Previous Chapters
1.)https://charactercognition.substack.com/p/the-listening-spot
2.)https://charactercognition.substack.com/p/the-listening-spot-eb2
3.)https://charactercognition.substack.com/p/the-listening-spot-4eb
4.)https://charactercognition.substack.com/p/the-listening-spot-3ca
5.)https://charactercognition.substack.com/p/the-listening-spot-918
6.)https://charactercognition.substack.com/p/the-listening-spot-bd8
7.)https://charactercognition.substack.com/p/the-listening-spot-29b
Chapter 8
An oncoming car caused C.J. to glance up at the highway. “Grandpa, it rained all day here, I didn’t feel like sitting in the tent. Plus, I wanted to see if they sold binoculars down at the convenient store. I thought it would be nice to get a look at who or what I heard on the lake.”
“ There’s only one convenience store, you must be at Randall’s place.”
“Actually they guy told me his name was Jericho.”
“Oh yeah, that’s Randall’s son. Randall passed a year or so ago. He was a good enough guy, but I got the feeling he was always on the civil side of the law. He was a bit wild. I wouldn’t be surprised if his son wasn’t a chip off the block.”
“Jericho does have a way about him, that’s for sure. I’m about to head out to lunch with him.”
“Well, be careful around him, no telling what he’s mixed up in.”
“I hear you Grandpa, but enough about the Wallace family. Let’s talk about T.L.S. you sure did bury the lead, why didn’t you tell me!”
“Two reasons C.J. First, there wasn’t a chance you would have believed me, and second, I didn’t want to spoil the surprise.”
“I definitely wouldn’t have believed you, and I’ll never forget what I heard that first time. So, how does it work?”
“I have no idea.”
“Why can you hear the lake so clearly from that spot?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Well, how did you find it?!”
“Finally, C.J. you asked a question I can answer. Your Nana and I have been married for about 55 years, give our take a few months. I stumbled upon T.L.S. about 57 years ago. Back then, even the State Park was pretty rustic. Where you’re camping now would have been considered the backcountry. I used to wander into the woods on a Friday afternoon and find my way back out on a Sunday night.”
“Hold on one second Grandpa”, C.J. said as he checked his watch and glanced at the convenience store door. What is Jericho doing in there? “Okay Grandpa, carry on.”
“On one of my trips there was a really bad storm on a Saturday. The sky was almost black, long before sunset, and I was all mixed up. There was a heavy rainfall and the longer I marched through the water and the mud, the more anxious I became about getting lost. So, at the first flat spot I could find, I stopped, found some tree branches, and made myself a modest shelter.”
“Where was that?”
“Well, it’s where your tent sits right now.”
“Ahh, so that’s how you found T.L.S.”
“Yep.”
“So, what happened next?”
“I was exhausted from my hike the night before so I easily slept through sunrise. I was startled awake by the sound of a woman’s voice in my ear. She was going on and on about finding a good man. I thought it was a dream but I kept hearing her voice even after my eyes were open.”
“Grandpa, I was so confused. I ran out of the tent trying to find voices!”
“Not me, I just sat there listening to her talk, haha. Once I was satisfied it wasn’t a dream I was too hooked to leave the tent. She stopped talking, eventually but I could hear some kind of boat sloshing on the water, that’s when I went out to search for the voice's owner, and I found her!”
“Who was it?”
“It was your Nana. So, I totally had an advantage when I saw her on the lake that day and struck up a conversation. We actually went to that diner you're headed to with Jericho, I know it’s a diner because it’s the only place around.”
“Grandpa, does Nana know this?”
“Of course I know, C.J.”
“Nana? How long have you been listening?”
“The whole time. Your Grandpa told me about his eavesdropping the night before our wedding. I wouldn’t have believed him, except he recalled with uncanny detail what I said to myself on the lake that day. A few months after we were married I listened to a few lake conversations myself from T.L.S. I will give you a piece of advice though C.J. Just because you can hear what people are saying, doesn’t mean you’re invited to intervene. Personal business can get very messy, take a ‘hear, but don’t touch approach’, trust me.”
“Hey, you ready!” Jericho yelled.
C.J. held up his index finger, “hey I’m headed to lunch, I love you guys.” C.J. smiled as he hung up the phone and placed it in his pocket. He gave Jericho a nod and climbed into his truck.
The winding roads were a bit confusing and Jericho never used a blinker for any turn. Luckily for C.J. it was a short drive.
Jericho waited by the diner door, when C.J. walked up he just turned and headed inside. He walked right by the ‘wait to be seated sign’ in the front and straight to an empty booth, third from the back.
“Come here often?” C.J. asked sarcastically.
“How’d you know? This is my favorite seat in the house.”
Just then a server came over, she wasn’t carrying any menus. “Hey Jericho”, she said, and gave C.J. a warm nod.
“Two specials please, Beth.”
C.J. frowned but didn’t object to Jericho’s presumption.
Beth glanced at C.J. and mouthed “it’s good”, before turning away and walking back to the kitchen.
“What are the specials?” C.J. asked.
“American classics, you’ll see. Everyone loves it. C.J. do you have any hobbies, what do you like so much about the lake?”
“Well, this is my first time up here. I like a lot of things about it. It’s quiet, it’s beautiful, it’s different from what I’m used to, it’s something I needed right now.”
“C.J. has anyone ever told you, you’re boring. It’s quiet, it’s beautiful, blah, blah blah.”
“Excuse me what?”
“Let’s move on to me, shall we. You know what I think is interesting? Treasure hunts. The idea that vast amounts of wealth are just lying around waiting to be claimed, that’s exciting, don’t you think?”
Just then Beth arrived with the two specials Jericho ordered earlier. C.J. stared at the tray in disbelief. “House burger and fries, that’s the ‘special’?”
“Oh, don’t discount the beer C.J. that’s the best part”, Jericho said with a grin.
As if on cue, Beth placed two pints on their table. C.J. almost protested then thought the beer would be a welcome distraction from lunch guest’s perturbing attitude. So he buried his protest in a swig of cold beer. The beer wasn’t having the desired effect, so he drank more of it, but the solution wasn’t at the bottom of that first glass.
After a handful of fries and a few bites of his burger C.J. tuned back into what Jericho was saying about treasure.
“So, have you ever found any treasure?”, C.J. asked, not realizing he’d interrupted Jericho mid-sentence.
“Boring and rude”, Jericho snidely remarked. “Not yet, maybe one day.”
Beth returned with two more beers. C.J. grabbed his beer and took a long drink, “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were still talking”, he said. “Are you talking about gold, jewelry, gems, and pirate ships?”
Jericho eyed C.J. and remained silent for a few moments, “Bearer bonds, actually.”
They were both half way through their second beer when C.J. started to think about his drive back. Jericho didn’t seem to be thinking about anything but bearer bonds.
“You know C.J. bearer bonds issued prior to 1980 didn’t have to be registered. Whoever held the bond, owned the bond. Wouldn’t it be something if someone had heard a rumor about a stockpile of unaccounted for bearer bonds just waiting to be collected? That would be wild, right?”
Jericho had a glint in his eye as he stared at something far away. Just then two more beers appeared at the table. C.J. had given up all hope of driving back to T.L.S. today. “Is there a motel, hotel, or anything around here where I could crash for the night.”
“Nope, but I’ve got an extra room at my place, you can crash there if you like. What are you worried about your drive back? It’s only been 2 beers and a few sips. Let’s finish this last one and Beth will give us a lift, her shift is almost over.”
“Beth, when you’re off, will you give us a ride!?” Jericho yelled.
Beth looked up and nodded, “just cashing out now, give me 15 minutes.”
The luncheon ended silently as the two of them finished their third drink. Jericho seemed to be dwelling on the bearer bonds and the rumor he had just mentioned. On the other hand, C.J. regretted not turning down this lunch back at the convenience store.
I like Jericho. His intentions seem really pure and I'm sure staying at his place is perfectly safe and wholesome.