Dr. Shallert tested Roger's eyes. He nodded approvingly, as there was no sign of brain damage.
"Physically, you're okay," the doctor said, "the only problem seems to be your amnesia."
"Is there a pill or something for this, Doc?"
"No, son, the best cure for amnesia is still to let it run it's course. Everything may snap back into place in a second, once you come across a familiar smell or sound or sight, something that will re-calibrate your brain, as it were."
"How long does this sort of thing usually last?"
"It varies. Sometimes it's only a few minutes. It's been known to last for years in rare cases. I wouldn't worry about that, though. You're probably right about having people looking to find you. Your wife for one. If you live here in the city, it shouldn't take long to find someone who knows who you are."
"That's assuming I'm a native."
"Well, even if you're from out of town, your wife should know where to start looking for you."
"I hope so. There's always the possibility I'm a creep, Doc. Maybe I was in town to be away from my wife for some reason. I saw this movie once..."
"Yes? Go on. A memory?"
"For a split second, I thought so. I can almost remember sitting in a theater... Or maybe I was watching television at home... Oh, I don't know, Doc."
"Don't try so hard. Let it come back naturally."
"These are pretty nice clothes," Roger redid his tie, "I don't know if I'm someone important, but I could be someone who's needed somewhere. If only I hadn't lost my jacket. I'm sure my wallet would clear up most of it."
"Do you have a place to go?" Roger paused as he was putting the finishing touches on his tie. He chuckled and shook his head.
"No. No place, no job, no identity. I have a few bucks in my pocket, though. I thought I might buy a new jacket and get a bite to eat and then figure out what to do next."
"I have a friend who runs the diner just outside of town. If you want to keep busy while you're waiting for your memory to come back, I know he could use an extra hand. He's got a little place right in back where you could stay. I go in there most every day, so I could check up on you."
"That's really nice of you, Doc. Thanks. I would feel better if I were doing something, I'm sure."
By a couple hours after Ed and Misty had arrived, Crissy was getting anxious. She kept her composure in front of her friends, but she was really starting to worry. It wasn't like Roger to stay away longer than he said he would. He usually made a point of getting home early, in fact, just so Crissy wouldn't worry about him.
"Maybe his car broke down on one of the back roads," Ed offered, "he might not be able to reach a telephone."
"Rog uses the main road most of the time," Crissy puffed her cigarette, "particularly if he's trying not to be late. He was looking forward to this visit."
Crissy jumped as the telephone rang. She urgently snapped up the receiver.
"Roger?"
"Mrs. Ralphwit?"
"Yes."
"This is Sergeant Gregory with the Amsterville Police Department."
"Is Roger okay?"
"We don't really know, Mrs. Ralphwit. We can't find him. He's disappeared."
"What?!!"
"Let me try to explain it as we have it figured. Now your husband walked into a situation at the Eagle building. A man was trying to kill a woman, and your husband intervened. Now, he saved the girl, but in the process, the suspect was killed. We think it was an accidental death, but your husband may think he's responsible for it and is in hiding."
"If you knew Roger, you'd know he'd never hide if he thought he were responsible. He would have come to you."
"I hope you're right, Mrs. Ralphwit. He's vanished without a trace. After helping the girl, he fell off of the Eagle building and nobody has seen him since."
"He fell off a building?!!"
"And evidently never landed."
"I'll be right out there, Sergeant." Crissy hung up before Sgt. Gregory could answer. "Ed, Misty, I need a ride."
A couple days later, Roger was jerking for Dr. Shallert's friend. Rog looked rather smart in his clean white uniform, and the customers seemed to like him. Dr. Shallert stepped into the diner and waved. Roger smiled back.
"You have a name I can call you yet?"
"Everybody just calls me Mack," Roger swabbed down the counter where Shallert was taking his seat, "seems to work alright."
"So no memories yet?" Shallert lit a cigarette.
"Nothing concrete," Roger handed Doc his usual coffee, "want a sandwich?"
"Ham on white, with cheese." Roger nodded and made for the fixings. "When you say you have nothing concrete, does that mean there's something there you're not sure about?"
"I'm sure it's nothing," Roger handed a plate to Doc before reaching under the counter, "nothing at all." Roger produced a movie magazine with Minerva Mallen on the cover. "A customer left this in here last night. I flipped through it. There's a big article on C.B. International Pictures. I got a feeling I know these people. Minerva Mallen, Daisy Poise, Misty Carter. I thought about it, though. Anyone who goes to the movies would feel a connection to the stars they see regularly."
"I suppose you have a point. The studio is located in Creek Bend, though. A lot of annies live in Creek Bend. It's possible that's where you're from."
"It's possible, and it's close, I'll grant you. Nobody who's come in here seems to know who I am. I may be from Creek Bend. But I could be from any place. I'd better figure it out soon."
Crissy walked into the Amsterville police station for what seemed the hundredth time in the last two days. Sgt. Gregory saw her coming and shook his head to let her know they still didn't have any new information. Crissy still went up to the desk.
"I can't just sit by at the hotel doing nothing." Crissy explained. Gregory sighed. He understood, but had nothing to offer her.
"We've given a description of your husband to all our men, from beat cops to prowl cars. Nothing."
"He didn't just vanish."
"Crissy, I know it doesn't seem possible, but it has happened. People have disappeared without a trace, despite our best efforts to track them down."
"That's One Step Beyond stuff."
"Not yet it isn't. It's only been two days. He's sure to turn up, but the more time passes the less likely it'll be Amsterville where he's found. Maybe you should go back to Creek Bend. He'd try to contact you there, wouldn't he?"
"I'm not sure. It all depends on what's going on. He might be hurt, trapped somewhere. I know he'd contact me if he could."
"When he fell from that flag pole, he didn't land on the street. He must've landed on top of a bus or something. But then what? He must've walked away because the morgues haven't got him."
"Walked where? You checked all the hospital wards."
"Private clinics, too." Gregory stroked his chin. "He isn't in a hospital bed, but he likely would have checked in if he were hurt. Even if he wasn't hurt bad, he still might've talked to a doctor. We'll ask every medico in town."
Doc Shallert was still at the diner when this decision was made. Roger mulled over a crossword puzzle while the crowd was small. Maybe thinking of words and their meanings would help trigger something. Doc looked on, studying Roger's reactions to the test he was giving himself. Roger sighed and put down the paper.
"It's no use, Doc. I know all the words but none of them mean anything that'll help me remember who I am."
"We can try an actual word association test. If you knew what words you instinctively connected, it might give you a better frame of reference."
"Okay, Doc. Fire away."
"Blue."
"Green."
"Tree."
"Limb."
"Scarf."
"Neck."
"Hair."
"Blonde."
"Wife."
"Love."
"Home."
"Heart."
"Trip."
"Embarkation."
Shallert paused.
"Ship."
"Sea."
"Beach."
"Normandy." Roger paused. "I must've been in the Army during the War. Unless that's something else I got from a movie."
"Water."
"Canteen."
"Walk."
"March."
"Rifle."
"Safety."
"Refuge."
"Wife."
Shallert paused and mulled over what had been said so far. Roger stood by, considering what his answers might mean. It would seem he was in the military at some point, but that was all that was coming through. Still, the indication was that Roger had been in the European theater of the War. Roger tried to think of what he knew about the War, thinking maybe it would trigger a more solid memory. Shallert, meanwhile, was formulating a plan of his own.
"Mack, I have an idea. Ask Eddie for a break. There's somewhere I think you should go."
A bit afterward, Shallert guided Roger over to a landing craft which was on display in the city's museum. This particular craft had actually been used during the D-Day invasion, and was part of a display the museum was hosting about that pivotal moment in recent history. Looking about to make sure no guards were around to stop them, Shallert stepped under the rope which surrounded the vehicle. Roger was motioned forward as Shallert held the rope up for him. Roger stepped up to the landing craft and reached out to touch it.
"What does it make you think of?"
"Cold. It was June, but it was freezing in that water." Roger looked at Shallert, cracking a smile now that a memory had been pushed to the surface. Roger jumped up and climbed into the craft, coming to a stop about half way in, sidestepping just to the right. "This is where I was as we were heading in." Roger looked up to where the shore would have been. Shallert grinned.
"Yes. Go on."
"The waves were rough. We bounced up and down like dolls. The shelling from shore was getting louder and louder all the time. Soon, eruptions of ice water were bursting all around us. We could see the men who'd already made it through. When we first caught sight of them, they looked like ants. Now they looked like men. I gripped my rifle so hard I was afraid I'd crack the wood before I got a chance to use it. A hard hit as we got to shore. The gate went down. Fraklitt, the guy right next to me, he was shot down before he could step forward. There was no time to think. We rushed the beach. There was another explosion! Close! The landing craft behind us had been obliterated!"
Roger staggered. He grabbed the side of the landing craft as he went down to the deck on one knee. Everything was flooding back, and it was almost too much to process all at once. The War. Life before the War. Life after the War. Creek Bend. Germany. Roxanne. Crissy. Crissy!
Roger spun around and collapsed into a seated position. He was coming around, but it was a lot to take in at once. It was like losing his parents all over again, and again losing Roxanne to whatever madness had taken hold of her. He relived his own madness before Crissy had set him free. Crissy. She was the rock that held Roger together. Yes, God's Son came first, but Crissy was the most important thing in Roger's earthly life. It was the image of her that Roger focused on as his memories swirled around him like some monster whirlpool. It was the image of Crissy, curled up on her side and looking up at Roger as he was seated by her feet. She smiled and blinked her narrowed eyes at him. She was trying to look sexy as she did this, but her child-like innocence was showing through.
Shallert stood by. He knew Roger needed time to re-orient himself. By now, the museum guards were moving in, but Shallert held up his hand as if to ask for a moment of peace. Unsure of why they complied, the two security men held back. Roger finally stood up. He spoke as much to himself as he did to Shallert.
"My name is Roger Ralphwit. I'm from Creek Bend, California. I live there with my wife, Crissy." Roger jumped over the side of the craft and onto the marble flooring. He looked over to see the two guards standing by. "Believe it or not, fellas, this DOES make sense." His memory restored, Roger asked Shallert to drive him to the police station. He was sure the authorities would have questions about the incident at the Eagle building.
Crissy sat in the lobby of the police station. She was completely without ideas as she slumped forward and stared at her feet. She closed her eyes to pray. "Father. I feel so lost. I need your help. Let me know my Roger is alright. Let me know he's..." Crissy gulped. Then she sensed something and her eyes popped open.
"Crissy!" Roger called as he stepped through the main doors and caught sight of her. Shallert looked on as Roger darted toward his wife. She shot from her seat and leaped into Roger's arms. They squeezed each other so tightly that Crissy let out a little yelp of pain. Roger eased up but Crissy remained where she was, clinging to Roger with her face buried in his chest. She had not only her arms but also her legs wrapped around him, hanging on him like a tree frog. Roger stroked her hair before pulling her face toward his and kissing her all over.
Gregory looked on with a smile nearly as big as the one being worn by Dr. Shallert. Roger looked up just long enough to tell the desk Sergeant that he'd be along in a minute. Gregory could wait. Roger held Crissy up above him, hugging her waist against his chest. Crissy held Roger's cheeks as she kissed him deeply. No movie scene, with all it's orchestral background and soft lighting, could ever top this romantic moment.
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