Detective Mike

Chapter 17

Later." He brushes her back and says, "You got the start of a burn love. You better not get any more sun today." He catches Shannon as she crawls for the pool. "Come on, Sam. None of that."

Mike shades his eyes and stares up at the sky. "I don't think we are gonna have much more sun anyway. It looks like quite a storm headed our way." He carries Shannon and they head for the snack bar. He calls to Jan and Crystal on the way and they run to join them. "I think you guys have gotten enough sun, too."

In the trailer Trudy puts on lunch as the girls help her. Mike says he's going to find Rick and Julie. He suspects he knows where they are. He heads for the waterslide. It's shut down but under it is a large sheltered area out of sight of prying eyes. He makes lots of noise entering the area but no one is there. He looks around but it doesn't look like anyone has been there. The grass is undisturbed. He scratches his head and leaves the area.

When he gets back to the trailer they are sitting at the picnic table opposite each other. Mike detects coolness between them. He shrugs and goes inside. Out the window he sees them speak to each other and Rick gets up abruptly coming towards the trailer. He comes inside and goes to his room.

Mike goes down the hall to the bathroom and he hears Rick say, "Dad?"

He steps to Rick's door. "Yes, son."

He speaks quietly, "Is she still outside?"

Mike crouches down and says, "Yes. What's wrong?"

"There's something wrong with her, I think." He whispers, "She was flirting sexually with Glen and Jimmie this morning. When we came up here for s*x we were no more than done when they came in. They said she had invited them and she called them in here. She had s*x with both of them and then she wanted more from me with them here. I got angry and said no. I don't understand her."

"Son, there is no understanding some women's appetites. Maybe it's best if you break it off with her. What do you think?"

"I don't want her to be hurt by a bunch of guys that way. Why would she want that?"

"I think it's her way of getting attention, son. I'm not sure how to handle that. Trudy is the same and I have found that my love for her puts a check on that need. I'm not suggesting that for you, that's a lifetime commitment. What do you feel right now?"

"I want to hug her and keep her away from those others."

"Even if she doesn't want that?"

He's silent thinking it through. They hear Trudy calling Julie for lunch and they stop discussing her. Mike says, "Better come for lunch."

After the lunch dishes are done and Trudy has a chance to sit down with Mike for coffee she perches on his lap. The girls are outside at the picnic table and Rick has gone to the pool. Trudy asks, "What's wrong with Julie and Rick?"

"You noticed?" He sips his coffee.

"Do you plan to speak to her about it if it affects Rick?"

"Not if you tell me not to." He goes on, "It's complicated. Her mother works long hours and the girls have to look after themselves a lot of the time. They have no father. Julie makes out with Rick three and four times a day. What does that suggest?"

"She's lonely and needs attention, feels unloved. Is she being too demanding on the boy? If that was you you'd welcome it." She giggles.

"Today it went one step farther. She had s*x with Jim's two older boys and wanted Rick to join in."

"Ouch! I gather that hurt him." Mike nods. She fumes, "Damn, what will he do?"

"I don't know, love. I sure wouldn't foist a long-term relationship on them to alleviate her feelings of inadequateness. They are so young yet."

"That's what you'd do, isn't it? I should know."

Mike shrugs. "But I love you."

Trudy muses, "They are much too young for that. They might break up over this."

"I suspect that might be the case."

"And she'll end up the school slut screwed by all the guys. Such a shame, Mike." Mike sips his coffee. Trudy goes on, "It's such a shame we can't love our children enough so that never happens."

"Sadie loves those girls, love. It's her old man that left them."

"But she's in the s*x trade, she's a stripper. I know and you screw her, too you bum."

"Did you know she was a school teacher? When he left her she couldn't make ends meet and she took on a job go-go dancing in a club in Langley. Then she found she made more money and had more time to spend with the girls if she stripped and worked closer to home. It's not easy for her."

"I didn't know that." They finish their coffee and Mike checks his watch.

Mike says, "Well, if I go now I should be home by suppertime with no problem. Kiss me and get up out of my lap." He reconsiders, "It might be better to do that the other way around or I might not get out of here."

Soon he's in the station wagon heading for the highway. He watches for a brown gull wing TransAm with bright copper pin stripping. Checking his watch again he feels he has another ten minutes before she shows up. He turns towards Mission and takes his time. Near Lake Erock he watches closer and spots the car ahead approaching him. He flashes the lights repeatedly until she does the same and pulls over. He sees brake lights and then backup lights.

Janine's window rolls down as she backs up. "Hey, where did you get that boat? I was expecting your Mustang."

"It's Marlene's. I haul the trailer with it. The only other choice was Trudy's little sprint. Follow me." He pulls ahead and watches her turn in the mirror. She spurts in behind him and he guns it.

About two miles west of Lake Erock he turns on his signal light and pulls across the highway into a narrow road that drops down from the highway running parallel with it. Almost immediately he swings across into a wide grassy shoulder on the left side of the road and pulls well ahead in it. Janine pulls in behind him.

He hops out and goes back to her. She flips up the door and steps out.

"Wow, this place is neat. You can hear the traffic above us but I bet no one can see us here."

He grins, "You are so right. What did you want to do today?"

Her green eyes smoulder and she purrs, "You know damn well what I want, Mike Claymore."

"Where will we go?"

She puts both arms up around his neck and says, "What's wrong with right here?"

Mike drawls, "Now if we were down in the nudist park you would see clear evidence that there is nothing wrong with this place."

She rubs her pelvis against him and says, "Oh, I see... or rather, I feel." She nods, "Your place or mine?"

"Sergeant Dempster, are you allowing me a choice?"

"I have buckets, what have you got?"

"Three benches."

"I guess that answers that. Let's go."

"In fact the center seats let down to make a double bed with the rear ones." He opens the Buick up on the passenger side and adjusts the seats.

"Wow, all the comforts. Isn't it lumpy?"

"Some but I find the lumps are in just the right places."

"Have we got something to put under us? I'll get my car blanket." She runs back to her car and returns with the blanket. In her brief absence he casts his mind back to their first meeting. It had been late fall in Calgary over five years ago. She was working in the office of CPX then and he had missed a chance to take her for coffee.

The next time he was in Calgary he made sure he had time to take her not only for coffee but also for lunch. They had taken her car and it was a rare treat for both of them. On the way back to the yard he had hinted he would like to get to know her a lot better and she had made it clear she was married and did not fool around. They parted on amicable grounds and Mike was happy he had made a new friend. She had said something the same and she looked forward to when he would be back in town.

A few weeks later when the wind was howling and the power was flickering in the terminal, snow was buffeting the warehouse and the city, Mike came staggering in the door to run into her literally. He was all apologetic and asked her where she was going. It was a Friday night and she said she had to try and get home. She explained she lived across the city and the highways were fast becoming impassable. Mike had been shivering and was rubbing circulation into his hands as he watched her.

"Do y-y-you have a cell phone?"

That was the first time he saw her giggle. "You are frozen, Mike Claymore. Yes, I have my cell phone but it won't do me much good. No one is at the house. My husband is snowed in down at Lethbridge. Nothing is flying."

"L-l-look, I will give you my number and you give me yours. If you have any t-t-trouble just call me and I will come rescue you. Th-th-th-at tractor of mine can get through where a lot of other vehicles c-c-can't and I am all chained up anyway."

"Oh thank you Mike, that will give me some peace of mind." They had exchanged numbers. Right after she left Mike had heard the announcement that all roads were closed. The police were asking people to stay off the roads unless it was an emergency. Mike had paced in the lunchroom worrying about Janine out in the weather.

Finally he could take the suspense no longer and he had dialled her number. It rang and rang until suddenly, "Mike?"

"Janine, are you alright?"

He heard her giggle, "I am about a mile from the terminal cleaning off my windshield. This storm is impossible. There's two cars in the ditch here where I am."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know... if I can get turned around I think I'm going to come back to the terminal. I'll never make it home in this weather."

"I'll watch for you. Keep in touch."

Mike had waited for what seemed an eternity before his cell phone rang again. "Mike! Help! I'm in the ditch!"