All of the Winter Garden locations that figure in the events of that night are found within a mile of the center  of town.  The longest reach is from the furniture store to the Zeiglers’ home on Temple Grove Drive, a drive of five to ten minutes.  So between 8:05 and approximately 8:45, the Fickes were able to drive past the Van Deventer house at least three different times, looking for the Zeiglers’ car.  They passed the Baptist church when the congregation was leaving after the end of the candlelight service.  And three times they drove to the Zeiglers’ house at 75 Temple Grove.

At one point they drove up Dillard Street to the furniture store.  Rita Ficke pointed out the green Ford sedan of Perry and Virginia Edwards.  It was parked out front, alone in the small lot between the store and the street.  The Fickes saw nobody.  The store was completely dark. Across the street, Don Ficke noticed a Winter Garden police car and another from the town of Oakland; they were parked at the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in the Tri-City shopping center.

Finally the Fickes gave up on finding Tommy and Eunice.  Around 8:45, they went alone to the Van Deventer home.

*

The Oakland chief, Robert Thompson, drove one of the two police cars that Don Ficke saw at the Kentucky Fried Chicken.  The other belonged to Jimmy Yawn, a Winter Garden patrolman.  Thompson had given his two officers the night off.  He used his radio to log out of service at 8:30, and he met Yawn at the restaurant.

Thompson was an interesting figure.  He was forty-two years old and had more than fifteen years of important experience in law enforcement with the Florida Highway Patrol and the U.S. Border Patrol.  He had been in charge of the security force of Florida governor Claude Kirk.  He had attended nearly two dozen special police courses or seminars.  After an unsuccessful attempt at running a seafood business, he had become the police chief of Oakland in 1973.  At the time he took over, the town’s patrolmen kept no records or files and carried no guns.  For the town to have filled so modest a position with someone of Thompson’s background was remarkable. 

At 8:50, Thompson logged in again, leaving the restaurant.  As he drove onto Dillard Street he saw that the furniture store was dark.  He noted the green Ford sedan with Georgia plates parked out front.

By his account, Thompson went back to Oakland to check out the local beer hall, some vacant houses, and the traffic in general. The town was quiet, and he decided to stop in at the Van Deventer party.

At 9:18 he checked out of service again, as he reached the Van Deventer home.  The house had a large picture window that looked out on the street.  As Thompson parked the patrol car, he could see Ted Van Deventer through the