Page 9 of Half Blind

Chapter 4- Attractiveness

The farmhouse remindedHelen of the home Bad Apple had purchased in Wisconsin, only Lemon’s house was in much better condition. There were four bedrooms upstairs where the girls slept and two bedrooms downstairs, one being the master, which held anen suiteoccupied by Lemon, and the other, a converted closet where Helen would be staying. It reminded Helen of a nun's cell with a simple twin bed, a nightstand with lamp, a chest of five drawers, and a narrow chifforobe. It worked fine for all intents and purposes since she wouldn't be staying permanently.

The man, Jared, remained scarce for the remainder of the day, accepting a sandwich and a bottle of water for lunch as he cleared away the debris in the yard. After dinner, he invited everyone to join him behind the barn where he'd dug a small grave as a resting place for Larry and Frank, giving Lemon an opportunity to say farewell. The girls stayed close at her side, and when it was over, Jared began assessing the damage to his truck. He had nothing more to say. Helen checked outside the window for him after the sun began to go down, but he wasn't there. A light was on in the barn as he called it a night.

“Interesting,” she said, before preparing herself for bed.

*****

THE MORNING BEGAN SLOWLYand by dinnertime, interesting wasn't the word anyone would use to describe the shift in the day's energy. Jared arrived for coffee when Helen stood in the back door calling for him like a mother would for her kids playing outside. Breakfast burritos were on the menu for a peaceful Saturday morning, but the workload would not wait for anyone. The girls began the day by doing chores and leaving at noon for the movies with friends.

Helen was provided a brief tour of the lab. Uncertain what Lemon did as a Technician; she asked for clarification.

“I am a chemist,” Lemon said. “It is my profession as well as being a full-time tenured professor and department chair of chemistry and biochemistry at the university teaching the same.”

“Okay, and how does that factor in being a Technician?” Helen asked.

“I make all forms of concoctions including bullets made of ice, or in recent cases, bullets made of materials which melt when contact is made with liquids at 98.6 degrees,” Lemon said, “or compounds which can break down a human body, bones, teeth, and more in less than 24 hours. I also perfected a tea when I worked with another chemical technician which allows a body to ease into sleep and never wake up.”

“So, you're a chemical assassin,” Helen said.

“Ouch,” Lemon replied, turning to look at her, “that almost hurt my feelings. I do other things as well, like truth serums, wound sealers, and stuff.”

“Have you ever made a love potion?”

“I have, with horrific results,” Lemon said, laughing. “The damn man was a like a puppy with a new stuffed pillow. I had to create an antidote so my vagina could get a break.”

Helen's mind went to the Mustang. She wouldn't mind being his new stuffed pillow on any day of the week. Smiling, she inquired, “What happened to the relationship, if I may ask?”

“You may not,” Lemon stated, “but the love potion was to put some pizzazz into the relationship. It didn't change the dullard that he was or the control freak he eased his way into being or his jealous nature regarding my research.”

“Fair enough,” Helen said, walking about the small lab. “What will you teach me?”

“While you are here, I shall teach you to use natural herbs and what should be growing in your garden to make the basic toxins, antidotes, and materials to mix in a tight situation to create a distraction or save a life,” Lemon told her.

Helen grinned from ear to ear, “Ooh, cool!”

“Yeah, science is cool,” Lemon replied, taking a moment. “May I ask, how you know the Archangel?”

“How does anyone know that man? He shows up, talks to you about anger, and then a gun is in your hand and you're squeezing off rounds,” Helen said.

“Or poisoning a son-of-a-whore that kidnaps young girls to victimize,” Lemon replied.

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