SHOOTING THE RAPIDS

By: Kenda

A.J. hunkered into his pale blue jacket, regretting that he hadn’t put his rain slicker in the car before leaving home.  It didn’t rain often in San Diego, but A.J. and his brother had along ago learned to predict when it would rain – whenever they were on a stakeout.

 

The detective huddled closer to the old building. The rotting eaves above him didn’t offer much protection, but at least kept him from standing in the middle of the downpour.  Despite its name, the Seaside Motel wasn’t near the ocean, and judging by its rundown condition, hadn’t seen many visitors since 1965. 

 

A.J. kept his hands on the camera that hung around his neck. The Simon brothers had been hired to trail a man whose wife suspected him of having an affair. The job wasn’t difficult, or particularly exciting, but like all jobs, it helped pay the bills. So far A.J. and Rick had gotten photos of the man dining with his girlfriend, taking her to a movie, meeting her for lunch, and strolling down a boardwalk with her while holding her hand. What they wanted before they turned the photos over to their client was pictures of the man entering and exiting Room 20 at the Seaside Motel. Through their investigative work, the Simon brothers had discovered that this was where Victor Davis brought his lover for “after-dark business meetings between the sheets” as Rick phrased it.  They’d also discovered that the out-of-shape pudgy businessman, who was nearing sixty years old, had brought other women to the Seaside Motel in the past.  Rick had shaken his head upon making that discovery and said, “There’s no accounting for taste now days.”

 

“Not when taste is wealthy,” A.J. had replied.  “Money tends to make young women do foolish things.”

 

“I guess, ‘cause even I could show Vic’s sweethearts a better time than the Seaside Motel.”

 

Where Vic Davis chose to bed his latest girlfriend was of little concern to A.J. All he cared about was getting the final pictures he needed, and getting home to dry clothes and a warm bed. Rick wasn’t with A.J. this evening. His bowling team was competing in a tournament, and since this job didn’t involve more than hiding around the corner of a building and getting pictures of Vic and his lady, A.J. had told Rick not to alter his plans.

 

“You sure?” Rick had questioned that afternoon in the office.

 

“I’m sure. Based on what the desk clerk told us, Vic is never in that room more than an hour, so I can handle it alone.”

 

“I love desk clerks who are willin’ to talk,” Rick said with a grin.

 

“I’m sure the fifty bucks we offered him was incentive for his loose tongue.”

 

“Hey, the guy’s gotta make a livin’ too.”

 

As far as A.J. was concerned, no one should be out making a living tonight.  Thunder rumbled the dark sky, and the rain continued to pour down as A.J. waited. Considering he’d started his day at five that morning so he could workout, eat breakfast, and then meet a client at the office at seven-thirty, the blond was so tired that all he wanted to do was go home and climb in bed. He’d gotten shots of Vic and his buxom girlfriend entering the room.  Now all he needed was shots of them exiting the room together.  What went on inside the room, A.J. wasn’t concerned with photographing. He’d leave that to a judge’s imagination. There was no doubt in A.J.’s mind that Mrs. Davis would garner a hefty divorce settlement in repayment for her husband’s unfaithfulness.

 

Room 20 was at the end of the long, rectangular structure, and the last room it contained.  What A.J. didn’t realize was that each room in the Seaside Motel contained a bathroom window that opened onto the rear of the building.  The same desk clerk who took the fifty dollars from Rick and A.J. in exchange for the information regarding Vic Davis’s habits, had taken one-hundred dollars from Davis after telling him two private investigators had been asking about him.

 

The rain plunking against the aluminum siding prevented A.J. from hearing the man sneaking up behind him. What sudden instinct made A.J. turn around, he couldn’t name.  He had no time to take his hands off the camera before something crashed against the side of his head.  By reflex, A.J.’s right index finger pressed on the camera’s shutter button as he fell.  

 

The detective crumpled to the ground, oblivious to the camera strap being sliced, as he lay unconscious in the rain.

 

___________________________

 

__

Rick wasn’t certain what made him swing by the Seaside Motel after his tournament ended.  It was twelve-thirty on Saturday morning, and he was exhausted.  He’d put in a full day at the office with A.J., then left at five to hurry home, let Rex out, change his clothes, and get his bowling ball and shoes.  Within thirty minutes, Rick was back in his truck again.  He met the guys on his team for dinner before heading to the bowling alley.

I’m glad I don’t have to go into work today. Sleepin’ until at least nine sounds good right about now.

The windshield wipers worked to brush the rain away.  Rick turned the headlights off on his truck right before he swung into the motel’s parking lot. He hadn’t expected to see A.J.’s car still parked here, but there it was, down in front of room number 2, as though the Camaro was waiting for its owner to exit the motel.

 

The lighting in the parking lot was as ancient as the motel, meaning only one of the floodlights worked.  Rick squinted into the darkness, but didn’t see anything. The spot in front of Room 20 was empty, leading Rick to believe Vic Davis was gone.

     But if Davis is gone, why is A.J. still here?

     Rick looked around this old section of the city.  There were no restaurants in the area A.J. could have walked to for a late supper, and no other businesses that appeared to be open.

     The detective was thankful the sound of the rain would keep anyone from hearing his truck engine.  He shut the truck off and leaned over the passenger seat to the glove compartment. He opened the door on the compartment and pulled out a flashlight. He exited his truck, and was glad he had his field jacket on since it afforded him some protection from the rain.

     Because he headed directly for the end of the building that contained Room 20, Rick came upon his brother without having to search for him.  When his flashlight beam landed on the crumpled, wet figure, Rick started running.

     “A.J.!”

     Rick crouched beside his brother.  A.J. was lying in a semi-fetal position with his face turned away from Rick.  Rather than move the man, Rick reached across his body. He placed two fingers at the pulse point of A.J.’s throat, and breathed a heavy sign of relief upon feeling a steady beat.  He swept the flashlight beam over A.J.’s body as he searched for injuries.  What first aid knowledge Rick possessed came from his service in Vietnam, when any fighting man might be called upon to help a fallen comrade. Though it had been fifteen years since Rick had been forced to employee what he’d learned, he hadn’t forgotten how to detect broken bones. He ran his hands over A.J.’s arms and legs, then up his spine and neck.  He found no evidence of injury until he reached the left side of A.J.’s head, where he felt a large lump.

     Rick looked around. Because of the rain and poor lighting, it was impossible to see if there was a payphone in the area. The neon light that was usually on outside the motel’s small office that flashed Vacancy was dark. Rick squinted. The office looked dark, too, indicating to Rick that it wasn’t manned during the late night hours.

     “A.J.!” Rick shouted, while giving his brother’s shoulder a shake.  “A.J.!”

     When he received no response, Rick decided the best thing to do was put A.J. in the truck and drive him to the hospital.  He’d prefer to call paramedics, but considering the lack of a phone, and the fact that there was no business close by that was open, meant Rick’s choices were limited short of pounding on motel room doors in an attempt to hail someone willing to let him use the phone.  Rather than waste time on an effort that might prove futile, Rick ran to his truck.  He jumped in the cab, turned on the lights, and started the engine. He drove as close to A.J. as he could and jumped out.  He ran around to the passenger side and opened the door.  He bent over his brother and hoisted the man into a fireman’s carry.  He walked the few steps to the truck, and gently deposited A.J. on the front seat.  He got his brother’s legs in the cab, then shut the door.

 

     Rick ran to the driver’s side and got in.  He looked down at his sibling as he put the gearshift in drive.  A.J.s’ hair and clothing clung to his body. Rick wished he had a blanket to cover the man with.  He kept one foot on the brake while he stripped off his field jacket.  It was wet, but it wasn’t soaked through. He laid it over A.J., then moved his foot to the accelerator.  Rick wheeled the truck around and headed out of the parking lot. Because of the late hour, the streets were desolate except for an occasional passing car.  Rick pushed the truck’s speedometer to sixty-five, not caring if a cop stopped him. Actually, he’d welcome flashing red lights in his rearview mirror right about now, but as the saying went, there’s never a cop around when you need one.

     Rick glanced down at his brother. He brushed A.J.’s wet bangs from his eyes.  He didn’t like the pale cast to A.J.’s face, nor his cold, damp skin.

     “Hang on, little brother,” Rick urged, as he saw a sign for County General Hospital. “Hang on. We’re almost there.”

     Rick swung the truck into the hospital’s lot and headed for the Emergency Room entrance.  He parked beneath the wide portico, opened his door, and ran inside.  He startled the two women behind the nurses’ station who had their heads bent over a patient’s chart, when he yelled, “I need help with my brother!” but they scampered around the counter, grabbed a gurney, and wheeled it to the double doors without asking Rick any questions. 

     By the time Rick had A.J. in his arms and was carrying him to the gurney, an orderly had arrived to assist.  As A.J. was being wheeled into a trauma room, Rick spotted Doctor Raj striding his way.  The detective was glad to see the Indian physician he and A.J. had a long association with.  He followed the man into the trauma room while explaining what he knew regarding A.J.’s condition.  When no one asked Rick to leave, he helped a nurse remove A.J.’s wet clothing.

By the time A.J. was being taken for a CT scan thirty minutes later, he’d regained consciousness, had been able to tell Raj his name, and had thrown up on Rick’s boots.  Although that last action wasn’t one Rick would have asked for, he was glad his brother was beginning to show some signs of life.

 

___________________________

 

Early the following afternoon, A.J. was released from the hospital. For reasons he couldn’t explain, other than to say it wasn’t a good idea to lie in the rain for extended periods of time, A.J. still felt chilled. He also had a headache that seemed to extend from behind his eyes to the base of his neck, but the neurologist who had assisted Raj with his care had told the blond man this was to be expected.

“Don’t be alarmed if you have a headache for several weeks yet, Mr. Simon. You received a hard blow. You’re lucky no further damage was done beyond the concussion and the discomforts that come with it.”

A.J. wouldn’t allow Rick to steer him up to bed when they arrived at the house on the Grand Canal, but instead, insisted upon sitting on the couch.  Sitting soon turned into reclining, as Cecilia Simon did some insisting of her own.  She’d been unaware of A.J.’s mishap until Rick had stopped by her home late that morning.  Because Rick had already called the hospital from his boat and knew A.J. would be released shortly after noon, Cecilia didn’t go to Country General with her oldest son.  She made a trip to the grocery store, then drove to A.J.’s house in order to fix a meal for her family and settle in for some mothering of her injured child.

Once A.J. was leaning back against two pillows and had been covered with a blanket he clung to for warmth, he looked up at his brother.

“No sign of the camera?

“No. No sign of anything but your car.”

Carlos had gone to the Seaside Motel with Rick that morning and helped him look for the camera, or any other evidence that the police might not have spotted after Rick had reported A.J.’s assault to Abby during the hours before dawn. Carlos had then driven A.J.’s car back to the blond man’s home with Rick following him in the pickup truck.

“Great,” A.J. now said in regards to the missing camera.  “That had every damn picture in it we took.”

“So, we’ll just take more pictures.”

“Rick, the guy spotted me.”

“Spotted you?” Rick snorted. He sat down in the easy chair next to his brother, while Cecilia returned to the kitchen where she had a pot of homemade chicken noodle soup simmering on the stove. “A.J., the guy did more than ‘spot’ you.  He whacked you over the head hard enough to knock you out cold for more hours than I wanna guess at.”

 “There’s that, too,” A.J. agreed, as he winced against the pain of his throbbing head.  “So by now Davis not only knows he was being tailed, but he’s bound to know my name, and the name of our business. There’s no way he didn’t take the opportunity to look inside my wallet before he ran off with the camera.”

Cecilia looked at her sons through the open space between the cabinets and snack bar. “What did Abby say?”

“That there’s not much she can do considering there was no evidence to trace the attack on A.J. to Davis.”

“You’d think she could at least talk to the man.”

A.J. started to shake his head no, then thought better of it. “She probably can, Mom, but all Davis is going to do is deny that he was the one who hit me. Considering I can’t remember anything after Rick and I ate lunch at noon on Friday, means Abby doesn’t have valid reason to bother Davis.  Besides, any lawyer he hires is just going to point out that the Seaside Motel is in a seedy part of town where the crime rate is high.  They’ll claim I was attacked by a street punk who wanted to fence the camera, and I have no way to prove otherwise.”

“You’re probably right,” Rick agreed.

“I know I’m ri...” A.J. lifted his hands to his head and groaned.

“A.J.?”  Rick stood and crossed the small space between the chair and the couch. “A.J., you okay?”

“Honey?” Cecilia questioned, as she rounded the snack bar.

A.J. squeezed his eyes shut against the pain. “Yeah. Yeah...I’m okay. It just...this headache is a bad one.”

“Listen, I think you’d better go on up to bed like the doctor ordered. Let me help you get settled, then you can eat some of Mom’s soup. After that, it should be about time for one of those pain pills Raj sent home with you.”

Rick was surprised, and a little worried, when A.J. agreed without putting up a fight.  He helped A.J. stand, then held onto his brother as a dizzy spell threatened to topple him. When the blond was a bit steadier, Rick guided him to the second floor, helped him exchange his clothes for pajamas, and turned down the bed.

A.J. got underneath the covers.  For as much as he wanted to close his eyes and go right to sleep, he knew he’d better hold off on that desire until his mother arrived with his meal.  He couldn’t take the pain pill on an empty stomach, and hadn’t had anything to eat since he’d been given a late breakfast at the hospital after Raj had been in to see him.

As he waited for his mother to arrive, A.J. said, “You’ll have to call Mrs. Davis and tell her I blew it.”

“You didn’t blow it. Her husband blew it.  And yeah, I’ll call her.  Just don’t worry about it right now.”

“I hate doing this to her.”

“A.J., you didn’t do anything to her.”

“I lost the evidence she needs.”

“So, we’ll just get it again. I already told you that.”

“And I already to you that it’ll be impossible. Davis will spot us before we get within one hundred feet of him. He’ll--”

“Enough business talk.” Cecilia entered the room carrying a tray that held a bowl of soup and a glass of milk. “You need to eat, take a pain pill, and go to sleep.  You and Rick can discuss this when you’re feeling better.”

“Mom, you don’t understand.” A.J. scooted back against his pillows, as the tray was set across his legs. “We had an obligation to Mrs. Davis and I let her down.  I--”

“A.J., you didn’t let her down,” Cecilia assured. “And right now isn’t the time to try and figure out how to rectify the situation. Right now is the time to eat and rest, or you’ll be back in the hospital. Like so many problems we face in life, this one will be easier to tackle after you’d had something to eat and a good night’s sleep.”

Despite his weariness and aching head, A.J. managed to smile at his mother. “Chicken soup and sleep is the remedy for everything, is that what you’re saying?”

“It’s what mothers have been recommending since the dawn of time, sweetheart. Therefore, eat. I expect that bowl to be emptied.”

A.J. did as his mother ordered; surprised he had enough of an appetite to finish all of the soup. He then took the pain pill Rick handed him and washed it down with the remainder of his milk.  By the time Cecilia had exited the room with the tray, and Rick was shutting the blinds at the French doors, A.J. was asleep.

 

___________________________

 

Rick and Cecilia sat at A.J.’s kitchen table eating a late lunch of soup, along with sandwiches Rick had made from sliced turkey he’d found in A.J.’s refrigerator.  It was only three o’clock, but Rick was beat.  He’d gotten just two hours of sleep after leaving the hospital at five a.m., before starting his day by picking up Carlos and snooping around the motel.

“You’re going to stay here with A.J. tonight?” Cecilia asked.

“Yeah. When we’re done eating I’m gonna head to the boat, throw my toothbrush and a change of clothes into a bag, and get Rex. I should be back by five.  Can you stay here until then?”

“Of course.”

“After that, I’m gonna shower and crash in A.J.’s guestroom.”

“You should do that. You look tired.”

“It was a long night.”

“I’m sure it was. You should have called me after you arrived at the hospital.”

Rick shrugged while taking a bite of his sandwich. “I didn’t want to wake you until I knew something definite. By the time Raj and Doctor Gorski were able to tell me A.J. was gonna be okay, it was goin’ on four-thirty, so I figured it was just as easy to stop by the house later in the morning to give you the news.”

“After how you found your brother – unconscious and out in the rain half the night, it’s a wonder he is all right.”

“Yeah, he was lucky, there’s no doubt about that.”

“Speaking of A.J. having been lucky, I’d like you to do me a favor where your brother is concerned.”

“What’s that?”

“I want you to suggest to your brother, and by that I mean strongly suggest, that the two of you close down the business for at least one week and take a vacation after Raj says it’s okay for A.J. to do so.”

“A vacation sounds good to me, Mom, but you know A.J. He’ll probably say no.”

“Tell him you’re not taking no for an answer. You boys have put a lot of time in at work the past year and a half. It’s been almost two years since A.J. took a vacation, and last year you got away for only a few days on that fishing trip with Carlos.  A.J.’s looked tired for the past three months, and he’s more upset over losing that camera than he would normally be if he wasn’t burning the candle at both ends.”

“Yeah, I know. He’s been pretty stressed out lately.  Seems like the more successful the business becomes, the more hours we end up putting in just so we don’t have to turn any clients away.”

“All the more reason for the two of you to take a vacation.”

“All right,” Rick agreed, as he stood to carry his dishes to the counter. “After Raj gives A.J. a clean bill of health, I’ll tell him we gotta take some time off. However, I’m not promisin’ you A.J. will agree to that.”

Cecilia cocked an eyebrow. “Well, then, see to it that he has no choice.”

Rick turned around and looked at his mother. “Whatta ya’ mean?”

“Talk to Raj and ask him to make it doctor’s orders that A.J. take a vacation.”

Rick smiled. “You’re sneaky, you know that?”

“Of course, I know that. Where do you think you get that trait from?”

The detective laughed as he crossed the small room and bent to kiss his mother’s cheek. “Mom, I do like your style.”  Rick swiped his hat off the counter and headed for the door. “I’ll be back in an hour or so.”

“Okay. I’ll see you then.”

Cecilia rose to clear the table and load the dishwasher. She didn’t feel an ounce of shame over suggesting Rick go behind A.J.’s back and talk to Raj about ordering a mandatory vacation. After all, being sneaky for the benefit of her sons’ health was a mother’s prerogative.

 

___________________________

 

Rick arrived at the Simon and Simon office alone on Monday morning. He had stayed at his brother’s home throughout Sunday, and though A.J. was still being bothered by a headache, by Monday he was doing well enough to be left by himself.

As soon as Rick was settled, he placed a call to Carolyn Davis.  He explained what had happened to A.J. on Friday evening, and told the woman A.J.’s camera had been taken from him, along with the film that contained the evidence they had against Vic. Rick was glad he didn’t have to bring up the fact that he suspected it was Carolyn’s husband who had assaulted A.J.  The woman reached the same conclusion, and didn’t hesitate to say so.

“Rick, let me look around the house and see if I can find the camera. Regardless of whether I do or not, I’d like to meet with you at your office today. What time would be good?”

“Any time,” Rick said.  “We don’t have any appointments scheduled. I was just gonna catch up on some paperwork, get the mail, and than maybe leave early so I can stop by A.J.’s place and make sure he’s doin’ all right.”

“How about if I come by at one?”

“That’ll be fine,” Rick agreed. He assumed she wanted to see him in order to get a reference for another P.I. firm, and to settle her bill with the brothers.  “See you at one.”

“Yes, I’ll see you then.”

Rick spent the morning doing the types of mundane duties he disliked – answering the phone, filing, and writing up reports on two other cases Simon and Simon had in progress.  He knew his mother was going to check on A.J. at noon and have lunch with him, which meant Rick didn’t have to take the time to drive to the Grand Canal neighborhood on his lunch hour.  Instead, he walked down to the restaurant on the first floor of the building Simon and Simon was housed in.  At ten minutes to one, he was back in the office.  True to her word, Carolyn Davis arrived right at one.

Rick stood and rounded his desk as the woman entered the room. “Hi, Mrs. Davis.”

“Hello, Rick. I’m so sorry about what happened to A.J.”

 Rick led Carolyn to a chair across from his desk. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for.  It wasn’t your fault.”

“If I hadn’t hired you--”

“Look, A.J.’s the one who feels like he let you down.”

“Why would he feel that way? It wasn’t his fault that he was assaulted.”

“Right,” Rick agreed, as he sat behind his desk. “Just like it wasn’t your fault that he was assaulted.”

The woman smiled.  “I guess we’ll call it a draw then?”

“I think we should.”

Carolyn sat her purse in the empty chair next to her.  Though Rick didn’t know her exact age, he estimated her to be in her late fifties.  She was a tall woman, and built in the solid sort of way that people referred to as “having big bones.”  She was always dressed stylishly, and today wore a navy blue skirt, matching blazer, and a white blouse. Her dark hair had a few faint streaks of gray running through it. It was full around her face, but wasn’t allowed to grow beyond her jaw line.  Rick knew that, like his mother, Carolyn didn’t work outside the home, but rather kept busy by volunteering her time with various organizations, as well as running her household.  Vic and Carolyn’s three children were grown and on their own, and Carolyn had mentioned grandchildren to Rick and A.J. one time, but Rick didn’t know how many there were.

“I looked everywhere in the house that I could think of, Rick, but I didn’t find the camera.”

“I didn’t figure you would.  I doubt if he hid it there. To tell ya’ the truth, my guess is that he threw it in a garbage can in some alley somewhere.”

“I’m going to his office tonight after it closes so I can look through his desk.”

“All right, but be careful,” Rick cautioned. Vic owned a real estate firm and Carolyn had a key that would allow her to enter the building after hours.  “And keep in mind, we don’t have proof that Vic is the one who hit A.J. and took the camera.”

“I know. But realistically speaking, do you really think it could have been anyone else?”

“No, I don’t. But without proof, there’s nothin’ more we can do.”

“What if I can get you proof?”

“How will you do that?”

“I don’t know.  But if I find something that links Vic to the attack on A.J., what will happen to him?”

“He’ll be charged with assault and battery.”

“Would he serve time in prison?”

     “I don’t know.  If he has no prior record of any criminal activity, then I doubt it. He’ll likely get a hefty fine and some time on probation, and that’s about it.”

     “Oh.”

     “You sound disappointed.”

     The woman gave Rick a sheepish smile.  “I suppose I shouldn’t be so anxious to get rid of my husband that I hope he goes to prison, should I.”

     Rick kept his answer neutral.  “I know these past few weeks haven’t been easy for you.”

     “It was bad enough when I was concerned that Vic was having an affair. But then when you and A.J. found out from that motel desk clerk that there have been other women in recent years...well, I won’t stay married to the man, Rick.  Yet at the same time, I will not allow him to walk away with everything we have, like you hear of so many men being able to do.  That’s why I want evidence of his affair to produce to a judge.”

     “I can understand that.”

     “When Vic started the business thirty years ago, he rented an office in an old building. I spent two months taking three little kids under the ages of five along with me while I painted, cleaned, and decorated. During the years he couldn’t afford a cleaning service, I hauled the kids to the office several times a week in order to vacuum, dust, and empty garbage cans. Until he could afford to hire help, I worked out of our home as his secretary and bookkeeper.  Whenever Vic needed errands done, I loaded the kids in the car, regardless of what I had planned for the day, or if one of the kids was sick, and off we went to do his bidding. 

“As the business grew more successful, and in turn, Vic and I grew wealthier, I played hostess at any party he wanted to give. I’ve kept the home fires burning, as the expression goes, while he comes and goes as he pleases.  I’ve passed up on opportunities I would have liked to take, in order to be available at home, because that’s where Vic always said he wanted me.  Now I find out that as soon as this old mare got a little gray in her hair, her aging horse decides he’s a young stud again. I’ve still got a lot of life to live, Rick, and things I’d like to accomplish. I will not stay with a man who is cheating on me. Many women in my position would, but not me. I don’t care what our friends and neighbors say, and I don’t care what this divorce does to Vic’s reputation.”

     “So what are ya’ gonna do now?”

     “The first order of business will be to search Vic’s office for that camera.”

     “And if you don’t find it?”

     “Then I’m going to take a vacation and think over my options.”

     “A vacation?”

     “Our oldest daughter lives in New York City.  Of my three children, she’s the only one I’ve confided in thus far regarding Vic’s infidelities.  Debbie would like me to take a break from all of this for a few weeks and stay with her.”

     “Will Vic get suspicious if you go see her?”

     “No. I generally visit her twice a year, so he won’t think anything of it.”

     “It sounds like a good idea to me then.  If you still want to get pictures of Vic and his girlfriend after you get back, A.J. and I can recommend another P.I. firm to you.”

     “Another firm? But I don’t want to hire another firm. I still want to employ you and A.J. You’ve both done a good job for me.”

     “That’s nice of you to say considering what happened on Friday night, but if it was Vic who assaulted A.J., then he knows who we are.  Like A.J. said to me on Saturday, Vic woulda’ gone through his wallet and discovered who he was.”

     “Oh. Well...well, let me think on it, all right? If I don’t find the camera at Vic’s office, then I’ll be gone for a few weeks to New York. When I return, maybe I’ll know what the best thing for me to do is.”

     “That’s fine.  Although A.J. doesn’t know it yet, we’re gonna take a vacation, too, just as soon as his doctor says it’s okay.  He and I can talk about this while we’re castin’ our fishing lines into the water.  When we’ve had some time and distance from this case, we just might come up with a plan that will get you the evidence you need, without you havin’ to hire another P.I. firm.”

     Carolyn smiled as she stood. “Wonderful.”

     “I’m not makin’ any promises,” Rick cautioned, as he stood, too.  “But I’ll see what A.J. and I can come up with.”

     The woman reached for her purse.  She opened a side zipper pocket and handed Rick a thousand dollars in one hundred dollar bills.

     “You don’t owe us this much,” Rick said, as he started to hand half the money back to her. 

     “Yes, I do.  I paid you a thousand when I signed the contract with A.J., and based on what you charge per day, this is what I owe you for the remainder of your work.”

     “A.J. doesn’t want to charge you for Friday night.”

     “Oh, for goodness sake, no.  I won’t hear of it.”

     “Look, Mrs. Davis, the camera was stolen.  It doesn’t matter who took it.  We weren’t able to get the pictures you need, so we can’t take money for a job we didn’t--”

     “You keep that money, Rick, and you tell A.J. I insisted you do so.” The woman smiled.  “Besides, Vic is the one who earned it.  Therefore, I’m more than happy to give it away.”

     Rick laughed. Not for the first time in his life, Rick knew that a woman scorned was not a woman to mess with. Too bad old Vic hadn’t figured that out yet.

     The detective walked his client to the door.  Carolyn promised to be in touch with the Simon brothers when she returned from New York.

     “Unless I find the camera first.  If I do, I’ll call you.”

    
     “All right,” Rick agreed. Once again, he cautioned,  “Just be careful.”

     “I will be.”

     Rick watched Carolyn walk to the elevator.  When she closed the old fashioned door and started to descend, the detective went back into his office.  He stayed another two hours, and then at three-thirty gathered up the mail so A.J. could look through it.  He grabbed his hat from the rack, shut off the lights, locked the door, and exited the office.

     As Rick drove to A.J.’s house in the start of rush hour traffic, he didn’t notice Vic Davis tailing him three car lengths behind.

 

___________________________

 

Two weeks passed without Rick hearing from Carolyn Davis. He’d tried to call her three times, but had gotten no answer, so assumed she’d gone to visit her daughter. Now he stood in his bedroom amidst piles of clean clothes, camping equipment, and boxes of food. As usual, Rick had waited until the last minute to pack for his trip. The detective glanced at his watch and saw he had thirty minutes to get the mess surrounding him into some semblance of order before he had to leave to pick up A.J. The last thing Rick wanted to do was start off this vacation with his brother mad at him. Which was exactly what would happen if he were late. There was no doubt that A.J. had been packed for at least three days, and had his sports bag and camping equipment stacked in his garage so everything could be easily loaded into the bed of Rick’s truck.

When the brothers had climbed in their vehicles the prior evening as they left the Simon and Simon office, the last thing A.J. said to Rick was, “Just be on time tomorrow morning, all right? For once I'd like to go on a camping trip with you and get there before it's time to come back."

 

Recalling his brother's words forced Rick to increase his pace as he haphazardly packed, and then double checked to make sure he had everything he needed.

 

"Aw, heck, I don't have to waste my time double checking anything,” Rick said to Rex, who was seated on the bed for lack of empty floor space. “A.J. always brings two of everything."

 

Under different circumstances, Rick wouldn’t have inconvenienced himself in an effort to meet A.J.’s time schedule.  But considering A.J.’s recent injury, and how Rick mentally shuddered each time he pondered the tragic turn events could have taken had he not swung by the Seaside Motel that rainy night, meant Rick wasn’t up to giving A.J. grief. The blond man hadn’t voiced any opposition when Raj suggested he take a vacation, which indicated to Rick that A.J. still wasn’t feeling like his old self, despite the fact that he’d been released to return to work two days after Carolyn’s visit to the Simon and Simon office.  A.J. was still pale, and appeared to tire easily. Raj had said the latter was often a side-effect of a concussion, but Rick wondered how much it had to do with the injury, versus how much it had to do with the additional hours A.J. had been working the past year and half.

 

“A.J. doesn’t take enough time to stop and smell the roses, Rex.” Rick hoisted his duffle bag over his shoulder and picked up his fishing gear. “I shouldn’t have let him put all those weekends in at the office paying bills and catching up on paperwork, but nothin’ I said woulda’ made a difference anyway. A.J.’s too stubborn for his own good sometimes.”

 

     Rex jumped off the bed and followed Rick as he made the first of five trips to his pickup truck. When all of Rick’s gear was loaded in the back of the truck, he jogged back to his boat, took a final tour of the interior to make certain all the lights were shut off, and locked the doors.  Rex leaped into the truck’s bed as Rick climbed in the cab. With the wind blowing a gentle breeze through Rex’s golden coat, they were soon headed to the Grand Canal.  

 

___________________________

 

     As Rick could have predicted, A.J. stood in his garage while waiting for his brother to arrive. Not for the first time, A.J. hoped he hadn’t made a mistake by allowing Rick to plan this vacation.  When A.J. had stopped by the office after his appointment with Raj and told his brother, “I can come back to work tomorrow, but Raj thinks I should take a vacation sometime in the next couple of weeks,” he wasn’t surprised when Rick voiced agreement of that idea.  Not that A.J. could blame his brother. Neither of them had taken any substantial time off in more than a year now.  Although A.J. wouldn’t admit it to his brother, he knew a vacation was long overdue for both of them. 

 

     If I hadn’t been so tired, I might have heard Davis sneaking up on me that night.

 

A.J. attributed his weariness, as well, to being part of the reason he’d been insane enough to allow Rick to plan this vacation.   The only input A.J. had given was when he said, “But no vacation in Mexico, Rick. I don't care what you plan, as long as it's not in Mexico." On an afterthought, A. J. added, "And as long as it involves the outdoors. We’ve both spent way too much time indoors this past year.”

 

     “Okay. Not Mexico, but outdoors.  Got it.”

 

     Although A.J. had given his brother permission to plan their vacation, he hadn’t expected Rick to keep those plans a secret.  But keep them a secret Rick did.  No matter how many times A.J. questioned his brother about their vacation in the two weeks leading up to it, all he was told was, “Get your camping gear together, grab your tackle box and fishing pole, bring whatever food you want to, be ready at six on Saturday morning, and don’t ask me anymore questions.”

 

     “But--”

 

     “No,” Rick shook his head.  “No more questions.  You said I could plan this vacation, so I did.”

 

     “I must have been suffering from dementia as a result of my concussion when I said that.”

 

     “Oh well,” was all Rick had said in reply. “Too late now, little brother.  I’ve already contacted the...”

 

     “The who?”

 

     “No, not The Who, though come to think of it, it might be kinda cool if they could join us,” Rick teased in reference to the once popular rock group.

 

     “Rick--”

 

     Rick had maintained his ground, despite his slip up.  “No more questions.  Just get your stuff together and get ready to have a good time.”

 

As A.J. waited for his brother to arrive, he hoped that Rick hadn’t invited any women to join them.  Neither of the brothers was involved in a serious relationship at the moment, and it would be just like Rick to pick up two bimbos from God knows where to accompany them.

 

“That better not be what he’s up to,” A.J. muttered, as he stood in the open doorway of his garage while watching for his sibling. It wasn’t that A.J. didn’t enjoy the company of an attractive female, but he knew any women Rick would choose wouldn’t be his type by a long shot.

 

A.J. breathed a sigh of relief when Rick arrived five minutes later with Rex as his only passenger. Rick climbed out of the cab and helped A.J. pack his gear in the bed of the truck. They rearranged a few things so Rex would still have plenty of room to sit comfortably, or lie down if he wanted to.  A.J. ran back to the garage and pressed the button that would automatically close the overhead door.  He dashed for the truck before the door could start its descent.

 

When the brothers were in the truck, A.J. looked across the seat at Rick.  “Okay, where are we going?”

 

Rick smiled while backing the vehicle out of the driveway. “Geez, a bit anxious there, aren’t we, A.J.?”

 

“Just anxious to know what the big secret is.”

 

“There’s no secret.”

 

“You’ve been acting like there is ever since I told you to go ahead and plan this vacation.”

 

“Well, little brother, maybe that means you’ve learned your lesson.”

 

“What lesson?”

 

“Maybe now you won’t wait two years before you take your next vacation.”

 

     “Yeah. And maybe I’ll know better than to let you plan my next vacation for me, too.”

 

     Rick laughed, but wasn’t willing to offer more information.  He had fun watching his brother worry over their final destination, and what awaited them once they arrived there.  It was even more amusing to Rick because A.J. was getting worked up over nothing.  Granted, there was a surprise waiting for A.J., but it would be one he enjoyed. Rick didn’t bother to mention that, however, as he drove north out of San Diego. If it hadn’t been for the convoy of semi-trucks going in the same direction the brothers were, Rick might have noticed the black Chevy pickup that stayed two lanes away from him throughout the trip.

 

___________________________

 

For the next one hundred miles, A.J. badgered his brother as to where they were headed. After Rick had replied, "You'll see," for the tenth time, A.J. gave up and switched tactics. He turned and looked through the back window at the truck's bed.

"You brought enough food to feed an army. Even you, at your hungriest, couldn't possibly eat all that. What's going on?"

 

"Whatta ya’ mean?" 

 

"What I mean is, who else do you have coming along on this vacation with us?"

 

"No one."

 

A.J. 's eyebrows arched in doubt. "No one, huh? Then how come your voice just went up two octaves when you tried to pass that lie off on me? Come on, Rick, tell me the truth."

 

"I am tellin’ you the truth." 

 

"Sure you are. You didn't invite those two girls along you brought by the office last week, did you? You know, those two sisters. What were their names? Karla and...”

 

"Renee," Rick supplied. "And no, I didn't invite them, or any women for that matter. This is definitely not a woman's kinda vacation, A.J. At least not the kinda vacation the women you date would enjoy. There's no place to plug in a hair dryer, no modern plumbing facilities, no place to go for a fancy dinner. Just us, the woods, the river, the--"

 

"Ah, ha! A river," A.J. gloated, finally getting some information out of his brother.

 

Rick just smiled as he returned his attention to his driving.

 

A.J. made a few more attempts at loosening Rick’s tongue, but when the lanky man refused to disclose anything else, A.J. finally let the subject drop. 

 

The brothers stopped to eat lunch in Bakersfield. Rick parked the truck close to the restaurant so he could look out of a window and keep an eye on Rex.  The men enjoyed the opportunity to stretch their legs and fill their stomachs. While A.J. paid the bill, Rick put a leash on Rex and took him for a quick walk. 

 

After Rick had passed by, the man in the black pickup slowly brought his body up from the truck’s seat.  He watched as the brothers prepared to leave.  He allowed Rick a head start before following him once again.  He stayed behind the Simon brothers until Rick exited the main highway.  There was no need to follow the men beyond this point, because now Vic Davis knew where they were going.   

 

___________________________

 

 

Two hours later Rick turned off the main highway and began winding around narrow roads that were situated in a vast national park. Every now and then A.J. would get a glimpse of a tent, or the brothers would drive by hikers, or a lone jogger, or families on bicycles. After thirty minutes of further driving that took the detectives along side a rapidly flowing river, Rick pulled into a clearing shaded by towering pine trees, giant sequoias, and massive, ancient oaks. He parked the truck next to a black LeBaron convertible and a red Jeep Cherokee.