The Haunting of Kim Stallings

Paris,France 1984

        The man walked with a slight,but noticeable,limp.It was raining on this Friday night in Rio-it felt like it was raining all over the world.The man felt like he was really alone in this world.But,isn`t that the way it is?Who can change the course of events?Not you,not me,not Regis,not Kelly-no matter how darling she may be.He didn`t know who he was,he was bitter towards everyone and if there is a Satan,he was probably his son.The man,stopped for a moment to hand a man a dollar who was obviously blind and homeless."I`m not all bad" the man said to himself.But,there was the mission."We`ve always got to remember the mission."The man walked into the lobby of the Rio Hilton."Excuse me sir.I found this briefcase. " What `s your name?" The young Afro-American desk cleerk said "My name is Tom,sir." "Well Tom,you can call me Ray."In about ten minutes,Tom,I`d suggest that you resign your job,and walk right out of here and see your girl.Do you understand me,son"Tom looked very serous."Yes sir,I get it and I`m outta here man." Ramond Gorphot` Clover laid the eel-skined grey bridfacase right by the Christmas tree in the lobby.Then he walked out  slowly and hailed a cab."Yes sir,where too?" Cobacabana Beach,by friend.Is one hundred enough.Ray handed the the grey bearded white cabby a crisp hundred dollar bill."Of course,sir.Sit bnack and elax.We`ll be there in no time."

  Ray leaned back and relaxed.Then he reached down in his left sock and pulled out a small phone,but we all know by now,it wasn`t a cell phone at all.He pressed,well,the unlucky daily four,13,7,9,and 4 and suddenly what was once the Rio Hilton was now a Cobalt Blue vapor in the Rio Night."Let me entertain you" Ray chuckled to himself."I`m the entertainer,baby."

 Arch had made a few calls to Marlin Parker,an detective in investigations in Orange County.Only one thing had shown up on the NCIC.A year ago,a woman named Kim Stalling had been arrested for being intoxicated in public.I had Marlin forward the booking photo.She was a little worse for wear,but it was Kim.Apparently,she had been staying at a local homeless shelter in Anaheim.The police took her to the Roc Center.It was a local rehab in Garden Grove.After a week there,she left and no one has seen her since..

     I didn`t know exactly how to take this,and I knew it didn`t matter how I took it,anyway.Kim`s affection for alcohol had finally taken her over the edge.I needed another shot of the Smirnoff..

    There had been something behind the green door with Kim and the whole Stallings family.One night,Veronica and I were at the Ritz-Carlton in Rio.It was her birthday,so we were spending the weekend there.We were at the revolving lounge A and after a sixth Kerin,she told me the story.It  had all started in the summer of 1984,in Paris,France.Joe and Gwen Stallings had been visiting some friends over there,the Carlilses.Stallings and Carlilse we`re business partners.One of there investments was a winery,Carpe Vinion  near Glen Arbor..

     Kim was only fourteen at the time.Somehow,during an outing at a local park,Kim just wandered off.Stallings was in a panic mode.It was five thirty-five in the evening and his daughter was missing.At the time,I joked with Veronica."Lost?Was that the first time?I should have told her to keep a GPS unit on her at all times."

novis state mental facility crd#227790 dr.jacobs release:date:12/29/03

IT`S HARD TO EXPRESS IN WORDS THE DEPTH OF MY THANKS TO YOU,DR.JACOBS AND TO YOUR RESPONSIVE AND CARING STAFF.I LOOK AT MY STAY AT NOVIS AS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO ME.I`VE LEARNED TOOLS HERE THAT I WILL USE MY ENTIRE LIFE.I`VE LEARNED NOT TO BE DISRESPECTFUL.I`M BETTER WITH MANAGING STRESS,AND HAVE A LOT MORE PATIENCE WITH PEOPLE.NOW,I CONTROL MY REALITY.THANKS TO YOU,I FEEL LITTLE ANGER.I CAN FINALLY ACCEPT WHATEVER HAPPENED TO KIM STALLINGS WAS BEYOND MY CONTROL.I UNDERSTAND NOW THAT THERE IS NO ACTUAL PERSON NAMED RAY CLOVER.THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME FIND MYSELF.I CAN GO ON WITH MY LIFE NOW."[statement of patient upon release]10/28/04

Chicago,Illinois
December 29,2003

PROLOGUE:ALL OF US IN THIS CRAZY,MIXED UP CARNIVAL WE CALL CIVILIZATION ARE RUNNING TO OR FROM SOMEONE OR SOMETHING.I WASN`T SURE WHICH ONE I WAS DOING.THE LAST TWO YEARS OF MY LIFE HAD BEEN WORSE THAT ANY NIGHTMARE SCENERIO I`D EVER IMAGINED.YET,I STILL BELIEVED IN GOD,I WAS STILL SEARCHING FOR LOVE,AND I WAS STILL RUNNING.FROM MYSELF?PERHAPS.ALONE AT NIGHT,LYING IN MY BED WANTING TO GO TO SLEEP AND THEN NOT WANTING TO,EVER.RUNNING FROM THE NIGHTMARES?SURE.WHAT OTHER CHOICE DID I HAVE?BUT,EVERY MORNING WHEN I WOKE UP,WHEN I`D LET UP THE WINDOW SHADE SO THE EARLY MORNING SUN COULD SHINE IN,OR IF IT WERE RAINING-TO FEEL THE COOL,DAMP INVIGORATING AIR-EVERY MORNING AS I`D SIP MY FIRST CUP OF COFFEE,I`D GO OVER TO MY DESK,GET THE PENCIL I`D TAPED TO THE BOTTOM,AND WRITE DOWN MY GOAL ONE MORE TIME.YOU SEE,I WAS RUNNING ALLRIGHT.I WAS RUNNING FOR RAY CLOVER.AND I HOPED GOD WOULD HELP US ALL,IF I FAILED.
Nick Forrester 

     "Your Baby Never Looked Good in Blue"  especially if it happened to be a blast from the past from Ray Clover.It seemed like Clover was getting better and better with these small Cobalt bombs.He wasn`t a hard person to hate,either.He sometimes blew things and people out of proportion.

      I`d never  tell,either way.It was a rainy Friday in Rio and I was feeling a bit blue,myself.I poured some of Smirnoff into my glass and added some 7-Up I had on my desk."Well,it turns out you are a real mystery lady,Kim.Must have been all of those carne asada tacos you used to eat while we were at work.You know what they say about those,they can make you mucho-loco."I took another drink of the Smirnoff and laughed.Whatever it was,it had turned into a nightmare on my street.I had the gut feeling that Kim wasn`t thrilled about me marrying her sister,Veronica.Quinton had said,before his boat went up in a blue flash that Kim was an alibi.After five years now,Arch and I had finally come the conclusion that Clover had abducted Kim at the falls that day in California and that she was gone for good.I couldn`t believe it myself,but it seems like it was a business deal gone bad.Kim was selling Clover the classified information about the nuclear propulsion system she and I had developed together at NASA,and she was doing it right under my nose.When she went back to the Jeep"for her sunglasses"  she actually left in Clover`s van.I could only guess what had happened after that.

In Tribute to Robert Ryan