Radar Love

A new Motorola pager vibrated on the dashboard of a heavily modified AMC Javelin. Just above the tanned knees of Farm girl Theodora Ward as the device had just been returned by NASA security the car was pulled up to the side of the High-Security checkpoint at Stennis Space Centre. In Hancock County Mississippi, about three hours from Wilton near the border with Saffron’s native Louisiana. All the NASA folks had finished cooing at the peril and comparing it to their own muscle cars because it was a long drive back home on a Wednesday Afternoon, even at the speeds driven by Saffron Dupont, its builder and driver.

607 I Miss you

143 I love you

911 Call me now; Emergency

13 I’m having a bad day

Scrolled across the digital display

“Six oh seven and one four three, only one bizarre British idiot could be padeging you.”

She passed the pager to Saffron dutifully.

“Nine one one, thirteen?”

Saffron asked with an almost audible hint of emotion in her voice

“Sir, where is the nearest phone I can get an outside line from?”

She asked the gate guard

“There’s a Gas station about half a mile down the road. Closer than going back to the visitor centre.”

The guard explained. Saffron thanked him and put The Purple Peril into gear as the gate opened.

“Buckle up Theo, and hold on tight, if I have to push it about 160 MPH I’m going to”

Saffron explained. Her not exactly boyfriend was in trouble. No one else in Wilton was about to take her to a *Forty-Five Grave* show, and backstage to meet Diana Caner and the boys. He was a special idiot. One that didn’t deserve to be burned with her family curse.

“What’s going on?”

Theo asked as she belted up and took hold of the handle fitted to the carpeted roll cage. Then checked the highly illegal radar detector, concealed in the dash.

“He’s gotten himself in trouble again.”

Saffron put her foot down, clutching and shifting gears as if it were no effort to make every change perfectly.

“Crystal trouble”

Theo concluded not needing Saffron to say anything as she focused on the horizon. It could only be one thing.

Cornering on the racing lines as the speeding car got to the freeway and then moving even faster on county road 607 until they pulled into a *Graves oil Compan*y gas station.

The attendant looked shocked, as their smoke and dust cleared and he could see this tricked-out dragster.

“I need to use your phone."

It clicked with Saffron that this was a Graves Oil station.

"My name is Saffron Dupont, my Great Grandfather owns this company, Stanley Graves.”

Saffron didn’t even need to show the attendant the photo of Stan from her Wallet he believed her. Or he was really intimidated by the towering form of the Goth young woman looming over him.

“Yes, Miss.”

He pointed her in the direction of the phone on the other side of the counter in the shop. Ushering her through the counter.

“Fill her up Theo, Premium”

Theo dutifully removed her white knuckles from the passenger handle and hit the gas tank release. Jumping out of the bucket seats to top up the tank. The attendant came back and started cleaning the windshield, and lights.

The phone was hastily picked up

“Dell’s Dougnunts, where the licks are sweeter and the vinyls are groovier.”

Blitz's voice

“Morgan it's me, What’s the situation?”

She asked flatly and calmly

“Big … bloody big baby, terrorising the school… Crystal powered. We all made it out okay.”

He took a break to breathe heavily as if he’d been running which was very out of character. His van still needed wheels and paint. He wasn’t in the habit of walking or running. Yes, He had been exercising in the mornings with Brad not the afternoons after school. Actually, he should still be in school not at work?

“That health class project?”

She asked

“Yes I very stringently insisted that conventional upbringings were bullshit, that teacher refused to read your Mum's book, or let me raise an Alligator hatchling.”

He tried to explain

“I would love to be an Alligator parent, it’s true.”

Saffron did share Evve’s love of Alligators

“Well, there’s worse my co-parent is some nutcase *Venus Hunters* fan. Bomber Harris, Chalky and Gaz will never believe this.”

Blitz sounded exasperated

“The Fuck? No one from Wilton has heard *the Hunters* but me, and you were shit.”

Saffron couldn’t believe that the Venus Hunters Demo had been heard outside of Birmingham let had been alone part of an up-and-coming bands showcase at the *Digbeth Institute* before Queen Vic had arrived to shut down the record company vultures. Who would sacrifice her only son’s education for a fast buck.

“You’re right as ever. We were pretty shit. Yeah, this Valentina Valencia Vallerie girl in my year was all over me. Think’s were dating. Can’t even get my name right.”

He tried to explain. Saffron knew who she meant she spent far too much money on shit music at the store.

“Think’s *we’re* dating. Because cool your jets we ain’t there yet.”

Saffron interjected one great gig, and being co-workers did not provide the basis for a romantic relationship. Even if her Grandmother Cherise had tolerated him. There was a real her, one far beyond Blitz’s sweet foolish idealised version of her.

“Afraid not, she seems to think I’m with her. I made myself clear I had no idea who she is. I have to check the old Fanclub list. I think Queen Vic has them, got them from Bomber when we wrapped up the band. Then I need to get a flipping restraining order.”

He was exasperated. There had been girls before. None were like Saffron with her amazing pale complexion her grey eyes. From the first day, he’d met her, interviewing for the store he saw her amazing resume and knew they had to hire her, by rights they should all be working for her.

“We’ll work it all out.”

She assured

“Be back from Stannis in about three hours, if we don’t make too many stops.”

Saffron continued. While musing how you used the old ways of the Duponts to curse some fool. She might not be able to love the British idiot the way he wanted to be loved, but any interloper would have a hard time. She was first in line and had the first refusal.

“Okay, I’m going to fake a sickness and lock myself in the bus. Or I’d be at your house hiding behind Clyde.”

A big security Alligator would be a comfort right now. Unfortunately as Saffron wasn’t there he wasn’t allowed to freely roam the store and warehouse.

“Sault, keep your eyes peeled for stalkers, and diabolical masterminds.”

Saffron riffled through the store for road snacks and beverages. Theo was waiting in the passenger seat as Saffron paid and handsomely tipped the attendant.

She eased herself into the cool leather cocoon that was the cockpit of her car

“You were right, as usual. Crystal shenanigans and Blitz has an admirer that he can’t seem to shake off.”

Theo looked perplexed

“No evidence”

She enquired first. Not that Blitz and Safron's interpersonal relations weren't also of concern to her.

“Not that I’m aware off, motor mouth would have said”

Saffron turned the key in the ignition and the Peril fired to life.

“A romantic interloper? But you and Blitz are happily ever after endgame. He’s going to make big hit albums, you’re going to work on cars and you’ll have beautiful Alligators together,”

Saffron side-eyed her best friend. Theo was always pushing her to do things that scared her. This included love. Have her handle a car at 160 mph on the freeway. That was easy. Falling in love was hard. She hoped one day she would have what her mother’s had, but that would put whoever loved her in great jeopardy.

Radar Love by Golden Earring began to play as the Purple Car merged with the county road and eventually disappears off into the horizon along Interstate 59 towards Jackson.