Alone Again_After the Collapse

by John Sullins

  “What time is it scheduled to come on?”

  “Five o’clock.”

  “I’ll be here.”

  As they went back up the steps the man asked, “Do you mind me asking what you had to pay for this place? My brother is looking for a remote place like this, in the middle of all these trees.”

  “I inherited it.”

  “Do you want to sell it?”

  “Naw, I don’t think so. Maybe in a year or so, but not now.”

  “Keep me in mind if you do. My name is Elvie Norton.”

  Keith held out his hand, “I’m Keith Hunter.”

  He watched Norton get into the truck, turn around, and drive back toward the road before going back inside and down the steps.

  He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and moved the light beam slowly from straight ahead to the left illuminating the walls. The place was neat, no trash or boxes on the floor. On the far wall was a narrow wood work bench with a few tools hanging from peg hooks. There were cardboard boxes sitting on metal shelves along the left wall. The wall under the stairs was empty. He moved the bean along the right wall and found nothing but an old wide book case which was so tall it nearly reached the ceiling.

  Nothing he was seeing was going to answer the hundred questions about the Will of his great grandmother unless the answer was in the cardboard boxes on the shelves.

  He moved to the shelves, lifted one of the boxes, and sat it on the floor. He opened the top and found it was full of rags. He pushed his hand into the rags and felt around expecting to find a pistol or maybe drugs. He felt nothing but more rags so he turned the box upside down and dumped the contents onto the concrete floor. Only rags hit the floor.

  He picked up another box, opened it and found dishes. The next box contained drinking glasses and cups.

  He opened every box and found only kitchen and household items. None appeared to be of any special significance or value.

  He picked up everything and put the boxes back on the shelves. He walked the perimeter of the basement shinning the light into every corner, up at the ceiling and along the floor at the edge of the walls.

  He spoke aloud to himself, “Maybe there is no connection between this house and her Will. I need to find out who this Wendy Hamlet woman was and what her connection was with great granny.”

  Chapter 56

  He locked up the house and closed the gate behind him when he left. He drove back to town for items he had forgotten on his last trip.

  He remembered seeing a brick building with the large letters “C0MPUTERS” painted on the windows but when he stopped he found the building was vacant. A small handwritten sign taped to the door stated the store had moved. The new address was on the bottom of the sign.

  He drove to the new address and was surprised to find it was a two story brick house on a residential street. A sign which looked to be a re-painted house for sale sign was stuck into the ground along the driveway. It read, “Computer’s by Chris, use side door.”

  He parked in the driveway and walked to the end of the house and knocked on the door. He heard a young man’s voice call out from inside, “The door’s open, come in.”

  The room was dark except for the light coming through the window and door glass and a window on the right side of the room. A tall thin man with red hair, in his late twenties, was standing behind a long wood table working on a computer circuit board.

  He looked up and said, “How you doing today?”

  Keith looked around the room, which at one time was possibly a recreation or dining room of the house.

  “I’m good. Do you sell laptops?”

  “Yes, I have a few. I don’t keep many in stock any more. Not many people with money to spend these days. I apologize for the place being so dark. I’m sure you know about not having electricity around here most of the day.” He put down the circuit board and moved to the end of the table and lifted a box from the floor.

  “Do you have anything special in mind?”

  “Nothing special, just need to do some research on the internet.”

  “Like I said, I have only three models. All will do well with the net. This one is the least expensive but it is a good value for the money.”

  He bent down and lifted two more boxes from the floor.

  “I can take these out of the box to show if you like, but here are what they look like. He slid a three ring sales binder along the edge of the table and opened it to show photos of the three computers. He gave a fast rundown of the speed and memory capacity of each along with several other features Keith did not understand, before telling him the price.

  “Want me to open them up?

  Keith had limited experience with computers so he declined. He could think of only one question to ask.

  “Which one did you say was the fastest?”

  “This one, it is the newest Apple. Includes the battery of course and also the charger, most expensive too.”

  Keith did not ask the price, he nodded, “Ok. I’ll take it, but I have a question for you. Are you any good with old computers?”

  “I think I am pretty good with all computers. What do you need?”

  “I found an old computer, a lap top, in a house I inherited, and the battery is dead. I would like to get it working to see if there are any files or documents in it.”

  “I should be able to get it going. Do you know if it is password protected?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “Well, if it is not password protected, it should be easy to get it up and running, I should be able to find a battery to make it work. Even if it has a password, I should be able to get into it, just take me longer.”

  “Can I be here to watch when you do it?”

  “Sure, if you have the time. Why would you want to watch?”

  “To be perfectly honest, I don’t know what’s in it, but I’m guessing it is important and confidential. It may have information I don’t want anyone else to see.”

  The young man grinned, “That’s not a problem for me. Bring it by anytime when the electricity is working, and I will see what I can do.”

  “I’ll bring it by in the next day or two.” He held out his hand, “I’m Keith.”

  “I’m Chris.”

  “One more question Chris, I need a couple of twelve volt batteries. Can you tell me where in town I might find them?

  He gave Keith the name and location of the only auto parts store still in business.

  Keith paid cash, thanked him, and carried his new laptop to the Caddy.

  The auto parts store was also operating with no lighting but the huge widows across the front of the building allowed in plenty of light. Keith was the only customer in the store and he saw no employees when he entered.

  He walked up to the counter near the front of the store and waited almost a full minute before giving a moderate “Hello, anybody here?”

  “A woman’s voice from behind a row of shelving responded, “Be right there.”

  A few seconds later a rotund woman waddled down the aisle of shelves in his direction.

  “Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.”

  “That’s Ok, I’m in no hurry, just didn’t see anyone, that’s all.”

  “What can I do for ya?”

  “I need a couple of twelve volt batteries.”

  “Any particular size or terminal location? If you tell me what kind of vehicle I can probably pick the exact battery. I have ran this place for years and know my merchandise fairly well.”

  He told her the batteries were for an electric gate, not a car, and that he did not think terminal location would be an issue.”

  “I’d say you will need deep cycle batteries. They hold a charge longer and live longer considering the multiple recharging. But they aren’t cheap.”

  Keith did not hesitate. “If you have two, I’ll take them.”

  He expected the woman to ask about the location of the electric gate but she did not. It was obvious her only interest was
the cash for the batteries. He saw a slight smile appear when she saw the amount of cash when Keith opened his wallet. He assumed that under the circumstances of the collapsed economy, most business were happy to get every sale they could.

  Ed Roy’s new truck was parked beside the house when he got home an hour later. Ed Roy was swinging a wet mop on the far side of the kitchen floor when he carried the new laptop in and sat it on the kitchen table.

  Ed Roy looked up from the floor, said, “Hey boss” and saw the box.

  “Are you kidding me? You got a new Apple? Man. Those are great.”

  “Do you know about these things?”

  “Are you kidding me? I’m the king of geeks.”

  Keith was surprised and stood silent for a long minute.

  “You are a geek? You are good with computers?”

  “I’m the best. Did you get this from Chris?”

  “Yes, you know him?”

  “I taught him everything he knows about computers. He’s good, but I’m better.”

  Chapter 57

  Keith pushed the box containing the lap top in Ed Roy’s direction, “Put down the mop and get this thing set up so I can get onto the net.”

  Ed Roy let the mop fall to the floor, opened the box and had the laptop turned on before Keith took of his coat.

  He was describing what he was doing as his finger flew over the keyboard. Keith had no idea what he was saying most of the time but watched intently.

  “Where did you learn to type that fast?”

  “I told you I was the king of geeks. My friends call me super geek.”

  “You are going to be a handy guy to have around.”

  Ed Roy smiled and continued typing commands on the keyboard.

  After about ten minutes he said, “You are set up. You can get on the net now.”

  “Do it for me super geek. See what you can find out about a woman named Wendy Hamlet.”

  He typed and watched the screen. “Is the woman a local? I don’t find anyone with that name.”

  “Try Sue Davis Lang Hunter.”

  He entered the name. “There are several articles on her. Looks like most are about her dealing with a domestic terrorist named Al York. There is another about her capture of a serial killer named Francis Fagan. Here is one which involves the shooting of a her husband and a deputy.”

  Keith leaned over Ed Roy’s shoulder and looked at the bold letters heading each separate article.

  “Do you see anything saying she killed anyone?” He stepped back from the table and opened the refrigerator to get each of them a soft drink. He opened the cans and set one on the table by Ed Roy and waited as super geek did his magic.

  Ed Roy stayed quiet and clicked on one of the posts to read the details. “She shot and killed the York guy after he escaped from a prison van.” He continued typing.

  “She wounded the serial killer after tracking him down to Mississippi.”

  Ed Roy took a sip from his can and continued his search.

  “Here is one.” He spoke slowly as he read details. Two Pennsylvania State Troopers were killed by a sniper…………... A reward was offered……………She shot and killed the guy…………It says here she was aided by two fellow bounty hunters David Davis and Morgan Goodwynn…………….She was shot herself before shooting the sniper.”

  Keith took a long drink from his can. “I’ve got a lot of reading to do.”

  Ed Roy began typing again. “Here is another one she shot and killed. A guy named Burns………….This guy was nasty, he was a teacher who went to prison for lacing his students cookies with his seamen, yuck………He also escaped from prison, she found him in Atlanta…………shot him dead, in self-defense it says here.

  “Those all sound like she did the right thing to me.”

  Ed Roy swung his feet back and forth a foot off the floor under the chair. “I agree, they got what they deserved, especially the pervert teacher. Man, what that guy did was awful!”

  Keith thought about those four words in the unusual paragraph in the Will and considered if these deaths were what his great grandmother was referring to. But if that was right, why did she put that paragraph in the Will? As he considered the possibilities, he concluded that the paragraph was not referring to these particular deaths.

  Ed Roy took a longer drink from his can. “Let me check a few more sites to see what I can find about Hamlet.”

  Keith pulled out a chair from the table, sat down, and stared out the window at the frozen lake. His thoughts had shifted back to the Hamlet house. He did not know why, but he was convinced the answer to his questions were somewhere in that house. He looked at the clock on the wall. The power was scheduled to come on at the Hamlet house in just over an hour.

  “Ed Roy, do me a favor and keep digging on that woman. I need to go to the house where I had the power company out this morning. They told me to be there when the power comes on at five, just in case there is some type of problem.”

  Ed Roy stopped typing and looked up. “Does that house have anything to do with Wendy Hamlet?”

  Keith did not want to lie, but also did not want to say anything about his suspicions.

  “She is the person who left me the place. I don’t know her or why she did it.”

  Chapter 58

  Keith was putting on his coat when Ed Roy turned off the laptop and stood up.

  “If this is some kind of mystery, I’d like to help. Besides being a super geek, I am very good at solving puzzles.”

  Keith tried to think of an excuse to say no, but before he could speak, Ed Roy continued.

  “Listen to me Keith. I am four foot eleven. Growing up I never played any sports because of my size. While almost everyone else was playing basketball or football, I was on my computer, reading mysteries, or working on puzzles. I really am good at these things, let me help.”

  Keith breathed in a long slow breath and let it out even slower.

  “Ok, but whatever we find has to be kept a secret. Can I trust you?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Ok then, but before we go I have to get a couple of wrenches from the barn. I need to put in a couple of new batteries in an electronic gate. The batteries are in the trunk of the Caddy.”

  Ed Roy put on his coat, “I know where a tool kit is, I’ll get it. If it is ok with you, we’ll take my new truck.”

  Keith removed the batteries from the Caddy and put them in the bed of the pickup and got into the passenger side front seat.

  Ed Roy had a black plastic tool kit in his hand when he climbed into the driver’s seat. He raised his head as high as possible trying to see over the dash and steered the truck down the tree lined driveway and then the county road.

  Keith gave him directions and after a short drive the truck came to a stop at the gate of the Hamlet house.

  Ed Roy opened the door and slid down to the snow covered gravel. Keith went to the back of the truck to get out the batteries. As he was lifting one out, he noticed the metal letters on the gate again.

  “Ed Roy, you said you are good at solving puzzles, right?”

  “Yep”

  “Then tell me what those letters mean, L.o.S.V.”

  Ed Roy stepped out a couple of feet away from the side of the truck and looked at the gate.

  “That’s easy, “League of Shadows, Vigilante.”

  “What, how in the hell did you know that?”

  “I told you I am good at this stuff.”

  “What does it mean?”

  “It is an old story, maybe a legend I guess. It was probably most popular from an old Batman movie.”

  Keith smiled and shook his head in disbelief as he carried the first battery to the metal access door in the brick column on the right gate. Ed Roy followed with the tool kit.

  The terminals on the old battery were badly corroded and he struggled to get the nut on the post loose. Once loose, he knew he should use a wire brush to clean the cable ends but that was something that was not in
the tool kit.

  The second battery went in easier than the first but the cable ends also needed cleaning. He made a mental note to bring a wire brush on his next trip. When he finished with the second battery, he pushed the small manual on button and the gates swung open.

  “The next mystery you need to solve is to find the remote control for this gate.”

  Ed Roy put the wrenches back into the plastic box. “That should be as easy as a piece of cake.”

  Ed Roy drove slowly under the overhanging trees of the driveway, “This place is nice, very secluded.”

  They parked the truck at the back porch and Keith carried in the bag from the store containing the new light bulbs and flashlight. He unlocked the kitchen door and flipped the wall switch for the ceiling lights checking for electricity. The lights did not come on so he looked at his watch, it was fifteen minutes until five.

  Ed Roy made a fast tour of the first floor and returned to the kitchen. “Anything in particular we are looking for other than the remote for the gate?”

  “I am only guessing, but I suspect there is something in the house that is very unusual. Something that as soon as we see it, we will know it is what we are looking for.”

  Ed Roy looked up at him, “You mean like a book? A safe? Something like that?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve made one fast search here but had no electricity and it was hard to see.”

  “I guess you were unable to check the attic, right?”

  “I didn’t even think about that. That’s a good idea, I need to find the attic door.”

  Ed Roy pointed up. “In most old houses like this, it was in the upstairs hallway.”

  Ed Roy followed him up the stairs, and sure enough, in the ceiling in the middle of the hall was a small trap door with a thin chain hanging down similar to the house in Boston

  “Damn Ed Roy, you are good at this stuff.”

  At that instant, a lone light bulb over the upstairs bathroom sink blinked three times and illuminated.

  “Awwww, lights,” said Keith.

  Ed Roy said, “I think if you pull on that chain, the door opens and steps or a ladder will fold down.”