r-n

t monitor the notes of your voice. If you ask them later what you said, they d

r-n

up his ass. Everybody pretends they can't see it. See the way folks are? They don't want to smutten their Wint-O-Green lives by saying, 'Brad, get your fucken finger out of your goddam anus,' so they just pretend it ain't there. Same way they try and avoid the st

e has to empty Mom out first, so her voice slithers up and down, 'Oh how neat, wow,

ell you I'm g

crinkles.

their ultra-mild smiles come from knowing how many things there are. Mom just frets over the oven. Gives her somewhere

'she starts when I g

lief. 'Well gosh, anot

've wanted me to do nice things, you kn

says George from the living room.

I know,'

e gone as far as they

lly, I

ek. Six pounds in a week!' George weaves a trumpet of sm

, all those car

ts darkl

'Why didn't she stic

lucky to stick to the seat of her dam

Pam. 'She has a month to di

words will fly over her head to Pam. 'Then

the kitchen, 'the Wilmer didn't

r. George coughs quietly. 'I don't thin

t, you know ... Anyway, did I tell yo

, 'the Special Ed

the floor. 'Well

ole kitchen. Deep inside, her organs pump double-time, trying to turn bile into strawberry

from the laun

t TV man if he'd like a Coke, it

ed like Ricard

Ricardo Montalban - isn't he,

' say

h Mom's eye. 'You're going to ask a t

artirians are known f

e many of those cheerleaders up here,

this is

exchange lip-tightenings. Geo

he invents new reasons to have his finger by his nose. As I slip through

' he s

check the red van under the Lechugas' willow. My nose flattens to the rear glass. You can see a lunchbox behind the seat, with half a brown apple in it. Some wires on the floor. A chewed-up ole book

lbow, rubbing his eyes. 'Big

A blast of sweat hits me when the door opens. The guy's face is waxy. Defi

in the v

rporate Amex a break.' A bunch of glass phials

u can come u

our bathroom. And m

ve joy

cak

't a

fing them into a pocket as he stretches into his overalls. He st

e of her be

to give me, when he was feeling friendly. We move back over the road and up the driveway, but L

u're innoc

-hu

is shit raining down on you, I can't help th

me abo

y shoulder. 'I'd be

a guy naked. Next thing you know you're in a fucken TV-movie, quivering all over the place. I guess he senses it

g back. 'Can't you stan

- back at

tory, little big man, clear your n

pot we just did,

era wasn't

outta

avor - betwe

rter's door opens as I say i

orld,' says Ledesma. 'Psychos like th

Court TV. 'See how impassive he is, he chopped up ten people and ate their bowels but he doesn't show a care in the world.' I personally don't see the logic in having to quiver if you're innocent. If

' I say, turni

general public, Vern - they want to see justic

- I didn't

hout the facts - if you don't get out there and p

wh

m shift? Example: you see a man with his ha

sta

there, and the man has in fact put aside his

n tell he ain'

ormation you use to judge it does. You were ready to crucify the guy

't thi

time they hit your TV screen, but professional teams sift through mountains of gray to get them there. You ne

have a witne

ass is so interested. Public opinion will go with the fir

ere, all wiped dry with her frog mitt, a smudge of joy cake on on

g. 'This is how you lounge, w

Smedma,'

ma'am. Educated pe

f you prefer?' Mom loves it when important people call by,

'Thanks, just water for me - and maybe one of these cakes. Actually I

t's over,' mutt

like piss. 'Siberian Ginseng Compound.' He jams

e,' go t

om, 'do you sleep i

d Austin. I hear some generous townsfolk are taki

looks down the h

ction technique, look at it. It gives me mixed feelings. I mean, I'm glad she interrupt

,' says Lally. 'Gr

rrow, which is a bad fucken sign. 'Like you're

ing the ginseng. I

cash for it too, a Ford truck. All the boys I know

rd,' says Brad

ty, 'I wish you wou

ck o

e like that, Bradley

an, shit!' He spits and squirms across the rug, t

adl

pluck off,

g and says, 'I appreciate your help, big man - maybe your room would be a better working environme

uickly, Vern! Hear that girls? It's a job

that,' says George. 'Guilty-looking hair, if you ask me. And those

knows Jesus caused the fucken tragedy. But because he's dead, and they can't fucken kill him for it, they have to find a skate-goat. That's people for you. Me, I'd love to explain the sequence of events last Tuesday. But I'm in a bind, see. I have family honor to think of. And

talking like bad actors, the way they do. 'It'

ow, I

s so hard,' says Leona. 'C

ne hard - he gave her a month to pump some life

off the force,' asks Mo

ably make her Eil

ileena's like - the receptionis

Pam chuck

goes, 'Well this is sure a big month for Vaine. And I can't s

'Maybe the dogs'l

' asks

gs, from Sm

t can dogs do

e in their right mind could orchestrate such a rampage. They're starting to wonder if drugs were involve

g them over here right now, and putting a s

loset, and drop them into my pocket. The jo