GLORIA AND DEAN
Blue moon … you saw me standing alone … without a dream in my heart … without a love of my own …
—The Marcels, “Blue Moon,”
Billboard #22, 1959
Gabriel Kennedy, Julie Reilly, Jennifer Tilden, Leonard Sickles, Damian Jackson, and John Lonetree were greeted as their limousine pulled into the makeshift parking area atop the hill that once housed the oldest Spanish mission and winery in California. The land was now barren. The hills were still there, but that was all.
Bob and Linda Culbertson, Harvey Leach, and Casper and Peckerwood Worthington shook hands with all of them as they faced the empty valley that once sheltered the small town of Moreno. The land was now scraped bare of all trace of human habitation. The off-ramp that led travelers to Moreno had been closed, refusing access to the area. The old ruins of the Hadley Corp factory had been erased from existence, and that hillside was also freshly plowed under. New grass was starting to sprout where life once flourished.
The group was silent as they looked at the spot where Moreno once stood. They remained so even when the black stretch limousine approached and parked at about the spot where Newberry’s once stood. Gabriel looked over at Harvey Leach, who had a sad look on his face. Gabe knew he had been despondent when the federal and state authorities had arrived in Moreno the month before and handed him a court order to evacuate the town. He was informed that the entire area was now under a strict quarantine for mercury contamination. It was now something that was far beyond Hadley Corporation’s ability to cover up. The EPA was now in charge.
“Shall we go down and see our benefactor?” Gabe asked Harvey.
Swiping a tear from his old eyes, Harvey nodded, and the entire entourage walked down to greet the guests to the resting place of a once-happy town.
* * *
They approached the stretch limo and waited. The driver stepped out and opened the door. Three men in expensive black suits stepped out. They were followed by the familiar form of Catherine Hadley.
“Okay, I’m here,” she said as if she were the Queen of England. Gabe shook his head as he stepped forward. “I take it the settlement offered by my company wasn’t sufficient for any of you. I gather you are assembled to take me to account?”
“Not at all, Madam First Lady.” Gabriel gestured to Bob and Linda and then Harvey and finally to Peckerwood and Casper Worthington. They stepped forward and handed Gabriel several envelopes, which he handed to Catherine, who refused to accept them. One of her attorneys took them instead.
“What are these?” she asked as she saw the look of confusion on the faces of her legal representation.
“That is the generous offer you made to my team and these kind people. We cannot settle at this time.”
“Settle what?” she asked with indignant arrogance. “This was compensation for property lost and an unsettled contract payment for the Culbertsons. I know your personal compensation was more than just satisfactory, Professor Kennedy.”
Gabriel and the others watched the black SUV come from the direction of the old off-ramp to the interstate. Kennedy turned back to face the elegant former First Lady of the United States.
“Very satisfactory. However, our legal counsel, of which these kind people are now a part, have advised us to not accept the payments as offered. It may come to light that if we did accept said payments, we could be indicted on charges of conspiracy.”
“What are you talking about?” the new widow asked with her smile deteriorating faster than her demeanor.
The black SUV pulled up, and two men in United States Marshals’ windbreakers greeted the group. After showing their identification, they turned to Catherine. The taller of the two men started talking.
“Ma’am, you have our sympathies for the passing of your husband. However, our office has been ordered to serve you and your legal representation with this summons.”
“For what?” the startled lawyer asked the marshals.
“Mrs. Hadley is now the sole owner of the Hadley Corporation holdings. The company is being placed into receivership for illegal dumping of harmful and toxic materials. You are now responsible for the cleanup of toxic waste in the town site formerly known as Moreno.”
The first attorney opened the warrant and gasped, handing the paper over to Catherine. “Are you insane? The amount is ludicrous. The corporation doesn’t have the assets to cover this. Fifteen point eight billion dollars!”
The U.S. marshal looked around the surrounding hills. “I guess the State of California and the EPA have differing views on how to clean up the land you poisoned with mercury. Thus, the company will be held in receivership until the courts officially rule.” He nodded politely and then started for his car with his partner. “I hear they are rather unforgiving in cases like this. Just ask the power companies. Have a good day.”
Catherine Hadley, who had just signed papers the past week to formally take over all sixteen companies of Hadley Corporation, stormed off to her car, followed by her frantic legal team.
“Well, I guess that’s that,” Harvey said.
“No, not yet,” Gabriel said as he looked at John Lonetree, who moved to each of the old-timers. First to Bob and Linda. He gave them an envelope.
Linda opened it and staggered. “A hundred thousand dollars?” Linda asked as she felt near to fainting.
Then Casper opened his envelope. He felt weak kneed himself as he nodded in thanks for the property and walnut farm he lost. Last was Harvey Leach. He opened his white envelope, and he too smiled and took in the team of Supernaturals. Gabe held up a hand when they all wanted to talk at once.
“We’re the ones responsible for you not being able to accept Catherine Hadley’s settlement money. This is from our own funds. We won’t need it. This was our last investigation as a team. Like you, we have lost too much.”
With hugs and handshakes, the odd pairing of men and women separated, to never see each other again. They smiled as Casper and Peckerwood stopped and nodded, the dog barking a good-bye.
* * *
One month later, they stood in the spot where Newbery’s used to stand. They could picture all the buildings of that long-ago town. Not a word was said by anyone. Even Damian, who had been adamant about not coming back at all, stood and admired the now-flattened land where Moreno used to be.
In the bright winter sunshine, they saw an amazing sight. The buildings from that long-ago place began rising from the earth. Streets pushed aside freshly dug earth, and the houses miraculously appeared. They saw people fill the streets around them. The town from the past was rising once more as they stood stunned, watching in silence. The buildings spiraled as they rose, shaking off the brown earth of the ancient hills. They were once more seeing Moreno as it was in far happier times.
“Wow,” Leonard and Damian said, watching the magic come to life.
“Look!” Julie shouted with glee.
They all turned and looked in the direction she was pointing to. Standing on the sidewalk and looking their way was none other than George Cordero. He was smiling as he stood next to another figure. It was Kelly Delaphoy. The two lost friends had found each other. They were now a part of Moreno, and at least George had found that place he always wanted—his home.
They turned to the right and saw the familiar façade of K-Rave. Freekin’ Rowdy Rhoads stood at the large plate glass window with his ever-present coffee mug in his hand. He raised it in toast to the people staring his way. They heard the music coming out of the building. The volume rose to a higher level as the Supernaturals listened.
Heart and soul … I fell in love with you … heart and soul … the way a fool would do …
They heard the old song by the Cleftones. They smiled as they saw the bright red convertible screaming down the street. It swerved and then centered itself again in the middle of the road. The car once more barely missed the sidewalk and then rebounded into the street. It came to a screeching halt before the startled men and women of the Supernaturals.
Dean shook his head as he smiled at the team. They saw Gloria was learning to drive inside their new world, and as she smiled at them, she mouthed the words thank you.
Dean looked as happy as anyone could ever have been. He nodded in thanks, and then his eyes went wide as the Corvette peeled out and almost smashed into K-Rave and a now-startled Freekin’ Rowdy Rhoads. They heard the Cleftones singing about heart and soul as the Corvette vanished around the corner and disappeared.
The next thing the Supernaturals knew, they were standing on freshly plowed and smoothed-over dirt. The earth was ripe and rich to smell. They each exchanged looks of satisfaction.
* * *
The Supernaturals left each other without saying good-bye. Each man and woman had a decision to make, and that would be made without any help from each other.
After all, as George once told them, “We don’t decide much in life. It has always been dictated to us by a force we will never understand.”
The team known as the Supernaturals walked away knowing they had done the best they could. Perhaps someday they could all come to grips with themselves and decide that maybe the world really did need them.
Until that time came, they would wait.