Chapter 12 - Vanilla With A Little Malt   I looked in the rear view mirror to be sure we still had Detective Pearson behind us.  He was there and signaled for us to pull in up ahead.  There was a small convenient store next to a neighborhood tavern.  We all stretched our legs and Pearson suggested we pick up just enough groceries for the night and morning. We purchased pasta, sauce, bread, milk, and eggs.  As we unloaded our basket at the cashier, C.C. said he had one more purchase and scurried off to the freezer where he collected vanilla ice cream.  He added the ice cream, vanilla extract, and malt to our supplies. With a grin on his face that reminded me of his boyhood days, he said “the ice cream and vanilla with just a little malt will give your taste buds a treat like you’ve never tasted before.” Pearson stuck his head in the door to say, “Let’s go, I still have a full days work ahead of me.” With just twenty more minutes behind us we pulled in to West Wind Retreat and Conference center.  C.C. looked up and down the beach that spread to our left and and frowned.  “I was thinking it would be full of kids and beach balls.  All you can see for a mile each way is grey choppy water and sand that’s getting sucked mercilessly back in to the lake.” “Oh, C.C.“ I laughed,  “we’re in the Midwest.  September is gone and October brings no promises.  We’ve got the place to ourselves.  There aren’t any retreats scheduled for weeks.  That’s the best part of being here.  We have uninterrupted time to plan and to come and go with out anyone even knowing who we are.  Look, that second building houses the office condo.  The first is the conference center auditorium and meeting rooms.  We have the place all to ourselves.”