The Ring of Fire Pt. 02

I used online methods to pay their bill with part of the funds I had received from cashing out some of the bitcoin my dad had left me with and left an additional deposit for the further work I required. I wanted to know what Fiona's and Tegan's relationship was. I also wanted them to acquire a list of all unidentified bodies of Mexican descent discovered from two years before and after Juan's stated disappearance that had been discovered in the mighty Mississippi focusing on the states the river ran through right down to the gulf. I also asked them to obtain blood samples from his side of his family so that if we found one that compared to be similar to what we knew he looked like that we had a way of either eliminating it as a possibility or identifying it.

Having grown up with the Mississippi just miles away I knew that depending on the amount of rain received during winters thaw that the river system itself would be going through some geological changes. The greatest fear was the height and speed of the river and the flooding of miles of low land because of the amount of excess water. During this time sand banks could be enlarged or wiped out as the river carried further debris southward. It was quite common for authorities to discover human remains as the high waters receded because the river had brought them up because of the power of the undercurrents that had been magnified because of the amount of water. In my gut I believed we were looking for a body and that when found it we would learn that his death was no accident.

Having sent the email to the detective agency I sent one to my father's lawyer asking him to purchase Fiona's and Juan's former residence for me if it came up for sale and requested him to try to obtain a copy of the original blueprints for the house. I also forwarded him a file containing all the information I had put together concerning my father's timeline requesting him to let me know if this was enough information to get the process moving.

I was just about to start looking for something I could throw together for supper when my cell phone began chiming. It was Tammy. Apparently, Wren, Sparrow, and my mother had stopped at her place of work because they had heard from her mother that we were in a serious relationship. I learned that it wasn't a pleasant conversation which ended up with Tammy making it clear that our relationship was none of their business.

"They're worried about something otherwise I would not have seen them," Tammy said. "Wren was trying to use some of the tools we had developed as teenagers when we wanted to find out something without directly asking."

"For most humans when they're waiting on something where nothing appears to be happening it can be totally frustrating," I stated. "I bet not knowing what's in my father's will besides the fact that he's suing the state is making them wonder how much money will be available for my sisters when it's done."

"Do you think it's as simple as that," Tammy asked?

"No, knowing my family the way I do," I replied, "It's safe to assume that they're trying to find a way to get to me because they have concluded the only way, they're going to get me to contact them is by making things as difficult as possible for you. The Chief of Police of Jackson told me that they have had their eyes on my mother's side of the family because they make most of their money by skirting the law."

I then went into the new information that I had learned about the Judge and the disappearance of her husband. It was she that suggested that it would make an excellent one hour documentary for tv. Little did she know that she had planted a seed that opened the possibility of another way of getting information out that could benefit me.

Gary had departed for California leaving the baggage of raw emotions behind. He felt that being out of sight, out of mind was the best way to resolve the issues he brought by coming out. Tammy said the he seemed to be at peace with himself because she saw an excitement about life in him that she hadn't seen in years. As a result of what had taken place during her visit her mother and her had ended up in a deep discussion that she felt had ended up making their relationship stronger because of the new understandings they had about each other. I was pleased to learn that when they discussed what we had done while she was here that Tammy's mother had admitted that I must have done a lot of planning in order to make our first long weekend together such a success.

"I got the impression that my mother is beginning to accept the fact that we are building the foundation of a relationship that could have staying powers," Tammy stated. "She said that you knew by how you planned things that you didn't have be alone to be alone. I found that puzzling until I thought it out while I was showing my parents the images I captured. Dad seemed quite impressed by how much we had done considering how short of time we had together and suggested to Mom that they should start investigating our own corner of the world instead of globe hopping."

We ended up chatting for about another hour before I said I should go because my stomach was demanding to have something in it. Tammy laughed and said that she had forgotten about the time change when she called.

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I was waiting for my connector flight from Tennessee to the regional airport in Cape Girardeau. Thanks to the virus you could no longer fly in from St Louis because the regional that had provided that service had downsized ending a lot of their routes. I was thankful that as part of my employee benefit package I got four weeks holidays a year. It allowed me the ability to use one of those weeks of the year to have a whole week back home for thanksgiving. An added plus was that it was on Tammy's birthday. Her mother had contacted me about a month ago to see if I could be home to surprise her because she thought that with the way our relationship was progressing that this one might be the last once she celebrated at home. She thought what might put it over the top was having me there. So, thanks to the paid holiday I had arranged my schedule so that I could be there when she came home from work to greet her. I knew that I would have to apologize to Tammy for misleading her because she thought I was flying in tomorrow because I had to work this Friday.

While I was waiting, I was watching the local news because that's what was on the monitor. The midday news was being broadcast. That's when the female reporter caught my attention because she was talking about the suit my father's estate and the Life Insurance company had just filed against the state of Missouri. I was shocked that they were going after what I considered an extremely large amount of money before I realized that they did that so if we won the case the judge or jury would have lots of leeway while deciding the amount to be awarded. She went into the case in deep detail explaining why she felt the plaintiffs had a winning wrongful death case. I could sense a storm a brewing because I knew that if the suit had been filed that all parties would be served as soon as possible.

Two hours later I found myself walking on the tarmac having just departed the small commuter plane. As I walked towards the sliding doors to enter the Cape regional airport, I could see my two grandparents waiting for me. After greetings and getting my suitcases, we headed for the farm. On the way home I learned that while I was away the family had completed the remodeling of the second and third floors. I asked them if the money I had left with them had been enough and was told that there was still over half left. As soon as we were home and settled my grandmother handed me the keys to their two thousand and four PT cruiser which they had just gotten serviced. They had bought it and got it insured this last week. It was mine to use for the duration.

"Branden, we have an appointment with the lawyer Monday at nine," my grandfather explained, "so that he can bring you up to date with things. It looks like what you forwarded to him was enough for the life insurance lawyers to agree to manage the case against the state. Terms and conditions will be explained then."

"Good to know," I replied. "While waiting in Pachuca for the connector flight it was discussed on the local news. Besides I have three disks to turn over to him with the basic documents."

"Wow, it was only filed yesterday because it gave them time to have all parties served over the weekend," grandfather stated. "Best be on guard because as soon as they see you after they're served there's going to be major problems. It will be interesting to see what the Saturday morning paper had to say."

With that said grandmother got up to make tea while grandfather and I toured the renovated floors. The third floor now has its own ensuite with a huge shower and soaker tub. The master bedroom was laid out so that it had two walk in closets. The second bedroom had been converted into an office for me. Sitting on the new oak desk was my father's computer. I noted that all the windows had been updated with what was currently available on the market. The four bedrooms on the second floor had been cut down to three, which allowed them to design a second master for them. Grandmother had set up one of the other bedrooms into an area for her sewing and crafts. That way it freed up the space on the first floor so that when they remodeled the main floor, they would have room for an island in the new kitchen with a larger living room. That's when I learned that she had conned Tammy into helping to pick out the color schemes for the house which now reflected what was trending. It also explained all the new l.e.d. lighting on the upper floors. At four thirty I headed towards Tammy's parent's place so that I was there when she got off of work.

Little did I know until I got there that they had decorated a huge carboard box that I had to climb into before they sealed it up. When Tammy's coworker called to say she was on her way I climbed in and crotched down. Listening to people talking while they wrapped the box up and sealed it tight was something I thought I would never have experienced. I listened to the chatter until I heard we're turning off the lights and locking the front door. It seemed I had to wait quite a while for Tammy to step through the door and turn on the lights before I heard a huge "Surprise." Tammy was shocked because among the faces were some of the girls, she had attended post-secondary education with. After a few minutes her father addressed all present to get their attention.

"Ever since my daughter first started dating, I have been dreading the day when she got serious about someone of the opposite gender. But I am pleasantly surprised that she's not already married. So, this year instead of taking a trip to celebrate her birthday we decided to encourage her towards the next step of her life by giving her this unexpected gift," Tammy's father explained. "Her mother and I are hoping that this will be acceptable to her since we all know she has such high standards."

That brought out a few chuckles and a couple of smart remarks which I found quite humorous. "Tammy what do you need to open the box we have sitting in the corner," her father asked?

"A straight edge to cut the tape would be nice," Tammy replied as her father handed her a rather large knife.

I could hear the sounds of the room as she carefully slid the knife along the edges of the top of the large box. It made me wonder if I could trust her enough to not to just stand up and push myself out of the carboard container. I was seriously considering it until I realized that I might accidentally get hurt during the confusion. It made wonder if this was how a caged animal felt until it adjusted to its situation.

"She's sure taking her time," I heard a female voice say. "That's because she does not want to damage what's inside," another responded. "Maybe it's something she can turn into a hope chest for when she gets married." "I wish this Braden she's always talking about at work was here," the first female said, "because the moment I see them together I will learn if their relationship is real or not."

Tammy by this time had the tape all cut and was pulling apart the wrapping. She opened the four flaps to see a huge dark sheet covering the object inside. I don't think I will forget the look in her eyes as she pulled off the sheet to discover it was me. Without my full beard I looked completely different. I did not expect her to tear up, but she did as I stood up. Before I could even get out of the box, she was kissing me.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the man our daughter can't stop kissing is the one she can't stop talking about," Tammy's mother said, "as far as Tammy knew he wasn't due in until tomorrow. I'm very proud to introduce you to her boyfriend Brandon James Allen."

I heard Tammy's brother Hunter say to his girlfriend, "both Brandon's grandmother and my mother now believe they make the perfect couple. His families the one behind the wrongful death suit against the state."

I met all of her coworkers and their significant others before the birthday girl opened the rest of her birthday presents. It was a surprise because they had hired a service which had set up a self-serve buffet table. The food was exceptionally good because the attendees were going back for seconds or thirds. Tammy said she liked the look of my goatee and moustache better than the full beard. All the older adults who were extended members of the family made a point of introducing themselves to me. It was almost ten at night before things began to wind down.

Little did any of us know that across town there were some very upset people because during the early hours of the evening my mother and two sisters had answered their doors to learn they were being served. For those who were married there were long discussions about what the consequences could be if it was successful. At ten pm the three females and the two husbands met at my mother's new residence to begin planning their course of action. The only thing they knew for sure was to cut down their legal fees, they would obtain legal services as a group.

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