The Butterfly Conspiracy (12 page)

It only took about ten minutes to get into town.
 
After driving around, it appeared to Stephen that Grand View consisted of about 10 streets with a few motels, three restaurants, a bar, two gas stations and a small IGA grocery store.
 

In a very short time, Stephen had driven up and down each street several times.
 
There was no sign of the man Stephen thought may have been following him.
 
Stephen pondered what to do next.
 
The only place that seemed to have any visible activity was a bar called The Freighter View.
 
He thought it wouldn’t hurt to stop in and see if he could learn anything there.

Stephen entered and took a seat at the bar.
 
He was just about to order a soda when the bartender slammed a foamy draft beer down in front of him and gestured over to two young men sitting to his right.
 
“It’s from Scott”, the bartender said.
 

Surprised, Stephen took a sip, turned and said, “Thanks, but isn’t it a little early for a beer?”
 

Scott and his buddy sauntered over.
 
“Yeah, it’s early.
 
We just got rained out and there’s nothing much to do so we come over here.
 
I made a bet with my cousin Joe, here, and I lost.
 
The bet was I had to buy the first person who comes into the bar a beer.
 
You was that guy.”

“Guess it is my lucky day.” Stephen laughed.
 
“What was the bet?”

“See that dog sitting over there?
 
Joe here, thought Frankie, the new bartender, would kick us out when we come in here with my dog.
 
Turns out the guy loves dogs, so no problem.”

Stephen looked over and saw an animal that appeared to be a lot closer to a wolf than a dog.

“That’s a dog?” Stephen asked.
 

“You betcha.
 
Well, kind of.
 
He’s a Czechoslovakian wolf dog.
 
A cross between a German shepherd and a timber wolf.
 
We call him King.
 
A guy give him to me cause he was afraid of him.
 
Now that’s not good.
 
You can’t show any fear around this dog.
 
You gotta be the boss.
 
I handled German Shepard’s when I was over in ‘
Nam
so the guy knew I could handle this one.”

Stephen marveled at the dog’s resemblance to the wolf he had seen on the way to Grand View.

“Does he make a good pet?”

Scott laughed.
 
“No, sir. He’s a one man dog but not much of a pet. I would never bring him in here if it was crowded.
 
But this early, I knew the Freighter would be
 
almost empty.
 
Most people take a look at him and stay away.”

“Hi, guys.
 
I’m Stephen.”
 

Scott was curious because Stephen didn’t have the typical tourist look.
 
He didn’t have the typical camper or backpacker look, either.

“Are you checking out the sites or staying with someone in town?” He asked Stephen.

Stephen explained that he was staying at his Uncle Phillip’s place for the summer.
 

“Oh, that’s a good one.” Scott laughed.
 
“You’re parked at the fancy Kahle place and I’m buying YOU a beer?”

Scott smacked the bar with his hand, “Now ain’t that something. But you know what?
 
Your uncle’s done a bunch of good things for this area, so I’m happy to get you a beer.”
  

“What about you guys?” Stephen asked.
 
“Do you live around here?”

“Yeah, my folks have a campground just out of town.” Scott said.
 
“Joe and I work there. We’re putting up a rec center right now. The rain put us out of business, at least for now.”
  

Stephen bought beers for Scott and Joe.

“I need to ask you guys a question.
 
Have you seen a big guy with a dark complexion, nose looks like it was broken a time or two?
 
He usually dresses in a suit.
 
He looks like this.”
 
Stephen pulled out a sketch he had ripped out of his sketch pad.
 

Both Scott and Joe started laughing.
 
Joe said, “Scotty, that’s the big guy we saw talking with Moon last night, right here.”
  
    

 
Scott studied the picture.
 

“Yeah, that’s the guy.
 
Holy wah, anyone who would be drinking with Moon has to be from out of town!” Scott laughed. “Is this guy a friend of yours?”

“Not quite. I have a pretty strong suspicion he followed me here from
New York City
, but I’m not sure. I need to find out what he’s doing here and see if any of his plans involve me.”

“Well that’s easy,” Scott said.
 
“Joe, give Moon a call.
 
Tell him we’re sitting down at the Freighter.
 
Tell him we want to buy him a pitcher of beer.”

Scott grinned at Stephen. “Believe me, that’ll get him down here.”

The front door of the freighter swung open and two girls walked in.
 

“Scotty, them two are the babes that are in the tent on lot 18.”
 
Joe said.
 
“Remember how cute I told you they were.”

Scott turned to see.
 
“They’re all cute to you, Joe.”

Joe ignored Scott’s remark.
 
“I’m gonna walk over and talk to them after I give Moonie a call.”
 
Joe said, climbing off the bar stool.

“Like, I’m surprised.” Scott responded.

Twenty minutes later Moon walked in and sat down next to Scott.
 
Stephen ordered Moon a pitcher of beer.
 

“What’s going on? Why in hell’s name are you guy’s buying me free beer?
 
I dragged my ass down as fast as I could.
 
This better not be your idea of some kind of prank, eh.”

“Calm down, Moonie.
 
We think you may know something that could help out our friend Stephen over here.”
  

Stephen reached over and shook Moon’s hand.
 
“Nice to meet you.”

“Remember that big, ugly guy in the suit you was yapping to last night?” Scott asked.

“Yea, you mean the guy from
New York
?”

“I guess.
 
We just need to know the guy’s story, that’s all.
 
Now, that’s worth a free pitcher, right?”

“And just why is that any of his business?” Moon asked, looking over at Stephen.
 

“Cause it is,” Scott replied.
 
“You want that free pitcher or not?”

“I suppose.
 
I didn’t come down here just to stare at you.” Moon poured a glass of beer, took a long swig and said, “Like I said, he ain’t from around here.
 
I don’t know much, just that he was looking for some business partners who had a bunch of dough and he wanted to know where Mr. Kahle lived. So I told him.
 
He showed up at the picket line this morning, nosing around.”

Scott watched as the color seemed to drain from Stephen’s face.

Chapter 14

    
Phillip was in the library working on the latest revisions to the script for his next movie.
 
His last few movies had not done as well as expected.
 
He knew it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to duplicate the success of his most lucrative films.
 
The popularity of the B-movie horror genre he had single-handedly revived was waning. They new trend was slasher movies, full of explicit blood and gore.
 
This was a direction he would not allow himself to go, no matter how financially successful it appeared to be.

Phillip caught himself reading the same page three times. Clearly he was not concentrating.
 
He wondered if Stephen had returned.
 
He looked out the window to where Jeanette usually parked her car.
 
The spot was empty.
 
Phillip wished Stephen had not ventured into town alone.
 
He walked down to Jeanette’s office and asked if she had seen Stephen return.
 
She had not.

Phillip walked outside.
 
The guard was walking back from checking on the protestors at the gate.

“Bobby”, Phillip called.
 
“Have you seen Britt?”
 

“I think she’s back at the cottage, Mr. Kahle.
 
I saw her go in the back after her walk this morning.”

Phillip walked along the path that skirted the edge of the pond and ended at the back of Britt’s house next to the mansion.
 
Phillip used his key and entered.
 
He could hear muted sounds from a television coming from the living room.
 
Britt was lying on the couch watching a black and white movie.
 
She glanced over when he entered the room.
 

“Once again, your antics have caused trouble,” Uncle Phillip said, staring at Britt.

“Not this lecture again.”

“I would hardly call a discussion about you trying to seduce my nephew a lecture.”

Britt sighed.
 
“Darling, it was just an accident.
 
I tripped on my gown.“

“That flimsy thing isn’t something you should be walking around in anyway.
 
Especially when I have company.”
 

“I know, maybe you’re right.
 
I walked in to have my coffee in the trophy room and your nephew’s eyes almost popped out of his head.”