Chapter 6

Chapter VI

After their five-fifteen run and dinner, Ruby and Pete relaxed on the couch in her crowded living room.

“You’re a good cook,” Pete said.

“Unfortunately, I like food.”  Ruby joked away the compliment.

Pete’s smile was a reflex; he said what was on both their minds, “You think we stand a chance of getting Al out of there?”

“That poor man, he seemed so depressed.”

“Wells told him about Hope Styles.” Pete told her, then realized, “He thinks Wilson is involved with some rough guys.  Wilson seems to know everything.  Man in a black suit named Ralph was following one of us.  Probably still is.”

“And he’d be reporting to Wilson?” concern crossed Ruby’s face as she spoke, “How can we report to Wells?”

“Boy, Rumble, you sure know how to take the fun out of an adventure.”  Pete thought a moment then said, “We’ll talk to Al in the morning.  Maybe he can give us some advice.”

The phone rang.  Ruby answered it.  After a brief conversation she signaled to Pete saying, “It’s Wells.”

He took the phone, “I hope you’re on a pay phone.”

“Yes!  I want you to find out what you can about the house when you see Al in the morning.  We may have to turn the electricity on,” Wells said.   “Did he find the treadmill?”

“We left him checking the position he was in when he entered.”

“You kids be careful,” Wells said.

“You too.  Would you know if Ralph is following us?” Pete asked.

The pause was too long to be comfortable.  “No!  Wilson could send him out, or any number of others, without consulting me.  Ralph has a private contract.”

“Don’t you go to the house again.  It’s one thing for us to be curious, you start looking into things and they’re going to know we’re on to something.  We might be looking to buy.  In fact, if asked why we picked that house, we might say we found it on the trail built-in.  We explored it then checked to see if it was a real address.”

“I’ll go with that if someone saw me on the trail I’ll say you showed me the house Johnson must have been advertising, if they tell me it’s his house.  If they asked,” Wells said.  “Whoever they are.”

When Pete hung up, he went to Ruby, who was looking on with trepidation.  He put a comforting arm around her.

Her lips flashed a nervous smile.  “I know it’s silly, but I’m a little scared.”

“That’s good – if you weren’t scared you might get careless.  I don’t want to lose my trail buddy.”  He took her in his arms.

Pete left Ruby’s apartment at six in the morning to get home for their six-thirty run.  Al was waiting for them.

They told Al of their predicament of not knowing who was watching who and not knowing how to get around to call Wells.

“Wells knows you run at six-thirty and five-fifteen.  He should call you.  He can go to the grocery store, pharmacy, or out to dinner and use a public, or house phone.” Al made the solution sound so simple – too simple.

“What if they have us bugged?” Ruby asked.

“Damn it, Rumble, why do you always have to jam-a-plan?” Pete asked.

“Too much TV.” Ruby said.

Al nodded in agreement.  “I’ll try to think of something by tonight.  You think, too.”  Al moved to the center of the room and started pacing in place.  “How about this?” he asked, calling for them to look deeper into the room.

Ruby and Pete stared, as Al became more human looking.

“You found it,” they said in unison.

Ruby added, “You’re losing your computer characteristics.”

“I feel like there’s a chance,” Al said.

“That’s great!” Pete said.  He looked at his watch.  “We better go.  Keep to the trail, so no one gets suspicious.”

“What about the house?” Ruby asked.

Al got off the treadmill.

They looked at him puzzled.

“I get human, then I get hungry,” he said.

“You want us to bring you sandwiches?” Ruby asked.

“It’s easier to stay off of it until we’re ready to leave.  What house?”

“The house on Rosebud Lane,” Pete answered.

“I was pretty much moved out of there.  I bought a bigger place.”  Al lowered his eyes and went on, “I was trying to impress Hope.”

“We’re so sorry for your loss,” Ruby said.

“I can’t really claim the loss.  I was trying to impress her, not doing it well,” Al admitted.

“Really?  From what Wilson implied, to Wells, she was very upset when you disappeared.  Tried to tell, all who’d listen, that you didn’t go on your own,” Pete said.

“We really better go,” Ruby said, “I wish we could come back when they aren’t watching.  Oh, do you hear us coming?  In case someone gets curious, could you hide?”

“Could and would.  Mention any name but Wells and I’m gone until I see you’re alone.  If you want to move up a trail so they don’t get curious I put the house on nine now,” Al said.

“Good, see you there tonight,” Pete said.

Back on the trail Pete asked, “Rumble, you know that house we looked at, do you like it as much as I do?”

She smiled, “It’s a cute house.  Why?”

“I’m thinking of calling the realtor to see what they want for it.”  Pete set an excuse, for poking around the house, with anyone who was watching the monitor.  

“I’m really handy at fixing things up.  I don’t get a chance to show it working in the office, but in my teens I worked as a handy man a lot,” he said.

They reached the end of the trail before she could reply.

Wilson left the monitor and turned out the lights in the room locking the door as he left. 

‘What’s this about a house?’ he asked himself. ‘Are those kids that serious?  … I better call Ralph.’

He went to his office and dialed.

“Ralph?  … Say is something going on with those two more than the trail?” Wilson asked.

“Dieter said, Peterson left her place at six in the morning.  Kissed her good-bye and was back before eight.  We think he just went home for his run and maybe took a shower.”

“That’s a lot of togetherness for a couple of strangers,” Wilson said.

“If that trail is working the way you described it, they’ve been friends for six months.  Seeing each other every day and they never miss a run,” Ralph said.  “And following that gal as close as I have, she is starting to look great.”

“Do you need to be pulled off this case?” Wilson snapped.

“I’m just saying the exercise is paying off for her.  I happened to be in the monitor room around three yesterday.  Imagine my surprise when the monitor clicked on and Wells was taking a stroll with Peterson.”

“What?”

Wilson couldn’t see him, but knew, Ralph standing, with the phone, nodding smugly at Wilson’s surprise.

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