Cindy Van Horn gradually relaxed as the days between my last visit increased. She still avoided looking directly at me when she taught class, but overall, her cold, unfeeling teaching style returned. I don't think she really liked children or teaching very much.

I spent most evenings on their property, looking into their windows. I was there the Saturday night they returned from a wedding, both drunk and bickering as they went inside the home. Ed ended up sleeping in the spare bedroom that night. I stopped by on Sunday afternoon, peering in to catch a glimpse of Cindy's parents, both nice looking older people. Cindy was a cookie-cutter image of her mother, only 30 years younger. Cindy's Mom looked very bangable even in her fifties. Edwin and Cindy's father watched PBS although there were some good football games on. They chatted listlessly, neither very interested in the other. After they left early in the evening, Edwin and Cindy broke back out in an argument about something he had said to her father. The argument finally tangentially referenced me and I could hear what they were saying from my place outside the kitchen bay window.

Cindy was still for turning the tables on me to get their money back. She harped angrily on the two beatings Edwin had received at my hands. She was derisive on Ed's qualities as her protector because of me. Ed, for his part, was decidedly against any further attempt to get at me. I could tell he didn't believe he could handle me short of killing me, and he wasn't prepared to do that. Cindy did want me dead, that much she made clear, spinning elaborate plans and screaming at Ed because he had no stomach for them. She referred to me as "that fucking orphan" yelling that I had raped her twice while Ed did nothing. She finally broke down crying. Ed slept alone that night too.

As the weekdays slowly passed, I became more and more excited about spending the week-end at their beautiful ranch home. I also became hypercautious regarding Cindy's attitude. It seemed highly possible that she had talked Edwin into something involving me. I scouted the home Thursday night and caught the argument in progress. Cindy was highly emotional approached and she was trying to persuade Edwin to let her give me an excuse as to why I couldn't spend the week-end. She wanted to call in for a funeral day Friday and have Edwin take her out of town for the week-end. They would tell me that his aunt in upstate New York had died. Edwin was non-committal. He told her he didn't think I would accept that--that I would demand to see a death notice in that town's paper. He told her simply that it wouldn't work, and even if it did, I'd make her do something nasty when she got back. He added that he didn't want her to have to "do him" in the school because if we were caught, the whole truth would come out. He tried to reassure her that he would do everything in his power to ensure that she wasn't hurt. She didn't want to hear it. Ed's streak of sleeping alone continued.

In class on Friday, after the bell rang, I really expected to hear Mrs. Van Horn call for me to stay a moment. I watched her intently. Her face turned toward me. Seeing me stare at her, she flushed angrily and stalked out of her own class.

After I helped Mrs. McGwire with the dinner dishes, I informed them that I was staying with a friend over the week-end to work on a project for the Science Bonanza. I added that I would stop by during the week-end to make sure everything was fine around the house. She was more than glad to let me go, especially since I would come back and help her with the chores around the home.

At eight in the evening, after stopping by the bus station locker, I sat outside the window of the Van Horn's home trying to ensure that they didn't have anything special planned to ruin my week-end, such as killing me. They were at each other's throats, hurling insults and abuse at each other. They were sorely divided and should be easy to conquer. I shouldered my backpack and rang the bell. The shouting ceased and I could hear a door slam. Ed answered the door.

"Come in," he said dully.

I followed him in. Cindy was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Cindy", I asked curiously.

"She locked herself in our bedroom when you rang the bell"

"Locked?" I pressed.

"The key is above the door molding. Even if it wasn't, it's one of those locks you can open with a nail", Ed seemed irritated at his wife.

"Okay, Ed, here's a list of stuff I need for the weekend. Here's some money I took out of your stash. Go get this stuff and come back. Understand?"

Ed looked at the list I gave him. He accepted the money silently and headed out the back door. When I saw his car leave, I ducked out of doors and approached the bedroom window. Through the sheers, I could see Cindy laying on the bed watching some stupid gameshow. She had pushed a chair against the door. She looked stiff with fear lying there in gym shorts and an Ohio State tee-shirt. I came back in and locked the doors.

I knocked on the bedroom door. "Teacher?"

"Go away, you bastard", she moaned in fear and loathing.

"Let me in, Cindy", I pressed.

"No...NO!" Cindy was crying now.

I felt around for the key above the door. It was there.

"Last chance, Van Horn," I warned.

"Where's Edwin? I want Edwin", she cried.

I pushed the key in and felt the lock knob push out. The door was unlocked. I pushed through quickly, tumbling the chair away from the door violently for effect. I gave her my best Nicholson, "HERE'S JOHNNIEEEEE..." imitation......(cont)