across a map of Massachusetts and zoomed in on an area of forested land near Boston.
It was the Blue Hills Reservation.
She had guessed correctly; the two numbers were coordinates, and they pointed to a precise location within the park. Clearly this was the location she was meant to visit, but for what reason? She saw no time or date given for any rendezvous. Certainly no one would patiently wait in a park for the hours or days it might take until she showed up. No, there was something specific she was supposed to find there. Not a person, but a thing.
She made a quick Internet search for Blue Hills Reservation and learned that it was a seven-thousand-acre park south of Milton. It had 125 miles of trails that traversed forest, swamp, meadows, and bogs, and was home to a diversity of wildlife, including the timber rattlesnake. Now,
there
was an attraction to recommend it. A chance to encounter rattlesnakes. She retrieved a Boston-area map from her bookshelf and spread it open on the coffee table. Gazing at the large area of green that represented the park, she wondered if she’d have to bushwhack her way through trees and swamp in search of…what? Something bigger or smaller than a bread box?
And how will I know when I’ve reached it?
It was time to pay a call on the gadget man.
She went downstairs and knocked on the door to 1A. Mr. Goodwin appeared, his magnifying goggles perched on top of his head like a second pair of eyes.
“I wonder if I could ask you a favor?” she said.
“I’m right in the middle of something. Will it be quick?”
She glanced past him, into the room cluttered with small appliances and electronics waiting to be repaired. “I’m thinking of buying a GPS for my car. You have one, don’t you? Is it easy to figure out?”
Instantly his face lit up. Ask him about a gadget, any gadget, and you could make him a happy man. “Oh my, yes! I don’t know what I’d do without mine. I have three of them. I took one to Frankfurt last year, when I visited my daughter, and just like that I knew the streets like a native. Didn’t have to ask for directions, just plugged in the address and off I went. You should’ve seen the looks of envy I got. There were guys stopping me on the street just so they could get a closer look at it.”
“Is it complicated?”
“You want me to show you? Come in, come in!” He led her into the living room, having forgotten whatever task had been occupying him earlier. From a drawer, he pulled out a sleek little device scarcely larger than a pack of cards. “Here, I’ll turn it on and you can give it a spin. You won’t need my help at all. It’s all intuitive, you see, just a matter of navigating through the menu. If you know the address, it’ll take you right to the door. You can search for restaurants, hotels. You can even make it speak to you in French.”
“I like to hike. What if I’m in the woods and I break my leg? How do I know where I am?”
“You mean if you want to call for help? That’s easy. You just dial nine one one on your phone and tell them your coordinates.” He snatched the device from her and tapped the screen a few times. “See? This is our location. Latitude and longitude. If I were a hiker, I wouldn’t go into the wilds without it. It’s as essential as a first-aid kit.”
“Wow.” She gave him an appropriately impressed smile. “I just don’t know if I’m ready to shell out the money for one of these things.”
“Why don’t you borrow it for a day? Play with it. You’ll see how easy it is.”
“Are you sure? That would be great.”
“Like I said, I have two others. Let me know how you like it.”
“I’ll take good care of it, I promise.”
“You want me to come with you? Give you some operating tips?”
“No, I’ll figure it out.” She gave him a wave and stepped out of his apartment. “I’m just going to take it on a little hike tomorrow.”
TEN
Josephine pulled into the trailhead parking area
It was the Blue Hills Reservation.
She had guessed correctly; the two numbers were coordinates, and they pointed to a precise location within the park. Clearly this was the location she was meant to visit, but for what reason? She saw no time or date given for any rendezvous. Certainly no one would patiently wait in a park for the hours or days it might take until she showed up. No, there was something specific she was supposed to find there. Not a person, but a thing.
She made a quick Internet search for Blue Hills Reservation and learned that it was a seven-thousand-acre park south of Milton. It had 125 miles of trails that traversed forest, swamp, meadows, and bogs, and was home to a diversity of wildlife, including the timber rattlesnake. Now,
there
was an attraction to recommend it. A chance to encounter rattlesnakes. She retrieved a Boston-area map from her bookshelf and spread it open on the coffee table. Gazing at the large area of green that represented the park, she wondered if she’d have to bushwhack her way through trees and swamp in search of…what? Something bigger or smaller than a bread box?
And how will I know when I’ve reached it?
It was time to pay a call on the gadget man.
She went downstairs and knocked on the door to 1A. Mr. Goodwin appeared, his magnifying goggles perched on top of his head like a second pair of eyes.
“I wonder if I could ask you a favor?” she said.
“I’m right in the middle of something. Will it be quick?”
She glanced past him, into the room cluttered with small appliances and electronics waiting to be repaired. “I’m thinking of buying a GPS for my car. You have one, don’t you? Is it easy to figure out?”
Instantly his face lit up. Ask him about a gadget, any gadget, and you could make him a happy man. “Oh my, yes! I don’t know what I’d do without mine. I have three of them. I took one to Frankfurt last year, when I visited my daughter, and just like that I knew the streets like a native. Didn’t have to ask for directions, just plugged in the address and off I went. You should’ve seen the looks of envy I got. There were guys stopping me on the street just so they could get a closer look at it.”
“Is it complicated?”
“You want me to show you? Come in, come in!” He led her into the living room, having forgotten whatever task had been occupying him earlier. From a drawer, he pulled out a sleek little device scarcely larger than a pack of cards. “Here, I’ll turn it on and you can give it a spin. You won’t need my help at all. It’s all intuitive, you see, just a matter of navigating through the menu. If you know the address, it’ll take you right to the door. You can search for restaurants, hotels. You can even make it speak to you in French.”
“I like to hike. What if I’m in the woods and I break my leg? How do I know where I am?”
“You mean if you want to call for help? That’s easy. You just dial nine one one on your phone and tell them your coordinates.” He snatched the device from her and tapped the screen a few times. “See? This is our location. Latitude and longitude. If I were a hiker, I wouldn’t go into the wilds without it. It’s as essential as a first-aid kit.”
“Wow.” She gave him an appropriately impressed smile. “I just don’t know if I’m ready to shell out the money for one of these things.”
“Why don’t you borrow it for a day? Play with it. You’ll see how easy it is.”
“Are you sure? That would be great.”
“Like I said, I have two others. Let me know how you like it.”
“I’ll take good care of it, I promise.”
“You want me to come with you? Give you some operating tips?”
“No, I’ll figure it out.” She gave him a wave and stepped out of his apartment. “I’m just going to take it on a little hike tomorrow.”
TEN
Josephine pulled into the trailhead parking area
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