Andrea Donovan Pt. 07

___________(9)___________

HANS

"How was your flight, Hans?" I asked from the back seat of the BMW, after we shook hands.

"Oh good, sat beside a young gal from New Jersey that yakked my ear off the whole way, couldn't understand a damn thing she said but she was a nice enough girl" Hans replied, fastening his seatbelt.

"I never realized it before, Hans, but I've missed hearing your stories ever since Andrea and me moved from the condos" I replied laughing.

Andrea, wearing her sexy sunglasses, smiled at me from within the car's review mirror. She then put the car in gear and we proceeded to drive away from the Tucson terminal now.

"I just tell it, the way I see it" Hans said holding up his palm and smiling.

"We're glad you came for a visit, Hon' " Andrea replied as we merged into traffic.

"Andrea tells me that you fly the B-17 now, Tim" Hans said turning his head toward me.

"Got tired of hauling dirt, so I decided to try something different, Hans" I said nonchalantly.

"I remember when there were B-17's on every Air Base in the Country, they were everywhere, Tim" Hans said seriously.

"Big, beautiful bird, Hans, I got to fly one because of that pretty lady beside you now" I replied, just as seriously.

"She is a pretty lady" Hans concurred, glancing toward Andrea.

"Flattery will get you everywhere, gentlemen" Andrea answered, smiling widely.

"It's not flattery, Andrea. You are pretty, you're gorgeous, woman" I said seriously, making eye contact with her in the mirror again.

Andrea nodded a kiss at me in the mirror.

Hans, ignoring Andrea's and my romantic flirtations, suddenly asked "What's this I hear about finding a couple of safes?"

"Oh yeah, - talk about weird, Hans. The one we did open had been permanently concealed behind a wall and stuffed with a bunch of expired driver's licenses and old credit cards that people had unintentionally left behind, after having their gas tanks filled throughout the years. ...We haven't opened the second safe yet. The more I think about it, the more I think the second safe was just disposed of. Apparently when they dug the hole for the first floor hoist, they just shoved the safe into the hole to be rid of it but we're going to have it opened anyway, just to make sure it's not full of money." I elaborated as I looked out the passenger's window.

"Be nice if it was full of money" Hans nodded.

"The first safe we found also contained birth certificates, Hans, and Vic can't quite figure them out. As a police officer, he has a lot more information available to him than the average person does. Something is strange about the birth cert's but Vic isn't quite sure exactly what, yet." Andrea now explained, interjecting herself into the conversation.

"Strange, how so?" Hans asked, looking at Andrea.

"So far, it seems, at least two of the birth certificates were those belonging to infants that had sadly died within their first year of life, yet both of these infants somehow ended up having driver's licenses issued to them, decades later. One child had been born in nineteen twenty nine and the other was born in nineteen thirty one. Vic said that before the advent of AFIS and other Law Enforcement computer automation, that criminals would sometimes search County records and then obtain a birth certificate of an infant that had died within their first year of life. The crooks would simply search until they'd find one of these birth certificates correlating to the year of their own birth; they'd then obtain that child's birth certificate for themselves and assume the name of the unfortunate child. The child's name and birth certificate would then allow a smart crook to form a new identity for himself, without any pending criminal record - infants don't usually rob banks or steal cars. At least, that's what Vic thinks may have happened, he's not completely sure yet. He's going to make a few calls, and he has a friend or two with the Feds." Andrea said, looking over her left shoulder and changing lanes now.

"When did he tell you all that, Honey?" I asked incredulously.

"Last night, after you went to bed, Tim" Andrea replied.

"I've heard of that trick before but I think it's much harder to do now with all the police computers and stuff" Hans replied, nodding slightly.

"In all honesty, I think Vic just needs something to do right now and the birth cert's are a good diversion for him" Andrea said to both of us, holding up her right palm while looking forward at the road.

"I understand, Andrea, any diversion is a good diversion when you've got a broken heart" I nodded.

"Want to stop someplace for coffee, you two?" Andrea suddenly asked.

"Yes, please" I answered for Hans and I both.

"K, we'll stop in a few then. How's everyone at the condo's, Hans?" Andrea now asked as she sped up the car and we merged onto I-10.

"Everyone's about the same as when you left, Andrea. I really haven't spent that much time there to be honest" Hans replied.

"Oh, where have you been hanging your hat then, Owen's spread?" Andrea inquired.

"Some yes, I've spent most of my time going between Alaska and Nevada. A guy asked me if I wanted to drive some new motor homes from Nevada to Anchorage. Easy gig and it puts some walking around money in my pocket" Hans said, shrugging.

"They'd rather drive them than ship them?" I asked.

"Yeah, he's got about thirty of 'em headed that way and he's had some issues with damage when he's shipped them by sea. He figures that it's really about an even trade in cost but now he doesn't have damages to contend with every time they arrive in Anchorage, usually, other than a chipped windshield or two. He's got some good drivers and they're careful with the RV's. It's a fun job" Hans explained.

"...I had no idea about the birth certificates, Andrea, that's totally weird" I said a minute later, after thinking some more.

"You used to be able to go down to any courthouse and get a copy of your birth certificate, for two dollars, I remember. It figures that someone would figure out a way to cheat the system, using them" Hans said, cracking his window slightly.

"Why can't people just be honest?" I asked, suddenly disgusted.

"Nothing in this world has really changed since before the time of Caesar, Tim. There'll always be dishonest people" Hans answered nonchalantly.

"No, I guess not, Hans. The Lanes must have had some pretty shady people buying gas from them, is all I can say." I answered.

"Honey, the Desert Belle was the only station within miles, for many years. The Lane's obviously had customers of all types" Andrea now reasoned with me.

"...Yeah, you're right, Andrea. It'll be interesting to open that second safe - then we can get rid of it" I said with a sigh.

"Maybe Indio can help you with that when the guys come to remove the second car lifter, we could pay him a few bucks to haul off the damn safe." Andrea reasoned.

"I'd planned to ask him, assuming we can open it before they're done removing the second hoist, I just hope we don't find anything else weird." I answered, a little discouraged at the thought.

"Tim, someone just dumped an empty safe, to use as back-fill in the dirt hole. The birth cert's don't mean anything either, other than someone who was running illegal whiskey used phony driver's licenses, sixty years ago. Honey, you said yourself that your own grandfather, Oley, used to haul bathtub-gin back in the day. There's nothing too difficult to understand or so ominous with either the birth certificates or the two safes" Andrea said dismissively.

"Grandfather moved a few gallons of hooch a week back when but ...yeah, you're right Andrea. The birth cert's probably had something to do with moonshiners and fake driver's licenses" I nodded, after thinking about it for a few more seconds.

"Vic wants to make detective someday and he's just occupying his mind right now, simply for something to do, Tim. It's like a jigsaw puzzle for him, that's all. No agency in the world is going to arrest anyone for a phony driver's license, sixty years after the fact. " Andrea said, trying to reason with me.

"It'll be nice when the second safe and other floor hoist are finally gone, is all I can say" I replied, looking out the passenger's window.

"All in good time, Love" Andrea said, reassuringly.

...

"Black coffee for the gentlemen" Andrea said as she set down a styrofoam cup for Hans and I both.

"Thank you, Love" I said as Andrea leaned down and kissed me.

"Thank you, Andrea" Hans nodded.

"You're welcome, gentlemen" Andrea replied.

"You've got Buddy's number, you said, Tim?" Hans asked, sipping his coffee.

"Yes, here, I'll send it to you" I replied pulling out my phone as Andrea sat down beside me.

"You planning to haul gravel again this year, Tim?" Hans asked, pulling out his own phone from within his breast pocket.

"I'm taking the year off, Hans. Andrea and I are going to focus on the Gingerbread Ranch and Pippi this year" I replied, scrolling through my phone.

"Don't blame you, you've been in that truck a long time now" Hans said in reply.

"Hans, when it becomes drudgery, then it's time to find something else" I said bluntly.

"I never hauled dirt, year in and year out, the way you have. I'd haul gravel for a few years and then go haul freight here in the States or run the AlCan for a few years. What would this be, your fortieth year hauling dirt?" Hans asked.

"Thirty eight" I replied without emotion or looking up from my phone.

"He's got a 401K that Lovey set-up for him, Hans, and it's pretty healthy right now. I've decided that I'm going to transform Tim into a part time real-estate agent now" Andrea said seriously and looking at me from over her coffee cup brim.

"If anyone could do it, then it'd be you, Andrea" Hans concurred, nodding.

"OK, Buddy's number coming at you, Hans" I said as I pushed 'send'.

Hans's phone immediately pinged with my text.

"How do I put Buddy's number in my contacts, now?" Hans asked, putting on his reading glasses and looking at his phone.

"Here, I'll show you" Andrea said reaching for the phone in Hans's hand.

"We plan to have a house warming party for Pippi, when she arrives this weekend, Hans. We'll invite Buddy and Amanda to come and you can visit with him some" I suddenly said.

"...Now push 'save' - no no, here. Push save, Honey" Andrea instructed Hans.

"Thank you, Andrea. ...Always liked Buddy, good kid" Hans replied, putting the phone back into his pocket again and removing his reading glasses.

"The gal, he's with now, is named Amanda" I informed Hans again.

"Is he still trucking?" Hans asked.

"A little, they both work at a mobile home sales place in Casa Grande and they've got a short, single screw T-600 Kenworth that they use to move the new mobile homes onto location with, I guess" I replied.

"That's where Buddy and Amanda first met, at the mobile home sales lot" Andrea explained, sipping her coffee again now.

"How's Emma Zimmerman?" I asked Hans.

"She bought herself one of those three wheeled trikes - the kind that you sit low to the ground in, like a car. She rides it with another gal that has one just like it and they ride around the neighborhood now, says she loves it. The ol' gal's lost some weight and seems happy as ever, Tim" Hans said admirably.

"Sounds like a recumbent tricycle, those are cool" Andrea said.

"Good for her! Andrea and I love Emma and her niece, Heather too" I replied.

"Says she just likes pedaling her ass all over town, that's actually what she tells people now" Hans replied, holding up his empty palm and shrugging.

"Yup, that sounds like Emma" I said as Andrea and I both laughed.

"Guess Heather's about to get hitched to an Air Force guy now. Nice young man, they were at the condo's to see Emma, one day, and I got to meet him" Hans nodded.

"He a fly guy?" I asked.

"No, I don't think he flies, I think he's in RADAR or something else to do with electronics on the ground" Hans answered, trying to remember.

"He picked a winner in Heather. THAT is a sweet girl and very pretty!" Andrea chimed in.

"She sure as hell is pretty and smart too" Hans concurred.

"Hear from Les Farr, at all?" I asked, sipping my coffee.

"He's got something cooking with Coy Hearth again I guess. I had coffee with Les at a place on the AlCan, last Thursday - we were headed in opposite directions. Les said something about bringing up a few dozen boat trailers that you can pull behind your pick-up" Hans explained.

"It's the time of year to sell them, I'd think" I said nodding.

...A few minutes later all of us were within the car and travelling enroute to Arizona City on I-10 again. Andrea was still at the wheel but I was now seated up front with her, Hans was in the back seat of the BMW.

"Arch Stanton already sold Mary's house, she's heading to Texas now, for good" Andrea said to me as she opened her window slightly.

"The things that can change within one's life, in just a week's time is amazing isn't it, Andrea? Last week she was married and living here in Arizona City, now she's divorced and headed for Texas - her whole life and destiny now completely different, all in a short week's time." I said speculatively and watching the scenery pass by the passenger's window.

"She never saw it coming, Tim. I guess he'd been screwing around on her for years now" Andrea said shaking her head.

"I guess that same old story doesn't even surprise me anymore, Andrea. ...It was her house, then?" I asked.

"That one was, yes. They also have a rental property, together. - Mary and I talked some on the phone yesterday. She wants to sell her half of the rental property to her ex' now and just be rid of the sonofabitch completely" Andrea answered.

"Did she dump the house or get a good price? It sounds like she just wants to get the hell out of here" I said.

"I don't know Honey; we didn't talk much about it. She does want to see Pippi though. Mary's a cowgirl at heart and I invited her to Pippi's house warming party" Andrea replied.

"Oh good, does she know anyone in Texas?" I asked.

"Apparently she has a former colleague that's willing to rent her a bungalow on a ranch, somewhere in Galveston, until Mary figures out what she wants to do now. Mary sold high-end antiquities for a long time and said she may dabble some with that again. I don't think money is an issue with Mary." Andrea elaborated.

"Does Mary have her own horse?" I asked.

"No not right now but I think it's on her radar again. I think she's ready to start living her own life now" Andrea answered.

"Isn't everyone?" I asked quietly.

There was a long silence between the three of us for several minutes now as we hummed along the interstate enroute back to the Lazy-G. ...It seemed like everyone I knew, including myself, had been through some kind of major up-set concerning romantic relationships, at least once in their life, this also included Hans. Apparently his wife had died suddenly when they were both quite young, I still didn't know many particulars of her passing and Hans didn't talk about it. He had now been widowed for over forty years and had apparently never found anyone else that he'd been willing to tie the knot with since his wife's passing. I speculated that he probably had a woman or two that he liked to enjoy outings and social events with but that was probably about all it amounted to. His wife had most likely been his soul mate and simply irreplaceable. The lonely life of a damn trucker I now thought, shaking my head slightly.

Andrea switched on some music and I immediately recognized Waylon Jennings singing "Gold Dust Woman." - If you were riding someplace with Andrea and didn't like her choice in music, then it was just tough shit, she'd play whatever she liked in her own car. I'd always been a Waylon fan and was shocked at Andrea's choice in selecting him as travelling music. Andrea leaned more toward Fleetwood-Mac and Rolling Stones.

"When did you start listening to Country music?" I asked incredulously, looking at Andrea.

"Since we drove Long Grey Cloud to Alaska, I really don't like your damn Hillbilly music, Tim, but I like this guy, Waylon" Andrea replied without taking her eyes from the road and turning up the volume.

"There's hope for you yet, Andrea Millhouse" I replied.

"So, you want to start sleeping by yourself in the spare bedroom now, is that what you're saying, Tim?" Andrea asked, jabbing back at me with a half smile.

I ignored Andrea's counter comment and turned back toward Hans.

" - She likes Waylon, I told you that Andrea Millhouse would be alright in the long run, Hans" I said looking back at the older man and winking.

"(Sigh) I don't know what you've done to me, Tim. My mother would be appalled if she were here now and witnessed me listening to hillbilly music" Andrea said in jest.

"Joy would understand completely and she'd be proud of you, Andrea Millhouse! She probably LOVED Waylon and you never even knew it!" I said overly brightly.

"My name isn't Andrea Millhouse" Andrea replied with another sigh.

We arrived home an hour later and introduced Hans to Ricky, Brenda and Vic. The time was close to four fifteen PM and all of us began kicking around the idea of having a Bar-B-Q that evening.

"Why don't you and Ricky show Hans your new man-cave, for a few minutes now, and get out of my kitchen" Andrea said as I stood at the open door of the refrigerator.

"Sure, Hans want to go check out the toy gas station that Andrea bought for Ricky and me?" I asked.

"I'd like that, Tim" Hans replied, cracking open the beer which I had just handed him.

"Ricky, you going with us?" I asked, looking at my little brother and handing him a beer also.

"Sure, I'll walk over there with you." Ricky replied.

A few minutes later the three of us began leisurely walking the hundred yards to the little antiquated Texaco.

"You and Tim, worked together?" Ricky asked Hans.

"Oh yes, for many years now, Ricky" Hans answered.

"Andrea's mentioned you several times over the last few years, glad we could finally meet" Ricky said tipping his beer.

"Likewise, Ricky" Hans responded.

We removed the padlock and swung open the gate, a minute later I unlocked the front foyer door to the little Texaco and we went in.

"What do you think, Hans?" I asked proudly and clicking on the interior's overhead lights.

"I think it's perfect for guys that like to fix up cars and build stuff, the way you and Ricky do, Tim. I ran a little Chevron station for a year once, back in the early seventies, really enjoyed that experience. We had our own racecar for weekend dirt track with sponsors and everything." Hans said, looking around the station's inside foyer and nodding.

Something inside my gut told me not to ask Hans to elaborate any further, obviously he had still had his wife with him when he had run a Chevron station somewhere and if I wasn't mistaken, the early to mid seventies had been around the time of when Hans had lost her...

"Let's show him the safe we just dug-up, Tim" Ricky suddenly said.

"Sure Ricky, - oh, and here's all the driver's licenses we found inside that first one, Hans" I said picking up the Buddy Holly guy's driver's license and holding it up as I simultaneously pointed toward the first safe, mounted on the steel column.

"I collected a few myself when people were in a hurry and drove off" Hans nodded and looking at the license in my hand.

"The second safe is in here, where the first floor hoist had been" I said, dropping the license onto the old metal desk.

We walked into the bays and I clicked on the overhead lights. The second safe was now standing upright on the edge of the recently cut concrete floor, where the first floor hoist had been removed. Indio had set up several orange cones around the gravel filled drop which was still about four inches in depth. Once the second floor hoist was removed and back filled with gravel, then the four inch drops would be poured over with concrete and made flush with the floor again.