Chapter 9

I is for Imaginative Mind

It was some days later that Don came back to the craftsman in the wee hours of the morning after a late night stake out .
He lent a helping hand to the repair works his father was doing, that's where he though his imaginative mind was doing overtime.

'Dad, you in?" Don called out as he wearily dumped his keys on the foyer table, shrugged off his jacket and threw it by the back of the chair.

He noticed that Charlie's car was not around. Hmmm in Amita's place he'd bet.

He thought of going up to his old bedroom but was too tired to climb the stairs. He went straight to the couch, lay down and closed his eyes. He didn't even hear his dad coming down the stairs some minutes later. He was out like a light.

Alan, as usual, made his way to the kitchen, put the water to boil and went to get the paper. He walked past the sitting room and to the front door.

He imagined he saw a lump on the couch and decided his eyes were playing tricks on him. He shook his head, opened the door to collect the mail, and saw the SUV. No, that was not his imagination. Don was here, is here, sleeping on the couch.

He quickly went inside to the sitting room where Donny was sleeping. 'Goodness an all nighter again? Dear son, one day you'll wear yourself out.' He went to get a thick and put it over Don. It was a bit chilly in the early morning. He looked at the clock, which showed 5.05am, ' Boy, he must be tired'
He saw Don was dead to the world. He left him alone and went into the kitchen to have his usual coffee and read the papers.

Don slept for a few hours when a noise woke him up. He got up and went to the kitchen to see if there's anything left over from breakfast for him.

There was a note propped up against the upturned cup. "Coffee's ready. Just reheat, and there's bread for toast."

He sat down, toasted 2 slices, and spread it with some peanut butter. A cup of hot and refreshing coffee completed his meal.

After that, he went upstairs to shower. Coming out of the bathroom with a towel round his lean hips, he went to his old room to rummage for something comfortable to wear.

He wasn't going into the office today because he had another stakeout during the night. They planned to do it for just one more night, and if the bait was not taken, then they have to find another way to catch the crooks in action.

While taking his shower earlier, he heard the banging sounds, and now again, curious, he went out back of the house to investigate.

"Dad?" After getting no answer, Don went to the front of the house. He found his dad sawing a piece of wood and more wood on the ground.
"What are you doing? Why are you sawing this wood?"

"Part of the wood in the front porch is rotting. I need to replace it before that part collapses."

"Then why are you doing it. Tell the landlord. Dad, you don't have to do this. Charlie can get somebody in to do it."

Alan shook his head and continued sawing.

Don stood and did some stretching exercise and he looked around the neighborhood. He noticed some people walking by. It was still early, and the sun's not up yet, and it was still cool to have their morning walks.

He saw a couple passing by, an old man walking his dog. "Is that old man Floyd with his dog?"

"Yep, and the same one that you boys got into trouble with. Kicking the ball into his garden and into his rose bushes."

"Not on purpose, dad. We did apologize, but he was such a cranky old man then. Boy, he must be eighty over years by now."

"Eighty five and still going strong."

"Wonder if he will remember me if I call out to him?"

"He might if you identify yourself. He used to ask your mom how you boys were doing when he saw us in the store. He won't ask me, but he was quite chatty with your mom then."

Alan kept quiet for a while. He knew bringing up the subject of their mother always brought back some nostalgic memories. He had often told his boys, think of the good and happy times, remembering them was good for the soul.

"Yea, mom was friendly with most of the neighbours."

He turned to look across at old man Floyd, but he was gone and in place was an old lady but younger than Floyd.

He thought that the old lady was staring at them. Nah.. it was his imaginative mind doing overtime. Why should she be staring at them.
It's just an old lady going for her morning walk just like old man Floyd.

But from the corner of his eye, he saw her standing there still looking at them and he didn't imagine it, certainly not his imaginative mind , she was really staring at them.
He pretended to bend down, and he looked at her way again. 'Yep she was looking this way, staring at both of them. Weird.'
He turned to his dad, "Hey dad, who is that lady?"

Alan looked to where the old lady was standing, and she started to walk by slowly, still looking at them. She nodded her head.

Alan put out his hand and gave a small wave. "I'm not sure. Don't think I have seen her around. Must be someone's grandmother visiting."

Don turned back to his father and pointed to the pile of wood, "Why are you doing this? Is this necessary?"

"Yes, replacing this wood (pointing to the rotting and sagging wood at the side of the house in front of the porch.) With this wood. The landlord seems to be busy most of the time. I bought the wood a few days ago and have yet to see him fix it. I might as well take care of it before it really rots away."

"Come, I'll do it." Don said and promptly started to take some nails and hammer.

"No, no, Donny. You need to get take out the planks first. Here use this."

Alan handed Don a long steel bar to pry the rotting wood away.

Unbeknownst to them, someone, or rather two ladies in the house opposite the road, was watching with keen interest, especially one who was doing the watching with binoculars.

While prying out the rotten wood, Don had a feeling that he was being watched. Goodness, what was wrong with him today, imaginative mind.
He shook the feeling away. Maybe it was because they were on a stakeout yesterday or rather early this morning. It's all his imagination that he was feeling this now.

Imagination or not, after a while he stopped what he was doing and looked around, seeing nothing unusual. But, the feeling persisted. He stopped and walked a bit into the garden and looked around. He wondered if he should take his gun out, just in case.

The current case they were on was about drugs and drugs suppliers, the bad people. What if they were on to him or knew FBI was keeping tabs on them?

He shook away these thoughts and continued to work at the planks. "Dad! all done. What do you want me to do next?"

Alan had gone inside and came out presently with a towel and a cold beer. He handed it to Don. 'Here, rest a bit and we'll measure out the length and hammer it in."

"Is this treated wood?"

"Yep, and it cost plenty. Rot free, termite free, warped free, and it's not free! I'll charge the landlord accordingly," Alan said with an evil look on his face.

"You might want to add in the labor costs. This type of labor costs plenty too especially if the laborer is a working FBI," Don added with a crinkly smile.

He didn't know that his smile also added a smile to the watcher's face.

Don's feeling of being watched didn't abate. Why was he having this feeling that he was being watched or rather someone was watching the house? He asked his father, "Dad, have you had any incidents happening here lately?"

"Incidents? What incidents?"

"Like strangers looking into the house, cars parked nearby, or people coming to ask for directions?" Don looked at his father.

Alan gave Don a funny look and said, "None of those happening here. This is a quiet neighborhood. Everybody minds their own business. What's the matter?"

"Er, nothing dad, just asking."

"Of all things, why are you asking me these things, why? You see anyone looking into the house? Maybe they are tourists taking pictures of this beautiful craftsman house."

Don shook his head and smiled at his dad, "Maybe it's my imaginative mind doing overtime, too many stakeouts. OK rested, what you want me to do next?"
"You're sure you want to do this? You can go and take a rest, and I can handle this."

"No problem dad, I'll finish this for you, no for Charlie, then I'll rest. I need not go into the office, one more night of surveillance and maybe we can catch those suppliers in action." Don didn't want to go much into it and asked his father for instructions for the wood replacement.

tbc