Detective Mike

Chapter 13

"I think Rick and Julie are here."

Marlene looks out the kitchen window and agrees. "They're coming to the side door now." She turns back, "Mike, I've packed sandwiches for you and the kids for supper. They're on the table and some more stuff in the fridge. Would you like to put it all in that cooler chest? There's some pop in there, too."

Rick calls from the door, "Hi Dad, we're ready. Can I throw Julie's stuff in the trailer?"

"Okay, but make sure it's on the floor where it won't fall and make a mess."

"Right, Dad."

Mike goes downstairs and finds the cooler. He gets some frozen packs out of the freezer to keep it cool and brings it upstairs. He packs in the pop first and then sandwiches and vegetable sticks on top. Marlene checks what he has in and nods approvingly. She goes off upstairs to check on Jan leaving Shelly to watch the baby.

Mike winks at her. "Are you sure you don't want to go with us, Shell?"

She shakes her head. "Mom and I are going to have Emma to keep us busy. We'll go out next time." She turns back to the homework she's doing by Emma's basinet. Mike hauls the cooler out to the station wagon. He looks around for Rick and goes to the trailer. He cracks open the door and hears them back in Rick's bedroom. He shakes his head and closes the door again. Inside he meets Marlene with Jan who has a suitcase.

"Did you load in your whole bedroom?" He chuckles.

"Nope, but I had to take my teddy bear and my teddy bear pjs."

He looks at Marlene, "Do you have Rick's stuff ready to go?"

"Yep, but he better check it. Where is he?"

Mike rolls his eyes and nods towards the trailer. She steps to the side door and calls, "Rick, you better come and check what I've packed for you. I not sure I put in everything you might want." Mike hears a faint, "Okay Mom."

In a few minutes he hears the trailer door close and takes Jan's suitcase out the door. He nods Rick to one side and says quietly, "None of that when the kids are in the trailer, eh?"

Rick acts defiant for an instant like he is going to argue then says, "Okay Dad." He turns to Julie who has her eyes cast down towards the ground.

Mike says, "Can you help me, Julie?"

He climbs into the trailer and she follows. He checks and asks her to move her stuff to the floor for travelling. He puts Jan's case on the floor, too. Rick has gone on into the house.

Mike speaks to her, "Are you pretty excited about the weekend, too? Jan is beside herself."

"Yes, it's good to get away from town."

"And your mother?"

"Rick said he told you. She does pry and so does my sister."

"I'll try not to do that but you must respect my position. I have Jan to worry about and Crystal. I don't want them stumbling on you and Rick at the wrong time. Do you understand?"

"Yes Mr. Claymore. We'll be careful."

"That's all I ask. Thank you Julie." Jan comes bounding into the trailer and asks when they are going.

Mike laughs and says as soon as Rick brings his stuff to the trailer. Rick comes right in behind her with a bag. He says, "Mom had it all packed."

Mike looks his load over and says, "Where's your rifle?"

Rick looks surprised and says, "You got some ammo?"

"Hurry and get it!"

"Wow! You bet!" He runs off into the house. Mike looks everything over in the trailer and decides it's safe for travelling. He scoots the girls out ahead of him and closes the trailer up. He goes to the side door and meets Rick. "Put that by the cooler in the back of the station wagon."

He steps inside the door and meets Marlene. "See you Sunday night, love." He takes her in his arms.

"I know you will, lover. Say hi to Trudy and her brood for me." She tilts her head to kiss him. "You have your cell phone?" He nods as their lips meet and she moves her head with him in the kiss. She tries to suppress a giggle. Then she circles him with her arms and really puts her all in the kiss.

She backs away smiling, "See you Sunday night, lover."

"Bye Daddy," calls Shelly.

"You look after your Mom, Shell. See you Sunday, too." He waves from inside the door to her in the living room then goes out to the wagon. Rick and Julie are in the very back row of seats and Jan is up front on the passenger side. Mike grins and calls back to Rick, "Might as well pull that cooler up here on the center row of seats, son."

Rick calls back, "We have more room back here." He pulls the cooler from behind him and boosts it onto the seat ahead of him. Mike has the engine going and is looking over everything. He slides behind the wheel and pulls the trailer ahead. He tries the trailer brakes one last time and then pulls out on the street.

"Rick, can you go back and see if my brake lights are working on both sides?"

Rick climbs out and goes back to the back of the trailer. Mike steps on the brakes twice. Rick comes running back to the vehicle and says, "Both sides working just fine, Dad." He settles beside Julie as they pull away from the curb. They swing left at the light and head in through town then out on the Abby-Mission Highway.

Mike calls out, "Anyone for a sandwich?"

As they cross the Fraser River on the Mission Bridge Mike is munching on a thick egg salad sandwich with crisp lettuce. They swing east in Mission towards Agassis. It's about twenty miles from here to the campground on Harrison Bay. The afternoon sun is warm on the station wagon and everyone is in good spirits. Julie asks if anyone wants celery or carrot sticks then passes them around. Rick opens cokes, root beers or ginger ale for each as they state their preferences.

They pass Hatzic Lake and over the tracks at Dewdney, then out the Lougheed Highway to Deroche. All the way they are following the Fraser River and the CP railway on their right as they push on to Lake Erock. They cross the Harrison River and watch for the signs to turn for the campground.

Mike checks his watch and it's just after five as they turn for Sunny Meadows Nudist Campground. About a mile and then a turn left and they are at the parking lot. He swings in and heads for the gate on the far side that goes to Trailer Row. There are only a few cars in the lot since it is pretty early in the season. Mike pulls up at the gate and gets out.

Behind him a car honks it's horn and he turns. It's Trudy's Chevy Sprint and she's waving at him. He goes back to her.

"Hi there, sweet stuff. You look like you have a car full. Thank goodness you don't have a bigger car."

Crystal calls to him from the passenger side, "Hi Daddy, look who's waving to you."

Shannon is in Crystal's lap and she's waving excitedly at the sight of him. Mike laughs and waves back at her. He reaches his head in the window to kiss Trudy. She murmurs, "Good to see you, darling."

Mike walks back to the gate as Rick goes back to see Trudy. He checks the combination lock and it responds to his clicking it. He swings open the gate and goes back to the wagon calling to Rick, "Catch the gate behind us, Rick. Make sure it's locked."

He pulls the trailer inside and down the road towards the spot where they had it parked last fall next to Olga and Lars. The spot is still open but Olga's trailer is gone. He shrugs and gets out to check the clearance all around. Lining it up in his mind he gets back behind the wheel and backs it straight into the spot. On checking it he's satisfied and starts undoing wiring hook ups.

Trudy calls to him. "Not many around, eh? I only see two trailers here besides ours." She's out of the car with the door still open and pushing her skirt down exposing her bare body underneath. She kicks the skirt off and scoops it up. "Ever nice to shed that!"

"Are you leaving the sweater on?"

"Sure, it might turn cool."

Mike chuckles as he lowers the jack and slowly lifts the trailer tongue off the ball on the back of the wagon. He hesitates just before it is ready to release and takes a couple of chocks of wood from the back of the wagon to block the trailer wheels. Then he lifts it free and moves the wagon ahead.

Next he drops the tongue down low to the ground with the jack handle and then goes to the back of the trailer. Judging by eye that it is level side to side he sets the rear jacks in place and returns to the front. Now as he raises the tongue with the jack he is lifting the whole trailer on the rear jacks. Watching the level bob on the tongue he takes it a bit passed level and goes to set the front jacks. Once they are in place he slackens off the tongue jack and it is parked. The bubble in the level is exactly centred.

He declares, "She's level. Go ahead and open her up."

Rick is first inside closely followed by Trudy. She starts giving orders and things inside take shape. Mike sits back at a picnic table chatting with Crystal and amuses Shannon. He comments, "Sounds like your mother has everything in hand."

Crystals says, "She's bossy, isn't she?"

Mike laughs, "I see you know enough not to say that when she's around." He goes on, "She is good at organizing things, you know."

"I know she is. I'm just sounding off. She's been giving orders all day."

"I see." He looks at Shannon, "To you too, Sam?" Shannon holds both her arms out at him and he takes her on his lap. She starts to inspect his shirt and look in the pocket. He watches her, "What's she looking for?"

Crystal laughs, "I think she's hungry, Daddy."

"Oh." Mike calls to Trudy, "When did you feed this kid last, love?"

"You can bring her in a minute, darling. I have her bed almost made up."

Mike comes over to the trailer door and hears, "She didn't get her nap this afternoon so maybe we'll get a full night's sleep tonight." She looks out at him. "Bring her in."

She takes Shannon in her lap and pulls up her sweater. Right away Shannon latches on her n****e and starts to suck. Julie watches them. Mike sits down by her at the table. "Did you guys have any supper?"

"Cookie made us up a lunch." She calls, "Crystal honey, bring in those sandwiches. Everybody might as well help themselves." Mike looks at Rick and asks him to do the same.

He says to Trudy, "Marlene did the same." He ponders, "I guess I better go look for Les Klassen. I have to move the Buick anyway." He goes out and moves the station wagon out of the roadway. He climbs out and goes for a walk towards the snack bar. Jan catches up with him and says, "Can I come with you, Daddy?

"Does Trudy know you are with me? Go back and tell her, I'll wait for you here by the laundry." She runs off and is back in minutes. They go on hand in hand to the snack bar.

Inside there are two couples in a booth and one lady at the counter talking to Les. Mike recognizes Darlene at the counter and calls out, "Les, good to see you again and Darlene, a real pleasure to see you."