Chapter 25

I was sitting in my study about half asleep, when Sally came in to remind me it was getting late and I needed to get dressed, if we were going to town. She told me to dress casual since she and Kat were going that way. I got up and went to my room to see what I had clean to wear that could be considered casual. I felt a little let down as I went through my closet, looking at my worn out clothes. I found a pair of almost new jeans in my dresser drawer, that for the life of me, I couldn't remember buying. I got them out and they were the right size. I went into the shower, still trying to remember where they had came from when it hit me. I had bought them while I was in Texas looking for the girl. I had stopped at a Wrangler Outlet and bought an even dozen pairs. I thought was a real good price. As I washed, I was trying to remember what I had done with the rest of them. Suddenly it hit me, the shirts and jeans were still in a suitcase that I had never unpacked. I dried off, and with only the towel wrapped around me, I dug in the bottom of my closet, got the suitcase out and opened it. Sure enough all eleven pairs of jeans and twelve brand new western shirts were there, still neatly folded. I went through the shirts until I found one that was trimmed in a dark red. I decided to wear it, thinking it would match Kat's hair almost perfectly. I finished getting dressed, humming to myself without realizing I was doing it. I got out the snake skin boots and put them on and then looked at myself in the mirror. Not bad for an old man, I thought.

I went down the steps and almost ran into Jimmy. He was coming out of the kitchen with a huge sandwich and a grin on his face.

"Man, I do love coming out here, Jon. I get tired of eating microwave food all the time and Myrna is a great cook. You wouldn't consider renting a room to me, would you? Nah, I better stay where I'm at, 'cause I would weigh three hundred pounds from all the good food. By the way, I haven't found any new surveillance equipment in the house. As soon as Sally and her friend get done dressing, I will check their rooms again. As far as I can tell, nothing new has been added."

"I want you to check the caretaker's cottage too, Jimmy. Myrna and Carver are living in it now and I don't hold any secrets from her. It might have a mic planted because it's empty most of the day. It would be easy for someone to plant something in there. Jimmy, there has to be a mic or camera somewhere close, because those men today knew I was gone. That tells me either there is a set of electronic eyes or ears in here, or someone is reporting our movements to them. I know that nobody in the house is doing it, so that only leaves the electronics to think about."

"Ok, Jon, no problem. I will do a sweep outside the house and check the lines again. I brought a scrambler that I can mount on your trunk line to the house. It will make anything said sound like gibberish if they are using a tap of some kind. Other than that, I can't think of any way they could know what's going on in the house."

"Jimmy, you're the best at this, so just do what you need to do and let's hope it works."

"Ok, Jon, let me finish up. Tiny is dropping me off on his way to town with you guys."

"Ok, Jimmy, but make it a priority to check on those sat phones I asked about. Let me know as soon as possible, will you?"

"I'll have your answer by tomorrow, Jon."

He walked away, munching on his sandwich. I went to the kitchen to let Myrna know what was going on for the evening. When I walked in, all three of them were sitting at the counter drinking coffee. When Tiny looked up and saw me, he immediately snickered, drawing a dirty look from Myrna. She, of course, was the first to speak.

"My, but you look nice, Jon. Where did you get the new clothes? I have been going to get on you about your wardrobe, but forgot with all that's going on."

"You know, I forgot all about buying these. They were still in the suitcase in my closet. I bought them years ago when I was in Texas looking for Michelle in that compound. They have been in the closet all this time."

Tiny was still snickering so I blasted him, "What is so funny, Tiny? You seem to be a little overdressed for dinner, if you ask me."

"Well I didn't ask you, and you just helped me prove the point I was trying to make earlier."

"What point is that, big mouth?"

"That you are already feeling the effects of having a good woman to impress. Since I met my Mrs., I learned to always dress neatly to keep her happy and in a good mood. You ain't even formally dating yet, and you seem to have already got the message. I would hate to see you when you really get serious."

"Very funny! The girls said to dress casual so I did. Anyway, what's wrong with the way I'm dressed? I thought I looked like a gentleman rancher. At least I don't look like an oversized weight lifter."

Myrna broke out laughing and we both looked at her.

"He's right, Thurman, in a suit you do look like an oversized gorilla. Your wife says the same thing, but doesn't want to hurt your feelings. I think Jon looks nice and neat. He does look like his grandfather used to. He wore the same type of clothes when he was a Senator, years ago."

I was watching Tiny's face, and I could see he was getting upset. I just had to put my two cents worth into the mix.

"I never knew your name was Thurrrrrman. I am going to have to tell Sally so she can address you properly, Thurrrrrman. I always thought your only name was Tiny 'cause you had such a small brain and big muscles."

Well that tore it loose. Tiny was so mad he was glaring holes in me and gritting his teeth. I just glared back and smirked at the same time.

Myrna got up and grabbed us both by the hair and quietly said; "You two are acting like asses. Both of you settle down before I hit you both over the head with a skillet. Tiny, you deserved it by making fun of Jon. He is trying to impress Kat the only way he knows how. Remember, he ain't from here so he doesn't understand how women in this country act. Jon, you had no right making fun of Tiny's given name like that. Now both of you shake and start acting like the friends you're supposed to be."

While she was whispering to both of us she kept tightening her grip on our hair. We both were saying ow, ow, ok, ok. She let loose and poured us some more coffee. I looked at Tiny, he looked at me, and we both broke out into laughter. I was the first to speak.

"See Tiny, I never win an argument in my own home. She always tells me where to go and how to act."

"You think that's bad, try growing up with her looking over your shoulder. I guarantee it doesn't make for a happy childhood."

Now it was Myrna's turn to glare at us. We looked her right in the eye, grinned, and ran for the dining room. We were still grinning at each other when two plonks sounded. She had hit both of us on the head with a skillet. We both went down laughing and rolled over. We laid there looking up at her standing over us with one of her skillets in her hand. She was grinning down at us, looking smug as hell.

"You two will never learn, never insult the cook or her friends. Now get up before Sally and Kat come down and I have to explain why you're laying on the floor laughing like a couple of big kids."

She turned and went back to the kitchen and over the sound of our own laughter, we could hear her chuckling as she walked. I rolled over and got to one knee rubbing my head and reached a hand down to Tiny to help him up. We froze in that position when a voice from the top of the stairs said; "Aren't you two a little old to be laying on the floor when your supposed to be getting ready to go out?"

I looked at Tiny and we both lost it. I just sat down where I was and Tiny gave up trying to get up, he was laughing so hard.

"Will you two please get up and act like adults before Kat comes down and sees you like this? I would be so mortified if she did."

We finally got ourselves under control and helped each other brush off. We headed back into the kitchen with Sally close on our heels. When we sat down, I looked over at Carver. He had a big grin on his face and was shaking his head. I looked at Myrna and she seemed to be avoiding our eyes. I waited for Sally to ask why we were on the floor, but she never did. She and Tiny started talking as usual, and I remembered something I had forgotten and went into my study. I quickly put my weapons on, and for extra measure, I hid the S&W that I had bought for Sarah in a place where I didn't think it would be found. Jimmy came in and handed me a bug with a recorder attached to it, saying he had found it under the edge of the garage and that it had been wired into the garage extension. He got into his case and handed me a little recorder the size of a Bic lighter.