8-Track (4 page)

“Thanks for driving me home. Where do you live?” she asked sweeping her hair back. The question caught Bill by surprise.

“Uh, in Conway, just a few minutes outside of town. It’s quiet, I like it.”

“Later gator,” Sam said drawing out the last half of each word.

“Bye.”         

Vanessa was sitting on the front steps smoking a cigarette. “Why didn’t Eli drive you home?”

“Eli asked Bill to drive me, something wrong with that?” Sam asked watching Bill drive away

“No, just be careful.”

By seven o’clock all the guests at Eli’s house had left, leaving Eli alone with Hubble outside on the patio talking. Hubble appeared composed although he was beginning to feel it. His body was calling for it, wanting, needing that next fix. The last thing he needed right now was for Eli to find out he was booting. He remained calm and stood up.

“What can I say Eli, thanks for the welcome back. Was really good of ya.” Eli grabbed a smoke from his vest.

“No problem, we all needed to move on,” he replied running the thumbwheel of his lighter over his thigh.

“Cool,” Hubble said slapping Eli on the back.     

“I’m heading down to Nashua tomorrow, thought I’d visit my cousin Lisa.  Haven't seen her in eight years, figured I’d get an early start. Talk to ya next week brother.”  Eli nodded. Hubble opened the driver’s door and got in. Feeling his arm begin to shake he placed the key in the ignition and drove off.

Eli stretched out in his Adirondack chair and looked up at the horizon. The sun was still visible, sitting just slightly above the trees. Shades of lavender, red and yellow filled the summer sky. He reached for the half smoked joint in front of him and lit it. Inhaling a long hit, he briefly wondered why he had never heard about a cousin named Lisa. Then he let it go.

Over the next several hours Bill moved a portion of his tools, the plywood, and equipment to the loft. After taking some measurements he laid everything down on drafting paper and flung open the window. A continuous warm breeze blew in while he cut the wood, sawdust floated like snowflakes to the ground and the smell filled the air.

By late afternoon Bill had built a suitable work bench beneath the oversized garden window. Crossing his arms he stood back to admire his handiwork. The frame was counter height laying seventy inches in length and forty-two inches deep. The ends were cheek-cut with a clean beveled edge, just to give it some character. Bill placed his tools on it, arranging them in a fashion only he could appreciate, and headed back to the house.

He stopped in the kitchen to grab a Heineken and eat some cold pizza before starting on his next project. Lifting the two Kenwood floor speakers, each about the size of a bedside table, Bill hauled them out onto his deck off the master bedroom. “Fuck,” he yelled catching his balance, nearly tripping over the trail of stranded-copper-speaker-wire lying across his floor.

Sipping his beer Bill eyed the stack of 8-track tapes,
what am I in the mood for, duck, duck, goose.
Removing the cassette from its glossy full color jacket Bill shoved it in the player, turned up the volume and started singing.

Moving his head to the continuous bass and piano of Ace’s “How Long”,  Bill made his way back through the house and out the slider. He stopped in the center of the porch, brought the beer bottle to his lips like a mic and sang into it loudly.

“Hey!” A loud voice behind him yelled. Bill dropped the bottle, nearly missing his foot, and spun around like a top.

“You got one of those for me?” Sam asked gleefully smiling ear to ear.

“Sam? Are you alone?” Bill asked over the music.

“Yeah, I was in the area, thought I’d say hi.”

“How’d you find me?” Bill asked before disappearing into the kitchen.     

“I have my ways.” The music faded and so did Sam’s smile.

Bill returned holding a roll of Bounty. “Do you want me to leave?” Sam asked. Bill shook his head.

“No. Stay awhile,” he replied tearing off a sheet and kneeling down to wipe up the beer.

“For sure. I’m sorry if I scared you.”

“It’s all right.”

Sam went around the porch, up the stairs and hugged him. Bill got up and stood motionless. Her skin was smooth, her body warm, smelling her he felt an uneasiness in his throat.
It was her perfume
.
I bought it once for Laurie at Filene
’
s Basement in Boston. Citrus, hyacinth, jasmine and sandalwood. Ralph Lauren
’
s Charlie.         

“Here, where’s the trash at?” she asked taking the wad of wet towels from Bill’s hand.

“Follow me.” Bill shook off the long ago memory of his wife and headed inside to the kitchen.

“Wow, this place is groovy.” Sam was admiring the house when Bill handed her a beer.

“So this is the kitchen, it’s more of what you call an open floor plan. Over there is the living and dining room.”

“The ceilings are so cool.”

“Yeah, the style is called Cathedral.” 

“It’s rad.”

“Let me show you the rest.”

Sam sipped her beer and followed Bill downstairs.

“This is the garage, but I gotta show you this.” Bill pressed the button to open the garage door. Sam laughed as the garage door noisily rose up overhead.

“I wanna try,” she blurted like a little kid, pressing the button and watching the garage door go down.

“So friggin cool.”

Bill ran his hand over his neatly trimmed beard and smiled at her excitement. “You wanna see something really cool?”

Sam nodded and took Bill’s hand. Bill found it difficult to ignore the electricity he felt holding her hand. They walked out to the barn, went inside and upstairs to the loft. It was hard not to miss the view once you were up there. The wide picture window faced north towards the Cranmore Mountains.

“It’s so beautiful,” Sam said.

“Yeah, it is. You wanna get out of here, maybe take a ride?”

“Right on,” Sam replied before downing her beer.

Bill was just about to lock the front door when he heard his phone ringing. He ran back up the stairs to answer it.

“Hello?”

“Bill, hey man it’s Eli. Can you do me a favor?”

“Sure, what’s up?”

“Can you go by the lake house and bring in the drywall and crap we left on the front porch. It’s gonna rain the next couple a days and I’d rather not have to buy new shit. I’d go but I got some stuff I gotta take care of. ”

“Sure.”

“Thanks, much appreciated brother. Let’s plan on working next Thursday. If you got no plans for the fourth, swing by.”

“OK, thanks.”

Sam was singing in the passenger seat of Bill’s Jeep when he came out of the house. The sight of her stopped him dead in his tracks on the front door step. Her bare feet were up on the dashboard, blue toe nail polish gave way to cocoa-colored legs, shapely and toned like a runners. Her long curly dark hair was swept back, putting even more emphasis on her big hazel eyes. Red lipstick covered her full lips, which coincidentally happened to match the Kiss logo on her t-shirt. She looked so dynamite Bill nearly forgot to lock the front door.

“Was that Eli on the phone?”

“Yeah, how’d you know?”

“Lucky guess, plus you’re helping him with his house,” Sam replied turning on the radio. Bill rolled down his window.

“Eli asked if I could go by the lake house and bring in some stuff we left out on the front porch. Is that cool with you?”

“I have nowhere to be, that’s cool. God I haven’t been to the lake house in years.” Bill glanced at Sam.

“Any reason why?”

“I dunno. Feels like it has or keeps bad memories, maybe part of it’s cause Eli still keeps that damn car in the boathouse.”

“What car is that?”

“My dad’s sixty-four Pontiac GTO, the one he was thrown from.” It took Bill a moment to process what Sam had said. Bill furrowed his thick brown eyebrows and looked at Sam.

“Eli keeps your dad’s car in there?” Bill recalled Eli’s reaction the day he returned with lunch.

“Yeah, he won’t get rid of it. I think it’s the one thing that reminds him of my dad.”

Hubble kept Eli’s pickup on the back roads of town until he was safely on Route 109. Still high from shooting up, he was driving in a paranoid state and needed to keep an eye open for anyone who might recognize him. He got off at Wolfeboro Falls and followed the road south.

It had been so long Hubble nearly missed the entrance which was camouflaged by part of a sweeping holly tree. With no other cars in sight, he turned in. Overgrown branches snapped and cracked against the truck, sounding like grinding metal. Shutting the engine off Hubble got out.

At the far end of the lot, the once giant movie screen now lay mostly on the ground, and in decay. Inoperative yellow steel speaker posts still remained, rising up in droves from the cracked strewn lot. Hubble navigated around them and crossed until reaching the path. Dense New England tree canopy overhead provided shade from the hot sun as he vanished beneath it.

Roughly twenty long, sweaty minutes had passed when Hubble emerged from the draining trek through the woods. Bending over he placed his hands on his knees and took a several deep breaths. Eight years of waiting had finally brought him to this point, this moment in time. A devilish grin grew on his face as he gazed upon the stained glass in the boathouse door.

“It’s mine now.” His petty, dry voice fell flat with no one around to hear him.
No cars in the driveway, no boats in the water and no neighbors to get in my fucking way.
Stepping out of the shade and into the sunlight, Hubble strolled across the property without a care. Anticipation grew in his body as he headed towards the door, a feeling of excitement he had waited years for. Licking his lips he wrapped his fingers around the handle, with a quick pull he tugged on it.

Fucking locked
. Hubble knew there was no other way in except for the skylight on the roof, and that wasn’t an option. With no easy way in, it would have to look like a break-in.
Smashing the stained glass would work.
Recalling a brick he nearly tripped over in the backyard, he went back to get it.
No more of this fucking place. Once I get what I came for, I can leave for good.

Hubble was in the middle of the yard when he heard the sound of music. His jaw dropped along with the brick in his hand when he saw the orange Jeep approaching. Fuming he ran into the woods. 

“Of all the mother fucking days,” he uttered hiding behind a tree. 

Bill allowed the diamond blue Volkswagen Bug to pass him on the left before turning. Sam raised the volume to Aerosmith’s “Train Kept a Rollin'” before punching Bill on the shoulder with her right hand.

“Punch buggy!”

“Oh, I see,” he replied pushing her away.

Sam jumped out of Bill's Jeep and sprinted across the property towards the pier. Bill kicked off his white Nikes before chasing her down. Sam sprinted to the very end and leaped into the lake. Bill, right behind her, took a deep breath and dove in off the side. Transparent tiny bubbles drifted from his nose as he swam underwater.

He opened his eyes, the visibility was clear and the water warm like a bathtub. Seeing Sam’s foot he playfully tugged on it while swimming beneath her. Bill continued on underwater. He broke the blue shimmering surface with a tumultuous smile, until he saw Sam, she was struggling to keep her head above the water. She was drowning.

A wave of panic came over Bill, his heart began to beat like some snare drum that Joey Kramer couldn’t get enough of. He swam quickly towards her. Sam was bobbing like a cork, her arms flailing at the sides, reaching for something to hold onto. Bill could see the fear in her eyes. Once within reach he wrapped his arm around her torso.

The pier was no more than two yards away but felt like a mile. Bill swam with her but could feel the energy draining from his muscles fast. The added weight was dragging them both down. Water began creeping over his head.

Bill dug deep, every ounce of his sinewy body fighting to stay afloat. With the last bit of his strength he clasped the pier. He made sure Sam was safely out of the water before hauling himself out. Panting he kneeled down. It took him a moment before he could speak.

“Are…you…OK?” 

Sam had tears in her still-glassy hazel eyes, her mascara smudged. She knew how perilously close they had come. A simple nod was all she could manage.

“What happened?” Bill asked still trying to catch his breath.

“I panicked. I can float but I can’t swim, I’m sorry.” 

“Jesus, don’t be sorry. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have grabbed your foot.” Standing up Bill placed his hand on her cheek and looked in her eyes.

“I’m fine, a little shaken but fine. Let’s not mention this to anyone.” 

Bill wrapped his arms around her, as much to comfort himself as to comfort her.“Yeah, let’s definitely not.”

Bill was bringing the last of the drywall inside when he noticed Sam sitting on a patch of grass eyeing the boathouse.

“Are you OK?” Bill asked touching her shoulder. Pushing her damp hair aside she nodded.

“So your dad’s car is in there, can I see it?” Inside Bill was questioning his own morbid curiosity.

“Sure.” Crossing the lawn Sam stumbled and nearly fell over a brick. Bill picked it up and heaved it into the woods. The sun had already begun to go down, giving the boathouse a more ominous feeling. Sam tugged on the door.

“It’s locked, don’t you have the house key?” Reaching into his pocket Bill produced the key and placed it in the cylinder.  They both heard the tumblers rotate as he turned it.

Sam took the handle and yanked, two steel wheels at the bottom of the door rotated counter-clockwise in the imbedded track. They stepped inside and were assaulted by a musty dry smell. Bill didn’t have to look far, the wide nose of the once alluring black Pontiac GTO pointed right in front of him.

All four of the tires were flat, leaving its decaying body slumping on rusted rims. Half of the passenger side windshield was gone, the other half covered in long webbed cracks. The entire left side of the car was smashed in, looking more like it had been in a demolition derby than an accident. Heavy oxidation had built up on the chrome and its exposed mangled metal body. “Is this the first time you’ve seen it?”

“No, I saw it years ago, my mother brought me over to look at it. I wanted to see it then. Now, I just wanna forget about that damn car.”

Bill put his arm around Sam’s shoulder, feeling her still damp t-shirt.  “Let’s go.” 

He locked the door behind them and guided her back to his Jeep. He opened the tailgate and placed the house key in the pocket of his tool belt before driving away.

Sitting motionless under a shadow of trees Hubble watched Bill’s every movement from afar. Hubble clenched his fists and debated for a moment.
They
’
re gone. I could do it right now, but what if they come back?
Putting the pieces together in his mind, Hubble decided.