Malibu Nights--Part 7
By Nancy F. Thysell (the Nifty Lady)
This story follows immediately after Malibu Nights--Part 6
###
Wednesday, 9:30 p.m.--En route to the DeSoto's home
John Gage turned the Land Rover in the direction of Roy's house, smiling to himself. It had been a good day. He had gotten his return to duty release. He had had a wonderful dinner with two of his favorite ladies and had even gotten to show off the station to Chris Martin. He smiled over at Chris and she returned his smile.
"Come on Johnny! Keep your eyes on the road!" JoAnne DeSoto scolded from the rear seat.
"Yes ma'am," Johnny chuckled and concentrated on the moderate traffic.
Half a block behind the Rover, Jimmy Chandler was maintaining his distance in the stolen Bel-Air. He watched the other vehicle intently as it moved from lane to lane. Jimmy smiled wickedly to himself. Wouldn't the dark-haired man be surprised to see him again? He reached down with his right hand to caress the gun beside him. This time he wouldn't be so generous as to let him go.
Suddenly, the engine of the Bel-Air sputtered and died forcing Jimmy to ease it to the curb. It took him a moment before he realized that the gas gage was broken and he had run out of fuel. In anger he slammed his hand into the steering wheel. He looked up and realized the Land Rover was gone. Panic washed over his body and he trembled uncontrollably. He took deep breaths to slow his breathing.
"Never mind," he told himself. "I know where you work man. It's only a matter of time. It's only a matter of time."
He grabbed the gun and stuffed it into the waistband of his pants before he got out of the car. Standing, he pulled out his shirttails to conceal the gun handle. He looked up and down the darkened street. Now he was stranded miles from the mission. Chances were that a bus wouldn't be operating this late. He decided his only resort was to steal another car. With that, he shoved his hands into his pockets and began walking.
###
Saturday, 7:30 a.m.--Station 51, Locker room
Johnny had just finished dressing. He closed his locker after giving Smokey his ritual tap. He rubbed his hands together gleefully. It felt so good to be back. He crossed the truck bay to the day room. The men of C-Shift were lounging around the room waiting for their shift to end. The guys greeted him warmly on his return to full duty. He poured himself a mug of coffee and joined the other firefighters at the table, picking up a section of the morning paper to read. Gradually, the rest of A-Shift arrived. All were amazed that Johnny not only was on time, but he was early.
The shift passed with a routine number of calls that kept both the engine and squad fairly busy. Across the street, Jimmy Chandler kept watch on the station from the front seat of an aging, faded green, Ford Country Squire station wagon he had purloined three days earlier. He had been watching for the dark-haired man since that night. He had finally spotted him in the smaller red truck as they rushed to an emergency. He continued his vigil, trying to come up with a plan. As the day wore on, he became bolder and started following the red trucks. But he couldn't keep up with them. With their flashing lights and sirens, they could drive through intersections without stopping; leaving Jimmy stuck in traffic unable to follow.
He would return to his stakeout position and continue to devise a plan to get to the dark-haired man. Suddenly it came to him. They were firemen! They went to fires! That's all he had to do. A fire. It was so simple. Eagerly, he began to drive around the surrounding neighborhood looking for place to burn.
###
Sunday, 8:00 a.m.--Station 51
The members of A-Shift changed into their civvies and headed for their homes. Johnny pulled onto the boulevard and turned left. He had to get home to take care of his horses before he could make it over to Roy's to see Chris. Chandler pulled into traffic behind him, determined that he wouldn't lose the Land Rover again. He was careful and kept his distance and was gratified when Johnny pulled into his drive. Chandler drove past the driveway and parked on the shoulder of the road at least a quarter mile away. Then on foot he made his way back to the house, hoping that he'd find Crystal there. Even if she was with that man, he wanted to see her. He needed to see her. From the security of the trees, Jimmy watched as Johnny went about his chores. There wasn't a sign of anyone else around. He was disappointed. It would be so easy to take "out" the dark-haired man. One shot, probably. So easy but he still didn't know where his Crystal was and he knew he had to get that information first.
He was getting bored waiting for something to happen. He was getting hungry too. He waited for two hours. Then he saw Johnny come out of the house, looking like he had showered and changed clothing. Alarmed, he watched the man get in the Land Rover and take off. There was no way he was going to make it back to his car in time to follow. He cursed the disappearing vehicle. Then he looked at the house. No one was home now.
Chandler quickly made his way to the porch, glancing around to see if anyone was watching, and jimmied the lock. The house was relatively neat in appearance but that held no interest for Jimmy. He found the kitchen and began searching for something to eat. The pickings were slim but he soon ate his fill. He found a six-pack of beer in the refrigerator and helped himself to the whole thing. Chandler made his way back out to the front porch, downing the first beer as he went. He left the front door open and tossed the empty can in the yard. Well, maybe he wouldn't find Crystal today but it wouldn't be long now. He returned to the station wagon and headed back to the fire station's neighborhood. He still had to make plans for the fireman. He counted the days on his fingers. Tuesday. That's when the fire had to be ready. Tuesday is when that fireman would be back at work. Stupid schedule! He tossed another empty beer can out the car window.
###
Sunday afternoon–
Johnny spent the afternoon driving Chris around to look at apartments. He really didn't want her to leave the safety of the DeSoto's home but they all knew that she couldn't stay there forever. Chris would snuggle close to his side as they drove around and he loved the smell of her hair. So far Johnny had an objection to each apartment they looked at: It was too small; it was too difficult to get to; it was too large; it was on the ground floor; it was on the second floor; it was too expensive; or it was in a bad neighborhood. Chris was beginning to wonder if having Johnny along was a mistake. Obviously he wasn't in favor of her finding a new place to live.
Chris felt frustrated as she looked over at Johnny as he reentered the Rover from the latest rejection.
"Well, where to next?" he asked cheerfully. Chris threw down the paper dejectedly and sighed heavily.
"Roy and JoAnne's I guess."
"What? We haven't seen them all have we?" he asked in surprise.
"Yes, Johnny, we have! Oh, I'm never going to find a place to live at this rate!" Chris moaned.
Johnny gave her a lopsided smile. "Well, my offer is still open..."
"John Gage. We have closed that offer," she reminded him again. Not that a part of her didn't long to move in with Johnny. However, it was that her upbringing frowned on that type of cohabitation. It was marriage or nothing and so far, marriage hadn't come up in their discussions. Sometimes she wondered if it ever would.
Johnny tried to smile at Chris. He really did want her to move in with him and he tried to respect her decision not to. It was just that he had this overwhelming desire to protect and take care of her. It suddenly occurred to him that there was only one way Chris would move in with him. It would be as his wife. The realization took his breath away and he swallowed hard. He knew he loved her but marriage? Wow, that was a big step. He reached over and took her right hand in his. Man. I can't wait for her to get those casts off.
"Don't worry, sweetie. We'll find the perfect place for you," he promised. Suddenly Chris straightened up.
"Arrrgh! I can't stand it any more!" Chris cried. "This itching is driving me insane. Johnny do you have a coat hanger in here anywhere?" Chris had begun wriggling her arm inside its cast. She spied his clean uniform hanging from a hook behind the driver's seat. "Ah ha! There's a hanger."
"Hold on Chris! You are not going to put a hanger down that cast!" Johnny ordered.
"And just how do you plan to stop me," she asked defiantly. In response, Johnny pulled the Rover over to the curb and parked. He twisted in his seat to face her and the next thing she knew he had her in his arms and he was kissing her. When they finally came up for air, Chris giggled.
"That was nice but my arm still itches,"?she complained.
"You silly girl. I guess I'll just have to try that again." And with that, Johnny kissed her again and again.
###
Sunday, 5:00 p.m.--Outside the DeSoto's house
Johnny parked in front of Roy's house and hurried around to help Chris out of the Rover. He knew Chris was disappointed about not finding an apartment but he couldn't help being relieved. They were half way to the door, when it opened and Roy came outside.
"Hi Chris! Johnny! Great news!" he exclaimed as he hurried out to meet them holding a torn piece of paper. Johnny eyed his partner suspiciously.
"What is it?" Chris asked excitedly.
"A friend of JoAnne's called awhile ago and told us of a place in Venice that's available as a sublease, It sounds perfect for you Chris!" Roy handed her the slip of paper.
"One bedroom bungalow, roomy fenced lot, two blocks from the beach…" Chris read out loud. Even the monthly rent was manageable.
"Oh, Roy! It does sound perfect. When can I see it?"
"Right now, if you want. I'll go tell JoAnne to give Judy a call back and then we can all ride over and take a look at it together," Roy told her with a broad grin on his face. Johnny wasn't too happy but knew he couldn't object either. A few minutes later, the two couples were on their way to Venice to look at the property.
###
Sunday, 5:30 p.m.--A small bungalow near a canal in Venice
Johnny parked the Land Rover in front of the address. The four people exited the vehicle and stood admiring the quaint building. The well-manicured lawn of Dichondra was enclosed with a vine covered chain link fence to provide privacy. The stucco structure was painted a creamy off white and the wood trim was a dark chocolate brown. Tall, richly green plants framed the small stoop. Flower boxes filled with blooming geraniums decorated the windows. An avocado tree occupied most of the southeast corner of the yard. A stepping stone path led around the house to back. There was sufficient room in the back yard to park one vehicle and still maintain a garden. Chris was already in love with the place and she hadn't even seen the inside.
"JoAnne?" a woman's voice called.
"We're back here, Judy," JoAnne responded. A tall brunette, a few years older than JoAnne cornered the building and approached the group. She gave JoAnne a hug and said hello to Roy.
"Judy these are our friends, Crystal Martin and John Gage. Johnny. Chris. This is Judy Davenport."
"It's nice to meet you," they all said at once and everyone laughed.
"Chris is the one looking for a place to live," JoAnne went on to explain. Judy nodded.
"Great. Well, I have the key. I'm looking after the place for a family member," she said to Chris. "The current tenant was transferred to the East Coast last week and still has six months left on the lease. I told him if we could find someone to sublet, he wouldn't have to break the lease or lose his deposits. I just happened to be talking to JoAnne today when she mentioned that you were looking for a new place. Would you like to see the inside?"
"Would I! After seeing how nice the outside is, I can't wait to see the inside," Chris answered excitedly. Judy unlocked the back door and led the group into the kitchen. The kitchen was small with barely enough room to turn around in but it led to a sunny eating area. Just off to the left was the cozy living room. A door in the middle of the wall led to the single bedroom. The only access to the bathroom was from the tiny bedroom. Everything was neatly appointed. The bungalow had been built in the 1920s and still had it's beautiful hardwood floors.
"Now don't worry about all the furniture. The tenant has a moving company coming tomorrow to pack it up and ship it," Judy informed them.
Chris' eyes were wide with wonder and delight. "It's so cute! I love it! How soon can I move in?"
"How soon do you want to?" Judy replied just as delighted.
"Johnny? When do you guys have a Saturday off?" Chris asked, knowing she'd need help moving. Johnny opened his wallet and pulled out the calendar with the monthly shift schedules.
"Well, it appears that A-Shift is off this coming Saturday and Sunday. I suppose that means you need me and Roy to help you move, huh?"
"Well, actually, I was hoping for the whole shift," Chris shyly admitted. Roy had to chuckle at that.
"I think we'd better check with the guys before we volunteer their services," Roy told her.
"Okay. Then we'll shoot for Saturday," Judy concluded.
Judy, JoAnne and Roy moved back outside. Chris wanted to walk through the place one more time. Johnny stood back and watched her take it in. She acted like a kid on Christmas morning.
"Oh, Johnny! It's just perfect! It's exactly what I wanted!" She walked over to him and leaned into him. "What do you think?"
He put his arms around her and held her eyes with his gaze.
"I think this place has you written all over it!" he pronounced.
"Really?"
"Really. Congratulations sweetie!" Then he found her lips with his and they embraced.
###
Sunday, 10:30 p.m.--Johnny's house
Johnny pulled into his driveway and was startled when the beam from his headlamps raked the front of his house and he saw his front door standing open. He frowned because he knew he had locked the door when he left that morning. He killed the engine and turned off the lights and listened. There was only the sound of normal evening noises. Johnny stepped from the Rover and approached the house quietly. He jumped as his booted foot impacted the beer can in the yard. That hadn't been there when he left either. He approached the house wishing he had something to use as a weapon in case he encountered someone inside.
He hesitated again as he stood inside the doorframe to listen. Silence. He reached over and flipped the light switch to "on" and instantly flooded the room with light. No sounds. He felt himself relax a little as he tried to convince himself that who ever had broken in was gone. He looked at the door and could tell that the lock had been jimmied. He checked around the room but didn't see anything missing. He began a methodical search of each room and finished in the kitchen. This was the only room that seemed disturbed. Packages of chips and crackers had been opened. The bread was gone. Crumbs covered his counter. He relaxed a little when he realized that it was only someone looking for food. It was a bit disconcerting that the person had taken all of his beer but Johnny resigned himself to the fact it was a small price to pay, considering nothing else was missing.
Satisfied with his inspection, he returned to the living room and dialed the sheriff's department to report the break in. The officer offered to send out someone to check the place over but Johnny assured him that he was fine and that obviously his burglar was only a hungry, homeless person. He didn't see any point in making a Federal case out of it.
After completing the report to the police, Johnny retrieved his toolbox and set about repairing the door lock as best as he could. He was able to secure it, albeit temporarily, until he could buy a replacement. Maybe it was time to put in a dead bolt. The job done, he called Roy's house to say goodnight to Chris. He didn't tell her about the break in. They talked for a while, then he wished her a good day at work on the morrow as she returned to her job before they said goodnight.
###
Tuesday, 1:00 p.m.—An abandoned building near Station 51
Jimmy thought he had found the ideal place. The building was abandoned. Perhaps it had been for years. Vandals had shattered most of the windows. Graffiti covered the outside walls. Chandler had to pry a board off a window to gain access to the interior. The open room was littered with trash and discarded, broken furniture.
"Perfect! Just perfect!" he told himself. "Just pile a few things up in the middle here. Pour gas on it and just light a match."
He busied himself arranging the items for his "bon fire." He had determined that he would use this place to see how the firemen from the station would handle a fire. He needed to understand how they put out fires before he could put his real plan into action.
He stood back to admire his handiwork. Then it occurred to him that he needed to be able to get away from the fire without being noticed. Being an arsonist was harder than he thought it would be. After working on a couple of ideas, he stumbled on the idea of using a candle to burn down to the gasoline soaked rags. Now everything was in place. He lit the candle and quickly left the building. He scanned the neighborhood to see if anyone was watching and casually made his way to the far side of the street. He climbed into the Ford station wagon and sat back to wait. He wondered how long if would take. Within minutes he could see wisps of smoke seeping through the broken glass of the windows. Soon he could see the orange flickering of the flame as it greedily devoured the structure. Anxiously he watched for the firemen. Surely someone would have called it in, wouldn't they? He was beginning to worry when the sound of the approaching fire engine's siren filled the air. He watched with fascination as Big Red pulled up to the scene and her men were deployed to fight the fire. He scowled, as he didn't see the smaller truck. Another engine arrived and the fire was extinguished quickly.
He watched as they searched through the rubble, putting out hot spots, making sure the fire was contained and out. He wondered why the small truck hadn't come with them. This was something he needed to find out before he set the next fire. He swore in anger. They weren't going to make it easy for him.
###
The rest of the week went quickly. Johnny spent his days off at Chris’ old apartment packing her things for her. She still hadn’t been able to make herself go back there. Returning to work had been more exhausting than she had thought possible. Her boss had been considerate but expected her to get things back to normal as soon as possible. She found herself nodding off early each evening. However, she eagerly looked forward to moving on the weekend. As much as she appreciated Roy and JoAnne’s hospitality, she longed for her own space again.
During that same time, Chandler was experimenting with various methods of arson. All three shifts of Station 51 were plagued with one or more runs per shift in answer to a fire of Chandler’s making. The three captains had met because they were becoming concerned at the frequency and variety of the fires. Though it was obvious each incident had been arson there was no clear pattern to the type or style. The only common denominator had been their proximity to the station itself. Thus far their current firebug had not harmed any lives and had only destroyed abandoned buildings. But it was only a matter of time. Their greatest concern seemed to be the increased sophistication of the incinerary devices the firebug was employing.
Saturday morning found the men of A-Shift lugging boxes and moving furniture from Chris’ old apartment to the bungalow. JoAnne and Chris attempted to unpack the boxes as the men came and went. By dark that evening, everything had been moved and the majority of the furniture had been placed where Chris wanted it. She served delivery pizza for her movers before they departed for their respective homes.
Johnny lounged on the sofa with his tired feet resting on a stray box. Chris came out of the bedroom carrying an armload of linens and smiled at him.
"You awake?" she asked softly. Johnny raised his head and looked at her with a smile.
"So far. Man, am I beat!" He rubbed his face with his hands and then stretched his muscles. He patted the space beside him. "Come here and rest a bit."
She stacked the linens on the coffee table and lowered herself with John’s helpful hands down beside him. She leaned against his side and sighed, happy.
"I can’t believe I’m here!" she admitted in an awe struck voice.
"Me either. It’s a nice place. But I’m sure glad you don’t have anything else to move," Johnny told her honestly.
"Oh, that’s not true!" Chris objected.
"What? Did we miss something?" Johnny gave her an odd look.
Chris laughed, "I still have to move your sorry butt outta here so I can get some sleep."
Johnny feigned offense. "Hey! If it wasn’t for this sorry butt you’d never have gotten moved!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she teased. She leaned in and kissed him soundly on the lips. Johnny pulled her close and kissed her passionately. If that damn cast didn’t keep getting way! Chris giggled as he tried to maneuver around the plastered arm. John narrowed his eyes at her and forced a stern look.
"Sorry," she said as she tried to stifle her laughter by covering her mouth with her free hand. He couldn’t hold the look either and gradually his lopsided grin formed. He leaned in and kissed her again. He longed to touch her and be with her. She was the first woman he had ever dated that he had been this patient with. But Chris was special and she was worth waiting for. As their lips parted, a yawn escaped his lips which he quickly tried to cover with his hand.
"Now I’m sorry," he told her.
"Will you be okay to drive home?" she asked with genuine concern.
"Oh yeah," he responded through heavy eyelids. He yawned again.
"I don’t know Johnny. I know you must be exhausted. And you seem really sleepy. Maybe you should take a nap before you head home?"
"No. ‘M all right," he slurred drowsily as he snuggle against Chris’ breasts. He had to admit they made nice pillows.
"Johnny! Let me up. I’m going to get you a pillow and a blanket," she told him. Reluctantly, Johnny let go and felt her rise from the sofa. He reached for her.
"Don’t go. Stay with me?"
Chris turned and kissed the top of his unruly hair softly.
"I’ll be right back," she whispered. By the time Chris returned with the pillow and blanket, Johnny was snoring softly. She put the pillow on one side of him and then draped the blanket over his half sitting position. Then she brushed the hair from his forehead and planted a kiss there.
"Nighty night," she said sweetly. Then she turned off all the lights and retired to her bedroom. She closed the door between them and sighed. It was so difficult to hold on to her virtues with the man she loved so close. She crossed to her bed and quickly changed into her nightgown. She felt so safe in this new place, especially with Johnny in the next room. She crawled into bed and promptly fell asleep.
Sometime later, Johnny awoke with a start, confused as to his surroundings. He quickly realized where he was and that he needed to use the bathroom. The door to Chris’ room was closed and the only way to that room was through that door. He hesitated before he turned the knob. He found that it wasn’t locked and he opened the door quietly. He could hear Chris’ even breathing as she slept. First, he removed his boots and in his sock feet, he tiptoed across the room. Silently Johnny entered the bathroom and closed the door behind him before he turned on the light.
When he reentered the room, Johnny couldn’t help himself and he crossed over to Chris’ bed. She was sleeping on her right side. He knelt down so he could gaze at her sleeping face. He felt an overpowering sense of love and desire for this petite young woman slumbering peacefully before him. He leaned in and kissed her lightly on the forehead. Then he tucked the comforter around her shoulder.
"I love you sweetie," he softly whispered. Chris stirred in her sleep but didn’t awaken. Johnny couldn’t bear the thought of going back to the sofa or going home for that matter. On impulse, he rounded the bed and crawled on top of the comforter and laid down beside Chris’ sleeping form. He spooned against her back and gingerly wrapped his arm over Chris’ cast. He inhaled of her scent and listened to her breathing. Soon he was lulled asleep.
###
THE END OF PART 7
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