"i don't know angel, i'll find out, but first, i got to get you out of here."

"i'll be alright harry, i'm not afraid of ler....."

"it's not whether your afraid of him or not carlee, they told me that he's after you, and i can't live with that."

"i'll be ok."

"goddamnit carlee, you don't know what happens to a crazy when they put them in jail, leroy's a psychopath and often times they snap so that they don't even know what they're doing. now don't argue, just pack up soft necessary things, i'm taking you to colonel sander's place, he won't suspect you're there. now please baby, get moving, i have to go downtown."

i packed some jeans and tops, my hair stuff, makeup and a bar of soap.

"are there towels there, harry?"

"yes, soap too."

"maybe i should go to dad's," i said.

"no carlee, i have to find out what leroy knows first."

"how could he know anything after being in jail?"

"remember second-to-none, luttrell?"

i trusted harry, he was smart about his work things, i saw no reason not to go along with him. "stay beside me angel," he directed. my bag wasn't heavy, just in the way. i carefully scanned central park on our way to the his car. i thought i saw a very white man duck behind a tree.

"harry!"

"what carlee?"

"over there, in the park, i thought i saw something."

"leroy?" he asked.

"i don't know, someone tall and white, i'm not sure harry."

"get in the car, lock the doors, now point toward where you thought you saw someone." i did. harry crossed the street, i became really scared. carie was gone, but i worried about her. i touched my butterfly, i hoped it was good luck. i was startled by a knock on the window. "unlock the door, carlee." i sighed a deep sigh, and let harry in. "i didn't see anyone. maybe you're just jumpy, baby," he said.

harry's pager went off about midway to the colonels. "damn!" he said. harry was really upset, and it wasn't making it any easier on me. he pulled up colonel sander's driveway, and into the garage. "no lights, carlee, leroy's a westside kid, probably doesn't know this place exists, but we can't bank on it." he pulled out a large coleman flashlight from under his seat, i grabbed my bag and we walked to the kitchen door. harry shone the light, and unlocked it. he held my hand and we went in. copper pots shone in the late light, wolfegang puck heaven. a work surface extended from the center of the room to the end. "this house has four floors and a basement, carlee, you stay on the third. you can walk around all you like, but no lights baby. promise?" i crossed my heart. harry smiled, and put his arm around me. he made a phone call from the kitchen phone. "yes?" he said. "i'm making sure the girl is safe first, commissioner," he said. "no, i don't think so, give me a half an hour." he turned to me.

"carlee, i want you to hold on to these." he handed me a cell phone and a pistol. a streak of lightning bolted from the sky, awesome thunder about ten seconds later. i was scared, but i didn't want harry to know. the rain came, and beat mercilessly on the windows. "now take this light, use the cell phone only, do you know how to operate a 38 special?"

"pull the trigger?" he shone the flashlight on the safety.

"push this first, angel."

"harry, are all these precautions necessary? after all, leroy's just a......"

"murderer, carlee, and he's after you. when people become murderers, they learn a lot, he ordered a hit on you while he was in jail." i pondered.

"yeah, he did."

"the underground is strong here in louisville, baby, as strong as in any city." a clap of thunder made me jump. "i hate to leave you angel, but they're waiting for me."

"i know harry."

"let's bed you down." harry walked me up to the third floor. he chose a bedroom that faced the west, the room smelt musty, i sneezed. harry pulled the sheets down. i stripped to my panties, and pulled a tee shirt out of my bag that had a picture of a bear playing golf on it, it said, "hairy putter." "i like that carlee," he said. it was way too big on me, but it would do. the sound of the rain was making me nervous. "now remember, no lights, don't answer any phone but this cell phone, don't call anyone or acknowlege the door if anyone knocks," harry ordered.

"yes sir," i replied.

"you want a beer?"

"there's beer?" i asked.

"all over the place angel, hang on."

the storm was getting worse, a branch from an ancient tree was slapping up against my west window. the old house creaked a lot, i didn't notice that until harry left the room. he returned with three bud lights, opened one for me, and sat down on my bed. i took a big sip and sighed, deeply. "i'm sorry i have to leave baby," he said as he hugged me.

"when will you be back harry?" i asked.

"not sure, early in the morning, maybe, i'd be more than glad to get that bastard back in lockup tonight."

"please be careful, harry," i said softly. he smiled, kissed me gently.

"i have to go."

two loud claps of thunder followed harry out. i counted two seconds between the lightning and the thunder, the storm was closing in. i heard his car start. another loud clap. suddenly i wanted a cigarette, i remembered seeing some on the wet bar in the room housing the pool table. i grabbed my flashlight, and padded down the stairs. i couldn't believe that i hadn't brought house shoes. i was right, two packs of marlboro and a lighter plus an ash tray on a table east of the pool table. i lit one, took a deep drag into the pit of my lungs, and it was almost as good as sex. the phone rang, god, it sounded like it was announcing a four alarm fire. there had to be at least twenty phones in this house. a bolt of lightning streaked, followed by an ear shattering clap of thunder. when the elements cleared, the damn phone continued to ring. harry had told me that the house had been vacant for over fifteen years, the phones weren't turned off because of construction workers annual upgrading and cleaning. i took a drink of my beer, then a drag of my cigarette, the damn phones were still ringing. i decided to answer it. no, harry told me not to. maybe it was leroy? i became as "nervous as a dog shittin' peach seeds," as mr. leisure used to say. "answer only the cell phone," harry had told me. but who would be calling, and ringing so many times? i rationalized, if leroy thought that i was here, he would just come to get me, to kill me, he wouldn't need phone confirmation. i decided.

i held the flashlight close to the floor, and made it back to my bed room. i placed my ash tray on the bedside table, and smoked, and drank. the storm had reached a crisis, i could hear the heavy winds blowing tree limbs against several windows. then suddenly, i heard a gnawing sound, i wasn't sure at first, but then it continued. unmistakable, gnawing. the strong winds were whispering a word that i couldn't understand. i pulled the quilt over my head. my heart was pounding.

the beer must have calmed me, i dozed. "CARRRLLEEEE!" something awakened me. i must have been sound asleep, i had no idea of the time. the storm had lessened, the rain was still heavy though, i could still hear limbs beating across the windows. i grabbed a beer, and sat up in bed. i felt the slightest motion at the foot, as if something fell upon it. i grabbed my flashlight and scanned the bed. a mouse, a cute little brown mouse with white whiskers and a pink nose. he was wiggling his nose, he didn't mean me any harm. "hi guy, you're pretty. i don't have any cheese, but if you're good, i might try to find some." mousey scampered up toward me, as if he understood. he climbed onto my pillow and shook his little head. i adored him, i wanted to take him home. "what's your name, little fellow?" i asked, as i finished my beer. he wiggled, and stared at me with little mouse eyes. "you look like a benny, may i call you benny?" the little mouse just shook his head. "sorry pal, how about hortence?" the mouse turned, and jumped off the bed. "i didn't mean to insult you," i said, as benny ran into the closet. benny gnawed. CRASH, tinkle, tinkle!! god, a window broke out, on the floor below. i reached for my house shoes. shit! i ran down the stairs with my flashlight, looking around, i could see no broken windows. i scurried down to the main room. yes, a very large window facing the west, was broken. the rain was relentless, it was blowing in from the window. i couldn't see any limbs near by, no obvious reason that the glass broke, the nearest tree was yards from there. why then? did someone break it out? leroy maybe? this was making me terribly uncomfortable. maybe i should call harry. i stopped at the refrigerator in the kitchen, i found a glass, and filled it with ice. at the wet bar, i found a bottle labeled "spiritus frumenti." it smelled stealthy, so i carried it back to my room. i could hear benny gnawing. the rain rained, and the wind howled. i lay in bed, poured a half a glass of spiritus and the rest with warm beer. god, that was stout! my throat burned and my stomach spasmed. hell, this stuff may be formalin for all i know. "never mix, never worry" mr. leisure always said. i had mixed. i was worried.

the wind was ferocious. i lay back on my pillow, and halfway dozed. i dreamed that benny was the size of a great dane, and was nibbling my toes. "CARRLLEEE!" the night hollared. "CARRLLEEE!!!" what is the hell was that? i listened intently for a good minute. i distinguished a hundred sounds, benny in the closet, the creakings of the house, the voices of the wind. but nothing like i thought i had heard. my mind was running scared. maybe i should phone harry. no, i wouldn't do that, he was too busy. then...."CARRLLEEE!!!" my god in heaven, it wasn't a dream, but what was it? who was it? i had forgotten where i put my gun; i heard noises in the hall, someone walking. then a light came on. suddenly a figure appeared, at my door. it was him. he wore nothing but shorts, he was covered with white powder, even his hair. a large butcher knife tightly enclosed in his right hand, raised high. leroy couldn't have weighed a hundred pounds, but i had never seen a sight this vicious in my life. weird light flashed in all directions from his knife. his nails were crimson. i started to cry.

"take your clothes off!" he demanded.

"how did you find me?"

"ways," he answered. "now, take your clothes off! i want to see you bleed from within!" he looked insane. he walked to the foot of my bed.

"leroy, i never did anything to you," i lied.

"you framed me, carlee, set me up, destroyed my life!"

"excuse me. i framed you for hazel's brutal murder, mr. gray's, star lynn's? get a damn life, leroy, if i got you in trouble personally, it was over your hurting little sidney. you shouldn't have hurt him!" i yelled. leroy lunged toward me. his mouth was wide open and he was screaming. "dear god." i thought.

"you move another inch and you're a dead man!!" a female voice yelled. i heard a shot, and saw an exit wound appear on leroy's chest. he fell to the right of me. blood and white powder. lissell was standing at the door, pistol aimed, in full dress uniform. leroy's body fell to the floor. we listened. he leaped at her from underneath the foot of the bed. knocked her down.

"motherfucker!!" he screamed, and put the knife to her throat.

"drop it leroy!!" i hollared. "drop it now," i said as i got up and placed the 38 that i found under my pillow to his head.

"i'll not be cut a second time, son-of-a-bitch," lissell exclaimed. suddenly there was a crash of thunder like i've never heard before, the lights went out. i grabbed someone, then i heard quick footsteps padding down the hall.

"shit, let go carlee, he's getting away." lissell got up and ran. i made my way back to the bed, found my lighter on the bedside table, lit it and searched for the cell phone. when i found it, i dialed harry's number.

"zimmerman," he answered.

"he's here, harry, he found me, he's hit, but not disabled, hurry, please."

i got up and ran down the stairs. i could hear a commotion, other than what was in my head. they were both still in the house.

"carlee, the goddamned flashlight!"

"i have it lissell, where in the hell are you!"

"don't turn it on baby, whatever you do!" i was shaking so hard.

"give it up leroy! i didn't come here alone," she yelled.

"fuck you, bitch!" he screamed. i found lissell.

"here, here's the light," i said, and handed it to her. she hugged me with her free hand.

"did you reach harry?"

"yeah," i whispered.

"great. do you know anything about this house, baby?"

"i believe the main floor is beneath us," i said.

"is there another under that?"

"i'm not sure lissell."

"shit, i can't determine where he is."

"you aren't familiar with the house lissell?"

"no, harry just phoned me from the park, across the street from you, and told me to take a cab to this address, he only gave me instructions how to get in the basement and told me to keep my eyes opened."

"you were here when we got here?"

"yeah, i heard you come in." a noise.

"he ran into the pool table lissell, i hear the balls. he's on the main floor." lissell turned on the flash light, and started running. i listened for the front door to open, but didn't hear anything. i headed down stairs, everything was silent, except for the rain and wind.

i was on the main floor. no flashlight, i fumbled for the safety lock on my 38. i heard a thud to the far right of me. i heard lissell moan, and i heard metal against the floor. he had disarmed her.

"leave her alone leroy, i mean it!" i hollared.

"up yours, i'm having fun cutting her up into little stars!" he yelled, then laughed, demonically. the electricity came back on! lissell's blood was everywhere, she was on the floor, leroy was going to stab her! i aimed at his head and pulled the trigger.