Chapter 12

The grossest bar in Wisconsin… literally

July 6th

Steven Hyde wasn't sure if the taste in his mouth was residual vomit left from his last trip to the bathroom or the high quality "beer" this establishment kept on tap. He wasn't entirely sure if he wanted to know. All he knew was that he'd ended up here, as Donna had asked, and he'd been here for 3 days. Morning to night he drank himself into a stupor, stumbling out to his car to sleep off an alcoholic haze. Each morning he woke, both hoping to see his angel's face looking at him and simultaneously wishing he hadn't woken at all. He figured a few more days of drinking at this pace would make this decision for him.

He lifted his head from the edge of the bar and caught a glimpse of himself in the grimy mirrored backsplash. His beard was scraggly and unkempt, his hair almost matted on one side from where he slept every night. His face had a yellow tinge, or maybe that was just the accumulated filth of decades on the mirrored surface. He fervently hoped so. If he was going to go out like a rock star, he'd at least like it to be an unjaundiced one.

He signaled to the bartender to bring him another when he felt a hand land on his shoulder. Turning precariously on his stool he tried to focus on the face to his right. Taking a seat, Eric Foreman looked at him with concern and something else… pity? Anger? Maybe a mix?

"Hyde," he said, by way of greeting, "How about we get some coffee instead?"

"Foreman, man," Hyde said, his speech a little slurred and quiet, "Don't drink the coffee here. Or the beer. Or the water. It all tastes like barf."

Eric looked at his friend and shook his head. He wasn't in any kind of mood for this. They'd searched for him all night, gotten a few hours of rest, then widened the perimeter. Kelso had gone as far south as Kenosha, Fez had headed north towards Sheboygan, Red and Kitty were travelling the road to Milwaukee and Amina was at home manning the phones. Donna had never shown back up yesterday, and Bob had told Eric this morning that he sent her to stay with her aunt until she could "pull herself together". Eric had deeply appreciated this and hoped Bob understood what that meant to him. An extra layer of drama was so not necessary at this point.

"Okay, Hyde," he said, heaving his brother up by the armpits, "We're going home."

Steven pulled himself away from Eric and sat back down. "Foreman, I gotta finish my beer. It'd be bad manners to leave it half full."

Eric sighed and gestured to the glass, "Hyde, it's nearly empty!" he cried.

"See, Foreman, that's why I'm the optimist of the group."

Eric had had enough. "Hyde, let's go. Now."

"Who's gonna make me Foreskin?"

Eric hauled back and decked Hyde. He watched him fall off the barstool and collapse on the floor, glasses broken, completely unconscious. Grabbing him in a fireman's carry, Eric walked out with Hyde, tossing a $20 on the table by the door. In the parking lot, Eric dumped Hyde in the flat bed of the Camino. He climbed inside, grabbed the keys from the ashtray and started the car. Rolling down the windows, he headed back to his house. Everyone had agreed to meet back at noon with an update. He was just anxious to call Jackie and let her know Steven was fine.

Michael was pulling into the driveway at the same time as Eric. Seeing the Camino, Kelso jumped out of the car and ran to see Eric alone in the car. "Where's Hyde?" he asked.

Eric jerked his thumb at the flat bed. Still unconscious, snoring peacefully, was Hyde. He looked bad. His skin was yellowish, one eye was developing a spectacular black and blue bruise, and his glasses were broken. Kelso was pretty sure that the crusty substance on his clothes was days old vomit, and he dry-heaved a little just thinking about it.

Eric got out of the vehicle and heaved Hyde onto his shoulders again. Kelso looked impressed. "Eric, man, you got a lot stronger while you were gone!"

"Yeah, I guess all that manual labor paid off. Hey, open the door, will you? I want to get Señor Stinky into the shower and off my clothes."

Eric carried Hyde into the house and up the stairs to the bedroom. Opening the door to the bathroom he dumped Hyde into the shower and turned on the water. Making sure his face wasn't completely covered, he turned and left. Hyde continued to snore.

Walking downstairs again, Eric heard Amina say hello to Kelso and then inquire about Hyde. "I found him, babe," he told her, pushing open the swinging door to the kitchen, "Kelso was right yesterday. He was at the cheapest bar closest to town, but not actually within city limits. Nice work, man." He gave Kelso a high five.

Kelso took the compliment and turned back to Amina. "What were you saying about Jackie?"

"Oh! Yes, she called this morning, right after you all left. She said she had fixed her schedule and was on her way here. I told her we had not yet found Steven, but she kept saying she couldn't sit in Evanston anymore. So I told her to drive carefully and I would make sure to tell Eric," Amina finished.

"Dammit!" Eric swore. This was going to piss Red off to no end. He had left her with specific instructions. Wait until we find him, then I'll call you. "Does she know about Donna?" Eric asked quickly, scanning his fiancée's face for signs of trouble.

"She knows Donna set us up, dušo. She suspected when I told her Donna left last night after the argument in the driveway. The she said, 'That takes care of one problem at least', but I do not know what she meant… She does not know if Donna and Steven planned this together, though," she said nervously, "Did you find out? Did Steven know?"

"Well, he definitely looks like he's been on a months long bender," said Eric, "Whether he knew Donna was using that to lure us and Jackie here, who can say? He's currently passed out under the shower in my bathroom. But once he wakes up I'm going to get my answers."

Kelso had remained quiet throughout the conversation. He looked from Amina to Eric and then said, "I don't know if it matters, Eric."

"What do you mean, Kelso? If Hyde went along with this just to get Jackie back here…"

"Yeah, that's kinda my point," he said, "Whether Hyde planned this with Donna, or was just a convenient patsy, it doesn't change the fact that Jackie is on her way. If she sees him and talks to him…" he trailed off, not wanting to voice doubt in his ex-girlfriend's new resolve. He hated thinking of her as the girl who would give up everything she worked for, just for the chance to be with Hyde.

"I see what you're getting at," said Eric, "but I think she's strong enough to see him and have that be enough." He paused, considering Kelso's concern. "But maybe we limit their time alone together and get moving on finding him a rehab?" he said.

"I'm on it!" they heard Amina say. Eric grinned at his love. She loved to help, however she could. "I'm going to the hospital, Eric. Your mama told me that the nurses there are very helpful. I am sure they know of a good place for bad drinkers."

"Thanks, sweetheart," said Eric, mentally storing that last phrase in case he ever decided to open up a rehab center. "We'll stay here to let everyone else know what's going on."

Amina waved and grabbed the keys to the Camino from Eric. "Wait!" he called, "Do you know how to drive a stick shift?"

Amina turned and grinned at her soon-to-be husband. "Eric, in Yugoslavia, even the President drives a stick shift!" Then she turned and settled into the Camino, quickly snatching up the filthy blanket and bringing it inside. "Yeeeeech, Eric, please have your mother disinfect this! It is disgusting!" She left again, this time driving the car away smoothly.

Eric looked at the blanket. It was the same goose down duvet that used to adorn Hyde's cot downstairs. Jackie had given this to him. It smelled like he'd been sleeping in it for months. The rancid odor coming from the material was powerful, but Eric also thought he smelled a trace of Jackie's perfume on it. His mind was in overdrive. It was completely out of character for Hyde to be sentimental about anything, least of all a blanket. Maybe his brother had a deeper side to him.

Before long, Red and the rest of the search party returned. Eric and Kelso filled them all in, while Kitty went upstairs to check on Hyde. Eric also told Red about Jackie's imminent arrival. True to form, Red swore, smashed a coffee cup and then took a deep breath. "Well, we'll just have to manage the damage when she gets here I guess," and went to sit on his favorite chair.

From upstairs the group heard Kitty yell, "I need some help! Quick!"

Taking the steps two at a time, Eric, Fez and Kelso all arrived at the tiny doorway to the bathroom. Hyde was covered in vomit and shaking all over. "Eric, Michael, get him out of the tub and onto the floor. Don't drop his head. Turn him on his side. His right side. Fez, go grab my medicine bag from my bathroom, under the sink," she barked the orders at them like a drill sergeant. It was impressive to watch how she triaged, thought Eric. So calm, so abrupt. His mother's patients were lucky people.

Fez rushed back in with her medicine bag, and Kitty withdrew a small bottle and needle. "What is that, Mrs. F?" asked Kelso.

Kitty didn't answer right away. She withdrew some liquid from the vial and pushed the needle into Stevens arm. His shaking subsided and she capped the needle and pushed the vial back into its spot. "It's a benzodiazepine, Michael. It'll help calm his shakes and keep him sedated until his body can process the alcohol out," she said, "Boys, I'm going to be in for a rough night, so please do what you can to help me out. Amina said she'd cook for you, but I need you guys to round up Steven's things, get his treatment program set up and talk with WB. Can you guys take care of that?"

All three looked at her solemnly and nodded. She'd been their mother, all of theirs, for so many years. Now, though, one of them needed all her focus. They'd do whatever they could to help, especially for her.

"Good," she said. "Now, why don't you guys let Red know what happened. I'll call you when I'm sure it's safe to move him."

While Kelso filled Red in on Hyde's condition, Eric and Fez went back to the kitchen to divvy up the "Steven chores". Halfway through their list, Jackie opened the sliding glass door and ran for her brother.

"Eric!" she said, letting go of their perfunctory hug, "Did you find him yet?"

Eric held onto his little sister's shoulders tightly. "Yes, we did," he said, grasping her more firmly as she tried to dart away, "but listen, Jackie, he's in really bad shape. Mom is watching over him right now and I think it'd be best to wait until she gives us the okay." He finished and loosened his hold on her slightly.

Jackie nodded and looked to Fez and then back to Eric, "How bad is bad?" she asked in a tiny voice. Please let him be okay. Just let him recover.

"Mom hasn't given us an official opinion yet, but we think he's going to have severe withdrawal symptoms for a while. It looked like he was having a seizure earlier, but she said it was the 'shakes' which I guess is different. He also hasn't woken up yet," said Eric.

"Okay then," she replied, "What can I do to help?"

"Well, Miss Kitty wanted us to make sure that we have everything ready to go once Hyde can be put into rehab, and someone needs to coordinate with WB. Do you want to take that one?" Fez asked.

"Absolutely, Fez," she said earnestly. Talking to WB felt like the right move just now. "I'm going to call him and tell him to meet me here. Eric, where should I put my stuff?"

All three of them looked mystified. Eric and Amina had his room, Hyde was going to be in Laurie's room, Fez had an apartment but no guest room, and Michael was sleeping on the couch- which left…. "The basement still has a bed…" Eric offered.

Jackie pondered the options. "Oh my god! I totally forgot about Bob! Since Donna's not here I can stay there I think! I'll go ask him real quick!" and she ran out the sliding door to see Bob about a room.


July 6th

Pinciotti house

Bob looked around each room. Fixing in his mind's eye what his home looked like. He'd packed everything up and waited until he heard everyone else leave. He'd given Eric a plausible, open-ended story that the kid had willingly accepted. He phoned a taxi and arranged for it to pick him up in 20 minutes. He'd head to Milwaukee, then catch a plane to New York City. He'd even sprung for first-class. He hoped it was everything he imagined. He looked at the furniture Margaret had picked out when they first moved in. She was so disappointed in being placed in Wisconsin that she told Frankie she wanted to get "really nice, high-class furniture" to make sure Nia grew up with sophistication. He'd indulged her and her first pick had been that turquoise couch. It was the most uncomfortable couch in history, but Margaret… he'd always called her Maggie in private… had loved it so.

The kitchen and dining room were full of the appliances and housewares from his now-defunct store. Not that Maggie had been a great cook. She'd been okay with corned beef, roasts and potatoes, but every time she had cooked pasta or red sauce it'd been a disaster. He smiled at the memories and moved on. Donna's bedroom was just the way he left it, except that he'd removed all the photos and journals and burned them in the fireplace. No trace of her, except her scent would remain.

His and Maggie's bedroom was the way she had left it almost five years ago. He couldn't bear to change anything, not even when Pam had moved in temporarily. She must have known it was Maggie's mark or else thought Bob had very effeminate taste. Either way, she hadn't made a fuss about it. "You're one classy lady Pammy, wherever you are," he said to the room.

He heard a car horn beep outside and went downstairs to grab his travel bag. On the counter was a note addressed to "Mr. G's errand boy":

Listen here, you piece of garbage,

I'll meet you on our old ground, like a man.

See you if you decide to show your face,

Frankie Palermo

He took one last sweeping look around and walked out the door. Once inside the taxi, he took a few deep breaths and relaxed. Antonia was safe, he was going home, and this would all finally be over in a few days. He settled back into the cushions and watched the Wisconsin scenery flash by. The beautiful bright green of summer was thick on the ground, and the sky was a radiant blue. Wisconsin was giving Frankie Palermo, aka Bob Pinciotti, a very fond farewell.


Later that Day

Jackie rang the doorbell and knocked on the back door several times. Bob's car was gone, and the lights were out. Maybe he went to check on Donna? I'm sure he won't mind if I stay for a few days. I'll just grab the key from the garage and put it back when I leave.

She found the key and let herself in. Everything seemed in order. A note on the counter was addressed to a Mr. G's errand boy. She wondered who the hell that was? Maybe a delivery boy? Well, she'd make sure to deliver it if someone stopped by.

She went upstairs and knocked on Donna's door, just in case. Nobody was there so she deposited her suitcases and books and went downstairs again. She was hoping Mrs. Foreman would have an update soon. She turned and looked at the room again. It felt like something was off, but Jackie couldn't figure it out. Shrugging her shoulders she headed back to Eric's to check in.


Point Place Post Office

The man had made excellent time. He checked out the post office, which by early afternoon was completely empty. He stopped by the donut shop and the "Hub", a restaurant full of loud teenagers. Nobody had yet pointed out Bob, and the few people he asked just said he lived in one of the "family neighborhoods" off Green Bay Blvd.

He wasn't worried, though. A town this small would be impossible to hide in for more than a day. He ate his lunch at Phillies Café and proceeded to the hospital. If Bob was there for some reason, he could come up with a good reason to see him, maybe even blame the death on the hospital!

He stood in line at the nurse's station behind a pretty little brunette with a swinging ponytail. She was inquiring about rehab centers for a friend and the nurse was giving her every brochure ever made. He tapped her lightly on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me, miss, sorry to interrupt. I overheard your question and I just wanted to say that my sister was taken to our local sanitarium in New York and had great success. The doctors treated her like a patient instead of a criminal. If your local hospital offers one I'd take it." He was earnest in his advice. His kid sister had been on death's doorstep a few years ago. Her battle with booze had started way too early, and he hadn't been around to help. If she hadn't gotten clean, well, he shuddered to think of life without his only friend. Granted, she talked a lot more about Jesus now, but he figured it was still a good trade.

"Thank you so much, sir!" she said in a pretty accent. "I hope you have a wonderful day," and with that she stepped away from the desk, still clutching a handful of brochures.

"How can I help you, sir?" asked the nurse.

"Actually, ma'am, I'm looking for my cousin- Bob Pinciotti. I wondered if you could tell me if he's checked in?" he asked politely.

She glanced through her clipboard and shook her head, "No, I'm sorry sir, he's not on the list for any of my wards."

"Excuse me, sir," the pretty girl from before tapped him on the shoulder, "but I heard your question this time!" She smiled, "And my fiancée has a neighbor named Bob! Could this be your Bob, too?"

The man smiled. Lady luck shines at last. "Could be!" he said, "Is your fiancée's neighbor kinda short with black hair? Has a funny accent and maybe wears his clothes a little too tight?"

The pretty brunette smiled too. "He does! I think our Bob is the same!" she said, laughing.

"Well, that's great. Say, would you mind writing down the address? I just want to have it down so I don't lose it again," he said genially.

The girl grabbed a pen from her purse and wrote Eric's address on the front of one of the brochures. "There, this is our house and our Bob lives just on this side. The outside is yellow and the lawn has many little fat men on it."

A bit bemused by her description, he pocketed the information and thanked her warmly. As she walked away he hoped she wouldn't remember him, hopefully this wouldn't even register with her when "Bob" went missing.


Back at the Foreman's House

"Jackie…" He reached for her. She was just out of his grasp. His hands moved to her face, but she pulled away, laughing.

"Jackie, be careful!" He tried to shout at her. She was too close to the edge! He lunged for her, but he was too late. She fell backwards, screaming his name as she plummeted.

"JACKIE!" He screamed, trying to throw himself over the edge too. But there was a wall in the air. He couldn't leave the cliff's edge. He could only watch her fall, powerless to help her or join her. He collapsed on the ground, still calling her name….

"He doesn't look much better," said Eric, sitting on the end of Laurie's old bed. His mother was seated in a chair next to the bed, a book propped open in one hand and a glass of wine in the other.

"He's moaning and sleeping in fits," said Kitty, "Once his body starts to move the alcohol out he'll start to look better. I've heard him say a few things that were intelligible, so that's encouraging."

"Like what?" asked Eric nervously.

"Mostly it's just Jackie's name and 'Be Careful'" she replied, taking a sip of her wine. "Honey, it'll be okay. You have to trust me. Now, how is Amina doing?"

"She's fine, Mom," Eric said, "She's down at the hospital getting rehab information for us. Jackie's talking to WB and Fez went to track down Hyde's things from his last landlord."

"Oh, good," Kitty said, sighing deeply and closing her eyes, "I just can't believe how far things went. Red and I knew he was drinking, but we didn't know he'd lost his apartment! He never said anything to us!"

"That's kind of his M.O., Mom," Eric replied, "Hyde doesn't ask for help. He crashes and burns and takes everyone down with him." His tone was uncharacteristically bitter. He had always granted his adopted brother an extraordinary amount of license growing up, owing to Edna and Bud's criminal lack of parenting skills. Still, he'd reached the end of his tether with this latest stunt. Whatever else happened here in Point Place, he wasn't keen on giving Hyde a chance to destroy everything Jackie and he had built in Evanston.

"Sweetheart," Kitty said soothingly, "I know this must be tough for you to watch, and I know you're worried about Jackie. But please try to have a little more faith in your dad and I! Maybe even try a little more faith in Jackie! She's not the same girl she was a year and a half ago. I think she just needed to make sure he was going to be okay." She tilted back the wine and glanced at the clock. "Eric, I need a shower and I don't want to leave Steven alone right now. Can you watch him for a half an hour?"

"Anything for you, Mom," he said with a wink. He still hadn't lost his goofy facial expressions completely, and Kitty grinned in response. Patting his shoulder she exited and he took her place in the chair.

"Jackie…"

Eric looked at Hyde. He was sure he'd just said something.

"Jackie… Be careful…. Too close…. Love"

Eric sighed and tried not to give in to the hopeless romantic in him. He knew Hyde still loved Jackie. Still, loving someone and being good for them were two entirely different things. Romeo and Juliet, after all….

Eric rubbed his temples. His head was absolutely killing him. Standing up he went to Laurie's nightstand where she kept her face cream and beauty products. Maybe she had some leftover aspirin in there. The top drawer was full of condoms of every shape and size, and a few Polaroids of Laurie in her birthday suit. Well, this will be burned into my retinas for eternity.

He opened the next drawer to find vitamins and a few bottles of pills. Picking them up he examined a few of them. All various OTC pain relievers. Opening the first he shook it to find several small, tightly sealed pouches of white powder. Dumping them on the top of the nightstand he opened the next to find a thin, linear rubber band coiled up tight. With rising dread he opened the last bottle and found a few small hypodermic needles crammed into the bottle. Holy. Fuck. What had Laurie been doing? Was this why she had disappeared? Did Mom and Dad know?

The door opened behind him and Fez came in, "Well, I spoke with Hyde's last landlord and he said Hyde rented a furnished apartment. So the only things he brought were a few small boxes…." He trailed off when he saw Eric. "Eric! What are you doing?"

Eric looked down at his hands and the nightstand. "Oh my god, Fez! No! This isn't mine! I found it in Laurie's drawer when I was looking for some aspirin!"

Fez approached and studied the paraphernalia. He looked at Eric, "This is heroin, man. That's some serious shit to mess with." He was paler than Eric had ever seen him, but he had a strangely triumphant look on his face. Before he could inquire, though, Fez had shoveled everything back in the bottles and dumped it all into a small purse of Laurie's. "I'll get rid of this. Don't say anything to Miss Kitty or Red, it would kill them."

Eric nodded and turned back to Hyde. He was still asleep. "Fez, can you make sure everyone knows that Amina said dinner will be ready at 8? She didn't want Mom to have to eat cold leftovers."

Fez nodded and hurried downstairs. Heading through the kitchen to his car he heard Red call out to him, "Hey Tonto! Is that a purse you're carrying?"

Fez turned and gave him a dazzling grin, "It rounds off my ensemble nicely, don't you think?" and with a flourish, he strode out the sliding door. Deeply thankful, for once, of Red's suspicion of his orientation.

Dinner that night was pretty enjoyable. Everyone loved the ćufte and rice pilaf. For dessert she had made pavlovas with berries. Kitty had had pavlovas one time when she was younger, at a very fancy restaurant. She had never lost an opportunity to mention them, and Eric had relayed this to Amina. From what he understood they were a bit labor intensive to make, and he'd been suitably impressed when she agreed to it. Kitty was rapturous as the delicate meringue desserts were brought to the table. She waved her hands and kissed Amina on the cheek, launching into the story of her first pavlova.


By 10:30 everyone was pretty beat. Jackie waved goodnight and set off across the lawn to the Pinciotti's house. Fez and Michael were going to split the night shift tonight with Kitty so nobody got worn out. Red was already in bed, his nerves and temper having exhausted him over the last 48 hours. Eric and Amina were going to turn in early, hoping to get a jump start on Hyde's rehab admission tomorrow.

As the neighborhood descended into quiet rustlings and lights in homes flickered out one by one, a man walked quietly down the street towards the address on a brochure. The handwriting was difficult to discern in the dark and the streetlamps gave only a small illumination. He grabbed a flashlight from his pocket and quickly flashed it on the house number. He flicked the beam towards the nearest home and saw he was only 3 or 4 houses away. Continuing down the sidewalk, careful to avoid direct light, he paused in front of a home with no less than twenty garden gnomes in the front lawn. Well, twenty garden gnomes and one oddly placed statue of the Buddha. He quickly searched for a number and the mailbox confirmed that this was his desired location.

He crept towards the side of the house, inspecting his surroundings for any sign of neighbors or animals that might alert to his presence. His left hand returned the flashlight to his waist band and retrieved a lock-pick set from his pocket. The sound of approaching footsteps caused him to flatten his body against an overgrown hedgerow and he prayed the shadow coverage would conceal him.

A young man with flowing hair was striding up the back walkway. Taking out keys from his pocket he unlocked the door and marched inside. Clearly the kid was angry, because he shouted, "Donna! Where are you? Why have you been avoiding me all day?"

Donna. Perfect, this is the right house. He hated complications, but his revolver would eliminate this moron pretty quick. Donna too, if need be. The boss would appreciate it if there were no loose ends left anyway. He crept in through the unlocked back door and closed it quietly, locking it behind him. Time was wearing on, he needed to get this done and get the hell out of Wisconsin.

"Donna?..." Jackie struggled through the fog in her head to interpret her surroundings. She was in a bed with a hideous floral print blanket, the sound of a man calling Donna's name had woken her. She jumped out of bed and pulled on her bathrobe. The voice calling for Donna was familiar. Randy. Jesus Christ. Bet she didn't tell him she was leaving.

Jackie sighed and made to pull open the door. "Randy? It's Jackie, Donna's not…." but the explanation died in her throat. Randy was standing in the hallway, struggling with an even larger man. The man had a knife in one hand and a gun in a holster on his waistband. Jackie felt frozen. What the hell was going on? Then, kicked out of her momentary stupor by the helpful release of adrenaline, Jackie did something absolutely no one who knew her would have expected.

Jackie charged the struggling pair, screaming like a banshee the whole way. Ninety-five pounds of angry brunette hit the duo at the top of the stairs and they all tumbled down the narrow stairway together. Jackie was caught between the bannister and Randy's back when they landed and she pushed with all the strength in her legs. His limp dead weight fell off her and she jumped to her feet. The other man was lying in a crumpled heap at the foot of the stairs. Jackie made a beeline for the kitchen and was nearly to the door when two strong arms wrapped her in a bear hug from behind. One hand made its way to her mouth as she screamed, kicking and flailing to try and break free.

Across the street, Red and Kitty were awoken by a knock on their bedroom door. "Red, I think I heard screams coming from next door," Kelso said, "Can you come with me for backup?" Without waiting for an answer, Michael bolted from the landing at top speed. Red sat bolt upright and opened his bedside table. Withdrawing his revolver, he stood and followed Kelso. Reaching Bob's back door he saw Kelso banging on it, shouting, "Jackie? Open up! We heard noises and we just want to check on you!"

Tapping him on the shoulder, Red signaled his intent to check the front door. Kelso nodded and continued to try and open the door.

Inside the house the man whispered menacingly in Jackie's ear, "Where are Bob and Donna? You answer me now and I'll walk away. You scream and," he cocked the hammer on his revolver, "I'll shoot you and then I'll walk away. Got it, princess?"

Jackie nodded. He removed his hand and she sucked in some air, "I honestly don't know. Bob used to take care of me when I was in high school. I lived here for a year. Donna left last night to visit a relative. I thought Bob was just out late."

The man swore. This was a huge complication. A whole pile of dead bodies would bring the heat down so hard he wouldn't be able to search for Bob or Donna. He motioned to the master bedroom, "Let's go, toots. We're gonna see if we can find a clue in the next 2 minutes. Otherwise, you're coming with me as insurance and leverage."

"Wait!" Jackie cried, her adrenaline surging back. She had a plan. She mentally crossed her fingers and looked at the man, "You said you're looking for Bob?" The man nodded. "Okay, he left a note for someone on the kitchen counter. Maybe it's for you?"

The man looked at her with deep suspicion. She hurriedly continued, "It's addressed to 'Mr. G's errand boy'. Does that sound like you?"

The man smiled wryly. "Oh Frankie. Always gotta be the tough guy when nobody's around," he said.

Jackie looked confused, "Frankie? I thought you were looking for Bob?"

"One in the same, doll, but I ain't got time for the whole fairytale. Let's go," and he pushed her roughly towards the kitchen.

At the sound of the word "doll" a heat had risen in Jackie's center. Her face became so flushed it felt like it was on fire. She. Was. Pissed. Nobody called her doll. Nobody but Steven. I'm going to burn you to the last ash, motherfucker.

While Jackie and the man had been talking, Kelso had retrieved Eric from the house. Eric had jimmied the door by using a coat hanger he used to stash in the bushes to open the top part of the jalousie. He stuck his hand through the slats and snaked his arm around to the latch. The door swung open as Jackie walked through the opposite door followed by a man with a gun.

Jackie ducked as the man saw Kelso and Eric and squeezed off a shot. She heard Michael scream and she reached behind her to the space between the doorjamb and pantry. Bob had kept a baseball bat there. She'd found it when she lived there and asked what it was for and why it was there. He'd replied, "It's for anyone who shouldn't be in here and since I'm usually in the kitchen- this is where it stays."

She swung the bat back behind her and aimed a line drive at the man's chin as he raised his gun to Eric. Her swing connected with his jaw and snapped his head back with a sickening crack. His arms splayed out wide and a second crack echoed through the air. Red stood behind Eric, a thin trail of smoke issuing from the end of his gun. Jackie looked down and saw a giant red splotch growing from dead center on the man's chest.

She snapped her gaze to Michael, who was lying motionless on the floor in front of them both. He'd thrown himself forward at the last minute, trying to shield Jackie from harm. It turned out that what lay beneath Michael Kelso's beautiful skin was a genuine hero.