Vacation in the Desert

“Beth, can you hand me that pair of socks?” John asked his wife as he filled his small suitcase to its capacity. He had to find some way to get the golf shirts to fit in along side his sleeping shorts and over night bag.

“Did you tell the Andersons we were leaving?” Beth asked.

“Yes dear. Josh said that he would feed the dogs. They didn’t have anything special going on this weekend.” John responded, yelling as Beth exited their master bedroom. It always took him less than half an hour to get completely packed and ready to go for the weekend. His wife was less efficient.

As the Carpenters arrived the resort style hotel welcomed them. As they pulled their L.A. plated Mercedes under the portico the bell hops rushed to greet them. Their luggage and golf clubs were quickly loaded on a cart and wheeled inside.

“Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter. We have a reservation for the weekend.” John hurriedly said to the front desk clerk.

Oliver St. John was the front desk weekend manager. “Yes Mr. Carpenter. Suite 305. Jenny will take you and your luggage to the room. Jenny, suite 305 please. Enjoy your stay!” John quickly asked, “How is the Sun Devil this time of year?” Oliver replied, “Wonderful! The weather has been so nice lately. I haven’t played myself, but I have heard from several guests who said it is in the best shape they have seen it in a while.” “Great! Thanks!” John and Beth followed Jenny to the room.

“When is our tee time?” Beth asked John. “I went ahead and got an 8 AM tee-off. I know it’s earlier than you’d like, but it won’t be so hot later on. Phoenix gets up to well over 95 during the late afternoon you know.”

Beth complained, “We should have flown. I wish we would have flown. Next time we come out here, let’s just fly. It’s not that expensive.” “I know dear, “John replied in his most sympathetic voice possible. “ Next time, we’ll see about it. For now, let’s go down to dinner. I’m starving.”

As the couple entered the restaurant they were greeted by the always pleasant host. “Good evening! Back again I see! Back for more golf this season?” gushed Mr. Clancy.

“Hello Mr. Clancy,” Replied Beth, “I see you finished the remodeling from last year. It looks wonderful. Such rich and vibrant colors.” “Why thank you Mrs. Carpenter! I am so glad we are finally finished. It was truly a growing pain. But we are now done and our little place can now seat over 350 at once!”

Mr. Clancy motioned to a handsome young man in a suit and tie, “Patrick, please take the Carpenters to the Mezzanine. Table 42. And Mr. Carpenter, would you like a bottle of our newest wine import? It’s a ‘98 Torubeck Shiraz.” “Sounds divine, “John said with a smile on his face. He loved red wine.

The next morning John and Beth were sitting on their balcony over looking the atrium. It was pleasant out here, especially with the sound of the water falls below. It provided an oasis in the desert that they both enjoyed. John and Beth had been visiting here for years, and were planning on buying a condo as soon as John retired in 4 years.

John had his nose buried in the morning paper. “Now this is odd” he said. “What’s that honey,” asked Beth. “This article in the Sun Times. It’s about a missing man. Says here that he could be linked to the three other missing since June 1st.”

That caught Beth’s attention. “Really? What else does it say.” “Says that one was in town for a tournament and the others are all residents.” But isn’t that odd that so many would show up missing in such a short time frame?” John never removed his gaze from the paper, “Sign of the times, that’s all.”

“You lead off sugar” John said. “Show me how to hit this one!”

“Oh sure, thanks. Mulligans on the first hole, right?” asked Beth.

“Absolutely. Absolutely!” said John.

After 12 holes John was barely hanging on to a two stroke lead. Beth had played very well today. However, John knew for sure that his luck was up. Beth was a much better golfer than he.

“I love this hole” John said as he peered down the fairway. “I don’t quite know how they keep this so lush and green in the desert, but it sure is nice.”

“There are some natural springs on this course. They pump those for irrigation and in certain places, like this hole, they are built right up against where a spring comes out.” Beth said.

She continued, “This dog legs left here. I don’t think you can make it over that group of shrubs and trees, but you want to be just to the left of it.”

“Got it? I lost it!” John said in frustration. “You’re good! Just in the right spot. You are just to the left. Perfect!” Beth replied with exhilaration.

“Great, let’s see what you’ve got old lady!” John agitated Beth. “Hey! Quiet in the gallery please!”

As Beth swung her club over the top of her left shoulder she knew she had sliced. She watched in disappointment as her Callaway ball bounced directly in to the rough she had warned John about. “Crap!” she murmured.

As Beth walked into the tree covered area she could here the trickle of water. It was pleasant here. Much cooler than the 92 degrees in the sun she had been dealing with for over an hour.

Suddenly Beth’s hair on the back of her neck stood up. She felt as if something was watching her. She peered around the wooded area to see if she noticed any animal tracks in the mud. “Just find the ball” she thought to herself. Finally she found her small white ball and scampered out of the wood.

“What’s wrong dear?” Asked John.

“Nothing. Just kind of freaked myself out I guess.”

The next morning the two were out on the golf course again. This time Beth was in the lead. Both were in good spirits.

“Your right John, this hole is nice. Its too bad there aren’t any houses on this side.”

John replied, “It’s probably because of the terrain. They’d have to tear down some of those nice hills, which are pretty rough. Any it might have something to do with the spring system.”

As John swung he knew right where it was headed. The same place that Beth had almost lost her ball yesterday.

“Ah great.” John sputtered frustration in his voice.

“I guess it’s your turn” said Beth.

After five minutes of waiting Beth called out, “John! John, What’s taking you so long?” No reply. “No screwing around John!”

Beth moved quietly towards the wood hoping to hear John rustling around. She carefully stepped down towards the sound of the spring bubbling, her eyes scanning the foliage. She wasn’t more than a foot or two away from the water when a sharp pain struck the back of her head.


John struggled to open his blurry eyes. He instantly knew something was wrong. He quietly tried to focus on where he was. He wasn’t in the wood anymore. He was indoors. He wondered if he had another heart attack. Realizing that he had pain coming from the back of the neck, he thought that maybe he had passed out, hitting his head. Then he heard an unfamiliar voice.

“Why did you bring him back here?” one voice said with urgency in it.

“I didn’t know what else to do, Day. The lady, she got away. She worked her self loose and hit me with the bat. She knocked me clean out. When I woke up, I saw she was gone. I’d already had him down in the basement, but she was gone.”

“Ok, ok. Just let me think a minute. Did anyone see you come up here? How long ago was it?” asked Day.

“I got ‘em at 10. I was in the bunkhouse by 10:30. I guess it probably happened before noon” replied Johnny.

“She’s probably already told the cops by now. We have to get rid of him, but not here.” Day replied.

A fear went through John like he had never felt before. He knew what was being planned. At least Beth got away.

He struggled against his bindings. It felt like some kind of tape. Sticky. Tight. It seemed to cut into him, but the pain didn’t matter right now.

When Day grabbed his arm he realized that his captive was now awake. “He’s awake now Johnny! You see what you did? Your irresponsibility is going to cost us!” Johnny secured John’s legs and they began to hoist him up. John realized that his legs here not tied and began to purposefully kick kid Johnny. He caught him square in the chest and propelled him backwards.

Johnny’s luck had run out. He tripped as he was falling backwards and while his enormous weight was being flung downward, he hit the corner of Day’s workbench. The blood splattered at first, but then slowly oozed out.

“Johnny! No, Johnny!” Day screamed as he dropped John and bolted for his brother.

“Johnny! What have you done?” Day wept as he held his brother’s limp body. Johnny was all he had left in this life. He and Johnny had taken care of the grounds at the golf course since their parents had died and the new owners had take control. Their parents had left an enormous debt, but the kind proprietors had agreed to keep them on.

“You, “ Day said as he turned his attention toward John, “what is it with you people?”

“What do you mean?” John managed.

“My parents took care of you people from California for years. They barely keep this golf course together while racking up the debt trying to please you. You come out here in your fancy cars, your expensive golf clubs. You throw money around like it was nothing. But then you get so demanding. You only go to the cheap places but you demand the best of everything, for nothing.” Day rambled, slurring his words as they mixed with the tears now streaming down his face.

“We like it out here!” Said John. “We were wanting to live out here. You have a beautiful place, you’ve done a good job with it. Just let me go, I can’t talk to the police for you. I’m a lawyer. I can help you!”

Day was incensed. “Shut up!”

He yanked John to his feet “That’s the problem. You rich people think you can just come in and buy stuff up. I live here. Johnny lived here! This was our place, not yours!”

Day forced John towards the door. John protested, “Look Day, think about what you are doing! You can’t kill me; you don’t want that on your conscience!”

“Shut up! Move! Until know we had already taken care of 7 others, one more won’t matter now!” Day shouted.

The door of the small house burst open and Beth could see John with his hands tied behind his back.

“There he is!” Beth told the officer nearest her. “I can see him!”

“Mr. Morrison, please put down your weapon and let Mr. Carpenter go. You have no way out. Please do not make it worse for yourself by causing any harm to Mr. Carpenter.” The officer shouted over the bullhorn.

The lead negotiator commanded again, “Mr. Morrison, please put down your weapon.”

John tried to appeal, “Day, give it up man. You can’t go anywhere. Don’t make it worse by hurting me!”

Day was even more emotional now. “Shut up! Everyone shut up! Get the hell out of here! This is my place! You don’t belong here.” Day raised his Desert Eagle pistol and took aim at one of the several squad cars that had closed off his street. Just then John heard a snap and then the air being sliced as the bullet pieced Day’s chest, just above his heart.

“What are you doing?” Beth screamed.

“We had to take the shot ma’am. He was about to open fire on us.” The officer explained.

John was flooded with emotion as Day fell limp next to him. Then a sharp pain jolted his own body. As he turned toward the others the last image he saw was that of his wife.

The medical examiner was comforting Beth, “It was definitely a heart attack Mrs. Carpenter. Having the heart attack a few years ago, he just couldn’t take it all.”
“But he was free. He’d already gone through so much, just a few seconds later and everything would have been alright” Beth said as she began to morn her life long friend and husband, John Carpenter.