Outrunning Villainy

Chapter 2: Hot Pursuit

Chapter 2: Hot Pursuit


         The next day was Saturday. It was a beautiful sunny day as Engrid tinkered in her front yard. She had her purse sitting on the front seat of her car and the keys nestled in her apron pocket in case she needed to leave on a moment’s notice. The mysterious stranger had been parked outside Myrtle’s house for several hours.


         Engrid had been raking around the same old maple tree for about 45 minutes- just slowly scraping unseen scrapes of dried leaves and mown grass into a little pile. She didn’t hear the approaching footsteps.


         “Engrid?”


         She jumped and let out a little yelp as she turned to face the guy. It was Andrew.


         “Goodness, Andrew, you scared me half to death!”


         “Sorry. I just noticed you’ve been out here for a long time. Do you need any help?”


         “Oh, no, no. Thanks for asking. I’m just piddling around out here.” She smiled.


         Andrew glanced up the street.


         “You wouldn’t be doing a little reconnaissance would you?”


         “What?”


         “You know what I mean.”


         “Oh, no, no. Nothing like that. I’m just doing a little yard work on Saturday afternoon. There’s nothing wrong with that, you know…getting a little exercise,” she smiled sweetly.


         “Nothing at all. But I couldn’t help but notice that you’ve been watching that car ever since you got out here.”


         “You did?”


         “Yes. You’re not the only observant one on this block.” He smiled back at her, knowingly.


         “What does it matter if I was watching the car? You know I’m part of the neighborhood watch, that’s what we do. We watch odd things in the neighborhood.”


         “Uh-huh.”


         “Oh, don’t you start that.”


         “What?”


         “Evan does that same ‘uh-huh’ routine when he doesn’t believe me. He’s rubbing off on you already.”


         “Am I wrong to think that you’re up to more than just being a friendly neighborhood watchdog?”


         Engrid sighed. “I wanted to get another look at the guy. But he’s been in there for ages and frankly I’m getting tired and bored but I refuse to give up.”


         “Maybe they don’t want you to see him, so they’re waiting for you to go inside so he can leave.”


         Engrid just stared at him for a moment with disbelief at the revelation, “You know- you might be right. They’ve probably been watching me this whole time, knowing exactly what I was doing. If you noticed, I’m sure Myrtle knew instantly. What should I do?”


         “You could go back inside and leave the poor man alone. Or…hold on…keep looking at me.”


         “Why?”


         “Because I’ve got you distracted, the guy’s on the move. He’s headed down the steps now. Do not turn around. When I tell you to, you go after him.”


         “Okay. I have my keys with me and my purse is on the seat. You’re too nosy for your own good, Mr. Garrison. But, then people have been telling me that about myself all my life.”


         “Okay. He’s unlocking his door, we’d better hurry. But don’t look up. Don’t make it look like you’ve noticed. You’ve got to be subtle. If he thinks he’s been caught, he may try to lose you before going home.”


         “Okay.”


         “Nonchalantly, we’ll walk towards your car. I’ll go with you. If anything happens, I’ll be there to back you up.”


         Engrid wasn’t sure she’d need backup but agreed anyway, “Okay.”


         Engrid and Andrew walked as quickly as they could while appearing casual and disinterested in the goings on further up the street.


         “If you don’t mind, I’ll drive.


“That’s a good idea. You can go faster and react faster than I can. I’m an old woman, after all.”


         “Okay. Then keep talking to me, don’t look his direction. He’s fastening his seatbelt so we’d better hurry.”


         Engrid got in on the passenger’s side. Once inside the car, she and Andrew made haste to prepare for take-off as quickly as possible. The engine started, seatbelts fastened, they backed out of her driveway just as the stranger’s car pulled away from the curb. They drove slowly up the street after him. Andrew smiled and waved politely to Myrtle who watched from the safety of her living room window. Engrid fished around in the glove box and pulled out a glasses case. She switched out her regular glasses with the sepia tinted prescription sunglasses.


         Once having crested the hill and out of Myrtle’s line of sight, they picked up speed.


         “Engrid, you might want to get in the backseat.”


         “Why?”


         “You talked to him yesterday, so he knows your face. If he sees you, he’s more likely to realize that he’s being followed.”


         “Then he’ll try to lose us.”


         “He’ll need a lot of luck.”


         “What does that mean?”


         Andrew reached into his right pants pocket and pulled out a little yellow plastic thing with a small LED screen.


         “What’s that?”


         “A GPS receiver.”


         She just looked confused. “It stands for Global Positioning…”


         “I know what GPS stands for, but what are you doing?”


         “This morning, before you got out into your yard, I walked by his car. I have a little device planted on the frame of his car that will transmit a signal via satellite to this little gadget right here. With this, we can pinpoint his exact location within 4 feet.”


         “My goodness. Where did you get that thing?”


         Andrew smiled. “Can I let you in on a little secret? Something not even Evan knows.”


         “Why didn’t you tell Evan?”


         “I don’t want him to worry. But I know you won’t. You’ll understand the fascination.”


         “Okay. Of course you can tell me. I know I tell a lot, but its only stuff that isn’t secret. If I know it’s a secret, I’ll take it with me to my grave.”


         “Good. This one you may have to.”


         “Before my uncle Ray got saddled with a young kid, he was a covert operative with the Central Intelligence Agency. When he became my legal guardian, he transferred to the army to be an officer there. When I was 16, Uncle Ray was stationed at Fort Belvoir in northern Virginia.  I met a man named General Marlowe. General Marlow had been Uncle Ray’s commander when he was in covert ops. General Ray recruited me to do some work for him. Nothing elaborate, they paid me very well to transport materials. So, on the weekends through high school and college, he would send me places. I would pick up materials and transport them wherever the General specified. I would get a call Friday afternoon from him- usually once or twice a month. I would go to the general’s office; pick up a briefcase with whatever it was in it. He would hand me my ticket, and ‘substitute identification.’ Then I would drive to Dulles Airport and catch the flight to wherever it was. I had a document from the general that I would hand the security personnel and the briefcase would not be scanned or inspected. It was a combination lock so I have no idea what was in the briefcases.”


         “What sort of places would you go?”


         “All over. Mostly South America. When I was under 18, I wasn’t allowed to leave the airport. I had to hand off the briefcase to whomever I was supposed to rendezvous with in the secure part of the airport. Then once I was 18, they trained me in a little field operative stuff so that I could make the drop in other places that weren’t inside the airport.”


         “Tailing people and losing a tail is one of the tricks I learned.”


         “You decided you didn’t want that life?”


         “No. I always dreamed of having a little house in a small town. I was probably the only kid in the world who dreamed of a boring life.”


         “It’s not that boring.”


         “No, I didn’t mean it in a bad way. You do have to make your own fun around here.”


         “Like following a total stranger to see where he goes.”


         “Yes. This is a good example. I haven’t had to do this in a long time. I’m probably pretty rusty. But as long as he doesn’t realize he’s being followed, it shouldn’t be too hard.”


         Engrid rested her elbows on the back of the passenger’s seat, marveling at the latest unraveling of the secret history of Andrew Garrison. The car they were following was a little green sports car of some kind. Engrid didn’t recognize it as anything someone from Deerfield would drive. Kia was considered an exotic car in Deerfield. Around there, most people drove either a Ford or a General Motors vehicle with the occasional Chrysler. In their foursome, Andrew was the only one who drove a foreign car, a Nissan. She drove a Lincoln, Dora drove a Ford, and Evan drove a Jeep.


         Andrew knew it was an Alfa Romeo. It was not a cheap car, but not overly extravagant either. It was around a 1963 Alfa Romeo Spider. Andrew guessed, since it was in pretty good condition, it would be worth about $30,000 dollars.


         The little Italian roadster took the curves of the road to Columbia with ease. Engrid’s Lincoln Town Car was an incredibly comfortable sofa on wheels, not a European sports car. If the mysterious stranger knew they were following him, he could easily outrun or outmaneuver them. But Andrew had been keeping his distance. If he’d planned ahead, he would have driven his Pathfinder, because the man would be less likely to realize he’d seen it somewhere before. Engrid’s Town Car was a 1995 model, so it was old enough not to stand out as a fancy car.


         They rode along in silence as the tall, lanky pine trees sped by. It was getting to be about mid-afternoon, so Andrew pulled out his cell phone.


         “Hello, Evan? Yes, I’m with Engrid, she wanted me to take her into Columbia to do some shopping, so I’ll be home around 7:00 tonight. Okay? I just wanted to let you know so you wouldn’t worry. You’re welcome.”


         “That was a good idea.”


         “I wouldn’t want Evan to call the police to report me missing.”


         “No, the three of us haven’t had good luck with having the police called on us.” Engrid smiled, remembering the time that she set up Andrew and Evan to meet, but it ended with Evan in jail and seethingly irate at the both of them.


         Approaching from the southwest, they reached the outskirts of Columbia along Hwy 21. After a series of turns, the Alfa Romeo turned into the Flowers Crossing subdivision. It was a very, very nice subdivision. Andrew guessed the houses were somewhere in the $500,000 range. But other than their size and grandeur, they were cookie cutter houses. All the houses in the subdivision were one of about 5 different designs and all various shades of the same basic colors. Each lawn was a manicured replica of all the other lawns. The Alfa Romeo belonged to a particularly nice lawn at the far end of a cul-de-sac. Andrew was moving slowly enough that he was able to pull to the curb far enough away so as not to be spotted. The little Italian car approached and the man guided it skillfully into the garage. As the garage door slid shut, Andrew released the brake and the large Town Car eased closer to the house. They circled the cul-de-sac and proceeded back up the hill from whence they’d come. Engrid crouched low in the back seat, her eyes fixed on the beautiful yet strangely unimaginative house.


         They went around a curve and parked in front of the community pool.


         “Let’s go for a walk.”


         “Won’t we be spotted?”


         “I hope not. I wish you had that big floppy straw hat that you wear for gardening. It would help you not to be recognized.”


         “It’s right here.” She rambled around on the floorboard of the backseat. “I brought it so I could wear it while driving. It would make it harder for him to make out my face.”


         “Engrid, you should have been a spy.”


         She smiled at the compliment. “I try to think of everything”


         She got out of the car and fitted the large hat snugly to her head. “Is this okay?”


         “Perfect. The sunglasses make it even more believable. If anyone asks, we’re visiting Annette and Jacob Smith. They live over there.”


         He pointed. “I’m her brother and you’re our grandmother.”


         “How do you know who lives in that house?”          


         “I don’t- just point a good distance away. They won’t know who their neighbors are either. They probably know the people a few doors down on each side, but that’s it. They have no clue who lives on the other side of the neighborhood. We’re out for a walk on this beautiful fall afternoon. With the instructions complete, the dynamic duo headed off down the street. As they walked down the street, it was a typical day in a quiet, suburban neighborhood. There were a few children playing in yards, overseen by watchful mothers leaning on strollers containing the younger siblings of the kids who were playing. There was one birthday party in progress in a backyard; the out-of-tune words of Happy Birthday wafted though the air.


         Engrid could see the house in question up ahead. She hoped and prayed that the man didn’t emerge. If you passed by someone, you were honor-bound by Southern custom to greet them. If someone was standing there, you had to wave, or say ‘hello’ or in some way acknowledge them. It was considered rude not to do so. They approached the cul-de-sac. Andrew wished it wasn’t quite so sunny. Covert operations were usually nighttime affairs. This was broad daylight. However, they weren’t going to confront the man, and in fact were hoping that they did not encounter him at all.


         “You don’t think he’s married do you?” Engrid whispered.


         “I was wondering the same thing. That’s an awfully big house for a single guy.”


         “That thing’s a mansion. How much do you suppose it costs?”


         “Around $500,000.”


         “My God. Why so much?”


         “It’s just how much houses that size and in this type of neighborhood cost.”


         “That’s outrageous!”


         “Yes it is. I prefer our neighborhood.”


         “Oh, me too! Hands down, no contest,” Engrid scowled at the absurd expense.


         They started slowing their pace as they closed in on their prey. They rounded the cul-de-sac but saw nothing out of the ordinary.


         As they approached the driveway entrance, Andrew said, “Keep walking, I’ll catch up.”


         “What?”


         “Just keep walking.” He veered from their path and went up the walkway. He went up onto the porch, where there was the corner of a white envelope sticking out of the mail slot. When the letter carrier slid them in, this one caught in the crux of the metal flap and just hung there. He slowly slid it out to create as little noise as possible. He glanced at it and then hurried down the porch and rejoined Engrid who was passing the house next door.


         “Did you steal that?”


         “It’s just junk mail, he’ll never miss it.”


         “That’s illegal!”


         “I won’t tell if you won’t tell.”          


         “So, what’s his name?”


         Andrew just looked at the envelope and said nothing. The suspense for Engrid was building. “What’s the name?” she insisted.


         “Maybe this is a prior resident or something.”


         “What’s wrong?”


         She snatched the envelope from his hand and examined it herself. She gasped. The name in black ink on white paper was, ‘Amanda Riverside.”


         “Who is Amanda Riverside?”


         “I don’t know.”


         “Why that cheating old…”


         “We don’t know that.”


         “Who else could it be?”


         “Anybody. Amanda Riverside could be a daughter, a spinster sister, elderly mother, former resident, boarder, who knows what else. It could be his wife, but we don’t know that. I don’t want to jump to any mistaken conclusions here.”


         “We also don’t want Myrtle to get hurt by running around with a married man.”


         “No, we don’t want that either.”


         The duo walked quickly up the sidewalk away from the home of Amanda Riverside and whoever the man was.





                                                           #





         Meanwhile, Evan was home making himself a sandwich. He thought nothing more of the call from Andrew than a courtesy not to wait for him to get home. He heard the chimes of the doorbell. Upon answering the door, he discovered that it was his own mother.


         “Hi Mom!” He said cheerily.


         “Hello, Evan. Can I come in?”


         “Sure. I was just making a sandwich, do you want one?”


         “That would be nice, thank you!”


         They went into the kitchen and Myrtle sat down at the table while Evan finished up the sandwiches.


         “So, what’s up?”


         “I’ve got some news.”


         “Really? What’s that?”


         “I’m seeing someone.”


         “That’s cool. Who is he?”


         “His name is Dylan Riverside.”


         “Does he live around here?”


         “No, he lives in Columbia. I’ve never been to his house, but I’m sure it’s nice.”


         “Okay. I guess he’s nice?” Evan shifted his weight slightly. He wasn’t comfortable hearing about his mother’s romantic interests. He didn’t say anything because she’d sat patiently listening to him when he told her about his feelings for Andrew and that they would be living together.


         “Yes. He is. He’s been very nice to me.”


         “How long have you known each other?”


         “Only a few weeks. I met him at a meeting.”


         “What meeting?”          


         “I go to meetings, Evan.”


         He smirked slightly. “Did you meet him online?”


         “No, of course not!” She sounded incensed and shocked at the notion.


         “A personal ad in the paper?”


         “No. I met him in person. He introduced himself to me at a meeting in Columbia.”


         “Don’t make me drag it out of you, mom, what meeting did you go to in Columbia?”


         “It’s this very nice organization I found online. I decided I should go, so I did. I went to a few meetings before I met Dylan.”


         Evan sat quietly, eyeing her because he knew she was avoiding the ‘what meeting’ question. He wasn’t sure why she was being so evasive.


         “Okay, okay. I got this pamphlet for you.” She slid a slightly crumpled pamphlet out of her pocket and handed it over. He took it and examined it. Emblazoned across the cover were the words, “Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.”


         “So you went to a PFLAG meeting?”


         “Yes.”


         “And that’s where you met Dylan Riverside?”


         “Yes.”


         Evan nodded approvingly.


         “So, you’re getting serious about him?”


         “Yes. I think so. I don’t know. I haven’t really dated much in the last couple of decades.”


         “Well, I think it’s nice that you’re getting out and meeting new people.”


         “Really? I’m glad you think so.”


         Evan smiled and took the first bite out of his sandwich.


         After swallowing, “I’m sure Andrew and Engrid will be excited when they get back.”


         “Where did they go?”


         “They went on a last minute shopping trip to Columbia this afternoon.”


         “Surely they didn’t.”


         “Andrew called me from his cell and I could hear road noise so I’m sure that where they went.”          


         “That’s not that I’m saying.”


         “What are you saying?”


         “They drove right behind Dylan. You don’t think they followed him, do you?”


         “I don’t think Andrew would do something like that. If Engrid was by herself, I’d almost guarantee it, but if Andrew was with her, he’d put his foot down.”


         “Good. I would hate for them to bother Dylan. He’s such a sweet guy.”


         “Does he have any children?”


         “Yes. Fraternal twins, a boy and a girl. They’re 15 years old.”


         “Okay. How old is he?”


         Myrtle just smiled.


         “Mom…how old is he?”


         “35.”


         “35!”


         “Is there a problem?”


         “You were 26 years old when he was born!”


         “I was 32 when you were born, what’s your point?” She crossed her arms.


         “But he’s so much younger than you.”


         “I know.” She smirked. She knew the age thing would get his goat and it did, “But I don’t want you to tell Engrid or Andrew about this.”


         “They may already know.”          


         “I was afraid of that. They were following him this afternoon, weren’t they?”


         “I don’t know, but they might have been. Why don’t you want me to tell them?”


         “I want to tell them. I want to have everyone over to my house this weekend for dinner on Saturday. Don’t make any plans.”


         “I’m still not sure I like the idea of you dating a younger man.” Evan cast his eyes down to the half eaten sandwich.


         “Now Evan, if I can get over the idea of you dating a man of any age, the least you can do is show me the same courtesy.”


         “Okay. I will. I’m glad you seem to be happy.”


         “I am. I was very lonely when you moved in here with Andrew. I guess with you home, I didn’t notice that I was alone. Then when you found somebody, it made me realize that other than you and the store, I don’t really have anything.”


         “How are things going at the store?”


         “They’re fine. How’s your new job?”


         “I like it. I never thought of teaching as a profession, but it’s good.”


         “Well, teaching is a nice, stable job. And you’ll have a good retirement package in a few years.”


         “A few years? Try 30 years.”


         “Hey, it goes faster than you think.”


         “I’m sure it does. The first 30 years went by pretty fast.”


         “The second thirty goes even faster. And according to Dora, the third thirty goes even faster! But I don’t know if I’ll make it that far.”


         “You never know.”


         “No, I don’t. You’ll probably make it, though- with Andrew and his healthy cooking. He’ll clean out your arteries pretty well.”


         “He tries.”


         “Evan, you know…Andrew is a good man. I know I didn’t have the best reaction when this all started, and I apologize.”


         “Mom, you don’t have to.”


         “I know, but I want to. I learned a lot at those meetings. When I went, I was a nervous wreck. You know, I asked Dora to go with me.”


         “You did?”


         “Yes. Dora went with me for the first several meetings. Then once I got comfortable going, she let me go alone. But when I first walked in, I was shocked. I don’t know what I expected, really. I guess I was expected people like you see on TV. I guess I expected lots of effeminate men and very manly women. But that’s not what I found. There were a few people like that, but there were others too. I walked in, and most of the people were just like me. I realized that these people are just like me. They have jobs and homes and families and they’re nice, down-to-earth, decent people. There were young people, old people, wealthy people, and not-so-wealthy people. I’m kind of ashamed now that I reacted that way, but I did.”


         “It’s okay. I realize it takes some getting used to. It took me years of trial and error to realize what you did in a few PFLAG meetings. I’m actually impressed with you.”


         “Thank you. That really means a lot.”


         “So, Saturday night, we all get to meet your mystery man?”


         “Yes. Saturday night. I’ll officially make the plans on Thursday.”


         “That sounds good. Does Dora know about Dylan?”


         “No. I didn’t meet him until after she stopped going with me.”


         “So, I can’t talk to Andrew about this?”


         “Okay. You can tell Andrew because I know you will anyway, but give me your word you won’t tell Engrid. And if she asks, try to throw her off the scent.”


         Evan smiled mischievously, “I will, Mom. Engrid won’t get a word out of me and I’ll vouch for Andrew.”


         “Those two seem to be getting buddy-buddy lately.”


         “I’m glad. They’re both such special people. I like them both…in different ways of course.”


         Myrtle smiled. “I love you, Evan. I know it may not have seemed like it for a while, but I really do.”


         “I know, Mom. It’s been tough on all of us, but it’s all working out very well.”


         “Yes it is.”


         “I wonder what the future holds for all of us.”


         “I know. You’ve got someone to spend your life with and I may have one to grow old with. Dora and Engrid are going to be closing out their lives in a few years and it’ll be just the four of us and whoever moves into their houses after they’ve vacated the planet.”


         “That’s a morbid thought.”


         “I know. But Engrid turned 89 on her birthday and Dora will be 93 next month.”


         “So. These days a lot of people are passing the century mark.”


         “If anyone I know will, it’ll be those two.”


         “I hope so. I would miss them. They’ve seen us both through some pretty tough times.”


         “I know. I don’t know what I would have done without them after your father died. There I was with a business to run, a small child to raise, and no husband. Being a wife and mother is all I’d ever done. It’s all that my mother and grandmothers ever did. I had no idea how to run a business- but Dora helped me out with the business and Engrid took care of you during the day. I honestly have no idea what would have happened to us if it weren’t for them.”


         “Engrid taught me to read.”


         “And look at you now, passing the love of reading on to countless people. Not to mention you used to work as a book publisher- in New York City no less!”


         The mother and son sat chatting in his kitchen eating their sandwiches.





                                                           #





         Andrew pulled into the mall parking lot.


         “Okay, we’ve got to make this fast.”


         “Fast? I’ll try.”


         Engrid got out of the car. Now that their espionage mission was over she was able to sit in the front seat again, leaving the gardening hat on the back floorboard.


         “What was it you needed?”


         “There are a couple of things. We have to go- the mall will be closing soon.” Engrid took off towards the entrance. While she didn’t come to Columbia often, she seemed to know precisely where she was going. Usually when Engrid wanted to go to a big city, Greenville was the one of choice.


         Engrid pulled back the large glass door and held it open for Andrew. After he caught up, she took off down the tile floor of the mall. Turning a few corners, she spotted what she was looking for. Andrew did a double take, not sure he was seeing what he was seeing.


         “Are you sure this is what you were looking for?”


         “Absolutely!”


         Andrew kept close to her heels as he passed the festooned entryway and entered the forbidden world of Victoria Secret. He glanced around at all the scents and brightly colored, scanty clothing. He couldn’t imagine that Engrid would shop in a place like this. This type of tawdry and provocative clothing just didn’t seem like her.


         She walked up to the counter and said something to the teenage girl who was working there. The girl disappeared into the back. Engrid turned around and started browsing at some negligee on a display rack.


         “Engrid, what are we doing here?”


         “Shopping. That what you told Evan we were doing, so that’s what we’d better do.”


         “You didn’t tell me we were coming here.”


         “I didn’t think you’d do it. Frankly, it’s fun seeing you here.”


         “How often do you shop here?”


         “Not often. I buy perfume here.”


         “Perfume?”


         “Yes. Hot Passion”


         “What?!”


         “That’s the name of the perfume. They stopped making it, so I had a whole box special ordered from their main warehouse. I was supposed to pick it up today anyway. That way if anyone looked into it, I would have a perfectly legitimate reason to come to town.”


         “Why didn’t you order it from the store in Greenville?”


         “I don’t know. I just decided to order it from here. I promise it’s pure coincidence, but I must admit, it turned out to be convenient.”


         Andrew didn’t say anything. He just tried not to look at the merchandise, his discomfort growing.


         “Oh come on, lighten up. Dora and I went to a gay bookstore for you.”


         “I suppose so. If you can get over your discomfort, I guess I should do the same.”


         “Good,” she took a very skimpy teddy off a rack, “Then I’ll slip into this and you can tell me if it looks good.”


         “I will not!”


         “I’m just kidding. Please, could you see me in something like this? My goodness, not even in my courting days did I wear anything like that.”


         The teenage girl came back with a nondescript cardboard box a little bigger than a shoebox. “Here’s your order ma’am.”


         “Thank you!” Engrid swiped her debit card, took the receipt and whisked towards the door, Andrew hot on her trail.


         “See, that wasn’t so bad.”


         “That place even makes me want to watch football and drink beer.”


         “Oh it wasn’t that bad. We can stop by a steakhouse on our way home.”


         “It’s a deal. Your treat.”


         Engrid thought for a moment, “Okay. That’s fair.”


         


                                       #





         Evan sat on the couch eating a fist full of cheese straws and watching an old Murder, She Wrote rerun on TV. It was dark outside. Evan sat on the edge of his seat as Jessica Fletcher was about to be bashed over the head with a brass candlestick. He heard footsteps on the porch. The criminal was sneaking up behind an unsuspecting mystery writer. Evan whirled around, convinced he’d heard footsteps outside. He thought he heard muffled voices coming from outside. He muted the TV and stared at the darkened window. He definitely heard voices; two of them. He crouched down so as not to be spotted by the potential intruders. He got down on his hands and knees and shuffled silently to the window to see what was going on outside. He’d quite gotten into the mystery show, so his nerves were a bit jangled. He could see movement through the opening in the curtains. There was definitely someone standing outside on the porch.


He could see their silhouettes against the amber glow of the streetlamps; their hushed tones unintelligible.





                                                           #





         Having finished their dinner at the local steakhouse, Engrid and Andrew were back on the road, headed towards Deerfield and home. Their bellies full and the day’s adventures complete, the pair rode in silence. Once home, Engrid and Andrew had picked up their previous conversation centering on the identity of Amanda Riverside. Engrid followed him. Neither noticed that they were whispering as they walked toward Andrew’s house. They mounted up the brick steps and up onto the porch, continuing their conversation in hushed tones.


         As they stood there, Andrew kept getting an eerie feeling, like they were being watched. He glanced around, his spy instincts, though rusty, were still alert. Engrid noticed his gaze darting around their surroundings. She looked over her shoulder to see what he was watching.


         “What is it?”


         “I get the feeling we’re being watched.”


         “By whom?”


         “I don’t know. I can’t see anything out of the ordinary, just a feeling.”


         “Are your feelings often right?”


         “Yes.”


         Now she too was on high alert looking around the shrubbery and the surroundings of a quiet, residential street.


         “I wonder what it is.”


         “It’s probably nothing.” Andrew assured her. 


         Engrid was unconvinced. “I’m going to head home.”


         As she was about to turn around something in the window caught her gaze. She stared into the darkness hoping it was just her imagination playing tricks on her. She squinted, now certain she had seen something.


         She gasped. Andrew turned around and saw what Engrid had already spotted. Just behind the curtains, staring back at them, was a pair of eyes.


         From his low spot on the floor, Evan couldn’t tell how tall the perpetrators were. They looked pretty tall but he was looking up at them from the floor, so there was an optical illusion that made them appear larger than they probably really were.


         In a flash, Andrew knocked off his shoes and silently flew through the front door, which Evan had left unlocked. He raced into the living room and tackled the intruder and crushed him to the floor. Engrid yelped at the commotion inside.


         Andrew rolled the perpetrator over and was surprised at his identity.


         “Why were you crouching on the floor in the dark?”


         “I heard voices outside and I couldn’t tell who it was. I thought it might have been robbers.”


         Engrid appeared at the living room door. “Are you alright? Andrew tackled you pretty hard. I hope he didn’t sprain anything.”


         “No, no we’re fine.” Evan assured her, standing up and dusting himself off.


         “I’m just glad it was you and not a real intruder, like we thought it was.”


         “I guess going around spying on people got your nerves jangled.”


         Andrew and Engrid looked stunned and neither spoke for an instant.


         Andrew opened his mouth to try to tap dance his way out of it, but Engrid blew their cover.


         “How did you know?” She asked, the surprise evident on her face.


         “I didn’t. But you just proved it.” He grinned, “I’m not new to dealing with either of you.”


         “Well it was a good trip anyway.” Engrid said.


         “Oh really, what did you find out?”


         “We have a name.”


         “Dylan Riverside.”


         Again, Andrew and Engrid exchanged glances and in unison, “Oh.”


         Evan blushed. He’s promised his mom not to tell Engrid. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”


         “Did she also tell you that this Dylan might be married?”


         “I’m sure he’s not married. My mother would not go out with a married man.”


         “She might not know.” Engrid admitted.


         “We might be off course. Remember, we don’t know who she really is.”


         “Who is ‘she’?”


         “She’s… well, we don’t know…exactly.” Engrid said.


         Andrew explained further, “The guy your mom is seeing is living with someone named Amanda Riverside. We’ve never met her so we don’t know if she’s his wife. She might be his daughter, niece, or any of the number of things. We’re not jumping to any conclusions.”


         “But if he is married, don’t you think we should let your mom know?” Engrid said, “We don’t want her to get hurt by running around with some cheater. Imagine, your mother an adulteress.”


         “My mother is not an adulteress, Engrid.”


         “How can we be sure?”


         “Because of where she met him.”


         “Where is that?”


         “I can’t tell you. I promised her I wouldn’t. She’s inviting us all over for dinner this weekend and she’ll introduce us to him then.”


         “Evan, how does where your mother met him affect who Amanda Riverside might be?”


         “Fine. She met him at a PFLAG meeting.”


         “PFLAG?”


         “Yes. Parents and Friends…”


         “I know what the letters stand for, but what does it mean?”


         “It means that Amanda is most likely his daughter…most likely a lesbian daughter. If she is or was his wife, perhaps she came out and they are divorced or separated and he’s trying to help her transition.”


         “Oh.” Engrid looks astonished. She had not expected that plot twist.


         “So, I suggest we don’t make any more moves until we meet him this weekend and decide what we think.” Evan stated.


         Engrid was displeased that she was guilted into not pursuing this any further, but even she had to admit that they really didn’t know the full story of what was going on.