Nothing To Fear ....

More Guts Than Common Sense

      As Jenny drove the red SUV down the highway Jake, seated in the back seat with Alex and Diana, glanced up. As he did, he caught sight of Cranes' face reflected in the rear-view mirror, seeing his eyes closed and his head moving in time with the music booming from the vehicle's speakers.

      "Check it out!" he said, with a chuckle. "Looks like Crane's channeling his inner metalhead!"

      Cranes' eyes snapped open, and he said, "I beg your pardon, Master Wells? If you would elucidate a bit more clearly precisely what it is that you're accusing me of, perhaps I might be able to offer a proper defense!"

      The three women burst out laughing, and Diana reached forward to pat his shoulder. "Simmer down there, tiger!" she said. "He was just saying that you seem to be enjoying the music."

     Apparently satisfied with the explanation, he relaxed, and said, "I must admit that I do not find it unpleasant, when the fellow isn't screaming like one possessed."

     "Crane not so much a screamo fan. Good to know," Alex muttered under her breath to Jake.

      "The lyrical content of some of the songs is rather insightful, and they are all quite skilled on their chosen instruments," he continued. " Miss Molly was correct, I am rather impressed with the violinist."

      Tapping on the laptop she held, Alex pulled something up on the screen, and turned it so that Crane could see. "Here's a publicity picture of the band, so this is what you'd see if you ever went to a concert," she informed him.

      Crane turned his head and saw a picture of five men wearing leather clothing, with black paint, in various designs, smeared on their faces.

      "Gracious! I've seen Indian war parties wear less cosmetic enhancement into battle!" he said.

      "I hate to break it to you, man, but there are some bands that make this look understated," Jake informed him.

      "I shudder to imagine, Master Wells."

      They drove for a few more miles, with only the music breaking the silence. Then Crane glanced across the seat at Jenny, and said, "If you wouldn't object, Miss Jenny, I would like to ask a question." 

      "Well, I guess I won't know until I hear it, will I? So ask away," she responded.

      "Yesterday, when you spoke to Master Scanlon, you said that you were 'returning a favor' to his sister. I was simply curious as to what that might be," he said. "If it isn't something of a personal nature, of course, I don't wish to pry into a private matter."

      She was silent for several moments, seeming to gather her thoughts, and Crane turned the music down as she did so. Finally, she exhaled, and said, "When I was working for Corbin, there were times that I couldn't do an assignment on my own, so there were a few other people we'd call in for help, from time to time. Most of them didn't know Corbin, or anything about him, just that there was an 'interested party'. Todd actually did know him slightly, and they were pretty much on the same page concerning how these items should be handled, so he was usually the first choice."

       "On one particular occasion, a guy Corbin knew had inherited some property from a relative, which included an old warehouse full of junk. The guy knew that some of the stuff was 'a little hinky', as he put it, but he had no clue what to do with it, so he left it to us to deal with. There was one item in particular that Corbin was especially concerned about, because he knew that other people had been looking for it, too, so we made it a group effort. It was me, Todd, Nick Hawley, and a guy named Benny Gutierrez, who was Todd's best friend since grade school."