"I'm truly not trying to be, Deputy. That's who I am. My pseudonyms are well known to my publishers, as is my real name. Feel free to check them out."
"Rest assured, I will. Where's your trailer?"
"Norris Nook Campground in Waverly. Lot 4."
"Kinda far." It was nearly an hour's drive.
"I wanted a complete change of scene. I'm thinking of writing a novel, based here. I wanted to see the lay of the land, get a feel for it."
"What kind?"
"Lesbian romance," Anton replied with a smirk. "Kidding. Maybe a mystery, or romantic suspense. Hey, maybe I'll put you in it. That be okay?"
"As long as I get to bang the hot chick, sure," Fuller chuckled.
"Blonde, brunette or redhead?"
"Surprise me."
"I really wanted to see if I could rent a cabin for the night. I'm beat." He yawned and stretched, not all of it for effect.
"Oh, sure. We're done for now. Don't leave without hearing from me. This is my card, in case you think of anything. Saw anyone...you know."
"Thank you." Anton slipped the card in his pocket and shook hands with Fuller.
"Still got your gloves on?" The deputy pretended to notice for the first time.
"My fingers are sensitive to the cold. Another reason to move. Frostbite." He wiggled his fingers. It wasn't exactly a lie. He'd had frostbite, but on his toes, not his fingers.
Fuller nodded. "Have a goodnight, Mr. Winthrop."
"Thanks. You too, Deputy."
The cabin was comfortable and had logs laid for a fire. Anton lit it and settled in for the night. He wasn't sure what to think of Fuller. Fuller wasn't sure what to think of him, either. They could check his purchases at Wal-Mart, but he'd paid cash. Aside from pictures of a man who looked a lot like him, they didn't have much. Even if they proved it was he, they had no proof that he was the thief they were after. The assertion of the Thompsons probably wouldn't hold up, given that they tried to jump him. It was the job of the police to prove his guilt, and they had nothing much to go on. He had to maintain his innocence, and stick to his story.
It was chilly and misty when he woke with a start the next morning. Wondering what had startled him, he wasn't too surprised to hear knocking. Throwing on a shirt with his sleep pants, he answered the door to the one room cabin.
"Deputy Fuller, hello." It wasn't a very cordial greeting, to be sure.
"I apologize for waking you. We got word back from your publishers. All your jobs checked out."
"Of course, they did."
"And we found your trailer where you said. It's not registered to you, though."
"No. It's in the name of a former roommate of mine. He left owing me a lot of money, so I'm holding it until he pays."
"How long ago?" He flipped open his notepad.
"Ten months? A year? Haven't heard from him in a while, so I figured it's mine to use." It was his, bought under yet another pseudonym. It was unlikely that they could easily trace it back to the Anton persona. He wasn't worried.
"There's no evidence that such a man even exists. You have to admit, the name Horatio Salt is highly suspect."
From another headstone in another old cemetery, the late Horatio Salt lived to the age of 49, before succumbing to typhoid in 1827.
"He doesn't use Horatio, he goes by his middle name, Theodore―Theo."
"Still odd."
"You want odd, you should meet his parents." Anton dug around in the cupboard for mugs. The cabin had a mini coffee maker. "Need a cup?"
"Had some, thanks."
"Is that the only reason you're here? You said I checked out."
"I'm still not sure what to make of you. The Thompsons...."
"Are mistaken. Maybe they saw the guy, but not me."
"The resemblance is uncanny," Fuller squinted at Anton.
"Who's to say that he—or I—are guilty of anything but shopping?"
Fuller didn't reply, nor did he meet Anton's penetrating gaze.
"Deputy, either arrest me on suspicion, or let me go home. This weekend turned into more than I'd anticipated. I want a long, hot shower and a nap. Maybe scotch. Definitely scotch."
"And a woman?" the deputy teased.
"If I had one at the moment. I'm between homes, as well as lady friends."
"Uncomfortable."
"And I have my roommate to thank. But that's a long, tedious story," he lied glibly. "That I'd prefer not to tell. It has no bearing on any of this."
"Good looking guy like you could pick up a girl, easy."
©2021 Dellani Oakes
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