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

Finished stories that feature the characters from the show, but there are no aliens. All fics completed on the main AU without Aliens board will eventually be moved here.

Moderators: Anniepoo98, Rowedog, ISLANDGIRL5, Itzstacie, truelovepooh, FSU/MSW-94, Erina, Hunter, Forum Moderators

User avatar
ken_r
Obsessed Roswellian
Posts: 861
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2006 11:34 pm
Location: New Mexico

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

Post by ken_r »

Haunted Memories.
Image
Title: Hunting Haunted Memories.

Author: ken r AKA ken242 AKA Kenneth Renouard
Rating: Mature kind of
Couples Max/Liz other characters as needed.
Disclaimer: I used the characters of the Roswell story like actors on a stage. I mean no harm to any of them. I siimply borrowed them

Summary. She was beloved of almost everyone. From street people to the rich and famous, no one could say anything bad about her. So why was she so brutally murdered? The only clue Max has is a confused ghost whose memory is rapidly deteriorating. He has a young assistant with credentials from Northwestern University and a super computer sleuth who can dig up dirt on anyone to help him.

I guarantee this story to end Dreamer friendly.

Hunting Haunted Memories

It was three o’clock in the morning. The phone rang. That wasn’t unusual for Max, but he still wished people would get themselves blown away at a more decent hour. He showered because there was no telling when he would get home again.

Home, that was a name for where he lived, the little house in the rundown neighborhood behind the university. At one time when Max parents had first come to Albuquerque, this had been the best neighborhood in town. This was Nob Hill where the rich had come when the town was younger. Now the character of the people had changed. There were punks walking down the streets when the sun went down. Many of the older people were afraid to come out of their houses.

One evening when Max came out, there was a group of youths all in their early 20’s who came up to him and demanded money. Max laughed and they didn’t catch the joke. One of the dumber punks pulled a knife. “Hey, man, we ain’t fooling. Gimme your cash, for I stick you.”

Max looked at the kid for a minute or two. It was long enough for the punk to start to get nervous. “I ain’t kidding no mor. Gimme yo cash.”

Max reached as if to get his wallet. When he saw the kid’s eyes following his left hand, Max hit him as hard as he could with his right. The kid went down. The hand carrying the knife was laying across the curb. Max stepped on the wrist. There was a loud crack and the kid screamed. While standing on his forearm, Max pulled out the police radio he carried and called patrol. “Mackenzie, I got a juvenile who tried to assault me with a knife. Send someone over quick! I got a call.”

This brought quick action. The patrol car screeched as it braked to a halt. And a burley officer jumped out. “Hey, Max! What happened?”

Max just shrugged. “He tried to come at me with a knife and we scuffled. Someway, he got his arm broke. Take him to emergency and, then, book him for attempted robbery. I will file the papers tomorrow.” With that, Max was on his way to some gang shooting or the other. The juvenile was on his way to the emergency room screaming that the police did this to him and no one was listening.

Tonight, or rather this morning, Max was not sure what he had. He came out to the old Crown Victoria Ford. The uniformed officers had gutted it with 24 hour patrols for two years and, then, given it to the investigation department. The mayor was hoping that investigations could coax a few thousand more miles out of it before turning it into scrap.

The car growled into running like an arthritic man who awakens with the urgency of needing to go to the bathroom, but his joints were in too much pain to move. The car was showing wear. The garage no longer asked the mileage, but rather, how many times had the odometer been around. Max had no intention of asking for another one. There was something about respect for age, that evey year he spent in homicide, Max identified closer with. If Max wrecked this car or some morning it just refused to get going, then he would lay it to rest where it stood.

The goddamned mayor had been on another revitalization kick and he had rebuilt an old theater. Max had read that the old “Sunshine” building was now a place “for society to go.” It had live theater. Even with the crap, the homeless and the druggies, the elite of the city made it, “The place to go.”

Places like this were like squirrels. You could put new clothes on them and introduce them to society, but the area itself and the people around the old building made it still just a “rat.” A squirrel was just a rat in fancy clothes. Max thought that it might be like his car. Dab a little paint on it and pretend it was set for a new century. The mayor was sure that the historic value in the old building would cloud out the filth that accumulated where it stood. There was, now, a possible homicide that attested to the character of he neighborhood. That was another thing. There could be gallons of blood slopped all over the scene and the body completely dismembered, and it was still called a “possible homicide.”

Max didn’t pay much attention to what went on around places like this, or to the type of people that the mayor attracted to flock to them. If he really wanted to know anything about society, he would ask smart asses like Kyle. Kyle had made detective just this year. Kyle had attended classes at Northwestern. Kyle dated society girls. Kyle had a modern life. Not like Max, who when he went home would turn on a CD player with Jazz or classics. Sometimes he would sit in the evening with just a book for company.

It wasn’t as if Max didn’t have any social life. Hell, he had screwed some of the whores working in the offices down town. Max caught him self. He was using the macho slang of some of his fellow cops. You do not call a woman a whore if she is willing to sit with you and give you solace. Then, she is willing to go to bed with you, a person, who had no promise. She is willing to hold your head after love making, if it could be called that. If she is willing to share her body for a night for nothing more than the dinner and the company you offered, hell, you ought to call her a bloody saint. Yeah, call her a saint; because without women like that, you would have nothing, but the damned CD player for company.

Max didn’t watch detective shows on TV. The damned actors made the detectives just too pretty. None of the movie detectives looked like they had ever had a suspect puke on them, or that they would know what to do if one did. Occasionally, Max would watch an old Mickey Spillane movie. There, the detectives were always worn out, drunk and tired. Well, that was mostly true. Max had, so far avoided the alcoholism, but he was tired of the constant similarity. There were usually only a few reasons for murder. What made homicide interesting was the inevitable surprise that came up now and again.

The Spillane detectives did leave with the pretty young girls most of the time. Max was still waiting for that part. Most of the women Max met on the job had their nasal passages already rotted out from sniffing too much white powder.

If this turned out to be a society dame who got it, Max would have to call Kyle. Kyle could mix with the upper crust where Max would probably get into more trouble than he had when he broke that punks arm when he pulled the knife.

When Max got down town, he saw that the old building was lit up like Christmas. Max just pulled into a fire lane and got out of the old car. He didn’t even bother to lock it. If the gang bangers wanted to steal it as part of their gang initiation, let them. It would probably save the city money if the car disappeared.

“Hey, man! You can’t park there!” A fresh young face in uniform came running over, yelling at Max for parking where he did. Max showed the kid his shield. He must have been just out of the academy or had just transferred from days to nights. Most of the regulars all knew Max. They knew his scofflaw attitude about parking, and many other things, for that matter.

“What you got here, Junior?” Max asked.

The young officer had not gotten over his meeting with Max Evans who was the detective of legend on the force. But maybe, to his superiors, he was better known as, the royal pain in the butt. It wasn’t putting up with Max as he was solving crime that irked them. It was putting up with him other times when he didn’t have anything working and he would be cussing a stack of crimes, which he had no idea how to solve.

“It is Andrea Simms, the actress,” he said as if that explained everything.

“Okay, so what’s this Simms dame done to cause this much fuss?” Max inquired as he stood up and stretched. Max was looking at the building. It was still a rat even with the new façade and the crowd of people in Tuxes and gowns. Hell, PETA aught to be here handing out citations because of the dead animal remains seen by the number of fur wraps he could see.

“She was murdered,” the young officer stated.

“Hell, kid, someone gets waxed in this town almost every other night. What’s so special about this one?” Max asked. Max took out a piece of chewing gum. He had quit smoking sometime ago, but the infantile desire to put things in his mouth still lingered.

“She is about the most beautiful woman in the world,” the officer breathed.

“Fuck, kid! It’s a big world and neither of us has seen half of it yet. First, tell me who she is. There are a lot of pretty broads and a lot of them get taken out by some scum bag that they think they are in love with.” Max retorted. That would be the first thing he would have to check. What kind of love life did the victim have?

The officer frowned, “You really don’t know who she is, do you?”

“As I tried to say kid, fill me in. You got youthful enthusiasm and I got age. Let’s see if we can bring them together.” Max was not trying to be grouchy. This was just the way he felt at this time of the morning. It seemed that homicide was a crime that always tried to find inconvenient times to occur.

“She was a child star. Now, she is all grown up and was in town making movies with the Mayor’s cinema group. They had her doing a charity benefit at the Sunshine building. They just found her. She had her throat cut. Who would do such a thing? She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.” The young man clearly was star struck.

Max walked up to the building. He didn’t need identification here. These were all old timers. They knew Max and were relieved, Now that he was here, the CSI, Crime Scene Investigation, teams would be following and they could go back to their normal patrols. They could be booking drunks and hustling street people instead of looking at the most beautiful woman in the world, At least she was without the blood and the rugged cut at her throat.

Max was ushered inside where they took him to a dressing room behind the stage. There was a bed along with the dressers and closets that held changes for the stage performance. The performers usually stayed in one of the hotels nearby, but there were accommodations if they wanted to rest or even stay the night after a long session with the public.

The room was a mess. It was covered with blood. Lying in the middle was the body of a woman. Someone had covered her with a sheet. Max went over and lifted the sheet.

He was greeted with the sight of long, silky brown hair and a slightly triangular face with full lips. Max drew back the sheet further. Her nude upper body showed beautiful breasts and creamy skin. It appeared that she was still wearing a skirt of some sort. Max didn’t investigate further to see if she still had on her panties. She deserved some respect and privacy, although as soon as CSI arrived, her entire life and body would be exposed for all to see.

The officer outside wasn’t exaggerating. She had been a beautiful woman in life. Now, she was just rotting evidence. Max had seen so many like this that he didn’t allow himself to get wrapped up in what they had been in the past. Max always found it best to divorce himself from any personal feelings about the victim or anger toward the perpetrator.

That is what the body and the crime scene were. It was just a pile of rapidly rotting information that the CSI boys would discover and interpret to Max. He in turn would beat the shit out of a few punks. Finally they would arrive at a case together, if they were lucky.

Sometimes, they would even quickly solve it. Other times, Max would wait until someone got drunk, careless or just had a string of bad luck. Then the perpetrator would actually divulge the answer themselves.

“Here, Max.” One of the officers handed Max sheets of paper with the names of people who were nearby when she was found. Max looked at the names. If they weren’t personal friends or drinking buddies of the mayor, they were relatives. Hell! If he talked to these people, the department would loose its budget for a year. Kyle would be requested to help him. Max would put that expensive golden education to proper use. Let Kyle interview those who were too delicate to shove around. Another man came over,

“This list may be more to your liking, Max. It is the people we have working here and other places around the theater.” Max grunted. He could feel comfortable with this group. Max would be sure to check all their names through warrants. At the least, he might make a few arrests that way and not waste his whole day.

CSI arrived and, with hand shaking all around, Max left to greet the rising sun over the mountains and on to the downtown headquarters. Max went to the desk that he used when he was here. It was clean because Max seldom sat at it.

He used the inbox, to pick up phone messages. He would selectively throw most of them away. The only ones he bothered to answer were those pertaining to whatever cases he was on. Personal messages were discarded because he couldn’t think of anyone he would want to talk to. As he was sitting there making his morning contribution to the trash, a dapper young man came up.

“Captain said you would need help with this one, Max. Andrea Simms! Who would have thought? She was one of the few really nice people in Hollywood. This will be a tough one. Where do you want me to start?” Kyle asked.

Max grunted. It wasn’t that Max didn’t like Kyle. Kyle was a nice guy, Educated, friendly and everything Max wasn’t. Over the years, Max had learned not to trust nice people. If a man wanted to kill you, Max could understand that. Max had seen so many sweet voices, who were just a cover, for the knife someone wanted to plant in your back.

Max went through the pockets of his now rumpled jacket. Taking out the sheets, he placed them on the desk. After looking at the lists of names, he set some of them to one side, “Here is a list of names of the humans with social standing. I will take the animals. Get the latest from the CSI team. I guess we should go together to interview the movie bastards. We need to find out all we can about this broad. Everyone seems to think she is so lovely and nice. There has to be a troll in her closet somewhere. Someone didn’t like her. This surely wasn’t a suicude”

Kyle turned to Max “Unless, of course, it was a random murder. We have to find out if she was sexually assaulted also. I might get the secretaries looking up the known rapist in the area and start running them. We need to run some checks of the street people. How many other cases do your have?” That was Kyle, always with a formula to fit the case to. He even worried about the number of cases on Max’s desk that didn’t fit any formula and would not be solved by intellect but rather by chance.

Max grimaced, taking out another piece of gum, again, with the nursing fixation, popping it in his mouth. “About ten of them right now, Kyle. I think that I can wrap a few of them soon. But a couple will be with me for maybe years. I guess we should concentrate on this one while it is fresh, but I can’t leave the others, either.” Max stretched in his chair. Homicide was interesting sometimes. He was good at solving cases, especially with Kyle’s help. Max didn’t have what it took to mix with society but Kyle did. Max had that infamous gut which occasionally was correct. Max was many times lucky.

Max was looking past Kyle where he saw a short, slender woman, with dark brown hair just looking at him from the hallway. She looked familiar. Usually, he would duck his head and let Kyle or someone with more class, greet people like her. There was something familiar about this one. Max got up and went to the door. When he got to the door, there was no one in the hall. Oh well, Max hadn’t got much sleep last night. Maybe, it was just his imagination.

Kyle left to visit the dwellings of the great ones. Max left to prowl the alleys for rats, cats and, if he looked really hard, the lowest of all, the people who had fallen to this level. The rats and cats and an occasionally stray dog were all respected, but the imitations of human beings were the ones he must find to learn anything.

As Max walked out to his car he familiar face watching him saw from a second story window. He stopped and looked up, but she was gone.

Max just shook his head. He drove to the Sunshine Building. When he got there, he had to show his shield because they also had day people who Max saw so seldom that they didn’t know who he was. Max went to the manager’s office and knocked on the door.

“Come in,” the melodic voice of the manager was heard. “What can I do for you?”

again Max had to show his shield. “I need some information about the dame who got killed last night.” He said.

The little man was wringing his hands. “Oh, this is so terrible! It just couldn’t happen. She was the most beloved lady in Hollywood. There is just no way she could be dead now.”

“Well, there was someone who didn’t agree with you. I need some information.” Max pulled out the list of things he had jotted down. Max also pulled out the ever-present stick of gum. As he was unwrapping it, he was thinking how best to approach this man. He clearly wasn’t facing a man with great backbone or resolve.

Max read the items off from his notes. “First, I need a list of all the men you had working last night. I have one list, but I need yours. Then, I need a statement about who you ran a background checks on and the results of those checks. I need all you can tell me about that charity group. Who are they and what is their charity?

The little man was still wringing his hands as if he hoped he could wash away the problem. “This was an adult program. The Mayor wants us to help those who need a second chance, so we didn’t run checks on the people we hired. I can get you tentative lists, but you will have to talk to Mr. Johnson, the head of the charity, to get the whole list. The charity hired some of the people as stage hands. The mayor so wants his program to get a second chance to work.”

“Yeah, and the Mayor is an asshole,” Max muttered.

This is why he hated these people. They were so sanctimonious until the shit hit the fan. Then, they cried for the police to fix their screw ups. The list that the manager was talking about was a pet project of the mayor. He even tried to use ex-cons to work as janitors at the police department. That was until, Max and a few others had a drop your drawers and check your pee, exercise, making them take drug tests. The cops had most of the mayor’s project back in jail for parole violations. The mayor had to drop his give a man a second chance, at least in the police department. Hell, most of them had already had dozens of chances before they were finally caught and put away in prison.

Max tried and tried to get the manager to tell him more about the show last night, but the little sissy, bastard kept crying that this just couldn’t happen over and over. Next Max needed to pick up Kyle and visit the organizers of the charity. Maybe, they would have their shit together by now.

As he left the office, Max thought he wasn’t old for a homicide detective, but the many things he had seen were wearing upon him, homicide being so many times the last result of worse crimes the victim had suffered before expiring. The way people like the manager faced the reality, by the denial that such crimes could occur, weighed on his shoulders. As he walked outside behind the Sunshine building, Max took out another stick of gum. Long lasting gum wouldn’t have solved Max’s problem either. He found relief in the action of unwrapping and thrusting he gum into his mouth.

Max still had a few more things he could do alone. He rousted the maggots in the alley. You could feel sorry for these caricatures of humanity if you wanted. The First Baptist church had free dinners served at their hall just four blocks from here. The Catholic charities had a store house just a few block the other way, but they all had a condition. They asked that a man be sober and clean of drugs before they would work with him.

Max thought here was a place where the churches had more sense than the frickin mayor. These starving creatures were the ones who couldn’t or wouldn’t give up the drugs and booze. It seemed that they were willing, to give up their humanity.

“Charlie, rise and shine. Let it hang out and give me a piss.” Max shouted as he stirred a bundle of rags with his foot.

“Aw, Max, have a heart. I only had a little last night. If you take my piss now, I will be back in the slammer,” the creature said as it stirred and the semblance of a man straightened out. “Have a heart, Max. There must be something I can do for you?”

Max knelt down, “As a matter of fact there is, Charley. A lady was killed last night. I want anything you can find out about her.”

“Now, that is better Max. You take care of me and I will take care of you. What was the dame’s name?” Charlie asked now that they were negotiating.

“She was that movie star, Andrea Simms,” Max replied.

“Aw, no shit, Max! She was a lady, that one. No one should take something like that out of the world. She would speak to anyone, even me, if I came up to her on the street. No, Max, you gotta be wrong, not Andrea!” Charlie was truly upset. In a way, he was much like the theater manager.

Did everyone else know and love this woman except Max? Couldn’t any one say she was a bitch, a whore or something that would lead the police to her murderer? Charlie would do his best. He was a smart man when he was straight, but he had just gotten so strung out that only in death would he ever get his life back.

Max went back into the theater. There were two men vacuuming the rugs. Max wondered if they were part of the mayor’s program. Max took out his shield, “What can you guys tell me about the woman who was killed last night?” he asked.

They looked at each other, “Man, she was a lady! She don’t give nobody airs like she was somebody above you, if you know what I mean.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. She was Mother Theresa incarnate, but come on guys, there must have been fights or arguments. These stars don’t get there by being nice to everyone.” Max stated.

The two men stopped what they were doing. “No, man, you got it wrong. She don’t give shit to nobody.” The men looked at each other and the quiet one spoke. “Dis one here is a lady. Probably, she was the only real lady around last night. She don’t never yell if we don’t clean her room out. In fact, if we is busy, she actually will come out and borry a broom and sweep her place out herself. No, she ain’t like none of these other important people,” he said.

“Okay, guys, how about men friends? Don’t tell me a doll like her don’t have a guy or two coming by after the show,” Max stated. There had to be a crack somewhere in her sainthood.

Again, the men looked at each other. The more vocal one said hesitantly, “There was that dude one night who came for her in a big limo. You know, those cars that rock stars like. This one had a chauffeur and everything. He was one of those fancy men who were in those black suits last night. From what we could see, he seemed to really like her. That is all I seed. He seemed to be a nice guy. We just figured he was someone who she, maybe, gave a little to. We didn’t see him pick her up, but that once.”

Max thanked the men. Well, what do you know? Here was a chink in saint Andrea’s armor. She did put out to someone or, at least, that was what the maintenance men believed.

Max returned to the station. He figured Kyle would be back soon and they would compare notes. That mysterious lover was all he had so far. True, there still might be something on the street. And there always could be a twist that none of them had ever thought of. That was the curse and the blessing of homicide. No matter how you investigated, people were always out to surprise you. Over the years, Max had seen some strange things.

Kyle came in. He was excited. “She did have a lover. It was Ralph Watson, the investment counselor. He took her home three nights ago. He said that they casually knew each other and when their paths crossed they always tried to have at least one night together.”

Kyle continued, “He was here last night but he was with a group of friends. They spent the whole night at the casino on the reservation after her show. He gave me the names of those he was with and, also, the limo company they used. He says he used that company whenever he wanted to impress someone. He did seem to be broken up about her death. He said she was truly a great friend, but not a regular lover. Those are the words he used.”

Max stood and stretched, “Kyle I started the street people looking for anything they can find, I also started on the maintenance crew. I will want to see the list of ex-cons that the theater was using that night and the results from the lists of known rapists. I was up at three this morning. It has been a long day. I am headed in. Call me if you run across anything I should know.”

Max drove his Crown Vic back to his house. He saw some of the punk kids at the end of the street but he noticed that they stayed well away from his place. Max picked up Tai food for supper.
Last edited by ken_r on Fri Mar 21, 2008 1:25 pm, edited 14 times in total.
Good teachers are born that way, not made. No! Good human beings, are born that way. Some of them become teachers.

Of course, life is not fair. You shouldn't expect it to be fair, but you should expect it to be ironic.
JKR 1981-2001
History is made of wars, recovering from wars and preparing for the next war.
JJR 1975-
User avatar
ken_r
Obsessed Roswellian
Posts: 861
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2006 11:34 pm
Location: New Mexico

Re: Haunted Memories mature M/L ch 2 jan 6 2008

Post by ken_r »

Roswell 3053 and Lizza i hope i can continue interesting you here is chapter 2

Chapter 2

Max had every intention of going to bed as soon as he finished his meal. As he was undressing, the room got very cold. “Shit,” Max thought, “It is going to be an early winter. I am going have to call the air conditioner guy out and get the heat turned on.”

Before he could turn out the light he looked up and standing in the door way he saw a woman. Not just a woman, it was the woman who he had seen twice today. Max didn’t know where in the hell she came from. She was just standing there in the doorway. Max frowned. He usually slept in just his shorts. He didn’t care about his dress. He hadn’t invited her here so she was just going to have to take what she got, Max in ragged shorts and nothing else.

As they stood there looking at each other, Max could swear she seemed to blush. She pointed to his shorts, “You could at least dress where you were covered a bit better.”

“Look lady, I didn’t invite you here so if you invade my house when I am getting ready for bed, you just take what I am.” Max explained.

She seemed to take a deep breath, “I guess I don’t have much choice. As far as I can tell, you are the only one I can see clearly and the only one who can see me at all.”

“Who the hell are you lady? What do you mean I am the only one who can see you? Look, I think you are a real looker, but I don’t know you from Adam or, maybe, even Eve.” Max stated.

“I would have thought that you would have figured that out already. You have been talking about me all day. You found out some interesting things. Why are you constantly trying to make me into some sort of bad person? All my career, I have tried to not be like those other people in Hollywood. All you did today was ask every one if there was something I did that would anger someone?” she said.

Max looked hard. She was about five foot two or three. She had long silky brown hair and soft brown eyes. Her face was really pretty. There was something that he should know about her, but it just wouldn’t come through. “Asking about you? The only one I have been asking about is that dame who got herself killed…..” his voice just trailed off. “Aw, come on lady, you aren’t that broad that got waxed are you?”

He saw her face and it became very sad. “Is that what happened to me? Do you know who did it? How did I die?” These were all questions Max might expect from next of kin, but here, he was getting them from the … What should he call her? Ghost, spirit, specter, what was the essence of someone who died?

Max didn’t believe in afte life. There just wasn’t any evidence that there was anything good left of people after they died. The bad, he didn’t want to face. He had seen so much over the years he had been in homicide, that Max figured life just went out like a light when you pulled the plug. That there might be something left after death, wasn’t that clear to Max. That the something left might come to him, was even more unbelievable. Like his personal calls at the office, Max could think of no one he would want to talk to. Here, though, if it was real, might be a perfect chance.

“Lady, don’t you know what happened to you?” he asked. If she did exist, then Max was talking to the victim. He ought to solve this murder by morning with her help.

Now she was now sitting on the bed beside Max. “I don’t know. All I know is it feels is like being in a fog. When I am near you, things are clearer, but everywhere else is just white. You are all I see really clearly. I think you are the only one who can see me. I do not know what happened. I just came here.”

“What about your lover, that Watson fellow? Did he have anything to do with your death?” Max asked.

“I told you I do not know what happened. I am glad you say I had a lover. It would be really sad to die without ever knowing love,” she sighed. Max thought, “Aw, no way, he couldn’t take that sensitive stuff!”

“I don’t understand this. You mean you do not know what happened to you? You do not know if you had a lover or not? Just what do you know about your past life?” Max inquired.

She shook her head. “Not much. I think I must have done a lot and I think that a lot of people liked me. I wish I could understand how I died and why. I must have done something very bad to someone.” Her voice just trailed off. “I think I am forgetting more all the time.”

“Well, you better try to remember. We aren’t having much luck. If you can tell us something about yourself, it would help.” Max explained.

The ghost just nodded her head. “If I can, I will try to remember.” As Max was looking at her, she began to fade.

Max, finally, drifted off to sleep. This case was bothering him. He was remembering the lady under the sheet and, then, the lady who was sitting on his bed that night. When his alarm went off at seven O’clock the next morning. Max wondered about the dream. It had to be a dream because, in no way, did he believe in ghosts.

Max had been at hundreds of deaths. He had never seen any evidence that there was anything left after that last breath had been taken. Why was he thinking about the dead woman so much? Why did he, over and over, keep telling himself that a ghost was impossible? Was it because everyone said she was a saint? Hadn’t he had saints die on his watch before? Max wasn’t sure. Most of the so-called saints always had hidden lives that led to their murder. Was it because of that last comment that everyone should feel love before they died? Max shivered. What would they say about his death if it should occur?

By the time he had arrived at the office that morning, Max was convinced that he was obsessing over this case. Kyle came in with his normal cheery manner. “I attended one of the charity functions last night. I managed to talk to most of the people there. Of course, the subject on everyone’s mind was the murder of Andrea Simms. Boss, I think she might be a true saint. I tried to get some of the stuffed breasted broads to bad-mouth her and I got nothing.” If Kyle couldn’t challenge some society bitch to badmouth Andrea, maybe he was right about her sainthood.

“Everyone I talked to said she was the kindest, most polite woman they knew. All I can say, boss, is that we are going to have to look at the street people. It has to be some random maggot who came after her for no reason. There just doesn’t seem to be anything in her past,” Kyle finished.

Max knew that he would have to rev up the street people. Maybe, he should roust some of them make them want to find out something to make him leave them alone. He would talk to some uniforms (uniformed officers) this afternoon. Until then, Max wanted to know more about Andrea Simms.

He stepped out in the wardroom and shouted, “Kyle, who is that researcher you used to find out the information on that society dame who killed her husband last week?”

Last week, Kyle had one of the investigators do some computer searches. They found the so-called society leader had a record in another state. Sher had already murdered two other husbands. Kyle swore by this girl. This researcher could dig up anything about anyone.

Max would go to coffee with some uniformed officers on the beat at about three that afternoon. They would be changing shifts with the night shift coming on. With a little luck, he could talk to some officers on night also. He had a couple hours to wait.

Kyle had called Tess Harding. Tess had a degree in computer applications. She had gotten a job keeping the computers running in the department. It was Kyle who found out how good she was at research. It was Kyle who wanted to know how good she was in other things.

“Tess, I need everything you can find out about Andrea Simms. Not the publicity stuff, but where she was born and what schools she attended. Find someone who might know what she was like in high school or that sort of stuff. There has got to be a crack in her life. Someone hated her, if it wasn’t a random killing. I want to find out who, if possible.” Max left, hoping Kyle’s trust wasn’t misplaced. Her ability in the other things, Max would leave for Kyle to discover. She, socially, was completely out of Max’s league.

That afternoon Max hit the places where the uniforms had their coffee. “Guys, I need the heat to fall on the street people. I need them to feel pressure and know that pressure is from me. If there is anyone out there who knows anything about the Simms murder, I want to drag their ass up here. Most of them seem to think she is the most beloved woman in the world. Someone had to hate her!”

This idea had worked before and several of the officers who were now in plain clothes had been responsible for making it happen. If the street people saw that the only way they were going to get left alone was to find out information, they would do all they could to find it. The sergeants wouldn’t care, but the lieutenants or captains would raise hell if they knew that Max was stirring up these people. It wasn’t a politic thing to do.

Again it was late when Max got home. Supper was a can of spam and a can of beans, both cold, not exactly nutritious. Again, Max had just taken off his pants. His shirt, already, had been thrown in the direction of the laundry basket. She appeared in the doorway. “Any luck, Max? Did anything you did today uncover anything about me?” she asked.

“You aren’t here! I am tired and you are just a figment of my addled mind,” Max told her. Privately, Max was wondering if taking off his pants had anything to do with her appearance, or was it just coincidental?

“Oh, Max, if it was only true that I didn’t exist. I am trapped until you find the murderer. I need to know who I hurt so much that they hated me that much. That girl, Tess is nice. Do you think she can help? Kyle seems so sure of himself. Everyone says you are the best detective, but you are so full of doubts. Why Max. If you are so good why do you doubt yourself so much?” It was the sound of her voice that Max was beginning to enjoy hearing.

No, he couldn’t give in. Was he really so pathetic in his personal life that he had to have visitations from the victims he was investigating? “There was no such thing as ghost. Whatever was sitting on the bed beside him didn’t really exist,” Max thought.

“But there are ghosts,” she said. “I am here. Doesn’t that prove there are?”

“Ha, now, I got you! I only thought that. I didn’t say it, so that proves you are just a particle in my mind,” Max gleefully retorted.

“Max, Max, you are thinking about solid people. In the spirit world, thinking is as clear as talking. Didn’t you know that?” she clarified. “Also, I do not find you pathetic. I think you are a very nice man.”

“Damn it, I am now arguing with myself and loosing the argument. I am even giving myself flattery and enjoying it. I just have too many years doing this. I gotta retire. I can’t keep this up,” Max thought. Max thought it was, also, too late to start up another stick of gum.

The woman had a look of real concern. “Please don’t quit or retire or what ever, until you solve my case. I have to know what I did before I can be at peace. Please, Max, don’t leave me to wander throughout eternity.”

That night, Max slept, but it wasn’t a peaceful sleep. He had dreams. Some of the dreams were about the murder, but more of them were about his wasted life.

Max was a good cop, but he had missed everything else important in life. His job had become his mistress, and a cold mistress it was. The job never had something soft and warm to cuddle up to when it was cold. It, also, bothered him that the ghost of that beautiful woman seemed to be tied to him. Of course, Max didn’t believe in ghosts.

Max and Kyle were supposed to interview some of the important people in the charity. Before they could get off, Tess stopped by. She threw a stapled collection of papers on his desk. “Here is her life story, but” she stopped as Max looked at her research. The research was very complete. It had parents, addresses times they had moved and when. It listed the schools Andrea attended and the activities and grades she had made. Max looked up from the paper. “But what, Tess?” he asked.

“It is a pile of crap. Andera Simms doesn’t exist. She is completely made up,” Tess stated. “Look here. It says she was a member of the band and, also, a cheerleader in her senior year of high school. I know that school. The cheerleaders go to all the national competations. The band members play at every high school game and they are, also, in several competitions. You just couldn’t do all that and, look, she made a 3.8 average. Max I had a 3.7 average and I was in a fairly active band. You just can’t spread yourself that thin. I bet the rest of this is a pile of bull also. It is all made up and fed into the Internet, for the public. This Andrea Simms just doesn’t exist and never did. “Being a child star conflicts with the years she was in high school.” Yes, Tess, was a genius. She couldn’t find the information they needed, but she did come up with a good reason for why the information wasn’t there.
----------------------------------------------
If you have a chance please take a look at my christmas story The Christmas Gift

Venus Smiles is the first state police female officer learn of her trials and adventures.

Smugglers of Antar is now finished and waiting for the next in the series.
Good teachers are born that way, not made. No! Good human beings, are born that way. Some of them become teachers.

Of course, life is not fair. You shouldn't expect it to be fair, but you should expect it to be ironic.
JKR 1981-2001
History is made of wars, recovering from wars and preparing for the next war.
JJR 1975-
User avatar
ken_r
Obsessed Roswellian
Posts: 861
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2006 11:34 pm
Location: New Mexico

Re: Haunted Memories mature M/L ch 2 jan 10 2008

Post by ken_r »

Roswell3053 I did write this with a twist. There are many ways to resolve ghost stories happily. I did not use any or those in this story. Max is not at this point sure what is going on.

L-J-L 76 Lizza the truth is elusive. It is not clear at this time. Just like in real police story you try a lot of dead end ideas. It is very frustrating. What the ghost is not clear to Max now or ever.. questions will be there I do not know if they will all be answered.

Michelle of Yonkers The tone is Damon Runyon or Mickey Spillane. The Mike hammer series of old movies shows this. The detectives are usually burned out. Max here is not old but he is been on homicide for too long. Many of the older detectives almost emulate this character which proves to me that a lot of police training is from Hollywood. NBCs Law and Order talks of this that no detective should be exposed to this sort of crime for too many years. If they are good then departments hate to loose them.

In Albuquerque both the Baptist Church and Catholic Charities have aid for homeless. They want the people they serve to try to get off drugs and alcohol. Many of these people would rather starve,
they would rather give up their humanity
.

Yes dreamer friendly, no Max doesn’t die, me and the after life have a bit of contention since Keith died, the dream thing is up to question but the ghost does give Max two pieces of crucial information and I have seen Heaven can wait and that is not it either.

The ghost does something else later at the end that confuses what it is.

Raychelxluscious see what I said to Michell above about the tone of the story.

Author note. The ghost or what ever it is does bring a mellowness to Max's life. watch to see this as story develops. I worked hard to make this. I hope it worked.

Chapter 3

Max and Kyle were at the home of the producer of the movie that Andrea Simms would have been staring in if she had lived. “Gentlemen, there is nothing to be found that would soil the reputation of Miss Simms. She truly was everything everyone has said. I am afraid that you are going to have to conclude that it was a random event and unless, by accident, you find a street person or stranger that you can find evidence on, it may well be a case that is never solved.”

“Maybe, if we knew who Andrea Simms really was, it might help,” Max stated.

“What do you mean?” the producer asked.

“Andrea Simms is a made up person. There was no such woman. The studio made her up and built a careful history about her,” Max told him.

The producer’s eyes narrowed. You can’t prove that. And what if we did? Andrea is dead. There is no reason to loose thousands of dollars we have invested to ruin the character of Miss Simms.”

Max smiled. Now he had the producer on the run. “I could get a court order to divulge the name and true history of Miss Simms.”

“Yes, you could and the studio will fight it. We might even loose but not before we cost the city of Albuquerque thousands of dollars and anger the other movie companies. How do you think your mayor will like that?” The producer leaned back. He felt confident that he had stonewalled Max. The mayor was star struck. All he could think of was the damned movies.

When Max got home that night, he undressed and waited for the apparition. She finally came. “Where have you been?” Max asked.

Max could see that she was disturbed. She sat and didn’t say anything for the longest time. “You say that I do not exist? Andrea Simms doesn’t exist. Who am I?”

Max looked at her. “That is what we need to know. Who was Andrea Simms really? Who were her parents and what was she like in school? Who, in her past, would hate her so much that they would come to Albuquerque to kill her?”

“I just don’t know Max. Andrea is the only name I know.” Max believed her because why would a ghost lie?

But then, Max thought, “There are no ghosts. I am just tired and I am making these manifestations up in my mind.”

The ghost didn’t seem to want to go away. “Max, I have to know. Did I suffer much? I mean, did I suffer when I died?”

Max thought of how many times he had lied to parents, husbands and lovers when talking about the deceased. He had always tried to avoid telling them how the person really died. No, the person died quickly, he thought. The person was dead. What purpose would it serve to leave the living with the horror a person faced as they were dying? To the families Max always said, “Yes, they died quickly with outpain.” To the ghost, what was the point?

“Yes, Andrea, your throat was cut. I am sure, for several minutes, you were in great pain. That is why we need to know about your past. Someone had to hate you very much to want to make you suffer. Some one hated you very much to kill you.

The ghost was quiet again. She finally looked at Max, “Parker, Max, try Parker. Make it Parker from Roswell, New Mexico.” As Max was watching her, she as she had done so many times before, she just faded away.

It was late. Max fumbled through his listing of police personnel. Tess, Tess Harding. Here it was. “Hello, hello Tess? This is Max Evans. Try Parker in Roswell, New Mexico. Look for a girl in drama during high school. Use the age of Andrea Simms.”

There was a mumble on the other end, “Do you know what time it is?”

Max looked at the clock on his wall. “I am sorry, Tess. I just got this information. I was so excited I forgot to look at the time. I am so sorry! I will talk to you tomorrow.” Max hung up. Well, there would be one more person who believed him to be nuts. If she had known where he got the information she really would believe him so.

When Max came into the office, Tess was waiting for him. “I am so sorry Tess. I just didn’t think of the time. I was so excited that I wasn’t thinking of anyone else.”

Tess threw a stapled shelf of papers on his desk. “All I want, is to know how you did it?”

Max thumbed through the papers. There was a birth certificate. It was labeled Andrea E. Parker. They hadn’t changed the first name. Max guessed that Andrea Parker sounded too much like a relative of Spiderman, Peter Parker. He flipped further along. There was a picture that was her senior picture in the high school yearbook. The senior pictures were in color. Looking out at him was Andrea as a very young girl with long silky brown hair and large brown eyes. Max was shaking as he looked at the younger version of his ghost. Of course, there were no such things as ghosts. He went back further and saw that Andrea Parker was the oldest of two girls born to the Parker family. The other girl was a teacher in Roswell. The Parkers ran a restaurant and there was other information about the family. Kyle was so right when he said Tess was a genius. Max wondered how much research Kyle had done on Tess?

“Do you think you could find out what the E stands for?” Max asked.

Tess shrugged, “Maybe, but if a person doesn’t like their middle name it would be easier to find the make and model of the car in which she lost her virginity than her middle name.”

Max wondered why the family didn’t come forward when they heard their daughter was dead. He looked up and into the face of a still upset Tess Harding. Trouble was, he didn’t have an answer for her question. How could he tell her that the ghost of Andrea had told him what to look for? Max didn’t believe in ghosts. Even Max was left to wonder, how he had done it?

Max walked through the alleys around the theater that afternoon. When the street people saw that it was him and not a uniform, they didn’t run away. There was one almost nondescript man who when Max approached said, “Max, you gotta call off the dogs! We got the message, but there just ain’t no information out on the street. That Andrea woman was just too well liked for anyone on the street to have hurt her. If they did hurt her, they wouldn’t say anything because, they would end up dead, dead! The street people just don’t have that many friends. She was the best.”

Max nodded, “Okay, but you keep your ears open. If I hear that you let something by you I will head a cleanup campaign for the mayor. We will make Albuquerque off limits to any person who doesn’t have a valid address and a full time job.

The street people would probably give him any information they could find, but Max was convinced that he would have to look else where for their killer. He and Kyle had another stop this afternoon.

Max and Kyle had to see Ralph Watson one more time. “Mr. Watson, I believe you said that you and Andrea were good friends,” Max started.

“No, I believe I said that Andrea and I were occasional lovers. We were good friends, also, but that is not what you are looking for. Just how more, can I help you?” Ralph said.

“How much did you know about her private life?” Max asked.

“As much as any man. Maybe more than most. Did I know of any other lovers? The answer is no. I didn’t pry into her other affairs. I enjoyed her one or two nights a year when we could manage to get together. Did I know of any trouble she was having? The answer, again, was no. I just don’t know what I can say to help you. The wonderful flower that was Andrea, will be missed by many.” Max couldn’t help but feel that Ralph was genuine, but he knew that these actors, and those who followed them, might not even know what was true or real.

“Did you know Andrea’s real name?” Max pushed his inquiry.

This caught Watson by surprise. He hesitated a minute, “No, I was not aware that Andrea Simms was not her real name.”

Max and Kyle left. “What do you make of him, Max?” Kyle inquired.

“I don’t know, Kyle. The world which I understand is just so different from, these rich types, who are beyond me.” Then, Max turned to Kyle. “That is why the captain assigned you to work with me, Ole buddy, to bring your views.”

That night, Max was in his shorts sitting and waiting for her. Again, it seemed that it was later when she finally appeared. “Andrea, what does the name Andrea E. Parker mean to you?” max asked.

Andrea thought a minute, “It seems right, but truthfully, the name doesn’t mean much to me. I do not know why.”

“Well, you gave me the name last night. You said, “Look at Parker from Roswell, New Mexico.” Max told her.

The ghost shook her head. “I am sorry, Max, I just don’t remember. I don’t think spirits have much energy for memory. I don’t seem to remember much of the past or what just happened.”

“What about Ralph Watson?” he asked. Max knew that he had asked this before, but he still didn’t understand these people.

“Max, I am with you whereever you go. You are the only clear thing in my world. Everything else is just fog. I was there when you were talking with Ralph. He seems to be a nice person. I hope I gave and received love from him. He would be the type of person that I would enjoy in a close association. Unfortunately, I don’t remember anything.”

“Do you remember any other lovers?” Max inquired.

“No Max, I don’t even remember what love felt like. I just know that it must have been important. I wonder if I ever loved the man who killed me?” the ghost mused.

Max jumped on that statement, “You say him. Do you ever think that it could have been a woman?”

The ghost was still for several minutes. “How could I have hurt a woman so badly that she would want to kill me?”

“According to almost everyone I talk to, how could you ever have done something that would have made anyone want to kill you? The whole world says that you were a saint. So far, no one I have talked to can see how anyone would want to hurt you.” Max explained.

“I guess that is, or was, good. Does that mean I will go straight to heaven when I finally cross over?” the ghost was pleading as she talked to Max.

“Look, sister, or ghost or whatever. I am having enough trouble believing in you. Don’t make me stretch my mind to look into heaven or hell. That is just too far for me,” Max growled.

“Max?” she asked.

“Yeah, what,” Max replied.

“What does love feel like? You seem to feel that my love life has something to do with my murder. I don’t even have a memory of love or what it was. What is it like?” she finished.

This time, Max hung his head as he was trying to find a way to answer her. “I am not sure I ever was in love. Making love and being in love are two different things.”

“Shouldn’t they be the same thing?” she asked.

“Possibly, but they aren’t. Making love is a physical thing. It is built into our existence.” Max started, but she interrupted him.

“Oh, then, that is why I can’t understand. I guess I don’t really exist,” she said.

“But, once you did. According to Ralph you gave love that was very satisfying. He just glows when he talks about loving you.” Max replied. He wondered why it was suddenly important to support the memory of this woman who didn’t really exist?

“But, I can’t remember any of it. Was I in love with Ralph?” she whispered.

“As far as I could see now, you weren’t, but I think he was in love with you. That is why I keep talking to him. If he thought that he could never get your love, he might have decided that no one would have it.” Max again explained.

The ghost was troubled about the way the conversation had turned. She knew that she needed the end of her life to be settled, but there was great fear of the results. She began the fading that Max had seen so often.

-----------------------
I wish to give credit to Martine. She did awaken the desire to write a police story again.
Venus Smiles is the first state police female officer. Learn of her trials and adventures.
Coming in February for Valentines Day. the SoulMates in CyberSpace they only knew each other by user name, but they became the most important relationship in each other's lives.
Good teachers are born that way, not made. No! Good human beings, are born that way. Some of them become teachers.

Of course, life is not fair. You shouldn't expect it to be fair, but you should expect it to be ironic.
JKR 1981-2001
History is made of wars, recovering from wars and preparing for the next war.
JJR 1975-
User avatar
ken_r
Obsessed Roswellian
Posts: 861
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2006 11:34 pm
Location: New Mexico

Re: Haunted Memories mature M/L ch 4 p2 jan 21, 2008

Post by ken_r »

L-J-L 76 lizza there is a woman who they will look at. Women usually kill for jealously or for anger that someone is taking their man. They usually kill other women in anger. It is seldom cold blooded killing. The cutting of a throat is a violent way to kill. That might fit and that is what will confuse Max. the other questions will just have to wait.

Begonia 9508 I couldn’t remember if you liked ghost stories or not but I know that you like cop stories. This is a detective story. Starts out with a burned out homicide cop and the ghost which may be only in his mind who tries to bring him more feeling as he solves the murder.

Roswell 3053 you are doing good in the guessing department. Am I correct that you owe us an author’s chat sometime in the future. If so I will be looking for it.

Chapter 4

The next morning discovered Max at his desk with his pad, tracing a path of what he saw in the case. He had markings which he labeled, “the world” and one branching off labeled, “an unhappy lover.” He was doodling as he put the name of Watson on the unhappy lover line. He, also, added, “What about her past?”

Kyle looked over his shoulder and said, “Put a column in there labeled random or rape.” Then, he placed a sheaf of papers from the medical examiner on Max’s desk. “Andrea had sex with someone the day of her death. We have a DNA sample. We are going to try to match it with the known rapists in the area.”

Later that day Max received a message from someone called the ”Lord of the River.” That is all the message said. Max thought, “The only one I would know with such a blown-out title would be one of the street people. Max proceeded downtown to find his majesty.

Walking up to a bundle of rags, Max nudged it with the toe of his boot. The bundle moved and, finally, it unwrapped itself. “Oh, Max, the Lord of the River is looking for you. You will find him over on First Street behind the bus station.” Max thanked the bundle and, like a turtle, the bundle wound itself back up.

The bus stop was in place of the old historic train station. When Max was young there had been a train station that went back to the days when the railroad first came through. There were many movies showing the ‘Super Chief’ as it had stood at the Alvarado station while Humphrey Bogart , Clark Gable and others got off the train. Now, it was a smaller building without any of the grandeur of the old station and only busses came through.

Behind the station beside a, Max saw another bundle of rags trying to keep out the cold. “Lord, is that you? It’s Max. Come out if you got something.”

From the bundle, two black eyes peered out looking at the plain clothes man. “Yeah, you Max?”

Max nodded.

“There was a man talking to that dame who got herself killed the other day. They was near the university track where them dames go to run everyday. I seen them sitting at the tables near the track. I don’t know if she knowed him, but he was a bad dude in his day. Tall, dark completed and speaks with some strange accent. It was about 8:30 in the morning the day she got it.”

Well this was something. Max didn’t give the man any money. That would have been spent for booze or drugs. Max did have an old blanket and he threw it to the bundle of rags. By the look on the face seen so briefly, the blanket was welcomed.

Back at the office, “Kyle, what do you have on the rapist in the area?” Max asked.

“All but two have DNA samples on file. We are looking for the two missing ones.” Kyle replied.

What are the descriptions of the two?” Max inquired.

“One of them is Anglo, blond blue eyes, five foot ten. The other is dark complected, race unknown. Says here he claimed he was from Mars when they last booked him. He is five-foot-five inches, dark eyes, color unknown, again.” Kyle stated.

Put a pickup order as a person of interest on the dark one. He matches the description I just got from the streets.” Max ordered.

Antonio Rualles, last known address, Mars, was brought in before the evening shift went out. He was put in an interrogation room for Max’s tender questioning.

“Hey, Tony, how’s the trip?” Max began.

“What trip you talking about?” Antonio replied carefully.

“Shit, the one from Mars. That is what you have listed here.” Max stated.

Aw, come on, Max. I was just funning those guys from the heights. You know they ain’t got any sense of humor,” Antonio was now relaxing.

“Yeah, Tony, they don’t understand you fucking some teenie-bopper girl. Some little girl to young to be playing with anything except dolls.” Max said.

“Now, wait a minute, Max! She was almost 17 and she told me she was 21. I can’t run a woman on the internet like you guys. And, she was completely willing.” Tony felt that they had, some way, trapped him.

“Yeah, yeah, so what’s a man who only likes them young doing talking to a fully grown woman the other day at the jogging track? When you found out she was over 18, you get so mad you go back and kill her?” Max made his point.

“Naw, Max, you got it wrong. That pretty brown-haired woman. She was telling me how I should try to get my life back on straight. I wouldn’t hurt a woman like that. She was a saint! We was just talking, Max, sware it on my honor. We was just talking. I never seed her again,” Antonio was claiming.

“What honor, Tony? Of course, you volunteer for a DNA sample, don’t you? Or do you prefer I break your jaw and then take the sample for medical reasons?” Max was punching Antonio in the chest with his finger.

“Come on, Max, you don’t have to get testy. I wouldn’t hurt that woman any time. I only seed her that one time and she talked to me like I was someone important. I wouldn’t hurt her, no how.” Tony was almost crying now.

Max took out a swab and Antonio opened his mouth. “Now, of course, this is completely voluntary, Tony. But the streets are going to be rough for you if it comes back a match. That lady was a saint to a lot of those people.”

Max left and Antonio was released. They didn’t have enough to hold him. If his DNA came back, they would have to chase him down. Max wished for a TV team who could give the results before the first commercial, but Max knew that it would take his team at least two days or, maybe, two weeks.

Max walked back into the office room. “What did you think, Kyle? You are the one pushing for a street person and a random act. Do you think he is the one?” Max asked.

Kyle shook his head, no, “I still am not giving up on the random part unless we get lucky with old Ralph. I am going to interview a woman who is reputed to be taking Ralph on, on a regular basis. I will see what she says.”

Better be careful, though. If we get Ralph in a bind this early, he might be an uncooperative subject next time we need to talk to him.” Max warned.

“What’s this? Max Evans warning me to be careful how I interrogate someone? If the captain hears this, he might promote you to sergeant knowing you are, finally, becoming human.” With that dig, Kyle left.

Max swept the papers cluttering his desk into a drawer and went home. A cold house and freezer food awaited him there. Max had worked hard on other cases, but for some reason, this case just bothered him more. Was it the ghost, that didn’t really exist? Or was it the vision of how much of his own life he had wasted as a cop and forgot to be human?

A lady who everyone said was a saint, has casual sex with a powerful man. Then she has sex with someone else, a John Doe. Then, she gets her throat cut. The case wasn’t making sense. As he sat there finishing the plastic tray the a chill entered the room. Max looked up to see the ghost. For once, Max had his pants on.

“Max, do you think I am a whore?” the ghost asked.

“Why do you say that?” Max replied.

Well you think that I had sex with one man. Then, just as casually I went to another before I was killed. Do you think I was a bad person?” she repeated.

Look, Andrea, I am not here to judge. Whatever you found prowling around my head should be private. I wish you had left a better trail of what you were doing.” Max stated.

“I know, Max, and I am sorry I was prowling. It is just that I do not have much memory power so I have to use yours. You are all I have. I just wish I could remember any of those times myself.” The ghost was quiet for a minute. Max felt that she wanted to say something else. “Max, what is sex like? What do you feel when you are with a woman?”

“Look, there is no way I am going to tell my feelings to a dame! Sex is private.” Max answered.

“Well, you keep telling yourself that I am just part of your imagination, so look at it as if you were talking to yourself. Come on, Max, I can’t feel anything. I won’t remember it past a couple of days, anyhow,” she pleaded.

“Well, when you are with a gal, you feel that it is great, that, she trusts you with her body. If she is real smart she will undress real slow like, while you watch. Then, when she is undresses, you see everything that is forbidden to see in public. Then, when you get your clothes off, you are both in another world. You play with each other’s bodies. Then, when you finally get through playing, you put a part of your self into her body. It is as if you are no longer two, but now one.” Max explained.

“Then, if all that occurs, why was I able to be so casual about having sex with two men with in a few days and not feel something was wrong?” the ghost of Andrea asked.

“Look, you asked what I felt I don’t think every one feels the same. Maybe, you felt that you gave something and that was enough. You didn’t owe him any more. Maybe, you felt that you didn’t receive enough from a man to really feel that oneness. Hell, lady, I am a cop not a psychologist. Maybe, you just liked sex and when it was over, you wanted to try something better or different. What ever it was, it is hanging up my case and for that reason alone, I wish you had been more careful.” Max was angry.

“Max, don’t be angry! You are all I have. I have no one else to go to. You are the only window I have in a featureless world. I just wish to understand myself.” Andrea cried.

Max felt like shit. Here he had let a specter, a ghost, a hallucination, get the best of him and make him mad. It was too bad that she got stuck with a jerk like him, instead of someone like Kyle. Now, Kyle would know how to talk to a classy woman, even if she was dead. Max was lousy talking to live women. This ghost was becoming a symbol of failure for him. He had had cases before that he couldn’t solve, but he hadn’t had a curious spirit sitting on his bed wanting an explanation for why he couldn’t do his job.
-------------------------
My name is Princess Anjuli it not M/L but it is my shortest story if you have time please take a look.
Venus Smiles is the first state police female officer. Learn of her trials and adventures.
SoulMates in CyberSpace they only knew each other by user name, but they became the most important relationship in each other's lives.
Good teachers are born that way, not made. No! Good human beings, are born that way. Some of them become teachers.

Of course, life is not fair. You shouldn't expect it to be fair, but you should expect it to be ironic.
JKR 1981-2001
History is made of wars, recovering from wars and preparing for the next war.
JJR 1975-
User avatar
ken_r
Obsessed Roswellian
Posts: 861
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2006 11:34 pm
Location: New Mexico

Re: Haunted Memories mature M/L p2 ch 4 jan 21 2008

Post by ken_r »

Begonia 9508 correction what the ghost said about sex. In this condition everything was an illusion. She finds that she was involved with sex with two people. Remember she is using Max’s memory and values. Whether the ghost is in his mind or the ghost is prowling through his head, it would be using his values. The ghost doesn’t have her own values. Max is trying not to judge the victim. He may be fighting within his own head against his own value system. No one has said the “L” word yet. Liz hasn’t been mentioned.

L-J-L 76 Max is becoming more and more closer to the ghost.

Natalie36 Yes for some reason Max is taking this murder personal. He has had failures before but something is compelling him to make this one special.

Roswell3053 I just can’t move stories like this faster. Max is following all the procedures.

I have read up on Unforgettable nights. I think I am current. Hope to hear when you get your chat.


Chapter5

Max had just come into the office. Kyle came in running. “Old Ralph has a thing going with this girl, Carla Hinderson. She is really convinced that she is his main squeeze. I was real careful, but she doesn’t know anything that I could tell about him and Andrea. She was telling me how wrong we were to try to say that Ralph had anything to do with her murder.

She didn’t like Andrea very much. I guess she felt that Ralph might be tempted, even if she really believed in him. I think, now, we might try to check up on her. If she thought she might loose something, she might have taken action to protect what she thought was hers.”

Now, that was something Max could think about. It made more sense than that, ‘some random thing.’ But, what about the sex?

I think we should go back to Ralph. We were careful not to give him away but maybe, he will be helpful because of that.” Kyle said.

“I want to know more about the family back in New Mexico. Get Tess in here.” Max ordered.

The little blonde came in, but she didn’t have the customary folder that she always had when she had information to impart. “Boss, I can’t find anything about the E in Andrea’s name. I told you that if people do not like their middle name they have all sorts of ways to hide it.”

“That is fine, Tess. We want some more about the family, if you can find it.” Max directed.

“Boss, you might have to actually go to Roswell to find that out. What you want now is little things, like who dated. That wouldn’t necessarily be on the net.” Tess replied.

Max made a face. He had already thought that before this was through, that would have to be what was done. He, also, knew that getting a trip like that approved might be difficult. The mayor might just think that a war against the homeless would be cheaper in the long run. Probably hedidn’t really care, anyway, if this case was ever solved. It was already yesterday’s news. There was less and less political value in learning anything.

Kyle was looking at some notes. “Boss, there was a comedian in the dressing room next to Andrea’s. I wonder if he knows anything. He is still in town, but according to what I have here, he is leaving tomorrow.”

Max got his jacket and, with Kyle in tow, he headed out to the hotel.

Jamison Dunsworthy was past his prime. He drank too much and his jokes were old. He got a lot of gigs like this charity one because many of the folks remembered him from the time when he was young. He had taken a few drinks before he retired to his room. When he heard the knock on the door, he had no idea who it could be.

“Mr. Dunsworthy, we have a few questions about the murder the other night. Can we come in?” Kyle asked.

“Please, just call me Jim. Sure officers, what can I tell you?” he seemed affable enough. He was holding a half empty bottle of bourbon.

“We need to know whatever you can tell us about Miss Simms. We need to know more about her, to follow what she might have done and who might have had words with her, leading to her murder.” Max added.

They sat on the bed while Jim sat in the one chair in the room. “Well, it is true that she was a real lady. She was nice to everyone, almost. She did like to screw.” Jim informed.

Kyle and Max looked at each other. “This was the first they knew about these activities. “Can you tell us more please, Jim?” Both Max and Kyle had trouble keeping their excitement from showing in their voices.

“Well, with all the things she did to be nice, the night she was killed, I heard a young man knock on her door. She sounded surprised to see him, but he went in. The next thing I could here was, ‘Yes, yes do it more. Yes, that is like it was a long time ago.’ Now, I ain’t one who usually puts a glass to the wall for no reason, but this was interesting, especially since she had this reputation and all.

Well, they must have screwed themselves silly. Then, I could hear them talk. It was muffled, but they talked for an hour or more. The event was over and I was intending to drink myself to sleep, but I held off. Things were just too interesting, if you know what I mean. Finally, I heard her say something and he left.

It wasn’t more than a quarter of an hour, before there was this pounding on the door. That sure took my sleep for a tumble. I heard this woman yelling, ‘You bitch, what do you want, all the men? One isn’t enough for you?” That went on for a while. Then I heard her leave. After that, it was silent so I just drifted off to sleep. I had belted a couple, so it was morning when I heard the police in the hall. Then, I went to see what had happened. Someone said she got herself murdered. I don’t know no more than that.”

“You didn’t think to inform someone of what you heard?” Kyle asked.

“Look, I am a washed up old drunk. Nobody wants to know anything from me. I wasn’t even sure what I heard. But, this is what I think I heard.” Jim poured himself a drink without offering anything to the officers and they, looking at each other, left.

“Get Ralph down to the office tomorrow. Right after that, get that woman of his,” Max directed. With that, he and Kyle separated to go home.

Max hadn’t even prepared for bed yet. He had just thrown away the plastic trays of his supper when she appeared. Her eyes were crying. “Well, I guess we found out I wasn’t the saint everyone thought I was. I was sleeping with two men and there at least was one woman who didn’t like me.”

“Don’t get too worked up. We already knew that you had a time with Ralph. Now, we learn there was another man in your life. That doesn’t make you a bad person. The woman we already had our suspicions about, we’ll interrogate tomorrow. Of course, it would help if you could think of anything about the second man. Old Jim seemed to think you knew him and hadn’t seen him for a while. I imagine, he is the one we have evidence of,” Max told her.

“Evidence of; you mean from inside my body. That just sounds so dirty,” Andrea stated.

“Not dirty, but human and real. Love, sex, have physical residuals. I wouldn’t think of them as dirty, but they are evidence that you made love with someone just before you were killed. Old Jim heard you talking, but he couldn’t understand what you were saying. He was pretty drunk by that time. I am more interested in that woman. I think we know who she was. If we are right, we will see what she has to say tomorrow,” Max lectured.

Andrea looked at Max. “What do you think of me now? Are you still so willing to solve my crime now you know what kind of woman I was?”

“Ma’am, I want to solve your murder because no matter what you ever did, you did nothing to deserve the way you died! Really, ma’am, I don’t think any less of you than I did at first. You were a beautiful woman, full of life, and someone took that from you. It is up to me to find out who that somebody was.” Max sat back and looked at the ghost. For some reason, she needed him to still believe in her. Max thought. He had worked almost as hard to catch the killer of that street whore last month. He remembered that no matter what she had done, she must have been loved at sometime. Andrea, now, was loved by many people. Some knew her secrets and some didn’t, but she deserved to be put at rest. Max would do his best.

Nine O’clock, Ralph Watson would be in the interrogation room. At ten o’clock, Carla Hinderson would be called in.

“Ralph, I am just giving you heads up on this one. What do you know about Carla Hinderson?” Max asked.

Ralph shrugged, “We have a, sometimes affair. It isn’t very important to me. Carla has a body, but she isn’t very sophisticated, if you know what I mean?”

“No Ralph, suppose you tell me what you mean!” Max said.

“Well, Carla is nice to have on my arm when I have to appear in public, but she has little that makes sense when we try to talk at other times. She mostly loves celebrities, rock stars and the like. She can’t ever hope to get near them, but she likes to talk like they are her closest friends. Too much of Carla, and I go monastic. You know, take a pup tent and go to the top of a mountain until I quit screaming.”

“Well, what does this Carla dame think about you?” Max inquired.

“Carla does tend to get a little possessive, hence the pup tent. I don’t let her dictate how I run my life.” Ralph informed.

“Did she know about Andrea?” Max asked.

Ralph looked at Max, “I guess she did. I have a picture of Andrea and me taken several years ago. Carla has asked me about her. I always told her that Andrea is a very dear friend, which is true.” Ralph stopped for a minute. Do you think that Carla had anything to do with Andrea’s death?”

“I don’t know, but in a few minutes I am going to find out. Did you know that Carla visited Andrea just before Andrea was murdered?”

Ralph turned a shade lighter. “No, I hope I wasn’t responsible for Andrea’s murder. I don’t know what Carla is capable of doing.”

“Well there is still the matter of a man who had intercourse with Andrea just before she died. We know it wasn’t you and we know that it wasn’t any of the known rapists which we know about. The medical examiner feels that it wasn’t forced sex, that whatever happened, was consensual. We may have to take a trip to her home town to learn more about who Andrea Simms really was.” Max explained.

Ralph turned to Max, “I know the mayor is a cheapskate. If he won’t fund the trip, I will. I would have married Andrea in a minute. There always was some reason, which she never would explain, why we couldn’t. I would have given up everything I had to have been with her.”

“What about the other guy? Would that bother you?” Max inquired.

Ralph turned to Max. “Detective would you throw out a precious gem if it had a tiny flaw somewhere? There is nothing that could change the way I felt about Andrea.”

Carla Hinderson was brought in. Max, wisely, sent two officers to fetch her. She was furious. “Why do you want to talk to me? That thieving bitch deserved to die. I am just sorry I wasn’t the one to do her in.”

“How do we know that you didn’t do her in after you saw her the night of the murder?” Kyle asked. Kyle was handling this one. Max was present but things were bad enough so he thought that if Kyle had any charm he would get more out of her. Personally, Max was sorry the rubber hose was out. He normally couldn’t hit a woman, but this Carla chick was a real piece of work.

You know that Ralph had other women besides you, didn’t you?” Kyle informed her.


“Yes but I could have out screwed any of them. That bitch Andrea was the only one I couldn’t fight. Saying anything about the others, Ralph would just laugh. But, say anything against that woman, he would get furious. I was hoping to scare her. She just told me she was sorry. She even had the gall to say that she couldn’t be anymore to Ralph than she was. She had hoped he would move on. That sanctimonious bitch even tried to feel sorry for me because she was in the way.”

They kept at Carla the whole afternoon. That is, until someone sent a lawyer to shut them down. They did get some information on possible alibis. Kyle would check them out tomorrow with the help of a uniformed officer. Usually, the detectives worked alone, but sometimes a uniformed officer helped hurry information.

That night when he entered his house, but before he even got his dinner out of the freezer, the ghost was apparent. “What kind of woman was I to not return the love of that man Ralph? What kind of woman was I to go to another man right after I had been with Ralph?” She lamented.

“Andrea, you keep trying to judge yourself before you know any of the story. Even Carla tried to tell us that you were sorry that you couldn’t go to Ralph. Maybe, there was a reason you couldn’t be with him all time. As for the other man, until we know who he was, we have no way to know what he was to you.” Max stated.

“Max, if you could only hold me. I want so much to feel, just to feel anything.” The ghost proclaimed.

Andrea, you know that is impossible. I saw you try that in the mirror when you thought my back was turned. You just went through me. You have no substance. We don’t know what you are, but you can’t interact with the living. All we can do is try to solve your case so you can be allowed to find peace.” Max said.

“Can I stay here for a while and talk, Max?” she pleaded.

“Yes, Andrea you are most welcome. I had gotten so used to just sitting alone every night that I forgot how nice it was to have another voice to hear, even if it was in my head.” Max answered.

“Max, why don’t you have a girl friend? The whole time I have known you, you never mentioned a girl or someone to be with, even if it is occasionally. I didn’t have much, but the times I spent with Ralph were pleasant. I wouldn’t have given those up for anything. If it hadn’t been that other thing, I would have been with him always.” Andrea related.

Max looked up, “What other thing, Andrea? You were remembering. Try again. What other thing? it might be important.” Max reached for her hands without thinking. Taking them in his, he held them as he pleaded with his eyes for her to continue.

Andrea looked down and as she did, her hands seemed to turn to smoke. Max felt his own palms become empty. For a minute, her memory returned. For an instant, she became sort of solid.

----------------------------
SoulMates in CyberSpace they only knew each other by user name, but they became the most important relationship in each other's lives. SoulMates in CyberSpace a Valentine’s day story.

Venus Smiles is the first state police female officer. Learn of her trials and adventures.
Good teachers are born that way, not made. No! Good human beings, are born that way. Some of them become teachers.

Of course, life is not fair. You shouldn't expect it to be fair, but you should expect it to be ironic.
JKR 1981-2001
History is made of wars, recovering from wars and preparing for the next war.
JJR 1975-
User avatar
ken_r
Obsessed Roswellian
Posts: 861
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2006 11:34 pm
Location: New Mexico

Re: Haunted Memories mature M/L p2 ch 5 jan 28 2008

Post by ken_r »

Dreamsatnight well here is the next part we are getting closer to seeing who the ghost is and seeing what happens to Max.
Roswell 3053 we are still looking to see who the ghost is. The other guy will be a surprise but it fit when I wrote it.
L-J-L 76 Lizza we are getting closer all the time to the answers to all of your question.

Chapter 6

Max talked to the parole officers. The mayor would raise hell if he thought anyone was tampering with his second chance project. Max was sure that the mayor would rather see the crime never solved than to upset his political plans. Max handed them a list of persons who had had access to the Sunshine theater that night. The officers got together and underlined a few that they thought might have been dangerous. They all were supposed to be out of the theater well before the time of the murder. Max knew that they could have sneaked back in, later if, they had decided they wanted to kill Andrea for any reason.

Problem was to see if they had any reason. Max took the list and started to interview the men. He didn’t bring them into the station. That would have alerted the mayor for certain.

Kyle called Max on his cell phone. “The mayor has heard of your rousting of the second chance people. He just sent the captain a message to make you stop immediately. The captain told me to relay for you not to return to the station until you are through. Then, he can ream you a new one for going against the mayor’s program.”

That was the way you got police work done. The captain would shout and scream loud enough for the mayor’s office to hear. Of , he hoped that Max would be through by then. Kyle already had lost the note for Max to report to the captain’s office, immediately.

Well, it happened just like Max knew it would. He hadn’t found out anything, but on returning, the captain could be heard all the way to city hall. He screamed about departmental responsibility and following orders. All the while, Max sitting before him was thinking about the murder and what should be the next step. He had found one or, maybe two, of the ex-cons who he wondered about. Max would have to find another reason to roust them. There would be other ways that the mayor didn’t feel threatened about.

Max even got home early that day. He kicked back and with a Vivaldi playing on the CD player, he sat thinking of the case. He wasn’t prepared for what he saw.

When the cold wind blew through the house, Max looked up to see a totally naked Andrea. “Max, please don’t ask questions. We don’t have that much time. I found a way to remain solid for a short period of time. I will have to pay dearly for this later, but there are some things I want to know. Max, please make love to me.”

Max couldn’t have been more perplexed. He had known some strong women who had taken control of their own destinies, especially in who and when they made love with but this ghost was just so desperate.

Max hesitated and she misunderstood. “I am sorry Max, I can’t stand before you and take my clothes off. I can’t take time to get to know you very well. I only have a short time. Then, I will go back to being only a spirit. This is my only chance and it has to be with you because you are the only one I can interact with. Max, please make love to me!”

She didn’t understand that it was him, not her, that troubled Max. He had never had a classy broad like her. She was like a woman who Max saw on Kyle’s arm when he saw Kyle out at night. There was something nagging at Max’s memory, “When the lights go out, the colonel’s lady and Rosie O’Grady are but sisters under the skin.” That sounded like Kipling, but it rang true. Women had the same need the world over. Here Andrea had only a short time to get her needs and she only had Max to do it.


Max reached out to the naked form before him. She felt cold to the touch, but she was so soft. Max didn’t think he had ever touched a woman who was so soft. He drew her to him and took her lips. His mind was reeling over the fact that she was substance. Max led her to his bedroom. He pushed the things he had piled on his bed onto the floor. After removing his clothes, his hands explored her body.

From time to time, he would feel the tiny flashes of warmth, but they would just as quickly be replaced with the cool soft feel of her skin. Max explored every inch of her body. She forbade him nothing. As he was trying to make her nipples go hard, Max started to feel the pressure on himself. He rolled her onto her back and they made love the best that Max could manage.

When he slid off, lying beside her, his hands were still caressing her back and legs, Max felt her sigh. “That is what I am going to miss most when I leave,” she moaned.

Max could feel her start to become less and less real. Finally, Max woke up. He was lying naked in his bed, his body limp from the throws of making love, but totally alone. Max couldn’t help but wonder if he had just had the biggest wet dream of his life. Max fell asleep and didn’t wake up until almost noon. He had slept through his alarm.

Max made no excuse for not being in that morning. Kyle had been running known felons through Tess’s computer. The captain thought that, maybe, even Max had decided to pull the plug after that public drumming he had taken yesterday. He only hoped that when Max did quit, he had most of his cases solved. A few of the other personnel thought that Max looked like he had had a hard night. Max, himself, felt a little foolish, like a little boy caught in the bathroom, his dick in his hand, doing what he shouldn’t.

Max spent the afternoon running down Carla’s alibis. They couldn’t interrogate her any further, but Max and Kyle did get an address from one of her ex-lovers. Edward Carlin was employed as a pro at the local golf course. Edward checked their identification carefully, when they asked to talk to him. He seemed nervous until they told him that it was about Carla.

“Don’t get me started on that bitch. That was one of the worst years of my life and it had started out so well. I met her at a charity event for the club. She tried to smoother me in the folds of her low cut dress. I spent most of the evening wondering which boob would fall out first. There has to be some sort of record time, from introductions to sack, but I bet we came close to breaking it.

Her appetite just sucked me down. There wasn’t anything she didn’t want to try. Every night, it was the same thing. I would get home and she would be waiting for me. We screwed until I didn’t have much left.

Then, she started to want to know where I was all the time. I never met such a possessive bitch. When I wanted to break up, she started crying about how I had used her. Then, when I decided to ignore that she started the threats.

For a whole year, I didn’t get “any sex.” I was afraid that if I was seen with a woman, Carla would hurt them. Finally, she went elsewhere, but I still shake when I think of her.” Ed sat thinking about how that year had been.

Do you think that Carla was capable of hurting a women if she saw her with you?” Max inquired.

“You better believe it! That bitch is the most vindictive person I ever knew.” Ed concluded.

When Kyle and Max drove back to the office, they both felt that there was a lot more to Carla than they had realized. They couldn’t interrogate her any further because of her lawyer, but they could put pressure on her alibis.

Max was at his desk which was rare. The captain came by. “Hey Max how’s it going?”

“Slow captain. We found a woman who is, probably, a certifiable nut. She saw Andrea just before Andrea was killed. She thinks Andrea was taking a boyfriend away from her. We found one of her ex’s who will testify that she has violent tendencies. Right now, Kyle is working on her alibis. Tess is working on her background and I am trying to get a couple old cases out of the way and on to the district attorney. This woman is all we got so far. If we bust with her, we are going to have to do more on Andrea’s past.” Max explained.

The captain nodded. He had a good squad here. Mostly, he just supervised and let them run with what they found. Sometimes, he had to run interference with politicos like the mayor. A man worked at the best pace he could. After a time if the captain felt a detective couldn’t cut it the captain would move him to burgulary or somewhere else. The captain was a believer in “Tender love and care.”

Just before they all left to go home, Kyle came in. “I found a crack in Carla’s alibi. Said that she was with Ralph and his party. After going over Ralph’s testimony, I discovered that he left the party early and was at the home of a senator. He sneaked off from Carla. A couple of others are not that sure she was with them all the time. I just have to keep at it. I think her house of cards is about to fall and, with that, so will her alibi.”

Tess appeared at the door, “You guys have a genuine nut on your hands! She has more time in recovery programs than the mayor does in making speeches. She also has several assault charges filed against her but they were all dropped. Seems that her attorney is her guardian.”

Carla was looking more likely all the time. Max would go home get some sleep and be in early next morning. Max picked up a dinner at the deli. The activities of last night were still in the dream realm of his mind.

After he had finished his meal and was sitting back looking at the ceiling, Max felt the cool draft that he was becoming so accustomed to. Andrea entered the room. She looked a little fearful. Max held out his hand to her, but she shook her head. “Max, it was only for that one time. I have that memory and I am trying to not let it fade. I am sorry Max, that was no way for a lady to act. I almost raped you or, at least, I forced you to do something. The only excuse was that it was my only chance.”

“Andrea, I only wish I was more sophisticated. You deserve the best. It is too bad that you couldn’t have spent that time with Ralph or someone like him. All I am is a cop, but I am starting to wish I had been more in life.” Max felt something that he hadn’t felt stir in a long time when he was talking to the specter.

“Max, do you think she is the one?” Andrea asked.

“It is beginning to look like it. She is very unstable and this is not the first time she has threatened someone. We are now just starting to break down her alibi. Soon, I think we will bring her in again.” Max informed Andrea.

It is so sad, I couldn’t be more for Ralph. I just do not remember why. Maybe, if I had stayed away from him, he could have turned to her.” Andrea stated.

“Not so, Ralph used Carla but he didn’t have any feelings for her. He was totally in love with you,” Max told her.

“Then, why couldn’t I return that love to him. I proved last night that I was capable of love. At least the making of love, as you said. I felt the strong pains of love. Especially, when I thought that I would never have that love again. I just do not see what could prevent me from turning to Ralph and returning everything he gave to me.” Andrea was asking herself.

“Andrea, it something we may never know. If Carla proves to be the killer, then it will be simple jealously. We may never know why you couldn’t go to Ralph.” Max stated.

Andrea stayed with Max for some time that night. When Max got ready for bed, Andrea lay down beside him. They both tried to touch each other a couple of times, but it was as if they were just projections. They both saw that their hands just passed through each other’s bodies.

The next morning, Max was at the office on time. He had one more case to give to the district attorney. In his opinion, Max hadn’t found enough evidence to take to the grand jury. The DA would have make up his own mind about what to do. Tess tossed the latest tome of her research. It was as complete as ever. Carla had a long record of mental misbehavior.

Kyle came in. “I, finally, broke one of the witnesses in Carla’s alibi. I think we have enough to bring her in.”

Max sighed. That is what he had worked toward since he was roused out of his sleep that early morning several days go. They all three looked up. The captain was standing in the doorway.

“Carla is beyond us, at least for a while. She tried to pull that threatening stuff on old Ralph and he quickly got a restraining order against her. She just had a complete breakdown and she is in the hospital. Guys, get all you have on her and turn it over to the District Attorney. Unless you have another direction to investigate, we will just have to leave it,” the captain ordered.

Max frowned, “Captain, we do not, yet, have enough on her to get a conviction. But before we just quit, I would like to request some time to investigate Andrea’s past. I just think the answer is there, some way.”

“I can get one person for one week. Take it or leave it.” The captain stated.

“Could you get some comp time for Tess?” Max inquired.

The captain looked at Max. He knew that Max had something up his sleeve. “Perhaps. What do you have in mind?”

“Well, I have plenty of vacation time due. I would like to take two weeks. You send Kyle; his father works for the Roswell police department. If I can arrange the money for Tess, for at least a few days, we could take a team to at least start an investigation. Captain, I am playing my gut, but it has come through for me, several times.” Max had been planning this for some time. He figured that they might not have enough to hold Carla. Max still wasn’t that convinced that she was the one. She was just the best they had. He really wanted to learn what he could about Andrea. Maybe, it was more than the case, but he carefully concealed that, even from himself.

A call to Ralph and Tess’s salary and expenses were covered. Kyle would get to go to see his dad. Max would take a two-week vacation, which he had never done before, by the way.

Kyle didn’t know any of the people in Roswell. He had been at Northwestern University when his father took the job of detective with the city police. His father would be a help to insure that there wouldn’t be any hard feelings between the investigation team and the local police. Kyle would be the only one with official status. Tess and Max were just visiting.

That night when Andrea came, she was nervous. “Max, there is something that scares me about Roswell. When we were just talking about it, I didn’t feel anything. But, now that we are going, there are some things that threaten me. I just do not know what they are.”

Max looked at her, “Could it be that we might be getting close to the murderer?” Max asked.

“I don’t know, but there is something about Roswell that says I am not welcome there,” she sighed.
----------------------------------------
next chapter we find out who the ghost is and more about her family.
------------------------------------------
Venus Smiles is the first state police female officer. Learn of her trials and adventures. Now that Liz has found Max she has one more adventure.

SoulMates in CyberSpace they only knew each other by user name, but they became the most important relationship in each other's lives. SoulMates in CyberSpace a Valentine’s day story.
Last edited by ken_r on Sun Feb 03, 2008 6:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Good teachers are born that way, not made. No! Good human beings, are born that way. Some of them become teachers.

Of course, life is not fair. You shouldn't expect it to be fair, but you should expect it to be ironic.
JKR 1981-2001
History is made of wars, recovering from wars and preparing for the next war.
JJR 1975-
User avatar
ken_r
Obsessed Roswellian
Posts: 861
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2006 11:34 pm
Location: New Mexico

Re: Haunted Memories mature M/L p3 ch6 Feb 3 2008

Post by ken_r »

ShatteredDreamer I am not much on the superbowl. After the Apple Computer company ad in 1984 I think everything went down hill. LOL Question that will always plague Max is, was making love with the ghost real or just a dream. Remember he didn’t believe in ghosts. Writing this I had open files of Mickey Spillane. Mike Hammer, his character was always run down and chasing criminals through the bowels of the city. That is who I patterned Max after. Max wasn’t old but no one should be on something like homicide too long. You get a feeling that there is no hope and the world is essentially evil. Here you see the ghost bringing to Max even after death hope for a better life. Her one chance at physical love, Max thought should be with a skilled man of the world. Remember there is no such thing as a ghost.

Roswell3053 did Max help Andrea or did Andrea help Max. Nothing is going to go smoothly. At least you will know who Liz is this week. Remember there is no such thing as a ghost.

Begonia Eve thank you so much for your patience. Read above about the ghost. Coming up soon is going to be real Max/Liz action that at least I hope you like. There has to be a reason Andrea was murdered. At least this week we see the relation between Andrea and Liz.

Chapter 7

There was no way they were going to take a city issued car that far away from a mechanic. They decided to fly and rent a sedan when they arrived. They would either plant Tess at the police station or maybe at first, at the library. Ralph had included enough money so that she could use it for taxi fare, if necessary. Max would get around as best he could. If he needed he would rent a sedan.

Roswell had been started in 1891. It, at one time, had been the second largest town in New Mexico. Now, it had slid considerably down the ladder. It had a military institute, and a few industries. Since the Air Force Base had closed, the town had slowed in its growth. It had what the other New Mexicans called, ‘the character of little Texas.’ That was a subtle difference, but to those from New Mexico the difference was identifiable.

Kyle had called his father. When they arrived, Jim Valenti had introduced them to the Roswell chief of police. They explained what they needed to do. As a courtesy, the chief made available many of their files. Tess started reading the yearbooks from the high school. She was making notes and looking at pictures for people that were shown with Andrea, Parker as they were now, all thinking of her.

Max and Kyle visited the Crashdown, the small café that the Parkers owned. Their presence was less than welcome. Jeff Parker was a little on the rough side. “I have only one daughter and she is a school teacher. The other one died several years ago.” He stated.

“You have no care that Andrea was murdered a few weeks ago?” Max asked.

“She left here and took the path of a harlot. I can’t cry any more for her soul.” Jeff declared.

Max frowned, “It doesn’t mean anything to you that she was one of the most respected women in Hollywood?” Max inquired. He could see a flicker fo something on the face of the woman standing beside Jeff, Max looked at his notes, her name was Nancy.

“She left the protection of her family and traveled a devil’s path. She was bound to find a bad end!” Jeff insisted.

Max knew that Jeff had some emotional issues, but he still had the urge to beat the shit out of him. Max remembered the gentle woman who only had a brief existence from being a ghost and came to him for solace. Max remembered the many pwople he had interviewed who almost worshipped Andrea. That, this man, her own father, couldn’t take pride in her life, angered Max greatly.

Kyle knew that Max was rising to a boiling point and intervened. “We need some information to close out our case. We would like your cooperation, but we will find what we are looking for no matter what.” Kyle took Max by the arm and steered him out of the restaurant. Max, you can’t beat the shit out of a man just because he deserves it. If you do, my dad will put you in jail. Then Tess and I will have to complete the investigation without you.”

“I know, Kyle, but if you could have just known Andrea. She was a woman that any man should be proud to call daughter. Her voice was so soft and she was so curious. Her skin was just so perfect. All she wanted, so much, was to find love somewhere in the world. I just can’t stand that he would feel such things about her,” Max stated.

“Whoa there, hoss! There is something personal in your voice. This isn’t just an investigation with you anymore, is it? What happened to the Evans who never let a corpse get under his skin? You almost sounded like you were in love with the gal. Face it, you didn’t even know who she was before she got killed. Falling in love with a dead person doesn’t have much future, if you know what I mean. Look, we are going to finish this investigation. Then, whether we make an arrest or not, we are going somewhere to get you laid. You are spending way to much time alone.” Kyle was starting to worry.

That night, they had three rooms. Kyle offered to share his room with Max. He said he would also share it with Tess, but she refused. Max thought she did that too quickly. Was there some history there that he hadn’t seen? Max begged off, stating that he needed his privacy to get any sleep.

Max sat in the room for several hours, waiting. Finally, the ghost appeared. “Oh Max, now you see what I was up against living here. My father is just so sure he is the only one who has the true word of God, that he doesn’t let anyone disagree with him. I used to argue with him and he hated that. My sister could sit there and still do what she wanted, but no, I had to confront him on every issue.” Andrea was worked up.

Andrea, who else was important to you when you were growing up?” Max watched as her countenance started to fall. Her expression, which for a short while was excited, returned to neutral and even sad.

“I just don’t remember, Max. When we were talking about my father, the feelings were so strong that memories just appeared. Now that I want the memories, they aren’t there. It seems that certain things trigger memories, but I have no control which ones do that. I was thinking about my little sister. She looks a lot like me, or at least she did the last time I saw her. She could avoid many of the things that our father laid down for us. He just can’t realize that he can’t control everything. I think that even mother is tiring of his domination.” Andrea was feeling things about her family for the first time since her death.

“My little sister, Elizabeth, she was so smart. She became a scientist and our father didn’t say anything because he didn’t even understand what she was studying. She would follow me everywhere when we were growing up. When the old man would come down on me and send me to my room, I could count on her to bring sweets or something to meter la.” Andrea was so intense that she didn’t even notice that she was starting to fade.

Well, that was something. Max had learned more about the Parker family in that harangue than he or Tess had in all their studies. When Andrea was excited, she remembered things, but she still had limited energy.

Kyle heard Max talking. The walls in the rooms were thin and Kyle had very acute hearing. It sounded like Max was acting something out about the case. It almost sounded like he was talking to someone, but Kyle only heard one voice. This case was becoming too much for Max.

Tess had a list of people who knew Andrea from high school. She had prepared it for Kyle to use today. She would go to the library and peruse the newspapers, both the present papers and those during the years when Andrea was young. Max let it be known that he wanted to just walk about town and get the feel for the town. He would get with the others at noon. They all went their own ways.

Max was walking by the high school. When they wouldn’t be near any people, Andrea would talk to him about her years in school. She mentioned Michael and Maria, a couple who fought constantly until they had nothing left to do, but get married.

Andrea laughed as she related stories about them working for her father. Maria would get mad at Michael and demand that Mr. Parker put her on a different schedule from his. Jeff would comply and, in a few days, he would see that Maria was hanging around he Crashdown waiting for Michael to get off. Jeff would ask if it was all right to put them on shift together and, for a time, they were love birds.

Maria, still occasionally, worked for Jeff when he was swamped. Maria was more her sister’s friend than hers. Michael worked in an office in the middle of Roswell as a draftsman. It seemed that Andrea had kept up with the affairs of Roswell and her memory was stimulated by them being there. When they were in a crowd and Andrea couldn’t talk to him Max took his cell phone and called Tess, “See what you can find out about Maria DeLuca Guerin and Michael Guerin. They both worked for the Parker’s when they were in school.

Max, on a whim, turned into the high school yard. He went to the office and asked to speak to the principal. Danny Alred wasn’t much older than Andrea had been. He wasn’t from Roswell, but had taken the job of principal. “Is there anyone here who would have been here when Andrea Simms was going to high school?” Max asked.

Danny frowned. He knew the actress Andea Simms, but he had no idea about her going to his school. He thought the oldest teacher in school was Mr. Heins. He might remember. Mr. Heins would be out of class in fifteen minutes. Danny sent a note to ask him to please come to the office when he let his class out.

Mr. Theodore Heins, had been teaching for several years. He could retire anytime he wanted. If they gave him too much trouble, he reminded everyone that he could just walk out. Max was introduced to the gentlemen by Danny. Teddy Heins refused to call Danny, Mr. anything.

“Mr. Heins, do you remember a girl named Andrea Simms?” Danny began.

As Heins frowned, Max added, “She would have been called Andrea Parker then.”

Theodore Heins eyes lit up. “Yes, I remember the Parker girls. You know that the younger one is teaching here now.”

Danny frowned again. Now, he had been left out of this information by Max. He would have to listen carefully to understand what Max wanted. Danny had gone out with Miss Parker a couple of times. He felt that with time on his side, she would come to see him as a suitable friend and, then, maybe more. He was already talking to her father. Jeff seemed to want to see his daughter married.

“So Andrea Parker was Andrea Simms. They just look so different when they are all made up. Miss Simms was considered a great star, I believe.” Mr. Heins mused.

Max went on, “Yes she was a wonderful person and we are trying to learn more about her life to solve her murder.”

Danny made an audible intake of air. Elizabeth’s sister murdered. That was horrible. He would have to think of something suitable to say to Elizabeth when he saw her next.

“That was several years ago, When I knew Andrea,” Theodore said.

“I know, but if you could tell us something about the boys she went out with, the girls she was friendly with, and things like that, we could interview them. Maybe, we’d find the piece of the puzzle we are missing. We have a suspect, but we just aren’t that sure, yet.” Max related to Heins.

Max took out a business card and handed it to Danny. “If you would please give this to Miss Parker, my hotel room and phone numbers are on the back. I only have a few days before I have to return to Albuquerque. We would like to wrap this case up as soon as possible.” Max had a bad feeling about Danny. It was just one of those gut feelings.

They all met at noon down town Roswell. Max didn’t want to go back to he Crashdown, quite yet. He was sure that he and Jeff would have another clash before he left town. Michael had a good job as a draftsman and Maria worked only because she wanted to. Tess had found out a lot about them. She agreed that there should be an interview scheduled, soon. Kyle had found a class list of the seniors the year Andrea graduated. He had gone over it looking for someone of interest. He felt that he just needed more input. They only had three more days.

That afternoon while Kyle ran down people in his list, Max went to visit Michael. “Mr. Guerin, you grew up with Andrea Parker now known as Andrea Simms. Can you tell us anything about what she was like, then? Did she make friends easily? Did she have any boyfriends? I just need to know more about her, to understand why she might be murdered.

Michael leaned back in his chair. “Andrea was not an easy name to mention after she broke with her father. We, of course, knew that she was going under the name of Andrea Simms in the movies, but old man Parker wouldn’t let any of us talk about her. He was hardest on Liz. She was supposed to pretend that Andrea was dead.

"Parker can be a real nice guy. When he gets on this morality kick, he becomes a real ass. Morality is whatever he believes in. He thinks he knows what is best for everyone. That is why the café has had trouble, recently. Parker just ticks too many people off with his sermons.

"Maria knew Andrea better than I did. I only had eyes for Maria at that time. Maria was closest friends with Liz and, thus, Andrea. I will try to get Maria to arrange time, tomorrow, to see you. She is the one you should talk to.”

Michael had told Max something about Jeff Parker. Max thought, I wonder how badly the old man really wanted Andrea to be really dead? I wonder if he could have driven to Albuquerque and, then, fought with her? Cutting the throat is more of a hate crime than the result of a family argument.
-------------------------------
Are you a person with a big heart? Can you take back to your heart a woman who is stripped of friends, family and hope and cast out into the world to either die or by any means possible survive? Can you try to understand her and still love her? “Liz come back” Coming soon.

SoulMates in CyberSpace a Valentine’s day story.
Good teachers are born that way, not made. No! Good human beings, are born that way. Some of them become teachers.

Of course, life is not fair. You shouldn't expect it to be fair, but you should expect it to be ironic.
JKR 1981-2001
History is made of wars, recovering from wars and preparing for the next war.
JJR 1975-
User avatar
ken_r
Obsessed Roswellian
Posts: 861
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2006 11:34 pm
Location: New Mexico

Re: Haunted Memories mature M/L p3 ch7 Feb 10 2008

Post by ken_r »

L-J-L 76 Lizza Maria will have some of the answers. Yes Max and Liz will come together. Max is usually a nice person but he takes a great dislike to Jeff Parker. Love is something that must grow.

ShatteredDreamer The thought that Liz was Andrea was intentional , but this I am sure ran off many readers. They don’t want to see Liz killed again. The reason for questioning Michael and Maria before Liz is because the Parker family shows to the police hostility. Best, in this case is to have many answers before facing the Parkers. Liz opens her interview by seeking Max accompanied by her mother.

Begonia 9508 Eve, all but Jeff followed Andrea’s career. They all knew she was killed but when Jeff heard he had already buried Andrea. There are many parents who refuse to let their children go and when the children rebel they bury them rather than admit the children have lives of their own. The likeness of the two girls troubles Max, but the ghost keeps telling Max that the similarity is good. Of course Max doesn’t really believe in ghosts.

roswell3053 Liz will start to take shape in Max’s life.

I do not believe in ghosts or spirits of any kind. Neither does Max. So neither of us has an explanation as to what happens next.

Chapter 8

Max had a cashier’s check from the police department. He went into the bank. As he was entering, he saw the sign. “Whitman and sons Bank of Roswell.” He had to see the manager to clear the check. Alex Whitman waited on him. The check was from the Albuquerque Police department. It was payable on demand, so all Alex had to do was make a few phone calls and hand over the money. This would be enough to keep Kyle and Tess here for a few more days.

Alex was waiting for the check to clear, “So, you work for the Albuquerque Police department. What are you doing in Roswell, if I may ask?” he asked.

“It’s no secret we are investigating the murder of Andrea Simms, known in Roswell as Andrea Parker. You look about the right age. Did you know Andrea?” Max’s sixth sense was ringing. The facial expression on Alex was unmistakable. He well knew, Miss Simms and that she was Miss Parker. The nervousness was apparent. Alex talked a bit with Max and Max left him with a card. Maybe, he would decide to talk later.

When they got back to the rooms in the hotel, the minute the door closed, the ghost appeared. “That was Alex, that was Alex,” the ghost said.

“Was he an old boyfriend or something?” Max asked.

“No, you still don’t understand. He was my husband,” she declared.

“Your husband? Were you divorced or separated or something?” Max felt his excitement rise.

“No, his father didn’t approve and when I left, he wouldn’t follow me. He said he had to stay with the family business,” she informed. We never did anything about the marriage.

The ghost put her hands to her mouth, “Oh my, oh my, he came… he came…” Then, the ghost, even though she had only been visable for a short time, started to fade.

Max was sitting when he heard a knock on his door. He opened the door and almost fell over. There was Andrea and an older woman standing there in the doorway. Max turned to where he last saw Andrea. Then, turning back to the two women, Max didn’t know what to say for several minutes.

“Mr. Evans, could we speak to you?” the new Andrea asked.

Max was getting dizzy. “Yes, ah..yes, please sit down.” The two women had the appearance of holding on to each other, even though they weren’t.

The Andrea figure said, “You look as if you have just seen a ghost. Is something wrong?”

“Ma’am, you don’t know how right you are. Please sit and tell me what I can do for you?” Max was trying to regain control.

“I am Elizabeth, Parker and this is my mother Nancy. We want to talk to you.” she said.

“Yes, yes, I met your mother a day or so ago. Again, what can I do for you?” Max repeated.

“Can you tell us something about Andrea?” Nancy said. “We aren’t allowed to talk about her in the house.”

Ma’am, begging your pardon, your husband is dead wrong. I know Andrea as well as anyone now. She is a wonderful woman. When you have street people to the gentry speaking well of you, you have to be a good person. One man said it. She talks to you like you are somebody important, even if your life has no value at all. The woman we think might have killed her, said Andrea apologized if she had taken her lover away. There just isn’t enough time to tell you what the world thought of Andrea. Some said she was a saint.” Max was really wrapped up when he was now talking about Andrea.

“Did you know her well?” Elizabeth asked.

“No, I never met her in life, but in death, she has told me more about herself than I would have learned from anyone. I have studied her every action. We just feel that something in her past will tell us why and by whom she was murdered.” Max had to be careful. No one would believe him.

Now, he had both women crying. Max didn’t know what to say. He waited until they regained their control. “Don’t you want to claim the body and put it where you can know she is safe?”

Nancy shook. “You don’t understand. Jeff would never allow that. He has declared she is dead. He can be a stubborn man,” Nancy said.

“Again, begging your pardon, Jeff is a stupid and foolish man, as well. Words just don’t say how wonderful the woman Andrea is. She is bright and loving. Jeff should swallow his pride. It doesn’t belong here. He should embrace the daughter that has his blood and, not ever, forget her. Forgive her if he feels that is necessary, but he must not turn his back on her,” Max was preaching.

The women got up to leave, Max wished he could say something else. They started walking down the hall when Elizabeth said something to her mother. Then Nancy sat in one of the chairs that were near the elevator. Liz came running back. “I need to talk to you, privately. I will call in sick tomorrow. Where can I meet you?”

“I don’t know this town very well. What about meeting in front of the UFO museum? That is a landmark that at least I know.’ Max said.

Liz laughed and ran back to her mother.

Kyle and Tess came in. They had some information, but Max had more. “Kyle, can you borrow a car from your father? I need the rental car tomorrow. Tess, Andrea Parker was married to Alex Whitman. The old man Whitman didn’t approve. You need to see if you can find a marriage license. It will probably be issued from a neighboring county or, maybe, Mexico. If it is Mexico, we may have a hard time finding it.

Now Kyle, we need to know everything we can find out about the Whitman family. You need to do the legwork and, as soon as Tess finds the marriage license, then she can help you. We need a DNA sample. I have considered mugging Alex after work, but try to find a less stressful way to get it, if possible. I will bet that the DNA evidence in Andrea’s body will match up with Alex. But, I don’t know if he would be the murderer. We need to know more about his family.” Max was making plans.

“Hey, boss, you have an appointment with Maria DeLuca Guerin tomorrow,” Tess reminded him.

Max held his head, “Kyle, you gotta take that one, too. I can’t make it.”

“What has you all so fired up, boss? You act as if the answers are all just behind the green door.” Kyle said.

“I am going to spend the whole day with Miss Elizabeth Parker, tomorrow. I think the answer is just behind the green door and I am going to paint them all green.”

That night Max was so excited that he had trouble sleeping. “Max, are you really that close to finding out about my death?” she asked.

Yeah, I think your sister and your friend, Maria, hold the key. I am going to spend the day with Elizabeth and Kyle is going to talk to Maria. We may have this, almost, wrapped up by tomorrow night.” Max announced.

“And then what? What happens to me?” she asked.

“Why, you find peace. That is what this whole thing, is about. You find peace,” Max explained.

“Max, I could have found peace with Ralph. He loved me. You are wrong, I loved him also. It is just that I had married Alex because I thought I loved him too. When he refused to follow me when my father forced me to leave and he refused to acknowledge and stand up for me to his father, I think that love faded. I never wanted to face them again to get a divorce.

I remember now. I slept with Alex that last night to see if I still loved him. I didn’t love him anymore, even though I tried.” Andrea stated.

“What about me? Why did you sleep with me? Did you find any peace with me that night?” Max whispered.

“With you, I found trust. You gave me all you could without any thought of a future, not even really believing in me. I only had one time to remember love and this time I refuse to let it go. You gave me trust that even though you say you did not believe in anything, there had to be some thing more for me, somewhere.” Andrea whispered back. For a few seconds they both just sat there neither saying anything.

“Max, what about my sister? Can you take care of her? I just feel that she is in great danger, but I don’t yet understand,” Andrea said. You are going to spend the day with her. Will you think of her as much as you think of me?”

“Don’t tell me you are jealous,” Max replied.

“Oh no, I want you to take care of her. She needs strong friends. I am sure my father has not let her have many friends at all. I wish you could mean as much to her as you do to me.” Andrea was worried about Liz.

“Don’t you think I am too old to be with your little sister, like I was with you?” Max asked.

“Max, you feel old because you worry that this case is beyond you. The solution is almost here. I could give you only a few minutes of love. If Elizabeth could see you like I did, then maybe, she could have the love forever that I only had for a minute,” Andrea explained.

“I am not going to face your sister in just my underpants like I did you. Your sister sees me as someone who might tell her things about you. That is all I mean to her, I am sure.”

Max was thinking without remembering what Andrea said, that to a spirit, thinking was every bit as clear as open speech. What did Elizabeth mean to him? When he saw her with her mother the first time tonight he had thought that she was somehow Andrea come back to life. His heart had leapt in his throat. As much as it had when Max felt Andrea’s pseudo flesh, or whatever that was, the night they made love.

Max knew that he was going to have to be very careful about this woman. She was not Andrea and Max had to remember that he was an old detective of over 35. Not old for most men, but for a homicide detective, it meant a lot of death and frustration.

To be much older and remain in Homicide Max knew that he was going to have to go back to a cynical attitude to do his job. He had been on the path to that before he met the life and death of Andrea Simms, also known as Andrea Parker.

Max picked Elizabeth up in front of the UFO museum. She pointed him to drive off into the desert. “Max, it is just that everyone in town knows me. My father finds out what I do before I am even home. I want to talk to you without thinking about who might see us.”

Kyle met Maria. At first, she was reluctant since he wasn’t who she was expecting. “Max is with Elizabeth today. He felt that she would have most of the answers, but we also think you have some of the answers we need,” Kyle started.

Maria stirred her coffee as she thought. “What is your first question?”

“Where did Alex and Andrea get married?” That caught Maria completely by surprise.

“How did you find out? I could swear that we were the only ones, besides Liz, who knew.” Maria was surprised. That was good. Now she would be on her toes and Kyle could dispense with some of the bullshit.

“We know that Alex and Andrea were married right after high school. We need to know where. What county?” Kyle was leading the questioning.

“Socorro county. Michael and I drove them to Socorro county while Liz distracted her father. Jeff would probably have killed Alex for touching his little girl. Look at Liz. Why do you think she hasn’t married? I understand Jeff has some sort of plans to marry her off to the principal of her school. They have been seen talking together. I don’t know if Lizzy will go for that. Jeff is just too controlling.

Was Alex angry at Andrea for leaving?” Kyle inquired.

“No, I think he was relieved that he didn’t have to face his father any more than he had. He was very much in love with her and she with him, when they got married. I take it back. There was one other who might have known that they got married. Alex has a brother, Chris. Chris is older than Alex and there is something wrong with him. He is one of those people who can’t care about anyone except for them selves.

There was something between Andrea and Chris. She hated him. Chris put his hands on me one night and Michael put him in the hospital. He told Chris that if he told who did it, he, Michael, would kill him the next day,” Maria told Kyle.

Kyle had been with Max so long that now he was developing some of the instincts that Max had. “Tell me more about Chris.”

“This is off the record, isn’t it? Chris is so crazy that who knows what he would do if he found out I said anything?” Maria asked.

Kyle nodded his head. “No, we are just trying to find out facts. We will look for evidence later, when we know more facts.”

“Well, Chris is the favorite of Mr. Whitman. Anything Alex wants to do, he has to bribe Chris or take Chris with him. That is why I think Chris might have known about Alex and Andrea being married. If Alex doesn’t give in to Chris, Chris goes to old man Whitman and Alex gets into trouble.” Maria informed.

“You mean like he would disown Alex, cut him out of his will?” Kyle asked.

“No, he would never do that. If he did, everything would go to Chris and Chris is incompetent. The old man will mess with Alex’s accounts. It will take Alex weeks to straighten everything out. Sometimes I think the old man is as crazy as Chris. Alex will have to settle with those who trusted him or the bank would fall. You have to remember, that as far as Alex is concerned, he has been brained washed to believe the bank is everything.” Maria had told almost all she knew.

Kyle took out his phone. “Tess, doll, the license is in Soccoro County. Right after graduation. Get a copy faxed to the Roswell city police department care of Jim Valenti. Things were starting to happen.
Good teachers are born that way, not made. No! Good human beings, are born that way. Some of them become teachers.

Of course, life is not fair. You shouldn't expect it to be fair, but you should expect it to be ironic.
JKR 1981-2001
History is made of wars, recovering from wars and preparing for the next war.
JJR 1975-
User avatar
ken_r
Obsessed Roswellian
Posts: 861
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2006 11:34 pm
Location: New Mexico

Re: Haunted Memories mature M/L p4 ch8 Feb 18 2008

Post by ken_r »

Roswell3053 I want you to think of very young people doing something they were not prepared for. Then finding all support taken from them. This became a secret that they could not dredge up and correct but in their immaturity they hid it. Now especially with Andrea, correcting this marriage would be difficult so they just hid it away. Think, Andrea always pushed Ralph away because she didn’t want to face the reason she couldn’t marry him.

Begonia 9508, Eve, small towns and back roads have secrets that they try to cover up.

ShatteredDreamer If you think Max is confused, then think about me the author. I do not believe in ghosts and it would take a lot of evidence to convince me other wise. Yes there were dreams the night before my son died. Sometimes I hear his voice. I still know he is dead and I think most of this is being created in my mind in some sort of chaos of grief.

Max has to rationalize the input he believes he is getting from Andrea. Remember Max does not believe in ghosts. Max is in love with a dream. He is trying to distance himself from Liz. Listen to his arguments with him self about the age difference. Then Tess will later sink many of these arguments. Was his night with Andrea just a wet dream. A dream caused by stress and fatigue. In a later story of mine a man has a dream of a perfect woman and when he finds her in real life he fears that he is going to fall in love for the wrong reasons.

Natalie 36 I am working to give as much drama as I can.

L-J-L 76 Unfortunately I am not going to be able to answer all of your questions. Yes everything that happened will be explained. The Max, Liz and Andrea triangle I can’t explain. You are going to just have to go where your faith leads you. What happens between Liz and Andrea will be what you believe it to be.

Everyone.
Author’s note. I did a lot of research on Chris. It is my belief that conscience is created by training and education. From reading I think that sometimes there might be a defect in the child where it is difficult to develop a conscience. This is the sociopath. By definition, a person who has no regard for others. http://www.hss.caltech.edu/~mcafee/Bin/sb.html

I have had a few students like this and they are hard to work with when you have cooperation of the family. Remember Mr. Whitman did everything wrong with Chris. He fed the behavior. There”is a statement that Mr. Whitman maybe had these tendencies himself.

Do not be too hard on Alex. Remember he was trapped between his father and his brother. He tried to break out of this but he just wasn’t allowed to be strong enough. His father wanted to keep him under control.

There was a movie when I was growing up called “Rebel without a Cause.” Parents became almost insanely worried that their children would get out of control. Many of us suffered because our parents were unjustly influenced by this movie.

Stories by Ken

Chapter 9

Liz sat in the car as she directed Max. They turned and headed past the signs toward bitter lakes refuge. “How well did you know my sister?” she asked.

“I never met her,” Max replied.

“Your face says you are lying.” Liz retorted.

Elizabeth, I didn’t even know who she was before I was called out to her murder. Every one said such nice things about her. I just became interested,” Max explained.

Max, when Michael first slept with Maria, I remember that look on his face when he came to work the next morning. You had that look when you were telling my mother about Andrea. You were in love with her, or at least, you are in love with her now.” Liz stated.

You were using the present tense last night when you were talking about her. Why was that, Max? She is dead, isn’t she.” Liz asked.

Max made a face, “Yeah, she is dead and there isn’t a greater tragedy that I know.”

“How did you know so many things about her? I am sure that damned movie company wouldn’t give you the time of day unless they could see how to make a dollar. Bye the way, who took care of the funeral? Was it the movie company?” she inquired.

No, Liz it was taken care of by a man who loved your sister very much. A man who would have married Andrea, if she would have let him. A man who, if she could have only trusted him, could have made everything right.” Max sighed.

“Did Andrea love him?” Liz asked.

“She told me she thought she did.” Max replied without thinking.

Liz turned on him. “Okay Max what gives? You just did it again. You used the wrong tense.”

“Look, Liz, I ain’t an English teacher. I make mistakes in grammer. Don’t hold that against me.” Max pleaded.

“Max, give it to me straight. You are in love with my sister. That is plain. You say that she was in love with a man because she told you she was. Come on, Max. Your story has more holes than a storm grate. I want to know the truth. I have been lied to by the movie companies and, now, by the police. Don’t I deserve the truth somewhere?” Liz was demanding.

Max looked in the back seat. Andrea was sitting there. “We have to tell her, Max. Besides, I want to talk to her, anyway. At least I can talk to her through you.”

Max pulled over and sat while they watched the birds flying into the refuge. Max turned to the back seat. “Andrea, tell me something that only Liz would know.”

Andrea waited several minutes. Then, she said, “Chris, Alex’s brother tried to rape me just after Alex and I were married.”

Max turned to Liz, “Chris, Alex’s brother tried to rape Andrea just after she was married.”

Liz’s hand went to her mouth. “Oh, My god. I didn’t think she would ever tell anyone that. How did you find out? Did she write a journal or something?”

Max didn’t answer. He just got it. He took his phone, “Kyle, Alex’s brother did it. His name is Chris. The old man will do anything to protect him.”

“That was the last piece, Liz. Alex went to Andrea the night she was killed. They had sex. She said it was to see if they were still in love. Afterward, she said they weren’t in love any more, so he left. Somehow, Chris was with Alex. I will have to see what Kyle and Tess turned up to show that. After Alex left, Chris went up to her dressing room and cut her throat.” Max stopped himself. He had no business telling Liz how Andrea died. “I am sorry Liz. I didn’t intend to ever tell you that. We have to get back to town soon. Everything is fitting together. Andrea wants to talk to you through me first.”

Liz was still in shock. Max couldn’t tell what it was that upset her the most. Was it the way Andrea died? Was it the fact that Max had put the puzzle together and they, now, knew who did the killing? Was it because there now was good evidence that something of Andrea wanted to talk to her?

Liz was quivering, “Where is she, Max?” Liz asked.

“She is sitting in the back seat.” Max replied.

“How does she look, Max?”

Max couldn’t help it. “She is every much as beautiful as you,” Max answered.

“Can I see her, Max?” Liz requested.

“She says, just look in the mirror.”

“What did she want to tell me, Max?”

“She says don’t die without knowing love and giving love.” Then Max waited for a minute. “She also says that your father is planning to make an arranged marriage for you. He has been talking to the school principal about taking you.”

Max turned to look directly at her eyes, “Don’t do it, Liz. Don’t do it. Listen to Andrea. You need to know love at least once before you die. Don’t let your father control you, anymore.” Max hoped that Liz understood that this last was from him.

They returned to Roswell. Jeff was waiting for Max. “I don’t want you near my daughter, anymore.” Jeff stated.

“Sorry Mr. Parker but your daughter might have to testify in Albuquerque about Andrea’s death. Do you know that someone tried to rape Andrea?

Jeff was angry. “Andrea was dead long before she ever was found in Albuquerque.”

“No, Mr. Parker, she wasn’t dead. She was more alive that anyone I could have known. I am just sorry that I only met her through those who loved her. Your oldest daughter was a saint to many people.” Max could see that it angered Jeff to be contradicted.

Danny Alred, from the school, walked up. “Max, we would prefer that you leave my fiancée out of whatever you choose to do.”

Liz recoiled, “Danny, since when have I become your fiancée?

Danny tried to take her in his arms. “Your father and I have been talking for some time now. As my wife, you would have advantages in teaching. Neither of us can see any real reason for this not to take place.”

“Danny, this is the twenty-first century. Fathers don’t make arrangements for their daughters. Fiancés have to earn any right for love to be considered.” Liz stamped her foot. She was angry at both of them.

Jeff was now glassy eyed. “Liz, you are talking like your sister. She left and now look what her punishment was. Here in Roswell, she would have been safe. In that Sodom and Gomorrah, all she found was death.”

Jeff was shaking his fist at Liz. Max was afraid that Jeff had, finally, come unhinged. His thoughts went back to the days when he was in uniform. He was now in the middle of a domestic dispute. That was always a situation where everyone looses.

Liz turned to Danny Alred. “Get a substitute for tomorrow, Danny. I am not coming in.” She walked to the rental car that Max had been driving.

When she got back in the car, Max looked at her. There were tears in her eyes. “Please drive me some place,” she requested.

Max drove off. The first thing to do was get away from Mr. Parker and the Crashdown. As soon as the Crashdown was behind them, Max turned to Liz. “What now?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I don’t have any money. Maybe Maria’s place or maybe Alex’s,” she murmered.

“Liz, don’t worry about the money. But I don’t think that either of those places would be a good idea right now. I will put you up in a hotel room where we are staying and write it off as holding a person of interest.

Liz didn’t see much else to do. She had to decide what to do about home. Her father was just having a complete breakdown.

Tess and Kyle met them when Max brought Liz upstairs. Her room was across from theirs. Tess loaned Liz some night clothes and stated that they would talk tomorrow. “Max, she looks almost exactly like Andrea. Are you sure her looks aren’t clouding your judgment?” Kyle asked.

Max shook his head. He just didn’t know anything anymore. Before leaving the next day, Max handed Tess his personal credit card. Take Liz shopping. Pick up a few clothes and essentials to last her for a couple days.

Now comes the hardest part of police work. You know who did it. You have to prove it in a court of law. Hauling Alex into the police station for interrogation was the first thing.

“I really did love her. When we were married, it was the most wonderful moment of my life. When my father heard of it, he was furious. He didn’t want any new blood brought into the family. He didn’t want anything that might weaken his hold on the bank. I tried to explainhow much I loved her. But, he was even more angry when he found out it was Andrea. He hated the Parkers, for some reason. He had been yelling about me going with Andrea ever since Chris told him about it.” Alex tearfully confessed.

Why did you drive up to see her the night of her death?” Kyle inquired.

I wanted to see if she had any love left for me.” Alex stated.

Did you know that Andrea Simms was really Andrea Parker, or I guess, Andrea Whitman?” Kyle questioned.

“No, Chris figured it out. For some reason, he wanted me to see her again.” Alex answered.

Did Chris go in with you?” Was the next question?

He drove up from Roswell with me. If I didn’t take him, he would tell my father where I was going. I went alone to see her. Chris wanted to go, but I told him that, for once I was going do something alone. I wanted to see her and I wanted to see if anything was left of our marriage. There wasn’t. How could she scrap what we once meant to each other?” Alex exclaimed.

Had you seen her anytime since your wedding night?” Kyle asked calmly.

No, she left when my father found out. He said something to Mr. Parker and the next morning Andrea was gone.” Alex stated.

“When did you first make love to her?” Kyle’s monotone was very good for asking questions.

We started making love when we were still in high school. That was when we decided to get married right after graduation. I was kind of hoping she would get pregnant. That would make her have to marry me and my father have to accept it. We had our wedding night. Maria and Michael took us to a motel and that was our honeymoon. We came back the next day and she went to her house and I to mine.

We hoped that the storm would blow over and we could get on with our lives. My father was angry. I always wondered what Chris told him. Chris would do that if I didn’t take him everywhere I went. When I went over to the Parkers, Andrea had left. Mr. Parker was almost insane. He was always preaching high-sounding morals. I guess, when Andrea told him she was married to me, he just came apart. Or maybe, it was something my father said to him. She had married me. That was too much.”

Tell us more about what happened the night of her murder.” Kyle was drumming his pencil on the desk.

Andrea sounded like she was really glad to see me. I asked if she had any love for me at all. We talked. Then she did something surprising. Right in front of me started taking off her clothes. That bothered me. I tried to get her to stop. She kept saying, no, she needed to see if there was any love left in her for me. When she was naked, she led me to the bedroom and we made love. I was hoping that this meant that we could start over. She, then, shook her head, and after putting on a robe, she stated, ‘Go home Alex, that is where you belong. Go back to your cold father and cold books. There is nothing left of us anymore.’ I just put on my clothes and left. I guess I had my question was answered.”

“Where was Chris all this time?” Kyle was getting closer to what he wanted.

Before this question could be answered, Charles Whitman and his lawyer arrived. “Why are you questioning my son?” Charles asked.

-------------------------------
SoulMates in CyberSpace a Valentine’s day story. I hope to have it finished shortly after the end of February.

Are you a person with a big heart? Can you take back to your heart a woman who is stripped of friends, family and hope and cast out into the world to either die or by any means possible survive? Can you try to understand her and still love her? “Liz come back” Coming soon.
Good teachers are born that way, not made. No! Good human beings, are born that way. Some of them become teachers.

Of course, life is not fair. You shouldn't expect it to be fair, but you should expect it to be ironic.
JKR 1981-2001
History is made of wars, recovering from wars and preparing for the next war.
JJR 1975-
User avatar
ken_r
Obsessed Roswellian
Posts: 861
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2006 11:34 pm
Location: New Mexico

Re: Haunted Memories mature M/L p4 ch9 Feb 25 2008

Post by ken_r »

Begonia9508 Ok I give up I do not know what I believe in. Sometimes we think that only old fashion people try to manage their children’s lives including marriage, but I think it done subtly more than we think. Religion and social status many times make the parent want to control their children. It is a bad situation.

Roswell 3053 at this time I do not think Max knows what he wants to do.

Natalie36 Chris will be a problem.

L-J-L 76 Jeff is just a problem. Max will support her as far as he can. There is always Andrea.

Leigh thanks for reading

Chapter 10

Kyle looked at him, “It is customary to question a husband when his wife has been murdered.”

Charles waved his hand. “That is all in the past. An incident that happened when they were both too young to know better.”

Kyle looked at Mr. Whitman, “Alex saw her the night she was murdered. They even had intercourse that night. We have proof of that.”

The look the old man gave Alex would have frozen anyone. “Fool, how can I keep pulling your chestnuts out of the fire, if you do not use some sense?” He turned to Kyle, “Unless you are arresting my son, I demand you stop the questioning now.”

Kyle shrugged. Alex meekly followed his father and they left.

“Well, boss, what do we do now?” he asked Max.

“You and Tess go home. I have another week here and I have more to learn. Try the cab companies. If Alex left Chris at his hotel, then Chris might have gotten a cab. They would know where they took him. Still question that Carla girl, if she is available. Give Ralph another run to see if he can turn anything up. Go to my in box and see if you can make any headway with any of my other cases.” Max spoke almost with resignation. Was this to be a case he could never see conclluded?

When Max returned to the hotel, Tess came to his room. “You better grab her boss. I never saw a woman that careful with someone else’s credit card in my life. She measured price against quality like it was her own money.”

Max had to laugh, “Don’t you think I am a bit old for her? Liz can’t be more than, what, 25 or 26.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Max. If I didn’t have something else going I might try to give you a tumble or two. Hard work is good for you. I even saw you smiling the other day coming in to work,” Tess stated.

Max thought, “How could I tell her that I had spent that night with a ghost who had special permission to be physical enough to make love? She and Kyle, damned kids. Maybe, if they found something together, Kyle’s computer could quit breaking down all the time.”

Kyle and Tess were taken to the Roswell airport that evening. Max would keep the car and he still wanted to look around. Jim, Kyle’s father, had said Max was welcome to come by the station anytime he wanted.

Max met Liz for supper. He was picking up the check, personal like. She didn’t know it, or at least Max didn’t think she did, but the department would never have sprung for her protection.

“Tomorrow, I would like to go back to my home and get some clothes. I don’t know how my father will take it. I, also, need to go back to my classroom soon. I just dread seeing Danny Alred after knowing what he and my dad were planning,” Liz said.

“I will drive you over. If I am there, your dad won’t be able to stop you from getting your clothes. Have you heard anything from your mother since you left?” Max asked.

“Yes, I talked to her. I was trying to get her to leave him. She just says that he needs her more than ever now. I don’t see how she could stand him.” Liz explained. “Then, she looked around. Is Andrea here?”

“Yes,” Max said, “She seems to be staying near you. I think she wants to protect you from something.”

Max and Liz stayed at the dinning room for an hour or more. Then, they walked around the courtyard. Liz was every bit as smart as Andrea had promised. She was a child. Max felt old just being with her, but he also felt young as they talked about so many things. It was late when he returned her to her room that night.

Max opened his door and as soon as it was closed, Andrea appeared, “Do you love her, Max?”

That hit Max hard. He had done everything in his power to keep his feelings in check. He had behaved like a perfect gentlemen. He felt that he had the little sister of Andrea under his protection. “Andrea, don’t you think I am a bit too old for her? I am getting closer to forty all the time.”

The ghost walked around the room. Then, she turned to Max. “Ordinarily, I would agree. Liz is going to need someone strong enough to protect her. There are not many men her age who could do that. Max, you gave of yourself to me when it was my last chance. I know your capacity for caring.

Max, I know you won’t over step some mythical line you have drawn, but promise that you won’t refuse to erase that line when she needs you. As they were talking, Max heard a soft knock at his door. He went to the door and found Liz standing there. “I heard you talking and I wondered if Andrea was with you.” Liz said.

“Yes, we were just talking. Come in,” Max explained. “Andrea is worried about you.”

Liz took the only chair and sat with her hands nervously twisting in her lap. “How did she get you to love her, being a ghost and all?”

Max did a double take. These Parker girls did tend to ask some personal questions. “I loved what I learned about your sister. I will let you read some of the file. So many people thought she was a saint. What is there not to love in a saint?”

Max scowled as Liz continued. “I just can’t help thinking that there is much more than that. You really have put a lot into this investigation. Don’t you think that I know that it was your personal funds that have been taking care of me the last two days?”

Max decided to try a half truth, “When she first discovered she was a ghost, we talked about a lot of intimate thinigs. She was trying to understand what had happened to her and how she felt about things. We talked about her feelings to Ralph, the man who loved her. As a ghost, she didn’t understand what she felt for him. I have had a hard time believing in ghost at all, but I felt that, what ever she was, she needed support.”

Liz nodded, “did she ever talk about me?”

“No, she didn’t even know she had a family until Tess dug everything up. Andrea did tell us that the word Parker and Roswell meant something, but she didn’t know what.” Max leaned back. He was thinking about what it had meant to have the company of Andrea this past weeks. Soon, Andrea would cross over, or whatever ghosts did, once their mission was finished. Liz would soon be back at school and what would Max be doing? Max was starting to think that he didn’t want to return to Albuquerque again.

Andrea laughed, “Max, why don’t you tell her that we made love that one night.”

“No,” Max spoke sharper than he intended, “that is private between the two of us. I am not even sure how it was possible.”

Liz, only being privy to Max’s side of the conversation, raised her eyebrows. “What, Max, what was private between you and the ghost of Andrea?”

Max turned to the ghost who was now laying in his bed propped up with pillows. “See, now how am I going to explain to her?”

The ghost gave a playful laugh. “Max that is what I liked about you. Alex was the love of my youth. Ralph was the love I should have had and better returned. But you, Max, you will be the last love I had. If I retain any memory, you are what I will take with me across to where ever I go.”

Max was getting very nervous. This one sided conversation in front of Elizabeth was getting complicated.

Max reached for Liz’s hand. “We will plan to go over to your parent’s place tomorrow about nine o’clock. We have a week to decide what long term arrangements we can make for you.”

With that, Liz left, but not before she heard behind the closed door, “Look, I am trying care for your sister the best I can. She hasn’t shown the least bit of interest in me except for what I know about you. What am I supposed to do? Course I see you in her, but that doesn’t help. If we should hit it off, that wouldn’t be fair to her. What do you mean that she would see you in me, also?”

Liz went to her room, those one sided conversations were difficult to understand. She caught herself trying to fill in the part that Andrea must have been saying. Then she thought, “What private business could there be between Max and the ghost of Andrea?”

The next morning, Max had Liz at the Crashdown promptly at nine. Jeff scowled when he saw Liz, but his real bad looks were saved because he saw Max right behind her. Liz went with her mother to her room to pack. Jeff came over, “I suppose you have been whoring with my daughter?”

Max felt himself getting really mad. “Mr. Parker, Liz has a room at the hotel. It is not a shared room with me. You lost one daughter, by your own meanness, don’t loose another. Don’t let me hear you say anything against either Andrea or Liz. If you, their , won’t stand by their reputations, I will.”

Jeff growled almost animal like. “You do not know what kind of girl Andrea was. The father of the boy she married told me. What king of girl goes to every boy in school?”

Max’s hand shot out grabbing Jeff by the throat. “Mr. Parker, I am not known in the police department for being a person who can control their temper. Do not, I repeat, do not ever say lies like that about either Andrea or about Liz where it can comeback to me! I am not able to promise what might happen, if you do.”

Max went to stand in the door where he wouldn’t have to look at Jeff. What kind of father was so stupid to not love these two girls? Max knew he did. Max caught himself. What did he just think? Did he really love the two Parker girls, one dead and the other coming down the stairs to go off with him.

“So you had words with my father?” she asked.

“He is just so narrow-minded and distrusting. I can’t understand a man like him. Andrea was a wonderful girl. She had so much promise. Why couldn’t he forgive whatever he thought he knew about her? Why is he so dead against you leading your own life? Something isn’t right.”

Max and Liz drove back to the hotel. Liz called the school and informed them she would be back at class tomorrow, so they could let the substitute go.

Max and Liz sat in the lobby talking. Liz had a lot on her mind, but she had no idea of how to get Max to clarify the conversation she’d heard one-sided last night. There was something between Max and the ghost of her sister. Somehow, Liz couldn’t shake the idea that in someway, she also was involved.

Liz was pleased at the turn of the conversation now to music. Max liked Jazz and classical music. He wasn’t much for going out. She asked him why. Liz would have thought that a city like Albuquerque would have plenty of opportunity to attend live performances. “I would have to go alone. If I am to be alone, then I might as well just stay home.” he stated.

“Don’t you have any girl friends, Max? Don’t you have women who like the same things you do?” she asked.

“I am a homicide detective, Liz. If I did go, they would probably call me out in the middle of the performance.” Max told her.

Liz was feeling braver, “Were you ever married, Max?”

Max looked a little disgusted, “Nawh, when I was younger, I spent all my time with police work. I liked being a cop and I did that to the end of all else. Now, I am seeing some of the things I missed. Andrea told me of so many things that she had done and I realized that I had missed the important things in my life.”

“You said you are going to stay one more week. Are you going back after the week is up?” Liz inquired.

“No, I am thinking of something else. I am not sure yet. I hate to leave this case unsolved. I owe it to Andrea to see it finished.” Max replied.
Good teachers are born that way, not made. No! Good human beings, are born that way. Some of them become teachers.

Of course, life is not fair. You shouldn't expect it to be fair, but you should expect it to be ironic.
JKR 1981-2001
History is made of wars, recovering from wars and preparing for the next war.
JJR 1975-
Locked