Nothing much changed in my life for a week after Ms James visit. Susan continued to work on getting me licensed as a courier company, and I continued to walk in the park. I also spent a lot of time on the computer learning about my new, to me, camera.

The camera arrived in the mail after four days. I didn't even try to use it until I understood it better. What really was a pisser, was the fact that I needed several different skills to pull off my plan and no one place on the net had all the information.

For instance the web site, of the vintage style poster shooter, informed me that he shot a Polaroid model 95 antique camera. The site even had a picture of him holding the monster camera. The camera was not 1850 vintage, but it was 1950 vintage. Since it had a bellows it could easily be mistaken for an earlier camera by people who didn't really know cameras. Most people had a hard time remembering film cameras at all, so I wasn't all that worried.

The 95, I learned from a different site, was probably chosen because it was the first of the Polaroids. It was made by the Wallensak company. All the later models were made by the Polaoid company in their own plants. Most likely the lens was a bit better on the Wallensak made Polaroid.

What the site did not explain was what kind of film to use, since that kind of Polaroid film hadn't been made in well over thirty years. For that I had to do a Google search which lasted most of the day. On another old fart's site I found instructions for using 4x5 film in the camera. Only a complete idiot would go to all that trouble, but that described me to a T. It really allowe me to do most of the things I wanted to do. Even the limitations were actually beneficial to me.

To make more than one exposure with the camera was going to be a real pain in the butt. That being the case, it would force me to be more thoughtful in my shot selection, and more careful in my execution of it. I wouldn't be in competition with digital tourist cameras, I would be in competition with myself to create the shot in one take. As any director will tell you that is the holy grail, one vision turned into a perfect image in a single try.

So the mechanics were difficult but doable, I would open the back of the camera, insert a single piece of 4x5 film, close the camera, then go make the shot come home and process the film. Oh yeah the camera had to loaded and unloaded in the dead dark, so every step had to be thought out carefully. It was not at all like a digital generation disposable image. The digital generation's motto was shoot a hundred to get one image.

So first problem was I didn't have a dark room in which to load the camera. It wasn't likely that I would buld a dark room, so the second choice would be a black bag job. The black or changing bag, was made like a tee shirt. You inserted the camera though the bottom of the tee shirt then zipped it up. Yeah it had a zipper on the bottom and elastic in the sleeves. Once you put your arms inside the sleeves the real work could begin.

I was determined to do everything myself. Partly to save the twenty bucks for the changing bag, and partly it was just to have an outfit like no other. I didn't need the net to figure out how to make my own changing bag. A thick black sweat shirt, a couple of large rubber bands for the sleeves, some spring clamps from the hardware store for the bottom, and a big needle and thread to sew up the neck of it, made a decent changing bag.

After I knew how to load the camera, and I made the changing bag, I ordered the film and chemicals on line. While I was waiting, I thought about how to develop the film. I had developed black and white 35mm film, so I knew that I needed a daylight tank. A daylight tank is just what it sounds like. I would load the film in the changing bag, then i could develop it in the kitchen sink. I went back to the net to find a way to make a tank. There just were not any 4x5 daylight tanks made anymore. Nobody used 4x5 film for the first time those days. Everyone should have had their tanks for years i guessed. Plus only real pros worked in that format. I was far from a pro, so it was a shot in the dark for me.

I did find plans for a DIY 35mm tank on line. It was made from a glass jar. The top was the only hard part. Any jar with a plastic lid would work. It was just a matter of blacking out the jar and making a light tight baffle on the top. The instructions explained that light will not turn the corner but it will light up the corner so a couple of turns were needed to make the baffle. The design was way simple.

I found that my almost empty peanut butter jar was the right depth. I emptied out the jar a bit prematurely. I drilled a hole in the top of the jar, only after a trip to the hardware store for a spade bit. While there I also bought the two fitting, a piece of 3/4 inch PVC pipe and the Jbweld epoxies to hold it all together. I also bought a six pack of black electrical tape, as well as the spring clamps for the black bag. It was not cheap, but then it was cheaper than buying the ready made stuff. And as my daddy said, "Son when you buy a tool to do a job, you can do that same job over and over without buying the took again. When you pay someone to do it, you have to pay them every time."

I had a project for the next couple of days, so I was happy. Since my retirement, I found that I could do a lot more things than I had ever imagined. All those years hanging out around my dad weren't wasted after all.

Over my years as a cop, I had learned to deal with a problem as best I could, then put it out of my mind and move on. Yes I would often come back to the problem over and over, but I never allowed any one problem to become all consuming. That is what I did with the camera and the courier business, I worked on them till the immediate needs were met, then I just moved on to something else.

The something else that afternoon was not what I had expected at all. The something else was Molly and her mother. "Hello Molly," I said as the two of them approached.

"Mr. Abba, This is my mother," Molly said with a smile.

"Hello Ms. James, it's a pleasant surprise meeting you. Most of my surprises are not pleasant."

"Molly has told me a lot about you MR Abba. I feel much better knowing she has someone close who is reliable."

"I'm not sure how reliable I really am these days, but I will try to take care of her." Since Misty was not around I didn't mention her. I had no idea how much Mom knew.

"So what can I do for you Molly?" I asked it trying not to stare at Ms James. It was hard not to. Ms James took a lot better care of her herself than Molly. She was strikingly beautiful. Like her daughter she was a bottle blonde, but her bleach was a better job. Her hair has at least three colors, so I was sure it had been processed, but it was a beautiful job. She Just had that well taken care of look, very much like Mary Seymore. I wondered why Molly had a more farm girl look. I wondered but I made sure not to ask. Judging from Molly's apparent age, her mother would have to be close to sixty but she really didn't look it. Most likely it was the work of some expensive surgeon. She just did not look like she was the mother of the almost homely Molly.

"Mom and I are going to dinner, I wondered if you would like to join us?" Molly asked. "That is if you don't have any plans/"

"Well to be honest, I have been planning a few quiet evenings at home. Maybe we can do it another time?" I suggested.

"Of course Mr. Abba, I'm sorry we sprang this on you at the last minute. However, I did want to speak with you about Molly. I wonder if we might stop by for coffee after dinner?" Ms James was certainly no shrinking violet.

"Of course, I'll be expecting you. Can you give me an estimate as to the time?" I asked it because some people tend to dawdle over dinner. I didn't want to be tied to staying awake late into the evening.

"Shall we say nineish?" Ms James asked. It was obvious she was the dominant personality in her family. She didn't say, and of course Molly never had, but I guessed that she was divorced.

"That would be just fine," I suggested.

Since it was only six PM at the time, I did some more research. I searched Google for information about motor assisted bicycles. I have a feeling that I could use the bike for more deliveries, if it had a motor assist. I wondered if I could use it as a real tool, not just a subterfuge. It would be interesting at least. The research led me to believe that it might be possible, if I were careful about it. I needed to make some trial runs testing different ideas. It was yet another project to keep me occupied. I tended to stay occupied with things that were of only minor significance, even to me.

The time passed quickly as it almost always did while I was on the computer. I was surprised how spungelike my mind had become. I had always thought that I was too old to learn , I found instead, that things came much easier to me than I would have ever believed possible. The knock startled me.

"Well come on in," I said it to Ms James. Molly was no where to be seen. "Molly isn't coming?"

"No I thought this would be easier, if it were just you and I."

"Oh and why is that?" I had an idea we would be discussing Molly's sex life and I was very uncomfortable at the prospect.

"Frankly it's Molly I hoped to discuss with you."

"I'm sure you know more about her than I do."

"If you are asking do I know that she is gay, then yes I know." Ms James did not beat around the bush.

"Well that takes care of the elephant. So what can I tell you?"

"Tell me that this new woman in her life is not just using her."

I thought about it before I answered. "Since I don't know their financial arrangements, I can't comment one way or another. All I can say is Molly holds the lease and it will be Molly I expect to pay me."

"That's not what I meant. This Misty person who exactly is she?"

"I have no idea except that she told me she was in the criminal justice course at the community college. You could probably find out more from them. I would try to find a classmate willing to talk about her, If I were you."

"I don't know how to do that kind of thing. Since you were a police officer I expect that you do know how."

"I am not an investigator. I am just an old worn out cop. besides right now about all your daughter can offer Misty is a bed to share."

"If that is what Misty believes then there is no problem. It is not the reality of the situation. Molly has nothing at the moment, that is true. However when I die, the situation will be much different."

I had no idea what that meant and didn't really want to know. I made the assumption that Molly stood to inherit a large estate. I didn't care, so I assumed no one else would either. That however was not the way Ms James saw it. People who had money also seemed to have more than a little paranoia about it. I guess it was part of the trade off.

"To be honest I really do not want to look through Misty's laundry for dirt. Just let them enjoy themselves for whatever reason. You can always write your will to make sure Molly doesn't throw the money away."

"So you are refusing to do a background check on her?"

"Yes I am, but there are any number of guys who will do it. Some will even find whatever you want true or not." Ms James did not take that news well. She looked as though she might want to cut my throat, in a most ladylike way of course.

I reported to Susan by phone. I could already figure out that my cell plan was not going to be enough. After I moved a couple of weeks before I had discontinued the regular phone service. I chose to go with a prepaid cell phone service. I one never really planned to use the phone, which I hadn't, it is by far the least expensive. It could be available for under ten bucks a month. The downside was that the per minute price was not cheap. It looked as though I would be using the phone more than the minimum. I looked into making phone calls on my computer line. It just seemed too complicated.

I sure as hell didn't want a phone that was smarter than me, so I decided for the time being to go with email and the cell phone for emergencies. I set up an email for the company under the name LECS. I gave the email to Susan Jamison and I also sent an email to Herbert Seymore. I figured I might as well take on a second client, if I was going to the trouble of setting up a company.

All that mental work was completed in the evening of that first day. The next morning I went for a walk on the trail. My days on the trail were numbered as the weather was beginning to cool. While I was on the trail I gave some thought to taking pictures again. My mind worked on several projects at a time but not at the same time. That morning on the trail I chewed on the camera and reenactment problem. I really did want to follow them, and I wanted to shoot pictures, but I wanted to fit in as well. Not necessarily be period with the equipment, but not be so damn blatantly modern either.

From what I had read the old Polaroid roll film cameras might be the way to go. since the film hadn't been made for many, many years and had been so expensive at the time it was made, the cameras had seen little use. Even though the earliest ones were not much more than novelties they had been extremely well made. No they didn't have any bells and whistles, not even for their time, but there were battleship tough. Anyone I could find was likely to be still working and still light tight. It seems that a lot of the old cameras with bellows had a tendency to have light leaks in the bellows. the Polaroid almost never did.

There was a tradeoff as there almost always was in life. The camera had to be either converted to modern film, used in funky ways. I had absolutely no desire to chop on a camera, since my building skills were pretty much non existent. There was an old man on the net who had managed to devise a very slow and painstaking way to use the old Polaroid. I was considering giving his method a try. I had almost made up my mind to do so days before. I finally gave in and decided that it was the way I wanted to go for the reenactment shoots.

When I arrive home I went to work on the business plan. I almost forgot about the camera but it popped back in my mind for just long enough for me to find one on Ebay and buy it. Even with shipping the camera was much less than twenty dollars. I bought and paid for it, then promptly forgot it.

What I did do was to spend my morning working on a logo for the company. Once I had the silly logo designed, I ordered magnetic signs on line. They were much more expensive than the stick on type, but I wasn't sure how long I would be in the courier business. I stopped for lunch around noon but instead of lunch I had a bowl of cereal. It was most people's lunch time but it was my breakfast time.

After lunch I returned to the thrift store bike and what if any use I could make of it. I liked the idea of a bike courier but it would be not be practical in this application. There were two towns and rural work to do. The area was just not a metropolis like New York or Boston. Then again I wasn't going to be doing typical courier work. The bikes might prove a good cover. Who would expect a subpoena from a bike messenger. I could always drive the car to within a couple of blocks of the delivery address, then ride the bike up to the door. it would make downtown parking much easier as well. There were some advantages.

A bigger and more practical problem was in finding the addresses. Should I go with maps, which I understood, or a GPS system, which I did not understand at all. I did an afternoon of research and contemplation before I decided that GPS and mapping would work Mapping to decide the order and GPS to guide me from one spot to another. however the volume was not sufficient to justify the GPS system at the moment. I knew that I needed to keep my eye on the overhead, so I decided to not decide for a while.

"Hello Mr Abba, this is Susan Jamison. I got your name and number from Herbert Seymore."

"I see," I said that as I opened the door to my old car. At that moment I was standing in the parking lot of the park where I took my morning walk. On that day the walk began at 10am instead of my usual 8am. the weather was turning cooler so my walking outside was pushed back until the sun had a chance to warm the air. It wouldn't be too much longer until I would either walk after lunch or move it all into the mall. That idea really bothered me.

"Mr. Abba, Herbert said that you could serve court papers when others couldn't"

"That's nice of him but I doubt that it isn't completely accurate."

"I am in need of a first class process server."

"Sorry but I'm not looking for a job."

"No, I didn't mean a job. I would like to contract with you to serve all our court documents."

"I'm really not interested," I said it as forcefully as I could. I thought it would put an end to the conversation.

"Herbert said that you were retired and probably not looking to work too much, this probably wouldn't take you five hours a month. If you were to take them all, I think we could work out a compensation package that would be satisfactory."

"What do you call satisfactory?"

"I'm certainly open to negotiations." she suggested. "Look, at the moment I'm paying $30 a service and $20 for refusal to accept. Those are rare but they do happen. The re service of those papers is $20 each time until the guy accepts the paper. It could take ten attempts. It is rare that it goes on that long. Usually his attorney will accept the papers for him if all else fails."

"Why not just serve all of them to the attorney?" I asked.

"It's professional courtesy. If the man denies service the attorney would be forced to tell what he did with the paper or claim client attorney privilege. It just looks bad."

"Well I can serve papers for you but, if it is just going to be the ones I have to chase down, $30 isn't even close to enough."

"How about you carve out an area you are willing to cover and I give you all the papers in that area. If we did that what would you want to serve them all for a flat rate,"

"I assume you want the whole county covered?"

"At least that. I would take in both of the twin cities. We could negotiate anything outside the county on a case by case basis."

"How fast would you need delivery attempts? A trip to Williams for one paper is a real money loser."

"One week normally, with a surcharge for same day." she suggested.

"Okay I'll do the seven day for $30 each, Same day for $50, Out of area $50 plus expenses." Since I don't have a clue what the expenses will be, this is just a starting point. We will renegotiate the pricing later." It sounded like it would just be pocket money, and it would get me out of the house.

"That sounds fair enough," she replied.

"One more thing, you have to help me set up a courier company to give us both some cover." I was thinking like a cop again. I wanted some structure behind me.

"I can do that." You are right a formal company relationship would help us both with taxes and give us some cover. I'll get right on it. What name do you want to use."

"Lightening Express Courier Service," I suggested.

Three thing got accomplished over lunch with Susan, we laid out the guidelines for our relationship, She got the information to file the papers for my new venture, and she also handed me three court summons to serve. Oh yeah, we also had lunch.

I found out a few things about Susan during our short lunch. She was about two thirds of my forty five years of age. She had dazzling red hair, and she wanted her husband to move the hell out. The last I guessed, since on the cell phone, she said to him in a snippy voice, "You have to actually go to the interview, to get the job. We will talk about this when I get home. I'm with a client." there were a few more words spoken, but I tuned them out.

"So do I get to serve the papers on you husband?" I smiled knowing she was not going to be happy that I knew.

"It isn't that bad yet. It's just that I think he might be learning to enjoy unemployment."

She seemed to be upset but not really as angry as other women might be. "I'll give you a discount if you decide to go that route."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. Speaking of that I have three for you."

"I can't charge you for these, I don't have the structure set up yet."

"Do it as an employee and I'll file your papers with the state free." I nodded my agreement, At that point she tossed them onto the table. There is one who has been a problem. He has been avoiding service."

"Do you have a fact sheet on him you can email me."

"What kind of facts?"

"I need to know what he does for a living and where I can reach him during the day."

"I have that attached to all of them."

"Good, lets make that a requirement. I get all the information you have on the subject."

"Well all the pertinent information anyway," she agreed.

I served two of the papers before I even when home. The man who was avoiding service was a real estate agent. I could call to make an appointment and fake him out that way, but it would be difficult to ask for him without making him suspicious. Then of course I had the Lightening Express ID card it would be shame not to use it. I stopped by Office Depot to pick up a long mailing tube. The kind used to protect building plans.

It was simple to have an address label printed and installed on the tube. Five minutes later I was standing in front of the receptionist at a large realty company. I had the large name tag with the Lightening express logo hanging from my shirt pocket.

"Delivery for Amos Reynolds," I said holding the tube. The receptionist reached for it. "Not till he signs," I suggested as I pulled the tube away.

"I'm authorized to sign for it," she replied.

"Cool beans, it is insured for 500 bucks, be sure to put your address on the paper, so the boss knows who to come after, if he tosses it. We all know how careful these executives are."

"Hold on I'll get him on the phone." She picked up the phone and asked the man who answered to come to her desk. She explained that no it was an express courier. He obviously asked if I was a process server.

"Who sent it?" he asked before he accepted the tube?"

"Thomas and Wiley engineers," I read the made up name from the tube.

"I don't know them."

"That's fine. I get paid whether you take it or not." I turned to leave.

"Hold on," he said that to my back.

"Make up your mind, I'm on a schedule." he signed the clipboard and took the tube.

"Oh yeah there is a message with that," I pretended to look through the papers on the clip board then I said. "Oh hell your wife said she would see you in court. You have just been served. Have a blessed day." I walked away smiling.

I seemed to have developed a new habit, since my retirement. I spent way too much time researching. I found that there was so much information available on the Internet that I could search out the tiniest bits of information, if I took my time. I managed a search just as I managed a criminal investigation. By the time I made a decision, I had way more information than I needed.

For instance, right after Mary and I had our falling out, I pulled into the parking lot of the mall. I planned to walk there because it was threatening to rain at any moment. I had been caught in the rain on the trail once already. It was not a pleasant experience. I did not enjoy sitting around in wet clothes or wet shoes. Even though, I could have gone straight home to change, I chose to walk in the mall instead.

I had stepped from the car, when I noticed the bike and rider enter the mall parking area. He was risking being rained on, but there was an even more compelling reason to notice him. He was not pedaling the bike. The bike was moving along at parking lot speed, but the rider was merely sitting on the seat for ballast.

Since it was early, there was a good chance he was a walker like me. That being the case I noticed his clothing, so that I might be able to pick him out later. After I was confident that I would recognize him inside, I went on in to walk.

I looked for him as I walked, but alas I never did see him. I did keep the image of him on the bike in my mind as I walked. After my morning walk, and then my morning breakfast, I went to work researching on the Internet yet again.

To my surprise when I entered 'bicycle motors' into Google, the search engine spit out hundreds of entries. I was surprised because the bike at the mall was the first one I had ever seen. At least it was the first one to which I had paid any attention.

If you tossed in small motor scooters the number tripled. It was obvious from the lack of noise that the bike I had seen was driven by electric power. There were also gasoline motors, which could be strapped onto the bikes. From the design of the gasoline motors one got the feel of a very, very early motorcycle. The first ones were actually beefed up bicycle frames with antique motors. That was the feel of the bikes I saw on the Web. I was sorely tempted to rush out to buy one of the two stroke kits for my bike. My habit of careful investigation led me to hold off. Besides I had read on the web about the smoke and noise of the gasoline bikes. They were cool looking but I could remember days when my motorcycle sat waiting for a mechanic to come look at it. The noise smoke and high maintenance issues led me to research electric bikes.

From all I read the ebike was much more dependable. I almost ordered a conversion kit for about half the price of a cheap gasoline scooter, but fortunately I kept to my research habits. I found quickly that the cost of the highest rated kit, with the best long range batteries, was well over a thousand dollars. It didn't sound bad, if you said it very quickly, and followed it immediately with the cost of a car or motorcycle. However it was four times the cost of the gasoline kit. It all just sounded confusing, so I kept on reading. Not all at once but a little everyday then let the new information simmer in my brain for a day or two before returning for more research. The research was intermingled with the camera research. In other words my brain was filled with new information daily.

It was the way I worked a case, so it became the the way I researched a problem. After several days I stumbled onto a forum where one of the members had posted a how to set of instructions. The instructions were about building an inexpensive Ebike. The bike would not be as efficient, or as pretty as the high priced spread, but he swore it would do the job. That is if the job was just local transportation in a limited range environment.

The parts list didn't look too long and the tool list was comprised of tools I either had, or needed to buy anyway. I needed the tools because I was responsible for all the repairs on both sides my duplex. Most of them I might contract out, but I need the ability to change a light switch or clear a drainpipe. Some jobs would just be too small to hire out. With that in mind, I began to look at my thrift store bicycle in a different light.

I took the advice of the old man from the forum. I began checking out Craig's List every day for an electric scooter. According to the instructions on the forum, any scooter over 400watts would do with a little goosing up. One could replace and upgrade parts so I was not to worry about the condition of the scooter as long as the motor would turn, and the scooter had a more or less complete rear end. The basic idea of the DIY drive was to have the scooter rear wheel sit on top of the bike wheel and turn it. You might ask why anyone would want to go to that trouble instead of just riding the scooter. The answer was quite simple, as the old man explained it in his directions. The children's scooter was not street legal but the completed bicycle would be. It could also be made to run almost twice as fast as a man could pedal a bike.

I filed all the information away in the back of my mind as I moved on to other things. I spent my time reacting to things, not really following through on new projects. I had several projects rattling around inside my head at any given time.

On my morning walk I began looking for things that would make good posters. I mean, I didn't expect to find anything, but you just never know. I tried to look at things in their parts, not just the superficial whole scene. I saw a lot of things in a new way, when I isolated the more basic parts of them. There were a few that might look okay, I just didn't know.

I did know that I didn't want to do the same old things. The things I had done over and over in photography. I wanted to do something different, if I even bothered to do anything at all. I was never very artistic, but I always had an eye for balance. It was what being a cop was about for me. At least a lot of the time it was about putting the world back in balance. When something illegal happened, the world was out of balance until it was made right. That is kind of what I did with images, I tried to make them balanced.

But I just didn't want to run out and shoot a picture with a digital camera, I wanted to make damn sure that the image was in perfect balance. That didn't happen when the shooter just went out to shoot every possible angle with a digital camera. Sure you found a good image mixed in, but there wasn't the perfect image. The one that comes from understanding the soul of the thing. I know that sounds like hokey crap and maybe it is. It didn't matter, I was still feeling my way along. I could afford a lot of false starts. I had already made one false start, which I managed to survive.

I kind of drifted for a few days. I guess I was more of a reactor than an instigator. Most of my life had been based on fixing things somebody else had screwed up. That being the case I guess it wasn't unusual for me to just drift, when not engaged in some project. It didn't hurt that I enjoyed drifting and collecting information.

For instance I began learning about old cameras because I had gone to a Civil War Reenactment. Then I began to learn how little people knew about old cameras. To the average public anything older than 35mm or a digital camera was an antique. There was probably some truth in that.

I stumbled onto a lot of information about the first Polaroid roll film cameras. The film for them hadn't been made in at least twenty-five years, so maybe they were antiques by that measure. I found that everyone who ever had one said they were tanks. Simple but strong as a bank safe. The lack of film problem was a real issue, but one not insurmountable. There were a couple of sets of conversion plans, but the didn't really appeal to me. I had a good 35mm camera, if I was going to an event just to shoot a hundred pictures.

However, if I wanted to make just one well thought out image, the Polaroid might be the cheapest alternative. It was on a very obscure blog that I found the answer. As usually happens, I found the answer almost by accident. As the blog's author said, the problem with the Polaroid was daylight loading. Carrying a small changing bag to unload it wasn't an issue. It was the loading of that second shot in the field on the hood of a car ect that became an issue.

What he had devised was a cardboard holder made from a cereal box. it was the size to fit the camera's opening. the holder was an envelope with one sheet of film. The film was nothing more than a sheet of 4x5 film trimmed and slipped inside the cardboard envelope,. The envelope had a square cut out to allow the light from the lens to strike the film. A long piece of black construction paper was slipped into the envelope to cover the opening, then the long excess was folded over.

Several of them could be carried to the field in an envelope. To load the camera the back was completely opened, then the film holder was placed across the camera's opening to the lens, the black paper tail was threaded around the roller and through the back as it was closed. Once the camera was ready to shoot the paper was pulled out, and the was ready to shoot. After the film was exposed the camera had to go into a changing bag to remove the exposed film, One could then slip the film into a small black envelope for storage outside the changing bag.

If a second shot was needed the whole thing could be done again. It was a long slow process which would definitely make one think before they pulled the trigger on the camera. Also to be considered was that the camera had a slow shutter. Plus it had only an average quality lens, so to get maximum sharpness, they designed the aperture to be very small. It went from and f8 to f36 so every exposure would be a long one I suspected. It would require a tripod and the subject to remain pretty darn still. It sounded like a pretty miserable way to capture an image, but it also sounded like a great story.

I put that idea on the back burner, but kept it in mind as a possibility. It would be a reasonably inexpensive hobby but one which would be time consuming. I knew that I would need things to occupy my time, so I kept the idea alive. I also knew that I did not have room for a full darkroom in my small living space. However, I had learned with the 35mm film that a scanner took up very little space. The bathroom or kitchen sink would work quite well to develop film. it was a doable project, so I began researching to the old Polaroids by model.

Did I want her to stop me? I suppose that it was possible. The only thing I was sure of, was that I was not going to start calling in favors for the Seymore Group. I never liked lawyers when I was on the line, so I wasn't about to start whoring for them after I left.

Mary didn't say a word during out drive to her condo. She opened her front door, then went into her kitchen for a cup of coffee, while I collected my things, I did it so fast, that I heard the microwave ding as I carried the bags out of the front door.

"Good luck on your case," I said as I left the condo for what I expected to be the last time. I didn't call or go by the Williams office of the Seymore Group. I just drove home. It was almost noon, so I fixed myself breakfast.

I had come to enjoy the cereal so I made a bowl. First I had to make up some powdered milk. I made a quart of powdered milk, then I added an ounce of evaporated milk From the container I kept sealed in the refrigerator. After being opened evaporated milk lasted much longer than fresh milk. The thin powdered milk was much easier to take with the addition of a little fat.

After breakfast I decided that it was time to get the bicycle, I had bought at the thrift store, into shape. The first thing I did was a lot of research on the Internet. I learned how to remove the rear wheel, and how to grease the bearings. Of course I first had to buy some bearing grease at the auto parts store. I also ran by Wal-mart for a bicycle chain breaker,

First I completely removed the bicycle chain by opening a link. Once it was off the bike, I used a big blue plastic Maxwell House Coffee can to mix up some cleaner for the chain. I used things I had stored under the sink. I had half a can of carburetor cleaner so I sprayed that into the coffee can. Then I added some gasoline from the lawnmower supply. The gasoline was stored under the deck at the rear of the duplex. I dropped the chain into the solution, before I started on the rear wheel,

Removing the wheel from the bike frame was the least of my problems. The real problem came when I tried to get to the bearings. It was a by hook or crook operation. The nuts where double locked. The easy way to explain that is one nut is added after the first nut is tight, They are then tightened against each other. That action prevents either from working loose due to vibration, or so the theory goes. I had to use my one wrenchwhich actually fit to hold the inside nut in place, then i used an adjustable wrench to turn the outside nut. It took some real muscle to break them loose. It also took well into the after noon to take them off, grease the bearings, then replace both axle assemblies.

While I was at it, I removed the front fork and greased those bearings as well as the one piece crank. It was late in the afternoon when I finished. I left the chain to soak overnight. I had no idea whether the soaking would cut the rust or not, but it was worth a try. If I hadn't had everything I used laying around, it might not have been. I could always get a new chain at Wal-Mart, if the witch's brew didn't work.

I spent the evening watching TV shows on the Internet. I did have to explain to Misty, who I am sure explained to Molly, that I was most likely finished working in Williams. While I worked on the bike and then on the computer, I had not bothered to turn on the phone. Actually there was no one I wished to have a conversation with at that time.

I took my morning walk at the park near my house. Since view as mostly trees and wooden bridges over streams, I enjoyed the walk through the park much better. It beat the hell out of a parking lot full of cars I could never afford, which was the view from the walk trail at Mary's condo/.

After the walk I sat on the rear deck working on the bike. I had it back together in short order. I decided to test ride it to the park. If it didn't wear me out completely, I might ride the bike to the park for my morning walks. With that in mind, I had measured the distance from my house to the park on the car's odometer. I was pretty set on giving it a try, so I took the bike for a test spin to find out how it would go.

The distance from my house to the park was exactly 1.2 miles mostly downhill. The problem is what goes down, mush come up again. The return trip was longer so that I could try to avoid the worst of the hills. I went an extra half mile to avoid a long steep hill that would surely test my metal . The test found me wanting. My heart couldn't pump enough oxygenated blood to prevent chest pain. I had afraid that it would be the case and the first bike trip proved that my fear was indeed reality. I didn't even make it to the big hill before I was gasping for air. I had trouble with even a small steep hill. The long ones were going to kick my butt for sure. The bike was proving to be a bad idea.

Testing it had been a bad idea as well, mostly because the ride reminded me how much I enjoyed the feeling of freedom provided by my motorbike when I was s kid. I could always buy a motorcycle, except that it would be four grand wasted. I just didn't have that kind of money to throw away.

The fifteen bucks for the bike would also be wasted, since there was no way my damaged heart could handle those big hills. Sure I could get in better shape and handle the small ones, but not the big ones. There was just on amount of exercise going to get me in good enough shape to do those. I rode and pushed the bike home. I would have given it away that night, if anyone had ask for it. Since they didn't I put a plastic tarp over it and moved on.

Did I want her to stop me? I suppose that it was possible. The only thing I was sure of, was that I was not going to start calling in favors for the Seymore Group. I never liked lawyers when I was on the line, so I wasn't about to start whoring for them after I left.

Mary didn't say a word during out drive to her condo. She opened her front door, then went into her kitchen for a cup of coffee, while I collected my things, I did it so fast, that I heard the microwave ding as I carried the bags out of the front door.

"Good luck on your case," I said as I left the condo for what I expected to be the last time. I didn't call or go by the Williams office of the Seymore Group. I just drove home. It was almost noon, so I fixed myself breakfast.

I had come to enjoy the cereal so I made a bowl. First I had to make up some powdered milk. I made a quart of powdered milk, then I added an ounce of evaporated milk From the container I kept sealed in the refrigerator. After being opened evaporated milk lasted much longer than fresh milk. The thin powdered milk was much easier to take with the addition of a little fat.

After breakfast I decided that it was time to get the bicycle, I had bought at the thrift store, into shape. The first thing I did was a lot of research on the Internet. I learned how to remove the rear wheel, and how to grease the bearings. Of course I first had to buy some bearing grease at the auto parts store. I also ran by Wal-mart for a bicycle chain breaker,

First I completely removed the bicycle chain by opening a link. Once it was off the bike, I used a big blue plastic Maxwell House Coffee can to mix up some cleaner for the chain. I used things I had stored under the sink. I had half a can of carburetor cleaner so I sprayed that into the coffee can. Then I added some gasoline from the lawnmower supply. The gasoline was stored under the deck at the rear of the duplex. I dropped the chain into the solution, before I started on the rear wheel,

Removing the wheel from the bike frame was the least of my problems. The real problem came when I tried to get to the bearings. It was a by hook or crook operation. The nuts where double locked. The easy way to explain that is one nut is added after the first nut is tight, They are then tightened against each other. That action prevents either from working loose due to vibration, or so the theory goes. I had to use my one wrenchwhich actually fit to hold the inside nut in place, then i used an adjustable wrench to turn the outside nut. It took some real muscle to break them loose. It also took well into the after noon to take them off, grease the bearings, then replace both axle assemblies.

While I was at it, I removed the front fork and greased those bearings as well as the one piece crank. It was late in the afternoon when I finished. I left the chain to soak overnight. I had no idea whether the soaking would cut the rust or not, but it was worth a try. If I hadn't had everything I used laying around, it might not have been. I could always get a new chain at Wal-Mart, if the witch's brew didn't work.

I spent the evening watching TV shows on the Internet. I did have to explain to Misty, who I am sure explained to Molly, that I was most likely finished working in Williams. While I worked on the bike and then on the computer, I had not bothered to turn on the phone. Actually there was no one I wished to have a conversation with at that time.

I took my morning walk at the park near my house. Since view as mostly trees and wooden bridges over streams, I enjoyed the walk through the park much better. It beat the hell out of a parking lot full of cars I could never afford, which was the view from the walk trail at Mary's condo/.

After the walk I sat on the rear deck working on the bike. I had it back together in short order. I decided to test ride it to the park. If it didn't wear me out completely, I might ride the bike to the park for my morning walks. With that in mind, I had measured the distance from my house to the park on the car's odometer. I was pretty set on giving it a try, so I took the bike for a test spin to find out how it would go.

The distance from my house to the park was exactly 1.2 miles mostly downhill. The problem is what goes down, mush come up again. The return trip was longer so that I could try to avoid the worst of the hills. I went an extra half mile to avoid a long steep hill that would surely test my metal . The test found me wanting. My heart couldn't pump enough oxygenated blood to prevent chest pain. I had afraid that it would be the case and the first bike trip proved that my fear was indeed reality. I didn't even make it to the big hill before I was gasping for air. I had trouble with even a small steep hill. The long ones were going to kick my butt for sure. The bike was proving to be a bad idea.

Testing it had been a bad idea as well, mostly because the ride reminded me how much I enjoyed the feeling of freedom provided by my motorbike when I was s kid. I could always buy a motorcycle, except that it would be four grand wasted. I just didn't have that kind of money to throw away.

The fifteen bucks for the bike would also be wasted, since there was no way my damaged heart could handle those big hills. Sure I could get in better shape and handle the small ones, but not the big ones. There was just on amount of exercise going to get me in good enough shape to do those. I rode and pushed the bike home. I would have given it away that night, if anyone had ask for it. Since they didn't I put a plastic tarp over it and moved on.

The morning routine was pretty much set. So that next morning. I was up first, showered and I dressed while Mary managed to get herself out of bed and dressed. We walked, I did two miles she did one. She was still a little weak from her hospital stay, but she was able to keep up the pace better with each walk.

After our walk, I changed into my work clothes. I useually watched the TV news while Mary puttered around her apartment at her own pace. That Monday was a little different. Mary got a call while she waited on the trail for me to finish my walk.

When we met on the wooded strip across from her house, Mary informed me that the call had been from a client in Carthage. The client was in jail and about to be arraigned. Mary told the client to plead not guilty, if we didn't make it in time. Even so she wanted to get started for Carthage as soon as possible.

Mary did her morning routine in a whirlwind fashion. I drank cup after cup of coffee with the TV news running in the background. I had everything ready for the twenty minute drive, when she emerged from her bedroom. I handed her coffee in a go cup as I hustled her out the door. I drove her car on the trip to Carthage.

The case of nerves we both felt was because she would be returning for the first time to the spot where she had been shot. Since there was a client in trouble, she couldn't ease into it. She would have to face her fear head on. Worst of all for me, I couldn't take the light weight .38 Brazilian made pistol inside the courthouse. My carry permit, might be good there, but the delay in clearing it through the metal detector would leave Mary unprotected for a short amount of time . Even that in that place was unacceptable.

I would just have to rely on the police and sheriff departments to do their jobs. Not a comforting thought after the incident the last time we were in the building. Still, I had no choice but go along.

Mary and I met with her client in a small room in the prisoner holding area. Almost most without exception, every prisoner with a lawyer plead not guilty at the first arraignment. Plea negotiations would begin after all the facts were brought out. Well as many of the facts as were known.

The client was an elderly white man, who looked terrified. He definitely would not do well in prison, I thought. "Mary, for god's sake get me out of here," he demanded.

"Calm down Everett, I am going to do what I can. On the phone you said this was all a mistake?"

"Yes, the police think I killed my wife. Honest to God Mary I could never harm Lucille."

"Then why do they think you killed her. They must have some reason to arrest you?" Mary said what I was thinking. I had to bite my tongue not to comment.

"I don't know. I called them for Gods sake. Mary fell down the basement stairs. When I saw her laying there, I called 911. I didn't know what to do, so I stood at the front door to show them the way to the basement. While they tried to help her an officer asked me a lot of questions. They took Lucille to the hospital where some doctor told me she was gone."

"So when did the police take you into custody/"

"They tried to ask me questions at the hospital but I told them I had a lawyer. I thought I should wait to talk to you. Then they said they were going to take me to the station, while they sorted it all out. I sat around for a couple of hours before they arrested me."

"Did they allow you to call our office?"

"Yes I called to leave a message. The woman who answered the phone told me to not talk to anyone at all until you arrived. I kept quiet"

"Everett, why did the police think that Lucille didn't just fall down the steps accidentally?"

"She had some scratches and bruises. Some of the scratches were old and some were fresh they said it was the same with the bruises. There was also something about her being in her night gown. They kept asking me why she would go down the stairs in her nigth clothes."

Mary's look was blank as far as I could tell. "Let's get you out of here first thing, then we can clear all this up. Do you own your home Everett?"

"Yes our home is paid for."

"You can probably use it as collateral for the bail. You might not needs to go through a bondsman at all. Or you could just put up cash as a bail. If the bail is more than we can arrange easily, I can suggest an honest bondsman."

Good luck in finding an honest bondsman, I thought

Mary turned to me, then said. "Mr Abba, could you call this number please. Speak with Edward Norris personally . Alert him that we might need him to post a bond.

"Will you be alright if I make this call outside?" She knew what I meant. I didn't want her to have a panic attack. It would definitely shake Everett's confidence in his mouthpiece.

"I'll be just fine."

"Well good morning Ms Seymore, it is good to see you back in court. So how does your client plead?" The judge asked twenty minutes later.

"Your honor, we pleads not guilty, of course, because he is." She said it with a charming smile.

"Of course," the judge said with only a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Certainly not enough to get him removed from the case. "Miss Sewell, what is the states position on bail.?"

"Remand your honor, the defendant pushed his elderly wife down the basement stairs," the younger woman said.

"Allegedly pushed," Mary interjected. "And your honor there is no history of violence here. My client has no idea what happened to his beloved wife."

"Save the flowery speaches for the trial. How much Miss Sewell?"

"We are requesting remand your honor," she said.

"That is outrageous your honor," Mary said angrily.

"You know better Miss Sewell, One million, cash or secured bond." the judge said.

"I don't have the kind of money," Everett whispered.

"That's why I had Mr Abba call Mr Norris. He is a bondsman and can arrange it."

"Why should I lose everything because the cops made a mistake?" Everett Ashton said angrily.

"You don't have to lose everything. You don't have to post bond at all. You cans stay in jail while we sort this out. It might take a few days or it might take a year. That is totally up to you." Mary put some steel into her words.

"Can I post bond anytime I want, or do I have to do it now?"

"There is no time limit. Why don't you give this some thought, then give me a call if you want to post bond. In the meantime I will try to find out why the police arrested you." Everett just nodded.

Once the jailer had taken Ashton away, I asked, "You don't really believe that the cops made a mistake do you?"

"It happens often enough," Mary suggested.

"Not as often as you would like to think."

"Could you call your friends and see what they have on my client?" She saw the look on my face then added, "Or not."

"You should act as if I weren't here," I suggested.

"You know we are paying you?"

"Well it was my understanding, that I was being paid as a body guard for you. Your dad is not paying enough for me to compromise my relationship with my friends."

"I see," she said.

"I hope you do."

"Would it compromise your relationship with your friends to walk with me to the police department and maybe give me some advice."

"What would you have done, if I weren't here?" I asked.

"Call one of our law clerks to run this information down."

"Then that's what you should do now." I could tell Mary was angry. I expected that her daddy would be as well.

"You know you probably don't need me. You and daddy could hire someone to baby sit you who would be a lot easier to get along with."

"I think that might be an excellent idea," she snapped.

"Good, I'll drive to your condo for my things and you won't have to worry about me again."

"It's like this. I have been doing a lot of reading on the web. I need a hobby but one that at least might pay for itself. What I have in mind is making mini posters. I have been reading about a guy in Pennsylvania who does it. I want to give it a try, but do it a little differently. So would you guys be willing to kind of model for the samples." I hurried on to explain that they got to keep their clothes on.

"I can't speak for Molly, but I would love to. Do I get copies of the posters?"

"Since you are my first, not only do you get copies but you get to pick the shots I use for them."

"Then when do we start?" she asked.

Rather than answer I went inside and came back with my 35mm camera. I would rather have used a different camera for the posters but I didn't have one. I shot pictures of the two of them individually. I decided that I wasn't quite ready for the 'we area a couple' look just yet.

Shortly after I shot the last frame, I took the film to the drugstore with the one hour lab inside. It took half an hour to get the negatives processed. So while they were being developed, I took my laundry to the Liu family laundry service. I found out about Lucy from a patrol sergeant for her district. The story goes that Lucy and her mother came to the US after the boat people fiasco of the seventies . Mom spoke no English but Lucy spoke a little, so they were inseperable. To avoid starvation mom found a small laundromat in a good area of town. Mom began doing wash for people in the public machines. All around her were white middle class women doing their wash as well. Soon Lucy's mom was doing almost all the wash for everyone who came in the place. She and Lucy stayed busy and they also saved their money. One day the place closed as a public laundromat and became the Liu family laundry.

I arranged to pick up the laundry the next day. Yes the Liu family laundry was open on Sundays. After the laundry visit, I returned to the drugstore for my negatives. The negatives kept me busy all afternoon. I stayed locked away in my bedroom with the scanner going full blast until dinner time. I took a short break for a grilled beef patty and salad, then it was back to the negatives.

I loved what Misty looked like on film, but Molly had the 'every woman' look which would be more realistic. I worked on a couple of versions before sleep overcame me. I hadn't realized just how long I had been working.

When I awoke the next morning, I went for my walk before I did anything else. First thing I did when I returned home was to check the images from the night before. I found that even half asleep I couldn't ruin Misty's images. She was just flat beautiful on film. Just to keep peace I transferred three images of each girl to a thumb drive. I planned to take it to the print shop after I picked up my laundry.

Lucy Liu, who had taken over after her mother retired, had a rule. Every order had a 24hour delivery time. It did not matter if the order were finished in one hour, she wouldn't even look for it until the 24hours had passed.

I continued to work on the images of my neighbors and tenants all morning. I had a bowl of cereal for lunch then went to the computer to continue my search for information. I made sure the time was right before I left for Office Depot. I had the girl behind the office services desk make me three prints of everything. Some of them were black and white others were color but I had three of everything made. The bill came to under $20 for 18 11x17 prints.

I had the cop discount with Lucy Liu, so my bill was always ten bucks. As long as my bag didn't weight more than twenty pounds and I brought my own hangers, I paid a flat ten dollars and eighty cents for the tax. It was a great deal but I expected her to find out that I had retired at any time. What difference that would make I had no idea. I was sure that it would make some kind of difference though.

When I returned home I found the girls from next door waiting for me. They were curious to see how they posters looked. "God I love this shot of you," Molly said to Misty. They pretty much ignored me while they went on and on about the poster images.

"Okay, you can use any of them you like," Misty said.

"Same goes for me. They really are cool." Molly agreed. I hated when a grown woman used the word cool, but I said nothing.

"Fair enough, I'll give you the digital images, if you give me a disk." I replied.

"How about just burning us a cd of everything," Misty suggested.

"Sure, I should have thought of that. I'll do it when I get back. I need to get ready to go to Williams for the week."

The drive to Williams didn't take nearly as long on Sunday. I suppose the traffic was worse on the weekday commuter drive than I had realized. `It was shortly after six when I arrived at Mary's condo. When she came to the door her eyes lit up. I was still worried that she might have an unrealistic view of our relationship, but I expected that the therapist would straighten her out. It was the reason I had insisted that she see one.

We watched TV for three hours like an old married couple, before I decided to go to bed. It was very early, but I had been up late the night before working with the kid's images. I heard Mary moving around, but she didn't come into the room. I felt pretty good about that. I had most likely been over reacting and even maybe a little wishful thinking as well, I decided,

Friday in the Seymore law office was mostly taking care of details before the weekend. Sort of clear the decks for the inevitable load of new clients on the way. Everything from DUI calls in the middle of the night, to husbands walking out on wives, seemed to double or triple over the weekend. There would be a rush of new work to begin Monday.

"Herbert had me tracing missing witnesses most of the day. I didn't mind the telephone work, since I was good at it. It didn't make it any easier that I had no real power to wield over the witnesses, but then it was just my job to find them, not to convince them to testify,

At the end of the day, I drove back to Carthage. Carthage was about a third the size of Williams, even that was larger than I would have liked. I didn't mind the fact that we had a mall or that we had strip malls all over hell, it was the rush hour traffic that irked me the most. The town had not been laid out for the kind of traffic we had. The traffic was the direct result of the over flow of worker bees from Williams. For some reason known only to themselves, all the home builders decided to build along a corridor between Williams and Carthage. What it did was to make traffic miserable in Carthage without adding a lot of services to the town itself. Most of the worker bees went back to Williams to shop.

Once I got past the new housing developments, things seemed to returned to small town life. Carthage seemed to be suffering from a split personality. I had managed to stay in my own part of the town until my commute to Williams began. After that I never saw the town the same.

"Hey, you are back." It was Molly who spoke to me.

"Yes, I made it home for the weekend. So how have things been?"

"Not so bad, Misty was tempted to cut the grass, but I told her to wait until the weekend to see what you had in mind. I thought you might not want her using your lawnmower."

"I don't mind that, but it's my job. You pay your rent and I keep the place up. It's kind of a tradition, I think." I smiled to let her know I was going to be cooperative. "So things are getting serious with you and Misty?"

"Not really, but she needs a place to stay for a while, you don't mind do you?"

"No, I don't mind but it is awfully small for two people. You had better be damn sure like each other or there will be a murder."

"Don't worry, we like each other just fine." I caught the smile, but I ignored it.

I made a quick dash to the store for a pre made salad, then grilled one of the butcher's hamburger patties. That along with a large glass of iced tea was my dinner. It kept me satisfied while I used to computer to check on a hundred things. I missed not having the computer at Mary's. I was more social without a computer, but the problem was that I was forced to be more social. I knew that I really should get a traveling computer.

I looked around on line for hours but just couldn't decide. I switched to doing research on cameras. That took me right up until midnight. I finally gave up on it all and crawled into my own bed. I slept just as I had at Mary's house. It seemed that I slept just fine no matter whose bed I was in. I hadn't slept in a lot of strange beds, so it was a nice thing to know.

I did the walk thing, then sat back at my computer for more research. I finally decided on a computer. Well it would be more honest to say that I decided where to buy a new computer. If I planned to work even on the edge of digital photography, I needed a better set up but a laptop with those specs would cost a small fortune.

It made more sense to upgrade my not too old desktop to do the heavy lifting first. Then to turn my mind to a smaller version I could take with me on the road. On the road being to Mary's house now and later to festival or reenactments.

With that decision made it was simply a matter of checking the specs on my desktop computer. From the manufacturers site I found that I had 500 megs of memory and a 10 gigabyte hard drive. The computer could operate with 2 gigs of memory and at least a 250 gigabyte hard drive. So I sat about buying the upgrades.

I bought four used 500 megabyte sticks of memory on ebay. Then I bought a 200 gigabyte hard drive there as well. I read the instruction on how to install it all and it sounded pretty simple. So I was reasonably confident.

Saturday for lunch I planned to get take out from the Doghouse. Everybody in the world claimed to have the best hot dogs. All of them except the Doghouse lied. I saw Molly and Misty sunning themselves on the deck. Molly looked okay in her bikini, she did have a kind of a blocky body after all. Misty on the other hand was a pure knockout. The idea I had rattling around in my head was moving closer to being a solid plan. I wanted Misty to be my first model, but I didn't want to hurt Molly's feelings. After all she was the one with the job, as well as the one paying rent on the unit next door.

"Hey girls, if that isn't illegal it should be," I said it smiling broadly.

"I checked, it isn't illegal not even in public." Misty said smiling back.

"I'm going to make a doghouse run, you guys want anything?"

"I would adore a doghouse with sauce," Molly said.

"That's a hotdog stand?" Misty asked.

'Something like that, so do you want one."

"Sure get me one with whatever you guys are having on it."

"I get slaw, onions, and sauce on mine it sounds like Molly just wants sauce, so pick your poison."

"Get mine like yours then," she suggested.

"Okay, I'll be right back." The drive and then the ordering through the clown took only a few minutes. I was back in less than fifteen minutes. I loved that the Doghouse was only a few blocks away.

After we finished out dogs on the decks, I decided to bring up the idea I had. "Girls I have a favor to ask. You don't have to agree, I won't hold it against you if you decide not to do it."

Friday in the Seymore law office was mostly taking care of details before the weekend. Sort of clear the decks for the inevitable load of new clients on the way. Everything from DUI calls in the middle of the night, to husbands walking out on wives, seemed to double or triple over the weekend. There would be a rush of new work to begin Monday.

"Herbert had me tracing missing witnesses most of the day. I didn't mind the telephone work, since I was good at it. It didn't make it any easier that I had no real power to wield over the witnesses, but then it was just my job to find them, not to convince them to testify,

At the end of the day, I drove back to Carthage. Carthage was about a third the size of Williams, even that was larger than I would have liked. I didn't mind the fact that we had a mall or that we had strip malls all over hell, it was the rush hour traffic that irked me the most. The town had not been laid out for the kind of traffic we had. The traffic was the direct result of the over flow of worker bees from Williams. For some reason known only to themselves, all the home builders decided to build along a corridor between Williams and Carthage. What it did was to make traffic miserable in Carthage without adding a lot of services to the town itself. Most of the worker bees went back to Williams to shop.

Once I got past the new housing developments, things seemed to returned to small town life. Carthage seemed to be suffering from a split personality. I had managed to stay in my own part of the town until my commute to Williams began. After that I never saw the town the same.

"Hey, you are back." It was Molly who spoke to me.

"Yes, I made it home for the weekend. So how have things been?"

"Not so bad, Misty was tempted to cut the grass, but I told her to wait until the weekend to see what you had in mind. I thought you might not want her using your lawnmower."

"I don't mind that, but it's my job. You pay your rent and I keep the place up. It's kind of a tradition, I think." I smiled to let her know I was going to be cooperative. "So things are getting serious with you and Misty?"

"Not really, but she needs a place to stay for a while, you don't mind do you?"

"No, I don't mind but it is awfully small for two people. You had better be damn sure like each other or there will be a murder."

"Don't worry, we like each other just fine." I caught the smile, but I ignored it.

I made a quick dash to the store for a pre made salad, then grilled one of the butcher's hamburger patties. That along with a large glass of iced tea was my dinner. It kept me satisfied while I used to computer to check on a hundred things. I missed not having the computer at Mary's. I was more social without a computer, but the problem was that I was forced to be more social. I knew that I really should get a traveling computer.

I looked around on line for hours but just couldn't decide. I switched to doing research on cameras. That took me right up until midnight. I finally gave up on it all and crawled into my own bed. I slept just as I had at Mary's house. It seemed that I slept just fine no matter whose bed I was in. I hadn't slept in a lot of strange beds, so it was a nice thing to know.

I did the walk thing, then sat back at my computer for more research. I finally decided on a computer. Well it would be more honest to say that I decided where to buy a new computer. If I planned to work even on the edge of digital photography, I needed a better set up but a laptop with those specs would cost a small fortune.

It made more sense to upgrade my not too old desktop to do the heavy lifting first. Then to turn my mind to a smaller version I could take with me on the road. On the road being to Mary's house now and later to festival or reenactments.

With that decision made it was simply a matter of checking the specs on my desktop computer. From the manufacturers site I found that I had 500 megs of memory and a 10 gigabyte hard drive. The computer could operate with 2 gigs of memory and at least a 250 gigabyte hard drive. So I sat about buying the upgrades.

I bought four used 500 megabyte sticks of memory on ebay. Then I bought a 200 gigabyte hard drive there as well. I read the instruction on how to install it all and it sounded pretty simple. So I was reasonably confident.

Saturday for lunch I planned to get take out from the Doghouse. Everybody in the world claimed to have the best hot dogs. All of them except the Doghouse lied. I saw Molly and Misty sunning themselves on the deck. Molly looked okay in her bikini, she did have a kind of a blocky body after all. Misty on the other hand was a pure knockout. The idea I had rattling around in my head was moving closer to being a solid plan. I wanted Misty to be my first model, but I didn't want to hurt Molly's feelings. After all she was the one with the job, as well as the one paying rent on the unit next door.

"Hey girls, if that isn't illegal it should be," I said it smiling broadly.

"I checked, it isn't illegal not even in public." Misty said smiling back.

"I'm going to make a doghouse run, you guys want anything?"

"I would adore a doghouse with sauce," Molly said.

"That's a hotdog stand?" Misty asked.

'Something like that, so do you want one."

"Sure get me one with whatever you guys are having on it."

"I get slaw, onions, and sauce on mine it sounds like Molly just wants sauce, so pick your poison."

"Get mine like yours then," she suggested.

"Okay, I'll be right back." The drive and then the ordering through the clown took only a few minutes. I was back in less than fifteen minutes. I loved that the Doghouse was only a few blocks away.

After we finished out dogs on the decks, I decided to bring up the idea I had. "Girls I have a favor to ask. You don't have to agree, I won't hold it against you if you decide not to do it."

I awoke a 6AM. As usual I was already awake when my small alarm clock buzzed. I slipped across the hall in my underwear in order to shower. I was dressed a few minutes later, but that morning I wore old clothes for my walk. I usually walked on the way to work, so I was dressed for the day, except for the shirt. That I did change before I left the park for the office. Since I would be leaving Mary's Condo, I had time to change completely.

I knocked on her door as I called out, "Wake up sleepy head. It's time to take our walk before breakfast."

I went to the kitchen only after I heard her mumble something through the bedroom door. She had one of those fancy coffee makers, so I just reheated last night's coffee in the microwave. I was surprised when she showed up in the kitchen just a few minutes later. She wasn't made up or well dressed, but she still managed to look attractive but most of all she still looked rich. I guessed that it was because she had treated herself well enough over the years to minimize the effects of the passing years.

"Now, if you get tired stop and come home. This is supposed to be exorcize not torture." I said that as we crossed the parking lot. We joined the trail through one of the many openings in the trees. I gauged the length of the walk by my elapsed walk time. I could walk a mile in about twenty minutes. I walked anywhere from forty minutes to one hour every morning. That came out to be about two to three miles a day.

One complete turn around her complex took me twenty seven minutes. Mary could complete only one that first day, I went for two. I figured I walked almost three miles and that was a fair walk. When I returned to the condo, I found the door unlocked because Mary was in the shower. I quickly changed for the office. I returned to the kitchen for more coffee. I drank the day old, even thought there was fresh coffee dripping into the pot. The day old would be stronger I knew.

"Want to stop for breakfast on the way in?" she asked when she emerged from her room. She was all dressed and made up like a big time lawyer. I almost laughed at the thought.

"No thanks it's a little early for me to have breakfast. I try to eat only one meal during the day. I like to have it around eleven or twelve. Then of course I have dinner at six or so."

"I see, well I like a good breakfast and a quick lunch."

"That's good, but your lunch she be very light." I knew that I was treading on thin ice. Women do not like to be criticized for their eating habits. I was walking a fine line.

The day at work went well. I went with her to the courthouse then back to the office where she was to meet with clients all morning. Since that was the case, I went to work on one of the court summons that needed to be served.

I had very little information on the second paper I wanted to serve, so I set up a slightly more elaborate scam. I turned on a mp3 player with classic rock music, then I called his home. Since he didn't seem to be working I expected him to answer. When he did I informed him that he had won tickets to an upcoming concert as a promotion for our satellite radio station. I gave him the false impression that my non existent radio station was the concert sponsor. If he would give me a time and location, I would have the tickets delivered by courier. I even gave him the name of the courier service, so that he wouldn't worry. Of course it was Lightening Express. By three O'clock that afternoon, he had the summons and I had his signature.

When I returned to the office, Mary was gone. I was a little concerned until I was told she had gone for her first visit to the Therapist. I was surprised that she could get an appointment so soon, then I remembered that the therapist was a friend of her dad's. Also that it wasn't a formal situation. The therapist was one of his church pastors as well.

"So how was it?" I asked upon her return.

"It was good, but he thinks we should be married."

"What?" I was shocked and it showed.

"Don't worry, I explained that even though you were staying in my house, we weren't doing the deed."

"Hey, don't say that so loud. I have a reputation to think about," I suggested while smiling broadly.

We spend another quiet evening at home. She didn't seem to be trying as hard to entertain me as she had the night before. Things went just fine.

As a matter of fact things plugged along just fine until Friday morning. Even then it went okay until I brought my suitcase into the living room just before we left for work.

"What the hell is that for?" she asked angrily.

"I moved here to be in the office on time and there is no work tomorrow. Don't worry I'll be back on Sunday night."

"Oh okay, I was worried that you were leaving me alone completely."

"Mary, you don't really need a babysitter in your own home. To be honest you don't really need one at the office. Talk to your therapist, maybe there is a way to ease back into your normal life."

"You aren't going to leave me, until I am ready are you?" She looked almost on the edge of panic.

"No, I'm not going anywhere until you are ready to be on your own. But I am going home to take care of things there." With that the subject was closed.

"We need to talk," It was Herbert Seymore who said it from his office doorway.

I walked past him as he held the door. He held it so that he could close the door behind me. I expected that Mary had told him about out agreement, so I was ready to defend myself. I was also ready to look for a new job.

"I got a call from Mr. Edward's attorney. He is screaming foul."

"Ah well, I didn't really think I would have any luck going about it the same way everyone else had."

"You wouldn't have," Herbert agreed. "The bastard has been using the community property as collateral for his floor plan." I knew what floor plan was, so I just nodded. He didn't have to explain that it was the bank loan to cover the short term financing of the cars he had on his lot. No dealer had enough money to buy those cars. Almost all cars on a sales lot are financed to the hilt, plus some extra collateral as well.

"What I wanted to say was that your serving that paper was an unexpected bonus. I appreciate you doing it, you certainly didn't have to."

"Oh, I need to feel that I am paying my own way. This sitting around with my finger up my ass, just isn't my style."

"I know but maybe it won't be much longer. Mary called a therapist I know, he is also an assistant Church pastor, so I trust him."

"Herbert I have to tell you something. You probably aren't going to like it." I figured better than he hear from me rather than an office secretary.

"Mary told me, I was pissed at first, but I have a feeling you know what you are doing."

"Hell, I never know what I'm doing, but I'm planning to help her not hurt her. I want you to believe that."

"Oh I do or I would have you killed." He might have treated it as a Joke but I knew better. He had surely come into contact with people, who could and would do it without a moments hesitation.

Much later that evening, back in Carthage, I explained to Molly that I might not be around at all on weekdays for a while. I also informed her that I would be home on weekends. I told her so that she wouldn't worry about me or try to take advantage of the situation. I told her about coming home on the weekends even before I told Mary. She might or might not have figured out that it wasn't a livein bodyguard arrangement. I expected that she would on Friday afternoon when I didn't show up at her place after work. I knew that would be cruel so i planned to tell her in as nice a way as I could. The arrangement had been so that I would be in the office at 9AM. Being there at nine didn't require me to stay at the condo on Friday or Saturday nights.

I packed enough clothes for the rest of the week, then off I went to Williams. The little GPS locator aimed me right to Mary's Condominium. Those things were a lot of fun, but I didn't travel enough to make it really worthwhile.

My first evening with Mary was awkward. Neither of us really knew how to act, since we had not fully defined our relationship or our roles in it. Was she a hostess, or a roommate? Was I a bodyguard, or friend? Were we going to be more than friends? Definitely not more than friends, but she might not know that. I was just walking on eggs.

"So have you found us a place to walk tomorrow?" I asked it over my salad and steak. At home it would have been salads and hamburger patty.

'There is a trail that runs around the complex. It goes through the trees along the perimeter." she said.

"That is a good use of the buffer space," I commented, Since the complex had to screen the itself from the neighboring subdivision, the hiking/biking trail turned it from wasted space to a selling feature of the complex. "So how far is it around the complex?'

"I don't have any idea," she admitted.

"Well I have a pedometer, I can measure it in the morning. At least as far as you can make it on the first day." I laughed when she stuck out her tongue at me.

After dinner she put the dishes in the dishwasher while I moved to the living room. I turned on the 24hour news channel to see what was going on in the world. The news was all bad as I expected. Since I didn't own a laptop, I had to suffer with cable TV and conversation. I just am not good with conversation.

About eight I found a movie to watch on the cable station from Atlanta. While I began watching it Mary left the room. "Do you mind me watching this? I mean is there something you usually watch?"

"No, you go right ahead. I just have to get out of these work clothes."

That scared the hell out of me. I felt much better when she came back in a jogging suit. it was a tailored suit and it showed off her curves much better than any exercise outfit I had ever seen it also was thick enough not to be really sexy, except in her case it should have been called a joggling suit for obvious reasons. I didn't want to tell her to go get dressed so I ignored the movement inside her top as much as possible. I figured that mentioning it would been very bad form. She seemed to be smart enough to realize the effect that her outfit had on people in general. i certainly was not immune.

The suit almost hid the fact that she needed to drop a few pounds. She had most likely already dropped some during her hospital stay. I guessed that since the suit was a little loose at the hips. Still there were a few extra pounds here and there on her frame. I certainly had no room to talk, I had at least twice and probably a lot more that I needed to lose. So we did have something in common after all. I thought it, but said nothing.

Mary had to be at least in the her early thirties, maybe a little more. She had wrinkles but not very deep ones, so maybe it was early thirties. She was a blonde but I doubted seriously that it was natural. Her eyes were too dark and her father had very dark hair as well. Still it was an excellent job. It should have been, I'm sure Mary Seymore had plenty of income. The condo was modest in size but it was very well decorated.

Since I had removed the pistol, when I dropped my suitcase, I was already as comfortable as I would get in public. I enjoyed the movie and the company. I had been alone since my divorce, so having a woman around was both a treat, and an annoyance. Annoyance in that I had to make conversation, and a treat in that I had someone with whom to share my thoughts. Everything seemed to be a two edged sword.

I left her awake when I went to bed. I was grateful that I had no midnight visitors. Neither Mary, not dreams of the people I had killed, visited me that night. Maybe it was just as she said, and there was no Messiah feelings after all.

The next morning I had been on the trail about five minutes when the damn cell phone chirped. "Hello," I'm sure my irritation went through the phone.

"John, it me Mary." I realized how silly that sounded but I said nothing. "I need to be at the courthouse here in Williams at nine, can you be here early?"

"Mary, I'm on the trail walking right now. It's 7:30 right now it's going to be at least nine before I can even begin the drive. It's at least a 30 minute drive, If I make all the lights. The short answer is no I can't make it that early." I could sense her disappointment. I hoped that there wasn't panic mixed in but I just couldn't do anything else. At least I refused to do anything else.

"I'll have to either wait or figure something else out," she said shortly.

"Yes, I suppose you will." When she didn't say anything else I broke the connection. I thought she had already done so. When I got to the office I found out different.

"You hung up on me. How could you?"

"Actually I thought you had already broken the connection but even so there was nothing else to say. There was nothing I could do. I made it very clear to your dad that I could not be here before 10 AM."

I saw her take a really deep breath to calm down. "I can't be late for court every morning. I know you need to walk, hell I should walk in the morning myself." She tried to make me think that it was a spur of the moment idea, but I knew better. How long she had been working on it was the only thing I didn't know. "Why don't we walk together?"

"Because it wouldn't solve any problems. I still can't get here till ten. It's the drive as much as anything. I can't get to the park or the mall until after seven. Then the walk is around an hour so that makes it after eight. I have to change and clean up a little so its going to be after 9AM every morning."

"Yes but if you moved to Williams, you could cut an hour off that time."

"Mary, this is a temporary arrangement. I don't think it makes sense for me to move here. Why not just hire someone local to take care of this."

"No I feel safe with you. Why don't you stay with me. I have a guestroom." She looked me right in the eye."

"That is a really bad idea. You father will have a fit and rightly so. You are still shaky from the shooting it would be a monumental mistake to take on something of this magnitude."

"What you being my roommate. I hope you didn't think I was trying to recruit you as a lover."

I knew better she saw me as her savior. It was a typical emotional reaction and all cops have seen it. Most of the time we don't give in to it, but now and then we do. It always ends badly, and I mean always. "Let me talk this over with your dad."

"I don't need my father's permission and neither do you."

"Alright then here is the deal. Since this is temporary until you get a handle on how you can cope with what happened, I will stay in your guest room but only if you see a therapist and only for a limited time."

"How long?" she asked.

"You get the name of a therapist, and I will stay one month or until you decide that you don't need me." I regretted it just as soon as it was out of my mouth.

"It's a deal. Find us a place to walk and bring your things over after work." I shook my head, but a deal was a deal.

Mary informed me after lunch that she had an appointment with a Christian therapist her dad knew. Her father was thrilled. Somehow I doubted that she had told him about her new roomie.

After hearing that I took the summons for the used car dealer and left the office. I stopped at the office depot and had a print made from my digital file. I had the teenie bopper behind the counter laminate it, the I trimmed it and found one of those snap on clips to attach it to my shirt. I had a pretty impressive oversized ID card the kind employees are given so people know who they work for. Except that Lightning Express Courier Service did not exist, except in my twisted mind.

At home depot I picked up an envelope and made a lot of marks in block letters. then I stuffed it with paper I bought there as well. I spend about five bucks turning the summons into a package from the DMV. One that could easily contain a license plate.

"This dude has to sign for the package," I said to the receptionist who tried to put me off.

"Our License plates come through the mail," she said suspiciously.

"Lady, I don't know what is in it. I know I picked it up from our terminal and I am here to deliver it. If somebody don't sign, then I'm taking it back. My guess is, if somebody sprang for a special courier it is important. Personally I get paid either way, but I get paid by the delivery so sign, get him to sign or I'm out of here."

"What the hell is it," the mooch said as he came out of his office.

"I got this here package for James Edwards. If that is you sign here and it's yours. If not I'm out of here. I can write a note to go back to the consignor that you were unwilling to accept it."

"Damn Margie it's from the DMV," he said that as he signed on line ten. The nine people above him were just strangers who thought they were signing a petition to have a road repaired. Once he signed, I took the clipboard from him and said, "See you in court. And if you think about fighting this service, I was a cop for over twenty years and I have testified more times than your lawyer. I make a hell of a witness. It's why I get the big bucks, so just give it up." I walked away whistling.

"Sign this one, it a non disclosure agreement." I looked up at her. "Think of it as the Las Vegas claus what you learn here, stays here."

"I can do that," I said signing the paper.

"This is a background information form all new employees fill out for the bar association." It was a two page form. It was going to take a while, so I put it aside while I signed two tax forms and a direct deposit form, so that my pay check could be deposited.

With no more easy forms, I started on the information thing. "You know this is just temporary," The office manager said.

"Yes and that's just fine. I don't like the drive over here to work."

"She needs some real professional help to deal with what happened to her. She doesn't need someone to hold her hand." The manager said it but I agreed.

"I'm no expert, but I have been told that professional help ain't worth spit, until the patient is ready to ask for it. With a little luck she will decide that she needs it on her own. Maybe trying to beat her over the head with it so soon, isn't such a good idea."

The old bat just glared at me. I knew she was thinking that I was trying to milk the cow for all I could get. She was entitled to her opinion. I planned to find a way to earn my keep, for as long as I stayed. She made photocopies of all my identification papers. My civilian carry permit had come through at the last minute, so she had to find it on the computer to make the copy.

"Would you make me a copy as well? I might need to show to someone someday." It was the last thing on her list so she dismissed me. It was irritating but I let it ride

"Are you through with the dragon lady?" Mary asked as she saw me wandering away from the office manager's desk.

"All through and ready to work. What is next?"

"We are going to the courthouse. I want to show you off. I'll be the only lawyer there with my own bodyguard."

"And I thought I was your driver, companion, and friend," I said with a smile.

"Ouch," she said smiling. "I am so glad you wore the suit. I can have you sit at the counsel table.

"I would prefer to mingle with the crowd," I saw her expression then added, "But today I'll sit with you."

I knew for a fact that almost nothing ever happened in the courthouse. It was going to be a boring day and I couldn't even read a book. I might as well be on jury duty. On TV you see body guards doing all kinds of interesting stuff. Someone is trying to kill their client every minute. Well that just ain't the way it really is. It is almost like watching grass grow. There is seldom the need to even move from your position, except to go to the bathroom.

That's what my time in court was. I stayed with Mary all morning. It was truly a boring time. When we arrived back in the office I was ready to run out the door screaming. Mary was in her office behind closed doors, when I walked to the old man's office. He didn't look too busy so I knocked.

"Come in Abba," he said in response.

"Mr. Seymore, this isn't going to work out. I am going to fall asleep in the courtroom and that isn't any help to anyone. Let's get her into counseling instead."

"John, I don't expect you to be a white knight. You and I both know that the odds of what happened to my daughter happening again are about the same as her being hit by space junk. We understand that, but she doesn't. Let's give her a little time to figure it out on her own. She is no idiot, she will get it."

"I need real work to do Mr. Seymore. Can you get her to stay out of the courthouse and here with you. I think I can convince her to let me go out to serve papers or something, at least while we are in the office." It was my last hope for a compromise.

"She has cases already scheduled, but I'll see what I can do. I'll try to set up a schedule to ease her back into court, rather than throw her in. If you convince her to cut you loose, there are always things you can do."

"Fair enough," I replied.

"Whenever you have some time, just see the office manager for things to do." I just nodded as I left his office.

Mary and I were back in court after two hours for lunch. After that I checked in with the office manager. "Mr. Seymore suggested you might have something I could do during the downtime."

"I see, well if you want to be a process server, I have one or two that nobody has been able to get served."

"I would like to take a crack at them." The plan was to take a look at them then make a plan. I didn't expect to go out to work on them that minute. There were three people who were avoiding service. All of them were being sued by exwifes. It looked as though men would pay just about anyone before their exwife.

The other things these three had in common was that they were all business executives. They all had separation agreements that didn't require a division of assets until the final divorce settlement. The longer they could put it off, the more assets they could add to a personal portfolio using the disputed assets as collateral. That explanation came from Mary.

"You know you don't have to do process serving. My dad would be just as happy if you kept me company all day. He thinks I might be headed around the bend. I'm just afraid all the time now."

"I want to see what is involved in process serving and why people hate it so much. As for you Mary, you need a little more time. Then you might want to take other steps to help you figure out how you really feel."

She went back into her office while I sat in the small conference room reading the notes of the last people who tried to serve the papers. There was no sense in me just running off to the guy's office he would just use whatever dodge he had used before. I began thinking of all the things I had ever done, or heard of being done to con a suspect. There were a ton of cons that could be worked but most were yo expensive or so involved so that they would be counter productive.

The plan I formulated was going to be dependant on my computer and about an hour of time on it. Then a good print shop was going to be needed. That was the downside, the upside was that with a little luck, I could use it on all of the papers. It might get old but not before I had cleaned up the Seymore office files.

While I looked over the file I munched on the sandwich I bought when Mary bought hers. I stayed with my dry egg and cheese on a hamburger bun. It was working for the diet and I wanted to stay at it. I was having a very late breakfast and thought it would hold me till dinner.

When Mary finished her courtroom time, she stopped at the clerks office for some additional paperwork. While she was in the clerk's office I waited outside with the commoners. The day ended with me returning her safely to the office.

On the drive home I put the finishing touches on my plan. Part of the plan required a trip to the local thrift store. I had been planning to buy a bicycle anyway for my photo hobby, so I didn't even bother with keeping a receipt to give to Seymore. I bought an old 12 speed bike. No one would be inspecting it. Even if they did, it would fit the image. I didn't care if the gears worked or not so of course they worked just fine.

I drove the bike home in the truck of my car. I did make one stop along the way. I stop at WalMart for a bicycle rack for the trunk lid of my car.

At home I cooked a hamburger patty. I still had a couple of bags of unopened salad. I opened one of those and devoured it with the burger. I had finally gotten used to the meal, so I wasn't starving right after. While I was finishing my meal at the wooden TV tray on the deck, Misty walked onto Molly's deck.

"Hello, Sergeant Abba," she said.

"I'm not a sergeant any more. It's either John or just Abba."

"Okay John, how was your day."

"Boring as hell, how was yours?"

"Mostly boring, but I do like the course. I just wish we could wet more ride along time."

"Oh really how much do you get?"

"We do two evenings with each of the local departments. There are three departments in the area."

"Are you over 21?"

"Yes but just," she replied.

"Hold on," I used the cell phone to call the patrol lieutenant for D squad. "Al, it's Abba," I said into the phone.

"I thought you were dead," he said with a smile in his voice.

"Nah, I might as well be. I'm retried."

"Well, if you are going to be pushed out of the plane, it's the best way to go."

"Yeah, at least I got half a parachute."

"So what can I do for you?" he asked.

"I got a friend, who has a daughter in rookie school. He wants to convince her to drop out. How about arranging a few ride alongs, so she get the real picture of the job."

"What you mean your friend doesn't believe the TV image?"

"Yeah, he is the one who doesn't.'

"So whose name do I leave the authorization in?"

"Hold on I'll ask." I turned to Misty, "Give me the name on your driver's license."

"Amy Louise Renfro," she said simply.

"Make it for Amy Louise Renfro. It would be nice to have it open, so she can fit it into her school schedule."

"Tell her to call ahead and be sure D squad is on the line."

"Thanks Al, now be nice to her, but not too nice."

"Damn Abba, it's guys like you who take all the fun out of the job."

After the call I explained it all to her. Her face lit up and I realized again what a natural beauty she was. Another kernel of an idea began moving around inside my head.