As they pulled up to his reserved spot, Baxter realized he hadn’t recorded the additional Baxter’s Log episode that Kevin had requested. Before Jenny could exit the Mustang, Baxter said, “Hold up, sunshine. I gotta do a thing for the guy.”
“Huh?”
Baxter looked deep into Jennifer Vasillo’s eyes, cleared his throat, and then pressed the record button on his iPhone.
“Baxter’s Log. Stardate … I gotta be honest here, I never could understand the whole stardate thing. Not that I ever really gave it too much thought. Anyway …
Why don’t people see that we are, in actuality, an infinitely complex mass of infinitesimally small particles? A scientist would agree with me on that much, I expect. However, I propose that at the most basic level there is a particle that is the originator of all the others. Call it Alpha. Call it Omega. Call it God.
The point is that something beyond our comprehension set this whole train in motion. We have trouble wrapping our small minds around that because our limited thinking is governed by time and space. We simply can’t comprehend a being who exists beyond a linear timeline, a being like the one who wrote the laws of physics. What is there beyond time and space? How do we possibly understand the will of a fifth-dimensional entity? These are realities that we may never fully explore before humankind blinks out. But we still owe it to ourselves to search out some of those answers. My assertion is this: If you honestly seek, you will most definitely find. And if you’re honest with yourself and follow your heart, the right path will just open up to you, one small step at a time.
I’m Baxter Kincaid, and I approved this message. Baxter out …”
As he ended the recording, he noticed Jenny looking at him as if a tiny Jimi Hendrix had just sprouted from his shoulder and started in on “The Star-Spangled Banner.” She said, “You are a total weirdo, you realize that.”
Baxter giggled. “You know, we spend about half our lives trying to be just like everybody else. Trying to blend in and survive. But then we realize that all we really want to do is be different. As the late, great Jimi Hendrix said, ‘I gotta be stone free to do what I want.’”
“Do you ever go back and listen to those recordings, so that you can actually hear the way you sound?”
Baxter said, “Nah, that’s in the past. And you know time is like a river, ever changing as it flows. And we time travelers are like vessels that must follow where it goes.”
“Did you just paraphrase a Garth Brooks song?”
With a laugh, he said, “Oh yeah, that is a song. Good thing I didn’t say that on the recording.”
After ascending the stairs, Baxter knocked on Kevin’s door, and they waited as the sound of a platoon of deadbolt locks were undone. With two chain locks still in place, Kevin peeked out at Baxter from beneath his trademark hood. The only difference was that he wasn’t wearing his usual sunglasses.
Kevin said, “You scared the crap out of me, man. Do you have a new post for me? They are eating the last one up. I think we should really get another one up quick.”
“Yep, I just recorded one for you. Why don’t you let me in, and we can transfer it over or whatever you need to do?”
“You can just email it to me or use that file transfer app that I showed you.”
“Well, I was wanting you to do another little thing for me. It’s related to a case. I know you expressed interest in becoming more involved here at Baxtercorp, and so I thought—”
“Do you have someone with you?” Kevin asked.
“It’s just Jenny from Amoeba Music. Remember, I told you that she was kind of job shadowing me. Let us in, Kevster.”
“You know how I feel about the uninitiated, Baxter.”
“Yeah, I know, brother. But she’s straight, man. I’m telling you.”
“Are you vouching for her?”
“Yeah, man, that’s what I’m saying. I totally vouch for her. If she were a contract, I’d be like signing all over her. Come on, Kevarino. I guarantee she’s the hottest chickadee you’ve ever had in that apartment. And the ones on your computer screen don’t count.”
“Wait there.”
Kevin shut the door, and they stood there for a full minute before Jenny said, “I thought this guy was a friend of yours? And what was that job-shadowing crap?”
“Kevin’s a good dude. He’s just a little eccentric and a whole lot paranoid.”
The door opened, but instead of inviting them in, Kevin stepped out into the hallway with a scanning wand. It looked like the type used at airports, except that this one appeared to have been modified by Kevin himself. He said, “I’m just going to check you guys for bugs.”
“I know she looks a little Seattle grungy, but I don’t think that the fair Jenny has any parasites crawling on her.”
“I mean like government bugs. Recording devices. Things you may not even know they planted on you.” Kevin started scanning them with his homemade wand. After a moment, he said, “Okay, you’re clear. But no sudden movements, don’t leave my sight, and I’d like both of you to sign nondisclosure agreements.”