Quote #4 "What we have here, is a failure to communicate." Cool Hand Luke (1967)

"What we have here, is a failure to communicate," Dotty stated. Her hands were on her hips and she was staring angrily at Philip and Jamie, completely covered in mud and dirt.

"But, Grandma-" Jamie tried.

"No buts!" Dotty exclaimed, raising her hand for emphasis.

"Grandma, we were just-" Philip began but Dotty cut him off too.

"I can see what you were doing. How many times have I asked you boys to stay out of my garden?" She questioned the boys.

Jamie shrugged his shoulders as he stared at the muddy ground by Dotty's feet while Philip stammered, "We weren't in the garden, Grandma! Honest!"

Dotty cocked one hip to the side and pointed at the muddy footprints all over the brick patio. "How can you stand there, covered in mud, and tell me you were NOT in my garden?"

Jamie pointed to the trail of muddy footprints behind them, "We weren't in the garden. We were playing football with the guys down the street when it started raining."

"Then where did those footprints come from under the window? Did they just magically appear on their own?" Dotty insisted.

"Mother? Mother, what's going on?" Amanda asked as she stepped outside. She had just returned home after being out most of the day with Lee, working on a case.

Dotty pointed to the flower garden beneath the kitchen window. "My garden is practically ruined because the boys were playing around in it again. How many times do we have to remind them to stay out of my garden?" she exclaimed loudly.

Amanda cringed as soon as she saw what Dotty was pointing at. Lee had been standing in that exact spot several hours beforehand. She thought quickly as she said, "Mother, those aren't from the boys. Those are from that… that… exterminator we had come out and take a look at the foundation, remember. When we thought we were getting ants, but it turned out we weren't getting ants, they were really termites and he said to watch out because they could swarm at any time, remember?" She blinked several times and took a deep breath, hoping her mother would believe her.

Dotty bit her lip and thought for a moment, "The exterminator?"

"Yes, Mother, the exterminator was here… yesterday," Amanda said, then quickly added, "Before it rained."

Dotty narrowed her eyes and looked at her daughter and questioned, "If the exterminator was here before it rained how come the footprints didn't get washed away?"

"Because… because….the garden is under the window and the roof covered it just enough, so it didn't wash it away," Amanda suggested.

"Under the roof?" Dotty questioned. Amanda nodded enthusiastically. "Well, I suppose that sounds logical. I mean, there's the azalea bush too and I'm sure that may have covered the same area too," Dotty rationalized.

"See, Grandma! We told you it wasn't us!" Philip interjected.

"Yeah, just that dumb old exterminator," Jamie added.

Amanda frowned, "That exterminator wasn't old, and he certainly didn't seem dumb to me. He was rather nice and friendly."

"Uh huh," Dotty said. "And did you get his number?" she teased.

"Who's number?" Amanda asked, confused.

"The exterminator's," Dotty replied, a grin teasing at the corners of her mouth.

Amanda put her hand on her hip and asked, "Mother, why would I get the exterminator's number?"

Dotty put her hand on Amanda's shoulder as she laughed, "Amanda, my dear, what am I going to do with you?"