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  “I’m game if you are,” Zander said and smiled.

  “Well how about I go home and take a shower and you pick me up later,” she asked?

  “I’ve got a better idea, let me finish this chicken and we’ll go to the sand pit,” he stated.

  “Well I don’t know.”

  “I wasn’t asking. Either you want to go or you don’t. You see it would be a waste of a good shower if you went swimming with me.”

  “But I don’t have my suit,” she said smiling.

  “That’s the idea,” was all he said.

  Zander finished his food and Starla started walking home so her parents wouldn’t see her get in the car with him. He picked her up about two blocks away and back to the sand pit went Zander and his third conquest for the day. He wondered if it was some kind of record. It was for him and it would be difficult to repeat such a feat but Zander wasn’t giving it much thought. He was more concerned with the now.

  Starla smelled like a French fry but after a few dives into the pond, smelled like the evening air. They splashed around in the dark for a bit and then Zander swam over and pulled her close to him. He could feel her against his body and he decided to have sex right there in the water. He didn’t realize that the water took away the body’s natural lubrication and getting into her was difficult. She was ready and helped him in. She leaned back into the water and he supported her by her butt cheeks. It was a new experience for Zander and probably for Starla as well. All and all it was quite satisfying for the both of them. When it was over they decided to swim a bit more and then dried off with Zander’s blanket and got dressed.

  Returning to town, Starla slid over and put her hand on his knee.

  “Will we see each other again?”

  “I’ve the rest of the summer, then it’s off to college so that’s the best offer I can make,” he said not liking this question.

  “That’s enough,” she said and put her head on his shoulder.

  Zander liked that and he thought maybe her answer was a good thing. He would see here a few more times that summer and they would go their separate ways.

  Zander would think back on that day many times. It was the best day of the best summer of his life. It went a long way to making up for the worst summer of his life just two years before. All in all the “Summer of Love” was very, very good to Zander. Except it wasn’t love at all. It was sex plain and simple. It left Zander just a bit hollow inside.

  *****

  A teenager isn’t supposed to have a lot of feelings one-way or another but Zander did. He was extremely sad and completely confused all at the same time. So in between his summer conquests, Zander spent a great deal of time sitting in the baseball bleachers where his thoughts raced while he stared out into the empty field and the old dry boards of the floor soaked up so many of his tears. Moving on it seemed was easier for some then it was for others.

  *****

  College life suited Zander. He was offered a scholarship to play basketball but he turned them down. He was bored with sports. He majored in vocal music with an emphasis in Musical Theatre. He loved every minute of it. He was in everything that could possibly get him on stage.

  On weekends there was a steady stream of cars leaving the campus for Hudson, South Dakota. Hudson had the legal drinking limit of nineteen. It was just a random number because if you could see over the bar you could get served. Two bars called the Buck and the Bar, catered to the college students. It really didn’t matter which one you preferred, the trick was to find a place to sit and get served. Zander met at lot of women and avoided his share of fights with drunken patrons. He could be assured that on a Friday night or a Saturday he could score. Some of the women were all show and no go but Zander had a flair for weeding those out of the herd. He seldom left without a good chance of scoring. So his college years seemed to dissolve into performances on the stage and performances in the sack. He lived a life of hedonistic pleasure. The four years were a blur of pleasurable moments that went by so fast that Zander could hardly remember what had happened the week before.

  *****

  Zander graduated with a teaching degree and he got a job in the Le Mars Community School District teaching high school vocal music. Zander loved the job and loved his students but after four years he got restless and was getting tired of all the silly little rules and all the silly little parental concerns. But that wasn’t completely true and Zander knew it. He needed to get away and start over. There were just too many things that were about to make Zander blow.

  The biggest had to do with his good friend Davey and his wife, Peggy. Davey graduated with Zander and they had been the best of friends in high school. Peggy was a year younger but she had been dating since she was a freshman to an older guy that graduated a few years before Zander. Peggy was a real beauty and she knew it. She had always been attracted to older guys and she latched onto this guy. The affair lasted until Peggy was an eleventh grader. The guy decided to go to college and gave her the old heave ho. She turned around and went right after Davey. Davey fell hard. Everyone warned him about her but he was smitten. He fell in love with Peggy.

  Things went fairly well for a while. Davey and Peggy were always together even though Davey could have had any girl he wanted. Girls even mistakenly put the rush on him at some of the dances in the area.

  Zander wondered why he fell so hard for Peggy. She was beautiful for sure, but there were a lot of beautiful girls and they seemed to want Davey. Zander assumed it was because he looked like Davey Jones from “The Monkees”. That little comparison must have gotten lost on Peggy.

  Her old boyfriend started showing up during his college breaks and soon Peggy was sneaking out with him after Davey took her home. It didn’t take long for people to start talking in a small town. Zander didn’t know if Davey had heard and he didn’t know how to tell him. It made for some uncomfortable times when Zander hung out with the two of them. At a dance one night, Zander had to move Peggy’s hand from his crotch when they were slow dancing, she laughed like it was some sort of joke but Zander decided to stop dancing with her.

  If Davey knew she was stepping out, he never mentioned it to Zander. When they graduated, Davey gave Peggy a ring. They were married that following summer after Peggy graduated. Zander was the best man. Davey should have gone to college but he took a job at the grain elevator so he could stay close to Peggy.

  Zander took the job at Le Mars and didn’t see much of either Davey or Peggy. Zander felt somewhat relieved because he didn’t have to keep any secrets about Peggy from Davey. They were living their lives and he was living his.

  *****

  Then one day he came home from school and Davey was sitting on the steps to his apartment. Before Zander could even say one word, Davey jumped up and grabbed his shoulders.

  “I came home early yesterday and Peggy was in bed with her old boyfriend,” Davey said simply like he was telling Zander it was going to be an early fall.

  Zander didn’t know what to say.

  “He was screwing her in our own home,” he said and sat back down.

  Zander sat next to him.

  “In our own home, Zander. Can you believe it?”

  Zander said nothing.

  “I’ve been a fool, haven’t I?”

  “You were in love,” Zander replied trying to find something positive.

  “Everybody knew she was stepping out on me while we were dating but I thought once we got married it would all change.”

  Zander could only shrug his shoulders.

  “I followed her after I dropped her off a few times. She would sneak back out of the house and meet him down the street and they would go places and have sex. Sometimes they would go to his place, sometimes to a motel, sometimes just to the dirt road south of town. It almost killed me. One night, I went around the block and went back to her house. I saw her walking down the block and get into his car. I drove up and blocked the car so they couldn’t leave. He got into my car in the front s
eat and tried to tell me they were just friends riding around. Peggy jumped in the back seat and tried to put her arms around my neck. The whole time I could see him put his hand on her leg and run it up to her thigh while he was pretending to have his arm on the back of the seat. He was making a fool of me, Zander. She wasn’t much better.”

  “What happened?” Zander asked.

  “I forgave her and took her back. I didn’t want to but I loved her, Zander. What could I do?”

  “What about now?”

  Davey dropped his head and soon his shoulders were heaving up and down. He was in a world of hurt and Zander had no words to help. He could only put his arms around him and let him sob.

  Zander put Davey up for the night. He was in no shape to drive back and someone needed to keep an eye on him. When Zander woke up the next morning, Davey was gone. Zander was somewhat relieved since he didn’t know what he was going to say to him. It would be the last time he would ever see or talk to Davey.

  *****

  The story was that Davey went home and Peggy had sold him out again. They were having sex in Davey’s bed when he walked into the house. Davey went to the basement and brought up his 12 gage shotgun, loaded it in front of the two of them and told Peggy that if she didn’t want him anymore he would make sure she didn’t have anybody.

  He shot the old boyfriend twice at close range. There wasn’t much left but blood and tissue and most of that was on Peggy. When Peggy stopped shrieking, Davey turned the shotgun on himself. The fire department would control burn the house for practice about a year later since nobody wanted to live there after a homicide and suicide.

  Zander was a pallbearer at the funeral. At the gravesite, Zander thought about how much Davey must have loved Peggy. He knew that if he were in Davey’s place, he would have shot her. He wouldn’t mind doing it right now.

  When Zander was walking back to the car, Peggy ran up behind him and hugged him for an uncomfortably long time. She was crying and between the tears she blurted out some words that Zander couldn’t understand.

  “I can’t understand you.”

  “What am I going to do now, Zander?” she said much clearer this time.

  Zander held back a strong desire to plant his fist right into her lying lips.

  “I think you’ll do just about what you always do.”

  Zander pushed her away, turned and walked away. His old friend was dead and so was her old boyfriend. She caused it all and she was worried about what she was going to do. Zander thought someone should warn the next guy she got her hooks into. It wasn’t going to be him.

  So he finished the school year and packed his bags in his Skyliner and never looked back. Back was what he needed to eliminate. He was on the road looking for something more. He didn’t know if he could find it. He didn’t even know if he would recognize it if he did.

  5

  Tuesday June 15, 1965

  The black Mustang, going south, stopped in Sargent Bluff for gas and went on to Omaha and then Kansas City. From there it was to parts unknown. The only thing constant was that these two would never again return to Hospers even if one of them had wanted to go back.

  6

  Frisco, Colorado-Saturday, August 17, 1985

  The private dick, Fred Doyle, kept on talking and Zander continued not to listen. The guy sounded like the grown-ups in that Peanuts cartoon.

  “Wah, wah, wah,” was all Zander heard.

  It wasn’t until Doyle stopped talking and stared at Zander for a few minutes that he started to come back to reality. Whatever that meant.

  “I realize that all of this must come as quite a shock,” Doyle said.

  “You drop in from nowhere and tell me a girl I knew twenty years ago, a dead girl, isn’t dead after all? I’d say that qualifies as shock.”

  “Wait a minute. I didn’t say she wasn’t dead. I said we have reason to believe. Big difference.”

  “So where’s the proof?”

  “Can’t tell you. I thought it was a bad idea to involve you this early. But my employer wanted you to know what is going on.”

  “Why?” Zander asked bluntly.

  “Don’t know. Don’t care. If I find out more, I make contact. At that time a decision will be made when and if to involve you.”

  “Do you have any leads?”

  “Some. That’s all I can tell you. My best guess is that you will hear something in a few weeks at latest.” Doyle closed his composition book.

  “I’m sorry. I know you have questions. If I was at liberty to tell you more, I would. You’ll have to show some patience. Apparently we are in the same line of work. You know the drill.”

  Doyle stood up, decided not to put out his hand since he was sure Zander wouldn’t shake it anyway. It was always better to avoid embarrassment whenever possible. He looked at Zander. Shrugged his shoulders and walked out the swinging barroom doors.

  That would be the last time Zander ever saw or heard from Fred Doyle.

  *****

  A pretty normal week went by without any word. Then on that Saturday, Zander walked into the Branchwater, Jo told him that there was a call from his service he had to return. He used the phone in the office in the back. He found that he was nervous while dialing the number on the old rotary phone. When he got the number to return the call it looked familiar until Zander realized it was the number to the Glass Onion. It was unexpected. What did Jasper have to do with all this mysterious stuff anyway? There was only one way to find out. He dialed the number. Donna, the day bartender, answered the phone.

  “Onion.”

  “Donna, it’s Zander.”

  “Oh, Zander! It ‘s so good to hear your voice. Jasper is expecting your call.”

  “What’s this all about, Donna?”

  “I don’t really know. Jasper has been mostly sitting in his office not talking to anybody. He’s been really moody lately. Something is wrong. Then he says he’s expecting a call from you right out of the blue. Everybody is concerned,” Donna blubbered on, “We’ve all been missing you terribly here, Zander. Everybody always asks when you’re coming back.”

  Zander interrupted, “Is he around, Donna?”

  “He’s in his office like usual. I’ll ring you through. Nice talking to you, Zander. Don’t be a stranger.”

  Donna was a great bartender because she could talk to anyone and she was genuine. Zander liked her but she just talked a bit too much to suit his taste. The phone rang four times. Finally Jasper picked up.

  “What!”

  “Jasper. It’s Zander. I should be the one saying what!”

  “Zander. Thanks for calling. I think I need your help.”

  “You know I’m bartending in the Rockies, why would I come back to Omaha?”

  “No it’s not that. I need the kind of help that‘s listed on your card,” Jasper said and he sounded pathetic.

  “What’s going on?”

  “It’s my niece. She’s living with this guy and he beating her to a pulp. You have to do a rescue.”

  Zander was puzzled. “Why doesn’t she just leave?”

  “The guy has her under some kind of mind control or something. She keeps telling my brother she runs into a door or falls down some steps. I think she’s afraid he will do something even worse if she leaves. This is bad, Zander. He’s a jerk and doesn’t have a moral compass. I’ve kicked him out of here a few times for trying to pick fights. The police had to escort him out of here twice. Nasty temper. Can you give us a hand?”

  Jasper had just used more words and sentenced strung together than Zander had ever heard come out of his mouth. This was messing up his life.

  “Jasper, I’ll be there at noon tomorrow and we will make some plans. I can’t do this alone so you and your brother will be directly involved. Let’s meet and lay it all out. This has to be done quickly and no one but you and your brother can know. You can’t tell your wife and he can’t tell his either. Got it?”

  “See you tomorrow. And Zander?”
r />   “Yeah.”

  “Thanks man. I owe you.”

  “Let’s wait and see how all this goes before we get all emotional.”

  “You’re right. It reminds me of my one great life’s observation,” Jasper said.

  “What’s that?”

  “Well, have you noticed that lovers always help each other undress before they have sex and then they always dress themselves after they have sex?”

  “I guess I never thought of it that way. What’s your point?”

  “In life, no one helps you once you’re screwed. See you tomorrow.” Jasper hung up.

  Zander had to smile. Jasper was always making observations like that and the fact that he signed off with one meant he was feeling more relaxed now that he had some support. Zander would do his best to earn Jasper’s trust in him.

  *****

  Zander had acquired a 1967 Econoline van that he kept in an old shed behind his cabin. He used it for some of his jobs when he had to take someone against their will. Many times the abused were more problem than the abusers so he had to retro fit it to anticipate that particular problem.

  The van was perfect. It was a six-banger with a three speed manual transmission on the column. It was a cargo van with the only windows being the windshield and the two side windows. The driver and passenger sat on top of the front axle and the engine was between them in a cowling. It was called a cab over and Zander had put in a steel chain link fence directly behind the front seats and that in turn had hurricane screening on each side of the fencing so he could keep his eye on the rear but anyone in the back couldn’t get to him or reach through the screening. The side doors and back doors would only open from the outside and then only if Zander hit a button hidden under the dash. He had found a few mattresses that he put in the back on the floor for a little comfort. All in all it was a pretty good escape proof means of transport.

  Zander had a few things to take care of before he could make the trip to Omaha. He called The Bridge to take a few days off. It didn’t seem to be a problem since it was the slow season. Jo had said it would be all right and she would cover for him only if he brought her a nice present along back.