I grit my teeth against the terror I felt. Whatever it was, was writhing about 10 feet in front of me. I moved closer, the flashlight beam shining straight and shaking like a leaf in a hailstorm.

Petticoating Flourishes
Ladd’s Exchange Mall
Book 2 Part B

Later that morning after seeing the children off to their various activities, Kaye and Andy Bloom arrived at the store at 8:30. As Andy went through the paperwork, Kaye brought him a cup of coffee. From a safe distance she watched closely as he sipped the drug-laced brew. Kaye reminded him of his appointment, and accompanied him to the beauty shop. Along the way Kaye watched as he started to yawn and blink his eyes.

I performed a thorough search of the house. I even went into the living room, thinking maybe if I was in time, or if they appeared hanging by the neck maybe I could save them and to prepare for such an occurrence, I had retrieved my Gerber multi-tool from my backpack and extricated the blade in case of wayward friends suddenly appearing with a hangman's noose around their neck.