Fragmentation Page 5

  “Put your suit on and we can do some swimming while we’re out in the boat. We have plenty of towels and I’ll bring some soda along.”

  At the dock, David uncovered the boat and noticed the Wellcraft was a nicely equipped bow rider with a V-6 engine and a rather plush interior. Colleen arrived wearing a red bikini and a white blouse. She had an armful of towels and a six-pack of Cokes.

  Opening the engine hatch, she turned on the blower and started the engine. “We’ll need some gas, so our first stop will be at the Ocean Beach Marina then I’ll give you the full tour.”

  The marina was a short distance from Colleen’s house and getting some ice and snacks while they were gassing up looked like a good idea to David.

  “Here’s what I had in mind. First, we’ll go north up to the Mantoloking Bridge, the one we came over last night, then we turn around and head south all the way to the Seaside Bridge, or further if you like. Right now, we are in Silver Bay and it’s really quite shallow, especially at low tide. It looks at about mid-point now and the tide is coming in.” Pausing mid sentence, she pulled out a chart, “High tide is at 2:54 PM, so we should be in good shape. We’ll just have to stick to the channels until later this afternoon.”

  They left the marina and took the main channel northward. The houses along the bay in Mantoloking were beautiful with cedar shingle exteriors painted gray and trimmed in white; they looked as though they belonged in New England. Almost all were very large and architecturally they followed a colonial Cape Cod style. As they approached the bridge, David could see several good size marinas filled with large fishing boats and yachts. Colleen drove briefly under the bridge then turned around and headed south. They passed Mantoloking again and as they approached Normandy Beach, Colleen went into a cove and pointed out Murphy’s Bar and Marina, mentioning that it was a good place for dinner. They passed the Ocean Beach Units and continued southward. At Lavallette, Colleen slowed by the Lavallette Yacht Club with its large fleet of small one-design sailboats, all stored on trailers in an open area. Just beyond the yacht club, they had a choice to either go out into the open bay channel, or continue close to the shoreline in the inner channel. They opted for the latter, winding through a narrow area near Ortley Beach and past West Point Island and another marina. Once past the island they could see the Seaside Bridge in the distance.

  “Let’s go all the way up the Toms River,” Colleen begged, “it’s not too far and they have what we call cedar water there. Actually it’s brackish, kind of half fresh and half salt and the farther up the river you go the more fresh it is and the more it smells like cedar.”

  “That sounds interesting.”

  “Yes and we can go swimming off the boat and also look at the houses. One of them was once owned by Buster Crabbe, the Olympic swimming champion who later became Tarzan and Flash Gordon in the movies.”

  They followed the channel southward going under the Seaside Bridge and turning west into the mouth of the Toms River. Once they went under the bridge, Colleen explained, they were now in Barnegat Bay, although it all looked the same to David. The river was about a half mile wide at its mouth and gradually tapered as it went inland toward the Town of Toms River. Passing the Island Heights Yacht Club, they saw a number of sailboats competing in a race.

  Colleen announced, “It’s the first race of the season for the A-cats of Barnegat Bay.”

  “Okay, what are the A-cats?”

  “They are really neat old boats that have been designed and built here for over a hundred and thirty years. They are round bottom sailboats with the mast very near the front, especially designed for shallow water with large centerboards for stability. Today they are competing for the Toms River Challenge Cup, the oldest continuously challenged sailing trophy in the United States. Some of the boats competing today are close to eighty years old. Each summer they compete almost every weekend and the overall winner at the end of the season gets the cup for a year.”

  “That’s really interesting. When do they start?”

  “Around 1:00 PM I think. They usually wait for the afternoon breeze to pick up a bit, as it makes for a more exciting race.”

  From a distance, they watched the twenty-eight foot long A-cats with their distinctive wide beam and front mounted mast. Large letters on the sails proclaimed the first initial of their names, like Torch, Witch, Vapor and MA for Mary Ann, one of the octogenarians. There were ten competing that day and Colleen explained that the older boats usually do not do as well as the newer ones, but in the end it often comes down to the skipper and the tactician.

  They watched the races for about twenty minutes while Vapor led by a whisker and continued another half-mile or so up the river. As Colleen shut off the engine, the boat settled in the water and came to a rest.

  “This is Buster Crabbe’s old house,” proclaimed Colleen, pointing to a distinctive looking older house with a long front porch set on a large lot overlooking the river.

  While David was studying the Crabbe house she threw her blouse at him and dove into the water yelling, “Last one in is a rotten egg.”

  David quickly followed right behind, shirt and all.

  “You’re right; this water is strange and does smell like cedar.”

  As they swam around the boat, the coolness of the water offered a refreshing relief from the relentless heat of the sun.

  Back on board, Colleen brought out Cokes and pretzels and they laid on the deck holding hands while soaking up the sun. Afterward, David drove the boat back to Ocean Beach with Colleen snuggled up against him. It was nearly 4:30 in the afternoon when they arrived back at the house.

  “Why don’t we get some steaks and cook them right here for dinner. There is a grocery store in Ortley Beach where we can also get something for breakfast tomorrow morning. We’ll just go like this, it’s very casual here.”

  “Is there a State Store somewhere so we can get a bottle of wine?”

  “You have been in Pennsylvania too long. Here they are just plain liquor stores and yes, there is one where we can get some wine.”

  With the top down and the radio blaring, they drove to Ortley Beach and found the grocery store.

  From the meat counter, two beautiful filet mignons stared at them and practically leaped into their cart. Colleen found some ingredients for a salad, a frozen cheesecake dessert, as well as a dozen eggs, some bacon and English muffins for breakfast. At the liquor store, David picked out a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon then asked, “Do we need any more tonic water?”

  “No, we keep lots of that at the house; there must be at least a case of the stuff in the closet.”

  After checking out, they headed back to the house and unloaded the car.

  “Let’s eat on the patio tonight? It’s really nice this time of year and the mosquitoes aren’t too bad, yet.”

  “Sounds like fun; it’s nice by the water,” David said as he grabbed Colleen from behind and started to nibble on her neck.

  “Well, you certainly have become frisky! Just a few days ago I wasn’t even sure that you liked me.”

  “Oh, I liked you; but, I wasn’t sure if you liked me.”

  “Didn’t I give you enough hints, like suggesting that we go to dinner in New Hope, then inviting you over for a meal and calling you right before lunch?”

  “You’re positively devilish,” declared David, kissing her again.

  “And right now, I’m positively going to get cleaned up for dinner! You are in charge of the charcoal and the drinks. It’s a quarter after six. We should have cocktails around 7:00 PM and dinner at 7:30. I’ll put the baked potatoes in when I get out of the shower.” She spun out of his arms and was gone.

  David saw the grill outside, rummaged around in the storage closet and found a bag of charcoal and some starter fluid. “Dinner at 7:30,” he thought, “this takes a good half hour to be ready,
plus about fifteen minutes or so for the steaks. That’s about thirty-five to forty minutes or 6:40 when I have to light the charcoal. I won’t have much time; I hope she isn’t too long in the shower.”

  “David,” called Colleen, “you can use the outside shower. There’s a bar of soap in there and room for your clothes and stuff. You’ll find towels in the linen closet in the hall. The shower is around the back of the house.”

  “I’ll find it.”

  David checked out the shower, which was attached to the side of the house. It was constructed of redwood and inside there was a gravel base covered with a slatted redwood floor. Opposite the shower was a row of hooks and a redwood bench. “Rather ingenuous,” he thought.

  The shower proved to be quite comfortable. There was plenty of hot water. He also noticed a bit of sunburn on his shoulders and the back of his neck. Tomorrow he would have to be a little more careful with the sun block.

  After showering, he combed his hair and put on a pair of khaki shorts, a brown shirt and his Topsiders then went out to light the charcoal.

  Outside, David set up the grill and got it started. It took three applications of fluid, owing to the fact that everything was a little damp, “down the shore.” He laughed to himself as he repeated that expression.

  Colleen was right about their having plenty of tonic water; there was a case and a half of the stuff. He looked around, opening and closing cabinet doors, but could not find the liquor.

  “It’s in the hall closet,” she called out from the bedroom, “and the glasses are in the cabinet next to the refrigerator.”

  “It’s like she is reading my mind,” he thought, “but I like it.” He made two tall gin and tonics, with lots of ice and fresh lime, he found in the refrigerator. Just when he was wondering if there were any snacks, Colleen called out she would bring some out in a minute and he should meet her on the patio. “She is reading my mind somehow,” he thought.

  Colleen arrived a few minutes later, carrying a bowl of chips and cool ranch dip. Going back in she returned with a white tablecloth, along with plates and silverware and set the table. She added blue cloth napkins, some water glasses and two wine glasses along with a citronella candle in a glass flue. She positioned both chairs so they each had a view of the bay and turned to David and gave a sigh of relief.

  “The potatoes are in and now I can enjoy myself.”

  He took her hand and she pressed herself into him as they kissed. He could feel her breasts against his chest and her heart was pounding in unison with his.

  She pulled back a bit and said, “David, what will the neighbors think?”

  “What neighbors?”

  “Well, in case you haven’t noticed, things are a little close around here and old Mrs. Schultz next door arrived this afternoon while you were in the shower.”

  “Do you think she suspects anything?”

  “She always suspects something, although she doesn’t see too well any more. When we were kids, we had to be especially careful because she would call my parents if she saw anything at all.”

  “Then I’ll be on my very best behavior.”

  “Hello, Mrs. Schultz,” waving to her, “it’s nice to see you, how have you been?”

  “Very well, my dear, are your parents here?”

  “No, they aren’t here right now, they’re out,” lied Colleen.

  “Tell them I said hello.”

  “Okay.”

  “Do you think she peeps into the bedroom window at night?” he quietly snickered.

  “Most likely, but she can’t see in the dark anymore and her hearing is even worse than her eyesight,” whispered Colleen. “She is eighty-seven, I think, but has a memory like an elephant.”

  David went into the house and brought out the filets. After checking the charcoal, he spread out the hot coals and as he put the steaks on the grill, he glanced at his watch.

  “About 7:35 by my estimate. Will that work for the potatoes?”

  “Yes, perfectly.”

  They sat in the glider and watched the sunset.

  “There will be a full moon tonight and we could go for a moonlight cruise after dinner if you like. And besides, Mrs. Schultz never goes out on the water at night.”

  “Good, here’s to our moonlight cruise, without Mrs. Schultz.”

  “It’s too bad that Roger and Marie aren’t here, we could have gone skiing; now there is no one to act as a spotter.” David was thinking he was glad they didn’t make it.

  “Do you think Mrs. Schultz could go? I’ve heard that she is an excellent spotter?”

  She patted his arm, “Ha, ha, go and check the steaks while I make the salad.”

  Somehow, the entire dinner came together at just after seven-thirty and they sat down just as a sailboat tacked across in front of the house. They chatted quietly, enjoying their food. David longed to be in her arms again. Under the table, their legs touched and they glanced at each other as they ate.

  As they were finishing dinner, Colleen suggested they go out in the boat now and have dessert when they come back. The sun sets in less than a half-hour and the moon should be spectacular. By 8:15, they were getting into the boat. Colleen brought towels, a blanket and a bottle of Peach Schnapps along with two glasses.

  David started the engine and they slowly pulled away from the dock.

  “Head toward that lighted marker and at the green light turn to the north and head up the channel.”

  The sun’s descent behind the trees filled the line of clouds in the western sky with a myriad of colors. Slowly, the houses were beginning to light up as the sky darkened and a large yellow moon began to rise over the ocean to the east. By nine o’clock, the light of the moon lit the water and Colleen directed David to raise the drive unit a little, pull out of the channel and head into the open part of Silver Bay.

  “Stop here and I’ll let out the anchor.”

  David cut the engine and Colleen fixed the anchor, then came back inside and kissed David.

  “Mrs. Schultz can’t see us here,” she whispered, “and I’m going skinny dipping.”

  She began to remove her blouse and as David caught a look at her breasts in the moonlight, he could think of nothing more inviting at that moment than joining her. Unlike that afternoon, the water was only about four feet deep and the bottom was sandy. They swam and laughed and he held her as they stood by the boat and kissed. She could feel his urgency now and they entered the boat and lay on the padded sun deck, making love in the moonlight. Afterward they enjoyed the warmth of the Peach Schnapps, as they slowly returned to the dock.

  “I think that Mrs. Schultz has gone to bed,” grinned Colleen.

  They picked up the remains of dinner and ate the cheesecake Colleen bought earlier at the A & P, following it with some more Peach Schnapps. They made love again that night sleeping until 10:30 Sunday morning.

  “We should probably get out of here by noon, or there will be a lot of traffic going home.”

  “I’m glad that Roger and his family didn’t make it this weekend,” mused David.

  “So am I, but I do want you to meet them and besides, we didn’t get to go skiing or do any water sports.”

  “I thought we did some pretty good water sports last night.”

  Colleen chuckled and hit David on the arm saying,”Not that kind of sports, silly.”

  By noon they were on Route 35 headed north toward the Mantoloking Bridge in heavy, but moving traffic. They decided to stop for lunch at the halfway point along Route 70 before going on to Philadelphia.

  Chapter 10

  Philadelphia, PA: Sunday, June 9.

  It was almost four o’clock when they arrived at Colleen’s apartment. David carried her suitcase while Colleen retrieved the keys from her purse. As she inserted the key in the lock, the doo
r swung open.

  At first, her throat seemed to constrict and she gasped for air as she stood gaping at the stranger in her house. A terrible wail burst from her throat as he ran through the open sliding glass door, vaulted over the railing to the ground below and disappeared. David dropped the bags and raced to the railing.

  He said in a strangled whisper, “I think we just walked in on a robbery.”

  Deep sobs racked her chest as he held her in his arms.

  “Where is Angela?”

  Sobbing, “She, she, (sob) went to the P… Poconos with Jimmy. School is out and they went to a resort for the week.”

  The setting was horrible. The intruder threw her things all over, pulled out the drawers and dumped all her clothes on the floor. Angela’s room was the same. The TV and the stereo were still there, her box of jewelry on the floor, its contents scattered but not taken. The place was in total disarray but it looked like nothing was actually missing.

  Colleen called the police who sent around a patrol car with two officers. After a half hour or so, the police finished their report and suggested Colleen have the door fixed.

  The door jam was shattered. The intruder must have hit it with tremendous force. Splinters were scattered about the living room floor.

  “Its 5:30 Colleen; I think we need to go to the Home Store and buy another lock and perhaps even a dead bolt. The door has already been drilled for one so I’ll just have to pop out this plastic cap to install it.”

  “I’m not staying here alone; I’ll go with you.”

  They pulled the door shut and went back to David’s car. The home store was about five miles from her apartment and fortunately was open on Sunday. David bought a good dead bolt lock, a Philips screwdriver, a hammer, saw, a chisel, some nails and a strip of wood. They were back at the apartment within forty-five minutes.

  While David installed the lock and repaired the door jam, Colleen worked on putting the apartment back in order. After spending a couple of hours cleaning up and putting things back, pangs of hunger began to gnaw at them.