Haunted Memories {mature M/L} [COMPLETE] 3/21/08

[ken_r]

ShatteredDreamer it has been my experience that police in general do not give citizens credit for understanding police things and that runs into other things as well. How Liz finds out about the sex, real or imagined, is an important part of the end of he story. The transition between Andrea and Liz is also kind of different. Chris thought everything Alex had should be shared with him. Andrea wants to give as much as she can to her sister. It will make a good argument as to how she does that.

Begonia I worried all the time about Liz being a substitute lover. That would not be right. There may be things coming up that are completely out of Max’s control. Liz and Andrea, who we know can not exist, may have something to say about things.

Natalie first we have to go through the darkest place possible, the mind of a psychopath.

Roswell3053 Max will efficiently deal with what he understands. He will deal with the killer. Again remember the two Parker girls are maybe controlling some things. Of course we do not believe in ghosts

L-J-L 76 Lizza I went over all of your questions. I think this week and next week they will almost all be answered. Of course when we come to the end and all questions are not answered PM me and I will try.

Author note

This was a very hard passage to write. I do not know how well I did, but I was trying to get into the mind of a psychopath. I was trying to see the mind where the parent had made the other brother give everything to the older one. To Chris everything revolved around himself. His father made him feel that every thing his little brother worked for should be shared with Chris. Mr. Whitman saw this as making things equal between the two boys. Chris only saw that anything Alex had should be partly his.

We also are talking about time where there is tremendous sexual repression. Alex had the benefit of the other young people around him. He had the benefit of a loving girlfriend who wanted to explore physical avenues of love. As will be said somewhere, the very prohibitions against showing outward expressions of affection, both upheld by Charles Whitmen and also Jeff Parker, left Andrea and Alex only private intimacies.

Chris was a boy who not having any friends and a distant father was left to figure out expressions of sex by his own observation. This observation was biased by the need for it to revolve around Chris only. Chris had no concept of shared emotions.

Mr. Whitman had no idea of how Chris understood comments like, “A whore does not deserve to live.” The fact that Chris could only take this literarily, was not understood by Charles.

To Chris anything he did that displeased his father was someone else’s fault. Charles was willing to place blame elsewhere even when it was obvious that Chris did have the ability to make his bad choices.

Notice a parallel between Chris and Danny. As he sees Liz kiss Max he feels she never did that to him,

I find Chris’s mind more frightening than almost anything else.
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Chapter 11

The next day, Liz returned to school. The students were glad to see her. When they have a good teacher, students dread a substitute, especially when they do not know if the substitute might not become permanent or not.

Danny Alred came by to see Liz before the students came in. “Liz, I would like to talk about us. I really believe we could have something if you would give it a chance. Your father would be very pleased if we did come together.”

“Danny, you are my principal. That is all. I don’t love you and I don’t want my father to run my life. I am not even sure he is sane, anymore. Stay a principal and we will get along.” Liz was making a demand that she hoped Danny was able to understand.

That night, Danny was scowling as he saw Liz run out to Max’s car when he came up for her. She, so easily got into the car of almost a complete stranger. His mother had warned him about girls like that. His mother was so much like Mr. Parker. That was why he thought that he and Liz should get along, but Liz ran off with a stranger. Wasn’t that just like what Mr. Parker said her sister had done?

Liz was laughing as she and Max drove down the street. There was another one who had been watching her. Chris had always been given exactly the same things as Alex had. Chris had had a hard time in school. The teachers said there was something wrong in his head. They all saw that he didn’t have any social consciousness. But, that wasn’t his real problem. Somehow in making allowances for him, Charles Whitman, his father, had failed to instill any type of social concern. Charles Whitman, instead of giving his son the help he needed, had created a psychopath. Charles Whitman could have installed some sort of responsibility in Chris. Maybe, to some extent, Charles, himself, didn’t have a social consciousness. In the end, Chris fit the definition of a psychopath perfectly, a condition characterized by lack of empathy or conscience, and poor impulse control with manipulative behaviors. These were the things that Mr. Whitman could have helped to cure.

When Alex saved up his money for a bike and, finally, brought his bike home, Chris was presented with one almost identical to the one Alex bought. When Alex had gone to high school, Mr. Whitman insisted that Chris go, also. The fact that he couldn’t take the classes that Alex had, angered Chris, but his father told him that he was in special classes and Alex had to take regular class. But, those special classes were for behavior disorders. The teachers of this class reported many times to his father that Chris needed professional help. Charles always said, “Whitman’s always take care of their own.”

When Chris caught Alex kissing Andrea during their senior year, he had a longing to also take her in his arms. He wondered what it would be like to crush that body in his hands, but only after she gave him the same kisses that she bestowed on Alex. Wasn’t Chris always supposed to have exactly what Alex got? That was what his father had taught him.

There was that night when Alex had refused to take Chris with him. Chris was angry. He was out prowling, not knowing what he was looking for. He saw Alex and that girl Andrea way across the park. Chris could be like an animal when he wanted to. He crept closer to see what they were doing. He saw them sitting on a blanket. Alex , again, kissing her with those kisses that weren’t shared with Chris. Chris was thinking, “Maybe if I run out I could grab her. If I am holding her, Alex would have to let her kiss me. Alex knows that their father told him to share everything with me.” Chris was contemplating his wild charge, when he saw them doing something else.

Alex opened her blouse. Chris had never thought of this. Here was something for him to study on. Alex was holding her breasts and saying things to her. They were both still kissing, but now, Alex did something to her skirt and he slipped the skirt down past her feet. Chris had never thought of doing this either. This must be interesting. They were kissing and both of their hands were caressing each other. Alex raised up and pulled her underwear down. Now, this was something else that was new to the mind of Chris. Alex stood up and dropped his trousers. Chris could see Alex’s penis standing out. Chris frowned when he felt a swelling in his own jeans. Alex crawled on top of Andrea and he was between her legs. They were doing something. Chris didn’t know what but he wanted to do it also.

Chris slipped back away from the young lovers and when he was far enough away, he stood up and went home. Chris had a lot to think about. Some of it was how could he get the same as Alex.

Chris quit badgering Alex to go with him. All that Alex noticed was that it was easier to get out of the house. Chris thought, maybe, while Alex was busy, he could try to see what it was like himself. That was when he caught Maria stepping out the back door of the Crashdown. Chris sneaked up to Maria and jumping out, he grabbed her. He spun her around and put his mouth against hers, the way he had seen Alex do with Andrea. Maria was furious. She slapped him. Chris didn’t let anyone hit him. He grabbed her again and was prepared to hit her until she was sorry she had given him pain. He didn’t know what pain was. Michael came out the door to see what was keeping Maria and he laid into Chris.

Michael was big, he was strong and he loved Maria. Michael loved Maria even when he was screaming at her and calling her names. Michael had never had much and he thought that no matter how much they were abrasive to each other, they were made to be together. When he saw Chris fixing to hurt her, he went a little crazy. It was Maria who had to pull him off.

Chris was a frail child. He was sneaky and mean, but he wasn’t very strong. Michael had him down and was him in the face. The delicant bones were breaking every time. Michael was also shouting, “You tell anyone that I beat you , I will finish the job. I will kill you for touching Maria.”

Well, Chris was easy to convince. Maria was off limits and when his father tried to get him to tell who beat him so badly, Chris only told him that he didn’t know the people, but there were several of them. Of course, Mr. Whitman made a police report. He even tried to force the department to drop everything and find the gang who had beat his son. That was the trouble, Chris’s lie about there being men made anyone investigating not give a loner like Michael a glance.

Chris found out everything. When you have nothing to do but spy on your brother, it was not too hard. He knew that Alex was going to get married. That was all right because what ever Alex got, he would be made to share with Chris. Now Chris would be able to touch the naked body of Andrea.

“No, you are not going with me,” Alex shouted. “This is something for me alone. Chris was starting to make a scene when Michael stopped by for Alex. Michael took one look at Chris and Chris scampered away. It looked as if Alex really was going to go somewhere without taking Chris. Chris would know how to fix this.

Mr. Whitman always felt sorry for his older son, Chris. The boy had a raw deal from Nature. Charles Whitman felt that he had to make up for what nature had stolen1q from Chris. The trouble was Charles thought that Nature hadn’t given Chris the ability to compete in the World. He did not realize that what Chris was missing was the ability to care about others. Maybe Charles didn’t have that ability very well either. That was why he always made Alex share everything with his brother. Alex was an able bodied boy and now an able bodied man. He could afford to give part of anything he had to Chris. When Chris came to Charles to say that Alex had run off from him, Charles Whitman was furious. Then, when Chris looked at his father and said, “Alex is going to make things with a girl.”

Charles put his paper down. “What are you talking about?” he asked.

Alex goes out and takes off all his clothes and he and the Parker girl do things together. She does this with everyone. She wanted to do it with me, but I ran away.” Chris lied.

A terrible darkness overtook Charles Whitman. He looked at his son. “She is a whore. You are to have nothing with a whore! I will punish Alex when he gets back.”

Chris thought, now, she won’t be able to do anything with Alex, so I guess I can have her. A lot of times, when Chris wanted things of Alex, Alex would just hand them to him and not look back. Alex was so used to just giving in.

When Alex returned, he was alone. He and Andrea had decided that they would each, separately, tell their parents. They knew there would be problems, but neither knew of how bad it was to be, nor did they know of what Chris had said.

After the first bomb shell, Andrea, had been banished to her room. She was awaiting what her father would say. She heard Charles Whitman come into the restaurant. Maybe, Alex had convinced his old man to be on their side and he had come over to talk to Jeff. She felt someone in her room. She turned.

Charles entered the restaurant and approached Jeff. “Your wanton daughter has run off with my son. She has been screwing with most of the boys at school and is, now, trying to seduce my boy.” Jeff was surprised. He hadn’t had much trouble with his girls. He had been very strict with them. No dates. No boys. The only thing he allowed them to do was go to church things. When Charles Whitman accused his daughter, his world fell. The thing he feared most had happened. He had lost control of his oldest daughter. Surprisingly, he did not, in anyway, think to question Charles Whitman. There was no way a man like Mr. Whitman could be lying. As they were talking, they heard a noise up stairs.

Chris grabbed her. As said before he wasn’t very strong, but he pinned her to the wall. One hand was over her mouth as the other stroked her breasts. He put one hand in her blouse and pulled. He had laid bare her chest and he was gazing on her nakedness. At that moment, Charles and Jeff had chosen to mount the stairs. As they entered the living area above the restaurant in the hallway, they saw Chris and the partially naked Andrea. Charles Whitman began to scream jezebel and harlot. Chris cringed and cried that Andrea was making him do this.

When it was all over, Alex was forbidden to ever see Andrea again. If Jeff could have, he would have branded Andrea as an adulteress even though technically, that would have been the wrong term. Andrea told Liz about Chris, mainly as a warning but neither Jeff nor Charles ever mentioned it. That night, Andrea left home to never return.

Chapter 12

When Chris saw Liz with Max, she looked just like Andrea had those many years ago. The whore had returned. His father told him once that a whore did not have the right to live. Okay, he had rid the world of the other whore. He had seen her naked with Alex, just like he had seen them at the park many years ago.

Now, he would have a chance to destroy another whore. This one wouldn’t have been used. He would use her before he killed her, just like he had done before. Chris was, now, more experienced. He had tasted the charms of a whore, before. Four years ago, he found a girl drunk in an alley. He had raped her, Trying all the things he had seen from the park. Chris was frequenting the park a lot, now days. After raping her, Chris remembered his father’s words. The woman was still drunk, so she didn’t put up much struggle when he cut her throat. A squad car had driven by the ally and Chris had been terrified. He ran, but the squad car went on its way and Chris quit shaking after a few days.

Then, he had killed a young girl who was hitchhiking along the state highway. He had stuffed her in an old well and no one had found her till much later. But, with observation and the practice Chris thought he now knew how to do what he had seen Alex do in the park that night. He would watch the second whore carefully.

Liz didn’t feel very secure at school anymore. She tried to avoid her principal whenever she could. After the first time he had encountered her, Danny had avoided Liz, also.

Liz was enjoying being with Max. She hadn’t been allowed to experience many of the things girls and, now, women of her age were allowed. In a way, when being with Max, she always thought that her sister was near. Liz had tired several times to get Max to tell her more about what Andrea meant to him. The statement, that Andrea was just a case Max had been investigating, was not enough. First, the look in Max’s eyes was just so strong when he was talking about Andrea. Second, Liz was sure she saw something in his eyes when he was looking at her and he didn’t think she was watching. It was almost the same look that she saw when he was talking about Andrea.

Liz would sit in Max’s room correcting her school papers. She would see him, also, sitting reading, sometimes a newspaper and sometimes an old time detective novel. She asked him if he ever read modern novels and he replied. “These old ones are completely unbelievable. They don’t pretend to be anything else. The modern ones pretend to be realistic, but they do not know what they are talking about.

Liz asked Max, “What would you do, if you left your job in Albuquerque?”

“I could do the same job in Roswell. I could, maybe, go back to college. I am sure there would be something to come up,” Max answered.

Max himself was worried, there were only a few days left. He might have to quit and return to the real world, knowing that the killer was still here in Roswell. He might cut his ties with the department, and then what? Andrea still was insisting that Liz was in danger. She wanted Max to take care of her sister.

Chris was outside the hotel. He couldn’t go in. He had been caught hanging around places like this before. If the security guards caught him they would beat the shit out of him before calling the cops. The last time his father had been very angry. “Chris, I do not want you being around those places. “They are the homes of whores and children of the devil,” the old man had told him.

Well, Chris secretly wanted to meet a child of the devil. If he killed her, then his father would be glad. Whatever else he did to the child of the devil, should not upset his father. It was being in the place where the devils and whores lived, that was what upset the old man.

As Max and Liz came out of the hotel that morning they were unaware that Chris was watching them. Max was actually laughing. Liz did that to him. She was so refreshing, he wondered what he would do in just a few days. Andrea had brought new things to his life, but Andrea wasn’t real or so Max thought. Liz was young and Liz was real. Was she now bringing the same thing, as the ghost of her sister. They drove to the high school. When he pulled , Liz grabbed her books and things , to Max’s surprise, she leaned over and kissed him. As Max drove off the was thinking of that kiss.

Danny was watching in his office. He saw the dark sedan drive up. That cop was still in town. Liz was still with him. He couldn’t stay here forever. Didn’t he say that he was from the City Police Department of Albuquerque? He would have to go back, eventually.

It really bothered Danny that she kissed Max as she was leaving the car. She hadn’t done that to Danny any of the times they had gone out. When Max left, Danny intended to have a long talk with Elizabeth. Probably, she liked the policeman because he was masterful. Well, Danny could be masterful, also. His mother had told him that a man must take charge.

Max drove to the Roswell police station. He sat in Jim Valenti’s office drinking coffee. “Well, what do you propose to do about your case?” Jim asked Max.

Do you have a collection of murders, probably by knife, of young girls over the last, say five years?” Max asked. “I am sure that Chris is the killer, but I do not have a shred of evidence, yet.”

Jim left the office, briefly. When he returned, there were five murders that showed up on the computer. They fired up the computer on Jim’s desk. There was a girl found in the alley behind the Crashdown. She had been sexually abused and, then, had her throat cut. She, also was drunk according to the medical examiner. There had been another about a year later. She had been raped and found in a field near the edge of town. She had been shot. The third one was a woman found downtown. She had been singing in a bar. When she went out to her car, someone had abducted her. They found her body in the brush near Carlsbad. She had been beaten to death. A woman had been found stuffed into an old well. Now, she had been pretty well decomposed by the time they found her. They believed that her throat had been cut. She had been a Jane Doe. They had never found the identity of that body. It had not been determined that she had been violated. There had been a young girl found at the edge of the park. She had been raped and, then, her throat had been cut. Her hands had been tied with duct tape.

“You have three to consider. I do not think the shooting could have been Chris. Neither was the one beaten to death. You have to see this kid. He is built like a child, even though he is in his twenties. He just doesn’t have that much strength. I might reopen the cases of the three that match.

Max leaned back, “Out of curiosity, what can you tell me about Danny Alred, the principal of the high school?”

Jim thought for a minute. “He is a little pissant, but does all right in what he is doing. I understand him to be a bit of a momma’s boy. They had a disturbance at the school last year and the officers said he wasn’t very effective in handling the situation. They didn’t feel he was giving them much support. Does he have anything to do with this case?”

Max laughed, “I don’t think so. Jeff is trying to make Liz marry him. The question was personal, anyhow. Maybe, it was out of line, sorry.”

Jim looked carefully at Max. Jim was looking toward retirement soon. He was in his fifties and in a more active city, he would have pulled the plug several years earlier. Max was younger than Jim had first thought. He couldn’t be more than five or so years older than Kyle. Jim knew that Max had a lot of passion for the Andrea Simms case. That had to be unusual. If Max had this much passion for all of his homicides, he would have burned out several years ago. There must be something special about this case. Jim had already heard that Max was paying for the Parker girl’s stay away from her father.

Jim had a policeman’s dislike for anyone who showed any sort of moral paranoia. The years had taught Jim that if people could just develop tolerance, his job would be easier. Now Jim was wondering if Liz was anything special to Max.

After school that afternoon, Liz called Max. She was told that he was on the phone talking to his office in Albuquerque. They asked if she wanted to wait or have him call back, but Liz just left a message.

“Max, I have to get some books from home. I will take the bus and if you want, you can pick me up at the Crashdown,” Love Liz.

This last was spontaneous. The girl taking the message raised her eyebrows. The Parker girl didn’t get out much. She wondered if Max would have to face Mr. Parker. That had happened to many young men who had tried to get close to Liz. Then she thought. Mr. Parker had never met a man like Max. Homicide detectives weren’t known for being sissies. In her mind she giggled. It would serve the old fart right if Liz found a man to tough to not be intimidated by Parker’s moralistic preaching.

She left the note on Jim Valenti’s desk.

Liz got on the bus in front of the school. There were several of her students that all called to her. She was surrounded by the students, from the high school. Chris sat in the back of the bus, just watching the second whore.

Liz got off the bus about a block from the Crashdown. Like most people she had no sense at all that she was being followed. She walked along the street smiling and nodding to many of the merchants and others she met along the way.

Everyone knew Jeff Parker’s daughter. That was why she had to be so careful what she did. She was always under a microscope. Those who saw Chris turned to pretend that he didn’t exist. Chris was known for being mean, sneaky and he stole things. Most of the time Mr. Whitman would always cover for him.

Liz walked in and hugged her mother. Her father frowned from the kitchen. There weren’t many customers in the place. Liz could remember when she was younger that the place would be full after school. Jeff’s moralizing had just driven customers to other places.

“I have to get some books out of my room for my class tomorrow,” Liz stated. She went up to the living area.

Chris had gone to the back of the restaurant. There was the ladder he had used many years ago, when he tried to get what Alex had been given from Andrea. Alex was supposed to share everything with Chris. He did not have the right to keep something from him.

Chris’s father had caught him then, but his father wouldn’t be here this time.

Max had called Kyle. He only had two more days to stay. The good news was that Kyle had made a slight breakthrough.

“The yellow taxi company said they picked up a customer and had taken him to the area of the Sunshine building. They said he was a frail man with a wild look in his eye. The cabbie I talked to, said he was fingering his pistol the whole time he was driving. Many of the cabbies carried pistols when driving at night. That man just freaked him out. The description fit Chris, perfectly.” Kyle and Tess made a good team. Max remembered what Tess said and wondered how much of a team they were.

Max and Jim were in the coffee room talking about what Kyle had found. Max looked at his watch. He was almost too late to pick up Liz. He was almost to his car when a younger officer came running out. Jim had sent the officer with a phone message for Max.

Max worried, but he would go over to the Crashdown. He didn’t think Mr. Parker would do anything to Liz. Liz was a lot older than Andrea had been when she left. Mr. Parker was angry, but Max didn’t think he would go any further.

Leaving her mother crying and her father frowning, Liz went up the stairs. She walked down the hall and entered her room. As she entered, she felt a terrible blow to the back of her head. That is all she could remember for several minutes.

Chris had crept into Liz’s room. This had been Andrea’s room so long ago. When the whore came in, Chris hit her in the back of the neck from behind. Liz was stunned, he threw her on her bed and fastened her wrists with duct tape. He also applied duct tape on her mouth.

Max pulled in front of the Crashdown. As he got out, he looked around. The single building had an alley off to the side. Liz had told him about the ladder to the upstairs. She had told of the many times she and her sister had used the ladder when their father forbid them to do something. Liz told Max that neither she nor Andrea had ever given their father a reason to worry.

There had been a movie that had upset parents for several years. The movie houses could count on full houses of parents coming to see “The Rebel Without a Cause,” even though it had been first released years ago. Church groups and parent’s groups had had discussions about this movie and they were terrified of letting their children get out of control.

The first time Andrea had ever done anything that would cause her father to worry, was when she fell in love with Alex. If they could have openly dated, they might have better controlled their passions. Alex talked about wanting a family and of getting out from under his father. Their clandestine meetings left little activity except for love-making. They slowly traveled this path.

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As this story comes to an end i am starting two new ones. First there is a very serious story about being abandoned and falling to one of the lowest social levels she can.
Liz Come back

the second story is a light hearted story of East meets West. Can a society girl fall in love with a cowboy?
Cowgirl Princess

[ken_r]

Begonia9508
Roswell3053
L-J-L 76
Leigh



What started out as a detective story turned into almost a paranormal romance. That is a mouthful. Thank you for those who chose to stick with me. I hope you can accept the romance created by Andrea and left for Liz.


Chapter 13

Before Max entered the Crashdown, Danny Alred had slipped in the door. Danny hadn’t seen Max on the street. He wanted to talk to Jeff. He and Jeff were sitting at a table when Max darkened the door. Max took off his sunglasses and taking out a piece of gum, he stood just inside waiting for his eyes to adjust. Danny stood up. “Mr. Evans, you are not welcomed here. I would prefer it if you would go. If Liz is here, I want to talk to her without your interference.

Max just looked down at Danny. Danny was trying to puff himself up like a pigeon to look bigger and more important. Jeff was just sitting at the table scowling. Max glanced at Nancy off to the side. “She is upstairs, Mr. Evans,” was all that Nancy said.

When Max turned to the stairs. Danny quickly moved to stand in front of him. If the little bastard puffed up much more Max was going to hit him so hard that, like a balloon, he would burst. Max, with his left arm just pushed Danny back so that he almost fell as he backed into one of the tables behind him. As Max was starting up the stairs, there was a crash. Max took the stairs two at a time. He was running now.

Chris had taken the knife out. He put it on the dresser. When he was through with the whore, he would carry out his father’s command. A whore didn’t deserve to live. When he grabbed her shoulders, Liz struggled. This hadn’t happened before. The first girl Chris had killed had been too drunk to struggle. The second girl, who Chris dropped in the well, had allowed him to make things with her without struggling, believing the fiction that if she did not struggle, she would be spared. The third was just a child and Chris had secured her well with duct tape.

Now Andrea the whore, he had rushed. She was crying after the screaming woman had left. The screaming woman was someone that Chris wanted nothing to do with. By the time Andrea had looked up, Chris had already spilled her life out of her body. Now, this one was not secured as well and she wasn’t impaired at all. Chris intended to do to her what he had learned from the park. Then, he would dispatch her. Scuffling, they knocked over the lamp. Seconds later, the door burst in.

Max knew that Liz’s room was the last one in the hall. When he got to the door, he leaned back against the wall in the narrow hall and kicked against the door as hard as he could. As he entered, Max reached for his pistol. It wasn’t there. It had been decided that, as soon as Kyle left, Max was only a guest in Roswell. The Roswell police felt more comfortable if Max would call them to make any arrest. They would back him , but Max was no longer, officially, a policeman here.

Max saw that Liz was sitting on the bed. She had a piece of tape over her mouth. Her wrists were , but her legs were still free. Chris was sitting beside her, holding the knife.

Max knew that he had to get Chris talking. Talking would delay him doing anything drastic. “Is this what you did to Andrea?” Max asked.

There was a evil expression on Chris’s face. Yes, the whore was with my brother again. My father said she should not live.”

“Why did you call Andrea a whore? Most of the people who knew her thought she was a saint?” Max inquired.

“I saw her when she was with my brother. He was supposed to give me part of everything he had. He didn’t share her with me, so I told our father. He would always make things right. I told him that I had seen her doing things with many boys. I even told father that she tired to do things with me, but I ran. Father would take her from Alex and, maybe, he would give her to me. Alex was supposed to give me a part of everything that he had. He didn’t, so I ruined her.” Chris was almost bragging.

From the hallway, there was an inarticulate cry. “You crummy little bastard!” and Jeff burst in the room.

As soon as Max saw that Chris distracted he reached.

When Liz was eight years old, father had taken them both to church. He would give Christmas presents tomorrow. The presents were always from him and mother. Father didn’t approve of Santa Clause and such. That night, as they were getting ready for bed, Andrea came in. She had a small package. Liz idolized her sister. Andrea always stood up for what she believed. Liz had trouble with this. She would just wait until her father was over his preaching spell. Then she would go out. Father never caught on. Andrea handed Liz the package. When Liz opened the package, there was a manger scene in a small ball. The animals were surrounding the tiny crib filled with straw. Mary and Joseph were kneeling, as were three wise men and several shepherds. If you shook the little globe, tiny flacks of snow would swirl about the characters. “Keep this. May it always protect you,” Andrea had said.

Many years before, there had been a small boy. He was 13. He didn’t want to be a policeman when he grew up. He wanted to be a pitcher for the Albuquerque Dukes. He had practiced and his coach had told him that he was learning great control for a 13 year old.

With the distraction of Jeff’s cry, Max grabbed the snow globe. He put it right over home plate, high and outside. The globe smashed just over Chris’s eye. Chris sunk down with a concussion.

Jim was dispatched with the warning to check on that detective from Albuquerque. When he arrived, he found Liz being held by two men, her father and Max. Chris, was being patched up by the paramedic and Danny was just standing there, not knowing what to do.

Liz, her father and Max sat down at the dinning table of the upstairs living quarters. Liz was now holding both of her father’s hands. Max had leaned back and was watching them. The case had now, been solved. Both Jeff and Danny had heard Chris’s brag. There would not be much trouble getting a conviction, but Max was sure that Chris would take psycho and plead insanity. Max was sure that that wouldn’t be hard to prove.

Mr. Whitman would try to use anything he could to get his son off. Since Chris wouldn’t be on the board of the bank, anymore, Alex would only have to contend with his father. The anger he had toward his old man had no end when he learned the truth. There would be some changes for sure.

After Chris had been taken to the hospital, Max got ready to leave. He was happy that, maybe, Liz and her father would find some sort of better relationship. Jeff had a long way to go to forgive himself, but he was on the way. When Max got back to the hotel, he went into his room. Waiting for him was the ghost of Andrea.

“Is it all settled, now? Can you fine peace?” Max asked.

Andrea shook her head, “Almost, but not quite, Max. Chris murdered me because of insanity and jealousy. Mr. Whitman tried to find justice for his son instead of giving him the training to adapt within his ability. My Father was so willing to believe his greatest fears, that he had lost control of his daughters, that he lost sight of the very religion and morality he preached. I have only concern for my sister to keep me here, now,” Andrea said. Max didn’t completely understand her. Andrea was dead. what more could she do for Liz? Thinking about Liz brought up concerns of his own. Max was asking himself what did he want to do about the lady. He assumed that now she would be safe from whatever Andrea’s ghost feared.

Andrea was gone as far as Max could tell. He had had a long day. Tomorrow, he would wrap everything up and head back to Albuquerque. Max was still undecided about whether he wanted to go back to the same old life. During his first years as a policeman, he had lost something. Max remembered reading books by Joseph Wambaugh. So many of his characters had lost their perspective in the intoxication of the excitement found in trailing men.

This was an intoxication they were never able to share with their families. It was a demarcation that separated policepersons from everybody else. Max had readily followed this call, but knowing the ghost of Andrea, now, Max desired something else. That Andrea, had the adoration of so many, showed that even in death, she left good memories.

What would happen to Max when he died? If he died as an detective, there would be curses that he left so many cases unsolved and insufficient notes for those who inherited his position to continue. If he died in retirement, his legends would grow beyond believability, but who Max Evan really was, would be lost.

Max was preparing for bed. He, as usual, had taken off his clothes and was in his shorts. There was a soft knock at the door. Max silently cursed. The only one who would be knocking on his door this time of night, would be a messenger, probably, with the words of his captain, to get his butt back to the office and finish the cases that had been pilling up. Max wasn’t going to get dressed just to take a message.


Chapter 14

He reached in his wallet for a couple of bills. Imagine his surprise, when he opened the door expecting to see a bellhop from the hotel, and instead, standing there was, Liz. She pushed the door open and calmly walked in.

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Liz had been sitting with her father. He was weeping. “I was just so sure Andrea had lost her soul. I was so sure I had failed, as a parent, to raise my daughters right. That Whitman and that damned son of his would be lying, never entered my mind.”

“Yes, Daddy, you have been willing to listen to many others except for those who should have counted.” Liz answered him. “Mama, me and of course, Andrea.”

“Will you come home, now, to give me a chance? Help me make up for what I have done to everybody,” Jeff begged.

“Daddy, you, first, have to come to terms with yourself. You have to accept the support of Mama. She never left you, even though, we all tried to convince her to. When you can look Mama in the eye and say you were wrong in so many ways, then maybe, we can talk. I left home. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. You, Danny Alred and any of those who listened to you, gave me an out. Daddy, you are my father.

Eventually, I will forgive you, but I will never live under your roof or your beliefs.” Liz returned to her room. She would arrange to move out permanently, as soon as she figured out where she was going.

Liz returned to her room to pack more of her things. She would arrange to return for the rest of her belongings as soon as she knew what she was to do. As soon as she closed the door, the ghost of Andrea appeared. Liz, for the first time saw the specter of her sister. “I thought you would cross over or go where ever ghost go when their demise is in order,” Liz said.

“I will, but I have one more thing to do before I can go.” Andrea told her.

“What is that? We know who murdered you. We don’t know why father was so mean, but we do know who lied to him. Your life is, now, complete. There are no more mysteries to discover. What more do you need to do?” Liz asked.

“It is you, dear sister. I need to complete my life with you,” Andrea stated. “You wondered why I went to Max. I don’t know. I do know that any lesser man would have given up on my case. After all, it was only one murder out of so many committed in the city. He didn’t even know who I was, as so many other officers and people did. He championed my cause simply from the facts he learned in his investigations. Would another man have worked so hard for someone they didn’t know?”

“How did you know that Max was the one to go to?” Liz asked.
“When he came to the site of my death, I didn’t know what had happened. Suddenly, I was in a white world where I could see nothing. I was wandering around falling through walls and doors not knowing anything. I was terrified. Suddenly, the mist cleared. I could see one person. As I got close to him, I could see all that he could see. I still didn’t know I had died. I followed him home. That part was easy. When I was approaching him, the mist would begin to clear,” Andrea explained.

Liz still didn’t see the secret Andrea had with Max. Andrea was a ghost, the essence of a person who had been murdered. Max was a homicide detective, a detective who seemed to be almost burnt out at the age of 35. Max had told her that he had never had an experience with a ghost before and he still didn’t, completely believe in ghosts. Liz had become fond of Max because he was working so hard to solve Andrea’s death. She wondered if, like Andrea there was something else that attracted her to him.

Andrea continued, “Max felt that something from my love life was responsible for my death. I didn’t even understand what my love life was. Max hasn’t taken the time to have any girlfriends, but he really has some gentle ideas of love. We talked about them. At first, Max found it difficult to talk to me. I convinced him that since he didn’t believe in me, he was really just talking to himself. When I felt bad things about myself, which had to be residuals from what father always said, Max would always tell me of the many people who thought so highly of me. Max supported me even though he thought I didn’t exist.”

Liz was continuing to pack her things. There, still, hadn’t been any great secret between Max and Andrea as far as she could see. Yes, Max was a good person. He had undertaken her protection and he had rescued her from Chris. Liz liked Max, but she didn’t know much about him. Then Liz thought, she knew more about Max than she did about any other man. Max wasn’t intimidated by her father, or anything else for that matter. Well maybe, according to Andrea he was intimidated by fear of relationships. The ghost of Andrea continued talking.

The ghost of Andrea was proving that sisters supported each other, even if one of them was dead. Finally, Liz had finished packing and, with a smile toward Andrea who faded away, Liz went back to the hotel. As she was walking up the stairs, many things that Andrea had said whirled in Liz’s mind. Andrea had warned her that Max would leave soon. Andrea told of what Max meant to her. Andrea held back nothing in the relationship she’d had with Max. Andrea was now resigned to the fact that, as soon as she was sure that Liz would be all right, she should leave.

Liz walked to her room. If Max left tomorrow she would have to arrange something different. Once inside the room, she shut the door. It was like shutting out the last two weeks. Some horrible things had happened in these weeks, but some wonderful things had happened also. She had spent time with a person of her choice. Liz thought, what Max mean to her? Was he a person to be used in rebellion against her father? Liz was thinking, was she interested in rebelling? The answer was no. She fully intended to repair the relationship with her family, but she would never again, be under their control. Andrea told Liz about missing the Love given by Ralph. How, because Andrea was afraid to face her past she had missed this. How that Max was a man of great passion, but he might be lost, unless Liz was willing to take a chance of her own.

Liz took her suitcase of clothes and went across the hall to Max’s room. She knocked softly, almost timidly, as she was about to make the biggest step in her life. Max came to the door. He looked confused as he opened the door. He was dressed only in his boxers, just as Andrea had described in her first meeting.

As Liz walked into the room, Max became embarrassed. “Wait a minute and I will dress,” he said as he gathered up the clothes he had just deposited on the floor.

“No, Max,” Liz stated as she reached out putting her hand on his arm. “Just sit down and let me talk.”

Max sat, but he kept his clothes in his lap. When he had first seen Andrea, he thought some woman was invading his space so he was going to show her that if she came uninvited, she could just see him half-dressed only in his boxers whose fly was only held closed by a flap of cloth. Now, Max had developed real concern. Maybe concern wasn’t strong enough for his feeling to the Parker girls. Max wanted to appear correct and proper before the little sister of Andrea.

Liz stood before him, her suitcase leaning against the wall. “Max, Andrea told me everything. I was allowed to see and hear her this one last time. Max, I do not want to stay alone anywhere tonight. I do not want to think of home or any other place, except with you.

Max was confused, but he supposed, he could understand that Liz would have bad memories about the last day. “I guess you can stay here. I will promise to be a gentlemen. We can share the bed or if you want, or I can sleep in the chair.” Max was thinking about how he was going to do this. Sitting in a room with a beautiful young lady with nothing on but your underwear, would not be easy.

Liz was standing in front of him, “No, Max, that is exactly what I do not want you to be. A gentlemen, yes, but sleeping in a chair or on the far side of the bed is not what I have in mind. Andrea told me everything you ever told her about sex and love. She also told me what she couldn’t do.

With this, Liz slowly began to remove her jacket. As she moved, every step she took was told to her by Andrea. She placed the jacket on the chair preventing any use of it for any other purpose. Liz started to speak. it was almost a chant, “if she trusts you with her body and if she is real smart, she will undress before you really slow,” Liz removed her blouse, also placing it on the chair before her. She, then, slowly unsnapped the waist band of her skirt and it fell to the floor. There was no music, but no erotic dancer that Max had ever busted, could cause in him the stirrings and love of beauty that Max was feeling. Liz stepped out of the skirt like it was a dance movement. Max didn’t know that all the time, the ghost of Andrea was directing Liz in what to do. Max could, no longer, see Andrea.

Liz carefully and slowly raised the hem of her slip, gathering it in her hands at her waist. Then, she raised it over her head laying the garment on the chair with her other clothes. Now, Liz was before him in just her bra, panties and hose. Standing in her high heels, she turned slowly for his inspection. It was as if she was on a stand and Max was seeing everything about her. Max was clutching his clothes tightly in his lap, since nothing could hide the arousal he now felt in his loins. He didn’t know how much longer he could stand this.

Liz sat on the foot of the bed, her back to Max. She pulled off her high heels. Stretching first one leg, then another, she carefully rolled down her hose. Liz was a small woman, but like Andrea, she was proportioned perfectly. Max was hypnotized at the view of those smooth legs. While her back was turned to him, Liz reached behind herself and undid her bra fastening. She stood, turned and now, facing Max, she removed the bra releasing her breast for his inspection. By this , Max was so taken that his mouth was just hanging opened. Liz reached the waist band of her panties, and all the while looking Max in the eye, she pulled her panties down, letting them fall to the floor. Stepping out of the panties, she again, slowly turned.

Then, Liz went to Max. She deftly removed the clutched clothes from his hands. Tossing them on the floor, Liz pushed Max back on the bed. As she crawled up with him, Max found himself using his elbows to pull himself back to the place where his shoulders felt the pillows. When Liz had crawled up beside him, she reached for his arms and pulled them around herself.

Max found him self in the position of having a beautiful naked young woman held tightly against his chest. With one hand, Max pulled his boxers down his legs until the garment was below his knees, where he could kick it off to land somewhere on the floor.

As his hands traveled over her body, Liz whispered in his ear, “Then they play with each other’s bodies.”

Max’s mind was so befuddled, that he didn’t even think of a condom. He carefully raised himself and positioned himself between her legs. Max used all the tenderness he could, as he figured this was probably her first time. Liz, with the words of her sister ringing in her ears, accepted Max as they, for a time, became one.

As Max lay there with Liz, he began to realize that Andrea had guided Liz. Andrea had used all she had learned prowling through Max’s mind for so long. Liz had just fulfilled Max’s fondest fantasy. Max knew that he had just experienced being in love while making love. Andrea once asked why weren’t they the same thing. Now Max knew they were or at least, they could be.

Max and Liz spent the rest of the night sleeping in each other’s arms. In their separate dreams, they each experienced a kiss. Andrea could now bid farewell to the in between world that she had found her self in. Andrea had done all that she could in this world. Whatever was in store for Andrea, must certainly be tempered with the tremendous good she did for people who were privileged to know her.

When he woke up, Max had no feelings of regret as he had before. So many times when he looked at the princess that he had adored the night before, he awoke seeing a woman with flaws and fears like himself. This time Max awoke with a joy that he could only explain by the warmth he felt in his arms. By the time he was out of the shower Liz was awake. She had her clothes set out on the freshly made up bed. As Max entered for a brief instant he felt self conscious being only dressed in his boxers, for that brief time Max felt his fly to make sure it was closed. Then Max remembered the joy they both had felt in the celebration of each other’s natural bodies. Max just sat beside Liz, tasting her kisses. Even the morning flavor was honey to his lips. Liz quickly, showered and dressed. Then, she and Max went down to breakfast. She would be in school most of the day, but frankly, she had no idea where she would be after that afternoon.

Max took Liz to school. The kiss she left him with, made him even more sure that, if possible, he didn’t want to loose her. Andrea had awakened something in Max. She had awakened something she could never fulfill. Andrea did see that the passion and strength in Max would lend its self to build her sister. This made his job and, everything else, take second place. The lonely nights, the unwholesome food and the depressed feelings he always had when alone, were like shadows waiting in the darkness to attack him. Max was through with that. He wanted a new life. He wanted a life with Liz Parker.

Max had a long talk with his captain. He didn’t want to return. “Damnit Max, you are leaving me with a stack of cases a mile high. What do you mean you are thinking of quitting?” the captain yelled.

“Ah hell, captain, Kyle is every bit as good as I am. Give him a bit of time and that girl he has doing research with him, he probably can do a lot better than I ever did. Kyle won’t make waves. I do not want to face any more empty nights. I want a change and this has to be the next step!” Max explained.

The captain’s attitude mellowed. He liked Max. Everyone who knew Max, worried that he was heading for a breakdown. The captain had watched the effect this last case had had on Max. Somewhere, Max had forgotten that it was just a murder, not unlike dozens that happened every year. Max had taken this case personally. He would mail Max the papers to fill out. Until then, Max would still be on his considerable vacation time.

Jim asked Max to stop by in a couple of days for a talk. He might have an offer that Max would be interested in.

That afternoon, Danny, again, watched as Liz ran to the car of that policeman. Why hadn’t he left like he was supposed to? To Danny’s disappointment, he saw Liz give Max a long and passionate kiss when she got in the car. He would have to talk with Miss Parker. This wasn’t proper conduct for a teacher. Danny sat in his office. He would have to go see Jeff. Maybe, Jeff would have some advise. Jeff was so like Danny’s mother. Danny felt comfortable with him.

When Liz sat in Max’s car and they shared their kiss, Max said, “I am going to stay here awhile. I need to see about an apartment.”

Liz was thinking, “Did this mean that Max wanted to be with her?” Liz just wasn’t knowledgeable enough about people to be sure of his meaning.

Max had a list of apartments marked from the newspaper. He asked for Liz opinion as they looked at them. Finally, Liz asked him to pull over and talk. “Max, I am confused. Are we looking for an apartment for you or is this something for us?”

Max looked embarrassed. They hadn’t discussed their relationship much, yet. Max had made up his mind that he wanted to sell his house in Albuquerque. Max wanted a fresh start and that meant leaving Albuquerque. He didn’t know if he could find something in Roswell, so he wasn’t yet looking for a house to buy.

Liz still had issues about what she was going to do. They had only known each other for two weeks. In time, Liz might grow to hate him. She had just come from a rebirth. Seeking freedom from her parents domination, she had so much before her. In a way, Max was also experiencing a rebirth. Andrea had given him a vision into a world where his job was only secondary to his life. No more, would Max just live to go to work everyday. But, Andrea wasn’t real. Liz was. The warmth of her body as he held her close testified to that.

They returned to their hotel. “Do you want to keep your room or do you want to move in with me?” he asked Liz.

Liz was a little petulant, “Whatever you want Max. We have to find a permanent accommodation between us sometime, soon.”

At first, Max thought, “She isn’t sure about wanting to be with me. Maybe, I should give her a little space.” Then he thought, “No, we need to find out where we stand with each other as soon as possible. We might not have the luxury of time to court, like couples should.”

“I would prefer we share our room. I want to talk about a future and to see if we have one. I can always get you a room, later, if you need one,” Max stated.

Liz just nodded. Max would have preferred more enthusiasm. They had a quiet dinner. Then, they went back to their room. Liz insisted she sit in the only chair. Max sat on the bed and leaned against several pillows.

“Max, what am I to you? We seem to be going into this awfully fast. In the world you live in, what am I?” Now that Liz had time for reflection, she was confused, even about her own actions. Last night, Liz had gone to a man for the first time. She had been under the instructions and encouragement of Andrea. The experience had been exhilarating to Liz, but she had no idea about what it meant to Max. True, Max was everything Andrea’s ghost had promised. Liz knew that even though Max had no steady woman, he had made love to several before her. What did he feel for her?

“Liz, we need to know each other better. You need to decide whether or not you want to share my life. I have lived a life without someone like you and I haven’t liked it. I have experienced your presence for almost two weeks. I have tasted your love, once, and I wish to fully explore it.” Max had decided to be totally truthful with Liz. He wasn’t going to pretend to consider what was best for Liz. She would have to learn to defend herself in that. Max was going to try to be truthful as he made his case. He was trying to tell Liz that he wanted her just because that was what he wanted. No other reason. Max was trying to tell Liz that he loved her.

Liz was sitting with her hands in her lap. She was playing with her fingers. Liz had been a good daughter. She had shown her father respect, much longer than he had really deserved it. Liz had been a teacher. She had understood duty and responsibility. She was faced with the course of direction, which would effect her own happiness and well being, along with that of Max.

“Liz, I am asking you to live with me for a while. Be my friend, be my lover and see if we can make each other happy,” Max was trying to give Liz something she could accept.

Liz went to Max. Tomorrow, they would look for an apartment that would please them both.

With his papers from Albuquerque on the way and Liz at her school, Max had the day to think about what he wanted for his future. He stopped by the Roswell Police Department. When he saw Jim Valenti, Jim was chuckling. “Old man Whitman is fit to be tied. He tried to bring police brutality against you for clipping his son. Then, it was pointed out you were not with the police. Rather, you were just a guest in our city and you were defending Miss Parker. He claimed that his son had been entrapped. He couldn’t answer why Chris was in the Parker girl’s room. Then, he sent for his lawyer. We are giving the lawyer a heads up that we probably will be investigating Chris for several murders other than the one he is charged with in Albuquerque.”

Jim pointed to a envelop marked special delivery, “This morning, the movie company where Andrea Simms worked, has filed paper that they want to bring a civil suit against the bank which represents part of the estate of Chris for damages to their property, namely the name of Andrea Simms. This is legal jargon to keep Chris away from the public for his life time.”

Jim leaned back in his chair. “I have no idea what the legal system will do, but that is in other hands than ours. I want to talk to you about taking my place here. You have expressed interest in staying in Roswell. If you take this job you set my boy up for promotion in Albuquerque, you set me up for a much needed retirement and you can restart your life at a slower pace. I will be around as a consultant for a few years, if you need one. But, I can maybe visit my son more often. I even understand that I may be invited to a wedding coming up.”

Max had to laugh. It looked like Kyle’s computer was going to be fixed permanently. No matter what happened with Miss Parker, Max thought that he would enjoy the more leisurely pace of Roswell. This would be like starting over and Max had some definite ideas about how he wanted to run his life now.

When Max picked up Liz after school, she kissed him. Again, Danny was watching from the window. They drove to look at the apartments that Max had marked in the news paper. This time, Liz understood that this would be for the both of them, at least for now. She could hear her father screaming about living in sin, but if this worked out and there were no surprises, Liz hoped that she would soon be made an honest woman. That phrase itself was trite. Liz was already an honest woman enough to understand her feelings for Max. Max had told her his intentions. He had taken the first steps to getting a job in Roswell, so it wouldn’t upset her teaching. They just had to build trust in each other.

As the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months, Max was busy in his new job. He set himself a pace and refused to move out of it. He solved crime when he could, but there was no longer that terrible drive that over rode everything else. There was one thing, though, and that was his feeling for Miss Liz Parker. The eight or so years difference in their ages meant little as they developed their relationship. Jeff Parker learned to accept his daughter’s choice of husband and he really tried to mend his relationship with her.

From time to time, Liz would have the most wonderful dreams. She couldn’t ever recall them the next day, but they all ended with the face of Andrea fading back into the darkness. Liz was sure that whatever happened after death, Andrea had found a way to always watch over her. Liz was almost able to convince Max that Andrea was still, somewhere, in their life. Max smiled. He tried to tell himself that he didn’t believe in ghosts. Max also knew that something had brought him to Miss Elizabeth Parker.

Max never did find out what the E in Andrea’s name stood for. Liz told him that she had promised Andrea to never tell anyone.