Chapter Two

Something Done

1

As she reminisces on the details of her life, she explored what life was like as a child for her. Ruth remembers love and fun that she experienced, when she had been just Ruthie and life was a mysterious dream, loved devotedly throughout her childhood by her beloved grandmother: Mama Rose. It was this woman who cared for her and mostly raised her. And her love for her grandmother was boundless and Mama Rose had always returned that love completely. Their relationship had grown so large that it had known no bounds, or so it seemed to her then. There existed a mutual, gratiating aura of warmth and acceptance, assuringly nurturing in nature, they gave each other everything that was ever needed by each other, unselfishly and completely.

Ruth had never known her father on the other hand. He was a stranger. One who had left her mother as soon as he'd heard that she was pregnant. Her own mother was much too young and naïve and when she found herself to be pregnant, she was not prepared to take care of a tiny infant. Only fifteen at the time, she was scared and the responsibility of a growing person for which she was ill prepared, was making a strong case for her entrance as a child into her world. So Ruth's raising had, of course been done primarily by a grandmother who provided love and support for Ruth in a full way that never leaves a person. She called her grandmother Mama Rose, her special name. Everyone else who knew her, called her Ms. Elton. No one ever spoke of her illegitimacy and she was never made to feel ashamed of who she was, though she'd always wondered about herself and how she had come into this world. She had determined that her own daughter would grow up in a world where her own identity was one of pride and propriety.

She stood nervously on the stoop of Kathy's friend's mom's house, and finally knocked. Ruth was startled upon hearing the bark of what sounded like a very large dog. A scolding voice shushed the pet and the door abruptly swung open. Carol welcomed her and smiled but in the way she was looking at her, Ruth felt an uneasiness and it seemed to her that beneath the plastic smile there was a repugnance in her look, filled with suspicion and mistrust. She felt somewhat naked and exposed.

Ruth entered Carol's home, her uneasiness increasing slightly as she did, even though she'd stepped into a living space of immaculate keeping, spotless and well groomed, her own personal station in life was revealed. She worked as her grandmother had, cleaning and arranging. Her living was struggled for via her Home Décor Business.

Darkly stained wood grain cabinets, lacquered with black, reflective finished cherry wood and matching counter tops were arranged through-out the spacious kitchen and it gave the sitting area into which she was escorted a homey air and to Ruth it seemed just like a world she'd dreamt of but never believed she'd be privy to. Suddenly she could see the dark bags hanging from beneath Carol's eyes, her face appearing drawn and stark as she bent slightly, pouring hot, black coffee into handsome black cups and handed one of them to her. "There is sugar and creamer on the counter behind you." She said to Ruth in a very small voice.

They both sat at a small, round, lacquered table, both beginning to relax and then, they began to converse in awkward and, at first, uncomfortable small talk, but soon they found themselves relaxing for real and actually beginning to feel somewhat cozy. As Ruth talked she continued to gaze about the house visibly from her seat. She jealously scanned the uncluttered counter tops and her eyes took in the whole room and she could feel with great appreciation the craftsmanship and care (not to mention the money it must have taken) that must have went into the designing and engineering of this superb kitchen.

Chatting about the décor and deliberately avoiding the unpleasantries of their predicament while they waited for a response of some kind from the police, they wiled away the time. Despite the negative attitude she'd received from Carol over the phone, Ruth knew that her host had been through a long sleepless night and that she was deeply concerned and worried for her daughter, just like she was.

"When I talked to Sgt. Reynolds over the phone, he said that officially there had to be at least 24 hours before they could file a report about the missing girls and until then they could not truly be considered missing." Carol rolled her eyes and scrunched up her face with distaste while she was saying this, as Ruth continued to study the beautifully appointed kitchen. "I can't believe they're going to wait 'til then to start searching for Shirley and Kathy! Or, even take my call seriously."

With an abruptness which surprised and scared her enough to startle herself, Carol felt her face form a grimace and knew that her countenance was stripped bare of any mask. Before her accidental guest was a face now revealed, her true fear and doubt, a face filled with worry and concern. Her daughter was truly missing, and would not, nor could not, be coming home anytime soon. She was out there somewhere on her own, somewhere unknown to them and it seemed they could expect no help from anyone until she could find someone who would take her premonition seriously.

Witnessing the morphing of her countenance tugged passionately at her heart. Carol was exposed, bare and open. The distrust Ruth had felt earlier melted away and it was clear that they were growing a mutual admiration for each other which would be useful support for each other at this time of crisis. Together! They would face this glaring horror as a team. She finally felt a growing compassion and a shared worry for their little girl children, no matter their real age. Carol's facial muscles drew into constricted bunches, accentuating the lines of her face and revealing an older age inside, and she burst into tears, losing all composure. Instinctively, Ruth rose from her chair and slowly moved over to lean beside her and comfortingly wrapped her in her arms, gently rocking her back and forth in an effort to comfort her.

"We will get through this! I don't know how! Together we will see our children home and safe. You just wait and see." Ruth whispered close in her ear.

"I knew that something had happened to Shirley last night, just before I laid down to bed." Carol confided. "I could feel it deep within my soul. I didn't know exactly what had happened but I could tell that she was still alive and unhurt, but still, in some kind of deep trouble and I couldn't quite get the details of it to come clearly."

2

Ruth suddenly realized that she knew for certain that she and Carol would become close friends and would probably remain so, long after this ordeal was done and over. Her heart ached with a bitter mixture of sorrow and joy as her soul reached out to her new friend, knowing too, that her own fear and worry for her Kathy to be as strong and as pertinent as Carol's concerns for her Shirley. "I didn't think that I could trust you when I first talked to you. You seemed so distant, distrustful. I was afraid of what you thought of me." Tears streamed down Carol's face and they held each other's hand in hope and wished for a small bit of solace.

The door bell rang and in the stillness of the house it rang loudly! The police were at the door. Holly began her barking frenzy again and Carol held her by her collar and opened it quickly and ushered the two uniform clad young people into her living room. Officers Rose and Gentry stepped into her house with an all business attitude, each holding a posture of professionalism, clipboards ready in their hands and dressed in immaculate uniforms.

Tufts of dirty blonde hair raked the back of Officer Rose's uniform, fallen out from the rest which was neatly tucked up under her uniform cap. Her youth gave her a pretty face, framed with curious yet professional, penetrating eyes. Officer Gentry, on the other hand, held his cap in his hand, demurely keeping it just in front of his belt buckle, a concerned expression on his strong, handsomely fierce face. He was obviously older than his partner, but not by much. Carol thought they both seemed a little green and she bid them to have a seat.

The two police persons sat silently for a moment, attempting to assess the two women seated across the small room on two cushioned, well appointed chairs, a small coffee table between them. They appeared to be frightened and both women seemed to be full of worry and despair was written clearly on both faces. Arlene Rose felt a compassionate tug on her heart and her pity went out to them, but these feelings were not shown. She'd heard no sign of desperation from the dispatcher's voice when they'd taken the call. The short drive over to this house had been without expectations, they'd not expected anything more than a routine visit and taking their report of whatever Carol has said had happened. The lack of the presence of the two young girls who had been reported as missing held no specific importance to Arlene, however, upon meeting these two ladies, she did indeed feel that something was truly wrong here and she desperately wanted to help them with their dilemma.

At twenty eight years of age, Sage Gentry was a policeman of good standing at his precinct. He was known to be brave and extremely loyal to his co-workers and has built a fine reputation of honesty, integrity and an overbearing demeanor which stood him well for the five years he'd been there. Sgt. Brad Reynolds, his immediate superior and captain of the precinct, was his friend and being personally invested in his platoon of dedicated men and women, had paired him up with Officer Arlene Rose as his ride along partner.

He'd set this up for two reasons. The first was just to continue her training, as she was a rookie, and so she could become familiar with the job of policing the neighborhood for which they were responsible. Secondly, he needed a new partner. His previous partner; Ralph Haze, had been shot during a routine robbery investigation and had died after an extended stay in the hospital. Only two weeks had passed since that tragedy had occurred, but it still stung. Being a rookie placed Arlene in a position of spending much of her time in untried waters, while it was obvious to her that Sage's time in the field had built him into a fine specimen of a man, giving his fully developed body a definite, strengthened structure and it also gave him an air of confidence.

To witness the stream of information that exuded from that huge pocket of knowledge she was sure existed within Gage's mind allowed Arlene to hold an immense respect and solid trust for him. She was also equally sure his brilliance gave him, along with the added support of experience, a professional confidence and stature of strength which he was more than happy to share and impart to her. He'd been on multiple missing persons calls and was familiar with all the reports and protocols, and she felt reassured that he had, in fact, a handle on this one. Arlene was also pretty sure that he wasn't aware that she was in love with him.

This was only the second such call for Arlene Rose, which made this the perfect training exercise for her. She knew they could count on strong measures from her partner's own experience, and she agreed with him when he told her that he felt that more than likely, Shirley and Kathy would show up sometime during the day with a lame excuse for their absence. She did feel this way too, at least she had until they were sitting in the actual home of these two, obviously grieving women. Officer Rose believed totally that she could see the truth in their eyes and honesty was what she could see through their emotions and she felt truly convinced that something was truly afoul with the circumstances concerning the girls. She remained silent about her feelings though. She trusted Gage's expertise.

Dutifully taking their report, showing the appropriate amount of compassion and promising to investigate thoroughly as soon as the 24 hour period was at an end, the policepersons left and bid them a better afternoon.

3

Coffee drained down Carol's throat as she sipped at the hot liquid swirling in her cup, she tasted the bitter sweet liquid as it washed over her tongue, distracting her momentarily from her thoughts, her concerns put aside for a moment. She knew that the two officers did not believe there was a problem. She could tell, she saw it in the expressions on their faces. The relief she'd expected from their visit did not come and she'd been left with more questions than answers. It seemed to her that the lady cop was more attuned to their problem, but her superior overrode her empathy with his own strong doubt.

Her despair had grown into an anger, filling her with even more doubt and deeper bitterness which seemed to match the bitter taste of the coffee that she held in her hand. The fine porcelain cup being ignored, tilted slightly and she jumped as the hot liquid spattered onto her wooden kitchen floor, scalding the inside of her thigh. Grabbing a paper towel she cried out from the unexpected burn and quickly wiped the spreading liquid spill off the floor and wondered how she could be cleaning while Shirley was sitting uncomfortably someplace at the complete mercy of some fucking lunatic, and she didn't even have a clue as to who that lunatic might be.

How was she going to clean that up?

She arose from the floor and set the cup on the counter with trembling hands. Though the police had left her with assurances that they would investigate the girls disappearance and they had dutifully written a detailed report, she wondered if they really understood how desperate the situation really was.

Where was her daughter? What had happened to her and her friend?

Why had Bob gone off to work when he should have noticed that she'd been extremely upset? These questions circled through her mind endlessly, her anger continued to grow and her frustration increased even more so as there was no answer coming.

Ruth worried for her new friend's sanity. She, too, was worried and concerned for their children, but she was trying hard to keep a positive attitude and felt sure that they would turn up, having some benign explanation for their disappearance. Surely, someone would have called with a ransom demand by now if it had been just a simple kidnapping.

"You have got to pull yourself together, Carol." Ruth urged, trying desperately to coax her host into a more positive frame of mind. "They will show up and everything will be alright! You'll see!"

"Goddamnit Bob! That son of a bitch went off to work knowing full well how terribly upset I was. Not to mention the fact that Shirley, his only daughter, was probably in some kind of serious trouble." Carol suddenly looked up at Ruth and her face turned red with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I should keep thoughts like that to myself."

"No! That's perfectly ok. I know how you feel. I used to get mad at Marvin the same way. I thought that he was the solution to my own feelings of self-worth, but I was wrong. He could certainly be trying at times. We didn't see eye to eye on a great many things. Actually, we saw nothing as each other saw it." soothed Ruth, trying to minimize the situation, a misty look in her eyes. "I found out about his affair and I insisted that Marvin move out. We had a lot of arguments, usually over the most ridiculous things. It didn't take much to set either of us off either. So we separated to cool things off, eventually it ended with our divorce."

"I am just upset that he went to work knowing that I felt something was wrong. Even when we called your house and he found that Kathy hadn't come home either, he still showered and shaved, got dressed in his office suit and left. Like nothing was happening! It's like he didn't even give half a shit where his own daughter was."

4

Streaks of sunlight lay in wait, springing suddenly across the stucco wall and illuminating the Shady Lane Motel façade in an odd way, as Bob steered his silver Lexus into the tarmac turnabout. Maybe it was his mood that made it look that way, or maybe he was worried a little about Shirley. He surreptitiously glanced around, making sure that their were no prying eyes. Scrutinizing the peripheral scene around him, he recognized no one.

That's the trouble with small towns. Everyone knows everyone and he went through a lot of trouble to ensure that he had not been seen by anyone, but he still felt a twinge of nervousness, a pressure building in his chest. Mrs. Lois Carver hunkered down nervously, keeping low on the floor in front of the plush, leather passenger seat. She felt uncomfortable but neither one of them could afford to be caught sneaking off. So, she was bending down so that Bob would look like he was alone. The clearly marked parking spaces were mostly empty with the exception of a couple of cars he didn't recognize and for Bob this meant only that at least a couple of rooms were occupied, and all appeared to be normal.

The Shady Lane was not on a lane, nor was it the least bit shady with only a small evergreen holly tree with shiny, prickly leaves and small red berries, in the lot and a small, crooked, misshaped maple which stood alone on a tiny island of grass looking lonely and a little sad to Lois. She kept this thought to herself.

Bob sat quietly for a moment, reflecting on the events which happened earlier at his home. He refused to feel guilty about his affair with Lois as it had been a while since he and Carol had had any kind of sexual relationship. He had a right to be happy. Didn't he?

Sighing heavily, he got out of his car and slid the key attached to the plastic fob with the motel's name and the giant number 7 printed in a raised form on it in the lock and, considering himself a gentleman, held the door open for Lois and followed her quietly in and quickly pulled it shut behind them.

As they entered the small room, Bob carelessly threw the key on the scratched and worn veneer dresser and noted that the room was at least clean if not a little frayed and shabby looking. One side of the room was dominated by a queen size bed, pressed against the wall, lighted from above by a cheap, unseen lamp. At the foot of the bed, sat a small table holding a television set which was festooned with cables and other cords and connections. They certainly weren't going to watch the tube. The veneer dresser supported the key and sat to the side of the table, over which hung a mirror, making the tiny room look a little bigger than it was.

Bob reached out for Lois and pulled her towards him, she fell playfully into his arms, giggling. She peered deeply into his eyes, her expression turning serious and joyous at the same time and kissed him passionately. She began tugging on his shirt, pulling the tails from his trousers as he pressed his body against her, his erection beginning to become apparent.

Lois pulled her face back from Bob's a little, eyes sparkling as they peered deeply into his and whispered, "You know I love you!?" She paused. "How long do we have to keep these stupid clandestine meetings up?" she nervously brushed a lock of hair back from her forehead and put her hand back on the back of his neck. "Mark is beginning to get somewhat suspicious and I'm starting to get a little scared.

"It's not like I want this to end! I certainly don't. I just would like to be out in the open and not have to hide."

"Can't we talk about this afterwards?"

"We've just started to get to know one another really well and it's just that I'd like to be free of our spouses. Mark keeps a suspicious eye on me and I'm sure he suspects there is someone and, or something going on." Her face took on an obstinate look, "I want to tell him about us. To tell him that I want a divorce and then I can just leave. Have you told Carol yet?" Worry lines showing clearly on her face. That little pout that he finds so cute.

"No! Of course not. Not yet. But I will. I just need a little more time, especially with all of these stupid feelings she believes she has about Shirley. You know how accurate she thinks she is sometimes and this would not be a good time to cause too much of a problem right now. As soon as she sees that Shirls is alright and things at home get back to normal, then I'll tell her I want a separation."

"That's not good enough for me! I'm getting tired of having to wait. You've got to tell her you're leaving her now. Come with me, and forget about her and her dumb visions!"

"I will, but not yet! Give me at least another week or two."

"I just love you too much and I'm sure that Mark is capable of doing almost anything to keep what's his." She complained as she began to pull buttons through the holes in her blouse. The lovely shapes of her breasts easily seen as Bob watched her continue to undress.

Lois was also enjoying the show as he too, removed his tie and began to unbutton his shirt, unbuckling and sliding down his trousers. Lois spotted and focused her eyes on the scar which sat on the inside of his thigh. She appreciated a man who had scar tissue and reached out her fingers and drew them across it. "I love battle scars."

Bob blushed, not intending to tell her it was only where a rock had been thrown against his leg while he was mowing his lawn when he was a kid.

Murk Kelantan worked as a private detective and he at the present moment he sat directly across the street, in the Quik-Mart parking lot where his dark blue Buick Skylark served as his temporary camp. Dirty dried mud splatters smeared the windows and in his mind, this worked to his advantage, for they hid his spur of the moment office so that no one noticed the indiscreet presence of his little observatory operation.

He'd wiped a small clean spot in the center of the windshield with a dirty piece of paper he picked up from the floor. A badly worn body, full of dings and scratches, covered with old mud and dust, made the car indistinguishable and one which no one noticed. Murk reflected back over his life as he sat and watched the Shady Lane Motel's parking lot through the small cleaned spot with an old, worn pair of binoculars. He was used to long boring hours and had learned to fill his time by remembering. He remembered his father faintly as the bastard had left his mom when he was barely six years old. He remembered his mother having a hard time being a single parent at a time when it was a rarity. Everyone at school had a dad, but him. He hated his father and if he ever had the opportunity he would gladly kill him for the hardships he'd forced his son and wife to endure. Murk had a lot of anger issues and as a result he was curt, rude and a loner.

He concentrated the lenses of his binoculars on the door to unit number seven. From his current position his view of the door was clear and he would be able to clearly see if anyone came or went. He also continually checked the window, just to the front of the Lexus (nothing but motionless curtains), as he waited for Bob Pennington and Lois Carver to finish their business and leave, his old Polaroid camera ready at his side. This fool Bob was caught in the act of breaking his family trust and in his book that made him an evil son of a bitch. Soon he would add more evidence of such to the already growing pile of photos he had taken of the clandestined pair. He was alone but not lonely, caught up in the mundane but not bored. It was more than a job and of course the pay was great. Let's face it, the business was always there.

5

Sitting alone in her kitchen, Carol continued to worry and fret about the fact that she'd not heard anything from anyone about Shirley and her anger continued growing and eventually became gigantic in its proportions. Her feelings for Bob were vacillating, now bordering on hatred and sometimes she endeavored to remind herself that she loved him until she'd finally decided that enough was enough. She excused herself from Ruth as she decided to give her some privacy and left for home, promising to call if she heard anything, she scurried about the house, angrily collecting his clothes, his shaving equipment, his personal hygiene crap and everything she could remember as his and stuffed it all in an old dirty traveling case. She hurried through her living room and opened her front door to set them on the stoop, where Bob would be sure to see them and she hoped he would understand why they were there. Actually, she didn't care if he understood or not.

When Carol opened the door, she was startled and jumped for someone was standing there on her stoop. She was also puzzled that Holly had not barked as she usually did when someone, especially a stranger, approached the house. An old dark man stood there. He was bent with age. In his left hand he was holding a tall dark staff with weird symbols carved on it. The hue of his skin was the color of burnt coffee and he just stood there looking like a figure out of some old movie . Dressed in old worn denim jeans and an old white tee-shirt, now turned yellow, with a small spattering of holes across its midsection and a tattered coat of leather which covered most of his body, he was silent and intent. There was a pouch strapped neatly to his left hip with a cord which wrapped around his waist, doubling as a belt. A gnarly, craggily pocked face with a bulbous nose sat above a long, kinky, graying beard, neatly trimmed and clean. Though he looked old enough to be ancient, he seemed spry and exuded a calmness which seemed startling and incongruent to her. His sudden and unexpected appearance had caused her to jump and she embarrassingly grabbed her throat and utter a short scream.

"Shirley and Kathy have indeed been taken." He announced in a voice which was almost a whisper. "I know a little bit about that and I would surely like to come in and speak with you about it Mrs. Pennington. Do you mind if I come in?" And without hesitation or waiting for a reply he walked right through the door. "Something has been done. Something must be done!"

Danny Brooks