Unfortunately, this story has yet another of my park favorites in it that is no longer there. Ellen's Energy Adventure closed in 2017. Yes, I cried. However, since this was written in 2009ish, Ellen and her adventures are still alive and kicking. If you go there now, it will either be something else or under construction to become something else.
After dinner we were all going to take the opportunity to explore EPCOT. I was excited, but not excited as I was before I ate. The World Showcase at EPCOT is a food extravaganza and that was something I could usually get into easily. But now, sated, I was curious about the park and how the different countries were represented there. And maybe a snack for later or two or three. Well, I am still me.
"What do we do first," Ranger asked as we all stood out of the way near the rails around the lake.
"We should head to Future World," Kate suggested. "It's supposed to close at nine and the World Showcase is open till eleven."
"Let's do that then. Are there rides or what," Manuel asked.
"There are rides," Natalie said. "I think the pregnant girls might want to head to Ellen's energy adventure and those of us who are dare devils can do Mission Space."
"Sounds good," I shrugged and looped my arm through Padma's with a grin.
"I'm going with you," Ranger said reaching for my hand.
"Oh man," Gabe groaned.
Padma laughed, "Go on to the Mission Gabe. Henry and I will go to the World of Energy and meet you later."
"Are you sure," he sighed.
"I'm sure."
We split into groups. Manuel, Padma, Tank and Lula went with Ranger and I to the World of Energy and everyone else went to Mission Space.
We walked into the World of Energy just as the lights dimmed and Ellen DeGeneres filled the screens in front of us. She dreamed about going on jeopardy where her college room-mate, dumb Judy (played by a lovely Jamie Lee Curtis) and Albert Einstein were her foes. She didn't do well. At the halfway point her next door neighbor, Bill Nye the Science Guy, came and took her on a trip through time to discover energy. We were then allowed into a large room with bench seats and more screens surrounding us. After a few minutes and a few laughs the seating began to move and we 'the audience' travelled back through time with Ellen and Bill to the land of the dinosaurs. I'd tell you how it ends, but I don't want to ruin it for you if you go there yourself. It was fun. I laughed a lot and I cuddled Ranger in the dark. It was good.
We only waited for them a few minutes before they came out laughing and giggling. They'd had a good time, but Kate and Natalie swore they'd never do it again. We assured them that our ride had been relaxed and fun.
From there we went to Test Track. Only Padma and I elected to sit this one out after reading the warning for pregnant women. We found a comfortable spot in the shade and waited. They weren't actually gone that long and when they came off in waves, they were grinning. Even my stoic husband Ranger was grinning ear to ear. I think Ranger's a closet thrill ride guy and someday I plan to find out with him.
After Test Track we headed toward Space Ship Earth. This was a nice sedate ride through the big ball at the front of the park. It was about communication beginning with cave man drawings and going all the way to fiber optics and satellites through space. It was interesting, but I spent half of it making out with Ranger. Okay…it was fun, but it was my kind of fun.
By the time we finished Spaceship Earth it was almost eight thirty. We had special seating for the fireworks laser show in the World Showcase that was scheduled for nine o'clock. We decided we better head that way especially if we wanted to get snacks before we got there. It was also past the Canadian Pavilion where we'd had dinner. According to the map we had to go past the United Kingdom and veer left before we got to France. Yea, it was weird, but pretty exact. We paused in the UK so the men could stock up on yards of beer. The yard of beer was served in yard long glasses with narrow necks. It was pretty cool and they got to keep the glasses.
Natalie squealed, "Stephanie…look…"
"What is a Boulangerie Pattisserie?"
"A pastry shop," she grinned.
"Girl, lead the way," I laughed.
The men elected to find us seats at the special area and the women headed for the pastry shop. I walked out of there with several chocolate croissants, a couple of bags of Madeline cookies, a caramel soufflé and some napoleons. Natalie just shook her head, but I need snacks. I get hungry in the middle of a bunch of cataclysmic orgasms. I was preparing for later. Besides, all the girls had more than two things in their hands. They'd probably share theirs with their husbands. I had no such plans, besides…his body is a temple and what I was carrying in my hands was all sugar.
Ranger looked in the bag I was holding when I sat down and shook his head.
"What," I blinked.
"We just had dinner…a lot of dinner and you ate one and a half desserts," he reminded me.
"What's your point," I raised a brow.
"No point Babe," he grinned.
"I'm eating for two."
"Right," he nodded.
"I am," I glared at him.
"I know," he laughed. Just then the lights around the park dimmed and music began and EPCOT's Illuminations show had begun.
The show combines lights, lasers, fireworks and music for a spectacular show that leaves guests with mouth's open and eyes wide with awe. Well, that's how I felt. I thought most of us felt that way. Ranger's mouth wasn't open, but he appeared to enjoy it.
When we finished the show we were agog with excitement and to calm down we shopped through the Canada, France and the UK. We shopped all the way through Morocco and even Japan. Ranger talked me into a gorgeous kimono and I would only agree if he returned the favor. We eventually found a couple that we both liked. He also took a chance with the oysters and ordered up earrings with what he found. The earrings were pearl and opal, my birthstone, and they were gorgeous. We spent a lot of money in the Japanese Pavilion. I was okay with that.
Our next stop was the US and we pretty much by-passed it believing we knew everything. Ha! A later trip would prove how wrong we all were, but for now we forged on to Italy. The smells that filled the pavilion were amazing. But we shopped buying only chocolates and wines. We had both shipped home. Well, most of the chocolate was shipped home.
When we hit Germany we took a break with more beer for the guys and more pastries for the girls. Okay…I know, but the pretzels were calling my name.
"So," Tank leaned forward at our table and fixed Ranger with a look, "I heard from Margolis about this Jake character."
"What did you hear?"
"They can't find him. He was supposed to work today and he never showed."
"Is this the first time he's been scheduled since Sandy's body was found," I said thoughtfully.
"Yea," he nodded.
"Do you think he's good for it?"
"I don't know yet," he shrugged. "I have no feeling one way or the other based on anything that Margolis said or any of the Intel we've gotten so far. I'd really like to talk to him or have you talk to the guy face to face. I'd like to get Stephanie's feelings on the guy. I trust her instincts more than my own for sure."
"I know what you mean," Ranger sighed. "We'll make that a priority tomorrow then."
"I think that's a plan," he nodded.
"I have a feeling you'll find him at home," I said softly.
"Wouldn't he have answered his phone if he was at home," Tank raised a brow.
"He's in mourning," I said seriously.
"Well sure, they were friends," he agreed.
"I think he was in love with her. I think that's why he was opposed to doing the friend."
"Oh man," he sighed heavily. "Do you think he killed her?"
"It's a possibility," I said softly. "I guess it depends on how much she rejected him. I'd really love it if we could finish processing her IPhone."
"Ali is on it," Ranger said quietly. "She says Sandy was smart. She has a real intricate code."
"Tell her to run Jake's info as a possibility for the code. Maybe there's a combination there."
"We'll try it tomorrow."
"Do you think she cared about him Babe," Ranger frowned.
"Something's hinky about this, Ranger," I shook my head. "I don't know what it is yet, but I'll figure it out."
"I know you will," he agreed.
"In the meantime, we only have forty-five minutes until the park closes and we've still got three pavilions to visit," I got to my feet. "That gives us fifteen minutes per pavilion and that's not enough."
"Got it," he laughed and got to his feet. "Lead the way Babe."
Our next stop was China. We spent a little more than our allotted time there…shopping. I would have felt guilty, but I didn't want to. Then we headed to Norway. We rode the Maelstrom then ran to Mexico. We barely made it through the doors to ride the 'Grand Fiesta Tour' ride. It was sedate and kind of cheesy. We bought a few things at that shop and when we left the building it was almost eleven thirty.
We strolled out with other park goers. To our surprise there were no security people rushing us to the gate. We strolled and stopped and shopped at little kiosks along the way. Ranger and I bought lanyards for everyone and we started buying pins as collectibles. Everyone participated. It gave us another thing to do together and that was pretty cool.
By the time we got back to our room, it was a quarter after twelve. I was tired, but not so tired that I wasn't going to hold my husband up to his promise of three earth shattering orgasms. I took a quick shower while he checked his messages and when I returned to the bedroom drying my hair he was lying back on the bed naked and gazing at the ceiling in what had once been my thinking position.
I climbed on top of him and straddled him, "what are you thinking about?"
"This case," he sighed and pulled me down on top of him to press kisses in my neck.
"What about this case?"
"I was thinking about your theory on Jake Freeman," he sighed. "If Sandy had consensual sex with Jake Wheeler shortly before she was murdered…"
"Have we got a DNA profile from the semen yet," I asked.
"He didn't have it this afternoon. It was still running when we left. He'll have it in the morning."
"Then we'll run it through CODIS, right?"
"Right," he nodded.
"What did Kate say about the time difference between the semen donation and her death?"
"I don't know," he frowned. "I didn't ask her. Do you think we can narrow it down?"
"Semen has a shelf life like most things honey. It loses its punch after a while. The little swimmers start to die off and within seventy-two hours, they're all dead."
"So she can give us an approximate time of intercourse in comparison to death."
"Well, she can if they took slides of the semen when they took her in for autopsy."
"You missed your calling Babe. You'd have been a great cop."
I laughed as he rolled me to my back, "if I was a cop, I probably wouldn't have met you."
"Oh I don't think I believe that anymore," he said kissing down my body and stopping to look up at me. "I think you and I were cosmically aligned. We were meant to be."
"Is that so," I smiled and gasped as he toyed with me. My body automatically arched up against him.
He let go and kissed my cleavage. "That is so," he assured me.
"Why do you think that," I whispered.
"Because," he slid up me till we were fitted together, "we're a perfect fit."
"That we are," I agreed as my eyes started rolling back in my head, "that we are."