Chapter 10 One September Night….Will Samantha Survive High school?

It’s late…And my brain is once again fried!   I realize I forgot to clean up the last post.   All those Quotes.  Well, Maybe I can go back and fix it later…after we have a day off.  But right now I have to get up early for the scoring and test my brain.  By the time I get home, I’m done using it! 

With that being said, I will at least try to give this the once over and try to fix the obvious mistakes.  I’m not betting on the best second round draft though.   We shall see.  In the mean time….enjoy chapter 10!

 

 

Chapter 10

    Samantha got off the bus and entered the High school through the large glass doors.   First hour was about to begin but the last of the busses had not arrived yet;  so she still had some time to go to her locker and put some stuff away.  The hallway was filled with several dozen teenagers and a couple of teachers prepping for the first morning class.    She found her locker and flipped through her combination.  The door opened with the familiar metallic clack. 
    She opened her back pack and sorted through her books, taking only what she needed for the morning and shelving the rest in her locker next to her pictures of various teen age heart throbs and posters of hello kitty.    She grabbed a couple of pens and tucked them into a side pocket of her backpack.   She then closed her locker and reset her combo lock.  
    As she  looked around,  she noticed Andy Jaltima several lockers down. She smiled to herself then felt the small nervous jitters she felt every time she thought of talking to him.  He was so cute!
    She looked at the clock and noticed that she still had some time left.   Even though it was early morning,  She felt now was as good a time as any to make her move.   She reached deep inside herself for as much courage as she could find, then walked confidently over to him.  The first step was exalting!  She was really going to do it!
    Andy had just closed his locker when he noticed Samantha standing there staring at him.  The sudden image startled him.
    “Hi Andy.”  Sam greeted with a long seductive voice.
    “Hi Sam. “  He looked around nervously, then picked up her books and began to put them into his backpack.
    “So  I was wondering if you knew what the difference between a carburetor and a fuel injected engine was.”  Sam began,  Her face beaming with an impish grin. 
    “Uh  Well  yeah  kinda,  Why? “
    “I don’t know  I just heard you know a lot about cars.  I was wondering what kind of engine I should be looking for when I’m able to drive.” 
    “You’re going to get a car?”
    “Yeah!  When I get my license.”   She looked at him with the “duh” look
    “You’re only 14.  You won’t be able to drive for a couple of years.”
    “It doesn’t hurt to start thinking of these things early.”  She said nervously.
    “Well, I don’t even know if they make cars anymore with carburetor engines.   And who knows what they will make two years from now.” He zipped up his back pack and lifted it over one shoulder. 
    “Well maybe we can talk about it over lunch later?”   She spoke casually.
    “Oh uh,   I don’t know if that is such a great Idea. “  Andy looked around as if planning an escape.  
    Sam looked shocked, then quickly gained her composure.  “What do you mean?”
    “I just don’t want people to get the wrong idea is all.”
    “What do you mean by that?   We are just talking..  It’s not like we are going out or anything.”  Sam reasoned.   She was not expecting this reaction.
    “I mean your Dad,  I don’t want him thinking we are going out.”
    “My Dad?  What does he have to do with anything?”
    “Well, You kind of have a reputation concerning you Dad and the way he treats your friends that are …ah  male.”  
    “Oh that,  He just does that to scare people.  He is really not as mean as everyone thinks.   He is just a little over protective is all.” 
    “That’s not what I heard.”  He backed away from her holding his backpack in front of him like a shield across his chest.
    “What do you mean? “ Sam stepped closer to him so she would not have to talk so loud.
    The Class bell rang with its usual ear splitting noise, warning that there were now only five minutes before class.
    “I’ve got to go Sam,   Catch ya later.”   He turned to sprint away. 
    Sam ran after him.  “What do you mean?  Will I see you at lunch?  Hey!  Your classroom is this way!” 
    Andy darted through the crowd looking back as if ensuring he was not being followed.   Sam stopped after he disappeared around a corner.  That had not gone as well as she would have liked.  Lisa said this was a sure think.   Sam wondered what had gotten in to him.   She didn’t know her Dad’s guardianship was that big a deal.  She looked at her watch  then gathered up her books.   She headed for her class down the hall.

    The classes passed  and were as dull as ever.   Sam wondered why they always managed to schedule Algebra in the morning when her mind had not fully woken up.   She kept wondering why Andy would ditch her like that.  Maybe Lisa had got it all wrong.  Or maybe Lisa was making it all up and set her up for failure.  What ever the reason Sam had to get to the bottom of this  and she didn’t know who to ask.   It was almost lunch time and Sam didn’t know if she should try to find Lisa  or try to find Andy and ask him to clarify what he meant. 

   The Bell rang and Sam headed for the cafeteria.   She couldn’t help but notice the looks some of the other students gave her as she walked down the hall.   She began to wonder if her hair was suddenly purple and she was the only one who hadn’t noticed.   She dashed into the bathroom, passing two girls that giggled as they passed her.  She looked in the mirror.  He hair was normal, her makeup fine.   She had no food on her face nor her clothes.   She even looked around to make sure she had not sat against some wet paint or had a “kick me!” sign attached to her back.   
    Finding nothing, she breathed a sigh of relief then opened the door and walked toward the cafeteria once more.  There was something going on and she needed to get to the bottom of it. 

….

   David sat back in his chair sipping another cup of coffee.   He had hoped it was going to be an uneventful day.   No fires, no accidents  no chemical spills.  He only had a couple of hours left before his shift was up.   Randy sat down  beside him.

    “You watching this?”  He asked  pointing toward the television.
    “Nope!  Go ahead.   But make sure it’s interesting.”
    Randy flipped thru the channels  and settled on a soap opera.    “Yeah! “ He said gleefully.  “ I missed yesterday!   Stupid call right as I was going to find out what happened to Tiffanies baby. “  He smiled  never taking his eyes off the screen. 
    David looked up dismayed.  Ah well  Randy loved his soaps.  He was almost done with this day and would be heading home soon.   Maybe he would stop in at the hardware store and see if he could pick up a new shovel for Trace.   Maybe that would get her off the detective wagon and put her back in the garden so she wouldn’t harass him so much .  
    “You got a long weekend , aye?”  Randy asked   still watching the television. A commercial for feminine products was on.  He clicked the mute then looked at David.
    “Yeah,  full Saturday and Sunday off.   Have not had one of those in a while.”
    “It doesn’t matter to me much anymore.   I ‘m just happy I get two days off in a row.   They don’t have to be a Saturday /Sunday combination.   I’m happy with a Tuesday/ Wednesday.”  
    David nodded in agreement.  
    “So how much longer have you got on Todd’s shift?”
    “Couple hours.”  
    “Good deal!”
    “Yeah,  I couldn’t resist.   He gave me 6 hours of his shift and took my whole Sunday.  I couldn’t pass that one up.   He must have needed today off really bad.  Something about his kids I imagine.  They will make you do the strangest things to prove your love.   So help me.   Oh!   it’s back on!  SHHHH!  “  He clicked off the Mute and began watching once more  oblivious to everything else in his surroundings.
    David looked on as Peter confessed that he was secretly seeing  Victoria’s mother and that they had stolen Tiffanies baby as their own.   Certain no one would find out. 
    “I knew it! “ Randy shouted out “ It was too obvious that they would have a kid at the same time Tiffany’s baby was kidnapped.”  
    “And no one else figured this out?”  David looked on skeptically. 
    “Heck no man,  this is a soap!  The people in them are as dumb as a rock! “
    “Then why do you watch them?”
    “’Cause there ain’t nothing else on at this time of the day.   I can almost feel my brain cells dying as I watch it.    It’s Great! “  Randy shushed with his hand to catch the key last bit of dialogue.  “Yeah!  You in trouble now baby!   You in trouble now! “ He shouted   at the screen.
    David wondered if he could even find a shovel like the one he had lost.   Perhaps they would have a substitute  if they didn’t have exactly that one.   David looked at his watch then looked at the television.   Soaps were not very entertaining for him, but watching Randy’s reaction to them  was a show in itself.

….
     Sam entered the cafeteria and looked around,   She took a deep breath noticing that no one had looked her way.  Perhaps she was seeing things that were really not there.   She guessed that this mornings reaction had just made her more self conscious than normal  and that people really weren’t looking at her or talking about her.   She  selected a yogurt and a cup of fruit.  Sloppy Joes were the main menu item  and were gross.   She decided that today was a good day to stick to her diet. 
    She moved down the rows to find a table of friends.   She saw Andy sitting with a couple of football players and decided to join them  determined to get to the bottom of the cold shoulder.   After all, they had talked about sitting together  at lunch.  She sat down across from him. 
    “Hey Andy.” 
    Andy’d face turned white as the life drained from it.  He swallowed hard  squeeking out “Hi Sam.”
    “So  what were you trying to say before the bell rudely interrupted us?”    Sam peeled back the top of her yogurt.
    “Oh  nothing,  Hey!   Wow.  Look at the time,  I had better get going.”   He picked up his tray and stood up  with a bit of a shake.  He still had most of his food on his plate.   He picked up a glass of milk and began to chug it as he walked away.
    “Wait!  When Will I get to talk to you again?”  Sam called after him. “What is bothering him?”  she said aloud. 
    “I don’t know.”   came a voice from beside her. 
    Sam turned around to see Brian Jacobs sitting next to her.   She hadn’t even noticed him sitting there  in her huff to talk to Andy. 
    “Brian Jacobs!”  She exclaimed.  
    “That’s me!   In the flesh. “  He answered  with a smile. 
    “I’m sorry  I just sat here wanting to talk to Andy about something.   Now he’s gone.”
    “I’ll talk to you,   You don’t have to rush off. “  He took a sip of his milk.
    Sam’s face grew hot  and she knew it.   She pulled her chair back in and tried to settle down.   “Ok   I don’t know what to talk about though.  I mean  I really don’t know much about football.” 
    “So  let’s talk about something else.  Like what were you going to talk to Andy about.”  
    “Oh nothing.  He said something about cars and I wanted his opinion.   But now he doesn’t seem to want to talk to me  and I don’t know why.” 
    “Me either, I doubt I would leave the room if you came to talk to me.”   He said   with a grin
    Sam’s face must have surely been beet red by now.    She took a spoonful of her yogurt to hide the  effects.   Quickly she tried to find something to say.  “So  how do you know Andy anyway?  “
    “Oh! Hhe is my neighbor.   We grew up together.   I don’t see him much anymore since I made the varsity team.  So we usually sit together for lunch.” 
    Suddenly A figure appeared in front of them  holding a tray.
    “What are you doing? “  The voice came from Joann Lipkin
    “Nothing! “ Both Sam and Brian answered in unison then looked over at each other with a grin. 
    “Brian looked back at her,  “Hey Joan,  What’s happening?  Have a seat.”
    “What are you doing with her?”   Joann pointed her tray at Sam. 
    “Nothing,  we are just talking.”  Brian defended.   “She was sitting with Andy and me and Andy left.    We’re just eating and talking now.” 
    “Look,  you’re suppose to be sitting with me.” 
    “So have a seat! “
    “Alone!  Just the two of us! Me and you.”
    “And all your friends,   and they all hate me.   I’m sitting here  with ….what’s your name again?”  He motioned toward Sam.
    “Sam!  I mean,   Samantha!  but everyone calls me Sam.”    She blurted out.
    “Yeah   Sam.   So you can join us  or go sit with them. “  He took another sip of his milk. 
    “Look Brian,   You don’t want  the wrong people to get the wrong idea about you two.” 
    “What do you mean?”  Brian took a bite out of his cake.
    “I mean… “ Joann bent down and whispered in Brian’s ear.
    “OH!  Brian’s eyes widened.  “Oh,  Ah   hey  Sam,  It was really nice meeting you.  But I think I better get going.”  He stood up and grabbed his tray.   Joann grinned evilly at the chaos she had created.
    Sam looked up with a confused expression.   Not knowing what had just happened.   One minute she is talking to one of the best looking most popular boys in school  and the next he is yanked away by one of the most popular girls.   The social structure was  brutal in this environment, and apparently very strict. She was really getting to know Brian too.   It was things like this that made Sam certain that she would never get a popular boy as long as she was in high school.   Unless, of course, she could become popular someday and climbed the social structure. Until then,  all  Sam could do was eat the rest of her yogurt in silence,  alone. 

    Afternoon classes were not any more interesting than the morning ones.   Science and Chemistry were perhaps the most boring.  Added to that,  her Lab partners for both classes did not bother to show up today.  It was the first day of Small game season and Sam was convinced  that the two boys  had skipped and went hunting.  
    The last class over, Sam had one afternoon study hall then she could head home. She would catch the last bus home after it and she tried to do as much homework as she could before the end of the period.  She planned on hanging out with her friends all weekend long. 
    She had just finished the last assignment for Monday when she looked up to see Lisa come in and sit next to her. 
    “Hi,”  She whispered , opening her book as if to ask a question. 
    “Where have you been all day? “ Sam asked quietly   with a slight tone of anger.
    “I’ve been trying to get  a hold of you all afternoon.    I have something to tell you.” 
    “Well, I have something to tell you.  I thought you said that Andy liked me!  He has been treating me like a leper all day.  Every time I try to talk to him he practically bolts for the door. “
    “Oh?  Yeah,  I can explain that. “ 
    “Did you set me up?  Was this some kind of joke?  Did you tell him anything?”
    Lisa looked around making sure no one was looking at them.   “I can explain,  Let me explain. “  She insisted.
    “Did you tell him I like him?  What did you say to him?”
    “I didn’t say anything…my brother did!”
    “Your brother?  How? What?  Did he tell Andy I like him?”
    “Oh yeah.   That and much more.”
    “How? “
    “He picked up the phone when I was talking to you.”
    “That little Jerk!  I’m going to kill him!”  Sam clenched her book to keep from screaming.
     “That’s not all,  you better sit down and brace yourself.  This is kinda bad.”  Lisa looked around to make sure no one else was listening.
    “I am sitting down and besides, what could be worse than this?  He told Andy I like him and now Andy is avoiding me like the plague.”   Sam shook her head,  “it’s because he doesn’t like me, isn’t it?”
    “I don’t think that is the reason .”
    “You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”  Sam looked down at her book feeling depressed.
    “No, I mean the reason Andy is avoiding you is because he thinks your Dad is going to kill him.”   Lisa said slowly and deliberately
    Samantha looked up!  “What?  What do you mean?”
    “I mean my brother heard our conversation, all of it!  And told a bunch of his friends , including Andy, that your Dad killed Jamie  because he wanted to date you.   By now it is all over school.  Everyone thinks you are the kiss of death!”
    Sam looked up shocked!   Then slowly smiled,  then began to laugh.  “Whoa, that is a good one.   Man, you had me there.”   She snickered trying to keep her laugh down so as to not draw attention.   “Man  you had me, but only for a second.  Really!”
    Lisa looked at her dumbfounded.  “I’m not kidding.  Really!”
    Sam smile faded.   Then her eyes widened!  She shoved her head down between her knees and began to breath rapidly. It was true!  All the people all day  looking at her  laughing at her!  Scared of her!  Because of her father :the boyfriend butcher!  It didn’t have to be true or not,   People just had to believe it to be true.  Her popularity was ruined, Ruined!  She would never be one of the popular girls,  she never would be allowed to date a popular boy.  Her life was officially over!  And this was all her Dad’s fault!

Chapter 9 One September Night. And Origami Dogs, Bats, and Boats!

We started our new gig today, and I’m rather exhausted.  Well,  Trying to wrap your brain around a new project is always taxing.  Anyway, Before I call it a night, I thought I would post the next installment of the novel and the latest Origami.  The only real new thing is the Boat.   Everything else is a repeat….although, the BAT turned out pretty good.   Anyway,  I have the season finale of Steins;Gate to watch.   So enjoy the pics and hopefully stay for the story. 

 

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Chapter 9

    The alarm bells rang as the family got ready for the day.   David was one of the first up and quickly took a shower before one of the kids used all the hot water up  all up.   Tracy threw on some clothes just to make breakfast,  planning on showering and dressing for the day after the rest of the family had left.   She put of the coffee and set out the usual breakfast material.   She decided on pancakes this morning with a side of Jimmy Deans sausage.  
    David came out in his clean uniform with his hair still wet. 
    “MMMM  Coffee!  He reached out and poured himself a cup.  
    “Watch the sausage so it doesn’t burn,  I’ll go wake the kids.  Tracy headed off to the bedroom.  
    David picked up the spatula  with his free hand and sipped his coffee as he poked and pushed the sausage patties around in the pan.   The smell was intoxicating. 
    Tracy opened Daniels door,  “Time to get up Danny.   Hurry up and take a shower before your sisters or there won’t be any hot water.
    Daniel rolled out of bed,  his hair sticking up on one side.   He fumbled to the bathroom with his towel in hand.  Tracy decided to give Daniel a few moments before waking the girls.   They always took so long and used way more than their quota of hot water.   Sometimes it was just an achievement to get Daniel to take a shower in the morning.  No  one likes cold showers and Daniel did not like showers in the morning anyway.   She did not want Samantha or Whitney ruining today’s   small victory. 
    She walked back toward the kitchen following the delicious wafts of sausage aroma.   David was flinching as he drank his coffee,  avoiding the hot grease that   spit and splattered from the frying pan. 
    “These look done,  where do I put them?
    Tracy ripped and folded several paper towels   and placed them on a plate.   “Here  she motioned.   Setting the plate near him  “when you get that empty  cut and cook another round so everyone can have at least two.   We’re having pancakes.   She pulled a large mixing bowl out of the cupboard and filled it with hungry jack pancake mix.   She added eggs, milk and some oil and began beating the mixture.   The sound of running water stopped and she knew that Daniel would soon be done with his shower. The girls would have to fight over who was next. Or run the risk of running out of hot water half way through there shower. 
    “Ok hon,  these are done too,   what next?  David drained the last sip of his coffee and poured another. 
    “Pour everyone some juice,   And clear the griddle.   I’ve got to wake up the girls.    She tested the viscosity of the batter mix  then ladled out several round scoops onto the hot griddle.  She wanted to get at least a couple on before Daniel arrived.
    With the first batch of pancakes cooking up,  She set the bowl aside and headed back toward the bedrooms.  She knocked on the door gently.
    “Time to get up you two.   First one up gets the hot shower.
    Whitney flew open the door and burst down the hall, towel in hand.  Tracy was almost knocked over by the breeze.  Whitney closed the door to the bathroom and locked it.   Half a second behind her  came Sam,  barely grabbing the handle of the bathroom door before the lock clicked. 
    “NOOOO!   Mom!  Samantha screamed in protest.  “ I have a big day today! 
    “Sorry honey,   Fair is fair!   Tracy smiled as she headed back toward the kitchen.   She could hear Samantha pounding on the door in feeble protest.   “At least she is up now.”  Tracy thought to herself.
    Daniel had managed to enter the kitchen, mostly dressed, and was sitting at the table already drinking his juice and selecting a sausage patty off the pile.  David had flipped the pancakes and was about to serve them up  before Daniel ate all the sausage.
    “Wait for the pancakes, dear  Tracy urged.  She pulled out the syrup and butter.   “And don’t add too much syrup,  save some for the rest of us.
    Danny looked up with his large brown eyes like a lost puppy dog.  “But that’s the best part.
    David flipped up several cakes into a stack then brought them over to the table,   Daniel pierced several with his fork and stacked them up on his plate.   He smothered them with syrup.  He began eating.   Tracy took over for David.
    “You better eat up too or you’re going to be late.   She advised  spooning out another round of cakes onto the griddle.  
    David sat down and served himself up several cakes and a couple of sausage patties.   He covered them all with butter and syrup.  
    The Sound from the bathroom stopped signaling that Whitney was almost done.   Samantha’s pounding could still be heard.  
    “Hurry Up!  I have to take a shower too!  Hurry up! Dry your hair later! Hurry up!
    Tracy guessed that Whitney was going to take her time with all that noise Sam was making.   It’s times like these you wish you only had pets.  She thought.
    A few moments later  Tracy had assembled a nice stack of pancakes on the main platter.   She poured herself another cup of coffee and offered to top off David’s cup.   She began to eat a little before the girls came in.   Danny was almost done with his breakfast.  He started to eat slower.
    Soon Whitney joined them  followed by Samantha.  Sam scowled at Whitney as she selected some cakes from the stack and poured the syrup. 
    “You used up all the hot water again.  Sam accused.
    “Nu-uh!  There was still some when I got out.  Whitney took a bite.
    “Yeah and it ran out two seconds after I got in.   I had to hurry my shower up before I froze.   
    “Now Sam, you have left us all with cold showers plenty of times.    It all evens out in the end.  Tracy reasoned.   Sam could never take what she dealt out.   It was rather amusing.
    “But mom, Today is a big day for me.  I have to look perfect  and now I will have to begin it with only half a shower.  
    “Why is today so big?  Tracy asked between bites.
    “No reason.  Samantha looked down at her plate and cut a small piece off her one pancake.
    “She is going to meet Andy Jaltima again.   Whitney blurted out with an evil grin. 
    Daniel waved his fork around  “Sammy loves Andy, Sammy loves Andy
    “Stop it!  Mom!  Tell them to shut up please. 
    “Who is this Andy guy?   Anyone I know?   David said  looking over the paper as he finished his coffee.
    “No dad you have never met him .   Sam continued to glare at Whitney and Daniel. 
    “Maybe you should bring him over sometime,  I want to know what kind of boy is dating my daughter.
    “Dad  first of all it is not a date.   We are just friends!  And second,  this will be the last place I’m going to bring him and you will be the last person I’ll introduce him too.
    “David looked up confused.   “Why is that? He asked innocently.
    “You scare every one of my friends that is a  boy!   Once they meet you, I never hear from them again.
    Whitney and Daniel looked at each other in a knowing glance then looked at Sam.  Both were suddenly quiet believing there was more truth to that statement than even Sam knew.   Sam glared back at them, shaking her head quickly  as if refuting their thoughts.   
    David smiled and folded up his paper as if laughing at an inside joke.   “I don’t know what you mean.  I thought I was very warm and hospitable to anyone you bring home. 
    “Dad, You’re creepy!  And you say things that intimidate them.
    “Fine, go ahead and blame me because your friends are scared of me.  Maybe it’s because they are up to no good.  Maybe you’re too young to be dating high school boys.  Maybe …
    Tracy cleared her throat,  “David!  You better get going  before you’re late.  She pointed at her watch. 
    “Oh!  Right!  I have an easy day today so I should be back before four. Then the weekend is completely ours!  He said with a big grin as he rose from his chair.  He  bent down to give Tracy a kiss  “Goodbye dear.  Kissing her forehead.  “Stay out of trouble you two,  he pointed to Daniel and Whitney.  “And the same goes for you, too!  He pointed at Sam.  He reached down and gave the cat a quick brush with his hand then opened the door and left.  
    “Danny and Whitney,  take care of your plates and get your lunches ready.   And Sam you better hurry too  the bus will be here soon.  
    Daniel and Whitney jumped to attention  grabbing their plates as they slid off their chairs.    They rushed over to the kitchen sink and deposited the plates and forks.  They began to assemble their lunches.  Samantha looked on finishing her last little bites and sipping her orange juice. 
    Soon the kids were dressed and ready for the chilly morning.   The temperature was dropping rapidly this year.  The busses pulled up and all three of them ran out with backpacks and lunches in hand.  Then the house was silent once more.
    Tracy poured another cup of coffee and stroked the cat as he jumped up on the table licking up the hidden splotches of butter and syrup the kids dripped.    She picked up the paper David had managed to unfold and separate.  She glanced it over for any new news.   More crime , death and tragedy ruled the headlines  as was always the case each morning. 
    Today, however,  Tracy was particularly interested in any stories that had to do with stolen money.  Not just the armored car but any stolen money.   She skimmed over a couple of armed robberies that were on the other side of the country.   Then the armored car story appeared again.   She read it intently.  
    Some new evidence lead investigators to believe that the perpetrator lived somewhere  on the Michigan side of the border.  The suspect was still at large and the exact amount of cash was still unknown.   The article ended with a phone number and an offer of $10,000 for any information on the whereabouts of the suspect or the cash.
    Tracy’s eye lit up.   $10.000!   That is quite a bit of money for a simple map leading to a stash of money.   Tracy liked Ethan. They had been friends several years before he introduced her to David.   She would never turn him in for something like that.   Ethan was a little strange  but was not really a criminal.   However,  if Tracy could turn in the money,  well that money does no one any good buried out in the middle of the swamp.  And Ethan would probably sleep better knowing that it had been discovered and had not lead the authorities to his front door.  This was sounding better every minute!
    They certainly could use the $10,000.  I mean,  Who can’t use $10,000?  It’s not like it is a million and it is not like it is only $100.   Tracy would not risk being a snitch  anything for as little as $100.  But $10,000 could pay off the house,  buy a new car, help put Sam through college.  Shouldn’t she think about her family first?   And all she had to do was point the authorized in the right direction. 
    Her mind was made up.  The case was reopened for the reward.   First  she wanted to make sure that the police or federal agents found only the money and not Ethan.  There is no sense in getting him in trouble if that was not a requirement.   Second she had to make sure that the money was at the location and that David would be free from any link to it.  She did not want her husband becoming a suspect, or worse, get arrested!
    Carefully she planned out her story line.  Hunting season was almost on them.   David said they had buried the money somewhere in Yankee springs.   You could hunt in Yankee springs so it was possible that they could have just stumbled on the refrigerator  and that is how they found it.  That made perfect sense to her. 
    So next she had to find out where it was buried and how much money was in there.  David knew the location and she could maybe convince him on finding it again.  But only Ethan knew what was inside.  Maybe it was time to reacquaint ourselves  after all these years and maybe she could get him to drop her a hint as to the contents. 
    Tracy folded up the paper and reached for the phone book.   She thumbed through the pages of the most recent yellow book, searching for Ethan’s number.   Her own little black book of phone numbers for friends and family was old and most likely outdated.   She knew that Ethan had moved several times after he married Cheryl.   The last known location was in  somewhere in Lansing, when they were attending Michigan State.  From there it was thought that they had moved back to Grand Rapids.   She glanced at the long list of  Allens but none of them matched up.  Nothing in  this city
    She did not have a Lansing phone book  but she did have a computer.  Tracy logged onto the internet and typed in for a search for phone numbers.   Several hours later and 12,000 searches later  proved fruitless.   He simply was no where to be found.  Either he had no phone number, or was homeless.  Or perhaps he was on the run after all.  Maybe he was in Mexico.  Tracy abandoned the idea after much wasted time.   She simply would have to ask David when he got home.   Maybe today he would be more open to the idea  with the addition of a $10,000 finders fee.  Tracy clipped the article  and planned her  the next phase of her investigation.

An Evening with Gnomegang Beer. Und One September Night Chapter 8. Imaginations run Wild!

Last night, Cheryl and I tried the Gnomegang beer of the Omnegang Beer group.   It is a blond beer; meaning it is very drinkable.   Clean, refreshing,  and smooth all come to mind while drinking this stuff.   If it were not so expensive, I would probably purchase it as my regular beer of choice.  It was possibly the closest to the Honey Brown I usually enjoy.  I believe it could have come with anything, but we tried it with blueberry pie and coffee cake.   Both were excellent! 
Other than that,  I continue to fold and Cheryl continues to score.  We both start our next project on Monday, and the way Cheryl keep missing validities, I’m thinking she will not have to be juggling two jobs at the same time for very long.   It’s all good in the end.   We just have to make as much as we can with this next gig.   In the mean time.  Enjoy chapter 8 of the novel.  




Chapter 8

    Sam looked down at Whitney and Daniel.   They returned her gaze waiting for her reaction.   Sam looked confused a bit  but still not convinced. 
    “Well?”  Whitney demanded
    “That doesn’t prove anything.   I don’t even know what they were talking about  I could barely hear them over the noise.”   Sam carefully lowered her voice so the parents would not hear. 
    “Even I heard that they were talking about a refrigerator.”  Daniel confirmed. “ What else could they be talking about?”
    “Yeah!”  Whitney agreed.
    “You guys are so stupid.   I admit I couldn’t hear everything, But they were talking about money and stuff.   You guys read those stupid kid horror stories and your imagination goes crazy.   I highly doubt that Dad killed anyone.”
    “But Mom thinks he is going to get in trouble.   Maybe she thinks he is going to go to jail.”  Whitney argued.
    “Look,   Mom and Dad always talk about money.   Mom always works in the yard digging up plants and stuff.   And maybe they were talking about our fridge.  You know how it is always making those funny noises.   And it never keeps the pop cold.   Maybe they are talking about buying a new one.”  
    “I don’t think that is what they were talking about.”   Daniel confided, “I think they were talking about the body that is buried in the refrigerator in the middle of Yankee springs.”
    “You guys think what you want  I’m going to go to my room and call Lisa.   I can’t believe I wasted this much time listening to you two. “   Sam got up and walked out,  closing the door behind her with a thump.
    “I knew we shouldn’t have told her.”  Daniel said, still staring at the door. 
    “It doesn’t matter,”  Whitney replied, also looking at the door.   She turned to Daniel,  “At least we know what happened.   She never believes us anyway.” 
    “So  what do we do now? “
    “I don’t know,  you want to play Matrix?”  Whitney picked up the controller and motioned to the television screen.
    Sam stormed to her bedroom and closed the door behind her.  She picked up the phone and flopped on the bed,  dialing her friends number. 
    “Hello?”  Came a familiar voice.
    “Lisa?   Hey it's me.”
    “Hey!  What’s up Sam? “ 
    “Nothing much.  Just got back from talking to my brother and sister.   They are crazy.   You want to do something tonight?”
    “No, It’s getting late and the light as gone by 6 now.  Can’t really do much outside.   And it’s a school day ,  or so my parents are so quick to point out.   Like I can’t do anything after a certain time cause I have school the next day.   I don’t know about your parents,  but mine are crazy.”  Lisa vented.
    “Yeah,  my parents are totally oppressive too.   And equally insane.  Oh!   I just have to tell you all about what my crazy brother and sister told me just before I called you .”  
    Lisa giggled  in anticipation.   Sibling stories were so funny sometimes.  “Ok ,  Go!  I’m listening.”  
    “Well,  I come home today and they tell me that my Dad killed Jamie Miles!  Can you believe that?”
    Lisa paused,   “Why would they think that?” 
    “They thought they  overheard Mom and him talking about burying a body in a refrigerator somewhere in Yankee springs or something.”
    “Geees!  Why would he kill Jamie miles? “
    “I don’t know,  maybe because he came over once.  Whit thinks Dad thinks I was dating him or something. “
    “You were dating Jamie!” 
    “NO!  Gross!  I just brought him over so we could work on some math assignment   He was suppose to be a wiz at it.”
    “So you’re not dating Jamie?”  Lisa confirmed.  It was important to keep the facts straight when it came to who was going with whom in the overall social structure.
    “No,  I barely knew him.  And he might have been hot but he wasn’t really my type  I’m not into those guys that dress like Dracula.” 
    “So why did your Dad kill him?” 
    “What?  I didn’t say Dad killed him!”  Sam gasped
    “Yes you did.”  Lisa confirmed
    “No, I said my sister and brother think he did!”
    “But you said they heard your Mom and Dad talking about burying Jamie in the Yankee springs.”
    “Whoa!  Wait!  Ok,  let’s get this straight.  My Dad didn’t kill anyone.   Everyone knows Jamie ran away.   I don’t know what my sister and brother heard.   But, if history proves anything,  Then they probably got it totally wrong. “
    “How do you know? “
    “How do I know?  They are my brother and sister.”
    “I mean How do you know your Dad didn’t kill  Jamie?” 
    “I know because…well  I just know is all.”  Sam paused for a minute.  She really didn’t know for sure. She just knew her Dad would probably not waste time on a loser like Jamie Miles.  “Why?  Do you think he killed Jamie?”
    “Well Sam,  Everyone knows your Dad is kinda crazy when it comes to you and boys.  Even my dad is not that bad.  And Jamie has been gone for a couple of days now.   Even his Mom and Dad don’t know where he is.”  She paused,  “What else do you know?”  She asked with a eager tone in her voice.
    “Nothing, I mean  I didn’t actually hear anything.  I heard it from my sister who heard it from my brother.” 
    “Well if that is not the most reliable source. Then I don’t know what is.”
    “What?  What do you mean?”
    “Look Sam  I was reading in my seventeen  magazine that kids are a great authority when it cones to serious issues  cause they tell you like it is.  They don’t spin or lie about things like adults do.  Adults try to protect people’s feelings,   but young kids   like grade-schoolers,  they tell the truth no matter how hard the blow is.”  
     “That doesn’t make much sense.  I mean,  you don’t know these two like I do.”  Sam answered skeptically.
    “Ok  If you went up to Santa clause or a really important person,  and they had really bad breath,  would you tell them?”
    “Well,  No, that would be rude. “
    “How about your younger brother?”
    Samantha thought a moment.  That very situation had happened to Danny two years ago.   Mom and Dad swore that was the last time they would go see Santa after that.   Whitney was heartbroken.
    “You’re right!”  Sam acknowledged    “But that still doesn’t mean anything,  They still exaggerate things.   Maybe they heard wrong.    I still don’t believe them.” 
    “Well,  you should keep an eye on your Dad anyway,  If he is willing to kill Jamie,  then there is no telling who else is next.”
    “Look,  I really doubt Dad killed anyone.  I don’t know why I even told you.  Let’s change the subject.   This one is getting creepy.”   Sam paused a minute,   “so have you heard anything from Andy yet?”
    “Oh yeah,   I think he likes you!  You should definitely talk to him tomorrow.”   Lisa encouraged.
    “I wouldn’t know what to say.”
    “Talk about cars,  He likes cars.  He wants to be a mechanic when he graduates.” 
    “But I don’t know anything about cars.”  Samantha admitted.   “What else is there?”
    “I don’t know,  all I know is he likes cars and that is pretty much all he talks about.    Just ask a bunch of questions.  He will do all the talking, Trust me.  Then ask if you can continue the conversation over lunch.   If he says yes,   you might as well place your mark of ownership on him.”
    “What if he says no? “
    “I doubt he will,  I think he really likes you.  But if he says no,  you probably asked him the wrong question about cars.    It probably wouldn’t hurt if you brushed up on some car stuff.”   Lisa suggested.
    “Ok,  Maybe I’ll do some of that now.   I’ll read all night if I have to.   I should probably let you go.   I got a busy day tomorrow.”
    “Ok,   I have some homework I need to work on too.   I’ll see you tomorrow, ‘k? see ya then.”
    Sam hung up the phone and ran out to the garage  and picked up a Chilton repair guide for the 87 Ford Taurus.   She blew off the dust and gripped  it by the corner carefully avoiding the oil stained pages and partially ripped cover.  She walked back toward her room grabbing several paper towels on her way through the kitchen.   She placed  a layer of paper towels on her small desk then placed the book on top of them.  She then grabbed a pair of tweezers   off her vanity and began flipping through the pages. 

Origami Sealife! And One September Night Chapter 7. You never know who is Listening.

After taking a day off from blogging, I decided to make up for it and fold like crazy!   Behold!   Aquatic creatures!  Mostly….And some birds I guess.  The truth is I actually thought about just cutting and pasting the next chapter, but it was late and I really wanted to at the very least, look it over to see if there were simple quotes and commas missing.   Most of the grammatical errors only happen during the dialog phase of the book.  And…since I folded and listed so much today, I thought I would add them in the post.   No one wants to just read a story on a blog after all.    People love pictures after all!    So enjoy the origami and the story…if you are currently reading it.   Luckily, it is a short chapter..

 

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Chapter 7

    David eyed her skeptically.  “What do you mean?”   He turned down the volume so he could hear her. 
    “I think he might have buried some money in it.” 
    “Really?  Now what would bring you to that conclusion?”  David shifted in his chair to face her.   His face told her that he was far from convinced.
    “Well a long drawn out thought process lead me to ask what kind of thing would anyone bury out in the middle of public land.   Well, something that they might want to hide or store away till certain events die down.   I mean,  come on,  who would bury a something that size on state land in the middle of the night  unless it had something in it.  We both know that it is highly unlikely that he would kill anyone.   So  he must have buried something in it that was very valuable.”   She lowered her voice as she spoke so only David would hear.
    “Or he could have just been burying a big box of junk! “ David speculated, “ What makes you think he has any money  or anything of value anyway?”
    Tracy tossed the paper over to him. “Check out the third article.”
    David read the headline then skimmed the first couple of paragraphs.  “So?”
    “So? He might be in on it.  He might have taken that money.”
    “It says they are still investigating and don’t have any suspects yet.”
    “Right,  He could have just stumbled upon an abandoned truck and just helped himself.”
    “This is Ethan we are talking about.  You really think that he could do something like this?” 
    Tracy paused a moment.  “You know, I believe he could.   He might not be capable of killing anyone but he might be capable of liberating  some money from a armored  truck.”
    “I think it was just a junky old fridge that he was trying to get rid off.”  David waved his hand  believing that he had the real reason.
    “Oh yeah?” 
    “Yeah!”
    “Ok then mister wise guy,  If it was just a junky fridge, then why not take it to some land fill rather than bury it out in the middle of no where in the middle of the night.” 
    David took a quick breath, then paused.  That was a good point!
    Tracy continued, “ And you have not seen him in years  and that was only briefly.  We have not really been in contact with him for over ten years.   I mean,  just how much has he changed over that time?”   She could see she was making progress with David now.
    “He didn’t sound like he had changed that much,”  David defended. “ He sounded perfectly normal to me.” 
    “Is it perfectly normal to wake up a friend in the middle of the night have him help you do something like this?   Does that sound like something he would do normally? “
    David thought a second,  “Well,  yes, he would do something like that,  maybe not often though.”
    Tracy looked frustrated  “You’re impossible!   I don’t think you find this unusual at all do you?  Well  listen up!  This is not normal.   I don’t know why you refuse to see it.” 
    David sighed “Keep your voice down,  the kids are going to think we are fighting or something .”  He paused then tried to think about it reasonably.  “Ok then  let’s say that you are right.  He did bury something in that fridge.  Maybe it was even that armored car money.  What would you have me do about it?  Huh?  It is buried in the ground somewhere  and it is over and done with.” 
    “I just don’t want you to get involved in something criminal.   And if he thinks he can get you to risk your family and lifestyle for nothing.   Then what kind of friend is he?  I just don’t want you to get into trouble is all.”
    “I won’t get into trouble.  Look the deed is done.   What is the point in knowing what is in there now  after the fact?   What if there really was a body in there?   Do you want me to go dig it up and reveal it to the world? Or the money.   What if the money  or something like that  was in there.   What is he going to say when he digs it up in and it is gone?   I will look really suspicious then  won’t I?  I say  let sleeping dogs lie.”  David turned back toward the television
    Tracy paused for a moment then thought it through.   It was true  that now,  if they dug it up,  it might really raise some red flags.  The thought that her theory might never me confirmed was frustrating.   She could almost care less about the money,   She just wanted to see if her theory was right.  She hadn’t really thought what the consequences might be if she really was right.   She began to see the logic in David’s reasoning.   They didn’t want to get involved  was the bottom line.   If there was money in there,   David was the only other person that knew about it  and that would really make him look guilty.   And if there was a body,  Well, seeing a stinky corpse was not really a great idea either.  Then the thought came to her.
    “What happens if someone else finds that thing?”
    “That won’t happen,  we buried it pretty good.” 
    “Well if someone knew there was something in there and finds it,  then Ethan will probably think it was you.”
    “He should have thought of that before burying it on public land where anyone could find it.  And besides,  unlike you, I’m sure it is just junk.”  David turned up the volume again. 
    Tracy decided that the case of the buried refrigerator would never be solved.   She would never know where the thing was buried and David would never want to dig it up and open it.  She thumbed through her paper once more, then set it down and started to watch television. She hoped that David would settle on one channel, and that the channel was not the history one.  The cat emerged from the bedroom hall,  brushing up against the wall as it entered the living room.  Behind him, A door closed quietly.

Origami Buffalo’s and Beetles. Oh! And Chapter 6 One September Night

  In addition to the many other things my busy day requires, I have been folding. ( Inside joke!  I’m actually quite lazy during the day) Over the last several days, I have been folding quite a bit, but only have a few things of “worth” to show for it.   But since this blog was mostly about folding ( actually…carving…remember?  )  I’ll post the origami and then cut back to the book.   Not that anyone will wade through all 50000+ words.  ( the minimum for a story to be considered a novel….or so I have read somewhere) 

Still,  It’s better to have this thing out there in the ether rather than the dusty floor of an apartment somewhere in Iowa, right?   We shall see…and thanks for stopping in and checking out the origami…or the story…..if you are currently reading it that is.  Enjoy!

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Chapter 6

     Tracy thumbed through the paper for another mystery that she could solve.   She found the armored truck heist and reread it.  Believing that maybe she could spend some of her imagination and detective skills to crack it.  Apparently there were fewer facts  in this story than the Jamie disappearance.  All the police knew was that the truck was stolen with an undisclosed amount of cash.   The authorities did not know if it was an inside job  but they believed that anyone could have pulled it off.   They just had to be at the right place at the right time.  
    Tracy guessed that the FBI and other local authorities deliberately left out key pieces to avoid false confessions and tip off the criminals  to how much evidence they actually had.  She flipped the page and continued to read, Imagining what exactly went down.   Possibly the criminal might have been a team of highly skilled thieves that had mapped out the capper for months.  Or, on the flip side, the criminal might have been a lone opportunist that saw an unguarded  Brinks truck filled with cash with the keys in the ignitions and the engine running.  Sometimes the best criminal acts were done out in plain sight in front of everyone.  
    Of course the most probable explanation was that the Driver or someone in the company had something to do with it.  They would know the lay  out, the security, and the amount of  cash found on a typical run.   They would also know if the money had been marked.  If it was,  how much and what to look for.   The amateur would not be privy to this information and would most likely get caught as soon as they tried to spend some of the money
    David flipped the channel back and forth between shows during the commercials.  He was watching a documentary about the ocean floor and a biography of some world war 2 General.  Tracy wondered how he could change gears so rapidly and not lose his place. 
    Whitney and Samantha had finished the dishes and quickly snuck through the living room towards their bedrooms.   They were whispering to each other.   At first glance, Tracy found that slightly odd  since it was common knowledge that they hated each other.   Then again they were girls and both were approaching that young adult phase. 
    What would someone do with all that money? Possibly millions!  Tracy thought to herself as she continued to play out the ’perfect crime’ in her head.  Well you could put it in the bank  but that might look suspicious  walking in with a bag full of money.  Possibly several bills  with consecutive serial numbers.    That was the sure fire way of getting caught. 
    You could go to Vegas!  But you would lose most of it in the gambling.    Not to mention most of those casinos are rigged with thousands of cameras with the latest in photo identification technology.   If the money scanners picked up a marked bill and could trace it back to a picture,   they would have a pretty good idea who to find for questioning. Tracy had seen shows of how the system all worked.   If was staggering!  Somehow Hollywood movies had not gotten the memo because  several movies had come out making it look very easy.  Real life, as usual, was quite different from the big screen world.
    There was the mob money launderers.  But if you were just someone off the street that accidentally found a large sum of money drop in your lap, this might be a seriously risky choice. First of all  Tracy knew no one with any mob ties.  And, putting herself in the shoes of the person with the loot, would probably not want to risk a concrete grave to get your money clean.  From the sound of it, the mob would just kill you and take all your money.   Bad deal.
    You could put it in a safety deposit box  in a bank somewhere.   Again you run the risk of getting noticed by bank cameras when you lug in several bags of money into the vault.   
    There was the off shore account but does anyone really know how to set one of those up?  And would they scan your money or inspect it  in any way to offer suspicion? 
    She reasoned that if the person had somehow found the money and had not planned  the whole thing,  yet still chose to ‘accept’ the good fortune that life had dropped on them.  The harsh reality of getting caught might become overwhelming.  If one had managed to get this far with the money and had not gotten caught,  then that same person, thinking clearly at this point,  might simply hide the money till  the story had dropped off the front pages.  Maybe the statute of limitations would run out and anyone who found the money could then claim it as their own.  This plan is sounding better every moment. 
    But where would one hide such a large  sum of money and not be tempted to dip into it  or tell anyone else about it?   Tracy looked around their house imagining the perfect place.  The attic, the basement, some lost, hidden, or unused closet?   All these places had their drawbacks.  First, if there was a fire,  the money could all be lost  and you can’t really claim on your house insurance that you had a couple million dollars hidden in the attic just before the house caught fire.  Then there was the discovery issue.   On some average day the meter reader, plumber or one of the kids could stumble on the stash. Anyone of them could be a headache to deal with.   Then there is the evidence factor.   If the stolen money could be traced to your house and your house was searched, and the investigators actually found it in your secret hiding place.  Then you are looking at a very substantial prison sentence.  No,  the logical thing to do is hide it somewhere that would not incriminate you, yet still be hidden enough  so that no one else would stumble upon it.   Tracy was beginning to enjoy her reasoning skills. 
    So where would one hide such a thing?   Tracy suddenly thought of a group of pirates with a galley full of stolen Spanish loot.  The Pirates would bury what treasure they could not divide up  between themselves and make a map to the secret location on an island.  There were no islands here but there was public land that had no security cameras.   State land was a good place.  A place where people could be seen and it would not draw any scrutiny.  A place where hikers, bikers and hunters could freely roam.  A place like Yankee Springs!
    Tracy’s eyes widened.  She looked up from her paper, while pulling it down with a snap.  The paper made a loud crinkling sound.   David looked over at her for a moment  just before flipping off a commercial. 
    “What?   He pointed the remote and switched back to the other program, finding that that station also had a commercial on it.
    “I think I know what is in that refrigerator.  Tracy whispered.

One September Night Chapter 5. Nothing Beats Family Dinner Chats

These things are getting more difficult to clean up!   Why was I such a bad typist?   A quick note: This scene is pure fiction.   I never ,et any of David’s kids except Samantha…when she was like,  2 or something.  old enough to throw a tantrum AND every teddy bear in her closet  at her family.  The other two had not even been born yet.   in fact, I’m not even 100% on their names!   No matter!   This is totally made up anyway.    

So enjoy Chapter 5.   Hopefully  cleaned it up enough to it is entertaining and easier to read. 

 

Chapter 5
    Whitney looked at Daniel with a questioning look. “Are you sure you heard them right?” She asked,  still holding the game controller. 
    Daniel took a sip of his water and put it down.  He nodded his head as an affirmative.   His eyes told the real story:  he was positive Dad had buried a body.  
    “Dad killed someone and buried them in a refrigerator?”  She asked,  making sure she had heard it right the first time.
    “That is what mom says.” 
    “Who would Dad kill?”   Whitney gave a doubting stare.   She began to pet the cat that had jumped up on the bed. 
    Daniel shook his head in uncertainty, “I don’t know.  Maybe it was one of Sam’s boyfriends?”   He offered,  “Dad is always saying that he is going to bury them of they mess around with his daughter.”   Daniels stroked his chin in a Sherlock Holmes way as if contemplating a possible breakthrough in the case.
    “Dad always says that.  And I’m sure Sam would know if someone from her school was missing.”  Whitney paused not really knowing what to believe.   Daniel might have meant well  but he was 2 years younger than her and a little bit immature.   He could sometimes make things bigger than they really are  Or make up things  that might not have happened at all.   She was not sure she could trust him fully at this point.  But one thing was certain.   Mom and Dad never argued,  let alone fought over anything.  Whatever had happened last night,  It must have been seriously heavy. 
    “Look if you don’t believe me, we can ask Sam when she gets home.   She might have the missing clue.”   Daniel really was beginning to feel important.  
    The reasoning was sound.  Only Sam knew all her boyfriends; both real and imaginary.   And if one of them was missing, it would certainly support the current theory.  Maybe she would have an idea of what Dad’s attitude was with the last boyfriend. 
    This was going to be tricky though  since neither Daniel nor Whitney liked Sam much at all.   She rarely spoke to either one of them unless she could put them down in some slight way.   She was very full of herself.   Not to mention that she was obviously Grandma and Grandpa’s favorite.   There was definitely a gap in the social structure and Sam felt she was at the top all the time,  no matter what Mom or Dad would say or do.  Secretly, both younger siblings gleefully relished any destruction Dad would do to Sam’s Social life.  
    “We have to ask her but we can’t let her in on the whole story.”   Whitney asserted.  “She will just make fun of us and blow the whole thing up and probably get us in trouble!”
    Daniel shook his head in agreement.  “Well  what should I do?”
    “Nothing,  I should do all the talking.  You should just listen and avoid the topic altogether.”  Whitney advised,  “If anyone asks you anything,  just shove some food in your mouth and pretend you are eating.  That way you won’t have to answer.”
    The roar of the high school bus vibrated the wall of the room  announcing that Sam was about to arrive.   The whole house braced for her red carpet entrance.   David and Tracy raced to get the food ready while Daniel and Whitney hid in Daniel’s room planning out their interrogation questions.   The cat scurried under the bed  for protection.
    “I’m home!”  Sam announced in a shrieking voice.  She opened the door and let it slam shut.   She kicked off her shoes and tossed her backpack into the living room.  
    “You’re going to break the door one  of these days!”   Tracy scolded “Be careful.” 
    “I’m starving!”  She announced, then sniffed the air as she rounded the kitchen table.   “Spaghetti?   We’re having spaghetti?” 
    “Eye!  That’s right lassie>”  David waved his hand in the air again imitating an Italian baker throwing a pizza.   “I makeah the spaghetti  perfecto.”
    Samantha scrunched her nose with disapproval.  “What are you suppose to be?  A Scottish Pirate or a mob hit man?”  She paused. “Does this have any meat in it?”
    David glanced over at her.  “No”  he confirmed  “it is totally vegetarian.”  Not really knowing if that was true or not.  He decided to error on the side of the politically correct.  Rather than get in a debate with her over the murder of thousands of poor defenseless animals to satisfy our ravenous desire for charred flesh. 
    “Where’s the jar?”  She looked over the counter searching for the familiar label. 
    “Jar?  What jar?”
    “The jar for the sauce. “
    “Are you suggesting that your mother would cheat on her Italian masterpiece by cooking spaghetti from a jar?”
    “Dad, I want to see if there are any preservatives or artificial additives in the ingredients.”
    “Are you suggestion that you mother or I would poison our little princess with any artificial additives or preservatives?”
    “No,  I think you both would just warm up some sauce not really inspecting if for any hidden toxins that over time build up in your system causing loss of memory, weight gain, and sometimes loss of motor function.”
    David scowled at her.  “Just eat it and be happy!”   He turned back around  preparing to drain the pasta.  “What kind of education is the system wasting my tax dollars on?”  He mumbled under his breath.
    With the pasta drained and the sauce served up, Supper was almost ready.  Tracy commanded Sam to set the table, which she did under protest, while David brought out the garlic bread and parmesan cheese.  Tracy summoned Daniel and Whitney to the table and supper was about to begin. 
    “Just a little for me thanks.”   Samantha commanded. 
    “I thought you were starving a second ago.”  Tracy challenged.
    “ I just want to limit my intake of toxins.”
     “What toxins?  Oh  you must mean the rat poison we put in,   in addition to the arsenic.”   David volunteered.  “But that is nothing to the all the meat by products.”  
    Daniel and Whitney giggled as Samantha’s face wrinkled into a sour prune.  They loved it when Dad took her down  several notches. 
    Daniel loaded up his fork with a big roll of spaghetti and stuffed it in his mouth, dribbling sauce down his chin.  Whitney followed his example,  all the while looking at Sam as they waved their empty forks at her.  Samantha’s face was filled with disgust. 
    “Wipe off your faces, you two.”  Tracy commanded   “Both of you should not eat like your babies. 
    Daniel wiped off his face with his napkin then cleared his throat.  “So Sam, have any of your boyfriends disappeared lately? “
    Whitney gulped down her mouthful and reflexively kicked Daniel under the table. Daniels did little to hide the pain.  David and Tracy both looked up in surprise.  First at Daniel, then at Samantha.
    “What is that suppose to mean?”  Samantha asked defensively. 
    “Yeah, what is that suppose to mean?” David asked Sam
    Whitney interrupted “ I think Daniel means are there any friends of yours that didn’t show up to school today?”  She turned to glare at Daniel. 
    Sam relaxed a bit  “Well Jamie Miles has been gone for a while.  They think he ran away or something.” 
    “Who is Jamie Miles?”  David asked still looking at Sam.  “Anyone I know?”
    “He’s that guy  that lives just a couple of blocks from here.  Down the street.  He came over once.”
    David paused a moment, thinking back in time.  “That guy?  I thought you said he was not your boy friend.”
    “Dad! He’s not my boyfriend.  I barely knew him.”
    Tracy interrupted.  “Oh! I think I read about him!”  Her eyes sparkled with a sudden inspiration.  “He was in the paper,  under missing persons.   I thought that seemed kind of close.”   She smiled inwardly as she now could put a face on the person the story was about. 
    Whitney glanced over at Daniel with a knowing gaze.  Could this be the guy Dad buried?  Daniel looked up quickly stuffing his mouth with spaghetti, conscious  of avoiding  another kick from Whitney.
    “Yeah, he has been gone a couple days I think,  His Mom and Dad  just posted that article today I guess.”   Sam slurped up a single noodle.
    “Hmm  the paper said it did not know much,  but you seem to have the inside scoop.”  Tracy pressed further,  Hoping for another piece of the puzzle. 
    “Yeah you seem to know a lot for ‘barely knowing the guy’.” David accused.
    “It’s all over school,  you can’t help but hear about it.   Everyone thinks he ran away cause he broke up with Christy Taylor.  Who is one of the most popular cheerleaders in school.   Anyway  she told him that he was too Goth and she needed  her space cause he was smothering her and stuff,   but everyone says that she really had the hots for Brian Jacobs  who is this really hot football player and even though he is only a sophomore, he is getting moved up to varsity cause he is so strong and athletic. So anyways,  she breaks up with him so she can become available for Brian but he hooks up with Joann Lipkin  and since she is a junior  and more popular than Christy, he chose her  so now  Christy is single and Jamie disappeared because he couldn’t bare the shame of having Christy dump him … but if you ask me  the joke is on her.  I mean  He was not too bad looking  and even though he has some strange clothes and strange hair, He could have cleaned up and they could have been a couple  but now Christy is alone.
    Everyone stared at Samantha, amazed at her ability to talk very fast without taking a breath. David head spun with confusion. 
    “So, you have the ‘hots’  for this Brian guy? “  David asked.  Impressed he could glean that much information.
    “Well, yeah,  Why?  It’s not like he would even look at me.  I mean  I’m just a freshmen. “
    “Maybe It’s cause you’re ugly.”  Daniel muttered,  looking up briefly then stuffing a forkful or pasta in his mouth
    Whitney stifled a laugh, sharing a look at Daniel. 
    “Hey! Mom”
    “Danny that is not very nice,   Say you’re sorry! “ Tracy demanded. 
    Daniel took another large bite of spaghetti “Amm Morry.”  He forced the words out between bites.  Whitney stifled another giggle.
    “Well I hope this Brian guy thinks twice before asking you out.”  David threatened,  twisting a ball of pasta and slurping it down.
    “So you think Jamie Miles ran away? “ Tracy asked  believing  that she had new information that had  cracked the case wide open.  Another mystery solved for detective Tracy.
    “Yeah I guess so.   Makes the most sense to me.”  Sam broke off a small bite size piece of garlic bread and nibbled on it. 
    “But something else could have happened to him, right?”  Whitney offered.
    “I don’t know,  I hardly knew him.” 
    “Dad seems to think you knew him.”
    David perked up.  “What?  What I say?”
    “You said you thought there was more going on between Sam and this Jamie guy.”  Whitney refreshed the record.
    “No I said Brian”
    “But you said Jamie before.”
    “I did?   Oh!   He turned  back to Samantha.  “Well,  was there?”
    “Dad,  I just explained that all to you.   You are destroying my popularity and giving me a bad reputation!”
    “Well if you want a bad reputation,  Just keep running around with all these guys.  They will destroy more than your reputation,  they will destroy your life.   You’ll be known as the girl that fools around with anyone.” 
    “Honey!”  Tracy stopped him. “ Can we just enjoy a meal without the ‘you’ll get pregnant before you graduate’ speech?  I’m sure Sam will make the right decisions when the time comes.  Right Sam?”
    Sam nodded her head. Her face was red with embarrassment. 
    “Fine,  Let’s talk about something else.  Danny,  what did you do in school today?”
    Daniel’s  eyes grew wide as he struggled to fill his fork with spaghetti.   He quickly stuffed in as much as he could  “hfmfmmming   He replied.
    David stared at Daniel blankly,  “You must get that from your mother. “ He turned to Whitney.   “Whitney,  please tell me that your day did not involve boys in any way shape or form.”
    “I don’t like boys daddy,   They’re icky! “
    “That’s my girl!”  David smiled and took another bite of garlic toast.
    Whitney giggled, as Sam gagged.   “Just wait till you get older, Whit’”  Sam spat,  biting her fork. 

     Soon the plates were empty and the conversation ended.   Tracy commanded everyone was responsible for removing their own plate to the kitchen and that it was Sam and Whitney’s turn to do the dishes.   David and Tracy cleared off what was left of the  bread and spaghetti and wrapped it up for Tuesday night leftovers.  Daniel jumped down and ran to his room eager to avoid any unforeseen detail that might need an extra hand.  David and Tracy wiped down the table then settled in by the television.   Tracy recovered the paper from earlier that morning rereading the missing person article  with new eyes and fresh facts.  David flipped through the channels  between animal planet, discover  channel, and the  history channel.  In the kitchen,  Samantha washed  while Whitney dried. 
    “So this Jamie guy was not really your boyfriend?”  Whitney asked
    “No he wasn’t   I only brought him home that one time.   Why does everyone care about me and Jamie?  I didn’t even like him that much.  I only brought him over to help me with math  ‘cause he  lived close by.”
    Whitney slowly wiped the plate dry.  “Do you think dad thought he was your boyfriend?”  She placed the plate on the rack.
    “In case you have not noticed,  Dad thinks every boy is my boyfriend! “  Sam was indignant.   “I have never even had a boyfriend! “ She declared.
    Whitney picked up another dish and rubbed it slowly.  “Do you think Dad would have treated Jamie any different if he really thought he was really your boyfriend?”
    “What are you talking about?”  She turned toward Whitney “You see, This is why I don’t talk to you or Danny.  Neither of you make any sense.”
    “I mean do you think Dad would have done something to Jamie?”
    “Like what?” 
    “Oh,  I don’t know,  Like maybe killed him and buried him in a refrigerator.”