The Surrogate Affair

A Book by Jack Dearborn

The characters and story contained herein are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to people living or dead or story development is purely accidental.

This is the first in a series and the beginning of Stewart Grant’s career as a private investigator. His first case is a hand-me-down from his father, who has officially retired, and has offered to advise but not take a hand in the case. A well-known banker in the Puget Sound area has entreated Miles Grant for help getting his grandson back from the divorced husband of his daughter. The divorced man had exercised his court-awarded visit but when it was time to give back the four year old to his mother, he skipped town taking the boy and is nowhere to be found. Having accepted Stewart as the prime investigator, it is now Stewart’s task to return the boy to his worried mother. During the process of learning his new business, Stewart, like his father finds an attraction for a waitress where he takes many of his meals. As the attraction grows it is almost destroyed when the young lady rejects his chosen life-style of naturism. Only the intervention of the young lady’s mother saves the budding romance, for a time, by choosing to try naturism with the help of Stewart’s family.

1

2

Miles Grant Story Collection

Miles Grant – Naturist P. I.          02/27/2023

The Case of the Washed up Wordsmith         10/29/2022

The Case of the Jealous Jackal         09/09/2022

The Case of the Quaker Quarry         07/31/2022

The Case of the Vindictive Vixen         01/13/2022

The Case of the Gay Getaway         09/07/2021

The Case of the Felonious Feminist         08/08/2021

The Case of the Teutonic Temptress         02/13/2021

The Case of the Ritual Rapist        06/08/2020

The Case of the Bawdy Bartender        03/10/2020

The Case of the Erotic Equestrian        01/12/2020

The Case of the Nudist Numismatist        09/14/2019

The Case of the Dixie Daughter        08/20/2019

The Case of the Carnal Co-Ed        07/09/2019

The Case of the Lascivious Lecturer       05/28/2019

The Case of the Nefarious Naturist        03/14/2019

The Case of the Artificial Artist        01/23/2019

The Case of the Purloined Parent        09/21/2018

The Case of the Hobbled Hero        08/01/2018

The Case of the Phantom Phaeton        04/02/2018

The Timothy File        09/27/2017

The Case of the Sullied Songstress        02/03/2016

The Case of the Murdered Mayor        04/09/2015

Miles Grant – Private Investigator        07/07/2014

3

Additional Books by Jack Dearborn

The Last Second Chance   05/19/2022

The Seventh Precinct   10/04/2020

Vengeance Trail                 05/28/2019

Other People’s Stories   06/06/2017

Dirty Politics                 04/06/2017

The Don Quixote Syndrome  01/21/2017

Like a Ten Foot Putt for Par                08/20/2016

The Finder                05/20/2016

The Gold Roundup of Cold Creek                05/05/2015

Vogel’s Journal                12/18/2012

The Kidnappers                09/14/2012

One Day in July                03/29/2012

Markham                01/18/2012

Trouble in Riverview                10/15/2011

Two Days Warning                03/28/2011

Valentine’s Army                02/19/2011

Guns of Clearwater Valley                02/13/2011

Anderson’s Range 02/02/2011

4

Chapters

Page 5                   Chapter 1             Stewart gets a case

Page 14                Chapter 2             Dinner for two and more

Page 24               Chapter 3             Interviewing begins

Page 32                Chapter 4              More interviews are needed

Page 40                Chapter 5              Stewart gets help from Dad

Page 51               Chapter 6             Surveillance pays off  

Page 60              Chapter 7               Serious investigating begins

Page 69               Chapter 8               Hold off investigating

Page 79               Chapter 9               Anything to please Leah

Page 91               Chapter 10             Apology works

Page 98               Chapter 11             Stewart opens up

Page 107            Chapter 12              Next on the agenda, a trip to Boise

Page 115            Chapter 13              Stewart is bowled over

Page 124            Chapter 14              Mister Greenwood and Missus Winfield

Page 136           Chapter 15             Heather gets it straight

Page 144           Chapter 16             Today is the unveiling

Page 157           Chapter 17            Stewart has a new challenge

5

Chapter 1   Stewart Gets a Case

The brand new transistor radio was playing quietly on the far corner of the battered second-hand desk Stewart acquired with his limited budget for office equipment. The junk dealer threw in an old used swivel chair to go with the desk and wooden-file cabinet Stewart purchased. No one, it seemed, was interested in wooden furniture for their offices. Metal items were all the rage, these days. He looked around, shrugged his shoulders and said to himself. “It won’t matter at all if I don’t get a case.”

As if the fates heard him speak, his phone rang. “Grant confidential investigations. Stewart Grant speaking.”

“Stew, this is your father.”

“Hi Dad. I was just thinking of you. What can I do for you?”

“Just hush up and listen. I got a case for you and I want you to listen carefully to the information I have to give you. Your client is a young mother whose son has been hijacked by her ex-husband. You are going to meet her father who is a big wheel in the banking business and will be bankrolling the case. You must be at the Pioneer Bank of the Northwest General Offices in forty-five minutes. Here is the address….” Miles Grant read off the address which was nearly twenty-two blocks from Stewart’s office. “The man you will be meeting is Marcus Greenwood, the President of the bank. Read back to me the information!”

“Give me a break Dad. I can remember all that. Will he be expecting me?”

“He wanted me but I convinced him you could do the job, so now go out and prove it.”

“OK Dad. I’ll talk to you later.”

“No need unless you can’t handle it.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence. Bye!” Stewart showed up in the lobby of the eight story building with six minutes to spare. The row of tellers was manned by a number of pretty young ladies who could have been selected because they looked alike…dark haired, busty and very pretty. He stopped at the first teller who was not busy. “Excuse me but I have an appointment with Marcus Greenwood. Can you call him and tell him I’m here?”

Her reaction was completely unexpected. She pressed a button under the counter that rang a silent alarm somewhere in the building. In less than thirty seconds, four security guards appeared, guns drawn and descended on Stewart. The senior guard, a man of middle years named Fleming spoke. “Don’t do anything foolish. Just drop the suitcase and put your hands on the counter.”

Stewart did as he was directed and spoke over his right shoulder. “Is this how everyone who has an appointment with Mister Greenwood is treated?”

6

“What do you mean? Are you saying you have an appointment with the bank President?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. My name is Stewart Grant and I have an appointment in…” he checked his wrist watch without lifting his left hand off the counter. “Oh, I’ve only got two minutes before I’m late.”

“But we were signaled that there was a robbery in progress,” said Fleming.

Hands still on the counter and speaking over his shoulder, he replied. “I can’t help it if she misunderstood me when I asked if she could call Mister Greenwood and tell him I was here.”

The guard looked at the pretty young teller, who was sitting behind the grill-work, big-eyed and flushed with embarrassment. “Is that true?” he asked. She nodded. “Why did you set off the alarm?”

“No one has ever asked me to call the President of the bank. I thought it must be some sort of robbery technique.”

By this time, the Manager, a man named Wilfred Clowers, showed up. “What’s going on here?”

“The teller misunderstood this man and set off the security alarm,” said Fleming.

“What did you ask her for?” he said to Stewart.

“Can I stand up and stop being treated like a criminal?”

Clowers looked at Fleming and all up and down the row of tellers where no transactions were taking place. “This is embarrassing the bank. Let the man adjust himself.” Stewart took that to mean he didn’t have to keep leaning against the counter in front of the teller and straightened up. Shaking his arms, he replied.

“I told her I had an appointment with Mister Greenwood and could she call him and tell him I’m here.” While he was saying his piece, another employee walked up to join the bunch around the teller’s cage where the alarm was set off. She spoke with authority.

“Mister Gee is wondering what is going on. What shall I tell him?”

“Uh, we’ve got a little mix up here. Miss Poindexter accidently set off the security alarm,” answered Clowers.

Without looking at the offending party, the woman who recently joined the bunch, spoke to Clowers. “Why did she do it?”

“She thought he was here to rob us.”

“Why did she think that?”

“Because he asked her to call Mister Greenwood and tell him he was here. He said he had an appointment with Mister Greenwood.”

7

She looked at Stewart. “Are you Stewart Grant?”

“Yes Ma’am. I’m Stewart Grant!”

She looked at each of the bank employees who were involved with the screw up. “This isn’t over. You all will hear from me shortly.” She looked at Stew. “You come with me. Mister Greenwood is anxious to see you.” Stew picked up his black briefcase, a gift from his father and followed her to a bank of elevators nearby. Once they were riding upward in the moving box, he spoke.

“Do you mind telling me who you are?”

“I’m Miss Meyers. I’m Mister Greenwood’s secretary.”

“Thank you for bailing me out of jail.”

“You thank me now but you might not be so glad later.”

“Do I get an explanation for that?”

At that moment, they reached the eighth floor. As the door separated silently, she took one step forward and said over her shoulder. “No!” She led him down a long hall to a door that had a large mahogany sign imbedded in the door which read. ‘Marcus Greenwood, President. Private.’ She stopped and looked up at him. “You wait here. I’ll go in first and explain that the delay is not your fault. When I’ve explained the circumstances and he tells me what he wants done, I’ll come for you. Do not mention anything that has happened unless he asks you about it. Understood?”

“I’m pretty good at keeping shut about things I have nothing to do with.”

“A simple yes would suffice,” she said by way of chiding him.

“Sorry!” With that, she opened the door, slipped in and he stepped back to wait. She was gone perhaps six or seven minutes. The door opened suddenly and she spoke.

“Mister Greenwood will see you now.”

He stepped through the massive outer door and into Shangri-La. He had never seen an office or any kind of enclosed space so adorned with expensive fixtures. He couldn’t begin to describe the place other than to say it probably could provide a family of four sufficient funds to exist for ten to twelve years…easily. As he stood looking around, a gruff voice spoke his name. “Mister Grant!”

Stew snapped out of it and replied. “Yes Sir Mister Greenwood. How may I be of service to you?”

“Your father said he’d tell you what I want. Did he tell you?”

“Yes Sir but I’d like to hear it from you as well.”

“Why?”

8

“Because you may have some details for me you didn’t give to him.”

“What is it about details that are important? My grandson has been kidnapped and I want you to find him and bring him back.”

“Let me ask you something. Dollars and cents are your business. Do you consider ones and fives and cents details too insignificant to worry about?”

“I don’t like your attitude young man. That was impertinent of you.”

“The business of investigating is entirely made up of details most people overlook or can’t be bothered with. If I can’t get you to tell me everything you know about the case, you might be holding back the very thing I need to find your grandson. It’s up to you. Do you want to risk that?”

The man paused for several seconds before answering. “I guess not. What would you like to know?”

“The first thing I want to know is why you haven’t turned this over to the police? They have the manpower to put on the case and look in a number of places at the same time. To me, this is a serial business. I can only go one place at a time and this can extend the time he’ll be gone before I find him.”

“What I’m going to tell you is so important to me that I cannot emphasize its importance enough. So if you can promise me you’ll not utter a word of what I tell you, then you’ll be informed of why I cannot tell the police.”

“Do you have something to sign?” asked Stew, half in jest.

“Don’t get smart with me young man.”

“I’d like to get something straight before I spend another minute here. I take this business very serious, I assure you. I do not want to screw up and have to turn you down because you cannot take a joke. From the moment I entered this palace, I felt a tension I could cut with a knife. If it’s because of your lack of humor, I’m sorry for you but I’m not going to keep shut when I find it necessary to ease the tension a bit. I’m not making fun of you, I’m telling myself to chill out and relax. Now do you want to go on?”

Another extended pause ensued before he answered. Finally, he replied. “Let’s continue. I’m involved in some very technical discussions concerning merging my bank with two other financial institutions. If even a breath of scandal should come to light during these discussions, the State Banking Regulators could put the kibosh on the works. It is far too important to me that it doesn’t happen. Now that you know that, I hope you don’t think I’ll allow you carte blanche to spend whatever you want on your investigation.”

“Would you have said that to my father?”

“Probably…uh, why?”

9

“Because you’d be without the best investigator in the business. He’d tell you to shove it and walk out. I’m inclined to myself but I need the business a lot more than the salve for my ego. So Mister Greenwood, I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear you say that. Now that I’ve cleared the air, let’s get back to the case of your grandson. I need information like names, addresses, how long he’s been gone and important things like that. Do you have them? If not, I’m going to have to interview someone in the family who does.”

“Whose names do you need?” asked the Banker.

“Your grandson’s for a start and his father’s would also be helpful.”

“How soon do you need them?”

“If I had them before I left here today, I could start doing my investigating right away.”

“Tell me, do you plan to interview my daughter?”

“She’s one of those details I put a lot of store by…being the mother of the boy and all. Yes, I plan to interview her and your wife and anybody who is in your family circle.”

“What do you plan to ask everyone you interview?”

Stewart didn’t respond directly but sat looking at the older man for several seconds. Finally. “What I know and what I’ve learned has come from my father. I’ve read all his case files and believe me he kept meticulous files. The first thing he made abundantly clear to his clients was he would not tolerate them second guessing his investigating techniques. His reasoning was simple. He wouldn’t attempt to tell them how to run their businesses and he didn’t expect to have them tell him how to run his. I’m going to add that to my menu of things to discuss. If at any time you think you can investigate your grandson’s disappearance better than I’m doing, let me know and I’ll drop out and submit my bill. Do I make myself clear?” The older man nodded reluctantly. Stewart continued. “How many people know that your grandson is missing?” He watched the older man counting in his head before he replied.

“Six!”

“Who are they?” asked Stewart.

His face showing his discomfort with the issue, he answered. “Me and my wife. My daughter and her nanny and the grounds keeper and my secretary.”

“Why your secretary?”

“Miriam…uh Miss Meyers is my niece and has been with me nearly twenty years.”

“How do you know she can be counted on to keep quiet about all this?”

“I pay her sufficiently to keep her silent. She likes the money and has no life, so I know she won’t be loose mouthed.”

10

“Are there any other of your employees who know?”

“No!”

“Are you going to give me the names?” asked Stewart

“I’ll see you get them in the next day or so.”

“OK, now about my fee. Did my father tell you what I charge?”

“He told me when he was still investigating, his fee was $350.00 a day plus expenses. He said your fee would be considerably less.”

“Oh how nice of him to establish my worth. Well, I’m going to charge you $100.00 per day plus expenses. When I’ve solved this case, you’ll get an accounting of all the monies I’ve expended on your case and where and when I did it. Any questions?”

“You say at the end of the case? Don’t you want progress payments?”

“Figure it out Mister Greenwood. If I was getting progress payments, it would be tempting to keep the case alive. This way, I have to wait till I’ve wrapped it up before I get paid. The sooner I solve it, the sooner I get paid.”

“Do you have anything else you want from me?” asked the Banker.

“No, I’ve got enough for now but I want you to know that as soon as I have the names, addresses and pertinent info on everyone, I’m going to start interviewing them… in no particular order.”

“In that case, since you don’t need anything more from me, you are excused,” said the Banker, none too warmly.

Stewart stood up and almost offered his hand but grabbed up his briefcase with it instead. He looked at Greenwood and said. “No progress payments benefits you, no progress reports benefits me. I’ll see you when I bring back your grandson. Have a nice day!” he said and walked out.

He had no more than cleared the threshold of the office door than another door fifteen steps down the hall opened and Miss Meyers stepped out. She stood in place and when he was abreast of her, she spoke. “Do you know the small pub called The Sanctuary?”

“No but if it’s in Seattle, I can find it.”

“Good! Be there at six and I’ll give you some of the stuff you want.” That said, she turned and retreated back into the office she stepped out of. He stood and looked at the unmarked door from whence she appeared. Finally, he decided he probably wouldn’t get any more chances to talk to her until this evening, so he continued on to the elevator and rode it down to the lobby level. He walked through the busy area of banking transactions and as he passed the teller cage of Miss Poindexter, she looked up. He smiled, saluted and strolled out the door smiling.

11

Back in his office, he took out his small portable typewriter and began a case file. He had spent two months reading the case files his father had amassed in more than thirty years in the investigating business. Reading thirty some years of his father’s life left him with a desire to emulate the older man in every way possible. There was one element of the files, however, that Stewart could not quite digest thoroughly. Miles Grant was a tall, handsome, macho man but there was not a hint of impropriety concerning any women in the case files. Did he purposely omit writing about them for fear his wife Shirley would read about them? What would his father say if he should ask him about a dalliance, should it occur during the investigation? Whether he should ask or avoid the subject was something he’d have to be certain needed a resolution before he went any further with it.

Lunching alone was something he felt was a definite downside to the investigating business. Al-though he’d only had a few weeks of it, he knew it was something he might never get used to. The small café near his office building had almost everything he hoped would always be there when he showed up  to replenish his internal fire…A pretty waitress, good food in abundance and low prices. This place called Sam’s Diner, had the trio and as long as he was in the area and had to eat alone, Sam’s place would get his business.

He entered the diner at twenty minutes past noon. He was greeted by the pretty, blonde waitress he envisioned as part of his needs from the place. Her name tag said she was Heather. He spoke. “Good afternoon Heather. Got a place for me?”

She looked at the half empty room full of tables. “The choice of a table is yours.”

“How about a table close to the kitchen? I hate cold food.”

“I tell you what I’ll do. If the table I take you to, isn’t close enough to suit you. I’ll run every chance I can. How’s that?”

“You’ve got a deal.”

“Do you want a menu,” she asked over her shoulder as they walked towards the back of the place.

“I don’t need one. Just bring me your daily special. I trust the chef du jour.”

“Fritz will be glad to hear that,” she replied, when she stopped at a table for four near the batwing doors from the kitchen.

“Who’s Fritz?”

“He’s the chef du jour but we call him the cook. He’s also the owner,” she said, grinning as she headed over to the opening in the wall where the waitress communicated with the kitchen staff. When his lunch was all gone and his second coffee a mere memory, he paid his check and left a nice tip for Heather. She thanked him with a big smile as he left to return to his office and wait till it was time to head for The Sanctuary and the meeting with Miss Meyers.

At five-thirty, he set off on a fast walk for the ten blocks to the pub where he was to meet

12

Greenwood’s secretary. On the walk, he began to ask himself the questions he had all afternoon to do. Why was it she wanted to meet him in a pub? What did she know about the stuff he needed to know? Was she doing this at the behest of her boss? How could she have known what he would want from her when she wasn’t in the room when Stew told him what he needed? He hoped she would open up and answer some of these questions. With a couple of minutes to spare, he pushed open the door to the small pub and stopped to let his eyes adjust to the dim interior. There were several tables to his right that were occupied with young, male business types and some of them had young, female business types with them. To his left sat the audience the men and women to his right were playing to. None of the tables had Miss Meyers sitting there. He wondered if she had stood him up. As he was about to turn and leave, motioning near the bar caught his attention. It was Miss Meyers and she was motioning to him. He responded with a friendly wave and moved to join her.

As he approached, she spoke quietly. “You’re prompt. That’s one in your favor.”

“You’re here,” he replied. “That’s one in your favor.”

“Did you think I wouldn’t be?”

“I’ll admit I had some doubts.”

“Why? It’s a perfectly legitimate place of business.”

“You didn’t seem like the type who would frequent pubs. I had you figured for a lounge type.”

“Well, I’m glad you had me figured for being outgoing…even if it was outgoing to the wrong kind of place. Uh, won’t you please follow me to where we can have some privacy?” she said, leading off not waiting to see if he was following.  Ten or fifteen steps later, she pushed open a door that had private in big letters at eye height printed on it. Inside, it was what Stewart thought a pub office would look like; small, intimate and brightly lit. Besides the desk and chair, two straight-backed chairs and a small leather couch decorated the interior. She took the chair behind the desk and turned to Stew. “Do you approve?”

“My office is bigger but not nearly as well appointed. Do you know the owner?”

“We’re on speaking terms. Have a seat. I hate talking up to anyone.”

“Sorry. I usually wait to be asked before I sit. I was taught to never assume I’m welcome until I’ve been invited to stay.”

“OK Stewart Grant. Tell me about yourself.”

“Uh, I was under the impression I was asked to come here so you could tell me some stuff I need for my investigation. I already know about me and that won’t help me one bit to find a missing young boy.”

She laughed. A rather pleasing sound to Stew’s ears. “Are you being funny on purpose?”

13

“I’m being inquisitive on purpose. The funny is accidental.”

“You don’t have to worry if you choose to be clever with me. OK, tell me what you want to know.”

“Mister Greenwood told me he thought only six people knew the boy was missing. You are one, he and Missus Greenwood make three. His daughter and her nanny make five and the grounds keeper rounds it out at six. The names of all of the ones I haven’t met would be nice.”

“I can give you all of that now but would you mind if I held out for a day and gave it all to you tomorrow?”

“It won’t hurt my standing if I ask why, will it?”

She laughed again. “Not in the least. Do you intend to start investigating tonight?”

“I hadn’t planned on it. Is there some reason you want to hang onto the stuff until tomorrow?”

“Yes but it’s strictly personal. Tell me, do have plans for dinner tonight?”

“No and as a matter of fact, I’m considering not eating at all.”

“I was going to invite you to dine with me,” she said, softly.

“Wow! I didn’t expect that. Is the invitation still open?”

“I hate eating alone but I don’t want to watch you pushing the food around the plate pretending to eat.”

“Eating is one thing I never pretend to do.”

“Are there other things you don’t pretend doing?” she asked, equally softly.

“Yes but I don’t know you well enough to tell you about them. Uh, I think it’s fair for me to tell you that I don’t have sufficient funds to pay for an expensive dinner.”

“What if I told you that it wouldn’t cost you anything?”

“Where in Seattle can two people dine for nothing?”

“At my apartment!”

“Oh wow! I didn’t expect that one either. I don’t know what to say.”

“Say you’ll join me.”

“Can I ask you a question before I say I’ll join you? Who do you know at The Sanctuary that allows you the run of the place?”

She smiled and relaxed in her chair behind the desk. “I’m the owner of this place, so I give myself permission to do as I please. Are you going to join me for dinner?”

14

Chapter 2  Dinner for Two and More

He entered the apartment right behind her and when she turned on the room lights, he was faced with another major surprise. He expected her apartment would be an example of her business world…neat, Spartan and above all organized. What he saw shot his beliefs about her, right out of the saddle. The apartment was clean but it was not organized. Much of her wardrobe seemed to be strewn about as if she just stepped out of it. Instead of a wood and chrome décor, there wasn’t a hint of shiny metal in sight. The place was a grown up version of a young girl’s doll house with flounce and lace everywhere. She saw the look on his face and commented. “Not what you expected?”

He blinked his eyes several times before answering. “Not even close!” he said finally.

“What did you expect, a jail cell?”

“Well not exactly but something more, uh less disorganized, is what I’m trying to say.”

“I like it this way. It helps me to keep from screaming and shooting someone. I know where everything is and where it belongs but if I don’t hang it up or put it away until later, it’s nobody’s business but mine.”

“I didn’t mean to be critical…Uh, what should I call you?”

“When we’re nowhere near the office, you can call me Miriam but don’t you dare call me that if we’re at the bank. No one and I mean no one calls me Miriam at the bank. Even Uncle Marcus calls me Miss Meyers.”

“Understood,” he replied. “Do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions?”

“You can ask but I don’t have to answer, if they are too personal or impertinent.”

“I don’t think they’re either but here goes. How long have you lived here and when did you acquire The Sanctuary?”

She smiled. “One of the reasons I acquired The Sanctuary was because of this apartment. When I’m up here, I’m isolated from the outside world or at least the part of the world I want to escape from. My staff know I’m not to be disturbed for any reason save a fire or natural disaster. They also know I can drop in on them anytime I’m up here, so they pretty much toe the line. Do you have any more questions?”

“Not just now.”

“How hungry are you?” she asked. “Can you wait an hour?”

“Sure. I was prepared to go without dinner so another hour won’t matter.”

“What would you like to drink? I have beer, wine and most all the other kinds of booze.

15

“I hope this doesn’t offend you being a pub owner and all but I don’t drink.”

She threw her head back and roared. When she finished laughing, she looked at him, still smiling and said. “Imagine that? A two fisted, rock ‘em sock ‘em private investigator who doesn’t drink. How do you woo the ladies?”

“That’s another area I don’t venture into very often.”

“Why are you here?” she asked, sincerely interested.

“I assumed you were going to provide me with the information I need to proceed with the case. I didn’t expect to be treated to an intimate dinner.”

She didn’t follow up with anything to keep that subject line open. Instead, she returned to the food line. “What would you like to eat?”

“I’m not the least bit finicky about food. Anything you put on the table, I’ll eat.”

Again she seemed to be studying him for a minute or two. “Do you mind if I get comfortable?”

“Not at all.”

“Why don’t you take off your jacket and loosen your tie. I want you to be at ease while you’re here.”

“Thank you. I would like to take my jacket off,” he said, wriggling out of it while he was still sitting in one of her large, over-stuffed, chairs. “Where should I put it?” he asked.

“Just throw it anywhere you can find it when you’re ready to leave.” She turned then and walked through a door across the room and out of sight. As soon as she was out of his sight, he began to study the room. His first impression of it was the seeming disorder. On closer study, it was only a surface anomaly. The room was ordered. There was a pattern to its arrangement. The big chairs faced each other and the large sofa was placed to allow an intimate conversation between two or more people. A Maple table and four matching chairs were arranged in a small nook off the living room. The entry to the kitchen was three steps away from the table and chairs. A couple of blouses and a bra were draped over the chair closest to the kitchen door. Her wardrobe strewn about was what initially caused him to think it was disorganized. Five minutes after she left the living room, she was back and wearing a light pink peignoir, transparent to the point he could tell she had nothing on underneath. She purposely walked to stand in front of him. “Well Stewart. What do you think?”

“You certainly do look comfortable. Is this what you wear when you are all alone or only when you have company?”

“Does it matter? Do you like it?”

“No I guess it doesn’t matter and yes I like it. At the risk of bringing down your wrath, is this something you can cook in?”

16

“There’s no wrath for asking a fair question but the answer is no I don’t wear this to cook in.”

“Am I supposed to cook for us?” he asked, half in jest.

“I suppose I should have made it clear early on. I’ve ordered up our dinner. We’ll have Porter House steaks for two. Baked potatoes and season’s vegetables. Is that acceptable to you?”

“That’s exactly what I would have ordered, if I could have afforded to take you out.”

“Aren’t you glad we’re dining in? Do you mind if I ask you something?” she said, sitting down and tucking her bare legs and feet up under her, on the sofa across a coffee table from him.

“Since my case is not going to be a hot topic for a while, I guess personal questions are fair game. Shoot!”

“You don’t seem to be excited by my peignoir. May I ask why? I hope you don’t say I’m not your type or that I’m too old for you.”

“Well, I may not be as worldly as some you may have entertained but I’m not exactly a hick from Hicksville either. I grew up in a naturist family. I’ve been around nude women and men all my life. I feel very comfortable in your present state and I know how to control my feelings.”

“Well that’s a first for me,” she said, stretching her legs out their full length. “What is it about nudists that keeps them from full time orgies?”

“First off, nudity isn’t a requirement or necessarily a prerequisite for sex. Intercourse is totally possible while one is fully dressed. Most nudists like the freedom that comes without the confinement of clothing. Assume the light feeling you have with that peignoir was a summer breeze. It feels good doesn’t it?”

“Yes and it’s strange I never looked at it that way. It’s somehow poetic the way you said it.”

“Truth has a way of making things seem either lyrical or musical, at least that’s how it seems to me,” he said, without changing his expression. 

“So you’re saying if I came out of the bedroom naked, you wouldn’t be the least bit excited by it?”

“No that’s not what I said or even meant. I can keep my libido under control when the occasion demands it. If I was here knowing I was going to be needing to perform sexually, it would be a different case entirely.”

“Why do you think I chose this to wear tonight?”

“I have no idea. I’m not very good yet at reading people’s minds. I can react accordingly if I’m told what to expect but as for guessing what people do things for, I have no skill for it.”

At that moment, they both heard the sound of a buzzer going off. She stood up and as she

17

turned to leave the sofa she said. “That’s the signal that our dinner is ready. I’ll have it on the table in just a few moments. Why don’t you get up to the table and I’ll serve us?”

“Is there anything I can do?” he asked.

“Just don’t pretend to be hungry!”

“No problem there,” he mumbled, not knowing or caring if she heard him. The meal came up in a dumb waiter on two identically laden trays. Food on plates and silverware wrapped in cloth napkins. No beverages accompanied the meal. She placed the meals so they were sitting across from each other and as soon as she sat down, he commenced to eat. The conversation was inconsequential and sparse and was not drawn out. When the food was gone, she picked up the plates and silverware and sent them back down stairs via the dumbwaiter and called for coffees in return. She also suggested they move to more comfortable chairs in the living room.

Sipping her coffee, she looked up at him. “Are you going to spend the night?”

Before he answered her, he took a long sip of his coffee. He set the cup back on the saucer and sighed. “I don’t think that’s my decision to make without being invited.”

“I thought that’s what I just did.”

“That’s an example of what I said about not reading another’s mind. If you had said it this way…would you like to spend the night? I wouldn’t have to guess if you were going to drop the axe on me.”

“Well since I’ve explained my intentions, will you spend the night?”

“I have no one expecting me to be there tonight so I’m free to stay if you want me to.”

“Damnitall! She exclaimed. “Do you want me to say pretty please?”

“No I just don’t want to play games. I don’t intend to woo you, nor do I expect you to want me to but if you want to fuck, say so. I’m pretty simple that way.”

“Well, at least I know where you stand,” she said, going for more coffee from her cup. She sat it back on the saucer and looked at him for several seconds. Finally she spoke again. “You don’t do much intimate conversing do you?”

“Intimacy is for two people who are trying to learn about each other. I’ve had very few chances to try that out. Before you ask, I’ve had two. One was when I was married and the other was more recent but it didn’t turn out as well as the first try.”

“Do you want to tell me about either or both?” she asked, softly.

“Sure, why not? Neither one is going to kill my career if it comes out. My first job, when I graduated from college was teaching in an Indian School in New Mexico. A colleague of mine at the school was an Indian or Native American as they call themselves. She was a chief’s daughter and held a

18

high position in the tribal council. Because we were in reasonably close contact five days a week and members of the same job responsibility, we became more than just friends. Towards the end of the school year we decided to get married. She wanted to observe the native rituals for marriage and I didn’t care one way or the other, so we got married by her father. I had a small apartment off the reservation and she moved in with me. Things were fine until the end of the second school year I was there. The first two years I was there, I was a contract employee to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. At the end of the second year, they decided to make the teachers of all Indian Schools, government employees. I would have taken a pretty severe pay cut to become a government employee, so I said thanks but no thanks. My wife, however, saw it differently and chose to join them. She divorced me by moving out of my tepee and that was that.”

“More recently, what happened?” she asked, leaning closer.

“I met up with a girl who I became friends with when we were in junior high school. She had a teaching job and I didn’t. I tried to get on as a regular but no openings occurred. I decided I’d follow in my father’s footsteps and she thought it was a foolish thing to do, so I moved out…and here I am.”

“What do you teach?”

“Math and general science.”

“Nerd stuff huh?”

“If you want to think so. I happen to believe it’s important to know some level of math and at least something about sciences. You of all people should appreciate math or is banking not about numbers these days?”

She smiled at him. “I like that in a man. When you are attacked, you attack back. For your information, banking is still about numbers. Now what would you like to do?”

“Well it’s too early for bed. How about you give me the info I need to start my case?”

“I promise you’ll get it before you leave here…just not now. Tell me more about being a nudist.”

“We prefer to call it naturism these days. Nudism has a less acceptable connotation. What more can I say?”

“How did your family become…uh naturists?”

“I started it believe it or not. I had a friend, when I was nine and he was in my grade in school. He and his mother were naturists, uh his father was dead. His mother was from France and was having a tough time integrating into American society. To make a long story short, I agreed to be naked when I played with him at his house and my folks agreed we could be naked when he played with me at our house. Oh, and most of the time I was with him at his house I was helping him with math. He wasn’t very good at math and with my help, he passed. I also helped his mother with English…especially idioms. She had the basics of British English but American English is slightly different.”

19

“How did your folks get involved?”

“My mother made it a point to become friends with Yvette, that’s my friend’s mother’s name. She was an accountant in France and went to night school to get certified in the States. My Dad offered to let her do his taxes and she accepted and became a regular visitor to our house. When she was there, Mom and Dad would go naked to make her feel comfortable. That’s how it started.”

“You said your family are naturists. Is it just you and your mother and father?”

“No, I have a half-brother and sister, both much older. My mother’s mother is one and so are both my father’s parents. My folks are minority owners of a naturist resort on the Olympic Peninsula. My half-sister is the Property Manager of the place. We are all well into naturism as a life style.”

“Tell me something honestly. Would you be comfortable being naked in front of me?”

He paused briefly before answering. “Are you asking if I could sit here talking to you in the nude?”

“Well, yes and would you be comfortable?”

“Is this your idea of a test of some kind? If so, I’m going to fail on purpose because I’m not going to do it. Preparing for sex is one thing. Being conversant after sex is another thing but just getting nude to see if I can do it without growing an erection is entirely different.”

“You said you can control your libido. I was wondering if it was really possible for a man to sit in the company of a half-naked woman without a response of some kind.”

“This is the second time I’ve been challenged to show some response.”

“When was the first time?”

“The woman I was living with recently is the sister of a guy who was my best friend in junior high school. His family were naturists and were at our house for dinner. He had two sisters, Kim, the older one, was a year younger than him and I had a crush on her. I was able to keep cool around her and it bothered him because every time he got naked, even in front of his family, he would get an erection…” she interrupted him.

“How old were you then?”

“Fourteen.”

“And she was thirteen?”

“My friend Marvin was a few months older than me at fifteen. I was soon to turn fifteen and she was going to be fourteen soon but yes she was thirteen.”

“So he couldn’t control himself and you could. Uh, was that what bothered him?”

“Uh huh. Both of his sisters were cool with it but it bothered him and when we were all in my

20

room before dinner, I had to prove it to him I could get an erection when I wanted to and make it go away with the same ease.”

“You actually got an erection for him?” He nodded. “What did you do?”

“I concentrated on Kim’s tits and how I’d like to touch them and it was easy.” 

“How did you make it go away?”

“I thought about chasing fly balls at baseball practice and it went away.”

“And this girl was the one you were living with recently?” she asked.

“That’s right!”

“I trust this was a sexual relationship?”

“Amongst other things…yes.”

“I’ve never met anyone like you…that is someone who doesn’t seem to place sex high up in their list of needs.”

“Where it is on the list depends entirely on how long the list is. I don’t have a great many needs so my list isn’t very long,” he said, matter-of-factly.

She threw her head back and laughed heartily once again. When she was finished, she studied him for several seconds. “I like you Stewart. What would you like to know about me?”

He looked back at her for a few seconds, as she had done to him. “I’d like to know how you were able to know I needed stuff from your Uncle. You weren’t in his office when we were discussing it.”

She smiled. “I wasn’t physically in the office but I was able to hear what was being said.”

“You’ve got his office bugged?” Stewart choked out.

“In a sense yes. Two years ago, he had his office redecorated. I made all the arrangements and as a benefit for bumping up the estimate a bit, the electrician did some rewiring on our intercom. Regardless of what he does on his end, it’s always a hot mic. I control whether it’s on or off on my end.”

“What happens if your phone rings while you’re listening?” he asked.

“That’s another thing that was remodeled. When the phone company guy was there to add a couple more lines, I swapped my ringer phone for one with an amber light that illuminated when a call came in. I could just switch off the hot mic and take the call.”

“So you heard everything we said when I was in his office?”

“Uh huh. Oh and by the way, he doesn’t pay me sufficiently and I do have a life. The Sanctuary sees to both my needs in that respect.”

21

“How could you afford to buy a business on a secretary’s salary?”

“That is none of your business,” she responded quickly. Stewart settled back in his large over-stuffed chair, content to let the conversation idle. She watched him expecting him to apologize. When she realized he wasn’t going to say anything, she decided to change the subject back to naturism. “You asked me earlier if I wore this peignoir to cook in. Actually when I’m all alone up here I don’t wear anything at all!” He appeared to lack interest in the comment and it rankled her, somewhat. “What do you think of that?”

“I think, if you do it for comfort, it’s a smart thing to do.”

“Is that all you have to say about it?”

“What am I supposed to say? Hooray, you are a naturist at heart. You know, it’s almost universal, when a textile meets a naturist they want to know why the person wants to take off his or her clothes in front of other people or do they engage in unrestricted sexual play. I’ve heard every one of those and several more we talked about,” he said, again settling back in his chair.

“I guess I’ve been put in my place,” she replied.

“It wasn’t meant to shut you off. I’m open to almost all questions concerning naturism you have but I don’t want to be probed with salacious intent.”

“Almost anything I ask could be considered salacious.”

“If I was trying to dodge the discussion but that isn’t my intent or I would have said let’s not talk about it anymore.”

“How do most people react when you tell them you are a naturist?” she began.

“That’s easy! I don’t tell most people that I am one. I cannot think of a single conversation I’ve had recently, except this one, where it was necessary or even important to mention it. Let me ask you. How did you feel when I told you?” he asked, turning the tables on her.

She paused, then smiled at him. “Initially, I didn’t believe you. I still have my doubts as to whether you can control your libido, to the extent that you say you can.”

“That sounds to me like you are calling on me to prove it. I tell you what. When you are ready to put me to the test, say so and the test will begin…uh, on one condition. The test will last until one or the other of us cries ‘Uncle.’”

She agreed and they sat and chatted about everything and nothing of any import. An hour passed, when all of a sudden, she stood up, whipped off the peignoir and said. “The test starts when you are equally naked.”

Stewart stood up and slowly started disrobing, placing each item removed on a pile where he would be able to find it later. Finally he stood before her completely naked. “Now what?” he asked.

22

She stood looking at him expecting him to blossom from his middle. When he didn’t, she looked him in the eyes. “I don’t think it works at all!”

“Is that a dare?”

“Yes!” was her simple answer.

“Where do you want me to prove it?”

“Follow me. My bedroom is this way,” she said, grabbing his hand and heading across the living room. Her bedroom was a bedroom-like example of her living room. Clothes and shoes and items of all kinds strewn here and there…except for the queen-sized bed. It was carefully made up and covered with frilly pillows and stuffed animals. She led him to its edge, tossed the animals and pillows aside and jumped on the bed, turned and invited him to join her. He climbed up on it and proceeded to prove his manhood was in complete working order. He proved it until the wee hours and finally heard her say the welcome word…’Uncle.’ He uncoupled, rolled over and fell asleep almost instantly.

He woke, for a moment disoriented. He remembered finally that he was in the bed of Miriam Meyers but when he looked all around the bed, she wasn’t there. He climbed out the big bed and padded throughout the apartment but discovered he was all alone. He wandered into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator but it was as empty as it could possibly be. He opened the cupboards, looking for a glass but they were catchalls for things that belonged anywhere but in the kitchen. “What’s with this woman?” he asked himself aloud. He went back into the bedroom and to the bathroom. He made sure there were towels and then popped into the shower. He spent an extra ten minutes basking in the hot outflow waking himself thoroughly. He toweled dry and headed out to find his clothes. They were still where he left them the night before but right on top was a note pinned, with a large safety pin, to the item of clothing on top. It read:

Stewart

I told you I would have the stuff you wanted before you left here. Uncle Marcus and Aunt Sophie, Cousin Leah, her nanny Ingrid and the maid Portia as well as the grounds keeper Wilbert, all live together on the grounds of Uncle Marcus’ property on the ninth fairway at the Eastlake Golf and Country Club in Medina. I’m pretty sure you won’t have any trouble finding them.

Leah’s boy’s name is Trent. Her ex-husband’s name is Brent Halliday and the last I knew, he lived in Lake Forest Park on Ballinger Way N.E. You should be able to find his address from the phone book.

For your information, I believe you concerning your libido and it’ll be a few days before I’ll be able to sit comfortably.              

Miriam

He reread the note and chuckled at her admission. Without coffee or anything to eat, he saw no reason to hang around her apartment. It was only seven forty-five by his Seiko wrist watch. When he was fully

23

dressed, with the note unpinned and stuck in his suit jacket pocket, he started to leave by the door they came in. He stopped before he opened the door and asked himself, did he want to show up in the pub downstairs? Were they even open this time in the morning? There had to be another way out of here. He made the rounds of the place and found a carefully hidden door in the kitchen. It was disguised by a dark green curtain across it. He parted the curtain and tried the door. It was locked but the lock’s unlocking mechanism was available without a key to unlock it from the inside. He opened the door and looked to make sure it was the alternate egress from the apartment. He could see the door at the first floor had a window and he could see daylight. He set the lock so when he pulled the door closed, it would lock behind him. He left the apartment and the building and entered the alley behind the              pub. He made the thirty minute walk to his office but detoured to the small café where he encountered the friendly waitress Heather. He told her he wanted his usual breakfast, which was scrambled eggs, bacon, fried potatoes Obrien, toast and coffee black.

After he finished his third cup of coffee, he paid his tab and left a nice tip for Heather. Back in his office, he began a file for the case but hesitated before making any entry. Should he mention his dalliance with Miriam Meyers? He reviewed, in his memory, a number of his father’s case files. As he had noted to himself earlier, his father never made mention of an adventure of the sexual kind with a female encountered during an investigation. Since he had read every file in his father’s file cabinet which contained the entire history of his thirty plus years in the business, and there was nothing relating to a dalliance. He decided he would begin his career with a file which did not include bedtime stories.

It didn’t take long to write up the events of the day before. It ended with receiving the information, at The Sanctuary, concerning names and addresses of the people he was going to interview. He put down the file and pulled up his copy of the latest Seattle telephone directory. He scanned it for the name Brent Halliday. There were three Halliday’s listed. One was Halliday, G.L. One was Halliday, S.J. and the last one was Halliday, B.T. but the address given was not on Ballinger Way N.E. He copied the address that was there and set aside the phone book. He took out his street map of the greater Seattle area and looked for Medina. It turned out Medina was on the east side of Lake Washington and the Eastlake Golf and Country Club was north of the downtown area of Medina.

He folded up the map and made up his mind to call Marcus Greenwood and remind him that he was going to begin interviewing his family today. During his visit with the banker the day before, he picked up one the banker’s business cards. His office number was on it but his home number was not. He suspected it was unlisted and only an insider would have access to it. He hoped his relationship with Miriam would get him insider status. He checked his watch and felt the reading might be just a little too early to attack Greenwood. He knew the banker was not in love with the idea of him interviewing his family. It was a detail, in his mind, which was unnecessary. An hour later, he dialed the number and heard one, two and on the third ring. “Good morning. Mister Greenwood’s office.”

24

Chapter 3   Interviewing Begins

“Good morning Miss Meyers. This is Stewart Grant. I’d like to speak to Mister Greenwood.”

“May I ask the nature of your business?” she replied, very business-like.

“I wish to let him know that I’m going to begin interviewing his family concerning their desire to get young Halliday back in the bosom of the family,” he said, using a round-about way of telling her.

“Mister Greenwood is very busy at this time. I will tell him of your actions, when he has become unburdened from bank business.”

“May I ask when that will be?”

“You may ask but when it will be is unknown presently.”

“Since you are privy to his inner circle,” Stewart began. “Can you tell me does Mister Greenwood live in a gated community?”

“Yes, he does.”

“Is there a way I can get in there without having to scale a wall and swim through a moat?”

He could have sworn there was a muted laugh from the other end of the line but she replied soberly. “If the Security Officer at the gate has your name and destination, you’ll be admitted.”

“How can this happen?”

“If you say please, I can make it happen.”

“Oh Ma’am, I’d be eternally beholden to you, if you please make it happen for me.”

This time he heard a laugh for certain followed by her reply. “If you are calling from Seattle, by the time you drive out there, the Security Guard at the gate will have your name and destination.”

“Thank you Ma’am. My beholdeness begins this minute and please don’t forget to tell his highness that I’m attempting to scale the castle walls to interview his lady fair and the rest of the castle staff.”

“I won’t forget. Good bye.”

“Good bye,” he said and closed the call. Checking that the office was in order, he closed and locked it and set off to retrieve his car, a 1973 Buick Riviera, maroon in color, that had one time belonged to his father but was given to him as a college graduation present. It took him forty-five minutes to cross from Seattle to the east side and Medina and another fifteen minutes to find the golf course where the Greenwood’s lived. He finally found his way to the gate which kept out unwanted guests. Announcing his intentions and who he was, he was given the go-ahead from the ancient guard

25

manning the controls of the gate arm. Barely conversant with golf and its fundamentals, the layout of a course did not fall readily into his mind and how to find the ninth fairway was even less predictable. He did eventually, after two stops for directions, find the large estate of Marcus Greenwood.

The parking area in front of the stately manor house was ample. Enough to satisfy the needs of two greyhound busses and a six pack worth of cars. He made his way to the front door and rang the doorbell. He could not hear a sound from the interior and didn’t know whether the doorbell even made a sound. He was just about ready to knock, when the door swung silently open. “Yes?” was the response from the blonde, blue-eyed young lady who answered his ring.

“Good morning. My name is Stewart Grant and I was hired by Mister Greenwood to find his grandson. I’m here to interview members of the family.”

Looking back at him with a blank stare, she replied. “Mister Greenwood is not here. You’ll have to come back later when he is here.”

“Which one are you? The nanny or the maid?”

“I’m Ingrid, the nanny.”

“I just came from Mister Greenwood and he gave me permission to come here and interview the family,” he lied. “If I have to call him and tell him you will not let me do that, he’ll not take it kindly. After all, he wants to get his grandson back and any impediment to that task would not sit well with him.”

A very confused look appeared on her rather cute face. “I’ll have to speak with the Missus. Please wait right there until I speak with her,” she said, leaving the door open and running back into the bowels of the stately manor. At least ten minutes elapsed before she re-appeared. “The Missus said you may enter. Please follow me and I’ll take you to her.”

She set a healthy pace but it still took almost five minutes to get through the house to a walled in covered patio that faced a significant amount of green acreage that turned out to be the ninth fairway of the Eastlake Golf and Country Club. On a ten by twenty plot of equally green grass behind the walled in patio, lay Missus Greenwood. She was lying on a plaid, blow up, air mattress, naked and seemingly basking in oily idleness. She had sufficient pillows so that when she raised slightly to welcome Stewart, she did not betray her femininity to him. “Welcome to Greenwood Manor Mister Grant. Have a chair and be comfortable. I hope you don’t mind if I don’t shake your hand. I’m too oily!”

“No problem Missus Greenwood.”

“Please call me Sophie,” she murmured.

“No Ma’am, I can’t. It’s against the rules.”

“Whose rules is it against?” she queried, softly

“The Loyal Order of Investigative Beginners.”

26

She commenced to laugh and rise up at the same time. The laugh ceased just in time to keep her from revealing her small but firm breasts. “You made that up didn’t you?” she managed.

“Yes Ma’am but it I was taught that when I’m in the presence of my employer or his family, I show the proper respect.”

“Marcus told me last evening that you would probably be coming by. I didn’t expect it to be this soon. What is it you want from me?”

“You know why I’ve been hired. I need to find out as much as I can about the boy, his father and anything that can shed some light on his father’s reason for taking the boy. I’m already at a disadvantage, not knowing how long the boy’s been gone. One can go a long way, these days with a head start of a week or more.”

“Well that part is easy. He was picked up by his father on the 11th and was supposed to be returned on the 14th. Today is the 18th so he’s been gone exactly one week.”

“Was there anything different about the man this time? Did he act strange or like he was edgy or anxious?”

“That I couldn’t say. I didn’t see him arrive or at any time while he was here.”

“In the past, did you know how he looked or acted when he came for the boy? Did he seem to be comfortable being here?”

“He never seemed to be ill-at-ease any time I saw him. He was a lay-about and never worked at anything for any length of time. I don’t think he knew when he was in the presence of his betters,” she said bitterly. “I made it a point to never be where he was while he was here,” she added.

Stewart paused. “Uh, how long were he and your daughter married?”

“Three years two months and a few days,” she fired back, as if practiced at saying it.

“Were there any significant restrictions put on him at the divorce?” he asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Restrictions like he could only have the boy a certain amount of time? Did he have to pay child support? Things like that?”

“Not that I know of. I don’t think he could afford to pay anything. He never had a steady job. You’ll have to talk to my daughter about the details of the divorce. I was just glad when she got rid of him,” she said again, bitterly.

Stewart felt he wasn’t going to get much more from her, so he chose to cut it short with her. “I want to thank you Missus Greenwood. You’ve been most helpful to me. Where can I find your daughter?”

27

“I don’t know! She left right after breakfast with Wilbert, the driver. She hasn’t returned.”

“I was told Wilbert was the grounds keeper.”

“Yes, he’s that and the chauffeur. We’re not paying him for just one job. All our staff have more than one job around here.”

“I see. Would you mind if I went looking for Ingrid?”

“If you must.”

“Where is she likely to be?” he asked, politely.

She looked at him indignantly. “I don’t keep track of her but she might be in the kitchen or in her room. Since the boy is not here for her to tend, she helps out in the kitchen.”

“Thank you Ma’am. Uh, don’t get up. I’ll see my way out.” He noticed a smile attempting to find its way onto her face.

“You are a naughty boy!” she said, letting the smile appear. He smiled back and nodded and turned to the patio door and made his way back through the maze to the major hallway that seemed to run the length of the manor. He knew he didn’t pass through or near the kitchen when he was following Ingrid. So he angled to his right to the part of the house they by-passed on the way to the patio. Soon he heard sounds and smells like might come from a kitchen. He entered the room and immediately felt the warmth of cooking food envelop him. Standing in front of the largest stove he’d ever seen, was a woman whose stature certainly fitted her place in the kitchen. She was, at least five feet ten or eleven, curvy and close to one fifty in weight. Her gray hair was wound into a bun and tucked up under a baker’s hat. He hesitated briefly before making his presence known. Finally, he spoke.

“Excuse me. I’m looking for Ingrid.”

Without looking around to see who was speaking, she replied. “She isn’t here.”

“Do you know where she might be?”

“No and if you find her, tell her I could use her assistance here in the kitchen.”

“Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?” he said, thinking he might get one more staffer out of the way.

“Why do you want to ask me questions?”

“Well, for starters, you work here and the youngest member of the household has been kidnapped. I’d like to know what you can tell me about it.”

“That’s easy! I don’t know shit! I started work after he was took, so I can’t say anything that matters and who the hell are you anyway?”

“I’m the guy who’s going to find him. My name is Stewart Grant. Who are you?”

28

“I’m Marta Lindstrom.”

“Do you live in?” he asked.

She looked at him as if he had spoken in Swahili. “Why in hell would I live in?”

“I was told all the staff lived on the grounds of the estate. I assumed since you were the cook, you’d live in,” he reasoned.

“Well I don’t. I get here at ten AM on the dot. I make lunch and cook up a dinner and put it in the warming oven and clean up my mess and go home. The sooner I get my mess cleaned up, the sooner I go home. You see?” she ended up asking him.

“I see. Uh, what happened to the other cook?”

“I don’t know and I don’t care. They don’t pay me enough to ask questions and cook too!”

“Well you’ve been a lot of help…uh what are you fixing for dinner, if I may ask? It smells delightful.”

She let her facial expression drop its scowl and take on one of gratitude, obviously pleased by his compliment. “It’s a boiled dinner…roast, potatoes, carrots, onions and cabbage.”

“I wish I was going to be here for dinner. It smells delicious.”

“Pull up a chair and I’ll dish up some for you. There’s plenty!”

“Oh Marta I wish I could but then I couldn’t charge the old man for a meal I ate from his own table, now could I?”

She smiled at him and in a way it changed her into a more petite, more feminine lady…who happened to look like Ingrid. “I don’t have to tell him you ate from his kitchen,” she urged him.

“I know but my conscience would haunt me if I did. Maybe next time I will leave my conscience at home.”

“Yeah, maybe next time,” she said sadly.

“It’s nice knowing you Marta Lindstrom. I’ve got to find Ingrid. Do you have any idea where she might be?”

“Her room is almost directly overhead this kitchen on the third floor. Do tell her I’d like to see her.”

“I will. So long until next time,” he said leaving the warmth and good smells behind. He trudged up the set of stairs he saw when he first entered the house following Ingrid. On the second floor, there were several rooms, each with a door out to the U-shaped hallway where the stairs were in the center of the U. Straight ahead of him, when he reached the landing at the second floor, was another set of stairs. These were narrower but also climbed steeply to the third floor. He pushed on, after stopping to

29

look around briefly. When he reached the small platform at the acme of his climb, he saw two doors which he assumed would be to staff bedrooms. One was closed, the other was open. He walked quietly to the open door and looked in. There curled up in a large over-stuffed chair was the blonde haired, blue eyed Ingrid, nose in a book oblivious to the world. He watched her for several seconds before he announced himself. “Is it an interesting book?”

She jumped, as if jabbed and looked at him with wide open eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you and it appears I have found you.”

“What do you want from me?” her eyes never wavered for a second.

“A few answers to my questions for a start.”

“Questions about what?”

“Does anybody in this family care about a little boy who is not with his loving family?” asked Stewart, strongly accentuating the; is not with his loving family.

“Of course we care. I care as much as his family cares,” she spoke out harshly.

“Then you must know why I’ve been hired and that I’m doing my best to get information I can use to find him.” She didn’t answer verbally but nodded her understanding. “Are you ready to answer a few questions?” Again she nodded. “OK, the first one is, did you see the boy’s father on the day he came for the boy?”

“Yes I did!”

“Did he seem different than usual?”

“What do you mean different?”

“Did he seem anxious or in a hurry to get the boy and leave?”

“I didn’t think so at the time.”

“Explain that please,” said Stewart. “At the time.”

“I’ve thought about it some since and I guess he was different. He usually would come to the door and ring the door bell and when I answered it, he would be standing on the end of the porch looking out at the golf course. This last time, he was standing right in front of the door waiting to come in and get the boy. While I was preparing Trent to leave, his father stood close jingling his keys in his pants pocket. He never did that before.”

“Were you the one who always prepared the boy for his father to take him?”

“Yes.”

“In addition to the key jingling thing, did he say anything?”

30

“Now that I think about it, he did say something strange. He said pack enough of his stuff. He won’t be…and he stopped before he finished.”

“What did you usually pack for him?”

“He had a small leather suitcase and I put in an extra pair of sneakers in there for him along with two changes of pants, shirts, socks and underwear. Oh and the special soap he needs. He has a skin condition.”

“Was that how you usually packed for him?”

“That’s how I always packed for him.”

“Did his father ever make a comment to you about how you packed?”

“Never!”

“OK, two more questions. Do you know what kind of car he drove?”

“Other than pale blue, it’s some kind of insect.”

“Insect, you say?” She nodded. “Could it be a Volkswagen Beetle?”

“Yes, that’s it! A Beetle.”

“Is that what he always drove?”

“No! Now that you mention it, this was the first time I saw him in that kind of car.”

“What other kind of car did he have?”

“It was the same car he had when he married Lea…Uh, Mistress Leah,” she said.

“Do you know what kind of car it was?” She shook her head no. “Last question. How long have you been the boy’s nanny?”

“From the day she brought him home from the hospital.”

“I don’t understand. Weren’t she and her husband together when you came to be the nanny?”

“Nope. They separated when I…she was first pregnant. They were separated for a year before the divorce.” Now it was Stew’s turn to nod his head.

“Well, I guess I got what I needed from you and Oh, the cook said for me to tell you she’d like to see you in the kitchen. She needs your help. Uh, is this room next door Portia’s bedroom?”

“No, that’s just a storage room. Portia’s room is on the second floor. Turn left as you come up the stairs, last door down the hall.”

“Is she down there do you suppose? I didn’t see her when I was down on the first level.”

31

“I think she’s still at the doctor’s. She burned herself on the stove this morning at breakfast. Mistress and the chauffeur took her to the clinic in Medina.”

“Was this right after breakfast?” She nodded. “Do you think if I waited, I would be able to interview all three of them?”

Ingrid’s expression changed from one of interest to one of doubt. “You might see Portia if you waited but it’ll be dinner time before you’d see Mistress Leah and Wilbert.”

“Why is that?”

“Because that’s when they get back from wherever they go.”

“Do they do this often?”

“They have every day since the boy wasn’t returned,” she said, head down in a whisper.

Stewart didn’t have anything more to say, so he nodded, backed out of her room and left the manor house. On his way out of the gated community, he stopped at the gate keeper’s small shelter. When the older man stepped out, Stewart spoke to him. “I’m Stewart Grant and the Greenwood’s want me to come back again tomorrow. Will you remember me?”

The man looked offended but nodded and replied. “If you don’t change cars. I remember people’s cars better.”

“I’ll be in the same car. See you tomorrow about eight. Ciao!” he said and drove away. By the time he was a block away, he spoke out loud scolding himself. “Dumbass! The guy said he remembers folks by their cars. I should have asked him about Halliday’s cars. I’ll do it tomorrow for sure.” He drove back to Seattle and parked his car in the parking lot near his office, where he had negotiated a deal with the owner of the lot. He paid a fixed fee for the month and was able to come and go without having to pay for each transition. His stomach told him it was lunch time so he left his car and walked the two blocks to Sam’s Diner.

As usual, it was Heather who greeted and seated him. She told him what the daily special was and he ordered it, saving him the need to check on the menu. She brought him coffee without him ordering it and he began to feel comfortable with the arrangement. Unknown to him, she was feeling the same. It had never been his intention to make a pass at any wait staff where he dined, but his growing ease, when he ate here, started him thinking to the contrary. Finished with his lunch and third cup of coffee, he paid his check and left a very nice tip for Heather. Her wide and warm smile told him she appreciated it and he walked with a little zip in his step.

Back in his office, he added the morning’s interviews to his case file and commenced to draw up some notes on what he should do to find out where the ex-husband of Leah Halliday lived. He wondered what was going on with this Leah person. A supposed grieving mother should be pacing the floor, not out spending the day somewhere with the chauffeur. Perhaps it’s not a bad idea, after all, to go out to the Greenwood Manor before breakfast is over and the Princess of the Manor has departed.

32

Chapter 4   More Interviews are Needed

It was seven-forty AM when he pulled into the small turn off about one hundred feet from the Security Guard’s shelter. The traffic wasn’t heavy in or out of the gated community, so he felt the old timer guarding the kingdom might be inclined to answer some questions. He strode up to the shelter and the old man was sitting on a stool reading an Enquirer. “Good morning Sir. Would you mind if I ask you a couple questions?”

“Is that your Riviera down the road?” he replied.

“Yep, that’s mine. I was here yesterday. Would you answer a question or two for me?”

“I might…depending on if they ain’t too personal.”

“They won’t be about you, I assure you. You know folks by their cars. Do you know the guy who used to be married to the daughter of Marcus Greenwood?”

Without hesitation he replied. “Uh huh. Name’s Halliday and drove a 1970 Monte Carlo until recently.”

Surprised by the amount of information he got in return, he pushed on. “What did he drive after the Monte Carlo?”

“Why do you need that?”

“No reason. I’m just curious. I need to talk to him and it helps to know what kind of cars people drive. Sometimes it’s the best way to get their attention.”

“I don’t know why he did it but he traded down to a ‘66 VW Beetle.”

“When did he do that?”

“Are you a cop?”

“Nope. Like I said, I’m just curious about folks.”

“It was about six months or so ago that I first noticed the VW but he didn’t drive it through the check point. He parked about two blocks down the way there,” he said, pointing back up the street towards town.

“Why do you suppose he did that? Did he walk through the gate?”

“That’s the thing. He parked there about five o’clock in the afternoon and waited for a young lady that worked for the Greenwood’s.”

“What was her name?”

“You got me. I never asked and she never said.”

33

“Do you know what she did for them?” asked Stewart. The older man shook his head. Stewart had no reason to push the guard until he got suspicious, so he sighed and asked one more question. “The daughter of the family seems to spend a lot of time away from home lately. Is this typical or has she just started?”

“I don’t recall it being typical,” was all he said in reply. Stewart decided to leave it at that. As he turned to leave, the old man spoke. “You won’t find her at home, if that’s where you’re going. She and her driver left through here about twenty minutes ago.”

Stewart wondered just how early he’d have to get out here to find her at home. While he was walking back to his car, he scanned his memory for a situation his father faced that was anything close in nature to this. He couldn’t bring one to the fore which resembled this, so he made up his mind to just play it by ear until he finished with the interviews today. He parked and climbed out and hurried up to the front porch of the manor. He rang the doorbell and waited. Shortly the door opened silently and Ingrid the nanny confronted him. “You back again? What do you want this time…blood?”

“Sorry! I left the blood-letting stuff at home. Maybe next time. I’ve still got some things I want from you…if you have them or can get them and I want to interview Portia the maid if she’s here.”

“She’s here but she’s not feeling very well. Her hand is burned pretty badly and she’s been given medicine to make her sleep. She hasn’t been out of her room since she got back from the doctor.”

“Are you going to let me in?” he asked.

She paused, as if considering it, and finally said. “If you promise not to bother Portia, I’ll let you come in for a while.” She stood aside when he nodded and let him pass. He stood just inside and spoke.

“I feel as if there is something going on that is not being discussed. You people are not exactly co-operating like folks who have a great desire to get that little boy back again. Is that the case or am I making too much of your attitudes?”

She didn’t come after him clawing and scratching for his comment. Instead, she chose to remain looking for something to say. Her final response was to say. “Things are not exactly as you might expect but believe me, we all want the boy back.”

“While we’re discussing the boy,” Stewart began. “There is something you can get for me. I need to have a recent picture of him to show, when I get on his trail. It helps to show a picture to folks when you want them to remember if they’ve seen him.” She appeared to be fighting an internal battle over something, if the look on her face was any indicator of what was going on inside her head. He chose to give her a choice. “If you don’t have any pictures of him, I’ll just have to get them from his mother…if I get a chance to interview her. Uh, can we go somewhere and sit?”

“I’m sorry Mister Grant. I forgot my manners. Please come with me and we’ll go to the sitting room.”

When they arrived, it was one of the rooms he went through the day before on his way to see

34

Missus Greenwood. It was cozy and filled with overstuffed furniture. Two console TV’s were sitting against opposite walls. A large piece of furniture he had never seen before was sitting in the center of the room. It was built such that one end of it faced the east wall of the room and the other end of it faced the west wall. Two people could sit comfortably on it and watch different programs. A headset at each end allowed the viewers to watch and listen to his or her program without bothering whoever was on the other end of the couch. He chose a chair that was a single facing another decorated exactly like it. Ingrid sat there. Knowing the answer to his first question, he asked it anyway. “Is Princess Leah on the premises?”

Responding slowly, she said. “No, she and Wilbert left about a half hour ago.”

“Doesn’t this seem strange to you? I can’t fathom this at all. I don’t have kids but I’d worry like hell if my dog was gone for more than a week…uh, if I had a dog.”

“I’m sure she’s worried. I think she’s just trying to compensate by doing whatever she’s doing.”

“How long has Wilbert been the chauffeur or groundskeeper?”

“He was here when I arrived so I’d say five years, maybe more.”

“Does he take meals with the family?”

“Staff eats a half hour before the family.”

“Uh, Marta told me she starts work at ten sharp. That’s too late for anybody to eat. Who fixes breakfast?”

“Portia and I take turns except on weekends. Everybody is on their own.”

“How is Mister Greenwood to work for? He seems like a hard taskmaster at the bank.”

“Technically, I work for Mistress Leah but he treats me like family.”

“Do you eat with the family?” he asked, softly.

She paused for several seconds. “Sometimes if Trent is still sleeping at meal time.”

“Yesterday, you said you packed his suitcase with his special soap because he has a skin condition. What is his skin condition?”

“The doctor says it is eczema. It’s not contagious but it needs to be kept clean so I…uh we use a special soap we get at the drug store when I bathe him and we also have a special soap that we wash his clothes with.”

“Does his father know about his condition?”

“Yes…he’s been informed.”

“Back to cooking and eating. Marta said she’s only been here a short time. Did you have a full 

35

time cook before her?”

“There were several who tried to fit in but for a lot of reasons, none of them stayed after Anna.”

“Who was Anna?” he quizzed.

“Anna Polanski was her name. She was a cordon bleu trained chef and she was very popular with everyone at meal time.”

“When did she leave?”

“About a month ago.”

“Did she say why she was leaving?”

“No! Two weeks before she left, she gave notice. When the two weeks were up, it was a Friday, she walked out and never came back.”

“Did she live in?”

“No. She said she had a two year lease on her apartment and couldn’t afford to pay to get out of it.”

“How long was she here?”

“Almost exactly six months.”

“Has Trent’s father always been regular picking up the boy?”

She looked at him strangely and didn’t reply promptly, as she had been. Finally. “As a matter of fact, he didn’t pick up Trent once during the time Anna was the cook.”

“Has anybody else asked that question?”

“I don’t think it ever occurred to any of us. I know I certainly never considered it.”

“Did he ever say why he wouldn’t be picking up the boy?”

“He told Mistress Leah that he was going out of the country on a job that would last for six months. We all assumed that was what he did!”

A break in the questioning occurred and before Stewart could begin another question, a movement in the foyer, which he could see from the sitting room, caught his eye. A woman, of middle years, gray haired and dressed primly in a white blouse with a blue ribbon at the neck, and a knee length, black skirt appeared, and began walking toward him. As she approached the sitting room, he noticed her right hand was bandaged heavily and although wearing sensible shoes, she walked unsteadily. She entered the room and looked to Ingrid and spoke. “I missed my turn this morning. I’ll take two days in a row next week.” She started to leave but Ingrid moved quickly to grab her by the shoulders. She stopped her and led her to the chair she had been sitting in. When she was safely seated

36

Ingrid spoke to her, in a voice a nurse my use on a patient.

“You shouldn’t be up Portia. The doctor said you need to stay in bed for, at least, a couple of days. Just what were you going to do?”

Despite her lack of total control, she tried to rise but Ingrid held her down. All of a sudden she noticed Stewart. “Who is he?” she asked, looking up at Ingrid for an answer.

“He’s the man the Mister hired to find Trent. He came to speak with you but I told him you needed rest and he was about to leave.” She looked at Stewart and said. “Weren’t you?”

He switched his look from Ingrid to the ailing woman. “Do you feel strong enough to answer a few questions for me?”

Ingrid answered for her. “She’s in no shape to answer questions. I’m going to take her back to her room and see that she goes back to bed.”

Stewart stood up and towered over the blonde nanny. “The longer you put off letting me interview this woman, the more often I’m going to come back and hang around. I’m here now and she’s here too. My questions are not soul-searching. All I need is her take on the ex-husband Halliday. When I get that, I’m out of here!” He stood looking at Ingrid, daring her to say no. She finally cast a quick glance at the maid Portia.

“Do you mind a few more minutes before I take you back upstairs?”

“I’m thirsty! I need a glass of water. Can you get me some water please?”

Ingrid looked at Stewart. “Don’t let her get up. I’ll go get her some water,” she said, as she turned and left the room on her way to the kitchen. Stewart immediately sat down so he wouldn’t intimidate the frail woman.

“You are aware that the boy Trent has been taken by his father and hasn’t been returned, aren’t you?”

“Of course! He’s been gone for more than a week now,” she replied, without looking at him.

“Where were you when Halliday came to pick up the boy?”

“I’m all over the house on any given day.”

“Where does the boy sleep at night?”

“His room is next to Mistress Leah’s bedroom in the back of the house,” she replied, motioning her head towards her left shoulder.

“Was that where Ingrid packed the suitcase for him?”

“That’s where all his clothes are.”

37

“Did you go in or near the boy’s room at any time that Halliday was here to pick up the boy on that Thursday?”

“I never went into the room during the time he was here…but I may have been near the room.”

“How near?”

“I was in Mistress Leah’s bedroom.”

“How long?”

“The whole time,” she answered, hesitantly.

“Was this time different than any of his other times here to pick up the boy?” asked Stewart.

“I couldn’t see his face but his voice seemed to be more urgent than usual…” she didn’t finish her thought because Ingrid returned with a tall glass of water.

“Here you are Portia,” she said, handing the maid the glass. She and Stewart watched the woman take two sips and with her left hand, return the glass to Ingrid.

“Thank you!” she said, shamelessly.

Ingrid stood looking from Portia to Stewart, who remained seated. Finally she spoke. “You were questioning her while I was gone, weren’t you?”

“Yes I was and she verified everything you told me about Halliday’s demeanor while he was here.”

“So now what are you going to do?”

“I came to interview Portia and I did and I also came with the intention of getting a picture or two of the boy. I still need those!”

“Well I’m going to take her back up to her room and when I come back, I’ll get a couple of pictures for you. You stay right here while I’m gone.”

“Yes’m,” he replied, with a humbling gesture. The nanny was gone for nearly twenty minutes. The moment she returned, she spoke sharply to him.

“I’m going to get you the pictures now and when you get them, I want you to leave.”

“Are you in charge of the manor now?” asked Stewart, not in the least cowed by her demand.

“I am when Missus Greenwood is not here.”

“Did she go out with her daughter this morning too?”

“Well no, she went to town with the Mister. I’m going for the pictures. You wait here!” Stewart waiting until she turned her back on him and set out to follow her. She led him back to the hallway that  

38

ran the width of the manor. At the end of the hallway, she turned to the left and passed through a small room that housed the utensils and appliances used to vacuum, clean, dust and mop the manor. After this she entered another short hallway and finally turned into a room. Stewart stopped at the doorway to that room and watched her go to a small chest of drawers in what appeared to be the boy’s bedroom. What amazed him about the place was it looked to be set up with beds for two. One was obviously the boy’s. It had a cowboy themed coverlet and pillow. The other was made up for an adult. When she stood up and turned to leave, she saw Stewart standing in the doorway. “I told you to stay in the sitting room,” she cried, angrily.

“Yeah and I was going to campaign for a chance to see the boy’s room. Sooner or later I would get the chance so I decided to make it sooner. Who else sleeps in here?”

“His mother. Sometimes he has nightmares and she has to comfort him,” she said lamely. He nodded but kept what he really thought about it to himself. Without saying another word, she pushed passed him and headed back through the maze to the foyer. He was close behind and when he spoke, she whirled around and practically threw the two pictures at him. He slipped them into his pocket.

“I’m going to come back you know, so you better get used to the idea. As I said, something is going on here and it’s not all related to the absence of the little boy. I’ll eventually find out what it is, I guarantee you but until then, you continue to think you’re putting one over on me.” He reached for the ornate door knob and turned back. “I’ll be seeing you soon. Bye!” On the way from the manor, he passed a small building that looked like a carriage house he had seen in a magazine one time. He wondered if it was in use. He stopped and got out of the car and walked up to the door and knocked. There was no response after two minutes, so he tried the door and it opened. It was furnished with reasonably nice items and to his eyes looked to be very livable. He walked around looking for anything that might tell him who lived here. Finally he found an envelope on the chest of drawers in the tiny bedroom. It was addressed to Wilbert Stromberg at the address for the Greenwood Estate. Now he knew where Wilbert the chauffeur stayed nightly. He retraced his steps and left the place and returned to his car. Shortly he passed through the check point and waved at the old timer guarding the gate.

It was still only midmorning. Too late for breakfast and too early for lunch, so he decided to run over to the Lake Forest Park District and check out the address given for the B.T. Halliday in the Seattle phone book. When he arrived on the street, he slowed down to be able to read the numbers on the houses. The street ran east to west and he arrived at the east end, so he began checking as he drove. He quickly noticed he was quite a distance from the numbers he was looking for and discovering this, he sped up a bit to narrow the distance to his target. The last cross street he transited put him in the region  of the numbers he was seeking. About mid-block, he found the numbers and they were on a three story brick apartment house. He quickly found a parking place and left the car to check out the building. His first discovery, in the lobby, was the bank of mail boxes. He looked them over but did not see the name of B.T. Halliday on any of them. He was about to turn away when another name caught his eye. He almost missed it…Anna Polanski!

He really wanted to talk to her about her relationship to Halliday and since her apartment was

39

on the first floor, he decided to see if she was at home. Apartment 109 was on the left of the narrow aisle down the center of the building and when he reached it, the door was partially open and there was activity going on inside. He pushed it open fully and stepped in. Two men were covering the furniture with drop cloths in preparation for painting. One of the men noticed him and said something to his partner and that man turned and spoke. “You want something?”

For the first time, he realized the items in the leather case his father gave to him on the day he left his parent’s house was going to come in handy. He took out the leather case and held it up and let it flop open. The gold badge and ID card were visible to them but unrecognizable from the distance. “I’m Todd Pennington, SPD. I’m looking for Anna Polanski. Have you seen her?”

The first speaker replied. “She don’t live here no more. The Super wants it cleaned up before he puts it up to rent.”

Stewart nodded and said. “Thanks,” as he turned and exited the apartment. He walked back down the hallway to apartment 101, which was indicated as belonging to the Manager, Daniel Belmont. He knocked on the door and stepped back. He noted the change in the back lighting of the peep hole in the door which told him he was being looked at. It was proven out when a voice on the other side spoke.

“What do you want?”

Stewart held up his badge and ID card for a brief moment. “I’m Investigator Todd Pennington with the SPD. I’d like to speak with you please.” The door opened slowly and a man with the most unlikely toupee he’d ever seen appeared. He had on a striped shirt and bow tie, covered by a leather vest and coveralls over them. On his feet he wore white socks and sandals.

“What can I do for you Officer?” said the strangely dressed man, with a crewcut toupee.

“I was down at apartment 109 and it’s being prepped for painting. Where is Miss Polanski?”

“She up and moved out about two weeks ago. She left owing a month’s rent. When you find her can you get that back for me?” asked the man, innocently.

“I’ll put it on my list of things to do. Do you have any idea where she went?”

“No Sir!”

“Did she live here alone?”

“She had a young man living with her she said was her cousin from Idaho but I suspect they weren’t really related.”

“Do you know his name?”

“He got mail with the name Halliday on it and her phone was listed in his name.”

“Thank you Sir. You’ve been most helpful. Have a nice day,” said Stewart, as he turned and left.

40

Chapter 5   Stewart Gets Help from Dad

He returned to his office, got out his notebook with phone numbers and punched in the numbers he wanted. “Good morning. This is Mister Greenwood’s Office. May I help you?”

“Miss Meyers, this is Stewart Grant. I think you can help me.”

“Is it something that a get together in The Sanctuary can do?” she asked with a slight chuckle.

“I’m tempted to say yes but I really need to get on the trail of the boy’s father. What I need is the type and color of car that is available to the Princess of the Manor.”

A long pause ensued. Finally. “They have two cars. One Marcus drives himself. It gives him the freedom to come and go when he wants. It’s a 1980 Rolls Royce Silver Spirit. The other car is a 1978 Lexus.”

“What color is the Lexus?” he asked.

“I think they call it desert tan.”

“How do you know these things?” he asked.

“I go to the license bureau and pay for the renewal tabs on both of them.”

“That should explain my question.”

“Is there anything else I can do for you? How is the case going?”

“Is this for your information or will you share it with Mister Greenwood?”

“If he asked me, I’d tell him but I don’t think he even suspects that I talk with you.”

“Well, in that case, I think there’s something going on out there that is more than just concern for the little boy.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean it’s just a feeling. I don’t have any evidence…yet!”

“Will you tell me when you have evidence?”

“If it doesn’t affect my case, I’ll think about it.”

“Would it affect your case to meet me at the Sanctuary this evening?” she asked softly.

“Again I’m tempted but I’ve got to go across the sound and I don’t know when I’ll get back. Give me a rain check. OK?”

“Is this part of your case?”

41

Although he had no intention of going anywhere, his little lie was a means for him to get accustomed to saying no to another dalliance he knew would result if he saw her that evening. He did respond by saying. “Oh yeah, it’s a very important part of the case.”

“Well, I’ll let you go then. Call me again soon,” she said and he heard the line go dead.

He said to himself. “I’d better find another source for information on the family. Miriam is beginning to sound like she wants to build a relationship and sex is not what I want to build a relationship on!” While he held the phone in his hand and the line was open to make another call, he punched in the numbers he knew by heart. He heard the ring, ring and.

“Miles Grant here.”

“Hello Dad. How are you doing?”

“I’m fine Son. What can I do for you?”

“I’ve got to a point where I need to find someone who’s left town and I haven’t got a clue how to track him.”

“Why don’t you come over to the house and I’ll give you a means to do it?”

“Can’t you do it over the phone?”

“I could but I’ve got two women who are anxious to see you and I can’t do that over the phone.”

“I suppose I can come over for a while but I’ve got to get back so I can get a decent night’s sleep. I’ve got a very early surveillance tomorrow and it’s a long way from where I live.”

“That’s fine Stewart…uh are you going to leave for here soon?”

“As soon as I close the office.”

“Good! I’ll tell the ladies you’re on your way. Oh, do you still practice naturism?”

“Of course, why do you ask? Have things changed over there?”

“No, I just wanted to make sure you’d be comfortable with us.”

“I spent nearly five years, counting my college time, away from home and I got comfortable the first day back…didn’t I?”

“You’re right. I wasn’t thinking. We’re looking forward to seeing you Son, so drive carefully.”

“OK Dad. See you soon.” Hanging up the phone, he set about putting his office in order to close up and head for the ferry terminal. He made it just as the line to embark was about to close. He didn’t feel like climbing out of the car and going up to the passenger deck, so he settled back and closed his eyes and enjoyed doing nothing for the next hour. The claxon horn that announced five minutes till docking, jolted him awake. He rubbed his eyes and sat up and got ready to drive off when directed.

42

Twenty minutes after leaving the ferry, he turned into the familiar driveway of his folk’s house. He immediately knew that they had company. The red ’69 Camaro and the light green ’73 Riviera told him that. The Camaro belonged to his half-sister Sarah and the Riviera belonged to his grandparents. Since he would probably be leaving first, he parked behind the other cars and entered the garage through the side door. He pushed open the door to the mud room and took off all his clothes. He knew everyone inside would be comfortable…meaning naked, so he didn’t want to be the odd man out. He opened the door from the mud room to the inner sanctum and was met by his mother. She stood smiling and as soon as he was through the door, she rushed into his arms for a hug and a kiss. She looked up at him and said. “It’s so good to see you Stewart. Are you hungry?”

He returned her smile and answered. “I could eat a bite!”

“That’s just what your father would say. Uh, you know we have company don’t you?”

“I saw their cars in the driveway. What’s the occasion?”

“Sarah just got back from a cruise your father gifted to her and your father called your grandparents because he knew they’d want to see you. C’mon, let’s go to the kitchen. We’re holding lunch till you got here and I expect they’re all anxious to see you and get a bite to eat.”

They entered the kitchen hand in hand and everyone spoke to him at once. He held up his hand and calmed things down. “I’ve got a hug and a kiss for everyone, so I’ll start here with Gram.” He leaned down and hugged his gray-haired grandmother. After hugging, he kissed her warmly on the lips. “It’s so nice of you to come over. I love you!” He moved around one chair length and did the same for his Gramps. The next one was his half-sister Sarah. He hugged and kissed her warmly also and said. “You’re looking lovely Sis. Things must be going your way.”

She replied. “Thanks little brother. You’re looking pretty nice yourself,” she said, after a quick glance at his nether region. He reddened but moved around to hug and kiss his father. He gave another quick hug and kiss to his mother, who had been standing by getting ready to start serving the food. Stewart looked around again and spoke.

“Where’s Gramma MJ?”

“She’s visiting your Uncle Joe and Aunt Cassie for a month or so,” his mother replied. “Sit yourself down and we can start eating.” The mealtime conversation was varied at the start but soon Sarah asked the question he had been expecting from the beginning.

“Mom says you are on a case. What’s it all about?”

“An ex-husband who had visitation rights chose to keep his son and skipped town. The grandfather wants him back enough to put up the money to hire me. You know he wanted Dad but he talked the grandfather into accepting me.”

His grandmother asked. “Do you know where the father of the boy took him?”

“Not yet. I have a clue but I don’t know yet whether it’s a red herring or not.”

43

His mother, Shirley, asked another question. “Have you interviewed all the family?”

Stewart shook his head but answered. “It’s a strange family. They don’t seem to show any concern over the missing boy. The mother, who I haven’t met yet, leaves the house early in the morning with their chauffeur and stays away all day. No one seems to care about her absence.”

His father spoke. “Is it the mother you’re going to surveil tomorrow?”

“Yeah! I got a description of the car she leaves in so I’m going to camp somewhere on the road from their house and when she leaves I’m going to follow.”

“Do they have a nice house?” asked his grandmother.

“I call it the Manor. It’s got three stories on the ninth fairway of the Eastlake Golf and Country Club.”

“Do they have servants,” asked his mother.

“Yeah! A nanny for the boy, a maid to keep things orderly, a chauffeur who doubles as a groundskeeper and a part time cook.”

“If the cook is only part time, who cooks when the part time one isn’t cooking?” asked his grandfather.

“The maid and nanny share the cooking at breakfast, except on weekends when everyone is on their own.”

“Does anyone live-in?” asked his mother.

“All of them, except the part time cook.”

Stewart’s father cleared his throat which alerted everyone that he was going to speak. “I suggest that, since we are through eating, that anyone who wants some time with Stewart head for the living room and when I finish discussing with him his reason for being here we’ll join you.” Movement at the table began and Shirley, spoke.

“I’ll take care of putting things in order here in the kitchen, so the rest of you do as Miles suggested.” A few offers to help were rejected and the kitchen was soon cleared for Shirley to do the cleanup. Miles and Son moved to Miles’ office. As soon as they entered, he closed the door, something that Stewart had never seen him do when only family was in the house.

“What’s up Dad? Why the secrecy?”

“What I have to tell you is not necessarily a secret but I’ve been able to keep it from being a family discussion while I was still operating. You can use it or not but I ask you to keep it to yourself in either case. OK?”

“Sure Dad, I understand.”

44

“OK, here goes. As I understood you to say, the guy you are looking for skipped town and you don’t know how to go about getting a line on where he went. Is that the case?” Stewart nodded. “Well, most folks have ties of one kind or another to the place they leave. They have to break those ties before they leave in one way or another. So here’s what I found out years ago. If they have something that gets to them via the postal system and its importance is primary, they certainly want to see it gets forwarded to the place they’re going, if they plan to stay there. Is this something you can find out about your skipper?”

“I think that’s possible. I’m going to do my damnedest to interview his ex-wife, the boy’s mother. I’ll attempt to wring out everything she knows about him.”

“That’s a good start. I’m pretty sure you know how I went about finding out about my perps, if you paid attention when you read through my files. What I have for you is a list of names and titles where they are applicable. I can’t guarantee they are all still available as sources but if they aren’t maybe they can help you find someone to replace them. That’s up to you to ferret out. I can’t help you with that. Where I was able, I listed both business and home phone numbers. Use them sparingly. Too many trips to the well and you’ll find it has run dry…understand?”

“Understood!”

“OK, put this in your pocket and don’t take it out to look at it until you are alone. This could be a valuable tool in your hands but a bane to your existence if it gets into the wrong hands.” With that he handed over the folded sheet which Stewart readily accepted. When Miles stood up, Stewart stepped forward and hugged him and whispered in his ear.

“Thanks Dad. I appreciate this more than you could know. I won’t let you down,” he said, backing away. “I’m going to put this in my jacket and I’ll join you in the living room.” Soon the whole family including Shirley was seated in the living room. The first question to Stewart was from his grandmother.

“Where do you live Stewart?”

“On Beacon Hill about a half mile north of the Jefferson Park Golf Course. There were a couple of old prewar apartment complexes that the city was going to tear down but a local group talked them out of it. They were refurbished and put out for rent. I was lucky to be able to get in before they were all rented.”

His grandfather got in the next question. “Do you have an office that’s convenient?”

“It’s convenient when I’m in Seattle proper. With Dad’s help, I got an office in the same building where he had an office for most of his career.” Since he had been in fairly regular contact with his mother and father, by phone, neither of them had a question. His half-sister, however, took advantage of not having to compete with them and smilingly asked.

“Has any of the women in the family made a pass at you?”

45

Stewart felt himself warm up which was a sign to him he was blushing. He commenced to smile which was also a sign he was stalling. Sarah, older and much more experienced in the erotic world, knew he was torn between saying no and finding a way to admit it without actually admitting it. She also knew her younger sibling would initially say no but eventually would admit it, when they were alone. She was going to let him off the hook in front of the family by saying. “It’s probably too early in the case for any of them to feel comfortable enough to come on to you, huh?”

Feeling relieved from being in the spotlight, he quickly replied. “Yeah, it’s way too early!” With that question answered and out of the way, he looked around at the other family members there and their faces indicated a satisfaction with their knowledge of his progress so far. He looked for a place to sit for a while before he announced he had to go back across the sound to his new life. The only place that offered him space was next to Sarah on the north end of the sofa. As he paced off the steps to the space, he noticed she was smiling broadly and with her eyes beckoning him to join her. He flopped down and to his surprise discovered much of his right hip was pressed tightly against the padded arm of the sofa, while his left hip was pressed equally tightly against Sarah’s right hip. He looked to see if she was uncomfortable and all he saw was her knowing smile. He couldn’t help but say. “Sorry!” Her reply wasn’t reflexive but calculated and almost inaudible to him.

“Don’t be! I like it.” He didn’t understand what she was doing but as far back as his memory could be recalled, he had been enamored of her and he was still easily taken in by her wanton disregard for the social mores. He wished he could pretend to be at ease but the heat that was growing between their hips was building a fire in his libido. He fought down the urge to stand up but it would only draw attention to his predicament. His unease was diluted somewhat when she whispered. “I’m going to get us out of here so we can talk. OK with you?” He nodded. She spoke. “Stewart and I are going to go to the kitchen. He wants to hear about my cruise in the South Pacific. Anyone mind?” she asked, knowing everyone else had already heard about her trip. There were no negative comments, so Sarah grabbed Stewart’s hand and they stood up together. She led him across the living room to the hallway down to the kitchen.

Seated side by side at the table, where they usually sat, when the family was all assembled at meal time, she began. “Well little brother, I ask again. Has any of the women come on to you?” Although the question still caused him to blush, he didn’t feel quite so visible if he responded positively. So he said.

“Yeah but she isn’t part of the family who lives out on the golf course.”

“Who is she and what is she in the family?” asked Sarah, placing her hand on his near-side leg at the knee.

He looked down at her hand before he replied. “She’s the niece of the grandfather, the banker. She’s also the grandfather’s secretary at the bank.”

“How did she come on to you?”

“I asked the banker for a list of people who knew the boy was taken and he said he’d get it for

46

me in a day or so. She met me outside his office and said if I’d meet her at a pub she knew, she’d see that I got the info. What I didn’t know was it was her plan to get me in her bed.”

“Did she?”

“Did she what?”

“Get you in her bed!”

“Yeah. It turned out, she owns the pub she wanted me to meet her at and she owns the apartment overhead of the pub.”

“Are you going to see her again?”

“She wanted me to stop by the pub this evening but I had to get a rain check because I was coming over here.”

“Is she any good? What would you get out of it, if you continued to see her?”

“Since I’m not all that experienced, I’d say she was pretty good and she’d be a good source of info for me on the family but I’m afraid she wants to turn things into a relationship. That I don’t need!” he exclaimed.

“Want some advice?”

“In dealing with her?” he asked. She nodded. “Sure!” he replied.

“Don’t respond for a few days. If she really digs you and wants a relationship, she’ll get back to you and you’ll know how serious she is by how she asks you to join her.”

“What might she say?” he asked.

“You said she owns a pub. She might ask you to stop by for a drink or she might just come right out and offer sex as her way to get you to meet.”

“She already knows I don’t drink,” he countered.

“Then there isn’t anything else for her to entice you with other than sex.”

“OK Sis, so much for me. What about your cruise?”

“Well, you know Dad was instrumental in getting EVSC a Tier 2 rating don’t you?” she said, looking into his eyes. He cocked his head, not fully knowledgeable of what she said. “What part of what I said don’t you understand?” she asked.

“I know what EVSC is…it’s the Erskine Valley Sun Club, but I don’t know what Tier 2 means.”

“It’s the rating which tells the members and possible members that they can join the club and have the freedom to seek erotic exploits as well as nude activities at this place.”

47

“OK, I remember that he and Mom went down to Texas to take part in a symposium for something like that.”

“Yeah and when they got back, they dropped the responsibility of getting it incorporated into the EVSC on me. Well, I did it all and it’s working fine as far as I can tell. As a reward, Dad finagled a cruise for me with the cruise line he saved the bacon for four or five years ago.”

“That was my sophomore year at Wazoo. Was it a nude cruise the same as Mom, Dad and Gramma MJ went on?”

“The ship was the same one, it’s named the Pride of Poseidon. The Captain was different. Our Captain’s name was Eric Johansson. He told me that Ulf Mortenson was their Captain and he’s the CEO of the cruise line now.”

“What do folks do on a nude cruise,” he asked.

“Pretty much the same thing folks do on any kind of cruise. They walk around the ship, look at the sea, swim, sun bathe and of course, they fuck!”

“Out in the open?” he gulped out.

“Of course not Silly. You wouldn’t do that on a clothed cruise. Nude cruises are no different in that respect.”

“I remember reading Dad’s file on the cruise…” she interrupted him.

“He wrote a file on what they did on the cruise?”

“A woman was murdered on the cruise and Dad solved it and caught the killer. The guard they put on him let him go take a shower unguarded and he committed suicide. Dad titled the file, The Case of the Teutonic Temptress.”

“Why Teutonic?” she asked.

“Because she was also a Norwegian and she was the Captain’s half-sister and she, if you’ll excuse me, fucked for spending money from other cruise guests.”

“I didn’t know you could do that or I’d have made back some of the money I spent.”

“You’re kidding right?” he said. She looked at him, smiled but didn’t answer. He took a deep breath, sighed and spoke. “Do you mind if I ask you a question?”

“Of course not! You can ask me anything, anytime.”

He paused for a few seconds. “Are you as sexually liberated in real life as you act around me?”

She leaned back to look him in the eyes. “I guess I don’t understand the, in real life, part of the question.”

48

“You say things in front of Mom and Dad that you know will…uh, embarrass me. Are you looking to see if I’ll get an erection or what?”

“I hope you don’t think I’m trying to embarrass you. I thought you understood that I love you and wouldn’t hurt you for any amount of money. As for trying to give you a hard on…has it ever happened?”

Turning red in preparation for his answer, he said. “Yes and I wanted you to see it but I was afraid you’d think I was a pervert, so I hid it.”

“Oh Stewart, Stewart…Stewart, I’m so sorry I didn’t know. I could never think you were a pervert. I could tell you tales of men I went out with who were really perverts but they couldn’t stand up to you in sweetness and honesty. If Mom or Dad thought I was trying to embarrass you, they would have interceded. They know sex is important in our lives and talking about it isn’t supposed to be embarrassing. Now that it’s out in the open, do you want me to stop asking you sex loaded questions?”

“I wouldn’t ask you to stop doing anything you do but I would like to ask you about something that I’ve been dealing with for most of my adult life. Do you want to tackle a real tricky subject?”

“I’ve been doing that most of my life. Fire when ready Gridley.”

“It has to do with incest. I know that it is against the law but I’ve never read why it’s unlawful. I’ve read about the possibilities of close relatives that have babies risk birth defects but why is that against the law?”

“Well Stew, like many things in our world, all societies do not make it against the law. It might not be well known to them but there are places in this world where incest is a way of life. I’m not going to tell which ones are…in case you want to leave us and go there,” she said, chuckling. He joined her with a slight laugh. She continued. “I’m sure you understand that families that live close lives occasionally cross the line but it is generally frowned on in our society.”

“Yeah I understand that part but it doesn’t explain why it’s illegal. Isn’t sex among consenting adults allowed in all societies?” he asked.

“Technically it is but who is an adult and who isn’t is still sometimes a fuzzy line. Many of our laws originated in the Bible. It was easier to read the Bible and pick out what you were for and what you were against.”

“Who made those decisions?” he wondered.

“That’s the thing. Democracy hasn’t always been the way folks decided things. Sometimes choices for the people were made by a king or queen. Sometimes by the strong man in the group and sometimes they were passed down by shamans who read leaves and other of nature’s signs. Our laws came from across the ocean with the Pilgrims and before them the groups that were sent by the British King. They had a few centuries of laws before they started sending out missionaries to colonize North America. Whatever was contained in those laws was the basis for our laws when we began to form up

49

the colonies. I’m sure you knew that, it was taught in most of the history classes I ever attended. Uh, just why do you have a hang up with incest?”

“Is this going to be just between you and me?” he asked.

“You know me better than that. I wouldn’t tell on you, you know that.”

“Yeah, I know. Toward the end of my relationship with Kim, we were talking about things that went on in our families. I…uh, I told her how I always liked it when you were around…uh I was referring to when I was younger…” she interrupted him.

“Does that mean you don’t like it when I’m around now?”

“Oh heck no! I was talking about when I was a kid and seeing you nude excited me and I wished some things. You know the way kids are.”

She smiled at him. “I know how boys and men are. Were you trying to impress Kim, by chance?”

“No, we were just telling stories kind of like she’d say she did this and I’d tell her I did something like that.”

“What for instance did she tell you that got you thinking about incest?”

“She told me that she used to stand in the hallway outside her parent’s bedroom and listen to them having sex. She said she learned later that her father liked to have someone listen while they had sex. It’s why he left the door open.”

“It might surprise you to know he also likes to have someone watch them as well.”

“How do you know that?” he asked, mildly shocked.

“Mom told me. She and Kim’s mother are good friends and Kim’s mother told Mom that they have Jane, that’s Tina’s mother, sit by their bed when they have sex. Over time, she’s been allowed to join them.”

“Boy, I sure didn’t know that. I wonder if Kim knows.”

“What did you tell her to contrast her story?”

“I told her about the time I happened by Mom and Dad’s bedroom, the door was open and I saw them having oral sex. I think I told you about that, didn’t I?”

“Yes you did and as I remember, you had a hang up over that too.”

“Yeah, I couldn’t seem to get it through my head that Mom’s and Dad’s would do stuff like that.”

“Well if it’s any comfort to you, when you were just a baby, Jimmie and I used to stand in the hallway of the old house and listen to them having sex on the couch in the living room.”

Stewart started chewing on his lower lip. “Uh, what did you guys do when you heard them?”

50

“Do you really want to know?” she asked, placing her hand again on his knee.

“If you don’t want to tell me, I guess I don’t need to know.”

“Do you remember what you and Willis used to do in your room…on the bed?” Stewart nodded. “Well Jimmie and I did the same thing.”

“Did you know you weren’t supposed to do it?” She nodded. “Why did you do it then?” he persisted.

“Because it felt good, the same as it was for you and Willis.”

“But Jimmie is our brother.”

“Neither one of us was hurt by it nor did we ever go any further than that. It may look bad now but it felt good then.”

“Did you ever tell Mom or Dad?” he asked.

“Years later I told Mom.”

“What did she say?”

“She laughed and said she thought we were in bed and asleep.”

“What about Dad?”

“I’m sure she told him and I know now, whatever Mom liked or wanted to do was OK with him. He’s said before many times. His only goal in life is to make her happy and whatever she does that pleases her is alright with him.”

“Do you think it’s alright to think about doing things with someone in the family?” he asked quietly.

“Like what?”

He reddened furiously before answering. “Like what I did with Willis.”

“Who with?”

Almost inaudibly, he replied. “You!”

“I’m honored that you would consider me for something like that.”

“Honest?” he asked, equally low voiced.

“Honest!”

He stood up from the table and smiled down at her. “I’m glad we had this talk. I’m going to tell the folks I’ve got to go back to Seattle. He kissed and hugged her and went to say his goodbyes.

51

Chapter 6   Surveillance Pays Off

He found a good place to park where he could watch the main street leading to and from the gated community. He came to a stop at the place at quarter past six in the morning, just in case the Princess of the palace and her chauffeur decided to forego breakfast and leave the manor early. He left his apartment with two pieces of cinnamon toast and a thermos of coffee to hold him over until he had some idea what the pair he was going to follow did with their time away from the manor.

While he was sipping his coffee, the two pieces of toasted bread had long since entered his stomach, he replayed his conversation with Sarah, the day before. His admission of his lust for her was a cathartic and he believed he could now behave normally when he was in her presence. He didn’t know just when he would see her again but when he did, he’d not feel like a ten year old caught peeping on his big sister.

Not concentrating on watching the street helped to pass the time. Before he knew it, a tan Lexus was coming down the street at him. He could tell there were only two people in the car, a man and a woman and the man was driving. So far all the signs pointed to the Princess and the chauffeur. As they passed, it looked as if they were conversing. She was sitting in the front seat and her head was tilted in his direction. He waited for a count of ten and pulled out to pursue them. They passed through Medina to a street running east-west and into Bellevue, through Bellevue to Interstate 405 South. From 405 to Interstate 90 East. He followed them from a distance of nearly a half mile, enough to keep them in sight but not close enough for them to know they were being followed. When the sign on the Interstate read Issaquah next right, they slowed down and exited. He nearly lost them at the stop light at the exit point, they could turn left or right. If they had turned left he would not have known until he too had arrived at the exit light, but fate had them turn right and he saw them approximately two blocks away. He arrived at the light just as it turned green, so he exited without slowing down. He kept them in sight for another quarter mile until he saw them turn into a small motel named The Valley Inn. He slowed enough to see them debark the Lexus and enter the registration area.

He spotted a parking place across the street from the motel’s entry and U-turned in the street in order to capture it. He climbed out of the car and deposited three quarters to give him three hours of parking. He stood on the sidewalk side of the car and watched the door to the registration. Soon the pair came out and walked to a door half way down the front of the building. It turned out to be room 107 and they entered it. He climbed back into the car and decided to watch room 107 for an hour. If they left or did anything he’d need to keep a check on, he’d do whatever was needed. But if nothing moved for that hour, he’d give in to the growling from his stomach.

Before he had been sitting fifteen minutes, it occurred to him that they might not take long to do what they hired a room for and then be on their way. He didn’t want to be away feeding a growling stomach while they were going God knows where. He decided he was going to force the issue now and after that, he could take his time feeding the growler. He got out and locked the car and hustled across the busy street to the motel’s parking lot. He approached the room, he saw them go in, from a direction

52

they couldn’t see him if they had the room’s drapes partially open. Walking casually, as if he was going to his own room, he was thinking of what he would say when he knocked on their door, if they asked what he wanted. He still hadn’t come up with anything when he reached the door but the gods of newbie investigators had bailed him out. He didn’t need to knock, one of them had left the room key in the lock on the outside of the door. There it hung, the plastic ID attached to the key in the lock had #107 imprinted on it big as life. He carefully took hold of the door knob and turned it slowly…it was unlocked. He turned it all the way and pushed it open stepping in. The couple was in bed naked, their clothes spread all around the room. Their lovemaking didn’t cease until the dim light of the room erupted brightly by the opening of the door. Both of them swiveled their heads to see why the light changed. Seeing Stewart standing in the room a few steps inside their room, elicited a curse from the man. “Get the hell out of here!”

“Cool it Wilbert. I’ll leave when I’ve had a chat with Leah.”

“Who the hell are you and what do you want with us and how do you know our names?” asked the man.

“I’m the guy her father hired to find her son. That’s who I am! Now do I get a few minutes time to ask some questions or do I have to call her father and have him tell her to co-operate?”

“What kind of questions do you want from me?” the woman asked.

“I would have thought that you would know by now I’ve been trying to get to talk with you. I’ve been out to your manor, by the golf course, twice and you’ve been absent both times. I decided to come here and wait for you to show up.” A stunned silence ensued. Leah, pulled the sheet up around her neck to cover her nudity, then she sat up and spoke.

“Would you please shut the door, if you are going to stay?”

He turned around and pushed the door shut. He turned back and pulled the straight backed chair that was parked in front of the desk which sat next to the table the silent TV sat on. He placed it at the corner of the bed nearest the door and sat down on it, in case either or both of them tried to make a getaway…as unlikely as that might sound to anyone. “Now folks, you’ve been playing make believe for a while, it’s time to get real. Leah, tell me what you know about Brent Halliday.”

“Why do you need to know about him?” she asked innocently.

Stewart just stared at her for several seconds without changing expression. “Suppose your Daddy said to you…Little Princess, I got you one of the things you wanted for Christmas. All you have to do is find it. It’s somewhere in the greater Seattle area. And you say but what is it and where did you put it? He replies. Why do you need to know that? What are you going to say next?” She didn’t answer. “I’ll tell you what you’ll say. You’ll say…but Daddy, how can I possibly find what I’m looking for if I don’t know what it is or where to start looking for it? Does that sound reasonable?” Again she didn’t answer. “Well, your Daddy came to me and said please find my grandson. You’ll have to talk to the members of my family to get the information you’ll need to get started. So here I am!”

53

Wilbert spoke up. “You shouldn’t talk to her that way and If I….” Stewart didn’t let him finish.

“If you were a member of the family, I might let you say your piece but you’re the fucking groundskeeper and you live in the gate house and you’re lying in bed with the daughter of the manor and you’ve been caught fucking her. This isn’t Lady Chatterley’s Lover and it isn’t a book or movie. This is real life and this woman’s baby has been kidnapped and it’s time she began to realize it! I’ll give you two minutes to make up your mind. If you don’t agree to answer my questions, I’ll go to that phone and call Daddy and tell him what I found.” He looked at his watch. “Two minutes!” he said, looking at her.

She didn’t wait for the time to elapse before she spoke up. “What do you want to know about my ex-husband?”

“What’s he like? What are some of his habits? Where is he from and where is he likely to go? And finally does he have any reason to rely on the postal service for anything?”

She sighed heavily before speaking but finally started. “He’s not particularly interested in working. If he can con somebody out of things he wants or needs, he’ll try to get it without working for it. He smokes like a chimney and drinks occasionally…his favorite drink is vodka and orange juice. He talks slow and has a southern drawl. It isn’t heavy but it’s easy to tell when he talks. He was originally from Arkansas but I don’t think he’d ever go back there because he’s wanted for a bunch of petty crimes. Oh, and he gets a check every month from the government. He’s got lung problems from being sprayed by Agent Orange in Viet Nam and he was let out of the Army as medically unfit for regular duty!”

“That wasn’t hard now was it?” he asked her. She shook her head but didn’t verbalize it. He looked at Wilbert. “Do you have anything to add to that?”

“I only saw him when he got in or out of his car. I never spoke to the man.”

“How tall would you say he was,” directing the question to Wilbert.

He shrugged but said. “Five ten or eleven. He was slim at about one fifty-five. He had a slight limp…I heard them say he was wounded in his right hip over in Nam.”

“Was his hair dark or light?”

“It was blonde…not real light but lighter than darker.”

“What was the color of his eyes?

“I got no idea. I never saw him up close.”

Leah offered. “They were blue…China blue, I’d say.”

“One more question. Do you have any recent pictures of him?”

Leah hesitated for a few seconds. “We have some and I think Ingrid can get them for you. She knows where everything is. Uh, do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions?”

54

He looked at his watch. “Sure, I got time.”

“Are you going to tell my father about us?” she asked, motioning with her head at the man propped up naked beside her.

“What do you think he thinks about your absence from home every day?”

“He doesn’t act as if he knows and if you don’t say anything he won’t know,” she answered.

“I suspect, based on what I saw and heard when I was at the manor, that they all know something is going on. So if he finds out you’ve been catting around, it’ll have to come from one of them. I don’t give a shit what you do or who you do it with. I’m getting paid to find a missing kid and information is what I’m looking for, not cheating mothers.”

“Technically I’m not cheating. I’m not married and neither is Wilbert. Who would we be cheating on?”

“A little boy named Trent who needs a mother who loves and prays for him and a safe return and the moral support you’d give to the others who are concerned for his safety.”

“There is much more going on there than you could possibly know. What I’m doing is not harming them or the boy. I can’t look for him nor can any of the rest of them so what I do while he’s gone is not going to make any difference.”

“I think you’ve misjudged me Princess. I know a hell of a lot more than you think I do, but I’ll let you go on thinking I’m in the dark. Uh, do you have any more questions for me?”

“How did you know we were here?” asked Wilbert.

“I told you! I came here and waited for you to show up!” With that, he stood up and put the chair back up to the desk and turned back to them. “You can go back to your horizontal mambo. I might be seeing you at the manor one of these days when I’ve found the boy. Ciao!” he said and threw the room key onto the bed as he made his way out.

He crossed the busy street, unlocked the car and climbed in, resolved to wait for a time to see if they were going to rush away from their love nest. He sat back and relaxed, one eye watching their door. When another hour, on the parking meter, had skipped toward zero and no activity took place at room 107, Stewart accepted the fact they weren’t leaving the room. The next growl from his innards convinced him the growling was serious and needed tending to. He started the Riviera and pulled away from the curb and headed for a place he thought could solve that problem.

He stopped at a Taco stand he passed while following the couple through Bellevue. He parked in one of the four spots belonging to the stand and walked up to the window and ordered three Tacos and a Pepsi. Tray in hand, he moved to the picnic style table and bench combo and ate his meal. Satisfied the growling would be mollified, he decided to go back to the Greenwood Manor and collect the pictures of Halliday that his ex-wife said they had. Standing on the porch after ringing the doorbell, he heard movement inside but it didn’t appear to be coming in his direction. He waited for another minute or two

55

and rang the doorbell again. This time, the large door swung open silently and Portia, the maid, was the opener. “Good morning Mister Grant. What are you about today?”

“Good morning to you Portia. How is your hand feeling today?”

“Much better thank you. Uh, what is your business today?”

“I’ve been told that there are recent pictures of Brent Halliday here and I’d like to get a couple so I’ll be able to recognize him when I catch up to him.” She was about to speak again, when a female voice from farther within the house called out.

“Bring Mister Grant to me!”

Portia looked up at him. “It’s the Missus. She wishes to see you. Follow me, I’ll take you to her.” Stewart stepped inside and after she closed the door, followed her tight form which seemed to glide rather than walk. He recognized most of the way down the narrow hallway that bisected the big manor house but about two thirds of the way down the passage, she stopped in front of a door. She knocked and they both heard Missus Greenwood say.

“Enter.”

Portia opened the door but stepped aside to let Stewart enter and she closed the door behind him. Stewart saw the lady of the manor sitting up under the canopy of a king sized bed, a breakfast tray across her lap. From the doorway to the bed looked to be ten or twelve feet and the floor was carpeted with a white shag that appeared to be two or three inches thick. “Well don’t just stand there. Come over where I don’t have to yell,” she said, to open the conversation.

Stewart slowly closed the distance between him and the bed. When he was right beside it, he spoke. “Good morning Missus Greenwood. What can I do for you this fine morning?”

“Marcus told me you didn’t plan to give him progress reports. I’d like to know what you have done to find and bring back my Grandson?”

Stewart smiled at her and let his eyes drop down to look over the nearly transparent bed jacket she was wearing, noting the lack of an undergarment. He finally looked back at her. “I’ve been gathering the details necessary to develop a comprehensive plan for finding and retrieving the boy.”

“That doesn’t tell me what I want to know,” she fired back at him.

“No offence Ma’am but you’re not the one who is paying for my services. Your husband is that one and he didn’t feel progress reports were necessary. I always try to satisfy the one who pays me.”

“I was told this was your first case.”

“It is but I’ve had other jobs which paid me and I had bosses in those jobs who signed my checks. At no time were there two or more bosses who I had to satisfy. While I’m here, I’ll tell you this. I’ve had a very difficult time getting those details I mentioned. For instance, this is my third visit to your

56

lovely home and I’ve yet to meet your daughter here, the mother of the missing boy. Does that sound like a proper thing to have to report to you?”

This barb hit home! Missus Greenwood colored a deep red that he could see on her neck under the transparent bed jacket. “I apologize for my daughter. This issue has caused her to do things that are totally alien to her normal behavior.”

“Yeah, I bet!”

“What can I do to help?” she asked, trying to atone for her earlier outburst.

“I’m here today to pick up a couple of recent pictures of your daughter’s ex-husband. I have a fairly good description of him but one picture, it says, is worth a thousand words.”

“I believe that Ingrid might be able to help you on that score.”

“Why would she have them? I would think the ex-wife would be most likely to have pictures of him.”

“Ingrid is an avid photographer. She’s taken a great many photos of Trent and his father in the last year or two.”

“She gave me a couple pictures of Trent day before yesterday but she didn’t volunteer any of his father. I wonder why?”

“You’ll have to ask her. Uh, what’s the weather like today?” she asked, changing the subject completely.

“The sun’s out and the temp’s about sixty-eight or nine already. Are you planning to lay out on your patio?”

She gave him a smug grin. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“That was what’s called a throw away question. It has no bearing on the case and doesn’t require an answer to fill in any details. If you don’t need me for anything, I’ll go try to find Ingrid. By the way. I’ve found that last names are hard to come by in this family circle. What is Ingrid’s last name?”

“Her last name is Hellman. What do plan to do with it?”

“I’m going to tattoo it on my arm with all the rest of you so I don’t ever forget my first case.”

“You’re very quick aren’t you?” she said, with a smile

“With some things. With other things I take my time. Uh, thank you Ma’am for your time. Have a nice day in the sun,” he said, as he turned to leave. Out in the hallway, he was close to the kitchen so he chose that to start his search for the nanny. As he entered, he saw the formidable shape of the temporary cook, Marta, standing before the stove. He spoke. “Good morning Marta. What are you preparing for lunch on your day off?”

57

She replied to him without turning around. “Chili!”

“That sounds delicious. I wish I was going to hang around long enough to partake.”

“I stopped at the bakery on my way in and picked up some garlic bread to go with it.”

“Are you taken?” he asked, moving closer to stand beside her.

“Taken by what?” she asked, glancing at him for the first time.

“By some lucky guy who eats like a king.”

“Hah!” she spat out. “Do you think I would do this for some worthless man to enjoy?”

“Why would he have to be worthless? I would have thought you’d pick a man who would be worthy of your charms.”

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-three, I’ll be twenty-four next month.”

“If you were ten years older, I could make it stretch but folks might still think I was a cradle robber. Hell, I’ve got a daughter older than you.”

“Can she cook as well as you?” he responded quickly.

“Possibly, if she wanted to. I taught her everything I know.”

“Where can I find her so I can try her out?”

“No, her life is already screwed up enough. Find someone who still hasn’t committed to insanity.”

“OK, on your advice I’ll do it. Back to reality. Where can I find Ingrid?”

“She’s probably up in her room. When the boy’s not here and her other regular chores are done, that’s where she goes.”

“Thank you Marta,” he said and retraced his path back up the hallway to the foyer, where the stairs up to the second and third floors were. He climbed easily to the second and then up to the third floor. The door to the room which he knew was Ingrid’s was open and he stepped up and knocked.

“Who is it?” she asked.

“It’s Stewart Grant. May I come in?”

“Yeah, I guess so.” He slipped in and stood just inside the small room. He looked around carefully, noting what was there and what wasn’t. “Are you wanting something or did you come up for the cardio exercise?” she asked, sarcastically.

“It doesn’t hurt to exercise but I need something from you and I had to climb up here to ask. So             

58

here goes. I need a picture or two of Brent Halliday and I was told you would have them.”

“Who told you that?”

“The Princess…Leah!”

“Where did you find her?”

“In bed!”

“You what?”

“She and Wilbert apparently didn’t get enough sleep last night so they left to find a room where they could catch up on the sleep they missed. I found where she went and asked her nicely for pictures of her ex-husband.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Suit yourself. I still want a picture or two of Brent Halliday.”

“What makes you think I have what you want?”

“I also found Lady Greenwood in bed this morning and she also indicted you as the photographer general of the family circle, so two for two named you.”

“What if I refuse?”

“Do you want the Lord of the Manor to get wind of this? He seems pretty keen on getting his Grandson back and anything that stands in the way of that just might upset him. Are you willing to risk that?”

With a heavy sigh, she said. “Go downstairs and wait in the foyer and I’ll get you a picture.”

“Make sure it’s one that shows his face. If it doesn’t, I’ll hang around here until I do get one that does,” he said, leaving to head back downstairs. Ten minutes later, Ingrid came up the hallway and when she was an arm’s length away shoved a picture at him. He looked at it for a few seconds and spoke. “It’s a reasonable picture. If he hasn’t had plastic surgery, I should be able to recognize him, when I catch up to him. Thank you Ingrid for your concern for this matter. By the way, you’re going to have chili for lunch. Ciao?” he said, saluting briefly as he left through the front door.

He parked the car in the lot and toyed with the idea of going to Sam’s Diner for an early lunch but thought better of it when he decided he needed to get everything down on paper in the file on the case. So he went back to his office and began putting down the activities he had for this day…so far! Two hours later, finished with the paperwork, he closed the office for the day and walked to Sam’s Diner. It wasn’t busy this time and he had the place pretty much to himself. Heather was standing by the cash register when he entered, and her smile told him he was welcome. She stepped forward with a menu in hand but changed her mind and put it back on the counter. “Hi stranger. Where would you like to sit?”

59

“Someplace where the food is hot and the conversation is witty,” he replied.

“Oh so now you expect to get conversation with your meal?” she teased.

He looked all around and saw nobody eating. “I know you can’t eat with me but I don’t see why you can’t sit down and chat with me. I promise I won’t keep you from waiting on anyone else who comes in.”

She looked over toward the kitchen and leaned toward him and whispered. “The Boss’s wife is in the kitchen with him. They’re doing the books. So long as we don’t make a lot of noise, they won’t come out to see what’s going on. Promise not to scream and shout?”

He put his hand up to his chin as if to ponder. He smiled and whispered back. “You’ve got a deal!” With that, she led him to a table across the room from the kitchen. Seated, she stood beside him and asked.

“What would you like for lunch?”

“What was the special?”

“Open faced roast beef sandwich.”

“I’ll have that.”

“I’ll put your order in and bring you back your coffee and we can chat for a few minutes. OK?”

“Sounds like a winner.”

She was back with his coffee in less than four minutes and after she slid his coffee to him, she pulled out a chair across from him. “Now what do you want to talk about?” she asked.

“What do you do on your off time?”

“I’m enrolled in Seattle U and I’m going for a history degree. What do you do in your off time?” she fired back at him.

“I don’t have a lot of off time these days.”

“What do you do for a living then?” she persisted.

Using his father’s duck the question line, he said. “I’m a consultant.”

“What do consultants do?”

“I help people with their problems.” Just as she was about to fire off another question, the bell over the door chimed and two couples walked in. She shrugged and left to go wait on them. Business picked up after that and she never got a chance to get back to him, except to bring him his food.

60

Chapter 7   Serious Investigating Begins

Monday morning in his office, Stewart reached down and unlocked the drawer in the desk he kept locked because it contained items and papers he didn’t want the janitorial crew to discover. He knew that they pawed over the property of the office renters and he knew it by setting a small trap to see if they did. He left a five dollar bill partially exposed under a reasonably heavy paper weight, in the center drawer of his desk. The following morning he checked and it was not visible. Someone had pulled it out and then put it back completely covered up. Since that day he was satisfied to know he was wise to keep, at least, one drawer locked.

The paper he sought was the list his father had given him the Friday before when he went over to see the family in Bremerton. The one that was of interest to him now was named Dennis Price, Assistant Post Master, at Seattle’s main Post Office. The principal number for the P.O. was the first one by his name and it was the one Stewart decided to call. He punched in the numbers and waited. “Good morning, this is the Seattle Post Office. May I help you?”

“I’d like to speak to Dennis Price please.”

“Is he expecting your call?”

“No Ma’am but he knows who I’m calling for.”

The hesitation on the other end of the line caused Stew to swallow hard. Finally the pleasant voice spoke. “One moment, I’ll connect you.”

“This is Dennis Price. Who am I speaking to?”

“You don’t know me but you know my former partner Walter Campbell. Sergeant Campbell retired recently and left me his files and the contacts therein. My name is Todd Pennington and I’m an investigator.”

“Is this a business call?”

“Yes and no. Walter told me you were an upstanding citizen and knew the meaning of integrity. He said it wasn’t a good idea to impose our business on to others unless it was absolutely necessary. I’m afraid I’m taking the dangerous step because time is of the essence. You understand that don’t you?”

“I’m afraid also but I do understand. What is it I can do for you?”

“I’ll give you a little bit of the background on the case and it should help you to see why it’s important that I take the step to use your help. We’re in the final stage of a case we have against a kidnapper. Our prime witness, we believe was threatened and has taken to flight. We want to bring him back and put him into protective custody until the trial. We don’t know for sure where he went but we know he went out of town. What we don’t know is if he planned it or just ran without severing his ties to the area. You can help us by finding out if he left a forwarding address. Could you please help us?”

61

“I think it’s possible. Uh where was this person’s last address and of course his name?” Stewart read him the name and last address, which of course was also the address of Anna Polanski. Price said. “The address tells me he lived in the Lake Forest Park area, is that correct?”

“Yes Sir! That’s correct.”

“I should be able to find out what you need, if he left a forwarding address.”

“That would really help us immensely.”

“Uh, Officer Pennington, I should tell you I’m a month away from retirement myself.”

“Do you have someone working with you that you trust enough to have him or her help us in an emergency?” asked Stewart.

There was a pause from Price’s end of the line. Finally. “Let me think on that for a while. Uh, if I get what you need, how can I reach you?”

“I’m going to be on a stake out this evening so it would be difficult for you to call me. Why don’t you let me call you at home around seven? Would that be OK?”

“I think that’s acceptable. Do you have my home number? It’s unlisted.” Stewart read him the number that his father left for him. “That’s my home number alright. I hope I can help you.”

“Me also Mister Price. Thank you in advance for the efforts. Good luck Sir. Good bye for now,” said Stewart and hung up. He had nothing to do between now and seven o’clock this evening, so he sat back in his rickety swivel chair and listened to the radio.

At one o’clock, he got the first rumble from his stomach. He had foregone breakfast so that partaking in a late lunch would see him through the dinner hour. Not being flush with plenty of money caused him to save where he could so he could spend when he had to. He walked to Sam’s and was greeted by Heather, as usual. “Good afternoon Stewart,” she said. “I missed you at breakfast.”

“I had an early consultation and it ran late,” he lied, loathing to tell her he couldn’t afford to eat three meals a day.

She led him to a table near the kitchen. Once he was seated, she stood by his table, menu in hand but she didn’t place it on his table. “Coffee?” she asked. “Our special today is a ham and cheese sandwich and tomato soup.”

“I’ll have both…uh and can we talk for a minute or two?”

“You can eat and drink as loud as you want but if we talk, we’ll have to do it quietly,” she said smiling brightly.

“I gotcha!” he admitted.

She left to put in his order and returned with his coffee. There were three other tables with

62

customers and Heather was being a good waitress and touching base with each in turn, so that when she returned to his table, she had earned a few minutes to give him. “Sorry we couldn’t finish our chat the other day. I’ll hang around for a few minutes when I bring your meal so if you have anything you want to say, you can do it then.” Without waiting for him to reply, she turned and headed to the kitchen to pick up his soup and sandwich.

When she returned with his lunch, before he took a bite or ladled a spoonful of soup, he asked. “When do you get off work?”

She had been bending down to speak softly and this question caused her to straighten up and look carefully at him. “Are you going to ask me out?” she asked, leaning down again.

“It’s a possibility, if you aren’t married or engaged or have a significant other. Do you?”

Her smile prefaced her response. “None of the three!”

“Would you consider going on a date with me?”

A man from one of the other three tables was trying to get her attention and she looked at him and nodded. “I’ll be back. Eat up,” she said and left. He turned his attention to the food and the first thing he noticed was the sandwich was practically stuffed with ham. There were, at least, three thick slices and two slices of American cheese, as well as lettuce and pickles between the slices of Italian bread. His hunger didn’t permit him to spend too much time admiring the food before he began to devour it. He was well into filling up the empty stomach when she returned to his table with a full pot of hot coffee. “I’ll go out with you but only to chat and find out more about you. If that works out, I’ll go out on a real date sometime. Consider that and let me know,” she said and left again.

By the time he had finished the soup and sandwich, two of the three tables had paid up and emptied and another one became occupied. She did her waitress duty and serviced it and the other table received their check and stood by the cash register to pay up. Stewart was watching her perform her duties and from time to time she would look over at him and smile. Finally there was only one table besides Stewart's and they were involved in eating. She strolled over to Stewart’s table. “I’ll take it!” was all he said. She leaned down and handed him the check and whispered.

“I get off at four and my car is parked in the alley behind Sam’s. Meet me there if you are interested.” With that, she walked away and went to stand by the cash register. Stewart looked at his check and it said simply soup and sandwich and was priced at about half the price of the daily special. He dropped a very nice tip on the table and took the check up to the cash register. He handed it to her along with enough to cover the charge and said.

“I’ll see you at four!” and walked to the door, turned and smiled at her, as he left. The office was close enough for him to wait out the two hours till four o’clock. At quarter to four, he closed and locked the office and headed for the street where the alley behind Sam’s Diner emptied and turned down the alley. He saw an older Ford Falcon parked in a wide spot behind Sam’s and assumed that was Heather’s car. He walked up to and leaned against it to wait out the time till she got off. At ten minutes past four,

63

Heather appeared in the back door of Sam’s and peered around. She saw Stewart leaning against the old Ford and grinned broadly. The distance between them was such that speaking in a normal voice carried easily to him. “Hello there Stewart. What are you doing here and leaning against that car?”

“It was brought to my attention that your car was parked in the alley. This is the only car I saw in the alley and I assumed it was yours,” he replied.

She laughed. “That car belongs to Sam. My car is in a garage down the alley a ways.” By the time she finished saying that, she was standing beside Stewart. “Where is your car?” she asked.

“In a parking lot about two blocks from here. Why?”

“I thought you intended to pick me up and go to where we could get to know one another.”

“I don’t mean to be contrary but you said I get off at four and my car is in the alley. It didn’t exactly spell out how things were going to work. If you want to wait here, I’ll go get my car or you can walk with me and I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”

“I get enough walking in an eight hour shift. I’ll wait here!” she replied.

“OK, it’ll take me about ten or twelve minutes to get my car and get back. I suggest you lean up against Sam’s car. I warmed up a spot for you.” She smiled and nodded to him and he turned and set off at a dog trot to get the Riviera. He was back in ten minutes and when he turned into the alley, she moved from the old Ford to stand on the side of the alley where the passenger side of his car would stop for her. He leaned across the seat and opened the passenger door. She slipped in and hooked up her seat belt. Stewart put the car in gear and started down the alley. He looked over at her and she was smiling. “Where do you want to go?”

“Anywhere it’s public and we can talk without being interrupted.”

“Do you know Volunteer Park?”

“Yes but I’ve never been there.”

“Neither have I but I know how to get there. Do you want to go there?”

“OK!” As soon as he was on a north bound street he set off. It took twenty five minutes due to the traffic but he pulled into the park where the sign indicated. He found a parking spot shortly after entering the park proper. He shut of the engine and turned in his seat and looked at her.

“What would you like to know about me?”

“You said you were a consultant. What do you consult?”

He paused before answering. He didn’t want to tell her straight off he was a private investigator, so he fudged it a bit by saying. “People who have personal problems don’t always know how to go about resolving them. They don’t want friends or relatives involved so they hire someone like me to attempt to seek a resolution.”

64

“What kind of problems are you talking about?”

Again, he paused briefly. “Suppose you had a significant other and someone told you he was seen in a place with someone who wasn’t known to you, doing something he shouldn’t be doing. How would you go about finding out what he was doing without risking a confrontation, in case he was innocent of any foolishness?”

She smiled at him. “You know that sounds like something a private detective might be hired to do. Is that your business?”

“Yes but I prefer to call it private investigations. It sounds less threatening.”

“Why did you say you were a consultant?”

“Would you have considered going anywhere with me, if I said I’m a private investigator?”

She took a deep breath, let it out, all the while looking out the windshield. Without looking at him, she answered. “Probably not!”

“Do you want me to take you back to your car?”

She looked at him, her face a roadmap of concern. “Your kind don’t have very good reputations. How can I know you are on the up and up?”

“What kind of reputation does my kind have?” he asked sadly.

“Gun toting, street fighter and woman chaser for starting.”

“Well this car is my office when I’m out and about. You can search it if you want and if you find a gun, I’ll go call a cab for you so you don’t have to spend any more time with me. Oh and by the way, I’ve never so much as had a fist fight. I’m college educated and up till a year ago I was a school teacher.”

Her eyes grew large and her brows shot up. “You’re not putting me on are you? Where did you go to college?”

“I graduated from Wazoo class of ’78.”

“What did you teach?”

“Math and general sciences.”

“Why did you quit?”

“It’s a long story but to make it short I didn’t want to have to become a Government employee to teach in the Indian School in New Mexico, so I came home and couldn’t get a gig doing what I wanted to so I took up my father’s business…who by the way is retired and never had a case he didn’t resolve.”

“You taught in an Indian School?”

“Yes, for two years and I’d still be doing it if the BIA hadn’t decided I should work as a

65

Government employee.”

“Would you have told me this if I hadn’t put you on the spot?”

“Eventually. I don’t usually give up my life story on the first date.”

“This isn’t a date.”

“From the looks of things, it’s closest I’ll ever get to one with you…so I’ll ask again. Do you want me to take you back?”

“Don’t you want to know anything about me?”

“Do I have to threaten you to get it?”

She laughed easily, a very pleasant sound to him. “No, no threats necessary. I just learned a truth. You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.”

“That’s strange. Years ago a good friend of mine was having trouble with life and I was trying to explain to him how he could learn things by spending more time reading than watching TV which he preferred….” She interrupted him asked him, what was strange about that?

“We were in my bedroom where I kept all my books, and he pointed to one and said it was too thick and that he’d never be able to read it all. It happened to be The Boys of Summer. He said who would want to read about kids doing things in summer. I had to explain it was about professional baseball players and their stories and you can’t judge a book by its cover.”

“You still haven’t asked about me and what I like or anything of the sort.”

“I have found it best to let people tell me what they want me to know, when it’s a personal situation. I have to ask a lot of questions in my business endeavors and I don’t want folks to think I’m a nosy guy if it isn’t business.”

“I told you I was going to Seattle U, didn’t I?” He nodded. “I’m taking ten hours a quarter and if I go the summer quarter I’ll start next fall as a senior.”

“What’s your major?” he asked.

“World history! I’m fascinated by what went on back in ancient Greece and Rome and all the other dominant societies.”

“I’ve spent a few hours with my nose in some history books but I didn’t do it for credit.”

“Why did you do it then?”

“I just like to know stuff. You never know when something crops up that you read about and it also helps to be able to help people who need to know.”

“That sounds rather altruistic to me. Is that why you do it?”

66

“Possibly. I grew up watching and listening to my father explaining how he was able to help others and make a living doing it. I guess it got ingrained in me and it sort of comes out naturally.” He made a quick look at his wrist watch.

She noticed it and said. “Looking to cut this short?”

“I have a commitment at seven o’clock and I don’t want to miss it. I’m sorry, it was a careless gesture."

“Is it a business commitment?” He nodded. “Where do you have to go?”

“To the nearest telephone.”

“Another date?”

“I could never be that lucky or stupid.”

“Why stupid?”

“Why in the world would I make a date with a beautiful young woman like you when I had to cut it short to pick up another woman who probably wouldn’t be half as pretty or half as smart?”

“You think I’m smart?”

“Uh huh and pretty!” He saw her blush but she smiled and dropped her hands into her lap. He didn’t say anything more, letting her choose what she wanted to talk about next. After a few seconds, she looked up at him and asked.

“Where do you live?”

“I have an apartment on Beacon Hill a half-mile north of Jefferson Park Golf Course.”

“I live in West Seattle with my mother.”

“Is there a father?”

“He died six years ago.”

“I’m sorry. I’m lucky, in that, I’ve always had a mother and father I could rely on and I feel sorry for those around me who don’t.”

“Are you always sympathetic to others like this?”

“I try to be…if they deserve it. Everybody doesn’t deserve sympathy. I think you have to earn it, like respect.”

“Wow! You’re a philosopher too!”

“I might have read that somewhere!” he admitted.

“What time is it? I didn’t wear my watch today.”

67

He checked his and made a show of it. “It’s exactly five forty-five…according to Mickey.”

“Would you feel slighted if I asked you to take me back to my car?”

“No! I’ve enjoyed most of our chat. If there is another get together, I’ll try my darnedest to keep from making stupid gestures like looking at my watch.” With that, he started the Riviera and drove out of the park. It took a half hour to get back to the alley and he entered it from the end they departed from. He drove slowly down the alley and she pointed to a garage a short distance ahead of them. When he drew abreast of it, she said.

“My car’s in here.”

“Thank you for letting me into your life…a little bit. Think about it and if you find it in your heart to consider another get together, let me know. I’ll still stop by for meals when I’m in the neighborhood.”

“I’ll think on it for sure. Good night Stewart.”

“Good night Heather.” He watched her until she had the garage doors open and he saw the tail end of a two year old Chevrolet Impala. “Holy shit!” he thought. “She’s got a newer car than me. Maybe I should get a job waiting on tables.” She waved to him then disappeared into the garage. He waved back and drove away.

He had sufficient time to drive back to his parking spot and up to his office before the seven o’clock hour. Settled in his office and prepared, when the big hand hit twelve, he began punching in the numbers for the home phone of Dennis Price. He heard the ring, ring…and “Hello,” the soft voice of a female.

“Is this the home of Dennis Price?”

“Yes it is.”

“May I speak to Mister Price please?”

“May I tell him who is calling?”

“This is Todd Pennington. I spoke with him earlier today.” The line went silent for a minute or so.

“This is Dennis Price.”

“Good evening Sir. I hope you have good news for me.”

“Well whether it’s good or bad, I do have something for you. Are you ready to copy it?”

“Yes Sir, I’m ready.”

“The name you gave me submitted a forwarding address request on the fifteenth of this month. He apparently knew he was leaving. His forwarding form listed the address in Boise, Idaho.” Price gave him the address as General Delivery. “Uh, for your information, his form listed a Miss Anna Polanski also. Is this something that is useful to you?”

68

“Yes Sir it is. This is really going to help us immensely. We’ll contact our counterparts in Boise and let them know they have a fugitive in their jurisdiction and let them round him up. Thank you so very much for your help. Uh, have you given any thought to the other request I made?”

“You mean about someone I trust to work with you without requiring a court order?”

“Yes Sir!”

“I spoke with my special assistant about it and she thought it was something she could handle, so her name is Laverne Cutler. She can be reached by calling the number of the main Post Office in Seattle and asking for Laverne. Be sure to identify yourself because I gave her your name.”

“Thank you again Mister Price. I wish I could mention you in my report when we bring our fugitive back, but you wouldn’t need the attention this close to your retirement. Give my regards to you wife and tell her you have the respect of at least a small section of the Department. Good evening and thanks again,” he said and hung up. He made a couple entries in the file he opened on the boy, then closed up the office and left for home. Sitting in his sparsely furnished apartment, he let his mind chase shadows of existing realities he faced being an investigator in the private sector.

One nice thing he found about going to or being in the apartment. He wouldn’t have telephone calls interrupting his life there. When he began his investigating business, he used monies he had saved and monies his father had loaned him. Together he had almost ten thousand dollars. It didn’t take long to saw that in two, so he found himself counting his pennies. One way to save was not to pay for a phone that would sit all day and never get used. When he instituted a money saving program for himself, his first menu item was food. He knew he couldn’t afford to eat three meals a day away from home. He had a few items in the small kitchen cupboards…canned goods and such and those he was saving for when he really was up against it. If push came to shove, he could always find a reason or excuse to go to Bremerton to confer with his father. His mother would never let him enter her house without an offer of food. He hated thinking about it but his stomach didn’t pay much attention to his brain when it came to matters of capacity. When empty, it had a penchant for growling and screaming for nourishment! As irritating as that was, it was definitely a fact of life he had of late been suffering from.

He sat with his bare feet on the coffee table purchased from the Good-Will store and he enjoyed listening to the small portable radio his father gave him, that had been a mainstay in his office for many years. Since he didn’t spend nearly the same amount of time in his office, at home, as he had before retirement, he allowed as how he didn’t need entertainment during the long hours of sitting and waiting for business. The other thing that seemed to arise in his mind during quiet times was the loss he felt not seeing his naked family. When he attempted to analyze his feelings about that he always stumbled over whether it was because of the warmth and comradery or the salaciousness of being nude in their midst. Sitting nude all alone was not the same but he certainly wasn’t going to keep dressed because he didn’t have anyone else nude to look at! He wondered what Heather would say if he told her about his present thoughts. She might commiserate with him or she might tell him to get out of her life and stay out. He’d have to be very careful how he handled his conversations with her.

69

Chapter 8   Hold Off Investigating

Across Lake Washington from him, in the area of the Eastlake Golf and Country Club, another conversation was taking place but it was between two people…father and daughter! Leah Halliday was complaining to her father Marcus Greenwood that she thought she deserved the time away from home that she had been taking. He, of course, thought differently. He said. “It seems to me you are not showing the proper concern for the event that has taken little Trent from our loving arms.”

“Oh Daddy, you know I’ve been a dutiful mother but I’ve forsaken my own happiness for the sake of the boy. Now I want to enjoy a bit of fun time for myself. I can’t go looking for him and he’ll never know what I did while he wasn’t here. Oh please Daddy don’t make this hard for me!”

“I just wish you could find your fun with someone who wasn’t an employee of mine and a lowly groundskeeper at that! Whatever do you see in him?”

“Wilbert is just what I need. He never complains and he’s loyal to a fault. Besides, I’ve missed out on companionship all these years and I want to experience the physical love I’ve been without since the divorce.”

“What will people say if they should find out? Your reputation and mine would suffer,” said her father. “Why can’t you get your comfort at home?”             

“Do you want all the servants to know that one of their ranks is getting special privileges? The big worry would be if I should become with child from my fun time but you know that’s not possible now…so all we have to worry about is being recognized while moving about the county seeking new places to enjoy each other,” she reasoned.

“How much longer is it going to take until you’ve had all the fun time you think you deserve?” asked her concerned father.

“I’d like another week, at least. Wilbert is showing signs of wearing out but I think he can still deliver for another week.”

“OK my Dear. I’ll give you another week but not a minute longer. I’ll have to tell the investigator to hold off the investigation until I tell him to restart it.”

“Thank you Daddy. You’re the best most understanding father a girl could have.”

Stewart, of course, was not aware of the father-daughter conversation the next morning when he planned his daily schedule. His first step was to feed the growling in his stomach before he did anything about his investigation. At eight AM he walked into the busy diner and stood by the cash register waiting to be recognized by Heather, who was showing a couple to their table. Shortly she finished taking their order and returned to the counter, acknowledging Stewart with a friendly grin.

70

“Morning Stew, I’ll be with you in a minute. I’ve got to turn in an order,” she said, heading for the kitchen. When she returned, she asked him. “Do you want your usual order?”

“Yeah, it seems to last the longest.”

“C’mon then, I’ll take you to your table by the kitchen. I’ll turn in your order and bring you a cup of coffee on my way back. OK?” He nodded. Ten minutes later the buzzer sounded that announced a completed order and Heather zipped back to the kitchen to pick it up. It wasn’t Stewart’s but he didn’t care. He was enjoying watching the young lady bustling around doing her job. Soon it was his turn and he began eating. Little by little, the crowd thinned out and there were only three tables occupied out of the dozen and a half. Heather found the time to stop by his table and say to him. “Don’t rush off. I’d like to tell you something.” Stewart nodded and took a sip from his third cup of coffee.

Finally, Stewart was the last customer in the place. The cook/owner stuck his head out of the kitchen and looked around. His attention fell on Stewart. “Are you the guy Heather’s been talking about?”

Taken by surprise, Stewart paused before answering. “Gee, I hope so!”

“You’re not looking to get free meals are you?”

“No Sir, I’m not. I’ve paid my way all my life and I don’t intend to start mooching any time soon!”

“Well you got the right attitude. You be nice to her. She deserves the best,” he said and ducked back into the kitchen. Heather must have seen her boss talking to Stewart, because she scurried back from the far corner of the diner where she had been wiping down tables. She stopped by him and whispered.

“What did he want?”

“He wanted to know if I had any designs on you and I told him no, I was a consultant not a designer!”

“You didn’t!!” she whispered emphatically.

“You’re right. I didn’t but I told him if you’d hold still, I might try.”

“OK, clown. Tell me what you really said.”

“He wanted to know if I was looking to get free meals because I knew you and I told him that I paid my own way and would do so for the foreseeable future. That seemed to satisfy him.”

“That sounds like something he might say,” she said, sarcastically looking at the kitchen door.

“You said a little while ago that you had something to tell me. I’ve still got some time before I have to go earn my living.”

71

“I did some thinking last night and I’ve come to believe you can be trusted. So if you want to take me out some time, I’ll go out with you,” she said, softly.

“Well, now that I’ve established my trustworthiness, I’ll start working on my honesty. You know I’m a private investigator and I’m presently working on a case that could take me out of town for a while. I’m not sure when but it could be soon. I don’t want to make a commitment that I can’t keep, so I want you to know as soon as I know what the future holds, I’ll come back and we can discuss going on a date. Does that sound OK to you?”

“At least you’re being up front about it. Yes it sounds OK to me.”

“Uh, that car you had in the garage yesterday, is it yours?”

She laughed. “No it belongs to my mother. She’s visiting my grandma in Montana right now and she lets me use her car while she’s away. I’ve got to pick her up at the airport Friday.”

“Whose garage is it?”

“My Boss’s. He usually parks his old Ford in there but he’s letting me use it so nothing will happen to my mother’s car.”

“That’s a relief. I thought I was going to be trying to impress a lady who had ways and means well above my own.”

“A lady who works in a diner?” she fired back.

“My mother was a lady who worked in a diner and that’s where my father met and wooed her.”

“Was she a lady who had ways and means above his own?”

“Well no but she is a real lady.”

“What do you think I am?” she asked, softly but not coyly.

“I think you’re way above a typical hash slinger…a lady in disguise.”

She smiled warmly at him. “Thank you kind Sir but I still have to work to pay my portion of the college costs.”

“Are you on a scholarship?”

“No, my mother is paying my tuition. I’m paying for my books. Uh, just so you know. We’re not needy. When my father died, he left my mother enough for us to be comfortable but not well off. She has a part time job and she uses that money to pay my tuition.”

“I don’t have to know that. I’m only interested in you for who you are not what you have. My folks are very comfortable and I could have got a big loan from my Dad but I chose a small loan and to use my own savings to get me started in this business.”

72

“And I didn’t have to know that! I see lots of young men up at the campus. Some of them are from wealthy families and drive fancy cars but you know what? They’re hollow! They don’t have substance, just money to offer. I’m not interested in their money. I want someone I can talk to and discuss substantial things. That’s what interested me in you. I think you are filled with things to say and have more of what I want, to offer…well, there I said it!”

“I should be going. I’ve got to make an important phone call and it could be the one that takes me out of town. One way or another, I’ll be back later to let you know the outcome. I really appreciated this little talk we had and I do want to discuss some substantial things with you. So until later, ciao!” he said, leaving a nice tip, in addition to the bills that covered his meal.

Back in his office, he turned on the small transistor radio for company. The volume was low so as not to interfere with his conversations on the phone. He picked up his black notebook and thumbed through to the page with phone numbers. He selected the one he wanted and started punching in the numbers. He heard the tones and finally the ringing. “Good morning. This is Marcus Greenwood’s Office. May I help you?”

“Good morning Miss Meyers. This is Stewart Grant. May I speak to him please?”

“Sorry, he’s busy!”

“When will he not be busy?”

“I can’t say.”

“Well, I’ve got some important news to tell him and I think he’ll want to hear it.”

“Well you can tell me and I’ll tell him when he’s not busy.”

“Listen Miss Meyers, I’m trying to find a little boy who has been taken from his family and I think I know where he’s been taken. I need approval to spend the money to fly there. Can you assure me that you’ll pass this on to him as soon as he’s able to make the decision?”

The silence on the other end of the line lasted for a few seconds before she replied, in a frosty voice. “There is no need for you to act as if I don’t know what is going on. I assure you I’m as concerned as the rest of the family is for the little boy’s welfare.”

“Well you all have a funny way of showing it. You’d think the little boy didn’t have a name. All I’ve heard from you is the little boy this and the little boy that. For God’s sake his name is Trent. Why can’t you use it?”

“Don’t lecture me on my family’s proclivities. I’ll not tolerate that from you!”

“Do you draw enough water to fire me too?”

Another long silence ensued. “Just what does that mean?” she barked.

“Big ships need a lot of water under the hull in order to operate safely. Small ships not so much.

73

Are you a big enough ship to derail my intentions?” he asked confidently.

“Maybe I can’t fire you but I can make your life miserable in the meantime.”

“At a hundred bucks a day, plus expenses, I don’t care if the boy never gets back to his loving family and I’d appreciate it, if you’d tell his Highness I said that.”

“That’s sure to get you fired.”

“He still owes me for five days and since I’m sure the boy’s father would appreciate knowing I know where he is and that he could use the warning to relocate to where I don’t know where he’s gone.”

“You wouldn’t do that…would you?”

“I would and I will if you don’t stop treating me like I interrupted you during dinner trying to sell you an extension on your car’s warranty.”

“I believe he’s finished with his business. I’ll put you through before he gets busy again.”

“Thank you Miss Meyers for your attention to this matter,” he said graciously.

“Hello, this is Marcus Greenwood. I’m told you have some news for me.”

“Yes Sir, I do but I also need your permission to fly to the city where I believe he’s being held.”

“And what city is that?”

“Do I have your permission to fly there?”

“Not until you tell me where it is you want to go.”

“OK, it’s Paris, France!”

“That’s ridiculous. Halliday wouldn’t know anything about Paris, France. Why would he go there?”

“He might not know anything about Paris but I’ll bet his girlfriend does.”

“Why would she?”

“Because she went to the Cordon Bleu cooking school there. I understand the course is several months long. I also understand Paris is a very interesting city with lots of places to visit and things to see.”

Greenwood didn’t respond right away. When he did, he was less sure of himself. He said. “Did I understand you to say his girlfriend went to cooking school there?”

“I did.”

“Is she by chance named Anna Polanski?”

74

“Yes she is.”

“Well, if he’s gone to Paris, I guess that’s where you’ll have to go too.”

“I’m glad you said that because you’ll be happy to know they aren’t in Paris and I’ll only have to fly to Boise, Idaho…and back and rent a car while I’m there.”

“That, young man was a very nasty thing you did, scaring me that way.”

“And you Sir broke your word that you wouldn’t interfere with my investigation trying to force me to tell where I have to go to find your Grandson.”

“You must understand how concerned I am to get him back.”

“I could have gone without seeking permission. I’m that sure it’s where he is.”

“And I could reject your expense report for unauthorized expenditures.”

“If it’s a pissing contest you want…remember I know why you want this whole shitty mess kept quiet. I know a couple of guys in the newspaper business,” he lied. “One phone call and your banking empire falls like a house of cards.”

“Let’s not get hasty now…uh, I have one request before you purchase your ticket to Boise. I want you to wait until this time next week before you go.”

“You want what???? Wait a week? What in hell are you thinking? It certainly can’t be about the little boy’s welfare.”

“I know you think it’s crazy but I assure you it’s very important to me you wait. I’ll try to explain when this case is all over and done with. Will you please do it for me?”

“I’ll wait on one condition.”

“Name it!”

“My daily fee goes on as if I was working at the investigation and my expenses go along with it.”

“I’ll tell you how important this is to me. I’ll double your daily fee and I promise you I won’t complain about your expenses, if they aren’t too unreasonable.”

“Doubling my daily fee…is that retroactive to when I started?”

“Yes, back to when you started.”

“That’s fine Sir. Uh, I’m figuratively shaking your hand on this deal,” said Stewart.

“And I’m figuratively shaking it back,” said Greenwood.

“Thank you Sir and good bye for now,” said Stewart hanging up, not waiting for Greenwood to respond. He sat looking at the telephone, wondering if he should call his father. Would he look on it as a

75

failure on my part and lack of planning or as he said when he offered a greater amount in the beginning. It’s always better to have more than you need than to be short when it’s most important. “Oh well,” he said to himself. “I’ll have to swallow my pride and go to him hat in hand and ask for an increase in the loan that I already owe him.”

He knew the number by heart and tapped in the numbers and waited. “Hello,” said the soft, sweet voice of his mother.

“Hi Mom. It’s Stewart. How are you?”

“I’m fine…uh are you alright, calling this soon after just being here?”

“Yeah I’m fine but I really need to talk to Dad. Is he home?”

“He’s in his office. Do you want to talk business?”

“It’s a bit of both. I tell you what. I’ll hang up and call his business line so he won’t have to leave his office. OK?”

“Sure Son. I love you!”

“I love you too, Mom. Bye.” He dialed his father’s business line straight away.

“Miles Grant investigations.”

“Hi Dad, it’s Stewart. How are you?”

“I’m fine. What do you need?”

“My client has put my case on hold for a week and I’m not sure I have the funds to hold out until I solve the case. I could probably hold out if I didn’t want to have a bit of a social life but I met a real nice young lady and I’d like to ask her out.”

“So what you’re saying is you want the money you didn’t want three months ago?”

“Yeah Dad, I guess that’s what I’m saying.”

“Well come on over and I’ll write you a check.”

“I do have some good news, however. My client feels bad about putting my case on hold so he’s going to double my daily fee and make it retroactive to day one…along with my expenses. That means I’ll be able to start paying you back sooner and still be able to survive.”

“Let’s don’t worry about the payback right now. When you’ve settled we can look at how things are and what you can do then, OK?”

“If that suits you Dad, it suits me. I’ll see you in the next day or so. Uh thanks Dad, I really appreciate it.”

“I know. I love you Son.

76

“I love you too Dad. Bye for now. See you soon” As he relaxed and concentrated on listening to the radio, the last thing he expected to happen was for his phone to ring. In the three months he had been an occupant in the office, it had only rung once and that was his father’s call that was the onset of his case. So when it rang, he was momentarily unable to believe it rang. The second ring snapped him out of it and he picked it up in the middle of the third ring. “Grant investigations. This is Stewart Grant, may I help you?”

“Stewart this is Miriam Meyers. Remember me?”

“Vaguely, what can I do for you?”

“I’d like to apologize for my conduct on the phone earlier. Do you forgive me?”

“There’s nothing to forgive. I know you’re trying to protect your boss, which is natural, so you don’t owe me anything.”

“I know your investigation has been put on hold and I’m calling to ask you if you’d like to know why my Uncle asked you to do it.”

“I’m sure he has his reasons, besides, I got more out of it than he did so I can’t complain.”

“It’s possible his reason is something that you can use to further your investigation.”

“If it’s personal, I don’t care. If it’s a business decision, I’m not concerned. I can’t imagine that there is anything else that matters.”

“You really don’t want to know this do you?”

“Even if I did, I don’t understand what you stand to gain by ratting him out. You wanted to fight me over talking to him, now you want to open his safe and hand me the contents. I don’t get it!”

“You told me earlier that you thought there was something strange going on out at the estate. Well, what I tell you can help you begin to figure out some of it.”

“Why?” he asked.

“It shames me to know that I’m part of that family. It helps clear my conscience.”

“Did you have anything to do with it?”

“Well no!”

“Then you have no reason to feel shame over what others do. They’ve long since stopped condemning children for their father’s and uncle’s sins.”

“I still feel I should help you. I acted selfishly that night I invited you out to my establishment. Now I want to offer freely an olive branch.”

“My senses are tingling now Miss Meyers and when that happens, I know I’d better look out.

77

You know the expression beware of the Greek bearing gifts. It also applies to secretaries and department store Santa Clauses.”

“I don’t consider this a gift Stewart. It costs me nothing and you’re clever enough to find it out for yourself and I know you will. I’m just offering you a shortcut.”

“Every cloud has a silver lining…or so they say but in order to see the silver lining, you have to put up with the storm. What’s my storm going to be?”

“Meet me at The Sanctuary at six PM and I’ll let you know.”

“I thought it might be something like that. How do I know this isn’t just a ruse to get into my pants?”

“Are you saying the chance to get a steak and a little nooky isn’t worth it?”

“I’m going to be right up front with this. I’m not looking for a relationship of any kind, even sexual. Your offer is mighty tempting but the first time you gave me a glimpse of the bandage over the wound. This time I’d be looking at the underside of the bandage at the open wound. If I see something I don’t like, I might want to give up the hunt for little Trent and I don’t want that to happen.”

“I’ve never met or encountered a man like you. Most men would do anything to be given what I’m offering you. Is it me or something I’ve done?”

“I don’t know what kind of men you’re familiar with but I’m a man who thinks with my big head not my little head. I don’t think anything I learn about the Greenwood family is going to explain why Brent Halliday took his son from his rightful guardian.”

“I think what you’re trying to do is find a way to say you don’t want to see me. If that’s the case, just say so!”

“Do you have so little regard for yourself that you think you have to offer me sex to get me to see you?”

“Is that what it looks like to you?” she asked, incredulously.

“Yes!”

“Why do you think that?”

“Look at it from my point of view. The first time I had to meet you where you had all the marbles. You fed me then bedded me when all I wanted was a list of names. Now you’re offering me something you could give me over the phone but you want a replay of the first time. What should I think?”

“I guess I was thinking or trying to think like a man would think. They say a man thinks of sex once every five minutes. I expect they never interviewed you.”

78

“If they did, they didn’t have any questions concerning sex. I tell you what. I’ll meet you at The Sanctuary at six PM but I won’t go upstairs. I’ll sit at a table with you and have a friend to friend conversation and you can tell me anything you want to about your family but I will not trade sex for information, tonight or any time soon. If you can accept that, I’ll meet with you.”

For several seconds he didn’t hear a thing on the other end of the line. Finally. “OK Stewart, you win. Meet me at six.”

“Would you rather meet at some other venue?” asked Stewart.

“No, my pub is neutral ground…downstairs. If I were to get you upstairs, you’d be on my turf. Since you understood that, I didn’t have a chance of getting my way. I misjudged you and tipped my hand. I won’t make that mistake again.”

“There’s something else to consider…” She interrupted him.

“What do we have to consider at this point?”

“As soon as I find the boy and bring him home, my contact with your family ends. I’ll have no reason to keep in touch.”

“So you’re saying the only reason that you are seeing me is because I’m part of the case?”

“That’s essentially it!”

A long silence ensued. She came back with. “Why are you trying to hurt me?”

“I’m not trying to do anything to you but be honest. I’m sorry if it seems to hurt you. Uh, do you still want to meet me at The Sanctuary?”

She paused for a three count and. “I offered to help you and it’s my fault I expected more from you than you are prepared to give, so yeah, I’ll see you at six! Bye.”

“Good bye.” He sat back and once again turned his attention to the radio which was playing “The Winner Takes it All” by ABBA. He listened to it till it finished and the DJ immediately cued up another hit, “Lady” by Kenny Rogers. When that was finished, he pulled out his file on boy Trent and made an entry for the day’s events so far. Knowing he was going to get an infusion of funds in the next day or so, he decided it was worthwhile to eat lunch.

79

Chapter 9   Anything to Please Leah

Stewart walked into the diner in the midst of the busy lunch hour. It appeared that every table was occupied and Heather was running from table to table in order to try to keep everyone serviced. Much to his surprise, the kitchen door flew open and the owner’s wife came out carrying a tray full of food. Heather was close enough the woman could speak in a normal voice. She spoke to Heather. “I’ve got three specials. Who gets them?”

Heather, who had been pouring coffee, straightened up and looked around momentarily then pointed to her left. “Table eleven Flo.” The woman named Flo headed for the table Heather identified. Stewart looked around and he could see only a couple of tables where the occupants weren’t eating, their plates were pushed to the center of the table. They’d finished eating and were sipping coffee. Finally, a table emptied and Heather led Stewart to it. She knew he never looked at a menu so she whispered. “It’s meatloaf and mashed potatoes today. I’ll go get your coffee and turn in your order. I hope they eat and get out of here pretty soon. I want to talk to you,” she said, softly. 

Heather finally got her wish and the tables began to empty. When they were down to a manageable number and not in need of close attention, she sidled up to Stewart. “Do you have some idea when we can plan a date?”

“Yeah, I won’t be able to leave town for another week so it looks like we can plan something soon, oh but not this evening. I’ve got a meeting with a client.”

“That’s what I was going to say to you. I’ve got a prior commitment this evening too.”

“In that case, I think tomorrow evening or Thursday evening would be good for me. What does it look like for you?” he asked.

“Either one is acceptable. Will you be coming in for breakfast tomorrow?”

“I expect so. Let’s discuss it then. OK?”

“Can you stay for a little while?”

“One more coffee refill and I’ll have to go. I’ve got some paperwork to take care of in my office.”

She stood by his table while he sipped coffee and they chatted. It was an intimate time for both and although neither one touched the other, each took something from it that never was expected. Too soon, he had to leave. He walked to the door, stopped to look at her, smiled and left.

Checking his watch, he knew he could walk to The Sanctuary in less than a half hour and he noted it was five thirty-five. He locked the office and set out for the meeting with Miriam Meyers. At a reasonable pace, he made it with five minutes to spare. He opened the door and stepped in. It took a

80

couple of minutes for his eyes to adjust to the darker environment inside the pub. When they were decently adjusted he cast his glance from right to left and saw two people he knew. To his left was Heather, the waitress from Sam’s Diner and to his right, sat Miriam Meyers. The bile grew in his throat at the sight of the young lady he was developing an interest in. She was sitting with a young man and she hadn’t noticed him yet. He swallowed hard and turned to his right and traversed the short distance to Miriam’s table. When he approached the table she spoke. “Right on time.”

He pulled out a chair that would place him in Heather’s sight, if she should glance to her right. Seated he replied to Miriam. “It’s one of the traits my father ingrained in me at an early age. If you make a commitment, keep it and be on time!”

“What else did he ingrain in you?” she asked, her tone insincere.

“We don’t have the time tonight to get into that. I don’t want to make this last any longer than it takes for you to relate what you offered me over the phone.”

She spoke sadly. “Don’t you, at least, have time for a drink with me?”

“You know I don’t drink.”

“We have all sorts of non-alcoholic drinks. I can order you one.”

“Just order me a tonic water with a lime.” She raised her arm to catch the attention of the young lady who waited tables. The movement made by Miriam, also caught the attention of Heather. Stewart didn’t attempt to catch her eye but he noticed her looking at him and she was crestfallen. She said something to the young man she was sitting with and stood up and left the pub. Stewart assumed that she felt guilt at having been caught in a tryst. He didn’t have time to let his mind loiter on the discovery, he was here to receive inside information on the family of his client and that’s all he had time for. Shortly, the young lady Miriam signaled to, arrived at their table. Miriam spoke to her.

“Connie, bring the gentleman a tonic and lime in a tall glass.” She looked at Stewart. “Would you like it with ice?” He nodded. Miriam looked up at the waitress and nodded. The young lady turned and hustled off. She looked back at Stewart. “I suppose you want me to start talking.”

“It’s why I’m here,” he said honestly.

“What do you know about Marcus’ daughter?”

“I know she’s the mother of the missing boy.”

“Did you meet her?” He nodded. “What do you think of her?”

“I think she has a misguided way of showing how much she misses her son.”

“How so?” asked Miriam.

“It took three visits to the estate before I had the chance to meet her. She seemed to need time away from home with her chauffeur. As a bachelor, I was disgusted by her lack of concern for the boy.”

81

“You know she’s the apple of Marcus’ eye. He’d do anything for her,” said Miriam, as a means of explaining Leah’s actions.

“I was the apple of my father’s eye too but he’d turn the world upside down if he had to in order to get me back, if I was taken. My mother would help him with it!”

“Do you think you might be misreading her and her grief over the matter?”

Stewart just sat and stared at her for several seconds. “Let me explain to you how I read her concern for the boy. I followed her and Wilbert when they left the estate, on the third day I was on the case. They drove out I-90 to Issaquah and stopped at a motel. I waited for a half hour to see if they were going to leave for some reason but they didn’t so I decided to knock on the door to their room and invite myself in to discuss my concerns. In their haste to get doing what they went in there for, they left the key to the room in the door…on the outside. So I just walked in. There they were, naked as jaybirds having sex. That was the very first look I had at Trent Halliday’s mother, underneath the chauffeur with her legs in the air! What should I think about her? You tell me.”

Miriam sat silently. The look on her face told him she didn’t have an answer for him. He waited for her to reply. Finally she spoke. “Did you tell anyone at the estate?”

“What do you take me for? I’m in the business of getting information from people not spilling the secrets I learn about them to the others. Whether or not the others know about her and the chauffeur, I couldn’t care less but I don’t want any one of you telling me she’s grieving over her son being missing!”

Miriam seemed to be losing her enthusiasm for talking to him. She came to the meeting with something she thought he’d like to know and ended up learning more about her cousin than she knew. She made one last attempt to give him what she came to say. “Marcus allowed her one more week of freedom before she has to return to the estate and become the mother of the boy.”

“I knew that already! One week from today, I’m going to be on a plane to where I believe the boy is being held. With any luck it shouldn’t take more than two or three days to find him. When I do I’m going to bring him back and turn him over to a woman who acts as if she saw the story in a movie show instead of in her life. With any luck, I’ll be able to forget this whole disgusting thing.” He stood up and pulled out a five dollar bill and dropped it on the table. “That’s for the drink I didn’t want.” He left the table and went out the door and fast walked to the parking lot to pick up his car and leave this part of town for the night.

The next morning as he was preparing himself for the day, one of the first thoughts he wrestled with, concerned breakfast. The last thing he wanted was to confront Heather over her tryst with the guy in the pub. So, he decided he’d take the day off and go across the sound to see his folks and get the infusion of funds his father offered him and on the ferry ride over, he’d get a bite to eat.

Twenty-five minutes after leaving the ferry, he pulled into the driveway of his folk’s house. He entered the side door of the garage and disrobed in the mud room. Leaving the mud room naked, he

82

walked quietly down the hall to the kitchen, where he heard voices. As he entered the kitchen, his mother was the first to see him. She jumped up from the table and rushed to hug and kiss him, saying. “Oh Stewart it’s so good to see you. Why didn’t you tell us you were coming today? I could have fixed something special for you.”

“That’s why I didn’t say anything. I don’t want you to have to do anything special for me.” His father stood up and hugged him when his mother finally let go of him. He spoke.

“It’s good to see you Son. You mother’s right. Any time you come to visit, it’s special, so we want you to know we appreciate it.”

His mother waited patiently for her husband to finish, then she jumped in again. “What can I fix you for breakfast?”

“It’s OK Mom, I had a bite on the ferry.”

“I bet you didn’t have bacon, eggs, some fried potatoes and toast.” With that, she saw his eyes light up. He replied.

“No I didn’t but I hate to see you have to work just for me.”

“It isn’t work when you’re doing it for someone you love, so sit down and I’ll pour you a cup of coffee.” Never one to argue with his mother, he sat down and smiled at his father who shrugged his shoulders. After taking a sip from his coffee, he spoke.

“How’s your case going? Is it still on hold?”

“Yeah but I don’t understand those people at all.”

“What do you mean Stewart?” his mother asked over her shoulder.

“If you were involved with the same situation Mom and you and Dad were divorced and he had visitation rights but when he was supposed to return me, he left town. How would you feel about that?”

“God forbid I ever have to face anything like that, but I’d probably be sick with worry and not be able to sleep. Is something going on with the boy’s family?”

“Yeah! They act as if he’s just going to be gone for a long weekend.”

“Why did they hire you then?” she asked.

“Believe it or not, the father of the woman whose son is gone is my client and he’s hired me because he’s worried about a big deal he’s involved in.”

“Can you explain that to me Son?” asked his father.

“My client owns the Pioneer Bank of the Northwest and he’s in negotiations with two smaller banks to buy them. He’s afraid that if the State Banking Regulators hear about the mess his daughter’s in, they’ll shut down the deal entirely. He wants to be a big player in the banking scene, I guess.”

83

“Just how are they reacting to you? Are they co-operating or what?” asked his father.

“I think it’s a tie…that is three of the family are co-operating and three are dragging their feet.”

“Are the three that are co-operating, the ones that count?” asked his father.

“Yeah, the mother and father of the woman whose son was taken are co-operating, along with the maid. The boy’s mother and her nanny and the chauffeur are the foot draggers.”

“I would have thought the boy’s mother would be on your side,” said his mother. “Why is she dragging her feet?”

He looked at his father and he nodded to him. “It disgusts me to even think about it but I know you won’t hold it against me for telling you. The woman’s father has put my case on hold so that his daughter can sow some wild oats with the chauffer. I know for a fact that the two are playing house but not at home. Every day they leave home and find a motel to shack up in. It was in a motel in Issaquah that I caught up to them and it was also the first time I had a chance to meet the boy’s mother.”

The look of disgust on his mother’s face told him how she felt about it but she went a step further by saying. “The father of that woman is spending money on her behalf and that’s how she’s repaying him. She should be sent somewhere to get straightened out.”

“Well, I’m not going to be the one to try so all I can say is when the case is over, if I never see any of them…uh, there is one but she’s a temporary employee that seems to have her head on straight.”

“Who is that Son?” asked his father.

“It’s the cook. Her name is Marta. She only works there about four hours a day five days a week. She doesn’t have the same attitude as all the others.”

“You told us the last time you were here that you think something is going on with them that has nothing to do with the missing boy,” said his mother. “Do you have any idea what it might be…that is since you’ve spent a bit more time with them?”

“It’s just a feeling but the feeling is strong.”

“In what way?” His father queried.

“I can’t put it into words Dad. The employees act like they are family members who don’t have to pay attention to the people who employ them.”

“Do you have an example to relate?”

“Well, early on I asked for pictures of the boy and his father so I wouldn’t have any problem identifying them when I caught up to them. No one volunteered to give me some and after I told Missus Greenwood I needed them, she told me the nanny would have some. I had to threaten the nanny because she wouldn’t help me. It doesn’t make sense. What are they keeping quiet about?”

84

“Well Stewart, I’ve got some good news for a change,” said his mother. “We’re going to pick up your Gramma MJ at noon. She’s flying in from Eugene and we’re going to go to the airport and get her.”

“Can I go with you?”

“Of course you can Son,” said his father. “She’ll be just as glad to see you as you are to see her. I know something else too! She’ll ask me if she can take off her clothes in the car on the way home.”

“You’re kidding!” said Stewart.

“Not one bit. A couple of years ago when we drove down to Eugene so I could look into the matter that became the Case of the Jealous Jackal, she wanted to get naked as soon as we got out on the Interstate.”

Stewart looked at his mother for affirmation and she nodded and said. “That’s right and I sided with her. We both took our clothes off and spent almost the whole trip in the nude. We put on our tops when we stopped for gas.”

“You didn’t put that in your report on the case Dad. Did you get naked too?”

“No I stayed clothed in case we got stopped by the State boys.”

“Gram is certainly a naturist isn’t she?” said Stewart.

“We all are Son, but most of us are able to control ourselves a little better than she can.”

“I don’t think it’s a big problem,” said Stewart. “Uh, most men would be more than pleased to come up to a car and find someone like Gram sitting there nude.”

“And don’t forget your mother!” said his father. Stewart looked at his mother. She was just smiling and nodding her head. Stewart offered to help his mother with the dishes but she wouldn’t have it. She told him to go into the living room and keep his father company and she would join them when she was finished cleaning up the kitchen.

Stewart made his way up the hall from the kitchen to join his father. When he plopped down beside his father in the chair normally occupied by his mother, he said. “Mom wouldn’t let me help her. Why is she so dead set against being helped?”

“In the beginning of our marriage, we made a pact. I would go out into the world and work for our daily bread and she would stay at home and keep the house in order for us. I’ll admit she worked for a short period of time when we first married but it was because I wasn’t established in the investigating business and if she hadn’t helped out, we’d have been hungry most of the time. As soon as I was getting cases on a regular basis, she dropped out of the work force and became a homemaker…and she’s done a magnificent job of it, in my opinion. She is proud of being a homemaker and has never complained about having to do it.”

“I feel like I’m making her work by dropping in without warning,” said Stewart, as if apologizing.

85

“What’s the first thing she asks you when you show up?”

“Would I like something to eat, I guess.”

“Do you think she’s just saying that because it’s expected of her?”

“No, I believe she sincerely wants to know if I’m hungry.”

“That’s right she does want to know and that’s because she cares and that care extends to anyone in the family. You’d hurt her feelings if you turned her down and then went out and got something to eat. So don’t ever say you don’t want something if you do. Feeding you, she feels, is part of what she’s here for. Uh, to change the subject. What’s going on with the waitress you mentioned during our last talk?”

Stewart was hoping his father wouldn’t ask about her but he knew the man never forgot anything you’ve told him. “Uh, well, we’ve decided to slow down a bit and get to know each other slowly."

“That sounds to me like you’ve pissed in your mess kit. What did you do?”

“It isn’t what I did. It’s what she did!”

“Spit it out Son.”

Stewart’s shoulders slumped and he sighed heavily. Finally he spoke. “When we last spoke about going out it was going to be this evening or tomorrow evening. I told her I had to meet with a client last evening and she said that it was fine, she had a prior commitment too. I had to meet with the niece of my client and she owns a pub called The Sanctuary. It’s about a twenty minute walk from the office.”

“I know the place” said his father. “It was called Wet Your Whistle at one time.”

“Yeah, well I showed up at six like I promised and when I stepped inside the place, there she was bigger than life sitting with another guy. She didn’t see me at first but when she did, she jumped up and ran out of there like she was on fire.”

“Did you say anything to her or try to stop her?”

“No, I think she owes me an explanation and I’m not going to pursue her to get it.”

“That’s a mistake Son. Perhaps she has a legitimate reason for being there with him,” said his father.

“I can’t imagine what it could be,” said Stewart, trying to shut off the subject. As an after- thought, he said. “I’ll bet you never had to go through that with Mom.”

His father replied casually. “And you’d lose the bet.”

“Oh, now you’ve got to explain that to me.”

86

“Early on, when our meetings took place mostly in the place she worked called Mike’s Diner, I dropped in one day and she was sitting on the end of the counter chatting with a sailor. She didn’t even see me come in so I turned right around and walked right out. I didn’t go back for a week or more.”

“Did she wonder why you hadn’t been coming in?”

“Yes and when I retorted I didn’t think she would care, she asked me whatever made me think that. I told her I saw her sitting with a sailor and she didn’t even know I was in her world.”

“What did she say to that?”

“She just laughed. When I asked her what was funny about it, she asked me if it was about a week prior. I nodded and she said laughing…that sailor was her brother Joey. His ship was in the Navy Yard for some fast repairs and he had liberty and he wanted to see his big sister before he went to see your Grandmother MJ.”

“I’ll bet you felt like crap didn’t you?”

“You’d be right on that bet. So Son, it is possible she has a legitimate reason for seeing that other guy. Before you shut her out of your life…find out why she was there!”

“I guess I’ve been riding my high horse pretty hard haven’t I?” he asked his dad.

“Humble pie is a hard course to swallow, believe me but if you prepare yourself to understand the other guy might be right, it’s goes down easier with coffee.” Shirley, Stewart’s mother, joined them shortly after the last part of their conversation. She sat on the end of the couch nearest the pair and asked.

“Did you finish your story?”

“Who are you talking to?” asked Miles, her husband.

“Either one of you. I know you can’t get together without story telling of some kind.”

“Yeah, we finished,” said Miles.

Stewart, anxious to find out about his grandmother asked. “What time are we going to leave for the airport?”

Miles checked his watch. “We’ll have to leave in about forty-five minutes, so we still have time to chat some more.”

Shirley spoke up after a minute or so of silence. “You father told me you’re taking after him and you’re seeing a waitress. Tell me about her?”

Stewart rolled his eyes, not looking at her. He took a deep breath. “First off, we’ve only talked about going out on a date. Most of what I’ve seen of her is when she’s bringing me food.”

“What’s her name,” asked his mother.

87

“To show you how much farther we have to go, I only know her first name…which is Heather.”

“Is she pretty?”

“Yes but not nearly as pretty as you Mom,” he replied.

“Yeah, I’ll bet! When are you going to take her out?”

He looked to his father for help but he wasn’t going to give him any. Stewart took another deep breath and spoke. “I’m going to approach her about it tomorrow.”

“Good! When you’ve had a few dates, bring her around. I’d like to talk to her.”

“Geez Mom, there’s an awful lot of stuff we’re going to have to go over before I could even think about bringing her home…for instance, look at us! I have no idea if she’d want to see me again when I bring up naturism.”

“We all have clothes, you know. It isn’t mandatory that she be nude in order for me to talk to her.”

“Well I don’t imagine it’s going to happen soon, if ever!” he admitted.

“Just keep it in mind is all I ask,” said Shirley. Time scooted by and the three had to dress for the trip to the airport. Traffic wasn’t as heavy as they anticipated so they arrived with more than an hour to wait before her flight arrived. They stopped at a small coffee stand and picked up a cup for each of them and moved on to the arrival gate. Finally, the arrival of MJ’s flight was announced and more and more people showed up to both greet arriving friends and relatives and stand by for the departure of the aircraft on an outbound flight.

When the airplane rolled up to the gate and the jet way snugged up to the jet’s door, folks moved closer and closer to see passengers depart the plane. Shirley and Stewart were close to the rail and saw MJ walking up the jet way toward them. She saw them and the smile she flashed was truly one hundred watt’s worth. Inside the gate area, they all got a chance to hug and kiss her. She began to tell of the trials and tribulations with her son and his family, when Miles asked her to wait, at least, until they were in the car before she started her stories. He said, “It’s hard to concentrate on what you’re saying when we’re trying to weave our way through this mess of people.”

Shirley moved close to her mother and whispered to her. “He’s not trying to shut you down. He wants to hear what you’ve got to say without all the distractions. When we’re in the car, he’ll be all ears.” MJ, which most people called her, stood for Mary June, smiled and nodded to her daughter and replied. “I know! He’s always the voice of sanity. Without him, I’d have to repeat everything I say.”

Ten minutes later, they were in the car and wending their way through to streets leading away from the airport toward the freeway. “OK MJ, tell us about what’s happening to Joe and Cassie,” said Miles.

“The good news first. Joe’s business is bigger and better than ever. He’s almost doubled the

88

number of employees he had, in just the last year. Beth, as you remember, is studying to be a veterinarian and she has only one more year before she will be one. Gee, likes to be called George now is doing well. He’s the best salesman for the sporting goods company he works for…” Stewart spoke up here.

“That’s interesting to me. He wasn’t interested in sports at any time I ever talked to him. What turned things around for him?” he asked his grandmother.

“I don’t know Hon. Maybe it’s that he’s doing it for money now. He’s got a lot of things he wants to have and do…and they all take money.”

“Yeah but what led him to pursue sporting goods?” he asked.

“I wish I could tell you. He seems to like it and that’s all I know,” she replied. “Anyway, Josie is engaged to be married. If you remember, she works in a small hospital in eastern Oregon, in the admin department…” This time Shirley interrupted her.

“What does the guy she’s going to marry do for a living?”

“He sells medical supplies. They met when he dropped in and asked for permission to contact the doctors who practice in her hospital. He started dropping in regularly and the rest, they say, is history. Now for the not so good news. Frank, Cassie’s father had a heart attack and was in the hospital when I got down there last month and he probably won’t get out alive. He just keeps going downhill.”

“How is Cassie taking it?” asked Miles.

“She’s bearing up but you know she’s the only one who ever treated her father worth a damn. Her two brothers were both takers but, at least, Frank is beyond caring about them.”

“Do they still participate in the sex parties?” asked Miles.

“Every once in a while, but they don’t host them anymore,” she replied.

“Why?” he asked.

“Well you’re partly responsible for that. The Sun Club, they own a share in has voted themselves Tier Two and the things they used to have to do at home, they can now do at the club and no one has to worry about neighbors finding out.”

“I never expected that,” retorted Miles.

“Uh, now that the subject of nudity has been broached, can I get nude for the rest of the trip as soon as we get to the freeway?”

Miles looked at Stewart, who was sitting in the front seat next to him. “What did I tell you?”

Stewart smiled. “You called it alright!”

“He called what?” asked MJ.

89

“He said, one direction or the other, we’d have a nude lady in the car,” answered Stewart.

“But he didn’t say there would be two,” Shirley added. “I intend to make it two. Let’s go Mom and get naked!” In less than two minutes both mother and daughter were completely nude, except for their shoes. Miles looked at them in the rear-view mirror and spoke.

“Please don’t lean forward too far. I don’t mind if the truck drivers can see you but I don’t want some sex-crazed teenager to get a squint at you and try to drive me off the road to get a better look.”

“Well Stew,” MJ started. “What do you think of your old granny?”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you and Mom are sisters.”

“Oh what a sweet thing to say! Shirl, are you coaching him on how to please his old granny?”

“I don’t have to, he’s his father’s son. They both have a silver tongue when they want to blow smoke up someone’s chimney.”

“The only thing is Mom, I mean it!” Stewart retorted.

“You know Stew, you can strip down too,” said MJ.

“I don’t think I should. Dad and I show too much already just sitting normally. Without clothes, I’d be sure to draw too much attention.”

“Good thinking, Son!” said his father, smiling at him.

“Uh, how tall are you now that you’ve stopped growing?” asked MJ.

“I had a physical before I left New Mexico and they measured me at six feet three and two hundred and four pounds. My weight might vary some but I don’t think my height will.”

“He’s an inch taller than you Hon,” said Shirley.

“Yep and I’m glad. People respect big men and in the profession he’s chosen, that respect can come in handy sometimes,” he said, looking at his son again, with a smile. Stewart felt his face grow red but he didn’t comment. He only smiled back.

Before long, they were entering the driveway of their home. Stewart had parked his car behind the side of the garage which didn’t have much in-out activity, so Miles was able to use the garage opener remote and drive in when the door was fully up. They all piled out of the car and Miles grabbed MJ’s small suitcase from the trunk. He and Stewart both stopped in the mud room to disrobe and joined the ladies in the kitchen. When they were seated, Shirley spoke. “Mom and I are going to have a cup of coffee and some of the cake I baked yesterday. What would you guys like?”

“I’ll have what you’re having,” said Miles.

“Me too!” said Stewart.

89

MJ leaned closer to Stewart and asked. “What kind of case do you have?”

“A divorced husband has taken his son out of town instead of returning him when he should. I was hired to find the boy and bring him back.”

“How old is the boy?” she asked.

“He’s four.”

“It’s not a ransom situation is it?”

“No. The father just wants to have the boy with him for a while, I guess.”

“Do you know where he’s taken the boy?”

“I’m pretty sure I do.”

“Why aren’t you going after him?”

“My client is the father of the woman who’s the mother and he wants me to hold off going after the boy for a week to give the mother some more time to sow some wild oats.”

“Oh Heavens, you’ve got to be kidding.”

“I wish I was but it’s true. The mother is running around with the chauffeur getting her grove on.”

“Does that mean what I think it means?”

“Probably.”

“You know this for a fact?” He nodded. “Maybe we can talk about this a little bit more later. I see the cake’s on the way.”

The conversation during the cake and coffee interlude was tame and without direction but Stewart felt that maybe his father was the only one who didn’t seem to want to discuss further what was going on at the Greenwood Estate. MJ helped her daughter clean up the kitchen, while Stewart and his father lounged in the living room. Miles, noted his son spent a lot of time consulting his wrist watch. “Got something on for later Son?” he asked.

“No, it seems checking my watch has become a habit I’ve developed since I got started on this case.”

“It probably doesn’t hurt to know what time it is. I discovered early that my clients appreciated my being prompt when a meet up was called. I encourage you to keep the habit too.”

“Uh tell me Dad, how much did you tell everyone about what was going on with your cases?”

“I suppose you already know that your mother was my partner from the beginning and I told her everything. It helped me to have someone to sound out my story and tell me if I was on the right track.”

90

“What am I supposed to do? I don’t have anyone like Mom to lean on for moral support.”

“You have your mother and me. I’ll bet even MJ would be available to lend an ear.”

“Gramma MJ seems more than interested in what I’m doing. I know I can trust her but what if what I have to tell her disgusts her and she doesn’t want to listen to me anymore?”

“I don’t think that’s possible,” Miles said, shaking his head. “There isn’t anything you could say that she hasn’t already heard a half dozen times or more. Don’t worry about that, if you choose to have MJ be your listening post. Just don’t wait too long and burden yourself with problems that a visit or a phone call can take care of, OK?”

“I hear you Dad.” A period of silence ensued and the pair in the kitchen showed up and took seats in the living room. Shirley opened the conversation among the four of them.

“Do you have to go back tonight Stewart?”

“No, I don’t have to but I have something I want to do first thing in the morning, so if I stay over I’ll have to leave before breakfast.”

“That’s OK,” she replied. “Mom and I would like to hear more about your case…if you don’t mind telling us.”

Stewart flashed a quick look at his father and sighed. He began at the beginning and gave a running account of the events that transpired each day…leading up to his visit there earlier in the day. With two exceptions, he told them everything. What he saw, who he saw, where he saw it and how it made him feel. The two exceptions were, what he did on the first night in Miriam Meyer’s apartment. He told them he was there, what he ate, a modicum of their conversations but he did not elaborate about the marathon session in her bedroom ending in her crying ‘Uncle.’ The other thing that he didn’t explain was his reaction to seeing the waitress sitting with another man, in the pub, when he was there to interview or rather listen to Miriam’s belief in why Marcus Greenwood asked him to hold off for a week before continuing with his investigation.

Only Miles did not ask any questions. His mother asked him if he thought something might have happened to the boy Trent and they were trying to cover it up. He responded. “No Mom. I think the boy is safe with his father. I think the family has something they don’t want me to know and they’re afraid I’m going to find out what it is, anyway.”

MJ continued somewhat with his response. “Why would they hire someone to investigate the issue of the missing boy, if they have a secret that might ruin them?”

“I think they were overruled by the patriarch Marcus Greenwood. He’s my client and he wants the boy back seemingly most of all and is willing to risk disclosure of the family secret,” offered Stewart. The narration and the Q and A took them well into the evening and a couple hours of TV and reading finished it off. When it was time, Miles closed down the house. After hugs and kisses, the four left for bed.

91

Chapter 10   Apology Works

Stewart was up early to catch a ferry that would get him to Seattle, in time to go to his office before attempting to approach Heather at the diner. He was surprised that all three of the others in the house were up, as well. When he left the house to get in his car, all three followed and stood in the open garage door to see him off. He sat in the car and let it idle for a minute or so to warm up. He waved at them and each waved back. He thought. “They don’t care a bit that anyone driving by could see three naked people, standing there, as plain as day. They’re doing that for me. Am I doing enough to show them that I appreciate what they do for me?” Finally he felt the car was warmed up enough to drive away. He backed out of the turn in and waved again and drove off.

An hour and a half later, he drove off the ferry deck onto the drive leaving the ferry terminal. Fifteen minutes after this he was pulling into the parking lot for his car. He hustled up to his office and checked to see if he had any mail. Seeing nothing of note, he left the building and headed down the street to Sam’s Diner. At this time of the morning, it was quite busy and the waitress Heather did not see him right away. When she finally did, the look he got would have withered the soul of a lesser man or in this case, a man who wasn’t prepared to withstand it. He did not shrink from her but looked her right in the eyes and smiled. Caught by surprise, she flustered for a moment or two before approaching him with a menu in hand. “May I help you Sir?” she said, as if she didn’t know him.

“I’d like a breakfast menu please.”

“Follow me Sir,” she said and headed for a table as far from the kitchen as she could go. When he was seated, she handed him the menu. “Do you want coffee?”

“Yes please!”

“How do you take it?”

“No cream, no sugar.” She turned on her heel and walked away. He watched her all the way and when she reached the stand for the two coffee pots in constant use, she turned to look at him. He looked back and smiled again. She shook her head, as if to say, I don’t believe this is happening. She poured a cup and walked it back to Stewart’s table.

“Are you ready to order?”

“I checked the menu thoroughly and I didn’t see humble pie. I’d really like to order a large slice of humble pie.”

“Are you pulling my leg?” she asked, a little of the vitriol she displayed earlier was missing.

“No Heather, I’m not. I want to explain myself and if you have anything you want to tell me, I promise I’ll listen.”

“I’m too busy now to hear what you have to say,” she said, leaning towards leaving.

92

“I’ll have what I always had for breakfast and I’ll eat slowly so the crowd should be thinned out by the time I finish,” he said.

A brief smile cracked her face but she turned away quickly before he had a chance to see it. He commenced to sip his coffee and thought idly, I still prefer Mom’s coffee but this isn’t all that bad. I should tell her. Before too long, she returned with his breakfast. Bacon and eggs scrambled, potatoes fried and toast, with a pat of butter and a small glass bowl with grape jelly. She didn’t say anything but she hesitated, for a second or two, then walked away slowly.

Stewart ate hungrily, because he was hungry. If his father hadn’t slipped the check into his hand before he left home, he would have had to decide if he would eat breakfast or wait until later and eat a meal that would have to last until the morrow. Remembering what he said to her, he slowed down and made a point of chewing each bite, at least, twenty times…in case she was watching. As he finished the last of everything on his plate, he sipped the last of his coffee as well. He sat back in his chair and looked around. The majority of the tables were empty and she was clearing the residue of the meal taking. Neither of the tables on either side of him was occupied, and he smiled to himself. “I’ll be able to give her the best case of atonement she may ever hear or it will be the biggest waste of my time ever. I hope it’s the former!” he said under his breath.

At last the majority of her chores were taken care of and she slowly made her way over to stand by his table. “Well Stewart, what have you got to say for yourself?”

Undeterred by the snide way she spoke, he began. “If I recollect, I told you I had an appointment with a client. In case you don’t know who I was sitting with, her name is Miriam Meyers. She’s the owner of The Sanctuary, she’s the secretary to Marcus Greenwood, who is the president and owner of the Pioneer Bank of the Northwest. He is my client and she is his niece. She called me and told me she could give me some information concerning her family, if I met with her at six PM at The Sanctuary. That’s the reason I was there and couldn’t make a date with you!” he said, sitting back in his chair. He continued to look up at her.

She shifted several times from foot to foot and finally. “I was there because I promised I would have a drink with Tommy Giardini on his twenty-first birthday which was last week. I couldn’t make it then but I could that night. Oh and Tommy was in my World History class at Seattle U.” 

Instead of making it a clash of wills, Stewart took a deep breath and said. “I believe that’s a pretty good reason for being there. I admire anyone who makes a commitment and keeps it. My father taught me early that people admire folks they can count on. Is my take on this misguided?”

Trying hard to keep a stern visage, she caved and smiled broadly at him. “No it isn’t misguided. I admire you for your approach to all this. I didn’t expect to ever see you again. Partly for what I thought you were doing and partly because I felt guilty for my being there for you to see. I’m sorry I misjudged you.”

“And I wish I had told you why I wasn’t going to be able to make a date for that evening. I had the belief that opening up to someone not involved in my business could possibly make it more difficult

93

to resolve.” At this moment, the owner stepped out of the kitchen and spoke to her.

“Table seven has been trying to get some service. Would you help him please?”

“I’ll be back in a few,” she said, hurrying to help the man at table seven. Stewart didn’t mind waiting. He had nothing to do on his case for four more days and if he could salve things over with Heather, it would be a successful day for him. He couldn’t help but watch the movements of the lady he was interested in. The sinuous way she moved appealed to his eye and he often wondered what she looked like underneath the less-than attractive uniform she wore while working. He saw when she finished with the last two tables that needed servicing and stopped to pick up a hot, fresh pot of coffee, which she brought with her back to his table. Without asking, she poured him a fresh cup of steaming brew, looked at him and said. “That’ll keep you here for a little while longer, anyway.”

“I didn’t need anything but you to keep me anchored here Heather. I want you to know that.”

“I’ve got to pretend I’m dealing with a regular customer in order to keep the owner or his wife from claiming I’m not doing my job.”

“Would ordering another breakfast help?” he asked, smiling from ear to ear.

She smiled back and commented. “Sam would be happy but I’d hate to make you fat just so you could stay here and talk to me.”

“That’s all the more reason we need to go out and get to know one another better. For instance, I don’t even know your last name.”

“It’s Winfield. I’m Heather Mae Winfield. Mae is my mother’s first name.”

“I’m Stewart Everson Grant. Everson was my paternal grandmother’s maiden name.”

“Are you serious about wanting to go out?” she asked, leaning a little closer.

“I’ve never been more serious. Uh, what time do you get off work today?”

“Four o’clock same as before.”

“OK, I’ll pick you up at four and we can go on a regular date.”

“I can’t go on a date dressed like this. I’ll need to go home and change, at least.”

“OK, I’ll pick you up and take you home. You can shower and anything else you want to do before we go out. How’s that?” he asked.

She smiled at him. “Are you always so compliant?”

“If it isn’t business, you can’t begin to know how compliant I can be.” One of the tables that still had a customer, had the customer stand and head for the cash register. Heather saw him and left to settle his bill. Before she could return, the last customer, besides Stewart, made the trip to the cash register. With him taken care of, she cleared the last two tables and waltzed back to stand by Stewart.

94

“Would you mind if I drove home and you followed me? I don’t want to go on a date and have to come all the way back here to pick up my mother’s car. Is that OK with you?” she asked, softly.

“After telling you how compliant I am, how stupid would I look if I said I didn’t think it would be OK?”             

“I still had to ask, didn’t I?”

“It might not be a bad idea if you give me your address just in case we get separated on the way there.”

“You’re right. That is a good idea. Do you have a paper and pencil?”

“I have a pen and paper,” he said as he took them both out of his suit jacket. She read out her address and he copied it down. “This isn’t very far from the West Seattle Golf Course, if my memory serves me correctly.”

“That’s right! My Mom works there part time. Actually we live close enough that she can walk to work and only needs the car when the weather is bad.”

“Speaking of your mother, what time is she due to arrive from Montana?”

“Oh, you remembered. Uh, her flight gets in at six PM, if it’s on time.”

“Would you like a chauffeur? Getting around the airport can be kind of tricky.”

She didn’t respond right away and he could see she was mulling it over in her head. Finally she replied. “It would be great for me but my Mom might not like it if I brought along someone she didn’t know.”

“You can always pawn me off as just a friend from work.”

“Let me think on it for a while, OK?” he nodded. Stewart took a sip from his fresh cup of coffee and made an observation.

“You know, you make a pretty good cup of coffee. Most places don’t take the time to clean the pots between fill ups. I like your style!”

She flushed red and smiled. “Most people don’t know what I do besides bringing them the things they order. You notice things. I like your style.”

“We can safely say now that we both have style. It’s important that a relationship between two people begin with them having something in common.”

She leaned down even closer. “I have to clean all the tables now set them up for any customers who wander in. Can you remain here while I do all that? It’ll take me fifteen or twenty minutes.”

“I have nothing to do until next Tuesday, so do what you must and I’ll wait right here.” She patted his hand and left to begin her chores.

95

Stewart sat like a spectator watching the demonstration of a new household cleaning product. Heather would show him what she was using and give him an example of what she was doing with it. The owner, his name was Fritz and his wife’s name was Florence (Flo) would, from time to time, stick their heads out of the kitchen to see what was going on. Seeing Stewart sitting there did not seem to disturb either one of them, even though he was neither eating nor drinking. When Heather had cleaned and set up every table in the diner, she came back to Stewart’s table and pulled out a chair. Stewart spoke. “How long will this lull in business last?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve seen an hour, hour and a half go by without a customer. But then ten or twelve could walk in any minute. It’s never the same from day to day.”

“I hope we have, at least, an hour to talk,” he said.

“What do you want to talk about?” she asked.

“There are many things I’d love to talk about but I don’t know you well enough to know which of those many things might turn you off me for good.”

“What makes you think I’m that sensitive?”

“I’d rather err on the side of considering you sensitive than push ahead full steam and find out I’ve pissed in my mess kit.”

“What a quaint expression…pissed in my mess kit. Do you think I’m easily shocked?”

“I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I may seem to be worldly and confident but I’m really a small town guy who doesn’t know much about women who are beautiful and confident.”

“And you think that I’m those things?”

“You seem so to me.”

“I’ll let you in on a little secret. I grew up with two brothers…both older. What I don’t know about males is not worth knowing. I’ve heard every word that shouldn’t be spoken in polite company and seen everything two guys can do, singly or together. Now what do you say?”

“Do you have pictures? I might learn something!” She leaned her head back and laughed heartily. When she finished laughing, she smiled and looked at him.

“Do you have siblings?”

“Yeah, one of each kind, both much older.”

“Tell me about them,” she asked, quietly.

“They are actually half siblings. My father was married once before he met my mother and they were his kids by his first wife…” She spoke up here.

“What happened to his first marriage?”

96

“Obviously, I wasn’t around to know but from what I’ve gathered, she wasn’t happy with him and thought he disrupted her future saddling her with kids. She sued for divorce but during the process, fell in love with her lawyer. The lawyer’s wife found out about it and on the day the divorce was finalized, she murdered my father’s ex-wife!”

“Oh my how tragic! Did your brother and sister know about it?”

“Sarah, my sister, told me she didn’t find out the truth until much later when she came to live with my Mom and Dad.”

“Your father didn’t get the kids after she died?”

“No, his ex-wife’s will wanted the kids to go to her parents if something happened to her and her parents told them my father wasn’t able to support them and didn’t really want them anyway.”

“Oh that’s so unfair. Is it all straightened out now?”

“Yeah, her grandfather, just before he died, tried to make things right and left both Jimmie and Sarah a lot of money to try and make up for lying to them all those years.”

“Do you see them often?”

“Not as often as I’d like to but they both have good positions and don’t live close so it isn’t as easy as saying let’s go see Jimmie or Sarah today. How about you? Do you see your brothers very often?”

“My older brother Steve is in the Army, stationed in Germany. I saw him two years ago when he came home on leave. My other brother, Greg, is a truck driver and lives in Southern California with his wife and two kids. I saw them when they came up to see Steve.”

“Where do we go from here?” asked Stewart, not wanting to delve into her life too personally, just yet.

As if reading his mind, she asked. “Are you ready to bare your soul?”

“I used to think I wasn’t a complicated individual but today I’m learning that there are things in my life that mean a lot to me but that others might not care to know about me.”

She peered at him carefully. “Are you a killer?”

“No.”

“Are you a rapist?”

“Hardly!”

“Are you a pedophile?”

“If I was any of those things, do you think I would admit it?” he replied, smiling.

97

“Probably not. So what are you unwilling to open up about?” she asked.

“A couple of days ago when I asked you, if you would have agreed to see me socially, if I told you I was a private investigator…and you said the same thing…probably not! I want to know a lot more about you before I open up about this. I said it’s important to me and it’s important to my family.”

“Suppose we do move along with this and we date a few times, are we going to feel more interested or less interested with one another? I’m inclined to think more interested,” she said. She continued. “Then one day I ask you what you referred to on this day that you felt was important to you and your family. You tell me and it’s a deal breaker. By this time we’ve both invested a lot of emotion into the relationship and it goes up in flames. I know how I’d feel. How would you feel?”

“I’ve had a couple situations like that in my life…not related to what I want to wait on now but equally important to me at the time. When we broke up, I felt like hell for a while and then realized life has to go on. So here I am in another relationship that I want to succeed but I have no way of knowing if it will. What should I do?”

“You’ve accurately described how I’d feel, as well. Practically speaking, the smart thing to do would be to get it out in the open right now and if it isn’t a game changer, we move on and build upon our relationship. That’s what I’d do.”

“Are you inclined to scream and throw things when you get hurt or mad?” he asked, smiling.

“I haven’t been in the past but I’ve never been so mad that I felt like screaming or breaking something. Can you accept that?”

“What I have to tell you might require some time to discuss and I’d hate to have to get part way through it and have you run off to feed somebody. How would you feel about waiting till this afternoon after work before I open up?”

“I understand what you’re saying and it might be a good idea to wait. You know, you’ve got my brain all a buzz about what you could be holding out. I usually like mysteries and this is really pushing my mystery button,” she admitted. 

“Well I hope it’s only your mystery button that’s activated and doesn’t end up causing you to hit the panic button,” he said, half in jest. She laughed and at the same time the front door of the diner opened up and five people, three men and two women, walked in. Heather stood up and pushed in the chair she had been sitting on. She spoke quietly to him.

“I’ve got to wait on them. Are you going to stay?”

“I should probably go. It wouldn’t look proper for me to sit here without eating or drinking. I’ll see you at four. Ciao,” he said and headed for the door.

98

Chapter 11   Stewart Opens Up

Stewart drove the Riviera down the alley and stopped in front of the garage where Heather had been parking her mother’s Chevy Impala. He shut off the engine and looked at his watch. It was three minutes past four o’clock. Depending on how busy she was, she might not be out the back door real soon. Looking up the alley, he could see the back door of the diner. He concentrated on the door and much to his surprise, it swung open and Heather stepped out, purse in hand and looking around. He tooted the car horn and waved his hand out the open window. She recognized his car and waved back.

It was a sixty second walk to the garage from the back door and she stopped at the window of his car. “Have you been waiting long?” she asked.

“Nope, I just got here. Which way do you leave when you go home?”

“I go out the way you’re pointed now.”

“Good, I’ll just back up and follow you from here.” She nodded and went around and opened the garage, after unlocking the doors. She backed out shortly, reversed the process and closed and locked up the garage. Soon they were on the way. The real commute traffic hadn’t started yet but the traffic was still heavy and it took nearly thirty minutes to get to the West Seattle Bridge street going west and once there, another fifteen minutes to get into West Seattle proper. Finally Stewart saw she was turning onto the street whose address he had on the paper on the seat beside him.

She pulled into a driveway which at one time lead to an attached garage. The garage was no longer there, that space was turned into another living space. Stewart pulled in behind her and when she climbed out of her car, he shut the engine off and climbed out of his. She led the way up to the front door where she stopped and turned to him. “Usually my Mom straightens up after I leave but since she’s been gone, I’ve kind of let things go a bit, so try not to see the mess.” With that, she turned the key in the lock and pushed open the door. He followed her in and stopped inside the door to look around. He was surprised she had exaggerated the condition of the house. To him, it looked as if someone had spent the day vacuuming and dusting and fluffing the pillows on the couch. The room appeared to be in apple pie order. She saw the look of satisfaction on his face and said. “Well?”

“Tell me where I’m supposed to look for the mess? I don’t see anything here that fits the category of mess.”

She chuckled. “You don’t have to fib on my account. It won’t hurt my feelings if you think the place is a mess.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t want to cause our first quarrel but I think the place, that I can see, looks fine.”

“OK, I’ll let it go. Make yourself comfortable while I go take a quick shower and change clothes.”

He saw a big overstuffed chair in the corner of the room to his right and walked over to it and flopped down. The daily paper was sitting on a footstool, in front of the chair, and he picked it up and

99

scanned the headlines. He opened the paper and turned to the features section to see what movies were playing in the city. He then turned to the sport’s page and checked the baseball scores. It hurt to see the Mariners had lost a close one in New York but they were .500 for the season so far. They could still finish near the top of their division, if they played the type of ball they played at the beginning of the season. He laid the paper back on the footstool and sat back to relax. The living room, from all he could see, was decorated to suit a woman. There wasn’t anything manly about the room. He took into account that two women lived here but he tried to think of something that might give someone the feeling a man would be welcome if he should happen to be invited in. Caught in the midst of a daydream, he didn’t see Heather slip into the room from the hallway off to his left and he jumped when she spoke. “Would you mind giving me a hand?”

“Uh, of course I’ll help. What do you need?”

“Would you zip up the back of my dress?”

He jumped up out of the chair and quick stepped to where she was standing. She turned her back to him as he approached. She had made no effort to zip up the dress at all. The zipper was at the bottom of its travel and he could see the backside of her powder-blue bra and four or five inches of the top of her matching-blue, satin undies and all the bare skin in between. His hands trembled slightly but he got it zipped up without a problem. He stepped back and said. “There!”

She turned around. “You’ve done that before haven’t you?”

“Once or twice but I like the reverse process better.” It surprised him that she didn’t comment and he began to flush a bit when he realized how it might have sounded to her. “Sorry Heather. I didn’t mean to sound rude,” he said apologetically.

“If that’s your honest feelings, I won’t fault you.” She replied, with a smile that reached all the way up to her dark blue eyes. “Uh, do you like the dress? It’s one of my favorites.”

“Blue is definitely your color,” he said about the sky blue dress, trimmed in white around the puffy, short sleeves and square cut, low front, which showed a great deal of her large breasts. She twirled around and the full bottom of the dress flared high enough to almost see her underwear. Her bare legs and feet were tanned and her toenails were painted the same bright red as her long slim fingernails.

“Is it too much?” she asked.

“Too much for what?” he replied.

“Would you prefer I wear something a little less dressy. More casual!”

“I like what you’ve got on. I prefer women to look womanly. There’s too much attempts at unisex attire. A woman should look like a woman and a man should look like a man.”

“And if we were going hiking in the woods?”

100

“Whatever you felt comfortable in. I hope you haven’t misunderstood me to say you always have to have a dress on for every occasion.”

She smiled. “I think I know what you meant and I appreciate your candor. Let me get my heels on and we’ll be off. Uh, where are we going to go?”

“I thought about a picture show but I want it to be your choice if that’s what you want to do.”

“Do you mind if I look at the paper?”

“Not a bit.” She skipped over to the footstool and picked up the paper and turned to the features. She scanned the paper for about two minutes and looked up at him.

“There’s one at the Orpheum that sounds like it might be an historical piece. It’s called Centurions of Rome. Shall we go there?”

“Sounds fine to me.” She left for a minute and returned in a pair of strapless black sandals that showed off her tanned and pretty feet.

“I decided the sandals gave my look a little more casualness, don’t you think?”

“Yeah and it shows off your pretty feet a lot more too!” he said, without thinking.

“Do you always say what you feel?” she asked, a flush growing on her face that crept all the way down to the wide opening on the front of her dress.

“Sorry, I’m not trying to embarrass you.”

“How can being complimented be embarrassing? It just surprises me that you find the right things to say and it seems to be effortless.”

“I guess you bring out the poet in me. Uh, are you ready to go?” She handed him the house key and walked to the front door. He followed and closed and locked it behind them. He returned the key to her and she took his hand and led him to the passenger side of the Riviera, which he opened for her. He ran around and got in behind the wheel and backed out into the street and they departed.

The downtown area of Seattle around the Orpheum Theater was very busy. There were many fine restaurants in the area and every one of them seemed to be doing a land-office business. Parking spots in the area were scarce and meters controlled them all. Parking after a certain time of night was not free but it didn’t seem to matter. Stewart drove in wider and wider circles but was unable to find anything within walking distance of the theater. Heather saw the frustration building on his face and spoke. “Let’s forget about the movie and go back to my house. We can stop along the way and pick up something to eat. OK?”

He smiled at her and replied. “I was going to ask you if you would mind giving up on the movie but I couldn’t think of an alternative that would appeal to you. I like what you suggested. Now the question is, what do you want in the way of fast food?”

101

“I see all kinds of food in the course of a day but I don’t see pizza. Fritz doesn’t believe in it. There’s a Shakey’s Pizza place two streets west of ours that Mom and I go to once in a while. They make good pizzas.”

“Then pizza it will be! Remind me to tell you a story concerning pizzas that my grandmother used to do.”

“Why can’t you tell me now?”

“It’s all part of my family’s important thoughts and beliefs.”

“I’m at a loss to tell you how mysterious all this is beginning to sound to me.”

“It will all make sense, believe me,” he said. Casual conversation sort of dried up until they were close to arriving at the Shakey’s Pizza place. Heather was directing him and as they turned onto the street where the pizza parlor was located, Stewart saw the giant sign announcing Shakey’s. He spoke. “They sure want you to see their sign don’t they?”

“It would seem so,” was her soft reply.

“Do you want to go in or get one to go?” he asked.

“Let’s get one to take home where we can get comfortable,” she answered. He shot a quick look at her because of her use of the word comfortable, which in his world meant naked. Her face did not show any change so he did not attach his meaning to her usage. Soon, he pulled into their lot and found a place to park. He shut off the car and looked to her.

“What do you like on your pizza?”

“The one that Mom and I usually get has everything on it…even anchovies. If you want everything on yours that will be fine with me.” Stewart nodded and climbed out of the car and marched inside. Twenty minutes later, he exited the place, a big square box in his hands and a bigger smile on his face. Inside the car, he handed the box to her and said.

“I got a large one and in case we don’t finish it, you’ll have something to reheat in a couple of days, if you don’t feel like cooking.”

“Mom will be home by then and she doesn’t like reheated pizza, so maybe you better plan on taking it home with you.” With that, Stewart started the car and left the pizza parlor’s lot and headed for Heather’s. Being a non-drinker, he suggested he could stop for something non-alcoholic and she directed him to a Shop n Go nearby. He got a six pack of Pepsi, her choice, and they finished the trip to her house. Before long they were sitting in the kitchen of her home, bibs around their necks eating pizza. When they had eaten all they could hold, Heather excused herself saying. “I want to be comfortable when you began telling me your family secret, so I’m going to change out of my dress. I’ll only be a minute. Why don’t you get comfortable too?” He smiled to himself and made a note to tell her what comfortable means to him and his family.

102

In less than five minutes, she was back dressed in a pair of neon pink shorts with a pale pink tee shirt with the words “I Heart Las Vegas” across its breast. It appeared to him that she had divested herself of her bra as well as the dress. She was bare-footed and looked totally relaxed. “How do I look now?” she asked, twirling as she had when she showed off her dress.

“You look like you’re ready to listen. Uh, do you mind if I make myself to home in one of your big easy chairs?”

“Oh Heavens no. I should have told you to before I left,” she said, leading the way to the living room. He picked a chair with a fairly large coffee table sitting between it and a sofa that was covered in matching materials, her choice in which to relax. When they were both seated, she with her bare feet tucked up under her…in the fashion his mother often chose at home, and he in his tieless white shirt and suit pants with no shoes.

“How do you want me to do this? Do you want me to make a statement and you start asking questions? Or do you want me to narrate my life story?”

“How do you want to do it?” she asked.

“I’d rather have you ask questions…that’s how most people react.”

“OK, do it that way!”

He took a deep breath. “My family and I are naturists! We live our lives without clothes whenever it’s possible,” he stated confidently or as he thought…non-apologetically. He watched for her reaction.

“Is that it?” she asked, without raising an eyebrow.

“That’s it!”

“I thought it might be something serious,” she added.

“It has that effect on a great many people.”

“When did it start?”

“For me, when I was nine. It was a bit later for the rest of the family. Uh, would you mind if I went out to my car and got something?”

“You carry proof of your naturism around with you?” she asked, chuckling.

“Well sort of. Do you mind?”

“Heaven’s no!”

“I’ll only be a couple of minutes.” He jumped up and without putting on his shoes ran out the door to the trunk of his car. He grabbed up his briefcase and closed the trunk lid and hurried back into the house. He sat the briefcase on the coffee table and opened it up facing him and took out a large

103

Manila envelope. He handed it to her. She slid out the 8X10 photo which was in the envelope and when she looked at it, her eyebrows rose and her mouth formed a perfect ‘O’.

She looked at Stewart in amazement. “Do you know these women? They’re so beautiful.”

He smiled and nodded saying. “The one on the left is my grandmother Mary June Hendricks. I call her Gramma MJ. The one in the middle, the blonde is my mother Shirley and the one on the right with the dark hair is my sister Sarah.”

“Did you take the picture?” she asked, hardly taking her eyes off it.

“No, my father did. This picture was taken at the Erskine Valley Sun Club where my folks are part owners and my sister there is Property Manager now. It was taken at the time, when my father was the last one to join the naturist movement in our family.”

“How could anyone hope to compete with such beautiful women?”

“That’s the thing Heather. You don’t have to compete with anyone. Naturism isn’t a contest, it’s a lifestyle. You take off your clothes to be close to nature and feel the freedom nakedness offers.”

“But when you have to be in the same world with people who are so perfect…” He didn’t let her finish her thought.

“Naturists are the most gracious, least judgmental people in the world. They know that all people are imperfect, some more than others, but none-the-less acceptable in their eyes. You won’t be stared at or pointed to unless you do something so out of the ordinary that it draws their attention.”

“But if I go out completely dressed, no one will notice my imperfections, because they won’t be able to see them,” she reasoned.

“Do you look for imperfections in others?” he asked.

“Of course not!” she fired back at him.

He chose a new tack. “Do you go to the beach or to a public swimming pool?”

“I have but not regularly. Why?”

“What makes it acceptable for folks to be practically nude?”

“It’s a place where there’s water. They want to swim and swim suits are proper attire.”

“Is everybody swimming?”

“No, some of them are just sun bathing. Some of them are throwing a football around, or playing volleyball…just ordinary things.”

“If everybody is in a swim suit and they are not swimming…just sun bathing, do you feel obligated to accept them or do you question them, in your mind, as to why they are there.”

104

“I don’t see where you’re going with this.”

“The only difference between what happens on a textile beach and a nude beach is that on the nude beach they’re nude. They do the same things that people do in swimming suits. I’ll tell you, if you went to a nude beach and wore your swim suit, everyone would look at you. You know, many men and women fought for the right to be naturists over the years. They didn’t ask for the law to make everyone have to be nude…just allow the ones who wanted to be nude to do so. Uh, you also know that many women suffragettes fought for the right to vote. Do you vote?”

“Of course!”

“Many women don’t, you know. Why?” he asked.

“I…I…Uh, don’t know.”

“If they don’t vote, do you think they’d expect all women not vote?”

“I don’t know but why would they?”

“Maybe they don’t want to be bothered or God forbid, they don’t care who runs things. But no one asks you when you vote, why you did. But almost everyone who professes to be a naturist is asked why do you want to take your clothes off in front of everybody?”

“I haven’t asked you why you’re a naturist,” she said.

“Probably because I haven’t given you much of a chance. Let me ask you something along those lines. If I was able to give you a good reason to be a naturist, would you consider it?”

“Probably not!”

“So in retrospect, if you tried to talk me out of being a naturist, do you think I would give it up?”

“Probably not!”

“I have an advantage over you in one respect.”

“Oh, what’s that?”

“I know what being a textile is…everyday, even now. I’m sitting here clothed. I’d rather be nude but in deference to you, I don’t ask you to let me.”

“If I said I didn’t care, would you?”

“Probably not!”

“Why?”

“For the same reason I wouldn’t slap you if you said it wouldn’t bother you. What would I stand to gain other than to show you I was a big dumb schmuck?”

105

“Are you still inclined to talk about naturism?”

“Do you mean you want to know more about it or you just want to satisfy some salacious thoughts that have occurred to you?”

“Possibly a little of each.”

He looked at his watch. “I don’t have to get up until next Tuesday. Do you have the time?”

“I told Fritz I wouldn’t be in tomorrow because I was going to pick up my mother at the airport, so I have the time.”

“Then ask me whatever you want.”

“Do you…uh, ever get, you know an erection when you’re with other people?”

“Are you asking is it a regular occurrence or has it ever happened?”

“Uh…the former.”

“No! I’m used to being around nude people and it seems as natural as anything could be.”

“How can it not affect you?” she asked, almost pleadingly.

“Are you into sports?”

“Some but I’m not actively engaged in any sports now.”

“OK, I’ll try to explain it this way. I played baseball all my young life. I gave it up when I went off to college because I knew I’d never be good enough to be considered for the major leagues and I wanted to devote all my energies to my studies. Anyway, when I was playing, I wanted to know what was going on every minute of the game. I never took my eye off the guy up at bat. He might hit it at me and I wanted to catch it and throw him out. Once in a while I’d look around and some of my teammates would be looking in the stands to see if the girls were looking at him or seeing if there were airplanes overhead. That bothered me. Their inattention could cause us to lose the game. So what I’m saying is if you aren’t thinking about who is in the stands, you’re not going to miss a chance to put the batter out.”

“I don’t quite get the connection,” she said, a look of confusion on her face.

“If I don’t think about getting an erection, I probably won’t.”

She chuckled. “Why didn’t you just say it that way?”

“Because if I can make an analogy, it’s the way I think.” She nodded and asked another question.

“When you’re not nude, do you ever wonder what others might look like nude?”

“Yeah and in the naturist’s world it’s called wondering.”

“Have you wondered about me?”

106

Without even slowing down, he replied. “Of course I have. You’re a very beautiful woman and you remind me of my mother.”

“Is that a compliment…that I remind you of your mother?”

“That’s the highest compliment I can ever pay a woman and so far you’re the only one who I have said that to. Believe it or not!”

“Well thank you Stewart but I don’t want to tell you that you remind me of my father. He wasn’t very tall and he was quite a bit overweight.”

“All reminders aren’t in just physical looks. Beside her beauty, my mother is sweet, gracious and the most giving person I know and she loves my Dad above all others. Even being considered in the same thought with her is to me a compliment.”

“But you don’t know that much about me. When have you had time to compare us?”

“Are you going to tell me I wasted my best compliment?”

“Oh hell no! I’m as pleased as punch over it. I just want to be sure I deserve it.”

“You just let me be the keeper of who deserves my compliments, OK?”

“Yes Sir!” she said, pretending servility.

“Do you have any more questions for me?”

“Do you think my reluctance to consider naturism is a deal breaker?”

“Are you sincerely against naturism and one hundred percent textile minded?” he asked.

“Well I can’t see myself walking around among people I don’t know, stark raving naked. It isn’t me!”

“I guess if there is no chance you want to be a naturist with me and my family, there’s no future for us as a couple. I tried my darnedest to explain it but it wasn’t enough. Thanks for the time Heather. I’ll still come by for meals once in a while, I still like to eat.” With that, he stood up, gathered his picture, put on his shoes and started to leave…She made one last effort to hold him.

“You said to remind you what your grandmother did about pizzas.”

“It’s no use! You’d probably think it’s gross.” He slipped into his suit jacket and left.  

He tried not to think about the results of his confessions but the look on her face, the resistance to change she verbalized was too much to sluff off. He made up his mind that he wasn’t going to make any effort whatsoever to convince her to rethink her stance on the subject. The drive to Beacon Hill and his apartment still hurt like hell and he didn’t think it was going to phase out of his idle mind any time soon.

107

Chapter 12   Next on the Agenda, a trip to Boise

Monday morning, Stewart had a real reason to get out of his apartment. Other than leaving it to find a place to eat, he had wallowed in self-pity for a three-day weekend, after losing the battle with Heather over naturism. He needed to make reservations for a flight to Boise. One of the names and titles on the list his father gave him was Bertha Cosgrave, the owner of Seattle First Travel. Her address and phone number were on the list and he wanted to meet her person to person. He showered and shaved, put on clean clothes and drove into the city, hoping his luck would allow him to find a parking place close to the travel agency. His luck held and he found a place only two blocks from SFT.

He entered the travel agency and was immediately accosted by a young, brown-suited preppy eager to help. “Welcome to Seattle First Travel. How may I help you?”

“You can guide me to Bertha Cosgrave.” He saw the light go out of the young man’s eyes and his ego shrink two sizes.

“May I tell her who wishes to see her?” he asked in a dead voice.

“Tell her it’s Stewart Grant. Miles Grant is my father.”

“Very well. Wait right here. She’s in her office,” he said, turning and walking to the back of the outer office. He disappeared for one minute and reappeared on his way back to Stewart. “She said she’ll see you in five minutes. She’s on a very important phone call. Have a seat at any of the empty desks,” he said and returned to his desk without another word. Stewart found a chair close by and sat down to wait.

Eight minutes after he sat down, a bespeckled woman of middle years, well dressed and coifed in the latest fashion, stepped out of the office the young man entered and spoke Stewart’s name. He jumped up and walked down the short aisle to meet her. “How do you do,” she said and offered her hand. He shook hands with her and replied.

“It’s nice to meet you Missus Cosgrave. My father speaks very highly of you.”

“Is this a social call or do you have travel aspirations?”

“I need to get travel reservations for tomorrow but I’d also like to get to know you. My father says your friendship was one of his best assets and if I ever needed a reliable source to get me out of town on short notice, to call you.”

“I’m honored he felt that way. As to your travel needs. Where do you want to go?”

“I want to go to Boise, Idaho and return. I’ll need a motel and a rental car.”

She picked up her phone and punched in three numbers. “Mark give me a Seattle-Boise for tomorrow, a motel near the airport and a car…uh hold a moment.” She put her hand over the

108

mouthpiece and looked at Stewart. “Is a motel near the airport OK and do you want an open return?” He nodded for both questions. She spoke into the phone. “Uh Mark, close to the airport and an open return. Thanks.” She put all of her attention on Stewart. “So you’re Miles Grant’s son. I’ve known your father for almost twenty years. You say he told you I was an asset for him? In what way?”

“He gave me a couple of examples. The trip you booked for his and my Mom’s anniversary and more recently when they needed to get down to Texas. There were others but he was especially impressed by those two.”

“Are you in the same business as he is?”

“He’s retired now but yes, I followed in his footsteps.”

“When he was here last with your mother, he brought your grandmother along. Uh, they are avid naturists they told me. We talked about it for some time and I’ve talked my husband into giving it a try. Are you a naturist also?”

“I was a naturist before they were and I’ve remained in the fold ever since. Are you socially involved with naturism or rather a home style one?”

“My husband and I have been to your folks place out on the Olympic Peninsula and we like it a lot, especially since they voted to go Tier Two.”

“Have you joined the EVSC?”

“Not yet but we’re getting ready to send in an application. Do you have any pull with the admissions committee?”

“No, I only know the owners,” he said, with a big smile. “I can put in a word with them. Oh and I know the Property Manager. She draws a lot of water in the scheme of things up there.”

“How do you know her?”

“She’s my sister!”

She showed surprise at this. “Do you go up there often?”

“Truth be known, I’ve only been up there a half dozen times. They acquired their bit of the club when I was over the mountains at WSU and after I graduated, I got a teaching job down in New Mexico, so I haven’t had too many chances to use my in with them to get in free.”

“So you’re a P.I.? Are you on a case now?” she asked.

“Yeah, it’s my first case too!”

“How are you doing with it?”

He looked at her for a couple of seconds without speaking. Finally. “Did my Dad discuss his cases with you?”

109

She smiled at him. “I think you know what the answer to that is.”

“If it didn’t offend you that he kept his business to himself, I’ll try not to offend you by doing the same. I know one of the secrets to his success in this business was he didn’t allow outside influences to clutter up his mind. It’s all too easy to start talking about yourself and forget you have a job to do. Uh, do I have to go out there and pick up my reservations?”

“No, Mark will bring them here. You can pay me with cash, check or credit card and pick up you tickets at the airport.”

“I’ll pay with my credit card but I didn’t tell you whether I wanted to go first class or coach.”

“Mark will book you in first class. I assumed you were on expenses.”

Stewart smiled at her. “You really do know your business.”

“I try!” she said modestly. They sat looking at one another for a couple of minutes, when she decided to talk. “Are you familiar with the airport?”

“I’ve been in and out of there a few times…why?”

“I just want to make sure you don’t have any problems. Make sure you put your car in long term parking, it’s a lot cheaper than short term even though it’s a little less convenient. Have you ridden the bus in from long term?”

“No, I’ve always been dropped off and picked up by my folks. This will be the first time I’ve gone solo.”

“The signs are good to long term so that shouldn’t be a problem. Note what section you’re in when you park and stay close and the bus will pick you up. Tell the driver you want to go to Alaska Airlines, that’s who you will fly to Boise.” Just as she finished her spiel, there was a knock on her office door. “Come in!”

“I’ve got the reservation information for Mister Grant,” said the young man, Mark, who met him at the door. Stewart stood up and took the paperwork.

“Thank you Mark,” he said. He turned to Bertha Cosgrave. “Do I pay you now or do I wait and do it at the airport?”

“You can pay here now and save yourself some trouble. All you’ll have to do, at the airport, is pick up your tickets and head for the departure gate.” After the payment transaction, since he was standing, he leaned over her desk and shook her hand.

“Thanks for everything Missus Cosgrave. Anytime I have to travel, I’ll be sure to come here.” With that, he walked to the door and left.

The next morning, Stewart wove through the airport maze to put his car into long term parking. He got out and noted he was in aisle ‘D’ about half way down the line. He took his briefcase and over-

110

night bag out of the trunk and closed and locked the Riviera. He walked back to the beginning of the line as the agent at the entrance of the parking lot suggested. He looked back towards the entrance and saw the medium sized van, with the markings for long term parking, enter. A few minutes later, after dropping off four or five people at their cars, the van stopped for Stewart. The driver, a young blond-haired fellow asked him. “What airline?”

“Alaska please,” replied Stewart, and the driver nodded with a smile and set off around the lot and picked up two more travelers. Stewart was dropped off at the front door of Alaska’s ticket level. He picked up his tickets and set out for the departure gate, where his wait of thirty-five minutes passed quickly. Soon his flight was called he was passed through the entry door and down the jet way to the DC-9 Series 30 parked there.

He was not what would be called a seasoned traveler but he enjoyed the process and the view of his home state from thirty-two thousand feet still excited him. An hour and thirty minutes later they were rolling up to the arrival gate in Boise, Idaho. He didn’t have any checked baggage, so he was able to go directly to the rental car desk to check in and get the paperwork for his car, A 1981 Chevrolet Impala Sedan. At the agent’s desk, he picked up a map of the city and had the agent point out the location of Boise’s main Post Office. Also identified, was the location of his motel. With the information tucked safely in his memory bank, he drove out of the airport area to find his motel.

After he had been checked into the motel and had his room assigned, he dropped off his overnight bag and made sure the pictures he had of Brent Halliday were handy in his briefcase. He plotted the streets from the location of his motel to the main Post Office, committing the street names to memory. Satisfied he could find the Post Office, he set out to do it! As his father had done, he always carried his binoculars in his briefcase. He had also put the camera with the zoom lens given him by his father in the overnight bag. That was transferred to his briefcase, as well. Now he was ready and left for the Post Office. His planning paid off and he found the Post Office without any difficulty. He drove through the parking lot looking for a good place to park where he could watch the patrons coming and going and to see if there was light blue ’66 Volkswagen there.

Checking his watch to see if he had set the time one hour ahead. He had, on the flight, when the pilot told the audience that Boise was one hour ahead of Seattle. His promise to Greenwood to wait for a week before continuing his investigation may have been a benefit in disguise. Today was the 30th of the month and a week day. The Government rarely sent out payments early unless the due date was a Sunday or a holiday. The entitlement that Brent Halliday was getting for being fogged with Agent Orange in Viet Nam was probably sent out to arrive by the first of the month. Tomorrow was the 1st of July, according to the date window on his Seiko watch and being here today was a just in case surveillance. It wasn’t likely but one never knew…it might come early.

The snack he had on the flight from Seattle was beginning to wear off. He figured he could hold out for three or four more hours and that would put the time well past noon. He wasn’t going to stay until the Post Office closed today. He was banking on the Government to do what was right and meet its commitment to its Vets on time, and that time was tomorrow! Belief in one’s self was all important in

111

this business but the one thing it didn’t do was, tell one’s stomach that it was full…when it wasn’t! He checked his watch from time to time and when it became close to three PM, he told his barking stomach that it was its turn to be attended to. He left his parking spot in the Post Office lot and drove the trail back towards his motel and a restaurant that looked promising as he passed it going in the other direction.

His stomach full and his confidence near its acme, he returned to the motel and the assurance the investigation was moving in his favor. He was closing in on his quarry and as far as he knew, the quarry did not know he was barking at his heels. All he needed for a perfect resolution was for the US Government to do its job! Sixteen hours more and he’d know if the fates dealt him the winning hand. Regardless of the deal, eight of those hours were going to be spent in the arms of Morpheus.

The sixteen hours were all old news. He had lived through them and learned a very valuable lesson. Overconfidence was an opiate that he enjoyed while on the crest of the wave. Reality was the depression he achieved when the bottom fell out. Either Uncle Sam failed to do his job or Brent Halliday didn’t know what day of the month it was. There couldn’t be another reason that Halliday didn’t show up and claim his share of the largess Uncle Sam owed him. He saw the Post Office close and the only activity was the traffic that stopped at the big letter drop in front of the Government building.

Day two of his trip to Boise was almost all in the record book. The restaurant that provided the bulk of his nourishment was the only bright spot in the two days he had been here. He told himself, things could be worse. The food could have turned out to have disagreed with him. It didn’t, so he was at least ahead of the game in that arena. The level of confidence he was attempting to maintain was diminishing with each passing hour. Although the food intake kept his stomach pacified, the lack of success on the investigating front was damaging his ego severely. Towards the end of the first day, for the fun of it, he found a telephone book for the Greater Boise area and looked through it for two names: Halliday and Polanski. Neither was listed and his plan B was dealt a damaging blow. How was he going to find Halliday if he didn’t come to him at the Post Office. He hated the thought of having to call his father and cry for help. To rescue his slumping confidence, he promised himself he’d set out and drive up and down every street in the city if he didn’t have any luck here the Post Office.

Day three ended just as day two had…no Brent Halliday appeared. To say he was crestfallen would have been an understatement. His desire to be an investigator was gone and he was thinking seriously of going to the Boise School Board and applying for a job. At least it would be a positive step even if it had nothing to do with why he was in town!

Day four began at the restaurant, not counting the steps needed to get him out of bed and cleaned up enough to appear in public. He began wondering if his stomach had any dealings with his partially functioning brain. The device at the top of his body that was giving him a lot of bad advice about how to think and act as an investigator. Even the smile he got from the middle aged lady who dealt out menus for every meal, didn’t budge the confidence meter. The stomach indulgence went well this morning and despite the black cloud hanging over his head, he promised himself one more day before throwing in the towel.

112

He had just looked at his watch and noted the time as ten AM, when he heard the unmistakable sound of a Volkswagen engine. The light blue Beetle drove right in front of him and parked in the line ahead of him, three slots down. The man who got out was alone in the vehicle and when he looked around, the picture in Stewart’s hand spoke to him. “I’m that guy! I’m that guy!” And he was. Stewart felt as if he had been infused with a vial of success. He smiled to himself and the jumble of thoughts running through his brain almost overcame him. “Settle down Stew,” he said to himself. “Just be ready to follow him as you planned.” While he was waiting for Halliday to reappear, he wrote down the license plate number of the VW. It was issued in the State of Washington and further confirmed that this was the guy he was looking for. To seal the deal, he took out his camera and got several pictures of the blue bug. Fifteen minutes later, Halliday limped back to the bug and Stew got several pictures of him. Now all he had to do was follow the man and decide how he was going to confront him.

The trail, through the city, that Halliday led him lasted another twenty minutes and ended in the suburbs. Stewart had to slow down and lay way back in order to keep Halliday from spotting him. From a distance of block and a half, he could see the house where Halliday stopped and entered. It was important to know that this was a permanent place for him and the boy that was his son. It wouldn’t benefit him at all to storm up to the door and find out the boy was somewhere else.

After sitting and watching the house for more than an hour, he saw the front door open, and a small boy run out into the fenced front yard. A young dark-haired woman followed the boy carrying an arm load of child’s toys which she dumped in the middle of the yard. Halliday appeared carrying a tricycle and placed in on the sidewalk that led up to the house. Halliday and the woman stood back and arm in arm watched the boy at play. With the camera lens set for zoom, Stew took a half dozen photos of the domestic scene. This clinched it for Stewart. This was the place he would confront Halliday. The next item on his agenda was…when? He decided he’d wait till after lunch was settled, he’d knock on the front door and begin the confrontation.

Stewart left the rental car at two o’clock. He knocked on the door at five minutes past two. Halliday answered the knock. “Yeah, what can I do for you?” he asked in a slight southern drawl.

Stewart had his phony badge and ID card in hand and flashed them for Halliday to see but not focus on. “Is that your car out there on the street with the Washington State plates?”

“Uh yeah. What’s the problem?”

“Do you know you have to have Idaho plates on your car, after 30 days, if you are going to stay in state?”

“Yeah, I know that.”

“How long have you been here?” Stew asked.

“Since the thirteen of the month.”

“Whereabouts in Washington did you come from?”

113

“Have I done something against the law?” Halliday asked.

“I don’t know. Have you?”

“I don’t think so.”

“OK, then tell me whereabouts in Washington did you come from?”

“The Seattle area,” was Halliday’s reply.

“Oh, then you must know where the Eastlake Golf and Country Club is located.” Stewart saw Halliday flush, gulp and his breathing quicken.

“What is this all about?”

“Do you know Marcus Greenwood?”

“Uh, yeah, I know him.”

“He told me to tell you he wants his grandson back.”

Halliday started to back into the house and Stewart reacted by following him in and shutting the door behind him. Halliday looked left and right and then back at Stewart. “Who are you?”

“I’m the guy Greenwood hired to tell you he wanted his grandson back.”

“Why would he do that? He knew I didn’t intend to keep him,” Halliday whined.

“Wait a minute! Back the truck up. What did you just say?”

“I said he knew I wasn’t going to keep the boy any longer than three or four months.”

“How did he know that? Explain that to me.”

“Uh, can we sit down? I feel like I’m gonna faint.”

“Yeah, OK, go over there and we can sit at the table,” said Stewart. When they were both seated, Stewart closer to the door, he said. “Tell me how Greenwood knew about this?”

“It all started when I got a call from Leah…” Stewart interrupted him.

“When was this?”

“About six weeks ago. She said she needed to have some time away from everyone and if I’d take the boy for three or four months, she’d pay me two hundred and fifty bucks a week.”

“Did you discuss this with Greenwood?”

“No! I had no reason to. She said she’d clear it with her father. All I had to do was show up one day and get him like a regular visit and keep him till the end of September.”

114

“What was going to happen at the end of September?” asked Stewart.

“I was going to show up and give back Trent and she was going to pay me.”

“Why leave the state? That kind of indicates to me you had no intention of returning him. I know you’re saying you had her permission to take the boy but appearances are something different.”

“You must know me and Anna were living in an apartment. The management didn’t allow no kids and trying to find another apartment that took kids would cost more than we was paying. Anna’s folks are letting us stay here rent free and the money Leah is going to pay me will give us something to make a new start on.”

“I’m teetering on the edge of belief Halliday but I need something a little more substantive than you just saying she did this or she did that. Without proof of some kind, I’m going to have to say the boy has to go back with me or you come along and hand him back yourself.”

“What kind of proof do you need? I didn’t get nothing in writing or shit so what can I do?”

“Where is Leah going to get the money to settle with you? She doesn’t have a job. Does she have a source of income of some kind?” asked Stewart.

“I assumed she was going to get the money from her father.”

“Well if she was, Greenwood wasn’t in on her plans. There is something else going on out there at the Greenwood Estate that is more than just the boy being gone. Do you know what it is?”

“Do you have to get Trent back today?”

“No, and I don’t intend to do anything until I talk to the old man. So if you’ve got something to tell me that bears on why I was hired to find the boy…let me have it.”

“Before I get into what I know, I’d like to know what your plans are concerning my son. I didn’t want the divorce but Leah insisted, so I went along with it.”

“Did you know she was pregnant when you two divorced?”

“She wasn’t pregnant then. She had two miscarriages before we divorced and had a complete hysterectomy three months before the divorce.”

“How does a woman with a total hysterectomy conceive a baby?” asked Stewart dumbfounded.

“By a surrogate!”

“I think I see something coming that I’m going to find unbelievable. Uh where are Anna and Trent?”

“They’re taking a nap. We can talk, Anna knows all about what I’m going to tell you.”

“OK, I skipped lunch but I sure could use a cup of coffee. Do you have any?”

115

Chapter 13   Stewart is Bowled Over

While Stewart and Halliday were talking, Anna Polanski came out of the bedroom and stood in the hallway listening. When Stewart called for a break, she stepped out and offered to make the coffee. “I’m Anna Polanski,” she said. “I used to cook for the family a while back. They are a strange bunch for sure. I really hope you believe Brent, ‘cause we need the money his former Missus was going to pay him.”

“Whether I believe him or not may not affect his getting paid. The old man is the minder of the mint. He controls who and what is going to get paid. What you better hope is that Halliday’s story is one I can wave over the old man’s head so he doesn’t want to go through with any plans to get Halliday arrested. Taking the boy out of state makes it a Federal Offense should the old man call out a kidnapping charge. You shouldn’t have done that. OK, now Halliday. Let me hear what you’ve got to say.”

‘Back when we was talking about the time of the divorce, you asked if Leah was pregnant when we divorced. I told you no and you wanted to know how she got herself a baby. Well between her and her old man, they came up with the scheme to have another woman have the baby and she would claim it and Greenwood would have his grandson and heir.”

“What guarantee did he have that the surrogate would have a boy?” asked Stewart.

“That’s where I come in this story. I told you she had two miscarriages before she quit trying. Both of them were males. Greenwood approached me with his checkbook in hand and offered me a bunch of money to make him an heir.”

Stewart’s hackles started rising. He had an inkling he might know what was coming next. “Uh, let me try and guess who they had selected for the surrogate.”

“Sure Mister, give it a try!” said Anna.

“I think it might be Ingrid the nanny.”

“How did you come to that notion,” asked Halliday.

“A couple of things at the Greenwood Estate didn’t make sense at the time but with what you’ve told me…they are beginning to!”

“A course we know but what tipped you?” asked Halliday.

“On the first day I was out at the estate, I went looking for Ingrid. I went up to her room on the third floor. I found her in a room with all the fixings but a bed. Why consider it your room if you don’t sleep there? On my next trip I found her in the boy’s room. There were two beds in that room. One was obviously the boy’s but the other one was adult size. I asked her who slept there and she gave me the song and dance about the mother slept there sometimes because the boy had bad dreams and was restless. The only problem with that story was there was no connecting door between Leah’s room and

116

the boy’s. Besides, how would she hear if the boy was having a restless night? I assumed it was probably Ingrid who was bedding down there every night. OK, you’ve confirmed that Ingrid was the surrogate and she was probably hired to be the nanny because of that. Now, as for Greenwood considering the boy his heir. How can he when the boy is not even related to him?”

“That isn’t true Mister,” said Anna. “Ingrid is as much his daughter as Leah is!”

“The hell you say! Please fill me in on this one,” said Stewart, smiling at the pair.

“Did you meet Marta?” asked Halliday. Stewart nodded. “Thirty years ago, she was a teller in his bank and he took a shine to her. He sweet talked her to going out with him and she ended up pregnant. Greenwood didn’t want Sophie to know so he gave Marta a bunch of money to get an abortion. Well she took it and bought herself a husband to give the kid a name and when Ingrid was born, she gave her bought husband the boot. Now Ingrid was legal but she wasn’t named Greenwood so Marta went back to the old man and showed him the baby and threatened to tell the world who her father was. The old man figured it was better to have her working for him again than paying her to stay away so he put her to work again back in the bank. She stayed long enough to retire and now she cooks for him part time.”

“I need one more detail to make this a complete story,” said Stewart. “How did Leah pull off the motherhood act when she wasn’t pregnant and didn’t even look the part?”

“That was the easiest thing of all,” said Anna. “Ingrid took on the name Leah Halliday for the duration of her pregnancy and when she delivered and left the hospital, no one was the wiser. Ingrid walked out carrying the baby to the car and now Leah became the official mother and Ingrid was the nanny.”

“How many of the staff know the whole story?” asked Stewart.

“Every one of them knows,” said Halliday. “The old man has told them that if the truth ever gets out, the whole lot of them will be fired so he’ll know he got the one who told on him.”

Stewart wanted to change the subject for a while. Looking at Halliday, he spoke. “I’m going to call Greenwood and tell him I found the boy and then I’m going to tell him I know a little bit about the family history and find out for sure if he wants the boy back right away. I think since he’s paying for everything, he has the right to make that choice, don’t you?”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. I agree. What you got in mind?”

“I’m thinking if he wants Trent back as soon as I can get him back, I’ll buy you a round trip ticket to Seattle and back and a one way ticket for Trent. Flying back with me will take only a few hours out of your day and I’ll try to get you some money to hold you over till the money issue is resolved. How does that sound to you?”

“Why are you doing this? You don’t know me from Adam’s off ox. What’s in it for you?” asked Halliday.

“My Dad was in this business for over thirty five years and he told me that in situations like this,

117

the family always has a dirty little secret they think the investigator they hire will never find out. It always throws them for a loop when you feed back to them the thing they think they’ve kept from you. I don’t mind making them pay a bit of shame money for their efforts.”

“Why do you call it shame money Mister?” asked Anna.

“They always think it’s a shame that they’re found out and the money they pay to keep it quiet is worth it. Uh, while we’re all here. What are you planning to do for your supper?”

“We’ve got some left overs, why?” asked Anna.

“How would you like to go out to eat with me?”

“We can’t afford to eat out thank you very much.”

“If you are invited to go out with someone to eat, it is their responsibility to pay. I invited you so I’ll pay!” said Stewart.

The two looked at each other. Each nodded and Anna spoke for them. “We’ll go if we can take the boy.”

Stewart smiled and replied quickly. “That boy is the reason I’m here. I won’t go five feet from here without knowing where he is and what he’s doing. You better take him with you or I’ll call the police myself,” he said, smiling to let them know he was kidding them.

Stewart waited for the boy to wake up from his nap by himself. He came into the living room from his nap looking all bright and cheerful. When he asked for something to eat, Stewart told the two to get ready, they were going to leave for dinner. Since he was unfamiliar with Boise and where all the fine restaurants were, he decided that the restaurant where he had been eating would be nice enough for all of them. Besides, he didn’t want to hit Greenwood too hard with an expensive dinner for the pair who stole his grandson!

The next morning, after shaving and showering, Stewart sat on the edge of his bed and with telephone in hand dialed the front desk. “Long distance please.”

“Long distance…Seattle, Washington,” he said and gave the number when he had the long distance operator. He heard the phone ring twice.

“Marcus Greenwood’s Office. How may I help you?”

“Good morning Miriam. This is Stewart Grant.”

“How are you Mister Grant? What can I do for you?”

“Put me through to Mister Greenwood please.”

“Can you hold for a minute or two? He’s almost through with his call.”

118

“I’m calling from Boise, Idaho, so I don’t want to hold too long.”

“I’ll nudge him a little,” she replied.

“Thanks.” He heard silence for about ten seconds and.

“Hello young man. What have you got for me?”

“I’ve got your grandson.”

“You do? Where are you?”

“I’m in Boise, Idaho.”

“I thought you were going to tell me when you were going.”

“Listen Mister Greenwood. We agreed you weren’t going to tell me how to run my investigation and I wasn’t going to give you progress reports. I told you I had to go to Boise and you OK’d it. That one week hold off didn’t make things any easier.”

“Well you know that Leah’s motherhood has been rough on her and….” Stewart interrupted him.

“You and I both know that’s a bullshit story. I know all there is to know about who and why Leah isn’t the boy’s mother. Now I want to know. Do you want that boy back as soon as I can get him there?”

“Can you get him here today?” asked Greenwood.

“I can’t but I can facilitate it so his father can.”

“You’ve talked to Brent Halliday?”

“I have and I can tell you he’s a lot more concerned about that boy than Leah is. Let’s don’t try to fool me any more about what’s going on out there in Greenwood Manor. I know the whole story. In case you think I don’t, I know that the nanny is the real mommy. The daddy told me so! Are you aware that Leah is responsible for the boy going missing?”

“That can’t be!” argued Greenwood.

“It not only can but it was. She offered Halliday two fifty a week to keep the boy for up to four months. I expect she planned to have you pay for that because she told Halliday she was going to clear it with you.”

“I can’t believe it!” said Greenwood.

“You better because it’s true. Now, the patsy in this case is Brent Halliday. He sort of screwed himself out of a life in Washington by taking on the boy so Leah can have her sexual holiday, which I’m sure she charged to you. Halliday had to leave his apartment in Seattle because he couldn’t have a child living with him…management rules. So he relocated to Idaho where the living was a lot cheaper. I figure

119

since your daughter is responsible for that, you can give him some living expenses until you and he can settle the time he had the boy away from home issue.”

“Is there anything else?” asked Greenwood.

“In a couple of days I’ll submit my report…uh and it will be cleaned up enough so as not besmirch anyone’s reputation. Along with that will be my expense report. Any questions?”

“I guess not…uh is the boy OK?”

“Yeah, Trent is just fine and he’s having the time of his life with his father. You really should find a place in your organization for Halliday. He’s genuinely a nice man and deserves a chance to prove it.”

“I can’t make any promises now but I will look into it,” he replied.

“I hope so. He’s doing you a favor by allowing your hot pants daughter an opportunity to get it out of her system. Perhaps Halliday can be hired to direct Leah’s affairs. God knows she needs someone to keep track of her.”

“You can’t be serious!” said Greenwood.

“I could but in this case, I’m not. I’ll call you from the airport but I’m going to take Halliday and the boy directly to the estate where he’ll turn over the boy to his mother. Anything more? OK, bye for now.”

He finished getting dressed, stopped for breakfast on his way out to the suburbs to pick up Halliday. Halliday kissed Anna good bye as did Trent. They piled into Stewart’s car, along with the boy’s things and headed for the airport. Stewart bought Halliday and the boy the airline tickets he promised. They had a two hour wait before their flight which was a turnaround from Seattle. The boy was fascinated by all the airplane activity he could see from the terminal and he behaved himself as if he did this every day. He was even more excited when it finally sunk in that he would be flying away in one of the big airplanes.

The time came to board and the three of them were seated in first class. Trent was treated like a VIP and loved every minute of it. Halliday was building up an ‘I’m going to miss him’ attitude and Stewart had to remind him that if he played his cards right he just might find a place back in the boy’s life. That cheered up Halliday significantly.

On the ground at SeaTac, they were the first ones off the plane. Stewart stopped at a phone and called Greenwood and then led Halliday and the boy to where they could catch the van to long term parking. The boy was big-eyed all through the adventure and couldn’t get enough of all the sights. Finally they were in the driveway of the Greenwood Estate. Apparently someone from Greenwood’s Office called the estate because as soon as Stewart pulled into the estate, Ingrid was out at the car to meet them. She had little to say to Stewart and nothing at all for Halliday. Trent was happy to see his mother even though he didn’t know she was. Stewart watched her and the boy disappear into the house and turned to Halliday. “Let’s go back to the airport now and you can catch a flight back to Boise. Tell

120

Anna I wish I could have wrangled a ticket for her but at least, she’ll get you back today.”

“You’ve already done more than I could have expected. I appreciate it all, I really do!”

“I know Brent. I wish I could have done more. I put in a word for you with Greenwood for what it’s worth. I told him you were doing him a favor. I’m going to call tomorrow and see about getting you some money until you can settle with him what Leah promised you for looking after your son.”

“Can you tell me one thing?” asked Halliday.

“Sure.”

“Anna asked me to ask you. What is your name?”

Stewart chuckled. “My name is Stewart Grant.”

“Are you a cop?”

“No, what I do is called private investigating. You were my first case.”

Halliday went quiet for the rest of the trip to the airport. When Stewart pulled up in front of the Alaska Airlines ticketing station, Halliday offered his hand and said. “I’m glad it was you who settled the issue for us. I would have loved more time with Trent but I feel I did the right thing and I’m real glad you know why I did it. I hope we meet again.”

“Give Anna a big hug and kiss for me. I think she’s a swell gal and is just what you need. Bye,” he said, and as soon as Halliday was cleared from the car, he drove away not looking back or he would have seen the wave from the man with the limp.

Stewart headed for Beacon Hill and his apartment. He had one good night’s sleep in the last four days and he felt dog-tired. Coming down from the high he climbed up on finding his client’s grandson, was one thing but the story he got from the boy’s father was a blow he took unexpectedly. The blow wasn’t physical but mental shocks sometimes felt every bit as hurtful. The only bright side to the discovery was he had a feeling something was right and he was glad he had the sense to accept it as an omen to an off kilter issue that needed sorting out. At his apartment, he disrobed completely and began to think of Heather. “Oh shit!” he said out loud. “Am I going to go through this every time I get comfortable from now on?” He took a quick shower and climbed into bed. It was just short of six PM but his mental state was exhausted and all he wanted to do was sleep.

When the light through the window in his bedroom struck his face, he roused up and stretched. The clock at his bedside indicated a sleep of nearly twenty-four hours but he didn’t attempt to jump out of bed just yet. The notion of freedom that he didn’t feel yesterday was strong in his mind today and doing nothing but lounging in bed fulfilled him. Thirty minutes elapsed and his need to answer nature’s call was upon him, so he finally clawed his way out from under the covers and made his way to the porcelain palace for the much needed relief.

Now that he was up, he began to feel the need for nourishment. He checked his cupboards and

121

like Old Mother Hubbard, discovered the cupboards were bare. A quick shower and shave, fresh clothing and he was ready to face the day. He drove into the city and put his Riviera in the parking lot near his office. He stood beside the car for several minutes while a struggle took place in his mind. One side wanted him to get back in the car and find a new place to eat. The opposing side wanted to go to Sam’s Diner, because it was closer and he could almost taste the special bacon Fritz and Flo always had. He had purposely not thought about Heather during the internal struggle and let his stomach guide him. It was a short struggle, his stomach was the better fighter and directed him to Sam’s!

When he was inside the diner’s front door, the first thing he noticed was many of the tables were empty. It didn’t bother him because he felt he was more apt to get quicker service…provided Heather would wait on him. He also noticed, however, that Heather was nowhere in sight! He was about to do an about face and leave, when the swinging door to the kitchen swung open and Heather came out. Automatically she looked toward the door and her normally pleasant facial expression changed to one of concern. Slowly, she moved to the counter and picked up a menu and headed for Stewart. “Good morning Sir. May I help you?”

Stewart’s instinctive reaction was to say some smart assed thing but he caught the words before they exited his mouth. “I’d like breakfast,” was what he uttered. She led him to a table in the least populated portion of the diner.

“Do you drink coffee?”

“Occasionally.”

“Is today one of those occasions?” she asked, as if it was a routine.

Fighting the urge to tell her to hustle her ass to the nearest coffee pot, he said. “I’ll have it with my meal.”

“Would you like some time to study the menu?” she asked.

“Yes please!”

“Signal me when you’re ready to order,” she said and turned to leave. She had gone about six paces, when he spoke.

“Oh Miss, I’m ready to order.”

She shot him a withering glance but returned to take his order. “What will you have?”

“Number three on the menu is the one I’ll have,” he said without opening the menu. “The one with the eggs any style.”

“Which style do you prefer?”

“Scrambled!”

“Very good Sir,” she replied, picking up the menu from his table and walking away.

122

Stewart settled back to wait for his breakfast. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the kitchen door swing open and the apron clad, cook-owner, Fritz came out and headed for him. When he reached Stew’s table, he spoke. “What did you do to Heather? She hasn’t been the same for over a week now.”

“What makes you think I had anything to do with it?” Stewart replied.

“She told me she was going out with you and the next day all she did was mope around. She might as well have stood home. She hasn’t been much better since.”

“So this is my fault?”

“You must have done something to make her this way.”

Secretly, Stewart felt a twinge of victory but he couldn’t let on like he knew what the cook was talking about. So he pretended innocence. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I don’t know her well enough to know what buttons to press. You’ll have to have her tell you what’s bothering her because I can’t help you,” he said, crossing his arms and looking away from the man standing beside his table. The cook, shaking his head, turned and stalked back to the kitchen.

A few minutes later, Heather appeared carrying a tray of food. It had to be for him because all the other tables that were occupied had been serviced already and were eating. He pretended he didn’t see her coming and she was in the process of putting down his food when he reacted. “Does the cook pile on all his customers because of your foul mood?” he asked her.

“What do you mean?” she asked, her face composed.

“Fritz tried to blame me for how you are behaving. I told him I didn’t know what he was talking about and I don’t. If I’m going to have to face a third degree every time I come here to eat, I might best be looking for another place to eat.”

“No need for that, I’ll tell him it isn’t your fault.”

“Thank you.”

“Enjoy your breakfast,” she said and turned away and then turned around. “Why haven’t you been in, in the last week?”

The first forkful was half way to his mouth when she spoke. “Part of the time I was out of town.”

“Which part?”

“I’ve been in Boise since Tuesday. I got back last night.”

“Where have you been since you left my house?”

“You made it pretty clear to me that you weren’t interested in my life when I was at your house, so why is it, all of a sudden, you have to know where I go and what I do?”

“I called your office four times. Twice on Friday and twice on last Monday.”

123

“If you must know, I haven’t been near my office since I left your house Thursday night. There aren’t a lot of people who want me enough to call me at my office so I don’t feel the need to go there and sit around.”

“Do you have a phone in your apartment?”

“No!”

“Why?”

“I can’t afford to have one sitting in my apartment that isn’t used. Is any of this really important to you?”

“I wanted to tell you my mother wanted to talk to you.”

“What about? So she can get in a few licks too? I have plenty of people doing their best to make my life miserable. I don’t need your mother on that list.”

“You don’t understand. She sees things differently than I do.”

“You’re right I don’t understand but I do know this. If I wait too much longer, all this food is going to be cold and I don’t like cold food. So if you don’t mind, I’d like to eat,” he said, head down and fork active.

“I’m sorry. I’ll come back when you’re finished eating,” she said and left walking slowly. He didn’t hurry any so he would finish and she’d return, although he did harbor a small interest in what she might have to say. He didn’t waste any time getting the food from his plate to his mouth…either!

How she knew he was finished, he couldn’t tell but she showed up when his plate was licked clean. She brought the coffee pot with her and without asking, poured him a refill. She sat the pot on the far side of his table and spoke. “Are you ready to listen?”

“I’ve heard the words that told me you and I have different ideas of life. What can you possibly say to me that’s going to change that?”

“I’m asking you to meet my mother. She’d like to hear what you’ve got to say.”

“Oh, how nice. Maybe I can convince your mother to become a naturist. That certainly will thrill the people who look to me to change the falling ranks of naturists in our community,” he said sarcastically.

“I’m asking nicely. Please will you come to our house tonight about seven to talk with my mother?”

He didn’t reply for several seconds, enough time to take two sips of hot, fresh coffee. “I won’t say yes and I won’t say no. So if I think about it some and see no harm in it, I’ll be there at seven.”

“Thank you Stewart. That’s all I ask!”

124

Chapter 14   Mister Greenwood and Missus Winfield

Stewart left the diner without saying good bye to Heather or even looking back. His interest now was to communicate with the banking Tsar Marcus Greenwood. He opened his office and on the floor inside the door were four pink notes from the answering service that came with his office rental. He picked them up knowing already what they were…calls from Heather but he had no requirement to respond to them so he wadded them up and threw them in the waste basket. He sat down at his desk and placed his briefcase on top. He opened it and took out his little black notepad. He selected the page with the important phone numbers on it and punched the numbers for Marcus Greenwood.

“Good morning. Marcus Greenwood’s Office. How may I help you?”

“Good morning Miss Meyers. This is Stewart Grant. May I speak to him?”

“I’ll put you through.” Shortly.

“Good morning Stewart. How are you this morning?”

“I’m fine Sir but I have something I need to talk to you about.”

“Does it concern my Grandson?”

“Yes Sir it does and several others. I need to get a confirmation from you and I want your assurance that if you agree, you’ll keep your word.”

“That sounds like a threat of some sort young man. I hope for your sake it isn’t.”

“A threat can be a two edged sword. One edge is dull and it’s the first side that is wielded. You can imagine what the other edge is. I’m wielding the dull edge now. I asked you yesterday to consider sending the boy’s father some money. I’m sure I explained it to you why it was necessary. Do you remember that part of our conversation?”

The silence on the other end of the line was ominous for a few seconds…until, “Yes, I remember. We didn’t discuss an amount, however.”

“Your former son-in-law is living a hand to mouth existence and he doesn’t deserve it. He loves that little boy and from what I’ve seen, he’s the only one who makes an effort to show it.”

“I resent that young man. You have no right to say that to me.”

“You are wrong Mister Greenwood. You came to me for help. You came to me to find and return your grandson who you thought was taken and possibly wouldn’t be returned without my help. Well I found him and along the way found out your former son-in-law was asked to take him and keep him for some period of time…for pay! Now I’m asking you to keep the promise your daughter made to him. One time on the telephone you made a figurative handshake with me. I’m asking for you to make another one. Do I have your word?”

125

Another period of silence ensued, before. “Yes, you have my word. Is Halliday still in town?”

“No Sir, he went back to Boise. He didn’t have enough money to stay in a hotel overnight.”

“How am I supposed to get any money to him?”

“Write a check payable to him. Put it in an envelope and take it to the Post Office and send it special delivery to the address I’ll give you. Why don’t you call your secretary in to take down the information?”

“Good idea,” he said, and Stewart heard him set the phone down and using his intercom, call Miss Meyers to come to his office. Stewart had the address he copied down the first time he went up to the small house in Boise, when he confronted Halliday initially. Greenwood picked up the handset. “She’s here now and ready to copy.”

Stewart read off the address and Miss Meyers read it back to him to make sure it was correct. “That’s it. Thank you Mister Greenwood, I appreciate this and I’m sure Brent Halliday will too. Oh, I suggested one other possibility during our conversation yesterday. Do you recall what it was?”

As Greenwood had a habit of doing…he hesitated. Finally. “I believe it had to do with finding him a job in my organization.”

“Yes Sir that was it. Have you given it any more thought?”

“I have something very important to tell you and I want you to promise me you won’t say a word about it. Do I have your word now?”

“I told you at the start, what I learn about you and your family is never going to be revealed and my word is my bond.”

“The State Banking Regulators have approved of the merger of my bank with the two others. I’m going to need a Director of Security to overlook the merger and to follow on with it. I’m going to offer it to him.”

“That is indeed good news Mister Greenwood. You won’t be sorry, I’m sure of that.”

“Do you have anything else?” Greenwood asked.

“I do have one more thing but I’m going to wait until later to take it up with you. So until I bring you my report on this case, good bye and have a nice day,” he said and hung up the phone. He sat back in his rickety desk chair and looked at the small radio on the corner of his desk. “Do I want to listen to music now?” he asked himself. His answer was no. After I write down the events with Greenwood in my case file, I want to go back to my apartment and mull over the request that Heather made. What in hell could her mother want to know or offer that would ameliorate the situation between him and her daughter?

It took a couple of hours to bring the case file up to date. The notes taken in Idaho were

126

scribbled down and he wanted them legible for posterity, so he typed up the material to insure it. When everything was done to his satisfaction, he closed and locked the office and headed for the Riviera and the trip out to Beacon Hill. With a half hour stop at a local market, he was able to pick up enough groceries to last for several days. It wasn’t his intention to stay in the apartment that long but it was nice to know he had the foodstuffs to do it. He fixed a nice noon day meal and when the meal was finished and the dishes and flatware washed and put away, he grabbed up a book he had been reading for more than a month. It normally didn’t take him longer than two or three days to put a book this size behind him but when the reading time was as sporadic as it had been for him lately, he had to take what he could get.

He had been reading for four hours without stop. A quick look at his watch and he discovered it was nearly five PM. He set the book aside and put on his ‘mull over’ mode. He had to decide whether he was going to pay the visit to Heather’s mother as she asked him to or forget it and find a new place to take his meals. Each of the choices had some merit in his estimation. Missus Winfield might have something to offer he hadn’t considered but that was a remote possibility. He’d heard all the excuses folks can gin up to keep their clothes on. Staying away from the meeting automatically eliminated Heather from his life, and the need to find another restaurant to provide his daily bread arose. Which choice is the most appealing on an empty stomach? He decided he’d better put something into his stomach if he intended to come to a somewhat sane conclusion. An hour later, much more comfortable without a growling stomach, he weighed the choices once again. Finally, he chose to visit the Winfield woman and prepared himself to listen to another story of modesty by all means!

Allowing himself a half hour to get to West Seattle, he left the apartment. Once he was on Spokane Street West, it was a pretty straight forward drive to West Seattle. With six minutes to spare, he pulled up in from of the small house where Heather lived with her mother. He walked up to the front door and knocked. He heard movement inside and the door swung open. He was met by a medium tall woman of middle years, attractive to him by her resemblance to her daughter…he knew it was the daughter who resembled the mother but he didn’t say it out loud so no one would correct him. She spoke. “Stewart Grant, I assume.”

“That’s me!”

“Won’t you come in?” she said, in a soft velvety voice. She stood aside to let him pass and closed the door once he was inside. She stepped around to face him. “You are very prompt. Should that have any significance for me?”

“I expect you know what my business is and I learned early on from my father that if you make a commitment, you keep it and be on time. It’s as easy to be respected for it as disrespected for being late. I much prefer the former.”

“Heather said you have taken up your father’s business.”

“Uh, where is Heather?”

“She’s out!”

127

“Well, I’m here so if you’ve got something you want to dump on me, we might as well get started,” he said. She pointed to the sofa and said.

“Let’s sit. What makes you think I want to dump on you?”

“I don’t expect you brought me here to praise me for living a life style that seems to be abhorrent to your daughter.”

“I think Heather may have overreacted to your initial proclamation. She was actually effusive about the picture of your family. She thinks they may be the most beautiful women she had ever seen.”

“I have to agree with her on that but being effusive about the picture and repulsed by the life- style it represents is sort of a dichotomy. It’s a bit like loving guns but hating the noise they make. You can’t have one without the other.”

“Do you have the picture with you?” she asked, as if she hadn’t heard anything else he said.

“I do but it isn’t part of my plan to draw people into naturism. I keep it handy because I don’t get to see them that often. When I’m home, I see them as I see the picture but when I’m not home it reminds me of what I miss by being away.”

“I can tell you love your family. Can you tell me what there is about naturism that attracts you and your family to it?”

“Heather told me you work over at the golf course. Is that right?” She nodded. “Can you tell me what is it about golf that attracts individuals and families to it?”

She chuckled for several seconds. “Heather told me you were very clever and you’ve backed me into a corner without even trying. Frankly I can’t see anything about golf that is worthwhile. I’m pretty sure you would never say that about naturism…would you?”

“Of course not. I can cite a number things about the attraction of naturism that is different than the attraction of golf. The big one is, you don’t have to take lessons to be a naturist and no one is striving to be the best naturist ever. Naturism doesn’t require a large investment and there’s no waiting to undress and you don’t have to call ahead of time to take your clothes off. As for why we are attracted to naturism, it just feels good! I’ve never heard anyone say, I had a bad day at the naturist resort even though bad weather affects naturists the same as it does golfers.”

“It sounds like you’ve done this before. Do you use this on all the non-believers you encounter?” she asked, smiling.

“As a matter of fact, this is the first time I’ve used the golf analogy and that’s only because of your connection to the game. We in the life style do not consider naturism as a game…it is to us simply a life style. If anyone is truly honest, they’ll tell you that they wonder at times what someone they see looks like without clothes. We call it wondering. Everyone does it at one time or another. We generally don’t have to do that very often. Do you have anything else you want to know?”

128

“I think it’s time that I tell you the real reason I wanted to see you. Heather and I talked for hours about what happened between you and her last week. She wasn’t talking or thinking for herself, she was talking and thinking about what I’d say, if I knew about you. She thought I’d turn up my nose and tell you to take your life style and git! She didn’t want to lead you on only to have you dashed on the rocks by me.”

“What do you want then? Do you want dash me on the rocks in person?”

“On the contrary. I’d like to learn more about it. She said you told her that naturists were the most gracious and welcoming people that you’d ever want to meet. Well I’d like to meet some of those people. Would you introduce us to your family?”

It was a good thing Stewart was sitting down. He couldn’t believe what he heard. “Let me get this straight. Heather thought you’d be against the possibility of trying naturism so she shut me off without letting you hear about it for yourself?”

“That’s essentially it…yes.”

“What are her feelings about it?” he asked.

“She has trepidations but she wants to try it.”

“What about you?” he asked.

“Do you think this old body would pass inspection?”

“Can I ask you how old you are?”

She hesitated for several seconds. “I’m older than fifty but younger than sixty.”

“Both of my grandmothers are naturists and both are in their seventies,” he admitted. “My mother is in her mid- fifties. I don’t even think about their ages when we’re together. Acceptance of another’s flaws is a given. I know that it’s the hardest thing for a textile to believe but it is the bedrock of naturism. No one is perfect, so don’t be looking for it.”

“You certainly sound as if you believe it.”

“It’s because I do. So let me understand. You are willing to try naturism?” She nodded. “Under what conditions?”

“I’d like to meet and talk with your parents.”

“What about Heather?”

“Where I go…she goes. What I do…she does!”

“When do you want to meet my folks? My Dad is retired and Mom has always been a stay at home mother to me. Thus, they are available almost any time.”

129

“I think I’d like to do it while the weather is still nice enough to undress in.”

“Uh, my birthday is coming up soon and my folks might have a party for me. All my family will be there, except maybe my older brother won’t be able to make it.”

“Will this be at your home?”

“I think they might plan for it at the Erskine Valley Sun Club. My folks are part owners of it and my sister is the Property Manager there. There’s lots to do and there are a couple of pools, one indoor and the other outdoor.”

“I don’t know…uh, with all those people….” Stewart interrupted her.

“The safest place to hide is in a crowd. I guarantee you that no one and I mean no one will have anything but nice things to say to you and Heather, if you come. Oh, and you needn’t bring a present.”

“Can I have a little bit of time to think about that?”

“Certainly! I’ll be seeing Heather regularly that is if she wants to see me, and she can tell me what your decision is about coming to my party. Uh will you tell her I’m glad you invited me to come talk to you?”

“It was her idea. She was afraid that you might not come if she invited you but she was inclined to believe you were man enough to come if I asked you.”

“Tell her, either way, I’m glad I came. Well I better be going. I still have some work left to do on my case. Have a nice night Missus Winfield. Good bye!” he said and left. As soon as his car was out of sight, the driver’s door of a Chevrolet Impala parked up the street four houses, opened and a young woman got out and ran to the house where a woman was standing in the open doorway.

Inside, Heather quizzed her mother. “What did he say?”

“I can’t remember everything Hon but he said he was glad he came and he wanted me to tell you that.”

“Are we going to be able to meet his folks?”

“He said he’s got a birthday coming up soon and his folks are probably going to have a party for him. He said that would be a good time to meet all his family.”

“Will…uh…are they going to be nude at his party?”

“I suspect that they will be.”

“Are we going to get nude too Mom?”

“You said that you wanted to see what it was all about, didn’t you? Well that seems like the perfect time to see what it’s all about.”

130

“Are you going to do it too?” asked Heather.

“If we go to his party and all his family are going to be nude, it would be impolite to stay clothed, don’t you think?”

“You said, if we go. Are you thinking about not going?”

“I told him I needed some time to think on it. I said you would tell him what my decision was.”

“When are you going to decide?”

“Tell me Hon, how badly do you want to meet his family? I’m not going to commit to going to his party and getting nude with his family if you aren’t fully committed to being there.”

“I really want to go Mom but I’m not so sure if I want to undress in front of all those people.”

“What about it bothers you the most?” asked her mother.

“It’s just the idea, I guess. All our lives we do our best to keep from showing too much of our bodies and then just like that…we take everything off for everyone to see.”

“Are you ashamed of your body Hon? Be honest now.”

“Of course not. I think I look as good as most women my age.”

“That’s not the point, according to Stewart. Naturists are not concerned about how you look. No one is perfect and naturists do not look to see what’s wrong with you…again, according to Stewart. If you believe him, he said the safest place to hide is in the middle of the crowd. If everyone else is nude, you won’t stand out.”

“Do you believe him Mom?”

“I tend to. You know, he told me both his grandmothers will be there and they are both in their seventies and his mother is probably my age. Does that sound like he’s trying to pull the wool over our eyes?”

“When do I have to tell him if we are going to his party?”

“I wasn’t specific but since I don’t know when his birthday is, I can’t wait too long to make up my mind. I’ll think about it tonight and tell you in the morning.”

By the time the two women finished their conversation, Stewart was at his apartment and looking over his case notes for the third time. He wanted to make sure he had everything in apple pie order for his presentation to Marcus Greenwood on the next day. Satisfied he had it all in order, he sat down on his seedy sofa and turned on the small radio on the end table at his left elbow. He picked up the book he put down earlier and began to read himself into tiredness.

131

Tuesday morning, Stewart was up and out of his apartment at a decent hour. He parked his car in the lot he always did and went to his office to use the phone. He sat listening to the radio to pass the time but he was patient. Finally it was the right time. He punched in the numbers and heard. “Good morning. This is Marcus Greenwood’s Office. How may I help you?”

“Good morning Miss Meyers. May I speak to him?”

“I’ll put you through right away.”

“Hello Stewart my boy. What can I do for you today?”

“I’ve completed my report and am ready to submit it to you. Will you have time around ten o’clock?”

“Give me a moment to check with Miss Meyers.” Stewart heard the interchange. Greenwood came back on the line. “She says I have an opening at ten thirty. Is that OK?”

“That will be just fine Sir. I’ll see you at ten thirty. Good bye.” He shut off the radio and left the office for the short walk to Sam’s Diner. As he entered, Heather was approaching him. He spoke. “Have you been watching for me?”

“Yes! I hope that doesn’t upset you.”

“The only thing better would be, if you had a cup of coffee in your hand.”

“I can have one by the time you find a seat at that table over there,” she said, pointing to a table to the far right. He headed there while she headed for the coffee pot. She almost had it for him when his butt hit the chair. She sat the cup down in front of him and said. “I want to tell you something before anything else gets said and here it is. Mom and I want to join you at your birthday party, whenever it is.” She straightened up and sighed. “There I said it!”

He smiled. “My birthday is Friday. Are you sure you both can get the time off?”

“I’ll just tell Fritz I need to have a three day weekend for a change.”

“What about your mother?”

“She’ll be ready. I guarantee it.”

“OK, so much for being ready. Did she tell you it will probably be at the Sun Club up near Port Angeles?”

“As long as we get directions, we’ll go there.”

“How about if I pick you both up Friday morning and drive you there?”

“Will you brings us home Friday night?” she asked, hesitantly.

“You don’t work weekends do you?”

132

“No but where would we stay?”

“I’m sure we’ll be able to find sleeping accommodations for the two of you, without any difficulty. Does being there for the weekend present a problem for you?”

“Not for me but I can’t speak for Mom.”

“There’s still plenty of time to settle that before Friday. I’m going to call my folks and set it up for the two of you coming up there with me and coming home on Sunday after breakfast. OK? Now, you know what I want to eat.” She nodded and left to put in his order. When he had finished his meal, he dropped a nice tip on his table and walked up to the cash register. She had just finished taking another guest’s payment. Stewart handed her his check along with enough to settle it. “I’ve got some business to attend to but I’ll be by in the morning. Talk to you mother. I’m sure she’ll want to stay for the weekend. OK?” She nodded. “By for now,” he said and left. It was still more than an hour until his appointment with Greenwood, so he thought he’d go back to his office and call home.

He punched the numbers and listened for the ring. Finally. “Hello,” the sweet voice of his mother answered.

“Hi Mom, it’s Stewart. Got a minute to talk?”

“For you Hon, I’ve got hours. What’s up?”

“I had the chance to talk to Heather about us and she and her mother wants to talk to you. Uh, do you by chance have anything planned for my…uh, birthday?”

“Well your father and I talked about going up to the Sun Club this weekend and if you weren’t busy, we’d have a little party. Is that what you’re asking about?”

“That’s exactly what I’m asking about. I…uh…sort of invited Heather and her mother to come up to the party.”

“If you’re free for the weekend, I’m sure your father will be in favor of a party for you.”

“Can you ask Gramma and Grampa Grant and Gramma MJ?”

“Of course!”

“I told Heather I’d pick her and her mother up Friday morning and drive them up there and drive them home on Sunday after breakfast. What can we do to assure them we’re not perverts and have plenty of sleeping accommodations?”

“I’ll talk to your Dad about that and see what we can do. Anything else?” she asked.

“No, you and Dad are going to be the ones who sell naturism to them and all I have to do is get them up there for you to show them how nice it can be. Thanks Mom, I love you. Tell Dad I love him too. Bye for now. I’ll see you on Friday.” He closed up the office and set off on foot to go to the offices of banker Marcus Greenwood.

133

He made his way through the ground floor where the banking process takes place and at the bank of elevators, he checked in with the guard. When it was verified he had an appointment with the President of the bank, he was given the go ahead to select an elevator and go up to the eighth floor. Stepping off the elevator, he walked the twenty eight steps to Greenwood’s office. He knocked. “Come in,” said Greenwood. “Good morning Stewart. Right on time, as usual.”

“To be frank Mister Greenwood. My time is the only thing I have total control over. I can spend it foolishly and be disrespected or I can spend it wisely and be respected. I’ll always chose to be respected.”

“So are you ready to submit your report?”

“It’s right here in my briefcase,” he said, tapping on it as he held it up for Greenwood to see.

“Well then, let’s get to it,” said the banker. Stewart sat down in the chair in front of the banker’s desk. He placed the briefcase on top of the desk for a moment while he took out the case file which was in a large Manila envelope. He handed it over to the man without saying anything. He watched while the banker took it out and commenced to read it. Stewart knew it would be easy reading because he made it to be easy reading. There was nothing complicated about the case, the way Stewart prepared it. The only thing he had to do was avoid adding any personal affronts so as to keep the banker from throwing up any roadblocks to the case’s closure. As soon as the banker accepted the report and signed a check for his fee, he would bring up that which he had not put in the report but held back till now for a verbal report. The banker looked up. “This is a pretty straightforward report. Was the case really that simple?”

“The report is meant to provide what happened not how long it took or how hard it was to achieve. If you can accept that I accomplished what you asked me to do, then I fulfilled your goal set for me.”

“I guess you can rest on your laurels for now Stewart while I look over the financials.” Stewart did as the man suggested and sat back. He knew he had not extended his reach to get into the banker’s wallet. Everything was there, plain to see, with a receipt covering every expense. The final page was scanned and the banker looked up again. “By George you said you’d have proof of every charge and here it is,” he said holding up the six sheets of the expense report. “I’m impressed. Would you consider coming to work for me as an auditor?”

“No Sir, I like being self-employed. I determine my work hours and I’m especially fond of my boss.”

“Well, I tried. How do you want your payment?”

“A check will be fine,” said Stewart.

Greenwood made a call on the intercom. “Bring my personal checkbook from the safe will you please Miss Meyers?” A couple minutes later, Miss Meyers came in with a ledger sized check book and placed in on his desk in front of him. This was the first time he had seen her since the evening in her pub

134

where Heather had discovered him at Miriam’s table. She spoke to him. “How are you doing Mister Grant?”

“I’m fine Miss Meyers. How have you been?”

“Just fine, thank you very much,” she said as she left to go back to her office. Greenwood wrote a check to cover the total of the expenses submitted at the end of his report. When he tore the check out of the ledger, he waved it in the air for a minute or so and as he was ready to hand it to Stewart, he said. “I put a little something in there as a bonus for you and the fine job you did.”

With the check in his hand, Stewart replied. “You may be sorry about that when you hear what I’ve got to say to you now.”

“What could you possibly say to spoil the effect you’ve had on my family?”

“Well, here goes. I think you are not doing that little boy any favor by not telling him who his real mother is. Making him believe that Leah is his mother is like trying to stick a stamp on a letter with the sticky side up. It’ll never hold and sooner or later it will fall off. You know as well as I do, she is not even pretending to be his mother. As he grows older, he’ll notice it and begin to wonder why she acts as if she didn’t love him like his nanny does. Everyone in your family and staff knows the truth. Why shouldn’t he?”

“We didn’t think you’d find out about our little secret. We’ve talked about telling him but we wanted to wait until he was a bit older.”

“Why? I can think of a dozen reasons why waiting is a terrible idea. Tell him now while his little mind is learning what’s going on in the world. Waiting will just hurt him more.”

“What can we say to him now?”

“Do you think it’s going to be easier when he’s older? He’ll have a lot more reasoning power and the questions he’ll have will be harder to answer.”

“What do you suggest?” asked Greenwood.

“This isn’t part of my case anymore. I’m just pointing out a loose end that I discovered. It isn’t going to affect my life in any way but it sure as hell is going to affect his!” reasoned Stewart.

“You must have some idea what we can tell him…please tell me what you would say.”

Stewart hesitated, preparing to tell him no, when he thought…what the hell! “I’d say that Leah was so distraught by losing two babies that she thought you were hers when you were brought home from the hospital. So the family decided and your real mother agreed they would let her think you were her son. She’s finally discovered that what she thought was real was only in her mind and she’s better now and ready to let you return to the care of your real mother.”

“You know, that might just work but what about Halliday? He should be told.”

135

“Of course! After all, Ingrid is the real mother and he’s the real father. Things will be back in the correct order. The sooner the boy gets used to calling Ingrid Mommy instead of nanny, the better it will be and he’ll gradually forget all about everything in the past.”

“I’m going to call a family meeting and present your idea. I think it will sell,” said Greenwood.

“I think it will too!” said Stewart. He followed it up with. “I also think Halliday should get a greater part in the boy’s life too. He loves him and the boy knows it and reacts positively to him. Nature has a way of making things right if you give it a chance.”

“Thank you for pointing it out Stewart. I won’t forget what you’ve done for our family. Tell your father we thank him for sending you to us.”

“I will. I’m going now and good bye and good luck,” he said, picking up his briefcase and leaving. He half expected to see Miriam standing in the hallway when he left Greenwood’s office but she wasn’t there, so he hurried down the hall to the elevator and didn’t look back in case she decided to come out and say good bye to him.

When he got to the point where he could proceed to his office or to his car, he chose to go to his car. He thought it would be nice to go to the apartment and catch up on some reading and on the way home, to stop at the bank. He smiled to himself thinking; it’s a nice feeling to know the money he’ll be depositing, is money he earned at his new undertaking.

The first thing he did when he put his briefcase down was to disrobe. He felt being nude was the most natural state for him and he wanted to be in his natural state as often as he could be. Book in hand now, he headed for the seedy old sofa covered with a blanket his mother gave him for the purpose. Feet up on the second hand coffee table and radio playing quietly at his elbow, he began to immerse himself in the new story beginning to unfold. When the light coming through the living room window began to fade, he put the book down and sought the ingredients to make a batch of pancakes for his supper.

After his meal, his interest was back in the book. He’d read till he was tired, then shuffled off to bed and on the morrow would seek another meal at Sam’s Diner and some time with Heather. The thought of a couple more days like that appealed to him, as a reward for a job well done. The thought of the upcoming weekend also managed to spend some time running around his conscious brain. Some of the pleasantness of the thought dealt with wondering…about what heather would look like in her natural state. He had to be careful to what level his wondering took. Even his patient libido had its limits of tolerance for erotic thought!

136

Chapter 15   Heather Gets it Straight

Thursday morning found him at the diner, at his usual table, as far from the kitchen as one could go in the diner. The owner, Fritz, didn’t mind that Stewart was there every morning for breakfast and stayed for an hour or two beyond…sipping coffee. He always paid for his meals and Heather’s attitude toward business and her customers was upbeat and appealing. This day, many of the usual customers who filtered in at different times, showed up all at once. Heather was overwhelmed and Flo had to leave her cooking chores and lend a hand to Heather. When the bulk of the crowd was serviced, Flo returned to her chores in the kitchen. Stewart watched the ebb and flow of the eaters with interest. Primarily because Heather dealt with it all in good humor. It helped him to know she wasn’t one to throw up her hands and sit down and cry, faced with situations she couldn’t control.

The day before, the first thing she told him was, her mother had assured her that they would be ready to go Friday morning and the destination…the EVSC, was not going to be a problem for them. Now, sitting and watching her catering to the customers was a real delight and his imagination had the opportunity to run wild without him having to develop scenarios for her to play a nude part in… within limits of course. Finally, the crowd dwindled down to a precious few and she was able to devote more time to him. When he was the last paying customer, she pulled out a chair and joined him. Her first words to him when she sat down was. “I don’t know when I’ve seen it this busy.”

“Maybe they heard you weren’t going to be here Friday,” he said in reply.

She looked at him. “Only you would think of something like that.”

“What would you have me say? They all showed up at the same time because they wanted to see you work your butt off?”

“I guess I like your first thought better,” she said, putting her hand on his.

“Uh, Heather, do you have your mother’s car today?”

“No, Mom needed it to run some errands. Why?”

“I thought maybe you could call her and tell her that I’m going to bring you home today.”

“Why?”

“I have some things I want to discuss with you alone and I won’t have the opportunity before we go up to the Sun Club.”

“Oooh, more mysteries huh?”

“You could say that but it’s still something I want to know more about.”

“I’ll call her in a few minutes, OK?” He nodded. “Can I get you some more coffee?”

137

“No thanks, I’m good for a while.” Her face took on a look of concern, all of a sudden and he noticed it. “Is something the matter?” he asked.

“I was thinking about tomorrow. I have no idea how I should act when I’m with your family.”

“Listen very carefully to me Heather. Do not do anything you wouldn’t do if you were with my family and all of us were clothed. Naturism doesn’t require you to do or be something you aren’t when you are wearing clothes. Do you understand? Naturism will not make you become another personality.”

“But I can’t see myself nude and how I should act,” she said, almost ready to panic.

“Uh, did you ever act in a school play or have to speak in front of a large audience?”

“Yes, I spoke at my high school graduation. I was the valedictorian.”

“Were you nervous?”

“Of course.”

“Did it make you question your worth and that maybe someone else should be speaking?”

“Not that I recall.”

“Why?”

“I don’t think that has any relevance to how I feel about going nude.”

“You’re probably right. You are the only one whoever had to take off your clothes and socialize with others for a first time. I can see where you have the right to be concerned. I’ll call and tell my parents that you and your mother won’t be coming with me tomorrow.” He stood up and prepared to leave, when she grabbed his arm.

“Please sit down Stewart. I need to talk this out.”

“I’ve said the only things I can that might make you see that everything is going to be alright. I’m not very good at your game.”

“I’m just afraid of doing or saying something that will make me look foolish,” she argued.

“Then being nude isn’t the scary part?”

“Well…uh, yes it is a scary part…just not the scary part.”

Shaking his head, he responded. “I don’t understand where this is coming from. Do you think my family are going to put you on the stand and grill you?”

She sat looking at her hands for a minute or two. Finally she spoke. “I’ve never cared about anyone enough to meet their family, let alone meet them in the nude. I haven’t anything in my past to rely on as experience. Don’t you see?”

138

“I never in this world would have thought of that as being your problem. Uh, you told your mother that you thought the women, in the picture I showed you, were pretty. Did they seem like people who would be critical of someone because that someone was meeting them for the first time and might be a little bit intimidated?”

“I never even considered what they might think. I only considered how I feel and what I said or did might make them think of me.”

“Well I can say without fear of contradiction that they’d rather have their tongues cut out than say anything to hurt your feelings. As for their actions, they’ve spent too much time in the nude to be critical of others who haven’t had that joy.”

“Do you mean that?” she asked, hesitantly.

“I come from the people I just said were worthy of you knowing. Why wouldn’t I want to be considered one of them?” The jingling of the little bell over the entry door of the diner alerted them to incoming customers. Two women and a man were the customers. Heather stood up and leaned down.

“Don’t go away. I’ll be back.” She left to service the arrivals. Five minutes later, she was back and this time she didn’t sit down.

“As soon as these people finish and leave, I’ll call Mom and tell her you’re bringing me home. OK?”

“That’s fine. I’ll wait and then I need to do a couple things but I will be out back in the alley when it’s time for you to leave.” She went back to wait around should the threesome need anything.

The day passed quickly and it was nearly four o’clock when he drove the Riviera into the alley behind the diner. At five after four, she stepped out of the back door of the diner. Since he was parked in her line of sight, she saw him right away. She hurried around the car and climbed in the passenger side. She did something she had never done before, she slid across the seat and kissed him on his right cheek. “Hello Stewart. Did you miss me?”

Unable to react as if it was nothing special, he looked at her with a stupid grin on his face. Finally he replied. “Oh yeah! Now can I reciprocate?”

She nodded shyly and said. “If you want to.” He leaned toward her and since she hadn’t slid back to her side of the seat, he was able to put his lips on hers with ease. He didn’t do more than barely touch her but it was as if she was electrically charged. The feeling shot through him all the way to his crotch.

“It must be fate,” he began. “This is just what I wanted to talk to you about alone.”

“About kissing?” she queried.

“Yeah that and anything else that might lead to arousal.”

139

“Are you against those things?”

“Not at all! I guess I didn’t state it the way I meant it to sound. Let me start over again. First, let’s get out of the alley and I’ll start over.” A block away from where they started and Stewart began again. “When we are up at the Sun Club, overtly showing affection is frowned on. A peck on the cheek or a hug is acceptable if you are greeting a close friend or relative. Hand holding is fine and is totally acceptable. The reason for the seeming prudish behavior is understandable if you imagine where it can go if one doesn’t attempt to keep their actions under control.”

“Does this mean you can’t enjoy one another at any time while you are at this Sun Club?”

“No, no it doesn’t mean that. When you are indoors in your cabin or bungalow the rules are no different than if you were at a textile vacation resort…or your home. It’s out in the open that it’s a no no. Back in the days when naturism was in its infancy, people expected everyone to behave correctly in order to show the textile world that naturists knew how to behave themselves. Besides, naturism was promoted as being a family friendly lifestyle and adult behavior was frowned on in order to protect the children.”

“Why couldn’t you tell me this tomorrow on our way up to the Sun Club?”

“I suppose I could have but I couldn’t ask you some of the things I want to ask you with your mother sitting behind me in the car.”

She began to smile. “And just what were you going to ask me that you didn’t want my mother to hear?”

“Do you care enough for me to allow me to kiss you passionately when we are not in view of the general area?”

“Is that a rhetorical question or am I supposed to answer?”

“I’d sorta like to have an answer, if you don’t mind.”

“The fact that I’m going to go with you to meet your family and do it all naked as a jay bird should give you some idea of how I feel about you.”

“I can accept that. Uh, how about if during that passionate kiss my hands tend to wander to places that normally don’t get much physical attention during a family meet and greet function?”

“Do mean like feeling me up?”

“Those terms accurately describe it, yes!”

“I wouldn’t want to be mauled, if you don’t mind.”

“No objection there. Mauling isn’t allowed in a gentleman’s handbook. And finally, if a certain part of my anatomy should develop an attitude during the non-mauling session, would you be likely to take offense?”

140

“Do you normally have a problem keeping you anatomy attitude free?”

“No but when I have a beautiful woman in my arms and I’m kissing her passionately, my anatomy doesn’t seem to pay close attention to the ‘what are you doing’ signals my brain is sending out.”

“I suppose there’s a good chance that my anatomy will react to the kissing in such a way that my brain won’t be able to override its natural inclinations.”

“Do you think your mother would approve of any of this?” he asked, keeping his eye on the traffic.

“I don’t really know but I’m glad that you decided to ask me all this today and not tomorrow.”

“I’ve always believed that discretion is the better part of valor,” he said, smiling and looking out of the corner of his eye.

“Is there anything else I should know before we get up there?” she asked.

“There is a general feeling among long time naturists and resort owners that the mores of the founding fathers of naturism are the reason that the younger generation isn’t joining the resorts. They feel like they can’t enjoy their significant others affectionately under the rules that prevail…” Heather interrupted.

“But you just said that’s why they have the rules to show they’re not perverted in the eyes of the textile world.”

“About a year ago, a resort owner down in Texas decided he wanted to do something about that very issue. His question was, how can we make the naturist world more attractive to this generation? So he sent out a questionnaire to every naturist resort in all the states west of the Mississippi River, inviting them to attend a symposium at his resort in Tracy, Texas. Well the majority owner of the EVSC called my Dad and invited him and Mom to go with them to the symposium. To make this story less than Gone With the Wind, Dad was tasked with making a pitch for a change to how things are done. He did and he called it the tier system. He suggested the tier system should consist of three tiers. Tier One wouldn’t change anything at all, the rules would remain as they always have. Tier Two would allow more action provided there was a place set aside for those members and guests who did not have a cabin or bungalow to go to. Those members with families wouldn’t be affected unless they wanted to be and they could turn their kids over to a resort sponsored baby sitter. Finally, Tier Three would be an adults only resort where anything goes so long as they aren’t able to be viewed by the public.

“Who decides which of the three tiers they want their resort to have?” she asked.

“The members make the decision. My Dad pitched the members here soon after he and Mom got back from Texas. They voted for tier two and my sister Sarah was tasked with implementing it for the club.”

“What did she do?”

141

“The property had a big old barn on it that wasn’t being used. There had been a move to tear it down but my father talked the majority owner out of it. It’s a good thing because it saved the resort nearly two hundred thousand dollars by not having to build a playground for the members and guests who wanted to play.”

Before long, they were in West Seattle and on the street where she lived. When he pulled up in front of their house, they could see Missus Winfield’s Impala in the driveway. “Mom’s home. Do you want to come in?”

“Will it be OK with your Mom?”

“I’ll fall back on one of my earlier comments. You’re going to see a lot of her and she you in less than twenty four hours.”

“OK Heather. I can’t argue with logic.” He jumped out of the car and ran around and opened the door for her. When she stepped out, he shut the door and she grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the front door of the house. On the porch, she spoke.

“I don’t want to wait until tomorrow to find out what I’ve been thinking about for quite a while.”

“What’s that?” he asked. She reached up and with her hand at the back of his neck, pulled his head down and kissed him open mouthed. She pushed her tongue into his mouth and found his tongue which was attempting to do the same to her. Their tongues dueled for a few seconds before they separated and gasped for air. “Whew,” he muttered, then took a deep breath. “Do you wish you had waited?” he asked.

Looking up at him, she grinned. “Nope! Now I know what I’ve been missing by waiting this long.”

“I wish I’d known you were in need of a little bit of oscillating. I have plenty of them and all you have to do is ask and you will receive.”

“You may regret you said that.”

“All I ask is when you ask for one, I get one back. I may have an unlimited supply of them but I don’t want to lose track of a single one.” Just as he finished saying that, the front door behind them opened up and Heather’s mother spoke.

“Are you two going to stand out here for the entire neighborhood to see?”

“We didn’t want to disturb you Mom,” offered Heather, as an excuse.

“I missed the show and all I got was the heavy breathing. The best part of the show was for the neighbors.”

“Sorry Mom. I thought you might think it was too soon.”

“Well come in and tell me what he wanted to tell you,” said her mother. As the door closed behind Stewart, she spoke to him. “Did you ask her if she’s on the pill?”

142

The question was so unexpected, all he could do was stand there and blush, which he did in abundance. Before he could answer anything, Heather piped up. “I was going to save that until tomorrow on the ride up to the Sun Club.” Her mother laughed.

“You know, he’s going to think he’s fallen in with a couple of strumpets…all this talk about S.E.X,” she said. “What have you got to say Stewart? Are we too much for you?”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d swear that I was home and my family was all sitting around the kitchen table. This is how they talk.”

“Oh, now I can’t wait to meet your family,” said her mother, reaching out and taking Stewart by the hand. Let’s go sit down at the kitchen table and pretend we’re your family. I want to know more about what they say.”

The conversation that ensued was, indeed, like his family’s kitchen table talk. Except for describing in detail who would say what, he pretty well transmitted a typical Sunday morning discussion. The talk carried on until it was well into the dinner hour. Heather interrupted a question posed by her mother. “Don’t you think we’ve spent enough time setting him up for the kill and maybe offer him a reprieve with a break for some food?”

“Good timing Heather Dear. I was getting ready to start asking some really pointed questions. I think I’ll save those for the ride up to the Sun Club.”

Stewart looked from mother to daughter and all he saw was mysterious expressions. If they were for real, he was going to enjoy this trip like no other. Heather spoke to him in the midst of his confusion. “Now you go over there and sit down and let the women do women things and you’ll have food in no time, OK?” He nodded, stood up and walked slowly, looking over his shoulder, to the sofa where he sat those many days in the past.

When they were finished with eating and the dishes washed and put away, mother and daughter joined Stewart in the living room. Heather’s mother’s first question to him this round was. “How long does it take to get up to your Sun Club?”

“From here it will be a couple hours, at least,” he replied.

“How do you plan to go?”

“I thought we’d go up to Edmonds and take the ferry to Kingston and then take Highway 104 to 101 to Port Angeles. From there to the Sun Club it’s about twelve miles I think.”

“When do you want to leave?” she asked.

“I’m at your disposal entirely. Whenever you want to leave, I’ll be here.”

Missus Winfield looked at her daughter. “When do you think we should leave?”

She looked at Stewart. “Is eight-thirty too early for you?”

143

“Eight-thirty would be fine with me.”

“OK, then eight-thirty it is. Uh, do they dress for meals up there?” asked the mother.

“Nope. Except to cover for the weather, once you are nude, you can stay that way until it’s time to leave. I suggest you don’t pack anything more than what you expect to need for the trip back. You can wear back what you wear up there. That’s what my folks do. Oh and if you feel the need, a sundries over-night bag. Do you have any more questions?”

Heather cleared her throat and with a lewd grin asked. “What was it your Gramma used to do concerning pizza, that you wouldn’t tell me before?”

“I thought you must have forgotten that by now. It was just a naughty little thing she did when the pizza delivery guy rang the doorbell. She’d answer the door without covering up. And with her big boobs, the guy got a real thrill and often told her a tip wasn’t necessary. Mom was known to do things like that too.”

Missus Winfield smiled when Stewart finished and looked at her. “I don’t think that is such a terrible story. Do you have any more snippets concerning her or your mother?”

“I suppose there are more but I don’t have any more to relate. I’m sure if you ask either of them, they’ll be glad to tell you. They aren’t the least bit shy when it comes to telling on themselves.” He checked his watch and spoke. “It’s getting late and I should be going. I want to thank you for the dinner and all the sparkling conversation. I’ll be seeing you in the morning at eight-thirty. Good night Missus Winfield. Good…” he didn’t finish. Heather interrupted him.

“I’ll walk you out to your car.” He looked at her mother and she nodded with a big smile.

“OK, well good night again Missus Winfield,” he said, and turned to head for the door, led by Heather who had grabbed his hand. When they got to the car, she slipped comfortably into his arms and they began a passionate kiss that lasted for a couple of minutes. He stepped back slightly and peered down on her. “Imagine how this would feel if neither of us had clothes on.”

“After tomorrow, I won’t have to. Let’s have one more to last until tomorrow,” she said, reaching up to pull his head down. Another two minutes and she backed away this time. “Any more of those and I’m afraid I won’t be in control.”

“Don’t expect me to say no. Good night Heather. I enjoyed everything. Tell your mother I think she’s a good sport and will enjoy meeting my family and they’ll love her…and you too, of course!” With that, he got into the car and drove away, waving at the lovely young lady standing in the middle of the street waving at him.

144

Chapter 16   Today is the Unveiling

Nine hours later, he was back again and parked in front of the Winfield house. He shut off the engine and got out of the car and just as he was about to ring the doorbell, the door opened and Heather leapt out into his arms. “Good morning my Love,” she said, giving him a kiss on his open mouth. He finally regained his aplomb and reacted by kissing her back. When they separated, she grabbed his hand and pulled him into the house and shut the door. Her mother was sitting at the kitchen table sipping on a cup of coffee. She spoke to him.

“Good morning Stewart. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes I did, thank you very much Missus Winfield.”

“Please call me Mae.”

“I was brought up to speak respectfully to my elders. I shall call you Missus W, if that would be OK with you?”

“I suppose I can get used to that. Do you mind if I call you Stew?”

“Not at all. In fact I’d like that very much.”

“Would you like a cup of coffee? We still have plenty of time before we have to leave.”

“Thank you, I would.”

“I’ll pour it for him Mom. I’m used to it,” said Heather. Soon the three of them were at the table sipping coffee. Heather’s mother set her cup down and looked at Stewart.

“Are you supposed to prep us in any way for what we’ll go through when we get to your Sun Club?”

“I don’t think so. It’s been so long ago that I first became a naturist, I don’t recall if I was told how to behave or not but no one has told me to talk to you two about it.”

“You’ve told Heather what she can expect, haven’t you?”

“To some extent but in truth, most of what you’ll learn is common sense. I’m sure I don’t have to explain common sense to either of you.”

“What will your folks have to tell us then?” Missus W asked.

“The only thing I can think of might be the rules of the club. I told Heather a little bit about it and I planned to show her more of it when we get up there.”

She looked up at the clock on the kitchen wall. “Maybe we should start getting ready to go. It’s twenty after eight. We’re not taking much so it won’t take long to get ready. C’mon Missy, let’s round

145

up our stuff.” They both got up from the table and left the kitchen. Stewart finished his coffee and walked out to stand in the living room to wait for them.

It didn’t take them long and soon they appeared in clothes that to Stewart’s eyes meant easy to get out of on short notice. Missus W saw the twinkle in his eyes and commented. “We’re going to be taking them off before long. Why make it complicated? Shall we be off to the great unveiling?”

Stewart picked up the overnight bag that Heather dropped at his feet and led them out of the house to the car, settled both women in their seats and stowed the overnight bag in the trunk where his meager belongings were.

The trip to the Sun Club was enjoyable for Stewart. Missus W regaled them with stories about her family in Montana. Her youth wasn’t comparable in any way to that which Stewart knew because she grew up with two sisters and two brothers…her in the middle. They lived on a farm and their nearest neighbors were five miles away. During the hot summers, when chores were done, the cattle watering pond was the family pool and everyone took advantage of it. Swim suits weren’t mandatory so no one wore one, so she said she knew what men and boys had between their legs from a very early age. Stewart explained how he came to naturism and who his mentor was. Heather was curious to know if he had ever had relations with his best friend’s mother and he had to describe the delicate relationship he and his family had with Willis and his mother. Willis was his best friend and Yvette was his widowed, French mother. The time whizzed by and almost before they knew it, they were ready to turn off the highway onto the gated entry to the Erskine Valley Sun Club.

Stewart drove up to the wall containing the keypad for members who knew the combination. Not being a member, he had to press the button for the young lady who controlled the entry to identify himself. “Erskine Valley Sun Club. May I help you?”

“Valerie, this is Stewart Grant and two guests.”

“Good morning Mister Grant, the gate will open for you in a second.”

“Are my folks there yet?”

“The whole family’s here. Have a nice stay.”

“Thanks Valerie.” With that, the large wrought iron gate swung open and Stewart drove through. Once the car was completely past the gate, he spoke again. “It’s about a mile to the main resort. Some of my family starts undressing once they get inside the gate…Gramma MJ and Mom do but Dad doesn’t. He always waits until they get to our bungalow.”

“Why don’t they wait?” asked Heather.

“I never asked them but I think it might be because they like being nude so much that when they have to wear clothes, they can’t wait to get out of them.”

“”Have you ever done that Stew?” asked Missus W.

146

“No, I found that it’s too difficult to try to get my pants off in the car, if I have my shoes on. So I wait like Dad does.”

“Where will we have to undress Stewart?” asked Heather.

“I’m going to drive to our bungalow and we’ll go in together. Once we are inside and all the introductions have been made, my Mom will probably take over. She’ll probably tell you where you get to put your stuff and where you can undress. I’ll stay in the living room and undress there…so when we are all back in the living room together, we’ll all be nude.”

The parking spot belonging to the bungalow was occupied by his father’s Cadillac but he knew there were several spots for visitors not far away, so he drove into the closest one to the bungalow. He held the doors open for the women and finally the trunk to get out the overnight bags. “Do you see that black Cadillac there?” he asked pointing to his father’s car. “That belongs to my Dad and the bungalow in front of it belongs to my folks. That’s where we’re heading.” As they got within an arm’s reach of the bungalow’s door, he stopped and spoke to Heather. “Are you OK?”

“Well I’m a little nervous,” she replied.

“Me too, Hon!” said her mother.

“They’ll all understand, so don’t worry about it,” he said and stepped forward and opened the door for them. They both stepped forward gingerly through the open door. Stewart followed them and closed the door behind him. When he turned around, the room was full of his naked family. He dropped the two overnight bags and spoke. “Well folks, I’d like you to meet Missus Mae Winfield and her daughter Heather.” A chorus of hellos followed. He in turn identified every member there by name. “This is Teresa Grant, my Grandmother. This is Clayton Grant, my Grandfather. This is Mary June Hendricks, MJ to everyone, my Grandmother. Last but by no means least, these are my parents Shirley and Miles Grant.”

“Very pleased to meet all of you,” said Mae.

“So am I,” said big-eyed Heather, looking from body to body.

Stewart’s mother spoke. “We took the liberty of reserving a room for you in the main lodge. You can get comfortable here or wait until you get to your room.”

Stewart spoke up. “Getting comfortable means taking off your clothes.”

Heather, whether by surprise or as an involuntary reaction, said. “All our clothes?”

Mae spoke softly to her. “Of course it’s all our clothes. Do any of these nice folks look as if being  partially dressed is comfortable?” She looked up at no one in particular and apologized. “My daughter isn’t used to the idea of naturism yet.”

Shirley replied for all of the family. “It’s not a problem Mae. Everyone goes through this in some fashion or another. We understand it takes time to get used to it. Would you mind if I took you both in

147

tow and got you off on the right foot?”  

Mae spoke for the two of them. “I think the sooner we get out of our clothes, the sooner we’ll get adjusted to being out of them.”

“A very wise choice,” said Shirley. “Would you like me to take you to the main lodge where your room is?"

“I would appreciate that Shirley,” she said and turned to her daughter. “Shall we go with her or do you want to stay here?”

“I’ll go with you.” She looked at Stewart, who was standing over by his Dad. “Are we going to come back here?”

“This is where I’m going to be, so if you want to see more of me, you’ll have to come back.” She nodded and turned to leave with Shirley and her mother. Once the threesome was gone, Stewart started making the rounds hugging and kissing his family. When he got to MJ, after hugging and kissing her he asked. “Where is everybody going to stay?”

“Teresa and Clay are going to stay in the second bedroom here. You and I are going to share a room at Sarah’s.”

Stewart looked at her to see if she was kidding but the expression didn’t change so he guessed she meant he would be sharing a room with her. He looked at his Dad. “Has Sarah been around?”

“She was here for about five minutes but she had some pressing property business to attend to. She said she’d see us at lunch.”

“Well,” he said. “It’s so nice to see everyone. I think I’ll get out of these clothes and get comfortable.” He walked over to a corner of the room and immodestly removed his clothing and folded them neatly and set them on his small overnight bag.

Not far away in a first floor room at the main lodge, Shirley Grant was talking with Mae Winfield. “How do you feel so far?” asked Shirley.

“It’s sort of like I used to when I was taking swimming lessons at the YWCA. Always after the lessons, my class would get together in the locker room and discuss our progress.”

“Did you do it while you were changing or after?” asked Shirley.

“Somehow it always turned out we started the discussion when everyone was nude,” she replied.

“Were you uncomfortable during these times?”

“Looking back on it, I don’t think I was.”

“Have you had any other nude experiences?”

148

“As a kid growing up, my brothers and sisters and I used to swim in the cattle pond on hot summer days. Once in a while my folks would join us and we had a family picnic on the Fourth of July.” Before she could say any more, Heather came out of the bathroom holding her clothes in front of her. Her mother spoke to her. “Are you planning to carry those around with you the rest of the weekend?”

“I don’t know Mom,” she began. “I feel so exposed.”

Shirley spoke up. “You are exposed my Dear but that’s the part that determines how courageous you are. If you put the clothes aside and show the world you are who you are, you’ll never, ever face an issue that requires more courage than this. I promise you.”

She looked at her mother, who replied. “She’s right Hon. You’ll be vulnerable but no one here is going to put you to the task because everyone else is just as vulnerable.”

Little by little the armor the clothing represented began to fall and she finally laid them on the bed in front of her. She looked up with a weak smile. “It doesn’t feel quite as bad as when I first came out of the bathroom.”

“And every minute from now on it will become easier if you remember this; no one is judging you. No one is looking to find flaws in you. I guarantee, if you stop thinking about how naked you are and just go about doing whatever, soon you won’t even think about being nude.”

“Do we have to go out right now?” she asked.

“We can take as long as you want but it won’t be long before the rest of the family is going to be coming around for lunch. We don’t want to hold them up from getting their nourishment, do we?”

Another weak smile was followed by. “I do feel kind of hungry. Do we have to dress in order to eat?”

“Don’t you remember that Stewart told us once we take our clothes off, we don’t have to put them back on until we’re ready to go home?” said her mother. Heather nodded but didn’t speak.

Shirley spoke to her. “Do you want to wait until it’s time to eat before leaving the room?”

“No, let’s go out and walk around a little. I want to see how it feels to be nude with the air all around me.” The three left the room and walked through the lobby of the main lodge. As they passed the reception desk, Valerie the receptionist gave Heather the thumbs up and a big smile. Heather smiled in return and looked at Shirley to see if she had noticed. Her smile was just as reassuring as had been the receptionist’s. The lobby was full of people, some of whom spoke to Shirley but none of them so much as looked sideways at the mother and daughter with Shirley. Each step that Heather took emboldened her and gave her confidence.

Soon they left the lodge’s confines and were out in the open air. Heather stopped for a moment to see how her skin felt free of the clothes that had covered it. She smiled and spoke to her mother. “You know Mom, a couple of years ago when you were over in Montana, I took off my clothes and went out in the back yard one night. It felt just like this. I think I could grow to like this a lot.”

149

Shirley resisted the urge to compliment her and decided if she developed these feelings without someone else pointing out to her how good it feels, she would grow into naturism sooner than she  thought she could. She did say. “Would you like to go down by the pool and sit for a while?”

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

Meanwhile back in the Grant’s bungalow, Teresa Grant was talking as a response to a question by Miles. “I think I’d like to go out and sit by the pool until lunch. How about you Clay?”

“I’ll go with you.”

“Do you mind if I go too?” asked Stewart.

“You don’t have to ask Stew, you know that.”

“I’ll go with you too Mom,” said Miles to his mother.

“Does anybody care what I do?” asked MJ.

“We all care,” said Miles. “Why don’t you come with us so that when it’s time for lunch, nobody will have to be rounded up?” With that, they all filed out and headed for the pool. Half way there, they could see that Shirley and the two Winfield’s were already at the pool. Stewart walked a little faster so he could get a seat close to his naked girlfriend.

Stewart pulled up a chair from the table next to the three women. He placed it so no one could get between Heather and him. He leaned close and in a very low voice said. “You look marvelous Heather.”

She smiled sweetly and whispered back. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”

“We’ll probably all stay here until Sarah, my sister, comes to tell us lunch is set up for us,” he whispered. “Would you like to go for a walk with me after we eat? I can show you around the camp.”

“I’d like that a lot! That sounds like fun to me,” she replied, reaching out for his hand. The two sat there holding hands and listening to the others talk. Almost everyone, excluding Stewart and Heather, had something to say or a topic to raise but there wasn’t a single time the word nude was mentioned. It amused Stewart that so many members of his family could be in one place and chat among themselves and never say the word nude in any variation or form.

During the time the group was by the pool, several others, some with children, began to show up and find places to sit. The children, mostly between ages five and twelve, were teasing to go for a swim. The older ones were given the go ahead but the younger ones had to wait until an adult was willing to go into the water with them. Heather found it especially pleasant that none of the parents of the children made any move to shelter the nudity of the children, while they were in close association with the adults who were childless. She spoke softly to Stewart. “I can’t get over how safe I feel and I never expected to see the freedom the children are allowed here.”

150

“Are any of the other things I told you about the camp coming true?”

“So far I haven’t seen anything that disputes what you said.”

“I can’t say that I know everything about the rules but I’ve been involved in the lifestyle long enough to know most of them and I tried to prepare you so you wouldn’t look too much like a beginner.”

“I’m getting anxious to find out what else I’m going to learn about being a naturist.”

“Well you’ve come to the right guy! Teaching is my business and you’re a bright student. It shouldn’t be difficult to get you up to speed.” They settled into a quiet non-verbal rhythm and the time just flew by. They were unaware of any other conversations until they both heard Stewart’s mother say.

“Here comes Sarah. It must be time for lunch.”

Stewart spoke to Heather. “I want to introduce you and your mother to my sister.” He stood up when Sarah was close enough to speak to. “Sarah, I want you to meet my guests.” She came around the side of the group where Stewart was sitting with Heather and her mother on the other side of her.

“I would guess these two lovely women are your guests, since I know everyone else.”

“Sarah, this is Heather Winfield and the other lovely woman is her mother Mae Winfield. This is my sister Sarah Grant.”

Sarah did something that sort of caught the two off balance. She came around and hugged each one in turn, saying. “So very pleased to meet you.” The two, when they got their balance back, replied in turn.

“Very pleased to meet you too.”

“Are you hungry? We’ve got probably the finest restaurant in the business, for a naturist resort. If you all will come with me, I’ll take you where I’ll prove it,” she said. Since Stewart and the two Winfield ladies were already standing, they were right behind Sarah heading for the restaurant. The rest of the family were trailing along.

The large table was set for nine. Four on a side and the head of the table was reserved for Sarah, the hostess. Stewart and Heather were sitting side by side with Mae and MJ in line on one side and Miles and Shirley and Miles’ mother and father completing the seating across from them. Sarah rose to speak. “You will note that there’s a menu at each place setting and in order to expedite the delivery of the food, I’ve lined up two waitresses to take your orders. Each one will have four of you to serve. Since I’m on a very strict diet, one of them will bring my meager repast,” she said to an outburst of laughter. The table was given almost ten minutes to decide what they would have to eat. Only one beverage was provided and that was iced tea. Three large pitchers of it were placed in the center of the table. Sarah chose it and no one complained. Prior to the food orders being made, she passed out colored bracelets for the group. The colors denoted which features of the resort were available to the wearer and on this occasion, all of the group were given a gold colored bracelet…allowing them all the privileges on offer.

151

The food, when it came, was excellent as she reported and everyone enjoyed it immensely. When all the food was gone and only a few sips of tea were left in the glasses, Sarah stood once more to speak. “I wish I could spend more time with all of you but my job demands a lot of my time, if I’m to do it properly. So I’ll do my best to drop in on you from time to time and I’ll also try to arrange to be here for dinner if they haven’t run out of meager meals,” she said, to another outburst of laughter. “Please enjoy the benefits of our resort…uh this is for the two Winfield’s. The rest of you know what we have to offer. So until later, have fun,” she said finishing and leaving the table.

Stewart leaned close to Heather and whispered. “Are you ready for the cook’s tour?”

“I am if you walk slowly. I’ve never been so full of good food.”

“Do you have to tell your mother we’re going on a tour?”

“She’s going with your mother and MJ on a tour of her own, so I guess I don’t have to tell her anything.” Stewart stood up taking Heather’s hand and led her out of the restaurant. The first place he intended to visit was the indoor pool. It was only about thirty five yards from the front door of the restaurant to the front door of the indoor pool. Stewart held the door for her and followed her in. The dressing or undressing room with lockers was to the left of the entry. Stewart, holding her hand, led her into the locker room. As they passed the first row of lockers, two boys, possibly twelve or thirteen years old, jumped up covering their obviously engorged penises. The guilt on their faces told the story but Stewart felt sympathy for them and smiled. Heather looked at Stewart for an explanation which he gave to her promptly.

“It’s indoors and out of public view. They’ve found a way to enjoy the freedom naturism gives to them by their families. I wouldn’t be surprised that somewhere in the resort there are a couple of girls finding the same freedom. In a little while, I’m going to show you a place where the adults, who are here and don’t have a cabin, room or bungalow, are enjoying the same freedom as the kids.”

After they toured the entire pool area, Stewart led her back toward the center of the resort which was also the oldest part of the resort. They came upon a small building that showed a considerable amount of new construction. On the outside was a new chain-link fence about four feet high that enclosed an area possibly fifty feet by fifty feet. Several small children, from toddlers to five or six year olds were within the fenced area. Heather looked at Stewart. “Do they just drop them off and leave?”

“You can’t see from here but there are two staffers, qualified first aid providers and CPR trained, young women sitting within easy reach of any child in the compound. This was once a place where members who brought their dogs could leave them. It was fenced then but not as well fenced as it is now. The building was only half as high and had no roof. There are some beds in there in case the young ones need a nap.”

“What’s next Mister Tour Guide?”

“You will note, if you look to your left, that building that is open on all sides. Beneath the roofed

152

area, you will find a pool fed by a hot spring that originates sixty miles from here. The temperature is about eighty-five degrees year ‘round. Very comfortable!” There were several older cabins across from the hot pool that Stewart didn’t mention, part of the original resort area and still used for overnight use by members.

“Now where are you going to take me?” she asked, smiling lewdly.

“There is a riding stable out beyond the cabins we came by when we first came into the resort but they aren’t in use because the insurance became too costly to maintain. The riding trails are still there and maintained but I don’t think you want to hike any of them on a full stomach…do you?”

“No! I’m more interested in the place you mentioned when we were in the other pool and the two boys were enjoying their freedom.”

“That means you’d like to see what adult freedom looks like,” he said, his smile was as lewd as hers.

“Where is this place?” she asked.

“If you look to your left again about a hundred yards, you’ll see a little building in the center of the road with a high fence covered in ivy abutting the building on either side. That’s where you have to go in order to get access to the freedom center.”

“Are we going there?” she asked.

“If you want to!”

“Let’s go,” she replied. Stewart took her hand and they set off to go to the part of the resort that the members voted to be tier two. When they got to the small building in the center of the road, the attendant in the building spoke.

“Good afternoon. May I see your bracelets?” Stewart held up his wrist and Heather did also. The attendant smiled and pressed a button and a portion of the fenced area swung open allowing them to pass. As they entered the attendant spoke. “Enjoy yourselves.” They walked through the gate and immediately in front of them was the barn that had been refurbished to provide the fun area for the members who didn’t have a cabin, room or bungalow or just wanted to escape from their daily life which included children.

Heather stopped and looked at the refurbished new barn. Turning to Stewart, she said. “Is everything out in the open?”

“No, there are many closed doors and if the people want privacy, there’s a slot on the door that says do not enter. If they don’t care about having company, that slot is covered and it means you can just walk in.”

“I can’t imagine having somebody watching me,” she said, her voice brittle and biting.

153

“There are a lot of exhibitionists in the world and some of them are naturists,” he said. Taking her hand, he urged her to move on. As they got closer to the entry, she slowed down.

“Were you in here with someone before?” she asked.

“No, this will be the first time.”

“How do you know so much about what it’s like inside?”

“Sarah told me. She designed the place.”

“Are you showing me this for a reason?”

“Well, in the first place I thought you knew what you might see, if we went in there. And secondly, I don’t believe a relationship will survive if it starts with secrets. We haven’t been alone that much, in order to open up to one another. Since naturism is such a vital part of my life, I want you to know all about it and this is part of it now. I’ve never been a member here but it’s part of my family and I love my family so I have to show respect for what they’ve done. If you are having second thoughts about going in, I’ll understand and we can go back to the main part of the resort.”

“Before we go in, I want to tell you why I asked you about your reason for bringing me here…” He interrupted her at this point.

“You don’t have to explain anything to me Heather. My feelings for you are not based on what I expect I’ll be able to get from you…uh that is I expect honesty but any part of your past is just that, past!”

“I had a very bad experience with my last boyfriend. He professed his love for me but he was only in it for what he was able to get from me. There wasn’t one thing but overall he was dishonest and used me to further his studies. He was chasing around when he wasn’t with me and I was doing his papers and essays. I found out about it midway through last term and I sent him packing. I know you haven’t done anything to me like that but the expression is true…once bitten, twice shy.”

“I’m sorry it happened but I can’t change what he did. I can only do what I believe is in keeping with my own beliefs. I learned early that telling the truth, even though it was going to cause me some grief, was far better than lying. I never had to make up another story to fortify the first rendition of the story.”

“I’m ready now,” she said softly.

“Just remember Heather,” he began. “If at any time, you don’t want to continue, just say the word and we’ll leave.” She nodded and still holding her hand, they entered. Two steps inside the door was map of the barn’s internals. Stewart stopped allowing her to study it. She seemed to concentrate on something on the first level, there were three levels in total. “What is it Heather?” he asked.

“This section called ‘Viewing Area.’ What is there to view?”

154

“Use your imagination. In some fashion or another we’ve talked about what goes on in here. This is where you can go to view it.”

“You’re kidding me? Who wants to have people watch you?”

“Obviously there are a lot of people who have an exhibitionist’s bent and for every one of those is someone who wants to watch.” He started to lead her down the hallway toward the ‘Viewing Area’ when she stopped short and jerked her hand out of his. In a strident voice she screeched at him.

“I don’t want this anymore! Take me back to my room…now!”

“What’s happened Heather? Did I do something wrong?” he asked, totally confused by her actions.

“Get me out of this place now!” she screamed at him.

“Alright, alright I’ll take you out of here. Please don’t scream anymore. There’s no need to scream.” It was only six or eight steps back to the door they came in and they were outside in no time. He thought getting her out of the barn was going to end it but he was mistaken. As soon as she was out in the open air, she started running back towards the gate they entered the compound through. He had to hustle to keep up with her and he thought the metered gate would stop her but he was wrong there too. The attendant saw her coming and switched open the gate in time to let her pass without stopping. Stewart slowed down once he was through the gate and stopped running soon after. Heather, however, didn’t stop running and she continued until she reached the main lodge. She slowed to a fast walk and inside the lodge went to the room she and her mother shared.

Stewart headed for the pool area. He saw his Gramma and Grampa Grant sitting in the shade and walked slowly over to join them. As soon as he showed up alone, his Gram asked. “Where’s your girlfriend?”

Stewart had anticipated questions from everyone and replied casually. “Oh, she wasn’t feeling well and went back to her room at the lodge to lay down.” He pulled up a chair and sat down. In an attempt to seem normal, he asked her. “Where is everyone?”

“MJ and your mother have Mae under tow and your father left to meet Dave Erskine in Port Angeles on some matter concerning the resort. Sarah was here a few minutes ago and said she’d probably be able to see us for dinner,” explained Teresa.

His Gramma was trying to show her support for him by saying. “Heather seems like a nice girl. What does she do?”

“She’s in her final year at Seattle U and she works, when she’s not at the U, as a waitress. That’s where I met her.”

“That’s how your father met your mother isn’t it?”

“Yeah, I seem to be following in his tracks in every way doesn’t it?” Conversation dried up and

155

the three of them sat quietly watching the ebb and flow of naked members to the pool. Several hours passed, when Shirley, MJ and Mae showed up. This is the part that Stewart dreaded the most. He was going to have to face Heather’s mother and try to explain what happened. He wracked his brain trying to come up with some way he could get her alone but they were upon him before he could think of anything.

Shirley saw the look on his face and instinctively knew there was trouble of some kind. MJ sensed the same thing but Mae Winfield didn’t know him well enough to know what his facial expressions meant. As a result, she came right up beside him and asked. “Where’s Heather?”

“She wasn’t feeling very well so she went back to your room at the lodge.”

“I’d better go see if there’s anything I can do,” she said and left the group heading for the lodge. When she was out of hearing range, Shirley spoke softly to him.

“What really happened?”

Stewart was reluctant to tell her but he knew she’d keep after him till he told her, so he opened up. “Everything was going fine till we got inside the barn. She had some sort of hang up over the ‘Viewing Area’. I explained the best I knew how what it was all about and when I started to go there, she screamed she didn’t want any more of this and broke away from me. She ran all the way from the barn to the lodge. I wasn’t going to create a scene so I just let her run and I came over here. I’ve been here with Gram and Gramps since.”

“You’re not going to try to talk to her are you?” asked Shirley.

“No, I’m not but I wish there was some way I could get out of taking her and her mother home on Sunday. I think whatever her problem is, it goes deeper than just what happened at the barn.”

“What makes you think that?” asked MJ.

“She told me she had a very bad break up with a boyfriend not too long ago. She’s crawled into a shell and is very defensive towards the male population.”

“Did you know this before you came up here with her?” asked his mother.

“I didn’t know about it until just before we went into the barn.”

“I’ll talk to your father and see if he’ll take her and her mother home. I’ll go with him and you can see that your grandparents get home…oh and by the way Happy Birthday!”

MJ spoke too. “I hope you didn’t think I forgot your birthday Stew. Don’t let this thing with Heather bring you down. We love you and want this to be your best birthday ever.”

“I know you all want the best for me and I’m happy that you all are here. I’m doing my best to try and understand what went wrong but I’m not going to let it destroy the weekend.” He looked around for a few seconds, then spoke to his mother. “Uh, when will Dad be back?”

156

“He said he’d be back before dinner so he could be along any minute.” Shirley’s guesstimate was pretty accurate. Ten minutes later, they saw Miles walking toward the pool from the bungalow. As soon as he looked around and didn’t see the two Winfield women, he spoke to Stewart.

“What did you do with the Winfield’s?”

Shirley intervened. “He didn’t do anything Hon. Heather has some kind of problem not related to Stewart and she’s spending some time in their room at the lodge. Her mother went to be with her.”

“Is it a female problem of some kind?” asked Miles.

“No Dad! She’s suffering from Post-Traumatic Boyfriend Syndrome and I guess she doesn’t feel comfortable being with me and being nude to boot!”

“What in hell is she going to do the rest of the weekend?” asked Miles.

“I want to talk to you about that Hon,” said Shirley. “I think we can take her and her mother home and Stew can take home MJ and your folk’s.”

“We shouldn’t make plans until we know how things are going to be with Heather. Her mom is taking things pretty well and she might be able to straighten Heather out,” said MJ.

“I agree,” said Shirley. Stewart didn’t say anything but his expression indicated he was skeptical.

Sarah was the next to show up and managed to offer a piece of news that unsettled Stewart. “Valerie told me that the Winfield woman asked about checking out of her room and transportation to Seattle. What’s going on?” she asked, looking at Stewart.

“I don’t know what to tell you Sis. We were in the barn and she flipped out and wanted to leave. I got her outside and she took off running and didn’t quit until she got to the lodge. When her mother found out, she left to go be with her.”

Miles spoke to his daughter. “Did Valerie say whether the requests were for tomorrow or today?”

“I got the impression it was the sooner the better,” she replied.

Shirley spoke to Miles. “If I go offer them a ride home, will you take them? I’ll go with you.”

“Yeah, I’ll do it but I want to come back tonight. This whole trip was for Stewart’s Birthday. We can celebrate tomorrow, if need be.”

“OK Hon, I’ll go now so we can get underway if they take my offer,” she said, leaving to go to the lodge. Sarah watched her for a few seconds and turned to Stewart.

“Was she going to be a naturist with the family?”

“Somehow I doubt it!” he replied, sadly.

157

Chapter 17  Stewart has a new challenge

Saturday morning, the day after Stewart’s Birthday found the remainder of the Grant party at breakfast. Shirley was speaking. “We’re sorry that we didn’t get back in time to have the party that was planned for Stewart. I think it’s important for me to tell you what went on after we got Heather and her mother back to their home. Heather was a literal wreck by the time we reached West Seattle. Her mother put her to bed after giving her some medicine she was supposed to be taking. When she was sleeping soundly, Mae asked Miles and me to hear her out concerning Heather’s condition.”

Stewart broke in. “She has a condition? What does that mean?”

“Medically speaking she is mildly psychotic. Her psychosis has to do with a fear of men. Mae spent a great deal of time describing the circumstances under which the psychosis developed but I’m not sure I can faithfully repeat them, so I’ll just say it this way. At age five, an Uncle, no longer living, was asked to babysit her while Mae and her husband did some shopping. When the pair had been gone for an hour or so, the Uncle decided to teach Heather all about sex. For whatever reason, the Uncle called some of his friends to come to the house to watch. The result was that he and all of his friends took their clothes off and simulated having sex with her. None of them penetrated her but the very act of simulating it terrified her to the point, for years after, she fought every occasion she had to remove her clothes. Mae said she had been through therapy a couple of times and they thought she was over it but apparently the fear is still embedded in her psyche in some form or another. So, the thought of watching others having sex triggered her fear and she flipped out.”

“What are you going to do Stewart?” asked MJ.

He didn’t reply directly but thought about it some. Finally he replied. “I think I’m going to forget about trying to develop a relationship with her. Based on my track record with women, so far, I’ll just chalk it up to another failure and move on.”

“Don’t you think she deserves another chance?” MJ persisted.

“This reminds me of the bicycle that I got for Christmas when I was nine. I rode it every day for a year and one day I had an accident and the goose neck cracked. It was a small crack but I was afraid to tell Dad about it because I thought he’d get mad that I wasn’t taking care of my stuff. So every time I rode it after that I wouldn’t pull hard on the handle bars for fear of breaking the goose neck all the way and having a serious accident.”

“How does that relate to Heather?” MJ asked again.

“The fear of breaking her. I’d always have to watch what I say or do and I’d never know when her fear would manifest itself. At this time in my life, I owe it to myself to get a career started and not be worrying about her.”

“I agree with Stewart,” said his father. His mother nodded her head but didn’t verbalize it.

158

Sarah sat quietly through Shirley’s explanation of Heather’s problem. After the others had spoken, she cleared her throat. “Stewart, I wish all the other things hadn’t happened but I can’t wish them away, so I’ll tell you what I had prepared for you from the beginning. I don’t know what it’s going to mean to you now but I think in the future it will mean much more. So from this day forward…you have a lifetime membership in the Erskine Valley Sun Club. You will have access to all the perks and benefits that membership provides!” The other members of the family cheered and applauded.

MJ shouted. “Speech!”

Stewart, not particularly in a festive mood, tried to put on a happy face. He began. “Thank you Sarah, I appreciate this and I want you to know I’m going to come up here every chance I get. When I’m rich and famous like Dad, I’ll buy a bungalow so I don’t have to worry about who I’m going to have to sleep with,” he said looking at MJ. She smiled sheepishly at him. “Until then, I’ll just bunk with you!” he said, looking at his sister. She smiled nodding. “I think every successful man should have a retreat where he can come and shed his worries. In this case, I’ll shed my clothes along with my worries. Once again Sarah, I appreciate the gift and I thank you from the bottom of my empty wallet!”

When breakfast was over, Sarah went back to her job and the rest of the family chose to go to the pool to rest and cogitate. Cogitating didn’t take any effort so the resting continued unabated but conversation occasionally interrupted the cogitation. MJ, who was sitting close to Stewart spoke to him. “What do you think of the tier two system we have here?”

“Everything I’ve seen so far is pretty impressive. I didn’t see anything in the barn which I expect is the major portion of the tier two scheme.”

“I’ve been out there a couple of times. Would you like me to show you around?”

Stewart looked around to see what the other members of the family thought of the idea. His father looked as if he didn’t hear the question. His mother was smiling but not looking in his direction. His other grandparents were both smiling and to Stewart it appeared to be the smiles daring him to take her up on it. “What do you suppose the other members of this esteemed Sun Club would think of their newest member if he showed up in the barn with his grandmother?”

Miles spoke up. “They’d think you were a pretty lucky guy having MJ for a tour guide.”

“Thank you Miles. That was a lovely thing to say,” MJ said sweetly.

Shirley spoke. “If it would make you feel any better, I’ll go with you and her too!”

“At the risk of sounding like a textile, are you trying to see if I can control my libido with both of you staring at me, waiting for me to lose control?”

“You are not an unknown quantity to either of us,” said his mother.

“Yeah, what she said,” echoed MJ.

“But I’m not nine years old anymore.”

159

“Nine or ninety, the equipment is the same,” said his Gramma Teresa.

Stewart looked all around before speaking again. Finally. “I think I’m going to wait until my membership isn’t quite so new before I go take a tour of the barn.”

“Chicken!” clucked MJ.

“You bet I’m a chicken. But if I am a chicken, I’d just as soon not have my mother and grandmother see me plucked!”

“Good one Son!” said Miles.

“I second the motion,” said his grandfather Clayton.

The balance of the day consisted of some swimming and more resting and a lot of family banter where everyone took part and enjoyed the closeness of their loved ones.

That night in Sarah’s apartment on the third floor of the main lodge, Sarah, Stewart and MJ were watching TV and eating popcorn. MJ flexed and said. “Isn’t this some domestic scene?”

“I can picture some that stretch the term domestic a little farther than this,” said Sarah.

“I think the term domestic wraps it up and holds it together,” said Stewart.

“Do you ever see yourself in this situation with a woman you’re not related to Stewart?”

Having forgotten the issue of Heather, for a period of time, her remark brought back the nagging pain. He scooched up his face to show his feelings and replied. “Well now that you bring it up, I’d have to say…probably not!”

“A good looking hunk like you shouldn’t have any trouble finding another playmate,” said Sarah, teasingly.

“Well as I said earlier. I’m going to concentrate on my career for a while and maybe staying out of the play field will change my luck,” he replied.

“While we’re being domestic,” began MJ. “Are you ready for bed?”

He looked at her for several seconds, a smile playing around his mouth. “I’m so glad the general public can’t hear you Gram. They’d round us up and throw us in the slam.”

“Whatever for?”

“Grandmothers and grandsons are not supposed to be sleeping together.”

“Even though we’re only sleeping?”

“We both know that but the filthy minds of most textile people wouldn’t believe it. Especially if they knew we were naturists. According to most of them, we’re two thirds of the way to hell already. Mention going to bed together would seal it in their minds.”

160

“How do we account for last night? We survived that without bringing down the wrath of the just.”

”It’s like recreational parachute jumping. If you survive the first jump, you should quit. All jumps after that reduces the odds you’re going to keep surviving.”

“Where did you read that?” asked Sarah.

“I just made it up. I didn’t think either of you would question me on it.”

“So you’re saying you don’t want to sleep with me again tonight?”

“No, I’m not saying that. I’m trying to talk myself out of the things I’m thinking.”

Sarah was first to speak. “You are a naughty boy Stewart Grant but if I was a guy, I’d jump at the offer.”

In the end, when it was bedtime, he shared the double bed with MJ and they slept the night without touching one another, even by accident.

The next morning at breakfast, the family met as usual. No one brought up the situation concerning Heather and Stewart secretly thanked his lucky stars that no one did. The major topic of conversation concerned whether Stewart, at his own suggestion, should be responsible for driving someone home. Miles was against having Stewart go out of his way to drive anyone home. Stewart thought it was only fair, since they were all there because of him, that he should see that someone would be taken home by him.

As it turned out, it was agreed that MJ would ride home with him and the family would meet again at Miles and Shirley’s for lunch. When the time to depart arrived, Sarah kissed everyone good bye and the two cars set out for the journey back to Bremerton.

A half hour after leaving the Sun Club, MJ opened a conversation. “Last night before we went to bed, you mentioned you were trying to forget some of the things you were thinking about. Did any of those thoughts concern me?”

Without looking at her, he replied. “Only most of them!”

“There was a time you used to bring your thoughts and problems to me. Do you think I’ve lost interest in you and wouldn’t help you if you came to me for help?”

“No Gram, that isn’t what is bothering me.”

“I’m still available to help you…if you need it.”

“I can’t describe a problem to you if the problem concerns you…in a way. I never thought being an adult would bring on such complex problems.”

“By the process of elimination, I’ve ruled out everything I can think of that might be a problem

161

to you that concerns me, except sex. Am I treading on thin ice here?” 

“I never could fool you or Mom when I had a hard problem concerning people. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve spent so much of my life among naked people or I’m developing into a sex fiend but the things I was exposed to as a kid, now have an effect on me that didn’t make an impact on me then.”

“Surely you know that kids are by nature not supposed to be sexual until they reach puberty. Even nature isn’t perfect and some develop faster than others. Once you’ve passed into adulthood you cast off your childhood and take on the problems that come with being an adult. So much for the intro, let’s get into the part that concerns me. What’s your problem?”

“It isn’t easy saying this but…uh…I, uh get aroused being around you and Sarah and Mom like I never did when I was younger. I can’t help but think it’s demeaning your memories by thinking the way that I do.”

“Oh Stewart, you’ve fallen into the very net that all men of honor are susceptible to…thinking that women relatives aren’t supposed to be sexual objects. Think about this; who are the women that have played the biggest roles in your life? Your mother, an older sister and in a lot of cases your grandmothers. You’ve had access to views of women most boys never get, without snooping for them. It stands to reason that you as a heathy, red-blooded male would view those same women as sexual objects when those hormones in your body get flooding. Take this from an old nurse who has spent a lifetime dealing with horny males. Relative or not, a pretty well-built woman is going to turn you on!”

“How do I keep from letting the arousal from affecting my relationship with you and Mom and Sarah?”

“What goes on in your head is nobody’s business. Just don’t turn the warm erotic thoughts to physical actions and nobody will be the wiser.”

“Now that you know what I’m thinking sometimes, how can you continue to respect me?”

“Do you think women don’t like knowing the men who they see every day think they’re sexy and would like to act on it?”

“But if it’s family,” he persisted.

“Is it possible that the thoughts you are having aren’t just confirmations of the love you have for them and theirs for you?”

Her last comment caused him to pause and think on it. A couple of minutes passed before he replied. When he did. “I don’t know if that is what is working on me but I’m going to keep repeating it and hope that it takes root and grows. Thanks Gram. I should have known you would put things in the right order. All I had to do was let it out for you to deal with.” This topic ended with his last utterance and the balance of the trip to Bremerton was conducted with conversations of no consequence.

The family gathered in the kitchen for the lunch Shirley whipped up in less than half an hour. All of the members ate heartily and there didn’t appear to be any black clouds looming for them to shun.

162

When everyone had eaten his fill, Stewart announced his intention to leave for his home in Seattle. His grandparents Teresa and Clayton, asked if he’d drop them off at their condo on his way, which he said he was more than happy to do. Shirley and Miles followed him out to his car and said their goodbyes to Teresa and Clayton. Shirley motioned to him before he climbed into his car. She spoke softly to him. “Don’t let the Heather issue linger. You didn’t know how frail she is and, therefore, you can’t be held responsible for her breakdown. Pretend it didn’t happen and that you never knew her. Stay away from the places where she might be and move on. You’re a fine young man, my Son, and you deserve to have a good life. Go and find it!” She kissed him and stood back to let him get in the car.

He drove away with the words “have a good life…go and find it!” tucked away safely in his mind.

The End

Another in the Stewart Grant series will follow soon!