Prodigal Dreams Of Sachem Pond

by
Bill
Vee

Prodigal Dreams Of Sachem Pond

SEPTEMBER 28th


1.



    Sachem Pond had a grip on every person who ever lived there. And whether they never left, moved away and came back or just came home for a visit, for most it was still home. Back where they grew up. Where they did a lot of things. Some good, some bad, most they did even want their parents to know. There was a lot of that. Even as an adult.
    So today Jimmy Ferry was back at the Pond. Again For the first time in over 40 years. A long time ago. He was now in his early sixties, if you needed to know, he would say.
    He had left the Pond because he kept getting into trouble all through high school. His friends and him, but he was always the one who got caught. The worst was the time he was dared to steal or ''borrow'' an ice boat. You didn't dare Jimmy because he'd always do it. And his friends always would. And he liked it when they did.
    Back when he was a kid, thin as a rail. Now he was less so. But he could always swim. If he ever did go out for the Olympics, he'd get a gold medal, no problem,
    But the damn ice boat, for which he got arrested and then convicted, larceny, big time. It was gonna be bad. There was a judge who when Jimmy was being sentenced for his ''borrow'' gave him a choice of jail time or go in the Army. Jimmy took the Army. To him a kind of prison without bars. go to Asia, shoot a gun, fight. He could deal with that. Well, almost.
    He did two tours in Nam, but the second one was nasty. Almost everyone he knew there was getting killed wounded or just shot at. Guys stepping on land mines, falling in holes, sprayed with Agent Orange. This wasn't what he had signed up for. One day he cut the dogs tags off his own boot and tied them to a another foot in a boot standing alone not attached to the fatally wounded former owner courtesy of a claymore mine. And he started walking. And kept walking. And he didn't stop until he got to Thailand.
    He wasn't even stopping after that. Along the way he got rid of all his Army stuff, changed his last name and did his best to forget about the war. He met a lot of other lost faces many others who didn't want to play soldier anymore. A radio station there even played that song by Country Joe. 'We don't want your fuckin' war'. No way. Not anymore.
    When it was over, he had remade himself. A new name, a lot of names, a new ID, civilian  clothes which consisted mostly of a bunch of black t-shirts and faded blue jeans. A new him. He even got a job for a while. Off the proverbial books. Protecting an Air Force sergeant payroll accountant going from camp to camp to pay the airmen with a Colt .45 on his hip and shaking in his boots. Scary stuff but the accountant paymaster was more scared than he was. But scared kept you alive.
    He looked out over the Pond again for the first time in a long time for his now old eyes. Where was everything? The Pavilions, Holly Beach, Hansen Beach, Pub On The Pond, and the boardwalk? How could they let it go to hell? He always knew things always change. Just not for the better.
    Like time had just melted away, he was here today to swim across the Pond once more. Like he did back when. He had lost some of his hair, now mostly gray, with a not too large belly, but still with most of his energy especially since he had stopped smoking twenty years ago.
    "Nobody swims the Pond anymore?" one of the three kids said. He had been oblivious to them. They were sitting on their bike and must have overheard Jimmy talking to himself.
    "Can I get you kids to take my clothes, keys and wallet over to my car?It's parked over where the old Bohemian Inn was?" he asked the two boys and the girl.
    The kids just stared at him.
    "I'll give you some money."
    "How much?" one of them said.
    "Ten each."
    One kid said twenty, but it stayed at ten.
    "Now dare me to do it," he told the kids. Always better when he was dared.
    "You're nuts, mister."
    Jimmy just grinned.


DECEMBER 31st


2.


    Charlie Roberts was sitting in aluminum chair on the sand at the public beach. He wasn't looking out at the newly frozen Pond but at the commotion up on Sachem Pond Road.
    Two guys were unloading a small wooden house no bigger than a backyard shed off their truck. The house had two metal sleigh runners on it so once they got it on the ice they could slide it to the spot they wanted. After that was down, one guy started up a gas generator on the back of the truck while the other guy pulled a thick cable to the small house to power the drill with large auger bit. The auger was there to check the thickness of the ice.
    The two men saw Charlie and waved to him, they didn't even know who it was but they did acknowledge him before they disappeared inside the building.
    Charlie turned his chair to the little house on the Pond. He could hear the noise of the drill coming from inside the house. The small building did a good job of muffling the auger. Charlie was glad because otherwise he's be headed for home by now.
   


3.


    Lido's mom had called the Rodriguez house earlier to say that this year she was going to wish her daughter Lido and family a Happy New Year on her new webcam.
    Their laptop was ready on the kitchen table and Jody and her friends were almost setup on the other end. Lido and husband Roberto and the kids Wart and Mojo watched the screen for Grandma.
    They could hear music and then saw an image of a younger Dick Clark on the big flat screen on Jody's wall.
    The folks with Jody all jumped in front of the cam and yelled "Happy New Year!". They were doing this for each others family this year.
    "Grandma!" Mojo shouted.
    "Mom, what are you guys doing?" Lido asked.
    "Well, none of us can stay up until midnight anymore, so we're celebrating all day with Rocking New Year's Eve on disc." She pointed at the tv screen.
    "That's cool," Wart said.
    "I thought so too," Jody told him.
    "Where are all the men?" Lido wondered.
    "I'm here," said an older guy with thinning gray hair and a paunch. "They take turns letting me dance with them."
    "He likes to dance," Jody said.
    "He likes to ..." Roberto started to say.
    Jody said, "Huh?" The kids laughed. "Where's Charlie?"
    "He's down at the Pond," Lido said.
    "Well, tell him to say hi to my Donnie for me."



4



    "Let the auger do the work, Freddy," Joe D the senior man on the drill team said.
    "I am," Freddy said.
    "No, you're not, put your weight here." Johnny pointed at Freddy's belt line
    "I know, I know, but it's slow sledding. Almost feels like it's stuck or something."
    "Let me try." Freddy steeped back. The auger was still in the hole.
    A few moments later they were through the ice. It took both of them to pull the drill out. Johnny D got the tape measure and stuck it down into the hole.
    Freddy saw there was something stuck to the auger blade. "Gotta be 11 inches or ...".
    "I can see," he checked the tape again to make sure. "I got 13 inches here, hope it's lucky."'   
    "Hey, look at this. Looks like a mask. Very strange if you ask me."
    "Your mask has hairs on it ...".
    Freddy dropped the auger with the face which  bounced and landed next to the house wall. Is it a face?"
    "Not much damage," Johnny D was checking it out. "Looks rubbery and frozen in a few spots. No fishies in here to nibble at it and the cold kept it intact. I'd fish here if there were any fish left in the Pond...".
    "Guess, we better call it in."
    "You guessed right, Freddy."



5



    Charlie saw the shorter man run to the truck. He jumped in the cab and was talking on the mobile phone.
    "Code brown, boss," Freddie said. "We found something you gotta see ... yeah, yeah ...we drilled through 13 inches ...good I know ...it's on the ice next to the house wall ... OK, see you in a bit."
    It was 17 degrees, warmer in the truck, but Freddy was sweating. He had never seen a frozen face before. And the look on it, he'd never forget that. Never ever.
    He put in a call to the sheriff's office too. He tried not to mention the face, but they wouldn't say they were coming until he did.
    After he hung up, he ran back to the house to Johnny D to let him know what was going on. And when he got there to not look at the stupid mask. But he knew he would. He was glad there was a blanket in the cab. The could use that to wrap it or at least cover it. And not have it looking back at him with those eyeless sockets.
   



6.



    Charlie was hoping to be able just to sit at the Pond in peace today.. Get some sun, no wind but get some air in his lungs and think about another year soon being over. Where did the time go, he always asked himself.
    And even though the sound of the drill had been muffled in the ice house, he still had some piece of mind. He had come to terms with the Pond and the drowning of his son Donnie. But it was always there under the surface, under his skin.
    Now what was all the fuss about today, he thought then watching the men who hadn't run in years and then seeing more trucks pull up. A bit later Jerry and Jason from the sheriff's office would arrive too after parking over behind the truck. And all six of them entered the ice house. Charlie was surprised they could all fit, Except for Jason, they could all eat a salad once in a while.



7



    The boss and his assistant together with Johnny D and Freddy concentrated on the hole in the ice. Then Jerry told them to wait outside, crime scene you know. Jason looked over ay the face and began unwrapping a large black body bag while Jerry opened  the yellow crime scene tape roll.
    "You think that bag's big enough?"Jerry asked then laughed'   
    "You pick it up if it's so funny." Jason was uneasy but mad. He really didn't want to be the one who had to put it in the bag. He was still the ''new'' guy even though his dad was a big shot with the county now.
    "Alright, I was joking."
    "I know, but this still sucks."
    "I'll be outside putting up the tape. If you puke don't get any on the bag."
    ""OK, funny man."
    When Jerry was outside and had closed the door, Jason took a deep breath and picked up the face and managed to get it into the bag on the first try without dropping too. He was just glad it was still somewhat frozen. For some reason it made it easier. But he couldn't help thinking it probably looked better on the front of someone's head.
    ":A crime scene?" the big boss asked the deputy outside the small house, "Really?"
    Jerry said, "Policy. Body parts too."
    "Can I at least get my drill?" Johnny D was watching Jerry write up the report.
    "Evidence, sorry, but you'll get it back real soon. We're gonna have to widen that hole big enough for a couple of divers with equipment to go check under the ice."
    "Think there's more?"
    "No idea until we go look."
    The ice door opened and Jason had the face in the now folded bag under his arm. He and Jerry said goodbye to them, something about calling them later and headed off in search of ice at the closest 7-11. Dry ice would be better, but time was of the essence for this face.



8



    Charlie would stay for another hour. It was a clear day. Sunrise had been around 4:30 am. Usually it was raw bone that could freeze your cheeks. All of them.
    He could remember most of the winters. After all he'd been here at the Pond for nearly fifty years. But the Pond hadn't been frozen in many years. Not enough anyway to get the big ice boats out on it. They were always a sight to see and out on the Pond since the turn of the millennium when the ice was always thick.
    But before the drillers left for the day, they put a white flag on top of the ice house. White meant thick ice, blue meant ice skating and red meant watch your ass. So this years, it was thick enough to support the ice boats and other assorted equipment. Maybe even for his dream of a Zamboni to smooth the ice surface.    



9.



    "Where the hell am I going to get money for someone to dive under the ice this time of year?" Sheriff Glenn asked aloud. Then he rubbed his forehead.
    "And on New Year's Eve too," Jerry added.
    "Thank you, Deputy Obvious."
    "Not a problem, but you might want to call Gene Park if he hasn't gone home yet. He may have an idea or too or even some budget money somewhere."
    "I'll do that, then I have to ask the supervisor whose equipment we impounded to come out and drill a bigger hole in the ice."
    "Some days I'm glad I'm just a deputy."
    "I'll be in my office," Glenn said as Deputy Jason walked in the door.
    Jerry asked him,  "How are your diving skills?"
    "I've done some but nothing under the ice. What's going on?"
    "We need to go under to see what's down there. If there's anything else under there. Like an arm or a leg or a skull."
    "Ugh. Isn't Charlie Robert's granddaughter a diver? She might be able to do it. What's her name again?"
    "Lida, Lydia, no Lido. Well, tell Glenn when he gets off the phone if he gets any money to do the dive."
    "I wouldn't mind diving with her."
    "Is that a volunteer I hear?"
    "Hey I didn't say that," Jason got a cup of coffee  because he knew the night was still going to get crazy before it was all over.



10.



    "What are you doing?" Wart asked his sister. His thumbs were going like crazy on a new game on his cell phone.
    "Thinking," Mojo told him.
    "Thought I smelled something burning."
    "Be serious. No, I was thinking about snow, there hasn't been any and I miss it. I want to go sled riding. Maybe get Wolfie to pull us. He's a big enough dog that he could pull us both."
    "Yeah, that'd be cool. Go down the big hill by the school. But be careful about your wishes. They also go gonzo. You ask for six inches, you get twenty. Ha ha."
    "Then I'll have to be careful."
    "Where is Wolfie anyway?"
    Lido's cell phone rang. It was the sheriff's office and he had a question for her.
    "Hi, Lido? Do you remember telling me that if we needed someone to dive for us in the Pond, we could call you? Well ..."
    "Today? It's cold out, When?" The twins listened to her phone call. "I guess. Maybe." They could see her thinking about how she could do it.
    "Well, there's a situation down at the Pond. A hole has been drilled through the ice. It's thick enough this year. We're gonna widen it for a diver or two with equipment. What's your schedule like? Are you bust tomorrow? I know this is real short notice ...".
    Again she said, I guess, maybe. I'd have to fill my tanks and everything's over at Charlie's house. The only diving I've ever done this time of year was in the university pool."
    "Well, call me early tomorrow if you can do it. Thanks, bye."
    Lido said goodbye and put down her cell phone.
    Wart said, "Hey, it could snow."



11.



    "I got a firm maybe," Glenn told the deputies. He was still sitting behind his desk and wanted to put his head in his hands.
    "Well, at least she's thinking about it," Jason said.
    Glenn shrugged. He still had to call the drillers to widen the ice hole after speaking to Gene Park at the county. Glenn said something about Excedrin headache # 24 and laughed at the old joke. Jason didn't get it until Jerry retold it to him.
    The face/the mask was in the office fridge frozen section right next to the sandwich Jerry put in there a month ago and  knew he wasn't ever going to eat now. Jason told him it probably had face cooties.
    Glenn closed the door of his office again to call the drill manager.



                                                                     *



    Charlie had decided to stop by the Rodriguez house and see Lido and the kids before he went home. He knocked on the screen door and Mojo let him in.   
    " No, you're not!"  Roberto was telling his wife. "It's too cold. What if you can't find the way out?"
    "The water is warmer than the air and we'll use a tether. I'll bring extra tanks and those big flashlights. I'll be fine," she told him.
    "Then not alone. I'm going too."
    "Your ankle is still healing and you're not certified, just saying."
    "Then get one of the deputies to dive too or someone."
    Lido agreed with him. Roberto couldn't say no to her, he never could. He was just looking out for her. Her best interests or his or theirs.
    "What the hell do you want? Roberto asked Charlie then grinned.
    "I'm hungry," Wart said, he thought his Dad was talking to me.
    "Who me?" Charlie shook Roberto's hand. "Hard to stop her when she puts her mind to something."
    "You're telling me. I'm usually the hard headed one in the family."
    "Guess it's up to us to make sure it's kosher if she does."
    "Absolutely."



12.



    It was his dream, well not exactly his. When Lawrence Ferry was growing up in Sachem Pond as a kid he and his brother Jimmy would have dreams of ice boats on the Pond in years that the Pond would freeze over. It was more like a vision.
    But Lawrence, now Larry, was more like an only child than the youngest brother. He hated the idea of having a bucket list but he only did because he had things to do before he checked out and this was one of them. And ICE ON THE POND was first on his list. His thing to do since the last time the Pond really froze. It was his obsession. His wife had said she understood but she really didn't.
    This was the year he had sunk a lot of money into ICE, his savings, a second mortgage on the house, money he didn't really have, but everyone including his wife who thought he did. It was a great feeling, his ESPN, he would joke, but he really meant ESP. But most of his cognitive powers consisted of whether the Jets would win every given week. And if he were betting on them, he wouldn't be doing that well.
    This show was going to be the tribute to his brother. For his brother Jimmy. His big brother. But Jimmy had been gone so long since the early 70s when he was killed in Vietnam. And the day they buried him out in Calverton Cemetery, he felt like an only  child with a ghost for a brother.
    His mom never got over the death, it was a big hole in her life. Her Jimmy, the first born. He, and his mom didn't always get along, but they did love each other, you could see it. Even if she wanted to kill him most of the time. His father on the other hand was a dreamer and Jimmy was a lot like him. Always taking chances, taking risks.
    Even when they got the insurance money from the military, his dad went out and bought an ice boat. That year the Pond froze over, must have been 15 inches thick in some places. He called it Jimmy's Vision. Even the same make and model that Jimmy had attempted to steal. His mom just wanted to pay down their bills and maybe even send Larry to a college that didn't have County Community in the name.
    But Larry missed Jimmy the most. Though they were a few too many years apart, they were partners in crime. Jimmy would even take him to the movies even if Jimmy had a date. Larry would sit by himself, but he got to see a lot of good movies.
    Larry had a grandson now, ten year old Hunter. Jimmy never even got to meet Larry's son-in law  Tony and Larry's daughter.. And hell, Larry himself was still a kid when his brother died.
    He had started getting emails during the summer from someone saying they were his brother and he was coming back to Sachem Pond. Larry would say that they hurt his heart. He even emailed back but received no response. He really didn't want to reopen that old wound. If it was a practical joke, it wasn't funny. He never wanted to find out who it was.
    His cell phone rang. The boss of the drilling company. "The good news is that the ice is 13 inches thick," big pause, "but there's a problem."



13.



    Lido and Roberto had been talking about the dive on New Year's all day. Or at least it sounded that way to Lido. She knew she could do it, and even with a face mask she'd look like Batman but without the ears. Roberto was still mad because she had decided alone that she was doing the dive.
    After she thought she had convinced him, he still had a list of stuff. Extra tanks, covered from head to toe in dive suit, no weights and definitely a tether. He had more but that was the gist of it. But number one was a diving buddy.
    Roberto had done such a good job screwing up his ankle by stepping in the hole he never saw on campus that it couldn't be him. He was still in therapy and had a wrap to keep pressure off the ten dons. He had just stopped using a cane which he never liked anyway.
    They were stumped for another diver. Roberto said he had a colleague at the university, but he was almost 50 years old. And didn't like the idea of ice water in January. Lido said she would ask at the dive shop where she got the tanks filled if they knew anyone.
    Then she thought of the young deputy. What was his name again? Jason? she asked out loud. Well, no matter what his name was, if Roberto and she struck out, she would ask if he would or even could do it. But she did want someone who would have her back. And she would have theirs.
    Roberto thought again of something else. Those sealed lamps that would light up the Pond like a soccer match at night. She just nodded.
    Charlie chose that moment with the help of the kids to bring out a bottle of Korbel with those flute glasses. The kids ran back to the kitchen and reappeared with 7Up in their flutes. Lido laughed.
    Lido took a sip and said as always that the bubbles tickled her nose. Wart said he could make soda come out of Mojo's nose. Lido just gave him her mom look and Lido smiled.   
    "Who wants popcorn?" Lido then asked as everyone found their seat and settled in to wait for the glass ball to fall at midnight. Charlie said, definitely no CNN and Mojo wanted the Animal Planet show. Lido wished they had a copy of that old Dick Clark show.



January 1



14.



    Mojo went into her parents bedroom to see if they were awake. Roberto was still sleeping, but Lido was sitting up in bed. She was studying the dive list that she and her husband had made yesterday afternoon when Roberto was making his points about the dive.
    "Hey, pumpkin," Lido said without even looking up.
    "Hi, are you going to be okay today?" Mojo asked.
    "What brought that on?"
    "I don't know .... guess I'm a little scared for you."
    "I wouldn't do this if I didn't think I could. I'm not gonna take a chance and not see you again."
    "I guess."
    "Come here,"  Lido gave her a hug, "You;re going to be there. I'll be fine."
    "Okay."
    "Go get washed up, we'll eat in a few minutes. After I call the sheriff."
    Mojo hugged her mom and ran out of the room.
    "Are you okay?" Roberto asked. He was awake now.
    "I'm good. Let me go make that call." She got up. She didn't want to reopen their talk about the dive.
    "Anyone stay up until midnight?"
    "Nope."



                                                                         *



    It was quiet at the sheriff's office on New Year's morning. Lido Rodriguez had called in like she promised. She would dive and not alone but not until they told her what was going on at the Pond or she wasn't coming. She had also tried the dive shop and Roberto's friend at school. She couldn't get ahold of the woman at the dive shop and the professor at the university had said, no way. Roberto agreed with him.
    The sheriff didn't volunteer anyone in his office which would have made it easier if he did.
    "What about Deputy Park?" she asked.
    Glenn scratched his head. He wasn't expecting that question from her even though they had thought it over. "He's not coming in until one pm and I don't even know if he dives."
    "He dives," she said, "I've seen him at the Sachem Dive Shop a few times."
    "The sheriff checked his watch. 8:30 am. "He's probably still sleeping. At least I hope he is. I'll give him a buzz in about an hour. Talk to you after." He said good bye.
    "The kid dives?" he glanced over at Jerry who was already looking at him.
    "Man, you have to get out more ... Sheriff. He bungie jumps too," Jerry told him.
    "After a day of this ... a couple of beers, watch the Knicks lose on the big screen at the house. When did I get old?"
    "Don't blink, age is creeping up on all of us."
    "Amen to that."



15.



    Johnny D and Freddy were back in the ice house at the Pond. They weren't happy about coming out on New Year's Day to widen the ice hole they had made yesterday. At least all the stuff was here, Johnny D had told his partner on their way in the truck. Just start up the generator and they were good to go.
    Johnny  had shared a glass or two of cheap champagne with the old lady. He added a couple of Buds to get the taste out of his mouth. They had  kidded each other as to who had fallen asleep first last night. Johnny had but he let his wife claim that one.
    Freddy on the other hand went out to dinner with his girlfriend. Couldn't just sit home and drink Coronas all night until the ball dropped or they did. No, she had to have wienerschnitzel and wine at that new German place. Riesling or wrestling, what ever the perky waiter called it.Freddy would say it tasted like sweaty wrestler. But she was happy again. He just wanted to know where all the traffic came from when they made the mad dash for the house to watch the crystal strike midnight.
    Johnny D said, "You're fighting it again." The auger bucked on Freddy.
    "It's fighting me." Freddy wasn't happy now. "We almost got it. Get that sleeve ready."
    "All set."
    The sleeve in the hole was now big enough for a diver to slip through. But Freddy said he'd rather be doing this than dealing with the guy who was paying for the hole they were making in the ice.
   


                                                                        *



    They always want more money, Larry Ferry muttered after he had just got off the phone with the manager of the ice digging business. They were diggers all right he was thinking.
    That even this was good news. He could now go ahead with getting things in line for the show. But he didn't know how long it was going to take. A face under the ice who would have thought of that one. That and those strange emails which he still didn't think were funny. He'd really like to find out who sent them and maybe rip their face off.
    But even with this latest setback, he breathed a sigh of relief. He could go over to his daughter's house and hangout with his grandson Hunter, the one he wanted to give everything to. Even the world. He smiled, but right now it was the show.
    Larry had seen old pictures of the Pond in its heyday. Pavilions, old cars, hotels and even a casino. But it was like the three towns who ruled the Pond wanted no part of that. His brother Jimmy would talk about remembering the beaches with the pavilions and the admittance ankle tags and even the slides and the diving platforms which were more like rest areas. Bobby had never seen them but they were there in those old black and white photos.
    He would love to bring it all back like many others wanted to before him. But the cost of dealing with the townships alone would be exhausted and exhausting. But ON THE POND, Jimmy's Vision had gotten this far. He was just hoping the sheriffs office wouldn't drag their investigation out. After all time was money. And like his dad always said, money talks and bullshit walks.
   



16.



    "I still don't like this," Roberto told Lido. He was talking about the dive under the ice today once again.
    "There's nothing for you to dislike. I'll be fine. I have four tanks, three underwater flashing, those big ones and an extra long tether," she said. "You can hold on to it if you like."
    "You know I will."
    "Listen, I my way in the Pond. Not under the ice, but it's still the same Pond. I'll be extra careful."
    He kissed her on the forehead. She had her eyes closed.
When she opened them, behind Roberto were two pair of twin eyes.
    Lido said, "What are you two up to?"
    "Nothing," They smiled in unison.




                                                                       *



    When Jason woke up  first thing he did was check his cell phone for messages. One from his girlfriend, one from Glenn. He didn't even know what time it was. He played the sheriff's message first. Call when he woke up, his girlfriend left the same message. He was convinced it was a plot to rob him of his sleep, he laughed. Happy freaking New Years to you too.
    His cell read 9:58 when he finally checked. He felt like he had just went to bed and could use another five hours.



                                                                         *



    Charlie had been down at the Pond for an hour. He saw the men drag the power cord  from their truck over to the ice house. The two didn't look happy at all and the overtime money they would receive wouldn't make a difference. Johnny's attitude was get in there, widen the hole, put the sleeve in and then get the hell out of there. He had a day of college football to watch if his temple would stop throbbing. Freddy just laughed and said his girlfriend was still in bed.
    Lido had called Charlie earlier to tell him what was going on. As always, he was surprised but not shocked. Yes, he was going to be down at the Pond for a while, yes he could keep an eye on the kids.
    He didn't wonder who the face belonged to. No use, he would say. They got all those tests now and whatever. Maybe the sheriff will get lucky if someone comes forward with either info or an ID. But good luck with that. he just smiled
    What fool had been swimming in the Pond in this weather, we'll see what they or Lido who was now part of they would find. Too many ghosts in that Pond.



17.



    "I thought you knew," Jason told Glenn on the phone. "Bungie jump? Yeah, I did it once. Hey, what's Jerry been telling you?"
    "I guess I know what I know anymore. Got a confirm on Mrs. Rodriguez. She asked for you as a dive buddy. You okay with that?" Glenn asked him.
    "Guess there was no one else. Sure, when and where?"
    "Twelve noon. Eat light. We have everything."
    "OK, but never thought I'd be diving under the Pond ice in the winter."
    "That's what she said. See you at noon."
    "Til then."
    Jason went to take a shower, then laughed. Taking a shower to go dive, he shook his head. Then go find his diving stuff in the garage at his dad's house. 



                                                                        *



    For the better part of an hour, Charlie could hear the auger. A low grinding sound. Met on ice. When the drilling stopped one of the guys went to the truck to get an aluminum sleeve from out of a cardboard box, stuck it under his left arm and headed back to the little house.
    Lots of excitement for the first day of the new year, Charlie thought. And then Lido and hopefully someone else will dive under the ice and see what's going on. Find the rest of the body or nothing more. Charlie was hoping for the latter. A quick in and out by Lido and it will be done. Charlie knew he was hoping a lot lately but wasn't that what a new year was for.



18.



    Larry stopped  by his daughter Marcia's house. He had called earlier, but got her voicemail. He wanted to pickup Hunter and take him to the Pond.
    Marcia answered the door in her robe, "Dad, what are you ... did I forget to call you or do ...".
    "Happy New Year, baby. I just wanted to see if Hunter wanted to go down to the Pond with me."
    "Thanks, you too," She gave him a hug as he came through the doorway. He kissed her on the cheek.
    "Grandpa Larry!" Hunter was almost surprised.
    "Hey, Tiger."
    "I'm a Hunter not a Tiger."
    "That you are, how's my favorite grandson?"
    "I'm the only grandson."
    "He's getting big, too big for his britches," Marcia patted Hunter on the head. Hunter fixed his hair back. "You should see what he does when I try to kiss him." Larry just smiled.
    "It's just growing pains," he told her as she motioned to her son to get dressed.
    "I'll get him a few granola bars, he can eat them on the way," Marcia told her dad. And then to Hunter, "Brush your teeth too!" Then again to her dad, "He forgets."



                                                                   *



    Lido had everything packed into the Mommobile. Roberto and the kids would go to the Pond in the Dadmobile. And together in their matching black SUVs they would all go to see Lido and Roberto enter the ice house while the kids stood next to Charlie on the sand.
    Jason and Lido were the ones who would be doing the diving. Roberto and Jerry would be on the tether strap. Johnny D offered to hold the third light over the hole. And all three would help the divers get into the hole.
    Roberto told the kids he wanted to talk to Lido. He'd be right back. He walked over to her car's driver side and tapped on the window. "Do you have everything?"
    "I think so. And if I don't have it, I don't need it," she smiled.
    "hey I don't want to make you think twice or anything. I'm sure everything'll go great."
    "Thanks."
    "Other than the obvious, I want to tell you a toast for New Year's. It's been in the family for a long time. I forgot to say it last night. 'To love and courage'."
    "That's beautiful," she said and kissed him. He rubbed the back of her neck.
    "There's another one, but I don't think it fits the occasion. 'Look out for that tree.'."
    She smiled again, I think that's George Of The Jungle."
    "My Tio Jorge always liked it."
    Lido frowned and started up the SUV, "I need that. See you down there."
    "It's what I do, see you in a few."
   


19.



    Wart never liked the Pond. He never told anyone that he didn't. Not even Mo.He wasn't scared of it but heard had heard all the stories from Grandpa Charlie and his mom. The boys. The princess took a male each year and Mojo had said, girls too, the last time they all talked about it. The Pond took Grandpa Donnie too. And he never even got to meet him. Just pictures of a young guy, Grandma Jody and his mom as a baby.
    He and Mojo had put a couple of small resin chairs in the back of the Mommobile. They set them up next to Charlie and his metal webbed mesh chair on the beach.
    "And what are you thinking about? Charlie asked him. Wart had been staring at the ice house.
    "Nothing."
    "Nothing means something." Mojo grinned.
    "Mind your own bus ..." Wart told her.
    "See."
    "OK, guys," Charlie said, "Wart, it's okay if you don't want to talk about it. I hate this place too."
    "She'll be okay, Wart," Mojo told him.  
    Wart shook his head, "She better be."



                                                                      



     Johnny D had pulled the auger out of the hole and Freddy had slipped in the sleeve. Third time it fit.
    "Like a glove," Johnny said.
    Freddy told him "I thought this was going to be a bitch, what's it been like ten years since the ice was thick enough?"
    "Something like that. Is this stuff still impounded?"
    "Who knows?
    Johnny placed the auger bit down on the ice next to the house wall. Freddy opened the house door.
    Jerry and Jason with his diving equipment were standing outside. Roberto and Lido were coming over. They both carried tanks.
     Freddy asked, "Is the drill coming or going?"
    Jerry told him, "Not my call. Sorry, Have your boss call the sheriff."   
    "Right." Freddy shook his head. Then he walked off in the direction of the truck, pulling the generator cord behind him.
    Jerry said to Lido, "Glad you're here," he paused. "Whenever you're ready I guess."
    "I'm always ready to dive," she said. To Jason she said, "Happy to see you, buddy."
    "Hey, we'll do okay, I feel good about this," Jason told her." Roberto placed his hand on the deputy's shoulder when he heard that.



20.



    Larry and his grandson were standing about fifty feet from the driller's truck.
    "My brother used to say  this place was really something when he was a kid your age. Pavilions, slides, a boardwalk. all sorts of things," he told Hunter.
    "Not much now," Hunter said.   
    "Well, the fires took care of most of it. The rest of it just rotted or even got bulldozed."
    His grandson nodded.
    "But," Larry continued, "ICE ON THE POND will hopefully get it back again. Well some. That's if it ever gets off the ground."
    Hunter listened again but what he really wanted to know what was going on inside the little house. Like it was a big secret or something, he thought.
    "Can we go inside the little house?" he asked.
    "I wish we could too," Larry said, "There's one thing I want to tell you."
    "OK."
    "Your mom is my daughter, right?"
    "Right."
    "And you don't see your dad much."
    "OK."
    "Well, I'm not your dad, I'm your granddad. But don't bust her chops."
    Hunter just stared, he had no comment.
    Bobby added, "My dad was also a piece of work, but your mom is always gonna be there for you until she's not or she can't."
    "Um..." he almost said a word.
    "Got it?"
    "Yup."
    "Look I'm here for you too, but enough of the baloney. You have to take care of her too, OK?"
    "I get it, Grandpa."
    Larry shook his grandson's hand hard. Hunter would know how serious he was from the grip.
    "So what the hell's going on in there?" Larry asked. He would call the drillers later and he knew they would tell him then.



21.



    Lido knew the hole was too small. She wouldn't fit if she was wearing an air tank and it would even be a tighter fit for Jason. He had shoulders.
    "We're not gonna fit," Jason told Jerry.
    "I know."
    Lido just gave them both a look. Roberto said a word in Spanish that you couldn't even find on Google.
    She said, "Looks like we're going to have to get in first, have face mask on and mouthpiece in and then lower the tank."
    Roberto added, "And the tether ...".
    Lido echoed, " ... and the tether."
    "Have the poles and the flashlights, what else?" Jason also added.
    "The kitchen sink?" Jerry said to make them laugh.
    Roberto said, "No shit."



                                                                  *



    Wart saw Hunter and his grandfather and waved to them. They walked over to Charlie and the twins.
    "Hunt," Wart said. Larry and Charlie shook hands.
    "Wart and sister." Hunter's eyes were on the ice house.
    "Guess the princess got another one," Charlie said.
    Larry reacted with "Excuse me?"
    "Oh? ..." Charlie told him. "You really need to talk to one of the deputies."
   


                                                                  *



    Both drillers sat in the truck. Johnny D had called into the office. The hole was done, the sleeve was in and the guy who paid for the hole just showed up.
    "You know someone's gonna bitch about the hole," Freddy said.   
    "I know it. You know it. And the sleeve fit like it was supposed to." Johnny D smiled
    "And the auger or the drill didn't break."
    "Yep, no breakage."
    "But I got a question."
    "Shoot."
    "How they gonna get someone wearing tank on their back through that little hole?"
    Johnny D looked him straight in the face. "The hard way."
    "Good one, JD. But they're smart, they'll figure it out."



21.



    "I wish I had three hands," Lido said. She was looking into the hole in the ice in the little house. In there with her was the deputies Jerry and Jason and her husband Roberto.
    "Um, how are we gonna do this, really?" Jason asked, "maybe get in first?"
    "I guess, I thought this hole was going to be bigger. I was assuming we could get through wearing a tank," she said.
    "But this isn't on the sheriff's dime. The promoter paid for this," Jerry told them
    "Cheap bastard," Lido muttered.
    "They don't have to get into the water with all this stuff," Jerry answered after he heard he comment.
    The idea they came up with to get one diver in the water wearing a face mask looking like the Dark Knight. Let them put their mouthpiece in and then hand them the tank so they can go under, slip their arms through the shoulder straps and snap the clip in. Tricky, but doable, both divers said.
    Then lower the lights and a couple of poles to use if they found anything.
    It was going to be a long day.



                                                                  *



    Wart asked Hunter if he wanted to take a walk along the sand. "You too, Mojo," he said.
    Charlie said, where're you going and Larry added, don't get lost. They smiled at each other, the kids didn't react except for Wart waving back at them.
    They were all surprised that the sand was hard as cement. The geese and the gulls up ahead were still pecking at the sand for any bit of food. But the kids  weren't going that far. Wart just wanted to talk.
    "Do you guys remember the man who asked us to take his stuff over to his car while he swam across the Pond?" Wart asked.
    "Nope," Hunter said.
    "I do, Mojo said, "Wonder what happened to him?"
    "Hunter?" Wart looked him in the face.
    "Wart, I really don't remember the guy." Hunter shrugged his shoulders.
    "Moj?" Wart was looking at his sister now.
    "I don't know either. Really? Why/" she asked her brother.
    "I'd just like to know. It probably isn't that important but I'd like to prove that it's not him. You guys know the princess is still taking people. Mostly guys. I'm not saying I believe in all that. I just want to know.''   
    "You said want, that time."   
    "Well, I do."
   


22.



    Both Lido and Jason were underwater. Under the ice. Roberto was holding on to the tether just tight enough to watch it move through his hands. Not enough to Lido to feel a jerk on the line because Roberto's hold on the line was like a death grip in her mind.
    The water below was dark, but not too murky. No fish and no vegetation in the area. The beams of the flashlight shone like beacons. Like two mini lighthouses.
    They swam side by side with about five feet between them. Jason pointed to the left closer to shore and swam off. Lido followed. When she caught up to him, she used her old trick of banging  on the other diver's air tank to get their attention.
    She had used the metal tip of her pole on his tank and she could see him visibly shake in front of her courtesy of her flashlight.
    She shrugged at him when she finally got his attention. She couldn't say, where the hell are you going. She made a signal of the two of them swimming together and the deputy nodded.
    Up ahead there was something sunken into the Pond bottom. They got closer could see the outline of an old water slide with stairs. It was rusted and they would both say later they couldn't believe it was still there. Probably from the 40s to the 60s, the heyday of the Pond.
    As they got near the old stairs, Jason could see a pair of legs. Well, more of legs with sagging skin wearing a pair of shorts. When Lido finally saw the legs, she backed up and swam right into the old slide. The torso with a t-shirt on, more sagging skin. She shined her flashlight on Jason who was poking the legs with the metal tip on the end of his pole.
    She pointed over to the slide where he saw the shirted body. He swam to it. Lido meanwhile had gotten herself all turned around in the water and began looking for the flashlight stream that Roberto and Jerry promised they would do. Then she remembered the tether and gave a light pull to check the tension.
    Jason was thinking that they had the legs and the body but where's the head. But when he looked at Lido he thought she was going to bolt for the ice hole.
    He finally saw the head which was wedged between the slide support bars near the bottom of the Pond. It looked more like a melon with hair on one side and exposed bone on the other. The front. When he pointed to it with his flashlight, Lido almost puked in her mask when she saw it.



                                                                         *



    "You good? Jerry asked Roberto who was holding onto the tether which was connected to Lido.         
    "Me? I'm cool, no problem. How long have they been down there?" Roberto asked.
    "25 or 30 minutes maybe. They're fine as far as time. I told Jason if they find a body to come back up and we'll regroup as to how to get it out of there."
    "OK," Roberto was just glad that the kids were with Charlie. He didn't want them to see a body. He wasn't sure if he did either.



23.



    Lido pointed her flashlight at Jason and pointed her index finger upward. She did it three times and then left it there. She wanted to go. And now.
    Jason flicked his flashlight off ten on and followed her over to the hole in the ice. Lido followed the tether attached to the hands of Roberto.
    When they were under the hole, Lido undid her tank and handed it to Jason. She popped her head up through the hole and Roberto and Jerry grabbed each arm and pulled her up.
    Lido turned around and grabbed her tank from Jason and she got his tank when she saw it floating in the hole. The two men pulled Jason up right after he stuck his head up.
    "I don't do dead bodies!" she shouted. "I don't know what I was expecting to find but not that."
    "What did you think we were looking for? Kittens?"
    "Don't patronize me, my skin is still crawling," Lido answered and then to Roberto, "Take me home."
    Jason wasn't expecting her to get so upset. Lido undid the knot on the tether.
    "Mind if I borrow that?" Jason pointed to the rope. "Someone's still got to go down there and get the remains."
    "It's all yours." she told him, "Better you than me. Don't get lost."
    Jason knew better than to answer her.
    But Jerry said, "We still have to see if the face matches the body you guys saw. We don't need any headless horsemen."
    Lido grabbed for the ice house door knob.



                                                                      *



    Charlie saw Lido's exit from the little house. He thought she seemed pissed but probably just cold from the dive.. Roberto carried her tank.
    The kids and Larry saw them too. Larry checked his cell like he was waiting for it to ring in to get a message. They two deputies were the only ones left in the house. Larry told Hunter to stay and asked Charlie to watch him for a few minutes.
    Ferry walked over to the house. He stepped gingerly on the ice as to not fall on his ass. That wouldn't have been too cool or painless.
    When he reached the house, he knocked on the door.
    "Who's there?" It was Jerry's voice.   
    "Larry Ferry."
    Jerry opened the door. Larry could see Jason getting ready to dive again.
    "Hi."
    "Uh, hi, what's going on?"
    "That's the question." Jerry smiled.
    "I was just ...".
    "I want him to get in a last dive. We'll call you when we know, OK?"
    "OK, thanks," Larry closed the door and began his slow walk back across the ice. He wasn't happy, but he knew they were busy. He'd get his answers soon enough anyway.



24.



    Wart saw his mom was mad as soon as he got in the Dadmobile. He was just glad she wasn't driving back. He knew she had a temper but he had only seen it once. The time she was really mad at him.
    He thought he was going to throw up that time and this time too when he thought about the man who wanted to swim the Pond a couple of months ago. And never showed up. And the sheriff impounded the guy's car. And they never found him.
    Without the gory details of what she had seen under the ice, Lido told about the body by the slide.
    "Body parts. I really didn't need to see that," she told Roberto almost forgetting the kids were in the back seat.
    Roberto had no comment, what was he supposed to say so he let her continue.
    "I don't know what I was expecting but not that." She grabbed his right ar tightly. "Thanks for your assist on the tether."
    When she let go of his arm, he held her hand. She seemed to relax. A little.
    "Mom? I think we met Frankenstein, the man under the ice," Wart said. His words cut into the tensed air like a sword. He said Frankenstein because the guy was now in pieces. Like the monster. In the old movie that his parents let he and Mojo watch a few weeks ago.
    "Wart!" Lido yelled. "He wasn't a monster. He was a person."
    "Wart!" Mojo also said and poked him in the ribs.
    Wart said to Mojo, "It could be that old guy who asked us to dare him to swim the Pond that time."
    "Who's we?" Lido asked and stared into his eyes. Wart knew he was in trouble. Again.



                                                                    *



    Charlie was still sitting in his beach chair when Jason and Jerry finally exited the ice house. Larry Ferry and his grandson were long gone. There was about an hour of sunlight left and Charlie could feel the chill of the first afternoon of the year coming on.
    Jason was still wearing his dive equipment and the air tank on his back. Probably easier than carrying it, Charlie thought.
    They were both carrying a black bag. Jerry moved with the weight  of it shifted while Jason had mostly bag. Charlie could only guess that it was the remains that belonged to the face they had found. He couldn't imagine seeing what was left of the victim. More like that skeleton puppet that said 'I'll kill you' that the kids liked. And that was one memory he didn't want among his own ghosts that had attached themselves to him.
    And he was so glad when ex-Sheriff Park had informed him that they found the body of his son Donnie. He wouldn't be able to take that. Even seeing the black body bag today made him think of Donnie. Not a bad thing, he made peace with the memory. But he did made the funeral home let him with Jody see inside the casket which was closed for the service. He didn't want to bury an empty box in Calverton Cemetery.



25.



    Larry Ferry had just got off the phone with the sheriff's office. He had called them before the deputies were back. And after the sheriff had spoken to his two deputies, Glenn called Larry back. The sheriff said he had to send the face and body over to the university for them to process the remains. But he did take some pictures and Jason who was good on the computer would use a program that could do an artist rendering of the facial features. And then they'll publish a copy of it online and give a copy to the newspaper. Try to get as much coverage as possible to find out who it is. Or was.
    Larry was happy for them in their attempt to identify the victim. But he was more interested in knowing whether he could go forward with ICE ON THE POND. He knew he was being selfish
not caring about the drowned person. But he had everything tied up in this show. It had been years since the ice had been thick enough to even attempt an event like the one he had in mind.
    Hunter was still at the house with him. The kid had cartoons going on the tv and a game on Level 7 on his cell phone. He'd get the kid cleaned up and they'd  go to his daughter's for dinner. She said something about Chicken Parm. Maybe with some garlic bread. He loved her cooking, reminded him of his ex-wife's who was now deceased. She was a pain in the ass, but she could cook. Otherwise it was something in the microwave or out to dinner with friends, backers or some of his workers, or the table for one and flirt with the waitresses at the diner.



                                                                 *



    Glenn now had a body to attach the mask, he corrected his thought and said face. It was a someone until they found out who it was. The water always did something to the body. He always thought it was like a sponge absorbing water, bloating, distorting  the features.
    He had a before picture, before the face was sent to the lab and would have a better face for a lack of a better term after Jason's program ran its course.He was curious as to who it was, but even he never recognized a drowning victim from the Pond. Like he said, they changed.



26.



    "Wart, we have to tell them more about that guy." Mojo was sitting on a desk chair in Wart's room while he played a game on his phone.
    "You can if you want. I'm done. As far as I know the guy was late, took longer to do his swim. Hunter did wait for a while, he told me that, but never said what happened. Not my business." He looked up for a moment and then went back to his game.
    "I think it's the guy too. I know his car was gone. Hunter didn't say anything?"
    "Hunter can't remember what he had for lunch."
    "Don't make me laugh, Wart."
    "I'm not. Did you ever ask him something? It's weird. He knows what he knows."
    "The guys clothes at the bottom of my closet. I could throw them out. Hunter had the guy's wallet and other stuff."
    "Ugh." He paused. "I don't care."
    "I got that part. We really should tell them."
    "If you want, but don't drag me into it."
    "Wart, I'm going to buy you a heart for your next birthday."
    "At least you won't forget when it is."
    "You're funny, twin, hah."



                                                              *



    Charlie sat at his kitchen table. He was noticing how empty his house was these days. No Maureen. No Donnie. No real family here anymore. Just an empty house full of furniture he and Maureen bought back when. An old man who stays at his granddaughter's whenever he's invited. And his memories. And those memories didn't even fill the nooks and missed the crannies altogether.
    He was having some leftover meatloaf that Lido had sent home with him after he had dinner with them last week. He boiled some frozen corn and nuked the meatloaf in the microwave.
    He wasn't much of a cook, but he could heat stuff up in the microwave or on the stovetop. He knew guys who bragged that they couldn't even boil water. Good luck with that if you didn't die first, he tell them, they would starve to death or go broke eating at the diner.
    No, in his quiet thoughts, memories of his wife and son were always there. If he wanted them. He always did. But he didn't want to live there. He would tell Lido he would have a few toes in the past, a few in the present and even a few in the future. He didn't know how much time he had, death was coming but he wasn't infatuated with it like Woody Allen in his old movies. The funny ones.
    He also gave a few thoughts to the man who drowned under the ice. Gave a new meaning to losing face.
    Was it a suicide or some old guy who thought he still had it or thought he did? Who knows, he mused, but the princess got another one. She always got her man.



27.



    Jerry was out in his cruiser on patrol, Jason would be out with him in a bit. The sheriff and Jason had packaged the body and the face to the lab to see what information they could get as far as an identity. Maybe some DNA or a fingerprint or whatever, Glenn said they'd take it. He really hated this part. He especially hated when they had to use the hook to retrieve a victim from the Pond. Kids were the worst. He had seen many a grown man get sick, Glenn just got numb. It was his only way to get through it.
    Jason had taken a photo on his cell before the remain were all packed up. He thought it looked more like a mask than a face anymore. Seeing it up on the computer scree was almost eerie. They couldn't even decide what the skin color was."
    "Green?" Glenn asked.
    "For sure, but let me play with it a little,: Jason said.
    "Yeah, that's better."
    "How about now?'"
    "Much better." Glenn paused. "Now how about some eyes?"
    "I didn't want to add eyeballs. It would make it look like one of those death masks on the History Channel."
    "I saw that. Lincoln was creepy. Can you close the eyes then? Maybe they'll think he's sleeping."
    "The kinder, gentler sheriff's office?"
    "Something like that. You done?"
    "You tell me?"
    "Yes, looks more like a person now. Can you give me a print?"
    Jason handed him the copy. The creepy looking dead guy of Sachem Pond. Great title for a movie."
    "Let the dead sleep, Jason."
    "Will do, Skip."



                                                                    *



    Wart was on the bed still playing his game, but took long pauses between levels. Mojo was on her laptop. Her cat was walking on the keyboard and Mojo laughed whenever the cat made a word. She could tell something was still bothering Wart.
    "Scumph," she said.
    "What?" Wart looked up.
    "Mrs. Desmond just made a word. Thought you were playing your game?"
    "That's not a word?"
    "I thought you weren't listening?"
    "I did a lot of things you don't know about."
    "Crud."
    "Another word?"
    "No, I was thinking about that man's clothes again."
    "Will you give it up."
    "I don't want them in my closet."
    "Why don't you bury them?"
    "Will you go with me?"
    "When did you get so devious?"
    "Mom, uses that word about you, you know."
    "I know, pick a spot and I'll help you, but I'm not wearing my pirate costume."
    "You don't need to. I'll put them in a plastic bag and maybe I can get that smell out of my room."
    "When you're ready."
    "And bring a shovel."



28.



    Larry was at home checking over his plans for the show and all the things he still had to do. But finding the body was holding things up.
    He dropped the kid back off at his daughter's. He was glad he had cleared the air with Hunter. Maybe he even taught the kid some respect. Some New Year's day, he thought.
    But he really had to get the ice show on track. Lot of things to coordinate with his staff. Tons of phone calls to make. A thousand other things at least. He had heard the term Herculean effort, but until he took on ICE, he never knew what it really meant. He always thought it was just about Hercules.
   


                                                                       *



    Jason liked the print the computer program made of the face. It was light enough to reprint and to give to the newspaper run even though it was black and white. He sent out the first copy. One went to the lab, one for the newspaper, one for the sheriff and one for the files. But when he checked the lab that he wanted to send to the lab it we3nt to some other fax # that he didn't recognize. After checking a few places, he discovered the fax # belonged to the producer of the ice show.
    He would tell Glenn what happened in a bit after he carefully refaxed the lab and the newspaper. He would ''fess up'' and even apologize. An honest mistake. Maybe even call the guy to tell him.



                                                                      *



    Wart was putting the shovel back in the garage where he found it. They buried the clothes in the backyard.
    After protests from Mojo, he had dug a hole next to their old cat's grave. The one with the cross with the picture of Whiskers on it. Fitting for a cat by the name of Whiskers.
    Lido had stuck her head out the back door, "What are you kids doing?"
    "Nothing," they both said.
    "Don't dig up Jimmy Hoffa."
    "Who?"
    "Nevermind. We're going to be eating soon."
    "OK," Wart told her.
    "That was close," Mojo finally said.
    "No sweat. Whiskers will watch over them."
   


29.



    The fax perplexed Larry Ferry. Why would the sheriff's office send him a face, He thought. Didn't know what it was, care or give it a minute of his time. He still had a ton of stuff to do. He was waiting for the Ice Boat Association to get back to him. And the hockey exhibition guys too. He wanted to hear from them too.
    There was a local law that no motorized vehicles or gas engines could be used in the Pond. Larry had an idea for sled mobiles, hover craft or anything with power. He had someone who was going to ski sail or use a parachute. He'd have to look into anything that used electric power. He could only think of a golf cart.



                                                                                             *



    Lido was still mad about the dive so Roberto had the bright idea to go out for Italian. The place in town that had been there forever. Luis's. A pasta house that served anything and pizza too. Bar on one side, long oval bar on the other. Charlie always talked about it. the way it was before it was remodeled in the 80s.
    She had even gone there as a small child. But the only thing she remembered were the bread sticks. So Roberto thought it was a safe bet to bring her there.
    It was also the first place that he and Lido went "out on a date". And even though he was expecting the food to be a little more spicier, he liked it.
    Dinner out with the kids was always a challenge. Roberto ordered for the four of them. The waitress was ready for him.
    "Four chicken parmeasans," he said.  
    "And to drink?" the waitress asked.
    Wart said, "I want Ziti."
    "We have that," the waitress said trying to be helpful. "Almost every family goes through it."   
    "Spaghetti," Mojo added her choice.
    "2 parms and 2 spaghettis with the meal balls," Lido told the woman.
    "And a beer," Roberto said, "and a white wine."
    "At least one," Lido added with a smile."And two cola with cherries, they still do that, right?"
    "I'll check at the bar, but I'll do it if they don't." She smiled at Lido.
    "Gracias,"  Roberto told her. Then to Lido, "Feel better/"
    "Yes. This was a good idea, but next time without the K-I-D-S."
    "Wart said, "We can spell."
    "I know,"
    Mojo laughed.
   


30.



    Ferry got all his phone calls done. He heard from everyone except the sheriff's office today. To get the go ahead. The sheriff had told him the Pond until further notice was still a crime scene. You couldn't pressure them. They would sat it wasn't up to them. It was always someone else, but after taking on ICE ON THE POND, he knew exactly what that meant too.
    But he now couldn't get his mind off that fax. On a chance he had the local cable news show on. Same five stories every hour. And even with all the people in Nassau and Suffolk counties, they still mostly covered those same stories. And the weather and the traffic.
    He also went only and checked the local newspaper for something. Same stuff again. The cable company owned the newspaper or the newspaper owned the cable company. Or even vice versa, he shook his head. Same old crap either way. There wasn't a story on the mask, but there was a promo tease for tomorrow's cover on the newspaper page.  
    The picture was lighter than the fax, could have been his machine. He decided to zoom to 200%, it pushed him back in his chair. It looked like his dad. Not an exact match, but like he was sleeping. No eyes open. Almost looked at peace.



                                                                           *



    Charlie was glad to see Lido and the kids if it was only for a minute or two. They were dropping off a doggie bag of chicken and pasta. He didn't have the heart to to tell them he had eaten already. Food that he had reheated in the microwave. He'd put the food in the freezer with all the other meals they had given him. He'd eat them whenever.
    Lido and the kids came to the door and Roberto waved from the Dadmobile. He thanked them and they were off for home. He'd been feeling tired lately, lack of energy, but it was the dead of winter and he had never been this age before, he would say. Getting old wasn't for wimps, they got that right. He thought there were too many sayings like that he would hear. People still weren't living to a ripe old age. They all only had so much time on the planet.



31.



    The morning was cold but calm. No wind and Charlie was already down at the Pond. 9 am. No action coming from the ice house but he really wasn't expecting anything either.
    It was sunny, not a cloud in the sky. A good day to live, he thought. To be alive. He had had dreams about Donnie, many of them, mostly all good. The bad one was the one were he couldn't stop him from walking into the water.
    But it was Lido, Roberto, and the kids who kept him going. And his coming to the Pond almost every day. Got him out of the house, air in his lungs and no walls to close in on him. And those kids. Happy, smart, well too smart for their own good sometimes, he thought. He loved them, they loved him.
    They could be themselves around him and he could do the same with them. He could be quiet, he could tell them something about life or not. And he could be grumpy if he wanted. It was all good with them. They were just younger versions of Lido and even Donnie.
    Charlie wanted to stay on the planet, but more and more he could feel his own mortality.



                                                              *



    Larry Ferry called the sheriff's office in the morning too. He was restless.Had dreams about his dad and when he woke up he was still think about him. The good, the bad and the crazy as his mom used to say.
    He explained to Glenn that he received a fax of the mask/face on his machine.
    "Yeah, well, sorry about that," Glenn told him, "It was a finger error by our young deputy."
    "Oh, that's OK," Larry told him, "No harm done."
    "It was meant for the newspaper."
    "No problem. But I did see the photo on the front page of the newspaper. The fax looked like my dad and in the paper it really does. But I don't know know how that can be."
    "How's that?"
    "My dad died 15 years ago."
    "That is odd. Well, if you think of anything else give us a call."
    "Will do."



32.



    The kids got on their bikes and headed for the Pond. The roads were still clear. No sign of any snowflakes. Mojo's wish for snow had gone unanswered. She was beginning to wonder if it was ever going to snow again this winter.
    When they were coming down the big hill, they could see Charlie in his chair on the public beach. He was about ten feet in from the frozen pond water, leg crossed over leg. His head turned in the direction of the ice house. It was a few moments after nine am.
    "Morning, Grandpa Charlie," Mojo said. She parked her bike next to him. The kickstand didn't sink into the the frozen ground. Wart did the same.
    "Mojo, Wart, yes, good morning. I couldn't sleep in so I came down early." Charlie uncrossed  his legs and then recrossed the.
    "What's early?" Wart asked.
    "Seven."
    "Was the sun even up? I was still sleeping."
    "I used to love to sleep in." Charlie turned his attention back to the small house.
    Mojo got poked by Wart. "Grandpa Charlie? Can we talk to you?" she asked.
    "Sure, anytime, what's up?" he said.
    "Well ..." Mojo paused. Wart nodded at her to go ahead. "We met Frankenstein."
    "Who?" Charlie was confused. That's nice," he said and went back to watching the house.
    Wart said, "No, the guy who lost his face."
    "Yeah, the guy whose body was found under the ice," Mojo told him.
    "Oh, I see," Charlie rubbed his chin.
    "No," Mojo put her hands on her hips. "Nobody is listening to us."
    She recounted that of them and Hunter's meeting a man back in September who asked them to bring his clothes and wallet over to his car by the old Bohemian Inn. The man then went into the water. They waited by his car, but he never showed up. So they went home.
    They had his clothes and they told Charlie they just buried the in a plastic bag next to Whiskers. And Hunter as far as they knew still had his keys and wallet. They went back the next day and the car wasn't there. So they thought the guy had swum the Pond, got his car and went home. How they didn't know. A month ago, some kid in school was saying the car got impounded by the sheriff.
    "That's a hell of a story," Charlie said.
    "Yes it is," Wart told him. "You believe us, right?"
    "It's the truth," Mojo added.
    "Sure do, doubt you could make up a tale like that anyway. This Pond's got a lot of weird stories in it."
    "So what should we do?" Wart asked.
    "Well, for one thing. I want you to keep this to yourselves for now. OK? It's not a secret but you two didn't do anything wrong. I want you to talk to Hunter. The sheriff has to know which it is soon. A DNA test or whatever they use nowadays. So sit tight, OK?"
    "OK, we will," Mojo said.
    "And it's all true as far as you know, right?"
    "Yes," the twins said in a low voice.
    "OK, then. Because there are no secrets in Sachem Pond."



33.



    Jason and Jerry were saying that they thought the call from Ferry was a little weird. The mask looked like his father? And Jerry kidded the young deputy about the fax sent by mistake. It didn't do any damage to the investigation. Glenn had even talked to him about it too, told Jason, no more automatic pilot. Jason had nodded. Glenn said, good and went into his office to make phone calls.
    So the two deputies joked until Jason had to go on duty and Jerry was going home. They all talked about getting a fourth man or person for the office. Would work out better for the schedule, but they still thought the call was strange as Jerry went out the door.
    Jason wondered if it might be an idea to see if Ferry would give up a vial of blood. Just in case. Eliminate the obvious or even the weird. He was getting to the point that he or the office never eliminated a lead until they could put a nail in it and declare it dead. No, this one was getting in his head that he wanted to approach the sheriff.
    Before he started his shift, he knocked on Glenn's door, "Skip, I want to run something passed you before I go out on shift."
    "Alright, but call Larry Ferry to see if he'll do a blood test. Something about his call."
    "You're psychic, Skip."



34.



    After the kids rode off on their bikes, Charlie thought, kids know everything. He used to know a lot. He and Donnie, and Donnie was a kid before the military, they could talk. They were always close. But a piece of shrapnel changed all that. No one deserved all that pain. He didn't hide his pain of losing and missing his son. But he did have Lido and the kids now.
    He found himself remembering and old get together he and some high school friends did for nearly fifty years. That long, almost shocked him at the number of year. When he and the guys started, they showed up at Luis's on Thanksgiving night at 9 pm sharp for a drink. One drink. Handshakes. Old stories. Any news they had to share. For an hour or so until next time.
    Then almost ten years ago they changed it to New Year's day in the afternoon. No more drinks, well not with liquor. Lots of ginger ale mostly. Old Dave still liked a Coke with a cherry in it. Said it reminded him of when he was a kid.
    But this year Charlie didn't go, he didn't forget. They had started with five. Old Dave, Harry, Joe D Sr., Eddie Ferry and himself.
    This was the first year he didn't go and it felt weird to him. But it was because he was the only one left. Outlived them all. Harry the last died in August. Big C. Went to see him in the hospice. Sad, Charlie thought, but he did have that drink at home for all of them. Even though it was only a root beer. He'll do it again next year for all of them too. God willing.
    But now he had a new goal, find out what happened to the guy the kids saw. Frankenstein, hah, he thought. Maybe he'd hire that new law firm with the ad on the sports radio station. Fronk and Stine. They were using an old drawing of old bones in full makeup as their logo. One of his grand nephews threatened a lawsuit so they dropped it. But he didn't want a lawyer, didn't trust them. Even the ones who advertised that they were monsters.



35.



    Lido was still upset. She couldn't let it go. The image of that broken body had really gotten to her. And even though she loved science, she hated biology, but just the dissecting part. In high school, she took the frog that they wanted her to cut up and threw it against the classroom wall, she remembered. She got a C+ for creativity. But it did help her choose her field when it came to the sciences though. No disemboweling anything.
    "Still thinking about Frankenstein?" Roberto asked.
    "You too?/"
    "Sorry, thought it was a little funny," he frowned. "Guess not."
    "It's OK, but no more. I keep thinking I owe the sheriff an apology."
    "I don't, but I also don't think they'll be calling you again to dive for them for a while."
    "You're probably right on both. But I'm too bust beating myself up about it."
    "Well, cut it out," he said which made her smile. "I keep wondering who he is. That's where our  strengths are. Maybe we can help in that area. What do you think?"
    "I guess. If the sheriff is still talking to me right now."
    "Well, right now, I'm sure he'll take any help he can get."



36.



    Larry Ferry had called the sheriff earlier and together they decided he would come down to the office. Mary Jonson, a local retired nurse, had done a few things to help them out. She would draw the blood from Ferry in Glenn's office. Two for the lab and one to see if they could get something done locally.
    When Ferry arrived, he was thanked for coming and quickly ushered into Glenn's office. The sheriff waited outside. When Ferry cam out, he asked how long it would take. Glenn told him it was a hurry up and wait deal but they'd call him if they got anything.
    Ferry nodded and left. The nurse gave the vials to him. Glenn put two in an envelope for the lab and placed the other on his desk.
    "Now what?" he wondered. Well, someone had to ask, but he knew the answer was to wait.
   

                                                                   *



    "I'm calling them," Lido told Roberto. She had to get this off her mind. All of it.
    "Um, OK," he said. He didn't really know what to tell her but he did trust her to do the right thing. "See what happens."
    "Alright, but stay right here for a little moral support."
    "No problem."
    "Thanks."
    She grabbed her cell phone, took a deep breath and dialed the sheriff. She probably should have it on speed dial by now, she thought.
    She would apologize if only to break the ice in the conversation.But she was sorry about how she acted. She even surprised herself. But fear was fear.
    "I'm glad you called," Glenn told her. He actually seemed glad to hear from her. "I have have a question, a science question."
    "Shoot," she said.
    The sheriff laughed. The icebreaker, there it was, Lido thought. She relaxed.
    "You guys know science, right?" Glenn paused. "I need some blood analyzed and probably some tissue."
    "Hmm. When do you need this?"
    "Like yesterday. This is just a shot in the dark asking you. But I really need information. Can you help?"
    Glenn hadn't told anyone he had Frankenstein.
    Roberto had been listening to the call. Lido had the cell phone volume up.
    He told Lido. "Maybe? I have some equipment here and between the bathroom and the stuff under the kitchen sink. Maybe."
    Glenn heard him. He told Lido, "I'll be over in a while. If that's OK?"
    "Sure," she told him and hung up.
    To Roberto, she added, "Aren't you glad I called?" Then shook her head.
   


37.



    The twins both felt better after talking with Charlie. Wart had the idea before they went home to ride over where the man had talked to them and Hunter. Charlie was watching them out of the corner of his eye. Wart even waved to him and he turned his head back to the ice house without waving back.
    Then they rode over by the old Bohemian. Mojo always wondered why it had been left to rot. Especially after hearing her mom and Grandma Jody talk about going there. Lots of people did and all seemed to have a story.
    The two looked around. For a while, Charlie was still sitting in his chair on the other side of the Pond. Wart rode all over the area, looking for something he'd never find, but he did it anyway. Mojo called to him that she wanted to go.
    When they reached the house and put the bikes away in the garage, Wart went inside while Mojo went to the backyard. She saw Mrs. Desmond over by Whiskers grave.
    "Oh, Mrs. Desmond! What did you do?" she told the cat who had the clothes bag in her mouth. It was still sealed.



                                                                   *



    Glenn knocked on the Rodriguez screen door.
    "Hi," Lido said as she opened the inside door.
    "Happy New Year. I appreciate you folk helping us out. Again," he said.
    "Well, let's see what happens first. Do you have the blood?" Roberto took the vial and the tissue sample from the sheriff.
    "Appreciate, like I said. The lab is going to take forever ..."
    "No problem. Give me a few hours or so. Can I call you?"
    "Leave a voicemail if I'm out. And I'll get right back to you," Glenn told Roberto. To Lido he said,
Sorry about you seeing the body parts. We didn't know what we'd find. It was a surprise to us too. You're OK?"
    "Better now," she told him.



38.



    Mojo had brought the back back into the house. She and Wart wre in her bedroom. She on her bed, Wart sitting on the desk chair.
    "I sure wish Grandpa Charlie had answered his cell. But I left a message. He still has the generic greeting.'   
    "He never answers his phone," Wart told her.
    Mojo was still holding the bag of clothes.
    "They're like a bad penny like Grandpa say," he said, "Where can we put them?"
    "We should give them to the sheriff?"
    "Do you want to go to jail?" Wart was staring at her.
    "Are we in trouble? What about Hunter?
    "Joking, we're kids. No, but we'll probably have to turn the  clothes in and the stuff Hunter has."
    "I'm going to call Grandpa again."
    "Whatever." Wart went back to the game on his phone.



                                                                         *



    Charlie was on his way home from the Pond, chair under his arm, cell phone in his pocket. He felt it vibrate. He had looked at the phone face. A light was flashing for a minute or so, when it stopped he put it back in his pocket. He'd ask one of the kids again what to do.
    What he was really thinking about was the kids. Mojo seemed upset. When he was a kid he had a whole lot of nothing to worry about. Money for penny candy, a roll of caps for his toy gun. That was it. He could usually get some or he said the kid next door would go find some deposit bottles and cash them in. Charlie always said he didn't know he was poor until someone told him. He always thought he was rich.



                                                                          *



    Mojo had decided to call Hunter. Wart also talked to him. Hunter couldn't remember diddly, if Wart was older he would have said crap, because Hunter didn't remember that either. Hunter wasn't stupid or mentally-challenged. But he could be mental.
    Wart did ask him about the wallet and he knew it was in the bottom of his bedroom closet in an old shoe that was in a box. He knew that. Hadn't even looked at it or asked for it or thought about it until the phone call. Mojo would have been hearing it like some old Poe ode. Bump bump. Edgar Allen would have been poking her with his verbal stick.
    Did they want him to bring it over, Hunter asked. Wart said, he'd get back to him after they figured out what to do with it. Even if they gave it to the sheriff. Hunter was hesitant with that, but like Wart said, what are they gonna do to kids, they didn't do anything wrong. Mojo thought her heart was going to jump out of her chest.
    They went outside to the backyard and filled the hole.



39.



    Both Jerry and Jason were out on patrol in separate cars. Glenn was in his office with his thoughts. A dangerous thing, he always said.
    It was all hurry up and wait now. That was all he could do. He was waiting for the lab or the Rodriguez doctor and his wife to give him some results, one to tell him, the other to confirm. If they could confirm.
    Glenn was also glad that Ferry had come forward and offered. A break in the case. They would have gotten around to him eventually. A three man office, no the way to go. he thought. Four would be OK, five better, but six would be great and what they really needed. But not with government budgets these days. Hell of a way to start a new year, he said out loud.



                                                                         *



    Roberto had cleared the kitchen table. He then set up everything he would need or thought he needed to see if the tissue sample matched blood. The sample was small but the blood vial was big enough. He just hoped he had enough tissue.
    The kids watched his every move. Lido stuck her head in the door.
    "You need any help?" she asked.
    "You wouldn't have a spare autoclave around?"
    "Sorry, fresh out."
    "Guess going to just MacGyver one."
    "I don't know an antigen from a platelet."
    Roberto laughed, "So you do know what I'm doing."   
    "Lead on, Angus."
    "You will notice the fingers never leave the hand."
    "Be serious, doctor," Lido said with a smirk.
    "Me? If you're going to be an asset, get me about a half a cup of white vinegar and then call Charlie for me. I need to ask him a favor."



40.



    Hunter was sitting in his closet. His mom asked him what he was doing when she saw him as she walked by his bedroom door.
    He said what all kids have always said, playing. He was in a way. Looking at the shoe in the box with the wallet and keys in it. He waited for a few minutes.
    When he finally opened the wallet, first thing he looked at was the driver's license. The picture looked a little like Grandpa Larry. The name surprised him. He would call his grandpa later and see what he thought.
    He sat for  a few more minutes, put the wallet and keys back in the show then into the box in the back of the closet and forgot about it.



                                                                          *



    Charlie got the phone call from Lido. She called him on his house phone not the cell. She knew he would answer the home phone. Wart and Mojo could show him how to use the cell because he never would listen to her about it.
    He was bringing what Lido had asked for. Roberto needed help on identifying the dead man and Charlie would do what he could.
    When he arrived at their house, he placed his metal chair by the outdoor railing and knocked on the screen door.
    "Anyone home?"
    "We're in the kitchen, come on in," Lido told him.
    Water was boiling on the stove, the microwave door was open, assorted tools and devices were on the tabletop. Vinegar, ammonia, baking soda and a couple of other things Charlie didn't recognize were on the table too.
    "I'm stumped," Roberto said, "did you bring the meter?"
    "Brought my diabetes meter, a few lancets and some strips." Charlie placed them on the table.
    "This is the only thing left I can think of."
    "Just don't break it, pain in the ass to replace it, OK?"
    "I'll be gentle, you can do it if you want to."
    "No, you're the professional."
    They watched Roberto put a small amount of blood on the strip already in the meter. The blood sugar number was 180. 100 or lower was normal or at least not diabetic.
    The tissue the sheriff was from the neck area of the face/mask. Fatty tissue.'    "Now I'm not sure if this will work." Roberto took some of the tissue he had made into a liquid paste by adding some distilled water and then stirring it up. The meter read 190.
    Charlie had seen the first number and when he saw the other number said, "I wasn't that high the first time they checked me."
    Roberto tried it again. 186 the first one, 192 on the second. "Well, the only thing I know is it's possible both these people probably have diabetes type 2."
    "You really need the number  the doctor gets from the lab results, that one is usually more accurate than the sugar," Charlie told them.
    "Thank you, Dr. Roberts."
    "Hey after ten years of this, you learn a few things. I take my pills, but if the time comes when they want me to stick myself with a needle. Lido can drop me off at the cemetery and I'll wait until it's time to go.
    "Charlie!", Lido said.
   


41.



    "You hear them downstairs? They're working on Frankenstein's blood." Wart didn't even look up from his cell phone game."I did hear and it doesn't make me feel any better, but a little better when Charlie came over," Mojo said.
    "Me too."
    "You? Really?"
    "Hey, I'm human."
    "Could fool me some days."
    "Wanna bet that Hunter put the monster's stuff back in his closet?"
    "You really think that? That would be hard to believe."
    "You want to go over his house with me.  Pinkie bet." He put his hand out with his pinkie finger up.
    "No way, he's your friend. He's a little creepy sometimes."
    "I know, but he doesn't have any friends."
    "He's got you."
    Wart shrugged, "He laughs at my jokes and doesn't ask stupid questions."
    "Like I do? Mojo got up to leave the bedroom. "I'm going over your girlfriend's house."
    "The girlfriend thing again? I'll go to Hunter's and get the keys and the wallet if he'll let me in."
   


                                                                         *



    Roberto had about as much information as he was going to get from the tissue and the blood samples. The sheriff was going to have to wait for the lab result. They tried. Even without the right equipment and chemicals. They really didn't need lab equipment or they were just winking in the dark, he thought.
    He and Lido cleared the table so they could eat. Blood and tissue always makes me hungry, Lido said as she went to check on the enchiladas in the oven. Two pans. Medium to hot for her and Roberto. Mild for the kids and less than mild for Charlie. He liked them but the heartburn from the hotter sauce just wasn't worth it anymore.
    All they did have for the sheriff was that both the sample were diabetic. But even that was a stretch because the tissue had been frozen and under water for over 3 months. Maybe the Pond was diabetic, Roberto though. Charlie was the one who said the test was probably right, but he was also the one who read where in the future he could spit on a test strip for a result that would work too. He'd probably like that.
    Lido announced that dinner would be ready to eat in fifteen minutes. Mojo and Wart had just returned home. Charlie said he was famished. And Roberto picked up his cell and listened to the ring of the sheriff's office phone.



42.



    Wart and Mojo were back and heard their mom's announcement about dinner. They were in Wart's room He was sitting on the bed, Mojo stood in the doorway.
    "So?" she asked.
    Wart just jingled the keys. "Hunt didn't even know what I was talking about. I had to go into his closet and get the box. He says, 'Oh, that box', then opens it. He gave me everything."
    Mojo just frowned, "I want to talk to Charlie again and then we can take the stuff to the sheriff. I want to be done with it. Where's the wallet?"
    "On the desk, I don't think he ever opened it."   
    "Did you?"
    "Nah, his name wouldn't mean anything to me. Let Frankenstein rest. He's been through enough.
    "Well, I have to know," she said, grabbed it off the top of the desk and opened it. "Holy smokes," said said when she saw the name on the license.
    "What?"
    "You said you didn't want to know.
    "C'mon." Wart was off the bed.
    "Uh uh." Mojo ran into her room with the wallet.
    "Dinner!" Lido told anyone who was listening.
    Mojo would just grin all though dinner while Wart shot arrows at  her with his eyes. But before they told Charlie, she would tell him and he would say, holy crap.



                                                                         *
   


    Glenn was glad for the call from Roberto. But not happy that even a scientist at home couldn't connect the two items. Maybe if Roberto was at work at Sunny Brook, he'd have access to a few machines, but who knew, he thought.
    Diabetes 2 was a surprise. He knew that almost every old guy was getting it. He was only 45, but he would ask the doctor to check him next time. Ex-sheriff Park also had it, and was concerned it was in the food chain. But it was always something. Not that long ago it was TB. Too much, Glenn thought.'  
     He'd call the lab tomorrow.



43.



    'Well, I'm outta here," Charlie said. He was going home after a nice dinner. Not too spicy, he told Lido, he really liked the enchiladas.
    "Grandpa Charlie, can we walk you home?" Mojo asked.
    "I guess, what's up/"
    "Just want to talk," she told him. To Lido she said, "Mom, we're going to walk Grandpa Charlie home. We'll be right back."
    "OK, don't get lost," Lido answered.
    "We won't."
    They were all out the door and Wart told Charlie about Hunter and the wallet and keys. And that the guy's name on the driver's license was James Ferry. He knew who that was, right, Wart asked.
    "So you think that's the man who went for the swim?" Charlie asked the twins.
    "I think he's Frankenstein too." Mojo said.
    "Who knows this? Does Hunter know?"
    "No, I don't think so," Wart told him.
    "Well, tomorrow I want to take the clothes, the hey and wallet to the sheriff. And I want you two to tell your story. Let them get ahold of Hunter. The guy could be his uncle. OK?"
    "We will," Mojo said.
    "I'll be there too."



                                                                        *



    It was beginning to look like Jimmy's Vision, ICE ON THE POND, was really going to happen. All Larry Ferry needed was the go ahead from the sheriff's office and by the way they were acting, the lab work should be in sooner than later. And he would be able to still hit his opening date.
    He had the two hockey exhibition teams, thirty iceboats, fifty iceboat sailors, tons of ice skaters and maybe even barrel jumpers if the insurance company okayed them.
    He also has spotlights so he could turn some early evenings into daylight. He wasn't sure which yet, but definitely lights on their boats themselves. He knew he was severely limited in what he could do on the ice because all vehicles had to be electric or battery, nothing powered by gas due to local ordinances.
    But it wasn't bad for a first year. And the next time that the Pond froze, he'd be able to get more sponsors and media coverage.
    Well, these were all good thoughts to have before he went to sleep, he was thinking. Except for the body under the ice, all was positive so far. But if he hadn't checked the ice for thickness in that exact spot. Only a few days off schedule. The sheriff will find out who it is and give him a restful burial.



44.



    Glenn was glad the coffee was hot and there was milk in their small fridge. There always was when Jason was working the night shift. But never when Jerry did. There was usually half a box of donut holes.
    But he wanted the coffee on this cold morning. Almost felt like it was cold enough to snow. Frozen pond and then snow. It would feel like winter. Maybe even snow drifts like he remembered as a kid if it snowed hard enough. Then the traffic mess, but he'd take the drifts.
    "Hey, Skip," Jason said, "Just got an email from the lab people. They're almost finished with their report."
    "Thanks. I'll read it in a minute. Just want to take a breath  before this day starts." Glenn took a big sip of coffee.



                                                                           *



    Charlie was walking over to get the kids. His aluminum chair was under his arm. He would need it later for his watch at the Pond and he had been using it like a crutch when his legs got tired during one of his walks. They can't hit a moving target, he had been saying of late, but he really meant he wasn't dead yet.
    Mojo met him at the door at their house, Wart and Lido were sitting at the kitchen table. The kids had told her what was going on, and about their trip to see the sheriff with Charlie.
    Lido was mad at all of them for keeping the secret. Mojo  had told her what they had only figured out yesterday. But Lido got upset when both the kids told her that she and Roberto hadn't listened to them the other day when they tried to tell their parents. So they told Charlie.
    Charlie was glad to see her and that the kids had finally told her what they knew. He didn't want to get in between the kids and her but the twins needed to tell someone and he had listened.
    "I didn't mean ..." Charlie said.
    "I know. It's OK. You're not in trouble. You did the right thing. This whole thing has gotten bigger than it should be."
    "Just as long as it's OK with you."
    "You'll still go with them?"      
    "I will."
    "Then come back and tell me how it went. I trust you, Charlie."
    "I know that and the feeling is mutual. Guess it's my time to use the chainsaw."
    Lido just smiled. She hadn't even said anything when the saw had gotten so close to his hands and the dog when they had freed her mom  from under the fallen hurricane tree at the Pond. They had all trusted her then.
   


45.



    Pages and pages were coning through the fax machine at the sheriff's office. The phone also rang.
    It was the lab calling to tell Glenn that they were faxing him their forty page report right now. Glenn thanked them but also asked if they could give him the short version now and he'd read the report over later when he had time.
    Glenn got a pen as the tech started to tell him the short version. The tissue and the blood were similar enough to be related. Same blood type etc. They even tested for iron amount in the blood, cholesterol and blood sugar were high in both.
    So they both had Diabetes 2, Glenn asked. The tech repeated high A1c levels and that he should read the report. Glenn again thanked him and hung up.
    Jerry had been standing by the fax machine and gave the pages to Glenn when it stopped printing. When they found the A1c test section, they saw the result  It was higher but they'll figure it out. Didn't necessarily mean  the owners of the tissue and the blood had Diabetes, but they could and to get their blood sugar checked. They would call Larry Ferry before lunch.



                                                                          *



    Wart was texting and playing his game while the three of them walked over to the sheriff's office. Mojo held onto Charlie's left hand, his webbed chair in the other.
    "Wart, c'mon," Mojo said.
    "Where's the fire," Wart told her. He didn't even look up. Then he tripped on a stick on the sidewalk.    "Easy," Charlie said, "You two have you stories straight?"
    "What story? I'm gonna give them the key, wallet and the clothes," Wart said.
    "We can tell them about meeting him and his asking us to dare him. I won't forget that part," she said.
    "If the drill hadn't pulled Frankenstein's face up, we never would have remembered him," Wart told them.   
    "Well, here we are," Charlie said, "Ready?"



46.



    Jerry and Glenn were surprised to see Charlie and the kids come through their front door. Charlie shook hands with Glenn, he nodded to Jerry.
    Without a word, Wart took the wallet and keys out of the bag with the clothes and placed everything on the desk. Then opened the bag just enough for them to see into it.
    "What do we have here?" Glenn asked.
    Jerry opened the wallet and was looking at the ID.
    "Ferry?" He said when he saw the last name.
    "What's the first name?" Glenn asked.
    "James."
    "And you people didn't think this was important," Glenn asked them but glaring straight at Charlie.
    Charlie and Wart didn't know what to say, but Mojo  replied, "Only got these from Hunter Ferry yesterday, Wart and I only just found the clothes, when we saw the name we showed them to Grandpa Charlie and here we are."
    Wart then said, "I don't think Hunter even knows who it is. We all just forgot about the guy and when mom helped find the body with the young guy we called him Frankenstein."
    Jerry grinned, "Kids see everything, Frankenstein, too much."
    "They're not in trouble, Sheriff?" Charlie had to ask.
    "No, no. Just glad you kids came forward," Glenn told them. "I may have a few more questions for them," he told Charlie.
    "They won't leave town."



47.



    Lido was in the living room of their house. "I'm proud of both of them, but I'm mad at them too."
    "The kids always do the right thing when they figure out what it is," Roberto told her. "I'm more surprised that Frankenstein was a Ferry."
    "Are you going to tell him that too?"   
    "Sorry having a problem putting another name to the victim. Kids see monsters everywhere even when they're not there. Mexico has its ghosts. All the ghost and monster stories here are from the movies and books. You should have heard what he did as kids. You had to come up with a few yourself too." 
    Well, some of our teachers were pretty scary and he did have nicknames for some of them. Battleaxe comes to mind," Then Lido laughed.
    "See," he paused. "The kids are fine, just part of the growing up. And with Charlie with them, they'll do the right thing like I said."
    "I hope so."



                                                                            *



    Glenn wasn't happy after he called Larry Ferry to come down to his office. He didn't want to tell him everything on the phone. So he'd wait until Ferry got here to show him the keys, the clothes and most importantly the ID. A State of California driver's license.
    He wasn't crazy about doing it face to face either. This guy's jaw was going to drop to the floor was his thinking. Glenn also sent both deputies out on patrol in separate cruisers. The less eyes and ears  to be a party to the conversation the better.
    The sheriff was going to use the way his old boss, Gene Park did it. In this situation he'd build up to the wallet. Show the clothes and the keys. And the car was still in the county impound lot. That had to be dealt with too. And he hoped it worked.



48.



    The kids were back in Mojo's room, Wart was thinking while Mojo played with her cat. A string had the attention of his sister and Mrs. Desmond.
    "I'm not sure if I could take finding out who Frankenstein was. If he was related to us. I'm more of the living like mom or dad's brother or something ..." Wart said.
    Mojo looked up from the cat who managed to get the string all to herself and was now chewing on it. "I know I'd be sad." she told him.
    "Sad about what?" Charlie asked. He had just come down the hallway after talking to their parents about their visit to the sheriff. That the sheriff was good with them and very professional. He had told that he thought that the kids should be ok with it.
    "The man who drowned. And who's gonna tell Hunter?" she told him.
    "Oh, man, I forgot about him. Oh. wow. He could weird out over it," Wart said.
    "I'm sure his grandfather and his mom will talk to him," Charlie told him, "You guys want to go down to the Pond with me for a while?"
    No one responded.
    "I know you two don't know much about loss and death and all that. It's part of life, but it should be part of your life yet. Me, I've seen too much ...Hey, if you want to to talk when I get back, I'll be glad to listen, OK?"
    Mojo said, "Thanks, Grandpa Charlie."
    Wart just nodded.
   


                                                                           *



    Larry Ferry had been at the sheriff;s office for fifteen minutes. Glenn had shown him the clothes and the keys. They had talked about both but not much. Glenn did tell him about the man and the kids.
    "A couple more things." Glenn handed Ferry the wallet. "Open it."
    Larry saw the last name and his face went ashen white. "Where did you get this?" Then he looked at the picture on the driver's license. "And he looks my dad."
    "Well, just wanted to make sure you saw these. And the lab report if you want. The only other thing I have is you may want to have your blood sugar checked. You both had high sugar. Me, I'd do that."
    "OK, I will do just that," Ferry said. "Is it possible to have more tests done to make sure it's Jimmy?"
    "Sure, but this is only what they gave us. Maybe you can get more info with more tests but it's not cheap."
    "Well, I'll see what the damage is. But I really don't want to have to pay to bury him twice. First time was hard enough."
    "I understand."
    "I mean I got a few emails this summer. I really didn't think about them much. And some I saved. I'll look at them again when I get home. Strange stuff, just ...".
    "Sometimes, it is."
   

49.



    Charlie was sitting in his aluminum webbed chair at the Pond again. Looked out at the little ice house where it all started. The mask/the face. Was it really Eddie Ferry's kid, who knew, he thought. And finding him in pieces under the old rusted slide.
    The kids he knew would be alright. Kids get over things. It's the adults and the older people who couldn't forget. And Charlie always wished he could forget something or at least purge the one that hurt the most or could recall at his fingertips.
    Time was usually the cure. Closure was better. Charlie guessed that it was good when the family's stories leave with those who die and not leave them to the survivors. Though some still do.
His own mom should have written a journal or a diary. Maybe she did. She remembered everything. But sometimes you have to let it go.
    A snowflake fell onto Charlie's hand as he continued his watch the little house on the Pond amid his good, bad and even fugly memories
    "Nice touch, Donnie," Charlie told his son who he hoped had been listening. 



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JULES AVERY SMITH