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.