Further Adventures (10 page)

NEWSMAN: Another 2 bodies have been found in the desert 40 miles north of the Mexican border. The tragic discovery brings to 6 the number of illegal Mexican immigrants found murdered in the last 2 weeks. The bodies of the victims had been mutilated but the County Coroner says this probably occurred after death as the result of scavenging by coyotes or wild dogs. The cause of death in each case has been determined to be a single execution-style gunshot wound to the head.

Sal let a hard breath out through his teeth I felt it hit me on the back of my neck & Vern dropped a friendly paw of comfort onto Diego’s shoulder.

NEWSMAN: These killings coincide with the recent upsurge in anti-immigration activity and since January 1st local organizations have formed armed citizens patrols to assist the overstretched Border Patrol. Spokesman for one of these groups El Paso Attorney Owen Meacham issued a statement today which described these citizens patrols as lawful democratic activities undertaken for the benefit of the community at large and he dismissed any alleged racist involvement in acts of violence as “far-fetched and laughable.”

“You got your green card don’tcha Diego?” Vern patted the Mexican customer’s back. “Tilt your head down.”

Before Diego went back to looking at his magazine he gave Vern a glance over his shoulder and he said, “That better be a shaver in your hand.”

A joke that broke the ice of the moment and while Sal & Vern & Diego laughed about it I sank down into my inner thoughts I started wondering if I could solve The Case Of The Border Murders. So there was another seed of my Doom sprouting a root while I wondered how it felt with them the poor Mexicans who had hunger for breakfast and starvation for lunch and for dinner they had Hope maybe a better Life was waiting for them on the other side of the desert. So they follow over with The Virgin Mary or whatnot cheering them all the way so they stand the hot Sun etc. and the first American they meet says
Tilt your head down
and shoots them in the neck dead. What business can be worse for them what kind of Life what kind of Death?

I drifted back to Earth in the barbershop at the end of Sal’s treatment which for my enjoyment he dragged out by applying lavender hair tonic & talcum powder & brushing me off very neat. But I did not rise up out of Sal’s red barber chair when he was all done with me I was stuck to it like the hand of Goliath was pressing down on my chest squeezing my Lungs holding me there it was all the Voices I was hearing on the Radio—

I will tell you what happened in the days of The Green Ray when Lamont Carruthers had to let some character in on the Plot & keep him going forward. He created a Coincidence. Maybe it is a report on the news which Peter Tremayne happens to turn on by accident & it alerts him about the criminal doings of Lionel Horvath or it could be a front-page news Story or a photo of some V.I.P. which just hits the stands by Coincidence at the exact time that Rosalind Bentley steps out of her taxicab in front of the theater to recognize him & this new info makes her change direction so she steps into danger or out of its clutches depending where she is in the Episode beginning middle or end. In the Green Room I made a point out of it I mocked & scoffed at a coincidence like this since it can occur on the whim of Lamont Carruthers for his purpose i.e. so his Story hurries up and keeps going to the Finale. My
opinion was these events do not occur in outside Life and for 73 Years that was my experience until the day of my haircut.

The man behind the microphone is called Joe Hayes hard nose hard head & hard heart and maybe hard of hearing but they give him his own show after the 12 O’clock News. His show asks Listeners to call him on the phone & complain or dares them to criticize Joe’s rough opinions on the topics of the day etc. always he is very tough on his Audience but they keep calling he is very popular also very unpopular with a high salary & contract go figure. Being his Shows are action-packed with insults flying around this one was not different.

The Voice was a man’s Voice trying to break into Joe’s heckling—

JOE: Al! Albert! Alfred! C’mon man! You can’t prove any of this actually happened can you. I mean if you took a picture of him maybe—

AL: Can I say one thing? Can I say one thing please?

JOE: —especially of your daughter. Yeah go ahead Al I’m still listening if nobody else is.

AL: Peter Tremayne did it. He’s the guy—

JOE: Yeah he’s the guy you say saved your daughter from the vice lords of the East 8th?

AL: He went down there Joe and—

JOE: The scumbags of the East 8th aren’t going to come out and support your tale of woe are they? Be realistic Al.

AL: He brought my girl home and I just want to say thank you Mr. Tremayne. That’s all.

JOE: In other words this is the same stupid story you fed to the newspaper. I see you got your picture on the inside page of today’s
Examiner
. Here’s what I don’t get. Why don’t you come right out
and confess to my
honest
listeners that this is just your pathetic way to grab some attention and a few dirty bucks. Hey—what made your daughter run away from home in the first place Al?

AL: I love my girl. I’m real good to her.

JOE: You want some more attention? I’ll call my friend Mike Malone at Channel 5 and maybe he’ll put your ugly face on Live At Five.

So Al and everybody else who was tuned in heard the Sound of Joe Hayes dialing his Telephone or maybe it was just a recording of it it did not make a difference if it was real or fake it had the same Effect.

Now the Sound of a ringing tone very tense it made Al force his last line out in a hurry.

AL: Somebody in this world respects a father’s rights over his child. Forgive and forget. Start over. Thank you very much.

JOE: Yeah.

Al hung up at the same time Joe’s phone call connected and it was not Mike Malone on the other end it was the Time Lady. As soon as he heard what time it was at the tone exactly he hung up on her.

JOE: Terrific story from Al Abercorn there but next time
Al
try coming up with one we can
believe
.

Let them arrive! Let those cards & letters come pouring in! From far & wide! Let them arrive from Alaska! I will dress up warm and go there! I will help helpless Eskimos!

If I get a letter from a little child in a orphanage in Chicago who is
suffering because she found out how she is not really a Orphan she is there so her mother can spend the Trust Fund which her kindly Granddad saved for the little girl so she never has to suffer I will go to Chicago!

If I get a letter from a man in trouble who worked hard his whole Life to build up a respectable business so he can provide for his loved ones & now some big company
goniff
wants to buy him out cheap so he will not sell so now the big boys are pushing him out of business in his own Neighborhood and he begs me to help him push the big boys back
I will do it!

Because already I saved a girl from harm I led her back home to her papa’s loving embrace where she could be happy today
I did that!
So what is the next thing I see? A pickup truck stops by the curb loaded in the rear by bundles of
Mason Examiners
—the delivery driver wallops a bundle into the paper machine on the sidewalk he snaps the lid down and drives off. The paper on top is folded funny so the lid does not shut so I can pull it out. (A good thing because I fished in my pockets and did not have the correct change to pay for it so I call this a Good Sign in my favor.)

On the inside page I saw their smiling faces Mr. Al Abercorn & Charmaine outside the long brown trailer. They hugged each other hard for the picture but also for each other I believe. So it was my Proof all right how I changed their Life. I did that. So what so I am the only one alive who knows who I am! Look who gets a Headline:

NO CLUE TO IDENTITY OF GREEN-CLAD HERO

I am in the News again!

Five letters remained in alphabetical order & the next Case came from a 55 yr. old man called Hector Carillo who wanted Peter Tremayne to give him $200 for the down payment on a pickup truck. The next one
came from a Greek man who used to make Circus tents by hand he wanted Peter Tremayne to get him a job so he could use his fine skills for a different Purpose for instance the sewing of custom-tailored garments for very overweight men & women like he sees on Ricki Lake. I did not feel energetic enough to go out & find him some wealthy Opera singer to start him off so I drank some juice and took a nap on the sofa.

My doorbell jabs me awake when it is dark outside & I see something else in the window very dreamy. She was how I remembered her. In the yellow mosquito lamp her skin looked darker also her eyes but younger than her skin like they belonged to a little girl but got trapped in her hard life to come. This is what I recognized.

“Peter?” She squinted at me she was not sure she got my name 100% correct.

Here she is in the privacy of my own home & there I am standing like a Sears & Roebuck ad in my old Bermudas to welcome Amelia into my apartment & back into my Life.

“The blackout—” I said for starters but what my follow-up was going to be I had no idea. “How did you find me?” fell out of my mouth.

“I write you a letter. I wait for you when you come get it from the place then I follow you. Sorry.”

That letter from Amelia sat on my T.V. tray it was Number 5 in the pile with her last name Vasquez very low in the alphabet.

“I’m scared you get mad at me,” she said because I didn’t say anything else.

“You want a nice glass of ice tea?”

Very delicate Amelia opened the screen door and stepped in. She let her fingers do the walking through the pile of letters on the tray & she pulled her envelope out from the bottom. She tore it up & stuffed the little pieces inside her straw bag.

“I’ve been going alphabetical,” I explained to her.

“My name is Amelia O.K.?”

“Amelia. I remember.” This put a smile on her lips for I saw her remember likewise in a flash the obnoxious experience which put us on Familiar Terms.

“Peter,” she said very soft.

Well folks my smile faded down & a different one faded up which was holding some embarrassment in. “Not Peter,” I said. “Not really. I have to stay anonymous for maximum security see?” I stuck out my hand. “Ray Green. How are ya?”

Amelia squeezed my fingers which she did not let go. “I have big trouble.”

“Yes,” I said very understanding. “Where did you go after?”

She clicked her tongue. “I stay in a motel & I don’t go out for a while. Only now hm? Now I don’t stay no more. Somethings might happen when I’m there.”

“Something?”

“Accidents.” She made the Sound of a bomb going off & showed me the Blast with her hands spread apart her cheeks puffed out her eyes fiery.

“Those men Nilo and that Perry guy. Who are they to you?”

“Dirt on my shoes.” Her Voice had steel needles in it. She sucked in her cheeks & turned her face away from me which was very Psychological i.e. she did not believe her own words nor she did not want me to doubt her.

What was I going to say? CONFESS ALL OR ELSE—? Am I Joe Hayes? As Peter Tremayne always did I used mild Psychology on Amelia. It was back to polite conversation before I could probe & prod. “You want some tea with a little lemon?”

We stood in the kitchen & I made ice tea which is a dish I make very tasty not only with lemon I use fresh Mint. Also a few tsps sugar for a whole pitcher maybe 2 Quarts. No ice cubes until the last minute! Put the glasses in the Freezer Compartment for ½ Hour and it comes out very sharp & refreshing.

When I had to squeeze in next to her I smelled her skin very Salty in the heated weather but not sweaty very unusual. I did not make a comment on it I was going to give Amelia a compliment but I did not come up with a way to put it in time which did not sound like the first sign of a Urge so I dropped it. By the way when I got to be on closer terms with Amelia I learned her secret: in heated weather she rubbed on a mishmash of Baby Powder & Baking Soda 50–50. So there is another handy tip you can write down besides the ice tea advice.

Puffs of breeze brought in the tangy odor of rust on the screen from the kitchen window you can taste it on your tongue. We did not discuss her Case only this & that e.g. the Mexican village of Tres Osos where she came from so I told her about my village Philadelphia. She wanted to know the exact statistics of my Birth i.e. the place hour minute regular time or Daylight Savings so she could draw up my Personal Astrology.

I am a Sagittarius according to Amelia which now I can add to the list American Jewish Senior Citizen Wanted Fugitive La-Dee-Doo-Dah etc. et all. I do not believe this Sagittarius business. Amelia goes by the sign of Scorpio she tells me we are a bad duet since she is Water and I am Fire. Ask me and I will say it is complete bunk since I believe that all beings are connected to the stars all right by their Atoms but no mop top woman named Fidelia with her regular column in the
Mason Examiner
knows from my daily business.

Amelia tasted my ice tea and she told me, “They do jobs for a big man. What he tells them to do. Anything.”

“Nilo? Perry? Them?” (She nodded yes.) “Who is he?” (She nodded no.) “What did he tell them to do that night?”

“What they did.”

“You know this big man personal?”

Amelia sipped in a tiny breath & her shoulders did a Shimmy when she refused to answer me but it was her Answer.

So much happens in this world what goes on you can not believe it. Events you can not imagine until you read about them in a magazine.
I do not mean for instance the idea that alien Life Forms i.e. superior Beings from outer space & beyond came down in spaceships & carved something that looks like a spider on a big rock in Peru somewhere and never returned to explain. No I do not mean I compare such to the idea of mysterious Events which occur in Human Life as we know it. We put people on the moon & if you handed that piece of news to some tribe of Pygmies in the middle of the jungle would they believe it?