A Life Wasted

Americas Most Wanted

Recently John Walsh started airing a new show on CNN called "The Hunt." I watched this twice thinking it might be interesting but was disappointed. The new show is horrible. It wasn't always this way with John Walsh as his original show; the show that made him a household name was interesting and well done. I had never watched the America's Most Wanted Television Show until I became a most wanted fugitive, but at that point I was hooked on it. It came on Saturday night on the Fox Network and for me it was a must-see event.

There was a time when I was setting in a motel room feeling pretty smug because there hadn't been any close calls in a few weeks and I had a new car that I was confident they didn't know about. Then the show came on and they gave an update on me identifying the car I was driving, make, model, and color. The same car that sat outside my motel room door. That caused me to jump up and throw all my stuff in the car and bolt immediately. I had a new car before the sun rose.

There was another time when I had just checked into a motel and turned on the show to catch the opening where I was mentioned. I watched the show until they showed a segment on me that included a reenactment. At the end of that there was an update that showed a current picture of me. The current picture got my attention because despite the fact that I worked real hard at changing my appearance the picture they showed looked just like me. I looked in the mirror to be sure it was a current photo and realized I was wearing the same shirt as in the photo. Since that was the only day I'd ever wore that shirt I knew the photo was from that same day. I was able to figure out that the high-quality photo was taken from a CCTV camera in a target store. Target had been using facial recognition to notify them when a local shoplifter entered the store, but the database also held the photos of Most Wanted fugitives, so I popped up.

Another time I had checked into a motel to watch the show before eating dinner. I was the first feature on the show, but there was no new or dangerous information on this one so I went out to eat before the show was over. I went to a Lone Star Steak House a half mile from the motel. The place was packed so I sat at the bar. I ordered a beer and a pasta meal. Just before my meal was served a woman came in and sat down beside me. The seat next to me was one of the few places to sit so I wasn't suspicious of her for sitting next to me.

The woman introduced herself and gave me her name, which I immediately forgot. She was talkative and obviously lonely, but she wasn't hitting on me. Normally I wouldn't mind sitting at a bar and talking to someone, man or woman, because I missed interaction with people. But since my entire life was a lie I tried to avoid too much interaction. On this night it was especially so as I was processing what had been said about me on the show. But this gal wouldn't be dissuaded by my short responses. She was in her mid-thirties and not bad looking so I don't guess she was used to be ignored while sitting on a bar stool, even though this one was in a restaurant.

She talked and talked and talked and I continued to give single syllable responses. This changed when she said, "You know why I come here every Saturday night?" "No." "I always watch America's Most Wanted, and then come here for a drink to take a good look at every one." Now she had my full attention, though I tried real hard not to let it show. "Why's that," I said. For the first time I took a long drink of my beer and finished it. At this point my meal arrived and I ordered another beer. "There are several motels just off the exit and this is the only restaurant that can be seen from the interstate or those motels. I figure a guy on the run might pick an exit like this, and then he'd have to come here to eat if he was hungry."

"Sounds like pretty good logic," I said. And it was good reasoning on her part since she had described the exact scenario that had brought me here. After I said this she said, "Yeah. I might be a secretary but I know how to think." She then turned and looked me in the eye and said, "I watch AMW every week and visit their web site daily. I've printed the photos of everyone they feature and memorized their faces. I believe that one night I'll come in here and spot someone with a big reward on them that I can collect on." She looked at me as she said this and I looked back at her. What I saw in her eyes was the gleam of a person who had complete confidence in herself.

"Well," I said, hoping my voice didn't give away how resigned I felt. "Do you see anyone from the show?" She dropped her smile then spun her chair so she was facing the main section of the restaurant. I watched her closely as she carefully studied every face in that room. She seemed to take them all in, one at a time. She slowly turned on her stool looking at the patrons on the other side of the U-shaped bar until she had made a full circle and was again looking at me. Her eyes had lost the twinkle they started with. "No," she said. "Not tonight. But one day I will. I know that sounds stupid, but I just know it."

I said something meant to be comforting and tried to eat as she played with her drink. A minute later she was excited again as she told me about tonight's America's Most Wanted Show. She told me all about myself then went on to talking about the next fugitive. She had accurately described what was said on the show about me that night, but she included details that weren't mentioned that night. She might have known this because, like she said, she studied the cases. Or she might have known it because she was an FBI agent just playing with me before the SWAT moved in. She really did look and sound like a secretary. And when she spun around on her bar stool I thoroughly checked out her lower back looking for a concealed gun. If she was armed I couldn't find her weapon. As she kept prattling on I reached my limit. I couldn't stand not knowing. If they were waiting for me in the parking lot, then I wanted to get it over with.
I pulled a fake beeper off my belt and looked at it like I was reading a message. (This was before smart phones and text messages were popular so some people still carried beepers). I said, "Service call, I've got to go." I laid a twenty on the counter to her asking what I did.

"Equipmentrepair," I said then walked as fast as I could to my car. As always, my car was parked at the back ofthe lot so no one could see it easily from the restaurant. When I got to the car I started it, butbefore leaving I used binoculars to look at Ms. Gabby. She had turned to the guy setting on theother side of her and was bending his ear. I had to laugh because it was funny. However, I went back to my motel room just long enough to grab myluggage. I drove for two hours thenfound a place in the woods to sleep. There was always the possibility that she would remember my face.