"Charlie was a handful, Beverly said. "Actually, a handful was too mild. He disobeyed constantly, and Louis was at his wits' end about how to deal with him. He went back to the tried-and-true method of taking him to the woodshed. I protested, citing the latest studies on how to discipline children, but Louis shrugged it off - "You have no idea, Miss Hoover... you have no idea.'" - I realize now that Louis was genuinely scared of Charlie. I did not know then about his setting a fire at the school… And Leonore never failed to point to Louis that he was failing… Well, I knew then that I had made a mistake coming here. It was my first job, and I needed their references for any other job. So, in every spare moment I had I concentrated on my historical research – and I found plenty of material. I sent an article out, and it was accepted… So maybe I could have a second career…"

"And what about Amos at that time?" Heather asked

"He killed a number of cattle, as you know", Danny answered. "But when he was getting calmer and could string two words together, I told him that people were starting to hunt for what they thought was a bear."

-0-

Amos shivered, and an expression of fear came on his face. "If they catch me, they will..."

"They will kill you?"

"They will lock me again in the coffin…. Danny, please, if that happens, drive a stake through my heart, or cut off my head… Please do not let them lock me in there again."

"Why do you do what you do?"

"I was a man like you, once, and I made a few mistakes… and... and this is how I must now live."

"Keep away from cattle. There is plenty of wildlife."

"I should… I should..."

"Should do what?"

Amos shivered and said nothing… then he added "I will go to the wildlife. And rats."

He then shut up again, shivering.

Danny looked at him. Amos had drunk his blood, and he had power over him. And yet he was so pitiful…

What was he?

-0-

"For a while things were routine, I mean, there was trouble brewing, but we would not know it yet", Beverly continued. "It was unpleasant, but it was predictably unpleasant. Louis and Dinah complained about their situation, but nothing changed. Charlie got more and more hard to handle, but that was normal. Leonore would not leave her home but ran her family and the town with an iron fist. She only softened towards Ken Green, the manager of the canning plant"

"I take that Green was her high school sweetheart", Wendy interjected. "At least that was Pop told me."

"Yes. They both had married and gone their way. But they still saw each other with their teenage eyes. She showed Green a softer side, which she never showed anyone else. And he, he thought highly of her… and to tell the truth, she was generous to the needs of the town. But you should never cross her. Well, it was another of those days, with Green telling her about the latest news, while sharing tea and cookies, when Louis came in."

-0-

"Flynn Eagleton is back." He said, trying to sound distraught. "He has made money, and is itching for revenge against us."

"Why would he want revenge?" Ken Green asked, "after all he was guilty of running that man down while driving drunk."

"He things that we could have kept him out of jail"

"It could not be done." Green said reasonably.

"What can he do?" Leonore asked.

"I told you, he has money – more money than you expect an ex-con to make. Probably Mob money. He CAN make trouble for us."

Leonore shook her head. "I will talk to my lawyer. And maybe we should find out more of what his plans are."

Louis nodded. "I will talk to him. He is bitter enough to let things slip out."

He left to go back to the hotel where Flynn was staying. What could Flynn do?

-0-

"Louis pretended to be distraught", Beverly continued. "But he yeaned for Flynn to do SOMETHING to the family."

-0-

"What is he going to do to me? Lock me in with my crazy sister? Keep me in a house that will go in flames when my kid plays with matches? Keep me in a job I hate? Let him get me out of it. Then I can become a drunken artist instead of a drunk. Maybe even become a good painter. And do something about the firebug of my son.'

He turned the bend in the road, and pressed the brake to slow the descent. But the brake did not work.

The car raced down out of control. He was going down…

"I have to get out" he thought.

The car went over the side.