Sam found the sheriff's office, went inside and introduced himself. "It's nothing to do with why I'm here, but just to let you know - I'm the sheriff of a county in western Maryland. I've been out here looking for a girl - well, a young woman."
"Looking for a woman. I reckon we've all said that at some time in our lives," said the sheriff, who introduced himself on Jim O'Connor.
Sam chuckled. "Yeah, I guess we have, at that. Actually, I've found my woman, but that's just the start of the story that I want to talk to you about. Have you got some time?"
"Sure. Talk away."
"Okay. It gets complicated, but I'll try to stay on track. About two years ago, a girl - Emma Graham - left our town, got on a bus, and headed west. She just disappeared. She was about 16, then. Her mother had died a short time before, and she didn't have any other relatives in town. But she did have some really close friends, including me, and a woman named Maud Chadwick. Maud and I had known Emma since she was about 12 years old. We were kind of the Three Musketeers. Maud is a waitress in town, and Emma always hung out with her. Emma liked to walk with me when I was checking parking meters, and such. Well, I'm rambling. The point is, she said she'd stay in touch, and she didn't.
"Something obviously happened to her. She has a sizeable bank account in our town - her mother's legacy - that hasn't been touched in two years. We thought for a while she must be dead, but now I know she isn't. I just drove into town with her a half-hour ago."
"Into this town?"
"Yeah. I met her down the road a few miles, just before that big squall came through. We sat in my truck and talked for a while. She says her name is Andi - A-N-D-I - Oliver, or Olivier, from Long Island, New York."
"What makes you think she isn't?"
"Well, 'cuz I know Emma. It's only been two years. She's about 18 - at that stage when a girl suddenly changes into a woman - so there's some obvious difference in looks. Her hair has always been very light, but now it's really sun-bleached. But I've got a photo from three years ago." He handed it to the sheriff. "If you see her in town, compare her to this. I think you'll see a really strong resemblance.
"But I'm not just going by the photo, or my memory. This is the first time I've seen 'Andi,' and talked to her, but I've had positive proof of her identity since early last summer. I just haven't been able to catch up with her."
Jim was mulling this over. "So, if she's your Emma, why is she pretending to be Andi?"
"That's just it. I don't think she's pretending. Something happened to her two years ago that completely wiped out her past life."
"You mean, like amnesia?"
"Yep. I'm sure she knows that she isn't Andi Oliver - she didn't have an identity, so she made one up. She's been adding to it, and probably - since she hasn't made any headway on discovering who she really is - 'Andi' is becoming more real to her. But I bet she still would like to know the truth.
"I know nothing about amnesia - and sure don't want to do anything that might confuse the situation more than it already is - but I tried a few names and situations on her just to judge her reactions. Well, first, I wanted to see if my appearance meant anything to her. I bet I haven't changed a bit in the two years since she last saw me, but there wasn't a glimmer of recognition. I mentioned Maryland, my name, and Maud's, and a little bit about our relationship to one another. I even 'slipped' one time - on purpose - and called her 'Emma.' Not a blink of an eye, or any other sign of awareness. I don't think she has any idea of anything prior to two years ago."
Jim took his time. "So, say you're right, and Andi and Emma are the same. What are you going to do about it?"
"Good question. Wish I had a good answer. In the movies, the psychiatrist hypnotizes her, asks a few questions, says 'when you wake up, you will be normal, again,' and suddenly she's as good as new. I don't think that'll work. To lose all her memories, and to not have any come back in two years, she must have experienced real trauma - probably both physical and mental.
"She may eventually need some of that kind of help, but I'm thinking - if she's capable of coming back, at all! - it may be from experiencing her real home, western Maryland. Just names didn't seem to make a difference, but no place she's been in the last two years looks anything like where she grew up, and where she was before she went on her trip. If I could get her back there...
"Well, look. Whatever she decides to do, she's probably going to be around town for an hour or so, anyway. Could you go out and make your rounds, and coincidentally bump into her, and chat her up a bit? Just see what you think. She isn't a criminal - she's on a legitimate walk. She's not a vagrant - she has money, and - from what I've learned from other people - she apparently stops and works for more, whenever she needs to. Just give her the old 'welcome to town' speech."
"Sure, I can do that. You've got me real interested in meeting her. What are you going to do?"
"Well, I told her she might see me around, because I was going to try to see some friends - imaginary friends - who live near here. Speaking of that, she's a smart woman, and she may make some comment about meeting two sheriffs in one day. If she does, you could tell her that I stopped by, and asked you for directions. I'm sure I didn't tell her anything specific about my 'friends,' so if we both have the same name for them - how about the Browns? - we won't tell embarrassingly different stories. I planned to say that I found their place, but they weren't around, so I'm going to continue on my way toward home."
"Yeah, that sounds okay."
***
Andi was sitting by herself in a booth in the local diner when Jim came it. He certainly wouldn't have missed her -- she was striking! He took a stool at the counter, and chatted with the locals for a few minutes, before seeming to notice Andi for the first time. He walked over to her booth.
"A newcomer to our town? Hi, I'm Jim, your friendly local sheriff. He held out his hand, and she shook it.
"Hi, I'm Andi. Just passing through, on my version of a vision quest, I guess."
"Vision quest?"
She chuckled. "Somebody was telling me about an Indian coming-of-age ritual. He decided that just walking and thinking might be another version of the same thing. By the way, that 'somebody' was another sheriff. Two sheriffs in one day is some kind of record for me."
"Oh, you're talking about the fellow from Virginia - no, Maryland - Sam. He was looking for some friends - the Browns - and asked me for directions. I gave him some - it's not hard to find, but it's a ways out of town - but I told him I didn't think they're around, right now. He thought he'd go check, anyway.
"Were you traveling with him?"
"No. He let me sit in his truck while that thunderstorm blew through, then he drove me into town. He said he was going to try to visit somebody before he headed for home."
"Yep, that's the Browns. So, you're just passing through. Going on, today?"
"Well, I was just pondering that. I didn't have any special destination in mind for today, but that storm slowed me down quite a bit. I was thinking I might stay overnight here, if there's a good, inexpensive place."
"That's an easy one. Mary Boston's got some really nice rooms just down the street. I'm sure she'd have a place for you tonight, if you wanted to stay. Just tell her Sheriff Jim sent you her way."
"Thanks. I think maybe that is what I'll do."
"Okay. Well, nice to meet you, Andi. Have a good trip, whenever you decide to go on."
***
Sam hadn't gone far, and he reappeared at the sheriff's office shortly after Jim returned.
"You found her?"
"I did."
"What do you think?"
"Well, first impression - she's gorgeous! Second impression - add a couple years to your photo, and it certainly could be the same girl. She comes across real calm and sincere - not trying to feed you any stories that aren't true. As you guessed, she did mention visiting with you."
"I thought she might. So, did you get any idea about what she's going to do, next?"
"She's going to stay here, overnight. I directed her to a good room. What are you planning?"
"I wish I knew. Now that I've found her, I don't want to lose her. It's going to be hard to keep tabs on her if she's walking and I'm driving. I told her I was getting antsy to be home, so it's going to look pretty suspicious if I suddenly show up somewhere along her route.
"What I'd really like to do is get her to ride with me. We had a nice enough time earlier today that I don't think she'd be worried about that, if I seemed to be going the approximate direction she wanted to go, and if she's not dead set on walking. It's just a question of how to approach it.
"It's probably easy enough to renew our acquaintance without it looking suspicious. Whether she plans to leave tomorrow, or stay over, she'll undoubtedly show up at the diner for breakfast. When I see her go in, I can follow along, and be surprised to see her, again. We've got the ready- made story of you telling me how to get to the Browns, and me going out there. They aren't around, so I'm back to my plan of heading for home, and just stopped in to grab some breakfast.
"But how do I get her in the truck?"
"I don't have an answer for you. On a more immediate subject, what do you plan to do tonight?"
"Tonight? I guess just find a spot to throw out my sleeping bag. I'm pretty easy, that way."
"It's almost my quitting time - well, you know that a sheriff never really quits, but the clock says it's quitting time. Anyway, why don't you stay with me. I've got an extra bed, and we can open a couple beers and a can of stew or something, and we can discuss the difference between sheriffing in North Dakota and Maryland. I know I don't have to check parking meters, but I don't know what else might be different or the same."
Sam chuckled. "I'd like to stay if you're sure it's okay with you. You didn't have any other plans?"
"Nope. Just watch the weather forecast on tv, and call it a night."
Jim lived just a block away, and a block off the main drag. He found the beers, two cans of chili beans, and a couple of hot dogs, and they settled down to talk about sheriffing.
"So, what's this about you checking parking meters? You live in a city?"
"No, I live in a little town - sort of like yours - that once had aspirations of becoming a big city. We had big resort hotels, and there was a plan for a regular tourist train to come right into town. There were going to be tourists year-round, and their big fancy cars were going to be providing the town's revenue via parking meters. Well, the meters got put in, but the train never came, and folks' ideas about resort hotels changed. Now, we're a sleepy town with parking meters.
"I do walk around town and check the parking meters. I carry a sack of nickels with me, and if I see a meter about to run out, I often put in another nickel. I seldom give a ticket for a parking violation... Well, I take that back. We have a couple of the town 'wheels' - the ones who should be supporting the meters - who usually 'forget' their change. I often write them up. There's also one woman in town who fancies herself the local royalty, and she never feeds a meter. You know the cartoon character, Mrs. Buff-Orfington?"
"Nope, can't say I know that one."
"Probably a little before your time. She was in the cartoon strip and radio show, 'Dagwood and Blondie,' a very affected character who looked down on all the little people around her. Well, the woman I'm talking about is our own Buff-Orfington, one of the high and mighty, privileged few. I give her a ticket every time I see her car. She never pays them, though. At least, I take some solace in the fact that I could throw her in jail at any time, if I wanted to.
"On the other hand, my deputy - Donny - writes tickets every time he sees an expired meter. I often wait until he's not around, and - if they're just lowly citizens - tear them up. Well, if they're real offenders, they get the tickets."
Jim was laughing. "Sounds like you got quite a crime town on your hands - and a deputy, too."
"You don't have any help?"
"On and off. I had a real good one this past year - local kid, very smart, very conscious of being a good public servant. He decided to go to college - good for him! - and I haven't filled in behind him.
"I really don't need much help. Other than the parking meters, I suspect our jobs are pretty much the same - a little shoplifting, a little vandalism, underage drinking, marijuana, bar fights, loose horse or lost dog - maybe once or twice a year, a real crime. I'm usually fine. If I need help, I can always call on the State troopers.
"You say this Donny is a ticket writer?"
"Yeah, he kind of pictures himself as the big policeman, keeping the peace and upholding the law. He loves to be 'acting' sheriff when I'm away. His idea of 'acting' is to put his feet up on the desk, and ask somebody to bring him coffee or a donut. Oh, he's okay. He's been around for a long time, and everybody knows him. He's just a little proud of being law enforcement, but he's a good enough extra hand if I need one. I don't think he will have completely dismantled the town before I get back."
"Say, Sam, changing the subject, I had one idea about how to keep tabs on Andi, or Emma. It's a little messy, and could go awry. Anyway, if she's walking east from here, there are only two general directions to go. One is to just head straight east across Minnesota, the other is to diagonal down past St. Cloud and Minneapolis, then go east. If I was walking, I think I'd do the northern route - more back roads, less traffic, nicer landscape.
"If we knew which way she was going, I could call ahead to the various sheriff offices, and just ask them to keep an eye out for her. We'd have to make up some story about her being on a walking trip that she really wants to do by herself. Her parents know about it and agreed, and they're not contacting her, but they'd like to know where she is and if she seems to be doing okay. We'd have to make it clear that we didn't want her apprehended, or questioned too closely."
"Yeah, I don't know. If we could really control it, maybe, but it's the kind of situation that almost begs for more attention. First thing we know, some reporter has latched on to the story of the beautiful blonde walking across Minnesota by herself. That could turn out pretty bad for Andi."
"You're right, there. Well, just an idea."
They watched the 11 o'clock news and weather before turning in. "Say, Sam, that gives me another idea that might be better. Tomorrow is supposed to be a really tough weather day, with lots of thunderstorms and maybe even some tornado watches. When you see Andi at breakfast, you might tell her about that. Then, you could suggest that she wait a day before walking anywhere, or she could ride with you through the worst of it."
"You know, Jim, that might actually work, if she's thinking about moving on tomorrow. She knows how bad it got this morning, and company in a nice tight truck might be pretty appealing. I'll keep that in mind for when I see her."
***
Sam waited about five minutes after he saw Andi enter the diner, then followed her in. He took a seat at the counter and ordered breakfast before he "noticed" her in a booth.
"Andi, I heard you stayed in town. Mind if I join you for breakfast?" She waved him over.
"Everything going okay?"
She admitted that it was. "How'd you hear I stayed in town?"
"Jim, the sheriff. He gave me directions to get to my friends' place. When I got back to town, he offered me a bed for the night, so we sat around and told sheriff stories to each other for a while. In the process, he said he'd met a woman who'd seen two sheriffs in one day. I didn't figure too many people would fit that description."
She smiled. "No, I suppose not. How did it go with your friends?"
"Not home. Jim said he didn't think they were, but with me being this close... Well, I went out there, and it looked pretty shut up. However, there was some livestock there, so I figured somebody must be taking care of them. A neighbor finally showed up, and told me he didn't expect them. That seemed pretty definite, but then he told me he didn't not expect them, either. That didn't really help a lot, but what I got out of it was that they probably weren't likely to show up very soon. So, I came back to town for the night. I'll continue on towards home, today.
"What are your plans?"
"I think I'm going to get moving. This seems like a pretty nice community, but I don't really need a stop right now."
Sam ate some of his breakfast, and seemed to be thinking. "One thing you might consider today is the weather. It's supposed to be pretty bad, all day - lots of cells like the one we got in yesterday, and even some tornado watches. If you could figure out if it was going to be better tomorrow, today might be a good day to not go walking."
She didn't say anything, immediately, so he ate another bite or two. "Here's another idea. You were with me a couple hours yesterday, and didn't shoot me or try to rob me. I would probably feel comfortable enough with you to have you ride along with me another day, if you wanted to rest your legs and stay out of the weather. I don't know if you want to go any place in particular. I'm just going east, and could go east by just about any route you chose, if that's a consideration."
She seemed to be thinking, but hadn't said anything. His breakfast was almost finished. He probably couldn't linger too much longer without seeming suspicious. As he sipped the last of his coffee, he had an idea.
"I didn't tell you the whole story yesterday about Maud and my wife and me. I didn't lie. I just didn't bring it up to date."
Clearly, she was surprised he brought that up, but she found she was interested. "What's the rest of it?"
"You really interested? I'm not sure why I brought it up - we just didn't seem to have completed the conversation."
"Sure, tell me."
"Well, it's like this. My wife left town a year ago."
"With her gentleman friend?"
"No, somebody entirely new. She dumped us both. I haven't heard a peep from her - or about her - since she left. Now, we are still married, and I guess I'm somewhat responsible for her if she piles up any big debts, or anything. But what I found out is if I make a sincere attempt to find her - like putting legal notices in newspapers, seeking info - if I don't hear anything in a year, the Court will declare me abandoned, the marriage will be ended, and I won't be responsible for her, in any way.
"That's why I'm especially anxious to get back to Maud this time. We're planning an entirely new relationship - a new book - Maud and Sam, Part Two!"
He got up. "Think about riding with me, Andi. I do enjoy your company. My truck's down by the sheriff's office. I'm going to thank him for his hospitality, then be on my way shortly. Good luck to you, whatever you decide." He started toward the cash register to pay his bill.
"Maud said you were trustworthy?" she asked, to his back.
He turned. "I think she said I was harmless. I guess trustworthy could be included."
"I'd like that ride, Sam. I just need to get my pack, and say goodbye to Mrs. Boston."
"That pleases me. I can wait as long as you need.”
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