horrors2

CannedMacabre.For_the_Ch.tex

  1\chapauth{CannedMacabre}
  2\chapter{For the Children}
  3
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  5Norma's Diner is a horrible place to get a cup of joe. The only
  6reason I was there was to meet a mysterious client that had
  7insisted on anonymity. He had reached me twice by phone in the past
  8three weeks and only identified himself as Mr.\ M. I told him that I
  9would only take the case if we met face to face. Mr.\ M contacted me
 10again this morning by text message to say that we should meet here
 11at Norma's at 10:30 sharp.
 12
 13
 14
 15Its now 10:45.
 16
 17
 18
 19I'm Luke Bavarious, Private Detective, and I don't take a case
 20without knowing the client, and I don't like to wait.
 21
 22
 23
 24The waitress pours me another cup of swill as I look over my notes
 25on Mr.\ M's case. He says he is being stalked and that threatening
 26messages are being sent to his e-mail and voice mail. He hints at
 27the fact that some people are trying to blackmail him. He even
 28casually ponders whether his life may be in danger. Its really not
 29much to go on but with the clock ticking, I am beginning to wonder
 30if someone might have already done the guy in.
 31
 32
 33
 34Its 11:00.
 35
 36
 37
 38The only reason that I haven't gotten up and walked out yet is that
 39a manila envelope with five 100 dollar bills was slipped under my
 40door this morning with the words ``from M'' on it. I figured that I
 41would at least wait out the hour before going about my day. Maybe I
 42will choke down another cup of the vomit they call coffee in this
 43dump. As I raise the cracked mug to my mouth I hear the little bell
 44on the door sound followed by a loud voice:
 45
 46
 47
 48``{\bf Hey}! What I tell you about those friggin skates in my
 49restaurant?''
 50
 51I turn to see a smallish kid with a stunned look on his face nearly
 52crap himself. He has a giant book bag on his back and is wearing
 53those shoes with the wheels in the heels. Heelers? Heelies?
 54
 55
 56
 57``S-sorry mister, I forgot.'' He says sheepishly and hangs his head
 58down in the embarrassment of all eyes being on him. He sits down at
 59the table across from me and takes out some school books and a
 60notebook. The waitress brings him a cherry Coke and puts a hand on
 61his shoulder for just a moment, then goes back to her cigarette
 62burning at the counter.
 63
 64
 65
 66Poor kid.
 67
 68
 69
 70I look down at my watch for a second and notice that ``M'' is now a
 71full hour late when I hear that sheepish little voice again.
 72
 73
 74
 75``Sir, can I talk to you for a moment?'' the kid is right next to me
 76with his bag hanging half way off his shoulder.
 77
 78
 79
 80``Uhhh{\ldots}Listen kid{\ldots}'' I start to say some rhetorical crap about
 81being a busy man or having some place to be, but something in my
 82gut tells me that not enough grown ups have made time for this
 83kid.
 84
 85
 86
 87``You know what{\ldots}Yeah. Sure kid, have a seat.''
 88
 89His eyes light up and he throws his bag into the seat next to me
 90and grabs his Coke form the other table.
 91
 92
 93
 94``You're a private dick, right?'' The kid says.
 95
 96
 97
 98``Uh{\ldots}yeah, Detective.'' I respond.
 99
100
101
102``Cooooool, I wanna be a P.I. too when I grow up. You carry a
103gun?''
104
105
106
107``Yeah, a Beretta, but it ain't all its cracked up to be. Sometimes
108you gotta deal with a lot of scumballs and sometimes you just can't
109help the people that hire you.'' I wasn't gonna BS the kid. If he
110was keen on getting into this line of work, he better know
111{\em exactly} what he was getting into.
112
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114
115``Besides, even if you do solve the case, you get the bad guy and he
116gets what is coming to him, it can leave a bad taste in your
117mouth.''
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120
121He nodded a bit in agreement and turned his eyes down towards his
122drink. He was quiet for a moment and then suddenly he spoke in a
123voice that was not at all sheepish or meek:
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126
127``Detective Bavarious, Mr.\ M wont be joining you today.'' he said in
128a calm, controlled voice. ``In fact, I doubt that Mr.\ M will be
129contacting you again at all.'' This statement chilled me to my bones
130and instinctively I lowered one hand under the table to the Beretta
131clipped to my belt.
132
133
134
135I was all ears.
136
137
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139``You see, Det. Bavarious, Mr.\ M was being harassed, stalked and
140blackmailed. and I am the one who was doing these things to him.''
141The kid's voice was deeper now, and I must admit that he commanded
142my attention as few others could.
143
144
145
146``I targeted Mr.\ M for the crimes that he has committed against
147children. He is a child molester and a murderer and I wish to see
148him imprisoned for these crimes{\ldots}''
149
150
151
152``Wait,'' I interrupted. ``A twelve year old kid has a man running so
153scared that he pays a private investigator to find out who is
154harassing him?''
155
156
157
158``Det. Bavarious, my name is Nathaniel Stilling. On my twelfth
159birthday my father beat me within an inch of my life and I spent
160the next 4 months in a hospital. When I awoke from my coma I
161promised myself two things: I would protect innocent children from
162harm, and I would never have another birthday. That was 57 years
163ago.''
164
165
166
167I had no choice to believe him. From the beginning of our
168conversation I had felt that I was in the presence of a wiser, more
169virtuous man then myself. So when this kid, this small, sheepish
170child told me he is a 69 year old man{\ldots} I believed him.
171
172
173
174``Look son,'' he continued, ``I know that you have the power to put
175this monster away.'' With that he pushed a DVD in an unmarked case
176across the table.
177
178
179
180``I wouldn't get curious about whats on that disc if I were you. The
181things that man has done are not meant for our eyes.'' He slid out
182of his chair and grabbed his book bag.
183
184
185
186``Oh{\ldots} and Mr.\ M's real name is Michael Wilkinson. He is a biology
187teacher at Washington Junior High School. When you give the cops
188the disc, just tell them that it was given to you by another PI
189that knew who your client is.''
190
191
192
193The boy then gave himself a big push on one foot and skated towards
194the door on his heel wheel.
195
196
197
198``Dammit kid! I'm gonna skin your hide!'' The ape behind the counter
199screamed.
200
201
202
203``S-sorry mister{\ldots}I forgot again.''
204
205
206
207The End. 
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