Sgt. Marc Raines watched in fascination as a picture slowly formed on the screen of the SmartPhone that the lab tech had just handed him. The phone seemed to have a mind of it’s own.
“Oh dang” the tech said. “I just got a call. I have to go back to the lab. When you get through with that drop it off will you?”
The tech hadn’t even waited for an answer..he’d just turned and left. By the time he was out of sight he was almost running. Whatever it was it must have been important.
Marc slowly grinned as he saw Shelby looking at him from the phone.
“Shelby?” Marc said” Is that you Shelby? Where the hell have have you been?”
“Oh…Hi Marc. How you been doing? How are the wife and kids?”
Shelby asked.
“I’m a bachelor” Marc said..
“Oh yeah. So you are.” Shelby replied.“I guess you found my stuff?” Shelby asked “Is my boat alright?
“It seems to be. It was sunk. It was on the bottom when I hooked it with a dragline. There wasn’t any damage.. I pulled it up. It’s in the lab right now. The tech has been examining it. We suspected foul play but I guess you’re ok?” he asked.
“There was foul play alright.” Shelby said “I almost drown. A lake patrol boat run me down and swamped my boat then threatened to shoot me. I was afraid that it was you. It wasn’t was it?”
Marc frowned at that. “So that’s the way of it huh? I had my suspicions.’ He muttered”
NO!” he said much louder “ It was most definitely not me. I was out of town when it happened.”
He grinned. “ I guess you could say I have an Alibi.”
OH. “ Shelby said. He didn’t seem inclined to say anything further. Marc knew how reluctant Shelby had been to speak. Apparently that hadn’t changed.
“Where can I deliver your things to you?” Marc asked.
“Huh?” Shelby turned his attention back to Marc. He’d apparently been a thousand miles away. He’d been thinking. From the look in his eye Marc DEFINITELY didn’t want to be that Lieutenant.
“Ah…no.” Shelby said after thinking about it ”I find that I no longer need my things. You can keep them if you want to or dispose of them however you see fit.
Marc nodded his head.
Thank you for calling. Goodbye.”
The phone went dead.
Marc signed. Old Shelby had never shown any trust toward the police. Couldn’t blame him really. Marc looked at the smartphone for a minute and made a decision. He walked to the lab.
The technician looked up as he walked in the door.
“What happened?” he said.
“There seems to have been an interesting new development” Marc told him…and then proceeded to spin an outrageous lie.
Might as well make it a big one…he thought. ..big lies are more easily believed than small ones. The technician listened with open mouth.
“Wow…don’t that beat all?” the tech said when Marc finished.
“I’d never have believed it if Old Shelby hadn’t told me himself. He’s an old Viet Nam Combat vet though…so who knows?”
Marc finished his tall tale.
“Ancient Kung Fu breathing techniques combined with Spec Ops training?” the tech marveled. “I’d sure hate to be in that Lieutenant’s shoes if that old river rat wants revenge.”
“Ain’t that the truth” Marc said “Oh..by the way. Since there is no victim, and since he declined to raise a ruckus…there’s no need to continue with your analysis. Case closed.”
“I see” the Tech Nodded.
“I’ll have someone gather up this stuff later” Marc waved at the canoe and camping gear. “We’ll get it back to Shelby. Wouldn't want to piss him off.”
“Oh no.” Said the Tech. I certainly wouldn’t want to do that.”
Marc returned to his office with the SmartPhone still in his pocket. The tech had been completely distracted by his lie and not even thought to ask about it.
Unknown to Marc his lie was no lie at all. In fact it wasn’t even close to being outlandish enough.
(Back in the ShantyBoat)
“Let him keep the other stuff.” Shelby said. “He can use it himself or give it away. I have no need for it any longer do I?”
“Nope.” Elvira replied. “You have me. What more can you want?”
They returned their attention to the kitchen.
Shelby watched in pleased admiration as the little dragon opened it’s mouth and eggs floated out. All of the eggs except those required for an omelet stored themselves in the refrigerated egg tray.
The others lost their shells on the way to the grill. The shells went into the garbage disposal along with the bones and other waste. The unused portion of rattlesnake meat stored itself in the refrigerator. Wild onions and other edible plants and spices that the drone had also collected prepared themselves and joined the snake meat and eggs on the grill.
.
Soon an omelette of heroic proportions was ready to eat.
“I dub thee…the Swamp Omelette” Shelby said as he took it and a cup of coffee outside to the deck table. Elvira joined him.
Shelby slowly ate the delicious meal and chatted with his GIRLFRIEND.
“You know…it’s downright amazing what you can do with that UtilityFog.” He told her.”It almost looks like something out of a Science Fiction book.”
She smiled at him. “Doesn’t it though?”
Shelby and chatted Elvira for a while. Then he went to sleep.
Life was good.
Finally…after thirty years of hell on earth…life was good.
The End