Installment #33 Fred

Installment #33

Fred

Fred threw the last piece of wood he chopped onto the
pile he had been working on for the past hour. Not much sense in
piling it up like he had done back home. Just going to burn it
anyway. He sat on the stump and reflected back over the
incident with the Jeep with the scary looking guy in it. The guy
had to be watching Meg. But the important part of the whole
thing was how long had the big guy been watching her? And
why? Or was he just setting there? Things began to click inside
his mind. The tunnel. What was that about? Why would anyone
want a tunnel to a tree? Well, when he found the little nesting
part of the tree and the telescope and how this zeroed right in on
the Parker place things began to click. The Jeep on the road was
a big click. Stumbling on him spying on Meg was the clincher.
He had read books. He watched the news. He knew this man
was a stalker! He was a stalker and he was stalking Meg Parker.
But wait! Stalkers usually had a reason. What did this man want
from Meg?

As Fred entered his small cabin and placed his gun and
machete on the shelf his head began to hurt. He was not used to
all this thinking. His life was very simple and required no
planning or decision making and he did not like this at all. He
resented the big scar faced man for doing this to him. Something
was going on and he knew it, but did not know what to do about
it. As he lay on his small cot fully clothed, he tried to sort it out,
but he could not. Finally a blissful oblivion flew him away to his
boyhood home and a mother and father who loved him, but not
each other.

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.

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.