SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL

WHERE'S BB?..............by Coralynn

Bobby Joe opens one eye after a fitfull night of sleep, and thinks, "Where is BB? I'm going to report him missing. They said wait 24 hours; well, that's about what I've waited considering I just discovered him gone last night. But I'd bet the farm that he was kidnapped, or worse, earlier in the day yesterday. Why are all his vehicles still here? Why is part of his breakfast still sitting cold on the kitchen table? That doesn't sound like him at all!"
He dials the Police station and an unfamiliar voice answers, "Chappaqua Police, Jeremy Pennypacker here."
"You're new?" BJ tries to pin down just who this person is.
"Yes, sir. Just began here a couple week ago. How may I help you?"
"I wish to report a missing person," BJ begins, "His name is William Robert Montgomery, who lives on the Montgomery Ranch just outside of town."
"Approximately what time did he disappear?"
"Yesterday about this time," BJ guesses.
"Is his car missing also?"
"No. It's still in the driveway, so someone must have taken him away in another vehicle."
"Ahhhhhh, you suspect a kidnapping then?"
"That or murder!" BJ figures the latter word will whip them into action faster than if he just suspected the former.
"Did he entertain any guests yesterday, any that you know of?"
"I got up early and worked quite a distance from the house, so if he had company, I didn't see them, but that doesn't mean he couldn't have."
"When did you last see him?"
"Night before last. Late. We both live in the main house here on the ranch, and I saw him go upstairs to bed around 11."
"And that's the last time you heard from him or saw him, am I correct?"
BJ sighs. This cop sure is thorough, either that or he's trying to catch me in a lie, should my story be inconsistent.
"Right!"
"Did Mr. Montgomery have any enemies of whom you are aware?"
"No," BJ lies.
"Was he going through any legal action in the recent past?"
BJ pauses, wondering if the divorce action BB had taken a few days ago against WandaSue should be divulged.
"He's going through a divorce," he says as if it's no big deal.
"Ahhhh, and is it amicable or contested?"
"I don't know."
"What's your best guess?"
"Maybe somewhere in the middle." There, that sounds almost true.
"What is the name of the wife he's divorcing? Or is she divorcing him?"
"No, he's divorcing her. Her name is WandaSue Skaggs. Lives in Pleasantville."
Jeremy reaches into a filing cabinet and brings out the file labeled SKAGGS. He flips through the pages and rejoins the conversation, "This woman has been in jail here more than once."
"I suppose."
"She was sent to a mental institution recently. If she's there, she can't be the guilty party, wouldn't you say?"
"I suppose. Look, we can sit here chatting away on the phone all morning, but what I want is some action! Are you going to put out an A.P.B. on him or not?"
"Yes, but since you're the last person to have seen him, we'll need to question you later. Please don't go out of town."
"Now I'M a suspect?"
"No, just a material witness."
"Witness?! But I didn't 'witness' anything! If I had, I'd know where he is and wouldn't be on the phone asking you to go look!"
They both hang up, and Jeremy goes into Alan's office to tell him about the reported disappearance.
Alan looks up and squints his eyes, "You know, that guy was once reported murdered back last year, and as it turned out, he was really in Paris the whole time. I'm leery about putting out an A.P.B. for him!"
"But what else can we do?"
Alan shakes his head, "Issue an A.P.B. and hope Montgomery shows up on his own before long.
Neither of them see Travis standing outside the open door, but when he bounds into the room, both men groan.
"Montgomery kidnapped? HA! I know where he is! Probably buried in someone's back yard would be my guess! Or.......maybe in the cellar under the cement, freshly poured cement. I'll get right on it, Chief!" and he rushes out of the room and out of the station before Alan gets a chance to object.


MEANWHILE, on WINDING WILLOW:

Celeste uncovers the crystal ball, hoping to get the answer to the question that's been knawing at her. How did WandaSue get that Pirate girlfriend of Rhys' to the party last night? She has to have stolen a time travel coin again.
She waves her hands around the ball, coming in closer and closer, asking the question mentally. Soon a fuzzy picture forms, then becomes clearer and clearer.
Sure enough, there's WandaSue stealing the coin from Sally Jenning's bedroom. Just as I thought, Celeste concludes, but how did she know of Molly the Pirate's existence? How? She sends out that mental question. The crystal ball shows WandaSue sitting in front of her computer reading the online Story.
Shocked, Celeste declares, "This will have to stop!"
Marilyn pokes her head in the room and asks, "Having a problem, Celeste?"
"Two big ones! Come in dear, and close the door."
Marilyn sits down and Celeste tells her, "WandaSue has again stolen Sally Jennings' time travel coin...."
"No problem. I'll steal it back. I did it before, I can do it again."
"Worse yet: she's found the Story online."
"Oh no! She'll know everything we do and say!"
"That's right, and that will give her the power to pull some very nasty tricks, maybe even fatal ones. I have to stop her!"
"How?"
"I'll have to put a curse on her. I hate doing curses, but in this situation it's necessary. I'll curse her so that whenever she's within 10 feet of a computer she'll get severe muscle spasms and fall on the floor."
"Wow! That oughta stop her! Can I stay and watch you do this?"
"No dear. You go into the kitchen with the others and have breakfast. When I'm done, I'll join you and give you the high sign."
Marilyn enters the kitchen and sees William, Eleanor, Rose, John and Bess already sitting at the table. She grabs a danish and sits down by William, who is frowning.
"What's the prob, William?"
"The driveway is heaved up! It just heaved right up yesterday, didn't you notice?"
Everyone continues to eat, shrugging, looking from one to the other. "Well, I'm having it re-done today. I know, it's winter...but if it heaves up again in the spring I'll just have it re-done again. Can't use it the way it looks now!"
"Whatever you say," Eleanor quips as she goes to the sink with her dish.
"Time to go fetch my newspapers," William comments as he closes his robe tighter, pulling the belt again, "for the last time from that awful driveway. Tomorrow, hopefully, it'll be like brand new!"
The others look one to the other and laugh.
"First his rosebushes, now his driveway!"


ON THE ROAD AGAIN..........by Coralynn

Travis peels out of the police station parking lot onto the road and immediately fishtails. "Drat! It would have to be icy today!" he grumbles as he finally gets his cruiser under control.
He hears his two-way radio sputter, then Alan's voice coming over it, saying, "Travis! You haven't been given this assignment! Get back here immediately!"
"Why not?" he whines.
"I'm letting Jeremy handle this one."
"HE doesn't know enough to handle it, Chief! He doesn't know these people."
"Exactly; that's why he's getting it. He can be more objective than you."
"Hell, I'm objective, why objective is my middle name!" Travis replies with emphasis.
"Objectionable maybe, but not objective. Get your butt back here pronto!" Alan commands as he clicks off.
Travis weighs his options. He has to do what Alan tells him, yet Alan is deluded into thinking a newcomer can handle something like this. No way! I know these people. I know about the feud between Montgomery and Gwinett. Well, I'll go back to the station, but if Alan thinks I'm off this case, he has another thing coming! he muses as he gets his cruiser turned around. Stomping on the gas, the car slides. He tries to correct it by steering but it's too late and he ends up rammed into a snowbank.

MEANWHILE over in PLEASANTVILLE:

WandaSue is unhappy. I had to return Molly to her own timeframe. Now I'm alone again. This sucks!!
Oh well, I still have the coin, and I know how to read the story online, so let's see what's been happening over on Winding Willow! This last thought brings her spirits up a notch.
She heads for the computer, but just as she reaches within ten feet of it, her muscles seize up and spasm and she falls on the floor, face down.
She lies there in pain. Now what on earth is that all about? she thinks, Am I getting some disease? Why now? Actually, why any time? I'm fairly young and healthy. Why am I lying here on the floor?

She scootches backward, away from the computer, and finds her body return to normal. She sits on the couch to rest.
OK, babydoll, now just move slower! Yes, that's it! You've had too much excitement, so move across the room slow and easy. Yes, here I go.
As she slowly makes her way across the room, again, within ten feet of the computer, her muscles spasm and she returns to her position on the floor, face down.
She yells out every expletive she knows, and just as she's running out of them, sees a pair of feet standing not more than a few inches from where her head has come to rest against the floor.
She tries to scootch backward again to regain her normal control, as she did before, but this person puts her foot on WandaSue's back, impeding her progress.
"Where's the coin, WandaSue?" she hears a familiar voice. She turns her head just enough to look upward and sees Marilyn glowering down at her.
"I don't have a coin!" she lies.
Marilyn proceeds to seach through every pocket of WandaSue's clothing, as WSue lies there helplessly.
"Ahhhhh! Here it is!" Marilyn announces triumphantly as she then disappears from the room.
"$&*##&$!" WandaSue screams into the empty room. With Marilyn gone, she inches backward again and finds herself able to stand normally.
"Well isn't this just a fine kettle of fish!" she storms around the room, "I suspect foul play! I suspect that witch Celeste has something to do with this. Sally Jennings was right.......the woman is a witch! A card-carrying, evil witch! She probably put a curse on my computer! HA! I'll do an end-run around her and access the story from the computer over at the Library. Yeah, she probably didn't think to jinx that one!" she goes into the bedroom to dress for the day, chuckling.

Marilyn zaps herself into Sally Jenning's house on Sycamore, and, finding both Sally and Penelope asleep, places the coin in the middle of the kitchen table, then zaps herself back to the big house on Winding Willow.
Celeste is now having breakfast with the others, and when she sees Marilyn touch down, gives her a thumbs up. Marilyn grins. Wait till she finds out how well her curse is working!

As everyone else goes off to their daily routine, William outside supervising the workmen who are to re-do the driveway, Celeste and Marilyn casually go back into Celeste's room.
"It worked! She was facedown on the floor of her living room, about ten feet from the computer! Since she couldn't move, it was easy to get the coin back. I took it over to Sally's house. Left it on her kitchen table. Good job, Celeste!"
"I only wish this were the end of the trouble that woman causes," Celeste muses aloud, "With no coin and no way to access the online Story she's declawed for now, but she's a devious and single-minded foe. Don't count her out. We have to stay vigilant and slam her down every time she plans a move against us."

MEANWHILE, back at the SNOWBANK:

Travis puts the car in reverse and tries to back out of the snowbank. His wheels spin helplessly; the more they spin, the slipprier the area under the tires becomes.
He gets out of the cruiser to take a good look. As he's bending over to view the situation, he hears a roaring sound coming closer and closer.
He doesn't have time to get out of the way as the truck spewing out salt roars by him, covering the road, the cruiser and Travis with a coating. He spits to get the taste out of his mouth, and rubs his coat sleeve over his eyes to dislodge the salt that's caked there. Being that his coat is also salt covered, it only serves to grind the salt into his eyes. Tears automatically run down his face, but freeze mid-cheek.
He hears the two-way radio inside the vehicle again, and, all but blinded, somehow stumbles back into the driver's seat and hears Alan voice:
"Travis! Where are you?"
"Uhhhhhh, a maniac driving 90 miles an hour forced me off the road into a snowbank," he fabricates.
"I can send a tow truck," Alan almost laughs, as he doesn't buy Travis' story and knows what a klutz the man is behind the wheel.
"No need. I have it under control!" Travis is determined.
"I'll send it anyway."
The radio checks out.
Travis grabs his container of bottled water and splashes it in his eyes to remove the salt. It makes the stinging worse, but he keeps it up until his vision is clear enough to see the tow truck pulling up behind him.

OVER at the PLEASANTVILLE LIBRARY:

WandaSue drives very slowly over to the Library. Dang! These roads are like glass! But she arrives without incident, and parks. Glancing at her watch, she sees that it's going to be ten more minutes before the place opens.
She sees two women walk briskly to the door, so she jumps out of her car and races over to them, but they quickly unlock the door, and by the time WandaSue reaches it, it's again locked.
She jiggles the door handle, which gets no response, so she commences to bang on the door, which results in a surprisingly loud, obnoxious sound.
She stubbornly stands there banging, but gets no results until it indeed is 9 am. One of the women she saw go inside ten minutes earlier, looks at her disapprovingly, but says nothing.
She marches up to the desk and tells the second woman, "I want to use a computer."
"Do you have a library card?"
"I have to have one?"
"Why yes, of course. Our computers are for the use of Library Patrons only."
"How do I get one?"
The woman hands her a form to fill out and then adds, "We need to see proof that you live in Pleasantville. Do you have anything with you, like a letter addressed to you by perhaps a utility? Or, better yet, a driver's license?"
WandaSue's drivers license is the one she brought with her from Texas, so that's no good. She fishes around in her purse for anything that might have her Pleasantville address on it. She finds something, and slaps it down in front of the Library Lady, who picks it up, turns it over, reads both sides, and comments, "This is a speeding ticket!"
"I KNOW that!" Wandasue is exasperated.
"This is highly irregular," the woman has big furrowed frown lines between her eyes.
"Does it have my name and address on it or not?" WandaSue insists.
"Welllll, yes."
WandaSue quickly scribbles the information on the form she's been handed and shoves that across the desk at the Library Lady, who fills out a card for her, glancing at WandaSue with suspicion as she hands it over.
WandaSue spies the bank of computers against the back of the room and walks toward them, but when she is ten feet from her target destination, her muscles spasm and cause her to fall flat on the floor, face down.
"#%%&*@$&!" she yells, breaking the silence of the library. The two Library Ladies look at each other in alarm and rush over to where WandaSue is lying, twitching.
She looks up and remarks, "Don't you people have anything better to do than follow me around?"
The two ladies see her inching backward, which is quite a sight to see. WandaSue scoothes her midsection, then her legs go back, then she repeats this till she has gone about six inches, at which point she stands up and dusts herself off.
"Would you like us to call the paramedics?" one of the ladies asks.
"Why? I'm fine! Now go do whatever it is you do in this place!" she yells as she walks toward the front entrance, and is soon outside again in the cold.


PURLOINED POETRY.......by Terri

Rosamond stared at the ceiling early the next morning. John was still sleeping, his breathing soft and rhythmic. Rosamond looked over at him and thought, why is it everytime I look at him I melt?
She got up quietly and put her robe on. She looked out the window. Still snowy outside. And March, too. Down from her window she looked into the garden. A crocus! Can spring be far behind? So much has happened since a year ago. Julie's birth...Billy Bob's disappearance and my annulment....John and I FINALLY married...Pompeii...Gold Rush....pirates...

She sighed and looked back at John's sleeping form. Poor darling! I'll let him sleep. Rose poked into the fireplace. The embers were still burning. She picked up a log and put it in the fireplace with every intention of getting back in the warm bed.
As she placed the log in the grate, her eye caught something not quite right. She ran her hands over the rough brick surface. One was ever so slightly askew...
and Rosamond's heart dropped like a stone to her feet.

John stirred. He said in his twilight sleep, "Rose? What you up to, hon?"
Rose quickly turned around. "N-nothing, darling. I--I was just putting another log on the fireplace."
He looked at the alarm clock. "It's 6:30 AM, come on back to bed. We don't have to get up early." He pulled her side of the bedcovers down. She slid back on her side of the bed. He put his arm around her and fell back to sleep. Rose laid there trying not to panic. The brick looked like it was moved. It must be my imagination. And I can't get up to check it--at least not until John goes downstairs for breakfast.
Why oh why did I keep those? I really did forget about them....didn't I? If John ever knew I saved them, he would be livid. She fell back into a restless sleep.

"Good morning, everyone!" John said. He kissed the top of Rosamond's head. Julie was eating her cereal and getting most of it on herself. Eleanor poured him a cup of coffee. Rose thought quickly of an excuse to go upstairs.
"Oh! I forgot a load of laundry I have in the upstairs laundry room. I have to put it in the dryer."
John looked puzzled. "Hon, I didn't hear the washing machine."
Rose thought quickly. "It's because I put it in last night. I'll be right down."
She quickly ran up the stairs. Her heart was pounding as she entered their bedroom and went closer to the fireplace. She cautiously removed the brick and peered in.
Empty. 0h dear God--it was empty!

Tori got her coffee and toast ready. She was taking her time in getting to the wooden box. All the much more to build anticipation, she thought. Because if it is hidden, it has to be pretty good!
She poured cream into her coffee and set the box on the table. She cracked her knuckles. This is the best part, she thought. Prolong the anticipation!
Carefully she lifted the box. Inside she found an old book. A very old book. And also letters written on paper that looked not too old. The book had a clasp that was fastened with a strap of leather. She set it aside and picked up the papers. She untied the red satin ribbon that bound the papers together. Slowly she went through each of them. Wow! This is really hot stuff! Someone is really into writing erotic poetry! Tori turned it over. No names used. Rats! But it is definitely a man's handwriting...sure would like to meet the man who has this much passion! And a way with words. No dates on it either...
As Tori read these poems, she felt like she was being voyeuristic. Baring his soul.. and whatever else! she laughed to herself.
She laid them down and turned her attention to the book. As she jiggled the clasp, it fell open. What sort of paper is this? It's very old and appears to be written in a young girl's hand. Let's see what it says...


NOT GIVING UP....................by Coralynn

Travis leaves the station grumbling, "Alan tells me I'm on speeding control, does he? I'm supposed to drive around giving people tickets for going 5 miles over the stupid speed limit when I should be solving a murder case? I don't think so!"
He drives onto the road and heads for town. Alan's voice comes over his two-way radio again, "Bring copies of all the speeding tickets you write back to the station at the end of the day. That's all you're to do, and I do mean all."
"10 -4, Chief!" Travis wonders what 10 - 4 means, but it sounds good and it gets Alan off his back. "Righto........speeding tickets! HA!"
He turns onto Winding Willow and slowly makes his way to the big house at 224. A-ha! Look at this! The driveway is being dug up! There's a cement mixer truck, too.........so they're about to pour cement over the driveway, are they? To cover up what? As if I didn't know! I should report this to Alan, but Alan doesn't want to know, does he? Alan would rather stick his head in the sand by putting Jeremy Pennypacker on the case; Jeremy who knows from nothin' about the people in these parts! Jeremy who grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth. Well, I'll show them, I'll show them both!

MEANWHILE, over on Sycamore Street:

Penelope has just set her coffee cup on the table when she spies the coin. Picking it up, she sees that it's Sally's time travel coin, and whoops, "SALLY! Your coin is back! Get out here and see!"
Sally emerges from her room and when she sees Penelope holding the coin in the air, waving it about, hurredly takes it from the other woman. "Be careful of that thing, Penny! You could end up God knows where when you hold it. So........." looking at the coin, again lying on the table, "you've come back again, have you, coin? And who do you think brought you back? Certainly not that thief WandaSue!"
"Bet it was Marilyn," Penelope speculates, "the only decent person over on Winding Willow."
"That would be my guess too," Sally agrees, then when the phone rings, picks it up and says, "Sally Jennings here."
"Sally!" she hears WandaSue's voice, "I need your help!"
"HA!" is her response.
"No, seriously! That witch over on Winding Willow put a curse on me."
"Or she did, did she? I knew she'd finally do something good with her voodoo."
"You don't understand! I have a way to find out everything that goes on over at the Big House, but Celeste has me cursed. I need someone else to go in with me on getting back at the rich snobs! This could help you out as well.......kill two birds with one stone or something like that!"
Sally puts her feet up on another chair and leans back, stretching, "Ya know, WandaSue, the rich snobs, as you call them, have been a lot less trouble to me than you have. Methinks I'll join forces with them. At least they don't go around stealing my stuff!"
"You must'nt do that!" WandaSue's voice is sounding desperate.
"Why not?"
"You just musn't! Look! Here's what I need you to do. You have a computer over there at your house...."
"That's right."
"All the information about what goes on is on a Story that you can access with your computer!"
Sally's eyebrows raise as she takes her feet off the other chair and sits up straighter. "So??"
"Celeste put a curse on me so that whenever I get within ten feet of a computer, I fall flat on my face, so I need you to print out the Story for me."
Sally chuckles, "I don't think so, WandaSue!" and hangs up.
"What was that all about?" Penelope asks.
"WandaSue has finally gone round the bend! Completely wacko! She wants us to help her, too, what a joke!"
"Right! When pigs fly!"

Penelope unfolds the morning newspaper and sees the article about the disappearance of William Robert Montgomery.
"Listen to this, Sally.....it says here that BB Montgomery has been missing for over 24 hours and the cops are searching for him. They suspect foul play. I wonder why? Heck, he was reported murdered last year, or was it the year before?.....but come to find out he was in Paris the whole time. Wonder where he is this time?"
"I'll bet WandaSue knows!" Sally states.
"I'll bet she does, too. She had the time travel coin for a couple days......hmmm.......and she definitely has a connection to him. Remember her saying that she was his legally wedded wife because their divorce of way back whenever it was never became final?"
"Yeah. I have an idea: let's find out where he is."
Penelope is dubious, "How?"
"I'm not sure if it'll work, but maybe if I ask the coin to take us to where he is, it will."
"Even if you don't have the destination?"
"It might work!" Sally unlocks the hidden drawer where the coin has been kept since they finally got it back, "Take my hand and let's give it a go!" she grins as she says, "take us to wherever BB Montgomery is."

Their feet slip precariously on the deck as the Ark pitches in the waves. Rain is falling in sheets and the ark is rolling from side to side.
"What on earth is this?" Sally yells over the sound of the storm.
"Let's find BB, maybe he knows!" Penelope yells back.
They are the only ones out on the deck, so they make their way inside a door and on the other side of it stands BB, shocked to see them.
"Thank God! Take me the hell out of here!" he implores.
"What is this anyway?" Penelope asks.
"The Ark! You know, as in Noah and the Ark. See the animals down in the hold, you know two by two by two? Now get me back to the 21st century!"
He tries to reach out and touch one of them, but they're too fast for him and disappear.

Their clothes are still wet as they touch down again in Sally's living room. She laughs as she wrings out her sweatshirt, "SO.......old BB is in Noah's ark, is he?"
"Yep. How about we arrange for him to have a little company? A bit of female companionship, if you can count WandaSue as a female? She'd have no coin to get back, either, so she'd get a taste of her own medicine and we'd be rid of her."
No sooner said than........
WandaSue is startled when she sees her ex-friends standing in her kitchen and wonders why they're there. "OH I'm so glad to see you! You've decided to help me get to that Story after all?"
"Yeah, yeah, like there's an online Story! Get real WandaSue! That mental institution must have done you a whole lot of good! You're still the thief you always were."
"But Sally, I only took your coin in an emergency situation, you have to believe me!" WSue pleads.
Sally manages to touch WandaSue as the three zip off again and when WSue looks around she sees the undeniable fact that she's on Noah's Ark. Wondering why, she asks, "But......but........" however, the other two women disappear before she gets any further in her sentence.

Making the most of a bad situation, WandaSue throws her arms around BB and asks, "How do ya feel about repopulating the earth, Oh huband of mine?"
He yanks her arms away and backs up, "Not with you, scum bag!"
"I don't think you have any choice, I am your legally wedded wife!"
"Do you know what year it is?"
"No. Do you?"
"No, but it's a long time ago before our so-called wedding, so technically we aren't, and even if we were, you'd be the last one...."
The four women BB has been avoiding see WandaSue with him and rush over, the one who put her dibs on him yells, "He's MINE! Stay away!"
"Who are these people, BB?"
"They came with the ship."
WandaSue whirls around and glares at them, "I'm his wife! Anybody wanna argue with that?!"
Instead of a reply, she finds herself being beaten up by these very strong women who smack her around, then dump her on the floor.
She isn't sure whether or not anything is broken, and looks up at BB imploringly, "Are you gonna let them get away with that?"
"Sure, why not?" he dusts off his hands and walks away, the four women in his train.


RISQUE RHYMES FROM A ROGUE....by Terri

osamond numbly made her way downstairs. She sat at the table. John finished up with "...and the black sweater. Rose? Rose?"
Rose looked abtractly at him. "Hmm? What did you say?"
John waved his hand up and down in front of her. "Earth to Rose! Earth to Rose! I said, could you please drop off my drycleaning? I need my black suit taken in and the black sweater."
Rose buttered her already buttered toast. "Hmm? Yes. Sure."
John reached over and stilled her hand. "Honey? Your toast is already buttered."
She stopped and laughed a litte self-consciously. "So it is."
John gave her an affectionate pat on the shoulder and a kiss on the head. "I'm off to the fitness center. Next week Marty wants us on the set of Planet. He's wrapping up that marooned island storyline with Estelle and Bradley and he's kicking our story in. He knows it's going to be a little tricky with the Time and Chance sequences. But he guaranteed you time off." John leaned over and kissed the baby good-bye. "Whoa, princess! Wipe that face off!" Julie said, "Da-da! Da-da!" and waved bye-bye. John laughed. He put on his jacket, picked up his car keys and walked out the door. Eleanor looked at Rose and frowned. "You all right, Rose?"
Rose sat there. "Hmm? Yes. I'm alright." But her mind was racing. Where could they be? The diary was one she started in England. Before, during and after Henry. Yes, the diary was bad enough. But the poetry? That alone could send me spinning into another dimension.

She went upstairs and knocked tentatively on the bedroom door.
"Come in!"
Rosamond opened it slowly. Marilyn sat at her dressing room table putting on her lipstick. "Hi, sweetie! You OK? You looked kind of out of it at breakfast."
Rose tried to keep her lips from trembling. "Marilyn? Can I talke to you? Woman to woman?"
Marilyn suppressed a smile. "That's the best way for us to talk, Rose. What is on your mind? And knowing you, I'm afraid to ask."
Marilyn looked in the mirror and saw Rosamond's stricken expression. She immediatley softened. "I'm sorry, Rose. It looks serious."
Rose sat on the bed and took a deep sigh. "I can't talk to Eleanor about this. Or Bethia. Marilyn, being a woman of the world, only you may understand. Oh, Marilyn...I'm in trouble--again!"
Marilyn turned to face Rosamond and took her hands in hers.
"OK, Rose, take a deep breath. And remember, there is nothing that can't be remedied. Start at the beginning and take it slow."
Rose looked at Marilyn. "This has to be between just us. Eleanor would roll her eyes and give me THAT LOOK. Bethia--I love her dearly, she's like a sister to me, but she knew John since they were practically children and she and John share a bond that is very unique--I can't trust Bethia, good as her intentions may be--to keep a confidence. Celeste--well, some things you just don't want to tell your 'mom.'"
Marilyn said, "Is it that bad, Rosamond?"
Rose leaned forward and said in a low voice, "Did you ever keep a diary, Marilyn?"
Marilyn leaned back, a small smile playing on her lips. "Yes, I did, sweetie! It was red. I wrote a lot of things that bothered me..especially about two brothers that were very prominent in American politics. Some people believe I was murdered over it."
Rose was shocked. "Marilyn! You were..murdered? MURDERED??"
Marilyn looked pensive. "Rose, to tell you the truth..I don't know if I was or not."
Rose said, "But---but how would you not know?"
Marilyn said, "The last I remember, I took some pills. I may have washed them down with alcohol. By that time, I was passed out. I don't know if I overdosed or if someone came in and finished the job. There are alot of theories. People who were involved or supposed to be involved are now dead. William gave me a second chance at life, for which I will always be eternally grateful. It doesn't really matter..I am alive now! And I intend to make this the best life ever! I have a second chance and I am going to do this one right!"
Rose said, "This makes my problems seem penny-ante."
Marilyn said, "But, Rose--these are YOUR problems. So tell me, what is wrong?"
Rose took a deep breath. "I kept some things, Marilyn. Things I never really should have."
Marilyn said, "A diary."
"Yes."
"How old is this diary?"
"Oh, it started out about 800 years ago. I wrote sporadically off and on since I got in this century. I started it when I went to Court and caught Henry's eye. I was sixteen so you can imagine the kind of stuff I wrote."
Marilyn laughed lightly, "You dotted your 'i's with little hearts and ended your sentences with flowers. Right?"
"If that was all, I wouldn't be so worried. There is alot of stuff in there I don't wish to become public knowledge. But there is something else."
Marilyn gave her a questioning look.
Rose took a deep breath. "I have erotic poems written to me. If John ever finds out that I saved them, he will be out of his mind."
Marilyn laughed, "OH! Pretty hot stuff, huh? Well, if he wrote you poetry, you have every right to keep them..."
Rosamond looked totally miserable. In a quiet voice, she said, "Marilyn....John didn't write them."
"Oh, dear. You saved poetry written to you by someone not John. What is the problem? If you are uncomfortable with them, bring them here and we will burn them in my fireplace. No one will ever know."
"I don't have them, Marilyn."
"Well, where are they?"
"I don't know! That's the problem!"
"You misplaced them?"
"Not exactly."
"Rose, you are totally confusing me. Why don't you start at the beginning?"

Rose took a deep breath. "I kept the diary and the poems in a little cubbyhole that I found in my bedroom. I found it even before John and I were together. It is a brick in the fireplace that if you hit it just right, it pops out. You can replace it and no one would really notice. Only if you are standing at a certain angle would you notice it is slightly loose. You know how the mortar is in this house. When I was in England on that time-travel with John where we brought Hotspur back with us, I found my diary at my Gran's house. I slipped it in my backpack. When we got back home, I put it in the cubbyhole in the fireplace. Along with some poems I received."
Marilyn broke out in a grin. "So you kept a few racy poems written by a knave 800 years ago. I'm sure John won't be TOO upset, the fact that you got them from some dude who has been dead all these centuries. Big deal!"
Rose shook her head. "He---he's not dead. He's very much alive."
Marilyn said, "So you got them from your first husband. Just get rid of them. Now."
Rose whispered, "Not Billy Bob, Marilyn."
Even the walls seemed to be listening. Rose took a deep breath again. In a whisper that seemed to shout, she said, "The poems are from Daniel."

Marilyn looked at her incredulously. "Daniel. DANIEL??? Daniel as in Devil Incarnate? Daniel as in spawn of Satan? This IS Daniel Gwinnett we are talking about, isn't it? Your loving husband's twin brother? Rose, how could you? HOW COULD YOU?"
Rose grew defensive. "You sound like Eleanor and Bethia! Yes, Daniel Gwinnett. He has a side no one else knows."
Marilyn muttered, "Yeah, thank God. When did he write these to you?"
Rose shrugged. "Off and on. Most of them were written in that interim when I was seeing Billy Bob. When we were at the Dew Drop Inn together. Before I was with John. Right around the time I found out I was expecting Julie."
Marilyn looked at Rose intently. Rose said, "OK, a couple when I was married to Billy Bob."
Marilyn still looked at her. Rose coloured. "Then there was that three-page one he wrote the night after Bethia's wedding."
Still Marilyn stared. Rose couldn't help confessing. "OK, so there was that five-page letter he wrote the night before I married John. He wanted me to run away to Iowa with him."
Marilyn raised her eyebrows. Rose said, "And then there was the one after the Halloween party..."
Marilyn shook her head. "Rose, why didn't you get rid of them? Burn them?"
Rose stammered around. "I don't know..oh, maybe I do...Marilyn, what happens when John and I get older and comfortable with each other? We start taking each other for granted. Maybe some day I want to remember that someone once found me attractive and vital and wonderful....a little something to keep warm on a cold winter night...and...I'm in trouble, aren't I?"
Marilyn shook her head. "It all depends. When did you last see them?"
Rose said, "I put the last one in there right after Daniel got back from that Greek cruise."
Marilyn looked unbelievingly at her. "He was writing you ribald poetry right up until November?"
Rose said defensively, "I didn't encourage him! He just kind of left them in my car and places like that." "What would have happened if John used your car?"
"John hates the Miata. He said it is a bumper car. He never drives it."
Marilyn asked, "When did you last see them?"
Rose said, "I haven't opened the cubbyhole since December. New Year's Eve."
Marilyn looked at her steadily. Rose threw her hands up. "Allright. Since New Year's Day. But I swear! That was the last one! Honest! I think it is just a game to Daniel. A way to think he is one up on his brother. Daniel has a quirk that way."
Marilyn asked, "Any idea where they are now?"
Rose said, "No. And that is what worries me. Where can they be?"


Tori carefully turned the pages. They appeared old and brittle. Paper like I have never seen before. The ink seems really old. Almost faded. Kind of a brown color. She opened to the endpieces. "PROPERTY OF ROSAMOND DE CLIFFORD"
Oh, so it IS hers! Hidden behind a brick and under lock and key. It must be pretty important to her.
She began to read,
"..I think he is beginning to notice me. I was picking flowers for the Midsummer Feast and he smiled as I put daisies in the basket..."
She turned the page.
"...the moon is full for Midsummer Eve. My mother bought me a new gown. It is sky blue with pale silver trimmings. I wonder if he will dance with me. I don't care if he IS married! She is a wicked hoyden with a tongue like a fish-wife! I caught him staring at me and then he smiled..."

Tori flipped through a few more pages.
"...I helped him off with his boots. I could smell the claret on his breath, so warm and sweet. He must have come in from riding because I could smell the intoxicating aroma of horse sweat mixed with leather. The moonbeams shone through the window..."
"...It was wonderful. Everything I heard it should be. I asked a favor of him. He hesitated and turned to me like I was expecting some little bauble or trinket. I asked him if could call him Henry. He said no. I was crushed. Then he laughed and said, 'i prefer to be called Hal.' I was delighted. Hal and Rose. He brushed my hair for me and asked me if I had any regrets. As if I could!..."

Tori flipped some more pages. More of the same stuff. Not too heavy, not too light... let's see, this was Midsummer. Isn't that June?
She picked up a few months later.
"..I am now at Woodstock. The leaves are falling. I asked Hal where she was and he said she was in France. I was ashamed at how relieved I felt. While she is away I have Hal all to myself! I shant care to ever see or hear of her again."

Tori found there was a space of a few months.
Obviously 'Hal' kept her too busy to write in her diary, especially since 'she'--whoever 'she' was---was away in France.
The next entry was December. Her writing resumed.

"...I have some news for Hal. I AM WITH CHILD! I have been really tired the last few months. Nanny Grey asked me some questions. Really embarrassing ones! She is a midwife also and she deduced that I am bearing Hal's child. She said the babe should be coming around Midsummer's Eve. That is a good sign, I think. Hal is away on a stag hunt. I shall tell him as soon as he returns. I pray he will be pleased."

"...I shall have to keep the news of this impending child from my parents. My mother would not appreciate being a grandmother and my father believes in the purity and chastity of young maidens. He knows not about Hal, even though they have been friends for years..'

At this Tori paused. This man is not only married but old enough to be Rose's father? What a louse! How old is Rosamond when she wrote this anyways?
"...and there have been rumours when I arrived here that Mother was once the mistress of Hal's grandfather."
What a loose family! No wonder they call it 'merrie old England'! These people are swingers!

"...Hal came in from his stag hunt. He came directly to see me. He had a good hunt and had mud and stag blood spattered on his garments. He said that is always a sure sign of a good hunt. I had every intention of telling him about the babe but I didn't have a chance..."

I'll bet! Tori thought. The next entry was a few days later.
"..as we laid in each other's arms, I told Hal about the child. He was quiet for a long time. I asked him, 'are ye not pleased to have a wee bairn or lassie on the way?' He kissed me and said he was, just surprised. I teased him, saying, 'did ye not know how little ones came to be, Hal? Ye should, with the big strapping lads ye have with HER."

Tori tsked-tsked. He has full-grown children with whoever she is? The wife? Tori thumbed backwards through the diary. Where is her name? Rose always refers to her as 'she' or 'her'. 'Wicked hoyden' and 'fish-wife' doesn't count.

"I asked Hal when he was going to do right by me.
He asked me what did I mean?
I told him, 'you know, it is time to put her aside and marry me.' He jumped up quickly and said, 'you don't know what you are asking of me. I do that and I could very well start a revolution or war."

Tori thought, wow, does this guy have an inflated opinion of himself! Revolution or war! Probably his wife would just throw a few dishes and lock him out of the bedroom. That's what I would do! He'll come back with roses and candy and maybe some jewelry or a fur coat. I'm beginning to really get into this....

The next entry was in March.
"...this babe is kicking up a storm. Hal has kept her away from here, I am presuming she is still in France. Hal had better marry me before the child is born, else the babe will be a bastard child, born on the wrong side of the blanket."

Tori shook her head. What is the big deal? Half the babies today are born out of wedlock. What is she stressing for? And 'wrong side of the blanket'? Who the hell cares? Let's see, here's one for April....

"...SHE is back!! I can't believe it! I was strolling in the garden, taking in the sun. It WAS a glorious spring day. Until I saw HER! I turned the corner by the garden maze and came face to face with HER. I don't know who was more surprised. We said naught a word to each other. She took in my growing belly and her face darkened. She turned and walked back to the castle. Now that it is out in the open, Hal can easily put her aside. Can I still wear white for my wedding?..."
Tori sighed. Is this girl delusional or what?

"...I haven't been able to write as I have no words and cannot see through my tears. Hal finally told me he has no intentions of putting her aside. There is to be no marriage to me for political reasons. He said he cannot give up the lands she brought into the marriage. He has promised that he will give me the castle at Woodstock and that he will come to me often. My child is to have a royal title. Earl of Salisbury if the child is male. Lady whatever if the child is a girl. That she will make a smart match when the time comes for marriage. Small compensation for no longer being a maiden...."

Tori wondered, just how old IS this girl?

"...the child is due in two months. I wonder if I shall birth before my eighteenth birthday?"
WHAT?? She's only seventeen?? What kind of pervert/child molester did she take up with anyways? Tori couldn't put the diary down.

"...I am getting scared. The babe is due to be born in a few weeks. I wonder what it is like to give birth? Shall I be in pain and wish to die? WILL I die? If SHE has her way, I will. I pray that Nanny Grey will be with me. She promised she shall. If SHE brings in one of her servants, I very well could die or the child. I could be smothered by a pillow or bleed to death and no one would be the wiser..."
"....I have been in pain all day. Nanny Grey is insisting I walk. She has put a knife and a Bible under the bed. She says the knife cuts the pain in two and the Bible keeps the Devil away from the child. She also put some herbs and charms around to keep the faerie folk away..."
Faerie folk?? What century are we in? And what hospital is Rosamond delivering in? She's actually having a home birth?

"...My childbirth pangs are upon me. Nanny Grey, please help me! Hal has been pacing outside the bedchamber all night. SHE must be away...If I no longer write in this diary, I will have met my Maker and died in childbirth. Know this, that I love Hal with all my heart..."

Boy, talk about being used! Tori thought. She got up and poured another cup of coffee. The next entry was a week later. Good! She survived!
"...I have given birth to a handsome bairn! He is perfect in every way! His eyes are as blue as the sky and he is healthy in every way! Hal waited outside all the while I was giving birth. I am afraid I screamed too much. He tried to come to me but the ladies in waiting would not let him pass. He sat in the GreatRoom and drank his claret. As soon as the word came that I had delivered a fine healthy lad, he came to see me. The love in his eyes! He stroked my hair and kissed me and said, 'We shall name him William. After the Conqueror.' Hal gave me a ruby necklace. I think he is well pleased."

Wait a minute! Bedchambers and ladies in waiting? She must have been to one too many Renaissance Festivals! It must be some sort of code... Tori perused the next few pages. There were considerable gaps and what was written in there was hum-drum. Just stuff about the baby, how much she loves this Hal brute, worrying about HER...Buy a clue, Rosamond baby, you are being USED!! Hmm. The tide seems to be turning..
"...Hal is away on a stag hunt and I am bored, bored, bored! Last night I did a foolish thing. I bedded Hal's son Richard..."

WHAT?? Tori just about dropped her coffeecup.
"...I had heard rumours about Henry and Richard's fiancee. Of course, that was before me. There have always been rumours about Richard but I personally don't believe them. Not any more..."
Well, well, well! What a little tart! Seems like this is a regular little Peyton Place! Now here's something interesting. It's dated two weeks later...

"...SHE kept giving me evil looks and glaring at me. I am truly afraid of her. William had a midsummer's feast. Alot of august personages were there. Isabelle kept stroking her red-hot poker. She claimed it was to keep her hasty pudding warm. But Edward looked very uncomfortable. Hal was trying to keep peace with HER and me. William entered with Elizabeth and Mary. Those two kept at each other's throats. But who should appear but Henry. Yes, THAT Henry. It is all very confusing as this is a dinner party whose guest list shows no rhyme or reason. Henry began to bellow out that he was looking for a lusty wench to bear his child..."
Lusty wench? Bear his child? Whatever happened to women's lib? Did it go over Rosamond's head? She IS pretty besotted with that hunky husband of hers...

"...he grabbed Isabelle but when he grabbed her wrist, he felt like her bones were going to break. Called her a twig and dropped her in the rushes. I tried not to laugh. He spied me and grabbed me. I screamed and kicked and then I thought of the only thing that would turn him off. I shouted, 'I am with child!'. You should have seen the shocked look on everyone's face. What else could I do?
Hal accused me of adultery. Which is a joke because everyone knows he is married to HER, the she-witch! Richard looks like he wanted to crawl in a hole and pull the dirt over him. Hal then found out about Richard and me and I thought he was going to run him through. William stepped in and offered us a trip to New York for a DNA test..."

OK, let's see...she is seventeen and fooling around with a married man. She gets pregnant by him and is practically living in the wife's backyard. She gets bored so she beds loverboy Hal's son. Then she lies about being pregnant to get out of doing the deed with this Henry--whoever he is.
Tori flipped through some more pages. What a gap--nothing written for almost two years. What happened when she had that DNA test? Did they ever find out she wasn't pregnant? She turned to the more current pages.


CELESTE TO THE RESCUE..............by Coralynn

The crystal ball shows Billy Bob and WandaSue on the Ark out in the middle of a huge body of water. Celeste sighs and wonders if she should rescue them or not.
She ruminates over this for quite a while. "If I got them off the ark, I don't think they should be brought back to this century and let loose to cause trouble, especially WandaSue, who doesn't seem to know how to do anything else. So......I could bring them back, but trap them inside his house out on the ranch. Hmmmm, that Bobby Joe guy lives out there, too, so how do I do that without him letting them loose? Make the house invisible? Do I have the right spells for that? It'll take a lot more than a few drops of disappearing tea, that's for sure."
She flips through her book of spells and chants and finds one........."let's see.......it says here that you can make a building disappear, but only for a week at a time. That might be good enough. OK, I'll do it!"
She zaps herself off and in the blink of an eye is on the ark. The rough weather has calmed and she has no trouble walking to the cabin where the people are housed. Just as she reaches for the wooden peg that opens the door, BB and WSue emerge.
When they see Celeste, they both say, "Get us out of here! Please!"
"OK, I will, but I just want you to know that your homecoming will not be what you expect. If you agree to that, then I'll take you away from here."
"Who cares about a homecoming?!" WandaSue is exasperated, "I'm willing to forego a marching band down the middle of Main street, if that's what you mean!"
Celeste takes both their hands and in less than one second they find themselves standing in BB's living room. Some of the Post-It notes that WandaSue affixed to 'her share' of the furniture are still visible.
"Thank you!" they say simultaneously.
Celeste nods and goes outdoors. Casting the spell, she is careful to do it word for word. The first attempt fails. OK, she thinks, as she pulls the book from her pocket, let's try again.
This time she says the words aloud with authority and ZAP! the house disappears from view, the doors and windows locking shut, a strong force-field in a 20 foot circle around the house. While she's at it, she puts a metal plug in the phone line so that any sound they send will bounce back at them. OH, and the cellphones! She puts a hex on them as well. Smiling, she zaps herself back to the big house and begins to prepare dinner.


'ON THE CASE'..................by Coralynn

Travis can see the lights on in the big house and thinks, "they're probably having dinner. Good. It's dark enough out so that they won't see me. I hope."
He parks his cruiser about four houses down the street, gets out, opens the trunk and takes out the equipment he stored for his mission.
The spades and shovels make a clanging as he drops them on the sidewalk. Looking about to see if anyone noticed, he's relieved to see no evidence of it, so he picks them up and slings them over his shoulder.
"I would sing a victorious anthem if I weren't afraid someone would hear me," he whispers to the night air, chuckling.
When he reaches the driveway of the big house, he sees that no vehicles are parked in the driveway, but are around the side of the house in that parking area. Good. They probably want to make sure the cement sets up completely before they drive on it. Perfect. It may be easier for me to dig up if it isn't totally hardened.
He puts the spade to the cement and pushes. Uhhhhhhhhh! This is harder than I thought it would be, he thinks, as he pushes with more force. This gains him but an inch and a half.
He leans on the spade, thinking, I need something with more muscle to it, but what? I know, I'll go to one of those Rent Tools places and get a better tool.
Turning to go back to his cruiser, he steps on the working end of the shovel, which causes the handle to bounce up and hit him square in the face.
"Damn!" he yells before he realizes it, and sees a light come on in the big house in a room nearest the drive way. Ducking behind a bush, he waits till the light is again off, and vows to be more careful.
When he reaches the cruiser, he flings the useless spade and shovel into the back seat and roars off toward the Rent a Tool place.

The clerk hears the little bell over the door jangle and looks up from his trade magazine. "Can I help you, Officer?" he asks respectfully.
"I'm breaking a case, a huge case, and I have to know if a jackhammer might have been used. Can't give you the details, but I need to rent one to see if the criminal used this kind of tool."
"Ohhh, how exciting!" the clerk says, "I can lend you one, officer, you don't have to pay."
"Now isn't that nice of you?" Travis is beginning to think his luck has turned.
When the clerk hands him the jackhammer, it's a lot heavier than Travis had expected, and has a cord.
"Got one with a battery?"
"Oh yeah, Sure! Here's one!"
Travis looks it over, "Yep, this sure looks like it could have been what the criminal used. When I break the case, I'll mention this store, hell, I'll mention your name as the person who so eagerly helped."
The clerk, who has never received accolades for anything in his entire 48 years of life, straightens and smiles, "Name is Jonathan, Jonathan Smith."
"Well, Jonathan Smith, you have done your civic duty!" Travis says with bravado as he struggles with the weight of the jackhammer and finally gets it out the door.

When he reaches his cruiser it takes all the strength he can muster to get the implement into the trunk. Slamming it shut, he gets back in the vehicle and roars away. Within ten minutes he is again parked four or five houses down from the big house on Winding Willow. He turns off the engine and again opens the trunk. As he tries to lift the jackhammer out, he drops his keys which he has yet to put in his pocket. By now it's totally dark out and he unsuccessfully gropes around on the pavement for them.
"I'll have to find them when I get back," he thinks, grumbling, "right now Mission Numero Uno is to find the dead body under the cement in the driveway. Watch out, murderers, Travis McGee is on the job!"
He drags the jackhammer up the sidewalk, it scraping against the walkway every few steps he takes, making little sparks shoot up.
Reaching his target destination, he goes to the area where the body must have been dumped before the pavement was poured, he rests the jackhammer on the spot and whips it on. The noise is all but ear-shattering. He turns it off, thinking, "I didn't know they made that much noise!" When he looks around, he sees that no one has come out of the house to investigate, so he turns it back on and reams out the driveway as fast and furiously as he can.

Celeste is standing in the living room, looking out, observing the bizarre behaviour on the driveway and chuckles, then casually goes to the phone and dials 9-1-1.
"Chappaqua Police station, Jeremy Pennypacker here!" comes a cheerful, well modulated voice.
"Hello yourself, Jeremy Pennypacker! This is Celeste. I live at 224 Winding Willow and seems we have someone out in our driveway digging it up with a jackhammer."
"Are you sure no one in your househould is doing it?"
"If you knew how carefully William had that driveway poured today, you wouldn't be asking that question. NObody here would ever do that."
"So you think it's a stanger?"
"It's someone strange, that's for sure. Would you send someone over to investigage, please, Officer Pennypacker?"
"Yes. We have a car in the area. I'll send it over."
"Thank you," Celeste concludes the conversation and hangs up.

Four or five houses down the street, the two-way radio in Travis McGee's cruiser springs to life. Jeremy's voice would be heard if anyone were in the vehicle to hear it [if a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it does it make a sound?]......."Travis! There's trouble at 224 Winding Willow! Someone out in the driveway with a jackhammer. Please go over and investigate."
No response.
Jeremy flags Alan Carson......."There is a disturbance at 224 Winding Willow, sir, and I just told McGee to go over and see what it is, but get no response from his car."
Alan sighs, puts on his overcoat and, waving briefly at Jeremy, goes outside, gets in his own cruiser, and heads for Winding Willow.

William joins Celeste at the window. "Someone is......is.....digging up my driveway!"
He heads for the front door, but Celeste grabs his arm, "I have the police coming, William. If you go out there, the person will run, if a person wielding a jackhammer can run very fast."
"I'll give the police two minutes, and if they don't arrive, I go out and make an arrest!"
"You don't have the authority to do that, William."
"Authority? Authority? I'm William the Conqueror! I am King!"
Celeste laughs, "Not here you aren't. Just cool it for a minute or so. Please."
William stands looking out, shifting his weight from foot to foot in impatience, when he sees a police car pull up. He strains to see who it is. If it's that clown Travis McGee he'll only make it worse. Ohhhhh, it looks like Alan Carson. Good.

Alan is surprised that the miscreant digging up the driveway didn't hear the siren of the car, but as he gets closer realizes that over the sound of a jackhammer, it would be hard to hear anything.
He turns on his flashlight and zeroes in on the person, and when he sees who it is, yells, "TRAVIS! Stop this minute or I shoot!" there, that oughta get his attention.
Travis continues to dessimate the concrete, so intent is he on his mission.
Alan pulls out his taser gun and fires.
"When the taser lines hit Travis, he shakes like someone plugged into an electrical socket and the jackhammer skidders off onto its side, turning off.
"OUCH! DAMN!" he repeats over and over.
Alan stands over him and yells, "You were taken off the case, you $*%& idiot. Now, stand up and put your hands behind your back!"
The shock of the taser has receded and as Travis stands up, he insists, "I know there's a body under that cement, Chief! It has to be Montgomery! Just give me a few more minutes and I'll prove it!"
Alan reaches around and forces Travis' arms behind his back, then cuffs him.
"What are you doing?!" Travis is shocked.
"Taking you in for malicious destruction of private property." Alan answers, then boots him in the backside to get him moving toward the cruiser Alan just arrived in. By now the police siren can be heard loud and clear. People living across the street come out of their houses and peer over to see what nonsense is going on now in that commune where the odd folks live.
Alan manages to get Travis into the back seat of his cruiser and slams shut the door. Locking it securely, he walks up to the big house and rings the bell.
William yanks it open immediately. "Alan! What's going on?"
"Someone was digging up your driveway. I arrested him. Tomorrow this person will pay for a new driveway to be poured."
"Who was it?!" William demands to know.
"I'll phone you in the morning," Alan tells him and walks away.
Celeste is hooting with laughter by now. William looks at her with one eyebrow raised, "Why are you laughing?"
"I know who it was, William, it was that awful Travis McGee! You know how fixated he is about this place, always trying to get something on one of us. Well, this time he went too far. This time he's the one who ends up in jail!"

As Alan drives toward the police station in the middle of town, he sees two cars barreling up behind him, and pulls over to the right to avoid an accident.
To his horror, he sees that one of the drag-racing cars in a police cruiser.
"That your cruiser, Travis?" he yells into the back seat.
"Uhhhhhhh......"
"How'd some crazy teenager steal your police car?"
"I dropped........." Travis stops himself.
"You dropped what, Travis, your keys?"
"Uhhhhhhhh....."
"Where'd you drop them?" Alan is now becoming irate.
"Back by the trunk......."
"What were you doing back there?"
"Getting the jackhammer out of the......"
"So you dropped the keys while you got that damned jackhammer out and didn't bother to search for them and find them, am I correct in saying that?"
"Uhhhhhh, welllllll....."
"Fine. That goes on your record, too. Dereliction of duty."
He pulls into the parking area in front of the station and, not bothering to get Travis out, runs into the place. "Yank the 'disable' lever on cruiser 264, fast!"
Jeremy does so. "Isn't that Travis McGee's cruiser?"
"Now it's probably five miles due north of here, at least if it kept up at the rate it was going. Jeremy, can you get Pete and George to go up there and bring it back?"
"Sure can!" Jeremy goes off to give the other two cops their assignment.
Alan looks out the front door and notices the lights from the outside of the building lighting up the inside of his police car, and remembers, "Oh yeah, gotta bring in Travis, then I've gotta go see a judge and lodge charges, then......well, eventually I'll get some sleep tonight!" he sighs and goes outside, returning with Travis in tow.
"Well, Junior, you get your choice, would you prefer Cell #1 or Cell #2?"
Travis' eyes register shock, "What?!"
"You are under arrest, sonny boy! Wanna know the charges? Hmmmm, let us count the ways: first, you disobeyed direct orders and took it upon yourself to investigate the Montgomery muder. Second: malicious destruction of private property. Third: Dereliction of duty, and if I think really, really hard, I'll bet I can come up with a fourth, but the jackhammer caper on that driveway would be enough to arrest you."
"But.....I mean.......but.......I'm a po......"
"You broke the law, idiot child, and, since you have no preference, get into Cell #1. Do it now."
Travis enters the cell and grasps the bars, looking out plaintively. "I haven't had any dinner, chief. Could you send out for a pizza?"
"I have a few Dunkin' Donuts left.........here........a votre sante!"
Travis sits on his bunk feeling victimized. Just wait, he thinks, I'll prove the people at 224 Winding Willow are hiding Montgomery's body......I will! Just like in the movies and on all those cop shows where the really dedicated cop is misunderstood, but he hangs in there and works outside the system. I will win this one yet!!
He lies on the cot and stares up at the ceiling, plotting out his next strategy.


SO HOT..IT BURNS!.......by Terri

Tori looked at the clock. It's 7:00 PM!! I've been so intrigued by this I forgot to eat lunch! And dinner! She thumbed through. Why is there a lapse of about two year. Surely the DNA test would be worth writing about. She called out for a pizza. I'll take a shower and finish the rest of it. I need to give my eyes a rest. I have a few ideas for tthis one... oh, boy, do I have ideas!
Tori sat down to her vegetarian pizza and poured herself a glass of Bordeaux. She picked the diary up again.

"...I know it has been quite a while since I have written. I went to Gran's in Northumberland and retrieved it along with her potion and herb book. I had really forgotten all about this diary, what with all the excitement in my life. Billy Bob has been murdered, I am a widow now. At 22. And I hardly felt like a wife to him. It was nothing but fights and threats all the time. If I didn't have John in my life, I would die. I fell in love with him on sight, even though he was married."

What is with this chick? She has to have a married man at all times? She's not writing too much anymore. Let's see what this entry in November says...

"... we barely made it back from San Francisco. Matt shot John over me. But I got even with that bastard. I grabbed John's Magnum and blew Matt's knees out. Dropped him like a bad habit. I got John home and I had to get Roger to dress his wound as I could not take him to the hospital with a gunshot wound. There are some things you have no answer for. I thought for sure I was going to lose him."

Whoa! I couldn't even begin to dream this stuff up! Affairs with married men, cheating with the sons, a fake pregnancy, a dead husband, gunshots...this chick is a walking disaster!
What Tori read next really perked her ears and eyes up.

"...he can't seem to get it through his head that we are OVER!! He made a pass at me at the Halloween party. John was laid up in bed upstairs due to his blood loss from the gunshot wound. He kissed me and I started to melt. I kissed him back until I realized what I was doing. John would never forgive me. Daniel seems to think that he still has a chance. He truly believes that the baby is his. It was pretty iffy for a while. I had the paternity narrowed down to either John or Daniel. Hal was a slight possibility and there was even a chance she could have been Billy Bob's..."
Tori could not believe what she was reading. Four candidates? FOUR?? Now THAT would require a DNA test for sure!

"...thankfully John had the presence of mind to get a DNA test after he brought Julie and I to the hospital. Next time I refuse to birth a baby at home. Stuck during that storm with no electricity and just John to help. He never attended the childbirth classes, I guess they just naturally assume the husband is the father. Daniel followed me out on the balcony during the costume party and he kissed me. I had to admit, my knees did turn to jello. What is it about the man? The recklessness? The self-confidence? The fact that he wants me so bad?"
Tori thought, so the brother is after her, too. Hm... What she read next was a stroke of fortune.

"...he left another poem in my car. I must learn to lock the door. It's fortunate that John never drives my car. Why do I save them? I should throw them away. John would never forgive me if he knew I saved them. There must be at least 30 poems. This is the kind of stuff you find on Cinemax after dark. I've hidden them where John will never find them. He would never forgive me..or his brother."

Tori shut the diary and picked up the poems again. These were written to her by her brother in law? Her former lover? He wrote these as recently as October? Well, well, well! She thumbed through them. This one is titled, 'Ecstacy' and here's one that is especially good. 'Burning For You.' So let's see if I get this right. She has an affair with both brothers--twins, in fact. She cheats on her current husband who is then presumed to be murdered. She marries John and still lusts after his twin brother Daniel. Daniel writes her poetry that she hides from her husband. And not just any poetry. Really hot stuff. Stuff you would find on the internet if you looked hard enough. She saves them. Why?
The 'why' doesn't matter. It's the 'what' that counts in this case. As in, 'what am I going to do about this?'

Tori poured herself another glass of Bordeaux and petted her white Persian cat. She smiled as she said, "Cleo, I think I have a very profitable thing here...."


MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE RANCH............by Coralynn

Billy Bob glares at WandaSue, who is by now sitting on the couch, her feet on the expensive coffee table.
"If you think you're staying here, Wandasue, you have another thing coming. Now go!"
"I don't think so, oh legally wedded husband of mine! If you thought that divorce nonsense you sent me the other day would put an end to our marriage, you're dumber than I thought."
"Then I'M leaving," he goes to the front door and finds it locked. Yanking keys off the peg, he unlocks it, pushes, and finds it still immovable. He bumps against it with his hip. Nothing. In frustration he goes to the back door and to his horror, the same scenaio occurs.
"Did you mess with the doors?" he accuses WandaSue.
"Now, how would I do that, lover boy? I mean, I'm just a woman, and everyone knows women aren't mechanical. Nope, sorry, you can't pin this one on me."
He goes to a window in the kitchen and attempts to open it so he can escape that way. It doesn't yield. He yanks harder. It still doesn't yield.
"What's going on here?!" he yells.
"Your house is old and falling apart, I guess," she laughs.
"I'll call a locksmith," he brightens as he picks up the phone and consults the yellow pages for a phone number.
He hears the phone ringing on the other end, then it seems to back up and come through the earpiece at him at twice the volume.
He quickly holds the phone away from him. The phone is malfunctioning, too??
Being naturally resourceful, he goes for his cellphone. He turns it on. Nothing; no dial tone, nothing. He shakes it and again puts it to his ear. Nothing. He raps it gently on the edge of the counter and puts it to his ear. Silence. He raps it harder on the counter; still no dial tone, nothing.

"Is this your idea of a practical joke, WandaSue?"
By now she's filing her nails, and looks up with an amused expression, "Now why would I play a practical joke on you, beloved?"
He picks up a bronze bust of Homer and flings it at a window. It bounces back at him and falls to the floor.
"What else in this house doesn't work?" he asks WSue accusingly. He turns on the television and LO and behold the picture and the sound come through. "At least the TV works," he comments, then stands till in shock when he sees the news anchor say:

The disappearnce of William Robert Montgomery still stumps the authorities. They've even scoured France and Italy, the places he traveled to the last time he was missing, or rather reported murdered. No such claim has been mentioned thus far in the newest baffling disappearance, though it's always a possibility, the Police in Chappaqua state.

"What the......." he's dumbstruck.
"Hey, love of my life, spending a couple days on the Ark the way you did, hey, of course you came up missing, what'd'ya think?"
"But I'm here now!" he paces the room. To prove he's still a powerful man, he turns on the water, good, that still works, he flushes the toilet, good, he turns up the thermostat and more hot air blasts into the room, he turns on the microwave, and it works, too.
"OK, OK, so some of the stuff here works, but for Pete's sake, turn down that thermostat, I'm roasting!" Wandasue complains, "and we can't open the windows to air the place out."
"So you know about the windows!" he approaches her, his eyes dangerous slits.
"Hell yes! You just tried to open them and they wouldn't budge, remember?"
He sits on a chair and holds his head in his hands, then suddenly gets up and walks toward the stairs, "I don't have to stay in the same room with you, at least I have control over that!" he yells as he starts up the stairs.
WandaSue laughs and wonders who put a hex on BB, and when she can tell he's upstairs, goes to the door to open it herself. It doesn't move. She tries a window, same thing. Now she's concerned........looks like neither of them can get out of the house. Rats.
That witch Celeste must have done this, she thinks, but by now her spell on me and computers must have worn off, so I'll turn on BB's computer and read what's in the Story. Yeah, that'll clear everything up!
She sees his computer in the next room, and walks there, but when she gets within ten feet of it, her muscles seize up and she lands face-first on the floor.


BLACKMAIL: such an UGLY WORD......by Terri

"Let's see what I have in my little black book, Cleo. I need to keep you in Fancy Feast!" Cleo just curled up on Tori's lap and purred.
Let's see what's in here....the mayor's son....the district attorney's wife....Biff Murdock from As The Planet Turns....Carla Giacomo....
Tori reached for the phone. She dialed a number. A man's voice answered.
"Hello?"
"It's me. I told you I would be calling you back. Have you thought about my offer?"
"Offer. That is what you call it? I call it blackmail!"
"Blackmail is such an ugly word." "Is extortion any better?"
"I don't like that one a whole lot better."
"Yeah, but that is what is going on here. You're shaking me down."
Tori leaned forward and poured herself another glass of wine. She said, "I have expenses. If you don't want the world to know, you'd better start paying up. I want 10,000.00 or I expose your nasty little secret in the Star, Biff! Now, you wouldn't want that, would you?"
Silence on the other end.
"Would you?"
Then, "No. No, I wouldn't."
Tori said, "That's better. I am giving you a week. Or else I print it. And then the feds come in with a search warrant and confiscate everything. And don't try to hide anything or destroy it. I made a disk of it. All I have to do is hand it over and your career is over. REALLY over. You'll find yourself in a cell with a guy named Bubba. I'll be in touch."
CLICK!

Tori folded her legs up under her and scratched Cleo under the neck. "What's mama's little baby want for din-din? Ocean codfish with turkey giblets? Shredded lobster?"
Cleo jumped down and sauntered to the kitchen. Tori fed her and then returned to the couch. She opened another bottle of wine. French wine! This is a good year. Good thing Alan had to work tonight. It never hurts to be seeing a cop!
She returned to her black book. Hmm.....she's due to pay.
She dialed a number and a man answered. Tori hung up. I'll catch that one in a few minutes. Guaranteed she'll answer the next time.

She dialed another number.
"Mayor Gillis's residence."
Tori made a face and put on a young voice. "Like hi, this is Vickie. Is Jonas there?"
"One moment, please."
After a minute, Tori heard, "Hi. Vickie, is it? From geometry?"
Tori laughed and said, "No, not Vickie. It's Tori. I used the 'Vickie' name for your butler. How is your allowance adding up?"
She could almost hear him sweat over the phone.
"Are you still there?"
"Yes. I'm still here."
"How is the money coming?"
"I--I am having a hard time getting it together."
"Why don't you just tell Daddy you need something. He's loaded."
"I can't ask him. He'll want to know what I want it for. What do I tell him?"
"Tell him you met a girl who has expensive tastes. Tell him she's from the country club and you need to take tennis lessons to impress her."
Silence. Tori could almost hear him biting his nails. She continued.
"Do you think Daddy would want to read about how little Jonas got busted for Ecstacy at Club 45?"
"But he knows. He got me out of jail and expunged it from the records..."
"You aren't getting it. I said do you think Daddy would want to READ it? You know, like in the Star? What do you think would happen?"
"I dunno."
"I'll tell you. Daddy's political career would teeter. At the very least, it would be embarrassing. Especially since Daddy came out publicly on his anti-drug policy and vowed to make the pushers pay. And Jonas, any political aspirations YOU may have could be squelched. Now, we wouldn't want that. Would we? Instead of asking you if you ever inhaled, they would ask, 'Did you ever roll?' And you can kiss the presidency good-bye! Now I'll call you in a few days and let's see where we stand! Now get to bed! You have school tomorrow, young man!"
CLICK!
Tori grinned and sipped her wine. Yes, Cleo...very profitable!

Cleo curled up next to Tori. Tori continued to pet the cat and think out loud.
"Let's see...I have Biff Murdock sweating it out, Jonas Gillis just about wetting his pants, Buffy Lewis quaking with fear every time that phone rings. I'll put the bite on the Mayor when I have an opening for him. Too many blackmail victims and you get sloppy!"
She picked up the diary and the poems. "But this...this here is just too juicy to let slide by!"

Tori leaned back, a self-satisfied smile on her face. She looked in the phone book. Hmm....Gwinnett. No listing. Let's see...maybe under the Big Guy's name...
Conqueror...Conqueror..nope. These are pretty famous people. Of course there would be no listing for them. Let me see...Alan would have their number. I'll make up an excuse...
"Police Station, Carson here."
"Hi, Alan. It's Tori. I have a big big favor to ask. Would you happen to have Rose Gwinnett's phone number? She gave me her phone number but I misplaced it. I want to set up a time where I can take a look at that new house of theirs. I want to do a feature on it for Architectural Digest."
"Sure, honey. Here it is. It's 914-238-7744. That's the main number. I don't have Rose's cellphone number."
"Thanks, Alan. You're a sweetie."
"Tori? How about going out for Chinese Friday night?" "Sounds wonderful! Call me!"

Tori took the copied number and gave it a kiss. Ah! This is very sweet! I hate to do this to Rose. She seems very sweet. But this is strictly business. And money is money. She dialed the number.
"Hello?"
"Hi, this is Tori Sheffield. Is Rosamond Gwinnett there?"
"Hold on."
A woman's voice yelled, "Hey, Rose! Phone for you!" Then, "She'll be right there."
Must be that Eleanor person. Or that Sally--Marilyn--whatever they call her.

"Hello?" Rose sounded a bit breathless.
"Hi, Rose. This is Tori. Is this a bad time to talk?"
Rose said, "I'm just getting Julie out of the bathtub. Wet babies are very squirmy, you know!"
Tori thought, no I don't know and I don't intend to find out. She forged ahead. "I think it would be in your best interest to dry your little one off and then call me back."
"My best interest? Oh, you mean about the new house?"
Tori said, "Take this number down. It's 914-238-9378." Rose said, "What is this about, Tori? You and Alan want to go to dinner this weekend with us?"
Tori said crisply, "Let's just say it is a matter about a diary and a stack of salacious verses written by someone. And we both know who. I'll expect you to call me back in about a half hour."
CLICK!!
And clatter. Of the receiver hitting the floor.

Rose's hand shook as she dialed Tori's number.
"Hello?" Tori answered the phone.
"T-Tori? What is this about?"
Tori said, "I found a diary. And some poems. Very interesting reading. VERY interesting."
Rose summoned up her courage. "I don't know what you are talking about. I don't have a diary. Let alone poems. They must belong to someone else."
Tori laughed. And not too pleasantly. "Oh, I think not. Let's see..this person has a current husband named John who has a brother named Daniel."
Silence on the other end. Tori continued.
"This person also has a daughter named Julie and an ex-husband who is named Billy Bob. Who left her a widow at the age of 22. Sound familiar?"
Rose said quietly, "Vaguely."
Tori continued, "Vaguely. Yes. Now, let's see these poems. This person has quite a flair for the erotic. He's actually quite good. Let's see..."
Paper rustled.
"....this one is entitled, 'Obsession'. It begins, 'When I held you in my embrace I felt your..."
"STOP!! Please stop! Wh-what do you intend to do with these, Tori? May I please have them back?"
Tori laughed, "What am I going to do with these? Oh, let's see..I think they are worth something. Unless you want them published."
"Published? In Architectural Digest?"
Tori laughed again. "Oh, Rose! You have such a quirky sense of humour. No, they wouldn't fit in with the feature. Oh, you didn't know, did you? My father, J. Byron Sheffield, is the owner of the STAR magazine."
"The tabloid?"
Tori snarled defensively, "NOT a tabloid!! Sheesh, I HATE it when people call it that. It is a legitimate magazine. So what if it comes out every week. I wonder what John Gwinnett would say if he found his wife's secrets and longings published on the front page of this. Off-hand, I would say 'perturbed', wouldn't you?"
Rose could barely get the words out. "Th-that would not even begin to cover it."
Tori said with satisfaction, "Right. Now. What are these worth to you?"
Rose said in a small voice, "10,000.00 dollars?"
Tori said, "Oh, Rose, come on. You can do better than that."
Rose said,"20,000.00 dollars."
After a long silence, Tori said, "OK. Because I really like you and consider you a friend, I'll settle for 20,000 dollars. And an additional 10,000.00 for calling the STAR a 'tabloid'. I'll call you later with the details. Oh, and have a good night!"


GO AHEAD, MAKE MY DAY!.....by Terri

Tori sat there, confident that she will be 30,000.00 richer by next week. But why stop there? Why not a pair of sweethearts in crime? Tori started singing the Smokey Robinson song, "Double Good Everything." She grabbed her phone book and looked up 'Gwinett' again. Nothing. Perhaps with two 'N's? Bingo!!
Daniel Gwinnett 5044 Elmwood Avenue Phone 238-3823.
She dialed it.
An answering machine came on.
Hey! This is Daniel, if you got this machine, I must be out on a hot date. So if you are a chick, leave your name and number and measurements. If you are a guy, just the name and number. If you are a telemarketer, *&&% off! Oh! And have a good day!

Tori started to hang up, no way was she going to leave her name and number. Not under these circumstances. As she went to replace the receiver, Daniel's voice came over the line. "Yo! I'm here! Talk to me!"
"Daniel?"
"Yeah...who's this?"
"This is Tori Sheffield. I was at the party the other night with Alan Carson."
"OH! Well, well! And no need to ask how you are doing, as I have observed you are fine!"
Tori rolled her eyes. THIS IS THE POET??"
She said, "I have a little business I would like to discuss with you."
Daniel laughed and said, "If it is monkey business, I am all ears, foxy lady!"
Tori ignored it and got the poems together. "Does any of this sound familiar?" The papers rustled again.
Tori started in--

In my mind we dance on a deserted beach
A million miles away from reality
All I can feel is this moment
And your body like silk against mine...

Daniel said, "I remember that one! I wrote that one after Rose and I...hey! where did you get those, anyways?"
Tori rustled through the papers again.
"Here's one named, 'Ecstasy'....
Sheets of burgundy satin,
Accenting your ivory skin....

Daniel said, "Yeah, I wrote that. But it was all a lie."
Tori hesitated a second. "A lie?"
Daniel laughed, "Yeah! The sheets were more of a plum. And Rose had a great tan that summer!"
Tori tried once more. "Well, here's a real juicy one----"

"A summer day, a sultry night
And in my arms I hold you tight.
You reach out to embrace me
On the damp grass..."

Daniel interrupted with, "Oh, yeah! That was the one the night of Bethia and Roger's wedding! Boy, do I remember THAT night!"
Tori perked up. "You do?"
"Sure do! That grass was so damn slippery I nearly killed myself carrying Rose back to the jeep!"
"So you aren't denying any of this?"
"Hell, no! Best year of my life. Those where some halcyon days..or nights. Whatever."
Tori said, "Well, what is it worth to you for me to keep this erotica from your brother John?"
"Worth to me? What do you mean?"
"In dollars and cents."
Silence. Then Daniel said, "Nothing."
Tori held the phone away from her and looked into the earpiece like she could see Daniel. "Let me rephrase this. If you don't pay me 20,000.00, I will show them to your brother and print them on the front page of the STAR."
"Would you?"
"Would I what?"
"Print them."
Tori shook her head. "You don't mind if I print these for your brother to see?"
Daniel laughed, "Print them for my brother to see. Print them for all the world to see. Hell, I'd pay YOU the 20,000.00 if you publish them."
Tori was bewildered, "You--you don't understand, do you? I want YOU to pay ME 20,000.00 and I WON'T publish them in the Star."
Daniel said, "No, YOU don't understand! Publish them and John and Rose will most likely split up. He's a Puritan at heart. Then I can move in on her and live happily ever after. With her and our daughter. I am surprised she kept the poetry. It was some of my best stuff--out of my best fantasies! She must have a sub-conscious longing for me if she kept them. Hidden, you say? Wonder how often she took them out to read. Are they wrinkled? Are they tear-stained?"

Tori said haltingly, "You--you mean you aren't going to pay me the 20,000.00?"
Daniel said, "Hell, no! Where would I get that kind of money, Tori? Print them! Go ahead. MAKE MY DAY!" And with that, Daniel hung up.
Tori sat there and shook her head. She said to Cleo, "What kind of a world do we live in when you can't get 20,000.00 for incriminating poetry? What in the world are things coming to, Cleo?"
With that, Cleo rolled over, sat up and puked up a furball. Daniel was officially scratched out of the black book.

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