...It seems to me a lot is being placed on Hayden's statement: the chutes were identical.... What's the big deal with finding out? Why would Hayden pull back and not want to pursue this? (in front of Bruce)....
Hayden is being circumspect, even secretive. The question is why, and I don't know.
When Norman told me that he didn't want any more contact with me due to the brewing controversy with Cossey, he claimed that he had "lots of important friends in the business and financial community and that he couldn't risk being seen as a 'pot-stirrer' " or words to that effect. I'm not sure what that meant, and it seemed pretty lame to me at the moment he told me, but I believe that Norman is responding to lots of hidden pressures. He was clearly afraid of being viewed as a pariah in the country-club set, though. He didn't mention any names, either.
I do know this: Norman lives an odd life. He lives in his machine shop, converting his office into a bedroom. But I saw no cooking facilities so I suspect that he eats out for most meals. His shop is quite large, and has a huge vehicle bay that houses a boat and several pick-ups and cars. One room in his shop is filled with incredible toy gizmos and replicas of early inventions from the 1700s and 1800s. Another room is filled with remote-controlled airplanes, at least a dozen adorn the walls and ceiling. All of it is meticulously clean and organized.
No one else worked there with Norman. Oddly, a couple of school children ambled by on their way home from school and seemed very comfortable checking in with their friend Norman. Norman in turn seemed to welcome their company, and I assumed that he doesn't have much social interaction with anyone on a regular basis.
When I posted my interview with Norman on the Mountain News, I received a cryptic email form a woman who claimed to be Norman's sister, and she alleged that Norman was not whom he said he was, not personality-wise, and could not be trusted. I tried to follow up with her, and the email address proved to be bogus. But she wrote back a second time with an even more mysterious statement, and again I met an unsuccessful follow-up.
I also tried to reach out to Norman's son, who was supposedly in Norman's life and aware of the DB Cooper connection. Sadly, the son never responded to my outreach. I'm not even sure I had the correct contact information.
In sum, it seems too incredible to believe that Norman and Coss didn't know each other. I think both were lying to me on that regard. But I don't know why at all. I could speculate, but then I'd just be spinning thoughts about bigger conspiracies and intrigues than I (or this Forum) can handle at the moment.
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