The ambulance raced with sirens blaring to the Emergency Room area of the Columbus Regional Hospital.
Corrie parked Brett’s Fairmont in the visitor’s parking lot. She got out and rushed to the Emergency Room entrance.
Howard parked his Cadillac in the visitor’s parking lot. He got out and rushed to the Emergency Room wearing his Fedora hat and sunglasses.
Inside the Columbus Regional Emergency Room, Corrie waited. Her legs are shaking.
Howard entered the room and noticed Corrie. He discreetly walked over to the chairs at the back of the room, sat down, waited, and looked at Corrie.
Thirty minutes later, in the Emergency Room, Corrie still sat and worried about Brett.
A doctor entered the room and walked up to Corrie. She stood up, her hands shaking.
“Is he okay?” Corrie asked.
“He’s just fine. We ran all the usual tests for a possible heart attack, and he’s healthy,” the doctor replied.
Corrie sighed a sigh of relief. “Then what caused his pain?”
“I think it was gas from that Mexican food he ate. It happens, but you were smart in bringing him here just to make sure,” the doctor told her.
“Thank you, doctor,” she replied.
The doctor walked away.
Corrie sat down, relieved.
Howard heard the entire conversation at the back of the room. He opened his cell phone and texted Sidney.
Sidney drank coffee at his desk. His cell phone buzzed. He glanced at the viewfinder. “He just had gas from the Mexican food,” Howard’s text stated.
“Crap!” Sidney slammed his fist on his desk, then typed a text message.
Five minutes later, Corrie was still waiting in the Columbus Regional Emergency Room.
At the back of the room, Howard looked at his viewfinder. “Keep an eye on him,” Sidney’s text message stated. Howard shoved his cell phone into his suit pocket.
Brett entered the room and walked up to Corrie.
In the back of the room, Howard quickly placed a magazine in front of his face.
Corrie smiled. She hugged him. “How are you feeling?”
“Like a million dollars,” he replied.
“You gave me a scare,” she said lightly, stroking his arm
“I’m sorry to put you through these. I get these chest pains quite often, and my doctor back home tells me my heart is a perfect specimen. So it’s a mystery,” he replied.
“That’s not good if they can’t figure out why,” she said.
“I know. It could be anxiety or stress caused by my marriage,” he replied.
Corrie’s eyes widened. “I’ll tell you what, why don’t we have a relaxing afternoon. I know the perfect place,” she offered.
“I would love that,” Brett said, smiling.
Howard watched Brett and Corrie leave the Emergency Room from the back of the room.
Outside the Columbus Regional Hospital,
Brett and Corrie walked to his Fairmont.
Behind them, Howard rushed over to his Cadillac.
Brett drove his Fairmont from the hospital parking lot down the street.
Howard’s Cadillac followed.
Fifteen minutes passed.
Brett drove his Fairmont north on Interstate 65.
Howard’s Cadillac followed Brett’s car.
Later that day, at Blue’s Canoe Livery by the Driftwood River, Brett paid for the seven-mile canoe trip for the both of them.
They hung near a shuttle bus.
Howard peeked around a tree and discreetly snapped a picture of Brett and Corrie.
Five minutes later, Brett and Corrie boarded a shuttle bus.
Howard peeked out behind some trees and spied on them.
He watched the shuttle bus drive away.
Howard walked back to his Cadillac.
Inside Howard’s Cadillac, he reviewed the pictures he snapped with his camera.
Sidney reviewed a report at his desk.
His cell phone buzzed. He opened it and looked at the viewfinder.
“Brett and the female went to the Driftwood River to canoe. I have three good pics to email later,” Howard’s text message stated.
A huge grin grew on Sidney’s face.
Agnes entered his office with a fresh cup of coffee and walked up to his desk.
She noticed his grin. “What’s bringing you such happiness?” she asked, setting his coffee on his desk.
“Let’s just say there’s a ninety-five percent probability I will be promoting Carl and that Dorian will come to her senses and divorce Brett,” he said.
“You’re the best!” she said with a wide grin. Then, discreetly, she blew him a kiss.
She left his office with a spring in her step.
Sidney did a little victory dance in his chair. His eyes widened. He opened up his cell phone and typed in a text message.
Howard sat in his Cadillac. His cell phone buzzed. He looked at the viewfinder and saw a message.
“Keep sending me pictures. You’re doing an outstanding job,” Sidney’s text message stated. It is rarely that Sidney tells an individual they are doing an outstanding job.
“Ok, boss,” Howard text messaged his response.
Howard sat back and whistled the theme song to the Rockford Files. “I think I found my perfect retirement job!
Brett and Corrie faced each other, paddling a canoe down the Driftwood River.
“It’s so beautiful and peaceful here,” Brett said, glancing around the river.
“I come here a lot. It’s a great way to relieve stress from running my business,” she added.
“I used to canoe a lot as a kid down in Daleville. I loved it,” he told her.
“You don’t do it now?”
“Are you kidding? My wife Dorian might get her precious fingernails dirty. And that would ruin her day,” he replied.
Corrie chuckled. Her eyes widened. “Wait a minute, did you say Dorian?”
“Yes,” he replied.
“I knew a Dorian in college. And what a bitch! Her last name was,” Corrie said, snapping her fingers. Her eyes lit up. “Harris. That’s it, Dorian Harris,” Corrie recalled.
Brett stopped paddling the canoe in disbelief. “You knew my wife in college?”
“Yes, if Dorian Harris is your wife?”
A long moment of silence. The canoe drifted in the water.
“I can sense you didn’t like her,” he said, paddling again.
“It’s more like she hated me with a passion. She’s why I left the Fort Wayne campus,” Corrie said.
“What happened?” he asked, paddling down the river.
“Well, it started when Kimberly, a sorority sister of mine, set me up on this blind date. His name was,” Corrie tried to remember. “Bruce, Brad, or something like that. Anyway, I went to my car only to discover someone had slashed all my tires. Witnesses claimed they saw Dorian doing it. But when I claimed to campus security, those witnesses’ memories suddenly got foggy. Then later, I found out she went out on that blind date,” she said.
Brett stopped paddling. The canoe drifted. Brett stared, stunned. “You know something; this is weird. I knew Kimberly in college, and she set me up on a blind date with Dorian. Kimberly Bauer was her name,” Brett told her.
Corrie’s mouth opened in shock. “Oh my God! You were my blind date?”
Brett’s eyes widened. “I guess I was,” he said. “What would possess Dorian to stop us from meeting?”
“I don’t know. But after that, she went into overdrive to get rid of me since I accused her of slashing my car tires.”
“Like how?” he asked.
“She falsely accused me of cheating. Then she spread rumors that I was hooking my way through college. You name it. She did it, and I couldn’t take it anymore.”
“Why didn’t you complain to the Dean?”
“He wouldn’t do anything. He was an old war buddy of Dorian’s father. So, I took the safe way out. I transferred.”
“I knew Dorian could be mean, but I didn’t know she was that mean,” he said. “I’m happy I plan on leaving her,” he added.
Corrie’s eyes welled up.
Brett leaned toward her. The canoe rocked, and Brett lost his balance. The canoe tipped over, and they splashed into the river.
They went under the water and surfaced, treading water.
“I’m so sorry,” Brett called, treading water. “It happens,” Corrie replied, treading water.
Two other couples in two other canoes paddled over to Brett and Corrie and assisted them in getting back into their canoes.
Brett and Corrie, both soaking wet, paddled down the river.
Later that day, at the Blue Canoe Livery, Brett and Corrie were provided towels to dry off after being dunked in the river.
“That was fun,” Corrie said, drying her hair with the towel.
Brett thought about their adventure and smiled.
“You’re fun to be with, Brett. I enjoyed today,” she added with a warm smile.
Brett looked at Corrie. A strong desire to kiss her.
Corrie looked at Brett. “I’ll tell you what. If you’re up for it, we still have time for a lesson today.”
“I would love another lesson,” he replied with a huge grin. His eyes widened. He felt his pockets. “Crap, I lost my cell phone in the river,” he worried.
Corrie looked at Brett’s belt. “We can stop off and get another one on the way to the airport.”
“Yeah, we can do that,” Brett replied.
He escorted Corrie to his Fairmont.
Howard stepped out from behind a tree. He watched them walking over to Brett’s Fairmont. He snapped a picture.
Brett drove Corrie off in his Fairmont.
Howard rushed over to his Cadillac and got inside. He cranked it up and drove off after Brett’s Fairmont.
Later that day, after stopping off at the Cellular Connection, Brett bought a new cell phone with a camera.
Brett and Corrie headed back to the airport. Howard was still hot on their tail in his Cadillac.
Brett parked his Fairmont in the parking lot of Corrie’s business.
Howard parked his Cadillac at a safe distance from Brett.
From his Cadillac, Howard watched Brett get his flight bag out of his trunk inside his Fairmont with Corrie standing by him. Howard snapped a picture of them walking to her building.
Howard waited for ten minutes. He saw Brett and Corrie walking to one of the Warrior airplanes, then punched in a text message on his cell phone.
Sidney was in his office reviewing another financial report at his desk. His cell phone buzzed, and he looked at the viewfinder.
“Subject is back at the airport with that female. He’s taking another flying lesson,” Howard’s text message stated.
Sidney’s elated with the news.
From inside his Cadillac, Howard looked at his cell phone viewfinder.
“You’re doing a great job,” Sidney’s text message stated.
Howard puffed out his chest. “Howard Bitner, PI!” he boasted, puffing out his chest. He returned, watching Brett and Corrie perform the pre-flight inspection on the Warrior.
Fifteen minutes later, Howard watched Brett and Corrie taxi the Warrior away.
Ten minutes later, Howard watched the Warrior take off on runway 5.
He watched Brett practice numerous touch and go’s on runway 5.
Howard’s eyes started to droop. He fell fast asleep in his Cadillac, snoring.
Twenty minutes passed. Howard’s asleep in his Cadillac.
Brett taxied the Warrior and parked it.
Brett shut off the Warrior on the flightline. He and Corrie got out. They both tied the Warrior down.
They walked to her building and went inside.
They sat at a table, and Brett removed his logbook and handed it to Corrie. She grabbed a pen and logged the flight in his logbook.
“You know, Brett. If you keep this up, you’ll solo in a couple of days,” she said.
Brett smiled.
She finished filling out his logbook and handed it back.
Brett placed his logbook back in his flight bag.
He looked at her. “Why don’t we go to dinner tonight?” he offered.
She smiled. “Not tonight; I’m exhausted,” she replied.
“Oh, sure. I understand,” Brett replied, hiding his disappointment.
Corrie noticed. “Can I have a rain check on dinner?” she asked.
“You bet!” Brett replied.
“Good, then I’ll see you tomorrow morning at nine-thirty?” she replied.
“Nine-thirty sharp,” he said. He got up from the table and grabbed his flight bag.
He left the room.
Brett walked to his Fairmont in the lot, got inside, cranked it up, and drove away.
Corrie left the building ten minutes later and walked over to her Jeep.
But she noticed Howard’s Cadillac parked at the far end of the lot. Curious, she walked over to it.
Howard was sound asleep inside his car.
She tapped on his driver’s door window. He jumped, startled, banging his head on the roof.
“Sir, are you all right?” Corrie asked from outside his Cadillac.
Howard looked around, dazed and confused. His eyes widened, and he saw Corrie staring at him from the outside.
“Sir, are you all right? Do you need any assistance?” she asked.
He rolled down his window. “Ah. No. I’m okay,” he said. “I pulled over to use my cell phone. You know you shouldn’t drive while talking about these things. After finishing my call, I decided to watch the airplanes take off and land. I guess I fell asleep,” he bullshitted her.
“Will you be okay to drive home?” she asked. “I’m fine. Trust me,” Howard replied. “Okay. Take care,” she said and walked away to her Jeep.
“I’m so stupid!” Howard said, slapping his forehead.
He started up his Cadillac and drove out of the parking lot.
Corrie’s Jeep drove out of the lot after his Cadillac.
At the parking lot of the Residence Inn,
Howard’s Cadillac drove around the lot. He stopped his Cadillac, noticing Brett’s Fairmont parked in the lot. “Okay, I didn’t screw up that bad,” he said.
He parked his Cadillac and spied on the front entrance of the hotel.