Runaway

runaway

a perplexed look hung on jason daws’ weathered face. he glanced down at the folded sheet of paper lying on the counter, a photocopied picture of a skinny black man in a black and gold baseball cap and a pair of wire rim glasses. the word missing was plastered across the bottom of the page. he turned his tired pale blue eyes to the man walking through the painted glass doors. “hey, daws,” the man said, heading toward the diner just past the counter. he stopped and turned to the counter, a slight grin on his face. “how’s it goin’ with eileen?” “she’s still mad at me,” jason mumbled, his eyes fixed on the man. he stared back at jason, reading the puzzled look on his face, matching it. “everything alright, jason?” he glanced at the flyer lying on the counter. “you tell me, doug.” he backed away from the counter and grabbed the flyer. “tell me this ain’t you.” he stepped forward, eyeing the photograph. it was him, watching tv, trying facetiously to hide his face. he slipped his back pack off his shoulder and gently set it on

the counter. “yeah...,” he said and nodded. “it’s me.” jason sighed angrily, ran his hand through his thinning gray blond hair. “what’s going on, doug?” he said. “or is it gary. i’m not gonna have the cops bustin’ up my place am i?” he shook his head. “no, daws,” he said. he turned away from the man and leaned against the faux stone wall. “i’m missing to them.” he looked back at jason. “and that’s the way i wanna stay.” “why...?” he started. “what’d you get yourself into?” “it’s a long story.” “you’re stayin’ in my lodge,” jason said. “i got a right to know, ‘case somethin’s comin’.” “jason...,” doug groaned. he grabbed the flyer, crumpled it up and tossed it into the waste basket behind the counter. “i’m missing.” it was early evening. a group of kids dressed in matching black and white uniforms walked past the row of brownstones on cross street talking loudly. their conversation dropped a notch as the door to number twenty-nine opened. a gawky looking man in a black denim jacket, jeans and a black and gold baseball cap stepped out. he slipped the strap of a canvas back pack over his shoulder and closed the door behind him. as he turned away from the building, his gaze fell on a petite brownskinned girl. her pale green eyes were fixed on him. she smiled at him. he watched her pass, lazily following the rest of the group, then shook his head, adjusted the bag on his shoulder and disappeared. “don’t you ever get tired?” doug said. he threw a glance across the diner at jason talking to one of the cashiers, an angry look on his face. he turned back to the stoutlybuilt woman sitting across the table from him. she shrugged then turned her dark brown eyes to the scrawny bus boy clearing the table beside them.

“i mean...it’s not like i’m a fugitive.” “i know,” she said abruptly. “but....” she paused a moment and worry showed on her face. “keepin’ up the lie.” silence fell between them. “shade, i never lied to you,” doug said. “about anything.” “i don’t understand.” he glanced back at jason and shook his head. “he’s got a big mouth,” he mumbled. “you did lie to me.” “about what, shade?” he said, turning back to her. “you know everything.” “your name,” she said flatly. “come on, shade.” “who you are...why you’re here....” she glanced out the window at the birch trees lining the far end of the parking lot. “...in fuckin’ briarwood.” doug sighed. “does it matter?” he said. “i’m here. my real name’s gary murphy and i just ran away from a life i didn’t want anymore.” “doug....,” she started. “shade, i love you,” he said. “i found what i was missing, you.” “how long will that last?” silence. she stood, sliding her chair under the table. “ ‘till someone comes lookin’ for you?” she turned away from the table and headed for the door. shade stepped out of the primer coated firebird and slammed the door, rattling the mirror dangling from it on a twisted coat hanger and ran across the lot to the office of the country inn motor lodge. “alright...,” jason said, staring at the thin, brown-skinned man standing on the other side of the counter. “you got me sold.” he made his way out from behind the counter. “we could use the extra help around here...you need a place to stay.” doug followed him as he headed for the vending machines on the far side of the lobby. “thanks, i really appreciate this.” “you want a coke?”

the front door swung open and shade stormed in heading for the diner. “that piece of crap wouldn’t start again,” she grumbled, pointing her thumb at the parking lot. jason spun around startled. “shade....” she stopped in her tracks and turned to face him. “what?” he glared at her. she gave him an apologetic nod and smiled half-heartedly. he glanced back at doug then started toward her. “this is doug pullman,” he said. “he’s gonna be helpin’ out around here...cleaning the pool...cuttin’ the grass...whatever.” “hi...,” she said and shook his hand. she glanced over at jason. “‘bout time you got somebody in here to help.” jason chuckled. “shade here is my daughter,” he said and glanced back at doug. “nice to meet you, doug,” she said and smiled. “i gotta get going or momma’s gonna have my ass in a sling.” she turned and headed for the diner. “take him with ya,” jason said. “show him around.” doug tossed the straw broom into the empty pool along with a shovel and a clear plastic trash bag. a gust of wind caught the bag and pulled it toward the pile of dead leaves at the deep end of the pool. “i was headed that way anyway,” he muttered then jumped into the shallow end of the pool. he picked up the broom and shovel and followed after the bag. “so what brings you to our little piece of nowhere?” he looked over his shoulder and saw shade walking toward the pool, the tail of her flannel shirt flapping around her waist and a cigarette wedged between her fingers. her arms were folded across her ample chest “seems like as good a place as any,” he said and shrugged. she brought the cigarette up to her lips and took a long drag then sat on the edge of the pool. a stream of smoke crept out of the corner of her mouth. she glanced around the overgrown courtyard. “i could think of a hundred other places i’d rather be.” doug glanced back at her then started sweeping the leaves into a pile. a slight smirk showed on his face. “so why aren’t you?” shade turned her gaze back to him. she jumped into the pool and walked over to him. “i don’t know.” she took another drag on the cigarette then pitched it onto the pile of

soggy leaves. “what about you?” “what do you wanna know?” “why’d you come here?” she said. “you runnin’ from the law or somethin’?” he chuckled and went back to sweeping up the leaves. “i just needed to get away from the city,” he said. “clear my head.” he looked up at her and their eyes met. shade stared at him a moment, a curious smile on her face, then turned and headed for the chrome ladder by the side of the pool. “we don’t get many of your kind around here.” “my kind...?” she glanced back at him, her curious smile now an embarrassed grin. “black guys.” again, they stared at each other. doug let a smile spread across his face. he shook his head and went back to sweeping. shade rolled her eyes and climbed out of the pool. a flat-bed semi rolled into the parking lot of the country inn motor lodge. jason watched as it swept past his cadillac and slid into the dock between a greyhound bus and a trailer-less rig. the driver’s door opened and a lanky red-headed man dressed in jeans and an unbuttoned flannel shirt stumbled out. a short stocky man in overalls and a black leather jacket came around the front of the truck and the two of them headed for the motel. jason turned and walked back to the counter. a young hispanic couple came out of the diner carrying a baby wrapped in a dingy blue and white blanket. behind them came a little girl in a floral print dress and patent leather shoes whining in spanish. he glanced over at them as he made his way around the counter. he nodded to the father who returned his nod curtly then turned his attention to the girl. the chimes above the door sounded just as jason settled onto his stool. he turned to see the two truckers sauntering toward the counter. both men eyed the hispanic couple then turned to each other. “must be taco night,” the red-head chuckled. he brushed the back of his hand across his lip, wiping away a trickle of tobacco juice. “hey, jason,” his partner said, leaning against the counter. “you takin’ pesos now?”

“easy now,” he said. “they’re payin’ customers jus’ like everybody else.” he glanced at the red-head staring at the hispanic couple as they slipped through the door. “what kinda place you runnin’ here, jason?” he said. “next thing ya’ know, you got niggers runnin’ ‘round here.” “two-sixteen ready?” his partner said. jason slowly turned to the key box and pulled out the tag to room two-sixteen. “here you go,” he said. he stared at the red-head as he slid the key across the counter. “you want something to drink?” shade said. doug looked up from painting the privacy fence around the pool and saw her walking toward him in a pair of cut-off denim shorts and a baggy black t-shirt with a maniacal smiley face printed on the front. he grabbed his t-shirt lying beside him and wiped his face then stood. “yeah...,” he exhaled. “what ‘cha got?” “water...coke....” she looked him over as he stepped toward her and a slight smile spread across her face. “beer.” he caught her gaze and grinned. “coke’s fine.” shade abruptly turned her attention to the pool. “you do good work,” she said, admiring the paint job, then started toward it. the bottom of the pool had been painted to look like the ocean floor complete with an airbrushed coral reef lining the deep end and a sandbar at the shallow end. he gazed at her round backside and long thick legs as she walked toward the pool then followed her. “i’m pretty proud of it too.” he sat beside her on the edge of the pool. “i was thinking about painting a thicket of cattails over there,” he said and pointed toward the ladder by the shallow end of the pool. he looked over at her and their eyes met. this time, he turned away. “jason ever say when he wanted to fill this thing up?” she shook her head. for a moment they sat in silence. she looked over at him then down at the pool. “so, what did you do before you came here?” doug shrugged. “stuff...,” he grunted. “a lil’ this…a lil’ that.” she snickered. “drug dealin’...?” “nah...,” he groaned. he slid into the pool then turned to face her. “we don’t all sell

drugs.” shade followed him into the pool admiring the paint job up close. “it was just a joke,” she said. “jeeze.” he laughed. a hesitant chuckle started in her throat. she turned away from him and started for the ladder. “come on, let’s get you something to drink.” “i was wondering about that,” doug said. he pulled on his shirt and followed her. the room was spinning slowly. there was music playing, trent reznor’s ethereal voice repeating over and over ‘take me with you’ over a loop of computerized violins and synthesized drums. the pulsing beat of the music echoed in gary’s head. his ears were ringing. his mouth was dry. he squinted as a bright white light washed over the faded rose colored walls. his heart thumped against his chest, threatening to burst through. he couldn’t breath. the music was fading. gary looked down and saw his beige and brown vans dangling above an overturned straight-back chair. he clutched at his throat. a crudely tied noose was wrapped around his neck. he woke with a start. a young blond woman was curled up on the seat beside him sleeping soundly. beyond her, he could see sunlight rising behind the dogwood and elm trees lining the highway. the hum of the greyhound’s motor droned in his ears. he sat back in his seat, ran his hands over his face and sighed. there was a knock on the door of room 217. doug turned his eyes from the glowing screen of his laptop and stared at the door. more knocking. “come on, doug,” shade said. “i know you’re in there.” he stood slowly, fastened his jeans and plodded across the dusty brown carpet to the door.

she was standing against the wrought iron railing over-looking the parking lot watching the last of a trio of greyhounds heading for the highway. he folded his arms across his bare chest and leaned against the door frame. shade turned to face him. they stared at each other a moment. “look,” she said and tossed her dirty brown hair over her shoulder. “you did what you did for whatever reason...it’s none of my business.” “so...,” he said and glanced down the walkway. “you’re forgiving me then?” she smirked. “i wouldn’t say that.” “then why’d you come up here?” she stared at him, her smirk widening into a grin. “i’m trying to apologize.” doug unfolded his arms and let a smile creep across his face. “apology accepted.” he stepped back from the door and watched as shade followed him into the room. she sat on the edge of the twin bed and slipped out of her dirty white keds. she looked up at doug sitting at the battered student’s desk. a thin gray box sat on the corner of the desk. “what’s that?” she said. he glanced over his shoulder at the box. “oh...that’s my writing partner.” “you’re a writer...?” “yeah....” “what do you write?” he shrugged. “ whatever...,” he said. “short stories, some poetry.” “poetry...,” she laughed. she lay back on the bed, propping herself up on a doubled-over pillow, and leered at him. “read me something.” he chuckled and shook his head. “like what?” “you’re the poet.” she fluttered her eyes and smiled. he smiled back. “and she said yes...,” he started, his smile fading. “unsure of what it meant, giving in, giving up, giving her all....” he stood and started toward her. “and she said yes...not with her lips, but with that subtle look in her eyes....” shade lay back on the bed and stared at him. doug sat beside her. “she said yes with the flutter in her heart....” she laid her hand on his thigh, caressing it, then grabbed his shirt and pulled him

toward her. “she said yes with a sigh, like relief washing over her....” shade cut him off with a kiss, her hands slipping under his oversized sweatshirt, feeling the ripples of his stomach. with her other hand, she found the clasp of his jeans and undid the buttons. he kissed her back, following her down to the bed, his hands stroking then kneading her breast. the crystal blue water shimmered in the moonlight. a warm southerly breeze made a gentle ripple across the pool. a tattoo of a rose vine curled around shade’s shoulder. she draped her arm over doug’s shoulder, ran her hand over the stubble of hair sprouting from his head as he kissed the rose on the nape of her neck. his hands, below the water, caressed the curves of her fleshy behind. he gripped it, feeling her warmth slowly wash over him. he felt her shudder inside. shade gasped, grabbed his head and kissed him hard, her tongue sweeping across his. she thrust against him. her muscles tightened around his hardness. he thrust against her, pressed his lips against the warm skin of her neck working his way down to her cleavage. he took her breast in his mouth, sucking on her large pert nipple, rolling his tongue around it. “oh, doug,” she whispered, wrapping herself around him. he draped his arm across shade‘s shoulder, brushing the hair back from her face. she smiled. a hint of dawn crept through the faded yellow drapes. she tightened around his fading erection, flexing her muscles until his manhood swelled inside her again. she curled against him and moaned in satisfaction. he let his hand slide slowly over the curve of her breast, his thumb lingering on her nipple, then gently squeezed. he plunged deeper into her warmth. she closed her eyes as a trickle of sunlight made its way through the curtains. doug slowly pushed his way into her again. she looked back at him and they

kissed. his hand slipped from her breast and made its way over the paunch of her stomach down to the warm wet mound between her thighs. shade gasped. her eyes closed again. she reached behind her as he thrust against her and grabbed his bare behind, pulling him deeper into her. her body shook, tingled as a wave of heat came over her. he thrust harder, feeling a rumble race through his body. he thrust again and his body exploded deep inside her. his arms tightened around her as his body trembled. she retrieved his hand from between her quivering legs and kissed it, sucking her juices from his fingers. a smile spread across her face. a portly, middle aged white man in an unbuttoned black trench coat stepped out of the dirty blue ford escort parked in front of the country inn motor lodge. he grabbed the leatherette portfolio lying on the passenger seat then started for the door. the knot in jason’s stomach tightened. he turned his eyes from the door to the folded sports page of the regent lying on the counter. he picked it up, scanned the story about a trout fishing contest then shook his head. he pitched the newspaper into the barrel shaped trash can just as the chimes above the door sounded. “detective fitzsimmons,” the man said, flashing the dull silver badge he’d fished out of the pocket of his coat. jason nodded. “how can i help you?” he leaned forward laying his hands flat on the counter. the detective looked around the lobby slowly then finally settled his gaze on jason. “you the owner here?” again, he nodded. “i’m looking for someone,” he said. “a guy named gary murphy.” “what makes you think he’s here?” detective fitzsimmons stared at him a moment. “he bought a....” cough. “excuse me…he bought a ticket on a greyhound that passes through here,” he said. cough. “excuse me again.” he wiped at his mouth. “i just though you might have seen him.” he opened the portfolio and took out a xeroxed copy of a photograph. he laid it on the counter and slid it toward jason. “have you?”

jason looked down at the flyer, picked it up, studied it. it was a picture of a thinly built black man dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt. a black and gold baseball cap was perched on his head. he looked up at the detective. “what’d he do?” the distant sound of thunder caught shade’s attention. she rolled over in the bed and faced the window. a pale gray sky stretched across the horizon. she sat up slowly, ran her hand through her hair. the shower was running. a smile tugged at her colorless lips. she rubbed the chill from her bare arms then slid her legs out from under the blanket and into her faded denim jeans. rain speckled the window. as she stepped into her keds, she saw doug’s dusty black back pack wedged between the nightstand and the bed. she stared at it a moment then glanced back at the bathroom door. the shower was still running. shade reached for the bag. it was empty except for a tattered paperback and a pair of rolled sweat socks. she started to set it back down then saw the corner of a thick manila envelop sticking out of the front pocket. she took it out and dropped the bag. her heart thumped inside her chest as she slowly opened it. a folded wad of hundred dollar bills was tucked inside. she turned her eyes back to the bathroom door. the shower stopped. shade quickly tucked the envelope back into the bag and shoved it back into the crevice beside the bed. she stood and paced across the room to the window. the door opened and doug stepped out pulling on a gray and black sweatshirt. he looked over at shade staring out at the rain. “you ok?” she turned and faced him then quickly nodded her head. he put his arms around her waist and kissed her lightly on the lips. “let’s go get some breakfast.” she stared back at him and forced herself to smile. “ok.”

the drizzle of rain had turned to a downpour. another rumble of thunder echoed across the sky. doug turned to shade and put his arm around her. “what’s wrong?” she stopped and looked over at him. the door to room two sixteen opened. “lets go see what shady girl’s cookin’ today,” the thin red-headed man said as he staggered out of the room. he fastened his shirt and turned back to his partner lying on the bed. “you comin’?” “in a minute...,” he said. he spun around, pulling the door closed and froze. his gaze fixed on shade walking toward him in the arms of a black man. “well, look at what we got here,” he said, stepping across the walkway. shade looked up at him then back at doug. “hi, ronnie.” “what’s with this?” he shot back. “you fuckin’ the help now?” “ronnie....” doug stepped forward. “mind your business.” “if i’d known that,” ronnie continued, ignoring him. “i’d get a job here.” he glanced back at his partner walking toward the door. “or do you just like dark meat?” “grow up, ronnie,” she said and shook her head. “what’s going on?” his portly partner said, sticking his head through the doorway. “your friend’s mouth is gonna get him in trouble,” doug said. “oh...and what you gonna do, boy?” ronnie said, stepping toward him. doug brushed past him and glanced over at the man in the doorway. “better put a leash on your bitch.” shade followed him. she glanced over her shoulder as ronnie turned to follow them. “hold up, son,” the portly man said. “that’s my brother....” “i don’t give a fuck who he is,” he shot back. “get my knife, willie,” ronnie said. “i need to teach this nigger some manners.” “just leave it alone, ronnie,” shade said. she saw willie turn away from the door. doug glared back at ronnie. “your dumb country ass couldn’t teach me shit.”

“let’s go, doug,” shade said. she put her arm around him and felt the bulge under his shirt. she slowly turned to look back at ronnie. ronnie swung and the flat palm of his hand slammed against the left side of her face. shade stared at him stunned. “nigger lovin’ bitch,” he grunted. he stepped toward her. doug pushed her aside, reached for the bulge under his sweatshirt and pulled a cobalt blue walther .380 out of his waistband. ronnie froze. “doug...,” shade yelled. willie spun around. “what the fuck?” he said and ran back to the door. doug turned as the portly man lunged at him and fired. willie stopped in his tracks, staggered backward and dropped to the floor. “you son of a bitch,” ronnie huffed. “doug...,” shade said and hesitantly laid her hand on doug’s arm. detective mollun watched as doctor twain and his assistant packed the remains of willie hunt into the black vinyl bag. the sputtering lights of the parking lot caught his attention. he turned and looked over the small crowd gathered on the balcony, took a deep breath, jammed his hands into the pockets of his leather bomber jacket then made his way through the crowd to the spiral wrought iron staircase. “and you say this guy’s been here how long?” deputy morland said. he took out his notebook and glared at jason standing behind the counter. he shrugged. “little over three months,” he said. “came here sometime in april.” “all this time you didn’t know he was missing?” jason swallowed the lump in his throat. “no....” he stared back at the deputy. “not until recently.” he backed away from the counter as the door opened. detective mollun walked up to the counter, nodded to jason then to the deputy. “shame this had to happen to willie,” he muttered. “yeah...,” jason said. “figured it’d been ronnie to get shot,” morland said.

“so...,” mollun said. “where’s our shooter at?” the deputy gave him a sideways glance then nodded toward the diner. “he’s in there, detective.” “by himself...?” he snapped. “no...,” morland replied. “brock’s in there with him.” doug heard voices coming from the lobby. he sat up, slid his chair back and rose up. “you just sit right there,” deputy brock said. doug looked back at him, his hand resting on the grip of his revolver. “they’ll be in shortly.” he slowly lowered himself back into his seat. the wooden doors swung opened and detective mollun walked in. he strode across the floor to the table in the center of the room and sat down across from doug. he stared at him for a moment, drumming his finger on the table. “you wanna tell me what happened?” he said. “why willie hunter, a guy i’ve know for the better part of fifteen years, has a hole in his chest big enough to see daylight through.” deputy brock paced behind doug. “i don’t know,” he said and glanced back at the deputy. “you just shot him down, huh,” brock said. “for no goddamn reason.” “no....” “then tell me,” detective mollun said. “what happened?” doug sighed. “they were hassling’ me,” he said. “him and his loud mouth brother...mostly his brother. then he hit shade.” “bullshit...,” brock said. doug looked up at him again. mollun raised his hand, silencing the deputy then sat back in his chair. “willie hit shade?” “no,” doug cut in. “his brother. he hits her then he starts toward us like he’s gonna hit her again. that’s when i drew my gun.” “pretty fancy gun too,” brock mumbled.

mollun looked up at him. “where’s this gun now?” “it’s bagged out in the cruiser,” he said. the detective turned his attention back to doug and sat up. “i can see you shootin’ ronnie,” he said. “under the circumstances, i’d shoot him myself. he’s a redneck...asshole...been that way as long as i can remember. but you shot willie....” “it was an accident.” “you hit him dead center in the chest, killed him outright.” “some shootin’ for an accident,” brock said. “he came at me,” doug said. “i saw a knife in his hand and i fired.” detective mollun stood. “you saw a knife...or you think you saw a knife?” “he...,” doug started. “he went to get a knife.” he took a deep breath, closed his eyes and shook his head. “he jumped at me. i thought he was gonna kill me, so i shot him.” mollun glared at him. “you know, carrying a concealed weapon is a felony around here.” “it’s registered.” “why you carrying it anyway?” deputy brock said. “for protection,” he said and looked back at him. “protection from who?” mollun asked. doug turned back to him. he started to answer but no words came out. “that brings me to my next question,” the detective said. “just who the hell are you?” “doug pullman...,” he said. he unzipped his jacket and pulled a folded sheet of paper out of his pocket. “then who the hell is this?” he opened it and laid the flyer on the table. “says here your name’s gary murphy...now which is it?” “gary is who i used to be.” deputy brock peered over his shoulder at the flyer. “what, you in the witness protection or something?” doug looked back at him and sneered. he turned to the detective and shook his head. “it’s a long story.”

“well...,” mollun said and stood. “you’re gonna have plenty of time to tell it.” he nodded to the deputy. “stand up,” brock said. he kicked the leg of the chair then stepped back. doug stood slowly. “hands behind your back.” he sighed heavily as the deputy locked the cuffs around his wrist then stumbled toward the oak double doors. shade took one last drag on the newport pinched between her fingers and watched the dirty white escort make its way past the half dozen police cars scattered across the parking lot. she exhaled a stream of smoke from the corner of her mouth then turned her eyes to deputy tate pacing in front of the door. he looked over at her and she quickly turned away. he stared at her. “so...,” he grunted. “did you know he had a gun?” she looked back at him and shook her head. “no.” “how long you known him?” she pitched her cigarette into a puddle of water then ran her hands through her hair. “i don’t think i knew him at all,” she said angrily. “you sayin’ you didn’t have a relationship wit’ him?” “that’s not what i meant.” the escort came to a halt. the passenger door opened and a thin black woman stepped out. she was dressed in a baggy white turtle neck sweater, jeans and a fur lined suede jacket. she stood beside the car rubbing her palms together as the driver, a heavy set man in a black trench coat, came around the front of the car. shade stared at the woman, watching her hesitantly follow the driver up the walkway. the woman looked up at her and their eyes met. the driver opened the door and led her into the lobby. “i’m sorry, jason,” doug said, staggering across the lobby. jason stared back at him angrily. he uncrossed his arms and let them fall to his sides. “the one you should be apologizing to is out there.” he nodded to the door just as it opened. a thin brown-skinned woman walked into the lobby followed by the portly

detective. “detective fitzsimmons...,” the man said, flashing his badge at the officer leading doug across the lobby. “you in charge here?” “yeah, i’m detective mollun,” he said. he glanced back at doug. “i’d like to stay and talk, but i kinda got my hands full.” “i need to speak with him a moment,” fitzsimmons said and looked past him at doug. “if you don’t mind.” doug stared at the detective a moment then swallowed the lump rising in his throat. behind him stood shelly, anger in her hazel eyes. he closed his eyes and let his drawn breath escape. “why, gary?” she said. he stared at her a moment. a tear trickled down her cheek. “shelly….” her clenched fist slammed into his face. doug fell backward into deputy brock. pain shot through his eyes. blood ran from his nose. brock staggered sideways and fell to the floor. detective mollun lunged at the woman, pulling her away from his prisoner. “ma’am,” he grunted. “you son of a bitch,” shelly yelled. the door opened and shade walked in. she looked down at doug struggling to pull himself up to his feet. doug tightened the clamp over the last of the spark plugs, curled his lips into a slight frown then pushed away from the engine of the firebird, grabbing the tattered dish towel dangling from the hood. he slipped around the driver’s door and settled into the worn leather seat. the car sputtered as he turned the key. a cloud of gray and black smoke billowed out of the tailpipe. he stepped on the gas and the car roared to a start then abruptly stopped. doug leaned forward resting his head on the steering wheel. he turned the key again. the car wheezed, belched out another cloud of smoke and rattled to a stop. he drug the back of his hand across his forehead and sat up. “well…,” he sighed to himself. “i gave it a shot.” he swung his legs over the edge of the seat and climbed out of

the car. the front doors of the lodge opened and shade stormed out. she was dressed in a pair of cut-off shorts and a peach colored tank top. a gust of wind caught her hair and wrapped around her face. she quickly brushed it away and started toward her car. doug glanced back at the firebird and shook his head. “i did all i could with it,” he said, turning to face her. shade stopped in her tracks and stared at him. he pulled on his t-shirt and ran his arm across his forehead. “you probably need a new starter…maybe a relay or something.” he glanced up at the sky at a bank of gray clouds creeping across the sky. “rain can’t get here soon enough.” he turned back to her and saw the scowl etched across her face. a lump rose in his throat. he looked past her at the doors and shook his head. shade stared back at him, watching him shift his weight from one foot to the other. “he…he told you, didn’t he?” a strand of hair whipped across her face. “you son of a bitch,” she said and turned away from him. “shade…,” doug said. she threw up her hand and headed for the doors. doug followed her. “shade, wait.” “shelly…,” doug gasped. he wiped the blood from his nose with the back of his hand and pulled himself up from the floor. he shut his eyes tightly, fighting back the stinging pain. he looked up at the slender brown-skinned woman he’d married eight years ago struggling to free herself from detective mollun’s grip. shelly took a deep breath and stared down at him. mollun studied her a moment then turned his attention to the detective. “what the hell’s goin’ on here?” “mister murphy here is a runaway….” “pullman,” doug said and stood. “i’m doug pullman.” “why, gary…?” shelly said. he stared back at her. his mouth opened slowly, but no words came out. “i’m

sorry,” he said finally. “sorry my ass, gary…,” she barked. “you left me without so much as a goodbye.” “i’m sorry,” he said again. “but i had to.” “what about me?” doug held her gaze a moment then shook his head. “you wouldn’t understand.” he glanced over his shoulder at the deputy then nodded toward the door. “what wouldn’t i understand, gary?” he glanced back at her then at shade standing by the door. “i…,” he started. a slight smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth. he closed his eyes and shook his head. “i needed a do-over.” brock reluctantly started across the lobby, pulling doug along. shade watched as the deputy ushered doug through the lobby. he looked up at her again and their eyes met. “hope you found what you were looking for,” she said and glanced past him at shelly. doug stared back at her and smiled. “for a little while.” deputy brock looked back at him angrily, gave his arm a tug then dragged him out of the lodge.