Shady Oaks

by Jerry Boyd

  “It did. Must be more of a story there. Their business, not ours.”

  “You’re right there. No good comes of sticking your nose where it don’t belong.”

  I put a western on TV. It was fun to hear Dingus explain exactly what they had gotten wrong and why.

  After Lyla had finished with Joanna’s things, she asked, “Bob, do you mind closing the barn behind me?”

  “Don’t mind at all. Will you be back for paintball?”

  “I don’t know yet. Knowing this place, you’ll have two or three stories I need to come and write about before then.”

  “Could happen. Fly safe.”

  “See you later, Bob.”

  She got in her saucer and left. I shut the barn and went back in.

  I met Dingus on the way in. He said, “Dee has decided she needs to be at Shady Oaks all night. I’m going in to stay with her.”

  “You need more help?”

  “Rest up, Bob. We might need you tomorrow.”

  “If you change your mind, call.”

  “You know I will. Thanks for getting Dee’s friends out of that situation.”

  “John did it.”

  “We both know you got the ball rolling. Don’t give me no crap about looking out for Bob, either. You’re a good man, Bob Wilson, even if you won’t admit it.”

  “You better get going, Dingus,”

  “Bye, Bob.”

  Snitz and I watched the rest of the movie. I had a couple of beers. Nikki called. “Caveman, I’m not going to make it home tonight. Sorry.”

  “I’ll miss you, but do what you need to. See you tomorrow?”

  “You may need to come by here. Things around here were in a terrible mess. Thanks for understanding.”

  “You put up with all my crazy crap, I got no room to complain. I love you.”

  “Love you too. Hope to see you soon. Bye.”

  “Bye.”

  Snitz and I checked to make sure nobody had made off with his outdoors, and then I went to bed. Falling asleep was hard. Snitz still thought we should check his outdoors at sunup. I started coffee on the way out. If yesterday was any indication, I was going to need it. Nikki’s rig was home, so apparently Joanna had made it back at some point. We got business taken care of, and went back in. My comm rang. It was Topper. “Boss, I found a truck we could move that bed to. I’ll send you the info. It has a loading crane that we would be able to leave in place. Could be handy.”

  “Sounds good, Topper. Any idea what condition it’s in?”

  “Most of these trucks are worn out. You have to go to a dealer that rebuilds them to get something usable. I found one at a well-regarded dealer.”

  “Sounds like you’re learning, Topper. I’ll try to get to it today, but I can’t promise you. There’s a lot going on.”

  “I’m sorry, Boss, I didn’t know. I scheduled deliveries for this morning.”

  “Not a problem, Topper. We’ll work it out.”

  “If we can help, call, Boss.”

  “Just don’t let the truckers see you when they unload. I’ll let you know what I find out about that truck.”

  “Later, Boss.”

  “Later.”

  No matter how hard I stared into my coffee, there were no answers in it. I got a bowl of cereal, just wasn’t motivated to do anything more. One night without Nikki, and my Jones kicked in. I was hooked. My phone rang. It was the same trucker who brought us so many Chevelle parts. “You home, Mr. Wilson?”

  “I am. Bring it around to the shop, if you don’t mind.”

  “Not a problem. When do I get to meet this crew of yours?”

  “There’s a problem there. They ain’t from around here, and their papers ain’t as good as they could be. Makes ‘em kinda shy.”

  “I can see how that would be. Wouldn’t want to cause no trouble for you, Mr. Wilson.”

  “Thanks for that. How far out are you?”

  “’Bout five minutes.”

  “See you then.”

  “Bye.”

  I called Topper and told him to be sure there was room in front of the door, and then to make themselves scarce.

  Snitz needed to go with me, so we went down to the shop. I didn’t see the boys, so I ran the door up and waited.

  I helped unload, and tipped the driver. Goodwill buys silence, and I needed all I could buy. He said, “You starting a junkyard? That’s a nice car hauler.”

  “Just figured it was cheaper than renting from U-Haul every time I bought a car. Gonna have to put the bed on a different frame, though.”

  “Why’s that? Looks like a solid truck.”

  “It is, but I got hung up pulling that Datsun over there out of some old boy’s back forty. He had to pull me out with his tractor.”

  “How you gonna fix that?”

  “Got a line on an Army five ton. It’s got a crane for the real junkers, and room to fit that tilt bed behind it.”

  “Sounds good. You’ll have a hard time sticking that.”

  “Figure to hang a big winch off the front anyhow. When new and better ways to screw up get found, more than likely, I’ll do the finding.”

  “You sound like you and Murphy are personal friends.”

  “Not friends, but we do drink together now and then.”

  He shook my hand. “You have a good one, Mr. Wilson.”

  “You too. Drive careful.”

  As soon as he pulled out, I ran the door down, and the boys came out of hiding. I asked Topper, “How many more deliveries today?”

  “Just one, Boss. It’s scheduled for thirty minutes from now.”

  “Snitz would be in the way today, wouldn’t he?”

  “Yes. We need to keep the area clean for welding and painting. Is that a problem?”

  “No. I’ll leave him with Max. Will this next shipment give you everything you need to finish this car?”

  “We still have parts being made in the printer, but that’s everything we need shipped in.”

  “Could you order a winch to go on the front of that 6X6? It should be hard to hang up, but I want it for a backup.”

  “No problem, Boss. How soon do you need it?”

  “How soon will the shop be free to work on the truck?”

  “In the morning, probably.”

  “Go ahead and overnight it, then.”

  “Okay, Boss.”

  My phone rang. It was the other truck driver. I told him I’d meet him up by the house, and show him how to get to the shop. Snitz and I went up the hill to meet him. We got him down to the shop, and got his crates unloaded. I tipped him for coming to the middle of nowhere, and he was on his merry way. Snitz and I started back to the house, as the boys did their version of Christmas morning, opening crates of parts.

  Joanna was up drinking coffee when we got there. I asked, “How are things at Shitty Oaks?”

  “Still shoveling. I think I saw the floor in a couple of places.”

  “That bad, huh?”

  “We found records that would put Abernathy and Collins both in jail, but John said they were already being taken care of, we shouldn’t worry. What’s he got going?”

  “I don’t know. I like it better that way. So should you. I doubt it’s fatal.”

  “Why do you doubt it’s fatal, if you don’t know what he has planned?”

  “He was grinning after he called to set it up, like he had pulled a trick on someone. If he had been forced to end somebody, he would have been more serious.”

  “I see. You’re going on the fact that you two have pulled a lot of stuff, and you know his reactions, but you don’t have any particulars.”

  “If I needed them, he would have filled me in. I’m guessing it will be obvious when I read it in the paper.”

  “You trust him a lot.”

  “No more than you trust Dee.”

  “I guess you’re right.”

  “On another subject, the boys think they might be done with your car in the morning.”

  “I did
n’t know they had started on it.”

  “They just got their parts in. I brought them home a donor car last night. They’re quick.:”

  “How will the paint be dry so fast?”

  “Topper has a secret recipe. No clue.”

  “On another subject, I need to talk to you about Lyla.”

  “No. You don’t. Your business is your business.”

  “Not that, silly. She commed me before she left last night. Spending the day with Max left her with some suspicions she wanted to go check out. She said Max didn’t seem to have made a connection between certain things he said about Dingus and his childhood. She wants to be sure before she makes any claims.”

  “This story she thinks she has, is Dingus the bad guy?”

  “No. Not at all. If anything, he’s the victim.”

  “i have a hard time imagining Dingus as the victim of anything, Joanna.”

  “So do I, Bob. But that’s how she told it. So if I’m a little shook till she gets back, it’s not what your monorail mind is running off to.”

  “I’ll have you know, I thought about eating, just the other day!”

  “That’s our Bob!”

  I got cleaned up, and dropped Snitz with Max. Maybe Snitz could figure out what Joanna was talking about. I sure didn’t have a clue. When I got to Shady Oaks, there was a lady at the desk I didn’t recognize. Nikki hadn’t said anything about hiring a receptionist, so I was wary. “Hi, I’m Bob Wilson. Is anyone in management around?”

  “Perhaps I can help you, Mr. Wilson.”

  “No. I need to speak with the owner, Mr. Branham, or the director, Mrs. Sloan, or her husband, Mr. Sloan, or my wife, Mrs. Wilson.”

  “I’m sorry sir, none of those people are available. If you leave your name and number I can have someone get back to you.”

  “They all have my name and number. Mr. Branham is my business partner. If they’re asleep, I understand, they had a late night last night.”

  Nurse Williams came down the hall. “Mr. Wilson, I’m sorry. No one thought to tell Ms. Vonn to expect you.”

  “No problem. Where is everyone?”

  “Strategy meeting. They all seem to want your opinion on things. Could you come this way please?”

  “Sure. Nice to meet you, Ms. Vonn.”

  “You too, Sir.”

  I was slow off the mark, and Jane got ahead of me. Just enough gap for a little old lady to roll her wheelchair into.

  “Excuse me, Ma’am. I should have been paying more attention.”

  “No harm done. Hey do you work here now?”

  “No Ma’am, but the new owner is a friend of mine. What can I do for you?”

  “Tell ‘em whatever they put in the coffee this morning, keep doing it! First time in a long time I felt like getting out of bed.”

  “That’s great! I’ll pass it along. Who should I tell them said it?”

  “You should tell ‘em Santy Claus, make ‘em wonder. I’m Janice Parks, though.”

  I stuck out my hand to shake. “Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Parks. I’m Bob Wilson.”

  “Wilson, huh? Thought I recognized that line of crap. I knew your daddy.”

  “So I’m out of luck with you?”

  “Not entirely. Just watch yourself.”

  “Will do, Ma’am. I’ve got people waiting on me, I’ve got to get going.”

  “See you later, then?”

  “More than likely.”

  Luckily, I had seen which room Jane ducked into. I walked in, and Nikki said, “Chatting up the little old ladies, now?”

  “My wife never came home last night, and I’m terrible lonesome.”

  “Have a seat, asshole.”

  “Mrs. Parks says she’s more alert than she has been in years. She’s pretty psyched. You better have something rowdier than bingo lined up, or you’re gonna have yourselves a revolt.”

  Dee said, “We thought you and Dingus could strip for the old ladies.”

  “What about the gents?”

  “They’ll get their entertainment after you get the ladies wound up.”

  I looked at Dingus, “You think we need to make a break for it?”

  “Too late, they know where we live.”

  “You’re right. We don’t have a chance. Hey John, Joanna was saying you found evidence against Abernathy and Collins?”

  “Real smooth, Bob. Yeah, I did, but I’ve already got their punishment under way. You wouldn’t want to turn the merciful cops loose on them, would you?”

  “What you mean is if the cops come snooping around them, they might be able to trace what you’re doing?”

  “I doubt that, but a curious cop is a dangerous thing.”

  “Your hacker must be a busy man, these days.”

  “He is, at that. We need to talk about him, when things settle down here.”

  “Whenever you’re ready. Jane said you folks wanted my input on some things?”

  “We found more people in Dee’s situation. Do we have your okay to use your Guide money to help fix that?”

  “John, has Jane been tested? Why are you discussing this now?”

  “She has. I didn’t see any way to run this place without her knowing some stuff. Sorry I didn’t lead with that.”

  “No sweat. You folks have had a hard job so far. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t slipping up. If you can make an appreciable dent in my account, I’d be shocked. Surely crooked judges don’t cost that much to buy.”

  “That’s what I thought you would say, but I didn’t want to use your money without asking.”

  “It’s Nikki’s money too, why didn’t you ask her?”

  “We did. She insisted we talk to you, as well.”

  “Thanks, Space Cadet.”

  “No problem, Caveman.”

  “Was that everything you needed?”

  “We were wondering if you could bring the boys in to do some maintenance and upgrades on the building.”

  “Tomorrow soon enough? They’re busy today.”

  Jane spoke up, “It’ll probably be tomorrow before we have a plan for what needs doing. Who are these boys you all talk about?”

  “Just some illegal aliens I’ve got working at my shop way back in the woods.”, I said.

  “I doubt that. This bunch talks about them like they’re miracle workers. Especially Mrs. Sloan.”

  “She likes the Chevelle they built her, what can I say.”

  “They built that Chevelle? I want to meet these fellas.”

  “Sounds like you want a car. Don’t pick anything hard to find, please?”

  Dingus spoke up, “Quit whining, Bob. You only got hung up once, and the old man pulled you out. Knowing you, you’ve already got Topper finding an off road truck to put that car hauler bed on.”

  “I’m going to look at it when I get done here. What’s your point?”

  “My point is, you are enjoying the heck out of all these adventures, and nobody believes you when you say you don’t.”

  “Busted. What else do you folks need?”

  John said, “Jane, could you close the door, please?”

  Nikki fiddled with her watch. She said, “That’ll keep us quiet, John.”

  He said, “Bob, can you pull an autodoc and a power core to run it out of one of your junkers? We’d like to set it up so we can get some of these folks worst problems dealt with.”

  “I’ll get the boys on it as soon as the Datsun is finished. Have you figured out how to keep them busy once they start feeling better?”

  “Not really. You have some ideas?”

  “The ground behind this place is just sitting there. Nobody even runs cows on it anymore. We could snag it, put in some garden plots, maybe a little workshop.”

  “That sounds remarkably sane, for a Bob plan.”, Dee said.

  “Whose idea was it to buy this place? Yours, or Joanna’s?”

  “Busted. But it was worth it to see people looking human again.”

  There was a knock at the doo
r. Jane answered it. A man in scrubs said, “Mrs. Parks is in distress, I need help.”

  John took off. I looked at Dingus. “Go get the one with the good doc. We’ll figure out the details while you’re in route.” Then I followed John. He said, “Bob, get her into bed, we need to get her stabilized.” Jane was calling Dr. Brooks. After she hung up, she said to the fellow who had fetched her. “Mr. Branham is an Army trained medic. He is Mrs. Parks’ best chance right now. If you have a problem with that, be somewhere else.” He stayed.

  John said, “She overexerted herself because she was feeling so much better. We’ll have to keep an eye on the other patients to make sure they don’t do the same. Bob, my go bag is in Dee’s office.”

  I ran down the hall, and blew right by Ms. Vonn, who was valiantly trying to tell me I couldn’t go in the director’s office. I grabbed John’s go bag, and ran back. I set it on the table someone had put next to the bed, and opened it the way John liked. I said, “I sent Dingus for more equipment.”

  John replied, “That’s probably our best bet. Tell him to bring it to the back door.” The male nurse returned with oxygen. John put the mask on and set the flow. He said, “I’ve given her something to calm down, and the oxygen will help. How long do you think Dingus will take?”

  “Not long. He’s on Sunshine. I better see if Jack’s working today.”

  I called Jack. “Officer Conway, how may I help you today?”

  “If you see Dingus flying out of town, don’t slow him down.”

  “What’s he driving, Bob?”

  “He’s on his bike, Sunshine. Why do you ask?”

  “Tan bike?”

  I noticed he had his siren going. “Yes.”

  “Damn he’s good on that thing. I’m backing off now. Sorry, Bob.”

  “I should have called sooner. He’s after medical equipment. Will you be in trouble for letting him go?”

  “He kept me busy enough trying to keep up, I hadn’t called it in. Shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “Let us know if you need anything.”

  “Will do, Bob.”

  John said, “While you’ve got that thing out, call Dr. Brooks and tell him not to bother, we’ve got it under control.”

  “I don’t have his number.”

  John rattled it off from memory. “Dr. Brooks? This is Bob Wilson. Mr. Branham asked me to call and say you don’t need to rush, he has the situation under control.”