An interview with Pete Ferguson

Let’s pretend that I’m visiting a friend in Hawthorne and decide to take a side trip to Santa Monica…

This takes place a couple of months ago, in March of this year, before the events of Deepfaked to Death, Angeles Investigations #3. (Which, by the way, is coming June 14.)

I pull into the empty parking space behind Pete’s car – Jamie’s parking space – and climb the steps to the deck. Pete is there to greet me with a can of Coke. “I thought you might need some refreshment after your grueling drive from Hawthorne.”

“Ha! You are so right.” I accept the can and take a drink. 

“Is it warm enough out here for you, or do you want to go inside?”

I don’t have to think about my answer. “Is Ammo inside?”

Pete grins. “He sure is.”

He opens the door for me. I’m immediately greeted by Ammo, who sniffs all around me then leans against me while I rub his head and ears. “Hey, buddy, who’s the bestest boy?”

Pete asks, “Is there really any doubt about that?”

“Absolutely not.”

Pete leads me down to the living room. Ammo follows and flops down at my feet as I sit on the loveseat. I ask, “How are you?”

“I’m fine, but I’m interested in why you wanted to talk to just me and not both of us.”

I shrug. “I’ve spent a lot of time with Jamie since Angeles opened. I didn’t want you to think I was neglecting you.”

He laughs. “I don’t feel neglected. I’ve been busy since we got back.”

“Teaching in person again.”

“Yes. Between the psych department and criminal justice, I’m teaching six classes per major semester.”

“But you’re still paid as an adjunct because it’s different departments, I bet.”

“Exactly, not that I care about that.” Pete waves his hand toward the front of the house. “Then there’s gardening, getting settled back in here, trying to see Steve a couple of times a month, going to see Starr every Sunday…”

“How is Starr?”

“Still in rehab, still making slow progress. Her speech is almost back to normal, although she has to think about what she’s going to say before she says it. She’s walking with a walker. I think she’s getting close to discharge, but she’ll have to continue as an outpatient for a while.”

“It’s been a year.”

“I know.” Pete shakes his head. “An eventful one, huh?”

“Seriously. Do you miss New Mexico at all?”

“I miss Meredith. We both do.”

“Sure.”

“You know, I grew up in the desert.” Pete looks slightly wistful. “I miss the way the colors change at sunrise and sunset. I miss being able to watch the sunsets from our front porch.”

“I bet there are things you miss about that house. Like your Aga.”

“Oh, God, I miss the whole kitchen, and that huge pantry I had. All that space…” He sighs. “I miss the office, too, with my own desk and three walls of built-ins. I miss the walk-in closet. I miss the back patio and how cool it would feel even on a summer morning, before the sun came up. I miss our dining table. I miss all the storage we had in that house.”

“You’ll have to build something similar here.”

“Yeah–not soon, though. Where we live right now is way too convenient for both of us.”

“How is Meredith?”

“She’s fine. She and Jesse are still together.”

“Good. Do you think you’ll ever go back to visit?”

“Yeah. When, I don’t know. That’s kind of up to Jamie.”

“Overall, though, are you glad to be back in Santa Monica?”

“Oh, yes. The positives outweigh the negatives. I don’t miss the summers there, when I couldn’t grow anything except peppers because of the heat. I’m glad to be back to our little gardening co-op here.”

“Drew took good care of your place.”

“He sure did.”

“I guess it’s also good to be back in the same city as your psychiatrist.”

“Yes.” He smiles. “I’m only seeing Dr. C once every other month, now, but I’m happy to be able to do it in person rather than over FaceTime.”

“How are you, in terms of mental health?”

He spreads his hands. “Never better. The Wellbutrin is still working its magic, I’m still journaling every day…and honestly, between teaching, gardening, cooking, and keeping up with Ammo’s training, I don’t have time to dwell on the unpleasant past like I used to.”

“Where do you train Ammo these days?”

“I’ve been taking him to various people’s houses and hiding the scent in their backyards. I’ve used Ali and Mel’s place, Elliott and Stewart’s, Aaron’s house in Pasadena, even Ethan and Scott’s. And, of course, about once a month we’re in Oceanside, and we can work with him for several hours down there.”

I lean down to scratch Ammo’s ears and am rewarded with a couple of licks. “He still enjoys it.”

“Yeah. I know he’d like to still be working search and rescue regularly, but at his age, we don’t want to push him that hard.”

“His training came in handy back in the fall, though, when he sniffed out Dean Stokes.”

“Oh, yeah. That body would have lain there a couple more days, at least, until his sister called the cops to demand a wellness check.”

“Do you have any idea what’s happened to Deborah?”

“She’s back in Missouri. Beyond that, I have no idea.”

“Probably for the best.”

“No shit.” He waves his hand in front of his face to clear the air. “Let’s forget about the Stokes family.”

“Agreed. Let’s talk about my plans for you.”

Pete immediately looks alarmed. “You have plans for me?”

“You betcha. First, coming up this summer, you and Kristen are going to get to do a little undercover work.”

“That sounds intriguing.”

“It’s not much, but it’ll contribute to one of Angeles’s cases. Then, about a week later, you get to do a huge undercover job.”

“That sounds time-consuming.”

“It will be. But you’ll enjoy it so much that you won’t care. And it’s going to make Kevin insanely jealous.”

He laughs. “Whaaaat? It’s something that he can’t do?”

“Uh-huh. That’s all I’m saying about it.”

“Okay, then what?”

“Then–I’m not sure when, but probably next spring–you’re going to take a memorable vacation.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

I shake my head. “Sorry, not sorry. That’s all you get.”

“Are we going back to Scotland?”

“Nope. Someplace you’ve never been.”

“Jeez. That could be a lot of places.”

“Don’t think about it too hard. But when you get around to planning that vacation, you’ll remember what I told you.”

“Hmph.”

I laugh. “Don’t worry. All shall be well. And you’ll make some new friends.”

He’s oozing with skepticism. “Ooookay.”

I can’t help snickering. “Sorry.”

He grins. “No, you’re not.”

“True. Do you have any questions for me? That aren’t about you?”

He doesn’t even have to think about it. “Is Jamie going to become a PI?”

“I honestly don’t know. Right now, I doubt it, but that could change. He’s going to have to decide then tell me.”

“Is Kermit Blackwell going to make any trouble for Angeles?”

“No. They haven’t seen the last of him, but he won’t create any problems for them.”

“I’m glad to hear that. He worries me.”

“He should worry a lot of people. But not y’all.”

“Okay, I’ll trust you on that. Regardless of what Jamie decides, will Angeles get another PI soon? They’re going to need one.”

“Soon is a relative term. But by about this time next year they’ll have another one.”

“Someone we know?”

“Yes. But no one you’d ever expect.”

He frowns at that. “Not Jon or Susan?”

“Good grief, no. Jon and Susan are never leaving Homicide Special, unless something unforeseen happens.”

“Huh. Okay.” He leans forward. “Here’s one that everyone in the family is thinking about but no one is talking about. Sarge just turned 100. He can’t live forever.”

“No, he can’t. I’m not sure what my plans are with respect to Sarge. He’s got at least another year. Maybe two.”

Pete relaxes. “That’s good news.”

Ammo rolls over so that he’s laying on both of my feet. Pete chuckles. “You can make him move if you want.”

“No way. I like this. So here’s a tough question for you.”

He raises an eyebrow. “What?”

“What’s changed for you and Jamie as a couple, now that you’re back?”

He thinks about that for a moment. “I have to admit, it’s better here. In New Mexico, Jamie was on edge all the time. He could physically relax when we were at home, but his brain was always working, trying to stay a step ahead of any potential trouble. I would have told you, before we came back, that I was more relaxed than he was. Once we got here, I realized that wasn’t true. I was shoving everything to the back of my mind, but it was still there. My blood pressure is lower here.”

“Even though you were worried about coming back to the city?”

“Even though. That anxiety passed as soon as we were re-settled. The other day we were making a list to walk down to Von’s, and Jamie said, ‘Isn’t it nice to be able to walk to the grocery store?’ We weren’t comfortable doing that in Alamogordo. It took a toll.”

“Sure. So, you and Jamie are copacetic.”

“Oh, yeah. We’re back in our groove. I mean, I still sometimes marvel that he stayed with me through all the shit I dumped on him, but we’re good.”

“I hope that means you’ll never take him for granted.”

“Never. And I hope he’ll never take me for granted.”

“No way. That boy likes to eat too much.”

Pete laughs so hard, he wipes tears. “Oh, God, I know that’s true.”

“What about Steve? Now that you’re both back here, has your relationship changed at all?”

“Not really. I mean, Steve is Steve. He works a lot, and he’s in his element at SpaceX, tinkering with their rocket systems. I don’t see him quite as often. Every other week, compared to every week in New Mexico. But we still text several times a day.” He rolls his eyes. “He sends me dad jokes.”

“Oh, jeez. Is he still seeing the woman in Tucson?”

“Yeah, she comes out about once a month. She’s planning to spend a couple of weeks in the summer, I think.”

“Do you see Samantha very often?”

“At least once a month. Sometimes more, especially if she and Maddy come hiking with us. Same for Colin. He’ll graduate from USC this spring, though, and I’m not sure what job he’ll decide to take. He already has several offers.”

“I bet he does. Do you think he’ll go back to San Diego?”

“Not yet. Emily has two more years until she gets her doctorate in occupational therapy, so I think he’ll stick around here.”

“Sounds like the Brodie-Ferguson clan is in a good space.”

He smiles widely. “Yep.”

I check the time. “I’d better head back to Hawthorne before traffic gets terrible.”

“I don’t want to run you off, but that’s a good idea. Want a Coke for the road?”

“Yes, please.”

We go to the kitchen, where Pete hands me a cold can. I say, “Thank you. Have fun on your undercover assignment this summer.”

“You’re really not going to give me any more hints about that?”

“Nope.”

“Fine.” He grins. “Drive safe. And come back when Jamie’s here.”

“I will.”

He waves as I back out and drive away.