“Which is… ”
“Terminates pregnancy or terminates Plan A.”
Carter smirked. “You know… I really do think there’s something to say for a couple who has been around each other so long that they learn the intricacies and quirks and sense of humor of the other. That was actually a very funny response, Brenda.”
“Are you trying to tell me my funny response is a reflection of my being associated with Carter Spence for so long?”
“Something like that. Let’s just say it doesn’t hurt.”
“Oh, get over yourself. I’ve always had a great sense of humor. Who the hell do you think you are… George Carlin?”
“No, I’m the one and only Carter Spence.”
“Carter who?”
Carter pointed at Brenda. “Ahhhhhhhh. You so funny!”
The waiter stopped at the table and gave Carter a look, then asked “All set?”
“Yes, everything’s fine,” Carter replied. “Thank you.”
They began digging into the Sesame Chicken. “Man oh man,” said Carter, “this place hasn’t missed a beat.”
“Delicious!” Brenda said. “I’ve only tasted the western edition. The east coast wins. I also want to try the pizza. I bet the pizza is really good too.”
“You have no idea!”
Brenda finished another scoop of Sesame Chicken and Pork Fried Rice. “Does anyone really eat those crispy things?”
“I usually knock down one or two if I’m super hungry, but I’ve never seen the bottom of the bowl.”
“Carter Spence!” The voice came from a guy passing by, and Carter looked up to see an old friend of his that they called Buddy.
“Buddy! My God, it’s been a long time. What are you up to?”
“Oh, you know… same ol’, same ol’. Just working, I guess.”
“Buddy, this is Brenda. We’ve been living out in Colorado for the past few years.”
“Nice to meet you, Brenda.”
“You as well.”
“I hear it’s nice out there in Colorado,” said Buddy. “So you guys ski a lot out there?”
Carter smirked. “Never skied a day in my life.”
“With those mountains? You’re not a skier?”
“Nahh. Just went out there… liked it… and the rest is history. You actually don’t have to be a skier to live out there. We do like a good snowball fight on occasion, though.”
“Oh,” said Buddy. “That’s cool.”
“Hey Buddy… is anybody around from the old group? You still hang out with the guys?”
“Not so much. I actually got married last year, so that pretty much puts a stamp on my wild side.” Buddy frowned after he said that.
“Aha,” said Carter. “So you don’t see Billy or Margaret… or… Charlie… .Sam… Trevor?”
“Not so much anymore. I know that Billy moved out west somewhere… Texas, I think. Margaret… she came down with Mono and she was sick for months… poor thing.”
“She was always a sweet thing, wasn’t she?” Carter was just making conversation, but still felt the tip of Brenda’s shoe make landfall on his shin. “Ooh,” he grimaced, and then tried to disguise it. “Ooh, I’m sure you heard about what happened to Charlie?”
“Yeah, I did. What a tragedy. I hadn’t seen Charlie much since he met that girl he’d been with for quite a while. I couldn’t believe it when I heard the news.”
“He used to hang out with us back in the day,” said Carter. “Trevor used to hang with us once in a while, too.”
“Trevor I do see around every once in a while,” said Buddy. “He’s still single… last I knew. I saw him about a month or so ago, and he’s still working as a mechanic at that gas station.”
“Oh, yes,” said Carter. “That Full Service place on Evergreen Street. He’s still there?”
“Yup. Bernie’s Auto. He must do pretty well for himself. He did say he wanted to eventually go back to school, but for now he’s making a decent living.”
“What about you? You still at that insurance agency?”
“Actually, not the same insurance agency. I moved to their competition across town. Maxwell’s Insurance Agency. Base pay plus commission… full benefits. It’s okay. It’s better pay than where I was.”
“Sounds great.”
“Actually, I have to get back to work now, but it was nice seeing you again, Carter, and nice meeting you Brenda.”
“You too,” said Brenda.
“Take it easy, Buddy. Tell your folks I said hi.”
“Will do. Adios!”
Once Buddy left the building, Brenda perked up. “Bernie’s Auto. So you know where that is?”
“Sure do. It’s actually very close to here. How do you want to do this?”
“Will he recognize you?”
“Of course he will, but he won’t recognize you.”
“But I won’t recognize him.”
“Yeah, I guess that won’t work. Maybe I’ll wear a disguise.”
“Carter… maybe there’s another way. Think. Maybe do a drive-by.”
The waiter dropped the check on the table and walked away. Carter paid the bill in cash and they made their way back to the car. They left a good tip and received a good tip, and had to pursue it.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
They did do a drive-by at Trevor’s workplace, but there was nothing doing, so Carter pulled into the car wash across the way and parked facing Bernie’s Auto.
“Maybe you’ll be able to recognize him if he comes out.”
“If he comes out… he works on cars inside a garage… not outside.”
“Well… it’s a nice day at least, so he has to come out eventually. Do you remember if he smokes? Maybe he’ll take smoke breaks.”
“He was never a smoker.”
They waited around for over an hour, but there was no sign of Trevor. That’s when Brenda devised a plan to drive across the street by herself while Carter stayed behind at the car wash. She would go up to the front desk and ask for estimates on a tune-up. While waiting, she would scan the repair shop for names on the wall, names on the mechanic’s uniforms, and hours of operation. Then she would see where that takes her. Hopefully, she would at the very least, confirm that he works there.
“Can I help you?” The man sitting behind the desk at the repair shop awaited his new customer.
Brenda slowly made her way to the front desk, glancing for any and all signs of Trevor. There were no signs. She tried peeking through the windows on the swinging door leading back to the garage, but she saw nothing. Frustrated, she continued on with her plan. “What do you get for a tune-up?”
“Most vehicles are $60 plus parts.” The 40-something year-old guy was a smooth, used-car salesman-like operator. “For pretty ladies like you… I can give a 10% off coupon. I only do that for the pretty ladies.” He then winked.
“That is so sweet of you,” Brenda replied, gritting her teeth.
The guy sporting a black mullet winked at her a second time and said, “It’s my pleasure ma’am.”
“Oh, I’m not ready to do that… quite yet, but let me grab a business card with your phone number on it… oh… and the hours.” Brenda quickly scanned the card and saw that they closed at 8PM Monday thru Saturday, but there were no names on the card. She quickly scanned the walls for plaques, such as Employees of the Month.
“Thank you so much,” she said. “Say, I was referred to you by a friend of mine who got her car tuned up here and she said you guys did a wonderful job. S
he said the fellow’s name was… ” Brenda stopped and looked in the air as if she could not come up with the mechanic’s name.
“Was it Mike?” he asked.
“No, that wasn’t it,” said Brenda.
“Harvey?”
“Nooooooo. Damn, it’s on the tip of my tongue.”
“We’ve got Hal, Trevor and Gerald.”
“Gerald. That’s the one. Thanks, I’ll have to remember that name for when I call. He wouldn’t be here tonight, would he?”
“No ma’am. Sorry, it’s just me and Trevor tonight.”
“Oh rats! You both have to stay all the way till eight o’clock tonight?”
“Yes ma’am. Customers need that these days… and nights.” He chuckled with a toothy grin after saying that.
“Well, customers do appreciate it, and I’ll be talking to you again real soon.”
“Lookin’ forward to it, ma’am.”
Brenda smiled at the man who had all the answers and wiggled her butt as she strutted out the door. She had no idea it was going to work out that smoothly. It just happened that way, and it was totally unscripted. She could not have been happier to report her information to Carter, who could barely see the interaction from across the street.
When Brenda reported her findings to Carter, he was astonished that she could get all that in such a short time. “We need to report back here in a couple of hours and follow him home. What else?” asked Carter.
Brenda took a moment to figure some things out. “Well… who knows… maybe he will stop off at the local pub and I’ll have to go in for a drink. That would actually work pretty well, but don’t worry, I would never leave with him.” She looked over at Carter for a reaction, but got none. He was too lost in thought at how this new information would be used.
Timing was everything here, and this could very well be their only shot. They didn’t have much on Trevor… only a spiritual connection. It was so inconclusive at this point, but he had to at least give him a look. Carter felt that he would be able to sleep better at night knowing that he tried. Besides, he also knew that it’s what Charlie would have wanted.
After cruising around town for a couple of hours, killing time, they returned to the same spot at the car wash. They didn’t have a car that Trevor would recognize, and Carter hoped he would recognize Trevor walking to his car in the front parking lot. The night began to settle over Boston, bringing darkness and wind. They waited 15 minutes after closing time before they got their first signs of life. The first man to leave was the man at the front desk, and he held the door for Trevor. Carter noticed that he still had a black beard and hobbled as if his feet hurt. He’d walked that way for as long as he could remember. They could see small talk being conducted, before the two men went their separate ways.
“Get ready to go,” said Brenda as she twisted her fingers to indicate that he should start the car.
“I’m on it,” said Carter. He twisted his fingers and started the car, and was prepared to follow Trevor.
“Stay a good distance away from him,” said Brenda. “You don’t want him to see anything that would raise a red flag.”
As soon as Trevor made his turn onto the two-lane road, Carter pulled to the edge of the parking lot and waited to give Trevor a head start and distance himself from his car. Within a few seconds, Trevor was off to the races, and Carter was suddenly stepping on the gas as he pulled out. The last thing he wanted to do was lose him. He wasn’t sure where he lived and would possibly have to wait another 24 hours before getting another chance, and that was assuming he was working the next day, not to mention working the same hours. He was going to be on him like flies on shit, and his adrenalin kicked into high gear.
“He’s taking a right up ahead,” Brenda said, pointing to the road. “My God… my heart’s racing!”
“Are you sure that’s his car?”
“Yes, positive. Hit it!”
Carter took the right turn and noticed a stop light up ahead. It was a long light, and he slowed down because he was almost right in back of Trevor’s car. “Green… green… give me green.” That’s what color the light turned, and Carter hit the gas, but kept a safe distance between the two cars. Another car pulled out from a parking lot and separated the two cars. That was good, but the middle car was not keeping up to speed. Carter feared that he was going to lose him, so he stepped on the gas hard and passed the middle car out. It was a double yellow line, and just as Carter returned to his lane, he was able to slow down enough so that he would not be bothered by the cop that he had just passed.
“He took a left up ahead,” said Brenda. “Take that left.”
“Damn, he’s getting close to my old neighborhood,” said Carter.
“Now take that right!”
“I’m on it. I’m not sure where he lives now, but he might not even be heading there. I know he used to live on the other side of town, which would have been a left out of the gas station where he works. Oh shit.”
“What’s wrong?”
“My road is like a street away. I hope Cynthia doesn’t see my car.”
“Where will this lead to?” asked Brenda.
“It’s a dead end.” Carter then watched as Trevor turned down his street. This was not only his old neighborhood, but now Trevor was on his street. “This is unbelievable. There’s like nothing down here, and it’s residential, not commercial, and there are no rentals.”
Carter slowed his car down when he saw brake lights. “My house is just up ahead on the left.” He watched in disbelief as Trevor slowed down to a stop just past his driveway, parking his car on the street. They watched from a distance and with the headlights off.
“He’s getting out of the car,” said Carter.
Trevor shut the door and looked at Carter’s house, then began to slowly walk up to the front door. Carter inched his car closer without the chance of being discovered.
“What the hell is he doing here? If he did do this to Charlie, do you think he’s back to do the same to Cynthia? Maybe he’s afraid she knows something.” Brenda was very concerned for Cynthia’s well-being now.
“I don’t know. Maybe he heard that I’m back in town. Maybe he saw us. Maybe he heard about Charlie and came to give Cynthia his condolences. Remember, he and Charlie were sort of friends.”
When Cynthia answered the door, Carter and Brenda could hear her amicably invite Trevor into the house. The door closed behind them, removing the visual. Carter did not want to pull up any more. If he did, he would be in front of Mr. Jenkins’ house, which was the house next door. That would be too close to his own house, and Mr. Jenkins could very well be walking around the yard at night or looking out the windows. He did his best not to blow his cover.
“So what do we do now?” Carter asked aloud.
“I don’t know. Now we’re getting into strange territory. We don’t want to be stalkers. That would look pretty bad if we crept up to the house and peeked into the windows.”
Carter looked over at Brenda, whose cheeks took a shine from a distant street light. “I’m kinda thinking that we have to press forward. This is very strange. What the hell is he doing here right after work? That’s what I want to know. Cynthia could certainly use the company, I guess, and he was Charlie’s friend, but… I don’t know... It just all seems so weird.”
“Are you saying that you want to sneak up to the house and peek in the windows?” asked Brenda.
“I’m saying that if anyone could pull it off… especially in the dark, then it would be me. I kind of know the area, Brenda. I grew up here, and I ran around the trees and bushes and know the best windows.”
“Can I come?”
“Of course you can come. I never said that I didn’t want backup.”
Carter and Brenda slowly opened their car doors and got out. “Be sure to gently push the door closed,” said Carter. “I don’t want any noise.” Once the doors were gently pushed closed with a dull click, Carter signaled with his hand for Brenda to follow him around the back of Mr. Jenkins’ house and into the back yard. “Be careful not to trip over anything,” he whispered. “Step lightly and follow me.”
As they made their way around Mr. Jenkins’ back yard, they could see him watching TV in the living room. They could hear the TV as well, since he had it blaring. Luckily, he was sitting in a chair with his back to them. They took enough steps to make it into Carter’s back yard. This is where it got tricky. They did not want to be discovered, and Trevor and Cynthia were much younger and much more aware than Mr. Jenkins.
Along they moved towards Carter’s house, walking an imaginary line that Carter believed divided the two yards. There was a picture window on the main floor of his house. They got to the back of the garage and made their way to the back of the living room, inching their way to the picture window. No words could be exchanged at this point, and that was the stated plan going in.
They saw nothing in the living room, so they moved swiftly past the picture window to the smaller windows off the kitchen. They looked in and could see Trevor comforting Cynthia with a long hug. Carter looked at Brenda, who was standing just over his right shoulder for the same perspective.
As they continued to look at the comforting, they saw Cynthia pull her head off of Trevor’s shoulder and she stared at him while holding his head between her hands. Trevor then moved his tilted head towards Cynthia and kissed her. This was no peck on the cheek or peck on the lips. They began going at it heavily, sensually, yet nearly attacking each other. Their lips still locked, they slowly, clumsily, stepped sideways into the living room. Not once did they break the connection.
Carter and Brenda had to retreat to the big screen, but they had to take precautionary measures with this picture window. Their chances of being caught were greater. They could see the morose, pathetic couple continue to kiss their way to the couch. Trevor slowly sat down on the couch and Cynthia straddled him. After just a couple of minutes, Trevor rose from the couch and left the room.
Desert Son Trilogy: Desert Son, Wayward Soul, Spiritual Intervention (Books 1-3) Page 31
