Chapter 25

There was really nothing more for me to do, so I walked downtown with every intention of going to Don’s. I wondered if I would go into shock as I did after the Colorado bank robbery, but apparently only killing people did that to me.

Walking by Wingers Plumbing I had a thought and went in. I asked Mr. Winger at the counter if they carried adjustable showerheads. He didn’t know what I was talking about.

After I explained what I was looking for he pulled out catalogs from Moen and Delta. They didn’t have anything like that. All shower heads were made to send out a stream of water straight in front. What direction you aimed it when installing was where it went.

Mr. Winger laughed and said, “That sounds handy, you should invent one.”

I thanked him and left.

At Don’s there was one good thing, ‘Rock and Roll Cowboy’ had been removed from the jukebox, that thing had run its course.

I had a hamburger, fries and a coke. While I was eating at the counter several kids came in and talked about the big wreck downtown. Two people were hurt, but no one was dead. A car caught fire and burned completely. Some guy ran into flames ten feet high and got the people out. The fire department had put the fire out, but traffic was a mess.

I thought about what those kids had said, there were no ten foot high flames when I carried the people out. If it got out that I did it, would I have to go through the hero-worship then shunning that occurred after my summer vacation. Neither the hero worship nor shunning was an experience I wanted to repeat.

There weren’t any of my classmates to talk to at Don’s. All the tables and booths were filled with juniors and seniors. Eleanor Price was there but didn’t say, “Hi”, I’m not even certain she had noticed me.

I went on home. I had already read my chapters ahead and worked the problems in the back of the book so I didn’t have much to do till dinner.

So I started to read another book, this one about the injustice of being wounded in World War I while being an ambulance driver. He makes many bad decisions and ends up alone. What a sad useless story with no point other than life isn’t always fair and war is bad. Bill Samson had taught me that lesson.

At dinner, Dad told Mum about a big wreck downtown. They were looking for the person who had pulled the passengers out of the burning car. He made it sound like fifteen-foot tall flames and a gas explosion. The hero had just walked away and they didn’t know who he was.

Now I had a decision to make, but I didn’t want to talk in front of Denny or Eddie, they would blab it all over their schools. After dinner as I helped with dishes, the other kids had moved to the TV so I let Mum and Dad know I was the one who pulled the people out of the car. I also told Dad the flames had just started and weren’t that strong, and the gas tank hadn’t blown up, at least while I was there.

They asked why I had left and I explained they were being cared for by professionals, so there was nothing to do. I explained that I had time to think about it and that my last brush with fame had some problems that I would prefer to avoid. They weren’t real happy but were willing to let it all go.

That lasted for all of about two minutes; then the doorbell rang. It was the police.

Dad answered the door and they asked if Richard Jackson was home. He called me to the door. They didn’t look like they were here to sell me a ticket to the policeman’s ball. When I identified myself, they asked if I was at the earlier scene of the accident. There wasn’t any way I could get out of this. Someone had recognized me and given them my name.

“Yes, I was.”

I had been told by Elvis and Tab in Mexico when dealing with the police to only answer their questions and don’t volunteer anything. I didn’t know if that only held with Mexican Police but I decided not to take any chances.