The Secret Garden of Martha Grim
By Richard A. Lopez
(c) 1992
Page 27



Willie pulled his truck right up to the front steps of Martha's house, and turned off the engine. Before getting out, he took the .45 caliber pistol out of its velvet bag, checked the clip and racked a bullet into the chamber. Getting out of the truck, he tucked the gun into his waistband, pulling his shirt over it to hide it from view.
Walking over to the passenger side, he opened the door and lifted Tommy out. Wasting no time, he walked up the porch steps and to the front door. Before he could knock on the exterior screen door, a tinny voice came over a small exterior speaker..
"Come in Mr. Cole, you don't have to stand on ceremony. Place the boy in the room to your left, and then proceed to the parlor. It is the the very next room through the curtains."
The speaker clicked off, and a buzzer sounded, undoing the latch and opening the front door.
Willie, ever the cautious one, opening the outer door, he pushed the front door open with the toe of his boot, holding Tommy over his shoulder with one hand, his other staying very close to the gun in his waistband, and looked inside.
The house was dimly lit if barely that. Willie stepped inside, and carried Tommy to the room off to the left as instructed by the houses owner. The screen door closed behind him with barely an audible click. The front door closing just as Ann reached the front porch.

Running up the steps, she banged on the screen door just as it closed. Pulling on the handle, she screamed at Willie to open the door, to bring back Tommy. The latch held, and her only answer was the wind rustling the vines on the porch. She stepped back, looking for something to use to help break through the door, a brick, a chair, anything. The porch was devoid of anything that could be used as a tool or weapon, just those damned vines. She ran down to Willie's truck, quickly looked in the back where his tools were, he had to have an axe, or a pick, something, anything, to use on the door, the window. There, in the bed of the truck was machete. Grabbing it she ran up the steps, ready to rip open the screen door, when a voice came through over the small speaker just to the left of the door,stopping her in her tracks.

"Now, now Mrs.Hawkins, we can't have you doing that, now can we?" the tinny voice, almost melodic, spoke to Ann.

"I want my son you bitch!" Ann shouted, not caring if she was heard or not.

" Stand back and I'll open the door," came the voice, "Harm my house, and you will not see your son, let alone live to see out the day."
the melody was replaced my menace.

Ann took two steps back, and waited for the door to open, still clutching the machete in her right hand. She heard a buzzer, and then a loud "Click!" and a the door opened, or so she thought. It was just the wrong door. Suddenly the whole world seemed to slide away, and she was falling through space. The porch opened and swallowed her, sending her down to the basement below the Grim house.
She landed on several bags that were stacked in the corner, underneath, and tumbled to the floor. The machete banged of her leg and across the floor. She came to rest against the side wall, unconscious.

A door opened at the top of the stairs about twenty feet above her. Martha Grim looked down at the latest unwelcome arrival to her home, and smiled. "You'll be with your son, soon enough Mrs. Hawkins. Soon enough" She stepped back out of the room, leaving the door
slightly ajar..

The Secret Garden of Martha Grim
by Richard A. Lopez
(c) 1992
Page 26

Driving back to neighborhood, all four of them in John's car, they were still discussing what to do when the came face to face with Willie.
"What if Ann is there?" Callie asked..

"Why didn't we call the police again?" Carmine kept asking..

"OK, so we find him at the house, what do we do, just beat the shit out of him, and take your kid? And your wife is gonna be OK with that?"
Rudy asked, more sarcastic than anything..

"I don't care about her, for all I know she's part of this," came John's reply, a bit too sharply..."Look, I just want to get my boy out of there. I can't really ask you all to do anything that you are against doing, and I thank you for helping me this much, but Cole's got my son, and if he's hurt him, I'll kill the son of bitch!" John finished as he whipped the car around a slow moving Honda that was in front of them..

Everyone held on, tightly. Carmine made a remark about slowing down, and Rudy had said something about being in one accident today already, but it was Callie, who brought him around to reality when she touched his shoulder lightly and said, "John, Tommy..."
John slowed down to safer speed.
Tommy, he thought, hold on..I'm coming...daddy's coming..
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Ann reached the gates just as they closed, just in time to see Willie's truck drive up to the large, vine covered Victorian home that was the
Grim house.
She held the iron bars of the closed gate in a death grip, screaming his name, as he disappeared from sight behind an overly large tree with a gnarled bark.
"My God," she thought, "He's taking Tommy to her, but why? What could she want with Tommy?" Then as if answering her own question, she thought of Sheriff Quinn!
Willie was always talking about how he thought that Martha had something to do with the Sheriff's disappearance. She thought he was just talking. What if he was right. What if she was some kind of killer and he was going to trade Tommy for that so-called "secret" she had.
But he also had the gun.
What if he was going to trick her, and use the gun instead? Was he crazy enough to do this? What if Tommy got caught in the middle?
Who was she kidding, she didn't care so much as she did that if John found out that Willie had put Tommy in harms way, he would hold her solely responsible. And that meant she would go to jail.
That was something she couldn't handle. She had to get Tommy out of there, now!
Ann started to climb. The gate had wicked looking spear points on the top, god she didn't want to get hung up on those.
Suddenly, the buzzer sounded and the gates started to open. She held on for a bit, then let go, once she was sure that she was inside the property. Moving away from the gate and its wicked looking points, she started slowly first, but faster, up the walk.
Not noticing how the vines had closed in behind her, completely covering the walk and pathway, slowly creeping up the way and closing the gap. Silently herding her towards the house.

The Secret Garden of Martha Grim
by Richard A. Lopez
(c) 1992
Page 25

Willie pulled up to the house fifteen minutes after leaving Rudy at the crash site. He had to be quick, he didn't know where Ann was or if he'd run into her. If he did, he wasn't sure what was going to happen, or what he was going to do. She was either going to go along with his plan, or maybe he'd just take her out of the picture all together. He didn't know what that Grim bitch did with em, but he knew she did something with the sheriff. That was his ace in the hole. He knew her little secret and that was going the get him the big secret he had been wanting all this time. If Ann had to be lost in the bargain, hey, that's life.
He shifted Tommy down onto the seat, out of view. The kid was still out. He had a lump on his head the size of a walnut, but far as Willie could tell, it didn't look like anything was broken, and there were no cuts to speak of. Must have just knock himself silly, Willie thought. Well better for me. I know that Martha did something with the Sheriff, and if that's her thing, fine, so now I got something to trade with.

He got out and went into the house from the back way. He didn't even bother to call for Ann. He figured if she's not within earshot, then she's not here, and that was good, he didn't need the hassle. Running upstairs, he went straight to their room and the trunk at the foot of the bed. Opening it, he began to rumage through it, tossing things out that were most certainly in the way, until he found what he was looking for, and pulled it out of the trunk. Taking his sought after prize, he strode out of the room and back down stairs. This was his insurance, just in case Ms. Grim decided she didn't want to accept his proposition, or tried anything stupid.

There was nothing that .45 caliber slug couldn't change. That was the only piece of information that his old man had past on that he had deemed worth holding on to.

He strode out of the house, a man with a purpose. A twisted, self-centered purpose that would serve only on master, and had no room for
anyone else.
Including a divorced woman and her overly curious brat of ten year old son.
Getting back into the truck, package in hand, he shifted Tommy up so that he could get in, and shut the door. Starting up the truck and backing out of the driveway, he gave just a casual glance back over his shoulder and saw her, she was deep in the back of the garage, but he could just make out her silhouette. He raised Tommy's head just a bit, just to that the top of his head could be seen over the dash, "Yeah, that oughta bring you out from your hiding spot." he muttered to himself as he backed into the street an drove toward the Grim house.
Pulling up to her driveway, he pushed the buzzer and waited for her to answer. Looking out the corner of his eye, he could see Ann at the end of her driveway, looking. "Yeah watch, bitch, watch as I give your little brat up as bait."
The gate buzzed open.
"What the hell is this?" Willie said aloud, "just what the hell do you got up your sleeve, lady?"
Willie drove the truck forward through the gates as they opened wider. As he did, he cast a sideways look, and saw Ann running down the street, toward him. Running? Hell she was sprinting, but he was already through the gates and heading up the winding driveway as the gates closed behind him.
With Ann grabbing at them and screaming at him to come back...

The Secret Garden of Martha Grim
by Richard A. Lopez
Page 24

Ann was in the garage when she heard Willie's truck come up the driveway. She put the box of rat poison back on the shelf, and hid back in the corner, out of view from the wide opened garage door. God if he found her in here among his stuff, he'd be suspicious, and she would try to lie, but she couldn't lie to him, never could. Then who knows what would happen. Why was she so afraid of him, this was her house, dammit! She took it from John, and this ass was not going to run her out of it, he wa...she looked around, Willie's tools were everywhere. His boxes and bags of feed, and grass. Machines in various state of repair. His clothes and junk all over the house. Who was she kidding, he had already moved in and her just about out. Well no, dammit, she was not going to sit by while he took her house and went after that Grim bitch!
All this time he just wanted to have his cake and eat it too. Only thing was, Ann was just a slice of the cake, the bigger portion was Grim.
All this talk about her so-called secret. Growing things when other people were having problems...how he would be rich. Yeah, how he would be rich. Never how they would be rich, always him. God! How stupid could she be? She let this man into her life, her home..Her marriage, that was already over, she knew that, but he was taking everything else. And where was Tommy? Sure he was a pain in the ass, but he was her pain in the ass, and her way of making sure that the money from John kept coming.
"oh my god!" she thought, "what if Willie did something to him?" Thoughts were racing through her mind as she watched Willie stop the truck and rush into the house, he seemed frantic. He didn't even call out for her. Rising, she moved to the opposite side of the garage, where she could not be seen from the end of driveway, and waited. She didn't have to wait long.
Willie came running out of the kitchen door carrying a red velvet bag, about the size of a small radio, like something you would carry a shaving kit in. Or a gun.
Willie kept a gun in red velvet bag, just like that one. Was he going to get rid of it? Did he need money that bad? Or was it something else..was he going to use it?
Was he going to use it on John? Was he going to use on Martha?
Was he going to use it on me?
Her questions were answered as Willie jumped back in his truck, she saw him adjust something in the seat beside him. She saw a shock of blond hair, a mass of cowlicks.

Tommy!

That bastard had Tommy in the truck! And from the look of things, he didn't look like he was conscious. Oh God, he hurt Tommy, and now he was driving somewhere with a gun. She was putting things together in her mind. Tommy saw something, Saw Willie do something, and now Willie was going to get rid of him! Oh no..
Odd time for the maternal instinct to kick in, Ann dear, but he's still your kid, no one was going to do this to him.
Ann stepped out from her hiding spot, and ran quickly to the garage opening, but Willie was already pulling out of the drive and into the street.

Going towards the Grim house.

Ann was running now. What was he planning on doing, trading her son for that so-called secret? That sick bastard!
She reached the end of the driveway just in time to see the truck pull up to Martha's driveway, and Willie reach out to ring her bell.
Noticing very few, if any cars on the street, most people were at work, or in town, she did notice one thing that made her breath catch in her throat....
Tommy's bike was in the middle of the street.
And then she was running....
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The Secret Garden of Martha Grim.
By Richard A. Lopez
(c) 1992
page 23

Martha's vine's often whispered to her when the wind blew, or when some small animal had the misfortune to stray too close to the blooms. They told her who came and went, what was going on in the valley, who was near the house, and who had found out too much about the garden. Or had been inquiring a bit too much.
She knew of Rudy's "accident" long before he was found by the delivery man. She had considered sending the vines to retrieve the boy, but Cole had handled that for her. And now he was bringing him back to her. Only he didn't know it. Silly mammals. She couldn't have them running around telling stories about her and her garden. People would come. They would destroy it. harm her children. She could not have that. No, she would have her children prepare. She was going to have guests. Yes, she would have them prepare...For a feast.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Carmine bandaged Rudy's cut, while he recanted the story of how he was run off the road by Willie, and how he had just come to in time to see Cole's truck drive off with Tommy. He'd managed to get out of the truck and flag down Beck and get a ride into town. He apologised for the tenth time for losing Tommy, and John told him, again, that it wasn't his fault. Beck had gone for the Police, but they were out on Route 47 involved in some big pile up, something about a tree falling across the highway.

Callie knew this was wrong. The police were conveniently out of the picture. She knew Martha had to be the cause of this. She had this control over the plants. Not all plants, just that ugly vine. But if it could move like she saw today, then what would stop it from moving and uprooting a tree? This was impossible. Plants don't do this. Sure there was the Pitcher Plant, and the Venus Fly Trap, and Sun dew, but we were talking about plants that crawled, and lured animals to their death, and uprooted other trees five miles away!
"Oh my god!" Callie said aloud, "It's her. She's doing this. Don't you see. Those vines move, they move, they killed Sarge, and they're going to kill Tommy! He witnessed it! I didn't see it then but now it all makes sense!"
"What does Callie?" John asked, he was looking thru the racks for a good size ax handle, he was going to use it on that idiots head..
Callie continued, "My Mother, she used to tell me, she would see the vines move against the wind...I used to tell her, don't you mean with the wind? and she would say "no dear, they move against the wind." Then I found her dead in the garden, I thought she had died of a heart attack, they even said they'd found pieces of the leaves in her nostrils, but thought nothing of it because we had found her tangled amongst the vines and foliage in her garden, but she hand been pointing. Oh mother, you were trying to tell us." Callie voice caught in her throat. The tears began to well up in her eyes, as she thought of her mother being murdered by that vine.
"Wait a minute, what are we talking about here?" Rudy asked, the disbelief in his voice as palpable as the sawdust that hung in the air. "Stalking vines? come on now.."
John came back from the bins with two short handled machete's with hooked blade, "I don't care if its Vines or what, all I know is that Willie Cole has my son, and I aim to have him back or I'm going to split his skull like a ripe melon."

Carmine came around the counter, and stood in front of John, "Listen, my son got hurt, too. If I want anything in this world right now it's to have my hands on that bastardo's throat! but we have to think clearly. We can't just go storming off like some wild west lynch mob. If we are going to get your boy back, we have to have a plan."
John looked at Carmine, he knew he was right, but right didn't matter now. Only getting Tommy back. He stepped back, lowered the cutting tools. He would listen to what his friend had to say.
"OK, so lets get some things together, that we might need. Now miss Callie, you said this vine, it moved..like a snake? hmmm,
Only vine I know that can act like that is kudzu." Carmine explained.
"What the hell is kudzu?" John asked impatiently.
'' Kudzu," Carmine continued, "Is a vine that completely takes over the area it grows in. It's predatory. Chokes out everything.."
"Yeah Pop, but Kudzu doesn't do the things that we've heard here." Rudy interjected.
"No," Callie said, " but the Grim's were botanists, and they did travel extensively. Who's to say they didn't bring back something that had yet to be categorized? A new or maybe thought extinct species of plant or vine that just needed the right environment to grow and flourish. Maybe Martha saw this and cultivated it."
"You know this is a lot of maybes." John said. "The only absolute is that Willie has my son. We know he's been hard up to get her secret for growing. What if he plans to use my son in someway to get that secret..." John trailed off..
"Oh my god," Callie finished his thought for him, "You don't think he'd offer Tommy in trade for that 'so-called secret' do you?'
It was Rudy that spoke this time, "If he thinks it will get him what he wants,and he wants it bad enough, he'd trade his soul for it. If this so-called vine does what you say it does, and she is controlling it like you think she is, then this idiot is not going to make a bargain, he's going to his death. With Tommy in tow."
"Tommy was a witness." Callie said, "Just like my Mother..."
"We have to go now!" John was heading for the door as he spoke.

The Secret Garden of Martha Grim
By Richard A. Lopez
(c) 1992
page 22




Willie Cole had grown up in Porters Crossing. He was born here. He knew ever back trail, and side rode there was. That meant short cuts, too. So it was no big thing to cut off Rudy at Chalmer's point, a spot on the main road that was once used for logging. The back roads would tear a regular car to bits. You had to have a truck.
Not just any truck, a four wheel drive, with a damn powerful engine, a truck like Willie's.
Not like Rudy's

He had caught up with them at the point, and was waiting. They never knew what hit them. Willie came out of that old logging road, caught them in the rear quarter panel of the truck. "Wham!" The huge re-enforced bumper of Willie's Dodge "Power-Wagon" sent Rudy's smaller Pick-up Truck for a spin!

Fighting to maintain control of the truck, and hold on to Tommy at the same time, Rudy was on the fine edge of panic as the little truck careened acrossed the road and into the ditch on the other side of the road. At the last minute he pushed Tommy back into the seat, as the airbags deployed and the truck came to a jarring halt!
Willie sat in his truck, looking back at the truck as it sat in the ditch. He was waiting, watching, to see if it would explode. He didn't think he hit it that hard, but he had to be sure. After all, the kid was in there, and he needed the kid. The whole plan depended on the kid.
When he was sure that the truck wouldn't explode, Willie got out and approached it, he had to hurry. someone might come by and see what was going on, then he'd be fucked.
The ditch was well below the road, and you would have to be coming from the opposite side to see the truck, so he was cool..no cars were coming. He had to work fast. Going into the ditch, Willie reached the passenger side of the truck, the window was smashed. he looked in to see the kid slumped down against Infano. Seat belts! Infano had sense after all.
Wasting no time, Cole pulled out his pocketknife, reached in and slashed at the belt that held Tommy. He pulled the boy from the car, like he was a rag doll, and placed him on the ground. Tommy groaned. "Good," he thought, "at least the kid was alive."
Raising the knife, Willie was going to make sure that Rudy didn't wake up from this accident, when he heard a car coming. "Dammit!" He said aloud.
Looking to the road, waiting for the car to stop. When it didn't he knew he was right about the placement of his truck and this wreck, but he had to get out. Screw Infano, he'd probably die before help came anyway.
Willie left him in the truck and picked up Tommy and climbed out of the ditch and towards his truck.
Opening the door, he tossed Tommy in and climbed in after him. Starting up the truck, he tore off down the old logging road like the devil himself was after him, with Tommy moaning by his side.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Callie McDeal stood in the doorway, the expression she saw on both men's faces told her what she feared most. Somehow, Martha Grim had gotten to the boys. that had to be it. there was no other way they would not have arrived before her.
She walked quickly to the front counter and gripped John's shoulder, before she knew what she was doing, pleading with him to tell her where they were. That they had to have arrived before her, they just had to!

John stood at least a head taller then her, and looked down into her eyes. It was like looking into deep black pools and for a moment he lost his train of thought. Carmine's voice brought him back around to the land of the living.
"Miss Callie, what are you talking about, ma'am?" he asked, sensing John's loss for words, "What do you mean?"
Callie hesitated for a moment, returning John's gaze with the same momentary intensity, then broke away to face Carmine.
"Rudy was headed here with Tommy, Tommy had to speak with his father." she looked back at John, now realizing that she was still gripping his shoulder, which she let go quickly. John noticed just a slight blush to her cheeks as she did so.

She continued her story, "Your son saw something, something awful, John. He was having Rudy bring him here to get your help. John, your son needs you to believe him.." she looked into his eyes again, this time with a strong conviction.

Again, John was struck by the beauty of this woman's eyes. They were like deep pools of black ink, that took you deep into her soul.
He forced himself to focus. "What did he see, Callie" his familiarity shocked him a bit, the amount of times he'd talked to her, he could count on two hands, but now was not the time to stand on ceremony. "Why was my boy coming here with Rudy?"


Callie clasped her hands to her chest, playing the scene over again for the two men. Poor Sarge's death. That vine slowly reaching out for Tommy while he made for Rudy's truck. The leaves wiping and absorbing the blood. Even now, as she recanted what she and Tommy had seen, it sounded more incredible than ever. Had she not witnessed it, she'd think herself mad.
This was madness. Plants tempting animals to their doom. attempting to take little boys off the street! It was too far flung to believe, but she saw it, from her bedroom window, she watched it all. And suddenly the tears started to flow. "That stupid cat," she said, sobbing, "He was always going near that garden. He'd never go in, just near. Why John? Why my Sarge?" she looked at him, tears rolling down from those dark pools..
"God, she even cried beautifully" he thought" John put his hands on her shoulders, soft, but firm, he thought.."Stop that, dammit! focus" he thought to himself, "Hey now, I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation..we just need to find it. We need to see what's up with Rudy and Tommy.."

"Yeah, speaking of those two, Rudy should have been here by now. Tell you what, I'm going to call him, that's what I'll do. We'll find out where he is right now!" Carmine said, and went to the phone behind the counter.
As Carmine dialed Rudy's number, John got Callie a bottled water from the case at the side of the counter. "There you go, drink that, you'll feel better." he said
She thanked him as she took the water. He had even opened the cap and then placed it back, so as not to spill, How could Ann give such a gentleman up was beyond her, but then that woman was a fool.
Carmine came back to them, "There was no answer. Now I'm starting to get worried." The fear was showing on his weathered features.

"You should be.." Came the voice from the doorway...
They all turned to look. Standing in the doorway, with the assist of Daniel Beck, the local UPS Carrier, was Rudy, holding a bloody rag to his head. "John, Willie took your son...right after he ran us off the road!"

The Secret Garden Of Martha Grim
By Richard A. Lopez
(c) 1992
PAGE 21




John walked down the street, a dejected man. His wife had lied in the divorce, made him out to be a bad husband and father, taken his house, his son and according to Melvin Sharpleton, Attorney at Law, there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it except "be a good boy!"
Meanwhile, that bastard, Willie Cole was shacked up in John's house, doing his wife, and probably mistreating his kid. Yeah, life was really fair...but he wasn't going to get anywhere moping about it.
To hell with Melvin Sharpleton! John was going to find out what the hell was going on, his son was miserable, and he knew Cole was at the root of it all. "Ann dammit!" he said aloud, not caring who heard him, didn't she care about the welfare of her own son? Was she really that selfish? John had to do something, this was his son, goddammit! If she didn't care, then the hell with her. He and Tommy would just leave. Take off. There were lots of places they could go.
"Yeah moron, you'd get 10 miles out of town, before the State Police caught you and then what? Tommy ends up in foster homes, and you end up the bitch of some big guy named Vinnie..." That last thought almost made him laugh, if he weren't so worried about Tommy. Something just had to be done.

Walking down the street, lost in his thoughts, John almost didn't hear someone that was calling to him. Turning, he saw Carmine Infano waving frantically from the front of his store.
John had known Carmine from the first day he moved to Porters Crossing. He had come to know and trust him and his son Rudy as very good friends, and occasionally played poker with them on Friday nights. What he seemed to want must be urgent, because Carmine always had a smile for him and Tommy, and today he wasn't smiling.

"Carmine, what's going on? you like someone slapped your best friend." John said with a smile, trying to mask his own worries.

"They did my friend, the did..Come into the store, I have something to tell you and it concerns you.." Carmine said, ushering John into the store, and right up to the counter.

John could smell the sawdust on the floor, and the bags of mulch. The plant foods and fertilizers ,flowers and animal feeds. All the aromas mixing with the smells of woods and oils. Everything a country hardware store should smell like. But there was something that wasn't right. Carmine's manner was off. He was not the jovial man that John had seen everyday that he came into the store. No, today he was serious, and it worried him.
"OK Carmine, what's so important that you had to pull me in off the street? Beckmans have a new rod and reel combo coming out, and you got in the new prototype?" John said, half kidding.

" This is not funny, John.." Carmine admonished him, "this is serious, it involves your little Tommy, Rudy.." before he could finish, John cut him off..

"Tommy! What about Tommy? What's happened? what do you know? Tell me, Carmine!" The fear in John's voice was audible and Carmine understood it, but did his best to calm him.

"Now, now John, take it easy, Tommy is alright, he's with Rudy. They're on their way here, now. Tommy said he needed to see you..said it was very important. Now John, I'm going to tell you something, you're not going to like it, but for Tommy's sake, you have to remain calm. Can you do that for me?"

John wasn't sure what he was hearing but if it was what he thought, there was no way in hell he would be able to remain calm.
"That bastard hit my boy, didn't he, Carmine.." it wasn't a question...
"That's what Rudy told me..I don't know the whole story, that's why I'm waiting for the boys to get here. Like Rudy is always telling me, we can't jump to...what is the word? Contusions?" Carmine said, mispronouncing the word.

"It's conclusions, I know..but if that's what it is, Carmine, I swear, I'll kill that bastard!"

"John, if you do, where would that leave Tommy? With her, for good! Do you really want that?"

John thought hard...no. He didn't want that, but he wasn't going to let that bastard get away with mistreating his son. "OK, OK...Damn lawyer wanted proof, now we got it. Now I'll get Tommy out of there. Now they have to give me custody." he said.

"Yes, and then you raise him to be a fine man, like his papa. who knows, maybe you meet a nice woman, treat you and your son real good. Make a real good mama for him, good wife for you." Carmine said with a smile.

"Don't know about that, Carmine."

"Never say nev..." Carmine stopped in mid-sentence and John looked to where his gaze had trailed off to.
In the doorway stood a very pretty woman standing in the doorway. John had seen her before. She lived down the street from his house, or what used to be his house. McDeal, Callie McDeal. He had seen her a few times, even spoke to her, she was a kind woman, very pretty, lived in the home across the way from Martha Grim. He had helped her with a flat tire once, he remembered, because it pissed off Ann. She even went as far as accusing him of seeing her on a few occasions. Not that he wouldn't mind now, but then, he had told her she was being ridiculous which pissed her off even more.
Now the woman stood there in very becoming summer dress, which did not hide her figure one bit. Her shoulder length blond hair, blew slightly in the breeze, and even in sneakers he could tell she was at least five foot seven. The two men stared, speechless for a few seconds. When finally she spoke, it was not for flower seeds, or plant mix. What she said stunned the both of them.
"Are they here? They have to be here...they left before I did. John, where's your son?"

Panic filled his heart....

The Secret Garden Of Martha Grim
by Richard A.Lopez @1992
Page 20


From her window on the veranda, just above the west portico, Martha could see the whole street. She could see her whole west garden, and the street below. The windows were tinted so, that no one could see inside, but she could stand here, unclothed as the day she was born, caressed by the leaves of the 'sanguinolentum Vitus' or Blood vine. The cool waxy leaves were like a lovers touch, holding and stroking her, cupping her chin, her breasts, stroking her hair. Their blood red in stark contrast to her alabaster skin.

Who'd have thought that such a vast network of vine, flowers and trees could grow from one branch. Certainly not her parents. They thought it was just another species of orchid for the Greenhouse. Silly people. How stupid had they been. How surprised had they been when, after all their failure to grow it, their special feeds and fertilizers, all their so-called expertise, and it was she, know nothing Martha who figured out how to save the plant. Albeit by accident, but still, were it not for her falling and cutting her arm on that trowel, the blood dripping onto the poor dying plant. It responded almost immediately.
She remembered her surprise when she first caught sight of the deep red bloom. The way the vines stretched out, like they were reaching for the sunlight. But it wasn't the sun they were reaching for, it was her! They wanted Martha! And she gave to them..all they wanted. The sting of the thorns sent waves of pain and ecstasy through her like bolts of electricity! She was only fourteen, but she had never felt so alive because the plant not only took, It gave!
There was something in the venom of those stings, she reacted to it in such a way, that she knew she had to care for this Creature. It was not a just a plant, it was a living, thinking being! As it germinated, the seedlings would call to her, cry to be fed. And she would feed them. Small animals at first, rodents, birds, anything that could be caught
and drained. It wasn't long before, with a little research, she had found the true name of the vine.
'Sanguinolentum Vitus', the Blood Vine, or the "Red Creeper" as the Botanist had called it. He said it was more like a "weed" than a plant, not much of anything, should just get rid of it. The fool. What did he know. Martha kept his name, though, she would show him how much of a "weed" her beautiful flowers were.
Soon they were taking over her room. She slept on a bed of vines and leaves, that covered her once pillow soft mattress. Vines crawled up the walls, covered the ceiling, floor, windows. Her parents, found one of the flowering plants in the Greenhouse, almost as big as German Shepard dog, tucked away in the northwest corner. When they attempted to dislodge the vine from the log base, well, Mother was not as fast as Father. The Vine lived up to its derogatory name of "Creeper" as it sent out tendril ls to encircle her mother's legs. She did not feel the vines on her legs so much as she did the thorns, once the plant made its grab for her. Then it was too late. The thorns bit deep, as they took hold of her legs and thighs, knocking her off balance. Martha was in the kitchen when she heard her Mother's screams fill the house. A mix of terror and surprise.
When Martha had run into the Greenhouse, what she saw was almost comical in her eyes. Mother was entangled and bleeding on the floor, the vine creeping and whipping about her, Father was tearing at madly! A small trowel in one hand, slashing and rending the Vine. Each cut was like a tear at her own soul! This was the one of the first seedlings, her baby, and he was killing it!
Her Father raised the trowel and stabbed it into the mossy log. A thick, viscus sap, bubbled from the wound, and a long, low moan could be heard, filling the Greenhouse. For one moment, Martha thought it was coming from deep within her very being, but no, it was the plant, it was calling for her. Calling for her to save it from it's tormentors.

"STOP!" She screamed at them, as they toiled with the vine. "You're killing it, stop it!" she cried, the tears were flowing down her face, staining her pale green dress.

"Martha!" Her Father called in earnest, "Girl quickly, that can of Ammonia and sulphur...there to your right! hurry girl, it will kill anything!" he was pointing to a spray can to her right.."MARTHA GODDAMN IT GIRL! THE CAN!" he yelled as a vine whipped out and slashed at his face, her Mother struggling to keep the vines away from her throat, looked to her with pleading eyes.

It was at that moment that Martha Grim made her choice in this world. She knew who her family was. This people struggling with her child, they were not her parents. Her parents loved the botanical world. They would never create anything that would poison it.
She knew what she had to do. Who had to be saved.
Looking up, she noticed the large skylight to the Greenhouse was opened. She knew that it was in a state of repair, and the motor was not to be engaged, Father had said that the skylight would come down too fast, causing to glass to shatter. Anyone caught under that could be cut to ribbons, in a hale of glass shards.
Instead of walking to her right, Martha walked off to her left, towards the house, and the controls for the skylight.
Her parents were screaming for her now.
Her Father tried to rise to go after her, the vine wrapped more tendrills around his legs and arms, holding him down. The thorns ripped and bit into him mercilessly, almost vengefully, he thought. "This can't be happening! Martha dammit, help us!" he screamed.."Pleas..." his words were cut off by the vine that encircled his throat and squeezed. strangling as it pulled him backwards.

Martha walked in a dream state. Her parents pleas lost among the rustling of the vines and leaves. Slowly her hand reached out to the panel that held the controls for the skylight. Entering the door to the pantry, she gave one last look to the people that were flailing there on the floor. Silly little mammals, she thought, and pressed the red button marked "close". There was a loud groan and screech of metal upon metal, as the the gears protested, then gave way to the weight of the heavy metal frame and glass panels. She watched as it rocked for a moment, then with another louder groan, the panel came rushing down to slam shut against the metal frame!
The shattering of glass mingled with the screams of her parents, and the shards rained down razor sharp death upon them.

The silence was deafening. Her parents lay still, impaled amongst their precious orchids and English roses. Martha walked out, past their bodies, through the blood, and gently picked up the mossy covered log. She removed two shards of glass, then ever so lightly, placed it in a pool of blood.

Slowly, very slowly, the vines extended from the log, and rolled out into the pooling blood. Playing among the liquid and then the thorns extended, flexing like fingers, the vines pulsating, drinking deeply. The cuts in the log were healing almost immediately! Martha watched in awe, as a vine reached out to her, dripping crimson, it wrapped around her wrist, slender needles pierced her skin.
But it was not taking blood, it was giving! She felt the hot mixture of venom and her parents blood course through her veins. She was becoming one with the vine. She was becoming "Sanguinolentum hominus Vitus!"
The Human Blood Vine!
She was in heaven!

Before she knew it, there was no more blood. the log was covered in waxy red blooms, and her parents bodies were
lying where they had been..covered in glass..with just enough blood to look like an accident.

Martha took the log inside. It was as light as a feather. She'd call the authorities later....maybe. Maybe they'd stay where they lay, good food for the other plants.

Maybe..

She went inside..

The Secret Garden of Martha Grim
By Richard Loez. @ 1992

Page 19

Tommy Hawkins didn't like the man that stayed with Mommy. He was mean, and made him him sit quiet for hours in his room. Tommy wanted his daddy to come back home. He didn't understand why he left, why he was could only see him on weekends, but he knew he didn't like it, and that somehow, that Man had something to do with it. Maybe even cause it. He was ten years old, but he wasn't stupid. Tommy knew a lot more than grown-ups thought he did.

Grown ups never played right with each other, Tommy thought, always yelling and fighting. Why couldn't they play right, he wondered. Now his mommy was playing with the mean man. Tommy didn't like that, he didn't think his daddy liked it either.
That's why Tommy spent most of his day riding his bike away from the house, just so he wouldn't have to be around them. Not like they cared. Sometimes he just rode around the block, sometimes he rode up and down the street. Other times, he would ride down to the Jungle house. Tommy would always stay out in the street, when he came to the Jungle house. No, no..he would never go on the sidewalk there. That was just too close. No one would believe him, but he could hear the plants, the trees, they were breathing. It wasn't his imagination, it wasn't! And now, now after what happened to Sarge the cat, now they had to believe him.
And he would prove it. He could take them there, Rudy could take them all back there.

Somehow he was going to prove that there was something wrong about that woman's garden. And how can she not get old? His Mommy and Daddy got older, how did she stay the same?
He was only ten years old, but he knew one thing, and that was that people don't stay the same. She was wrong, her garden was wrong. Tommy Hawkins was going to prove it. Somehow...

Rudy was talking, but all he could hear was the wind, and the sound of Sarge, dying in the grip of that vine.
Tommy had to make them believe him, he just had to...

THE SECRET GARDEN OF MARTHA GRIM
PAGE 18

Rudy Infano had picked up Tommy Hawkins just outside of the Grim house. The kid was this side of hysterical. Stating that he had to see his dad, something about the garden, and a dead cat. God, Rudy hoped he wasn't going to get in trouble for this. That would look great on a resume, child stealing.

Man, he just knew his dad was going to yell. "Why didn't you just take him home?" he'd say. "Why you gotta bring him here? This ain't gonna be good for business, ya know. This is kidnapping!" he could hear him now.
Holy crap! Cell phone! Why didn't he think of that sooner? Idiot. He pulled his cell phone from his shirt pocket and dialed the store's number.
"Hello? Pop? yeah, it's Rudy. Listen Pop...what? yeah, delivery when fine, dropped off the stuff. telling ya pop, that broads a weird duck..listen, that's not what I'm calling about, listen, is John Hawkins there?"

"John Hawkins?" Carmine Infano repeated, a bit bewildered at the question, "why would John be here?"
"Listen, Rudy, I need you to get back here, I have a few more deliveries, and the..."

"Pop," Rudy interrupted, " I need to find John, have you seen him? Yes it's important..it involves his son, Tommy."

"Tommy? When did you see Tommy?" Carmine asked, "is he OK? I he hurt? That Cole! I knew it! That bastardo..."

There he goes again, Rudy thought, jumping to conclusions. His dad was a nice enough guy, but was a bit too easy to fly off the handle. "No Pop, its nothing like that, Tommy just needs to see his dad, and he asked me for a ride into town. What?....No, she doesn't..." Here it comes..

"WHAT!" his dad yelled into the phone, "Are You insane? What were you thinking...No, you weren't thinking...I.."

"POP!" Rudy yelled back, "Will you calm down..the kid was freaked, and he didn't want to go home, I didn't have a choice, you didn't see him..Look, I'll explain it when I get there. Just do me a favor and get Hawkins to the store, ok..Alright..bye."

Rudy hung up the phone with a click of the flip lid. He had never yelled at his dad like that, but he had to stop his tirade somehow. Tommy just stared at him. "Crap," Rudy thought, he better say something, kid probably thought something was wrong or he did something wrong.. "Hey, umm..it's OK Tommy, we're going to go to my dad's store, you remember my dad's store? Yeah, well, we're gonna go there, I just called him, let him know to get your dad, so he could meet us there.." jeez he was hoping the kid bought this.

"I remember your dad." Tommy said, looking out the window, "My dad said he could always trust him to give you a square deal. What's a square deal?"

Rudy smiled and said, "It means my dad's a fair guy, and its true, he is."

"You don't believe me, do you, Rudy." Tommy said, more of a statement, than a question.

"Kid, the way you looked, I don't know..I mean, I just came out of there, and that lady's a strange one, I'll give you that, but "cat killing-vines", That's a bit much to swallow, you know? I mean you have to look at it from my angle, you know.."

"But it did happen,Rudy!" Tommy blurted out, "I saw it, Sarge was there, then the vines grabbed him, like long fingers, and they pulled him in. They twisted him, like...like he was a rag." The kid was on the verge of tears..

"OK, OK...Take it easy, I'll take you to your dad, we'll get this sorted out. You'll see.."Rudy put a hand on the kids shoulder, to calm him. Man this kid was seriously freaked. He hoped his dad could find John Hawkins, or there was gonna be some real problems.

The drive into town continued in silence..
------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Damn it Woman, would it kill you to put some damn meat in this house!" Willie slammed the refrigerator door shut.
All that damn veggie crap was driving him nuts. A man could eat so much turkey meat. He wanted a good steak every now and then. So what if she didn't eat it, He did, and damn it he wanted steak with his goddamn potatoes!

"Listen Willie" Ann said, as she came into the kitchen, "Don't go yelling at me, just who the hell do you think you are?
You forget, this is my house, and this is my kitchen, and my damn fridge. I'll put whatever the hell I want in it. If you don't like the food in it, go eat out." She took a defiant stance by the fridge and continued "You knew i was a vegetarian and besides, I bought you the turkey meat. So quit your complaining. So there's your damn meat! There!
What do you think about that?"

Willie softened his gaze, walked over to her from where he stood by the sink, smiled, and with the reflexes of a cat, shot out the back of his left hand that caught her on the right cheek, hard enough to knock her off balance and against the fridge. In the same movement, with the same hand, he grabbed her hair and held her hard against the refrigerator door.
"Say something now! Say something now! What? nothing smart? How about I take one of those carrots and ram it down your throat, huh? Yeah, you don't mind meat much when you're on your knees, do you!"
The words spit out of his mouth with venom, "Don't you ever think that you can talk that way to me, bitch! you understand? DO YOU! I'm Willie Fucking Cole! I fucking own you! and that brat of yours..I'll do what I want, when I want...and now I want meat! You hear me..MEAT!"

He let her go.

She sat on the floor sobbing uncontrollably. He'd never been like this. My God, what have I let in my house? she thought. Near my son..She knew his business was suffering, he'd been more and more irritable. All he could talk about was that damn house and that woman and her garden.
Now this! He'd been rough, but he'd never struck her. She could barely understand the ranting with the ringing in her head. Something about shopping for food. Then he was in her face again..."Now..you would like it if i took you now, wouldn't you..damn whore, no wonder your husband left you. Well you ain't worth it now..Now I want food, and..."
He stopped in mid sentence, was looking out the window.
Suddenly he bolted from the room.
She could hear his truck start up and leave out of the driveway.
Slowly she got up. Walked out of the kitchen and into the downstairs bath. Looking into the mirror, she examined the damage. Her right cheek was already swelling, and with her fair skin, that was going to bruise, she could tell that right off. Her head was sore where it he had banged it up against the fridge door, and it hurt where he had pulled it.

Throwing some water in her face, she fixed her makeup, and hair, to cover the spot where he hit her, grabbed her largest pair of sunglasses, and went out to her car. He wanted meat..She would have to go to town, to the store.
She'd also buy some of that stuff for the rats. That had arsenic in it, didn't? She had just decided to kill him not when he hit her, but when he said she wasn't worth anything. No one tells Ann Taylor-Hawkins that she's worthless. Especially some no account gardener.
Hitting her just signed his death warrant.

THE SECRET GARDEN OF MARTHA GRIM
by Richard A.Lopez @
page 17

Callie McDeal had been living across the street from Martha Grim, since her parents had moved to Porters Crossing
when she was a child, and in that time she had seen many a strange thing at the Grim house, but none so strange as what she had just witnessed today. She had known the Grim's before they "died", and that was a word she used with much suspicion, as she had never really been to the funeral, nor had she heard her parents speak of ever going.
She just remembered coming home from summer camp one August, to find out from her Mother that the Grim's had passed, and that Martha's maiden Aunt would be coming to stay with her.
Callie had hardly seen Martha in all the time she had been growing up, and could never remember a day she had seen her at school, or ever having her in any of her classes. "Home Schooled", her Mother had called it, said that her Aunt was the executor of the Grim's will, and had used the money to care for Martha, and maintain the family home.
"Guess that money pays for fine tutors, too" Callie's Father had commented, one evening, after seeing a young man of a bookish nature, call on the Grim home.

Even after Callie had returned from College, to stay with her mom, after dad died, she often wondered about Martha and her Aunt. Mom had said that the Aunt had passed away some years back, or so she assumed..not having seen the woman.
"How do you know, Mother?" Callie had asked.

"Well she must have," Mrs. McDeal had replied, "The woman was eighty if she was a day, and very pale. With that garden, you'd think they've gotten more sun."

"Maybe they had a Gardener?" Callie said.

"Lands no!" Mrs McDeal frowned, "Only one around here is that disgusting Cole person..Ooh! he creeps me out! He's a nasty little shit he is."

"Mother!" Callie replied in mock shock at her mother's choice of words. "Such language. Did dad know you talked like this?"

A playful smile lite up her face at the thought of Mr.McDeal, "Who do you think taught me, dear?"

"Mother, you're absolutely terrible" Callie said with a sly grin.

They were in front of this very window having that conversation, two years ago. Six months before her mother started to tell her about the strange things she had seen, the car that would come and go in the night. The animals that would go into that garden, and never come back out! Callie had written it off to her mother missing her father.
Hell, they'd been married thirty-five years, and when he died, mom was devastated. It was normal for animals to wander into gardens and not come out the same way, wasn't it?
But what about the people? She had said that she'd seen people go in as well. That drifter. The panhandler. The two bible people.
No, this was not one of those movies, gardens don't swallow people up. Do they?
Not until today.
Poor Sarge. Her poor cat. He never hurt anyone. Everyone in the neighborhood liked him. Even Cole. But she saw it, saw those vines entice and then grab and snatch him like some Kraken of the old sea tales her father so loved.
And the horrible way he was twisted, and then dragged into the tangle of leaves. It was inconceivable, and she would not have believed it, would have thought it a waking nightmare, had it not been for little Tommy! My God! That poor little boy had witnessed the whole thing.
WHERE WAS HE! His bicycle was in the street, but he was nowhere. Then she remembered, Rudy! He was frantically waving at Rudy Infano, and then drove off with him towards town. Town meant John. She knew John and Ann were no longer together and the thought of that sent an odd warm spark through her heart, which she quickly pushed aside. She couldn't think of that right now. Now was the time for action. She knew that little Tommy would have the devil of a time convincing them of what he saw was indeed true. He would need validation. She would help him!
She could back his story, she saw what happened, hell it was her cat!
She could see John, tell him what his son was indeed fact. Invite him back for coffee, ask him to dinner...
WHAT THE HELL WAS SHE THINKING!

"This was serious, Callie!" she said aloud, "but I have to get the car."

Callie grabbed the key's and her purse and ran out to the car. Keeping a wary eye on the ominous garden across the street, and drove towards town.

THE SECRET GARDEN OF MARTHA GRIM.
By Richard A.Lopez @

page 16


Tommy Hawkins rode his bike slowly down his side of the street, careful to stay just so far from the "Jungle House" , as he called Martha Grim's property. He was, after all, a big boy, least that's what his dad says. He shouldn't be afraid of riding past that house, but it just gave him the creeps. All the plants and trees, they didn't look right. And that big bush, with the scraggly vines and thorns, that one scared him the most.
Sometimes, when the wind blew just right, it seemed to be reaching out for you. Like it wanted to snatch you right off the walk! No, Tommy didn't like that one at all.
When the wind blew just right. Like it was blowing now! What was that? Walking over towards the corner of the Jungle house? Tommy saw the small figure walk out of from around the corner of the gate. I was Sarge, Mrs. McDeal's cat. "OH NO!" Tommy thought, "If Sarge gets too close to the gate, that big bush is gonna get him!"

Sure enough, Sarge the cat, came around the corner, moving without a care. Suddenly, like a fisherman with a line and reel, a vine came through the gate's wrought iron rails. On the end was the body of a mouse, lifeless and still.
The cat stopped, startled, jumped back, hissing! Wary, it looked at the offering, not knowing what to make of what had been placed before it. The foolish creature was just lying there, tangled in the vine. Didn't it know it was dead meat? It had to know...Sarge sniffed the air, his senses picking up everything. It was already dead. Maybe it had gotten tangled in the vines, and impaled itself on the long and very sharp-looking thorns. Either way, far be it from this cat to pass up a free meal of mouse. Sarge crept forward, slowly, ready to jump back and run at the first sign of
a trap.
Gingerly, the cat reaches out a paw, to tap the body of the mouse...no movement. He claws at it, trying to pull it free from the tangle of thin vines, but it's snagged on the thorns. This was going to take claws and teeth, he thought. Moving closer, Sarge the cat pulled and tugged at the dead mouse, intent on freeing the meal, he was not noticing the vines that were snaking out and slowing encircling him, ever so lightly rising on either side of his body. Like the thorny arms of an octopus waiting to grab and drag him to his doom.
Then it happened! Quicker than Tommy could blink, he knew it, but it seemed like it was happening in slow motion. The vines reared up, and in one lightening quick motion, the whipped out and wrapped themselves around Sarge, readily snaking around his legs and torso, tightening almost instantly! Sarge let out a yowl of pain that was cut off as quickly as it began, as another vine whipped out and wrapped around his throat, thorns biting deep. Even from where he stood, Tommy could see the blood, on Sarge's yellow coat start to mat his fur.
The cat tried in vain to struggle free, but it just succeeded in getting tangled more and more, the thorns biting deeper and deeper. Then, with twist, Tommy heard a loud "Snap!" as Sarge was bent in a way he had only seen his "Captain Stretch-O" bend, and then he wasn't moving. The vine's dragged Sarge's lifeless body back beyond the ominous black wrought iron gate, and into the tangle of vines and leaves therein.
Tommy was unaware of the hot tears that were running down his cheek as he watched in horror, another vine snake out to claim the forgotten body of the mouse, while yet another with a big red bloom, wiped up the residual blood trail left behind by Sarge's body. This was more than his young mind could handle. he was only ten years old. This only happened in the movies his Dad wouldn't let him watch, but he did anyway, when Mom and Willie were locked in their room.
He had to tell somebody! But who? Mom and that guy wouldn't believe him, they would just lock him in his room, like they always do.
His Dad! He would believe him! He had to, he was his Dad, after all. But how would he get to him. He was all the way in town, and Tommy wasn't going to see him until next weekend. That would be too late, he thought. He needed to get into town, but how?
Then he saw Rudy's truck coming out of the Jungle House!
Rudy! Rudy could help him! Rudy wasn't afraid of anything, and if he could go into the jungle house and come out alive, well that was proof positive.
Rudy smiled and waved to him, he almost missed his chance. Dropping his bike, Tommy ran across the street, towards Rudy Infano's truck, stopping him, frantically asking for a ride to town.
Rudy, wasn't sure what to do. The boy was in such a state. He had surely been crying, but why. Then he looked down the street, and saw Cole's truck. Tommy caught this too, and quickly picked up on it.
"Willie hit me!" he blurted out, using the thought of what had just happened to poor Sarge to work up more tears.
Just the thought of Cole laying a hand on the kid, set Rudy's blood to boil. How could that woman be so stupid to let that bastard in her home, touch her kid! John's kid! John! He'd take the kid to John. If this didn't help him out, he didn't know what would.
Rudy new he was probably going to catch it for this, but he opened up the door and let Tommy in. telling him to buckle his seat belt. They were going to go see his dad.
Alright!, Tommy thought, now he would be getting somewhere.
And the two of them drove off to town, not noticing that the vines were receding back out of the street, back beyond the black gates.

THE SECRET GARDEN OF MARTHA GRIM.
By Richard A. Lopez

page 15

Seasons passed, as seasons do. Halloween came as Thanksgiving and Christmas, too.

Winter came with rain and snow, and blowing winds.

And Sheriff Quinn was still nowhere to be found.

Porters Crossing was growing in fear.



There were theories, ideas, accusations. The usual suspects were rounded up, and in Porter that usually meant Willie Cole. He was held for the requisite forty-eight hours, but then had to be let go, when even the FBI could not find a reason to hold him. He was still a person of interest, but there was no solid proof.

Everywhere he went, Willie felt the eyes of suspicion fall on him. it was affecting his daily life, his work, and his client list. Many of the people on that list were friends of Quinn, and they did not want a possible Killer, doing their lawn. Even still, some thought the notoriety was something to talk about. Small town folk were such assholes, he thought...
Even so, Willie had to give up his place in town,and move in with Ann Hawkins, it was just getting too much. The whispers, the looks. The fights! Yeah, he'd gotten into a few scrapes, That jerk from the hardware store, Infano and his kid, Rudy. Little bastard could hit. And then there was Hawkins. Ever since he hooked up with that guys ex-old lady, nothin but trouble. Him and his kid. That brat was always in the way. Getting so they couldn't be spontaneous, had to watch out for the brat. Why she didn't just let Hawkins take the runt, was beyond him. Child support, she would say. Meal ticket is all it was, Willie thought. Man that broad was a schemer. More so than he. He'd kick her to the curb if she wasn't such a nice piece of tail.
Thinking of that made Willie smile. So much so, that he almost missed seeing Infano's truck drive by and down the street. Towards Her house...Grim's house.
He watched as Infano's kid drove up to the gate, then through. What the hell! That bitch!
She never took deliveries, hell, she never took anything, and here she is letting that dumb ass kid drive up like he was "laying the pipe" to her.
Maybe he was? Stranger shit has happened in this dumb town. Willie couldn't think about that, he had to get into that yard. Get a sample of that soil . A plant, a flower, anything!
He just had to get in there. Willie knew that if he could find out the secret to her garden, he could write his own ticket, charge these bastards anything he wanted..hell he could sell the secret to the major lawn and garden companies..he'd be rich! He just needed to get into that garden. He just needed an in. Now he just may have found it.
Infano's truck was in there for about a half an hour, then it came out, it made one stop, and Ms.McDeal's house just across the way from Grim's. Infano was there for about ten minutes. Then he drove off towards town.
Willie's mind was already forming a plan, when Ann walked into the room, dressed only in a towel. Her hair dripping wet from the shower. Yeah, he was working on a plan, and this wet bitch was going to help him, only she didn't know it. The hair dryer kicked on, and he could see her drying her hair, that hair he'd seen whip wildly around many times before. Yeah, she was going to help him, her and the brat. And if she even tried to say no, he'd take a fist-full of that beautiful dark hair and slam her face into the wall.

Ann had called his name three times before he realised she was even talking to him. He blinked himself back to reality, and asked what?
"I said, what are you smiling about?" she said, slightly annoyed at having to repeat herself a third time.

"What I'm going to do to you later." he lied.

"One track mind.." she said, with a giggle, and went back to her hair.

'Yeah', he thought, "more like what you're going to do for me, bitch!" he smiled and turned to gaze out the window at the Grim house.
"Yeah" he whispered..."yeah"...his mind went back to formulating dark thoughts and deadly plans.

-----------------------------------------------------------

If it was possible to be even more depressed than he was when he had gone into his Two-thirty appointment with Melvin Sharpleton, Attorney at Law, John Hawkins wouldn't have thought so. He had held on to some glimmer of hope that he would be able to obtain sole custody of Tommy, what with Ann moving that damn deadbeat, Cole, into their house! His house! Tommy withdrawing more and more everyday. John knew it was because of the divorce, and Ann's relationship with Cole, but as Attorney Sharpleton had put it, it was only speculation and conjecture, and therefore open to scrutiny and interpretation under the law.
"Scrutiny! I got your goddamn scrutiny!" John shouted. "I can pull a dozen witnesses that will testify that Tommy was a happy child six months ago! Now look at him. Now he's withdrawn, he doesn't even smile anymore, and that kid smiled every fucking day!"

Sharpleton sat back, unfazed at John's outburst, "Mr. Hawkins, John, I understand your frustration, really I do, but no amount of witnesses, and believe me they would help, but not as much as a professional opinion would." He stood up, and crossed around his desk to stand beside John, he was a large man, not heavy, just a big, bear of a man, who looked more comfortable in jeans and a flannel shirt, than he did in the twelve hundred dollar Armani suit he wore. Old money, he had told John, on their first meeting.
"Now, I have a motion going before Judge Leahmans, and I'm sure we will have no problems getting this through. She wants to see Tommy, and your wife's..."

"Ex-wife." John corrected"

"Ex-wife," Sharpleton continued, a bit bothered at being corrected, "The Judge wants to see the boy, and make her own decision as to whether or not he is in need of an evaluation. Now if she determines that he is, then we get to name the doctor, and I have one that is an expert. Not some hack, but an expert in child psychology and behavior. Plus we can put any number of character witnesses before the Judge. Your Ex-wife won't have a leg to stand on. You just have to promise to do what I asked of you and obey the damn restraining order. Now, these claims of harassment, any merit to those?"
His gaze was hard.
John met his gaze with equal steel..
"No. I told you, that clown made a move to hit my son. I was not going to stand by and watch like some impotent fool. So I grabbed his arm, he took a swing at me, I blocked it, and two hits, I hit him, he hit the floor. Ask Carmine and Rudy Infano, they were there. So was Carrie McDeal. It was right outside of Infano's hardware."

Sharpleton couldn't help but notice the slight smile on Hawkins face, he frowned, faining disapproval, but inside he couldn't help but chuckle. Many a times had he wanted to slam that Cole in the face, but his lawyer side would prevail over poor judgement.
"Well," he said, clearing his throat, "We can't have anymore of that. What you have to do is try to stay clear of him. Do your best to ignore him. Hard as it may be, for Tommy's sake. Any signs of trouble will get back to her lawyer, and that weasel is just itching to report that. So you're going to have to be on your best behavior, or we're sunk. Understand?"

There was no answer...

Sharpleton repeated himself, a bit louder, "Do we have an understanding, John?"

"Yes, no hitting the dipshit, till after this is over..I got it." John said dejectedly..
"OK then..We'll see you on the 25Th. It will work out, John, but you have to trust me."
"Yeah..." John thought.."I trusted you with my divorce you bastard, and look where that got me..."

John walked back to his apartment in town, thinking of alternative ways to get his son back....

Sometimes...

If you look at my profile picture, you'll see my hair is a tad bit long..was actually down to my shoulders..The back had gone well past my collar. Why is it getting that long? Hell, why is he writing about it? I'm getting to that, bear with me.

Now there is a story that goes with this. See, when I was a teenager, my sister, decided she wanted to go into the field of cosmetology, and was at that point where they were doing, yes, you guessed it, hair. Well, I grew up in the later part of the seventies, and the big thing then were perms. You know, Curly hair, the "Afro"..Well,, I had always worn my hair long, and it was really unruly, so figuring this would work, a loose perm..I was convinced by the burgeoning stylist, that she could do it. Yeah, first mistake.
So, she gets all her stuff set up...Wolfie washes his hair, which,BTW way had grown out to a very manageable length...he could even get a comb thru it!

(Yeah, I know...I can hear Jonzz now "Run! don't do it!"
Annie's voice is more like "SUCKER!" followed by hysterical laughter..)

OK, so I'm sitting there, and its all going OK...the stuff stinks...and then I hear the words you never want to hear when you're sitting in that chair....

"Uh-Oh"

Me: "What?"

sis: "Um, Nothing...shut-up..lemme think"

Me: "Whaddya mean nothing? This is my hair we're talking about"

Sis: "Hush, just that...ummm...ok..um..yeah, OK..go wash your hair. Now!"

ME: "You say that like its really important"

Sis: "Just go do it!"

OK, at this point I'm worried..but I go and do what I'm told..mind you, she's older than I am and I'm in my teens..and this is my hair we're talking about, and she's supposed to know what she's doing. Key word being Supposed.

So I come back down stairs, and I notice one thing..my hair is not the way it was. it's not falling in the ringlets it was supposed to, like she said..its kinked..its ain't right! WHAT THE HELL DID SHE DO TO MY HAIR?!
After much yelling, on my part, I find out she left the perm-mix in for longer than she was supposed to..Seems the all knowing expert, misread the damn directions, and burnt my hair!
Yeah.
Do you know how long it took to grow out? Oh, a year?...two?....Try 30! yeah..30 freaking years! 30 years of enduring short hair, bad haircuts, and not to mention the ridicule of family, friends and the like...

So yeah, to say I had issues with my hair, was putting it mildly. So this past year, I decided to let it grow out. Just to see if I could..and it did! So much so that I could get a comb through it, it was straight! it was awesome...and I didn't do that ponytail BS..I'm not that ponytail guy...I my generation wore their hair long..period.
The thing is, I wanted to see if I could, if it would come out OK..and it did..The wife hated it..like she hates everything I do when it comes to things of this nature..so that was no surprise...but she didn't understand. No matter how much I explained..And she moaned and complained, but I didn't cut it..I stayed the course.
One year...the picture you see is me with it at its longest.

So, I decided to shock the crap out of her, and everyone else, I went into a hair place and got it cut. Yeah..I cut off Three inches! And it's still long!..not as long but not short..just about right...but does she like it..NO.

I'll put up a picture soon..but you see...It was long..she didn't like it..its short..she doesn't like it..

Just goes to show, Sometimes, there's just no pleasing people. So as I was telling a friend of mine in another blog..sometimes you just have to say What the fuck..
And do stuff for yourself.

I think I'll keep it the length it is now..maybe.... ;)