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Is That You? By John A. Eyon
TO: [email protected] Are you the Zenna Sprighton that I met a last year here in Denver at the Chase Company? Bill Towne
TO: [email protected] You must be mistaken. I've never been to Denver. May I ask how you got my e-mail address? --ZS
TO: [email protected] I'm sorry. I had met someone with your name last year here in Denver. As for your email address, I found it via one of the people-finder services available on the web--I don't recall which one. I have been learning to use the web and I searched for "Zenna Sprighton" and your e-mail address came up. It didn't seem very likely that two people would have your name. I guess I was wrong. Bill Towne
TO: [email protected] Sorry to disappoint you. I've never been anywhere near Denver. --ZS
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TO: [email protected] I'd like to hire you to photograph someone who lives in Manor for me. Are you available? Bill Towne
TO: [email protected] Bill Towne: I am available. My fee for photo surveillance is $50 an hour plus 40 cents a mile. You can register quickly at www.FindPI.com. Otherwise, call my office at 520.555.0144, between 8 and 5 Mountain time. Jeff Aceton, Founder
TO: [email protected] Jeff, Okay. I've registered at FindPI.com. There wasn't much room in that little window for explaining the situation, so I'll flesh it out here. I met Zenna Sprighton on March of last year at the Chase Company (913 Olympic Street, Denver, CO). I was a contract bookkeeper brought in to help them catch up on their bookkeeping and to prepare for filing taxes. The company bookkeeper was Zenna so we were thrown together. Suffice it to say, I was smitten. And she seemed to respond to my attention. But she was married. Not happily, judging from comments she made about her husband. However, I was desperately poor and too insecure to make a move. And after a few weeks, she left the company. Recently, while playing on the internet I decided to search for Zenna. I scored an e-mail address at ManorOil.com. I exchanged emails with the lady which I'm also attaching to this message. Coincidentally, I also came up with a Zenna E. Sprighton at 3 Celeste Lane in Manor, AZ. Of course, it is possible in a country this size for there to be more than one woman named Zenna Sprighton. But, I must know for sure. All I need is a photograph of this Zenna to settle my mind. I need to know if I'm being blown off because I waited too long or if this is truly someone else and I can continue hoping. As you can see, I know where she lives so I don't need to hunt her down if I have sinister motives. However, I don't mind if you need to check out that I'm not a danger to her. Bill [attachment: ZennaEmail.txt]
TO: [email protected] Bill Towne, Typically, I turn down potential clients who don't have a legal reason (such as a subpoena or insurance notification) to find someone. But, because you already know the address, I'm going to consider it. I'll need you to phone me at the office phone 520.555.0144 tomorrow at 2:30 pm, Mountain time. Jeff
TO: [email protected] Bill, I received the retainer. Thank you. I scheduled Wednesday for your assignment. I'll post the photos in a secure place where you can download them. Jeff
TO: [email protected] Bill, Here's a link to the photos I took of the Subject and her husband. She works part-time at Manor Oil. http://www.FindPI.com/AcePISvcs/Photos/Towne/index.htm Attached, my final full report. I will mail the balance of the retainer. Thank you and good luck. Jeff [Attachment: FinalReport_Towne.doc]
TO: [email protected] Jeff, I appreciate your efforts. The man looks like Gene to me. But the lady may or may not be Zenna. To put it simply, this woman isn't pretty enough. Can we take a further step in proving or disproving her identify? Bill
TO: [email protected] Bill, You can find out if the person in the photos is Zenna yourself. Print them. Go to the neighbors and ask them if they can identify the couple in the photos. They lived at NE 1212 Grimsley, Apt 329. Go to their former employers and do the same. Nearby stores. Their bank branch was at Grimsley and Pearson. Jeff
TO: [email protected] >> Go to the neighbors and ask them << Can I tell them I working for you?
TO: [email protected] Bill, I seldom tell people I'm a private detective because that can cause people to clam up. I generally use some pretext. Just do NOT tell them you're a cop or somebody official. That can get you arrested. You might say that you're an old friend who just moved to town and you're looking for them. Or you're working for an insurance company that has benefits for them from a recently deceased aunt. I attached a form that looks like an Insurance Questionnaire. Jeff [attachment: InsQues.doc]
TO: [email protected] Bill, Last evening, I was recuperating at Amber's Tavern. I was showing pics of my family to the bartender someone over my shoulder said,"Oh cute!" It was the Subject and her husband. She pressed her fingertip on my photo, leaving a nice fingerprint. But this is a very awkward legal position for a PI. Under certain conditions, a PI has to let the Subject know he is investigating her. I was curt with them and they continued on towards the exit. But then someone called them over to their table, so I actually left before they did. I hadn't yet started my car when I heard them arguing loudly as they emerged from Amber's. Suddenly, Gene belted her. Knocked her to the ground. She picked herself up and hurried after him, whimpering and clutching at his arm as he staggered towards their car. They got in and drove away. Made me wonder if that guy was capable of worse. I hope that Zenna isn't your Zenna. I await the results of your investigation. Jeff
TO: [email protected] I showed the photos to neighbors and coworkers. Almost all recognized the man as Gene Sprighton. But the woman's identification was more ambiguous. Some said it wasn't Zenna. Some said it might be. No one said it definitely was Zenna. I'm getting really scared. If that isn't her where is she? What happened to her? Can you continue investigating? Do you need more money? Bill
TO: [email protected] Bill, Okay. I'll continue the investigation. I will draw from the retainer and bill you for any overage. Jeff
TO: [email protected] I Just realized I sent about an hour ago an email meant for y0u to Zennaa. I shoudl have delted her her address fm my addr bok. She will know that Ive hired you to check up on them. Will phone you too.
TO: [email protected] i'm at the comp now. bet their headed for the border so i'm going to the sheiriff to see if theires anyway they can be detained. Will get back to you as soo n as I can. Theres your phone call. Sureal
TO: [email protected] Bill I thought I'd let you know right away what happened this afternoon. As I was headed for my car I noticed what looked like the Subject husband's car coming down the street. Wasn't totally sure if it was his so I couldn't decide whether to jump for cover or what. Before I could make up my mind the car stopped in front of me and Gene Sprighton got out. He had a puzzled look on his face. Must have recognized me but couldn't place me. I thought it better to leave him in the dark about that encounter at Amber's. Bottom line: the girl with him is not the real Zenna. The real Zenna walked out on him. Had a girlfriend on the side who moved in with him. Seems she looked like Zenna, too. It didn't make much sense to me but, for some reason, his girlfriend assumed his wife's identity when they moved here. Maybe, he didn't want the trouble of a real marriage. He says he's law-abiding but he's scared now. He thinks that people will think he did away with the real Zenna. He hopes she can be found but he's worried because he thinks she's changed her name to hide from him. Thinks she might have gone back to her hometown of Redding, CA. He even wondered if I was hired by her. I told him that I was going to talk to the police about this and let them decide if there was anything they needed to do, which I did after leaving him. Let's see if he high-tails it. Wonder if the real Zenna has been unwise enough to use her old social security number. Jeff
TO: [email protected] Bill Attached, my final report on the investigation. But, right here is the info you've been biting your nails over. Here's what I learned from the Zenna Sprighton's social security number. It is also being used by an Elaine Towne (what's with that?). 848 76th NE, Apt. 105, McGarvey, Oregon. Works at a company called "Dee North Apparel". I came across an email address which could be hers ([email protected]). You can take it from here. The retainer has been exhausted. I'm attaching a statement for the balance. Good luck. Let me know how things turn out. Jeff [Attachments: Final_Towne.doc, Invoice_Towne.doc] --- TO: [email protected] I'm looking for the former Zenna Sprighton who I met last year here in Denver at the Chase Company. Is that you? Bill Towne
THE END
In the late 1990s, during my internet explorations, I found the name of a woman from my past at a Texas address. She had what I thought was a unique name. The website included a phone number, so I called her. But the woman who answered said she wasn't the woman I met. Coincidentally, in Texas I found another woman with the same first name and my last name (also, very rare). My imagination took it from there. By its nature (an email exchange), it is has a non-narrative quality. But that was part of the fun of writing it. This story was probably written in early 2000. At the end of 2000, I submitted it to a short-short story contest. That was my first submission for publication of any kind. I didn't realize, at the time, how out of place it was in that contest--altho I knew how amateurish it was. My only hope was that it would inspire me to further submissions. It worked. Changes in details but not the plot have been made to the contest version. Copyright 2003 by John A. Eyon |
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