Trispero

by Sean Adelman

  As predicted, shortly after downing her lunch and drink, Lily needed a bathroom. Jason would have been a little more angry at having to stop if it hadn’t been for the fact he needed to go as well. They still had half a tank of gas, but they stopped at a gas station off the freeway anyway. It was one of those huge truck stops with a store, restaurant, and showers. Lily happily jumped out to join Judy for the first run. Jason to filled up the car. It didn’t take long, so he pulled the car into a parking spot to go join the girls. As he locked up the car, he noticed a blue sedan pull in to get gas. As a scientist, he looked at data and trends to make conclusions, or at least pose questions. In his mind, he was starting to see a trend he couldn’t ignore. The first time he wasn’t even sure it was the same car. Now he’d seen the same blue Ford with Washington plates three times, and he knew it was no coincidence. It could have been the same car from Orcas, but he wasn’t sure.

  Okay Jason, don’t lose your mind. I need to get Lily and Judy out of here. I don’t know how they could have possibly followed us.

  Jason went into the store where the bathrooms were located only to find Lily looking through the toy section. How they could possibly fit so much random stuff into a store this size was an exercise in the laws of physics. Judy had clearly been manipulated by Lily and was looking at the price tags of what Lily was examining as if a deal had already been struck. Down syndrome clearly had no effect on the cute kid manipulation gene. Jason knew that it would take a while for Lily to decide, and he didn’t want to scare her, but he needed to get them out of there. It was hard not to frighten Lily and Judy when he could feel himself trembling inside.

  “Hey guys, we need to get going. What has she talked you into?” Jason looked to Judy with an understanding only a parent could muster.

  “I told her I would get something for her to play with for the last leg of our journey. I didn’t realize how many choices there would be in this store.”

  “Lily, pick something. We have to go. Nothing more than five dollars, okay?” Jason was trying to keep his patience, as he felt the clock ticking.

  “Okay, Dad, but Judy said ten dollars.”

  “Then you should have decided before I got here. If you can be good, we can get something in Salt Lake City.”

  While Lily reached for what she wanted, Jason turned to Judy. Before he could open his mouth, he was struck by how much he wanted this to be a normal vacation across the country with her and Lily and not a crazy stressed-out adventure.

  Judy spoke up. “Were you going to say something?”

  “It’s just that I saw this car that looked just like the one that followed us on Orcas Island at the gas station in Boise, then on the freeway, and now they’re here.”

  “How do you know it’s the same car?”

  “I guess I don’t, but the one I noticed since Boise is definitely the same. I know it sounds crazy. Maybe I’m just feeling a little paranoid. Too much has happened to ignore this.”

  “Daddy, I chose. Come here.”

  Jason looked over to Judy. “I guess that’s our cue to leave.”

  Lily was holding up a stuffed dolphin. How she had managed to find a stuffed dolphin in a truck stop between Boise and Salt Lake just continued the mystery that was this truck stop.

  “It’s four dollars and ninety nine cents. Can I get it? Please, please, please?”

  Jason was about to say no; she had several stuffed dolphins at home right now. Before the words came out of his mouth, he realized that he didn’t know when or if they would be home again. “Okay, sweetheart. Let’s get going.”

  Judy and Lily both got back in the Subaru. Judy was still willing to let Jason drive the last leg to Salt Lake City. The blue sedan was gone, but Jason was unwilling to relax. Too much had happened for him to believe this was coincidence. His protective instincts were on high alert but he needed to stay calm. Judy read a book, and Lily happily played with her dolphin, creating a whole underwater world in the backseat. Jason tried to enjoy the scenery while watching out for the sedan. Jason knew he didn’t have to turn until they got to Salt Lake so it was somewhat easier to be alert without looking for a turnoff. He managed to find a music CD in the front seat compartment. Judy seemed to be engrossed in her book and did not acknowledge the music. He turned up the volume.

  “I’ve paid my dues…”

  Judy glanced up, at first with a look of surprise, then she broke out in a laugh that startled Lily. “I can’t remember the last time I listened to that.”

  “Well, the last time I listened to it was our Washington Huskies tailgate when we went to the Rose Bowl. You and Asher had just been married. Asher had never really experienced a tailgate with us. To his credit, he didn’t run home crying.”

  “Actually he did go home crying. It just took him a few more years.”

  “Yeah, sorry.”

  “Daddy, turn it up. That’s fun music.”

  For the last hour of the trip to Salt Lake City, they sang along with Queen, laughing and making up their own lyrics. Jason was trying desperately to let the music mask his anxiety. The miles passed by and Jason got so hoarse he had to stop singing. As soon as he stopped singing, Lily took the opportunity to have Judy explain the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody. Jason could feel the trip starting to weigh on him, despite the fun of the last hour. The sign for Salt Lake City was a very welcome surprise.

  “Hey, Judy, why don’t you check out some hotels on your phone? I think we need to rest here tonight. I know we could make it further, but I’m tired, and I know you are getting there as well.”

  “I agree.” Judy got on her phone and was able to pull up several hotels. It wasn’t the busy season, so there were several deals in the city center area. Jason moved over to the exit lane and as he checked his mirror, he saw the blue sedan. He was so shocked he jerked the car into the exit lane.

  “Jason, what’s going on?”

  “Oh, my God. Sorry. I just saw that sedan again when I changed lanes. Is everyone okay?”

  “It just startled me. Is it still behind us?”

  Jason looked into the rear view mirror. “Yep, it’s that blue Ford Fusion with the Washington plates.”

  “Okay, pull off into that gas station on the right. Let’s see what it does.”

  “What if they do follow us?”

  “I don’t know. Let’s not get out of the car till we know.”

  “Okay,” Jason said quietly.

  Jason pulled the car off the road into the gas station that Judy had spotted. They chose to pull into the market parking spot instead of gassing up so they didn’t have to get out of the car right away. Lily and Judy both turned around in their seats while Jason looked in the mirror. After a few minutes, Jason turned to speak with Judy.

  “I don’t see them. I guess it was nothing. They should have at least passed us by now.”

  “Lily and I are going to use the bathroom, then we can go get checked into our hotel and figure out dinner.”

  “I don’t want you out of my sight. I’m coming in as well.”

  All of them went into the market. Lily and Judy went inside the bathroom while Jason stood watch. What should we do? I have a good view of the parking lot from here. Jason was deep in thought about what they were going to have for dinner when the blue sedan pulled in on the other side of the lot. Jason stooped behind the slushy machine as the sedan driver opened the car door. He felt like he was trying to act out some bad secret agent movie as he ducked behind the hot dog roller as he tried to inconspicuously yell into the women’s bathroom.

  “Guys, they pulled in behind me. We have to go. Except I don’t know how we’ll get past them.”

  Judy brought Lily out by the hand. “Let’s at least peek out the window. Maybe we can sneak around if they come inside.”

  Jason watched Judy look over the coffee display to the front of the station.

  Judy whispered, “I can see the blue sedan sitting on the far side of the parking lot. There is one guy in the passenger seat
. This is taking too long. People are starting to walk by with curious looks on their faces. Jason, we need to just go and take our chances. We can’t just wait here.”

  “I know, let me think.”

  “Jason, they recognized the car.”

  “If it is what we think, they know you are one of my friends. It would have been easy to watch your place and we have been using your cell phone. I hate to say it but we made it easy for them. I want you to buy a map of Utah and Colorado, then turn off your phone.” Jason stroked Lily’s hair while they waited. She held very still, seeming to sense the danger.

  When Judy returned from the cash register, maps in hand, Jason asked her, “Which hotels did you check on?”

  “I looked at a few. I have to admit I wanted to stay at the Hilton. It looked to be one of the easiest to find, and they actually had some reasonably priced rooms.”

  “Okay, I have an idea. Lily, come on with Judy and I. Let’s get in the car.”

  Jason grabbed Lily’s hand and led her and Judy into the Subaru. Jason could barely see the sedan. If they hadn’t been spying from the store, he would not have seen it. After buckling his seatbelt, he could see another man leave the convenience store and head toward the blue Ford. Jason waited a few moments to allow the people in the sedan to get their bearings on Jason and his gang.

  Jason pulled out and had Judy give him directions to the Hilton. The Hilton was a classic opulent hotel with a huge porte-cochere with taxicabs lined up along the block. Jason casually pulled into the drop off portion of the porte-cochere close to the valet.

  One of the valets came over to the car. “Are you staying with us tonight, sir?”

  “Yes, my wife is going to go inside and check in.” Jason motioned toward Judy. He was thankful that Lily was in the backseat talking to her dolphin. He did not want to explain why he was referring to Judy as his wife.

  “Would you like valet parking, sir?”

  “No, we will use the deck. Is it okay if I wait here for my wife, though?”

  “Certainly, sir, but if you could pull up over here.” The young man pointed to an area just in front of the valet area.

  Jason pulled the car up and turned to talk with Judy when a tap on the window startled him. He looked up into the eyes of the valet.

  “Sorry to startle you, sir, but do you need us to take your luggage?”

  “No, we just have small overnight bags, but thank you.” Jason had to calm down a little before talking to Judy. “Okay, I want you to go inside like you are checking in and just wait inside next to the glass door over there where I can see you. We will both keep a look out for the sedan. As soon as one of us sees it, come back to the car, okay?”

  “Sure, but how will I know if you see it?”

  “I will wave my hand out the window like this.” Jason showed her the hang loose sign with his hand and Judy nodded in understanding.

  After a few minutes, Jason began to wonder if it was all a big dream when he saw Judy come back to the car.

  “Jason, they pulled in behind the taxicabs. I saw them talking.”

  “Okay, let’s go.”

  Jason very slowly pulled through the porte-cochere and turned toward the parking deck which was right around the corner. They waited for the gate to open after Jason pulled a ticket from the machine in front of the gate and drove through circling a few levels and pulled into a spot to wait.

  After a few moments, Lily spoke up. “Why aren’t we getting out of the car, Daddy?”

  Jason turned to face her in the backseat. “I’m sorry. I know this is weird and scary, but Daddy needs you to be patient.”

  Jason was proud of her when she did not proceed to ask a bunch of questions, but simply replied, “Okay, Daddy.”

  Jason waited fifteen minutes before driving back to the exit. Even though they had only been in the deck a few minutes, the garage attendant told them it would be ten dollars after taking the ticket from Jason. They pulled through the gate and waited before pulling into traffic. Judy gave Jason a confused look as Jason waved her off and pointed to the hotel. The blue sedan was gone and no one was visible near the entrance so Jason pulled out and went the long way around the block so they wouldn’t have to drive in front of the hotel.

  “Jason, what now?” asked Judy with a mixture of anxiety and confusion.

  “Yeah, Dad, I’m hungry.”

  “We are getting as far away as possible. Let’s find a place where we can pull over and get a look at that map. We aren’t staying in Salt Lake and I’m not taking the highway.”

  Jason drove south until he spotted a fast food place that he could pull into to get their bearings. The only way they could easily get out of Salt Lake without major highways was along small canyon roads until they could hook with Highway 40 to Denver which was small but would help make them decent time. Jason figured everyone in the car was still hyped up enough on adrenalin that he thought he could get an hour or two out of them. Judy helped them find their way down to Cottonwood Canyon Road, a small rural highway that would take them between Mt. Raymond and Twin Peaks to Heber City where Jason hoped they could spend the night. It was a long windy road to get to the valley where Heber City was located. Before too long they came out of the mountains and turned down Pine Canyon Road toward their destination.

  Jason felt like they got their first break in quite a while when they discovered there was a Holiday Inn Express with rooms available. It was reasonably priced, had a nice pool for Lily, and they could finally get out of the car. Jason didn’t know about Judy and Lily, but he needed to unwind before dinner. They unpacked what little they had and told Lily she could go to the pool. Lily had her suit packed; Jason forgot he had planned for that.

  Jason asked Judy, “Do you want a little time away from us? You don’t have to tag along to the pool.”

  “Honestly, it’ll be a lot more fun to watch Lily splashing around than what I normally would be doing.”

  “Okay, then, come on, Lily. Let’s go downstairs. We don’t have too much time until dinner.”

  As they walked down the hall, Jason wondered if every hotel in the world had the same interior designer. A barefoot Lily skipped into the pool area. There were only a few other people there and only one other child—a boy—who seemed to be around Lily’s age. The boy had an inflatable beach ball. He was trying to balance on it in the pool while a woman on the sidelines watched. Jason and Judy made small talk with her while Lily began splashing and doing flips under water. It didn’t take long for the boy to come over and ask Lily to play. For the next thirty minutes, Lily and the boy played beach ball volleyball until it was time to get ready to go for dinner.

  Getting Lily out of the pool was a difficult process as she was obviously tired and still having fun. Fortunately for Jason, the boy’s mother wanted him out as well. She was a pleasant appearing woman with short blond hair and blue eyes. She was shorter than Judy and looked to be about eight months pregnant. Jason helped her with her bag as it looked like she was having difficulty bending over to retrieve it.

  “Thank you, sir. My name is Gloria,” said the pregnant woman with a decidedly southern accent.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be too forward, but thanks for letting your son play with my daughter though.”

  “Ricky had a grand time. He has been stuck with just me all day. My husband was in a meeting so it was just us.”

  Jason couldn’t resist asking, “How far along are you?”

  “I’m a little over seven months. This is our second.”

  “Wow, you look great.”

  Gloria looked down on Lily. “How old is your daughter?

  “She is ten, ten going on eighteen, that is.”

  “If you don’t mind me asking, does she have Down syndrome?”

  “I don’t mind you asking at all. I’m sure it’s scary knowing what can happen when you are expecting a little one. Yes, she does have Down syndrome.”

  Judy asked, “Do you guys know if it’s going to be a b
oy or a girl?”

  “We decided to not find out. My mom had a younger sister with Down syndrome. She was always so much fun. I don’t think I ever once saw her unhappy, and Mom always used to tell stories about the crazy things they did growing up. It just seemed wrong somehow, with my aunt and all, to do a bunch of genetic testing. My husband talked about wanting to know. I won that argument.”

  Jason knew it was getting late, but he wanted to talk a little more. “We were going to grab some dinner here in the hotel. Would you like to join us?”

  “My husband’s meeting should be over soon so I think that would be great.”

  The two families separated and made off to their hotel rooms to get the kids in dry clothes before meeting in the lobby in front of the restaurant. Gloria was standing with Ricky and no dad in sight. Jason walked over with girls in tow to say hi.

  “Hope you guys are hungry. I think Lily here might eat the table if we don’t feed her soon.”

  “Hey guys.” A short balding man with a thick dark beard and mustache came over to stand next to them and introduced himself with a firm handshake. “My name is Ricky. It seems you already know my wife Gloria and my son... uh…” He looked over at his son with a puzzled look on his face.

  “Dad, my name is Ricky, Jr. You’re not funny, Dad.”

  “Oh, yes I am. The dad is always funny. Let’s get seated. I know everyone must be hungry.”

  With that, everyone got to their seats so they could look at their menus. Even though Lily certainly qualified to order from the kids’ menu, she let Jason quietly know that she did not want to be thought of as just a little kid. Jason knew she couldn’t eat all of an adult plate so they agreed on something to share. Lily chose to draw some crazy monsters in the coloring book they provided, even though she insisted she was not a kid anymore.

  While they were waiting for their food, Ricky restarted the conversation. “Gloria told me a little about you guys. I’m sure she told lots of entertaining stories about me.”

  “Just how I win the occasional discussion with you,” Gloria answered.