Last Time: "I need you to come down to the station with me for questioning, Justin," Sheriff Daniels stated, "you can contact Richard Mutellini from my office."

Fillies were Martindale's only folly.

The Astatula Gazette newspaper could not wait to get a hold of this breaking news. Soon, Justin Martindale would be famous, or is that infamous? With all the fake news currently in circulation these days, one could never be certain.



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Cody leisurely strolled out onto the back porch of his house. He glanced at the Timex strapped on his left wrist and thought to himself, "Nine o'clock on the a.m. side of the dial and the sun is already blazing down!"

The day would be another scorcher in West Texas. Cody's faithful companion, and two-year-old Black Lab, Blazer, followed him outside. He headed for the overgrown oak tree that stood beside the freshly painted, fire engine-red, wooden barn. There, the dog sought whatever shade he could locate. Cody would not begrudge him the comfort.

Rescued from the Astatula Humane Society, Blazer was the first dog Cody was ever allowed to own. Being rescued was a common bond the two of them shared. Like his owner, Blazer was an attention grabber and a heart stealer, who liked to play with his many toys of different shapes and sizes. But, his most favorite activity of all was cuddling close with Cody during their one-on-one interactions. It seemed the two boys could not resist one another.

Cody knew Earl Anthony Schroder would never have permitted him to have a dog of any kind. He would have shot the poor thing right in front of Cody just to hurt him.

Cody preferred the warmth of the sun that tanned his back and bare shoulders. Sunburned faces were common adornments in the small town. What Cody dreaded were the infamous pop-up thunderstorms that often saturated Astatula during the summer months.

The heavy rains also tended to push snakes out of their natural habitats, especially venomous cottonmouths and rattlesnakes. Cody had killed four large cottonmouths he'd found slithering across their property in the last two weeks. He'd quickly learned the blade of a shovel worked well for eliminating unwanted creepy crawlies.

Rattlesnakes, one of Cody's favorite delicacies, were another story. Fresh off a piping hot grill, they tasted good. Even better than fried chicken. Their skins could be used to make many unique items like belts, boots, and hatbands.

Aimlessly, Cody meandered through the opened barn door. He pedaled out riding his blue Mongoose two-wheeler. Cody remembered how he gave his old bike to the dying Jerry Denton, a boy he did not know well.

Cody had extracted Jerry's name off the Angel Tree, that stood at the entrance of the Astatula Mall, the previous Christmas Eve. It was the only one on the tree nobody else selected. True to his nature, Cody was not about to tolerate that happening. Sheriff Daniels was so proud of Cody's thoughtfulness for somebody much less fortunate than himself, he presented Cody with a new bike of his own on New Year's Day.

Jerry's funeral had occurred three months ago. At the insistence of Jerry's parents, and dressed in a rented black tuxedo, as well as a white button-down shirt, Cody was a pallbearer for that service. He had never donned formal attire before. Cody thought he looked like a tow-headed penguin.

"Alright, Blazer. You be a good boy like you always are. I'll be back later," Cody called to his buddy.

He raced off, headed for Sullivan Lake, to meet up with Matt Cochran and several other playmates for the morning. Excited, and looking forward to a fun-filled outing, he rode through the grey chaparral, mesquite thickets, and flatlands between his home and the lake. He often encountered roadrunners, horned frogs, and even stinging lizards he knew to not annoy, as he made his frequent treks to reach his destination.

Several hours rapidly passed as the gang enjoyed their pleasures. They were just boys being boys. In the middle of his chicken fight, Cody turned and looked across the lake. Ominous dark clouds began settling in over Sullivan Lake. Off in the distance brilliant flashes of lightning danced across the eerily-colored sky.

Many things had happened to Cody at Sullivan Lake, including being shot by the Astatula Assassin while skinny dipping in one of the biggest scandals to ever rock the small town. He preferred not to be fricasseed by lightning there too. Cody knew it was time to get out of the water in the most highly expedited manner possible.

(To Be Continued)


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Cast of Characters:

Cody Schroder - Blond munchkin and main character.

Sheriff Brock Daniels - Long time Sheriff of Astatula and Cody's Dad.

Matt Cochran - Cody's best friend.

Earl Anthony Schroder - Cody's biological sperm donor. Put Cody through ten years of hellacious physical, mental, and sexual abuse in Palo Pinto.

Jerry Denton - The boy Cody gave his bike to on Christmas Eve after pulling his name off an Angel Tree at the Astatula Mall. This story is told in Pay It Forward, which can be found in my portfolio.

Mr. and Mrs. Denton - Jerry's parents. Insisted Cody be a pallbearer for their son's funeral.

Astatula Assassin - Deranged mass murderer introduced in the first Cody book known as Astatula.

Unnamed boys - Cody's playmates at Sullivan Lake.

Justin Martindale - Maintenance man for the Castillo Metalworks. Suspected in the murder of his girlfriend Peggy Morris.

Richard Mutellini - Justin Martindale's defense attorney.

Blazer - Cody's Black Lab.


Chapter Word Count: 751

Book Word Count: 1,944