The next topic is Mister Right
LISA
A New Lead
“Come, look through the window. The curtains are pulled they won’t see you… just peep through the gap.”
A portable TV. Black and White. The picture is fuzzy and keeps rolling.
“Police in Wiltshire have today arrested a man in connection with the disappearance of Katy Creasy.” It’s so loud we hear it from outside.
A school photo appears on the screen.
“Come forward, can you see?” Katy is there at a table; she’s sobbing silently and a man leans forward to wipe away her tears and laughs. He laughs loud enough to drown out the sound of the TV.
LIZZIE
“He was arrested for playing awful music on the freaking harp.”
“What’s that?”
“Crappy music?”
“No. That word…”
“Harp?”
“Yes.”
“It’s that musical instrument!”
“Ah. What happened to the harp?”
“What do you mean?”
“He was arrested. And the harp?”
“How do I know what happened to the harp?!”
“Was it a big harp or a small harp?”
“It was an I-don’t-care-harp.” ”
“Testy, just asking.”
“I’ll have to bond him out.”
“Why?”
“OMG, have you been paying attention to anything at all? The gold is in the harp.”
“Now I’m confused, how can that be an I-don’t-care-harp then?”
“OK, bye.”
RICHARD
Innocent?
It was all a bit of a shock.
I was minding my own business, watching TV with a nice hot cup of tea when they kicked the door in.
Next thing I know, I’m in handcuffs, being bundled into the back of a police van, with all the neighbours looking on with interest.
Arrested.
And I had no idea why.
Of course, I protested my innocence, but they wouldn’t have it, not until the Superintendent turned up, to inform them they were supposed to raid the house at number one, The Avenue.
I’m number ten, but the zero fell off!
SERENDIPIDY
I don’t really like to think of it as ending a life.
Oh, I know that’s exactly what it is, whether you call it murder, assassination or plain and simple killing, but personally, I don’t think those words adequately express the fullness of what I do.
Snuffing out a life in its prime is more than just a simple ending: It’s denying someone of their future and their potential. Those things they might have done and achieved, will now never happen. The difference they could have made to the world is forever lost.
So, I prefer the term…
Arrested development.
NORVAL JOE
“Mother. I want to see Daddy,” Linoliamanda begged.
Her mother blinked back tears. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. These are their rules. I’m sure he’s in good hands and I’ll have him call you as soon as he wakes up.”
Billbert tipped his head toward the exit. “Come on, Mandy. I know the ICU staff from personal experience. If you step on the wrong nurse’s toes, they might try to have you arrested. It’s late. Let’s walk to my house and I can ask my mom to make us something to eat.”
Her chin quivering, Linoliamanda hugged her mother before following Billbert.
TOM
Kid have you rehabilitated yourself.
My first year in high school was in 1969. Lot of stuff was fraying at the edge of society. Into this mix came the Album Alice’s Restaurant. Central theme of the whole side of the record was wound about our hero getting arrested for dumping garbage. In terms of the narrative arch this landing point was theater of the absurd. It didn’t stop there. By the end of the song the question lay at: are you moral enough to kill mothers and babies after littering. Five years later the war was no less absurd and arrested was still a question.
PLANET Z
Rico wasn’t the only dealer in school, but he had the best stuff at great prices.
And he didn’t stab anyone, unlike Julio and Manuel.
We all knew his story about coming from LA was bullshit.
So, it wasn’t a surprise when he disappeared from school along with a dozen kids.
Jessie saw cops at Rico’s house and others.
And none of them came back that year, or the next.
Which was great for me, because I filled the void.
I had enough for State, but as long as the border’s closed, Yale and Princeton are in my budget now.