Natalie: I wrote that house up that way because there have been times, since my kids are grown, when I wish I could have just expanded my walls like that travel trailer. As a matter of fact, we used the RV as extra sleeping quarters many times. Now they're scattered everywhere and I spend holidays with them...Thank God!!!
I grew up in a five bedroom, huge, huge house in Pennsylvania and we always had room for visitors. It was great. XAF RU208:
Eve: So glad you are enjoying this...I wasn't sure if it would be accepted due to the story line but it seems you guys are buying into it. Thanks.
*~*~*
Chapter: 11
When we got in mom’s car after being dropped off by Doug mom had me call dad to tell him to bring my bedroom furniture…and every thing else in my bedroom with him and to bring Grandma’s boxes out of storage. He had to rent a truck he might as well fill it up.
“We won’t buy you any furniture for your room Liz. We don’t know what’s in that pool house but when this is all over we can use your furniture for in there if you don’t want it for your own place some day. Oh God Liz, I think I’m going to pee my pants I’m so excited.”
God, I don’t think I have ever seen my mother like this…and is she fun.
“Mom, you have to settle down. What has gotten into you anyway. You have never done a spontaneous thing in your life and to do this is outrageous!”
“I know Liz, isn’t it fun?”
“Fun? Good God… I had no idea you and dad had this kind of money…what did you do? Rob a bank?”
And my mother laughed.
“No sweetie. You know your grandmother left you a nice legacy but do you realize the royalties we get every year on the sale of your grandmother’s books. The last one she wrote is required reading in every university and college archaeology department on earth. I forget how many languages it’s written in. Your dad told me that if I ever found the house I wanted to just get it. I have been living above that diner since day one and now I have room to invite people to come and visit…I can serve a meal at a real dining room table. I can realize a dream I have had since I was a little girl. I’m just sorry that I could never do this with you Liz.”
My mother made me feel awful…I hope she didn’t think my childhood was lacking because it certainly was not.
“Oh mom…please don’t ever think that I felt like our home wasn’t good enough to invite my friends over. You know that isn’t true. There was always a house full of kids while I was growing up. It never entered my mind that it wasn’t enough. It was filled with love and fun and isn’t that what it’s all about anyway?”
“Yes sweetie it is. And now we will build a fun and loving home around this building. I have no intentions of making it pretentious. It will be cozy, warm and inviting and people will love to come and we will have room for them to stay and enjoy themselves for more than an afternoon. I am so excited I can hardly wait until your father gets here. Now, we need to find something for that master bedroom. You can have it and I’ll take your room for the time being since I won’t be staying all of the time. I want to look around but I want your father to help pick the stuff out with me. It’s going to be his room too.”
I smiled warmly at my mother. I knew dad wouldn’t care what she wanted after having our last conversation. This is the first time I have ever actually visited with my mother alone on an adult level and she really is fun to be around.
*
Meanwhile, in another part of town Doug Shellow was on the phone with someone…
“Well Jose’, have you found out anything of interest?”
“No sir, only that you had a date with the lady once a long time ago and I think we can stop the surveillance. These two women are talking furniture, houses, company and entertaining people. This is a waste of our time senor.”
“Well, okay…take the device off the car tonight. We don’t want them finding it and calling in the police to see what’s going on.”
“Yes sir.”
*
Max:
“Hey Jimmy, just checking in. Kyle, Michael and I spent the week-end going over plans and we think we’ve come up with some pretty simple ideas that should yield us the greatest amount of information. We all agreed on keeping it simple as well as covert. I have four guys that I’m going to use at the border. That way a person in the know will be working at all times. We’ll change the tapes daily and I will pick them up and make the exchanges myself and I also have given the four men mini camcorders to photograph the faces in the vehicles. The video cameras that are set up at the border don’t always get all of the occupants in the vehicles and we do want to see all of the faces. There is also a few miles that are traveled before the border check point and I think we need to set up a hidden camera closer to the border to photograph anyone coming across that doesn’t make it as far as the check point. I don’t know how they would do it but it is possible.”
“I agree Max. We are transferring one of our agents from our L.A. office to the New Mexico area as we speak. This agent will still answer to the L.A. office but for the time being will be on loan. The agent’s expertise is a certain field that I think will be best utilized in New Mexico but will remain undercover for obvious reasons. Good job Max and we’ll be in contact. Take care.”
“Will do Jimmy. So long.”
*
Jeff:
“Jim, can you take the day off and come over and give me a hand. I’m only asking because I need to take a drive to Columbus. Nancy found a house she wants to buy and I need to move Liz’s bedroom stuff.”
“What in the hell are you talking about Jeff? Are you selling the Crash?”
“Not any time soon Jim, but I did tell Nancy that if she ever saw a place she wanted to go ahead and get it…I just never dreamed she would find some place out of Roswell. Anyway, she and Liz are down there setting up a place for Liz to live in that isn’t too expensive while she’s in school …little did I know it was going to cost me half a million.”
“Christ, what did she find? A damned mansion?”
“Well, if it’s anything like the pictures Liz e-mailed me I think it’s a small one. Anyway, can you come over?”
“Hell yes…I’ll even take a drive with you, I need to see this place.”
“Well alright then. Get over here and I’ll treat you to lunch.”
And with that the men hung up. It wasn’t but half an hour later that Jeff was sitting in a booth having coffee with the local sheriff and talking about the real reason Liz was in Columbus and his role in the game that was going down.
“Wow Jeff. I knew this was a big operation when they called me but I had no idea just how big. I was in D C for a meeting awhile back and we were told to enlist only those people we totally trusted and so far I haven’t found anyone but it looks like that has been taken care of for me. We aren’t to know any more of the people in the task force than is necessary for obvious reasons since this is a nationwide operation but I didn’t know we were going to use civilians. Wow. I didn’t know Liz worked for the D E A…how long has she been with them?”
“A little over a year now. We were told not to tell anyone when she hired on and we couldn’t understand exactly why since she is a forensic scientist and works in a lab but now I guess it was a good thing. Her cover is that she’s going to Las Cruces to school and Columbus is a cheaper place to live. Cheaper for whom I don’t know.”
And Jim started to laugh.
“Anyway, I guess the girls have been hitting all of the thrift shops and antique shops in and around Columbus and Nancy wants to get a king sized box springs and mattress and some linens delivered to the place as soon as possible so they can leave the bed and breakfast they are staying in. Nancy said Liz found a bug in the telephone…Liz has a scrambler built into the buckle on her purse but she still wants to get out of there. I guess the real estate agent is the guy Liz had that blind date with back in high school…that’s another story altogether. I’ll tell you on our way to Columbus. Oh, and I think you should lose the badge and gun for the day, We don’t want to bring any more attention to Liz than we have to. Kyle was involved in that blind date fiasco as well…did you know that?”
“Hell no, what did he have to do with it?”
“Just wait till we’re on the road. You won’t believe it.”
*
Liz:
“Hey John. My mom bought a house here in Columbus and my dad is on his way with my old bedroom furniture as we speak. I need to fill you in on some stuff.”
I stepped out of Sears while my mom ordered a king sized box spring and mattress set and a humongous Jenn-aire refrigerator to be delivered as soon as possible. After she got that settled she was going to go get some sheets, pillows and blankets, towels... Looks like she’s moving.
“When my mom called dad the other night she heard a funny clicking on the phone so I unscrewed the receiver and there was a bug in it. I think the house once belonged to someone, shall we say, not so clean and I think it needs to be swept before we move in. We are both very careful about what we talk about to each other except when we’re outside but you never know…we can’t be on the look out constantly. So, let’s say, if the movers pulled in with the bikes and pulled them into the garage unseen and then started unloading computer equipment and supplies into the house they could do some checking right.”
“Right…she actually bought a house?”
“Yes she did, plenty of room to have Trevor and Joey, you and Jill and a few more move in for the summer if you wanted to.” And I giggled.
“And she wants the D.E.A. to rent this place for the duration of the operation?”
“I’m not so sure she cares John…she’s in love and not in the adulterous way. She took one look at this place from the outside and couldn’t wait to get in then she had me e-mail pictures to my dad. It took her ten minutes to buy it. It’s got 7 huge bedroom suites and the one off the master could be an eighth. There’s 8 full bathrooms and a half bath off the living area for guests. Wait until you see this place. This is why I think it’s gangster related. Have you found anything out about Doug Shellow yet?”
“Well, yes and no. He’s been on our radar for about three years but we don’t have anything that we can hold him on.”
“Okay, I will keep my eyes and ears open for anything that looks suspicious. And I know, don’t do anything but gather information. How are Trevor and Joey?”
I noticed a lady watching me using my cell phone so I immediately changed gears…
“They’re fine, can’t stop talking about how much fun they had. Their mom is making them write your folks thank you notes for the hospitality.”
“Ah, they don’t have to do that but mom will love it. Tell them and Jill that I said hi. I’ll probably be here until Friday. We’re still getting the lay of the land and mom is buying linens as we speak. I suppose I should go help her. I’ll call tomorrow and let you know how things are going. Take care John.”
And I signed off. The lady that was watching me was still looking at me strangely and I chose to ignore her…I finally figured it out…it was Vicky Delaney from High School. I don’t need to be running into any more people that I know in this strange little town. What the hell is this…a stomping ground for ex-Roswellians? Shit!
*
It was well after nine by the time dad and Jim arrived in Columbus and the first thing dad wanted to do was to go see what in the hell had cost him a half million dollars. Mom and I both laughed at him and Jim just shook his head after giving me a big hug hello. He looked strange in his baseball cap and tennis shoes and I told him so.
“Your dad made me travel incognito Liz…insisted it was best for you not to be seen with a sheriff.”
“Well, sheriff, after the last two days I’m not so sure it’s going to matter. I saw an old high school alumnus this afternoon while mom was shopping for sheets and towels. God dad, wait until you see the refrigerator, washer and dryer she bought. She also bought a bunch of small appliances too. My God she could open a Laundromat and the refrigerator looks as big as the one in the crash.”
Dad and Jim both laughed. Of course I’m used to the one in my apartment and it’s just big enough for the necessities of life for a week tops.
We headed out to the house, Doug had given mom the keys earlier in the day and dad and Jim unloaded my old bed and we chose a room to put it in. the appliances and other bed would be delivered tomorrow but Jim decided to sleep in the house tonight.
“Holy shit Nancy, couldn’t you find something bigger?”
Dad couldn’t believe the size of the place and I started to giggle and Jim out and out laughed.
“Nancy, I’m going to be here for every holiday during the year; you have enough room here to entertain half the town.”
“Now both of you behave…you know that’s not true, but you are welcome to come anytime you want to Jim and it doesn’t have to be a holiday. Would you like a cup of coffee. I have a nice new pot, had the utilities turned on today and bought some staples. I think I’ll put the Christmas tree over there.”
Dad choked, I giggled and Jim said,
“Coffee sounds good”
And mom was in seventh heaven…she got out the new cups and saucers some spoons and then filled the sugar bowl. She moved around that kitchen like she had lived there for years and Dad just sat there on the bar stool and smiled. He was as happy as mom.
***
As for the houses, as a rule they don't come furnished, this was a fluke.