Subject: The dirty rotten husband

It only took her a few seconds to realize that the bomb

that was in the ignition was meant to kill her.

When it went off she was still in the local cafe looking

for her mink coat she had left on the back of the chair.

Her husbands poor innocent girl friend was blown

to pieces and nothing was left to identify

her except her big wide brimmed hat......and

bits and pieces of a mink coat.

She saw her husbands smirking face as she peeked through

Web

the cafes neon sign blinking on and off to the beat of loud sirens coming from up the street.

The check was paid and she decided

it was a good idea to slip through the empty

kitchen and while no one was looking.

She grabbed a jacket and left the building.

The wide brimmed hat she always wore

was carefully hidden under the jacket

and she quickly decided to get away

from the scene so she caught a bus.

She did not care where the bus took her

as long as it was far away from the city

and this horrible nightmare that had

happened this afternoon.

Her husbands girl friend had been mimicking

her and wearing similar clothes because

she thought it was what he liked. The girl friend

also knew the keys to her car were in the coat pocket.

So just for a minute when she got up to go

to the counter and pay for her lunch

that was when the girl friend struck

and stole the keys to the car and the coat.

The bus ride luckily ended out near

her parents old homestead.

No one was home as they were

traveling in Greece for another month.

She got off the bus and traveling the back

walks found the hidden entrance to the garden.

She quickly entered the back courtyard and

let herself into the old servants residence.

Now she was safe because even her husband

did not know about this hidden residence.

From the outside it just looked like a basement wall

as the door was concealed to keep intruders away.

She quickly gained her composure and went up

the back steps that entered into the kitchen.

No one knew of this entrance into the kitchen

as it had not been used for over 50 years.

She went up to her parents room and collected

some toiletries and towels then off to the linen

closet for extra blankets and pillows. Then she

went to her old room and found subtle clothes.

She hauled this down to the servants quarters and

went back up for food and drink and some candles and

flashlights. She also saw her Mothers forgotten

cell phone on the counter and took it also.

She locked the entrance to the basement and

started to set up the quarters before darkness .

The bed was already made and there was a few

plates & silverware so she was good to go.

Then she drew a large bath to cleanse herself

of her terrible ordeal ...she soaked for at least an hour.

then she lit the stove and put on a pot of water for tea

and sat down to contemplate what to do next.

That dirty dirty rotten rat she was married to

had planned to kill her all along and now

he thought he had done his dirty deed and

now she had to think up a plan to get him caught........

©Julia A Knaake

She fell into a deep sleep and was awakened

by the shrill sounds of her mothers cell phone.

Her first thought was to answer immediately

but she chose to check the identity of the caller.

It was that dirty rotten rat calling with bad news

and she perked up her ears to listen to the message.

Waiting seemed like hours instead of seconds but

now there was silence and she could listen to the message.

He was true to form being the bereaved husband

almost in a frenzy with his dramatic wailing and

sobbing telling he whole sordid details of her death.

She hoped he would choke to death on his false words.

She was not sure if she should call her father in Greece

or leave it go for a while and see what would come to pass.

She was not even sure that her husband had Dad's number.

Waiting for more information won out and she was ready to eat.

Her last meal had been yesterday afternoon and she was famished.

A nice breakfast of tinned milk,cereal and dried fruits & tea

made her full and satisfied. she needed to go out on a walk to

clear her head and pick up a few items and get a newspaper.

After tidying up herself and the dishes she went upstairs

to the attic and went through the old trunks looking for

any costumes and wigs so when she went out into the public

she could not be identified but still look presentable.

She found a gray wig and a dark brown one and suitable

clothes and shoes. she was so glad they had had lots of

costume parties when she and her brother were growing up.

then she went to the safe and took out money.

Her poor brother he would be devastated at the news of her

death and if anyone was to know she was not dead it would be him.

First things first so she made up a nice costume of the dark hair

and made herself look much older than her 29 years.

She let herself out when the coast was clear carrying a large

backpack to haul back the things she was going to purchase.

She would need a radio to stay current of the news and a newspaper.

She would buy some fresh fruit, bread and vegetables also.

She was careful not to go to any of the shops near her parents

home as someone might recognize her even though she was

in costume. She also went to the liquor store and bought herself

a large bottle of her favorite sipping whiskey Yukon Jack.

When she returned to the servants quarters she was physically

exhausted from the long walking trip to get supplies but she felt

mentally refreshed and was ready for a long hot bath and

ready for a nice dinner. the vegetables & fruits were quite appealing .

After her nice bath and dinner she tidied up the place and read

the newspaper accounts of her "death" ! A small glass of Yukon Jack

was there to appease her anger at the comments from that dirty rat

husbands lies and comments about her secret life with the Mafia.

©Julia A Knaake

What lies he was spreading oh so too quickly that his poor misguided wife was a former girlfriend to a prominent member of the mafia.

Boyfriend hah ! He was a very distant cousin and a friend of one of her closest girlfriends Annie, who kept him a secret from her parents.

His family may have been mafia but he was not a member and did not like that sort of life. The members of his family left him to tend his flower shop and did not ask him to participate in any of their activities.

The flower shop is where he met Annie and they fell in love.

Now, her parents, brother, Annie and her cousin would all be upset about her "death". She had to make a plan to let a few people know that she was not dead. They would all help her figure out a way to make the dirty dirty rotten husband confess to his actions against her.

She thought out her plan well even writing it out on paper.

She knew who she would contact to let them know she was not dead. Then the actual plan would be ever so sweet but not immoral or illegal.

Tomorrow she would contact cousin Anthony and have him deliver flowers. She finally fell into a deep restful sleep listening to Willy Nelson singing “Valentine.”

Next morning she woke up very hungry and ate a huge breakfast. She then went back up to the attic and collected

some of her Grannies clothes and a large purse. Down in the old pantry was a fold-able utility cart, now with the gray wig she was Grannie! Off she toddled, because of the stuffing she put in her 3 pairs of socks she wore. Virginia went immediately to a pay phone near the flower shop & made the call. Trying to disguise her voice she spoke to Annie.

When she found out that Annie was there alone she said I have info about your friends death please let me in the back entrance then she toddled of to the shop.

Annie peeking out the peek hole saw that it was a little old lady so she let her inside. Virginia ripped off the fake glasses and the wig and stood there in front of her dear friend

who was laughing and crying at the same time. Virginia cautioned silence when she heard the shop door open but was so happy it was Anthony.

Anthony went back and locked the door and set the closed sign outward. The trio went into the private office where Virginia told them the whole sordid story. The three decided Virginia’s plan would work and that there would be a large flower delivery that day to the front door of her parents house. The trio then would meet in the old servants residence and start the plan.

© Julia A Knaake

First thing was decided that Anthony and Annie would go visit Sam, Virginia's brother and clue him in on the happenings. He surely would help with this plan also. The day the flowers were delivered to the front door with the fake cards there was also a hidden camera and a microphone installed on the porch.

Inside the house the 4 friends sat in the downstairs basement quietly talking and when 5 pm rolled around one went upstairs to look outside the window onto the porch where you could not be seen from the outside and monitored who was coming up the steps to look at the flowers or just to ring the bell with their condolences.

The plan was for each person to sit their turn in the dark and observe and listen to anything out of the ordinary. Anthony had obtained the camera and listening devices from his Mafia cousins a long time ago to place in his flower shop but never thought of really using them until now to catch a rat.

There were neighbors and friends coming to the door leaving small packages on the bench and dropping notes and cards into the huge brass mail slot. The door bell kept chiming away. 

The four friends had placed a large dresser in front of the door  on the inside so as to not answer the door by error.

They also placed a large wire trash basket over the telephone so they would not mistakenly answer it but could hear the messages loud and clear. They maintained that this house must continue to look like there was no one home. They even placed tape over the light switches lest they forget and turn on a light

when it darkened. The plan worked well.

This surveillance went on for three nights and while one was on duty upstairs the other three friends caught up on old times and or gossip about each other. How wonderful it was that they all got along so well and cared for each other. Then on the third day just what they were waiting for Robert, the rotten rat of a husband arrived.

This loser starts pawing around the flowers and packages looking at the flower cards to read the messages. Mumbling to himself he says:

"So this is why there's no answers, the old folks are in Greece".

He again starts pawing into the packages and opens them then his phone rings.

"Yep they're gone and the sissy cousin still has his shop open, see ya soon honey".

Anthony was on duty and was ready to call his cousins to snuff the rat out but knew Virginia would have none of that. He went down and reported what happened.

Virginia wondered who honey was since rats girlfriend Justine was blown to smithereens.

They would just have to wait....but this evidence was taped and recorded.

It was now 8:45 pm and Sam was up in the watchers seat when Robert the rat returns pawing into the packages again. He stuffed a small one in his pocket & opens another

one eating the contents. His phone rings again and

"Yes, Justine is laying low like I told her to and I'll be there soon ,Mike, love ya too".

Virginia gets the Yukon Jack out and passes small sipping glasses around. Wow are they ever starting to hit a jackpot of information now.

Justine is supposedly laying low

there is a boyfriend named Mike

and there is another someone called honey.

Virginia has another sip of YJ and starts to ponder deeply.

Virginia and Sam's mothers cell phone rings and they all listen to the message. It was their Father calling to see if anyone had found the lost phone. Virginia and Sam decide Sam should call on his own personal phone and tell them all that has been going on this past week and let them know what they were up to get the rat.

When he got back to his house Sam called the parents in Greece

and filled them in on the deeds of their dirty son-in-law.

They said they too would play along and act as if they knew nothing about the "death of Virginia" until they got back home in a week.

Sam grabbed a few books, magazines and newspapers and packed a backpack with clothes, meds & toiletries placing them into a larger suitcase then outdoors he hailed a taxi to the closest large airport. After pretending to go to area of his gate he ducked into a bathroom where he changed clothes, pulled out the backpack in the suitcase and took a bus over to the parents house calling Virginia to let him in so he could stay there with her.

Meanwhile Anthony at the flower shop was on the phone to Annie asking what he should bring over to Virginia's as he and Annie were going to stay there also. They felt that Virginia needed protection if she wanted it or not. Anthony even brought

his Glock but would not tell the others that he had it in his possession. The three of them had decided this was really the best thing to do but did not tell Virginia because they all knew how independent she was and they were concerned for her safety.

Unknown to Anthony his Mafia cousins were always concerned for his safety and they now knew everything that was going on but would sit back to listen and watch their cousin with a backbone.

Anthony, Annie & Sam stayed with Virginia who actually was very happy they were there at the house.

© Julia A Knaake

The quartet continued the plan to catch Robert on tape and prove that he killed Justine. That night there he was back on the porch looking through the packages. He is on the phone again:

"Yea Vincent you'll get the dough for the bomb as soon as the heat cools off and the insurance money kicks in so don't worry."

Stuffing his fat face with more cake and seeing there is a bottle of Virginia's favorite Yukon Jack in a package he greedily laughs and opens it too. Calling on the phone he leaves a message for Mike saying

"I'll be at home so ring the bell instead of using the key - you have to cool it till we go to Hawaii."

Another call and " yea, honey I'll see you tomorrow at work in the office when they're all out to lunch muah."

Sam was so glad his sis was not the one on watch or she might have ripped open the door and beat the rat with her own two hands ! Reporting more damaging evidence after his watch was up was a great feeling this time. Unknown to the four friends and to the Mafia there were others also listening in on all this self incriminating evidence that Robert was piling up for them.

Virginia had to get out and walk and think so early next morning she put on her brown wig disguise and walked for a few hours ending up at her own home. No one was there so she sneaked in the back through the broken fence that had never been repaired. What a mess there was with beer cans and fast food papers all over the place.

She got the hidden key from under the fake rock she had placed next to some real rocks but the back was unlocked so she let herself in and was surprised at all the trash inside, the stacks of porn movies and photos of men in various stages of undress. Now she is so very happy the rat had not touched her in three years. Virginia thought he was just going through a stressful change but never anything what she saw in this room.

Watching and listening for any noises she went upstairs to her room and looked for her hidden jewelry box. It contained family jewelry that were sentimental to her and Sam. Then she found two pair of shoes in the back of the closet and a favorite purse Mama

had given her years ago. That was it, this place was disgusting to her so she let herself out.

Back at the basement she was missed and when she finally came in they were so upset they all made her promise to never go back there again. She did not need to promise as she had made up her mind when she walked out of that house she would never go back again.  Sam was happy she had taken the jewelry box and told her so.

The flowers and packages on the porch were getting messy so they decided that Anthony would deliver more flowers with new names and tidy up the porch so he hired a couple of neighbor teens to help with the clean up. Then a small table, chair, waste basket placed in the corner and a heavy guest book were put on the porch for any new messages.

There actually were a few friends and neighbors that walked up the steps and left caring messages for Sam and his parents. A few more packages were left. Sam is now on watch and it tends to be quite interesting.

Rat comes by and checks things out and peeks in the window and tries to open the door and windows. Then his phone rings so he sits and talks.

"Whadda ya mean I'm ignoring ya honey...I gotta be careful" "The old lady just died and the cops are investigating.".

Opening the guest book he looks at some of the entries then writes something on a separate paper with a menacing laugh and shoves it into the book.

"Ok, ok I'll meet ya in the basement at work tomorrow at 12:15 pm...ok ? "

He then punches in a number saying:

"Mike we got a job to do tomorrow meet me at 12:30 pm

in the basement where I work.

Yet another call : “ Lori meet me at the pub in a half hour and order a pepperoni pizza so we can go up to your apartment and have it with a few beers and a few laughs.”

Rat then starts to go down the steps to leave when Anthony enters the living room to take over for Sam. He sees Sam's face is livid and motions he will take over. Sam could not contain himself he said he was getting ready to run out there on the porch and beat the ever living daylights out of the no good son of a bitch.

Anthony tackled him sitting him on the sofa and the girls, who were right behind Anthony, quieted Sam down.

When darkness approached Virginia, with her disguise on, crept onto the porch like a silent cat and grabbed the guest book.

Inside the basement apartment the four of them sipped on Yukon Jack and carefully, with gloved hands, read the paper Robert put into the book. “It was a fake one signed Anthony,” I will miss you Ginny from your lover boy ! True rat he was again.

Virginia said “wait I want a plain paper and a soft lead pencil so I can get a rubbing of what he wrote down.”

What came up was an excellent clue.

Apparently the note before, had been written with a heavy hand leaving an impression on this plain paper, as he had drawn a diagram of a place in the woods with a shallow grave and stupidly places a sign that says Pepeto's Pub behind the trees!

Was he going to kill honey and place her there ?

The four good friends hoped not. His dirty fingerprint secretions left a slight stain on the paper.

What a great clue This was!

© Julia A Knaake

What should the friends do now?  Virginia did not want Robert to know she was alive because then he would just twist things and make it look like she had tricked Justine

into getting into her car. Why was he coming back to the porch all the time? Was he checking up to see if the parents had come back from Greece?

Who knew what was going on in his twisted mind!

Sam decided he would pretend to come back from his plane trip and talk to the police about the "death" of sister Virginia. This meant he would not be around the basement

as much to help watch the porch but that was ok with the others because it would show he was the bereaved brother.

Sam publicly said he could not believe anyone would hate his sister so much as to kill her. He also said his parents were traveling in remote parts of Greece and would be back home in about 6 days. He was setting up the trap for the rat real well.

More flowers and packages were sent to the porch from made up friends hoping rat would continue coming and snooping.

While on watch Anthony sees Robert again eating, snooping and yakking on the phone.

"Yea, honey Mike & I got rid of that stray dog the other night we planted it in the woods."

" Can't see ya tonight got a business meeting."

then another call:

"Mike, baby leave a key under your back door mat for me...ok ?"

So this is good news to hear as Anthony reports that this honey is alive so they do not have to go to the police about the map.

Then the house phone rings and the answering service picks up a call from the rat.

"My poor sweet Virginia I did all I could to stop her from taking those drugs."

Virginia now knows Robert is quite nefarious and a twinge of hatred towards him is setting in her heart but she does not like it at all.

She and Sam were brought up to not bear hatred towards their fellow man. This is a time she must do some soul searching so she will not harden. She would not allow herself to lower to his pitiful level.

Annie had been tending the flower shop for Anthony but there were inquiries as to why he was not there. There were a lot of local older ladies that came in for flowers and chats with him. She and Anthony had to come up with a reasonable reason why he was gone so much. Annie would just say he was out checking the places where he bought flowers. That evening while dear friend Annie was on watch the rat is up snooping and trying to get conversations going on the phone,

"Honey where are you haven't seen you for a few days call me."

Another call: "Lori you home ?"

Finally a last call: "Mike you coming over tonight?"

 No one is around to feed him.

Poor old boy must be very lonesome tonight Annie thought to herself...so get a pet....A Big Pet..................RAT !

Mario and Maria are now home from Greece and putting on a show upstairs for the public but downstairs they are joyous that Virginia is alive. It is decided that anytime Virginia is upstairs she will continue to wear her brown hair disguise along with glasses and darker make up in case someone should drop in and recognize her and start asking questions. 

Unknown to anyone, including his wife, Mario has a slight connection with the mafia in a business sense. Nothing illegal but a connection.

Unknown to anyone, including her husband, Maria has a slight connection to the police in a family sense.

My, oh my, the pot is thickening.

© Julia A Knaake

The Police have found two female bodies in a shallow grave 

in the woods behind Pepeto's Pub.

Both were fully clothed but their necks were broken. Nothing out of the unusual was done to the women and their purses were also tossed into the grave. The only strange thing was that a decomposed dog was with them in the grave.

The four friends immediately think of Robert and Mike as the culprits because they still have the rubbing of the map that Robert had made. They told Mario and Maria what had happened and wondered if they should go to the police. Maria said she had a friend in the typing pool and would take it to her to show her boss. Maria did as she said she would but went to the detective she knew instead of the “friend” in the typing pool and told him

the story along with all the other information she had gotten from her son, daughter and their friends. Detective Trotter and Maria had worked together long before she met and married Mario and Maria was a close friend to his wife.

Meanwhile Mario’s contacted his mafia friend Angelina and told her what had happened and asked her to let her husband know what was going on. Mario has been friends with Angelina and helped her by lending her money to help get her husband over to America before he was involved in the mafia.

Robert came to the door and rang the bell. When he saw in the guest book a message to call and make an appointment to see them. He got on the phone and called Mike.

"Say why did you rub out those two girls I told you they meant nothing to me ~ I was just using them you are in big trouble now" " The cops got your fingerprints!"

Later on in the week the police find Mike hanging in his garage with a note saying he had killed the 2 women for Robert his lover and that Robert had hired a bomb expert by the name of Tito to kill Virginia.

Tito was after Robert for the money he owed him. The police remembered a partial plan that Virginia & friends had thought up and they added to this plan.

The police kept Mike's self hanging out of the paper and knowing what Tito looked like found a ringer that looked like Tito. They added even more to this plan because they had gotten it from Maria who got it from Virginia. A large British style telephone booth was installed on the porch. A card on the door saying leave your messages here.

Robert is called to come to the house. He shows up and of course tries the phone booth door and when he does get it open inside is Mike dead in his face. Robert starts to yelp but the "ringer" Tito comes around the shadows and said: “ you did not pay me so I got Mike.”

Robert screamed and said: “ I will not pay you for killing her now.”

The police swarm the porch and hand cuff Robert & read him his rights then Virginia walks out and said "Hello rat fink husband I am here to look at you in your face and tell you I am not dead” ...

Robert goes into a rage crying

" but you are dead I had you killed."

the reply was "No you had Justine murdered."

The mafia got the real Tito but you will never see him.

The End

© Julia A Knaake