ritual side of life. He'd been sure his celly would be denied. This new sit

the hearing and told Frank about what had ha

w a copy of the letter itself and wa

ll wooden figures still stood on the small shrine he'd made

so they could burst him out too. But the idea seemed too much for him to deal wi

didn't think he'd take kindly to a guy only coming because he was in trouble. He was seven the last time his

ng..." Ike had told him. "These are the g

the card was the name Madame Celine, an ad

to her when you get out." Ike said w

couple of years

reall

o you

.." he said, pointing to one of the wooden effigies

ll carving. It didn't look

all that...Well if y

the wooden carvings and placed it in F

you out of this place. You have to b

, the carving intricate and abstract. What men would pr

, he will get y

---------------------------------------

o bad that fights broke out frequently. Though most of it was really a way to let go of some steam. Sometimes a perso

t he knew it was just a matter of time before

ups. It was animal instinct, the need to pool together and survive. The chances were always better in a group than

uld come in handy in a fight to the dead sooner or later. The Whites stayed in another corner and the Hispan

presented levels up in the gang, a confirm

y to get killed. Out here in the open, there were marked territories, i

e rules and made his way no

his usual spot and enjoyed the play. The evening was cool and windy. Across

anything; you were going to the hole, a weapon had been found in your room while you were out pla

for any sudden movements , they were ready fo

he warden called out.

ed the warden out of the area, wondering what this was all

--------------------------------------

in the visitors room, dressed neatly in a white shirt an

rom the night of the arrest. He

ell..." Fra

embraced t

cleaned up.

k, on account o

What business, wh

na fide sales representative for a

hell are you talking

ped into Martins e

e you have in

you have in t

s ser

to see you Frank. You know

, w

on't y

ha Franklin..

e best you could

mon.

dy...Marylin Carter.

Frank ex

d hit him like a ton of bricks. Marylin Carter, the he

hitting

the head of the Parole board out here in Lave

u know what you

e it to m

to his block, he knew it was only a matter of

f gratitude, he'd come so darn near to doing some serious time. He knew,

rison, where the real baddies were usually kept, guys like him got it rough. O

sion within himself to change. To find somethi

these men were just misguided and the instructor had absolutely no idea how crime really worked, what drove

red Martin did something that did not involve looking over your sh

d. Martin discovered, as he began to work the row of b

king on doors, trying as much as possible each time to

re with his toothy smile, decided they couldn

e thing again. It gave him an odd kind of joy bothering people this way, it was to h

an honest buck. It wasn't much but somehow it

ll trimmed and a Volvo was parked in front of the garage. Martin tho

autiful woman put her face out. She was dressed in a pink bathing robe, perhaps she was going out, to

egan his

he said, beaming

n Carter the hair dryer, she invited hi

erved with some tea. They talked about stuff; about hair dryers and the whol

ne thing that actually woke up Martins criminally tuned mind . She said that aside from bein

ticed that his pupils had dilated to the size of coins and that his carotid was suddenly pulsing visibly. Martin g

her that they would see again soon. Then he found he

ut now she was going to be of much more use to him than jus