"Frank they're here. Did you hear the knock?" Harriet whispered.
"Okay, Harriet, go upstairs."
"Frank, you're scaring me."
"Go on, now!"
Harriet paused at the landing on the second floor, thinking she would listen but then remembered the third floor stairs were squeaky, so went on up. Moving quickly now she fought her way through the clothes hanging in her closet to the little hidden cedar closet. She closed the door and immediately wondered how long she would have to stay in the closet. Frank will come for her when the men leave, she assured herself. The room was dark. She had to stay still, the third floor squeaked at any movement. She couldn't believe she was doing this. Frank didn' t tell her to hide. She just did. She was scared.
Frank pulled aside the curtain of the little window beside the door. The two men looked harmless. Harriet's pet dog yapped around the feet of the two. He opened the door just as the taller of the men started to knock.
"Mr. Houseman--remember me?"
Frank stared into a twenty-year old man's face that he vaguely recognized. "Stewart. Stewart Norse. Yes, that was you, then, on the stairs, across the river just now."
"Yea, it was Ben here and me. We were picking up some of my things from the shed. Oh, Mr. Houseman this is Ben. Ben Mr. Houseman. After shaking Frank's hand, Ben shoved his hands back into his pockets and looked the place over while young Stewart explained that they needed help with gas for their boat. Frank couldn't help. Gas was on his list of things to attend to in town latter. He had just enough gas, in his car , to get to town--in case they thought of taking gas from the car.
"What about that boat down at the dock? It's yours, right?"
"Well, yes, but you can see it's a race boat. . . "
"Ben pulled his hands from his pockets and took a step closer to Frank and said, "That's okay, we need to borrow it. Give us the keys!"
Stewart shot Frank a nervous smile and placed his hand on Ben's shoulder. "Ben", Stewart said.
Ben shruggged the hand off and reminded Stewart that they had to pick up their friend on the river at four and it was 3:20 now. We don't have time to waste. Trying, it seemed, for a little civility, Ben then in a less demanding voice asked, "Can we borrow it? We'll leave it at that first Mail Boat rental place. It's real important we get down there."
"I'll take you then." Frank was thinking of his beautiful race boat. It being newly painted and in perfect running order for the jet boat marathon the next week. The dog, and why they had hurt it, came again to his mind but he was almost dancing like a kid on tip- toe in concern for his race boat, so the dog's welfare took second place. He didn't mention the dog.
"Won't work. We got'a pick up a guy on the river. Give us the keys"
"No keys. It has a switch."
"Okay, let's go Ben," Stewart said, as he nudged at Ben's arm.
"Wait a minute. You come with us Houseman and start it." Ben shook off Stewart's hand and with a louder than needed voice told the both of them he wanted Houseman to come along so he won't be calling the police--at least for a time. It would take Frank several minutes to climb back up the stairs and by then they would be almost to Gold Beach.
The shotgun came to Frank's mind, but he thought better of it. It would only make things worse.
Ben , on his way out, brushed the curtain by the sideboard, causing the shotgun to fall at their feet in a clatter to the ceramic floor. They all jumped like they had been shot. Ben picked the gun up, examined the old relic, laughed and said, "Fox model B, side by side double." He then expertly positioned the gun under his arm--looking the ideal bird hunter. Smiling he said, "Will this make you get a move on it?"
Frank raised up his hands in an exaggerated gesture. "Now lads, let's not let things get out of hand." He wanted to add you're in enough trouble. But didn't. The clock chimed the half hour
"Come on let's go." Ben motioned toward the door with the shotgun.
"Put the gun down Ben." Stewart yelled. "That guns going to make things worse with the cops if we get caught."
"We're not getting caught. Come one Houseman. Kick that whiimpering dog out of the way and get going."
Frank spoke to the injured dog as he passed it. Next, Ben shoved him causing him to stumble and fall on the uneven and steep gravel path leading to the stairs down to the river.
"Get up! I told you we're in a hurry . . .Now, tell me again how to start the boat."
"Flip the switch, hit the starter button while giving it gas."
"Alright Houseman get in the boat. Get behind the wheel. Where's the switch?" Ben glanced at his watch and then said: "Go ahead and start it and get us moving."
Frank flipped on the ignition switch and hit the starter button. The 454 cubic inch Chevy grumbled into life, moving the boat forward at about 5 miles an hour.
Stewart broke his long silence by objecting loudly to taking Frank along but Ben waved him off.
"Get the nose of this thing down so we can see!" Ben yelled over the noise of the engine.
"Got to get up speed before it'll go down," Frank said.
Stewart sat in the navigator's seat and Ben stood hanging onto the roll bar with a foot on the edge of each seat.
"Get the tip down" Ben shouted as he slapped the back of Frank's head. (continued on next page)