Making their way down the
stairs through the front steel door programmed for his and Sujin’s
eye sprung open upon recognition. The female, Sandy stayed outside
and Rocky the male came in with the master and his
guest.
Not a word had been spoken
as Brad went directly to the bathroom to take a shower while Sujin
went to the kitchen to make some green tea with her special added
herbal medicine. At thirty three she was a trained Traditional
Chinese Medicine Doctor among other things. Sujin noticed how dark
it was getting as the rain lashed the windows sending long worm
like rivulets down the tinted glass. From the oven which had been
kept warm for homemade biscuits filled the air: a fresh baked bread
smell, like at grandma house. She placed some on a tray while the
water was coming to a boil on the island stove.
Burberry stood at the south
window overlooking the sea. Large sea stacks dotted the sea while
high sand dunes faced east of the littoral zone. Tall beach grass
was waving in the wind as the storm began. These windows were
special: you could see out, but you couldn’t see in. At first one
felt exposed but after a while your mind settled down and enjoyed
the view.
In the front entry way he
had taken off his boots and rolled down his pants before walking
into what constituted the living room. He crossed on a Tan Oak
hardwood floor a color which the name came from. He wondered how to
break the news to Brad. His superior briefed him in Washington
before he was flown out on special jet landing in North Bend where
a car was waiting for him. Driving down highway 101 to Bandon he
took the Beach Loop Road past the golf course turning off to the
west through some scrub weather beaten pine trees down a dirt sandy
road where he wondered if he would make it as the bottom of the car
more than once drug on the rutted road. At the end of the pine
trees a cable crossed the road keeping the curious out with a bold
sign: “Beware of the Dogs” Next to the lock in a box where one
needed a combination number to open the gate he dialed in the
number and proceeded to the house stopping in a graveled area for
parking outside the secure area. From there he realized no one was
home as the dog sat and stared at him without moving. He took the
trail down to the beach and looked both south and north finally
spotting another dog on top of a sea stack about two hundred yards
from the mouth of the creek emptying into the sea. He looked at his
watch and it was just after four pm Pacific Time. He was dog tired
from the meeting and the long flight in a private Gulf Stream where
he only cat napped from coast to coast.
He heard Sujin in the
kitchen as he turned to sit on a low sofa made out of driftwood and
cleverly covered with cushions. It looked uncomfortable but sitting
down he felt like he was at home in his Lazy Boy recliner. He
looked around seeing the seascapes photos nicely framed hanging on
the divider wall between the kitchen and living room. The photos
were taken by Sujin and she was a professional photographer popular
in Asia and in particular her home country of South Korea. In the
center of the house stood a wood stove giving off the type of heat
that made the body feel good. Brad burned mostly wood pellets in
this day and age of hard to find firewood, but occasionally he
would burn some drift wood picked up while out running up and down
the beach for his daily exercise.
Next to the kitchen stood a
small, old wooden table incongruous with the furnishings with four
similar type chairs sat waiting for someone to occupy them. This
was for the rare guest to eat at as not far from the wood stove, a
low table sat Asian style with floor mats to sit on. A combination
of American and Asian blended well with the house and occupants.
Sujin came into the living room carrying the tray of biscuits and
the strong smell of green herb tea. She looked at him and then to
the floor table giving him the choice of the floor or the old
wooden table next to the kitchen. He looked at the floor and she
placed the tray and sat each place with tea with the biscuits in
the middle. After placing the tea pot and cups she returned the
tray to the kitchen and walked back taking the stairs down to the
basement where the bedrooms and other rooms were
located.
Burberry felt alone and
relaxed from the barely noticeable sounds of the rain slamming
against the windows as by now the storm was showing it stuff. He
closed his eyes and saw the red dots of eye strain blinking like
stars in the night. At sixty he wasn’t young anymore, but like his
wife told him he was as active as a young man fresh from boot camp.
That is when he met her when he was on leave out of boot camp in
South Carolina. It was summer time and some of his friends were
going swimming and he needed some swim trucks. A smile crossed his
face as he flashed back walking into the boutique along the sea
shore. She was helping another customer as he perused the swim
trunks. The next thing he knew after she asked him if she could
help him find something, he turned and looked into her deep brown
eyes and white teeth.
He never went swimming with
the boys, but on her days off and at night he swam with her. A year
later they were married and for the last thirty five years it was
mostly a happy marriage with two kids now grown and gone with their
own lives and careers leaving just the two of them home
alone.
A voice saying, “Steve how
about some tea,” woke him from his subconscious dream. Standing
next to the stove stood the man he hoped could bring security and
comfort back to California.
“Yes, I would love some,” as
he stood up and took off his over coat and handed it to Brad. As
Steve watched Brad he thought his looks never changed. His tall
lean body was as fit today as he knew it years ago. Brad hung it up
next to the alcove and returned to the low table sitting down cross
legged and waited for his guest to do the same. Sujin came up
wearing sweat pants and a T shirt that said, “I love the Beach”
across the front of it. She was small like most Asian women, but
under her sweats hard muscled legs matched her upper body from
years of yoga and Tai Chi left their mark. Steve knew her prowess
in martial arts as one time strolling on the beach with Brad, she
told him some of her back ground, but only enough to leave him with
the knowledge she could and can take care of herself in a time of
need.
Sujin poured the tea and sat
down next to her husband. Like most Asian women she rarely made eye
contact with anyone but someone she knew well and in this case with
Steve, she knew only too well. Every time they met he had a job
that needed their attention. She busied herself with tea and
biscuits waiting for the formal discussion to begin. Steve
commented on the nice taste of the tea and biscuits and asked
forgiveness for intruding on their hospitality. Meaningless words
she thought knowing full well they would be on a job again very
soon. She was in the middle of a photo layout and was scheduled to
fly to Seoul for a showing. Now she would have to postpone because
she would not let him take on any job without her help. Brad would
make the usual noises about her going on to Seoul without worrying
about him, but his words were not sincere. He needed her and she
needed him. Their relationship was built on trust and friendship
for the mutual good of both.
Ever since Pakistan they
were a team reading each other’s mind like they knew each other for
a life time instead of only a few weeks once he healed from his
wound. After being airlifted out of Pakistan to India, thanks to
the Indian government they spent the next three months basking on
the beaches and practicing Yoga and studying Far Eastern religions
while his wound healed.
Tea and biscuits consumed
Brad waited for Steve to speak. His formal upbringing military
style held true through his thirty five years on earth. He figured
if he listened he would learn more and a listener was always at an
advantage because the listener could think while the speaker could
only talk. A small advantage, but an advantage nonetheless. Steve
was wearing a sports coat and from an inside pocket he drew out a
folded paper. He passed it to Brad and it was a brief note of only
a few sentences. In essence it said the governor of California
wanted to meet him soonest. Brad said, “What is this about
Steve?”
Steve said, “I’m sure you
are aware of the serial killer stalking Southern California. He or
she has killed another one yesterday and that brings the total to
eight in six months. I’ll not bore you with why the FBI hasn’t a
lead since the first senior citizen was murdered in Barstow. In my
briefcase in the car I have all the latest files on this case and
the bottom line is our government wants you to solve this case
before we lose many more senior citizens to this mad person. As you
know, seniors carry a lot of weight these days politically and
economically. The president yesterday had a special meeting with
the FBI director and when the director came out of the meeting half
his butt was missing. Sorry Sujin, but that’s a quote form the
secret service guy who escorted him off the premise.” Steve sat
back and moved his cramped legs for some blood circulation for the
unorthodox method of sitting on the floor.
Brad noticed and said,
“Let’s go down to the office and bring your files with you. Give
Sujin your keys and she will get it for you,” as he stood up to
lead his friend down to the basement. Rocky got up and followed his
master down the stairs. Never was he not with his master when
someone other than Sujin was with him. He always kept his distance,
but never for a moment did he relax while his master entertained a
guest.
Steve never ceased to be
impressed with the basement. Like spokes on a wheel, rooms led off
through curtained or beaded doors oriental style. In the center, or
the hub of a wheel, sat three small sofas done up in the same motif
as the sofa upstairs. All colors were grey or white wherever you
looked be it ceiling or the inside of the walls of the various
rooms. Sitting in the middle of the room or hub surrounded by sofas
sat around a glass coffee table with legs from a piece of driftwood
custom fit for the glass. Recessed lighting, but effective, lent a
warm feeling of safety and security. On the table a portable phone
sat looking lonely without a cord to give it a home. Brad said with
politeness, “Would you like a glass of brandy or
cherry?”
“Yes, that would be fine. A
glass of brandy would get my old blood moving again as I fear we
have a long afternoon and night ahead of us.”
Brad disappeared into one of
the rooms leaving the beads to rattle and sway together. Before
they had completely settle down he was back with two brandy
snifters and a bottle of California brandy. He poured an inch into
each and sat down opposite his friend as Sujin came down with his
briefcase. She gave him his bag and sat down on the other sofa so
she could watch each of them as they spoke. Brad had a long time
ago asked her to view the conversations with special attention to
facial and body expressions. He felt that was the key to
observation was separating fact from fiction; truth for lies;
politics included and most importantly the subject itself. How
important was this to the nation and who would benefit from it.
Would this situation have far reaching effects worldwide or just
locally? These were just some of the things he and Sujin discussed
each time they were called to action. Now he gave Steve his full
attention while he opened his bag and put on his half glasses. He
opened a file marked secret and read an over view of what its
contents were.
Two hours later Steve laid
all the files on the glass table and sat back with his untouched
brandy and sipped while he stared at Brad. Brad had neither touched
his glass nor said a word the whole time. Steve was used to his
ways and took the time to relax and let the warm burning liquid
ignite a fire in his belly. Sujin got up and left up the stairs.
Steve guessed right she was making dinner. She was an excellent
Asian cook and he always looked forward to her dinners. I think it
was the side dishes he liked the best, he thought. He’d been here
many times and never twice did he eat the same entrée. He knew he
would be pleased with whatever she served.
Brad after he picked up his
glass and raised it to his boss said, “Let me show you something in
the computer room before we have dinner.” Steve followed him
through a beaded doorway into a room that looked like it was
sanitized each day. Not a speck of dust anywhere. He marveled at
Sujin and her attention to detail. Brad sat down in front of a
twenty four inch screen and pulled up a map of California. Steve
sat in what he knew as Sujin’s chair next to Brad while he made a
copy of the map from the printer. After making a copy he overlaid
the map with holes in each case where the killer had made a mark.
Steve could see where Brad had drawn lines from point to point and
clearly a letter had appeared. The letter “N” hit him between the
eyes and Steve sat back and exclaimed,
My God it is so elementary and not one FBI person thought of doing
this simple act?”
“Sometimes the simple things
go right by as our educated minds are looking for deeper meanings
when it is usually right in front of you. Of course you are
spending the night with us and I will read your files after dinner.
In the morning I will give you my report and Sujin’s too. Meanwhile
as you know there are some videos to watch in the guest room and a
phone to call home if you like. We, as you also know are not much
in the entertainment mode around here and after dinner Sujin and I
will take on the files. Now let’s go see what my Asian beauty has
for dinner,” as he rose and led Steve up the stairs.