Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20A | 20B | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25-26 | 27 | 28-29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35-36 | 37 | 38A | 38B | 38C | 38D | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42-43 | 44-45 | 46 | 47 | 48-49A | 49B | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57A | 57B | 58-59| 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68-69 | 70A | 70B | 71A | 71B | 72 | 73 | 74A | 74B | 75 | 76-77A | 77B | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85-87 | 88A | 88B | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94A | 94B | 95 | 96 | 97
PART V
MIRACLES
98
J A N U A R Y 1 9 3 1
“MARINA!”
“Coming!” she called from upstairs while changing Susanna’s diaper to take Leona Hilliard shopping. She heard the front door open.
“There was a package on your doorstep,” Leona called from the bottom of the stairs. “It’s pretty too.”
Marina’s heart stopped and she finished changing the baby as quickly as possible. She rushed downstairs to see a beautifully wrapped package in Leona’s hands. “Here,” she said abruptly, shoving Susanna at Leona and grabbing the box. The tag said from an admirer and Marina had never had an admirer in her life who would do such a thing. She held it to her ear. Nothing. She shook it. Nothing.
Open it or not?
“Marina?”
“Hush,” she said sharply, “and take the baby out to the car. Now.”
Leona looked a little frightened, as she should, and obeyed.
Marina dashed upstairs and took a very careful peek out Button’s window. No one. At least not within her sight. She went downstairs to the front door, then crept along the neighbor’s side of the thick hedges and peeked around it up the street. Nothing. She looked down the street. It was clear.
She went back to the package and thought. She didn’t understand how it might hurt her if she opened it, but she needed to know. Carefully she untied the bow. Carefully she unfolded the wrapping. Carefully she lifted the top of the box.
Two bloody, dismembered fingers were nestled in cotton. They were small, but not a child’s.
She nearly upchucked.
She had to get out. Now. Go to the speak. Do … something. The speak would protect her and the baby. Wouldn’t she?
Clearly, someone didn’t consider women and children to be off limits, and even if it were just a warning to Trey, she wasn’t willing to take the chance.
“Marina?”
She went to the back door. “Leona, I can’t take you today.”
Her face fell. “Why not?”
“Leave Susanna in her car box and go. Now.”
Her face paled. “Is it … ”
“Nothing for you to worry about. Go home. Out the front. Here, come here.”
Leona left Susanna in her car box in the back seat, told her sternly to stay there, and followed Marina into the front room. Marina took out a book and gave it to her. “Take this. Open it and look at it while you walk to your home as if nothing’s wrong. Do what I say, don’t ask questions, don’t act scared, don’t run.”
“All right,” she whispered, and left.
“Button,” Marina murmured to herself, but said nothing more as she rushed through the house gathering the things they’d need and putting them into her cotton grocery bag: The three Bon Ami cans. Her and Trey’s diaries. Her gun and ammunition. Some clean diapers. A couple bottles of goat milk. A fresh errand list.
She gulped as she stood at the back door trying to catch her breath and strode outside, trying to look unhurried and unworried, in case someone was watching. She tucked her shopping bags in the back seat of the car, as usual. She gave Susanna a cookie and gave her another stern warning to stay in her box. Marina casually looked around, up and down the alley, but saw no one. She locked the back door and then, from the corner of the swing bed that couldn’t be seen from the alley, as stealthily as she could, she slipped her hand in for the ledgers. She stuffed them in her last shopping bag and left her errand list in the hidey hole.
She sauntered to the car as easy as you please although she was out of breath and her heart was thundering.
She deliberately turned the wrong way down the one-way alley, and was almost to the street when she heard a muffled BOOM!
Marina jumped with a squeak. Susanna began to fuss. No, the speak couldn’t protect her.
She headed toward Union Station as fast as she could go.
99
TREY GOT TO THE house to find Kansas City coppers all over the place, picking their way in and out of it through the gaping hole in the ground where the parlor had been. His heart thumping, he ran into the gap shouting for his wife and daughter, whom he could not find. He vaguely noted all the books ripped out of the bookcases, littering the floor. The divan, chairs, and tea table were demolished. The kitchen had been tossed and the refrigerator door was hanging open. The cupboards were empty and there was shattered glass and ceramic everywhere. Flour and sugar coated everything.
“Marina! Susanna! MARINA!” he shouted till he was hoarse, coughing on the dust of a dry explosion. He went upstairs to see two coppers looking in and around and under the furniture. Their bedrooms, too, had been tossed.
“Nobody’s here, Boss.”
Marina and Susanna were not here. Either they’d left or been kidnapped.
Footsteps thudded on the stairs. “Boss, look at this.”
Trey took a prettily wrapped package and looked in it, nearly upchucking, in shock that someone did not consider women and children off limits. These weren’t Marina’s fingers, he knew. They were bigger than hers, more pale, with chipped and broken fingernails.
“Those your wife’s?”
He shook his head absently. Still terrified for Marina and his baby—where were they?!—Trey began searching for clues as to whether Marina had run or if she’d been taken.
Her car was gone.
She’d left.
He hoped. How would he find out before the cats who did this sent him a ransom note?
“Trey! Trey!”
Leona Hilliard.
He rushed into the now-open-to-the-world parlor to see a sobbing mess of a woman in the street wringing her hands.
“Where’d she go?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t see her. We were supposed to go shopping and—” She spilled a whole bunch of nonsense from which Trey gleaned that Marina had skedaddled as soon as she got the box.
Trey twisted and looked into his house desperately searching, searching. If she’d left, she’d have left him a clue. Wouldn’t she? Not if she took out as fast as Leona thought she had, she wouldn’t have. He darted back in the house and looked under the kitchen sink. The Bon Ami cans were gone.
It was obvious they’d looked for the cash, and Marina had been right that they’d look in the flour and sugar, but he didn’t know if they’d think to look under the sink.
He ran out to the swing bed, Leona following, and opened the hidey hole, stuck his hand in it, and felt around.
Nothing but a piece of paper.
- buy Bon Ami
- visit Gladys
- visit insurance salesman
Trey almost wilted with relief.
Marina must have been terrified, but she hadn’t panicked and she had her head screwed on so straight she’d left town rather than run straight to him for protection. Did they want to harm her or had they been looking for Trey’s money and books? How long had it taken her to gather the books? Did she have an inkling they’d attack the house? Or had she fled anyone who’d leave her a gift of someone else’s severed fingers?
Trey would’ve rather his meager fortune be blown to bits and his fraud revealed to the world than Marina die trying to save the money and his reputation.
But she had left and taken all the incriminating evidence with her, so the question now was, would she drive or take the train?
He didn’t wait for Leona to finish babbling as he brushed by her and barked, “Go home!”, got in his car, and sped to Union Station. He saw her car right in front. He parked and paid the valet good money to keep his car safe, then hopped in the Tin Lizzie and headed straight to Minneapolis.
98-99
If you don’t want to wait 2 years to get to the end, you can buy it here.
Donations can be made here, if you so desire.
Marina gonna bust a cap.
Two bloody, dismembered fingers were nestled in cotton.
Was Marina supposed to know to whose body the fingers had been membered?
No, she doesn’t know.
Who has tiny hands….
A character introduced at the beginning and who is intermittently mentioned.
Ugh. HS football season has started. Noisy fuckers.
They should be quieter when having their trysts. But highschoolers aren’t known for their wisdom.
What a crappy gift! What is Marina gonna do with two bloody, dismembered fingers?
/obtuse pistoffnick
Porterhouses are on sale tomorrow and the weather looks good all weekend.
*waves tiny USA flag*
The tag said from an admirer and Marina had never had an admirer in her life who would do such a thing. She held it to her ear. Nothing. She shook it. Nothing.
Uh oh
Two bloody, dismembered fingers were nestled in cotton. They were small, but not a child’s.
She nearly upchucked.
She had to get out. Now. Go to the speak. Do … something. The speak would protect her and the baby. Wouldn’t she?
Clearly, someone didn’t consider women and children to be off limits, and even if it were just a warning to Trey, she wasn’t willing to take the chance.
Oh yeah. War had been declared.
She deliberately turned the wrong way down the one-way alley, and was almost to the street when she heard a muffled BOOM!
Close one.
Trey ends up with a pair of smoking tommy-guns?
Fun fact, some gangsters of the era were able to one-hand the Thompson by swapping out the iconic drum for the 20-round stick to change the balance (and reduce the weight).
It was not an improvement in accuracy.
Connection went south on me on zoom. Good to see everyone.
So, you were at Blackedout Rock?
I thought that wasn’t until later.
He parked and paid the valet good money to keep his car safe, then hopped in the Tin Lizzie and headed straight to Minneapolis.
Hopefully the valet stays bought.
Minneapolis? Something new or something else I missed/forgot?
Forgot, but that is to be expected. It was 2 years ago.
In the very beginning of the book, Trey presented himself as an insurance salesman from Minneapolis.
ahhh, thanks!
Loved this week’s episode and UCS I just finished yours too (I was out of town this week). Two gripping tales. Thanks!
I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks! Notice the section name. We’re on the downward slide!
I noticed a new Part. Holy crap it’s already been almost two years?!
My students did well on their math quizzes today. I must be doing something right. Yay me.
Today I learned Grant was the 1st 2-term president. In history class, I was taught he was a bloodthirsty, drunken bozo. Historians hate Republicans.
Uhh… w0t? Washington served two terms, which is where the precedent for not going for a third came from until that Cad FDR forced an amendment to make it a rule.
Other 2-termers – Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Jackson.
Grant was the first Republican to Live out two terms.
Some history “teacher” needs to be sent packing.
Give Derpy a break, he’s new.
I want to say that the block editor sucks big fat donkey balls.
Seconded. It is very frustrating. Getting my formatting to work properly and adding in full-sized pictures is more work than it needs to be.
My bullet-point list is supposed to be indented and it wouldn’t do it without straight markup.
Go ahead and say it.
So someone gave Marina the finger (or two).
If Trey is on I35 headed north he’ll be near the TC airport and my folks’ house. Hope he stops in, there’d be a long gun available for him to borrow, in case.
Damn, Moj, have Trey call me on his cell phone. Getting exciting now, the chase is on! Looks like retirement is coming sooner rather than later.
Thanks, wait another week
I live about a mile from I-35.
Once again KC is a one trick pony. In the Twin Cities we have I-35W and I-35E (the bad one).
He wouldn’t be on I-35, it wasn’t built until 1956
I think he was being silly, to wit, “have Trey call me on his cell phone.”
I know, but my poor sense of humor involves taking things too literally.
(._.)
That was an explosive chapter.
Someone’s gonna pay.
Thinks on her feet under pressure. Good instincts.
When I lived in the KC area it was south of town by Belton.
Moj here is a train watching treat for you. It is your hometown.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6UbwlQQ3QU&list=PLR9jbUvWYuLtPyoHboYuD0MHQLp0YzD2t&index=49
The description gives the details but seeing 70 trains a day is not uncommon. The most have seen at one time is three on two levels.
Trains! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
You and me both, sister.
Joe Biden superfan status confirmed.
For Mojeaux and Mike.
https://martinturnbull.com/2024/08/21/excited-children-await-their-lunch-at-the-choo-choo-diner-6324-van-nuys-blvd-van-nuys-california-undated-2
@Toxeth
Thanks! That would be so cool! There’s a small town bar near me that has a large G scale train hanging from the ceiling. Cool, but I’d much rather have it deliver me a beer.
Wakey, wakey Glibs!
😇🌄
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_LypjOTTH6E
🎶🎶
I’ve been awake. I’ve been doing yard work where I have to take a shovel to the dead weeds and the dirt under them to expose an old sidewalk.
I’m taking a break to catch my breath, because I’m a fat IT nerd who spends his days at a keyboard, so shovel labor is hard.
Glove up!
I think I got past halfway. I’m debating whether I can finish it up today, or if I should do the rest tomorrow morning.
😂
I just had the thought of how the city would react if in response to them bitching about plants in my sidewalk, I removed the sidewalk.
Good morning, Sean, U, and NA!
How goes?
Very well so far! Have you caught your breath yet?
😁
@GT, I have, I’m planning out errands that need to be run today such that I get them done efficiently.
Remember: UPS recommends that you plan your route so that it’s all right turns! 😉
I plan so that any lefts are at stoplights so that I am guaranteed to eventually get an opening, even if it’s when the light changes while I’m in the intersection.
But I need to pick up yard waste bags, visit the bank, drop off my return, and stop in at the local game store. The game store opens the latest, at 11, the bank at 9, and the other stops are already open.
https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/news/local/2024/08/23/william-formica-apologizes-for-lewd-post-about-kamala-harris-souderton-district-petition-sasd/74924724007/
Pussy.
What did he do, publish her career summary?
Sorta. “She blew a lot of people.”
I thought truth was an absolute defense?
In a court of law. This appears to be the court of public opinion, where mean girl rules apply.
https://deadline.com/2024/08/chick-fil-a-hatches-streaming-service-1236044196/
Why?
Watch more chikin