No Quit

Chapter 19

Ted slowed as he passed the entrance to Treestock Hills and took in as much as possible without stopping. He could see another car coming and he didn't want to attract undo attention. He accelerated and went a few hundred feet down the road before pulling onto the shoulder. What is in there? The whole place looked very expensive and exclusive and he didn't think that the woman could have come from such an area, but you never knew.

He checked the mirror and noticed that the following car had not passed him and he mentally patted himself on the back for not stopping. Nothing like meeting a resident and having to make up a stupid excuse for cruising around expensive homes.

He drove further down the road and on a shallow curve, came to a small cluster of shops housed in fancy, architecturally created designs reminiscent of vacation chalets. Ted pulled up in front of one boasting the name, Apropos Provisions. He left his car and pushed through the white painted French doors into the cool interior.

"Hello." A cheery voice emanated from behind a pile of designer tablecloths.

"Hello back," Ted said as he approached the counter.

A chubby woman wearing a pastel orange, Dior branded baseball cap bounced up from the pile of cloths and beamed a brilliant smile at him. "Your need, my concern," she stated confidently.

"I need an interest free loan." He said with a straight face, allowing it to crack when hers dissolved into uncertainty. "Just joking, ma'am. Actually, I'm just curious about the subdivision back up the hill.

"Subdivision?" The word came out like a profanity. "Treestock Estates is definitely not a subdivision."

"I apologize. I was wondering about the people living in homes like that." When her look darkened he held up his hands. "Sorry. Let me explain. I'm a writer—or hope to be—and I'm trying to gather information on the demographic composition of smaller towns in the western part of the Province."

"You should have said." The beam returned to her smile. "Treestock is the home of the most important members of the city of Hammond."

"All the lawyers and bankers, eh?" Ted returned her smile.

"Not just them. We have CEOs of the larger corporations, doctors, manufacturers, civic leaders, all kinds of important folks." Her enthusiasm for the apparent celebrity of those Ted assumed made up her customer list smacked of the shallowness that dogs admirers of the wealthy.

"Anybody special? I mean extra special?" He asked, priming her pump.

She leaned forward and glanced about as if uncertain of their privacy. "Just today on the news, Gerald Maxwell was reported as having been assaulted in the Grantly Hotel. Terrible, terrible thing. Hamish Grantly lives just a few doors away from him. Doesn't make for good neighbours, if you know what I mean." She nodded her head seriously.

"Indeed." So Gerald Maxwell lives there. Very interesting. And Kath's dad. "I guess a day like today wouldn't be a good time to interview any residents then."

"Not at all. No sir, not at all."

"Well, I at least want to thank you...?"

"Ida Boswell."

"Well, I at least want to thank you, Ida." He tried his charming grin and saw that it still had some shelf life. "Mind if I include you and the charming name of your shop in my book?"

"Goodness, no!" She seemed to inflate and Ted backed away in case it was unstoppable, giving her a small salute and departing. Outside, in a public phone booth disguised as a giant bird feeder, Ted looked up the address for the Maxwell's, pleased to note that they didn't find it necessary to have an unlisted number.

******

The BMW crawled up to estate entrance and Gabe looked both up the long street and down the road ahead. The other car had definitely slowed but then kept on going. A number of reasons, he guessed. Maybe it wasn't the same guy after all, but on the safe side he felt he should ditch the BMW; too many neighbours around who might recognize it and get curious if they heard the news. He turned into the road and began hunting for the Maxwell's street.

He'd seen the address in Gerald's wallet and it had stuck because of the stupid name. He found the street and followed it along until he saw Curtis's Taurus way up by the huge house. Gabe drove on a few lots further until he came to a sign that announced, The Robinson's. The drive seemed to wend through a maze of dense firs and it took a few seconds of driving before the house even came into view.

"Perfect." He backed up and then, cutting the wheel, buried the car well back beneath the low branches of the huge firs. The scent was very out-doorsy and Gabe put the window down a bit and took a deep breath of the cool air in his little hiding place. The fact that he was almost positive about the guy at the hotel prompted him to arrange for a little insurance and he took out the cell phone he'd purchased and placed a call, all the while keeping an eye on the Robinson's house.

"Jake? It's Gabe. You too you old bugger. Listen, I need your services for a small job. Yeah it pays, don't worry." Gabe relayed all the information he had about the man from the diner, advising Jake where he could dig up more and what he wanted him to do if it was possible. He traded small talk for a short period and then said he'd call later and hung up. Just in case it is the same guy. He got out and rearranged the branches he'd broken, successfully hiding the car, and then walked back to the Maxwell's place.

Ted found Bunny Walk and began a slow hunt for the Maxwell property. He slowed at the base of a shallow rise and then quickly made a turn into a driveway a good distance from the figure he'd spotted walking up the road. He prayed it wasn't where the man lived as he crept just far enough to be out of sight from the road.

He could catch glimpses of the walker through the hedge branches and when he suddenly disappeared, Ted felt he was safe; the guy probably lived in the next house. He backed out and continued along until he found the Maxwell address and then jammed on the brakes again as his walker suddenly popped out of the bushes at the end of the driveway up near the house and then disappeared again.

The brief glimpse afforded was that of Gabe. He was sure. "Can I be so lucky?" He thought about that and realized that if it was Gabe then he must have followed Ted from Curtis's place and that made him feel very uncomfortable. How did he get here? Where was his car? Ted asked himself if what he was doing was smart as he parked and got out of the car.Self gave a careless, internal shrug.