This is my story for The 2021 “Hammered: an Ode to Mickey Spillane” Author Challengestrong>.
I had no illusions of writing a story completely true to Spillane’s style. I wanted to blend some of his tone with my love of romance. For that reason, I did a piece set several decades past a typical Mike Hammer adventure.
I need to especially thank Chloe Tzang for organizing this challenge. It was great fun writing something outside of my comfort zone.
There is no sex involving anyone under 18, and I left gory details up to the reader’s imagination. I hope you enjoy it.
Barry James — August, 2021.
The Kid Nobody Missed –A Zack Masters Story
May, 1973
“Look, y’all! We got us a baby killer on the bus.”
They thought I was asleep, but I overheard the four of them working up the courage to act on their stupidity. It looked like the big, ugly redhead was gonna be the spokesman. He stood next to my seat trying to hover over me with the clear intent to provoke a fight. Funny, that’s just what I wanted. After spending most of the last five years in Vietnam, I was getting really pissed by being pelted with tomatoes and my overall shitty welcome home. It was time to work him up so he’d take the first punch.
“I bet your momma would like it if I killed her big-ass baby. You look like a total embarrassment to your family. Shit, you’re dumb as hell and damn ugly too.”
I wished I had come up with something better, but it was working.
“What, asshole? What did you say?”
I stood, towering over him, and stared down at him. I enjoyed watching the color drain from his face. “I said, you’re dumb, ugly, and your family is ashamed of what a lowlife you are. Why don’t you and the three stooges here just go back to your circle-jerk and leave decent people alone?”
I guess he felt brave with his backup. The idiot took the bait. I blocked his attempt at a punch and let my training take over. I knocked the breath outta him, broke his nose, dislocated a shoulder, and threw him to the ground while I sized up the other three assholes. I was surprised to see that a bunch of other guys were beating the crap outta them.
The bus driver had pulled over once the fight started. He walked towards me and I assumed he was fixing to give me hell.
“I got on the CB and called the cops. They should be here in a few minutes to take care of these guys. Soldier, I apologize for how you were treated.”
“Uh, thank you, sir. It’s not your fault, but I appreciate it.”
“Hey, I’m a vet, too. Fought in the Philippines in World War II. It makes me mad as hell how jerks like these guys treat our homecoming heroes. What’s your name, son?”
“Zack Masters, sir.”
The others on the bus started applauding. I looked at the guys who took down the other three.
“I appreciate your help, fellas.” I looked at each guy individually. As I did, they gave their names.
“Pete Scancella, Korean War.”
“Jim Farley, Vietnam in ’66 and ’67.”
“Elrod Washington, Korea.”
“Jake Donner, Korea.”
“Bill Taylor, just got home from ‘Nam a year ago.”
“Sam Jenkins. I served in Europe during World War II.”
“Geez, guys,” I said. “We could start a VFW right here on the bus.”
The local cops arrived, took our statements, and roughly herded the four morons into squad cars. Before they left, the chief pulled me aside.
“Son, these four are gonna wish they were never born. Here in Thackerville we don’t take kindly to these war protesters. The local judge will put ’em away for a while to give them a chance to reconsider their views. Are y’all willin’ to come back for a trial if we need ya?”
“Sure. I can do that.”
“Probably won’t be necessary. With the witness accounts, the most we may need is a deposition that y’all can do in your hometown. Local DA is great at persuadin’ boys like these to take a deal. So, don’t worry yourself about it, and thanks for being a man and servin’ your country. There’s lots of folks that appreciate it.”
We got back on the bus and one of my helpers, Pete Scancella, approached me.
“Well, that made this trip interesting. Zack, do you mind if I sit with you?”
“Don’t mind at all. You said you served in Korea?”
“Yeah. It was a weird time, but nothing like this Vietnam thing. When we returned home we didn’t have to deal with the shit you boys are getting.”
“I heard about some of it while I was in Saigon, but it’s worse than I expected. I just processed out at Bergstrom Air Force Base down there in Austin. The shitheads threw rotten food at me, I was shouted at, and called some damn ugly names. I guess I shoulda bought some civilian clothes before headin’ home. Wearing this uniform is supposed to be some sign of honor, but instead I’ve become a target.”
“Hell, wear it proudly, Zack. I’m sure when you get home your family will show you the love and respect you deserve.”
“I guess they would, but there’s nobody left. My pop was my last relative and he died while I was overseas. That’s why I’m taking my time traveling home.”
“Where’s home?”
“Allentown, Pennsylvania.”
“Why you takin’ a bus all the way there? You coulda flown and been there in four hours.”
“I was stupid. A guy I met at Bergstrom told me about buses and how they were a great way to see the country. I had no deadline, so I thought I’d give it a try. But I gotta tell ya, at six-foot-five, and 250 pounds, my ass is not lovin’ these bus seats. I bought tickets to go as far as Kansas City, but then I’m flying home from there. Besides, the windows are so damn dirty that I can’t see America anyway. Cramped seats, no view, and this god-awful smell? I’m thinkin’ air is the way to go.”
“Yeah, I hate the bus, too. But I go from Austin to Oklahoma City once a month to see my kid, and it gets too expensive to fly. So, what’s waiting for you in Allentown?”
“My pop was a private investigator. He left me his house and office. I just turned twenty-five, so I can get my PI license and take over like Pop and I planned. Got plenty of training. I started as an MP and eventually was assigned to criminal investigation.”
“CID, huh? I thought of doing that. Did they train you at Fort Wood?”
“Yep. Fifteen weeks.”
We talked for a while before he decided I needed room to stretch out. We promised to keep in touch, but I didn’t expect that would happen.
*****
I stayed in Kansas City a few days to sightsee and sample some of their best steak and barbeque. I called my pop’s best friend, Liam McMurray, who would meet at the airport once I landed in Allentown. He also had keys for my pop’s place and had been keeping the bills paid until I returned. Liam was a detective with the Allentown police, and was my pop’s partner when they both were on the beat.
My flight plan called for a connection in Pittsburgh. I thought of staying in the Steel City for a day to visit an old friend who served with me in the CID, but at that point I was anxious to see home and, especially, a certain girl. It made me wonder why I was willing to take the bus instead of flying. But, shit, I hated flying, and the flights home did nothing to change my opinion. They were bumpy as hell, and both landings were more like barely controlled crashes.
I felt good getting’ off that damn flying hunk of metal. Walking through the terminal it struck me that I was looking mostly at the tops of people’s heads. Shit, the last time I was here was five years and four or five inches ago. Everything would be different. Pop was gone. I was grown. The army was in my past. My stomach churned and I noticed my hand cramping from holding onto my carryon so damn tightly. I had to face a new life, and I hated change more than I hated flying.
In baggage claim, things got better when I saw the man who was my second father. I’ve never been the hugging type with guys, but the bear hug he gave me felt damn good.
“Uncle Liam!”
“Zachariah! Wow, you really turned into a giant-of-a man. When did you get so big?”
“I had a late growth spurt my first year.”
“Damned good to have you home, son. I sure wish your dad was here. He’d be proud as hell.”
My mouth and throat were dry and I could feel my lips quiver. “Yeah, thanks. Hell, I wish I could have seen him one more time. It was bad enough being away, but…shit, it will be weird now at home without him.”
“He was so proud of you. Shame he’s gone. I miss him too, but I know he looked forward to having you as a partner.”
“Man, I could still learn a lot from him. But serving with the CID has given me a ton of experience.”
“Well, I got things set up for you to get your PI license. But we can talk about that later. How about I take you home? You can relax a few hours, then I’ll pick you up for dinner. Sound good?”
“Sounds real good. Is Aunt Nancy cooking?”
“Uh, no. I guess you haven’t heard. Nan and I kinda separated for a while. She took Caitlyn and they’re living in Pittsburgh with Nan’s mom.”
“Damn, Uncle Liam. I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Yeah. It is what it is. Good news, though–I think she’ll be home soon. And, hey, you can drop that ‘Uncle’ shit. Makes me feel old.”
“Well, Liam, I have to be honest. I really wanted to see Caitlyn. Uh, can I ask, is she with anyone?”
He burst into a loud belly laugh. “The two of you were always close. No, she’s not with anybody. Something tells me you have some designs on my little girl.”
“You know I’ve always cared about her. She was so damn young when I left that it wasn’t right to do anything about it. But, I gotta tell ya, Caitlyn was always on my mind. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I wanted to see if, ya know, if we could be…”
“Zachariah, I’d be the one lying if I didn’t say I hope you two eventually hitch up. She was a mess when you left for the Army, and we tried to explain things to her. But I’m pretty sure you’ve had her heart since she was a little girl. I hope she moves back soon.”
“”Yeah, me too. Hey, do me a favor.”
“Sure. What?”
“If I gotta drop the ‘uncle,’ can you call me Zack? When Pop called me Zachariah, it meant I was in trouble.”
*****
Over dinner, Liam gave me an update on how things had been in Allentown. Basically, things weren’t much different. Cheating investigations were way up with soldier’s wives being lonely and seeking local loving. Liam thought my military background would make my services attractive to vets and guys still overseas. Plus, if I could make a few bucks while puttin’ the screws to scum who preyed on women whose husbands were overseas, not to mention the women who were only too happy to be seduced, I was fine with that.
Liam dropped me at home and the house felt kinda eerie. I wandered through the office thinking about Pop. The smell of his pipe tobacco lingered making it feel like he was still there. Mementos sitting around never meant much to me before, but now they seemed like treasures ’cause they were Pop’s.
The old place was a twin in the same area as many local law firms. Every firm knew my old man, and his office was always nearby when one of their clients needed his services. Pop knew what he was doing when it came to this business.
Above the first floor offices were two floors of living quarters. I went upstairs, flopped into bed, and began to dwell on plans for the future. This was the same exercise I had done every night for years, but now I was ready to get things rolling. While my PI license was being processed, I decided that I’d spend the next week or so looking up old friends and seeing how many were still around. Most important, somehow I needed to talk with Caitlyn. Damn! Why was she in Pittsburgh?
It took a while, but I finally drifted off to sleep.
*****
In the morning, I grabbed breakfast at a local greasy spoon, choosing a booth that gave me a view of both the front and back door. My waitress, with more curves than Tom Seaver, kept my cup filled with coffee. I spent the day organizing the house and office. Uncle Liam had a service keep things clean, so I didn’t have much to do except put things where I wanted them.
The next day, I visited the local Ford dealer to get a used truck and found an old friend who was now working for the dealership.
“Craig? Craig Schwartz?”
“Geez, is that really you, Zack?”
“Yep. Just got home.”
“Damn, when did you get so big?”
“The Army kinda makes you grow up, know what I mean?”
“I heard you served. Got drafted, huh?”
“No. I signed up. My draft number was low so I knew I wasn’t gonna escape. Besides, I wanted to serve in military investigations, and signing up gave me a better shot. What about you?”
“I got called up, but I’m 4-F. I’m deaf in my left ear. Shame, really. I wanted to serve.”
“So, got a good used truck you can sell me?”
“Just so happens I have a ’70 F-100. Only 12,000 miles, and in great shape.”
Most salesmen were as slick as an otter in Vaseline, but I trusted Craig. “That sounds expensive. I was thinking older and cheaper.”
“It’s right over there. Take a look at it while I talk to my manager. He’s got a soft spot for vets. And the fact that you’re my friend may get you a price you can swing.”
Dark blue, clean, and sexy as hell, it was exactly what I wanted. Craig got me a great deal and I paid cash on the spot.
“Zack, you’re gonna love this baby. Good luck with it.”
“Thanks, man. It’s a hell-of-a nice pickup.”
“Hey, tonight I’m getting together with some friends at Gracie’s Bar. Some are old classmates of ours. Why don’t you join us?”
“I like the sound of that. What time?”
“We all usually get there by about six. Gracie’s still serves a mean burger, then we’ll shoot some pool and shoot some shit as well.”
*****
I spent the rest of the afternoon getting to know my new girl, Vickie. It took a few minutes to come up with a name for her, but Vickie seemed to fit. She and I would be spending plenty of time together on stake-outs and crusin’ around town.
I showed up at Gracie’s and spotted Craig right away along with a few other guys I knew. Unfortunately, one of them was Bob Smith, a real prick. He used to go out of his way to make my life miserable. He grew at an earlier age than the rest of us, so in eighth grade he decided being a bully was fun. When he hit about five-ten, he stopped growing and we all passed him. It looked like the schmuck was still about the same size.
He was wearing an out-of-date Nehru jacket and pastel paisley bell bottoms that seemed to light up under the black lights in the bar. One large paisley was strategically located where his dong would be. This guy had more issues than a Nixon voter at a love-in.
“Hey, Zack,” Craig shouted. “You remember Tom, Alan, and Bob?”
“Sure do.”
Bob hung back with some other guys I didn’t know while the others said hi. He said something to his friends, nearly missed the bar trying to put down his brew, and staggered over acting like he owned the place.
“Hey, w-w-war-monger. Home from r-rapin’ and killin’?”
“You know, Bob, nothing would make me happier than to beat the crap outta you. You’ve been a piece of shit as long as I’ve known you. If you had an ounce of brains, you’d get your buddies to carry you outta here right now.”
“Why? W-whattaya gonna do?”
He put his hand on my chest and pushed. I was gettin’ sick of this crap, and nothing would have made me happier than paying him back for all the shit I had to put up with from this turd. I didn’t think the folks around us would appreciate that. Instead, I wanted to embarrass him. I grabbed his trapezius muscle right where his neck and shoulder met, and pinched the hell out of it. He went to his knees in agony, but the pain would stop as soon as I let go.
“Tell you what, Bobby. Why don’t you leave before I make an example of what happens to stupid assholes like you?”
Craig and the others apologized as they dragged Bob and his crew out the door. The extra shove at the end left no doubt about who my friends were. Folks were clapping in appreciation for ridding the room of the stench of Bob Smith.
“Sorry, Zack. None of us like Bob much anyway. I think it’s time he finds someone else to hang out with and annoy.”
“No problem. Thanks for the backup.”
I looked around and noticed that the room had quite a mix of people. There were lots of working class guys getting a buzz after a long day. Craig and a few of the guys were examples of a younger set of up-and-comers wearing suits and ties. Then there was the group of hippies. Somehow, I never expected they were into the bar scene.
“Craig, what’s with the hippies over there?”
“Oh, they come here most nights for a cheap meal–at least the ones who aren’t vegetarians. Don’t you recognize any of them?”
Just as he asked, a skinny blonde walked towards us. Her long hair hung down over a white top that matched a very loose skirt. Both were sheer and you could see that she had nothing on underneath. I looked at the flowers in her hair, then at her face, and I instantly recognized her.
“Damn, Craig. Is that Sheila Peters?”
“Yep. She’s gone wild and stupid. Can you believe it?”
Sheila was in my class and I had a big crush on her. She was always flighty, so I guessed her becoming a flower child shouldn’t have been a surprise.
“Zack? Is that you?”
“Yeah. Hi, Sheila.”
“Far out! You remember me. Oh, call me Moonbeam. Nobody calls me that other name anymore.”
“Moonbeam?”
“Oh, yeah. The first time I made love was under moonlight, so it always reminds me of that night.”
“Wow. I guess that’s something special.”
“Oh, yeah. So you’re back from that stupid war?”
“Sheila, I mean, Moonbeam, you’re not gonna give me shit about that too, are you?” Her dreamy, fake little voice was starting to annoy the hell outta me.
“What? Oh, no. You do what you have to, I guess. I mean, I do believe in making love, not war, but I guess not everyone can choose. You don’t like war, do you?”
“Nobody likes war except those in power who make them happen.”
“See, you love peace like I do.”
“I guess you can say that. So, other than making love, what do you do these days?”
“Not much else. We party and smoke weed. I live with my friends in a house nearby, and we just are, you know?”
“Yeah, I guess I know.” What I knew was they were all delusional thinking they could escape real life.
“You want to join us, Zack? It could be fun, and, if you like, we could make love later. I always wanted to be with you.”
Damn, I couldn’t get to first base with girls in high school. Being freely offered a home run caught me off guard.
“No, but, uh, thanks for the offer.”
“Oh, bummer. It would be groovy.”
“Sorry, Moonbeam.”
“Okay, I guess. So what are you gonna do now that you’re back from the war?”
“I’m gonna do what my pop did.”
“He was fuzz, wasn’t he?”
“I don’t like that word. He was a private detective.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t want to offend anyone or anything. I just think we should all live in peace, you know?”
“Nice sentiment, but it only takes one person wanting to make trouble to kill the peace.”
“Well, okay. I gotta go. Bye, Zack.”
She kissed me and gave me a flower out of her hair. As she walked away, I turned to Craig. “Geez, she’s turned into a real flake.”
I spent a few hours with the guys, then left to head home after agreeing to meet at Gracie’s the next evening. Craig was right. It was good and cheap, and I had no desire to eat my own cooking if I could avoid it.
*****
The following day, I ran a bunch of errands before going to Gracie’s for dinner. The other guys weren’t there yet, but I noticed the hippie group was already chowing down. Just as I sat, Sheila, I mean, Moonbeam came to my table.
“Hi, Zack. Can I talk to you?”
“Sure, as long as you’re not gonna try to get me to join your hippie friends.”
“No. I mean, it’s a bummer that you don’t want to, but I can dig it. I need something different.”
“Okay. What’s up?”
“It’s about my little brother, Mike. You remember him?”
“Yeah. He was always a kind of trouble maker, wasn’t he?”
“Yeah, and he never changed much.”
“So, what about him?”
“Well, he’s missing.”
“Missing? Since when?”
“Since last September.”
“Damn, Sheila, that’s eight months ago! Do the cops know?” Saying Moonbeam was like chewin’ on a dirty rag, so I was glad she didn’t correct me.
“Yeah. They thought he just took off, but I don’t think so. He lived with us at the commune after our parents kicked us both out of the house. He just needed a place to crash, you know?”
“Yeah. I get it. Why do you believe he didn’t just take off?”
“Well, he was out with his gang of friends. The four of them were drinking and stuff, and they said Mikey was fine and just went outside to pee and smoke a joint. He never came back.”
“So, what do you need me to do?”
“I hope you can find him, or find out what happened.”
“Sheila, you know that could take a lot of time and it happened so long ago that I may not find anything. An investigation like that isn’t cheap.”
Tears started to roll down her cheeks. Damn, I was always a sucker for crying girls.
“Oh, I hadn’t…”
“You don’t have any money, do you?”
“No. I barely have enough so I can eat.”
“Bummer.” I guess free love didn’t do much to pay the bills. I wondered how they managed to eat at Gracie’s every night.
“Zack, is there anything you can do?”
“I don’t know. Let me think about it and check out a few things. You’re here every night, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll find you here and we can talk then, okay?”
“Okay. You’re really sweet, Zack. I really would like to get with you sometime.”
She walked back to her friends just as Craig came in. I wasn’t very good company that evening while I mulled over Sheila’s problem. The problem was, I already knew I was gonna help her. The practice would do me good for when my license was approved, and if it worked out I could use a successful job as a reference.
*****
I didn’t get much sleep that night while thinking about Sheila’s brother. By 6:00 AM, I staggered out of bed, did my morning rituals, made some coffee, and started to list tasks to keep me on track. I lined up the first group I needed to see starting with Uncle Liam, who invited me to police headquarters that morning. As I walked in, the smell of burnt coffee and sweaty uniforms hit me like a two-by-four. In a not-so-pleasant way, it reminded me of my office in ‘Nam.
“Zack! Come on in.”
“Morning, Liam.”
“Let me introduce you to some of my buddies.”
After shaking a lot of hands and faking as many smiles as I could, I finally got to sit with the man who was my second father.
“Zack, I hear the license will be ready pretty quickly. Could be as early as next Monday.”
“That would be great, since I already have a case to start working on.”
“Really! You don’t waste any time. Anything I can help you with?”
“Yeah, that’s why I’m here. Do you know anything about a kid named Mike Peters?”
He scratched his head and frowned. “He’s that kid that skipped town last summer. We looked into it and found some ties to drugs and organized crime. Looks to us like he either took off or did something that got him killed by the mob. Either way, we’ll never find him. It’s pretty much a dead end. Who’s got you looking into it?”
“His sister, Sheila. Sorry, she now goes by Moonbeam.”
Liam let go with a belly laugh. “Oh, yeah. I remember her–a real airhead hippie. I guess she doesn’t buy our take on his disappearance?”
“Well, she doesn’t think he just took off. Did you share the possibility of drug dealers taking him out?”
“No. Didn’t think that would do her any good.”
“That explains the question still being open in her mind. Can you share any of the file with me?”
“Not supposed to. I’ll see what I can do. I gotta say, Zack, that I think you’d be wasting time. We thoroughly investigated and there wasn’t much to go on. After all this time it’s almost impossible to solve a case like that.”
“I hear ya, but until my license comes through I figured I’d get something started and help a friend.”
“I guess that’s not a terrible idea, but in private investigation you gotta make sure you’re spending your time on hours you can bill. Taking a case like this has little chance of success, and it’s not a responsible use of your time.”
“You’re probably right. I may poke around a bit so I don’t just blow Sheila off.”
“Hey, it’s nice of you to try, but if you want to get your business up and running I may have some leads on paying gigs.”
*****
It was great of Liam to pass on information for some cases that would pay. I know he was against wasting time looking for Mike, but I didn’t want to let Sheila down. Until I had my license I couldn’t actively solicit investigative services. Not having much else to do, I didn’t see what it could hurt to help Sheila.
I’d get names of Mike’s friends when I saw her next. Until then, I decided to visit the only other person that I knew would be on Sheila’s list. I hadn’t seen her for about six years, and I hoped she’d remember me. I knocked, and the woman who answered looked thirty years older than I expected.
“Can I help you, young man?”
“Mrs. Peters, it’s me, Zack Masters. Do you remember me?”
“Zack! Of course. My word, you’ve really grown. How are you?”
“I’m doing well. I just got back from serving in Vietnam and I’m getting acclimated to being home.
She invited me in and poured me a coffee. She ruined it by adding cinnamon, but I drank it with a smile. After some small talk, she gave me the opening I needed.
“So, what brings you by, Zack? You know, Sheila doesn’t live here anymore.”
I saw a tear roll down her cheek. I started to get the sense that the subject was very painful. I gazed around the room while we chatted and couldn’t help but notice dust and grime everywhere. This wasn’t like the Peters household I remembered. The dead giveaway was the liquor on the kitchen counter and a glass of what looked like bourbon sitting on the table that she tried to move out of sight. Without a doubt, Mrs. Peters was a damn unhappy woman.
“Mrs. Peters, you look like you didn’t want her to leave. Can I ask, why did she go?”
“I’m not sure, I…”
“This looks like a tough subject for you, ma’am. But I’m a good listener and it may help to share.”
She got up and started to pace until she stumbled a bit. It wasn’t hard to see that the bottle had become her best friend. She returned unsteadily to her chair and tears filled her eyes as she started to talk.
“That bastard husband of mine kicked her out. My little girl–tossed to the street like a tramp. He caught her in the shed having…well, with a boy. He wouldn’t listen to reason. But Sheila had already started to hang out with those damn hippies. She wouldn’t answer if I called her Sheila. I had to call her Moonbeam. She turned into somebody else.”
“When did Mike leave?”
“You heard about that?”
“Yeah.”
“It was only a few weeks after Sheila left. Mike got caught shoplifting and my husband kicked him out, too. Oh damn, Zack. My home is empty. All my dreams and hopes…”
My voice soft, I continued. “Have you seen Mike since then?”
“No. He disappeared last summer. Cops think he just left town.”
“That’s what Sheila said. She’s asked me to try and find him.”
“Where did I mess up with my children, Zack?”
She was out of control and crying loudly. It broke my heart and I wasn’t sure what to do, so I hugged her. After she calmed down, I got up to leave.
“Mrs. Peters, I feel bad bringing up all the pain you’ve gone through. I really hope things get better.”
“Thanks, Zack. You were always a good boy. When you two were in school, I secretly hoped Sheila and you would get together because I knew she’d be in good hands. If you see her, please tell her I love her and would love to visit. Oh, and give her this.”
She reached into the drawer behind her, took out a wad of money, and handed me what looked like a couple of hundred dollars.
“I used to slip money to Mikey for them both, but I bet she never saw any of it.”
I hadn’t seen this woman in years and we weren’t close back in the day, yet here she was, trusting me with all this cash for a child she desperately missed. With my parents gone, I hoped Sheila understood that she still had a mother who loved her.
Before I left, I promised her I’d take care of it and that I’d let her know if I found out anything about Mike. I didn’t think I’d get any helpful information from him, so I didn’t bother talking to the old man.
One thing I knew I had to do. Moonbeam, the love-everybody flower child, needed to show some of that love to her mother. I was going to make damned sure she did.
*****
I found a table at Gracie’s and nursed a beer while I waited for Sheila. My mind was dwelling on my visit with her mom when I saw her come in alone. With the sun behind her as she came in the door, she may as well have been naked. Smiling at memories of my youth, I recalled the nights I’d spent flat on my bed thinking of Sheila. I would never have imagined turning down her offer of her body. We were different people then. We’ve both changed dramatically.
She saw me, but then her expression changed to something spaced out when she recognized that “Groovin” by the Young Rascals was playing on the jukebox. She raised her arms and danced like she was floating in the air as she moved towards me. She grabbed my hands and pulled me outta my seat. Damn, she still stirred that horny fifteen-year-old in me.
“Zack, I love this song. Dance with me.”
“I’m not a dancer, Sheila, no.”
She pretended to pout and continued to pull my hands. “Please, Zack. I won’t be mad if you don’t call me Moonbeam if you’ll just dance with me.”
Against my better judgement, I stood and let her pull herself to me while I avoided moving as much as I could. She embraced me and ground her hips into me. Before I knew what was happening, she kissed me on the lips. She tried to force her tongue into my mouth, but I picked her up and placed her next to her chair, broke free, and managed to sit before I embarrassed myself. I was getting sweaty and Mr. Happy was coming to attention. It had been a while since I’d been with a woman and stepping away was hard as hell.
“Zack, loosen up and have some fun. I really would like to get with you.”
“Moonbeam, you know what you look like and I’m sure you know the effect you had on every guy in high school, but I’m not built that way, If that free love stuff works for you, great, but random sex doesn’t do it for me.”
“Not random sex and not just anybody. I make love and only with people I connect with. You and I always connected, Zack.”
Taking a deep breath, I pushed my more carnal thoughts aside. “Sheila, we need to talk about Mike.”
She giggled and rapidly clapped her hands in front of her face. “You’re going to find him? Oh, Zack, you’re the best.”
“Yeah, I’m gonna try.”
Her joy quickly changed to a frown. “Oh, how much will it cost?”
“Don’t worry. It won’t cost anything. I’ll do it for the experience.”
“You are really sweet. You know how I want to thank you, but you won’t let me. What can I do?”
I asked her for names of Mike’s friends and girlfriends, and if she knew how to find them. For someone living with her head in the clouds, she had plenty of solid details to offer. I bought her dinner, but before I left, we had other business to take care of.
“Sheila, you really seem to care about Mike.”
“Well, he is my brother, so I do sorta love him. But he was hard to like.”
“What do you mean?”
“He was always stealing and taking advantage of people. And he was a real bully. But he’s my brother, ya know?”
“Did he steal and take advantage of you?”
“Yeah, but what could I do?”
“I talked to your mom today.”
She looked like I just pissed in her stash of pot. For the first time since I met “Moonbeam,” I saw anger in her eyes.
“What? Why did you do that?” The fake, airy voice was gone.
“It’s an investigation. I need to talk to everyone in Mike’s life.”
“My parents weren’t in his or my life. Those bastards kicked us out.”
“Moonbeam, you’re a smart woman, and you need to look at things from every perspective for a minute. Your dad caught you doing the very thing every father dreads. He saw his little angel become someone entirely different in the span of a few moments. Look at it from his point of view.”
“He slapped me and called me awful names. No loving father does that.”
“Look, he handled things badly. There’s no instruction book for a dad to handle some things with his little girl.”
“Mom took his side.”
“Your mother loves you, and was afraid to go against your dad. Let me ask you something. Did Mike share the money with you that your mother was slipping him?”
“She was? No, I didn’t know she was doing that.”
“So Mike was stealing it from you, and letting you believe she didn’t care. She gave him money every week when he came to the house on Mondays.”
“That little…! He told me he never saw them!”
“Sheila, she’s a broken woman. She feels she’s lost both her children and has failed miserably as a mother. You and Mike were her reason to live. She’s been drinking heavily and she looks really bad. You talk about love and peace. Well, go make peace with her and let her know you still love her before it’s too late.”
“Too late?”
“Damn, girl. She’s destroying herself. Go see her. Oh, and she gave me this to give you.”
Eyes wide, voice soft, Sheila stared at the table as she spoke. “I thought she hated me.”
“Geez, Sheila, she loves you, and you only need to be who you are. If you want, I’ll go with you at first, then I’ll leave you two alone.”
“Are you sure she wants to see me?”
“Positive.”
“Then, yeah, I’d like you to go along.”
The next morning, I picked Sheila up in front of the house she shared with a bunch of weirdos. At one time I’m sure it was a cute little 1950’s ranch for a nice family, but it was clear that flower children were not good homeowners. What paint remained was peeling off. Wood trim was rotting or hanging loose. They had a patch on the side lawn that looked like a vegetable garden, and the overgrown front lawn was littered with wild flowers. Guess I knew where the flowers in Sheila’s hair came from.
During the ride, Sheila was as nervous as an eight-year-old dog that just crapped on the carpet. It was 80 degrees out, but she was shaking as if it were 20. The smiling, fake euphoric mask was replaced with a frown and worry lines.
We pulled up to her mom’s house. Sheila opened the door of the pickup, and her mother came running from the front door crying and holding out her arms. I couldn’t help but think of Paul Simon’s song, “Mother and Child Reunion.” Like the song said, it was only a motion away. I admit, it brought a tear to my eye. I told her I’d be back in the afternoon before her dad got home, and left to go talk to some of Mike’s friends.
*****
Sheila said that Mike’s best friend was Artie Green. Artie was with Mike the night he disappeared, so I needed to pry some details outta him. He pumped gas at the same station where Mike worked, so I figured I could catch him between customers. Covered with grease and smelling like gas and body odor, he wasn’t hard to find.
“Hi. Are you Artie?”
“Yeah. What’s it to you?”
“I’m a friend of Sheila’s and she thought I could talk to you about her brother.”
“Sheila, huh. Nice piece of ass, but Mike got really pissed when I nailed her. Haven’t seen either one of them.”
“Sheila talked me into trying to find out what happened to Mike. You willing to talk about it?”
“You a cop or somethin’?”
“Nope.”
“Not sure what I can tell ya. I pretty much told that cop everything.”
“What cop?”
“I forget his name. Somethin’ Scottish or Irish. McDonald or somethin’ like that.”
“McMurray?”
“Yeah. That’s it. Told him everything. Kind of a waste, though.”
“What do you mean?”
“It was like he had his mind made up, and was just goin’ through the motions, know what I mean?”
He told me the same story I had heard about Mike leaving to smoke and take a leak. I needed more.
“So, he smoked some weed. Did he do anything else?”
“No, not really.”
“Did he sell, or just use?”
“Sure you’re not a cop?”
“Positive. I just heard that he may have been in with dealers, and wondered if they made him disappear.”
“Well, he was the one who bought for us all ’cause he knew a guy. I don’t think he dealt to anyone else, but who knows.”
“Okay. So other than maybe drug dealers, is there anyone else that may have wanted to get rid of Mike?”
“Look, I was his best friend, but he was an asshole. If I had to guess, I’d say Mike may have screwed the wrong girl.”
“What do you mean?”
“Mikey was really into this power over women thing. He’d grab a drunk bitch at the bar and take her outside behind the bar and do her. Most were so wasted that they didn’t even remember. Once in a while, he’d get into it with the girl’s boyfriend or somethin’, and we’d have to back him up. I guess it’s possible he nailed the wrong bitch and it cost him. Don’t know for sure.”
I thanked him and went to visit a few others from the list of friends. They said pretty much the same thing with nothing new to add. It was time to retrieve Sheila, and the next day I planned to talk to some of Mike’s girlfriends.
I arrived at Sheila’s mom’s house around three in the afternoon, walked up to the front door, and Sheila burst into my arms. She was followed closely by her mother. Sheila had a smile that was not the fake one she usually wore, and her mom looked ten years younger than she had the day before.
“Zack, thank you, thank you, thank you! Today was really righteous.”
“It looks like you two have sorted stuff out.”
Sheila’s mom’s face beamed like she’d won a million dollars. “Zack, you’re wonderful. I told Moonbeam that she should tie you up.”
“Mom, I tried, but he’s tough to win over. And, please call me Sheila. You calling me Moonbeam doesn’t sound right.”
I finally got Sheila into Vickie and told her we were going to dinner somewhere different.
“Zack, why do you call your truck Vickie?”
“Guys always name their cars or trucks. You can tell how a guy will treat you by the way he treats his favorite ride. That’s why they always have girl names.”
“I like Vickie. Where we gonna to eat?”
“A little Italian place near my house.”
Sheila continued to tell me about her time with her mom, and I could see that everything was back on track in that department. I figured I’d stay out of the way with her dad unless it became necessary to get involved.
The smell of garlic and Italian cooking always gets my appetite in high gear. The restaurant lighting was dim and there was a large dinner crowd, but we managed to find a private table in the back. I updated her on the visits with Mike’s friends. After learning what he was like, I had to ask her a question.
“Did you know about how he treated women?”
“A little. Some of his girlfriends told me he could be rough and demanding.”
“Did he ever mistreat you?”
“He hit me a few times, but nothing bad.”
I found my hands curling into fists and had to force myself to relax. If it wasn’t for Sheila, I would be looking for a woman-hitting piece of shit for an entirely different reason.
“Nothing Bad? Damn, Sheila, don’t you ever put up with that kinda shit! You tell me, and I’ll take care of it.”
“You really are a sweet guy. I wish…well, never mind.”
“Wish what?”
“You know. You, and I–.”
“Hey, we’re friends. If I’m not around, get someone to help. But if I’m around, I’d love to teach a woman-beating asshole a lesson no matter who he is, got it?”
“Okay. So, anyway, what does that have to do with Mike vanishing?”
“If Mike didn’t just take off, then he could have run into trouble with either drug dealers, or some girl’s family or friends. This could get complicated.”
Even though Artie didn’t think it wasn’t drug related, I decided to keep that possibility open in Sheila’s mind.
She was quiet for a little while, and I could see her mind working on something. I figured she’d eventually share it. Besides, I was enjoying the quiet. After a while, she looked up at me and I knew it was time for whatever her brain was working on.
“Zack, I had a really good talk with mom. I’ve been thinking about this a lot on my own, and she kind of helped me come to a decision.”
“This sounds big. Decision about what?”
“My life. I’ve been with my little commune now for almost four years, and now I feel like that time was completely wasted. I mean, yeah, I like sex and all the things we talk about, but it’s really feeling empty, you know? I guess what I’m saying is, I think it’s a bunch of crap that I bought into, and it’s time to grow up.”
“Really? I can’t say I’m sorry to hear that. Back in the day you were someone I thought would take on the world and do great things. Seeing you in that hippie crowd shocked the hell outta me. What made you get involved with them?”
“Mom would say I was rebelling, and I think she’s partially right. But, I’d say it was the sex. I’ve always liked sex, I mean, I like it a lot. The free and flower child lifestyle took away the guilt I always felt. Then, when dad saw me, it just sealed it in my mind that I was going to enjoy every guy and a few girls in any way I wanted. So, the group freed me to run wild with no guilt.”
“And now?”
“Oh, I’ll still want to make love as much as possible, but I want to be with just one guy who really loves me. But I have to find a way to break free from where I am, find a place to live, find a new purpose and start living my life as I should. I guess it’s time to grow up.”
“No more Moonbeam?”
“It’s a stupid name, Zack.”
I smiled when she said that. “Sheila, I think you’re still a world-beater.”
Unlike Moonbeam who couldn’t be embarrassed, Sheila blushed and shyly folded her arms as she lowered her gaze towards the table. “I really wish you and I could make love, but I can see in your eyes that you don’t think of me that way, do you?”
“Sheila, I’m sorry, but I have my heart set on someone else. I’m glad we’re friends. Beyond that, let’s see what happens.”
“That’s fair. I guess I need to start working on a plan.”
Something popped into my brain and I needed to consider if it was a smart move or not. I found myself in a moment of weakness, and decided to throw it on the table.
“Sheila, I have an idea that may work for us both. I have a big, empty house, and a new business starting in a week. If you would be willing to work for me as a secretary, you could stay at my house rent-free. At first, I wouldn’t be able to pay you, but I’d give you a room and I’d buy all the food and things we need. You wouldn’t have any expenses.”
“Would that work? I mean, you still wouldn’t expect sex or anything? I mean, if you did, I would, but, well, you know.”
“Come on! Knock that off.”
Her blush was redder than the tablecloth. “Sorry. I’ll behave.”
“I don’t want to complicate anything. If it works out, it could be good for us both. As soon as the business is going I would start to pay you as well. You could also help with some investigations when needed. You can use the time with me to decide what you want to do, and it would give you the freedom to go for it at whatever pace you’d like. Or, you may like this investigation stuff, who knows? What do you think?”
“Can I see your place?”
We did the grand tour. She saw her room that was actually my room when I was growing up. We finished in the office and I showed her the secretary’s desk, and she turned and looked at me.
“Is this for real, Zack? Can I really do this?”
“You bet.”
“When can I move in?”
“Now, if you want.”
“I don’t have much stuff. Can we go get it and I’ll move in tonight?”
*****
Sheila and I drove to her commune home. We walked in and I nearly passed out from the smell of pot, body odor, the lingering stench of incense, and what I think was rotting potatoes. Sheila got into an animated, whispered conversation with some tall guy with long, greasy black hair. His madras shirt, drenched with sweat, was long enough to pass as a dress. Good thing, since he didn’t have anything else on and I wasn’t in the mood to see some hippie’s pecker.
Sheila went to the back to pack, and grease-ball thought we should talk.
“Hey, man! You can’t just come in and take Moonbeam. She’s, uh, with me and River.”
“River, huh? Like the Lehigh? Can someone belong to a river?”
“No, man. River. He’s a friend.”
“Oh, and who are you?”
“Eagle.”
He didn’t like that I laughed at his name. “Okay, uh, Eagle.” I chuckled some more for effect. “Since you hippies all believe in love, peace, and freedom, I think Sheila can go wherever the hell she wants.”
I stood tall and got into his face. Damn, his breath smelled like shit. “You believe in peace, Beagle?”
He stumbled backwards and fell into a pile of crap covering an old stuffed chair. “Hey, mellow out, man. It’s all cool.”
I backed away and he scurried off. You would think these enlightened butt-heads would know how to bathe.
Sheila didn’t have much stuff. We took my duffle bag and it still felt empty after we loaded her few outfits, a favorite pillow and blanket, and a toothbrush. She argued with me when I told her I’d take her to Hess’ department store the next day and get her some clothes suitable for the job, but she gave in when I pointed out that this was part of how she was being paid.
The next day we went back to her mom’s house, told her of our arrangement, and retrieved a few more personal items. Her mom was sure that we had a budding romance, but I set her straight.
Hess’ department store wasn’t far from my house and Sheila decided she could walk there while I paid a visit to several of Mike’s girlfriends.
The first, Shannon Gaines, worked as a waitress in a diner not too far away. Hoping to catch her at a slow time, I went for breakfast at 10:00 AM. I got lucky.
I sat and was greeted by a fairly attractive young waitress that looked like she had been suckin’ on lemons all morning.
“What can I get you?”
“Coffee, two eggs scrambled with wheat toast. Can I ask, are you Shannon Gaines?”
She looked at me like I just shot her dog. “Who the hell are you?”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you or anything. I’m a friend of Sheila Peters, and she mentioned you dated her brother.”
“What’s it to you?”
“I’m just trying to track him down, and I hoped to ask you a few questions, that’s all.”
“Yeah, he disappeared and good riddance. That guy is a pig and I hope he’s rotting away somewhere.”
“I get it. I really do. I’ve heard enough about him to understand why you’d feel that way. Please, just a minute or two?”
“Pound sand. I’m busy.”
“Sorry, okay. Look, will five bucks buy two minutes?
If her expression could get any worse, now she had a real “Ah, shit” face. “Damn. All right. Let me put your order in, refill a few cups, and I’ll give you two.”
Little Miss Sunshine grumbled with every step while she carelessly poured coffee into several customers’ cups, not caring if some splashed on the table or elsewhere. I never understood how people that live on tips can afford to be nasty. I wanted to get this over with.
“All right. You got two minutes.”
“So, you dated Mike.”
“Wouldn’t call it dated. When he wanted to screw, he came to my place and barged in. Happened maybe a dozen times before I had a friend persuade him never to come to my place again.”
“Persuade?”
“Beat the hell outta him. I loved watching.”
That was the first and only smile I saw from Shannon.
“What was he like with you?”
“He liked to be rough. Real rough. And he got off on calling me names pointing out anything about me he thought was less than perfect.”
“Less than perfect? I’m not hitting on you, but, you’re gorgeous. What could he find flaw with?”
“Anything he wanted to just to make me feel small and for him to feel big. I got sick of it. The last time, he went too far and I bit his…well, I bit him. Bit him pretty hard, too. He slapped me, and stormed out. That’s when I got Tony to help put him in his place. Never heard from him after that. Is that enough? I got customers.”
“Yeah, that’s fine. Thanks, Shannon. I’ll be sure to leave a big tip.”
“You do that.”
My meager and overcooked breakfast tab was $1.65 plus tax. I left another five and headed for my next destination.
Linda Baines was Mike’s girlfriend for about six months and, according to Sheila, they were still dating when Mike disappeared. Sheila said she was a sweet, innocent-looking girl and wondered what she saw in Mike. I was anxious to hear her story. I wondered if a friend or family member may have taken care of Mike to protect her if she was really as sweet as Sheila said.
Linda worked as a stock girl at Woolworth’s five and dime near downtown. I found her in the toy aisle stocking beach balls. She was a mousey little thing, about five foot tall, and I doubted she weighed more than a hundred pounds. If Mike played her rough, I would think she’d have broken in half.
“Excuse me, are you Linda Baines?”
“Hi. Yes, I am. Who are you?”
Her voice sounded like she was talking to a baby, sort of high and airy. She seemed nothing like the type Mike would go for.
“I’m a friend of Sheila Peters, and I promised to help her try to find Mike. I understand you two dated and I wondered if I could ask a few questions.”
“Sure. It’s about time for my lunch break. Wanna join me for a hot dog at the lunch counter?”
“That would be great, if you’ll let me buy?”
“You don’t have to, but, okay. Let me tell my manager I’m taking lunch.”
She walked with quick, baby-steps towards the back of the store and returned with a smile. “Okay, come with me.”
Linda grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the lunch counter like a mother guiding her reluctant child. She led me to a stool at the end of the counter.
“We should be able to talk here. So, what do you want to know? Do you know where Mike is?”
“That’s what I’m trying to find out. I understand you are his girlfriend?”
“Yes, at least I was. I wish I knew why he left.”
“Can you tell me what he was like?”
“Most people would say he was a complete jerk. I guess you could say he was a bit rough around the edges.”
“What do you mean? Like, was he nasty or too physical, perhaps while making love?”
I hated leading the person I was interviewing, but I wanted to get right down to the details.
“Well,” she giggled, “when we screwed it was really rough and he would call me all sorts of nasty things.”
“Forgive me for being so direct, but are you okay with that?”
“Yeah,” she giggled again. “I love it rough. I mean, really rough. Does that shock you?”
“Well, yeah. You seem like a sweet girl, and I guess I don’t understand.”
“I’m not going to go into details, uh–you never told me your name.”
“Oh, sorry. I’m Zack Masters. Please, go on.”
“Well, Zack, as I said, I’m not going to go into details. But, I’d be glad to show you if you’re up for it.”
I felt a hand rubbing my johnson over my pants. She was as subtle as a canary yellow dress at a funeral.
“Mmmm. It feels like you’re up for it, Zack. Wanna play after I get off work?”
I hated to do it, but I moved her hand away. “As, uh, fun as that sounds, Linda, I really just need to figure out what happened to Mike.”
She pursed her lips but her hungry eyes made me feel like a lame gazelle surrounded by a pride of drooling lions.
“Well, let’s just say I’m a bit of a different person in bed. If anything, Mike wasn’t rough enough. I think I upset him. You see, I knew he wanted to be in charge, and I kept taking control from him. It made him mad, and he would get even rougher, which is what I wanted anyway. It’s strange, really. The rougher I let him be, the less he was able to perform. I’m just glad I had other lovers who were able to do what I wanted.”
“Just curious. Was there any friend or family member that may have been trying to protect you from Mike?”
She burst out into a high-pitched laughter that could shatter glass. “No. No chance. What family I have all live in Georgia and wouldn’t blow their horn if they were about to run me over. And all my friends know my appetites well enough to understand that Mike was no threat.”
“I appreciate you helping me, Linda. You’ve been very informative.”
“Okay. Are you sure you don’t want to play later? I promise not to hurt you.”
“I’m sure. Oh, one more question. Did Mike ever share anything with you about his other female friends or his conquests?”
“Oh, yeah. He had a few around if he was in the mood. He’d also talk about getting women at bars and doing them outside when they were drunk. I told him I didn’t like him doing that. I didn’t care about the sex, but people should agree to screw, you know? I think he got off on finding something I found offensive. Then he told me about some girl he nailed at the Kutztown Fair last year. I think he made it up to piss me off and then he gave me a really rough night. I loved it, though. Come to think of it, that was the last time I saw him.”
Linda was one of the strangest people I’d ever met. I guess the world is really full of varieties with quirks we’d never expect.
*****
I sat in Vickie making notes, and found myself talking to her. I guess it was good she never answered.
My instincts told me that Mike’s bragging to Linda about his bed-notches had significance. I decided to make one more stop before calling it a day. I needed gas anyway, and it wasn’t far to the station where Mike and Artie worked.
I pulled in and, as luck would have it, Artie waited on me.
“Hey, Artie.”
“Oh, you again. What do you want now?”
“A fill-up of regular, and I have one more question. Did Mike ever mention something happening at the Kutztown Fair?”
He rubbed his forehead as if trying to get his brain working. “Kutztown Fair. Hmm. Oh, wait. Yeah he said he got lucky with some babe behind the porta-potty. I remember him sayin’ she was a tight little thing.”
“Any idea who she was?”
“Nah. Mike didn’t know either. Said she was carrying some plastic dinosaur or something she musta won when he persuaded her to put out.”
“Persuaded?”
“Mike usually went for drunk women at bars, but I got the impression she was very young and very sober. He was getting more and more careless with who he pulled into the bushes–takin’ stupid chances.”
“So, he raped her?”
“I don’t know. I guess. I know he was doin’ more stuff like that. Think something like that’s what made him disappear?”
“I’m not sure, but I could see how raping some guy’s woman could make some enemies. The one at the Kutztown Fair coulda been some farmer’s daughter whose daddy had a big gun and lots of places to bury a body, ya know?”
“Damn! Never thought of that. If that were the case, I bet Mike is history. That’ll be $4.78.”
“Geez! When did gas go up to thirty cents a gallon?”
*****
Something really smelled fishy and I wasn’t in a Catholic neighborhood on a Friday. Linda thought Mike made up the story about the Kutztown Fair, but Artie thought it was true along with other attacks on women. With the fair, I thought I’d at least have a chance to see if anything was reported. I just couldn’t figure out how I might find information on what happened there almost a year ago.
I needed thinking time, and I had work to do to get my office up and running. I talked Sheila into finding a new place for dinner where we didn’t run into her old hippie friends. We settled on a nice diner up near the airport. It was a short drive and I enjoyed getting Vickie out of the city and on some open highway.
I also decided to start keeping information on the case close to the vest. I hated not telling Sheila everything, but I didn’t want her jumping to conclusions or getting false hope. My story was that I hadn’t found anything new, and I was sticking to it.
On a whim, I decided to keep the same closed-lip policy with Liam. I wanted to trust my instincts, and if I shared too much he might shoot down an idea that actually had potential. If it was a dead end, I wanted to learn that by myself.
*****
Friday evening I had scheduled dinner with Liam, and I wanted to take Sheila with me so I could tell him about her working for me. The sound of happy diners and the smells from the Italian kitchen welcomed my senses as we entered our favorite Italian restaurant. Liam was already seated.
“Zachariah, who is this pretty lady with you?”
“Liam, call me Zack, remember? And I thought you knew Sheila Peters.”
The look of shock on his face was priceless.
“Sheila! I thought you went by Moonbeam. You look…well, so different.”
“Thank you, I guess. Moonbeam has grown up with Zack’s help. How are you, Detective McMurray?”
“Please, just call me Liam. I’m fine. Are you two, uh, together?”
He shot a strange look my way. He was not happy to see her with me. I took the lead to answer his question.
“We’re friends. Sheila will be working with me when I get the agency running.”
“Wow. Well, Sheila, I hope things work out.”
The conversation turned to idle chatter while we ordered and waited for the food. I realized I hadn’t really found out much about why Aunt Nancy and Caitlyn left town, and hoped I wasn’t out of line asking with Sheila at the table.
“How are Aunt Nancy and Caitlyn? Have you talked with them?”
“They’re good. Yeah, we talk fairly often.”
“Is there a chance they’ll move back? I mean, you guys didn’t actually split, did you?”
He looked really uncomfortable and kept glancing at Sheila. “I, uh, think they’ll be back soon. Initially she went to help Nan’s mom late last summer, but I think she stayed to sorta send me a message. She wants me to retire.”
“You thinking of hanging up the badge?”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure if I’m ready. Can we move on to some other topic?”
“Sure. Just thought you’d wanna know I really haven’t found anything new on Sheila’s brother.”
Clearly uncomfortable, Liam looked at Shelia with sympathetic eyes. “Ah, I’m sorry. Like I told Zack, there’s not much of a trail.”
“Thanks, Liam. I know Zack is being nice and trying, but I guess it’s a long shot.”
The evening took on a weird feel. I couldn’t read Liam’s thoughts on Sheila being with me, and the fact that I was still looking into Mike’s disappearance seemed to annoy him. Instead, we talked about my plans for the agency, and about Liam getting me set up to carry a concealed weapon. I already had a 9mm Smith and Wesson Model 39. I’d used an M1911 in ‘Nam, but I’d be comfortable with the 9mm. I was as anxious as a kid on Christmas morning to start stirring up some work.
At home, Sheila asked why Liam looked so jumpy. I wasn’t sure and told her so. She asked, “Do you think it’s me?”
“Maybe. But I don’t think so. He seems really sensitive talking about Aunt Nancy and Caitlyn.”
“He doesn’t know me well and probably didn’t want to get too personal, you know?”
“It’s awkward. Plus, he knows it’s your brother we’re looking for, but he explained how difficult it is to get results almost a year later. He doesn’t want you to get your hopes up. Actually, he doesn’t want that for either of us.”
When we went to our rooms for the night, the discussion about Nancy and Caitlyn weighed on my mind. Caitlyn was five years younger than me and I used to babysit her. At first, we were more like brother and sister, but we grew even closer by the time she turned ten. I wondered how she was now that she was grown.
I thought of her every day while I was in ‘Nam. It was impossible to forget that hug she gave me before I left and what she whispered in my ear: “You come home and marry me Liam. Promise you’ll come home.” I had daydreams of doing just that, but she was so damn young at the time. Growing up, we were always tight and she used to tease me that she wanted to marry me when we were older. In my teens, I just assumed that was kid-talk, but that goodbye told me she was dead serious. The thing is, the older we got the more I thought the same thing, but she was too young for me to do anything about it back then.
I drifted off to sleep with thoughts of her, hoping I’d get to see her soon.
*****
Saturday morning I took a drive to Kutztown to see if I could learn anything. I visited the Kutztown police station hoping to pry some information loose. Walking in, there was no reception area. A middle-age cop at a desk sat back in his chair and looked at me with a glare that was meant to tell me he was the boss. He was typical of many small-town officers. The buttons on his shirt were stretched apart and his white undershirt filled the gaps. He had to be 80 pounds overweight from just sitting at his desk or in a squad car all day while eating donuts and fast food. He was one “foot pursuit” away from a heart attack.
“Whatcha need, son?”
“Hi, officer. I’m Zack Masters, and I was hoping you could help me with some information about last year’s fair.”
“Not sure what I can do. What are you lookin’ for?”
“Is it possible to find out if there were any rapes reported during the fair?”
“Son, I can’t just share police info with anybody who waltzes in here. Why the hell do ya need that?”
I almost laughed when he did his best to look large and intimidating, but I hoped to get his cooperation and thought my best shot was to be up front with him.
“Sorry. I should have explained. I’m opening a private investigation agency in Allentown, and my first case involves something that may have happened at the fair.”
“Got a license?”
“Uh, not yet. I’m supposed to have it early next week.”
“Come back with the license, then we can talk.”
I was somewhere between disappointed and pissed. My brain kept tossing around ideas about how to respond to this arrogant prick when his face softened a bit.
“Zack Masters, eh? You related to Bill Masters?”
“Yeah. He was my pop.”
“Was? What happened?”
“He passed about a year ago while I was in ‘Nam.”
“Shit. He was a fine man. I worked with him once in a while when he was with the force. All right, let me think.”
“Thanks, sir.”
“Off hand, I don’t remember a rape last year, but let me look at the records.”
I sat while he thumbed through a book at the rear of the office. Finally, he waddled back to where I was seated.
“Don’t see anything from the fair or around that time. I looked all the way through a few months following. The only rape I see back then was on campus in October, but we got that bastard. Sorry, Zack.”
“Could a victim report it somewhere else?”
“If they did, the police there would be required to talk to us anyway.”
I didn’t like the guy, but I needed friendly contacts. So we talked a bit before I took off.
I hopped in Vickie and drove home discouraged. Just to be safe, I’d talk to local newspapers the following week. I started to wonder why I was wasting time finding this kid. Other than Sheila, no one seemed to give a damn where he was. I’m not even sure she cared that much, but I guessed she felt she was obligated to know the truth. I made a promise, so I was going to see it through even if there was no answer to be found.
Still, I couldn’t help feeling I was missing something.
*****
The rest of the weekend was spent checking out my pop’s surveillance equipment, storing old files, and putting together a resume of my experience and the services I was going to offer. Soon I’d visit local law offices and counselors to let them know I was in business and ready for referrals. I hoped my time in the CID would carry enough credibility to get them to give me a chance. I knew what other investigators charged, and I planned to start with rates lower than theirs to stir up interest.
Sunday evening while I was having dinner with Sheila and thinking about Caitlyn, a thought popped into my brain.
“Sheila, I think I’m going to take a quick trip to Pittsburgh.”
“Do you want me to go, too?”
“Not this time. I wanna see Caitlyn and a friend from the Army who lives near where she’s staying.”
Sheila’s smile faded. “I don’t have a chance against her, do I?”
“Hey, look. You know I like you, but Caitlyn and I have a long history and I’m pretty sure we’re meant to be. I haven’t seen her in five years and I can’t wait anymore.”
“A girl can hope, can’t she?”
I needed to change subjects.
“Hey, you have a driver’s license, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. Tomorrow I’ll call Craig and see if we can get you a reasonable company car to use. Then, when I’m gone you’ll still be able to get around.”
“Are you sure? I already feel like I’m taking advantage of you.”
“Knock off that thinking. We’re helping each other. Isn’t that the flower-child way?”
“Yeah,” she said as she laughed. “I didn’t think you liked that kind of life.”
“It’s never wrong to help each other, and that’s what we’re doing.”
“I’m glad you’re who you are, Zack. In a lot of ways, I think you kinda saved me.”
“You’re saving yourself, kid. By the way, when I’m away you need to keep seeing your mom.”
“Absolutely. When we were together last week, she said she told my dad that we were meeting.”
“How’d he take that?”
“I thought he’d blow up, but she said he had tears in his eyes. She wants me to stay for dinner some night next week and see if we can patch things up.”
I was proud of Sheila. I guess I waltzed into her life at just the right time to see her pull it together. After a few years of air-head flower power, she was becoming a hell-of-a good woman.
When we got back to the house, I called Slick, my buddy in Pittsburgh, to see if I could visit. He had a really loose schedule and could see me anytime.
I called Craig to set an appointment for first thing Monday morning. Then, I had to handle the hard part.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Liam. Zack here. Listen, I’m going to Pittsburgh next week to visit an Army buddy. Do you think I could stop in and visit Aunt Nancy and Caitlyn?”
“Movin’ on from that dead case?”
“Nah, I just, well…”
He chuckled. “I guess you can’t wait, can ya?”
“Liam, she’s all I thought of while I was away. She was so damn young when I left, and I gotta know what can be real now that we’re both grown, ya know?”
“Yeah, I understand. Son, you’re all she wanted to talk about over the last five years. Nan and I tried to get her to socialize with friends and, maybe, get a boyfriend or two, but that girl had her heart set on you and there was no way to get her to move off that.”
“Didn’t you want her to think of me?”
“Geez, Zack. Sure we were both glad she had eyes for you. But she was thirteen. We just wanted her to be a normal kid.”
“Uncle Liam, I gotta see her.”
He didn’t sound thrilled, but gave me the number to reach Aunt Nancy. She was excited to have me come, and Caitlyn’s squeals of delight came through loud and clear from the background.
I hung up and my thoughts centered on Caitlyn. Damn, I really did want to see her. What Liam told me and the way she responded to my upcoming visit told me what I wanted to hear. She wanted to see me as much as I wanted to see her. Hopefully, neither of us would be disappointed.
*****
The dealership Craig worked for opened at 9:00 on Monday, so Sheila and I arrived just as they were opening the showroom. Craig had a car in mind, and it was perfect.
“Guys, this is a 1968 Mercury Marquis. It’s five years old with only 45,000 miles on it. We’re havin’ trouble selling it because it was a police car.”
“Police car? They get really beat up. Why’s this look so good?”
“It was an unmarked car used by the Bethlehem police chief as a personal car and never used on patrol. But I have to disclose that it was a cop car and that makes folks shy away from it. I can sell it really cheap.”
Sheila loved it and it drove beautifully. I paid cash, and told Sheila she could stay while they cleaned it up and then drive it home or stop at her mom’s. I also told her she could name the car since it would be for her to use. She wanted to call it Rocky.
“Rocky? Cars have girl names.”
“Not mine. If a guy’s car is a girl, then a girl’s car can be a guy.”
I couldn’t argue with that, so I let her have her way since I knew I’d lose anyway.
I stopped at the courthouse and was able to pick up my PI license. It was official. I was in business. I grabbed a Big Mac for lunch, and took off for Pittsburgh. I would be there by dinner and my buddy was expecting me. Sure, I was glad I was gonna see him, but it was Caitlyn who I really wanted to visit.
*****
This visit with Slick was great, but he could tell I was distracted. He finally got it out of me that there was a girl I wanted to see. Since he was a guy, he understood. Even so, we had a great visit. He was planning on getting his PI license too, so we talked about some joint efforts and maybe even operating as one company with two offices. Even if the association wasn’t formal, it would make both of our firms appear larger and more established.
I stayed at a little motel that wasn’t too far from where Nancy and Caitlyn were living. Before hitting the sack, I called Sheila.
“How’s Rocky?”
“I love it! He’s a big sucker, so he makes me feel safe. And, guess what?”
“What?”
“I had dinner with mom and dad last night.”
“Wow! That’s great. Did it go well?”
“There were lots of tears, hugs, and apologies. Yeah, it was amazing. Uh, there’s something else I need to tell you.”
“That doesn’t sound good.”
“Well, I think it is. I’m not sure how you’ll feel about it.”
“Spill. What’s going on?”
“Craig asked me out this coming Friday, and I said yes.”
“Really? I think that’s, uh, great. He’s a really good guy.”
“We talked a lot while they got Rocky ready. I really like him.”
It’s funny. I was surprised that her news didn’t bother me. I mean, Sheila and I have become close and as much as I liked her, my heart was set on Caitlyn. Basically, I was really happy for two friends. I hoped they hit it off.
As for me, I was way too excited to sleep. I had visions of a thirteen-year-old Caitlyn dancing in my head, and I couldn’t wait to see the woman she’d grown into.
*****
The next morning was a beautiful, sunny, and warm summer day. I pulled into the driveway at 10:00 AM with nerves going crazy and expectations high. Nancy’s mom’s place was a big, old, sky blue Victorian with perfectly manicured gardens. Walking up to the porch, the smell of honeysuckle and the sound of birds singing filled my senses.
The front door opened and through the screen I gazed upon a vision of loveliness. Her light blue summer dress highlighted the grown figure of the little girl I knew. Long, reddish brown hair flowed down over her shoulders. That, along with a gorgeous spattering freckles and fair complexion, clearly announced her Irish heritage with breathtaking beauty. My heart melted. I was completely captivated and found I couldn’t make words form on my tongue.
“Zack Masters. My goodness, you are more handsome than ever.”
“You can’t be Caitlyn, that little girl who gave me the biggest hug when I left.”
“Oh, it’s me alright.”
She ran out the door and embraced me with all her might. Tingles went up and down my spine as I held the girl I had dreamed about for so long.
“Hey, Zack. Save some hugging for me!”
“Aunt Nancy! Wow, Caitlyn changed so much but you look exactly the same. It’s good to see you.”
We sat on the porch drinking coffee and eating some delicious things Nan called scones. I’d never had anything like them before, and, damn, they were good.
Nancy and I seemed to monopolize the conversation, but Caitlyn kept smiling at me and making little faces to distract me. After about a half hour or so, Aunt Nancy proved with her actions to be a wise and observant woman.
“Well, something tells me that Zack would rather be spending time with just you, Caitlyn. Why don’t you catch up a bit? I’m going to get a picnic basket together so the two of you can take a walk and enjoy the day.”
“Momma!” Caitlyn was blushing, and I was pretty sure I was too.
“Oh, stop pretending. Do you two really think I don’t know how you’ve always felt about each other? You’re both five years older and grown up. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll leave you both alone.”
After she left, Caitlyn looked at me with a huge smile, big eyes, and rosy red blushing cheeks. “Is she right, Zack? Have you always felt something special for me?”
I took her hands in mine and looked deeply into her eyes. “Before I left, you were so young and it wouldn’t have been proper for me to say how I felt. But I’ve always hoped I could sit like this with you, and tell you I’m crazy about you. Now that we’re both old enough, I hope you’re willing to get to know the adult version of me. I know I want to learn everything about the beautiful woman sitting here with me.”
“I’d like that. I’d like that a lot. But, why didn’t you write while you were in Vietnam?”
“Oh, I wanted to. But you were still so young and I couldn’t say the things I wanted to say. And, well, if anything bad happened to me, I didn’t want you to be in a place where you carried a torch for me. Can you understand?”
“I guess I understand, but I carried that torch anyway.”
We sat and talked for a while, reminiscing about our younger days. At one point, she frowned a bit, but the blush returned.
“Do you remember my tenth birthday party? I made you promise to marry me when we were older. Silly, wasn’t it?”
“I didn’t think it was silly then, and I don’t think it’s silly now. It’s true that we’re older and grown, but I’m hoping that we can spend time finding out if our childhood promises were actually glimpses of what our future can become.”
Aunt Nan came out with a picnic basket stuffed with five sandwiches, a huge container of potato salad, and a gallon jug of lemonade.
“Geez, mom. Did you pack enough?”
“Don’t get smart with me, Caitlyn. Zack looks like a young man with a healthy appetite.”
Nancy smiled as she sent us on our way.
I was on cloud nine walking with Caitlyn. She was everything I’d dreamed she’d be. We talked about things we did over the last five years. We shared dreams and plans, and about how each of us had changed.
The park had a big playground that was loaded with kids and I watched her eyes as she enjoyed the antics of the children. The moms all gathered in an area with benches and talked animatedly amongst themselves. We wandered towards a covered pavilion that was empty, and claimed one of the picnic tables.
Caitlyn spread out the table cloth and set out the ham sandwiches and potato salad, and poured our drinks. We were almost finished eating when it struck me that the playful sounds of the children could still be heard, and I had to comment. “I love the sounds of kids having fun. There’s something special about seeing them lose themselves in their play.”
She frowned. “Then why do you seem so sad?”
“Not sad, really. Just thinking. There wasn’t a lot of this while I was overseas. This feels…right, somehow. Like home. A picnic, a beautiful girl, kids laughing. I assume you want kids someday?”
“Absolutely. You and I were only children and I think we both missed out on something. I’d like anywhere between three and five. I want all that hope and happiness to make a home, ya know?”
“I could see that. I wouldn’t mind having a houseful. As an only kid, I’m all alone now that Pop is gone. I think it would be great to have a brother or sister around.”
“I never thought about that, but I’m here, so you aren’t really alone.
“I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’re here. I’m glad nobody has stepped in and wrapped you up. You never mentioned if you had any boyfriends. I mean, a girl as beautiful as you must have had lots of offers.”
“No, not really. The only date I really had wasn’t so much a date as it was helping a friend. I let a boy in my class, Brad Buehler, take me to the prom. He was painfully shy and got picked on a lot.” She giggled at the memory. “I actually had to ask him and he was too shocked to speak. But he was sweet. We held hands and did a few dances. He was interesting to talk with once he loosened up. He had me home by 11:00 PM, and I gave him a peck on the cheek. Fortunately, he knew it was a one-time thing, but it seemed to give him some courage and he started dating a girl in the class below us.”
“Why didn’t you date? You had to be the prettiest girl in the school.”
She looked down with a shy smile and blushed. “You know why. I wanted to wait for a certain guy to come home from overseas.”
“Really? Who’s the lucky guy?”
She playfully smacked my arm. “Zack, I was never gonna find someone like you, and I didn’t want to. Other than a peck on the lips with Brad, I’ve never gone anywhere or done anything with a boy.”
“You never really kissed a guy?”
“Nope. I wanted you to be my first kiss.”
“Oh. So–can I have that kiss now?”
She smiled and turned towards me straddling the picnic bench, and I did the same. I leaned in and gave her a few pecks on the lips and I was in heaven. I increased the intensity and began to lick her lips until she parted them making way for our tongues to meet for the first time. She may have lacked experience, but she was full of passion that fueled our desire. I pulled her tight to me and we continued to make out, occasionally pausing to gaze at each other.
She put her head on my shoulder to catch her breath. “Oh, my, gosh. That was even more amazing than I imagined.”
“Caitlyn, that was…wow!”
We quietly stayed in the embrace, but after a few moments I sensed something was wrong. I could feel her softly crying.
“What’s wrong? Did I do something to upset you?”
“No, no. It’s something I…oh, please, just hold me.”
I did as she asked. We stayed in that tight embrace while she fought to gain control of her emotions. After a few moments, without changing position she began to speak quietly and hesitantly.
“Zack, I’m afraid you won’t want me after I tell you something.”
“You can tell me anything. After thinking about no one but you, I can’t imagine not wanting you. Please, what’s the matter?”
“I’m…oh, God…Zack, I wanted to save myself for you in every way, but…I’m not a virgin.”
“What do you mean? Well, first, I’m not either. But you said you never had a boyfriend. How? What happened?”
Her hands were shaking and she looked up, as if to gather strength. “Oh, please forgive me. A man, well…he forced me!”
She was sobbing nearly out of control. I was pretty sure at that moment that my worst suspicions were true, and it felt like I was being stabbed in the gut. My Caitlyn…victimized by that scum of the earth. The timelines all matched, the sudden move to Pittsburgh, it all added up. I fought my pain and anger, and focused on the woman I loved.
I held her tightly for a moment to reassure her, then sat her up so I could look into her eyes. I kissed her tears and felt her grow calmer. “You did nothing wrong. There’s nothing to forgive.”
Her face scrunched up in trying to avoid crying as she nodded rapidly. I kissed her lightly, then pulled her head back on my shoulder. “You’ve been holding this in. I’ve got you now. You can let it out.”
Her weeping was filled with pain, and I felt my pain starting to cause my own eyes to tear up as well. Once she started to calm and I had gained control of myself, I talked to her in a calm, soft voice.
“It breaks my heart that you went through this, but it doesn’t change how I feel about you. It wasn’t your choice. You’re still Caitlyn, the woman I dreamed about while I was halfway around the world, and whoever that asshole was, he can’t take away who you are. Now, kiss me and let’s start to put that in the past.”
“Oh, Zack!”
Her mouth attacked my lips and our passion grew to new heights. After a moment, she raised up and giggled. It was the sweetest sound I ever heard.
“I’m sorry, that one was a little snotty.”
“It still made me weak in the knees.”
We held each other a little longer in silence, then she hit me with something I hadn’t expected. “Zack, mom and I came here because he got me pregnant.”
I fought myself to not react, and just support her. But inside my anger grew to unbearable heights. I was boiling mad at that asshole. I finally calmed myself and asked the obvious question. “What happened with the baby?”
Her hands shook and lips quivered. “Mom and dad talked me into giving her up for adoption. They were right, of course, but I held her for a little while after she was born. Oh, Zack, she was so beautiful and tiny. I finally handed her to the nurse to be taken away, and I cried for days.”
“How long ago was she born?”
“Just a few weeks ago.”
“Geez. Are you feelin’ okay?”
“Still a little sore and tired. But I can’t stop crying all the time. Mom says it’s normal after giving birth, but it’ll get better. Having you here is the first time I’ve felt happy for a while.”
I held her tightly and quietly whispered words of love. I was lost. I didn’t have a clue what to do, but just being there and assuring her felt right.
She raised her head and kissed me. “Thank you, Zack. I know things will be okay. Mom says it just takes a little time and having the right people around you. I think you may be the only ‘right people’ I need.”
“I’m here. I wish I didn’t have to leave tonight, though.”
“I know. Me, too. But mom told me we’re moving back home soon.”
“So all that was the real reason you came out here?”
“Yeah. Dad didn’t want what happened to be public, so he wanted us out of town while he investigated. When I found out I was expecting, I had to stay until, well, you know.”
“When did the guy attack you?”
“Last August at the Kutztown Fair. My eighteenth birthday was a few days earlier, and we were at the fair to celebrate.”
“Oh, damn!”
“Yeah. Some celebration, huh?”
We walked some more and moved on to different topics. I fought to stay focused on Caitlyn, but my emotions were making my gut churn. What she told me was final confirmation that things happened in the way I feared the most. I knew what became of Mike Peters, and I had no idea what to do now that I knew.
We returned to the house and had dinner with Aunt Nancy and her mother. The glow was back in Caitlyn’s eyes and Aunt Nancy couldn’t stop smiling. After we ate, I helped clear the table and told Caitlyn to help her grandmother get situated in the living room. Nancy was quick to ask me the question that was on her heart.
“She told you, didn’t she?”
“Yeah. You’ve done a great job helping her deal with it.”
“So, what now?”
“I love her. I think I always have, but, if anything, I love her even more than I did before. Are you moving back soon? It’s been five long years. I don’t want to wait any longer.”
“Yeah, I think we’ll move back in a few weeks. I know Liam is pulling his hair out waiting for us to come home. And, Zack, I think she needs you more right now than anybody else.”
I needed to get on the road for my five-hour drive. I said my goodbyes, and Caitlyn walked out to my truck with me. I held her hand, then pulled her into another scorching hot kiss.
“Caitlyn, I know for sure that I’m in love with you. I know this is quick and you might not feel the same, but, well, I can understand that. Your mom said you’d be moving back soon and I can’t wait.”
“You really are my dreams coming true, Zack. And, yes, you already know I’m in love with you. But, are we moving too fast?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I kinda look at it this way. We were young, but we’ve spent eighteen years getting to know each other. Sure, the last five we were apart, but I spent those lonely nights in ‘Nam only thinking of one thing. I couldn’t wait for you to be old enough to tell you how I feel. I want you, Caitlyn. I mean, I want you in every way. I’m not just talking about sex, although I hope that will be part of it someday.” She giggled and blushed. “I’m talking about life-partners. I think we belong together. After we date a few months to really get to know the grown-up version of each other, I plan to get down on one knee and make us permanent. Is that something you’d want?”
To answer my question, she attacked me with an intense, passionate kiss.
“I think the girl likes me!”
“You have no idea.”
Parting was the hardest thing I think I’ve ever had to do, but eventually I had to hit the road. At first, I didn’t need Vickie’s help getting home. I was sure I could fly if I wanted to. But I hadn’t gone far when the anxiety from knowing the truth and my burning hatred of Mike Peters started to flood everything else outta my head.
I needed to stop halfway home for gas. I went inside to get a bag of chips and a Coke and when I came out some guys my age were there, one of them sitting on my bumper. They were making fun of the high school kid pumping the gas.
“Get the hell off my truck.” The one on my bumper took in my size and looked to his friends. While I stared at him all I could see was Mike Peters.
“Yeah, you’ve got your friends here. You’ll be fine. Get up and swing.”
He looked back to me. “You got some sort of–”
“No, bitch, I said get up and swing. You like pickin’ on kids half a decade younger than you? Try that shit on me.”
“Look, calm the hell down before we–”
“Before you what? Keep talking? Now get your ass away from my truck before I throw you through your windshield.”
I wanted him to come at me. I needed him to come at me. Instead, he flicked his cigarette to the ground, mumbled something and walked over to his friends.
“That’s what I thought, bitch.”
Letting the kid keep the change, I drove to the edge of the property and kept an eye on things until they left. If they’d hurt the kid I would have lost my mind. Letting the adrenaline drive through me, I sat for another few minutes and drove off raging against Mike Peters.
*****
Liam was on duty the next day, so I called and told him I’d see him at his house after dinner. I was glad he had to work. I had to cool off before we talked.
Sheila and I spent the day visiting law firms to talk about getting referrals. They all remembered my pop and thought he was the best, so I knew they’d throw some business my way. In fact, one lawyer set me up right away to do some work for him to support a client going to trial facing murder charges. He was sure the guy was being set up. We set an appointment and he gave me a retainer check on the spot. It was official. Masters Investigation Services was making money.
Sheila was bubbling about her upcoming date with Craig, which made me comfortable telling her about my time with Caitlyn and how I was sure she was the one for me. During dinner, I guess my nerves were too transparent about my appointment with Liam.
“Zack, are you okay? You seem preoccupied about something other than Caitlyn.”
“Huh? Oh, no. I’m just really tired from my trip and I still need to see Liam tonight to let him know how I made out.”
She laughed. “You mean how you did making out with his daughter?”
We finished eating and I dropped Sheila off at home before heading to Liam’s place. I hoped he had some Scotch around, ’cause we were both gonna need it.
*****
“Hey, Zack! Come on in. Can I get you something?”
“You got any Scotch?”
“No true Irishman drinks that horse piss! How about a good Irish whiskey?”
“Sounds good. Neat, please.”
Liam clanged some bottles and glasses together getting our drinks. “So, Caitlyn tells me you two had a hell-of-a fine day. Was it what you expected?”
“Yeah. All that and more. I knew I loved her before I went, and I’m surer than ever.”
“Well, don’t rush things, okay? You haven’t been around each other for a long time. Take time to be absolutely positive, okay?”
“Yeah, we talked about that.”
“So, what else is on your mind?”
I looked him right in the eyes. “Kutztown Fair.”
He turned white as a ghost. He downed his glass in one gulp, got up, and started pacing.
“Once you saw her, I was sure you’d find out. She told you what happened, eh?”
“Not in detail, but, yeah. She only confirmed stuff I already figured out. You wanna tell me about it?”
“Not really, but I guess I don’t have a choice, do I?”
He filled his glass and sat across from me, staring. I’d seen that look in ‘Nam. He was assessing me and taking stock. I stared back, not flinching or looking away. He’d already buried one man, this wasn’t the time to show weakness.
“We went to the fair to celebrate Caitlyn’s birthday. We always had good times there and that’s what she asked for as a present. Nan and I were watching a tumbling act, and Caitlyn left to go to the ladies room. The main building had nicer ones, but we were closer to the portable johns at the other end, so she went there. The act we were watching finished and we wondered where she was, so we went looking. Nan saw her first. Her hair was mussed up and her clothing disheveled. She had tears on her face, but she wasn’t really crying. She looked like she was in shock or something. I carried her to the car and she started sobbing and told us the whole thing.”
“Anyone see what happened?”
“No one seemed to notice. Anyway, she said a guy grabbed her from behind coming out of the john, he pulled a ski mask down over her eyes, carried her a ways into the field behind the johns, threw her on the ground and…and…”
Liam was shaking all over trying to fight off losing control.
“Well, you know what he did. He told her he had a knife and he’d use it if she screamed.”
“Did she know who he was?”
“Yeah. She said she could see through the loose weave of the hat. She recognized him as the guy who pumped gas at the Mobil station. So, you and I both know who it was. I had Nan stay with her while I looked for any evidence I could gather. I found the plastic carnival prize dinosaur next to some matted grass where he must have done it. She said she dropped it when he grabbed her, so he probably picked it up so no one noticed it, ’cause then they might see or hear what he was gonna do to her. I went to the car and got a trash bag outta the trunk, then bagged the dinosaur to take it for prints.”
“I take it that you never considered getting the Kutztown cops involved?”
“Those hacks? Even if they arrested and charged him, it wouldn’t get him what he deserved. No, I was going to handle this.”
“Are you positive it was Mike?”
“Yeah. Next day I took her to a parking lot across from the Mobil and she pointed him out. Before I took care of him I had to be sure, so I went to headquarters at night when it’s almost empty and got prints off the dino. There were lots of different ones I guess from the carnies. I had three come up with criminal records. One set was definitely his.”
“So you sent Caitlyn and Aunt Nancy out west and decided to take care of the asshole?”
“Yeah. I convinced them not to tell anybody and that we weren’t gonna file a police report. Nan argued like hell with me. She knew I was gonna do somethin’. They left for Pittsburgh the following week. God, I miss them.” He paused to gather himself. “Once they got there, a few weeks later we learned Caitlyn was pregnant. Did she tell you what happened?”
“Yeah. Givin’ up the baby is takin’ a toll on her.”
“I figured, but what else could she do? Damn, I wish they kept quiet. We gotta be sure none of this gets out.”
“What about Mike?”
“Oh, Lord!”
He put his head in his hands, and the guy who never showed weakness wept like I never thought I’d see. Eventually he looked up. His eyes were red and I saw a broken man sitting across from me. “The day Nan and Caitlyn left, I went to our cabin in the Poconos to prepare things. It’s really isolated, and I knew I could do what I wanted to do there with very little chance of being noticed. I started following him, looking for a chance. A couple of weeks later, I was outside Hank’s–a bar he went to a lot. Luck was with me. He came out alone and went out back to smoke and, I guess, to take a piss. I whacked him over the head, stuffed him in my trunk, and went to the cabin. Fortunately, there was no blood to leave traces in my car, but I had the trunk lined with plastic to be sure.”
Emotion again overwhelmed him for a minute. I kept quiet to let him tell the story when he was ready.
“Zack, it was like it wasn’t me. I did things to that kid I never thought I was capable of. But that piece of shit hurt my little girl, ya know? I can’t tell you all I did. Damn, the monster that came outta me scares me shitless. That monster made sure the little weasel suffered and begged for a long time before I finished it.”
He held a sofa pillow to his chest and I watched him struggle against his emotions. Again, I waited for him to continue.
“You stay on the force long enough and you see some serious shit. After enough time, it doesn’t impact you like it used to. That all goes out the window when it’s your daughter. So, Zachariah, what are you gonna do?”
“We both know what I should do. But you also know that if I had been here, I would have done the same thing you did, seven days a week and twice on Sundays. Is there any chance his body could be found?”
“No. No chance at all. I’ll spare you the details, but there’s nothing to find.”
“Any chance someone else knows what you did, even Aunt Nancy or Caitlyn?”
“No. I told them he disappeared before I could get to him.”
“So, what do you think we should do?”
“Damn, kid, I don’t know. You got any ideas?”
I got up, filled my glass, and started to pace around to gather my response. I thought long and hard about all this over the prior days. There I was, a licensed PI, and I was gonna break the law my first week on the job. It went against everything I believed in, but Mike was the guilty one and the real monster. He violated the woman I loved, and I was glad he paid a heavy price. I just needed to figure out how Liam and I could keep things under control.
“No doctors or hospitals got involved with Caitlyn about the rape?”
“No. Only got them involved when she was found pregnant, but no one knew how it happened or who the father was.”
“I was thinking of things like pinning his disappearance on a jealous husband or someone like that, but that would leave open questions and more to investigate. I think our best move is to blame drug dealers. You’ve already paved the way for that. Plus, no one is gonna go looking for them anyway so they wouldn’t be able to find any clues to prove otherwise.”
“Yeah. That’s why I floated that rumor out there.”
“Don’t we need something in the official police file to back up that claim?”
“It would go a long way towards closing the case, but how? If I falsify something or back-date it, I risk getting caught.”
“Let me think.”
I did some more pacing when an idea hit me. “Hey, if I’m investigating and report a finding to you, don’t you have to record it in the file?”
“Sure.”
“Then I got a plan. It will take a couple of weeks, plus I think it’s best for some time to pass after my visit to Pittsburgh to avoid suspicion. Let me work on it, but for now we gotta talk about you.”
“Me? What do you mean?”
“You’re considering retiring, right?”
“Yeah. I’m fully vested and this job puts the wife through hell. Why?”
“With what you’ve done, I think you should retire soon. It’s not right still enforcing the law after all this, don’t you think?”
“I’m a damned good cop, Zack. You can take that to the bank. What I did doesn’t bleed into the rest of my life. The thought crossed my mind, though. I intended to tell Nan I was gonna pack it in at the end of the year. I guess I can move that timetable up.”
“Then I want you to come work with me. We would make a hell of a team, and you’d be able to work only when you want to. And with all your police contacts, it would be a big boost for my new agency.”
“Are you sure? I mean, I’d like to think about it, but I like the idea.”
“You think about it, but don’t announce anything about retiring until I come to you with new information on the Mike Peters case, okay?”
“Yeah, okay for now. Just work fast.”
“Uncle Liam, you and I are the only ones who know what really happened to that asshole. It’s gonna stay that way. Sheila, Caitlyn, Aunt Nancy, and anyone else who cares about the details is gonna think he was taken out by drug dealers and we’ll have evidence in the file that points in that direction. This will be a dead-end case about a kid nobody misses or cares about.”
“Okay. If you think so. And quit with the ‘uncle’ thing. It’s just Liam, all right?”
I chuckled at his request. “Then you quit the Zachariah thing. Anyway, if things go the way I want, within a year I’m gonna want to call you Dad. Is that good with you?”
“Son, you have no idea how good I am with that.”
We embraced as two men who had an unusual set of bonds tying us together. I was gonna fix this the best I could. If things went as planned, our guilt would go to our graves with us.
*****
I was going to need help with my plan, and my buddy in Pittsburgh was best for the job. I called the next day.
“Hey, Slick. How’d you like a payin’ gig?”
“Zackie! Whatta ya got goin’?”
“In about three weeks, could you drive to Allentown for a day? I’ll cover all expenses, and pay you day rate in cash under the table.”
“What do you need me to do?”
“Pretty simple. I need a guy no one knows to sit in a bar and drink for an hour. Are you up for that?”
“Throw in a good meal, and I’m your man!”
We set the date, and the plan was ready. Fortunately, it was simple as hell.
*****
Caitlyn and Aunt Nancy arrived home eight days later. The night they arrived, Liam included me when he took them to the best steakhouse in town. The three of them made it clear–I was family from here on in.
Not wanting to waste time, I asked Caitlyn out for the following night.
Liam and I agreed on what we’d tell Caitlyn and Nan. To keep it simple, it would be the truth except for Mike Peters’ actual demise.
*****
Romance was on the top of my mind for our first date, but it was also the time to convince Caitlyn to accept the story the way Liam and I molded it. The hard part was that I was going to do something I never wanted to do again–lie to Caitlyn. The tricky part would be telling her about Sheila.
Caitlyn and I had dinner, then took a drive to a park where we could talk.
“You wanna get out and take a walk?”
“I, uh, can–”
I shut Vickie down and looked at Caitlyn wondering why she was having trouble talking. Her eyes looked like she’d seen a ghost. With hands and arms shaking, looking cramped and distorted, my memory took me back to when I saw a nurse in Saigon fighting the same reaction. Caitlyn was terrified.
“You okay? What’s wrong?”
I tried to hold her and she was stiff as a board. She shook her head and was trying to get me to understand something.
“N-n-n-no. S-s-stay here.”
“Okay, okay. We can stay in the truck.”
That seemed to calm her down a little. I held her for a good fifteen minutes before she relaxed enough to speak.
“S-sorry.”
“Has this happened before?”
“Y-yeah. Can we g-go home?”
“Your house?”
She nodded, and I turned the key to start Vickie. The bench seat made it easy to hold her and keep her steady while I drove. Her breathing was still labored, but I could feel the tension leaving her body the closer we got to her house. By the time we arrived, she seemed almost normal.
“You doin’ better?”
“I guess. Some first date, huh?”
“Don’t worry ’bout that. I’m with you, and that’s all that matters to me. But, how often does that happen?”
“When we first got to Pittsburgh, it was about once or twice a week. The doctor called them panic attacks, and tried to get me to tell him why I was having them. Of course, I couldn’t tell him the real reason. He knew I was expecting, so I just said I was nervous about giving birth, which was partially true. But mom knew it was because of the attack because things that made me think of that night seem to trigger it. I guess being at the park at night set me off. Geez, Zack, I’m so embarrassed.”
“Hey, don’t be embarrassed. I told you, I’m here for you no matter what. How often do they happen now?
“Well, by Christmas, it was down to, maybe, once a month. Tonight’s the first it’s happened in the last six or seven weeks.”
“Was it okay to hold you? I didn’t make it worse, did I?”
“You did exactly what I needed. That one wasn’t too long.”
“Good. You tell me if I mess up.”
A few tears fell as she softly shared her fear. “The doctor said eventually they’d probably go away. I hope he’s right. I don’t want you stuck with a basket case.”
“You’re far from a basket case. Together we’ll get things back on track, okay?”
“I love you, Zack.”
“And I love you, and that means everything about you, too.”
We sat in silence for a few minutes, then started to talk about things from when we were kids. The panic seemed to be gone, and Caitlyn was her smiling and enthusiastic self.
I was in the middle of a sentence, denying hiding her stuffed bunny ten years ago, when she pressed her lips to mine with passion-driven force. She turned so she could sit on my lap and we made out with a sense of urgency and abandon. We didn’t pause until our lips couldn’t take the exertion.
Man, hydrogen and oxygen didn’t have better chemistry than ours. I could barely keep my mind straight when I held her hands, or looked into her eyes. And when we kissed? Dang, I thought I’d explode with all the love bottled up within me. I was worried about triggering her sense of panic, and it would be easy to let what I had to say wait for another day, but it needed to be done.
“Caitlyn…”
“Zack, I think we need pet names like, sweetie or something. What do you think?”
“If it’s a pet name, how about Rover, or Spot?”
I shoulda expected it when she smacked my shoulder. “Zack!”
“Okay, okay. Sorry. You probably wanna call me Jerk, now, don’t ya?”
“The thought crossed my mind. But, I was thinking of calling you Hunkie. What do you think?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Where’d you come up with that?”
“It’s a cross between Hunk and Sweetie. You like it?”
“No, not really. Just call me whatever strikes you at the moment, but not Hunkie, okay?”
She pretended to pout. “Oh, okay Sweetie. What about me?”
“Hmm. Can I call you Love? It kinda says it all, don’t you think?”
“I like it. Okay, sorry I interrupted you. Now, you were saying?”
“Love, I have a few serious things to talk about. Are you up for it?”
“Sure. I’m okay now.”
“Well, before I came to Pittsburgh, I knew things about the guy who, you know, hurt you. I was hired by his sister to find him. He’s been missing for a while.”
Still on my lap, she joltingly sat up. “You knew?”
“Not about you or what he did to you. Oh, God, I wish it wasn’t you. But I knew he was a bad guy, and I heard from some of his friends that he was bragging about what he did at the fair.”
“He didn’t know my name, did he?”
“No. Your name was never mentioned. But when you told me what happened, it wasn’t hard to put two and two together. I wanted to find him and make sure he paid, but he disappeared before I could do anything.”
She relaxed a little into my arms. Her voice was soft and shaky, and a few tears fell down her cheeks. “You don’t think my dad…”
“No, please don’t think that. To be honest, I think he wanted to find some way to get back at him, but Mike, that’s his name, disappeared before your dad could do anything.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m still investigating, but it’s looking more and more like he got caught up in a drug deal gone bad. We think he’s probably been killed by the New York mob.”
“I feel bad saying this, but I hope he’s fish food or something. He was an awful monster.”
“You know, I wish I coulda gotten my hands on him. I guess it’s best I didn’t since I’m looking forward to a life of just lovin’ you, and that’s tough to do from behind bars. But listen, I know you told me what happened and your dad has probably told you this too–you have to keep what happened with that asshole a complete secret between me and your parents. Even though your dad didn’t do anything, if your story became public he’d become a suspect.”
“I understand. Dad said the same thing.”
“Love, you seem to be handling things, but I worry how this is gonna affect you. Are you gonna be okay?”
“It’s been on my mind most of the time, but I’m fine. You saw what happens every once in a while, but Mom, and now you always pull me through.”
“We love you. You know that. Keep leaning on us and it will get better.”
“I know.”
“Actually, I really like you leaning on me, especially like this.”
The gentle kiss I wanted to give her quickly turned hot and heavy. My mind, soul, and body wanted to merge with her, and it took all my willpower not to move things too fast. I mean, this was only our first date and there were lots of reasons why I knew she wasn’t ready.
We clung to each other in a loving silence. For the moment, we didn’t need words to express ourselves. But I still had other things to discuss.
“Love, there’s something else you should know, and I hope it doesn’t bother you.”
“That sounds ominous.”
“No, it’s not bad. I’m just not sure how you’ll react.”
“Kiss me once more, and then nothing you say can bother me.”
I wasn’t gonna turn down her request for a kiss. It did make it hard to remember what I wanted to say.
“I love you, Zack. So what do you need to tell me?”
“I love you, too. The other thing I need to tell you–it was Mike’s sister, Sheila, who hired me to find him. She’s a friend from school, and actually she now works for me.”
She almost pushed me outta the truck when she sat up. “You’re kidding! You mean, I’m going to be around the sister of the guy who raped me? Zack, how can I do that?”
“Look, I know. But Sheila is a really sweet girl. She knows Mike was not a good person, but felt obligated to learn what happened to him. She knows nothing of what he did to you, and she will never know. Can you give her a chance? I mean, if you think you can’t be around her, I’ll take care of it.”
“I don’t know. I mean, nothing is her fault. This is just such a mess.”
“Do you need to think about it?”
She snuggled back into my arms. “No, I guess it’s all right. If you think she’s okay, then it’s fine with me, too.”
My love for her grew even more in that moment.
*****
A few weeks later, Slick arrived in town, and I met him at a McDonalds just before noon to give him instructions.
“Slick, are you good with the plan?”
“Not much to it. At 1:00, I go to this bar, sit at the counter, and drink beer until you come in. I don’t know you, but just act like I’m listening in on what you and the barkeeper talk about. When you’re done, I approach you and ask if we can talk outside, but I have to make sure the bartender notices us. Right?”
“You got it. If he asks, you’d been there a few times before when you passed through town. You’re in some kinda industrial sales. You get to pick what you’re pretending to sell.”
“Should I know what this is all about?”
“You’re better off not knowing. Oh, here’s the cash. Is $200 enough?”
“Damn, man! That’s double what it should be.”
“Let’s just say I want us to work together more when the opportunity presents itself. Plus, I gotta renege on dinner. For this to work, we can’t appear to know each other. Okay?”
“Yeah. No problem, stranger.”
“Good man. See you after 1:00.”
*****
I walked into Hank’s Tavern, the last place Mike was seen. As I had hoped, most of the lunch crowd was gone. Only a few all-day drinkers sat at the bar along with Slick. I took a seat on a stool between Slick and an old man that looked like he was more asleep than awake. It was clear that this was the bar to be at during the day if you wanted to see some old, depressed drunks.
Liam knew this place and told me the bartender, Sal, was also the owner. I wondered why the place was called Hank’s, then realized I really didn’t care. According to Liam, Sal was a one-man show and almost certainly was tending bar the night Mike vanished. For a place that was almost empty, Sal took his sweet time waiting on me.
“What can I get ya?”
“Hi. Are you Sal?”
“Yeah. Now, what are you drinkin’?”
“I’m Zack Masters, PI. I was hoping to ask you a few questions.”
“PI, huh? I only answer questions for cops or paying customers.”
“Fine. I’ll have a Schaefer.”
“Bottle or tap?”
“Bottle, I guess.”
I preferred tap, but the glasses looked like they hadn’t been washed since Teddy was a Rough Rider. Sal pulled my beer from the fridge, shook it a bit, plopped it in front of me, and opened it making sure half of it ended up on the bar.
“Where’s the cash?”
“Oh, sorry.” I took a five out and put it on the bar. Sal grabbed it and went a few steps to a cash drawer to make change.
“So, Mr. PI, what do you want to know? I’m an open book,” he said with a smirk.
“I might be testing your memory, but a kid named Mike Peters disappeared after leaving here a little less than a year ago.”
“My memory is just fine and, yeah, I remember. Cops already questioned me about it.”
“Do you recall anything or anybody that may have something to do with his disappearance?”
“Nah. I remember his buddies were still in here. The shitter was outta order, so he went outside I guess to take a piss. That’s about all I know.”
“Other than his friends, was there anyone here that you know who may have seen something?”
“Ever watch Wonderful Life kid?”
“Uh, yeah. Why?”
“The barkeep told George, the Jimmy Stewart character, that his bar was a place where guys come to drink hard liquor and get drunk fast. Same thing here. Anyone that was here, ‘specially the regulars, would have been too plastered. Anything else, Mr. PI?”
“Uh, no. Thanks for your help.”
Slick recognized his queue.
“Hey, buddy. Can I talk to you outside? Maybe I can help.”
“Sure. Let me pay for your drink.”
“No need. It’s already covered.”
Once outside, I asked him to get in my truck so we weren’t overheard.
“Is that it, Zack?”
“Yeah. That’s it. You did great.”
We talked about nothing in particular to make it look like he was giving me some useful information before he got out and walked back to his car parked a few streets away.
I drove right to the police station to finish the act.
“Hey, Uncle Liam.”
“Zachariah! To what do I owe this pleasure?”
“Remember that Mike Peters case I got? I found an eye witness to him being abducted.”
“You’re kiddin’! Let me get a pad to take some notes.”
“It’s not gonna solve the case for you, but at least I know who’s responsible. It’s gotta be the New York drug mob.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. I met a guy from out of town in Hank’s Bar. He was in the parking lot that night. He saw the whole thing.”
“What’s his name?”
“He wouldn’t tell me. I couldn’t even get a license or car description. Figuring it was the mob, he was nervous as hell.”
“Damn. I get why he’d be on edge. What did he look like?”
“Probably in his thirties, long brown hair, and a full beard. I thought that was weird ’cause he looked a bit rough, yet he claimed he was a traveling salesman passing through.”
“Okay. What did he say?”
“He walked out of Hank’s just after Mike did. He went to unlock his car and heard talking coming from behind the bar. He said he heard a gravelly voice tell someone, ‘That’s him.’ He assumed the next thing he heard was Mike starting to talk. All he got to say was ‘wait‘ when my guy heard a loud thud like someone got hit over the head. Someone else said ‘Put him in the trunk,’ and two guys got into the car. One of them told a third guy to look for witnesses. Hearing that, my guy got on the ground and crawled as far as he could under his car. He said a young, skinny guy walked around but didn’t see anything. He heard the car door close, assumed it was the third guy getting in, and they took off nice and easy in a big, black car with New York plates.”
“Any other description of the car or, maybe, a license number?”
“Nah. I’m surprised this guy was willing to tell me anything. He was shakin’ like a leaf the whole time.”
“Well, there’s nothing here to reopen the investigation. I guess the only good thing is we’re almost certain who did it, but we’re never gonna touch them. Anything else?”
“No. Sorry. Should I tell Mike’s family anything?”
“You and I can do that together. It isn’t the outcome they wanted, ’cause sure as shit that kid is dead and gone. At least they’ll know he didn’t just take off.”
Our act was over. A few officers at nearby desks clearly heard the story, and Liam later reported it to the chief, who then, as expected, ordered him to take a partner to the bar to verify my story. Of course, Sal the bartender could only verify that I talked to him and a stranger at the bar who fit the description I gave him. Liam filled in the chief, who told him to record it all and close the file. It looked like our plan worked perfectly.
I met Liam later at his place. We talked in the driveway for a minute before we went in.
“That went as good as it could, Zack. Great job.”
“Yeah. Then why do I still feel like shit?”
“You’re feeling like I’ve been feeling for the last year. In the war, did you ever have to kill someone?”
“No, I was lucky. As an MP and then in CID, it would have been rare.”
“Well, pray you never have to. It will make you see things about yourself you don’t want to see.”
We told Nan and Caitlyn that her attacker was taken care of by the mob. I hugged Caitlyn while she went through all the emotions from laughing to crying, but in the end she seemed relieved. Thank God she’s a strong woman. She’s gonna be okay.
I called Sheila and told her to call her parents, then to meet Liam and me at their house. We gave them the same story. Sheila’s mom cried. Her dad paced with tears in his eyes and kept muttering, “That damn kid. Why wouldn’t he listen? What did I do wrong?” Sheila seemed cold and unresponsive. She stared at nothing in particular, then quietly said, “That stupid little shit. Damn.”
Liam was quiet on the drive back. Regardless of what the reasons were, he had killed that family’s child. Going to their home and lying to them couldn’t have been easy.
So my first case was over. The kid nobody really missed was gone. Everybody got the outcome, or at least the story they could live with. And me? I violated a bunch of laws and felt like crap.
Liam took it the hardest. He got away with murder, although if you asked him he’d say he got away with nothing. He met the monster that lived within him. Whenever the memory got to him and it showed in his mood, he’d tell Nan or Caitlyn that failing to make Mike pay bothered the hell out of him. Of course, what was weighing on him was just the opposite. He knew God was fully aware of everything and the guilt was a damn heavy burden. He prayed every day for forgiveness, and left it up to God to decide his fate. When you get down to it, he was willing to pay a price for what was done to Caitlyn. I prayed, too, that God would understand and be merciful.
Epilogue
The happy side of this story is that Caitlyn and I were married the following spring. A year later, Zack Junior was born, marking the start of what we hoped would be a big family.
Liam retired and came to work with me. Together we’ve grown the agency into a very successful business. Who knew there would be so much need for investigations in Allentown?
Liam, or I should say, Dad is still suffering with guilt. He never told me what he did to Mikey and I didn’t want to know. We never really talk about it, but I’ll occasionally ask if he’s okay and he knew what I meant. His answer was always the same, “Livin’ with it.”
Liam and I are committed to taking the high road and being faithful to the law in our work. It felt hypocritical given what we’d done, but we convinced ourselves that they were unique, justifiable circumstances. We hoped we’d never run into similar circumstances again.
And Sheila? She married Craig not long after Caitlyn and I tied the knot. She doesn’t work for me anymore since they decided to move about thirty miles away. Craig got an offer to partner with a guy in a new dealership for some Japanese car company that was known more for motorcycles. With the junk made in Japan, I hoped they didn’t go broke on that deal.
*****
My sincere appreciation goes out to Jezabel, Charlie, Peyton, John, Paul, Cheryl, and Nora. A special thanks to Jason for his patience and highly valued guidance, and my wife for her help and letting me bounce ideas around.