Time Heals All Wounds

It was a beautiful day in sunny California. Ralph Hinkley walked outside to get the morning paper. It was a nice day, he thought to himself, but why couldn't he enjoy it. He had trouble sleeping all night, and the night before that. In fact he had been feeling uneasy all week. It had been at least two years since he had passed on the suit to Holly and up until this week he had been relaxed.

Although, truth be told, he did miss it sometimes. He also missed Bill. He hadn't heard hide nor hair from him for a few months. He picked up the paper to read the headline. He kept reading the words but they didn't sink in. He couldn't concentrate. He walked back in where he could smell bacon and eggs. It should be pleasing to him. He loved bacon and eggs. Especially since he showed his wife Pam how he likes his eggs cooked.

He sat down on the sofa and looked at the TV. Pam entered the room and sat next to him.

'You know, it works much better if the TV is on.'

'Hm? Oh sorry. I just can't shake this feeling. Maybe I should call Bill and see if everything is ok? It's been ages since I heard anything.'

'I'm sure everything is ok. He said Holly's got him running all over the world, driving him nuts, saving the whales.' She smiled.

Ralph could find no humor but smiled at her attempt. 'I don't know Pam. I-' He stopped trying to find the words. 'I just-something is not right. I don't know any other way to explain it.'

'Well you were tossing and turning all night. Maybe you should look into it. I tell you what. I'll pick up Kevin today and you do what you need to do to feel better. We'll have a nice birthday lunch for Kevin at Tino's and everything will be fine. In the mean time why don't you go have your breakfast.' She leaned over and gave him a kiss.

He turned and smiled and gave her a kiss in the lips. 'You know, I don't know what I'd do without you.'

'I do. You'd go hungry. Now go. Eat.' She got up and headed to the kitchen.

After breakfast and a good shower he got in his car and headed over to Bill's apartment. He found it even harder to concentrate the closer he got. It was like a scratch you can't itch. It was irritating. At this point he was convinced something was out of place. He rushed up and impatiently knocked on the door.

'Bill?' Bill! It's Ralph, are you there?' He knocked again. Nothing. He tried the doorknob and it was unlocked. He slowly walked in. The place was ransacked. Ralph went the rest of the way. 'Bill!' He called out hoping to hear something. He walked in and looked in the bathroom and came back out into the main room picked up the phone. As Ralph started to dial he saw someone out of the corner of his eye and turned quickly.

'Sorry I didn't mean to startle you.' It was Bill's boss Carlisle.

'I was just going to call you. Do know what happened?'

'No. He disappeared some time ago. We've been watching the place for a while. I saw you and thought maybe you could shed some light on what happened here.'

'I wish I could.' He said looking around worriedly. 'You don't know anything? What was he doing before he went missing?'

'Well, he said he had to take a trip to Nevada. And that he'd call back in a week. That was three weeks ago. We sent someone over here to see if he was home and they found the place like this. We were watching the place and I saw you come in.'

'I don't know either. It's been a few months since I heard from him. I know he'd been busy with work so I figured I'd wait till things calmed down.'

'Weren't you two like Siamese twins at one time?' He asked.

'Ralph chuckled. 'Yes, but life got in the way of a lot of things. We'd get together every week or so. Sometimes it was longer than normal. Like I said I just thought it was work. But I've had this awful feeling and thought I'd come over and see if he was alright.'
He looked around. 'I guess I got my answer.'

'If you find out anything, call.'

'I will.'

Carlisle turned and left. Ralph stood there for moment and he looked down at his feet where he noticed Bill's fishing hat. He picked it up and held it almost expecting to get a holograph off of it. It had been a while since he had the suit but when there was danger some old habits were hard to break.

As he looked at the hat he remembered one vital factor…the suit. 'Holly.' He fished around and found the phone book and looked up her number and dialed. He waited. There was no answer. He hung up the phone and looked for her address. As soon as he found it he ran out of the apartment. He took it slow so as not to get Carlisle, who he was sure was still watching the place, suspicious.

When he got out of view, and when he was sure he was not being followed, he gunned it. If Holly was not home he was not sure what he could do.

It was about twenty minutes later he arrived at her place. He ran up the stairs and knocked. As soon as his hand hit the door it opened. He was not liking the feeling he was getting from all this. He went in. 'Holly! Holly! Hol-'

Her place was in the same state as Bills. Looking around he saw the plants had not been watered and were dead and or wilted. The feeling of something not being right was getting worse.

He looked around but found nothing that would give him any answers. He felt helpless. He really needed the suit. He needed it bad. But for now he was going to have to settle for the next best thing… Palmdale.

He walked out the door and suddenly stopped. The feeling he had got worse. He looked around nerves on edge. Someone was watching him and he felt more uncomfortable than anyone could feel. And the unnatural feeling, the out of place feeling was overwhelming.

'Mr.Hinkley?'

Ralph spun on quickly and saw a man, dark hair standing off to the side…in the suit. This was not good.

'I believe you and I need to have a talk…'