She slowly drives through town. Yes, this is close enough to where Billy Bob has his ranch. She can live here and keep an eye on him and his goings-on.
But first she needs a place to live, and oh yes, a job where she comes into contact with the public.
Now there's a nice house....168 Elmwood Ave.......has an "apartments for rent" sign out front, too....she slows down and parks in front of it.
Painters are working on the outside, and she can see painters inside as well as she peers through a window.
Good. This isn't a dive. Not like the last two places she lived.
She copies down the phone number posted on the For Rent sign and gets back in her car. Time to set up shop, babydoll, she tells herself.

She meets Bethia out front of 168 Elmwood Avenue not more than an hour later. She's had time to think up a 'story' by that time, and tries it out on Bethia, when asked why she's moving to Chappaqua.

"I have to make a fresh start, Ms Adams, you see my entire family was wiped out when a flood swept them all away. I had spent the day in Dallas, and by the time I returned, they were are gone. Swept away, never to appear again. I went to the rescue shelters, hoping that my husband, Ralph, and son, Ralph Jr, were there, but such was not to be. I waited months. No sign of them. I sold the house and decided to start over in a place that doesn't remind me of my tragic loss."

Whew, she thinks to herself, that was good babydoll!! Look at the sympathy on Ms Adams' face! This is a piece of cake!!

"I am also having financial difficulty, so could you waive the security deposit till I get on my feet? I have the first month's rent, but that's all."
"I don't have a problem with that," Bethia tells her.
"Is there a grocery store around here where I might obtain a job, do you know of one? I have to get work right away."


"The Grand Union is just a mile over there," Bethia points in that direction, "And, as fate would have it, I was there this morning and saw a Help Wanted sign in the window. Things may work out for you here, Susan, and if I can help in any way, just say the word."
This is going even better than I planned, Susan thinks, This Beth woman is going to be easy. Nothing like having an allie, I always say, even if the allie is being duped, especially if she's being duped. She gives herself a mental high-five.

"The upstairs apartment is the only one finished and ready to move into, as you saw, so let's draw up the lease and I'll give you the keys."
'Susan' smiles.

She drives to the Grand Union after signing the lease, and asks for the manager.
She doesn't have long to wait. Mrs. Howell sits across the desk from her and listens to the same tale of woe given to Bethia.
Mrs. Howell doesn't get quite as sympathetic a look on her face as Bethia did, but it appears she believes it.
'Susan' has already filled out the application and Mrs. Howell looks it over carefully.
"So you've worked at grocery stores before, Ms Hemingway? That helps. Of course each one has its own procedures, but things like customer relations are pretty standard everywhere. We're known as the "Friendly Store" with an emphasis on Friendly, which I feel you have no trouble handling."
"I am very outgoing," Susan tells her, "I just love waiting on people and being of service."
Well, that one was a bit much, she thinks to herself, I sound like one of those Miss America contestants that says she's all for world peace. Oh well, it doesn't seem to have turned off this Mrs. Howell person. Good, babydoll. Good.

"When can you start?" Mrs. Howell asks, "Is tomorrow too soon? Our busy time of year is coming up. The 6am to 3pm shift is very short right now. Can you be here that early?"
"Tomorrow at 6am sounds perfect, Mrs. Howell. Thank you so much." Susan gathers up her employment forms and offers Mrs. Howell her hand.
The woman has a firm handshake for someone who looks so frail. No matter!
Susan gets in her red car and drives back to 168 Elmwood Avenue, uses her new key to open the front door, then goes up the stairs and turns left toward the door to Apartment 202, slides that key in the lock and enters.
The place is totally furnished, which was a necessity, seeing she had brought nothing with her but her clothes.
There is even coffee in the cupboard. That Ms Adams thinks of everything, she muses. That Ms Adams is a pushover.
She makes a pot of coffee, turns on the TV to Jerry Springer, her favorite show, and kicks back in contentment.
"I'll get back at you but good now, William Robert Montgomery!" she says to the walls.

During one of the commercial breaks, she walks into the bedroom and admires her reflection in the mirror. Not bad, babydoll, and the red hair is even more fetching than the blond I used to have.
Good figure, too, but then I never wrecked it by having kids. HA! That one I told Billy Bob I was expecting was inspired!! He was such an easy mark until his horrible grandfather got involved.
Then, just what I'd been waiting for: an announcement in the newspaper that he'd gotten married. This is going to be my big payday!!!


A BOX OF PAMPERS AND A BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE, PLEASE!!.....by Terri


Rosamond calls out, "Billy Bob, we are running low on Pampers. Could you please go to the store and get some?"
"Yeah, after the game is over. The Saints are winning."
"I only have three left. This baby really goes through them. Please?"
He sighs, "OK, I'll be back pretty soon. Do you need anything else?"
"Better check your beer supply. Heaven forbid you run out."
He sighs again. She's been freezing me out for the last two weeks, ever since that birth certificate fiasco. Well, maybe I'll pick up some champagne, that ought to thaw her out. Maybe some roses. Hopefully by next year at this time, we'll have another rugrat on the way.
He pulls into the Grand Union and loads his cart up with diapers, champagne and some beer--just in case. At least the check-out lines aren't long. Yeah, everyone is watching the game. Everyone but me.
He puts his things on the check-out stand. The clerk gives him a funny look but he doesn't notice.
"Find everything OK?"
"Yeah, no problem."
"Ooh, newborn diapers! A baby in the house?"
"My wife had a girl two weeks ago. During that big storm. Delivered at home, she couldn't make it to the hospital."
"How exciting for you! That's 35.69--debit card?"
"No, I left that at home. I'lll have to write you a check."
Billy Bob writes out the check. "Do you need driver's license with that?"
"No, you are in the computer, Mr...Montgomery? Thanks for shopping Grand Union."
He smiles absent-mindedly and leaves.

Well, Mr. William Robert Montgomery, I didn't even cross your mind, huh? She puts the 'Lane Closed' sign up and taps into the computer. Up pops the address and phone number. Route 589, Double B Ranch, Beacon Falls, NY 10165
Phone number 914-569-9094. She hastily scrawls it down on a discarded receipt.
Oh, yeah, this is working out just fine!

Hastily Rosamond dials John's cellphone.
"Hello?"
"Hi, darling. I only have a few minutes. I sent him to the store for Pampers."
"I haven't heard from you in a week. I haven't seen you since you left here. Rose, I can't stand it. Julie is changing and I can't see her. This isn't fair."
"John, what do you want me to do? I never told you this, but I think I have to now.
The night of the awards ceremony? Billy Bob told me if he ever saw us together, he would kill you. He has a gun in the nightstand. The warmer weather is coming, he'll be making trips out of town for business and I can go 'shopping' again. You are going to have to give me a break. I just had this baby two weeks ago under very trying conditions and Roger told me 'no marital activity'--how quaintly he put it!--for three weeks. I don't think I could trust myself around you!" She laughed.
John says, "I have to at least see the baby. Come on, Rose. Give me at least that!"
"I have to go! He just pulled up!"
Click!
"DAMN!" John swears and throws his cellphone across the room.

Billy Bob comes in, putting the groceries on the table. "Here's the Pampers. I also got us some champagne."
He puts his arms around Rosamond but she doesn't respond.
"Aw, hell, are you still mad about the birth certificate thing? Give me a break!"
"What do you expect? I told you what it said but no, you had to have proof. Well, the certified copy just came today. It is on your desk. It is duly recorded as parents of Julie Beth Montgomery, listed as Rosamond de Clifford and William Robert Montgomery. Case closed. I don't want to hear any more about it."
"Fine by me, honey. Aw, come on, let's kiss and make up. You've been giving me the cold shoulder ever since I got back. You face the walll at night. A couple times I found you sleeping in Julie's room." His eyes narrow. "Or is there some other reason you are brushing me off?"
Rosamond's face gets hot. "No. No, I'm sorry, I guess it is just post-partum depression."
"What we need is a night out. Just the two of us. We could have Juanita stay overnight and she could watch the baby."
"I'm not ready to leave her with anyone just yet."
Billy Bob goes into the study and picks up the certified copy of the birth certificate. He goes to the copy machine, runs a copy off and puts it in an envelope marked "Bechnel, Benoit and Berthelot." New Orleans, here it comes!


The PLOT THICKENS..........by Coralynn

"Is that all you need, John and William? I have my shopping list made out and all you've written on it is beer and bagels. That's all you need?"
"Yes, Beth, that'll do us for now!" John snaps as he walks through the kitchen.
"What's your problem, as if I didn't know?" she asks.
"Same old, same old. Rose and MY daughter are living with that Montgomery creep. See? I can use "creep" too, just like Eleanor did. In this case the word fits perfectly! I can't see my own baby!"

Bethia softens and goes to where he's slumped in a chair and lays her face on his head and strokes his cheek, "It's a major miscarriage of justice!" she echoes his own thoughts.
He smiles up at her, "Thanks, Beth, I know I'm not in this alone! You're a pal!"
"I most certainly am!" she says cheerily and then calls out, "Marilyn, are you ready to go to the store with me?"
Marilyn quickly appears wearing her fake mink. "Look! Feel! You can't tell the difference between this and the kind of fur coat they kill animals for," she says brightly and whirls around in her new coat.
"That is incredible," John tries to get into the spirit of the moment.
"Let's roll!" Bethia throws on her coat and the two women leave the house.

"Brrrr, it's really cold this morning! The windsheild won't be clear till about the time we reach the store!" Bethia complains.
"I like it cold! Gives me an excuse to wear this coat!" Marilyn is stroking it, smiling.
"I wonder if Susan, the woman I rented the apartment to is working this morning. She told me she started work a week or ten days ago. Well, we shall see......."
They park and dash into the store.
Marilyn tries to yank a cart out of the line of carts all pushed together and yells, "Hey! These carts won't let go of each other!" and yanks and yanks on them.
A redheaded woman rushes over to her and extricates one of the carts, "There's a trick to it!" she tells MM.
Bethia then sees Susan and asks, "How's it going for you?"
"Just great!" Susan puts on her friendliest face, "I love this store. I love the manager and the customers and....."
The door slides open and they all see a lovely woman with a baby enter.
"ROSE! Over here!" Marilyn chimes.
"What were the chances we'd meet up here today?" Rosamond says as she puts the baby carrier in the cart and wheels over to where MM and Bethia are standing.
Susan is dying of curiosity. "You folks know each other well?"
"YES," Marilyn exudes, "We all lived at the same big house till Rose had to go get married, grrrrrrr, and move out. Now she lives on that ranch outside of town. We miss her!"
Hmmmmmmm, Susan wonders silently, Could this be the Rosamond who married Billy Bob? Very possibly!
Bethia and Marilyn admire little Julie and the three women stay together as they go through the store buying their items.

Susan is hoping that this "Rose" person pays by check so she can compare the address on the check with what she knows already. If they're identical.....bingo, babydoll!
The women gather the items they need and proceed to the checkout line, talking the whole time.
Marilyn and Beth pay with a check with the address on Winding Willow......OK, let's remember that just in case, Susan thinks.
When Rosamond places her items on the counter, she gets out a checkbook, also, and begins filling it out.
Susan has to control her urge to snatch the checkbook out of Rose's hands.
She carefully lays the check down, and 'Susan' sees the address and phone number and all but leaps in excitement.
This is her lucky day!!
"What a beautiful baby!" she comments, "What's her name?"
"Julie." Rose tells her.
Bethia and Marilyn are waiting for Rosamond to complete her transaction so they can all go out of the store together.
Marilyn has been scrutinizing the checkout lady, 'Susan', and has the oddest feeling about her.
They leave the store, and Susan watches them get into expensive cars, the kind in which the motor makes almost no sound at all.
"So ROSE has a baby, and ROSE has Billy Bob, and ROSE has nice clothes and an expensive car, and lives in a huge house outside of town, and......" Susan is working herself up into a fit of envy.
"Well," she thinks, "Your garden of eden is about to be disrupted bigtime, ROSE!" and chuckles.


CAN YOU SPELL WHITE TRASH, BOYS & GIRLS?.....by Coralynn

She sees the minute hand crawl up the left hand side of the big clock on the wall, heading for 3pm. It can't come soon enough for her! This has been a long day. An exciting day, but after finding out all that very, very useful information, she still had hours to go before she could leave.
At last the clock registered 3pm. Her replacement, a dullwitted teenaged boy, takes his place behind her checkout line and she makes a beeline for her coat.
She drives home as fast as the speed limit will allow.
She hoists the sack of groceries she's brought with her and takes it inside.
Gotta think, babydoll, gotta think smart! What move should I make first? That clod, Billy Bob, doesn't recognize me, though it's only been ten years.....how much could either of us have changed? Maybe the red hair is doing it, GOOD.



She flips on Jerry Springer but turns the volume way down. What the heck, it's the fist fights I enjoy, not the sound of their voices. Yeah, that's good, see how that one woman rips the other woman's dress down the front? LOVE it!
She sees her cellphone sitting on the charger. Good. I can use that. Harder to trace.
Now....let's see......who might be home at this hour? Darling ROSE? Hmmmm, it's worth a chance. Let's let Darling ROSE know something's wrong. Something very wrong, maybe even threatening. Shake the little bitch up.
She gets out the paper with the phone number on it, and punches it in. After a couple rings she hears a woman's voice, "Hello."
'Susan' can barely control her urge to laugh, but manages it, and, pursing her lips, breaths smokily into the telephone, "Hiiiiiiiii, this is babydoll....."
"HUH?! You must have the wrong number! Nobody here by that name!" and the phone goes dead.
Hells teeth, babydoll, she totally misunderstood.
Let's wait awhile and try again.
Since Jerry Springer's show is about over, she goes to the pile of videotaped movies she brought with her from Texas.
"Let's see, Little Whorehouse, nope, I've seen that too many times already, uhhhhhhh a John Wayne cowboy movie? Sure, why not?"
She watches John Wayne swagger and strut and shoot and all those things John Wayne does, and it temporarily takes her mind off her mission.
Ejecting the movie, she sees it's time for the news, so throws a frozen dinner into the microwave (that Ms Adams thinks of everything!), and pours herself a tall one of beer. The foam goes all over the table. She stoops a bit and licks it clean. ahhhhhhhhh.

She goes through the file that contains her various identifications and bank accounts and social security numbers, all the things she'll need for this important revenge scenario.
Yep, all there, right where they should be.
She hears the microwave 'ding'.....gets up from her position on the couch, belches loudly, takes it out and drops it on the floor.
"Damn! That's HOT!" she scrapes up the food from the floor, deposits it on a plate and goes back into the living room to have her dinner in front of what's left of the 6pm News.

"Time to give it one more shot, babydoll," she picks up her cellphone, punches in the numbers and waits....and waits....damn, why don't those people answer the phone?....the answering machine comes on. Oh-oh, hadn't counted on that!
She breathes heavily into the phone for as long as she can before she hyper-ventilates and has to hang up.
THAT oughta get their attention, she thinks, as she replaces the cellphone on its charger, scratches her backside and goes to the refrigerator for another beer.


MEET ME AT THE GRAND UNION FOR A GRAND REUNION!.....by Terri

The weather was promising the hint of spring for the last few weeks. That cold snap last week set everyone's teeth on edge and now the weather was co-operating.
Billy Bob came downstairs yawning. He kissed Rosamond good morning and put his arms around her as she made breakfast. She didn't respond. He lost his temper.
"Damn it, woman, are you going to be the ice princess forever?"
She calmly replied, "Three weeks aren't up yet, sir. Get over it--doctor's orders. That certain avenue of pleasure has been closed off due to reconstruction!"
He sat down, trying to control his temper. "Is this a post-partum thing? Because if it is, you'd better get over it pretty damn fast! Bet Underwood would give you the go-ahead!"
"Hormones are still out of whack, darling. Be careful, I just may go over the deep end."
He ate his breakfast in silence. Rosamond poured his coffee. Tempted to pour it over your head, she thought. He was being an unreasonable pig.
"I have to work that new horse. I'm taking him over to Tom Lucas' house to see if he's stallion material. Tom wants to breed his mare to him. I'll be back around three o'clock. Aw, come on, Rose, give me a smile. Please? Send me off on a good note."
She relented and flashed a smile at him. He kissed her. "That's the Tequila Sunrise I fell in love with!" He put on his Stetson and went out the door.
Rosamond hurried over to the phone. She dialed the number quickly. Too bad it can't be speed dial. Eleanor answered the phone. 'Hello?"
"Hi, Eleanor!"
"Rosamond! How's that precious baby? Bethia said she and Marilyn saw you at the Grand Union yesterday."
"Oh, it was great seeing them. I can finally go out of the house now, I'm allowed to drive. I have been going stir crazy here!"
"I'll bet. And I also bet I'm not the one you really called for."
Rose whispered. "You know me too well."
Eleanor said, "I'll get him."
John came to the phone. "Hello?" he said hopefully.
"I have to talk fast, I think I have worked a way that you can see Julie. It's casual, it's public and it's accidental. Meet me at the Grand Union on Market Street in the parking lot. I can't help it if we shop the same time and in the same place. I'll have the SUV today, I'll be at the north end of the parking lot, next to the park. It's quiet, it's out of the way and away from the main doors. I will be there at 10:00 so don't be late. It's still kind of risky."
"I'll be there, honey."

Billy Bob stopped back in the house. Rose was getting dressed. She put on her black jeans, her boots and pink turtleneck.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"We're running low on Pampers again and your dog needs dogfood. Plus a few other things. Anything you need me to get while I am out?"
"Yes."
"What?"
"Saltpeter." He looked down at the floor and smiled shyly.
Rose laughed. "I'll see what the pharmacy has!"
"I'm sorry I snapped at you, Rosamond."
"That's OK, it's been a difficult three weeks for all of us, sweetheart."


Billy Bob got back in his truck and backed the horse trailer up to the hitch. He expertly led the stallion Merovin into the trailer. Rosamond watched, fascinated.
If there ever was a horse whisperer, Billy Bob Montgomery was it! she thought.
He pulled out of the drive, waved to her and headed towards Tom Lucas' ranch.
Rosamond checked her watch. It was 9:30. She went back into the house, brushed her hair out and got Julie dressed . She put the baby in the carrier and grabbed her full-length leather coat. She put Julie in the car seat. The baby was still sleeping. Rosamond slid in the driver's seat and headed towards the Grand Union.

John grabbed a quick shower. No time to shave! He threw some clothes on, his jeans and pullover sweater and grabbed his leather jacket.
Bethia stopped him. "Where are you going in such a rush?"
John kissed her on the cheek and said, "I'm off to see my two best girls. Gotta run!"
Bethia said, "But, John..."
But he was out the door and out the driveway, peeling rubber all the way.
Bethia looked at the smoke on the road and said to herself, Godspeed, John. Just don't kill yourself meanwhile.

John arrived at the Grand Union before Rosamond. He parked carefully out by the park. Within five minutes Rosamond pulled up. John leaped out of the car and hurried over. He opened the passenger door and pulled the seat back. He gazed at Julie's face. Rose looked at him and smiled. "You look like a man who was wandering in the desert and just got handed a glass of water!"
John smiled broadly. "Just drinking in the sight."
Rose looked nervously around. "Well, for heaven's sake, jump in the back seat and close the door. The windows are tinted. No one can see in."
John did just that, then picked Julie out of her carseat. He cradled her in his arms and pressed her to his cheek. Rosamond was trying hard not to mist up. John just made soft comforting sounds to the baby. She stirred and then woke up crying.
"She's hungry--again!" Rosamond said.
John passed the baby to Rosamond and then hopped in the front seat. Rosamond nursed the baby.
"How has she been?"
Rose smiled, "Just a perfect little angel. She eats, she sleeps, she burps..."
John's mouth was set in a grim line. "I suppose Montgomery gets to sing her to sleep and rock her and play with her..."
Rose sighed. "John, PLEASE, don't spoil this moment for either one of us."
John slammed his fist down on the dash. Rose jumped a mile.
"Dammit, Rose, if you hadn't rushed off and married him on the spur of the moment, I"D be the one singing to her and rocking her. I'D be the one with you at night...we'd be married and living happily ever after! Why, oh why, did you have to mess it up for us?"
Rose started to cry. "I'm sorry! How many times do I have to say I am sorry? When will you ever quit blaming me?"
John was immediately ashamed. He rubbed her neck. "Aw, come on, darling, don't cry! Your milk will curdle."
With that, Rosamond was laughing and crying at the same time.
When Julie had finished nursing, Rosamond said, "I have to get some groceries to show that I actually was here. Billy Bob is gone till 3:00 PM. We can walk over to the park and just sit on the bench."
John said, "I have to get a few things, too. Lately I have been existing on bagels and beer."
"John, that's no good for you. You look gaunt in the face, you have to take care of yourself."
"Yeah, Bethia gave me that same lecture."
Rose opened the car door. "Better let me go in first, then make it look like a casual meeting. Some of the customers may recognize me as Billy Bob's wife. I don't need any rumours going on."
Rosamond got Julie out of the car and carried Julie into the store in the carrier. She took a cart and put Julie in it. The red-haired clerk came up and said, "Hi! I see you're back! Babies sure go through the diapers, don't they?"
Rose smiled, "Yes, they do!"
The clerk was scrutinizing Rose's expensive coat and leather boots. Her perfect make up, her hair without a strand out of place, her dynamite figure which hadn't missed a beat even through childbirth. The clerk was seething inside.
John entered the store and said, "Why, if it isn't Rosamond Montgomery! I haven't seen you since the Valentine's Day dance at the country club! How are you and William? I need to get in contact with him for a round of golf! Why, what have we here? I had heard you had the baby! My, is she lovely! What is her name?"
Rosamond could barely contain a laugh. If John looked anything, it was NOT country club material! He had on old jeans with torn knees, boots, and a two day old growth of beard. Which made him all the more sexy and endearing.
"John Gwinnett! How ARE you? How's Muffie? I need to get in touch with her about the DAR meeting next month. I have been out of the loop since I had the baby. Her name is Julie and please thank Muffie for the silver rattle she sent the baby! I simply MUST meet her for lunch. Please have her give me a call!"
John said, in all seriousness, because after all, they were actors together, "I have to get some groceries, the maid's day off, you know. Walk with me and we can catch up on the past two months!"
Susan narrowed her eyes. Well, this was really weird! She walked off towards the store office.
Rose and John went down the aisle, barely able to contain their laughter. "MUFFIE?"
he laughed.
"You and Billy Bob playing a round of golf? AS IF!"
Rosamond put diapers, dog food, assorted salad produce and cleaning supplies in the cart. John added more beer and bagels in his.
They kept their conversation low and casual.
Rosamond checked out ahead of John. They made small talk in the checkout line.
Susan smiled at Rosamond. "You take care of that little baby now! Bet her daddy is really proud of her. Does she take after him?"
Rosamond hesitated. "She has his chin and ears." She looked meaningfully at John.
Susan asked, "Do you want any help out with that?"
"Heavens, no, I can manage."
John checked out and gave Susan a check. Within two minutes he was right behind her.
John put his groceries in his car and then helped Rosamond load up the back of the SUV. Rosamond had put the sleeping on the seat while she put her groceries in.
John instinctively pushed Rosamond's hair back from her cheek and cupped her face. He gave her a long, lingering kiss. Rose reached up and tousled his hair. They hugged each other and then John got the baby and the carrier out of the car and he and Rosamond walked off into the park.

Well, that's really interesting. VERY interesting. Looks like that rich bitch of Billy Bob's is fooling around with that country club stud. Well, babydoll, you can use this information to your advantage. She ground out her cigarette and went back into the store. She searched around in her cashier's drawer and pulled out a check. HIS check. Hmmm....John Gwinnett on Winding Willow. She marked it down on a scrap piece of paper along with a phone number. She put it in her pocket. Well, babydoll, you never know when this can come in handy!


THE HAUNTING.......by Coralynn

The young couple sit in Jerry's office nervously. The woman twists her scarf between her hands.
"You want to list your house in CT for sale because you're being transferred? Really? Where?" Jerry is always intersted in hearing the details of other people's lives.
"Hartford," the man says a bit too softly.
"But, Mr. Haven, your house is only a 45 minute drive from there," Jerry is confused.
The woman looks at her husband with a question in her eyes. She looks away, then she looks back at her husband again for help.
She finally slides her chair forward so that she's closer to Jerry, and says softly, "Our house is haunted."
Jerry tires not to laugh or even smile. He, of all people, has to be open to any possible reality; after all, he went to the French Revolution, didn't he?
"How long have you lived there?"
"Four years."
"Was it haunted when you moved in?"
"No, we don't think so. Just this past year, however, the weird noises began, then got more often, then louder, till now we can't stand to live in the house."
Her husband is nodding his agreement so that Jerry doesn't just think it's his wife's overactive imagination.
Jerry ponders this situation. This does not bode well for getting a good price for the property.
"This goes on in the daytime as well as the night?"
"It didn't at first, but now it can happen at any hour. I've heard moaning even while I was eating breakfast!"
"Moaning?"
"Yes, and singing and rapping against the window shutters and the sound of horses over cobblestones."
"Inside the house?!"
"It sounds like it's outside, but when we look, there's no horse, nothing, certainly no cobblestones."
Roger takes a deep breath and tells them, "Tomorrow I'll bring my team of paranormal investigators with me and check it out first hand."
Both Mr and Mrs Haven show surprise, "You actually have a team of paranormal investigators at your real estate office? How many haunted houses do you list??"
"No, they don't work for the real estate company, they're aquaintances I've made. I meet a lot of people."
"Ohhh indeed you must!" the woman nods her head and tries to smile.

"Where are you staying now, in the house?"
"NO, we live with relatives a few blocks over from there. Is this house going to be hard to sell, Mr. Palmer?" Mr. Haven asks.
"It depends. There is such a thing as a disclosure clause. If something very crucial to the wellbeing of the new owners is not disclosed before the sale, they can come back on you and sue, and perhaps even me."
Both husband and wife look worried.
He tries to reassure them by shaking their hands and smiling, "See you tomorrow morning at 10 at the house!"
They leave.
Jerry picks up the phone and dials.....it rings.....someone picks up.
"Celeste! Just the person I want to talk to!" he begins.


I SPY: the Hottest Couple!.....by Terri


It was time for Susan's afternoon snack/cigerette break. She took a YooHoo out of the beverage case. Hell, they'll never miss it! She went into the break room and grabbed her jacket and her pack of cigarettes. Out in the parking lot, she saw the SUV and Corvette still parked there.
Still there? Well, that's really something! She ran back inside and grabbed her polariod camera, came back outside, took her snack and wandered down towards the park. There were picnic tables there. Nice day, too. She took off her jacket and looked over to the benches. Ah, there they were. The guy had the baby. And his arm was around Mrs. Montgomery. Her head was on his shoulder. Well, isn't that odd? They sure look familiar...Gwinnett..Gwinnett...she squinted her eyes. Is it possible? Yep, it sure is! That's the actor from As the Planet Turns. Hey, wait a minute. Isn't that?....well, seeing them together sure clicked in my mind! Hell, Billy Bob's wife is the one who played Daisy on the same soap!
Hell's bells! They won that award for Hottest Couple back in October. I remember, I was thinking how great that gold shimmery dress would look on ME! From what I remember, she quit suddenly. Guess that stud is holding the reason why. So! Billy Bob not only got himself an uptown girl, he got himself one that's an actress. Bet she's got money to burn, too. Look at those boots. And that sweater--that's cashmere. Nice diamond and emerald necklace, too. Susan looked down at her uniform and her chipped fingernails. Yeah, if that grandfather hadn't stepped in, this would all be mine now. Except for the baby. I HATE kids! Squalling brats, that's what they are.
Susan sat there eating her sandwich and smoking. Well, looky there! She's giving him a kiss. Well, there is proof positive! Billy Bob Montgomery's current wife is stepping out on him! No wonder they won the hottest couple award. Hell, that wasn't acting!
Susan began to do a real slow burn that was heating up fast. So Grandpere Pierre stepped in and wrecked everything because I was what he called a slut! Well, looks like we are sisters under the skin, Mrs. Montgomery. At least I wasn't a cheating slut!
She positions herself so that she can get a clear picture of them but they can't see her. Click! Click! Click!
Susan grins, Yeah, enjoy it now, little rich bitch! Your free ride is about to get a little bumpy!
John said, "Honey, I never want this moment to end." He kissed the top of the baby's head. Julie wrapped her hand around John's little finger. She studied his face with her brilliant blue eyes.
"Look! I think she recognizes me!"
Rosamond smiled indulgently. "She a bright baby, she's making a memory! Just like a horse does!"
John said, "How would you know that?"
"Oh, I pick up 'horse lingo' from the company I keep!"
John made a face and put Julie in her carseat. He reluctantly shut the door.
Rosamond looked at her watch. "Oh, I can't believe it! It's 3:00 PM now! I've GOT to get home. I just hope he's been delayed. Good thing I don't have anything perishable in those bags. Jake, that's Billy Bob's Lab, is almost out of food. If I don't feed him, there will be hell to pay! From Jake, not his owner!"
Rosamond then asked, "How are things at the studio? I really miss it!"
"Everyone has been asking about you, how the baby is, when are you going to come in and show her off? Gwen is the only one who knows I am the father. Marty is keeping your character on ice just in case you want to return in the future."
Rosamond laughed. "Having Daisy lost at sea was a stroke of genius on Marty's part.
Hopefully I can come back."
John pushed Rose's hair out of her face. He said softy, "Well, Marty always said we were magic! A Bunsen Burner in a classroom lab!"
John leaned into the car and kissed Rosamond goodbye. He closed the door and said, "Drive carefully!"
Rose backed the SUV up and headed out. John got in his car and went the opposite direction. Unobserved. Or so they thought.
Susan walked over to her 1962 Falcon but her eyes never left them. Oh, what a touching little scene! I'd best pick up one of those disposable camera and keep it handy. Never know when I could use it! She threw her groceries, which consisted of TV dinners and beer, into her car, slammed the door shut and headed to her house.
She turned the car heat on. Nothing. The window rattled. The radio was broke. Piece of garbage! Yeah, babydoll, you just may end up with that nice black SUV. She headed back to her apartment to plot and scheme.

Rosamond had just put the groceries away and fed Jake when Billy Bob got home.
"Hey, Babydoll, I'm home!"
"How did it go?" she asked.
"Well, we left Merovin over at the Lucas place. His mare is in season and we figured, hey, let nature take its course! So, what did you do today?"
Rosamond hedged a bit. "Well, I went grocery shopping. Came home and fed Jake and then put Julie down for a nap. I laid down and I guess I fell asleep, too. Oh, by the way, I think there is something wrong with the answering machine. All I heard was some static. Sounded like someone breathing heavy into the phone. Really gross!"
"OK, Babydoll, I'll check it out. I'm going into the office to check over the feed invoices and pay some bills. I'm expecting a call from Lucas, so I'll just grab the phone when it rings."
"Ok, just turn the ringer off on the phone in the kitchen. I want the baby to sleep."
Billy Bob walked over to the bassinet and looked at the baby. "Honey, she sure is healthy for being six weeks premature. I guess we really have to count our blessings.
I guess Mother Nature has a way of telling a baby, 'time's up--you're done!' "
He kissed his fingers and put it to the baby's cheek.
He went to his office and closed the door.
Rosamond frowned. What did he just call me? Babydoll? Baaaabyyyydollll? Now, that's WEIRD!


RING-A-DING-DING!........by Coralynn

What a week! 'Susan' puts her feet up on the table and stretches out.
The microwave 'dings' and she pads over to it, removing the Swanson's Hungry Man Dinner. She wonders why they call it 'Hungry Man' since there's hardly enough food for a small child!
She gets another one and shoves that into the microwave......might as well have two.
Well, babydoll, she says to herself, almost time to shake up the Country Club Set.
She's put the phone number out at Billy Bob's house on speed-dial, so all she has to do is hit one key, which she does.
It rings only once before a man's voice comes on the line, "Hello, Montgomery here!"
My, my, how classy, 'Montgomery here!' who does he think he is, some English barrister?
She moans as low in her throat as she can, "baaaabyyyy dollll", then waits for a reaction.
"Is this some kind of a joke?" she hears him say in an annoyed tone.
She repeats the same sounds, which cause him to slam down the phone.
Good! Now to wait an hour and do it again.
She bolts down both of the Hungry Man dinners and pours herself a beer.
"Ahhhhh beer, the elixir of the Gods!" she says happily, "Now to get out the photos!"

She has a small box of photos which are of her family and of her but mostly of her and Billy Bob.
She takes out the one that shows them in skimpy swimming outfits necking violently on the beach.
"Looks just like 'From Here to Eternity,'" she comments for probably the 500th time.
She has copies of each of the photos and puts a copy of that one in an envelope, then writes Billy Bob on the outside.
"Time to take this little beauty to Papa!" she growls as she gets her coat and car keys and goes out the door.

When she arrives at the mailbox that stands at the entrance to the driveway of the ranch, she sees that the mail has come, but no one has yet picked it up.
"Perfect!" she congratulates herself, as she puts her envelope on top of the others in the box, turns her car around and drives back to town.


THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE.......by Coralynn

"Did you stop and pick up the mail?" Rose asks.
"I thought you had," Billy Bob answers, "Well, I'll take a run out there and get it now. Dog needs the exercise, anyway!" he slips on his jacket, grabs the dog's leash and off they go.
He races the dog down the driveway, but of course, as usual, the dog wins.
Flipping open the door to the mailbox, he gathers up quite a large stack of mail, but notices an envelope on the top that doesn't look to have gone through the postage system.
He pauses and rips it open. The enclosed picture drops out, and would blow away, but he quickly snatches it up off the ground.
His eyes bug out, "Whaaaaaaat?!" he knows the picture well. That Wanda Sue slut gave him a copy way back 13-14 years ago, saying it looked like that famous scene from 'From Here to Eternity,' which was a direct slap at Deborah Kerr and Burt Lancaster if ever there was one.
But how did it get in his mailbox? Is Wanda Sue in the area? How could that be? It gives him a shudder to think about it.
Grandpere arranged to remove WandSue from BB's life, and that was so many years ago that she hasn't crossed his mind more than 2 or 3 times in all the time since.
Good to put that mess behind you! that's his philosophy.
Then why the picture, and why has someone obviously hand delivered it?
He shoves it into the pocket of his jacket and returns to the house carrying the rest of the mail.
"Anything interesting in the mail?" she asks when she hears him plop the stack down on the table.
"Quite a few catalogues," he says as casually as he can, "Do you even order from those things?"
"Not often," she replies as she rifles through the pile.
The phone rings.
He picks up.
"I repeat: is this some kind of a joke?!" he snaps and hangs up.
"Who was that?" Rose asks.
"Just some kids placing prank phone calls. You know, the ones we all pulled when we were about 12!"
"I didn't!" Rose brings him back to reality, "We didn't have phones where I was when I was 12."
He has tried hard not to think about Rosamond and Henry2 and the 12th Century, but this brings it all back. It also brings back his sojourn there with Daniel. It may have turned out to be fun, but it was weird!

He goes into his den and sits down to think. Let's see, is there any connection between the picture he just got out of the mailbox and that stupid phone call with the "babydoll" reference? That was his pet name for Wanda Sue! COULD she be in the area, and, if so, WHY?!

He hears the phone ringing and lunges for it, but Rose has already picked, up. He quietly listens in and hears, "This is baby dollllllll, sweetie, a blast from the past!"
He drops the phone on the floor in shock. It has to be her! Oh my God!
He hears Rose slam down the phone and she's soon standing in the den, arms crossed over her chest.
"What is all this babydoll garbage, Billy Bob? I need an explanation!"

NUTHIN' BUT THE TAIL-LIGHTS......by Terri


Billy Bob snaps at her. "Well, how should I know what the hell this is all about! It's just kids messing around with the phone. What does the caller ID say?"
"Out of Area. So why all of a sudden are you calling ME 'babydoll' and then this bimbo or whatever calls up saying she is a 'blast from the past'? She sounds like a real hick. White trash, I believe you call it? So, is it someone you knew from Texas?"
She starts to laugh, not too nicely. "Oh, come on, honey, what dirty little secrets are YOU hiding?"
Billy Bob loses his temper. "Well, if I DID have 'dirty little secrets', they can't be any worse than the ones you hid! I never took on sisters, let alone twins!"
Rosamond lost her temper, too. "That was a really low blow, Montgomery!"
Rosamond turned and walked out of the room and slammed the door. He could hear her banging pots and pans around. The baby started to cry. She yelled, "Thanks alot, Cowboy! Now you woke the baby up! Well, it looks like you won't be getting a hot dinner tonight!--or anything else!"
Billy Bob passed his hand over his eyes. How the hell am I going to handle this one?
Naw, Wanda Sue can't possibly be close by. Bet it's Bobby Joe playing a prank on me. He probably put Verla up to the phone calls. Yeah, that's it. He's upset because I haven't been into the Dew Drop since Julie was born.
The phone rang again. Before Billy Bob could reach the phone, Rose answered it again. Damn, woman must have ESP where the ways of phones are concerned.
He held his breath.
"HELLO!" Rosamond yelled. "Oh, I'm sorry....no, I thought you were someone else...oh, she's just fine, crying for her dinner, though...well, it's nice to hear your voice, too....no, I had to give that up when I had the baby! Wouldn't do to give her tequila-laced milk!" Rosamond laughed a little too brightly. "I'll get him....no, no trouble at all!"
She stuck her head in the door. "Phone for you." she said icily.
Billy Bob said, "Hello? Oh! Bobby Joe! I was just thinking I haven't been in to see any of you. Tonight? Well..." he glanced towards the kitchen where Rosamond was still banging stuff around, Julie crying in the background and Rose swearing under her breath. He heard her say, "Just a minute, sweetheart, Mommy's coming."
"Tell you what, if I can get Juanita to watch the baby for a few hours, we may both come down....I should be there by 8:00....no, it will do me and the Ice Princess good to get out for awhile.....no, I'll explain that one to you later, it's a 'woman thing' ..OK., bye."
Billy Bob then yanked the phone out of the jack. That will put an end to THAT until I find out what is going on!
He went into the kitchen. Nope, she wasn't there. He looked and she was in the living room in the rocker nursing the baby.
He sat on the ottoman next to her. "I'm sorry, ba....honey. It's been a long day. I know you are stressed out too and those phone calls upset you." He checked his pocket to make sure the picture was still there. "Bobby Joe wanted to know if we could come down for a few hours tonight. Please? It might do us some good to get out for a while. Just the two of us. Juanita can stay with Julie. She has six grandchildren, and you have formula...we can leave our cellphones on and if she needs anything, we can be home real fast."
Rosamond frowned but looking at Billy Bob's eager and sincere face, she relented.
"Alright, but don't think I am going to make this a regular habit. You'd better be on your best behaviour, too."
"Ah, that's my girl! We'll stop for dinner first. Since I don't get a hot dinner.."
Rose said, "Who's fault is that?"
Billy Bob held his hand up. "Let's not start up again, sugah. We buried the hatchet, let's not leave the handle sticking up!"

Juanita was given a long list of instructions from Rosamond.
"Don't worry, Mrs. M....there isn't anything I can't handle. The little darling will probably be asleep the whole time you are gone. I have both your cellphone numbers so we are set. GO! Have a good time! You need to get to know each other again!"
Rose and Billy Bob both looked at each other and thought to themselves, did we ever really know each other?
After a nice Italian dinner, Billy Bob pulled the T-bird into the Dew Drop Inn parking lot. Bobby Joe and Verla threw the doors open. "SURPRISE! We wanted to have a reception for you after the baby was born because we didn't get a chance to do a reall wedding for the two of you!"
Rosamond and Billy Bob were touched. Everyone was there, including Daniel. He had been drinking too much. Rose ignored him.
There was unlimited barbeque and kegs of beer. Bobby Joe stood up and said,
"OK, here's to my childhood friend. Montgomery here and I go way back, to kindergarten no less. I've seen him through several scrapes"(and here he looked meaningfully at Billy Bob) " and he's seen me through some of my divorces. Hell, I met all my wives in traffic jams! Something about a pick-up man, right, Tequila Sunrise? Who I must admit, looks terrific for giving birth three weeks ago!"
After an hour, Billy Bob and Bobby Joe were sitting at the bar, Rose was talking to Verla and several other women.
Billy Bob said, "Can we go outside and talk? It's really important."
They took their beers outside to the deck and sat down. "I need to know, and please be honest. Are you and Verla playing a joke on me?"
Bobby Joe said, "WHAT are you talking about?"
Billy Bob pulled out the picture from his jacket pocket. "Look familiar?"
Bobby Joe held it up to the light. "I should! I took this picture! Remember? It was at Lake Pontchartrain. You were with Wanda Sue Skaggs and I was with Carol Jo McAllister. You two were really all over each other!"
Billy Bob sighed. "Me and the whole football team at Westdale High. This was found in my mailbox this morning. No postage. I have been getting harrassing phone calls from someone who keeps whispering 'babydoll'."
Bobby Joe was silent a minute. "Does Tequila Sunrise know about Wanda Sue?"
"NO! And I have no intention of telliing her about a fourteen year old mistake! Maybe it's all co-incidence and it will blow over."
Bobby Joe looked at his friend with worried eyes. "Well, if it gets too bad, I know a hit man out of Dallas.."
They both laughed lamely and took their beers inside.

Rose made her way to the bar to get another Tequila Sunrise. Heck, why not? The baby was on formula for the night. Daniel followed her.
"Well, if it isn't the new mother!" he slurred. She looked at him with impatience. "Daniel, sober up."
"So, Rose, remember me? The father of your child? How is my daughter? The one you won't let me see."
Rose sat down. "Hank, a Tequila Sunrise, please." Hank put one down before her.
"Daniel, it is not your child. It's Billy Bob's daughter."
Daniel sneered. "How can you have a 5 and a half pound baby six weeks early? I talked to a nurse at the hospital. She told me that the baby was a 40 week baby, carried to full term."
Rosamond narrowed her eyes. "A nurse was violating doctor-patient confidentiality?
I'll have her job!"
Daniel said, "No, you won't. She told me something else interesting. She came up to me and asked me how my little girl was doing. She thought I was the father. And you know why? Because I came to the hospital when you were checked out. But guess what? I wasn't there. I was 327 miles away with the baby's alleged father in Richmond Virginia. Now what makes her think I was there? She also said I did a marvelous job on delivering her. You know, what with the storm and all?"
Rosamond's heart dropped to her feet. "I don't know what she is talking about. Obviously she has me confused with someone else. The hospital was very busy that night."
"Not that busy!" Daniel said.
"It's your word against mine and Roger Bidwell will back me up all the way. So go crawl back inside your whiskey bottle."
Rosamond walked off. But her legs were shaking. Oh, great! Just what I need.

Billy Bob and Bobby Joe were still at the bar. Bobby Joe said, "You were going to explain to me what that "ice princess" stuff was about!"
Billy Bob looked over his shoulder at Rosamond. "She looks great and you can't even tell she just had a baby. Guess that working out paid off." Billy Bob sighed. "Been three weeks now. A cat just has to dance on a hot tin roof."
Bobby Joe looked at him. Billy Bob was exasperated. "Hell, BJ, do I have to spell it out for you? She's cut me off for the last three weeks. Doctor's orders. First she told me three weeks, then she told me no, I misunderstood. It was SIX weeks, that's what she said Bidwell told her! I checked with Matt, he said three weeks it's a go. Well, Julie is three weeks, two days. She's not going to dance her way out of this. Un, un, not tonight."
Bobby Joe looked worriedly at his friend. "You used to be more considerate, pal. What's happened to you?"
Billy Bob stood up unsteadily. "Rosamond happened to me. I want to make sure she doesn't have another lover on her mind."
Bobby Joe said, "I think you'd better let Tequila Sunrise drive home. You don't want to make that little baby an orphan."
"Yeah, you're right, but little mama has a surprise waiting for her when we get home. It's Shootout at the OK corral, time to let the horse out of the barn..."
Bobby Joe laughed. "I get your drift. You'd better get going home before you pass "GO' and spend the night puking into the toilet!"
Billy Bob walked over to where Rose was standing. She was wearing her Daisy Duke shorts and little lace pullover. "Honey, we'd better get home. Julie may wake up. Are you ready to go?"
Rose flashed him a smile. "In a little bit."
Billy Bob took her by the elbow. "No. NOW, little girl."
Rosamond looked at the people she was talking to and smiled brilliantly. "Well, it looks like my Lord and Master calls. What this cowboy wants, this cowboy gets!"
Billy Bob said to her under his breath. "Hold that thought, ba...sugar."
They walked outside. "Give me the keys, Montgomery. Bobby Joe told me how much you had to drink. I'm not risking you wrapping us around a tree. Either that or I stay here until you sober up or we call a cab."
He threw her the keys and she expertly caught them. "I only had one drink and that was hours ago." Billy Bob sat in the passenger seat. As they drove down the highway, Billy Bob put his hand on Rosamond's leg. "What do you think you are doing?" she demanded.
Billy Bob said, "I talked to Matt Underwood. He said three weeks is a go. NOT that crock of bull you told me Bidwell told you. It may be OK for some frail little simp but you are in the best shape, a lusty woman..."
Rose pulled over to the side of the road."Exactly WHAT are you talking about?"
He stroked her neck. "Do I have to spell it out, sugah? No more faking it because tonight you are mine. So get ready..."
Rosamond decked him with a left and a right. She opened the door and kicked him out with her foot. He sat there on the side of the road. She threw his cellphone out and said, "Call Bobby Joe for a ride home. Maybe that little babydoll will call you and she will take you home..to HER house! But don't come home until you have sobered up."
She closed the door and let the gravel fly as she burned out.
All Billy Bob saw were a pair of tail lights.


LOCKED OUT......by Terri

Billy Bob sat at the side of the road and rubbed his jaw where Rosamond had decked him. Ooooh, that hurt! He reached over for the cellphone that she had thrown at him. Well, this is about as lonely as this highway's ever been. She won't be laughing half as loud as when I get those keys back.
He walked over to the streetlight and punched in the number of the Dew Drop Inn.
Hank answered. "Let me talk to Bobby Joe, Hank!"
Bobby Joe got on the phone. "You guys OK?"
"Well, I'm sure Tequila Sunrise is OK but she kicked me out of the car and I'm stranded about three miles down the road. At least the bitch let me have the cellphone. Pick me up, OK?"
"Be right there."
Within five minutes Bobby Joe was there. He took one look at Billy Bob and said, "Better put ice on that eye. She decked you a good one."
Billy Bob said, "Not just once but twice. With a left AND right hook. Henry told me she was a spitfire...."
"Henry?"
"Never mind."
Bobby Joe asked, "Where to? My place?"
"Hell no! Take me home."
"But.."
"Just do it."

Rosamond pulled into the carpark, furious. She composed herself and went in the house. "How was she, Juanita?"
"Oh, she took her formula about an hour ago. She's sleeping pefectly. That is one beautiful baby, Mrs. M. Where's Mr. Montgomery?"
"He had business to take care of. I imagine he'll be home shortly."
"Well, I'd better go. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Juanita, and thanks alot. I really needed this night out."
Rosamond looked at the clock. Ten thirty. The phone rang.
Probably Billy Bob beggin' for a ride home.
"Hello?"
The voice came over, low and throaty as it purred. "This is baaaabbbydollll... is he there?"
Rosamond said "No, he's not. And if you want him, come over and get him. He'll be the one passed out on the front lawn. All wrapped up and ready to go."
She hung up the phone.
Susan looked at her cellphone. "What the hell just happened? This wasn't supposed to happen..."

Rosamond took Julie up to the nursery. She put her in her bassinett and turned the baby monitor on. Rose then went to the bedroom and changed. She was so tired. She went downstairs, patted Jake on the head, and locked the doors.She went to the closet and got out a pillow and blanket and set them on the couch. This is where he's going to spend the night to sober up. When she got to the bedroom again, she locked that door, too, then turned out the light.

Billy Bob and Bobby Joe pulled up in the driveway. Bobby Joe walked Billy Bob to the door. Billy Bob tried to open the door. "Aw, hell, she locked it and she's got the keys." Bobby Joe reached over to the third rock from the planter and pulled out a key. "Isn't that where you always told me you'd put it? Do yourself and her a favor.
Sleep on the couch tonight. Things will look a whole lot brighter in the morning when you are rested and sober. Take a cold shower." He patted his friend on the shoulder.
Billy Bob opens the door and sees the blanket and pillow on the couch.
He pats Jake on the head, walks upstairs and violently kicks the door down.
"Didn't I always tell you, Rose, that there wasn't a door or lock that would keep me out?"

YOU AIN'T RHETT BUTLER, BABY!........by Coralynn

Rose sees BB enter the room face first. As he and the door both tumble into the room, she steps around them, goes downstairs and gets the pillow and blanket, comes back up and throws them onto his prone body.
She prods his body with her foot. Out for the night.
GOOD.
She gets back in bed just in time to hear the phone ring. She picks up. "Baaaaaaaby dolllllll" again comes over the wire. She flings the phone down on the pile that contains BB, the blanket, pillow, the door and dusts off her hands.


MY LIFE AS A GHOST..........by Coralynn

The leaves are budding out on the trees in front of the CT house.
Jerry, William, Celeste and Marilyn see that the Havers have already arrived as they pull into the driveway. They haven't, however, gone into the house, but stand outside looking expectently down the street, then their gazes shift as they see the car drive in.

The young couple smiles weakly as they greet the group that emerges from thc car.
"You have a lot of paranormal experts!" the woman says in as cheery a voice as she can manage.
"Well, yes, but Celeste here is our real expert. The others, William and Marilyn, are here to help if Celeste needs some backup."
"Oh yes, my yes, of course, yes," the woman goes on nervously as the door is unlocked and the group enters the house.
When the door opens a very normal looking house appears......regular furniture, rugs, a staircase going up, a fireplace; all looks normal.
Jerry ushers them into the living room, where they sit.
"Can I get you some coffee or tea while we wait for the ghosts to make noises?" Mrs. Haven asks them, wringing her hands.
"Thank you, but we're fine, why don't you sit and relax"? Jerry suggests.
"As IF," Mr Haven says ruefully, "Wait till you hear the noises. You won't be able to relax either."
Everyone sits quietly for awhile. Nothing happens.
Mr and Mrs Haven are disappointed. How can they fix the ghost problem if the ghosts refuse to participate?

Celeste gets up from her place on the sofa and moves toward the stairs, stealthfully.
"I think they're upstairs," she tells the others matter-of-factly, "But let's wait till they make themselves known."
Just as she finishes that sentence, there is a loud crashing sound, then the tapping on the window shutters, then moaning, then what sounds like a gun blast.

Everyone except Celeste sits up straighter in alarm.
Celeste simply stands there and smiles up the staircase.
Marilyn, who thinks paranormal things are "elegant" as she puts it, is straining to see what it is Celeste appears to be looking at.
None of them make a sound. They all strain to see and hear what's happening, if indeed anything at all is happening.

"Come down now.....yes, that's a good girl.....come here, I won't harm you. My dear, we must get you a clean nightdress, that one is all bloody. Yes, I know the story. Not just a story, you say. Right. Real life. Where is Rafe, by the way? Oh....he's still on the road, He's a highwayman is he and you're waiting for him. I'll see if I can locate him. Right. Come sit on the stair with me now, dear, and we'll sort this all out. Ahhhhhh, you say, 1777.......the American Revolution......you were tied by up King George's army......a nasty lot, that......now, Bess dear, what date did you die? OK, then, if you say it was June 25, then we need to go back to June 20 or thereabouts. You think so?.......he was at the Inn on the 20th, all hale and hearty.....uh huh.....then we shall go back to June 20, 1777 and get you both. NO, you don't have to keep waiting for him........I just said we'd rescue both of you. OK, then, wait here."

Celeste goes back into the living room and tells them that the ghosts are of Bess the Inn-keeper's daughter, his black eyed daugher, plaiting a red loveknot into her long black hair, yes that one!!
"I read that back in school!" Marilyn is getting excited, "You mean those were actual people?"
"It appears so, dear," Celeste tells her, "So, William, what we need to do, as you may have overheard already, is go back to June 20, 1777 and bring Bess and Rafe to the 21st Century."
William hangs his head and shakes it from side to side.
"Another rescue?!" he raises his head and looks at Celeste in wonder, "And these are fictional characters, do I have that right?"
"No no, William, we all thought they were fictional, but, as it turns out, they were real, and are real, and will continue to haunt this house till someone breaks the cycle. Getting them to the 21st Century would definitely break it and the house would then return to normal for this nice young couple."

The 'nice young couple' are totally flummuxed over this idea of rescuing people from 1777, but, under the circumstances, figure it's any port in a storm. Either go along with this wild idea or risk having their house's market value plunge to nothing.
Marilyn is looking intently at William, "You must!" she begs, "Look how much I appreciated your rescuing me. These poor souls would be forever in your debt! How can you say no?"
"Where would they live? All our bedrooms are full!" William decides to approach this from the practical angle.
Marilyn has an answer for that as well: "Bethia still has three unrented apartments in the house she bought! She'll be glad to put them up!"
William heaves a mighty sigh and capitulates, "OK, then, let's DO it!"

Mr. and Mrs. Haven, let us call them Rhonda and Mike, look at William in confusion. What rescue? How?
"You're free to accompany us or not, but let me give you a brief explanation," William begins, "We time travel to June 20, 1777, locate Bess and Rafe, and bring them back alive, hale and hearty to this timeframe, ergo they never have to experience the trauma they did in real life."
Rhonda and Mike take a few minutes to think it over, then tell William, "We'll go. We want to see this for ourselves."
William makes eye contact with Mike and stresses, "You must never tell a living soul that you time traveled; that's the price of admission."
"OK." Mike is willing. Rhonda nods her agreement.
"We'll all make a circle, holding hands," he instructs the newcomers, which they all do.
Celeste is bubbly, "You know, I never did get to go on one of these with you, William. I must say, this is going to be a treat!"
"We need you for this, Celeste. Bess will trust you, and we can hope Rafe will as well. Ready, everyone?"
The air spins and turns color and they find themselves outside an old Inn. It's evening. The see a horse tied up outside the Inn, which may or may not belong to Rafe.

"We'll go inside and try to act natural, though our modern clothing may cause a bit of a stir," William instructs them.
Before they get to do that, however, they see an upstairs window open.
Looking up at it, they see Bess, who is glancing furtively down at the court yard.
"Bess," Celeste calls up to her, "Is Rafe with you?"
Bess has no idea who these people are; it's her ghost who knows them now, but not the Bess who lived five days before the events that were made into that famous poem.
"Go away!!" she tells them, "The Soldiers will see you, Go away!"
They then notice a shadow behind her, a shadow in the form of a man.
"Hopefully that's Rafe," William says, "He'll bolt if he sees so many of us. Let's just send Celeste in. The rest of us can back off, maybe into the woods.
Marilyn is disappointed, "I wanted to go in!" she insists, "I never saw an old Inn, and it would be elegant."
William takes her arm and pulls her off to the woods with the others. "It won't be elegant if we mess this up with so many people scaring off Rafe!"
By then Celeste has slipped inside. The innkeeper is in the saloon; she can see him walking around in that back room, chatting with the customers and boarders.
She quietly ascends the staircase.
She locates the room in which Bess and Rafe may be located and listens outside the door.
"Those could be spies!" a man's voice comes through the door, "They know I robbed that merchant, and are here to arrest me!"
Bess again looks out the window, "They seem to be gone now," she assures him.
Celeste doesn't want to alarm them, and stands outside the door for another minute or so weighing possible approaches.
Finally, she taps on the door and announces, "Bess, you're needed below. Your father needs help with the boarders."
Celeste isn't sure whether or not Bess normally would help out 'below' but takes a chance.
Bess opens the door a crack, "Who are you?"
"Can I come in Bess, I'm just an old lady who will do you no harm, and I think I can help you."
Bess is hesitant. How does this stranger know her name?
Taking a big chance, she allows Celeste to enter. Celeste sees a man hiding in a dark corner of the room and gently says, "Rafe, I'm here to help, please show yourself."
He strides into the middle of the room, his hand hovering near his pistol.
Celeste in usually a calm cookie, but this situation is fraught with danger for all. She smiles at him and says, "I'm here to take both of you to a safe place where you can be together and where no soldiers will ever harm you. Do you trust me?"
Bess looks into Celeste's face and says, "Strangely, I do."
Rafe holds back his trust a bit longer, asking, "Where do you propose to take us? There is not safe place in the entire Colony of Connecticut."

"Ahhhhh, my dears, your lives are in great danger, and in five days you will both be killed if you stay here."
Bess is by now totally trusting in this woman who wears odd clothing and speaks with an accent Bess has heretofore never heard.
"What are we to do? How do we go with you?"
"When you looked out the window about 15 minutes ago, you saw others, did you not?"
"Yes, they looked dangerous!" Rafe scrowls.
"They are with me. They wish to help. Is there a way we can get out of this building and into the woods without being seen?"
Rafe's face registers alarm, "Into the woods so our bodies will not be found?"
"We are not here to kill you," Celeste reiterates, "Is there a way out the back?"
Bess motions for her to follow, and the three pad quietly down the hallway into a back entrance stairway. They begin to descend. The stairs creak loudly in several places, which are right over the heads of the people in the saloon Celeste saw on her way in.
They pause, but know they must go on.
After stepping on several more loud, creaking stairs, they are at the back of the house, outside in the night air.
"We have to go across into the woods, where you will be rescued," Celeste tells them, as they sneak around the edge of the Inn, trying to stay away from the front of the place as much as possible. They hear the Inn keeper open the front door and yell out, "BESS? Are you out here?"
They freeze.
Soon the Inn keeper gives up, and Celeste leads them quickly into the woods across the road from the front of the Inn.
Rafe again goes for his pistol when he sees Jerry and William. A woman is one thing, but what are these men here for and are they spies, and are they with the redcoats, and why are they dressed so oddly?

He goes along with it against his better judgement, and redeposits the pistol in the holster.
"Take hands," William says softly but firmly, "Now. I hear horses approaching the Inn, many horses, hurry!"
Rafe and Bess take hands with the others, as these soldiers can mean the end of them, whereas maybe these new people are indeed benevolent. Maybe. Hopefully.

The air swirls and changes colors.

"We're HOME!" Marilyn is gleeful. "We made it!!" she drops hands and smiles at Bess, "Oh Bess! We are so glad you came with us!"
"But where are we?" Rafe is becoming defensive again, "This looks like a different place. This is not where we were but a minute ago! This is a trick! You mean to clap me into irons, I know it!" he again goes for his pistol.
"Why ever would we want to do that, dear?" Celeste asks patiently.
"Because I rob people on the road! I'm a highwayman, the worst kind of vermin in the Colonies!"
William smiles at him, "We'll address your robbing problem later, Rafe, but for now......here's the deal: we have brought you to CT in 2002. You are 224 years ahead of what you were a minute ago. The Colonies are now the United States. We won the war, the British soldiers went home, and now we are friendly with the British, but that's beside the point. The point is that you are totally safe."
"Why did you show up and take us away?" Bess asks Celeste.
"Because you were haunting that house behind us," Celeste motions toward the Haven house. "We found out who you were and came to rescue you. Years ago some poet wrote about your plight, put it into a poem, and most of the people in this country have read that poem and feel badly because you were both killed. Since your spirits were at unrest, I thought the best idea would be to get to you before you could be killed, and bring you here, where you are safe from the redcoats."
"I was NOT haunting a house!" Rafe objects, "What'd'ya mean......that I was a ghost?"
"Yes, you were, dear, but of course you don't remember that, as we intervened in the story."
Rafe looks at Bess. She looks back. They shake their heads in wonderment and disbelief.
Rhonda and Mike have remained silent till now, "Come in now, and let's have a snack! You must be famished!!"
Mike goes over to the For Sale sign, rips it out of the ground, and follows them inside.


GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS.....by Coralynn

Roger is in a great mood as he pulls up in front of the house on Winding Willow.
He parks, takes an envelope with him and walks toward the house. "Wait till John hears the good news," he thinks.
Bethia sees him outside and rushes to open the door, "Roger!" she flings herself into his arms, "I didn't know you were coming over today! What a delicious surprise!"
He grins, "I have something I think John would like to see."
As they enter the living room where they can hear John's voice, they see two strangers, two people who look like they're dressed for a costume party.
William approaches them and takes them into the kitchen, "Those are Bess Inn-keeper's daughter and the Highwayman. YOU must remember that poem, don't you, Roger?"
"I remember it, but it's fictitious, William. Are these people trying to pass themselves off as the real items? You're too smart to fall for that one!"
"No, they really are, Roger. They were haunting a house in CT that Jerry had listed for sale, but the ghosts were so active that the owners knew they'd have a devil of a time selling it."
"So you went back and gathered up these people while they were still alive so that they couldn't be ghosts anymore, do I have that right?" Roger is beginning to snicker.
"YES! Dammit, yes! I know, I know, how many people can we rescue before half the population is composed of time travelers? At the rate we're going....."
John sees Roger and immediately joins them, "Did you get the results?" he asks excitedly.
Roger smacks his left palm with the rather thick envelope and smiles, "Congratulations, John, you're a father!!"
Bethia starts to dance around in glee, then gives John a mighty hug. "I knew it!" she sings out.
John is still not sure, "But what if it matches Daniel as well?"
Roger smiles conspiratorially, "I know Daniel didn't leave a sample at the hospital the way you did, John, but we did a much more delicate procedure with him.....we used some hair. Did you know your brother sheds?!"
"Like a sheepdog!" John shakes his head, "Now you're sure that it's me, not Daniel, right?"
"99 per cent sure," Roger says with conviction, "And I'd love to tell Rose, but......she's out at the ranch, so if she phones here, be sure to give her the news. What a mess she's in!"
As if on cue, the phone rings. John picks it up, hoping Rose has had a chance to call when BB was out of the house.
"Is this John Gwinett?" a crisp female voice asks.
"Yes, it is."
Then the voice drops to a husky growl, "I know what you did, and I know where you live! It's pay-up time!!"
The caller hangs up.
"Now that was odd.." John replaces the receiver, "Kids are always thinking up new ways to prank people over the phone."
Eleanor comes downstairs and greets Roger, hears the good news and asks William if Jerry returned with him.
"He did, but he's off showing a house right now....he said he'd be back by 3 at the latest."
Eleanor gives the newcomers a good looking over.
"Bess!" she approaches the new woman, "Come with me, I think I may have just the dress for you. Bethia gave it to me. Did you know she designs dresses? Oh yes, she's quite successful....." and soon the two women are outside hearing range.
Rafe is still standing in the middle of the living room, his hands on his hips, glowering at the men, wondering what their angle is. Are they about to turn him in to the redcoats? He has to admit, he hasn't seen any redcoats around here, but this could still be a trick.
He sees light coming from contraptions that have no fire.
He sees conveyances move people from one place to another without horses.
They forced him to sit in one as it moved, and it took all his control not to scream in terror.
His horse is gone, left back where he tied it to the post outside the Inn. He wishes he still had his horse. He can't be a highwayman without a horse! who ever heard of a highwayman going around on foot robbing people? AAAAAAAAaaaaaaah, he sees something move in a wooden box across the room. People are trapped in there, he can hear their voices, yet they aren't calling out for assistance. Don't they know they're trapped in a box? What is the matter with them? What is the matter with this whole place he now finds himself in. William made him leave his pistol outdoors; that should tell ya something! he thinks, Here I am, helpless as a newborn babe....no gun.....no horse. It's just a matter of time before I find out what cruel fate awaits me. The only good thing is that I'm with Bess. Why isn't Bess alarmed? I'll have to tell her to watch out for treachery. These people are out for something, but what?
Marilyn comes in the house, carrying the mail, "One for me, one for John, one for William, one for Eleanor, another one for John," on and on till her hands are empty.
John lays his down in his regular place, but then notices an irregularity. One envelope has no stamp, no postmark, nothing but the word John scrawled on it. He takes it over under the lamp to see more clearly, opens it, and sees a photo that shoots fear through his entire body. It shows him with Rose in the park but a day earlier. He turns it over, and on the back, the same scrawl, with the words, "Pay up or Montgomery will get a copy as well!"
As he doesn't want anyone else to see this, he runs it up to his bedroom and puts it in the drawer of his nightstand. The phone rings at that moment. He picks it up. "You pay me 50 thou and I make that picture go away, Johnny Boy!" a woman's voice says, then hangs up.
He sits on his bed, puts his head in his hands and feels numb, totally numb. One minute he's on top of the world, the next he's plunged into the abyss. He breaths deepely and tells himself, "You can live through this. You must'nt panic. Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm!"

Across town, Susan hangs up the phone and laughs, "You'll pay up, pretty boy, you'll pay and pay and pay. This is just the first installment!"
She gets out the bottle of red hair dye and proceeds to splash it over her head.
"Must'nt disappoint my customers!" she says with a sneer, "Now that they've taken to calling me 'Red' I'd better live up to it. Ahhhh yes, Susan, red hair, red car, piece of junk!!! Let's see 50 grand from John; I'll go for 100 K from Billy Bob, it'll just make a small dent in his fortune! Then....after they pay over and over and over I'll have enough to buy the nicest SUV made, drive back to Texas, or hell, I could even head for California.....they'd never find me there......and live like royalty!" she picks her nose and deposits the results on the underside of the table.


TRIPPING (over) The Night Fantastic.....by Terri

Billy Bob woke up to water being poured over his head.
He sputtered, "What the hell...?" Rosamond was standing there with a pitcher in her hand. "What the hell happened?" he said.
"In your inebriated state, you wrenched the door off the hinges. You came to bed and I guess you must have gotten up for something last night and tripped over the door, hit your head or passed out and this is where I found you."
He sat up. "Ooooh, my head! Why did you pour water on me?"
"Well, darliing, that was the only way I could revive you. Julie and I have been up about an hour. You were sleeping on the floor so peacefully I didn't have the heart to wake you. So I covered you up."
She leaned over to him and whispered, "Darling, last night was fantastic!"
Billy Bob looked up at her, wide-eyed. "It was?"
"Mmmmm!" Rosamond winked at him, turned her back and tried not to laugh. Let him think what he wants! The mind games are now beginning! Try to tell me what to do, will you!

Billy Bob went to the mirror and looked at himself. He had a black eye and a bruise mark on his jaw. "Owww!" He got his razor out and gingerly shaved himself.
Damn! Why can't I remember anything about last night? I guess we must have kissed and made up!
He grabbed a quick shower and came downstairs to breakfast. Rosamond had made French Toast.
"Babe, I don't think I can eat anything. Just some V-8." He walked over to where Julie was in the bassinet. "She's awake, should I pick her up?" Rose said, "If you want to. If she cries though, YOU can nurse her!"
Billy Bob lifted Julie out of her bassinet. "Hey, sugar! How's daddy's little girl?"
Rosamond bit her lip. How can he be so overbearing one minute and a sweetheart the next? She shook her head. Must be that DuPre blood strain.


"So what are you doing today, Billy Bob"
"I have to go arrange transport for the horses I bought in Richmond."
"You never told me you bought any. How many did you get?"
"I guess it's because you were too busy birthing a baby! Seven. Plus a special one. I bought Julie a 6 month old colt. By the time she is three, the colt will be able to be ridden. I'll break him myself."
Rosamond started to cry."That is so sweet!" Instantly she was sorry for what she had done to him. If her heart wasn't so bound up with John's, things might have been different.
He grabbed a cup of coffee. "I've got to meet Tom Lucas first. So I'll be home by dinner." He kissed Rosamond and whispered, "It was great for me, too, Sugah! The earth moved!"
Rose could barely contain a smile.

Billy Bob wasn't gone but a half hour when the phone rang.
"Talk to me!" Rose said.
"Huh?"
Click!
Five minutes later the phone rang again. "Hello?"
A throaty voice came on the phone. It whispered, "Ask that stud of a husband of yours about his tattoo."
Click!
Tattoo? On Billy Bob? And just where is this tattoo supposed to be? I've been all over THAT terrain and I sure never saw it!

Rose called John on his cellphone. "Hello?" he answered cautiously.
"Well, what got you out of bed on the wrong side?"
"Rose, darling, are you by yourself?"
"Well, of course I am, except for the baby! He had to go to a neighbor's and then had to run an errand."
"Honey, we are in trouble. Big time, major-league trouble."
"What is it?"
"I can't go into it on the phone."
"OK, meet me in the park."
"Absolutely not! Can you meet me at the blue house in an hour?"
"Sure, I'll be the one in the fur coat with nothing on undeneath!"
"Rose, this is serious."
"Allright. Julie and I are heading out now."

Rosamond pulled into the driveway. She knew she was safe parking there. She plugged in the coffee maker and started to make some lunch for her and John.
John came in within ten minutes. Rose rushed up to meet him. He kissed her desperately. Then he headed over towards Julie. She was sound asleep in her carrier.
"I've got good news and bad news."
"Well, tell me the good news first and then maybe the bad news won't seem so bad."
John handed her an envelope with JBM Laboratory Testing on the return address.
"What is this?"
"When you and Julie were being checked out at the hospital, I had a DNA test run on the baby and me. I didn't want to upset you and Roger handed me the results this morning."
Rose held her breath.
John broke out in a smile. "Send me a Father's Day card in June, Ro'. I am Julie's daddy!"
Rosamond flung her arms around John's neck "I knew it! I knew it! We made a baby, John! A physical manifestation of our love for each other!"
John laughed self-consciously. "If you remember correctly, darling, that baby was born as the result of too much brandy on a Friday night!"
"So what's the bad news?"
"I'm being blackmailed."
He drew out the picture of him and Rosamond kissing in the park. She grabbed it and gasped.
"When? How? Why?...."
"The when is easy. Yesterday. The how? Obviously with a camera. Why? Money.
You forgot 'who'? Damned if I know. Whoever this is wants 50,000 to keep her mouth shut. Or she goes to Montgomery."
Rose began to panic. "I've been getting strange phone calls, too." "What kind of strange calls?" John asks,
"The calls are from some woman who puts on this really lame sexy voice. Sounds like she got her boobs caught in a wringer washer. But that's besides the point. She keeps saying stuff like, 'babydoll' and asking 'is he there?' and 'check his tattoo.'
Well, to the best of my knowledge and from what I have seen, and don't look at me like that, my husband does NOT have any tattoos. He HAS slipped a couple times and called me 'babydoll' which I absolutely hate! Makes me feel like Barbie and Ken playing house! Even though I always thought Ken was gay, and believe me, Billy Bob is NOT gay! Could there be a correlation here?"
John sighed. "What I can't understand is who I have pissed off enough to want to do this?"
They both looked at each other and said in unison, "DANIEL!"
Rose shuddered. "I went to the Dew Drop Inn with Billy Bob last night. Verla and Bobby Joe had a belated reception for us. Daniel was there and quiite inebriated.
He accused me of keeping his daughter from him. And then he said he talked to the nurse and she told him he did a beautiful job of delivering the baby."
John sat with his head in his hands. "Daniel always thought I got everything he wanted. What are the chances of him telling Billy Bob I was there the night Julie was born, that I was the one who brought her into the world?"
Rose said, "Roger will back the story up that we gave. Even Billy Bob knows how vindictive Daniel can be. What I can't understand is how he could have followed us to the Grand Union. And why would he want 50,000 dollars? Daniel isn't about money, he's about revenge. Getting even. Anyone who would drug his own brother so he could..."
Rose blushed in memory of her wild weekend with Daniel.
John stood up and walked to the window, looking out over the woods.
"What are you going to do, John?" Rose asked in a small voice. She jumped up and stood behind him, her arms around his waist and laid her head against his back.
John gazed out the window. "I have to protect you, Rose. He might kill me but he would hold you over for torture!" He looked out towards the street. "Look at that old Falcon out there. Can't believe anyone would drive a car like that. It should be scrap by now."

Susan drove by slowly. Can you believe your luck, babydoll? These people are like rabbits! Can't keep their hands off each other!
She reached over into her purse and grabbed her camera. Click! Click! Aw, damn, no film left! She parked a little ways down the street and ducked down. I've got an hour, a pack of cigarettes, a box of Ding Dongs and Yoo Hoo. Yeah, I can wait and see who comes out of that blue house!

John and Rosamond lingered over a glass of wine for an hour. They talked and held Julie, they were too upset for anything else at the moment.
Rosamond looked at the clock. "It's 2:00 now, I'd better get Julie home." She got up to get her things together and John grabbed her as she walked by. He drew her into his lap and kissed her on the neck.
She whispered, "Tell me it's going to be alright, darling."
John looked up at her. "First I make sure it's Daniel. Then I beat the crap out of him.
If it's not Daniel, I'll still beat the crap out of him. Just for the heck of it! If it's NOT Daniel, we have really big trouble ahead of us, Rose. I know this woman will be calling again. She's hungry for that 50 thou. I'll do what I have to to protect us."
Rose went to the carrier to get the baby. John smiled wistfully. "I have to hold my daughter just for a few minutes more. It's so awesome to know that she is really mine."
Rose gave him the baby. He held her close. "Why do babies always smell so good?"
"Baby powder, honey."
After a few minutes, Rose held her arms out. "Darling, I have to take her home."
John reluctantly gave her back. Rose had her coat on. John reached over and got his leather jacket. He put his boots back on.
Rose sighed and thought, Why do I alway go for men in boots? Henry, John, Montgomery....
"I'll carry her out." John said.
He got them situated in the SUV and saw Rose drive off. He got in his Corvette and left.

Well, Babydoll, that was really interesting. I'll have to remember this house. Because guaranteed the Grand Union park is offlimits now.
She turned the ignition. The car sputtered and groaned. The muffler fell off. Susan swore, got out of her car, opened the trunk, picked up the muffler and threw it in the trunk. Right next to the chrome strip, three hubcaps and the emblem that said
Falcon. She put the car in gear and it rattled off, the tail light dangling by a wire.

John burned rubber all the way home. Daniel just HAS to be the one involved. I don't know who else he has working for him, but who else at the moment hates me so much? I mean, besides Montgomery? He slammed into the carpark at the house.
Daniel was under his Jeep changing the oil. Just his feet were sticking out.
John marched over to him and grabbed his legs and dragged him out across the gravel.
"HEY! What the HELL do you think you are doing?"
He jumped to his feet as John balled up his fist and punched him in the stomach.
"Are you insane?" Daniel yelled.
John started swinging and was totally out of control. Daniel started swinging back.
Eleanor looked out the window and said to Bethia, "Well, it's a good thing William didn't plant his vegetable garden yet. Little Julie's father and uncle are duking it out! Only trouble is, which is the uncle and which is the father?"
Bethia jumped up. "Oh, my goodness! I can't believe I forgot to tell you! Roger came over with the DNA results!"
Eleanor grabbed her by the front of her sweater. "YOU FORGOT? Who are you? Grace?" She let go of Bethia. "Well--tell, tell before I explode!"
Bethia smiled widely. "99.99 percent sure that John is the father!"
Eleanor jumped up and down. "Thank goodness! Now if we can get Julie away from Montgomery, she just MAY have a normal childhood!"
Daniel was trying to swing back but John was like a raging bull. "Who's working with you? What little dirtbag is doing your dirty work for you?"
Daniel was ducking and swinging. "I have no idea what you are talking about!"
"Well, I'll give you 50,000 reasons why I think it is you!" He landed a punch right on Daniel's eye.
"Damn it, John! I don't know what you are talking about! Listen, if it's about that night at the Dew Drop.....?"
John and Daniel went tumbling to the ground, scuffling until Jerry and Roger pulled them off each other. Roger had John--and he had a hard time holding hiim back.
He had him around the waist and John kept bucking and swinging.
"My God. Daniel! She just had a baby! How can you be so rotten?"
"My baby, John! MY BABY! Get that through your thick skull!"
"LIKE HELL IT IS!"
Roger couldn't control John anymore. John broke free and grabbed Daniel by the collar. Jerry let go.
Jerry said to Roger, "Obviously they have done this before. Should we let them have at it?"
Roger raised his hands and said, "Why not? I need these hands to deliver babies!"
They walked back into the house to their women.
Daniel and John continued to pummel each other. And if John and Daniel were pummeling each other, then this must be Wednesday!


Rosamond put the baby down for a nap.
The phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Find the tattoo, babydoll #2?"
Rose slammed the phone down.
Billy Bob came in about 5:00 PM. "Hey, Sugah, those horses should be here in a week. Real beauties, Maybe I will teach you to ride."
Rose looked at him. "What makes you think I can't ride now? Just because I haven't lately doesn't mean I can't ride. For your information, I rode in all kinds of weather, on all kinds of steeds..I even took my horse Niniane for a three hour journey in the dead of night through Windsor Woods. And that was ten months ago--850 years and ten months, give or take a year. I can ride with the best of them. I can hunt and falcon and bring down a buck with a crossbow. Oh, Montgomery, what you don't know about me could fill a book!"
Billy Bob said, "I stand corrected. I guess Henry taught you to ride."
"You mean Henry your good buddy? Your soul brother? Your frat brother? No. I was riding before I could walk."
"I hope Julie will be the same way. What's for dinner?"
Rose opened the oven door. "Lasagna and Caesar Salad."
They ate a quiet dinner. The phone rang. Billy Bob and Rosamond both jumped a mile.
"Let it ring." Rosamond said.
Then Billy Bob got up and took the phone out of the jack.
"For once let's have a peaceful evening."
After dinner when Billy Bob helped Rosamond load up the dishwasher, they went into the living room while Rosamond fed the baby.
Billy Bob looked over at the two of them. Rose was so pretty and the baby was adorable. What more could a man ask for? And now here was Wanda Sue threatening to take it all away from him.
Rose handed him the baby. "Here. You can burp her."
She picked up Billy Bob's jacket to hang it up. Something fell out of the pocket.
"What's this?"
"Nothing." He tried to take the picture out of her hand.
"Well, if it's nothing, why can't I see it?" She turned away and held the picture away from Billy Bob's grabbing hands.
Rose looked closely at the picture. She started to giggle. Her giggling turned to laughter. Uncontrollable laughter.
"I can't believe this! Oh, this is too much! How old were you, twelve? thirteen?"
Billy Bob scowled. "I don't see what is so funny!"
"So who's the pancake you were with? Is this supposed to be some sexy look she is giving the camera? Because get the bag out, honey--this chick is out to lunch! Can hardly see her face, though. And you all over her like she was a road map!
And look at that bikini top! Boy, I'll bet if you looked down her blouse all you'd see are her feet! What was her name, Flatty Patty? Althoug she's got a fat....."
Billy Bob grabbed the picture out of her hand. "And I suppose you were a raving beauty at 16?"
Rosamond looked him right in the eye. "Damn right, I was. I was able to captivate a king and get him to put his wife away for me. All by the time I was sixteen! A king who still carries a flame in his heart for me. If he were alive today. And if you think I am kidding, go back to Court but go back to Court with me. Henry would pick up right where we left off. But I won't have it! I won't have him. Never again. And do you know why?"
Billy Bob was quiet. "Henry told me. He destroyed your room. You pulled a knife on him and sliced his hand open."
"Damn right I did. I was only sorry I didn't put the dagger through his black heart."
Billy Bob took the picture over to the fireplace and threw it in. Even thought it was the end of April, it was still chilly in the evenings.
"I'm sorry, Rosamond. I didn't mean to dredge up things in the past. I came across that picture in an old shoebox and took it to show Bobby Joe. He took the picture. I can't even remember the girl's name. Bobby Joe couldn't remember it either."
Rose immediately felt bad that she laughed. Billy Bob put the sleeping baby back in her bassinet.
"I'm sorry I laughed." Then she started to giggle again. Billy Bob smiled reluctantly and then he started to laugh too. He put his arms around Rosamond. Well, now would be a good time to look for this elusive tattoo--if there is one!
She flung her arms around his neck. He kissed her neck, She pulled his collar away and scanned his neck. No tattoo there.
She ran her fingers through his hair. No, no tattoo around his hairline or on his neck like lots of these punk skinheads do.
Maybe he doesn't have one? Maybe that creep was just kidding?
She pulled back and looked deeply into Billy Bob's eyes. "I am thinking of getting a tattoo. Not a big one, just a little one, like a rose or a butterfly on my butt. What do you think?"
Billy Bob frowned. "Rosamond, I don't think so. I'd say you were out of your mind."
"Have you ever had one? I was just wondering. I've never seen one on you but you never know."
Billy Bob smiled. "Well, Rose, I would think you would have seen one by now. But yes, I did have a tattoo at one time. It was small. I got it when I was 16. Without my parents' permission. You had to be 18 to get one."
Rose looked all over his arms. "So where is it?"
"I had it removed by laser when I was 18. "
Rosamond was fascinated. "REALLY! What was it a tattoo of?"
Billy Bob hedged. "I can't even remember. I guess it must have been a heart."
"With a girl's name in it?"
"Yeah, I guess so."
"So what name was it?"
"Hm?"
"What was the name?"
"I--I don't remember. It was so long ago."
Yeah. Right.

Billy Bob got his jacket and Jake ran around him in circles.
"I have to feed the horses and throw blankets on them. It's chilly tonight. I'll take Jake with me. Exercise will do him good. Did you get the mail?" He held his breath.
Rose said, "Yes, but just a few bills and a couple catalogues. Nothing else."
Billy Bob gave a sigh of relief. Must remember to be the one to get the mail from now on.
Rosamond plugged the phone back in. I'd better check on John while Billy Bob's outside. I have a good half hour.
"Hello?"
"Eleanor! How's it going?"
"Rose! How's my little one?"
"She's sleeping now, but she's not down for the night. I wish!"
"Rosamond, Bethia told me the good news about the paternity. Tell you the truth, I thought for sure Daniel was the father the way your luck runs!"
"It was one of the happiest moments of my life when I found out she was John's.
Is he there, Eleanor? I only have a few minutes."

"Let me see. He may be lying down with an icepack. He and Daniel got into it AGAIN today. Jerry and Roger tried to separate them but they were about to get hurt so they let them go at it until they wore themselves out. I swear, those guys must punch each other out at least once a week. Know what it was about?"
Rose sighed. "Same old, same old. You did this, you did that, you took this away from me, etc. etc."
"I'll get John. Let's meet for lunch tomorrow, OK?"
"OK, I'll call you."
After a minute, John got on the phone.
"Hi, darling. Well, did you find out why Daniel did it?"
John took the icepack away from his jaw.
"Ooooh, that hurts. I'm trying to keep the swelling down. I have to go to the studio tomorrow. I'm pretty well convinced Daniel isn't connected with this. I held his head over that horse trough and he still didn't yield. So I dunked him a few times and threw him in there with his boots on. He's pretty mad about it, especially since his boots are squishing. Still didn't budge on his 'what the hell is your problem' story. I'm afraid we are dealing with a blackmail pro, Rosamond."
"Have you had any more phone calls, John?"
"No, but I'll bet they won't go away."
"I'll call you tomorrow if the coast is clear. I love you."
"I love you too. Kiss the baby goodnight from her REAL daddy."
Click!

Five minutes later, the phone rang.
"Hello?"
"This is babydoll. Any tattoos you find that don't belong?"
Rose kept her cool this time. "Well, what is it supposed to be? I can't read the name in the heart."
Susan laughed deep in her throat. Rosamond pulled the phone away. Gads, she sounds like Misty hacking up a furball!

"Well, uptown girl, it says 'Babydoll' in the middle of that heart." "Babydoll, huh? Well, I have news for YOU, skank! There is no tattoo. And do you know why? Because he couldn't stand to look at it anymore. He lasered it right into oblivion. So whoever you are, there is no 'babydoll' as far as Montgomery cares. Why don't you go down to the docks and troll for sailors?"
Click!
Babydoll tried to call again but the phone just rang and rang. Ooooh, princess, you are going to pay for that one. I just may take the 50 thou and mail it on my way out of town!
Wait a minute. Looks like that blue house has a separate entrance. Slim, bless his larcenous little heart, taught me breaking and entering. B & E I think he called it.
A voice activated tape recorder just may put the scare into Mrs Montgomery. Shake her world up. I may not even ask for money, just psychologically mess with her.

Oh, yeah, if she's carrying on with that gorgeous John guy, who knows?
Maybe I can turn it into an album! Make Donna Summers' 'Love to Love You Baby' sound like Farmer in the Dell. Oh yeah, can you imagine that bitch getting a phone call with her voice on it?
She got a piece of paper. On the top she wrote--Grocery List:
Pickled pigs feet
Yoo Hoos
Ding Dongs
Hungry man TV dinners, how many days X two.
Beer
Tape recorder
Tape
More beer.
Ok, honey, this is your audio test! Coming through loud and clear!


LIKE I SAID: THE POSTMAN ALWAYS..........by Coralynn

Billy Bob waves to the mail vehicle as it pulls away from his mailbox and proceeds onward.
Hmmm, he thinks, quite a stack of mail! Wish Rose would quit signing up for all those catelogues, just a minute, this one has a Texas postmark.....
He opens it and pulls out a stack of what appear to be legal documents.
Now that's odd, he thinks, I don't have any legal proceedings in Texas. Just a minute!! These are the divorce documents.....and.....let's see, this cover letter says "It was never signed or filed, and it is not Final. Contact your Lawyer if you don't believe me. If you don't want the fact that you're a bigamist to hit the newspapers and your precious wife, send 100 thou dollars to this account.
He gasps. Included are the deposit slips he is to use for sending the money directly to the account of: Wanda Sue Skaggs Montgomery!!

So she's not in the area, she's in Texas. He wonders, is she making those harrassing phone calls from Texas?
What accounts for the hand delivered picture in his mailbox the other day?
Could she be two places at once?!
He hurries back up the driveway to the house and immediately goes into his office and phones his lawyer in Texas.
"Hi, Stan, William Robert Montgomery here!.....yes, Billy Bob......what's the date on the divorce degree you handled for me back in 1988?"
Stan's part of the conversation: "let me look.........Janet, get me the Montgomery file!.......sorry to yell in your ear, Billy Bob.........OK, here it is: oh my God!........right.......it was never finalized.......how did we let that slip past us?......she never signed the papers.......I suppose we could reinstitute the divorce, but it's been 14 years......you're married again? Congrats!!.......oh, that's right, now you're technically a bigamist........oh-oh, let me see what I can figure out and get back with you....no problem.......Talk to ya later........bye.

Billy Bob sits in his leather chair and tries to think of what to do next.
He re-reads the cover letter and sees that the funds must be in the form of a Cashers Check.
He jams his checkbook into his jacket pocket and rushes out of the house, gets in his car, and quickly drives toward town.

Across town, 'Susan' is on the phone with her brother who lives in Texas.
"Good, if you mailed it four days ago he must be getting it today, could have gotten it yesterday, but today for sure. Good job! I'll let you know if I need a Texas postmark on anything else......sure.....I'll send it to you, then you put it into a new envelope......yeah.......just like you did this one. You want a cut of the action?.......don't get greedy, Slim, let's see how much I can milk from this cash cow first........yeah, I was thinking the same thing, California sounds good. Right. Bye.

Susan stretches like a cat, then goes to the refigerator and gets out the jar of pickled pigs-feet. ahhhhhh, now this is real chow!!

I WAS A STRANGER HERE MYSELF...........by Coralynn

Eleanor and Bethia drive Rafe and Bess to the new rental house across town.
Marthy and Jack have volunteered to stay with them till they feel more at ease in modern times.
Rafe is looking wildly out the window as the scenery and houses and all manner of odd looking things whisk by them. He wishes they'd slow down this dangerous contraption they are inside. My God, we could all be killed, he worries.
Marthy smiles encouragingly at Bess, "You and I get to share an apartment, won't that be fun?"
Marthy has been a 21st Century person about four months, so she has the jump on Marthy, but just barely.
Jack is worried about living with Rafe till the man becomes acclimated. Rafe seems not one bit happy about being in the 21st century, and gives even Jack suspicious glances.
"Glad the painters got done in time!" Bethia says cheerily, "And look! Talk about good timing! The furniture is being carried in right now! It's brand new stuff, you'll be so comfortable. I had the phone put in ahead of time, too, so you can call me up if you have questions."
Rafe wishes this woman would stop prattling. So he's to live at this place with Jack watching his every move, is he? Is this the 21st century version of being clapped into leg irons? He gets to live with one of his jailors! Well, we'll just see about that!! They park and all six walk into the house, which still has the faint aroma of paint.
"You have the first floor apartments," Bethia tells them, "SEE?" she unlocks the doors that are on opposite walls off the hallway.
"These apartments are beautiful!" Eleanor strides into the one Bess is to occupy, "Bess! Come here, look out this window, see the flowers blooming in the back yard?"
Bess joins Eleanor at the window and is impressed and gladdened to see flowers growing. Chances are these people are good friends, she thinks, regardless of what Rafe keeps telling me. Rafe is looking for trouble, and the sooner he stops looking for it, the better. Had I known he was so disturbed....well, but I didn't, so here we are!

Eleanor and Bethia go back out to the car and get groceries out of the trunk, and carry them in.
"FOOD!" Bethia announces as she deposits a couple bags of groceries in each apartment.
Jack immediately begins putting the food away. Bethia and Eleanor are amazed at how quickly Jack has learned the modern ways.
Rafe, however, is standing up against the kitchen wall, his arms folded across his chest, glowering.
Jack tosses him an apple, which Rafe has to unfold his arms to catch. Hmmmmm, apples. Trying to win me over by giving me luxurious food, are they? Why would they do that? What's in it for these people anyway?

Across the hall Marthy is arranging the food on the counter, showing Bess where to store each kind. Bess in fascinated. This century is like a dream come true! Look! You want to keep food cool, you open that things over there and just put it in, close the door, and it's cool. Maybe it's cool forever. Will I ever learn how to do all these new inventions? Look at that cooker, I think Marthy called it a stove, yes, a stove. And that box that 'dings'.....I must learn about that, too.

This musing is brought to a halt as Bess hears loud music and something stomping on the floor just over her head. She looks at Bethia for an answer to what it might be.
"Ohh, that's Susan Hemingway up there. You'll like her, she's new in town, too. Since she's been here by herself this past week she hasn't had to turn her music down for any reason, so, tell ya what, I'll just run up there and tell her you've all moved in. Be right back!"

Bethia quickly goes out the main door of the house, then into the door that leads to the staircase. By the time she's right outside Susan's door, the music has miraculoulsy ceased.
Just as she is about to knock on the door, she hears the oddest sound from inside, it sounds almost like a wounded animal, but animals don't say words, and this one is groaning, "Babydoll!"


THE AVON LADY COMETH.........by Coralynn

Susan' lugs her bag of goods out to her car and puts it on the passenger seat. It falls sideways down the cavern where the springs are poking up from the seat. She yanks it back up, but it still tilts downward.
"Screw it!" she yells, as she starts the car. It coughs and sputters and finally takes hold.


For what I paid for that equipment I could have had the starter on this car fixed, but never you fear, babydoll, when the money starts rolling in it will have been worth it!
She nears the blue house and is relieved that the cars John and Rosamond drive are nowhere to be seen.
She parks her car out on the street, retrives her bag of spyware and walks over on the left hand side of the lawn, leading to the stairs that go up to the 'lovenest.'
She is but ten or twelve feet from the door to the stairs when someone comes out the front door.
Oh-oh! That's not supposed to happen! Someone must live in the lower flat. Rats.
The woman has a huge smile on her face and is approaching Susan like perhaps she knows her.
No way!! This woman is a complete stranger, so why is she acting so friendly? Double rats!
"HI! I'm so glad you could come over today," this woman says, "Come in, come in, Gilda is watching her soaps, but she'll more more than happy to put on the teakettle. Was it a long trip?"
Susan wants to scream, "TRIP? This woman is on a "trip" if she thinks she knows her! Now what do I do?
"I am just delivering Avon to the folks upstairs," Susan tells her.
The woman has a vacuous expression, which is unnerving Susan, and is continuing to smile. This is downright weird!
"Ohhhh? I thought you were the visitor I was expecting," Grace looks down with a disappointed expression. "I'm getting a new tutor, ya know. I'm learning to read!"
"That's nice, but as you can see, I'm the Avon lady. Goodbye!" Susan wants this pestky woman to go away!!

Grace begins to retreat, then turns and says "No one lives up there! Not usually anyway!"
"No problem!" Susan has had all of this nonsense she can stand.
As Grace re-enters the house, Susan groans.....ohhh no, that dingbat saw me. Well, hell, she thinks I'm the Avon Lady, how smart can she be? Does this bag I'm carrying have the Avon logo on it? Not where I can see it!!

Who's going to believe someone who acts that stupid anyway? she reasons as she quietly goes up the stairs. Now....let's see, Slim gave me some dandy burglar tools that I'm dying to try out. This one looks good.......jiggle it a little.......yes! it worked. That Slim sure knows how to get the good stuff!
She looks around the apartment for the best location to put the voice activated tape recorders and mikes. Well.......hmmmmm, the most incriminating stuff would happen in the bedroom......one goes in there.....ahhhhh, they'll never see it behind this nightstand. They aren't in here to sleep, after all. What if they make out on the couch though? Why would they do that with a bedroom only 10 feet away?.......I know, I'll put the other one over here near the living room and that other bedroom just in case. That way it'll catch the sound from either location. Now, let's turn these microphones on as loud as they'll go. HA! If one of them even breaths heavy this puppy'll pick it up!!
I know I should split, but I wonder.......what's in that refrigerator over there? She opens it and sees some fruit and some orange juice, the stuff hasn't even expired yet. Could take that. Nawwww, that stuff is poison!! Never mind.
No clothes in this place, either. Nothing worth stealing.
Ahhhhh well, babydoll, just wait.....you'll be able to go into the expensive stores.....like WalMart.....and buy anything you want, maybe even one of them fancy Kathie Lee creations, after your ship comes in!
She smiles as she goes back down the stairs, looks furtively around when she reaches ground level, good...no Ms Nosy Parker.....and gets in her car. As she starts it up, it sends forth a huge black cloud of exhaust and coughs and rattles ominously.
Grace looks out the window, wondering where the racket is coming from.
"OH! That nice Avon Lady must be saving up for a new car! The one she has looks worn out! I'll have to order from her the next time she comes around!"


___________.........by Terri


John got in his car and drove towards the City. It was really hard acting with that new actress, Tammy Hartman. Just not like with Rosamond. He parked the car and went into Marty Henshaw's office.
"John, you look like death warmed over. Are you coming down with something?"
John sat down and sighed. He ran his hand through his hair. "Something I just have to work out for myself, Marty."
"Woman trouble, John?"
"Yeah, I guess you could say that."
Marty sat on the corner of his desk. "Do you ever see Rosamond?"
"We run into each other once in a while."
Marty shook his head. "I could have sworn you would have hooked up with her. Man, when you two were acting, you really tore up the screen. I thought for sure it would carry over to the real world."
"Need I remind you she is married to that cowboy now? Her name is Rosamond Montgomery now."
"Damn shame he made her give it up. You two getting that Hottest Couple award. Now that was a real stroke of genius."
John looked down at the floor. "Marty, can I ask you a question?'
"Sure--don't know if I'll answer it, though!" He laughed until he saw the misery on John's face. "If I can help, I will."
"Have you ever been blackmailed?'
Marty was serious. "John, is this something that can hurt the integrity of the show? It's not drugs or weirdness, I mean, you weren't caught in the park wearing a dress, were you?"
John laughed mirthlessly. "No. I'm....seeing someone. She's married. This person has pictures and has threatened to show her husband. He's violent. I think he'd kill me if he could. This person is demanding money. The woman in question..she's getting weird phone calls too. I am at a loss of what to do."
"How much is he asking?"
"Fifty thousand dollars."
"FIFTY thou?"
"Yes."
"Is this woman worth 50,000?"
"To me she is worth ten times that."
"Then do what you have to."
"I intend to."
"John, taping is done for the day. Why don't you knock off early?"
"Thanks, I think I will."
"John?'
"Yes?'
"Do what is necessary to protect Rosamond."
"Thanks, Marty. I guess we couldn't fool you."
"No, John, something like that comes along once in a lifetime."
As John was leaving, he ran into Gwen, Rosamond's former wardrobe mistress.
"John! I'm glad I found you alone! How's Rosamond? Have you seen her lately?"
"I ran into her at the Grand Union of all places."
"With the baby?"
"Gwen....do you know?"
"Of course I do, John. I'm the one who steered her to Dr. Bidwell. I have to tell you something, John. I was really shocked that she married that Montgomery guy. Oh, he's gorgeous but you two were magic. I knew what was going on between you two before you two knew! I also surmised that baby was yours. Rose all but told me from the start."
"Thanks for keeping quiet about it, Gwen."
"Well, wardrobe mistresses are just as good as hairdressers, John. The stuff I hear...
I could see how unhappy she was at the awards ceremony and how when you two won that Hottest couple award, her face just lit up. Her acceptance speeches were loaded with double entendres that if you didn't know Rosamond you would swear they were innocent. Guess they went right over her husband's head. But I caught it.
She had asked me for an OB-GYN for her "friend" and I gave her Roger Bidwell's."
"Well, Marty knows about Rose and me now."
"Marty's a good man. He'll keep his mouth shut. As will I."
"Thanks, Gwen, you and Marty are the best!
"Tell Rose to bring the baby in sometime. Bet she looks like her mommy."
"Yep, except for the mouth and chin. Gwen? Thanks for being a friend."
She hugged John. "No charge!"


The Other Shoe Drops.........by Coralynn

Marilyn is doing her "mail call" routine again. She enjoys it, so everyone in the house gathers round as she calls out the names.
"One for Eleanor, one for John, one for William, two for Eleanor, one for me, another one for John.....oooo..John, who do you know in Texas?......one for Bethia."
John is puzzled. He doesn't know soul in Texas. He's not even sure he knows where it is! Why would he get mail from there? He looks. No, not one of those ads everyone gets....no, this one has been hand addressed.
After Marilyn is through with her mail call routine, John takes his mail up to his room.

He opens the one from Texas, first. He sees a deposit slip and a note attached that reads, "If you don't want Montgomery to know about your affair with his wife, send 50 thousand dollars to this bank account."
Could this be the same person who sent the picture of Rose and him, and phoned as well?
He sees the name: Wanda Sue Skaggs Montgomery.
This definitely doesn't look like the work of Daniel, but who is this? Obviously a woman with that name. Montgomery? Could she be Billy Bob's sister? Why would his sister blackmail him? Does he even have a sister?
The phone rings.
Warily he answers it. The woman's voice, crisp just like the last time, asks if this is John Gwinett.
"Why do you want to know?" he asks, more than annoyed.
Her voice drops an octave:"Did you get your mail yet, Johnny boy? Send the money, honey, or babydoll will have to squeal on you! Got it?"
The caller hangs up.
This woman must be phoning from Texas! This is getting weird. How did she get that picture, though, does she have someone local working with her? If so, who? He shoves the envelope into his jacket pocket.
He's still shaking his head when he goes downstairs and sees Bethia sewing away at her work area. He sits near her and asks, "Do you know anyone in Texas, Beth?"
"Not a soul", she answers, turning the material over to sew in an inside seam. "Why?"
He pulls the envelope from his pocket and puts it in front of her.
"I'm being blackmailed," he says quietly so no one else can hear, "Read this!"
Bethia scans the enclosed letter. She tries and tries to think why the name 'babydoll' strikes a chord, but nothing comes readily to mind.
She hands it back and frowns, "What are you going to do? And what evidence does this person have anyway? How could someone in Texas know?"
"Uhhhhh, well, I got this last week," he pulls out the picture taken in the park of Rose and him.
Bethia's eyebrows go up. "Whoaaaa!" she looks at the back, "This is bad. How do you think she got this?!"
"I just don't know, I have no idea, no clue, nothing!" he shoves the picture back in his pocket.
"She phones, too, Beth. I hope you're here the next time she does, because you have to hear it to believe it!"
Bethia gets a puzzled expression, "Why, what does she say?"
"Not much, but it's in this throaty, gutteral sound that people make when they're trying to disguise their voices. She pretty much says the same stuff: she wants 50 thousand. Now she's told me how she wants it. Cashiers check. This is evil! Don't tell anyone else, OK? But keep your eyes and ears open."
He leaves the house and Bethia sees him drive off toward town.

She calls Rose's cell phone number, hoping Billy Bob isn't there. It rings and rings, and finally Rose answers.
"Rose, I can't tell you why I'm asking, but.......have you gotten strange pictures in the mail and weird phone calls?"
"Both Billy Bob and I have been getting prank phone calls from kids, you know, the ones where they say something stupid and hang up!"
"Do you remember what they said?"
"Babydoll, that word I remember. It was a woman's voice and very low and ominous sounding. Why? Have you gotten them, too?"
"Just wondered," Bethia tells her, "I'll fill you in on it later, OK? Hope you and the baby are doing great. Is she getting bigger by the day?"
"At the rate she's eating, she's getting bigger by the hour!" Rosamond laughs, "Oh here comes BB back inside. Gotta go, talk to you later."
Bethia puts the receiver back and tries to remember, "Where have I heard that word before???"


SHUT UP AND KISS ME..........by Terri

John called Rosamond on her cellphone.
"Can you talk?"
"Yes, Billy Bob had an errand to run in town and then he was going to Saratoga to a seminar on horse breeding. He won't be back until tonight."
"Well, can I stop by?"
"Absolutely not! Juanita is here. She'd blab in a minute. I'll meet you at the house in an hour. Have you decided what to do?"
"Whatever I have to."

Rosamond picked up the baby and crooned, "Come on, sweetheart, you get to see your daddy!" She looked in the mirror and thought, mmmm, a whole afternoon and evening with John!
She grabbed her coat and said, "Juanita? I'm going to lunch with some friends of mine and then doing some shopping. I'll catch dinner in the City so you might as well leave as soon as you finish vacuuming. My husband won't be home until tonight so I'll go ahead and make dinner for him."
"Well, thanks, Mrs. M. I appreciate it!"

Rosamond pulled into the driveway and ran up the stairs with the baby. John was already there. He opened the door and drew both Rosamond and the baby into his arms. "There's some wine chilling."
"John, that' s so sweet of you."
John took Julie out of her carrier. "I still can't believe she's mine, Rose. What would we do without DNA testing? Does Montgomery still believe that she's his daughter?"
"Yes, he thinks she was just a tad premature. But Roger said she was right on time.
I mean, I was queasy that whole time I was in Austin with him. I should have known then that I was pregnant already at that time."
"Rose, why don't you just tell him flat out that Julie is my child? Maybe he'll give you a divorce."
Rosamond shook her head no. "I dont' know what is going on, but there is no way he's going to consent to a divorce."
John put the baby back in her carrier since she fell asleep again. He opened the wine. She laughed. "That's what I like about you, John. Classy AND trashy! Excellent wine."
John sat Rosamond down. She put her hand out to his cheek and stroked it. "It's bad, isn't it, John?"
"Yes, Rosamond, it is. This woman sent me a deposit slip and demanded the money be deposited into an account in Texas. She's threatening to tell Montgomery about us. I've decided I'm going to pay up. I have no choice. I'll go to the bank tomorrow and get a cashier's check and mail it to her. That should be the end of it."
Rosamond looked over at the baby sleeping. She gave John a smoldering look. He knew it only too well. She grabbed his collar and drew him towards her.
"It's been a while since I felt this feeling, everything that you do gives me the shivers."
John smiled at her. "All business, baby, and none of the hype that no talking can live up to."
Rose whispered, "Talk is cheap, honey, and time is expensive, so why waste another minute more? Life's too short to be so apprehensive."
John picked Rose up. "Don't worry about the details, darling, you've got the kind of mind I love to read!"
Rose put her arms around his neck and whispered, "Shut up and kiss me."

Outside the Falcon pulled up and parked around the corner. Well, babydoll, that didn't take long. Now to go in there tonight and pick up the tapes. Let's see...a copy for Gwinnett, a copy for that bitch, a copy for me, one for Billy Bob, maybe one for Slim, yeah, he'd appreciate that, he'd be proud of baby sister's ingenuity. I won't even ask that tramp for money, just play it and let her twist in the wind. Tell ME to troll the docks, will you? She turned the key in the ignition. Nothing. She swore and got outside, kicked the car in the grill and turned the engine over. It wimpered to life. She burned out, leaving blue smoke and her side mirror behind.


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