Crazy Ray (continued)

Ray looked over at me, looked back at Tokie and shook his head.

"Tokie if we're never, ever gonna believe what you found, what makes you think we want to know?"

Tokie looked confused and so did I. I wanted to know.

"But Ray.."

"But nothing. Even if I did want to know, which is now suspect, you've certainly prejudiced me towards non-belief."

Tokie looked like a puppy that had just been hit with a newspaper for piddling on the floor. "But Ray I mean...I just..." He looked on the verge of tears. Ray rolled his eyes, chuckled a bit and put his arm around Tokie's shoulders.

"Come on, Toke', let's go on to your place and you can tell us all about what you found."


We all sat down at the old, wooden picnic table in Tokie's back yard we normally sat at. At one point it had held residence at site number 14 of Fort Toulouse- Jackson Park. We don't remember bringing it here, or how we got it past the rangers, but there it sits. It's covered in graffiti, names, initials and dates carved all over it from the last three decades. There's a giant heart carved right in the middle of the table with an arrow and everything. Justin loves Deb. A lot, apparently. Tokie spoke up again.

"I'm telling you, you guys ain't gonna believe what I found!"

Ray looked dubious. "Well, go on, spill it."

"You guys know that salvage yard over in Wetumpka?"

"Of course we do." Ray said it. Oh yeah, we knew it. We had spent hours there looking for one thing or another over the years, fixing up cars and what not. Back in highschool we figured that we could build a car entirely from used parts. We were wrong, but we had fun trying it. We'd still stop by there on occasion just to kill time. I guess Tokie went there without us one day.

"Well I was over there yesterday hoping to get a job. Didn't get one, but I did spend some time looking around just for the hell of it. I was walking way out back, by the fence where we used to sneak in? That's when I saw it."

"Saw what?" Ray and I said it at the same time.

"A limousine! A real nice one, too, not busted up or nothing!"

We just stared at him. Ray spoke first.

"And? What about it?"

Tokie looked around as if to make sure no one could hear him. He leaned in over the table and spoke real quiet.

"I'll tell you what about it. I looked inside the front, couldn't look in the back, the windows are shaded, but guys...on the front seat of that limo is a briefcase with handcuffs on it!" He leaned back and smiled, crossing his arms and looking real pleased with himself.

Ray scratched his chin and squinted his eyes. "Just what do think is in it, Tokie?"

"Well I don't know. But the handcuffs! Must be something important!"

I decided to speak up. "Tokie, for all you know whoever owns that limo and that briefcase was there wandering around same as you. It's probably not even there anymore."

"Is so Bunk, you don't know that!"

Ray hushed us. "Quiet you two! I'll admit you've got me curious, Tokie, though I'm still inclined not to believe you. On the other hand it's not like we're doing anything today. Gentlemen, I think tonight we're going to pay a visit to the salvage yard and find out what's in that limo. Tokie, you got any of that corn liquor left?"

(more tomorrow)


M. PotPie