Chapter 3. The Rufus Maneuver
Bill Maxwell sat staring at the door, apparently in shock. A big pile of soup cans, tins of tuna fish, a half empty jar of honey and an open box of dog biscuits were collected on the small table by the door, all waiting to be distributed.
He was getting used to the odd stares. He could deal with the nasty remarks. Sure, he hated when the kids pointed at his holster and gun and asked if he was wearing a mobster costume. But it was the look of disappointment on the faces of the young kids that got to him, every time. Still, he had no more cash to bribe them with, and the mad searches for tootsie rolls and candy corn kept coming up negative.
He hung a scribbled sign on the door saying "No More Candy!" Someone tore it down. He moved the car out of the driveway and onto the streets. They assumed he rode a bike, and sensed that he was home. He once tried to shut the lights; sitting in the dark living room, they still swarmed the house like soldier ants.
This was war, Bill Maxwell decided. Sometimes he could pull the Rufus Maneuver, and distract the children by offering a few moments of play time with the red puppy. But those battles sometimes backfired, he learned, as Rufus would escape and run down the street, followed by a long line of children chasing him.
Still, Maxwell wasn't about to give up the good fight. Even if he had to fight them off with expired canned goods, he was going to stand his ground.
The doorbell rang again.
"You ready, Rufus?" Bill asked his favorite backup.
He grabbed a can of tuna fish and pulled the door open. Standing in front of him was a petite, pretty woman, carefully made up in a pussycat costume. A set of black ears was perched on top of her raven hair, and her eyes were lined in black kohl. A tight black leotard hugged her curves, and a long black tail bounced out from behind her. Black fishnet stockings stretched down to just below her knees, where they hid beneath tall black leather boots.
As Bill stood staring at her, holding out a can of tuna fish, he thought that there might have been a few kids with her. But he wasn't sure.