“Well. I don’t know Tina. the house needs a lot of work. Does it have a basement?” Tina’s hands began to twitch. “The door is locked. Mother said to never go down there.” Tina began to wonder if the creatures were going to come. She knew they were after her. Jack walked down the dark hall. The door to the basement was at the end. Another trick with picks. He opened the door. God, it smelled bad like rotten potatoes. “Are you coming Tina?” Tina didn’t want to. A weird black and white movie was going on in her head. “Can I stay here?”Jack looked at the girl’s frightened face. “I’m a cop, Tina. Nothing to be scared of.” Jack found a light switch. The basement had a dirt floor. A hoist with a large metal hook hung from the ceiling.  There was a pile of lumber. A pick and a shovel leaned against the wall. Tina began to tremble. He’d know everything soon. Everything…

Jack just went  with his impulse. He started digging right under the hoist. Soon, he hit wood. He got up and lowered the hoist. There was an iron handle on the wooden box. He attached it to the hook on the hoist and pulled the box up. Tina was hiding her face. Jack pried the box open. Tina screamed. The decomposing body,with old blood down the chest,and a hideous rubber mask over the head , nailed in the box crucified style. Jack reached over and pulled the mask off. The face was smashed beyond recognition. “Who might this be?” Tina screamed again. “The creatures are coming.” Jack snapped at her. “Is this your father?” Tina was crying. “Got sick, and the creatures got him.”Jack moved away from the hanging coffin. He looked around at the dirt floor. There was an area that clearly had been disturbed. He took the shovel and began digging. The body was buried very deep. Just wrapped in a blue blanket,the skeletal remains of a baby. Jack felt like vomiting. “Was this your baby, Tina?’ Tina clawed at her arms. “And Daddy’s.” “Your mother…she killed both of them?” “No, the creatures did it.” OK Tina, we’re going to leave this alone over night. I have to think.” Tina seemed relieved.

Tina had to get rid of Jack. He’d figure it out sooner or later. “You could come to my place and I could make you some soup. Please, come. I don’t want to be alone.” Jack looked at Tina. She was actually reaching out. Maybe she could be helped. Revealing this dreadful secret might liberate her. Jack drove her in his squad car back to her apartment. The soup was good. “I made it myself.” She seemed proud of her ability. Jack got up. Tomorrow, we deal with this. Try to sleep and forget what you saw. Tina smiled “I will, I will forget.”

Jack got to his apartment. He felt odd but who wouldn’t after finding those bodies. He needed a drink. Before he knew it he’d finished half a bottle. Jack slumped down on the couch. His mind was swirling. Was he certain Tina’s mother had murdered her husband and the baby. What about the purple bruise on Tina’s mother’s wrist? Suddenly, his stomach began to hurt. He bent over vomiting blood. He fell from the couch to the floor dragging the phone with him. Tina! She’d poisoned him with the soup. She’d shoved her mother down the stairs by twisting her wrist. She may have even killed her own baby. Her mother had to have helped her kill her father. Jack was panting. He felt a terrible gripping pain in his chest. He dragged the phone closer. God, he was dying. He dialed 911. Weakly he said, “Get help, officer down.” Jack collapsed.

Tina sat in her apartment smiling. Tomorrow she’d have to put the bodies back where they belonged. Everyone deserved what they got. Someone would find Jack’s body. No more sneaking around. Maybe, she’d take the house off the market. Let it sit and rot. The tight rope was gone. At least for now. Suddenly, she thought of her mother and her bare ass at the foot of the stairs. Tina had removed her under clothes. Now, people would laugh at her nasty mother. The thought made Tina terribly happy.