The Man, Joey, and Wilson got over to the Crossman house around midnight.  On their way, they went by Sam’s house and flipped him off, then kicked over an empty beer can into his lawn.  It hit the side of the house and bounced back.  A motion detector came on suddenly and they ran away for dear life to get out of the street light.

“Asshole,” The Man yelled.

Sam came out of the front door and looked around on the lawn, spied the beer can and kicked it back into the street.  He slammed the screen door on the way back in.

“We’ll spy on him later,” said Wilson.

“No, man, I’m tired.  I just want to go home and sleep in a warm soft bed,” wimped Joey. 

“Oh come on, it’ll only take another fifteen minutes.  Look, there’s my house.  The truck’s still there too. Oh my gosh, where’d those dents come from?  Dad didn’t have no dents.  You think he’s home?” asked The Man.

“Can’t be.  Paper said he was in for awile.”

“When did he go in?”

“Last week, the day we left.”

“Okay, let’s go in, then.  He can’t be there,” said The Man.  He took another look at his dad’s truck ad then led the two boys through the front door merely by opening it and walking inside.  He turned on a light and saw several beer cans and whisky jugs laying on the floor.  Someone’s clothes were laying on the couch.  When he turned on the kitchen lights, he saw a counter full of dirty dishes, and a pot of stew that had been burned sticking to the bottom of the pan.  A stray cat was hiding in the corner, and when Wilson opened the sliding glass door to the patio, the cat ran outside.

The Man heard Joey go into the bedrooms to see if anyone was in there.  Then he checked out the bathroom and the closets.

“No one’s here, Man.  I checked everywhere.”

“I know.  Nothing’s missing, either, course who’d want any of this shit anyways?  He got any money laying around?  Any phone numbers?”

“I don’t know.  I’ll check the front room,” said Wilson.

“Bad news, phone’s disconnected.”

“Here’s one by the bedroom phone,” yelled Joey.  “It says Gloria 229 3711.  Want to call her up and say we’re his kids?”