Let's make a story!

As the paramedics unloaded the stretcher for Det. Een Igma, the police arrived with Leutenant Brooks leading the charge. I hurriedly led them to my waiting father, over a semi-conscious Albright. The paramedics worked quickly on both injured men, handcuffing Albright to the stretcher just in case.

Leutenant Brooks led my father and I back to his waiting car.

"That was very brave," Dad said with a tinge of being proud, but his tone turned very serious. "But you shouldn't have risked yourself like that. Albright is a very dangerous man."

"Right now, all I care about it that you are alive and we are together," I said giving Dad a squeeze around the waist. "What happened all these years? Heck, what happened just now?"

"Wait here a minute, kiddo!" Dad put his hand on my arm a second and then turned back to the woods. When he emerged the Sasquatch costume lay across his arm, dripping like a dog wanting to shake! "I can't forget this fellow," he laughed. "He was my alter ego! Now let's get to the cabin and get dry."

We arrived at the cabin to find Lieutenant Brooks waiting for us. The state police and paramedics had gone. "Roger, it's finally coming to an end," he said, with his hand outstretched. Dad shook his hand and nodded. "Can you stay-at least until you're dry? I'd like some help filling this young lady in on the details."

Brooks declined. "I want to follow the paramedics to the hospital and make sure Albright is secure. He'll have to be watched while he's there, and I want to assign the guards personally. I would like to see both of you tomorrow morning at the station, though. Make it ten a.m. You need some time together."

We watched Brooks pull out; then my father and I entered the cabin. It felt like a safe haven now, not a hiding place for fear. I dried myself and threw a robe on while Dad hunted for something dry to wear. When he emerged I had hot coffee waiting for him, along with five years worth of questions.

He almost wound up with coffee all over him when he gave me the biggest bear hug of my life.

"I've missed you so much, honey. I had to be content watching you from afar, and I wanted so very much to contact you. Please understand that I just couldn't put you at risk by doing that. Forgive me?"

"Of course, Dad. You don't have to ask for forgiveness. Just please explain what happened!"

"I will, but first I want to show you something." He went into the bedroom and returned with one of Mom's old jewelry boxes. I never knew why they kept all of her old costume jewelry here at the cabin, but it had always been here - about 4 jewelry boxes full. He dumped the contents on the kitchen table and carefully picked up one particularly gaudy piece.

"Here it is. This is what men have literally killed for."

I had to laugh. "Dad, that is truly hideous! And you - you stinker - hidden in the most obvious place, but where someone with an untrained eye couldn't pick it out."

"But, Dad...Detective Igma told me the real piece was in a museum in London!"
Dad laughed, "First of all, Een trusts no one," and then more seriously, he added, "and the less you knew about the necklace, the safer you were. We knew Albright would come back once he retired. None of us thought he would wait five years! Everyone thought I was dead, so we felt certain he could come back here, retrieve the necklace, and leave the country. He would have sold the necklace in Europe for more than the estimated four million dollar value. The real value, of course, is intrinsic, but dollar value depends on what the collector is willing to pay. On top of the value of the piece itself, it also came complete with a legend. Albright could have lived in luxury the rest of his life."

"What made the police so sure Albright was behind the theft? He had been the curator of some of the biggest museums in the state. Surely he would have been considered beyond reproach.....

"He should have been beyond reproach, but wasn't smart enough to stay there. He was smart enough to get to that position, I'll give him that. They found out that he had actually been arrested in the past for theft of priceless historic artifacts, but never convicted. He created a new identity for himself, including education and past employment experience. Unfortunately, besides the requisite background checks, etc. no one forced the issue to find the truth. We only found out when we ran a fingerprint from the murder scene. We knew he hadn't found the real necklace, so we knew that eventually he would have to return. We've been keeping an eye on him since. When he made an unexpected trip to this area, we knew what he was looking for and set up surveylance on the cabin.

"You were a complete surprise, though. I thought you were vacationing 3 months ago, at which time there was no danger for you here. Why did you wait to come here?" I explained the situation with the mother cat having kittens just when I was trying to leave. "Silly girl," Dad said with a laugh. "I should have known only newborn kittens would spoil your vacation plans!"

"Ok, Dad, I think I understand the background, but please explain what happened here. I mean, between sasquatch wearing Red Wings and being knocked out I'm very confused."

Dad settled back and began filling in the details. "Ean called me and told me about the plan to catch Albright in the act. Of course, I'd been in contact with him and Brooks since day one. I'm sorry I couldn't let you know, honey, but we couldn't take chances. Believe me, when I got the call to come back, I was on the next plane! Since the airport was a good thirty miles from home, the only precaution I took to hide my identity was a mustache, sunglasses and a basball cap."

"I took a taxi straight here, with no problem," he continued. "I ran into a situation not long after I arrived that could have put some kids in danger, though. They were rowing over from the hotel and camping in the woods. So, any time I heard talking or anyone approaching, I put on old 'Harry.'" Dad pointed at the Sasquatch outfit, and we both laughed at the ridiculous nickname. "That frightened off the kids and hid my identity. Even though I kept the shutters closed and used only a candle at night, I didn't want even a hint that the place was occupied."

"Now, I guess I have to tell you about the night of the murder." Dad looked down at the floor, and I knew the vision of that night was still causing him pain. "I arrived here late that afternoon, and hid the necklace in with the costume jewelry. Then, since it was only six o'clock, I decided to surprise your mother and clear a bit more ground for her flowers."

That struck me as funny, because Dad always teased Mom about her "weed garden," but the look on his face stopped my laughter immediately. He was obviously suffering with the memory of that day. "I'm sorry, Dad; continue, please."

"I took the shovel out back and began to dig. I had my hunting knife with me. You know, it came in so handy for cutting tap roots. I never thought killing a weed would make me look like a murderer and keep me from my family..." His voice trailed off, and I turned my head until he was able to speak again.

His gentleness had always shone through his actions. Taking me to the park on Sundays, bringing flowers home for mom "just because", stopping by the side of the road to help an injured bird one sweltering Saturday afternoon. I could see how painful this recounting would be. His strong hands repeatedly gripped and relaxed on the arms of the chair, knuckles white, and it seemed he aged 10 years in just these few short minutes. It made my heart ache, seeing him so. I could only recall one other time I had witnessed this heaviness of burden.

At his trial he was outwardly stoic, But I knew inside he was crushed.The evidence of that damned knife was was the proverbial smoking gun; the rest was purely circumstantial. The jury bought it all and during sentencing, his shoulders slumped when the verdict was read. I wanted to stand and shout, "He is not a killer! Not my father!" As officers lead him from the courtroom, I saw the weight of the world settle upon his shoulders.No more Sunday walks in the park, no more flowers "just because", no first aid to animals in need. No father.

I heard him clear his throat. I swiped a finger under my eye to dispell the threatening tears then met his gaze.

His voice steadied now, he continued. "If I hadn't been so thirsty, I would never have known what happened, but I decided to go back to the cabin for a drink of water. Just as I was coming around to the front I saw a man running down the road. He was running rather briskly for a man his size. I don't even think he knew I saw him. It seemed strange to me that the museum curator would even be there, since we knew each other only professionally. Although he knew I was familiar with the necklace, I had been informed by Brooks that no one except Igma, Brooks himself and I would know that I had helped them make the switch. I yelled, but Albright never turned around again. It was then that I heard moaning coming from the cabin."

"I ran to the door, which had been left ajar, and saw a man who looked vaguely familiar lying in his own blood."

"The janitor from the police station," I said, and he nodded.

"I still had my hunting knife when I came in, but I dropped it somewhere near the doorway. I never gave it another thought; I went directly to the wounded man and tried to reassure him, but he was no longer conscious. After I called 911, I went over to the man again, located his stab wounds to try to stop the bleeding, but he was already dead. The state police were the first to arrive, and they immediately started questioning me. I saw an officer pick up my knife and put it in an evidence bag, and realized then that I would be charged, so I urged them to call our police station and speak to Brooks."

He stopped talking and I said nothing. The whole experience had been so horrendous; I waited until he was ready to continue.

"So there I was, blood on my hands and my fingerprints on the knife,and a dead body in my cabin," he said with a sigh."It just easier to go ahead with the phony trial, put me into protective custody, and wait for their next move.It seemed like a good idea at the time and a way to insure your safety."

One one hand, I was resentful. So much missed time with my father. On the other hand, he protected Mom and me the best way he knew how.

"I have to say, they did a good job with the trial. I was almost conviced that I had killed him, not revive him - greedy :censor::censor::censor::censor::censor::censor::censor: that he was. That janitor was supposedly promised half of the money that the necklace would bring. He should have known better. No one makes that generous of an offer. Een, Brooks and I figured that Albright thought I was burying the necklace in the garden since I was doing that yardwork. We assumed the necklace was safe where it was originally hidden. Ironically, I was going to bury it...just put it in the box until I had the chance to." He gave a little chuckle.

"So, did you kill yourself off to try to bring him out? Why didn't they just arrest him with the evidence so fresh? Couldn't there have been some link to Albright that would have cleared you?"

"Honey, this is where it gets complicated. We had to fake my death so that there wasn't a real one to report. Albright was almost as good as John Gotti. He hired men on the inside to off me. Fortunately, a snitch caught wind of it, and hoping to knock some time off his sentance, reported it to a prison guard. Once Brooks got word of it we faked my death so Albright would think he succeeded and I would no longer be in danger. And so I could get out of prison and into a witness protection program. Prison isn't all fun and games, you know."

I shuddered to think what might have happened if Albright's scheme had gone through as planned. "Just one more question, Dad. How did you and Detective Igma happen to be in the woods when Albright came?"
"We weren't," he answered. "We were in the cabin. Even Een didn't hear Albright coming. He called you at the hotel to tell you that Albright had left his home, and was heading out of town on a totally different route. We didn't realize how crafty an SOB he was, so we thought there would be lots of time for you and me to visit. And, you're a smart girl. If Albright wasn't coming to the cabin soon, we needed a plan to force his hand."
"Ean and I were mulling things over when the door opened and Albright stood in the doorway with a gun pointed at us."

"Lucky for us, you were driving up at just that time. Albright turned to see who was coming up the drive and that gave us the chance to tackle him. Well, try to tackle him, at least. When that first attempt failed, we took off in separate directions into the woods. He was close behind me but apparently couldn't get a clean shot off because of the trees. With all the rain, Een slipped and fell down the embankment. When I heard him scream in pain, I knew Albright would pounce on him like a lion on a wounded gazelle. I confronted Albright and tried to reason with him. You know, the 'I'll give you the necklace if you let us live' type lines. He had enough talk, and I knew I was going to die soon. Then I saw you waving from the bushes. I think you know what happened after that."

"I certainly do!" It was a crude plan, but I had to do something," I answered. "Hey, Dad, there's something really important we have to do before tomorrow morning."
"And what would that be, pray tell?" he asked with a grin on his face.
"Well, Dad, I think there's another person who might want to know you're alive; in fact, she's at my house kitty-sitting right now. I think I better call her before we go bursting in though. The last thing we need now would be Mom going into shock!"
"O.K., sweetheart, you make the call. I'll go look for my razor. I want to look my best before I see my bride....Oh, you don't mind if we go right home after I get rid of you, do you?" he asked, smiling. "We have some important catching up to do, and this time I don't need your help!"

After thoroughly debriefing the police the following day, Dad and I returned to the city. I had never seen Mom so nervous as when we pulled up to my house. She looked like a schoolgirl waiting for her date to the prom. The nervousness turned to a very tearful reunion when Dad swept her up in his arms and twirled her around like the military men returning from World War 2. Mom didn't even say hello to me, but I didn't blame her for that. The love of her life, who she thought was dead, had returned for her - a knight in shining armour.

I unloaded my car after they drove off. I still had 5 days of vacation left, and I was looking forward to some peace and quiet with just my furry family to keep me company. I didn't think I could handle any more adventures....

The evening was quiet, except for a chorus of crickets..which made the night hours even more magical than usual. She sat on her porch swing with Portia, her white cat, on her lap and wondered if life could ever get any better than it already was. The only light visible was the glow of a candle which sat on her wicker end table. The sky was as black as ebony, and the stars seemed to be winking at her..."Good job." Well, with a bit of imagination she could hear them. Dad was back and she had been instrumental in saving his life. Mom and Dad were together, and she had five glorious days to enjoy it all. It was a "Beautiful Life." Finally, the silence was broken by the recurrent and annoying buzzing of her phone. "Darn it!" she muttered, and she reluctantly entered the house to answer it.

"Hello?"

No answer.

"Hello? Anyone there?"

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry love. I was waiting for the machine to pick up. What are you doing back already?"

She let out a sigh of relief. It was only her sometimes-boyfriend, Mark. Since she was back early, he wanted to take her out to dinner, but they decided to have him come over with some takeout so she could explain just why exactly she was back early, and so she could relax.

Jessica decided to take a quick shower and change while Mark was picking up the food. She was not in love with Mark, but he was a great guy, and she had discovered they had a lot in common. He was one of those people who made everyone feel special. Jessica began to look forward to seeing him. He was tall, with dark brown wavy hair and deep blue eyes. The fact that he lifted several times a week didn't hurt his overall appearance either!
She stepped out of the shower and threw on a robe. He was here already, only 25 minutes, pretty good time to call in and pick up an order! As Jessica opened the door, she apologized, "Mark, I was in the--Mark?" There was no one there. "I guess it was my imagination," She mumbled to herself as she went to the bedroom and put on clean navy shorts and a tank top. The door bell rang, and this time Mark stood on the porch with bags in each arm. Jessica laughed. "What did you do, ring the bell with your foot? You have enough food for--"
"Here, hold these, will you? What in the world is this?" he asked as he bent over and picked up a note.

Oh Great......the note was written in french! Now what? Mark slowly read the words: "Il nous fait plaisir de vous annoncer que....blah, blah, blah......s.v.p. vous presenter a 203 rue de Champagne....." it went on and on and they had no clue what it meant or who it was intended for. Aha! Another adventure. Now.....was I really up for this? All I really wanted tonight was good food, good company and a good night sleep. "Mark", I said, "What do you say we just ignore the note, whatever it may be and cuddle up? I don't think I'm hungry right now...."

Mark had a look on his face that just didn't seem like a normal "Mark" face. A mischievious look at that. Oh no......please don't tell me........here we go again!!!!

"Oh, come on," Mark coaxed. "We'll work on the translation between bites. I still remember a little bit of my high school French! Here," he said, and patted the couch as he sat down," Let's find out what it says. Look! s.v.p., Isn't that like r.s.v.p.? Someone probably wants you to come to their wedding in Paris!"
Jessica gave him a soft punch on the arm. "Right... I have so many friends in France! Let me see that." She glanced through the note, wondering why the bearer of the note left it on the doorstep instead of waiting for her to answer the door. "It looks as if I am invited somewhere, or this is a really elaborate joke. Look at the quality of this paper; it's expensive! I'll get it translated tomorrow. Right now I'd rather just sit here and talk."
Mark took the invitation back and looked at it again. "You know, this could be from someone in New Orleans or Quebec. Or, it could be some other guy who just wants to be alone with you at a great French restaurant. Rue--That means street..."
Instead of answering, she gently took the note and put it on the coffee table, turned on the V.C.R. and gave him a soft kiss. "Now, do you want to read notes or watch a scary movie with me?"

"Come on Jessi." Mark cooed. He was the only person who could get away with calling her that. She would have smacked anyone who didn't use her full name - Jessica. "When have you not been up for an adventure?"

"You want adventure?!? I'll tell you about adventure!" And so over the scrumptious Indian food he brought she told him all about her father, the necklace, the murders, and what she had just been through. They flipped through the channels after dinner, and she promptly fell asleep on his shoulder.

Jessica woke up under a blanket, the TV playing some infomercial, and Mark pouring over the note.