Rated G
Ending to Story Starter #6
"I vote that we pay the rent too." He said, "What good is having a turkey dinner if we have no place to eat it?" Micky just hung his head.
"Yeah, I guess you're right, Mike." Micky said. "Babbit was really anxious last month that we have the money, so I guess we better pay him."
So Mike banged the gavel down on the table and ended the meeting.
As they stood up to leave, Mike looked at Davy.
"Do we have anything to eat?"
"Yeah, we have enough for a few ham sandwiches." Davy replied.
"Plus, we have some root beer." Peter added happily.
"Well, we'll have that for our Thanksgiving meal." Mike said, as he went over to put on his coat. "No rule saying we have to have Turkey."
The others nodded sadly, as Mike left the pad to go to Babbit's
house.
As Mike walked up the sidewalk to Babbit's house, he saw a dark
sedan parked in the driveway. Then he heard shouting and loud
crashing noises coming from the house.
"Sounds like Babbit has company." Mike thought to himself. Then the sound of someone sobbing was heard.
"That sounds like Babbit." Mike thought and rushed over to Babbit's door. He thought of knocking, but something told him that wouldn't be a good idea. Instead, Mike put an ear to Babbit's door to find out what was going on.
"So where's our money, Babbit boy?" A rough voice demanded.
"But I paid off what I owed you last month!" Babbit cried.
Mike snuck over to a side window and saw a frightened Babbit sitting on a couch, with several men standing around him. Smashed furniture was scattered around the living room.
"That was just the interest, Babbit." Another man said. "And this interest is compounding by the minute. You still owe on the principal." He waved a piece of paper in Babbit's face.
"No, please." Babbit begged, "I had to raise my tenants' rent last month. I`d have to raise it again to pay you. But wait, I haven't had a chance to collect all of my rent yet." Babbit's scared voice sounded through the window, "I'm due one more rent and then I'll have enough for you."
"Well, we don't have time to wait, Babbit." Another voice put in sharply, "It's Thanksgiving y'know, I wanna be home with my wife and kiddies." Mirthless laughter followed that remark.
Mike slowly pulled away from the window, a look of horror on his
face. No wonder Babbit had raised the rent so high! It was to pay
off those men! Swallowing hard, Mike rushed back to the pad.
"He what?" Davy asked when Mike told the others what he had seen
and heard.
"Looks like Babbit owes money to the mob." Mike said. "That's why he's raised the rent."
"Looks like Babbit got in over his head this time." Micky said.
"And we're paying for it, literally." Mike added.
"We have to help Mr. Babbit." Peter said quietly.
"Peter, we're dealing with the mob." Micky answered, "They hurt people who get in their way."
"But if we don't stop those bad guys, they may start damaging the houses Mr. Babbit owns." Peter said, a tear in his eye. "Like Mrs. Prudy's or..."
"Our pad as well." Davy put in.
That statement made everyone think. The pad could become a target for the mobsters.
"Not even Mr. Babbit deserves being hassled by the mob." Mike said.
"So what do we do?" Davy asked.
A loud knock was heard on Babbit's front door. The gangsters looked
at each other and then at Babbit.
"It must be my last tenant with the rent." Babbit said, shaking.
"Open the door, Butch." The leader commanded.
Butch opened the door slightly and then had it thrown open in his face. Staggering back, Butch looked at the visitors.
It was Micky, with Mike and Davy standing behind him. They were wearing dark suits, Fedoras and white carnations in their lapels. Micky had an unlit cigar in his mouth.
"Who are you?" The gangster leader demanded. Micky turned to Mike and Davy and they laughed as they walked inside.
"This clown doesn't know who I am." Micky smirked and turned to the gangsters.
"The name is Doll-faced Dolenz." He said, "I'm the boss of the Carnation gang."
"Carnation gang?" Butch repeated.
"Yeah, we're real content." Mike replied.
"We were until we see someone like youse guys on our turf." Micky growled. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"
"I'm Mugsy Malone, and I'm here to collect a debt from this pansy." Malone said, pointing to Babbit. "He owes us big."
"Well, you can't just put the squeeze on one of my boys and get away with it." Mike said.
"Why not?" Malone asked.
"Well, it's just not, um, right." Mike replied, "Right?" He asked Micky.
"Right." Micky agreed.
"Wrong." Malone said, pulling a gun from his pocket. "Babbit owes us money and we're gonna collect whether your gang likes it or not."
Just then, a loud voice came from the outside.
"This is the police. Come out with your hands up!"
"The cops!" Butch yelled.
Mike took advantage of the distraction to snatch the promissory note out of Malone's hand.
"I'll take that!" He said.
"Hey!" Malone yelled, but by then, Mike and Micky were running out the door.
"We've been tricked!" Malone shouted to Butch and the other gangsters. "After them!"
Malone and his gang rushed out of the house after the three Monkees- only to find themselves really surrounded by the police! The gangsters tried to run back inside, but Peter who was hiding in the bushes, ran into Babbit's house and locked the gangsters out!
"Hey, open up!" The gangsters demanded, banging on the door.
However, the police had come over and grabbed Malone and his boys, putting them in handcuffs.
"What a nice Thanksgiving present!" The police chief said, "We finally caught up with Mugsy Malone and his boys!"
"You got nothing on us, coppers!" Malone snarled.
"I think this promissory note for three thousand dollars plus two hundred percent interest will come in handy, sir." Mike said, handing the note to the chief.
"Yes, we can add extortion to the long list of crimes these gentlemen have committed." The police chief smiled.
He and his men led the gangsters away.
A shocked Babbit stood mutely in the doorway, watching this all take place. Gently, Peter led him back inside where he sat down on the remaining intact couch. The Monkees joined him.
"I don't know how to thank you boys." Babbit said, tears in his eyes.
"Well, you could lower the rent down to where it was before." Micky ventured, mentally crossing his fingers.
"And tell us how you got involved with Mugsy." Mike added.
"I'll do that, and more!" Babbit said happily, "I want you boys to have Thanksgiving dinner with me!"
The Monkees were surprised at this, and since they didn't have any dinner fixed for themselves, they accepted. During dinner, Babbit told them how he gotten into trouble.
"I took a vacation to Las Vegas a few months ago and got in over my head at the Black Jack table. As it happened, Mugsy was playing at the same table and offered me a-loan." Babbit sighed, "It was either sign the note or put up the beach houses as collateral."
"Our pad could've been owned by Mugsy?" Davy asked, shocked. Babbit nodded his head. "Yes, and if think I'm a bad landlord, well..."
"You're better than the mob, Mr. Babbit." Peter replied, patting him on the back.
"Thanks-I think." Babbit replied as the others laughed.
So Mr. Babbit lowered the rent back down to where it was before and
never hassled the group again if they were late with their money.
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