The Dead and the Dreamer

"I think I follow you," John lied.

"They do something that makes you think that maybe you don't know them as well as you thought."

John nodded.

"I don't know. Sounds crazy."

"Well, this feeling is something you haven't forgotten about. Must be something to it." John accelerated around a slow moving van and passed it.

"I just wish I could describe it better. I'm not good at that."

"I know what you mean. In fact, I've been there," John admitted.

"Your air conditioner work?"

"Sorry. You hot?"

"A little."

John turned up the cold setting and got the air conditioner working. The Jeep was cooler in no time at all.

"How have you been there?"

John smiled. "Long story."

"Might be a long case. We'll need something to talk about later, partner."

John glanced her way but she had already turned her attention to looking out of her window.

***

Candy Pop was playing Saturday night at the Godfather's Den in Norfolk. To get a closer look at the band, John had to park his Jeep nearly two blocks away thanks to traffic. He missed his turn and made an illegal u-turn to get there. It was the same downtown traffic he had the pleasure of dealing with the other day. Only this time the congestion was not even from the working class. The traffic he was inching along with now was the nightclub crowd. They seemed to far outnumber the producers.

Along the way John thought about his new partner, Tammy. To his surprise she did not pull away when he held her a little close to his side on the way in to the nightclub. It was a simple unspoken gesture for security purposes. Norfolk at night was not the safest place in the world to be.

John held the heavy wooden door open for Tammy and paid the five-dollar cover charge. They were immediately assaulted by the musty odor. The little bar was more like a basement and the place was crowded. The pungent smell did not seem to bother the regulars.

Loud surf-punk type music was coming from the house speakers - music to soften up the masses before the band decided to show up. John and Brad had played there just five years earlier when heavy rock was on their play list.

When Tammy sat close to him, John thought that this might be considered their second date. Why not?

"What time do they usually start?" she leaned over and yelled into his ear.