| STORY 2 Page 7 |
| Rick looked at the picture of the young couple for a minute and put it back in the wallet and slipped it inside the journal. He was disappointed the safe hadn't yielded more, but maybe there was something in the journal that might help. "Let's get the hell outta Dodge, boys and girls. Time to go." He stood up and slipped the journal in his back pocket. "Jonathan close the safe and pull the rug back over it. Ardeth cut the light on the way out." When they opened the door, they were surrounded by Bobbies. Someone had called the law. And there stood Rick O'Connell, his hands in the air, gun tucked in his waistband and blood on his pants and the GOODS stuffed in his back pocket. Always, always pay attention to your instincts, his conscience told him. What seemed like an eternity later, when in reality it had only been two hours, all three of them had been turned loose! When Rick had gotten the courage to ask why, he had been told there was a witness to Charles Sonderburg�s murder, who had cleared the trio of any involvement. They were free to go. They gave Rick back his gun and the journal. One Bobbie told him he could keep the pants and that there was a good cleaner over on Purdue, if he decided he didn't want to throw them out. Sheri Lobue ([email protected]) December 11, 2002 Leaving the police station, not a word was spoken in the car. Jonathan had had enough and his temper was out of control. His fists were knotted and clenched at his sides and he struggled to remain calm. Finally, he could take it no longer. "Bloody hell!" "How long did we sit in that damn cell ... 2 1/2 hours? CRIKEY! We need to find this Skarzinski fellow and fast!" Jon began to chew the fingernail of his right thumb. Rick and Ardeth both sighed in unison. "Just where do you suppose we should start looking, Sherlock?" Rick said, beginning to lose his cool. Jonathan raised his voice to be heard over Rick's. "We START by taking a left turn right here and picking up my sister from the museum!" "Did you bloody well forget already?" Rick almost slammed the brakes on to stop the car. Instead, he continued down the road, only slower so he could glare at Jonathan in the back seat. Beside him, in the passenger seat, Ardeth placed a steadying hand on Rick's shoulder. "Don't snap at me, Mr. Carnahan!" Ardeth and I are trying to do all we can to help you and Evelyn here, got that buddy?" Jonathan slammed his fist into the seat of the car, but he did not say another word till they picked up Evie and returned to the house. Once there, Jonathan asked Evie for the journal. Pacing as he did so, Jon combed the journal for any sign of a clue. Then Rick walked up to him and snatched the book out of his hands. "Why the hell did you go and do that for, O'Connell?" Jonathan hadn't called Rick O'Connell in over 10 years, at least! "You are driving me absolutely out of my mind! Now go sit down!" Rick placed his hand on Jonathan chest, as if to force him into a seat. Jon pushed Rick's hands away with a jerk and his eyes lit up with fire. "I AM NOT A DOORMAT! DON'T THINK YOU CAN COME IN HERE AND WIPE YOUR BOOT PRINTS ON ME!!!!" Then Jonathan turned quickly and headed up the stairs. Jonathan's eyes began to sting. He had never become that angry with his brother-in-law, until now. He was ashamed and appalled at his reaction to all of this going on around him. I have to get out of here, he thought. Rick, Ardeth, and Evie all stood in shock as they listened to Jonathan's footsteps climbing the three flights of stairs to his third floor suites. Evie's voice broke and she began to cry. "I've never seen him like this before. I think I'm losing him, Rick!" Jonathan came back down the stairs in a blur. He ran out of the house, down the gravel driveway and out into the street, oblivious to his surroundings. He didn't hear the car speeding towards him until it was too late. Jonathan looked up and saw the grill work on the front of the car. He managed to cry out as he jumped up in the air pulling his knees in close to his chest. This Olympic caliber leap saved his life, as he came down on the backside of the car, tucking and rolling into the ditch. Everyone inside the Carnahan-O'Connell home came running out into the street when they heard Jonathan's scream. Jonathan was lying face down in the ditch, trying to get his breath back that had been forced out of his lungs. Jonathan tried to make it to a standing position, but clutched his shoulder in pain. Still, he managed to wipe enough mud off his face to see his family come running towards him. "Bloody hell!" "Just look at my clothes!" Rick started to look Jonathan over, trying to find any other damage than to his clothes. Rick grabbed onto Jon's right arm and helped him stand. Jonathan batted his hands away, then yelped in pain while moving his left arm. "What the bloody hell are you doing?" "Looking, damn it! Hold still!" Rick looked suspiciously at the cut over Jonathan's eye that Jonathan kept rubbing. "Damned mud's all over me!" "Got some bad news ol' buddy. That's not mud you're rubbing off. That's blood." "BLOODY HELL!" "Yep, that's about right," Rick nodded. "And I'd say it's gonna take about five stitches to close it up too." "What happened, sadiq?", Ardeth asked. Jonathan was livid, but clearly in pain. "Bloody damned car came out of nowhere and the buggar tried to run me down!", he fumed. Then Ardeth reached out and touched Jon's left shoulder and Jonathan stepped back away from the pain, nearly falling down into the ditch all over again. "Ungh! I think it's my shoulder." "Don't snap at me, Mr. Carnahan!" Ardeth and I are trying to do all we can to help you and Evelyn here, got that buddy?" Jonathan slammed his fist into the seat of the car, but he did not say another word till they picked up Evie and returned to the house. Once there, Jonathan asked Evie for the journal. Pacing as he did so, Jon combed the journal for any sign of a clue. Then Rick walked up to him and snatched the book out of his hands. "Why the hell did you go and do that for, O'Connell?" Jonathan hadn't called Rick O'Connell in over 10 years, at least! "You are driving me absolutely out of my mind! Now go sit down!" Rick placed his hand on Jonathan chest, as if to force him into a seat. Jon pushed Rick's hands away with a jerk and his eyes lit up with fire. "I AM NOT A DOORMAT! DON'T THINK YOU CAN COME IN HERE AND WIPE YOUR BOOT PRINTS ON ME!!!!" Then Jonathan turned quickly and headed up the stairs. Jonathan's eyes began to sting. He had never become that angry with his brother-in-law, until now. He was ashamed and appalled at his reaction to all of this going on around him. I have to get out of here, he thought. Rick, Ardeth, and Evie all stood in shock as they listened to Jonathan's footsteps climbing the three flights of stairs to his third floor suites. Evie's voice broke and she began to cry. "I've never seen him like this before. I think I'm losing him, Rick!" Jonathan came back down the stairs in a blur. He ran out of the house, down the gravel driveway and out into the street, oblivious to his surroundings. He didn't hear the car speeding towards him until it was too late. Jonathan looked up and saw the grill work on the front of the car. He managed to cry out as he jumped up in the air pulling his knees in close to his chest. This Olympic caliber leap saved his life, as he came down on the backside of the car, tucking and rolling into the ditch. |