Chapter 1

It had been a hectic few weeks since Ginger announced her pregnancy. After enlisting the aid of a good real estate agent Jack knew well, we found what we thought would be the perfect place for us. It was a large single-story ranch-style house sitting on five acres north of town, not too far from the rehab facility where Ginger had spent a month after her surgery.

The house had just been completely remodeled and boasted four bedrooms with an attached three-car garage. A separate mother-in-law apartment had been added over the garage, with a staircase installed in the main part of the house. We decided to use that for our “office,” thereby keeping work somewhat separate from our home life.

The master suite was huge and had its own patio and en-suite, which we both liked. It also had a covered patio off the dining room and a pool/spa with a sauna. It sat back from the road that was lined with trees and tall hedges, so we had plenty of privacy. The driveway also had a security gate, something I thought might come in handy.

We spent some time packing everything up and hired a crew to move our stuff to the new place. I didn’t want Ginger exerting herself too much, but she dismissed my concerns.

“I’m pregnant, not crippled,” she said. “Still, I’m flattered that you care enough to be concerned.”

Smith and Jones understood the upheaval in our lives with the move, so they held off their weekly visits until after we were settled in the new place. Max, on the other hand, wasn’t quite as flexible.

“I’ll work with you, given that Ginger is pregnant and all, but the job still has to get done,” he said.

“Thanks, Max, I appreciate that,” I told him.

During that time, Ginger and I talked – a lot. We often wondered what might have happened had we done something different. We also made love as often as we could. The experience was every bit as good as it was that first time in the rehab facility.

As time went on, it seemed that Ginger and I were closer than ever, on several levels. I even noticed her eyes light up during her orgasms. They weren’t red, like mine, but were pink. I found this interesting for some reason.

We finally got moved into the new place and decided to hold a housewarming party. Ginger invited Jack and her colleagues from work, while I invited my parents, along with some of my old colleagues and of course, Max and his wife, who I had yet to meet. I considered inviting Smith and Jones and mentioned it to them, but they politely turned down my invitation.

“We appreciate the gesture, Cameron,” Smith said. “However, it may prove to be a bit ... difficult ... interacting with so many others of your kind.”

“I understand. I think,” I said.

“We will be in touch very soon,” Jones said.

The party was well-attended and everyone seemed to have a good time. I spent much of the day grilling steaks, chicken, and burgers on the very large grill the previous owners built on the back patio. Apparently, they did a lot of entertaining, along with a lot of outdoor cooking.

“Nice place you have here,” Max said as he came on the patio. A young petite blonde hung onto his arm. I recognized her from the picture Max had on his desk. Looking at her in person, I figured she couldn’t be more than maybe 25 years old.

“Thanks,” I said. “And this your wife, I take it?”

“Yes,” Max said. “Cameron, meet Adrestia Rhamnousia, my much better half. Adrestia, this is Cameron Drake.” We shook hands and I felt a slight jolt of static. I could feel her memories start to download into my mind, then the download suddenly stopped and it seemed as though they were being retracted from my mind.

She smiled sweetly at me, almost as if to say, “not today,” and I tried connecting with her mind, but couldn’t. I smiled back as we shook hands.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Adrestia,” I said.

“And it’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Cameron,” she said. “And please, feel free to simply call me Dr. A. Most people find it’s a lot easier than Adrestia.”

“So, you’re a doctor,” I said. “What’s your specialty?”

“I have doctorates in many disciplines,” she said. “Art, computer science, psychology, to name but a few.”

“Wow,” I said. “You must’ve started school quite young.”

“Well, I did start at a fairly early age, but I’m also a bit older than I appear,” she said.

“My apologies,” I said.

“No need to apologize,” she said. “Max has told me a lot about you.”

“There’s not much to say, really,” I said. She flashed a smile that suggested she knew much more than she was letting on. By then, Ginger came to my side and I introduced her to Max and Adrestia.

“You know, Adrestia has her own art gallery,” Max said. “Maybe the two of you might like to come by and check it out sometime.”

“Really?” Ginger asked. “I’d love to see it. What kind of artwork do you have?”

“Paintings, mostly,” Adrestia said. “Very unique original pieces you won’t see anywhere else, some of which go back many years. If you’d like, we can schedule a personal tour for the two of you.”

“I’d like that very much,” Ginger said. “Doesn’t that sound like fun, Cam?” I knew Ginger enjoyed art and thought this might be a good time for the four of us to connect outside work.

“Sure,” I said. “Been a while since we’ve been to an art gallery.”

“I’ll let you and Max pick the date,” Adrestia said. “If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get to know Ginger a bit.” She turned to Ginger and the two of them walked away, chatting about kids and married life.

“So, Max, how do you want your burger?” I asked.

“Singed on the outside, nice and red on the inside,” he said with a smile.

“A man after my own heart,” I said. I found a patty that suited him and held up a slice of cheese. “Some cheese on that burger?”

“Sure,” he said. I put the cheese on the patty, let it melt a bit, and put it on a bun for him.

“What about your wife?” I asked.

“She’s not much of a meat-eater,” he said. “She’ll probably just grab some of that pasta salad over there if I know her.”

“I guess that leaves more meat for us guys, then,” I said. “Help yourself to liquid refreshment. There’s beer, Coke, whatever.”

“I’ll do that,” he said before walking off with his hamburger. After he left, Jack came over to me.

“Really nice spread you have here, Cam,” he said.

“Thanks, Jack,” I said. “Ginger’s already talking about putting in a garden over there in the back corner.”

“You certainly have plenty of room for it,” he said. “How are things between you and Ginger, if you don’t mind me asking.”

“Never been better,” I told him.

“I’m glad to hear that,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so happy. You hear about Bergstrom?”

“No, I haven’t. What’s going on?”

“I heard he was transferred to the prison psych wing not too long ago,” Jack said. “Keeps going on about spiders or something. From what I was told, he’s been screaming for you.”

“Me?” I asked.

“Apparently, he seems to think you have something to do with it,” Jack said. I chuckled to myself at that. “Claims you put them there and they all work for you.”

“Wonder where he got a crazy idea like that,” I said.

“I can’t imagine,” Jack said with a knowing smile. “At any rate, it couldn’t happen to a more deserving person.”

“What about the others? Any word on them?” I asked. I already knew they weren’t doing too well in prison, but I was curious to know what Jack had heard.

“They’re not doing very well, but they seem to be handling it better than Bergstrom,” he said.

“Well, you know what they say. If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime,” I said.

“Amen to that,” Jack said.

“How do you want your burger?” I asked.

“I’ve got my eye on that patty up there in the corner. Looks well-done to me.”

“You got it,” I said. “Cheese?”

“You know it,” he said. I handed him his burger and pointed out the cooler with the drinks.

“Thanks, Cam,” he said.

“You’re welcome.” After he left, my friend Bill Collins came to the grill.

“Hey Bill, good to see ya,” I said. “How’s it hanging?”

“I could complain but it never does any good.” We both chuckled at that. I served him a cheeseburger and he ate it like a man who hadn’t eaten in a week. We engaged in small talk as he wolfed down his food.

“Want another?” I asked when he finished. I knew from his thoughts he hadn’t eaten too well lately but didn’t want to embarrass him.

“I’d better wash this down with some beer first,” he said.

“By the way, Ginger and I want to talk with you for a bit before you head back home,” I said.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” I said. “We just have a little something we’d like to give you.”

“Alright,” he said. “You know where to find me.” I smiled and nodded my head. As he walked off, Dad came over to me.

“Nice party,” he said. “I really like this place. A lot of potential here.”

“Thanks, Dad, that means a lot coming from you,” I said.

“You’re welcome,” he said. “Why don’t you take a break from this and go mingle with your guests. Let the grill master watch this for you.”

“Sounds good, Dad,” I said, handing him the spatula. “Thanks.”

“My pleasure,” he said with a smile. “And thank you.”

“For what?” I asked.

“Your mother broke down and told me what you did, paying off all our bills. I can’t thank you enough.” My parents had been struggling with mounting medical bills on top of a mortgage, and all of their other bills. So when my settlement came in, I quietly slipped Mom a check to cover everything – along with some extra money to make life a bit easier for them.

“That was my pleasure, Dad,” I said. “I know how hard you work and how tough things have been lately and I don’t want you guys worrying about anything. I thought about coming to you first, but I knew you’d say no, so I just ... did it.”

“Yeah, I probably would’ve said no,” he told me. “But I appreciate what you did. I was really starting to get worried for a while.”

“Well, don’t worry about anything anymore,” I said. “You need anything – anything at all – talk to me, okay?” He nodded his head.

“I will,” he said quietly. “Now, go and enjoy your party.” I spent the rest of the afternoon talking to our guests and enjoying the outdoor space. I noticed Ginger had been spending a lot of time talking with Adrestia and saw they were deep in conversation about something. I decided not to interfere.

It was about 5:00 that evening when everyone started to leave. We said our goodbyes and thanked everyone for coming. I waved Ginger over when Bill came up to me. I reached in my pocket and pulled out a set of keys.

“Ginger and I would like you to have these,” I said, handing him the keys.

“What’s this?” he asked.

“Keys to the condo,” I said. “Ginger and I talked it over. We decided not to sell it, but we’d like someone there to keep an eye on things for us.”

“You mean, live there?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I said. “I know your divorce nearly bankrupted you, and I know that trailer you’re in is falling apart.” His trailer slept four people comfortably, but it was still a travel trailer and not exactly designed for constant everyday use. These days, he kept it at an RV park that had all the amenities, but it wasn’t what anyone would want to call “home.”

“You got that right,” he said. “It was used when I bought it and it seems like something is breaking almost every day.”

“Well, we’d like you to stay in the condo for as long as you need to,” I said. “All you have to do is take care of the utilities and keep the place up. We considered giving it to you outright, but we didn’t want to take the chance that your ex might try to force you to sell it.”

“Yeah, she’s just about vindictive enough to try something like that,” he said. “Even if she lost, it would still cost me money I don’t have to defend myself against her.” Ginger grabbed her purse and handed him an envelope.

“What’s this?” he asked.

“It’s a gift card from that big furniture place by the freeway,” she told him. “There’s enough on it to furnish the whole place with new stuff.”

“You can even get that big screen television you always wanted,” I added. He looked at the keys and the card and I saw his face turn red with emotion. He looked at us with tears in his eyes.

“I can’t accept this,” he said.

“Sure you can,” I said. “Think of it as an early Christmas present.”

“Thank you,” he said, his voice choked with emotion. “This is the kindest thing anyone’s ever done for me. I don’t know how I can ever repay you two for this. I promise I’ll take very good care of the place for you.”

“I know you will,” I said. He gave me a manly hug as tears fell down his face. He turned to Ginger and gave her a hug as well. “If you need help moving, let me know,” I added.

“I don’t have much,” he said. “I think it’ll all fit in my car. But thanks anyway. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

“I think I do,” I told him. “Maybe now the court will let you have some actual visitation with your kids.”

“That would be nice,” he said. “Thanks again.”

“You’re welcome,” I said. “And don’t be a stranger.”

“I won’t,” he said. He still had tears in his eyes when he left.

“That was a very kind thing you did for your friend,” Adrestia said after he left.

“Well, he had a pretty hard time with his divorce. He nearly ended up in jail on trumped-up charges. Lost pretty much everything. I honestly don’t know how he gets by. And he’s a friend. I believe in doing what I can for friends and family,” I told her.

“Well, maybe one day soon, you can help him get a measure of justice,” she said with a smile.

“I’d like that,” I said. She nodded her head.

“I know you would,” she said with a knowing smile. I tried to read her thoughts but was unable to.

“By the way, how are you coming with your courses?” Max asked.

“I’m actually a couple weeks ahead,” I said.

“Good,” he said in response. “So, you can take a couple days then?”

“I suppose,” I said. “Why? What’s going on?”

“Got a case I’m working on. I need to go up north for a couple days, interview someone. Ever been to Idaho?”

“No, can’t say that I have,” I said. “What’s in Idaho?”

“There’s a camp up there that helps men in certain ... situations. One of our new clients is up there and I’ve been given permission to go up and speak with him. Thought you might like to join me, maybe get some on-the-job training,” he said. “You don’t mind if your husband joins me for a day or two, do you, Ginger?” he asked.

“No, of course not,” she said. “I’ll be working anyway.” Ginger didn’t have to work, not with the settlement money we had, but she wanted to, and it gave her a sense of purpose. Jack had her working part-time but kept her salary and benefits the same.

“Excellent. I’ll pick you up Monday morning at, say, 8:00 am. I’ll brief you on the way to the airport. Make sure you pack an overnight bag and some warm clothing. It’s starting to get a bit cool up there,” he said.

“Mind if I bring my computer?” I asked.

“Of course not,” he said. “In fact, I’m hoping you and your computer can help us solve this case. I’ll see you on Monday.”

“See you then,” I said. We watched them leave and set about cleaning up the place. There was plenty of food, so we ate some leftovers and put the rest in the refrigerator. We sat in the living room, exhausted after we had put everything away.

“So, what did you think of Max and his wife?” I asked.

“Interesting people,” she said. “I especially liked Adrestia.”

“You spent a lot of time talking with her,” I said.

“She told me I was very fortunate to have someone like you,” Ginger said. “Said most guys would’ve kicked my ass to the curb without batting an eyelid. She’s right, you know. It’s odd, though.”

“What’s odd?” I asked.

“It’s almost as if she already knows everything about us and our marriage. How much have you told Max?”

“I’ve told him ... a lot,” I said. “But he assured me it was just between the two of us. I’m sorry, there was just something in the way he spoke. I felt ... compelled ... to tell him the truth.” Ginger looked me square in the face as though she was searching for something.

“You tried downloading her memories, didn’t you?” she asked.

“Yes,” I said. “It’s almost become second nature for me.”

“You weren’t successful, were you?” I looked at her, surprised. How did she know that?

“No,” I said. “I’ve never had that happen before. It was almost as if the download was stopped, and the information sucked back out of my head. Remind me to ask Smith and Jones about that.”

“I will,” she said. “What do you think they’re trying to hide?”

“No idea,” I said. “There’s a lot about those two that doesn’t make sense to me.”

“Well, something tells me we’re better off having them on our side,” she said. I nodded my head in agreement.

“I think you’re right,” I said. “So, are you going to be okay with me going to Idaho for a day or two?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be just fine. Besides, this is the kind of thing you’ll be doing a lot of from now on, so I’d better learn to get used to it. Just call me and let me know you got there safely, okay?”

“I will, promise,” I said. She smiled and kissed me, full on the lips. It felt good having her there with me and we began making out like teenagers. Before long, we made our way to the bedroom and ended the day with yet another mind-blowing, universe-bending round of sex. I saw her eyes flash three times before we fell asleep in each other’s arms.

Monday morning came too soon to suit me. I had packed everything the night before and Ginger made sure I packed some warm clothing.

“According to my weather app, it’s supposed to get into the low 30s up there tomorrow night,” she said. “And I wouldn’t want you to freeze to death up there.”

“I’m sure they have heat and running water,” I said. “It’s Idaho, not Siberia.” She chuckled at that. When Max rang my doorbell, I grabbed my things and gave Ginger a kiss.

“Call me,” she said.

“I will,” I told her.

“And you keep an eye on him, make sure he comes back safe,” she told Max.

“No worries there, Ginger, I’ll make sure he comes home in one piece,” Max said with a smile. We left the house and got into Max’s car. When we hit the road, he handed me a folder.

“Here’s what we have so far,” he said. “Client’s name is Joe Nelson. Was married three years to Veronica Hartley, but is now divorced. He’s looking for the person who screwed up his marriage.”

“That shouldn’t be too hard,” I said. “Wouldn’t that be in the divorce record somewhere?”

“It could be, but the records have been sealed,” Max said.

“Sealed? Why?” I asked.

“Different states have different rules, but they can be sealed for a variety of reasons. Protect the victim of abuse, for example, or protect sensitive information,” he said.

“What about his ex-wife?” I asked.

“Gone,” Max said. “He has no idea where she is.” I began reading the file Max gave me. According to the file, Nelson said the man who ruined his marriage first contacted him by phone telling him that he was going to fuck his wife and take her from him.

Nelson went on to say the man ended up destroying his collection of stamps and baseball cards, some of which were quite rare, even as he engaged in a sordid affair with his wife. Worse yet, Nelson said, his wife willfully participated in the destruction of his personal property. When he tried to make the court aware of the damage done, he claimed no one – not the police nor the court – was interested in investigating the matter.

“Have you talked to this man yourself?” I asked Max. He shook his head.

“Not personally, no,” Max said.

“How did you find out about this?” I asked.

“He was recommended to me by John Sykes, the camp commandant at Camp Rollins,” Max said. “John and I have known each other for a while. He’s referred quite a few cases to me.”

“What is Nelson looking for?” I asked.

“Closure, mostly,” Max said. “He wants to find out who destroyed his life and his property so he can take legal action.”

“I can understand that,” I said, thinking about Wheeler, Bergstrom, and the others who all but destroyed my life and my marriage to Ginger. “So, how are we gonna handle this?”

“What do ya mean, we? This is your case, Cameron,” Max said.

“My case? You want me to take point on this?” I asked.

“Yup,” he said. “Wife and I both figured this would be a good case for you to cut your teeth on. Besides, you need to start earning your keep,” he added with a smile.

“I see. Do you and your wife work together a lot?” I asked.

“We work together quite a bit,” he said.

“She doesn’t strike me as the private investigator type,” I told him. He smiled at that.

“Don’t be fooled by appearances. There’s a lot more to that woman than meets the eye, Cameron,” he said.

“I guess so,” I said quietly, remembering my first encounter with her at the house-warming party.

“Just one suggestion, Cameron,” he said.

“What’s that?”

“Don’t ever make promises you can’t keep. The worse thing you can do is give someone false hope. Remember that. I’ll be there to back you up if you need it, but this is your case,” he said.

“Got it,” I said, looking back at the file.

“Here we are,” he said, pulling into the airport parking lot. “It’ll take us about an hour and a half to get to Spokane, then another hour and a half or so to get to the camp. You can use that time to figure out how you’re going to approach this. And feel free to ask questions.”

“Thanks,” I said, my mind going over all the possibilities. I was still thinking things over when the plane took off. From what the file said, Nelson had no idea who this mystery man was, and his wife never gave him a name. In fact, he had no contact with his wife at all during the separation and divorce.

All he had was a voice over a cell phone. Maybe that was all I needed, I thought to myself. The latest update to my brain feed application included a voice-print feature, but I never had any use for it before now. Fortunately, I had packed my manual, so I hoped it would help guide me.

I settled into my seat and noticed that Max had already fallen asleep. I fluffed up a pillow the flight attendant had given me and rested my head on it. I was almost asleep when I saw Ginger in my mind. She was sitting at her desk, and she looked up as though I was standing in front of her. This was too real to be just a dream, I thought to myself.

She smiled and her eyes briefly lit up. I smiled back. I heard her in my mind: “This is no dream. I love you, Cameron Drake. Be safe.” She winked at me and her smile grew wider.

“I love you too, Ginger Drake,” I said in my mind. If this was real, that meant Ginger and I could actually communicate telepathically. I didn’t recall seeing anything about that in the manual, but it made sense to me. I made a mental note to ask Smith and Jones about this.

“Get some rest, my love,” she responded. “Call me when you get to the camp.”

“I will,” I responded before falling asleep. The next thing I knew, we were making our descent into Spokane and the flight attendant announced that it was time to sit upright and fold our trays. Max and I both sat up, wiped the sleep from our eyes, and prepared to land.

After the plane stopped, I grabbed my computer bag and my backpack and Max pulled down his briefcase and overnight bag. We deplaned, grabbed our suitcases from the baggage claim area, and went to get the rental car Max had reserved for our trip. I pulled out my phone and called Ginger while Max took care of the rental car.

“Hey, sweetie,” I said. “We made it to Spokane.”

“I know,” she said.

“Oh? How do you know?”

“Don’t ask me,” she said, sounding as surprised as I was at that moment. “I just knew you had made it to Spokane.”

“That’s ... weird,” I said. I told her what happened on the plane. She gasped when I finished. “Are you alright?”

“So it was real, then,” she said. “I was just thinking about you and all of a sudden, it was like, you were right here in front of me. I knew you were on the plane, but it seemed to me like you were standing in front of me. And you heard me say I love you?”

“I did, or at least I heard you think it,” I said. “And you heard my response?”

“Yes, just as clear as a bell. As if you were really right here.”

“Okay,” I said. “Keep this to yourself. Make a note of it. We’ll have to talk with Smith and Jones the next time we see them.”

“You got it,” she said. I looked and saw Max was wrapping things up with the car rental.

“I gotta go, but I’ll call you this evening, okay?”

“Okay,” she said. “I love you!”

“Love you too,” I said, ending the call. So, I thought. It wasn’t just me. Somehow, the link between the two of us was stronger than I had originally thought. I was curious to know what Smith and Jones had to say. I followed Max to the lot and helped him put our things in the small green sedan he rented, then got in the passenger seat.

Soon, we were on Interstate 90, heading east toward Idaho, which wasn’t very far away. When we got to Coeur d’Alene, we took the US 95 exit and headed north.

“So, did you come up with a plan for the case?” he asked.

“I’m going to try something I haven’t used yet,” I said. “My brain feed application has a feature for analyzing and searching voice-prints. Once I have that, I can search for any matches. Hopefully, that will lead us to the man he’s looking for.”

“This brain feed thing,” Max said. “What all does that include?”

“Everything,” I said. “Not only does it give me an audio-visual memory record sorted by date, but it also records every thought, every emotion and even the physiological state of the brain at the time the memory took place.”

“And how far back does it go?” he asked.

“From the very first memory on,” I said. “Unless I’ve already downloaded the person’s memories. Then it picks up from that point.”

“I see,” he said. “And how much can you download at one time?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “I’ve had up to 12 people’s memories in my head at one time.”

“Doesn’t that get a bit crowded?” he asked with a smile.

“It hasn’t yet,” I told him. “They’re compressed and I can’t access the memories when they’re in my head. Once they’re downloaded into my computer, the app wipes them from my head.”

“What about after-effects? You ever get flashes of someone else’s memories, thinking they’re yours?”

“That hasn’t happened yet,” I said. “However, once I connect and download the memories, I can connect to the person’s mind remotely.”

“Interesting,” he said. “And this works with everyone you meet?”

“There have only been three people it hasn’t worked on,” I said. “Oddly enough, you and your wife are two of the three.” He nodded his head.

“So, you did try to access our memories,” he said.

“I like to know who I’m dealing with,” I said. “I don’t mean to pry, and I apologize if you feel I was trying to invade your privacy. It’s just that I’ve been through a lot with Bergstrom and his crew.”

“I can understand that,” he said. “I suppose if I was in your shoes, I’d probably do the same. Apology accepted.”

“But it does make me wonder. What’s the deal with the two of you? Why can’t I sense anything from you?”

“It’s a long story, and one that’s almost as unbelievable as yours,” he said. “Trust me, when Adrestia feels the time is right, she’ll explain it to you in her own way. You do trust me, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do,” I said, which was true.

“Good,” he said.

“So, tell me about this camp. Have you been there before?” I asked.

“Yes, I have,” he said. “In fact, I was a student there once. It helped make me the man I am today. It’s owned by a company called Rollins Enterprises. It’s a camp that helps men get their balls back.”

“What?” I asked.

“Every single man that goes there has been cheated on. Some have been so abused and emasculated they can barely function as men,” he said. “They take those men, whip them into shape physically, then fix them emotionally. They also provide a whole host of services for their students – lawyers, counselors, private investigators, you name it. It’s the hardest three months a man can endure. It’s ... extreme. But it’s worth every minute.”

“I’m surprised I haven’t heard of this place before,” I said.

“They prefer to keep a low profile and I don’t blame them. Even still, every class is completely full, and they have a waiting list as long as your arm.”

“It’s really that bad out there?” I asked.

“You have no idea,” he told me. “There’s shit going on out there you can’t even begin to imagine.”

“And you were cheated on?” I asked. Then it hit me. “Did Adrestia cheat on you?” He laughed at that.

“No, but my first wife did. Adrestia helped put my life back together. In fact, she’s incapable of cheating. She hates cheaters more than anyone I’ve ever met.”