Anxious

Chapter 2: HIM

He pulled into the Motel 8 parking lot half drunk and ready for more. The booze had calmed him; he drove his car all the way in back. He didn't mind walking, although he would mind if something happened to his baby. His baby was named Vicki; she was a 1982 black Corvette with a dark red, leather interior. Dan had bought this beauty when she was brand new and she still sparkled. 

He purchased her back in Pennsylvania, where he grew up in a small town. He finished school there, without making friends, but knew just about everyone. Dan was only 18 years old when he started out on his own.  He had had some luck here or there with small jobs, but barely enough to afford rent and work expenses.

He considered himself a private investigator and although he was exceptional at his business, back then he lacked clientele. When he was 21, he fell into the break he so desperately needed. He recalled the memory now, as he walked up to the side door of the motel.

****

It was a frigid, January morning and his piece of shit, Chevette's heater had been broken for over a month. Dan was parked down the street from a small time client's house. Mr. Mitchell was a local teller at the town bank, and Mrs. Mitchell ran errands after getting their twin girls off to school. Dan was waiting for the alleged adulteress to leave, and he was to follow her. 

Only, she hadn't left the house in 3 hours and Dan was frozen. He was about to pack up, call it a day and try again tomorrow, when a car approached the neighboring house. He knew the family that lived there. Mrs. Walker stayed home with their three children, one was in school, the other two were barely old enough to walk. Her husband worked almost every day and sometimes late into the night as a local policeman.

Dan had run-ins with Officer Walker when their work had crossed paths. The cop had questioned the photographer about things he had witnessed when certain theft crimes were committed. Once, Walker even bought a picture Dan had developed, that helped catch a notorious, liquor burglar. The officer was a heroic man, and remarkable at his job, so good in fact, he should have made detective years ago.

Dan sat straight up when he saw the car pull all the way up the driveway. His eyes got huge when he saw it pull into the garage. Dan was a car man. He knew people by the cars they drove before names, or even faces, and he knew this car well.

He grabbed his Canon A-1, out of instinct, and held it to his face. He manually zoomed in on the garage's side door. It opened to a path that lead straight to the back door. Dan held his breath and watched the door knob. He began to snap pictures the second he saw it turn. The Captain of the local police department appeared in the doorway.

What happened next surprised Dan so much, he let out a gasp. Mrs. Walker ran out the back door and down the path into Captain Williams' arms. She smothered him with far more than friendly kisses, and they all but fell back into the garage.

Dan hadn't missed a beat. He captured every shocking, shameful moment on his 35mm film. Officer Walker's wife was having an affair with his BOSS! He didn't know the Captain well, but had a feeling he would be getting to know him much better. His adrenaline pumped when he thought about it. Dan didn't care if he ruined lives, hurt families, or destroyed images. The canny young adult was a business man. And this, was his meal ticket!

The following week, he had developed all the photos and devised a plan. The pictures were perfect. They showed everything, from the lust in the Captain's eyes to Mrs. Walker's rose colored lipstick smeared all over his face. The next step was to set up the blackmail without setting himself up. He knew he wouldn't be able to stay anonymous long, he was known in this town for his profession. 

He had been interested in photography since middle school and discovered his stealthy talent in high school. Dan had captured his fellow students in very compromising positions. He made quite a few bucks back then, to burn his Polaroids, enough to afford his new camera. He graduated 12th grade in '79 with average marks. That summer, on a fast food and half ass private eye salary, he rented his own lousy, studio apartment. He had figured out how to convert the bathroom into a dark room, and later, made a portable kit for this useful alteration. 

Excited as he'd ever been, Dan got the envelope ready. He was going to place it directly on Captain Williams' desk. He constructed a perfect excuse to go down to the station and speak with Officer Walker. He had recently noticed, a well known felon, in the background of a picture, fumbling with a truck that wasn't his. He counted on people to notice he was speaking with Walker, but none would notice the slip to Williams' office. The Captain would come to Dan after that, he wouldn't have to do much, but wait for a payout.

Things played out according to Dan's plans and everything after that happened quickly. Williams was desperate, to say the least. The Captain would have lost everything if this story leaked: his image, his job, his love (Mrs. Walker), and even his kids! Yes, even the children, Officer Walker and his wife shared, were more than likely Captain Williams' little tikes. This affair had far more depth than Dan had imagined and the lover was frantic to keep things just as they had always been. 

He paid off the private eye for the first envelope without hesitation, but the Captain was still scared. So, he went straight to Dan and begged him for every picture he had taken. When Dan realized how big this was, he refused, and demanded more and more money. As it turned out, Williams had associates and friends who were extremely wealthy. What was only supposed to be two thousand, to keep quiet and destroy evidence, turned into more than most made in year. Dan bought his 'Vette Vicki, brand new, that year. He had gotten greedy, and he had caused a lot of suspicion around their town. 

Finally, Williams figured out a way to get Dan, and all his secrets, out of his hometown. He called up an old buddy from California. He knew his friend was going through a nasty divorce with a gold-digger, and quite elusive whore. Everyone knew what she was doing, but no one could prove it. He set the photographer up with the rich man and suddenly, his troubles were over.

Dan was excited for the challenge, stoked to be doing what he was best at, thrilled to be leaving the shitty town for good. He was even happier that he had made enough money to have a little fun. He was going to Cali and never looking back.

****

He grinned from the memory as he swiped his motel card at room 126. He smirked even bigger as he looked around at the home that had been his for 3 weeks now. The dingy motel bed near the air conditioner, the small fridge he knew contained his liter of Jack, and the converted dark room/bathroom made him feel cozy and relaxed. Newly developed photos hung all over the walls. A few older ones were pinned above the lamp, and some pictures, that were even more aged and worn, sat on the nightstand. 

Every single one of the pictures contained the same person, the same face. All of the faces belonged to a woman named Leslie.