-18-
The Hayfield Motel was every bit as rustic as Callie said it would be in the text she sent. Chet and Aimee had arrived the evening before and were assigned unit 6. The building was a remnant from the mid 1950's and had seen very little upkeep since. Mainly catering to locals seeking longer term housing on a budget. While the unit was somewhat larger than the average modern motel room, it unfortunately did not have the same amenities.
Chet sat at a round Formica top table that wobbled and was situated in the front of the room near the window and heater. He looked down at his laptop, doing his best to navigate through the various data that Frank had forwarded from his dad. He leaned back in frustration and took a sip from his bottle of water. He glanced around the dingy room which consisted of two twin beds, a dresser, a television, and little more. The carpet and walls both had not likely seen refreshing in over 25 years. Chet shuddered visibly as he inspected the room in the morning light. He heard the shower stop and hoped that Aimee might be able to help with the computer work. But he knew Aimee was going to be taking a little while. She was going to transition into her alter ego, Bunny Hopkins. Chet was not entirely sure what that involved. But he assumed between spending over an hour at the thrift and drug stores the day before that the change would not be subtle. Chet decided to try the computer again.
After another failed attempt to figure out how to access the information that Fenton had supplied, Chet gave up for the time being. Maybe Aimee would have better luck. He never did fully embrace the use of computers beyond the basics. He sat back in his chair waiting. After fifteen more minutes he heard the bathroom door rattle. A moment later a figure emerged that was not quite recognizable to him. Wearing a dark pink, extremely tight crop top marked with the number 76. The crop barely concealed Aimee's amble bosom. A pair of low rider jean shorts with sparkle embellishment was also notable to him. Much like her top, the short barely covered Aimee's shapely peach of a rear. A pair of dark brown, well distressed cowboy boots were her choice of footwear. Perhaps what was most notable thing to Chet was Aimee's hair. What was once a dark brown head was now a striking hue of honey blonde hair. Chet was doing his best to stay composed under the circumstance, but he was finding it hard to blink. Finally, after having taken her in he cleared his throat reached blindly for his water bottle. Aimee giggled as she saw him reaching for a bottle that was at least a foot away from his attempted grasp. She pointed with a smile.
"It's over there." Chet blinked a few times.
"Sorry?" He asked a bit confused.
"Your water." Chet quickly turned his head away from his fixed gaze long enough to grab his water.
"Oh, yeah." He grinned a bit sheepishly. Aimee held out her hands with an expectant look.
"Well? What do you think?" Chet nodded with approval.
"You have definitely changed. But, can I assume you have chosen to go 'Brandy' instead of 'Bunny'?" Aimee looked a bit confused.
"Brandy? What do you mean?" Chet chuckled lightly.
"I take it you've never seen the movie Joe Dirt?" Aimee looked thoughtful for a moment.
"It sounds familiar, but I don't think I've seen it, no." Chet nodded with a grin.
"I might then ask you to Google Brandy Joe Dirt. Cause you are looking like Brittany Daniel's twin sister." Aimee nodded quickly and pulled her phone from her back pocket. After a few moments she looked back over to him with a shocked expression.
"Oh my God! Now I know where I've heard of that movie from! I remember seeing the trailer and poster. Then I remember running into a guy who..." She got a distant look in her eyes and managed to smile.
"Oh, so you were familiar?" Aimee smiled.
"Uhm, no. I actually didn't even think about that when I was transitioning to this look. But when you brought it up, I remember that I have met a Joe Dirt kind of guy before. And he hit on me."
"Seriously?" Aimee nodded and grinned at him.
"Let's just say if I took a selfie right now and sent it to a young man named Tim Tibbs over in Pennsylvania he would probably think it was the real Brandy texting him." Chet snapped his fingers.
"Oh! oh... I think I know what you are talking about. Iola told me that when you guys were in Pennsylvania, you stayed with a family and the son had this mullet and talked exactly like Joe Dirt and was always hitting on you guys. Especially you! Is that the guy?" Aimee closed her eyes and nodded.
"Yep." She turned to look in the mirror above the dresser. She shook her head. "My God, I do so look like her! I wonder if I just had that image stored in my subconscious of what a redneck girl should look like and copied from memory." Chet walked over to her.
"Yeah, I'd say with the blonde hair you are as close to her twin as I've ever seen. Granted, I've only seen the movie a few times. Very funny film by the way..." Chet turned his head and lost his train of thought as he spied something on Aimee's arm. "What's that?" He asked pointing. Aimee smiled when she saw Chet had recognized the ink on her arm.
"Yeah, I did one of those long-lasting temporary tattoo kits that you can customize the letters to make your own words. What do you think?" Chet looked at her arm again. There was what appeared to be a tattoo of a heart and the name 'Walter' written under it. He couldn't help but chuckle.
"That's actually pretty cool. I mean clever, that is. Though I bet when Cal sees that and thinks it's real, she will ask you if you need your head examined."
"Ah, well, Callie will probably ask me that anyway when she sees the whole ensemble." Chet nodded.
"Well, probably. It is pretty revealing." Aimee turned and looked at him. While Chet was an honorable man, he was still a man. It was nearly impossible for him to not look at Aimee with an approval that was fairly easy for her to perceive. She looked back at him.
"Are you really complaining?" Chet remained silent for a few moments. He shook his head and averted his gaze.
"No, I am not." Aimee nodded.
"Good. Because I want to do my job well. I know it may be this notion that I am just tagging along for company. And I'm not. I love Maddie and am worried sick over her. I know that your idea is to go in and check into things as a local. You suggested I join you and play the role of your... what did you refer to me as? Your woman? Well, then I will do that. While yes, I do think its kind of fun to step into a role I would not normally play. I do understand the serious nature of this and why we are here. I just wanted you to know that." Chet looked into her eyes and could tell that she was very worried for his daughter's safety. He had the same uncertainty as she did. The whole terrible thing was nothing short of a nightmare. He nodded kindly to her. He opened his arms.
"Would it be ok if we..." Aimee didn't hesitate to embrace him. They felt that they were both on the same page of wanting to help Maddie. They also seemed to be perhaps healing over the past. The past which they held such anxiety over the other for several months.
"It's more than ok." Squeezing him tight. "I'm sorry all this time has been wasted. We could have been getting to know each other much sooner."
"Yeah." Chet managed to reply. He felt a little awkwardness in their closeness. But in the same moment found it quite contenting. He cleared his throat and gestured down at the computer. "Uhm, I'd be grateful if you could help me with this info that Fenton sent over. I'm afraid I just have little patience with computers." Aimee kept embracing him for several more moments before looking up at him.
"Of course. I'd be happy to." She turned and walked over to the table and when she brushed against it, the top wobbled and the computer slid a little. "Forgot about this darn table. One of the legs is bent I think." She grabbed a nearby phone book and looked down at it. "I'd say an 18-year-old phone book is fair game to use for other purposes." Chet nodded.
"Without a doubt." Aimee peeled off the thick front cover and started folding it into a small square so she could use it as a shim under the bent leg of the table. She bent over and started placing the piece under the leg. In the process this granted Chet a rather revealing look as Aimee's shorts left little to the imagination. He cleared his throat.
"Uhm, Aimee. You might want to bend from the knees, there." She looked back over her shoulders and noted his expression.
"Oh, sorry about that. Didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." Chet shook his head.
"Oh, no, no, no. You didn't do that at all." Aimee stood up and turned to him. she smiled at his flustered expression.
"Maybe we should get a couple things clear. Ok?" Chet nodded receptively.
"Sure. Like what?"
"Well, first off. You should probably not call me Aimee while we are in this area. Since you have accurately pinpointed my new imagine, I guess we probably should go with the name Brandy for me. Since I do seem to be a twin for her, as you say. I'd hate for us to be in a situation where you get all flustered and confused and start calling me multiple names." Chet nodded.
"Ok, that makes sense...uhm... Brandy." She smiled briefly.
"Good. Also, you are not going to be particularly convincing when we go out there and you feel the inclination to play boy scout every time I do something which may offer you, shall we say, consternation?"
"Not sure I follow you." Chet admitted. Aimee giggled.
"When I bent over, I was well aware my ass cheeks were probably sticking out a bit..."
"Among other things." Chet added with a somewhat flushed expression. Aimee nodded and rolled her eyes with a slight smile.
"I can feel the air down there, Walter. So, I know when I am exposed a bit. My point is, you can't look like you are bothered by it. And if we can both be adults here, can I ask you straight up. Did it really bug you to see part of my butt?" Chet turned a bit and gave a slight shrug.
"Well, no." Aimee nodded.
"Well, good. When we are out there among the rustic, or rednecks. Or whatever you want to call them, this nobility thing you are pushing will come off kind of odd. Don't you think? I mean if we are out there and I bend over to pick something up. Are you really going to tell your 'woman' to bend from the knees? You won't be living up to your rustic self if you do that. It may cause people to wonder if you really are all that rustic. Or just some poser from up north with some kind of agenda. I am not an astute detective type by any means. But I really don't want us to get into hot water if we can't be convincing."
Chet realized that she was very much correct. If he didn't pull off his newly acquired image and do so effectively, he would possibly get himself and Aimee in trouble.
"Well, I very much appreciate the heads up. I guess I never realized that I would have to factor in the dynamic of our relationship in that way. Obviously, that will be something which will require our full attention to pull it off." Aimee turned her head and blinked a few times.
"Well, yeah. Can I ask you something?" Chet shrugged.
"Sure."
"This whole vibe you give seems like it borders on a very strict to be good and noble personality. You may just block things out of your mind if they test your will. But, I'm just curious... how on earth, with your personality, did you ever proposition a babysitter for a lap dance with Callie in the house? Then there are the stories I heard about you involved in threesomes. Or that you were totally comfortable with Iola and Callie doing their thing." Chet shrugged and dropped into a seat.
"I guess that was another time. A couple years ago and beyond. Hell, I've only had sex one time in the last year and a half. Maybe this situation we are in makes me a little uncomfortable because it's been so long."
"Been so long?" Chet nodded.
"I haven't worked a case in years. After the money came along, I really just didn't find the need or desire. After maybe the first 5 years of marriage, things got very predictable. I guess I fell out of touch with the whole detective side. Truth be told if it weren't for Maddie being at risk, and my lack of faith in the police and feds to run this down, I'd never likely be engaging in something that offers such risk."
"But for years you were an active detective. And from the stories I've heard you have been in some pretty hot water yourself. Iola and Callie told me that you and the Hardys have been kidnapped multiple times. And managed to survive. That speaks a lot for your abilities! I think you can get back into the ring if you just get a little more confidence in yourself. And this is the time to do it. Maddie needs her dad to come into this without self-doubt." Chet inhaled deeply in thought. He nodded slowly.
"You know you are right." He said quietly. "I fell out of touch, but I think if I really concentrate and maybe pull my old instincts from the closet I can do her some good." Aimee smiled and nodded approvingly.
"There ya go. Just keep an eye on the end result we all hope and pray for."
"I will do my best." Chet said with a tone of determination.
"There's another thing..." He looked up questioningly.
"That is?"
"Maybe I am off on this. But I feel you are putting on this nobility thing at least in part because you fear I might tell Cal if you were to get fresh or something that might happen if you felt more relaxed and yourself." Chet looked down thoughtfully.
"Yeah, I suppose there is some truth to that. It's just a defense mechanism I guess. I certainly don't want to irritate Cal if I somehow offended you. And I try to mind my manners because it's an honorable practice to live by." Aimee smiled.
"And I definitely appreciate that. You see, I can tell you are honorable. And that speaks so much to me. So, you really don't have to walk on eggshells while we are trying to pull this off. There is an image we must convey. And I am fully aware that if you and I do this, it will no doubt involve us taking certain liberties to be convincing. But, rest assured I don't think Callie will mind that knowing that we are doing this for our common goal. Finding Maddie. So, I will hope you manage to loosen up. I will be glad to help however I can. But, please don't worry about Callie being mad. This is all just a facade. Right?" Chet slowly nodded.
"Yeah, I guess it is. Sorry, afraid I've never been wonderful at acting. So, if I come off stiff, don't take it personal. Maybe if I act that way, you can offer a gentle reminder and I can correct myself?" Aimee nodded.
"Yes, I think I can do that. Trust me, I am from Seattle. I am likely the farthest thing away from a real natural redneck you can find. I am not nearly as loose in my moral image as this pretense suggests. It's just an act." She paused and smiled. "So, if I can borrow you a minute, I think we need a selfie to establish our new relationship. Come here." Chet half smiled then rose to his feet. He walked over to where Aimee was standing in front of the mirror. Aimee pointed to his glasses that were hanging on his vest pocket.
"Put the glasses on. We need to go for the full image here."
"Oh, of course." He took them and slid them on. Aimee took out her phone and the two stood side by side. She placed her arm around him and they faced the mirror. She pulled him closer.
"Put your arm around me, hun." She directed.
"Oh, right." He put his arm around her shoulder. She saw Aimee roll her eyes in the mirror they were facing. She scoffed.
"Who am I? Your army buddy?" She took her free left hand and grabbed his hand and pulled it off of her shoulder. She then guided his hand and stuck his fingers into the rear pocket of her shorts. "Help me out, hun. You're a guy." Chet gave her a sideways glance.
"Ok then." He said sliding his hand into her rear pocket. Chet cleared his throat several times halfway expecting her to slap him. She smiled over at him.
"It's ok, hun. Like this." She took her hand and placed it in the rear pocket of his shorts and took a firm grasp on his posterior. Chet's eyes broadened. He firmed his grip a bit on her rear. She nodded. "There you go. Good boy!"
Chet felt a bit awkward, but he knew Aimee was trying to desensitize him enough to take a picture which may actually convince anyone who saw it that they were actually a relaxed, real couple. She snapped several pictures. Eventually, Chet managed to make a few relaxed expressions. He was slowly acclimating. After another five minutes Aimee had managed to snap a number of photos that gave the appearance they were a couple taking a selfie. He cleared his throat.
"Are we good?" Aimee giggled.
"Well, it's a start. If we ever need to meet anyone important, it will require some work. But, for now let me see what I can do with the computer. Maybe we can get a hand dealt to us in this card game." Chet nodded.
"Excellent." He was glad that they were going to start addressing things on that side. The two sat down.
"Ok, what did Frank's dad send us?" She inquired. Chet pulled up his email tab and showed it to her.
"Alright. Let me read this over and we can see what can be done." Chet nodded his thanks.
"Glad you are computer literate. I got nowhere putting some of those web addresses in." Aimee smiled.
"Well, I am no expert. But I did take a couple years of computer classes when I was in community college. Don't ask me to break in to the CIA or the New England power grid system. But I do have some understanding I suppose."
"More smarts than I got. If you can figure that out, we will have a chance. And if you figure it out, we can get coffee drinks. Assuming we can find some."
Aimee read through the information that Fenton had sent. Finally, after reading and rereading the multiple paragraphs, she looked up.
"Well, I think I have it figured out as to why you were getting nowhere with just a simple copy and paste for some of these urls."
"Oh?" Chet looked over, immediately interested. She nodded.
"You see, these web addresses are of course leading to illegal sites. Specifically, forums where criminals gather to basically talk about their sickening fetishes and to buy and sell kidnapped children. Obviously, you cannot find such sites using a simple Google search. These sites are basically located on what many people refer to as the Dark Web. The Dark Web is of course what it sounds like. A location where all the bad elements can gather anonymously, without fear that the FBI or the NSA can track them, or monitor them. This is accomplished with safeguards like heavy encryption systems protecting the Dark Web. What you need, is a key. Which Mr. Hardy provided in the form of access to a TOR browser and access ID to use on the target site."
"What is TOR?" Chet asked.
"TOR stands for The Onion Router. Which is essentially a network of sorts that allows access, with the right credentials, to the sites we are after. TOR itself is not necessarily a bad thing. It allows for many legitimate activities that require its participants to have absolute privacy. To put it in some perspective for you, it's like making a phone call. But if you don't want someone to trace your call you have to relay it through several different networks. You are basically bouncing from one satellite to another. TOR works similarly, but then throwing in some heavy encryption and bounces ghost signals all over for good measure in the event a trace is happening. Make sense?" Chet nodded.
"So, basically you have to get us access to the TOR system. Then you can take these URLs and place them into that system, and we will actually get access to the system and these seedy forums?" Aimee nodded.
"Assuming the login credentials are still good, yes. But one other thing."
"What's that?"
"As with many forums, some of them require certain fees to just be a member."
"So, we can obviously pay." Aimee smiled.
"Sorry. I should elaborate. Illegal activity sites such as the one we will be trying to access do not let you pay with say a Visa or Mastercard. The payment of any fees which relate to illegal activity is strictly forbidden by the credit card companies. More importantly, it is hardly anonymous. What we need is something not easy or perhaps impossible to trace, like coin." Chet smiled.
"No worries there. I am covered in that department. I have the ability to relay coin to any of these sites, or an intermediate." Aimee gave a thumbs up.
"Sounds good. I think we can get in without issue then. I'm not even certain a fee will be required. Assuming that we can access the site. Now, Mr. Hardy is providing a sign in credential. He notates that we may modify it in the profile settings to suit our needs." Chet nodded.
"Right. Frank advised that we go in as looking for girls to acquire. It would be safer and easier than going in as a potential supplier."
"So, our story is going to be that we are looking to buy a young woman?" He nodded.
"Yeah. He said that there were no guarantees. But if someone was, as he put it, brokering in the area, they would contact us if we placed a wanted ad." Aimee shook her head.
"Disgusting. Like buying a puppy or a car. Human life is reduced to a financial transaction."
"Tell me about it." He muttered with equal disdain. "Frank suggested that if we did get contacted by a local broker, that they would probably choose to meet us multiple times before proceeding to where they would show us any potential girls that are available." Aimee sighed softly then looked over to Chet.
"Do you think it's really possible that Maddie was taken by someone who operates a trafficking ring?" Chet swallowed hard and shrugged.
"I can hope that it might be the case. At least we would have a reasonable chance in being able to find her is she is deemed a marketable commodity. If she was taken by what they call a collector. Well, it could be a lot harder because those individuals tend to have a much more sinister agenda that has nothing to do with making money." Aimee closed her eyes for a moment.
"Never thought I'd be saying this, but come on human trafficking!" Aimee spent the next thirty minutes concentrating on the screen. Meanwhile, Chet had been carrying on a text conversation with Callie. Informing her of their latest plan to attempt to see if there were any trafficking potentially working in the vicinity.
"Callie says she and Iola will be checking out the crime scene where Heather was found. Later, they will be coming through town to be asking questions to those who operate or work at local businesses."
"Hope they find some people at least willing to talk."
"Me too. How goes it?" Aimee was still focusing on the screen, but a moment later turned to him.
"Well, for better or worse, we are in. I have to already say I am disturbed with this forum." Chet scooted his seat over to see the screen.
"What's up?" Aimee just shook her head and gestured towards the screen.
"I was able to get into this group using the second login that Mr. Hardy provided. The first one didn't work. But it's literally a market of filth. You have people on here selling kid porn to order! Name what you want them to do and within 24 hours they show you the video. A wide range of underage porn. Which means there are both sickos who kidnapped young children and nutjob parents exploiting their own kids! And, what we were looking for, there is a 'domestic worker' group. You see here." She said pointing to an area on the screen. "You pick your region here. Then you can place your ad on the buy or sell page! It's a marketplace for flesh!" She turned and rubbed her eyes. Aimee was clearly distressed by what she was viewing. Chet placed an arm around her.
"Take it easy, now. This can and will be overwhelming for us. We are going to see some very disturbing things. If you think you can manage, was there a profile we can edit?" Aimee nodded and slowly turned back to the screen.
"Ok. What location do you want me to set in the profile?"
"Winchester Virginia."
"It's asking what types of things we specialize in?" Chet raked his fingers through his hair.
"Oh, lord. Check other profiles and see what they say."
"Ok." She started tapping into other profiles. "Oh, god. Listen to this crap... Collecting 10-15 girls with small ones. This one says open to all ages and sexes, PPFV. I wonder what that acronym means? One way to find out." She opened another window and started typing. "Ugh! Listen to this... PPFV means premium paid for virgin. Let me go look into the actual marketplace ads. We don't need to make a detailed profile. As far as I can tell, there are many IDs that are simply numeric in nature. We are User327. Though there are others who choose more colorful identifiers."
"Yeah, I noticed." Chet said tensely as he watched her navigate the page.
"Ok, here is the buy and sell section for domestics. It's divided into regions. Not specific cities. Which makes sense if you are attempting to keep things as anonymous. Here is the section for the mid-Atlantic region. I'm hesitant to check the sale ads. Looks like some of them indicate photos are attached."
"I'm hesitant, too. But, we must check. We don't know if Maddie is listed here or not. There are so many unknowns." Aimee nodded without much enthusiasm.
"Yeah, guess we need to look. Glad I haven't eaten yet." She proceeded to enter the area where the for-sale listings were. They clicked through several ads. Many of which were vile and disgusting in both their descriptions as well as the attached photos. But after sorting through them all, they had not come across any pictures of Maddie or Jaime. Chet even brought out the photos of the other known kidnapped girls. But none were familiar. Aimee, who was paging through the final page of ads stopped scrolling when she came upon one page. Her hand twitched as it hovered over the track pad. Her eyes took on a look of fear and she felt immediately sick to her stomach. She looked over to Chet. "I think I need a minute." she said and immediately got up and walked away from the computer.
"You ok?" Chet asked with concern. Aimee was doing her best to regain her composure. She nodded slowly.
"Uhm, yeah. I think. I just saw something disturbing." She kept taking deep breaths. "So, what do, uh, you want to do?"
"Well, I guess we lay some bait. We do a wanted ad. So, place a wanted post looking for girls age 12-16 in the eastern seaboard area. Let's leave it wide open and see if anyone sends us a message." Aimee nodded.
"Ok, but would you mind clicking out of that current page and going back to the main posting page?" Chet looked over to the screen and saw a posting that showed a photo of a middle-aged bearded man having intercourse with what appeared to be a thin brunette girl that appeared to be about 10 years old. Chet made a face and shook his head. He exited the page and went back.
"Yeah, there you go. So just post that wanted ad if you would." Aimee nodded and slowly made her way back to the computer.
"Ok, but after we place the ad, can we get out of here for a while? If I look at any more of these poor kids I am going to just get very sick." Chet nodded.
"Yeah. You and me both. Alright, place the ad and let's see what happens when we log back in later on."
"Alright." Aimee proceeded to place the ad. When she finished she took a deep breath and closed the laptop. "Ok, we are done for a while. How about lunch and a stiff drink?" Chet closed his eyes briefly with a nod.
"Make that two."
They sat in the car outside of the motel for a few minutes. The town of Mountain Falls was not sizable by any means. Options for dining and social activity were fairly limited.
"So, where to?" Chet asked with glance over to his companion. Aimee slowly turned her head towards him and their eyes met. The humor or Chet's request apparent.
"Oh, so many choices in this town." she said dryly. Chet nodded, then placed his glasses on.
"Well, one of the places I did see was a bowling alley. And Walter does like his bowling alleys. Which by the way almost always come with their own bar and food available." Aimee nodded and smiled.
"Well, I will abide. Not to mention it should be a good environment to test our new identities."
"Yes, it would at that." He said turning the key. The Roadrunner roared to life. Chet maneuvered the car from its spot and drove off. The town had it's share of businesses. Very few which appeared franchised. A small grocery store, gas station and the obligatory Dollar General store were seen as they drove down the main street. Less than five minutes later Chet had parked the car in front of Mountain View Lanes. Like the rest of the town, the facility appeared to have some age to it.
"Charming, huh?"
"Par for the course in this town it would seem. I'm not picky. I need food and a little alcohol."
"Just remember, don't order imported beer or some cocktail they probably never heard of. We are, after all, simple people." Aimee smiled.
"Yep. Show time." They got out and started walking towards the building, which was constructed of cinder blocks with an orange and brown color scheme.
"Great colors." Chet said with a roll of his eyes. Aimee cleared her throat.
"Snob statement, Walter baby." Chet noticed she took on a slight southern drawl that one might expect from a more rustic living woman. She paused and adjusted her crop top and pulled up on the material. This caused a temporary, enhanced lift of her bust. She flashed him a smile. "How do my girls look, babe?" Chet was about to comment, but Aimee put her arm around him and pushed him in the direction of the door. "Come on, darlin. I'm starved." Chet proceeded to the door and opened it for her. He heard an audible grunt from Aimee as she walked through. "Quit doing that." she muttered under her breath.
Chet followed.
"Doing what?" They walked along a narrow hallway which led to the main bowling alley entrance. Aimee shot him a look.
"Opening the door for me. Most sexist redneck types wouldn't do that. For God sake, start treating me like an object. Since I know you are just acting I won't be offended. Got it?" Chet nodded.
"Yes, ok. Sorry..."
"And quit apologizing!" She said walking ahead. Chet sighed. He knew she was just offering constructive advice. But he wasn't really used to being that way. Well, he was still a guy and he still had the feelings of a man. He could most certainly act upon them. Especially if he was being encouraged to for the sake of them pulling off the image they were trying to convey. Truth be told, if his daughter wasn't in danger and he wasn't married, he might have viewed Aimee in a different way. He clearly found her an attractive woman. If he were to be honest with himself, he would have to admit that she had stirred a response from him at least a couple times since they paired up. Chet made his mind up to do his best. The image they had to advertise called for all of these things.
Chet entered the main bowling alley which consisted of 12 alleys on the far side. A long bar to his left with a small dining area at the end. To his right there were various lockers next to a counter that had several pairs of bowling shoes on a rack behind it. Further down there were a few pinball machines and the restrooms. He spied Aimee emerging from the ladies room. She walked over and the pair sat down at the end of the bar. A few other people were sitting further down the bar. Chet looked over at the alley and saw that two of the twelve were in use.
"Not many people here." Chet commented.
"What did you expect for a Tuesday at one in the afternoon. There are enough people here to notice us, so make it good." A few moments later, a bald man of about 40 emerged from the back kitchen area. He sauntered over and wiped his hands on a towel. He smiled down at Aimee. Or perhaps he was smiling down at her chest.
"Hey, what y'all have?" Chet figured it was as good a time as any to dismiss chivalry.
"Wild turkey and Coke back." Aimee felt a little internal joy over his speaking up.
"I'll have a PBR." He nodded.
"You got it. Any food? Chet looked up.
"Yeah. Give me two double cheeseburgers with extra fries. Give her one as well." The bald man nodded once again.
Chet looked over to assess him as he walked down the bar to check on the other patrons. He was burly with bulging arm muscles and wore a dingy white t-shirt and leather vest over it. A dirty apron wrapped around his waist. He gave the impression that he could handle himself if needed on a crowded Saturday night.
"That's better." Aimee said under her breath. "Keep your woman in her place." Chet grunted.
"Looked like your new friend would like to take you to his place." Chet commented back. Aimee smiled and nodded as she checked her phone.
"Definitely. Not into cue balls though. I like my men with a little hair. Especially those sexy military cuts like yours, baby." Chet did his best to keep a straight face.
"Texting with Cal?" He whispered. Aimee nodded.
"Yeah, she said they are back already. Doing rounds of the local businesses. Told them we were at the bowling alley. She said they would be stopping by to talk to the employees, but obviously we shouldn't acknowledge them when they are here."
"Well...yeah." Chet snorted. Aimee placed her phone into her back pocket.
"Yep. I did tell her that I might accidentally run into them in the restroom. I need a kiss. Since my man hasn't taken the initiative." Chet's eyes shifted.
"You want me to kiss you?" He whispered incredulously. Aimee rolled her eyes.
"Well, I am after all, your woman. But if you aren't feeling it, I understand. People will just think we are good buddies." She quipped.
"Ok. Just getting used to this whole facade. But maybe some time in the future you can just maybe initiate that at the appropriate time if you think that someone is watching, and needs to be convinced. So I don't have to think to do it." Aimee rolled her eyes.
"Such a flatterer you are, Walt." Chet cleared his throat as he saw the bald man approaching them. He set down their drinks.
"Here ya go. Food will be up in about five." Chet nodded briefly to him, then looked back over to Aimee. She shot him a look.
"Don't say it." She murmured.
"Say what?"
"That you're sorry. You are just getting used to being back in the game and haven't been undercover in years. Or that you don't want to offend me." Chet grunted, then looked down at his drink. He picked up his whiskey and tossed it back. He abruptly coughed. "Let me guess? You don't really drink much hard liquor either?"
"Not often. But maybe it will help a bit in this case." A few minutes later, the bald man brought them their food.
"Anything else?" Chet nodded.
"Yeah. Another round. Can we eat and bowl?" The man gave a laugh.
"Wouldn't be in business if you couldn't. Yeah, go down to lane 10. You can grab yourselves some shoes behind that counter. I will bring another round over." Chet nodded gruffly.
"Thanks." Aimee looked at him with a grin.
"We really get to bowl?" He nodded.
"Walter would look pretty out of place if he wasn't bowling in a bowling alley, wouldn't he?"
"Definitely. I suck at it though. I haven't played in years. Will still be fun!"
"You are in good company. I don't bowl nearly as well as Walter." He said as they carried their plastic baskets of food over to lane 10. Aimee shrugged.
"It's all good. Just don't pull out your gun on anyone who steps over the foul line." Chet smiled knowingly.
"That had to be one of the best scenes in the movie!"
The next half an hour consisted of Chet and Aimee making their best attempts to bowl and eat at the same time. By this point, Chat had indulged in five shots of Wild Turkey. To say he was feeling relaxed would be an understatement. Aimee sat back laughing at Chet's animated stance and delivery of the ball after having as many alcoholic beverages.
"Well baby, your delivery is a lot smoother, but I am still kicking your ass." Chet grinned at her and nodded as she walked by to get her ball. As she passed, Chet gave her a firm slap on the rear.
"And I'm slapping yours, Brandy." Aimee giggled.
"Only took five drinks for you to start acting like a guy. About time!" She smiled and turned to deliver the ball. She stood on the line watching her ball go down the alley. It slammed home and took 8 pins down. She pumped her hand into the air.
"Nice one, Brandy. But you still don't have any strikes. At least I have one!" He boasted. She walked back and looked down at the score sheet board and wrote down her score. She pointed up to the big screen where their scores were posted.
"Yeah, but I am still over 50 points ahead of you."
On the other side of the building, Callie and Iola had just entered.
"Their car is still out there. Hope they are having better luck than we are." Iola lamented. Callie nodded.
"Lot of tight-lipped people in this town, for sure." They walked over to the bar. A bald bartender was behind the counter talking to what appeared to be a couple local men having a beer. Callie and Iola took a seat at the end of the bar. A moment later the bald barkeep walked down to them.
"Help you?" He asked. Callie nodded. She took out her PI shield and ID and showed it to him.
"My name is Detective Morton. I am following up on the discovery of a girl found dead in a nearby area. I was trying to determine if perhaps anyone may have additional information about the incident." The bartender returned an irritated look.
"I don't know anything about it." Callie was not surprised. This particular person didn't seem the type who would have offered any input. He continued to look at the pair. "So, unless you want to eat, drink or bowl, I suppose that's all I can say." Callie sighed.
"Give me a double Bushmills and a water." He nodded.
"Ok, then. You?" He asked, looking at Iola.
"Just a Coke." The bartender turned and took a couple glasses and filled them with ice. A couple minutes later he placed the drinks before them.
"$7.50" Callie tossed down a bill.
"Thanks. Keep it." The man nodded, accepting the bill. Then turned and walked back to resume his conversation with the locals.
"Well, that went well." Iola said taking a sip." Callie shrugged.
"Predictable." She took a good sip of her drink and turned around on her barstool. "Wonder where Chet and Aimee are?" She and Iola scanned the room. A moment later Iola pointed to the far side of the bowling alley.
"Hey, isn't that Chet?" She and Callie gazed over to see a pair of bowlers. One was clearly Chet. The other appeared to be a blonde woman who seemed very provocatively dressed. "But who is the blonde floozy he's wi..." Her eyes widened. "Oh, damn." Callie nodded.
"That would be a word for it." She said. Iola pointed up towards the score screen.
"Look, they are calling themselves Walter and Brandy."
"Guess Bunny wasn't the right look when she got into that getup." Callie observed. She took her drink and finished it. The pair kept watching. Iola looked to her friend.
"I assume they are trying to blend in to the community. Those other bowlers have given them a once over already a couple times. Though I'm guessing they are just watching Aimee's ass." Callie tilted her head as she looked over at them.
"She didn't leave much to their imaginations." They watched Aimee take a ball and stand before the alley. "Hope her shorts don't split open when she delivers that ball." Iola giggled and nodded. A moment later Aimee took a deliberate motion towards the alley and let her ball go. She and Chet stood tensely as the ball traveled down towards the pins. A moment later the ball crashed into and cleared every pin in the frame. They heard Aimee give a loud squeal and she turned and ran towards Chet. Before they knew it, she had jumped up and straddled Chet's frame with her legs and wrapped her arms around him. She leaned down and kissed the top of Chet's head.
Iola and Callie exchanged looks.
"What is it you were saying a couple days ago?" Iola murmured. "It's not like she's jumping into his lap?" Callie watched as Aimee seemed to press her bosom into Chet's face and how her husband seemed to have his arms wrapped around her ass. A moment later she touched the ground and the pair exchanged high fives.
Aimee eventually looked towards the bar and spied them. She looked a bit startled at first, but picked up her phone. A moment later Callie's phone buzzed. She looked down. Aimee was asking her to meet in the restroom. She turned back to Iola.
"Stay here. I need to go chat with her in the bathroom." Iola placed her hand on her back.
"I know what I just said, but please keep things in perspective. And remember, we aren't in high school. You know they are trying to come off as a couple." Callie nodded briefly.
"Yeah. Doing my best on that one." She said curtly and walked across the floor and disappeared into the ladies' room. A few moments late Iola observed Aimee walking in.
Callie was leaning against the bathroom wall when Aimee walked in. She immediately turned to face her. She did not immediately speak. She was taking in Aimee's full ensemble.
"You are mad." Aimee observed. Callie blinked at her a few times, but finally shook her head.
"No. I don't think mad is really the word. Maybe the term perplexed may be better suited. But if you thought I was going to rip on you for taking liberties with my husband, I chose not to. You are both adults." Aimee looked incredulously back at her.
"Do you mean to believe that performance you just saw as being anything real?"
"Who were you performing for when you jumped on him and pressed your guns in his face?" Aimee rolled her eyes.
"Oh, lord. Seriously? I was excited when I bowled my first strike. I reacted."
"Yes, I saw that." Aimee shook her head.
"Cal, if anything Chet has been very much a boy scout. He was always freaking out that he was acting out of place. I was just trying to loosen him up. He is obviously very stressed because of Maddie. He also feels out of place because that he has to carry on this act with me and doesn't want you to get upset. Something he probably didn't initially calculate as being a factor. But it's obviously important that we come off as a legit couple. If all this facade we are presenting doesn't seem legitimate, I fear we will either get shut down before we get started. Or even worse, we will have a target on our backs." Callie stood there and listened.
"I get you want to be authentic and believable. But I don't know what you are accomplishing by hanging out in a bowling alley and drinking." Aimee looked down with an irritated expression. A moment later her eyes darted to Callie.
"Do you know why I am here? Other than getting some practice in with Chet. I spent a bit of time this morning looking over websites that exist for the sole purpose of marketing sickening perversions with children. Chet and I had to check through ads for children being sold or sexually exploited. Many of these ads had photos..." She became silent as a faraway look came into her eyes. She seemed on the verge of tears, but fought them back and shook her head. She focused back on Callie. "So, I was destressing in any way I could. If that bothers you so much, then fuck off!" She turned and leaned into the wall and covered her eyes. She took several deep breaths. She didn't say anything for several moments.
"I'm sorry, Cal. It's just I miss Maddie, too. I want to help. I want to find whoever is doing this. But, I also want to be safe."
"I can understand that." Callie replied softly. Aimee turned and looked at her.
"I just remember last year. How close I came to it all ending. Child abusers are scum. Seems I've always gotten close to them when I shouldn't have been." She rubbed her head. "Damn, I have a headache." Callie reached over and placed her hand along her face.
"I'm sorry about all this. I just want it over, too." Aimee took Callie's hand and kissed it softly.
"I best get out of here." Callie nodded.
"Yeah." She rasped. She really wanted to spend more time with her. But she knew the plan must proceed. She cleared her throat. "Take care of yourself, girl. And, uh, if you think it will help I will get in touch with Chet and tell him its ok and not to worry about being friendlier with you." Aimee smiled, then nodded.
"That might be helpful. I think he is worried that you are going to hate him or kill him if he gets comfortable with me. But then again, maybe he just doesn't find me appealing." Callie closed her eyes with a smile and shook her head.
"I can promise you it isn't the latter. If I know my husband at all, I know that you are very much his type. Adding in that blonde hair, which looks really good by the way, is probably driving him near the edge. He is trying his best to be a good boy. He is obviously distracted with Maddie. If neither of those things were factors, it would likely be quite different. But I will just leave it at this. Do what you have to do to sell the story you two are presenting. If you are fishing for girls then you can't make any missteps. So, get out of here. It's been a while! The bartender blew us off. Iola and I are going to hit the dollar store next. Hopefully they are more willing to talk." Aimee smiled back at her.
"Maybe our old friend Alma has a cousin in Virginia." Cal smiled and nodded.
"Oh, that would be nice. By the way, did you take a selfie and send it to Tim yet? You do know who you look like, right?" Aimee nodded as she walked towards the door.
"You saw our bowling score card, didn't ya?"
"Good luck, Brandy!"
