The way the program worked was Laura and Diana would first contact kids in various homes to see if they were interested. The kids who were then met with them to pick out the colors and models they wanted, and to check their feet for the proper sizing. Laura and Diana were really helpful in suggesting colors and styles for the kids. Once the order was in, then Jason would pull the pairs needed out of storage and they would go back and get all of the kids fitted in their new shoes.
Jason always liked to go to these sessions. He loved seeing the smiles on the kids as they laced up in their new pairs. One of those delivery sessions was coming up this week after school on Thursday. Dorothy thought the program was a wonderful idea, and had agreed to pick up Jason, Diana, Laura, and the pairs of shoes, then drive everyone to the delivery places.
When Dorothy went back into the house, Laura and Jason went over to a shady part of the yard and snuggled together on a large lounge chair. Arms and feet intertwined, they made out together for a while. “This is the life!” Jason said in between kisses. “I love being with you like this, Laura!”
Laura looked back into Jason’s eyes with a dreamy look on her face. “It feels so good when you hold me in your arms, Jason. I wish you would never leave me!” She stroked Jason’s face, hair, and neck and then would hold him tightly.
Unfortunately for the young couple, Laura’s dad came out to do some hot tub maintenance and yard work after about twenty minutes. The two decided to jump back into the pool for another quick swim. When they got out again, it was getting close to five o’clock, which was when Jason was expected to return home for dinner. They got out of the pool, dried themselves off, went inside, and got dressed again. After Jason finished lacing up his red high top chucks and drying his hair, he rolled his swimming trunks and towel together. Jason left the changing room and waited for Laura. She came out, took him by the hand, and walked with him to the front door. “Thanks for having me over, Laura. I always feel so refreshed after visiting with you!”
Laura gave him a kiss and then a long embrace. Jason was soaking in the smell of her clean damp hair and enticing fragrance that she had just put on her skin. “Jason, come over whenever you can. You know I love spending time with you!” Reluctantly the couple separated and Jason walked out the front door.
“Good bye, Laura. I’ll see you at school tomorrow!” Jason then got on his bike and rode home.
* * * * *
The school week went by rapidly, with both the teachers and students looking forward to the spring break which would begin Friday afternoon. Thursday, after school, Dorothy Friesen came to pick up Laura, Diana, and Jason. Diana and Laura were very much dressed for the occasion, wearing their neon pink and navy blue low cut chucks that they had purchased as a good luck charm at the time of Jason’s kidnapping. First they went to Jason’s house, or rather his garage, where he had a whole area in the garage loft filled with the boxes of Converse shoes. The previous evening, he had picked out the pairs requested by the kids, so it was a simple matter to load them from the corner of the garage where he had stacked them.
The first two stops went very quickly and efficiently. After each person on their list would check in, Jason would retrieve the pair they ordered, and Diana and Laura would help lace up the new shoes. Each recipient was given a three pack of quarter high athletic socks and asked to try their new shoes on to make sure they fit correctly. While the process was going on, Dorothy would take some candid snapshots to have for the Whatever Foundation records and for their website.
Everything was going smoothly at the third and final stop for the day, when a young girl came up to Jason and asked, “Are you Jason Hunter?” She was very slim in build, and had bangs of very straight silver blonde hair parted in the middle and combed down on each side of her head to her jaw line. Each bang then inexplicably curled in toward her face. She had very pale silver blue eyes, a pug nose, and a plain face with no makeup.
Jason looked back at her, and said, “Yes, why do you want to know?”
“My name is Teresa Barnwell. I’m sorry to interrupt you, but I really need to talk to you regarding a friend of mine. It’s very urgent and I am very concerned and upset. Would you be willing to hear me out for a few minutes?”
“I suppose so, Teresa, but why are you coming to me?”
“I heard that you are very good at solving mysteries, and are especially willing to help out other teenagers who are facing problems. I don’t know exactly who else to turn to. I’m desperate with worry. Please?”
Jason smiled back at her. “I’m not a genie with a magic wand who can instantly fix things!”
“I understand that, Jason. All I ask is that you listen to what I have to say. I know you are busy and all with many other things, but this does involve someone who I think is in real trouble!”
“All right, Teresa. Is there some place around here where we can talk?”
“There really is no privacy here in the house, but there is a bench in the back yard away from things.”
Jason had Teresa help him carry the last dozen or so pairs of shoes to the table where Laura and Diana were distributing them. He told them where he was going, and then he and Teresa went to the bench in the back yard.
After they had seated themselves, Teresa told Jason her concern. “I am so worried about my friend Tim Wilkinson. I think you might know him from school. One time when we were talking, he mentioned that you were in a couple of his classes the past year.”
“Oh, yeah, I remember Tim. I remember that he was talented and bright, but could not get along with authority figures. He was the kid always mouthing off and getting sent to the office! But didn’t he leave school a while back? I thought he had moved away or something.”
“You remember Tim all right, and that was a pretty good description of him. His parents got divorced a couple of years ago, and Tim did not get along with his new step father at all. I met him around that time. Being abandoned by my parents — I never even knew my father and my mother turned me over to the foster care system when I was nine — I could totally relate to what Tim was experiencing. Tim had a lot of anger in him, and he did not handle it very well. On the other hand, when he isn’t upset or angry, he is the nicest person. He can act and play the drums but he always has had this wild and crazy side to him that adults see as defiant and threatening somehow!”
“Yes, there were some incidents in school that were pretty unpleasant. When Tim would lose his temper, he was not careful about who he took it out on!”
“The reason he isn’t at Merriam High School any more is because a couple months ago Tim’s behavior was driving his parents nuts, and they felt he was out of control. He was in their face about things, and then he got caught drinking and doing drugs. They decided to check Tim into a boot camp, where he was supposed to learn discipline and self-reliance. I think that his stepfather just wanted to get rid of him, and his mother was willing to go along! I was very upset when I found out he was gone. We never even got to say goodbye. His mom signed the paperwork and the camp people came and grabbed him. I imagine he went kicking and screaming into the night!
“The problems that Tim had here continued at the boot camp and he was a thorn in their side as well. If he is anything, Tim is stubborn and a born fighter, no matter what the odds are against him. Surprisingly, he was allowed to write to me once a week. I am sure all of the letters written by camp inmates are carefully screened by the authorities there, but Tim and I have a way of communicating between the lines, if you know what I mean, so I was able to figure out what he has been going through.”
“I think I understand, Teresa. He would write about things in a way that looks innocent, but conveys a hidden meaning.”
“Exactly, Jason, and what he was telling me was that he was not getting along well with the camp authorities, that he absolutely hated being there, and was trying to do everything he could to fight them. I think that part of their method is to somehow brainwash the kids in the camp, or beat down t
heir resistance until they finally cave in and submit to authority. Tim is one of those few people who would rather die than do that! And that’s why I am so worried about him!”
“If Tim is able to communicate with you, at least you know he is surviving in that camp. I don’t know much about these boot camps, but supposedly kids learn valuable survival skills there. Even the most rigorous camps eventually have days off or days that you could visit. Did you ever have that opportunity?”
“No, and even if there was, I wouldn’t be allowed to go unless Tim’s mother and stepfather agreed to it. Suddenly about two weeks ago, I stopped receiving any communication from Tim. He would send me a postcard or letter every week, and if he was going to miss a week, he would have told me why. I would send him letters in reply. Again, I was very careful about the way I wrote them, so that they would get through the censors. But the last two I sent were returned to me by the post office with the indication ‘no longer at this address’. I know that Tim would never have left the camp without telling me. If he was actually being released from the camp, he would have been all over that. Instead I have heard nothing. I am afraid that some real harm has come to him!”
“Have you talked to Tim’s mother at all? She would know if there was some change in his status at the camp.”
“I tried to talk to her, but she won’t have anything to do with me. She considers me to be a part of Tim’s former life, and one of the people who was a bad influence on him. She literally slammed the door in my face!”
“Wow, that must have been rough on you to be cut off that way. No matter what he has done in the past, Tim has some rights as an individual, and checking on his status is a very normal thing. Tell you what. I will go over and see his parents and ask how Tim is doing. They have no reason to suspect me or believe that my intentions would be anything other than the normal curiosity of one of Tim’s classmates. I will then let you know what I find out, Teresa. How’s that?”
“Thank you, Jason. I really appreciate you doing this. I have been so worried and I have no one else to turn to.”
Jason went and put his arm around Teresa’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Now that I have heard what you had to say, I can understand your concern and worry. I think that Tim is real lucky to have such a good friend. Now tell me Tim’s address here in town.”
Jason entered the address into the data area of his cell phone. “I’ll try to find out what I can about Timothy in the next day or so. Then I will come back here and let you know what I have found out. Take care now.”
When Jason got back to the give away table, Laura and Diana were just finishing up. Dorothy then had the three of them pose for a picture. They then packed up and went back home.
Chapter 9.
Jason and the Fourth Estate
(Thursday and Friday)
After dinner Jason decided to follow up on Teresa’s request to check on Tim Wilkinson. On the way back from the shoe giveaway, Jason had told Laura and the others about Teresa’s concern. “What do you think the best way to follow up on this would be?” Jason asked.
Laura said, “Why don’t you call Tim’s older sister, Grace. She would at least know the family schedule, and I think that the best thing to do would be to drop in and visit rather than call Tim’s mother or stepfather. This way you are there one on one, and they really won’t be on the defensive like they might be if you telephoned them and asked for a lot of information. When you are there in person, you can turn on the Jason charm!”
“Okay, but what would be my reason for calling and wanting to come over in the first place?”
“I really think that you could be mostly honest with Grace. She always seemed pretty level headed to me, and I think that she would sympathize with the fact that Tim might have friends who were concerned about what has happened to him. If Tim’s parents have nothing to hide, it would only be natural to bring up in the conversation what they have heard about him lately, at least a general report about how he is getting along in the boot camp.”
When Jason called Grace, Laura’s suggestions worked like a charm. Grace invited Jason to stop by after dinner the next evening.
Jason was working on his homework when a call came in on his cell phone. When he answered, a man’s voice said, “Jason? My name is Jaime Orlando. I am a reporter for KHHT and I was wondering if we could meet informally and talk.”
“How did you get my cell number?” Jason asked, a little startled and upset. “I am really not interested in doing any interviews right now, and all interviews would need to be cleared through my publicist, Ruth Fiorre of CDM Communications.”
“Wow, Ruth Fiorre is your publicist! That’s another amazing thing about you I didn’t know!” Jaime exclaimed. “Listen, Jason, first of all I got your number from Captain Antonio Garcia of the Silicon Valley Police. He made me promise that I wouldn’t harass you in any way, and I swear on a stack of bibles that my intentions are what I hope are in both of our best interests. I’m not calling to try and interview you or do anything public on the record. What I am asking you is if you would be willing to meet me and listen to a proposal I have for you. There is no obligation on your part and if what I say doesn’t appeal to you, you would be free to walk away. If that is the case I promise not to bother you again.”
“So out of the blue, a television reporter is calling me just to sit down and have an informal conversation,” Jason replied in an interrogatory tone. “Is that what you are asking me?”
“I know it seems unconventional, but I am very sincere about this. I didn’t want to confront you in person, especially at your school or around your friends just so I wouldn’t embarrass you or them or bring unnecessary attention to you. Please hear me out, Jason!”
“And this isn’t an attempt to have an interview or get background information about me, one of my cases, or one of my friends?”
“No, it would be just a friendly personal meeting between the two of us, totally off the record. What do you say, Jason? What if we met after school tomorrow, say at the Country Inn restaurant near your school?”
“And Captain Garcia vouches for you?”
“Oh, yes, Jason. Call him if you need a reference. Shall we meet, say at 3:00 PM?”
“All right, Jaime. I’ll see you at the Country Inn at 3 o’clock,” Jason concluded as he closed his cell phone.
* * * * *
The next day, Friday, was the last day of school before spring break. Everyone was in a party mood, and Laura had invited Jason, Diana, Daniel, and some other friends over to her place for a swim after school. Jason was eager to go, but first he had his appointment with Jaime Orlando. He told Laura that he would get to her place around four.
After school, Jason headed over to the restaurant. At that time of the day, it was not at all crowded. As soon as he walked in, a pleasant looking young man with long jet black hair, black horn rimmed glasses, and an intense friendly smile immediately got up and came over to him.
“Jason,” the man said, “I’m Jaime Orlando. It’s really great to meet you! Won’t you join me over here at this booth. And please call me by my first name. I prefer to be informal.” The two shook hands and then went to sit down at the booth, which was over in a corner of the restaurant.
“I really appreciate you taking the time to talk to me. I hope that our conversation will end up being of benefit for both of us! Would you like something to eat or drink?”
Jason ordered a cola, and the two began talking, first just some general small talk. After the waitress brought Jason his drink, Jaime began talking to him about the many news stories that he had been involved with the past year. “I was so impressed with you and your friend, Daniel, when the kidnapping story broke. For young teenagers you handled yourselves like pros in front of the media. And then there was the disappearance of Ethan Savage. While a lot of that case was due to things that happened to Daniel, I still saw your fingerprints in the mix. And totally under the radar was the rescue that you were doing for th
at young kid, Eric, from Springdale. Captain Garcia told me that you have done wonders for Eric and now he is a promising athlete and musician. He said you have a private foundation dedicated to helping young crime victims. Then to top it off, there was your interview on national television. That took real guts to do, Jason. That would be hard to pull off by someone twice your age!”
“Thank you for all of the nice words, Jaime, but isn’t this pretty much old news now?” Jason asked.
“Of course, Jason, but I was just setting the stage for what I really want to talk about and propose. I don’t know if you are aware of how the news reporting business works, but before we go public with a story, there usually is a lot of background work that must be completed. To accomplish this we have informal networks of people in different occupations and locations that we rely on to verify the accuracy of what we are reporting. What I would like to do, Jason, is set up a relationship like that with you. I’m sure in your detective work, there have been times when you needed some information about people or organizations that you have run into. I would be willing to provide that for you in exchange for information about cases you are working on. Everything we would do is off the record, until there is a need for it to go public. And that also is an advantage. There may be a time when you would need to get a story out to the public very quickly, and I could provide that access for you.”
When The Chips Are Down Page 8