushed the sand from the surface. One side was definitely the back of some kind of seashell. The other side was white and had the words, “My Heart”, painted in red. It had a small hole with a white string through it and appeared to be a necklace.

  Naomi caught up to Shingo and Mac and said, “Look what I found. Some kid must have lost it here.”

  Shingo stopped and took the necklace from her hand. He examined it closely and smiled. “It’s Mac’s. Billy gave this to her years ago. She must have been wearing it tonight and lost it in the scuffle.”

  “How sweet. I sure wish I had a boyfriend that liked me enough to make me a necklace!” said Naomi in a little girl like voice.

  “Do you now?” said Shingo as he handed the necklace back to Naomi. “Why don’t you tuck that in her pocket? I would, but her pants are real tight and I, uh, uh…”

  Naomi rolled the string around the heart and inserted it into Mac’s right front pocket.

  “Yes, I’d like something sweet like that. I’m not too old for that, am I?” asked Naomi sympathetically.

  “Too old? Nah, you’re just right! Are you sure you wouldn’t rather have a store bought necklace?”

  “Only if you made it!”

  They got to Naomi’s car and drove Mac home. They went inside and Naomi helped her change out of her clothes.

  Naomi came out of the b
edroom and said, “She’s asleep. I think she was gone before I pulled the comforter all the way up.”

  Shingo went into Mac’s bedroom, adjusted the comforter around the back of her neck and kissed her on the forehead.

  “Do you think one of us should sit with her tonight?” asked Naomi with a concerned look on her face.

  “She’ll be all right. She has her guardian angel out front that can do a much better job than either one of us!!” stated Shingo as he rubbed his hand across his bulging abdomen.

  Naomi realized Shingo was right and felt more at ease. She looked into Shingo’s eyes lovingly and smoothed back his hair with her fingers.

  “Thanks for everything tonight, Naomi,” said Shingo as he gave her a little kiss on the lips.

  She hugged Shingo and said, “You’re welcome. I hope you don’t think this is one of those incidents that helps lead to an intimate rendezvous.”

  “The thought had crossed my mind. I guess it would be inappropriate for me to say something like, your place or mine?”

  “How about my place?” she responded. “I need a shower.”

  Shingo kissed her lips again and then pulled back abruptly.

  “What’s wrong?” she inquired.

  Shingo used his eyes to direct her attention to a camera mounted in the living room. “I’m not much of an exhibitionist!”

  Shingo and Naomi left Mac’s and drove to Naomi’s house.

  A short time later, Marcia arrived to relieve Donna. It worked out well for Marcia because it was the beginning of her shift anyway. Donna, on the other hand, would be at the police station filling out forms instead of sleeping.

  “How fast do you think you ran the two miles there?” asked Marcia.

  “The first one was a little slow. I’m guessing around six minutes. The second was much faster and I think it was around five minutes.” Donna and Marcia ran on a daily basis and often informally competed against one another.

  “You still have it, lady!” said Marcia as she patted Donna on the back.

  “I’m just glad it was packed sand. Running on the soft, loose stuff wears you out in a heartbeat,” said a wide-eyed Donna.

  “Go ahead and take a couple of extra hours to rest. I’m good to go for some time yet and you still have to go to the police station before you can get any sleep.”

  “Are you sure you don’t mind? I could really use it.”

  “You’d do the same for me. Now go, so you can get done and get some rest.”

  Donna thanked Marcia and drove to the police station.