During the game that Saturday, Opie ran into Tony Cline while the Milwaukee high school made a touchdown.
"You Opie Taylor?" Tony Cline asked.
"I am," Opie said.
"I have something you want. Can we talk after the game?" Tony asked.
"Sure," Opie said.
He wondered what this Cline kid wanted to talk to him about, but he had a feeling it was about the cold case Andy was working on.
"What is this you wanted to talk to me about?" Opie asked.
"About the case our fathers are working on, that's what. It's some info your dad might be interested in," Tony said.
During the game that Saturday, Opie ran into Tony Cline while the Milwaukee high school made a touchdown.
"You Opie Taylor?" Tony Cline asked.
"I am," Opie said.
"I have something you want. Can we talk after the game?" Tony asked.
"Sure," Opie said.
He wondered what this Cline kid wanted to talk to him about, but he had a feeling it was about the cold case Andy was working on.
"What is this you wanted to talk to me about?" Opie asked.
"About the case our fathers are working on, that's what. It's some info your dad might be interested in," Tony said.
"Okay. Give it to me when the game is over," Opie said.
"That's what I plan to do. Meet me in the locker room right after all the guys leave," Tony said.
"I will," Opie said.
Back in Mayberry, Barney and I were sitting in the office and talking. I took a look at the clock. It read 2:00 PM.
"I wonder how Opie's doing at the game. It's too bad we don't have it on the radio," I said.
"That's right, Ange. He's out-of-town, right?" Barney asked.
"Right, Barn. The high school is in Milwaukee."
"What are you doing tonight, Barney? Do you and Thelma Lou have anything special planned?" I asked. Barney and Thelma Lou had been married for four years.
"Nothing special, Ange. Tonight is cooking class," Barney sighed. Thelma Lou had signed him up for an hour's worth of cooking class on Thursday nights.
"I didn't know you can cook, Barn," I said, surprised.
"I don't, but Thelma Lou thought I would be more useful around the house, so she signed me up," Barney said.
"That I'd like to see," I said. "How are you doing?"
"Okay, I guess," Barney said.
"Saturday night, Thelma Lou and I have dance class. We're doing the tango this week. Last week was the cha – cha," Barney said, emphasizing the words "cha cha".
"How did you do last week? I didn't know you were interested in dance," I said.
"It was Thelma Lou's idea. Another thing she did was sign me up for art class. That hasn't started yet. It starts in a couple of weeks," Barney told me.
"That Thelma Lou is one clever lady," I said.
"I know. Isn't that why I married her?" Barney asked.
"What's on the menu tonight in cooking class?" I asked.
"Cookies," Barney said.
"Sounds easy. Aunt Bee makes the best cookies in Mayberry," I said.
"I know she does," Barney agreed.
Back In Milwaukee, the game finished at five – thirty. Opie waited until the two teams were dressed and showered and gone so he could talk with Tony Cline. He had already told the Coach he was going to get a ride back to the hotel and the Coach said it was all right he come a bit late. Tony was the first one to arrive. He didn't mind waiting for a while on Opie's arrival. The thing he didn't know was that both of their fathers had grown up together. He didn't seem to care either way. Opie finally showed up. He saw how tall Tony Cline was. He figured Tony Cline was about five feet and eleven inches tall and stood at one hundred and sixty pounds, had blond-haired boy and hazel eyes.
"I heard about you from my pa. He said something about you being my age," Opie said.
"Quit the chitchat so I can give you the info you want. My dad can give you the ride back to the hotel," Tony said.
"All right, Tony. What is the info? I also have questions for you, if you don't mind. It's both our dads' case I want questions on," Opie said.
"All right," Tony said.
"The information first," Opie said, "questions second."
"Sounds fair enough," Tony said.
"What's the info you've got for me?" Opie asked.
"I was a witness at the murder scene twelve years ago when my dad's deputy was killed," Tony said.
"No kidding?" Opie asked, his eyes opening wide.
"No, I'm not kidding, Taylor. I was there when he was killed. I saw it with my own eyes," Tony Cline said.
"Wow. Does your pop know?" Opie asked.
"No way. I can't tell him. If I tell him, he won't let me go anywhere on my own for a long, long time," Tony said in a scared voice.
Opie opened his backpack and got out the crime scene pictures.
"Is this what you saw the morning of June tenth?" Opie asked, showing Tony the picture of the bloodied patrol car.
"Yes, that's what happened, Taylor. I stayed in the bushes the time so the murderers wouldn't know I was there. I stayed there until the crime scene investigators and Dad were gone, which seemed like hours," Tony said.
"Was this a school day?" Opie asked.
"No. It was summertime," Tony said.
"What time was this when your dad's deputy died?" Opie asked.
He had to ask because Andy would never let him look at the case files.
"Right before the crack of dawn," Tony answered.
"That's a bit early to be killed," Opie said.
"Don't you know it, Taylor. He was supposed to be at dinner that night. His handicapped daughter now lives with his mother. My dad still hasn't gotten over the murder," Tony said.
"My dad wouldn't either if his deputy was murdered," Opie said, thinking of Barney.
"Did you ever get a close look at who killed your dad?" Opie asked.
"I was in the bushes, Taylor. If you don't tell your dad, this will be between the two of us. It was a teenage gang from a different school," Tony said.
"A teenage gang? I have to tell, Tony. I can't stay quiet like you for twelve years. This is information you have to share with the authorities, our dads," Opie said.
"If I were you, Tony, I'd tell my father about your being the star witness."
"If I do, Taylor, he won't let me go places on my own anymore until I get married. That's why I can't tell!" Tony said, "so I want you to promise me the same thing."
"All right. I promise but I still wish you would tell. I'm ready to go back to the hotel now."
Opie still wished silently Andy was here at the game and his team had lost.
"You know what?" Tony asked as the two-headed for the phone to call his father.
"What?"
"You're not so bad of a quarterback."
"Thanks. You're not a bad player either, Tony. Friends?"
"Friends," Tony said.
Tony dialed his house number and heard his mother, Terry's voice on the other end of the line.
"Hi, Mom. I'm ready to be picked up now. Would you mind picking up another player as well? He's from the other team we played today. He needs a ride to the hotel," Tony said to his mother.
"All right, Tony. Either your father or I will be at the school in ten minutes to pick you up. Who is this kid?" Terry asked.
"Opie Taylor. He's Dad's friend's son," Tony said.
"All right. We'll be glad to give him a ride home," Terry Cline said.
"My mom said they would be glad to give you a ride," Tony told Opie.
"Thanks," Opie said.
Terry Cline went to the home office, where her husband, Jeremy was sitting.
"Jeremy, Tony just called. He and another kid are ready to be picked up. Do you mind if I pick them or do you want to?" Terry Cline asked.
"I'm busy now, Terry, sweetheart. Who is with Tony?" Jeremy asked his brunette wife.
"He said it's a kid from the other team. He said it's your friend's son he's with," Terry said.
"You mean Andy's son? How did those two meet?" Jeremy Cline asked.
"How am I supposed to answer that? You can ask Tony yourself," Terry said, finding the question interesting herself.
Terry arrived at the high school and found both boys waiting patiently. Tony got into the front seat of the car and Opie into the backseat.
"Hi, Mom. I'd like you to meet Opie Taylor. He's the quarterback for Mayberry High," Tony said.
"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Cline," Opie said.
"It's nice to meet you, Opie," Terry said.
Tony gave his mother the name of the hotel Opie and his team were staying at.
"All right, we'll go there now so your coach won't worry too much about you," Terry said.
"Thank you, Mrs. Cline. He knew I was going to be gone for a while," Opie said.
Opie saw it wasn't too long of a drive to the hotel. Terry parked into the parking lot at the hotel and stopped the engine.
"Why did you stop the car, Mom?" Tony asked.
"I want to make sure Opie gets in safely, so he won't get in too late," Terry said.
"Do I stay here or come along?" Tony asked.
"Either way," Terry said.
She and Opie were already out of the car. Cassie was worried about Opie because he didn't come back on the bus ride with them to the hotel. She saw the time on the clock and it was nearing ten and she could tell he might get into trouble since it was nearing curfew time.
"I don't want Opie getting yelled at since it's almost curfew time," Cassie said to the other cheerleaders who were in her room.
"That's right. He didn't come back with us," another cheerleader said.
"Hope he doesn't get busted," another one said.
Terry, Tony, and Opie made it to the third floor where his room was. Opie got the key and opened the door. The Coach was already out of his room and saw Tony and Terry at the door.
"You the Mayberry High Coach?" Terry asked.
"Yes, ma'am," the Coach replied.
"I'm returning Opie Taylor," Terry Cline said.
"Thank you. We appreciate it," the Coach said.
"You're welcome. I'm Terry Cline, Tony Cline's mother from the other team," Terry said.
"Thank you for returning Mr. Taylor," the Coach said, "and it's nice meeting you, ma'am."
That same night, Barney went through cooking class just fine. The next day, Barney told me about cooking class.
"I'm glad to hear the cooking class went well, Barn," I said.
"Just wait till Saturday night with the tango, Ange. Do you think Thelma Lou and I can do it well?" Barney asked.
"I don't know," I said.
I knew I'd never seen Barney dance the tango so I didn't know how to answer my deputy's question. Saturday night finally arrived.
"Barney, it's time to go," Thelma Lou said.
"You look really nice in that dress, sweetheart," Barney said.
"Thank you, Barney," Thelma Lou said, taking her husband's compliments.
He liked her long, black sequins and pearl dress with black shoes. He knew they had to dress up each and every time they went to dance class because it was required.
"You promise not to do anything stupid in class tonight?" Thelma Lou asked in the car.
"Why would I do anything stupid?" Barney asked.
"You usually do something stupid and have somebody yell at you, Barney. If you do something stupid tonight, I'm leaving," Thelma Lou said.
She didn't like being embarrassed.
"You don't mean it, do you, Thelma Lou? You're not leaving me, are you?" he asked.
"No. I just don't like getting red in the face," Thelma Lou told him.
"I don't like seeing you red in the face either, Thelma Lou. Looks like we're here already," he said, seeing the place full of cars.
She could see there were tons of cars for that night's tango lesson.
"Wow," Thelma Lou and Barney said at the same time.
They both got out of the car and Barney locked the car and two of them walked into the building.
"Hi, Deputy," Barney heard one of the townspeople say behind him.
They both looked behind themselves.
"Hi," Barney said.
"Aren't you Mrs. Fife?" the same townsperson asked.
"Yes, I am," Thelma Lou said.
"That's a nice wedding ring, Mrs. Fife," the townsperson said.
"Thank you," Thelma Lou said, taking his compliment.
"It's her birthstone," Barney said.
"Beautiful, Deputy. You don't look like a romantic," the townsperson said.
Barney ignored the statement.
"Don't listen to him, Barney. That's not true. You are a romantic," Thelma Lou said.
"I know I am. That guy has to nip it in the bud!" Barney said, sticking his tongue out at the townsperson they were visiting with and ignored him for the rest of the class.
When it was Barney and Thelma Lou's turn to do the tango that night, during their performance, Thelma Lou was doing the performance correctly and Barney had his shoes and socks off. The rest of the class watched the time they were doing the tango. During the ending, Barney slipped to the floor. That's when the class burst into laughter. Thelma Lou's face turned bright red.
Before she could run out of the building and into the car, the teacher yelled, "Fife!"
"Yes, sir?" Barney asked, standing up again and fell a second time.
The class was still laughing.
"Quiet, class," the teacher said in a strict voice.
"That's not the way you dance the tango! Get those shoes and socks back on pronto! You will have to do the dance over again!" the teacher said, not very happy.
"Do you mean we have to do it again tonight?" Barney asked.
"No. Later in the week you will," the teacher warned.
"After class we will set up a set date for this week," the teacher.
Class was finally over for the night. After the other couples left, the teacher talked with Thelma Lou and Barney about coming in to do the tango a second time.
"How about Wednesday at noon?" the teacher asked.
"Lunchtime? I can't make it," Barney said, faking it.
"He's available, sir. He's just faking," Thelma Lou said.
Barney gave her a look.
"Thelma Lou, that's an insult!" he whispered.
She didn't respond and ignored his whisper.
"Then it's settled. See you two at noon," the teacher said and watched them leave the building.
"Thelma Lou, that was an insult!" Barney repeated.
"I don't care, Barney. You know you're available to come in," Thelma Lou said.
"I don't care. Repeat the dance or not, I'm still not coming," Barney said.
Thelma Lou didn't answer Barney. Once they were back at their house, the clock chimed eight o'clock.
"Good – night, Barney. Thank you for doing something embarrassing tonight," Thelma Lou said.
"You're not going to bed this early, are you?" Barney asked.
"I am."
She left without saying good – night or giving him a good – night kiss.
"She didn't give me a good – night kiss like she does every night. I'm telling Ange," Barney said with a frown.
He watched her head to their bedroom and turned on the evening news.
Note: The Cline characters in this story have their own series on my fictionpress account so I hope you enjoy their introductory in this story. Chapter 8 is an entire chapter of the Clines and friends.