*****
Lilly sat down quickly. She was afraid of the woman but she would be damned if she would show it.
The woman set the wine glass down on the small wooden table. Lilly noticed a few black marks where someone had let a cigarette or two burn into the wood.
“Why did you run?” The woman looked at Lilly but she knew it wasn’t really a question.
Lilly decided to process what she said by continuing to look at the burns in the table. She wondered how the woman had found her.
“Look at me!”
Lilly raised her head slowly and looked right into her eyes. They were cold.
“Answer me,” the woman said raising her voice just a little.
“I don’t know. I didn’t think I would get to like the guy but I did,” Lilly said matter-of-factly.
“Oh God. You are such a fool. I just needed some information. He’s someone I think I knew a long time ago. I just wanted to be sure.”
“What about Van?” Lilly asked.
“He doesn’t know about him yet and I would like to keep it that way.”
Lilly relaxed a bit after that.
“I don’t know much about him. He’s very guarded.”
“You probably were too busy flashing your boobs at him to listen to much of anything.”
“You told me to do what it took to find out what I could.”
“I didn’t tell you to screw him.”
That surprised Lilly. She hadn’t realized she was being watched.
“So what little information did you find out?”
“He came from a small town in Iowa but spent some time in Omaha before he came to the mountains. His name is Zander and he works…”
The woman cut her off, “I already know where he works.”
“Then you know everything I do.”
“I don’t know how he is in bed though, do I?”
Lilly’s cheeks turned red and she didn’t know why. The comment shouldn’t have bothered her but it did.
“Is that what this is about? Do you want to get him into bed?”
Lilly’s cheek suddenly became much redder when the woman slapped her face hard.
“Don’t forget who you are talking to.”
Lilly realized she had crossed the line. It was unlike her to commit such a lapse in judgment. She was usually the peacemaker, the one person who could smooth over almost any situation.
“Jayne, didn’t you tell me to do what it took?”
“I did not tell you to sleep with him.”
Lilly had a sudden urge to tell Jayne that they didn’t have any time for sleep but thought better of it.
“But you didn’t say I shouldn’t either. I don’t think the topic came up in conversation. It’s been my experience that people say things to each other in bed that never would be shared normally,” Lilly said trying for a change in focus.
“So what did you tell him?” Jayne asked.
“Very little. I was careful. He did most of the talking.”
“And this is all you can tell me?”
“Like I told you, he’s very guarded.”
Jayne got up and went to the door. She turned the handle but then turned and looked at Lilly.
“I know you want to leave and start over someplace new.”
“I did what you asked. Can’t you just let me go?”
“It’s not up to me. Van is waiting in the car. He’s not going to let you go, you know too much.”
“But I can disappear. You will never see me again,” Lilly pleaded.
“Talk to him,” Jayne replied, “but don’t bring up this little job you were doing for me and don’t ever mention the name Zander.”
Lilly could detect some concern in Jayne’s voice. She would file that away for possible use later.
Jayne opened the door and Lilly could see Van standing next to her car holding a little black box.
Jayne walked out and he handed her the box and she walked around the side of the cabin. Lilly heard a car door slam moments later.
“What was that black thing you just handed Jayne?” Lilly asked.
“It’s how we keep tabs on our girls,” Van replied. He was trying to sound pleasant.
“I wondered how you found me,” Lilly said keeping her voice steady.
“All the cars have them.”
“But that was my car,” Lilly protested.
“Who paid for it?” Van asked.
“I did,” Lilly said not giving in.
“Of course you did. But it was with my money. Everything you have is mine. I thought that was made clear to you from the beginning.”
“I thought that just maybe I had paid my dues,” Lilly said lowering her eyes.
“Come, let’s walk. This place is too beautiful not to appreciate it.” Van was patronizing.
He took her arm and they walked across the road to a path that led to the river. There was a rock ledge that jutted out over the river and they sat on it. Their feet danged over the edge, it was a beautiful place.
“Why did you run?” Van asked.
“I just want out. I want to live my own life. Please just let me go,” Lilly pleaded.
“You know I can’t do that,” Van said slowly, “you knew the rules. Besides, where would I find someone to fill your shoes?”
“You’ve got lots of girls who would love to take over for me.”
“I don’t need lots of girls, I need you.” Van made a point to look directly at Lilly.
His stare made Lilly uncomfortable but she said nothing.
“So you will come back and we will continue. Maybe some time soon we can make some changes but right now is not the time.”
Van stood up and tossed a few stones trying to make them skip over the river.
Lilly realized suddenly she was in great danger. If Van wanted her to come back, why would he take that box out of her car? Why would he have told her about it in the first place? Her mind raced and in a split second, she knew she had to play the only card left in her deck.
She stood up and turned toward Van just in time to see him pick up a rock about twice the size of his hand.
“ZANDER…” was all she could scream before the rock hit her on the side of her head.
Lilly fell off the ledge into the stream and floated face down with the current.
Van tossed the rock into the water after her and watched as she floated away. There was some blood on his hand and he made his way to the edge of the water and washed it away.
He looked at his hands and wondered about that last thing Lilly had shouted. He wished he could have stopped the rock to find out what she meant. It shook him up. He hadn’t heard that name for over twenty years.
There was no sense worrying about that now. He would find out everything he needed to know later. The immediate problem had been eliminated and business could go on as usual.
He made his way back to the black Caddy behind the cabin. Jayne was waiting in the passenger seat. She looked at Van when he opened the driver’s door. He started the car and put his arm over seat back and turned his head to back out when he caught Jayne looking at him.
“She was too big a risk,” was all he said but looked at her for an uncomfortably long time.
The car backed out from behind the cabin and found the road.
Jayne turned her head and looked out the window. She knew what he had done. It was a shame really. She could have used some more information about Zander.
Van occasionally glanced at Jayne. If she noticed, she didn’t let on. He would be installing the little black box into Jayne’s Camaro the first chance he got.
14
Frisco, Colorado--Thursday, August 29, 1985
It was almost time for Zander to get himself up to The Bridge. Fats came strolling in early, as was his custom. Jo had taken to him immediately. She liked employees who were on time and even better if they were early.
Fats sat down at bar waiting for his shift to start.
“Hey Zande
r, draw me a sarsaparilla.”
Fats always said that when he wanted a soft drink. It didn’t matter what Zander gave him, he would be happy. Zander realized he was a big goofball and that could possibly explain why they were friends.
“I’ve got some things going on, Fats. I could use your help.”
“Another mystery. Will I need my pool cue?”
“Possibly.”
“The good one or the one I’m good with?” Fats asked.
“I hope neither, but it could be the second one,” Zander replied.
He went on to explain to Fats what had happened over the past twenty-four hours. When he got to the part about the bartender’s information, Fats whistled.
“Dude. I know that guy and he’s an ace. Bank on what he tells you.”
“That ties right into the favor I want from you. I’ve got to stay around and wait for a call from this Lilly woman so I want you to go to Denver and go to one of these Skip The Light Tanfastic places and pose as a customer. Get one of those massages and see if you can find out anything. I’d wait and do it myself but from what I’ve heard, my face might cause some problems.”
“Your face is a problem.” Fats laughed. “So I’ll do it. Are you paying?”
“Of course.”
“Can I take the T-Bird?” Fats asked quickly.
“No. It draws too much attention but you can take the van.”
“Deal. When do we start?”
“Tomorrow morning. I want you there by ten and report back to me by the time you get back here to work.”
Zander gave Fats three addresses of the Tanfastic salons. Hopefully he would find something before exhausting all three.
“If there’s anything to find out, I’m your guy for the job,” Fats said.
Zander believed him.
*****
Lilly’s body appeared to stop floating when it hit a snag in the river. The appearance was deceptive however. Lilly was much tougher than Van had given her credit. She had been holding her breath and pulling and feeling her way along the bottom.
The snag allowed her to let the current appear to roll her over with a little help by her submerged hands.
Lilly kept her breathing shallow while rolling over so anyone watching from shore wouldn’t notice her chest rising and falling with every breath. She lay quietly with her eyes wide-open staring at the sky and trying not to blink. Her senses were in a heightened state and she was listening intently while trying to not to notice the throbbing on the side of her head. The water was extremely cold and that helped. It also helped to clot the small wound that bled so profusely as head wounds usually do.
She was trying to decide what to do next when she heard a car motor passing by on the road. It had seemed so close she felt she could almost touch it. She wondered how far she had floated and wondered if it was safe to turn her head to take a look. She decided it was time to do something since her hands and feet were starting to feel numb from the ice-cold water.
Lilly opened her eyes slowly and caught just a glimpse of the black Cadillac heading south toward Gunnison. Maybe her fortune was changing. She raised her head and looked around, grabbed part of the snag and found her footing. The current was fast but the river was only waist high at its deepest.
She stood up fast and was so dizzy she almost fell down again. Lilly figured she had a mild concussion but it was no time for self-pity. She found a long limb in the snag and used it to hobble over to the bank. She pulled herself up on the bank and crawled up through some weeds and small trees.
The road was close to the river and she could see the cabins not far ahead. She hadn’t traveled very far down the river at all.
Lilly followed the path along the road until she reached her cabin. Her first instinct was to get in the car and run but she knew she wasn’t in any shape to do that. She needed sleep. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that the immediate danger was over. They thought she was dead and that would give some time to heal and figure out her next move.
After throwing off her clothes, she turned the shower as hot as it would go and stood in it until the water started to cool. The little water heater had met its match.
She toweled off and took some Ibuprofen with a full bottle of water. She decided not to drink alcohol and went right to bed without bothering to put anything on. Tomorrow was soon enough to pull herself together. This whole thing could have ended much worse. She was exhausted and fell asleep almost immediately. In her sleep, she lived the last twenty-four hours over and over. Each dream ended differently but they all ended badly.
She woke up about 2:00, went to the bathroom and took aspirin. She fell right back to sleep again. This time there were no dreams. She slept hard and didn’t wake up until 10:00 a.m. It was a beautiful day and she was alive.
*****
Fats walked into the Branchwater about 4:00. He went over to the bar and sat down.
“Give me a sarsaparilla. I’m spent.”
Zander put down a can of Mountain Dew in front of him. Fats opened it and drained about half. Zander waited patiently for Fats to get to the point. Fats loved drama and always played out everything. No sense in trying to push him. Sometimes just acting slightly disinterested worked best.
“So you are probably wondering just what I’ve found,” Fats said, playing it up.
“It’s why I asked you to go, isn’t it?” Zander said without emotion.
“Well I found out that I like massages, a lot.”
“Did you tan as well?” Zander asked, feigning a little interest.
“I tried but I’m too much of a paleface. They didn’t let me in there long and I only tried that in the first salon.”
“First? How many did you go to?”
“All three in Denver. I thought about going to the “springs” but I didn’t think I had enough time. Besides, I spent all your money and had to come back.”
“So?” Zander asked trying not to push.
“Man, I almost thought I was going to fall asleep on the way back. Three hours worth of massage can really make you just want to crash.”
“I mean about the business. Did you find anything?” Zander was showing some impatience.
Fats knew it was time to give up what he had found.
“Not in the first place. Everything was very professional. The second place had a very young girl at the entrance. She couldn’t have been more than fourteen but another woman in her twenties sent her to the back and I didn’t see her again. I asked some questions while I was getting a massage but the woman didn’t give me much information. She did hand me a card.” Fats handed the card to Zander. “I thought it was strange that they would have an after hours phone number for a private massage.”
Zander looked at the card. It could be something or it could be nothing.
“Is that it?”
“Patience, my man. I made the last stop about 12:45. I think most of the crew was out to lunch. This twenty something came out of the back in a short robe and it looked like she was wearing very little under it. Man she was gorgeous, long black hair, big breasts, and long legs. I could have tangled up with her for a long time.”
“What happened?”
“She told me to have a seat and she would be right with me. I guess they were short staffed because of some conference. Anyway, I waited about ten minutes and this guy comes out looking kind of dazed and confused like maybe he just had a five-hour massage.” Fats winked and smiled.
“Who was this guy?”
“No clue but the same woman came out a little later and she was dressed in a white uniform. Looked almost like a nurse.”
“Give me something here,” Zander said calmly.
“Well, I went into a room and she told me to take off my clothes except for my boxers. Everything seemed very professional. She gave me the massage and when it was over, I asked her what I had to do to get what that guy who just left, got?”
“How did she handle that?”
�
�It shook her up for a minute. Then she handed me her personal card and told me I would have to come around until they got to know me better and I became a preferred customer.”
“That was it?”
“Yeah, but don’t you see? There’s something going on and they can’t talk about it unless they trust you.”
Zander thought about it for a while.
“I suppose I’m going to have to send you back down there to find out more.”
“You bet your sweet ass. The good part is that you don’t even have to pay for it. I was planning to go back anyway,” Fats said smiling broadly.
“That good, huh?”
“Better.”
“Wait a day or two and we’ll see what happens,” Zander said.
Zander moved to the end of the bar and took off his black apron. Fats came around and grabbed a clean one and put it on.
“I’m going up to The Bridge a little early. I’m hoping to get a call. If I do, you might not have to go back down to Denver,” Zander said.
“Not so fast. I’m going no matter what. I’m hooked and I’m curious. Better to get all the information you can, and I “is” your man.”
Zander couldn’t argue with that logic. Fats might be just a little on the crazy side, but he liked him. He was someone he could count on and there were only a handful of people that would ever fit that category.
Zander drove back to his cabin. He hopped in the shower and toweled off and put on his garb. When he was ready, he headed back on the road to Breckenridge.
He didn’t notice a blue Camaro parked across the road in the entrance to a waterpark that was closed for the season.
The car waited until Zander’s T-Bird was almost out of sight before it pulled onto the road and followed him into Breckenridge.
15
Almont, Colorado--Friday, August 30, 1985
Lilly sat in the sun just outside the cabin door. Check out was at noon and she had made some coffee and a bagel with cream cheese for breakfast. She was finishing her second cup when the owner walked by. He was a friendly older gentleman and told Lilly she didn’t have to hurry. The cabin wasn’t rented so she might as well enjoy the beautiful day. Lilly thanked him and said she was planning on leaving sometime after lunch if that was all right. He said she really didn’t have to be out until three. That would give housekeeping time to ready the room just in case. He smiled when he told her housekeeping didn’t really care since it was just he and his wife doing everything.
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