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them as a wedding present. They had scoured West Los Angeles in the evening after dinner until they had found an open army surplus store.
    “They don’t fit the description she gave. Neither Steve nor Tom has a beard. Or a potbelly. And they are both well above medium height. And both liked the idea of us getting married, if I recall correctly.”
    Gary grinned at her. “Well, you’ve successfully eliminated them as suspects. Although Steve at least has a possible motive. He has to find a new roommate to help pay the rent.”
    “He appears to be pretty successful with girls. Maybe he can get one to live with him. And pay the rent. The last time I saw him, he didn’t seem to be particularly worried about losing you as a roommate. Anyway, we’ve got a long drive ahead of us. We’d better hit the road.” Penny started to get up.
    “You’re a good detective and you’re practical, too. No wonder I love you.”
    “Let’s just play one game of Keno. It only costs a dollar.”
    “And financially astute. If we lose, I’ll still be a lifetime winner in Reno.”
    ***
    This was getting old. Following their car while trying to remain invisible. It was likely they would have spotted him by now if they weren’t so wrapped up in each other. Alfred had watched them from a distance as they ate lunch at the Cal-Neva Club. It was disgusting how they held hands and gazed into each other’s eyes. He wanted to barf.
    They had stopped for dinner at a converted trolley car. Alfred had grabbed a quick sandwich a little farther on. He was getting tired of living like this, eating bad food on an irregular schedule, trying to keep warm while sleeping in the uncomfortable car. That was another thing. His sweatshirt was completely inadequate for the cold weather they were encountering. They had turned off 395 onto 139, and he had a strong suspicion they were planning to camp at Crater Lake. He was sure it would be freezing there.
    To help keep himself alert, he scanned the car’s radio dial, trying to find a station that wasn’t all static. He finally found one. He heard Connie Francis singing the mournful song, “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool.” The words resonated with him. Was he Penny’s fool? He certainly wasn’t her plaything, as another line said. She didn’t even know he existed. Was there any point to what he was doing? He was acting like a fool.
    They crossed into Oregon after dark, and a half hour later they were in the small city of Klamath Falls. Apparently everybody in town was Saturday night cruising. Except that cruising didn’t describe the situation because traffic was practically at a standstill. Alfred lost sight of the VW. Completely. Irrevocably. There was nothing he could do, since it was taking him five minutes to go a single block.
    He mentally weighed his options. He could assume they were going to Crater Lake. He would show up late at night at the campground and probably freeze to death before morning. Or he could stay here in a comfortable motel. In the morning he would head back to L.A. He would return to his old job. He would work hard and get promoted. He would start a new life to go with his new look.
    There were other fish in the sea besides Penny. He would find a girl who appreciated him. Penny had shown herself unworthy of his love. He was through with her. As he was thinking these thoughts, he spotted a motel on the right, conveniently located. This was a sign. He pulled into the driveway and felt a surge of relief.

    CHAPTER 8
    The noise that woke Penny sounded like the percussion section of McNamara’s Band on a drunken spree. As she became more aware, she realized that she had heard the same noise several times during the night. She was going to ask Gary what it was, but he was still sleeping, warm and comfortable. She decided not to disturb him.
    She crawled out of the sleeping bag and at once felt the bite of the cold air. They weren’t in Southern California anymore. It was still dark,