Installment #30 Him

Installment #30

Him

Marshall Purcell swirled his drink as he crossed the
room to his recliner. He picked up the remote and switched the
television to Channel 9 news. He sat the drink on the table
beside his chair and went into the bathroom, pulling his tie
loose as he walked. He hung the tie over the chair and as he
removed his clothing, he hung each item on it’s own hanger.
When he was almost completely nude, he hung the hangers on
the hook on the back of the door. The tie was the last item to be
placed there and it went around the collar of his shirt. Just like
it belonged.

He stood in just his boxer shorts in front of the full length
mirror. Slowly he lowered the underwear to the floor and
stepped out of it. He gazed at himself in the reflection. He was
not a bad looking man, other than the scar on his face. His body
was lean and hard. He turned sideways. Well, a little paunch,
maybe. Ok, a definite paunch. And maybe lean and hard was not
the way to describe his body. He had an office job, for crying out
loud. How was he supposed to build muscles setting at a desk all
day long? Surely Meg could overlook a little thing like that. He
thought of Meg and how she looked jogging in her shorts. She
had long legs and moved with a grace few women possessed.
His eyes went to his manhood. It hung helplessly down
and showed no signs of life. That was better. Damn thing better
remember who was boss around here. He pictured Meg setting
on her patio with the dogs at her feet reading a book. He had
been in her home and he knew the kind of books she read.
Historical novels. Romances. His mother had read True
Confessions and Modern Romance. He thought of his mother
laying on the couch reading her magazines, her legs extended;
one over the back of the couch and the other foot resting on the
arm at the end of the couch. He’d seen his mother turn her full
gaze on him. She had dark sultry eyes. Meg’s were blue.

Mother’s skin was very white. Meg’s was tanned from the sun.
Mother’s hair was black. Meg’s was light brown.
Mother smiled at him and laid her magazine down.
“Come here, Marshall. Rub Mother’s shoulders. I am so tight
there.” She sat up and turned her back to him. He swallowed a
lump in his throat and reached for shoulders. He began to knead
the muscles that attached to her neck.
“Yes, mother, you are tight. I can feel it.” She
unbuttoned her shirt and pushed her blouse back so he could
work her muscles on her lower neck. Marshall stared at her
smooth back. His fingers worked the muscles and he could feel
her loosen under his touch. She turned and looked sideways at
him as she fluttered her long eyelashes.

“You are such a good son, Marshall. I love you so
much. Do you remember when you came in the kitchen and
the neighbor man was here?” Marshall could only nod his
head yes. The lump in his throat threatened to choke him.
“Do you know what we were doing?” This time he nodded
no. “Would you like Mother to show you?”

It took everything in Marshall Purcell’s being to slam the
door shut on that memory! That was a door that must never be
opened. That was the one memory he must never let out again.
He did not need to look down to know what was going on down
below. He grabbed his pajama’s and quickly covered himself.
Then he went to his recliner and sat down and grabbed his drink.
He drained the glass quickly and then pushed himself to the
reclining position and closed his eyes tightly. He pictured Meg
Parker jogging. He pictured her alone in the Sheraton. He willed
himself to look at her body. Her naked body! She could save
him! She must save him from his mother. That had been so
wrong. So very evil. He had hated his mother after that day
more then ever before. He had hated her, but he had gone back
again and again. Like an addict. But now, it was just him and
Meg.

Meg would make him forget. Meg was his salvation. He
forced himself to picture Meg as he reached inside his pajama’s
and brought out the object that had offended him so many times.
If he could get through the next few moments with Meg in his
vision and not see mother, he would not need to castrate himself.
So he gritted his teeth and pictured only Meg. He pictured her
naked and spread before him and he licked his lips as he found
his release in Meg Parker.

Installment #29

Meg

Meg let her computer boot up as she changed into her
pajamas. It had been a long day. A long and completely wasted
day. She had left home this morning thinking that maybe tonight
she would be in Eldon’s arms, but that had not happened. A
wasted trip to Denver and a long, lonely drive home. Daisy and
Elvira were happy to see her and that cheered her up a little.
They were such simple creatures. She would let them stay out of
the crates until she finished her computer work.

Forty-eight emails. She scanned the list and nothing from
redranger. Well, she was not going to write him. He had been
the one who did not show up and he owed her an apology at the
very least. She answered six questions. She had sold eight items
so she printed out the PayPal receipts, deleted the Item sold and
copies of the pay for your items. The remaining 18 were mostly
advertisements that had escaped the Spam filter and a few
newsletters and three forwards, “You have to read this it is really
funny! ” They weren’t.

She closed her email and put the computer into the sleep
mode and stood and pushed her chair into the desk. She got
the dog treats and walked to the crates. The dogs took their
bribes and ran into the crates to devour them. Meg looked at her
big, lonely bed and for the first time in a very long time she felt
totally and completely alone. She had never met Eldon, the
redranger, but she missed him. She felt that a very vital piece
of Meg Parker was missing. She switched on the television
knowing full well she would not sleep this night. Too bad
Johnny Carson was not on anymore. He had always made her
laugh. The television was programmed to turn off after one
hour if she did not tap the action button. Saved energy that way.
She watched the end of CSI and then burrowed into the big
lonely bed as the weather man started pointing at different low
fronts.

She did not get the details of the week ahead as her
head nodded and when the perky little blonde announced that
the Architect who was coming to Denver to add his expertise to
the new addition at Invesco Field had left Brattleboro,
Vermont, arrived in Denver had then disappeared into thin air.
But her ears were deaf and her body completely relaxed. Had
she been awake she might have made the connection between
Jeffery Eldon Purcell and the redranger, but she was not. She
was dreaming of a tall dark stranger who was eluding her even
in her dreams.

Installment #27

Installment #27

Him

Marshall Purcell doused his lights and pulled to the side
of the road. He watched as Meg drove into the garage and the
door closed behind her. First the kitchen light came on. She
would be greeting the dogs if the idiot that took care of the place
had not locked them in their crates. Then he saw the light at the
top of the stairs and he watched as the kitchen light went dark.

Ah, if he were there now she would be coming down the
hallway to him. He would be laying on the bed reading.

NO!  He would be IN the bed reading. He would be naked under the
lavender sheets. NO! That was not right! He would be setting in
the overstuffed chair, fully dressed. He would be reading
Tolstoy or something just as boring. She would come in and kiss
him lightly on top of the head and then touch him lightly on the
shoulder. And he would grab her and pull her to him!

NO! My God what was he thinking! If he were to kiss
her she would no doubt part her lips slightly and he might touch
the tip of her tongue with his. NO! This was wrong! This
whole thing was getting out of control! He hated sex! He
groaned as he felt the hardness pushing against the crotch of his
suit pants. If that thing was going to keep acting like this he
would cut it off! “If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out.“
Well that was already plucked out and by God, no less.

He started the Jeep and pulled onto the road as he began to sob.

Installment #28

Installement #28

Fred

Her farm was a small one and not really a farm at all. Just a
house, chicken house and that was it. The garage was attached
to the house.

Meg Parker was a fine figure of a woman, he had to give
her that. She pretty much kept to herself and not much traffic
that he had ever seen. Sure thing no men running in and out.
Dogs pretty well had the run of the place now that he had
installed the doggie door. Hadn’t needed the cage on the
outside. Little bitty doggie door and you’d have to be a damn
string bean to get through it and into the house what with the
dog leg he had installed inside. Guy could get trapped and
starve to death in a deal like that.

As Fred neared the edge of the clearing he saw car lights
coming up the road. And back further a second car. Lot of
traffic for this area and this time of night. The first car slowed
and turned into the Parker place. Hmmm. Meg must be home
from wherever she had gone. Was that other car going to her
place? Meg drove into the garage and lowered the door. The
second car drove slowly past her drive and then its lights went
out and he watched as it parked on the side of the road. What
was that all about? Was Meg in danger? He touched his 44
Magnum, reassuring himself that it was there. And the machete.
He watched as the light came on in the kitchen. Then he
watched as the light went on upstairs and the kitchen light went
out. And he watched the car. Well not a car, some kind of big
vehicle. Hey wait! That vehicle looked familiar. He crept
closer. It was a Black Jeep. Like that fella over west of him.
The guy who had him dig that long tunnel into the forest. Jeez
that had been a job and a half. Damn near got the best of him
all those rocks and roots.

Fred waited, wondering what the guy was doing. Spying
on Meg Parker? What could he see? Nothing. Needed to take a
leak? Gonna have to get out of the car to do that! Nothing was
happening. Nothing. Whoops! The car started suddenly and Fred
jumped guiltily. At least he was behind it so he probably had
gone undetected. Then the Jeep pulled onto Bonner Road and the
lights came on along with the blinker turning left onto Storm
Lake Road. It was that crazy bastard! This was very strange, but
along with the feeling of bewilderment came a growing sense of
dread. Something was not right here and he did not like it. He
had dealt with this character and not been comfortable at all when
he did. And the tunnel. What was that all about? He had
wondered, but only a little. Now it took on new meaning. Why
was the guy parked there watching Meg’s house? Better be on
our toes, Freddy boy.

And he turned back and headed North to his little cabin in
the big woods.

Installment #26

Installment #26

Meg

Meg stepped out of the little silver Ford and took the
parking stub from the valet. She smiled as she walked into
the lobby of the Sheraton and spotted the entrance to the
restaurant. She smiled at the maitre de and told him she was
meeting some one. “Is he here yet? His name is Eldon.”

“No one by that name has checked in yet. Perhaps
madam would like to wait at the bar and I will let you know
when he arrives?”
 Meg agreed and soon found herself seated
at the bar. She checked her watch and saw that it was already
12:20. Eldon had said noon. He was already 20 minutes late.
Well maybe he had gotten tied up. Things do have a way of
doing that. She ordered a glass of white wine and began her
favorite pastime of people watching. By one o’clock she was
fidgeting and by 2:00 she was fuming. The clientele in the
lounge had turned over at least once. The waiter was
beginning to look askance at her. She knew how many
glasses of wine she had sipped and that she really needed to
get something in her stomach before she started the long drive
home. She caught the waiter’s eye.

“ I guess my friend is tied up. Might I have a small
table, preferably by a window? I really should eat something
before I drive my car.” She smiled at the sad young man.

“Certainly, ma’am. I have just the table for you. Great
view of the garden and if you stretch your neck to the right you
can see the fountain.”

“Then I shall ‘stretch my neck’!” She laughed as she rose
to follow him to the table. Once more she was seated, but this
time with a glass of Raspberry Iced Tea instead of wine and a
blackened tilapia served on wild rice with pinon and basil,
recommended by Jerome, the waiter who reminded her very
much of her dear Kevin. She had craned her neck and managed
to see the fountain, which was indeed a work of art. But then so
were the gardens.

She would reserve judgment on Eldon aka “redranger”
until she heard from him. He might have a very good excuse.
Or he might be what the Internet warned us all about, a faceless
little creep hiding behind the boiler in a prison somewhere
figuring out a way to get to Meg Parker. She made a silent vow
to herself to find out more about this man that she had become so
attached to through her computer. But right now she just wanted
to go home, back to her part of the mountain where she felt safe
and not so vulnerable as here in the middle of Denver, Colorado,
waiting for a man that she knew was not coming.

She put her money with the bill and closed the cover,
leaving a very generous tip for Jerome. She crossed the lobby
and handed her ticket stub to the valet and waited. When the
little silver car arrived, she tipped the valet and climbed inside.
She adjusted the seat, checked the mirror and pulled into traffic.
She did not notice the black Jeep pull onto the street at the same
time. Nor did she notice the black Jeep when she took the ramp
to I 25 South. Nor as she turned on the Johnny Mathis CD, one
of her deviations from Country Western.

She began to sing along with him “There is someone,
watching your footsteps , Turn around, look at me! There is
someone waiting to hold you, Turn around, look at me. For I
have waited, and I‘ll wait forever, for you to come to me.
Turn around, look at me!”

And she was completely oblivious when she turned into
her yard and pulled into her garage.

But He was not.

Installlment #25 Him

Installment #25
Him

Marshall Purcell steered the Jeep Cherokee back onto the
dirt road that would take him back to the Interstate. He had almost weakened but then he
remembered the Jeffery of long ago; the one his mother had loved
instead of him. They were twins, for God’s sake! Why couldn’t
she have loved him just a little bit? It had been downhill ever
since the day he had caught her in the kitchen with the neighbor
man’s dick buried in her. He had tried to tell Jeffery, but he had
told her what he had seen and she had hated him even more.

They may have been born on the same day at the same time, but they were nothing
alike in her eyes. And Jeffery had used it all to his advantage to
get what he wanted. And he was still the same selfish lying little bastard today as he was then. Dad
had seen through him, but even the old man had never had guts
enough to stand up to Mother. So Marshall sucked the hind tit.

Jeffery had been all for the slight detour to check out the
old mine shaft. He was getting paid the same whether he worked
or not so a little time on the side was no big deal. John had not
cared enough to have a car at the airport, so what the hell! It was
a nice drive up the mountain and Jeffery began to relax with
Marshall.

“Well, right after we left Oklahoma I met a great woman
in Brattleboro. Smart, and sexy as hell. Yeah got myself a son
right out of the gate and then twin girls. Judy is a wonderful
mother and life is great, but she is kind of busy so sometimes I
have to take little side trips, know what I mean?” He winked and
laughed. Marshall Purcell looked sideways at redranger and
knew exactly what he meant. And he knew this side trip would
be ending up with Meg Parker bagged and bedded before he
went back East. Well, it would be over his dead body. Well, not
so much his dead body, but there would be a dead body
involved, that was for sure.

They had walked up the short incline to the mouth of the
mine. Jeffery had always been fascinated with things like this.
It was no different now.
“How did you find this place?” “ How far down does
the shaft go?” “We won’t fall in will we? “ Does it have a
barrier? “ And he stayed right behind Marshall.

As they entered the mouth of mine and Marshall
explained, “ I found this quite by accident about a year ago. It
used to have a big fence around it, but it has kind of fallen
down over the years. We will be all right as long as we watch
where we are going. Here, I brought a flashlight.” He
switched it on and handed it to Jeffery.
“You carry it and go ahead. I am right behind you.”

They entered the cavern and Jeffery flashed the light from
side to side and top to bottom, like a little kid. As they went
deeper into the abyss Marshall remembered his
first trip up here and a 17 year old kid named something that he
had picked up on the highway hitchhiking somewhere. That was
all innocent enough until the kid had reached over and put his
hand on his crotch and smiled at him with a mouthful of rotten
teeth.
His response had been instant and deadly. In three
seconds it was over and the kid lay against the door with his neck
broken and his eyes staring vacantly at nothing in particular.
Marshall panicked and dragged the kid out the door and
threw him over his shoulder. He started up the mountain seeking
somewhere to stick the body. The cavern yawned before him and
he entered the opening. He dropped the kid on the ground and
went back to get a flashlight. Soon all was revealed to him and
he had rolled the body over the edge and listened as it bounced
off the wall and then a dull thud as it struck the floor of the mine
and then dead silence.

His mind jerked back to the present as he watched Jeffery
near the shaft.
"OK, Jeff, it is right ahead of you. Get down on
your hands and knees and crawl forward about four feet. Then
you can kind of lean over the side and see all the way to the
bottom. It is straight down, so be careful. Here let me hold your
feet to make sure you don’t slip.”

He sat down and took a foot in
each hand realizing as he did so that they were genuine leather
shoes and no doubt very expensive. “So can you see the bottom?
I got you bro’, don’t worry.”

He felt Jeff strain a little and then heard him say, “My
God! There are bones down there! They look like a human!
Ah shit! There are more than one!” But that was pretty much
the end of that one sided conversation as Marshall Purcell
shoved the feet of his twin brother , Jeffery Purcell over the
side of the mine shaft, leather shoes and all. A brief gasp, a
split second and he hit the wall and then another and he heard
the dull thud as he hit the floor. Marshall stood and dusted off
the knees of his pants. Then he cursed softly as he realized he
would have to buy another flashlight, turned and walked out
into the bright sunlight and headed down the hill to the Jeep.

Installment #24

Installment #24

Him And Eldon

He pulled the Black Jeep into the short term parking at
Stapleton and pulled his ticket from the little box that spit them
out so faithfully. He put it in his pocket and pulled into a
vacant space near the end of the third row. That was luck! It
was going to be his day; Karma dictated it. He strolled through
the door with 15 minutes to spare before the plane landed. He
looked at the bank of greeters holding their signs with names
printed. John, Mary Smith, Eldon. That was the one. He took
a deep breathe and hurried toward the blonde haired fellow in
very casual dress. Name tag. Great!

“Jerry?” He looked the guy right in the eye. “You
waiting for Eldon?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Well, John sent me to do the waiting. Said he needs
you back at the office, post haste. Some kind of problem. Said
tell you to hurry.”
“What’s going on? He told me this was important.! Said
I had to meet this guy and get him there safe and sound. Why
didn’t he call me?”
“Look, I don’t know. He said he tried to call but got a
busy signal, so he said I should get over here and send you
back. What! You think I just happened in here, saw you with a
sign and decided I wanted to pick up Eldon? Do I look nuts?”
Jerry laughed. “Well, when you put it that way……”
He started for the exit. He stopped him.
“Hey, buddy, leave me the sign or we are going to miss
the connection here!” Jerry handed him the sign and walked
away shaking his head.

So now he stood with the “Eldon” sign hoisted high
as the passengers began to stream down the runway.
He spotted the man and recognized the walk. Tall, lanky
guy with a shock of brown hair and steely blue eyes. How long
had it been? Oklahoma. Jeffery. Jeffery Eldon Purcell. He
shuddered as he made the connection between Jeffery Eldon
Purcell and the redranger and Meg Parker. And he cringed as he
lowered the sign and prayed Jeffery had not seen it. Finally he
realized that a prayer of his had been answered as Jeffery
scanned the signs looking for his name. He did not see his name,
but he did see the face of his brother, Marshall Purcell. Their
eyes met and they both realized that this was a chance meeting in
a very unexpected place that neither of them could have
foreseen. Jeffery appeared bewildered.

“Marshall? What are you doing here? Did John send you? Are you meeting me?”
“Jeff! Lord no, I just happened to be killing some time
waiting for a friend to get in from California. What are you
doing here?”
“I have a consulting job here for a company in Denver.
Someone was supposed to meet me, but it looks like I may be
stood up. How long have you got? Can we grab a cup of
coffee and catch up a little?”
“Hang on a sec. I may be stood up myself. Let me
make a call.” He turned away and punched a few numbers in
the phone and then waited.
“Oh, Jane this is Marshall. Are you behind schedule?”
He nodded as he listened to nothing and then said, “Oh, no that
is fine. Something unexpected has come up here on my end. I
will just see you at the apartment this evening…Yeah, honey,
you too.” He closed the phone and turned to face Jeff who had
apparently been listening very closely.
“Wow! Who is Jane? Sounds serious. Are you married?
Living together?”
Jeffery was a multitude of questions. And
Marshall was an enigma with no ready answers. He looked at
his twin brother with a blank look and a mind that was a blur.
He had come to the airport to meet a man named redranger with
the full intent of killing him, but here he stood in the hubbub of
Stapleton International Airport in Denver, Colorado face to face
with his twin brother that he had not seen nor communicated
with in years. Had this been a faceless stranger, it would have
been easy to bull shit his way through, but here was the face he
had grown up with, the face that still looked at him in the
bathroom mirror every morning and many times a day. But a
plan was a plan, wasn’t it?

“Well, Marshall, where are you staying? What are your
plans?” He paused, like he didn’t know what was planned.
“I have some work to do for Higgenboth Architects here
in Denver and that will keep me busy until noon tomorrow and
then I am meeting someone I have been communicating with
online. An old army buddy. Haven’t seen him in years.”

Marshall sighed. Damn liar did not realize that he had
just sealed his fate. No reason to change any plans because this
was his brother. This was the same little worthless piece of shit
that had made his life so miserable when they were still at
home. Telling mom every time he looked cross ways. Really
had the old man eating out of his hand and he had gotten his
hind end beaten more than once by Jeffery’s lies. And he had
tried to tell Jeffery about mom and the dip wad up the street
and Jeffery had just looked at him and went to mom. Another
ass beating. No, Jeffery was no different now and that was too
bad. It would have been kind of nice to have a little family, but
it sure was not this idiot. Brothers should not lie to brothers.
Suddenly Jeffery turned to Marshall. He stared in
wonder. “Your eye! What is that? Did you get an eye? I
thought you just wore that patch. When did you get this? Is it
real?” He actually had noticed something besides himself.
That was a wonder!
“It is glass. Well, not exactly glass, some sort of
artificial combination that looks like a real eye. Doesn’t work ,
but it is set in there so it actually moves a little and at first
glance it looks pretty real. I had this done about four years
ago. Still have the scar, but it isn‘t as pronounced or maybe I
have just learned to live with it. Anyway, it was good of you to
notice the eye.” Marshall stopped and then asked, “How is the
old man?“
Jeffery shuffled his feet then looked at Marshall. “I
don’t know. After you left and mom died he married a real
loser. We moved to Vermont and it was clear that Virginia did
not want me around so I got my own place and they traveled a
lot and we just drifted apart. I assume they are both still
around and still alive cause I have not heard any different.”
“I thought you and him were tight?”

Jeffery laughed in derision. “No way. I watched how he
treated mom all those years and it was all I could do to stomach
being around him. He did not respect her at all. Treated her like
a doormat. All she ever wanted out of him was a little attention
and that was the one thing he was incapable of giving her. Too
damn busy with his work! Hell, when she was dying he didn‘t
even hire any help. Took care of her himself, that is how tight he
was.” Marshall wondered at Jeffery’s devotion to their mother,
but then remembered that mother had always fawned over Jeff,
so that explained that. Really not much sense trying to tell him
any different.
“So, Jeff, want me to give you a lift into Denver? I am
headed that way anyway.”
Little did Jeffery Eldon Purcell realize that this might be the last
decision he was ever to make on this earth.
“Sure! Beats hell out of walking.” They smiled as they
started for the exit at Stapleton International Airport, but for
totally different reasons. Marshall put his arm around the
shoulder of his brother who was seven minutes younger than
him and gave him a playful hug.
“Well, I bet you like to think so anyway!” They laughed.

#23

Installment #23

Meg

Meg did not turn her computer on Monday after her trip
up the mountain, so it was Tuesday morning when she read the
email from Eldon. She answered right away and soon the plans
were made and everything was in place. Eldon would arrive
Wednesday right after lunch. The driver would pick him up and
he would be busy with John until late, late that night and until
noon on Thursday. Then he was free until Monday. Business
she knew nothing about. She would meet him in the lobby of
the Sheraton at 12:30 and they would have lunch somewhere
and then just sight see until later when they would decide what
to do next. Sounded like a loosely woven plan they could both
live with. She realized that she was actually almost giddy at the
thought of meeting a man. And having lunch and then deciding
what to do next. That was the part that rather made her feel
warm and anxious. But Thursday was two days away. Lot
could happen in two days.

But she hummed as she did her chores that day. Then
she remembered the dogs rather guiltily. She phoned the friend
who watched them before. She explained that she was not sure
how long she would be gone. Maybe not even one night, but
maybe more. He laughed. Yes, he was available and yes, he
was flexible. Yes he would come Thursday afternoon and
evening and continue his chores until she told him he was done.
That taken care of she began to rifle the closet for
clothes for her trip into Denver. She realized she had nothing
sexy, but she did not want anything sexy. Nothing old maidy
either. She finally settled on a pair of black tailored slacks and a
red long sleeved clingy shirt with a high vee neckline. Little
black pumps. Then she realized that those were too dark for
summer. But it was not really summer and Denver is high and
cool so she thought it best not to obsess. And as she climbed
into her bed that night she found herself wishing that Thursday
would hurry up and get here! Sweet dreams found her that
evening and a tall stranger stood in the mist as she ran toward
him.

Installment # 22 Him

Installment #22
Him

He stood with his back to the closed door and felt the
sweat pour down from his head and arm pits. He was not ready
for this! Why had she come up here? Why was she in his yard?
This was his home and she had found him. She appeared so
innocent, but he knew better! Never knew this house was here?
Who was she trying to fool? This house had been here for years.
Years! She was snooping around and he had caught her. Did she
know about his tunnel? Did she know about his tree? Did she
know he watched her? Maybe she was watching him watching
her! Women! Nothing but treacherous bitches, every one of
them. Even that stupid Jennifer. Always making coffee and
tidying things. Damn feather duster. What was it with the
cleaning all the time? Her job was to run the office, not get in his
way.

He peered out the window and could not see any sign of
the woman. She must be gone. She had to be gone. Of course
she was gone. She was probably down there right now on her
farm gathering her eggs. Damn chickens never stopped, did
they? Course not, they were females. Females never stop what
ever they start doing. They would keep laying eggs and Meg
Parker would keep gathering them. Jennifer would keep dusting
and putting her pointed little nose into his business. Maybe he
should do something about her before he did something with
Meg Parker. When he made his move on Meg it would take time
away from the office. Jennifer would be suspicious. She might
come up here. No, she did not know where he lived. She knew
about his apartment in Denver. She knew about the apartment
on Williams, but not about the cabin here in the mountains. She
knew he went somewhere out of town, but not where. Nosey
bitch could probably figure it out. Get with the accountant and
see where he paid taxes. He shook his head violently. This was
sheer paranoia and he had more important things to concern
himself with right now!

It was now next week and redranger was on the horizon
and headed toward Denver, ready to rendevous with Meg. He
had to figure out how to stop that from happening. Get his
ducks in a row. First, check her email and see what the plan
was. It took so long for the computer to boot up that he
decided to make an exception and have a drink in the middle of
the day. A splash of soda and a splash of Scotch. Well, two
splashes of Scotch. That was better. He settled at the
computer; pulled up her yahoo account. It had been rather
quiet the last few days. No sales at all. A few feedbacks and
finally he saw the redranger. “meg. I will be leaving
Brattleboro, Vermont on Wednesday morning and arriving at
Stapleton early afternoon. John is having a car meet me so I
am good for Wednesday until Thursday. I would like to meet
with you on Thursday and we can spend the whole day
together. I am at the Sheraton and they have a lovely dining
room there. Let me know and we will firm all this up on
Tuesday.”

He hit the “print” button and then the “keep as new
button” It was one thing to hack into her account but she was a
smart woman. Smart and alert. She would connect the dots and
know something was wrong if he started leaving things laying
around or not laying around. Nothing else that was of any
interest to him. But he left the screen up in case she showed any
action. He put a CD in the player and kicked back in his
recliner.

His mind toyed with what to do with the redranger.
Eldon. That was a silly name. He wondered if it was his real
name. Somehow he doubted that it was. He had been around
and he knew what this online stuff was. Guy probably didn’t
even have a job. Just coming to Denver to play around and Meg
was his target. A little weasel that hid in the shadows and played
pretend games because he was afraid of reality. Acted like
something he was not. He would do God only knows what to
Meg and then go back to where ever he came from and never
even think about her again. Well, not while there was life in his
body! No siree! He would save her. He would protect her. A
shimmer of an idea began to form in his mind. Yes, he knew
what to do. Eldon would arrive in Denver on Wednesday.
Today was Monday. He would be ready. Of course he would be
ready. Wasn’t that what he had learned in Viet Nam, to always
be ready? He smiled as he drained his glass and the hot liquor
found the warm place right beside his heart. The heart that
suddenly longed for Meg Parker. He sighed sadly thinking of all
the things he had done and would continue to do for her. He was
sad that she could never know the real depth of his commitment
to her. It would frighten her, he knew. His eyelids grew heavy
and he chortled because he knew he was going to sleep right
there in the chair. And fully clothed as he thought of Meg
Parker standing in his yard, he touched himself and blushed at
the pleasure it brought him. Then his mind went blank with
sleep.

Installment #21

Installment #21
Meg

Meg sealed the last box, added the label, stuck a Priority Mail sticker on it and tossed it into her tote. Daisy and Elvira began to dance around as she took her hat from the hook.  She opened the door and started down the drive to the mailbox. The dogs ran ahead sniffing both sides of the road. At the mailbox she opened the big door and put the packages inside. Then she raised the flag to let the driver know that she had a pickup. She turned back towards the house, but then turned to look up the mountain. The dogs looked at her quizzically. She laughed. “All right! Just a short one though.” She crossed Banner Road and entered the field. She skirted the fence that was across the path and started up the hill. The dogs ran ahead as was their habit. Sniff and pee. Sniff and pee. Dogs had such easy lives. Soon they were at the fork in the trail that led to the tree she had discovered on her last trip up the mountain. Without a second thought she turned and headed up the path. Might as well face this demon and put it behind her. She had avoided the mountain when Greg and Kevin were here because of this and now it would be put to rest. As she neared the tree she relaxed. The brush was not beaten down at all. As she looked around she noticed the growth pattern on the big pines was the same as this one. Looked like a ladder. What a silly goose she had been. The path turned slightly to the left so she followed it. About 300 yards and she realized that off to her right was what appeared to be a small cabin. She stopped and studied it. It was a small cabin. There was a worn driveway so she knew it was used by someone. She should go back. This was someone’s home. She was trespassing. Well, not really. She was just walking past a house. The road lay right before her and she knew if she followed the road around to the right it would lead back to Banner Road where she lived. Fred lived up here somewhere, but this looked too neat to be where Fred would live. She scoffed at herself for making judgments’ about Fred. She did not know where he lived and so could not know how he lived. As she debated whether to take the road back down or go back the way she had come, she heard a vehicle coming up Storm Lake Road. She made her mind up very quickly when the Black Jeep Cherokee approached and turned into the little cabin. Curiosity made her look at the vehicle and she strained to catch a glimpse of the driver as she looked back over her shoulder. So intent was she in that endeavor that she did not notice that Elvira had stopped to itch herself. She stepped on the dogs tail and she yelped. She halted the forward momentum of the second leg and tumbled forward into Daisy. Another yelp as the door of the Jeep closed. The big man whirled and stared in her direction. He did not look happy at all. And then he looked very surprised as he started towards her. Meg rose and was dusting herself off when he reached her.

 “Are you all right lady?” He glanced at the dogs who were cowering at her feet. “Did I scare you and your dogs? Why are you up here? This is private property, you know.” He stopped and waited for her to answer. Meg was frozen in place by his cold steely eyes and then she noticed his scar. She had met this man before. Her and Tommy. Long ago.  She took a deep breathe and began her explanation.

 “Well, I am Meg Parker and I live straight south of here. I was just walking on the trail with the dogs ‘cause that is what I do sometimes. I did not even know there was a house here until I stumbled on it today. I usually turn around before I get this far. I was thinking of taking the road back and then I noticed your cabin. And then you came and so I started back and tripped on Elvira….” Her voice trailed off as she stood waiting for what? Absolution? Wrath? She turned to go. “Oh.” And that was all he said. Meg was suddenly aware of his eyes burning into her. She shivered as she suddenly felt very vulnerable. She turned back toward the trail she had come up to get here.

 “It is all right if you walk across my yard.” he said curtly as he turned and walked toward the little cabin without a backward glance. He unlocked the door and quickly disappeared inside. Meg was
left staring at a closed door.  She suddenly just wanted to be home and she hurried back the way she had come. The sun was past it’s zenith when she hurried inside and  the door locked behind her. Home! This was her sanctuary. Her haven. And suddenly she began to sob as she thought of Tommy. Never again would her Tommy hold her. Never would they laugh. As she sank into the overstuffed chair that faced the open window and the mountain she gave vent to the last three years of loneliness and frustration. The dogs stood silently at her feet and stared at the grieving woman.

Installment #20

Installment #20

Kevin and Greg

Kevin merged into the north bound lane of Interstate 25 and quickly set the cruise control on 75 mph. They would catch I 80 West in Cheyenne. It might be a bit out of the way mileage wise, but it would cut almost two hours off the trip.

 “OK, Greg. What is eating you? You been all tied up since yesterday. You might just as well spit it out!”

“Ok, Kevin. Are you buying that crock about your mom building a fortress of her house just cause she is getting old? She is not that old and I am pretty sure she can take care of herself. Something is going on there that she isn’t telling you, and I don’t like it.” He waited for a response and when none came he forged on, “ Why didn’t we walk up the mountain? There are trails up there. I seen them, but she was like a little frightened rabbit when I suggested that. Did you notice?”  He stopped and this time waited for an answer.

“Well, yeah. We used to hike up there a lot. Maybe there are more houses up there now and it is private property. Or it is rattlesnake season when they shed their skin and they are blind and can’t get out of our way. That’s how people get bit by those Timber Rattlers.” He stopped and looked at Greg. He needed more. He sounded like a little kid. “All right! All right! I don’t know what is going on and I am sure there is more than she is telling us, but what can I do? They outlawed the tying up and grilling of mothers a very long time ago. I am sure she will be all right and she will do what needs to be done and if something or someone is threatening her, she will handle it. She is a big girl.”

Greg sighed. “Well, I really like your mom and I hope you are right. I wish she had some closer neighbors. Do you know any of them? Can they check on her?”

"Greg.  Greg.  People move to the mountains to be alone. I know the handyman she uses a little. We always called him ‘that silly old Fred’. He has lived upon  the mountain for years. I think he still has the same old pickup that he had when I was living at home, but maybe not. We always thought he was married and his wife left him and his son moved away, but seems like that was just a rumor. Never been married. Never had a kid. Guess the only rumor that held any water was that his dad had killed his mother and hid her body in the root cellar. I think he is scared of root cellars. Oh, yeah and women. Seems he was an only child. But I don’t know if he even has a phone. Sure he doesn’t do the Internet!”

They fell into a restless silence as they thought about Meg and the miles whipped past. They stopped in Cheyenne for a rest stop before getting on I 80. They bought a cappuccino and a bag of Fritos. When they returned to the car, Greg took the wheel. They enjoyed the scenery and sipped the hot cappuccinos. Meg was never very far from their minds, but they could not think of a way to protect her when they had no idea what to protect her from.

Installment #19 Sunday Morning

Meg quickly made a large blender full of her smoothie recipe, blue berries, yogurt, coconut milk, a fresh peach and wheat germ. She poured it into three glasses, put them on a tray beside the scones and carried them to the patio. The boys were intent on watching the sun creeping up over the horizon.

 “See, Greg. It is not at all like California. Even the colors are different. And see how quick it pops up? Not like California at all.”

 “No, but that is because of the humidity, the colors I mean. Colorado is dry.  So the colors are more muted and more reds and oranges. California has humidity so they appear brighter and there are more greens and blues. Ask anyone. Google it. And it pops up because the mountains are there. California is flat. So it goes down real slow.”

 They turned and looked at Meg as if seeking a final opinion. “Yep” was all she said as she picked up her glass, a scone and settled down in the cushioned chair facing the sunrise.

“This is one of the things that keeps me here on this place, right here at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Heaven on earth. Just ask the chickens.” As if on cue the Rhode Island Red Rooster announced to the world that it was now morning, albeit a bit late. They all laughed. As Kevin set his empty glass back on the tray and dusted the crumbs off his shirt, he turned to Meg with a very serious look on his face.

“Now, mom, you should know how it is with Kevin and I. We have decided to move in together. We have actually found a house we like that is convenient to both of our jobs. When we get back we are going to list his house and I have money from my last home sale, so we are in good shape.”

As an afterthought he added, “ The pub does really well. Especially in this economy.”

Meg digested this little announcement and then smiled. “Well, this is great! I mean really. If one of you were a female, I could throw an engagement party!” She laughed, but the boys did not. “Ok, that is not what I meant to say. What I meant is this, I am very happy for both of you.  I know better than most how hard real love is to come by and I think you two make a great couple. It is a shame that society can not accept, but I think someday they will. Until then, we will just celebrate here at home and I probably will not announce it in church today. Hey!  Let’s just skip church this morning and go into town and celebrate with a lovely lunch!” Church would keep, but Kevin and Greg would not.

They would leave early in the morning and she was selfish. Greg spoke first. “Meg, you will always have a home with us. You are not loosing a son, you are gaining one.” Tears welled up in Meg’s eyes as she silently thanked her God for bringing this kind soul into her son’s life.

Installment #18

Installment #18

Meg, Kevin, Greg

The walk had been a long one. They only jogged a little of the four miles. The conversation was easy and Meg and Greg warmed to each other. The Green Chile was simmering in the crock pot and when they returned to the house the spicy aroma greeted them. They were immediately ravenous. Meg heated the refried beans and the tortillas. She spooned the beans into the tortilla, sprinkled it with grated cheddar cheese, spooned on sour cream and rolled it up.  She ladled a generous amount of the Green Chile over it, put a little chopped lettuce on the plate and handed it to Greg.  She quickly made a plate for Kevin and herself. They sat at the table and looked at the steaming plates.

“OK, Greg, dig in!” Kevin laughed. He had told Greg what Green Chile was and now he was seeing it first hand. Brown the small bits of pork, add garlic, tomatoes, the Pueblo Chiles chopped and then water.  Simmer and the longer it simmered the hotter it would get. Greg had heard about the Pueblo Chiles, but this was his first encounter with the food that was such a part of Kevin’s heritage in Colorado. He dipped his spoon in gingerly and raised it to his mouth. He felt the top of his head bead up with the heat of something he had never encountered before. Tears stung his eyes. He gasped for breathe.
"What in the hell is that!” Meg and Kevin stared in amazement. Never had they seen the likes of this out of quiet retiring Greg.
Kevin stammered.  “Oh, I am sorry.  I told you it would be hot. That is the peppers. Mom?”
“Greg, dear, this is not hot. This is mild. I did not want your first taste of Colorado Mexican food to be a bad one. Here. Do it this way.” She took her spoon and cut off a small piece of burrito and covered it with Green Chile. She put it in her mouth, chewed and smiled. “ You just don’t eat the Green Chile alone. Let me get you a glass of milk. That will help.”
She left the table and returned with a large glass of milk which she placed in front of him. He immediately took a drink of it. Then he smiled at Kevin and Meg.
“ I am not going to let a damn pepper beat me. If you can eat it, I can eat it. “ He then cut off a small piece as Meg had done and shook off most of the Chile. In his mouth and he chewed slowly.  “Hey, that ain’t bad at all. But I gotta say, you two are a couple sadists!”
But very soon he was holding his plate and heading for the stove and a second burrito! Kevin smiled and silently thanked the God above for leading him into Your Little Pub  that rainy day not so very long ago. If ever a match was blessed from above it had to be this one. Meg smiled at her son and nodded. Mother’s just had a way of knowing this stuff. When dessert was brought to the table Kevin whooped and jumped up. 
“Oh, Greg! You are in for a treat. This is the Italian part of Colorado. Tiramusu! Mom! Tell him how to make it.  Oh, God are you in for a treat.”
Meg stared at her son.  “Ok, the first thing you need is Lady Fingers and they are dry. Then you mix coffee with Kahlua. Meanwhile you whip heavy whipping cream with sugar and egg yolks. Then you fold in Marscapone cheese which is a lot like cream cheese only it is from Italy and very expensive. Then you dip the Lady Fingers in the coffee and Kahlua and put them in the bottom of the pan. One layer of that. Then cover this with the whipped cream mixture. Then another layer of Lady Fingers and more whipped cream. Then sprinkle on some cocoa. Stick it in the fridge and then impress everyone for dessert.”
“Oh, yeah,” laughed Kevin, “but you should have seen it the first time she made it. She thought the Lady Fingers were really dry so she held them under until they quit bubbling. She had to mix coffee and Kahlua three times and she used almost a quart of Kahlua! I was 16 and so damn drunk I couldn’t even get up the stairs. Everybody was! We ate the whole thing that night. Way to go Mom!” Greg smiled as he held out his dessert plate for seconds. “Guess you must be part Italian too!”
The boys tidied the kitchen as Meg checked her email Nothing from redranger.  She felt a little disappointed, but knew that he was giving her space to spend time with Kevin. He was very considerate that way.  She had three sales, so she printed the labels for those, affixed them to the boxes, shut down the computer and turned out the light. As she closed the door to the office and stepped into the hall, she found Kevin and Greg sharing a kiss. She stopped and then realized that this did not bother her. She had been afraid that it would, but now that the moment was here it seemed ludicrous that she had even thought about it. She smiled to herself.
“Hey you two! It is bedtime.” The boys jumped apart at her words and laughed nervously. She kissed each one lightly on the cheek and then turned into her own room. There would just be tomorrow and then they would leave. “Church tomorrow. You boys going with me?”
“Well, if you think it is alright.”
“Of course it is!” But as she closed her door she wondered. “At least I hope it is .“ were her last thoughts before she reached for her nightgown.

Installment #17 Him

Installment #17
Him

He fingered his scar as he watched from his roost. The little fag boy was there with his little fag friend.  Meg was happy to see them. She hugged them both. Both of them! Not just her son.  He could have forgiven that, but both of them. Like that was her daughter-in-law. Couldn’t she see how wrong that was?

They were both men, for God’s sake! He could see that Kevin was going to have to meet with something bigger than life. Maybe on the way back home. San Francisco was a lot of miles away and a lot could happen. Or maybe when he got home there would be a very big earthquake. Yes! God had his way of dealing with these people. Oh, and now there was that jerk from up North to deal with. Life had sure been simple before he managed to sync his computer with hers and become part of her network. He could not believe his eyes when he saw the redranger invite himself to Denver and then ask her to join him. He was aghast when she acccepted. Was she a common trollop? She was actually going to meet that man in Denver.  That Eldon. Where? Who knew. Probably his motel room. Well, that would happen over somebody’s dead body. And it was not going to be his.  He reached in his shirt pocket and pulled out the salve that he kept there for just that use. This had some sort of Novocain or something in it that numbed it just enough to make the pain bearable. As he rubbed it he thought back to that summer night on the river. They were knee deep in mud in the heart of Viet Cong territory. It was a stealth operation as they crept closer to the big paddle boat. He could hear them laughing and they seemed to be passing something around. No doubt it was some sort of liquor because they were normally more vigilant than they were tonight. The first soldier reached the barge, pulled the pin on the grenade and heaved it over the side. The concussion was instantaneous and more than they expected. As the Viet Cong were thrown in the air, so was he. He learned later that he had landed face down on an iron piling. His eye was gone. His face a mess of an open wound from his left eyebrow to his right jawbone. The doctors talked of reconstruction, but they were not very experienced at this sort of thing. By the time he was stateside it was apparent that everything that had been done was the extent of it and what he was left with was just something he would live with. Viet Nam was not a popular war. He had mustered out in Wichita, Kansas of all places.

By this time he was used to the stares, but not ready for what lay ahead. Mom, Dad and Jeffery had met him at the station and returned him to Tulsa, Oklahoma where they were living at the time. Dad was a banking consultant so he moved around a lot. Oklahoma had some great catfish and Dad did like to fish so what better way to live than doing what he liked?  Dad and Jeffery had looked at his face and studied it. Then it was accepted and they went to the next subject. Not Mom.  She had recoiled. She had stared. She had lost her voice. She did not touch him. His own mother did not want to touch him. He remembered a time when she could not get enough of him. He massaged his scar and thought of her. He hated her.

He had left Oklahoma and when he shook the Oklahoma red dirt off his boots, he shook his mother off also. He kept in touch with Dad and Jeffery, but just barely. When mom died he did not go home for the funeral. And he was not very surprised when Dad found some woman and retired in Vermont. Little town called Brattleboro. Jeffery had drifted away and he had let him. He needed no one. He wanted Meg, but he did not need her. He had thought once that he needed his mother, but that was a wasted thought. That was when he was a needy little boy, but that little boy was gone long ago.

He leaned forward as the door opened and Meg, Kevin and Greg came out followed by the dogs.  He knew by the knapsack that they were going for a walk or run or maybe a little of both. He had watched Meg and Kevin in California so he knew the routine. Course Greg would be a health nut like Kevin. That was alright. Just so they stayed in California and left Meg alone out here. He could spare a few days. What was a few more days when he had already waited over three years?

He had never been very good with the ladies. Never learned the fine art of  wooing and winning one of the fair sex. Fair sex? He snorted. Bitches every one. His mother first and the way she had always fawned over Jeffery. No “atta boys” for him. Do this and do that, but no “thank you, son.” Not from her or the old man. He remembered suddenly, like a misty memory from way back in the deepest recesses of his mind coming home from school and running into the kitchen. His mother was there and so was the neighbor man. Forgot his name. He remembered his mother being red in her face and the neighbor man fumbling with his overalls. Funny smell. He had learned things since that day and he knew what his mother was.

He thought of the girls in high school. He was a jock and the girls hung around the field. After the game on Friday night there was always a party and always one of the girls wanting to spread her legs and think it was love. Love! He spat. No way.  If he ever fell in love it would not be with one of these sluts. It would be with a woman the direct opposite of his mother. A woman who held herself above the fray and tumult of every day living. A woman who emitted a light, like the one he saw when he looked at the Virgin Mary. That one. And when they consummated on the wedding night she would hold very still. That would be her duty. And of course, she would conceive that night and they would not have to do that again until they wanted another baby. He would cherish her. They would talk about things like his work. The house would be spotless. The child would be perfect and never cry. And every day she would make cookies for him. No more of that crap in cellophane on the grocery shelf. Fresh cookies. On a plate with a napkin under them.

He realized that the threesome and the dogs had rounded the bend in the road and were now out of sight. He let himself drift for a moment thinking of Meg Parker and dreaming of what their life would be like. He envisioned her standing in the door of the cabin in a very pale blue dress. There was lace at the throat. The hem fell well below her knees. She wore sturdy shoes. And an apron of gingham. Oh, and a plate of cookies. She knew he liked cookies. How did she always manage to have a plate of fresh cookies when she never knew when he was coming home? She was wonderful. Everything he had hoped she would be. She stared at him like he was her complete world. Her eyes were wet like she was about to cry because she was so full of love for him that it was overwhelming. And he kissed her lightly on the forehead. His world was perfect. And the best part was that she was past the child bearing years so they did not need to do the dirty, despicable act to procreate. They did not need a child to make their world complete; they had each other.

With this vision in his mind he climbed down from his perch, checked the limbs at the base of the tree, took the seven steps to the opening, stepped inside and hurried back to his cabin. He secured the door behind himself. He opened a can of Campbell’s Bean and Bacon soup and put it on to heat. He made a cold ham sandwich. He ate at the table with a small glass of red wine. He was nothing if not civilized at all times. Then he opened the refrigerator and took out his bottle of Scotch. It was the one vice he allowed himself and only here and only when he was ready for bed. He dropped four ice cubes in a tumbler and splashed the Scotch over them. He swirled the glass as he put on his pajama’s. Then he sat in his recliner and leaned back at a 45 degree angle with his feet elevated so he could just see tips of the felted gray slippers peeking over the mound that was his stomach.

He sipped the drink as he let images flit through his mind. Meg in her flannel night gown.  Meg lying quietly on her side of the bed. Meg with her hungry eyes looking at him. Of course he had on his cotton pin striped pajama’s. He took her hand because this was how they usually slept. He realized how soft her hand was. For some reason unknown to him, he kissed her fingertips. Her eyes flew open in surprise. He had never made a gesture like this in the three months they had been together. He sat bolt upright in the recliner and his feet hit the floor. My God! What was he thinking? Kissing her finger tips was a very intimate and erotic gesture. Those were not words in his vocabulary, yet they were in his mind. Where did they come from. Was he secretly thinking of sex?  Sex! Sex with a woman? Sex with Meg? He ran to the bathroom and retched. His stomach spasmed until there was nothing left to lose. He must not think like this. But if not that, then what did he want? Did he want to spend the rest of his life lying in bed with a woman and never touching her? That was not realistic. Could he do it without seeing his mother and farmer Brown from next door grunting in the kitchen.

He must think.  Yes, he must think and have a plan, but not tonight. It frightened him too much. He climbed into bed and curled into a fetal position and cried himself to sleep.

Installment #15 & #16

Installment #15

 Kevin and Greg

“Greg! You are as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof. She is my mother, for crying out loud, not the Queen of England!” Kevin laughed as he caught Greg around the waist planted a big one near his eye. Then they both laughed. This was going to be fun. They were driving to Colorado this weekend and work was far away. This was a weekend to just cut loose and enjoy life. “Well, that is easy enough for you to say because she is your mother. What if she doesn’t like me? Have you thought of that?” Greg threw a sweater at the suitcase. “No. Why wouldn’t she like you? Besides I am going to be the one living with you, not her.” He stood behind Greg at the mirror and met his eyes. He smiled. “Damn! Don’t we make a great couple?” Then as an after thought, “ You take the wheel the first hundred miles and then we will switch. Where are we stopping for breakfast? I am already hungry.” Greg reached for the keys and picked up the suitcase with the other hand. “You did call her, didn’t you? She does know we are coming?” “Of course and she is making a big pot of Green Chile for you, white boy!  Mom is a great cook!” Kevin pulled the door shut and heard the lock catch. They hurried down the sidewalk to the drive and the car, ready for a big adventure like the overgrown kids that they were.

Installment #16

 Meg


Meg signed in to her email account and was rewarded with a note from redranger. “Meg, I have news. I will be in Denver next week and I would love to meet you.  Can you free up some time for me?”
Well, that was not at all what she expected. They had decided early in the correspondence that they would be friends and neither one wanted entanglements. Was Eldon changing the rules? She was tempted to act like she had not received the email, but then thought better of it.  Eldon was moody and knew how much time she spent on the computer. She decided that honesty was the best course in this case. So she hit the reply button.
“ Are you changing the rules? I thought this was going to be Internet Only.”
"I thought so too, but this opportunity has come up there in Denver and it seems rude to not meet you since I will be that close and I will have time on my hands. Nothing serious, just a cup of coffee on the fly. We are friends aren’t we? We have fun together on the net, we could surely have a few laughs in a coffee house.”
Meg chuckled. Of course he was right. What was she afraid of anyway? It wasn’t like it was a lifetime commitment. It was a lousy cup of coffee. “You are right. But when? My son is coming for a few days and I don’t want to run off and leave him.”
“I will be there next Thursday, the 15th and not leave until the following Wednesday. When will Kevin be there? I don’t want to step on his toes.”
 “Kevin will be here tomorrow and will leave Monday, so that is good.” She flushed at the thought of meeting a real live man. Eldon had intrigued her from the first email and now she wondered just what would be bringing him to Denver. But that would wait.
“Are you flying into Denver?”
“Sure am. Got a rental car thing so I have transportation. This is going to be great, Meg. Oh, gotta run. We will talk next week.” And he was gone.
He certainly was a man of few words. Meg headed to the kitchen to make a batch of cookies before Kevin and Greg arrived in the morning.

The pork was in the meat drawer so the Green Chile could be made in short order. She had gotten Kevin’s email and knew that Greg ran a pub and was a chef so she wanted it to be good.  It would be, but not the gourmet stuff that Greg did. She took a deep breathe and vowed that this would be a very pleasant weekend. Two days was not long, but it was all the boys could spare. It was an 14 hour drive so they would be tired. But they would split the driving so maybe not. As she emptied the last cookie sheet she realized that she was very tired . As she climbed the stairs she thought about all the bars on the windows and doors. Well, Kevin would know now. Well, not everything. She would tell him she was just getting old and wanting to feel secure. Surely he could understand that. She was living out here all alone. She suddenly remembered the tree and the perfect view that it afforded to her home. Was that just something bizarre or what? Why would anyone watch her? But her last thought as she lay in her bed before sleep over took her was not of the tree, or the path, or any of that stuff. It was of redranger and a man named Eldon that she would meet in less than a week. Sweet dreams tonight as angel wings swept over her bringing blissful sleep.

Installment #14

Installment #14

Him

He parked the Jeep Cherokee close to the cabin door. He
thought briefly what a beautiful afternoon it was and then
grabbed his Laptop, the sack, and hurried inside. Setting his
load on the table he hurried into the kitchen. He opened the
small door beside the door that led to the root cellar and peered
inside. It was dark and very quiet. He took the flash light off the
shelf and pushed the button to turn it on. Light flooded the tunnel
and he moved quickly forward. He had been in town for almost
the whole week and a lot can change in a few days. He must see.
The fruit loop who dug this for him had done a great job and he
reached the forest very quickly. He pushed sideways on the lid
that covered the opening and it slid away easily. He stepped up
the two steps into the clearing. Leaving the opening he hurried
forward to his tree. Three steps up and one over and he was in
his place.

He reached high in the branches and caught hold of the
telescope that he stored there. He put it to his eye, turned a
knob and gazed at the small farm below. Meg was just coming
out of the walk-in refrigerator. She had gathered the eggs for the
day. Oh, the joy of good luck. He watched her lithe frame as
she walked to the house. She had to be the most beautiful
woman in the world. And she was his. All his. He loved to
watch her when she did not know he was there. Something
erotic about the act and he vaguely wondered if it would be the
same when she was in his arms. A country song came to mind
“Who Are You When I’m Not Lookin?” “My oh, my you’re so
good lookin. Held together like a pair of book ends. Something
something.” Some idiot singer. He tittered to himself. Soon.
When she went into the house he surveyed the work that
had been done there while he was gone. Looked very secure.
Looks were deceiving. There was not a lock or a bar that would
keep him from her world. He would simply have her invite him
in. Yes, that was best. Just how to make it happen may prove a
challenge at first, but not an insurmountable one that was for
sure. “Where there is a will there is a way,” he thought to
himself as he felt the key that dangled from a string around his
neck. If worst came to worst, he would just unlock the door and
walk inside.

He replaced the telescope in the niche in the back of the
tree trunk and hurried down the self-made ladder to the ground.
He noticed the ground was getting a little trampled at the base of
the tree. He found a few loose branches and tossed them there.
Looked a lot better. He hurried to his tunnel, stepped inside and
twisted the cover in place. Soon he stepped out into his kitchen.

Home. Yes, Home Sweet Home.

Installment #13

Installment #13

Fred


Fred frowned as he hung up the phone. Damn pesky
woman. What was she so afraid of anyway? If anybody was
small enough to get in that doggie door, they were sure as hell
too little to hurt anybody and the dogs could eat them in two
bites. He held the Hershey can in his left hand as he placed the
phone back on the wall with his right. He was not ready to let
this one go. For some reason this one was special.

Usually the money went into a hole in the yard as soon as
he had the time to dig the hole, but he wanted to keep this one for
a while. People would think he was nuts if they knew. Well,
what was nuts about keeping money in cans at home? Made a lot
more sense than handing it over to one of the twits at the bank
who would put it in a drawer and give it out to other people. It
was his and they should not have his money. They had explained
to him that every month he would get a total of how much he
had, much like the account his dad had set up for him when he
was very young. Only that was once a year. He had to go in and
set across the big mahogany desk from some white haired old
fart who droned on about the investments and the check he got
every month and how wonderful his father had been to do this.
Like he was a simpleton!

How much was in that account his dad still controlled
from the grave? He did not remember. More than when it
started. He snorted. Some day the state of Colorado was going
to get a shit pot full of money, courtesy of Fred Himes, Jr. via
Fredric Himes, Sr. He really should leave a note about the cans
in the yard, but why? They were his. Earned by the sweat of his
brow. If he wanted to bury them he could. He could burn that
money if he so chose, but no, he had made a memorial to his
god, who ever that was. Apparently, it was the almighty dollar.
No, because money had never brought him any happiness either.
It was the memory of where the money came from. Like the
$16,450 that was the money for the big barn he had built for that
gimp legged guy over the draw east of him.

Then there was $19,000 from that scar faced guy just
north of Meg’s farm. Now that was crazy. Dug a tunnel from his
root cellar straight west to the edge of the forest. Well, dug a
trench, covered it with planks and then dirt. Nobody knew it was
there. Well, he knew. And the scar faced guy knew. Seemed like
a damn waste of money to him. No equipment! No one must
know. Ok, fella, what ever you say. Wonder where he got that
big scar? It was a gruesome looking thing for sure. Ran from
above his left eye, well where his left eye used to be, across his
cheek and mouth to his right jawbone. What ever it was sure had
to have hurt. Didn’t bother Fred, though. He looked past stuff
like that, but he couldn’t help but wonder. Guy was a definite
loner. Or seemed to be. But he did go into Denver several times
a week. Sometimes he stayed there. Fred knew ‘cause they
shared the road in and out. Funny that he did not seem to have a
name. No mail box either.

Fred sat deep in thought at the kitchen table as he stroked
the Hershey can. His eyes stared into the darkness of the forest.
But he did not see the trees or the tiny forest creatures. He saw
his mother. His mother in her pretty red dress and her white
patent leather shoes. He saw the slash of bright red lipstick on
her mouth and heard her laugh. He heard the radio playing a
lively tune. “Come here, Freddie, come dance with Momma!
Make Momma happy!” And he rose and followed her to the
middle of the wooden kitchen floor. His Momma was so
innocent. She asked for so little, just to be happy. As much as he
tried not to, he would always love his Momma. A tear slid
slowly down his cheek and was lost in his beard.

Installment #12

Installment #12

Meg

Meg walked around the house. The workmen were gone.
She was alone. She had handed Fred the roll of bills and then
insisted he count it for herself as well as for him. She knew it
was there, but she wanted him to know as well. As she watched
him she was suddenly struck by how innocent and child like he
seemed. There was more to Fred Himes then anyone would ever
know. She had asked for a tour around the house so he could
show her what he had done. He explained about the double
welding and that it would take a cutting torch for anyone to get
inside. “So don’t lose your key or you will be sleeping in the
yard.” He had suddenly become agitated when he said that.
Strange. She turned back into the house then turned and watched
him climb into his Toyota pick up. Man that big had no business
in a little truck like that.

She checked her eBay sales and then frowned because
there were none. Business was sure down for some reason. She
clicked through to her store and then to the mark down manager.
Of course she had to sign in again. Ebay was very careful about
that. She selected several vinyls and then changed her mind and
selected them all. She marked them 50% off, selected the start
and end date and then clicked to save. That done she checked
her emails. Nothing very interesting there. She wandered to the
kitchen and stood at the sink. She really should fix some lunch,
but suddenly the idea of eating alone brought tears to her eyes.
Was this how the rest of her life would be? Eating alone,
sleeping alone, walking alone? What was the point? She
opened the refrigerator and picked out an apple. Then she
grabbed a handful of Cheddar Cheese squares. She took her
keys off the hook behind the door. At the clink of the keys,
Daisy and Elvira appeared, fresh from a nap!

“Come on girls! Let’s go for a little walk up the
mountain.” She picked her knap sack off the hook, put two
bottles of water and an empty plastic sour cream tub inside. “
Got everything you ladies need, so let’s hit it!” She put the
keys in her pocket, the knap sack over her shoulder, got a bottle
of water for herself, and lastly took her walking stick down
from over the door. It was a gift from Tom many years ago. It
was very sturdy and had a hummingbird etched on the side with
flowers. Very good for stabilizing herself as she walked and
sturdy enough that she could defend herself if need be.
The dogs ran ahead and sniffed everything in sight. Of
course they also had to mark their territory, because that is what
dogs do. It was a beautiful day and while warm it had a cool
breeze blowing down from the mountain. She picked a trail that
looked sort of worn and the dogs immediately joined her. Birds
flitted in the canopy overhead as they walked. Meg was always
alert to the possibility of a timber rattler so she kept the dogs
close.

Almost imperceptibly a change came over Meg. Her
footsteps slowed and the dogs came closer. What was it? She
could feel eyes on her. She turned around. Nothing. Daisy
stopped and her hackles rose. She stared ahead into the
underbrush. Meg stopped and strained her eyes. Nothing. No,
wait, there was something. Something about that big Pine tree.
The growth at the bottom of it was mashed down. Had a bear
been here? Could very well have been. It was wilderness and
there were bears. But the limbs had been removed. No, not
removed. Only some of them. It looked like a ladder the way
they were staggered. She stepped on the first one. Then up
another one. One more. She could set up here and be quite
alone. This branch made a nice broad setting place. She sat and
turned. Her eyes fell on her farm. A cold feeling of dread settled
over her. Was she the only one that knew about this place? She
quickly scampered down the limbs again and when she reached
the ground the dogs were staring at her quizzically.
She turned quickly and started back down the path. The
dogs fell in step behind her and did not run and sniff. They
could barely keep up with her. When she reached the edge of
the clearing she stopped. She opened the knapsack and got the
bowl and water. The dogs lapped greedily. Meg gave them each
a piece of cheese and then ate the rest of the cheese and the
apple. Her nerves began to relax and her mind began to clear.
Maybe it was just the spell of the forest. She looked down the
mountain. She could not see her farm from here. She looked up
to see if she could see the tree she had climbed. No. She was
going to need to delve into this a little further. Where did the
trail lead? Was there a house up there? If so, who lived there?
Who could she ask? Fred. Of course. He had been on this
mountain for years. He would know.

She knew she needed to proceed with caution when she
talked to Fred because he was one skittish little fellow. That was
all right. She was just curious. Now how to get Fred to the
house without alerting him. Of course! Now the only way
anyone could get into her house was if they used the doggie door.
It was in the wall going to the back yard. True her dogs were
small and so was the doggie door, but it could be possible. She
would have Fred build a metal cage that the dogs would exit into
for their “personal needs.” She would have plenty of time to
visit with him while that was being done. She glanced back over
her shoulder as she hurried down the mountain. She could not
shake the feeling that eyes were boring into her back.
When she reached the house she quickly entered and
slammed the door behind her. With shaking hands she found
Fred’s number, but before she dialed she took several deep
breathes and composed herself. The phone rang several times
before she finally gave up. She would try later. He did not seem
to have an answering machine. After several hours, he answered.
She explained her plan to him and he promised to come by the
next morning. She smiled as she hung up the phone. Fred was
so easy.

Installment #11

Installment #11

Fred

Ah, yes, this was going to be a good job. Even after he
paid for the wrought iron and the delivery he was going to pocket
over $3,000. He thought briefly of where to hide it. He had an
empty Hershey’s can on the shelf. That would work perfectly to
hold the bills, but where in the yard. He thought of all the little
cans buried here and there.  The area around the cabin was getting pretty filled up, but
he owned 12 acres so he was not going to run out of room any
time soon. It was just that he had a plan. The money he got from
his trust fund was plenty to live on. And dad had built this little
cabin and then left it to him when he died. No one else to leave
it to since his bitch of a mother had taken off with some salesman
and left him and dad to figure it out. He had been an
impressionable teenager when she did that. Both Fredric Himes,
Jr and his father, Fredric Himes Sr. had mourned the loss of
Marybeth Himes. It was not that it was a shock, quite the
contrary. Fredric Himes worked long hours in the factory and
then at his accounting job on the side and Marybeth was a young
woman and full of life. And she loved to dance and hang out with
party people.

So she was gone one day. Just gone. No note, no tearful
goodbye, just a slamming door while Freddie was in school and
Fredric was at the factory. Fredric donated her belongings to
charity and never spoke her name again. Freddie just envied the
boys who had a mother and wished someone would make him
cookies. No one seemed too surprised that he never dated. Girls
were not to be trusted. He learned to cook and keep house and
what good would a woman be anyway? He hung out in the
saloon and learned the tricks of the trade there.

He was a misfit in school so when he turned 16 years
old, he just quit going. Big waste of time. He mowed yards and
shoveled snow. He painted and fixed roofs and mended fences
and became quite the handyman. Very dependable. Did great
work and charged a reasonable fee. Strange bird, but honest as
the day was long. Then Dad built the house halfway up the
mountain not far from Denver. Built it for a vacation home.
Just somewhere to get away from the rat race that was his life.
But it was more to Freddie. To him it was an oasis away from
the pitying eyes of the people in Denver. The ones who never
had forgotten about how Marybeth had just walked away and
never looked back. Poor Freddie, raised by his Dad. No woman
in his life.

So they lived; the father in Denver and the son on the
mountain until one day the father stepped in front of a train.
Some said it was an accident and some said it was on purpose.
So young, only 47 years old. He had left a will and a very large
Life Insurance. The executor took over and a trust fund was
established for Freddie. The home on Larimer street was sold to
a developer. And then Freddie was dealt the crowning blow.
The house was demolished and the reason Marybeth had for
leaving was revealed. Her bones behind the wall in the root
cellar spoke volumes and her son now saw it clearly. His father
had not let her go quietly. He had not let her go at all. For all
the years Freddie had missed his mother, she was right out there
in the yard. And his benevolent father had put her there.

Yes, the mountain was where he must remain. The
mountain and his solitary life. Oh, and the cans of money. Those
were his monuments. When he buried one, he never dug it up. He
knew it was there. He knew who had given it to him and why.
That was all he needed. He had been doing this for 20 years and
he had no idea how much was there. It did not matter. What did
matter was that when he buried something of value, he
remembered. Not like his father. No, not at all like his father.
Freddie looked at his reflection in the window. He was
not a bad looking man at all. Just over six feet tall and a body
hardened by hard work and primal living. A diet of natural foods
grown in his own yard kept him healthy. Lots of water to drink.
A tender yearling deer on occasion, or a rabbit, or a dove
furnished him with needed protein. His dark brown hair was
shoulder length and his beard was full. His dark brown eyes were
alert, but they covered the confusion in his mind.

No woman was not exactly the truth. There had been that
one in Kansas when he was working construction. That was
back when he thought he was normal, before they found the
bones. He liked to travel the country and just taste life. He had
tasted that woman very deeply. He had wanted to stay, but he
couldn’t. Women were evil. They would tie you down and you
would have to work in a factory and be tired all the time. Then
they would just leave. She had been warm and willing and he
had thought about telling her about his mom and asking if she
was that way, but he knew better. She would just lie. He wished
he could remember her name. He could remember her body and
how she moved beneath him, but he could not remember her
face. When the last day of work came he was relieved. He had
grabbed his gear and headed back to Denver, secure in the
knowledge that she could never find him. He was right.

Then he smiled as he remembered her name. It was
Darling.

Yes, that was it, Darling.

Installment #10

Installment #10

Kevin/Meg

Kevin stopped on the trail and fished the cell phone out
of his pocket. M o m . “Hey mom! What’s up? You never call
this early.”
“Just wanted to tell you that I miss our little morning
runs. I knew you would be out this morning. I guess I am just
a little lonely for you.”
“Well, yeah, but if you moved out here you would not
need to miss me, would you?” He hesitated briefly, then forged
ahead. “Mom, I have met someone. I want you to meet him. If
we can work it out we will fly out the end of the month. He
owns a pub here and will need to get someone to take care of it
while he is gone. And he has a cat. And his own house.” Kevin
suddenly stopped as he realized he was rambling. “Mom? You
there?”
“Yes, dear. Just give me a minute. This is not what I
expected this morning.” She took a deep breathe. “ I am so
happy you have someone. I just need a moment to gather my
thoughts.” Thoughts she must never let him know she had. She
waved the phone in the air as she crumpled a leaf. “Kevin, my
phone is acting up. Let me call you this evening.” As they rang
off, Meg sank into the chair at the kitchen table and broke into
sobs.
She had known for years that Kevin was gay. But he had
no steady friend, so there was hope. Now it all came into a
reality that she was not prepared for. There were so many
ramifications in the words “I have met someone.” I have met a
man and you will never be a grandmother. I have met someone
and I will never be your little boy again. I will turn to him and
turn away from you. You will never hold a grandchild. Never.
Never, ever. She watched the truck bringing another load of the
steel bars and it suddenly dawned on her that while she was
building a wall to keep the world out, she was also building a
wall to keep herself in. Kevin had a right to be happy and if this
man made him happy wasn’t that more important than her selfish
wants? And how selfish that she had not even asked his name.

She dried her eyes and watched the workman carrying the bars
toward the house. She would not share this with Kevin.
Kevin was just getting back to stride when the phone rang
again. Mom. What now? “Hi Mom. Did you forget
something?”
“No, dear. I just want you to know that I am happy you
have someone and I would love to meet him. But does he have a
name and what does he do and all the things I should have asked
before? “
Kevin suddenly laughed out loud. “Oh, Mom! I am so glad you
lost your connection a bit ago, cause it sure sounds like you have
a solid one now! This is the mom I know. I will email you all
about him when I get off tonight. Have a good day and I love
you.”
“And I love you, Kevin.” They both smiled as they broke
the connection. Meg turned back to the window and Kevin
turned back to the trail.

Chapter One...Loose Ends!: Installment #9

Chapter One...Loose Ends!: Installment #9: Installment #9 Him He sat in the tree with his back against the broad trunk. From this vantage point he had an unobstructed view of t...

Installment #9

Installment #9

Him

He sat in the tree with his back against the broad trunk.
From this vantage point he had an unobstructed view of the
small farm below. Of course the telescope was one of the high
dollar ones that could pinpoint and bring in a gnat if he needed it
to. He had not bought it for this particular reason, but rather to
study the heavens, but he liked to use resources he had on hand.
If there was ever a question as to why he had such a high
powered instrument he would just show them the notes in his
“The moon as I see it.” notebook complete with dates and
drawings.

What a beehive of activity it was this morning around the
house. It was very clear that Meg was having the house secured
for some reason or another. He thought back to his last visit and
tried to recall if he had left anything behind. Nothing. He had
seen the screen hanging loose last week and wondered about that.
It seemed that the screen had been loose for several days. It
seemed to go unnoticed until the idiot handyman had called her
attention to it last week. He would have been content to set here
in his little nest up in the tree and watch her farm down below
24/7, but he did have to put in an appearance at the office
occasionally. Jennifer was an excellent secretary and office
manager, but way too nosey for her own good.

He watched as the welders began installing the decorative
iron over the windows. He sure hoped it was to improve the
look of the place and not to keep him out. That was a waste of
time. Nothing would keep him out of her world. He had watched
her and Tom for years and he had loved her then as much as he
loved her now. How convenient for him that Tom had loved
hiking in the back country. How convenient that the avalanche
had swept down the mountain on that particular day burying Tom
under many feet of snow. Convenient? He laughed to himself.

Memories are precious things and the best part of the memories
is that they are all in the mind of the one remembering. He alone
knew how the avalanche started. How patient he had been that
morning shadowing Tom along on his back country trek that day.
He was way up the mountain and Tom down low. And then he
saw what he had been looking for. The snow was piled and
seemed to be trembling and just waiting for the signal. He gave
a shiver of delight as he pulled the starting pistol from his jacket
and at just the right moment, pulled the trigger releasing the loud
bang. Tom’s head jerked upward at the sound, but all he saw was
the wall of snow thundering down the slope directly headed for
him. He did not have time to even move. He disappeared under
a wall of white. He was gone.

The man gave a sigh of relief. Poor Meg. All alone with
that little queer son in Boston. She would need a man to take
care of her. But he would give her time. He had lots of that.
Not like he had friends to occupy his time. The job took very
little time and was quite lucrative. It all depended on the stock
market. Jennifer handled the paper work and all he had to do
was invest money and make money for other people. The more
he made for other people the more he made for himself. It paid
well enough that he had been able to buy this little cabin in the
mountains on 40 acres. Solitude. It was just a short commute
into Denver and far enough away from civilization that he was
not bothered by anyone. And that is how he had found Meg and
Tommy. He had met them on a walk in the woods. They had
nodded to each other. But Meg had looked directly into his eyes
and smiled. Not many women did that. Well, actually, none.
The scars he had brought home from Viet Nam usually stopped
people from coming any closer. He did not need anyone close.
Even his own mother had shuddered when she saw him. Her
mistake.

Installment # 7 & 8

Installment 7

Him

He watched her pull into the garage. He watched as the
lights came on in the house and imagined the dogs running to
meet her. The idiot that was tending the place had locked them in
their crates. He knew that was not right. When the overgrown
boy had left he had gone into the house and let them out. They
had not even barked at him. Was it because they liked him? Or
because he had let them out of their crates? Or because he had
given them a treat from the little jar on the shelf?
He had parked his jeep behind the chicken house. Then
realizing that the light in the chicken house shone on his fender
he had turned it off. The switch was located sensibly right inside
the door with easy access. Then he settled back in the seat to wait
for her to come home. Just to be sure she was safe. He could
have stayed at the airport and followed her, but this way was
better. This way she was coming home to him.
He watched her in the moonlight on the veranda. He
wondered what she was thinking. Panic seized him as he
realized she would know the light was not on in the chicken
house. What if she came to see what the problem was? What if
she found him there? He was not ready for that. When she
turned to go into the house he thought it best to leave. He
quickly turned the light back on and drove out of the drive in the
dark. As he reached the road he saw her returning to the
veranda. That was a very close call. He must be careful from
now on and not take any more chances. He pulled the light
switch on and the light flooded the road ahead of him. He gave
the Jeep more gas and began to hum a tune under his breathe. A
Garth Brooks tune. The one about the lonely woman and the
summer and the hot kid that got lucky with the older chick.
Then he laughed out loud.


Installment 8

Home

Meg grimaced as she settled at the computer. 63
emails. She ran the cursor down the list. Nothing from
redranger. She started with the junk, then the forwards.
Next she looked for the PayPal’s that announced that she had
received a payment. There were six of them and she quickly
printed them.
Then she clicked on the eBay “your item sold emails “
that corresponded with the payments. Those out of the way she
clicked on the other eBay correspondence. Six were questions
which she quickly answered. Two from peepster25 who told her
first how much she liked her new necklace and then the next one
wished her a good vacation. Eight items were ended and needed
to be relisted . At last she stared at a blank screen. She gathered
the items that had sold and loaded the shipping labels in the top
bed of the printer. Before she could call up the shipping list the
mail box clicked. Redranger. She opened the email and began to
smile.
“Meg?”
“Eldon?” And the conversation was on. She told him
how great the short vacation had been and how good Kevin
looked and how they had ran and gone to the Golden Gate
Bridge. It felt good to visit with Eldon. It was such a
comfortable feeling. No pressure. And she could set at her
computer in her ragged tee shirt and her gym shorts and he
would never know. Long distance, Internet romance, what ever
you called it, was exactly what she needed this morning.
He was the first to break off since he had to go to work.
It was after 8:00 AM where he was which was two hours ahead
of her time here in the Mountain Standard Time. So he must be
on Eastern Standard Time. She made a note to call Fred about
the light in the chicken house. Fred was the retired Marine who
helped out with odd jobs around this area. He lived a little ways
up the mountain in a small cabin and worked cheap. Fred was a
sad specimen as were many of the characters who lived on the
mountain. Not bad people, just sort of misfits.
“I will be in early tonight and we can catch up. OK? ;)”
Eldon always signed off with the little smiley face and Meg
always smiled when she saw it.
She tapped back an “OK” and headed for the kitchen.
She needed to make cookies for the luncheon on Tuesday for the
AIDS clients. Once a month she sponsored a social luncheon in
the conference room at the ACS office in town. AIDS Client
Services had been active since 1987 when the epidemic was
reaching new heights and help was not to be found. Currently
the office served 145 people, but only about 20 of them were
active in social events. The climate of the disease had changed a
lot over the years and now it was more a chronic disease as
opposed to a death sentence as it had been back then. It was
much easier in this day and age to get on Disability Income.
Meg was glad that Kevin was working. She could not picture
him sitting and waiting for the next shoe to drop. He had put
himself through college and he would put himself through life.
Meg gave Fred a quick call and made arrangements for
him to come by later in the morning to check out the light in
the chicken house. That being taken care of she headed for the
shower. She loved a nice hot shower especially on a cool
morning like today. Most mornings were cool here in the
foothills as were the evenings. That was one of the great
things about Colorado. Kansas had been hot and humid. True
she had never needed chapstick in Kansas, but then she rarely
used it now. Just some times. The humidity was very low in
this area so the heat and the cold did not affect her like they
had in Selda. She suddenly thought of her sister and instead of
the shower she picked up the phone.
“Eleanor! How are you? I have not talked to you since
forever.”
Her younger sister laughed softly. “Course not. You
just stay holed up out there and don’t talk to anyone. When are
you coming for a visit? You know Betsy is getting married
again, don’t you?”
“Well, how could I? Nobody ever calls. You know you
could come out here and see me. I always go to see you.”
And she suddenly remembered why she never called.
She was the outsider. Mom had always been close to the three
sisters. When Dad had left and moved to New Jersey with his
secretary, Eleanor, Betsy and Merilyn had turned their backs on
him and taken care of Mom. Meg had been in Montana then
and saw no reason to return. Mom was in good hands and
apparently so was Dad. Now Dad was dead and Mom was still
not going to let it go. Nor were the girls.
“OK, Ellie, let’s try to get together for Christmas. I
would love to have you all out here. Want to?” Eleanor
promised to talk to the sisters and Mom and let her know. So
Meg rang off and started the shower with warm water. She
stepped under the spray and turned the cold down a little. As
she relaxed under the hot water she reached for the soap. Her
hand stopped in mid air as she looked at the strange bar of soap
in the tray. Irish Spring? She did not use Irish Spring. She
bought all her soap from a girl on eBay who made it in her
kitchen. It was all coordinated. Tahitian Vanilla Soap, Tahitian
Vanilla Body Butter and Tahitian Vanilla Lotion. She had not
bought any thing else in the last three years. She suddenly felt
very vulnerable and small in her nakedness. She stepped
quickly from the shower and wrapped in her lavender towel.
The towel smelled of Irish Spring and she discarded it in a heap
of the floor.
What was going on here? Who had been in her home?
Was she alone now? The door bell chimed and she jumped.
Grabbing her robe she ran down the hall, pulling it on and
belting it as she moved. She wrenched the door open and
encountered Fred on the porch with his hat in his hands. She
must have been a sight because he stepped back and almost fell
off the porch. Suddenly she felt very foolish.
“Oh , Fred! I am sorry! I forgot you were coming.
Please excuse me. I must look a mess. Come in.” She stepped
back while opening the door wider.
“Oh, no, Miss. I will just go check out the chicken house
if that is all right with you. If you’ve got a problem I will get
right on it.” He hurried down the steps with a confused look on
his face. Meg sagged against the door jamb. What a damn fool
she must look like.
She left the door ajar in case Fred got back before her and
hurried down the hall to dress. She quickly grabbed a pair of
jeans and a flannel shirt, panties and white cotton socks. In less
than 10 minutes she was back at the door fully dressed and
watching Fred ambling across the yard towards the house.
She met him at the door with two cups of coffee.
She handed his to him and motioned to the glider. “Well,
Fred. What did you find?”
“Not a thing, Miss. Light seems to be fine and I
checked all the wires. Must have just been a trick of your
imagination or a gremlin.” He sipped his coffee and looked
toward the chicken house. “I did notice though that when I
walked by the side of the house on the way out there that you
got a loose screen right there on your garage.”
He gestured and Meg’s eyes followed his finger. Loose
screen? The whole bottom half of the screen hung loose. How
had that happened? As she realized how it had happened her
stomach went ice cold with dread. Some one had been in her
home while she was in California! Nothing was missing, she
was sure. She would check, but she knew suddenly that if the
intruder had meant to do harm to anything he would not have
taken a shower and dried on her towel.
In a very controlled voice she turned to Fred. “Yes,
Freddie, I want you to fix that, but let’s do this. Go into town
and get the screen and while you are at it, I want to burglar proof
this place. See Mr. Watts at the Iron and Metal place and have
something nice and sturdy installed. You work with him and I
would like to have it done sooner rather than later.”
Fred smiled. This would be a job worth doing. Put a little
money in his pocket. He liked money. If he didn’t like it, why
did he have it buried all over his property? He pulled his tape
measure off his belt and took a notebook and pencil out of his
shirt pocket.
“Yes, ma’am! I will get right on that!” He whistled as he
walked to the first window.