This story is totally original and is written for entertainment 
purposes only.  I have tried not to infringe on the copyrights of Shaun 
Cassidy, MCA Universal, or CBS.  The name American Gothic, as 
well as the characters Lucas Buck, Selena Coombs, Gail Emory, 
Caleb Temple, Ben Healy and Boone MacKenzie are used without 
permission.  I am not making a profit from this story.
	This story takes place after "Cliff-Side" and "All Dressed in 
Red" which are housed at The Trinity Bookstore.

*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*

Down to the Crossroads
By Leah
(leahwarsha@aol.com)


	"Are you sure 'bout this, Caleb?" Boone asked in a hushed 
whisper.
	"You're such a fraidy-cat!" Caleb hissed back.  "I heard they 
got fireworks out here and I'm gonna find'em!"
	The two ran through the forest with their flashlights trained on
the ground in front of them, trying not to trip over the underbrush in 
the evening darkness.
	"Why would the forest rangers have fireworks?" Boone asked, 
trying to keep up.  "Ain't they illegal?"
	"They take 'em away from people," Caleb answered.  "They can't 
just throw'em out, the garbage dump would explode!"
	Boone giggled, then abruptly stopped running.  "Hey, look!" he 
said and raised his flashlight up to reveal a little, wooden building 
nestled amongst the trees.  The light flashed off two plate-glass 
windows and the knob of a plain front door.  The boys let their 
flashlights travel over the scene for a while and then Caleb started 
moving towards the door.
	"You always get to go first!" Boone protested in a loud 
whisper.
	"Fine, you go then," Caleb answered.  Boone looked at the house 
for a minute, then screwed up his courage and walked up to the door.  
He took a deep breath and tried the knob.
	"Locked," he said with relief.
	"We can go through one of the windows, then," Caleb said, 
handing his flashlight to Boone before the boy could protest.  He went 
over to one of the windows and slid it open.
	"Easy as pie," Caleb said with a grin.  "You want a leg up?"
	Boone looked around to see if anyone was watching and then put 
his foot into Caleb's hands.  Caleb pulled up with all his strength and 
Boone perched on the windowsill, tottering back and forth uneasily.
	"Caleb, help!" he screamed and suddenly fell backwards into the 
darkness.
	"Boone!" Caleb yelled, peering inside the window and seeing 
only darkness.  Then he heard a gruff, male voice from somewhere in the 
house.
	"What the devil?!" it swore.
	"He's got me!" Boone voice rang out in alarm.
	The building was illuminated with light and Caleb lifted his 
hand to shield his eyes.  When he opened them again he could see a man 
wearing old sweatpants and an undershirt grabbing Boone by the sleeve 
of his T-shirt.  The man screamed when he saw Caleb's face in the 
window and Caleb screamed back and ducked behind the wall.
	"Hold on!" the man yelled and Caleb froze where he'd landed.  
"I ain't gonna hurt'cha, but if you run I'll prosecute your backside!"
	Caleb stayed where he was on a little patch of dirt in front the 
window.  In a second the front door flew open and the man stepped out, 
his right hand firmly clamped onto Boone's shoulder.
	"I don't know what you two boys are up to, but I think the 
Sheriff's Department will have to hear about this."
	Caleb and Boone exchanged a panicked glance.
	"What were you two doing, anyways?" the man asked as he lead 
them inside, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand.
	"We thought there might be fireworks," Caleb admitted guiltily.
	"Fireworks?" the man asked.  "This here's a personal residence, 
son, not a convenience store."
	Boone glared at Caleb, but stopped as the man picked up a phone 
from the floor and started dialing it.
	"Can I have the Sheriff's Department, please?" he said into the 
receiver, and sealed their fate.


	Ben was jolted out of a deep sleep by the piercing sound of his 
telephone.  Groggily, he slung an arm over to the bedside table and 
knocked several items over the edge in the process.  Along with the 
clatter was the sound of something rolling away under the bed, most 
likely to be lost forever.  The room turned a sickly yellow as he turned 
on a lamp and he picked up the phone.
	"Hello?" Ben said into the receiver and rubbed his eyes.  "Aw, 
hell.  You need me to take care of this now?"
	"Would I be callin' at midnight if I thought this could wait 
until tomorrow?" Lucas answered dryly from the other end of the phone.
	"Fine, I'll be there in ten minutes," Ben replied.
	"Don't forget to put on your pants, Deputy," Lucas said.
	Ben was about to protest but was silenced by the sound of a dial 
tone.  "Well, that's just great," he said and set the phone back on its 
cradle, then heaved a loud sigh and stood up to get his uniform.


	Caleb hated himself for it, but he couldn't help but squirm 
under Lucas Buck's eyes.  The man whose house he and Boone had 
broken into, Percy Andrews, had driven them both to the Sheriff's 
Department in his pick-up truck.  Being wedged between the strange 
man and Boone, who spent the ride angrily staring out the window, 
had set Caleb on edge.  Now, Sheriff Buck was sitting at his desk, 
looking him over with an expression he couldn't interpret.
	"Caleb, I want you to tell me exactly what happened," Lucas said 
finally, breaking the silence.  "I know Boone MacKenzie out there broke 
into Percy's house, and I'm gonna have to punish him, but what was your 
part in all this?"
	Caleb's eyes darted around Lucas's office and he clasped his 
hands together nervously.  After a moment's thought his shoulders 
slumped and he looked at his feet.  "It was all my idea," he admitted, 
"I helped him through the window."
	Lucas sighed and laid a hand on his desk.  "Well, it was 
honorable for you to tell the truth, son," he said with distaste.
	"Are you gonna arrest me?" Caleb asked worriedly.
	"No, I ain't gonna arrest you," Lucas said, "but I am concerned.  
You can't go around breakin' into houses in the dead of night.  People 
might talk if you become a felon before reachin' Junior High School."
	"People talk an awful lot about me already," Caleb said quietly 
and looked down at the floor.  Lucas narrowed his eyes.
	"I think it's time you learned some responsibility," he said firmly.
  Caleb gave him a sideways glance and pursed his lips.  "For the next 
week or so I want you to ride with Ben.  Then you'll see what a life of 
crime is likely to get you in Trinity."
	"Boone too?" Caleb asked.
	"No.  I called Pat MacKenzie and told him what you boys were 
up to.  It's up to a father to decide how to raise his own son."  With that 
he reached forward and pushed a button on the intercom.  "You there, 
Ben?"
	"Yeah, I'm here, Lucas," came the staticy reply.
	"Come in here a second," Lucas said.  He and Caleb sat for a 
moment in an uncomfortable silence.  Then there was a quiet knock on 
the door followed by Ben letting himself into the office.
	"I want you to take Caleb back to the boarding house," Lucas told 
him.  "Oh, and I've arranged for him to do a bit of a 'police ride along' 
for the next few days.  Show him what the glamorous job of Sheriff's 
Deputy is like first-hand," he said with a smile.
	Ben frowned and waved for Caleb to come with him.  The boy 
got out of his seat and the two trudged out of the office, closing the 
door behind them.
	Lucas smiled to himself and started twirling a fountain pen 
around his fingers.  Suddenly he stopped mid-twirl and looked up.  
The room had gotten chill and suddenly he thought he smelled smoke.  
Then just as suddenly as the sensations had hit him they were gone.
	"Son of a bitch!" Lucas swore and threw the pen across the 
room.


	As the sun rose it quickly evaporated the mist that had floated 
through Trinity during the night.  First the streets were quiet, but as 
the sun broke over the tops of trees and the stores along Main Street 
people emerged from their homes.  Working men drank cups of coffee 
on their porches before hurrying off, leaving their wives to watch the 
dust settle in their driveways and begin their housework.  It being the 
nineties, some of the women had jobs of their own, some of them even 
earning more than their husbands did although no one ever talked about it.  
There were also those women who did things other than work when their 
husbands were away, but no one really talked about that either.
	Ben rapped on the door to the boarding house and waited.  After 
a few minutes Caleb appeared and came outside without a word.
	"Hello, there," Ben said with a smile.
	"Hey," Caleb answered, staring at his feet as they walked to the 
street.
	"You know, Caleb, this doesn't have to be a punishment," Ben 
said as he unlocked the passenger side of his police cruiser.  Caleb just 
shrugged and started to get in.
	"What's this?" he asked, pointing to a paper bag that was sitting in 
the seat.
	"That?" Ben asked, feigning ignorance.  "Well, Lucas wanted you 
to know what it's really like to be in law enforcement, so I figured this was 
as good a place to start as any."  He walked around to the other side of 
the car and by the time he had gotten to the driver's seat Caleb was 
already sitting and staring into the open bag.
	"Jelly donuts!" he cried with a grin.  Ben chuckled and started the 
car's ignition.


	The sun was already high when Gail pulled her car into a parking 
space to run her errands.  The sidewalk reflected the bright sunlight, 
causing her to squint as she walked and made her wish she hadn't left her 
sunglasses in the car.  Gail was greeted by the jingle of a bell when she 
walked through the door of Trinity Drugs.  She walked down the aisles and 
picked up the few things she needed and started to head to the register.  
As soon as she looked up and saw the man behind the counter, though, 
she almost dropped her shampoo.
	"Have I been out of circulation for that long?" Gail thought to 
herself as she walked up to the man.  He looked to be in his early 
thirties with wavy, auburn hair.  His features were strong, with sharp 
cheekbones and a straight nose, but Gail was drawn to his eyes.  They 
were a dark brown that looked through a thick set of lashes in a friendly 
manner.
	"Mornin'," he said as she started setting her things on the counter.
	"Good morning," she replied, returning the smile.  "Are you new 
here?  I don't remember seeing you before."
	"Oh, I'm just helpin' out a friend while he's in the hospital," he 
said as he scanned her items, glancing up to look her in the eye whenever 
he could.
	"I'm sorry to hear that," Gail replied.
	"It's just minor surgery," the man explained, "he should be back by 
the end of the week."
	Gail just smiled and an awkward silence followed.  "How much 
is it?" she asked.
	"Oh!" he said, as if startled out of a trance, and started pushing 
buttons on the cash register.  "That'll be fourteen ninety-three."
	Gail got out her wallet and started counting out the money.  Out 
of the corner of her eye she could see that the man was still looking at 
her.  She handed him a twenty and felt a little thrill as their hands touched.
	"It has been a long time," she thought to herself.
	He handed her her change and put her purchases into a plastic 
bag.  "I don't want you to think this is strange," he said in an amiable 
tone and leaned his elbows onto the counter, "but I noticed you when 
you came in and have been sittin' here wonderin' if you'd like to go out 
with me sometime."
	"I'd like that," Gail answered.  Then she leaned forward 
conspiratorially.  "Do you have a name?" she whispered.
	He gave a hardy chuckle.  "Tom Lole," he said and stuck out his 
hand.
	"I'm Gail Emory," she said, feeling the little electric thrill again 
as they shook hands.  She reached into her purse and pulled out a card.  
"This has my pager number on it," she told him.
	"Oh, I didn't know I'd be going out with an ace reporter," Tom 
said, squinting at the card as he took it from her hand.
	"Well, I haven't been much of one lately," Gail replied but he only 
smiled at her in return.
	"Are you free tonight?" he asked.
	"Tonight?" she asked in surprise.
	"I find it's best not to hesitate when it comes to the better things 
in life," he said.
	"In that case . . . alright," she said.  "Tonight then."
	"Great," he answered and handed her her bag.  Gail turned 
around to leave but quickly stopped short in her tracks, the smile melting 
off her face.
	"Can you tell me where you keep the fire extinguishers 'round 
here?" Lucas asked the man behind the counter before shifting his gaze 
to Gail.  "I'd hate for you to be unprepared in a fire."
	"Go away, Lucas," Gail said and started to move past him.
	"Don't you think it's a little early for a new boyfriend, Gail?" he 
asked loudly.  "You on the rebound?"
	"Just ignore him," Gail told Tom and then walked out of the store, 
the bell announcing her exit.
	"Women can be so emotional," Lucas said, turning to Tom with a 
smug grin on his face.
	"Am I supposed to know you?" he asked in annoyance.
	"Just call me 'The Law'," Lucas replied, then followed Gail out the 
door.  She was trying to unlock the trunk of her sports car when he walked 
up beside her.  He watched for a moment as she fumbled with the keys.
	"Need help?" he asked.
	"Go to hell!" Gail shouted, turning to face him.  "We're over, 
Lucas.  As far I'm concerned you're ancient history."
	"The past never dies," he told her.  "You should know that by now.  
Maybe you're not ready to admit it, but we were meant for each other."  
Gail grunted in disbelief and turned back to the car but Lucas grabbed her 
by the elbow, forcing her to look him in the eye.  "I share a part of 
yourself that you don't even know exists," he said in a low whisper, his 
face only a few inches from her own.  "Not yet, anyway."  Then in one 
movement he let go of her arm and slapped the trunk of her car, which 
sprang open obediently.  "Have a pleasant day, Miss Emory," he said 
cheerfully and started walking away from her down the sidewalk.
	Gail stood for a moment in shocked silence, then threw her 
purchases in the trunk of her car and slammed it shut as hard as she 
could.


	"Is your job always this boring?" Caleb asked casually, tossing a 
napkin into the empty donut bag.
	"It can be boring at times," Ben said with a sigh, "but considerin' 
the fact that we're only busy when people are out there killin' each 
other, I'll take boring any day."
	"Ya' gotta point," Caleb said and looked out the window.
	Ben craned his neck to look at a parked car.  Then he swiftly pulled 
the cruiser into the parking space in front of it and cut the engine.
	"What's wrong?" Caleb asked.
	"They're parked in a handicapped space," he explained, reaching 
over Caleb and pulling an official looking notepad out of the glove 
compartment.
	Ben got out of the cruiser and walked back down the street to 
the car, a baby blue sedan, and started making out a ticket.
	"Wait!" a voice cried.  He looked up to see a woman in a floral 
dress running out of one of the stores along the street.  "That's my car!" 
she exclaimed.
	Ben shook his head.  "Ma'am, this is a handicapped parking 
space," he called out to her.
	"I know that," she said with a scowl, walking up to him on the 
street.  "I've got a bum knee.  That's plenty handicapped to get me a 
decent parkin' spot."
	"You don't understand, Ma'am," he said.  "You have to get a 
permit and a sticker for your car."
	"Sticker?  Oh, I got a sticker," she said, beginning to dig through 
her purse.  "It's a damn ugly thing, too.  Person who designed it is 
probably blind."  With that she pulled out a crunched up piece of blue 
and white paper and pointed it at Ben.  He took it from her and unrolled 
it.
	"This is supposed to go in the back window of your car," he told 
her.
	"Didn't I just tell you that that thing is ugly?" she asked in 
annoyance.
	"Well, if you don't put it on your car I'll have to give you a 
ticket," he said, continuing where he left off on the notepad.
	"Now, Deputy, I don't think that'll be necessary," she said with 
a flirtatious smile.  "It's just a little ol' parking space.  I just had to 
run into the pet store for my little kitty.  She's got a bit of the runs."
	Ben crossed his arms and gave her a look that said he wasn't 
interested.
	"Oh, fine," the woman said.  "I'll put the damn sticker in my car, 
but only if you do me a favor."
	"What's that?" Ben asked.
	"I have a niece who's getting to the age where proper girls get 
married but she just ain't interested," the woman said with a polite 
smile.  "I think it would do her good to go out with a nice, clean-cut 
man."
	Ben shook his head bashfully.  "I don't think that would be a 
good idea, Ma'am.  A man shouldn't mix work with pleasure."
	"Oh, it won't be any trouble," she said, patting his arm.  
"Consider it a personal favor to a woman who's too old to have any fun 
for herself."
	"Well," Ben said as a shy smile crept across his face, "I guess it 
couldn't do any harm.  Sure!"
	"Then you'll tell him?" the woman asked, a toothy grin spreading 
across her face.
	"Tell who, what?" Ben asked in confusion.
	"Sheriff Buck!  About my niece?  Her name is Selma, and she's a 
very 
lovely girl!" she exclaimed.  “You can tell him that she's a natural blonde."
	Ben just stood there for a second, trying to decide where he had 
lost control of this situation.  "Sure, Ma'am," he said, scraping together 
the last threads of his dignity.  "I'll let him know."
	Ben turned back to the cruiser.  Hanging out the driver's side 
window was Caleb, who made eye contact with him for a panicked 
moment before ducking back inside.
	Ben walked up to the cruiser and got inside without saying a word, 
slamming the door as he sat down.  There was an uncomfortable silence, 
and Caleb was about to apologize for spying on him when the radio 
crackled to life.
	"Dispatch to Deputy Healy," a female voice said through the static.
	Ben picked up the microphone.  "Go ahead, Arlene," he said.
	"We have a domestic disturbance at 327 Jackson Street."
	"I'll be there in five.  Deputy Healy out," he said, quickly putting 
down the microphone and starting the ignition.  Then he a shot Caleb a 
grin and turned on the sirens.


	Selena's pumps made a regular clicking sound as she strode 
down the sidewalk, still dressed to kill in the miniskirt and black shell 
she had picked out the night before.  Her reputation was already sullied 
without her walking through town in last night's clothing, not that Selena 
gave much thought to what people said about her.  For the moment, her 
main concern was getting herself home and taking a hot shower.
	As she turned the corner onto Main Street the first thing she saw 
was Lucas, casually leaning against the stone façade of a local bank.
	"Aren't you a little overdressed for a walk into town?" he asked, 
stepping away from the building and quickly closing the gap between them.
	"A walk into town, but not a walk out of it," she answered.
	"What's the hurry?" he asked, "Arthur Bennett abandon you to go 
on a plumbing job?  Excuse me," he said with a smile, "the kind of 
plumbing job that pays."
	"Well, Arthur Bennett's been around a whole lot more than you 
have lately," she said, inclining her head towards him.
	Lucas leaned in closer, until she could feel his breath on her face.
  "I think it's time I took care of that little oversight."
	"You better," Selena whispered, her mouth opening slightly as she 
leaned in for a kiss.  Before their lips could meet she pulled back again 
and smiled coyly, before sideswiping him and continuing down the sidewalk.
	Lucas watched the curves of her body shift seductively back and 
forth as she walked away from him and shook his head in appreciation.


	The call came from the run-down side of town, where roads 
lined with shacks and one-room bungalows fused with the edges of 
Goat Town.  When Ben pulled up to the house, a squat building with 
strips of yellow paint peeling in every direction, he began to wish he 
had dropped Caleb off at the Sheriff's Department.  He didn't even 
want to think what Lucas would do if he found out he'd brought 
Caleb here.
	"Now, when I get out of the car you lock the doors and keep 
'em locked.  Got it?" he warned Caleb.
	"Alright," he answered.  Ben hesitated, but decided it was too 
late to go back now and got out of the car.  Caleb locked the doors 
like he was told and sat back into the vinyl upholstery of the passenger 
seat.  The place they'd stopped reminded him a little of his old house, 
the one he had lived in with his father and Merlyn.  The man he thought 
was his father at the time, at least.  A little pit of hurt formed in his 
stomach like it always did when he thought about life before his tenth 
birthday.  He frowned and tried to distract himself by looking out the 
window.  Ben had already disappeared inside.


	"So, what's this all about?" the man asked Ben as they stood 
in the house's living room, which was little more than a sagging couch 
and a TV table littered with beer cans.
	"Your neighbors reported that they heard yelling coming from 
your property and some other noises they couldn't identify," Ben 
responded, trying to casually look past the man and into the back 
bedroom.  "You wouldn't know anything about that, would you, 
Mr...."
	"Mynarzy.  Adam Mynarzy," the man responded in a sullen 
tone.  "And I have no idea what my neighbors are talkin' about."
	"I just had to make sure everythin' was alright," Ben said amiably.  
"Say," he said and pointed at Mynarzy's hand, "did you have an accident 
there?"
	"Oh that?" the man said, holding up his left hand.  His pinky was 
covered with a blotchy, purple bruise, and had been crudely taped to his 
ring finger for support.  "I just banged it in the screen door."
	"You might want to get that looked at," Ben told him.  "Could be 
broken."
	"I sure will," Mynarzy answered in a cheery tone and opened the 
front door.  "Thank you for your time, Deputy."
	"Have a nice day, now," Ben replied and walked outside.  He had 
barely gotten out the door when it slammed behind him, nearly clipping his 
heel.  Caleb unrolled his window as Ben approached the car.
	"What happened?" he asked.
	"Someone broke his finger," Ben said quietly and leaned against 
the car.  "He won't say who it was or why...." Ben stopped as he 
noticed Caleb looking past him.  He turned to see a little girl standing 
on the front lawn next door from the house he had just left.
	"Hey there," Ben called out to her with a smile, but she got a 
panicked look on her face and turned to run away.
	"Don't run!" Caleb called to her and she stopped and eyed him 
shyly from underneath her bangs.  She looked to be about five or six, 
with long, brown hair and a lavender sundress.  Caleb grinned at her 
and got out of the car.  Ben got out of the way as the boy walked over 
to her and started talking.  He could see Caleb asking her something, 
then she got a worried expression and whispered into his ear.  Ben 
could hear him thanking her and the little girl ran away behind the house.
	"Well?" Ben asked when Caleb got back to the car.
	"She said a scary man was here this mornin' and her parents told 
her not to go outside," he answered.  "She heard her parents talking, 
and they said the man's name is Casey Martin."


	"So, tell me what it's like to be a big-shot, investigative 
reporter," Tom asked.  He and Gail regarded each other over a little 
table in a quiet corner of the restaurant.  It was covered in a white 
tablecloth with a modest bouquet and a candle burning in the center.  
They had finished eating and sat sipping coffee.
	"It's not nearly as interesting as you make it sound," Gail 
responded with a shake of her head.
	"Oh, come on.  You must have gotten some interestin' scoops 
after all this time," he insisted warmly.
	Gail thought for a moment, then smiled.  "Well, there was this 
one story.  At first it looked like a simple case of fraud, but it lead back 
to some pretty high-ranking officials in the South Carolina government.  
A man was selling...." she trailed off as she noticed Tom staring at her.  
"What?" she asked.
	"Sorry," he said and looked down briefly, before leaning 
forward and telling her, "You're just so beautiful when you talk."
	Gail blushed and returned the gaze.  Then she started to feel 
uncomfortable and a frown formed on her face.
	"What is it?" Tom asked with concern.  Gail only responded 
with a shake of her head.  "You don't have to tell me," he went on, 
taking a deep breath.  "It's about that man from the drugstore."
	"Lucas?" Gail asked.  "Oh, he doesn't mean anything to me 
anymore."  She noticed a look of confusion on Tom's face.  "We used 
to... well, 'date' probably isn't the best way to describe our relationship," 
she tried to explain, "but it's over now.  That's the important part."
	Tom looked her over gently.  "If this is too soon, I'll understand-"
	"Oh, no," Gail broke in, then reached forward and gently clasped 
his hand over the table.  "This is right on time."


	"Can I get you anythin' else?" the waiter asked, trying not to stare 
down into the woman's ample cleavage as he stood over her chair.  She 
swished the contents of her martini around in a circle and pursed her 
lips.
	"No, honey," Selena said with an air of self-satisfaction, catching 
another look at Gail and her new boy-toy across the room.  "I think I have 
everything I need."


	It was just after midnight when Lucas came through the backdoor.  
It was unlocked, as always, and Selena sat at the kitchen table wearing 
nothing but a red slip.  She only acknowledged his presence by striking a 
match on the side of the table and lighting a black candle.
	Lucas walked towards her, undoing the buttons on his sleeves and 
rolling them up as he went.  He stopped short a few inches away when he 
saw an almost imperceptible smile flit cross her lips.  His lips grew 
thin and Selena smiled at him outright.
	"What is it about you that drives women into the arms of other 
men?" she asked flirtatiously.
	"Shouldn't I be askin' you that question?" he responded.  "Or have 
you managed to repress Arthur's memory already?"
	"Since when did you start carin' about what I do in my free time?" 
she asked.
	"I don't," he answered simply.  Then he reached forward and 
grasped the back of her neck while simultaneously sliding apart her knees 
and stepping in between them.  "I just like to keep a handle on what's 
mine," he told her.
	"I guess Gail just wasn't your type, then," Selena retorted.
	Lucas tightened his grip on Selena's neck and she inhaled sharply.  
Her eyes widened in fear, but past that he could see her excitement 
building.  "You leave Gail alone," he warned her.  "Or are you still 
jealous?"
	Selena shook her head as best she could with his hand still 
clenched around her neck.  "I'm not worried about you and her," she said 
breathlessly.  Then her gaze intensified and she looked at him 
suggestively.  "You're not the only one who can keep a handle on things."
	Lucas smiled down at her.  "I count on it, darlin'."


	Caleb was enthusiastic when Ben picked him up the next 
morning.  He looked in the cruiser hopefully but this time there weren't 
any donuts.  He couldn't help but feel disappointed, but quickly forgot 
about it when he noticed that Ben had a five-o-clock shadow.  They 
had driven a couple blocks before Ben noticed Caleb staring at him.
	"What?" Ben asked.
	"What happened to you?" Caleb asked with a grin.
	"Oh, yeah," he answered, feeling the stubble on his chin and 
looking at his reflection in the rearview mirror.  "I guess I should take 
care of that, huh?  I keep a razor in my desk."
	"You don't keep a razor at home?" Caleb asked.
	"I haven't been home," Ben told him.  "I stayed at the sheriff's 
department, tryin' to track down that Casey Martin."
	"Ain't you tired?" Caleb asked, noticing the bags underneath the 
deputy's eyes.
	"No," he laughed.  "I took a catnap before I picked you up.  
Good as new!"
	Caleb wasn't sure if he believed him, but that didn't concern him 
as much as what Ben had been working on all night.  "Did you find out 
where the guy lived?" he asked.
	"Casey Martin was probably an alias," Ben explained.  "I put in 
some calls to the State Police and FBI to search their records and they 
haven't gotten back to me yet."
	They pulled into a parking space in front of the sheriff's 
department and Ben cut the engine.
	"Caleb," he began seriously, "Now, I know you're a sensible kid, 
but yesterday could've been dangerous.  I think it was a mistake for me 
to bring you along to that house."
	"I understand," Caleb answered with a nod.  "You don't want me 
to tell Sheriff Buck about it, right?"
	"No!" Ben said with surprise.  "I just wanted you to know that I 
don't want to see you get hurt.  It was a mistake I don't want to make 
again because I care about your safety."
	Caleb gave him a sideways glance as he considered Ben's words, 
then broke into a smile.  "It's alright, Ben.  I trust'cha."
	"Well, that's good," he answered.  "But trust isn't always enough 
to keep you safe.  You ready to go?" he asked, and Caleb nodded and 
got out of the car.
	"Detective Healy?" a woman called out when they came through 
the door of the Sheriff's Department.  "You have a call on line one."
	"Thanks," Ben said and dashed to his desk.  "Hello?" he said into 
the phone.  "Yes, I did.  Great!" he exclaimed and got a pen and pad of 
paper out of his desk.  "Go ahead," he said, and started scribbling on the 
pad.  "Thanks," he said and hung up the phone.  "Howell?!" he cried and a 
young deputy came out of a back office.
	"What is it, Ben?" he asked.
	"I need some back-up," Ben explained.  "I'm going to question a 
suspect in an assault case.  He has a record a mile long and-"
	"Ben?" Caleb interrupted.
	"Oh, I'm sorry, Caleb," he said.  "I'm gonna have to leave you here 
for this.  It might be dangerous."  He motioned to the other deputy and 
they starting walking towards the door.
	"Ben!" Caleb called out and scratched his chin.  At first Ben just 
looked at him in confusion but then his hand reached up for his own chin 
and felt the stubble.
	"Uh, hold on a second, Howell," he said quietly and went to 
retrieve the emergency razor out of his desk.


	Ben surveyed the area.  The South Carolina state police had the 
alias Casey Martin listed for a Mark Berendt who, along with having a 
substantial police record, had checked into the Summer Arms Motel 
outside of Trinity two weeks before.
	Ben nodded to Howell, who was standing to the right of the door 
to the motel room.  Ben knocked gently and the door swung open with a 
creak.  The two deputies looked at each other.
	"Mr. Martin?" Ben called into the room, then started to step inside.
	Howell grabbed him by the arm.  "Ain't that illegal?" he asked in 
alarm.
	"The door is open," Ben responded with a smile.  "This is a possible 
break-in we've stumbled across."  Lucas crossed all lines of ethics 
without a second thought but the man knew good detective work, and Ben 
hadn't forgotten a lesson yet.  He unholstered his gun and the other 
deputy followed suit.
	"Mr. Martin?" he called again as they walked into the middle of the 
room.  Howell threw open the door to the bathroom and called out.
	"What is it?!" Ben called and came running.
	"Cockroach, Deputy Healy," the man said and put his gun back into 
the holster.
	Ben shook his head.  "He wouldn't have left the front door open if 
he was plannin' on comin' back."
	"We could check all the drawers to see if he forgot something," 
Howell suggested.
	"Unless you think there's a cat-burglar in there, we're done," Ben 
replied.  "Maybe we should go back to Adam Mynarzy's house, see if he'll 
talk now that Berendt's skipped town."
	Deputy Howell just shrugged his shoulders.  "I doubt anyone'd be 
interested in talkin' to us if it meant getting their pinky broke."
	"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Ben sighed and they left the 
motel room, closing the door behind them.
	The room was quiet for a moment, but before long there was a 
faint rustling sound followed by a thud.
	"Damn!" swore a deep voice, and its owner crawled out from 
under a twin bed occupying the center of the room.  He stood up and 
gingerly rubbed the top of his head through a thick mop of black hair.  
"Deputy Healy, is it?" he asked with a smile.  "My friend, this ain't your 
lucky day."


	Caleb's brow was knotted in concentration when a white light 
began to flicker out of the corner of his eye.
	"Watcha' doin'?" asked a soft voice.
	Caleb looked up and grinned when he saw Merlyn, who stood 
over him as he sat in a waiting area in the Sheriff's Department.  "I was 
just drawin'," he said, pointing down at the picture in front of him.  Merlyn 
looked down at the pencil sketch of a fearsome looking wolf and smiled.
	"You take after our Mama," she said.
	"Really?" Caleb asked.  "Miss Coombs was right.  Art's pretty 
fun."
	"It takes a good eye," she told him.  "Someone who sees things 
in a way that no one else does."
	Caleb furrowed his brow again and looked down at the picture.  
The wolf stood on the top of a boulder with his head lifted defiantly into 
the air.  A crescent moon shone above the scene.  Caleb started to ask 
Merlyn something else but when he looked back to where she'd been 
standing the room was empty.
	"Everything alright, son?" Lucas asked, suddenly appearing at 
Caleb's left side.  The boy started a little but recovered quickly and 
nodded his head.  "Good," Lucas said and ruffled his hair, walking away as 
abruptly as he had appeared.  Caleb let out a breath and turned back to 
his drawing.  He thought for a moment, then erased the outline of the 
moon and carefully replaced it with the silhouette of a black crow.


	Gail reached for the family portrait that was taken outside the 
Trinity Guardian and took it off her mantle.  She regarded it solemnly, a 
token of a pretty past that had never existed outside her own mind.  
Quickly replacing it she caught site of the I.D. bracelet on her right 
wrist, the one with Caleb's name on it.  She smiled a little and felt it's 
surface with her other hand, the metal warm from being next to her body.
	A knock at the door knocked Gail out of her reverie.  She went to 
open the front door and was shocked to find Selena Coombs standing on 
her front porch, looking strangely sedate in a knee-skimming, floral dress.
	"What do you want?" Gail asked flatly.
	"Good impulse, Gail," Selena said warmly, "Never trust anyone, 
but this will only take a minute."  With that, she walked past her and into 
the living room.  Gail gave an aggravated sigh and closed the front door.
	"What is this about?" Gail asked, more calmly this time, and 
followed Selena into the living room.
	"I saw you with Tom Lole the other night," Selena said casually.
	"So did a lot of people," Gail answered with a chuckle.  "You'll 
have to do better than that."
	"I didn't come here to blackmail you," she responded.  "That's not 
exactly my style."
	"So why are you here?"
	"Same as always," Selena said, "to keep you from making a 
mistake."
	Gail shook her head in disbelief.  "Look, what does this have to 
do with you seeing me with Tom?" she asked in annoyance.
	"Nothin', honey.  Except that it means that I wasn't seein' you with 
Lucas."
	"So we're back to this.  You can have Lucas; I don't want him."
	"I'm not worried about 'having' Lucas," Selena said and narrowed 
her eyes.  "I just wanted to tell you to get out while you still can."
	"Get out?" Gail asked.
	"Of Trinity," Selena said significantly, taking a step towards her.
	"I can't do that," Gail said with a shake of her head.
	"Well, then I tried," Selena said with a casual air and started to 
make her way to the front door.
	"Caleb needs me," Gail insisted angrily as she whirled around to 
follow Selena to the door.
	"Caleb needs someone who will be there for him," she said, turning 
to face Gail.  "He needs a teacher."
	"Like who?" Gail asked incredulously.  "You?"
	"No," Selena said with a little smile.  "Not me."  With that she 
turned and opened the front door.  Gail caught it as it swung open and 
watched Selena walk away towards the street, the woman's words 
repeating in her head.  What Selena didn't say struck Gail even harder 
than what she had.
	If she wasn't capable of teaching her cousin the ways of the 
world, she knew who would be there in an instant to fill the void.  
Selena was the least of her problems.


	Caleb was lying on a couch with an arm slung over his eyes 
when Ben arrived back at the sheriff's department.
	"Caleb, wake up," Ben said quietly and shook him a little.  Caleb 
sat bolt upright with a gasp.
	"What time is it?" he asked in alarm, then looked around in 
confusion.
	"What?" Ben asked, feeling his pulse racing.
	"Sorry," Caleb said sheepishly and tucked his hands in his lap.  
"That's how Miss Holt wakes me up when I'm late for school."
	"That must be some wake-up call," Ben chuckled.  "You nearly gave me 
a heart-attack."
	"Did'ja find that Martin guy?" he asked suddenly.
	"No, we...." Ben looked Caleb over.  "I'll tell you on the way 
back to the Boarding House.  I'm giving us both the rest of the day off."
	"But it ain't time yet," Caleb said.
	"Lucas said you should learn some responsibility," Ben replied.  
"I don't think my fallin' asleep on the job is a very good example."
	Caleb shrugged his shoulders.  "Can I drive?" he asked with a 
grin.  Ben looked at him in astonishment, then grabbed the back of 
Caleb's T-shirt and pulled it over his head.


	The two had driven about a block when the police radio again 
sprang to life.
	"Deputy Healy?"
	"Yeah, go ahead," Ben said, snatching the radio off the cruiser's 
dashboard.
	"We have a report of a possible break-in in progress at 244 Old 
Mill Road.  Witness said it was two teenage boys."
	"I'm on my way," Ben said and hit the sirens.  He tried not to 
notice Caleb slumping guiltily into his seat.  Maybe this is what Lucas 
had in mind when he said to give the boy a good example.  A chill came 
over Ben at the thought and he hoped that that wasn't the case.  A 
"lesson" from Lucas was the last thing anyone needed but especially not an 
impressionable boy like Caleb.


	"Which do you think would be better condolences, lilies or 
gladiolas?" Lucas asked the boy on the other end of the phone as he 
leaned back into his desk chair.  "Lilies it is," he said with a smile, "and 
have the card read... 'My condolences for the sudden and unexpected 
death of your husband, signed Sheriff Buck'.  That's right, and bill it to 
me like the others.  Thank you."
	Lucas put set the phone into the cradle and almost immediately felt 
his head begin to swim.  Clouds of smoke billowed out of the air vents and 
from underneath the door from the hallway.  Then one by one, the pictures 
hanging on the walls exploded with showers of glass and the photos burst 
into flames.  The temperature climbed until Lucas could begin to see waves 
of heat float off the top of his desk, but he didn't move from his seat.  
Instead he just sat back and narrowed his eyes.
	"You've got my attention, Merly Anne," he said.  "Care to tell me 
what this is all about?"
	"You," her voice answered.  The fires vanished and were 
replaced by a soft light that slowly transformed into the shape of a girl 
in a white dress.  "What are you up to, Lucas?" Merlyn asked sternly.
	"I'm not 'up to' anything," he said nonchalantly, picking up a file 
from his desk.  Merlyn's hair flew back with a rush of wind and the file 
flew from Lucas's hand, the papers fluttering through the air and onto the 
floor.  He narrowed his eyes at her.
	"You have Caleb and Ben together," she stated.  "Why?"
	"They've been alone together before."
	"But not because of you," she answered.  Lucas pondered this 
for a moment before inhaling deeply.
	"If you must know, they're together right now because of you," he 
told her.  Then he suddenly grew serious.  "It's time for you to make a 
choice."


	The sun was setting when Ben pulled up in front of the house on 
Old Mill.
	"I don't need to tell you to stay here, right?" Ben asked Caleb, who 
nodded in return.  "Good boy," Ben smiled and got out of the car.
	Caleb watched as Ben walked up the driveway and then up to the 
house, looking into a front window before creeping up to the door.  He 
reached up and tried the knob before opening the door carefully.  Then he 
looked into the house and quickly disappeared inside.
	Caleb peered at the darkness of the window for a few moments 
before heaving a sigh.  "Great," he said, closing his eyes and stretching out 
his arms.  When he looked back at the house he frowned in confusion.  A 
thick curtain had been drawn over the window and there were cracks of 
light coming from around its edges.  Before he could decide what this 
meant the door reopened and a strange man with dark hair stuck his head 
out, looking in the direction of the cruiser.  Caleb ducked into the foot-well 
of the passenger side with a gasp.
	After a moment, he turned around and peeked over the edge of the 
window.  The door of the house was closed again and the lights continued 
to shine around the edges of the window.  Caleb opened the door of the 
cruiser and darted up to the house.  Inside he could hear angry yelling 
and realized with alarm that one of the voices was Ben's.


	"What choice?" Merlyn asked, concern beginning to eat away at her 
composure.
	"You care about Caleb, right?" Lucas asked.  "You'd do anything to 
help him out."
	"You know that's true," she said.
	"Well, what about Ben?" Lucas continued, pushing the chair away 
from his desk and standing up.  "You don't want anything to happen to him 
either, right?"
	"What have you done?" Merlyn insisted, anger swelling in her voice.
	"You can't save them both," Lucas said slowly, "and believe me 
when I say that they need saving."
	"You're lyin'," she said with a glare.
	"Go ahead," Lucas said.  "See for yourself where they are."
	Merlyn paused for a moment, then closed her eyes.


	Caleb ran along the back wall of the house, being careful to stay 
low to the ground.  He came up to the back door and reached for the knob, 
which unlatched easily as he carefully gave it a twist.  Then he pulled 
the door open just enough for him to slip into the house and gently pulled 
it closed again behind him.


	"No!" Merlyn cried, her eyes flying open.
	"You can't save them both!" Lucas yelled.  "If you do save one of 
them, the other dies.  I'll make sure of it."
	"You'd sacrifice your own son?" Merlyn asked in disbelief.
	"That's not the question, is it Merly Anne?" he asked.  "The 
question is whether you'd sacrifice him.  Are you willing to trade one for 
the other?"
	Merlyn hesitated, letting Lucas's words hang in the air.  Then she 
started fading away in a flood of white light.
	"You can't save them both," Lucas repeated.  "What's your 
choice?!"
	Merlyn blinked at him and faded away completely.


	Merlyn surveyed her surroundings.  The back of the first floor was 
comprised of an empty kitchen and an adjoining area that was probably 
used as a dining room.  Dark shadows filled the back rooms, cast from 
light streaming down a hallway heading to the front of the house.  She 
clutched her arms around her chest in silence as Caleb crept past her, 
unaware of her presence, and made his way towards the light.
	"You're only makin' things worse for yourself," came Ben's voice 
from around a corner.
	"Shut up!" another man yelled.  "I ain't goin' to jail again!  Not 
because of some hick cop tryin' to get himself a medal."
	"People know where I am, Berendt."
	"Then you shouldn't stink too bad by the time they find your body."
	Caleb came up to a corner and paused for a moment, stealing up 
his courage.  Slowly, he peered around the edge.
	Ben was sitting in a wooden chair with his arms bound behind his 
back.  The other man stood over him with his back to Caleb, who noticed 
with alarm that he had a revolver trained at the deputy's head.  Caleb 
tried to decide what to do next and shifted his weight, causing the board 
underneath his feet to give a loud groan.  Berendt whirled around at the 
sudden noise
	"Run, Caleb!" Ben cried to him.  Caleb sprang to his feet as the 
man lifted up the gun and pointed it at him.  Before Caleb knew what had 
happened Ben sprang out of the chair and kicked Berendt's legs out from 
under him.  He hit the floor hard, the gun flying out of his hand and 
clattering across the floor.
	Caleb lunged for the gun as the man turned onto his back and 
kicked Ben as hard as he could, causing the deputy to fall onto his side 
with a grunt.  Then Berendt sprang to his feet and lunged for Caleb just 
as he snatched the revolver off the floor.  The two fell to the ground and a 
shot rang out.
	The sound echoed through the house, followed by silence.
	Ben scrambled to his knees as best he could with his arms bound 
behind his back and his mouth dropped open.  Berendt was lying on top 
of Caleb in a tangled mess on the floor, a puddle of blood beginning to 
form at their sides.  For a moment nothing moved.
	Suddenly, there was a grunt and Berendt rolled over onto his 
back, clutching a wound in his left side.
	"Ben?" Caleb asked timidly and sat up, his T-shirt soaked with 
blood.
	"Caleb!" Ben cried, rushing over and kneeling at the boy's side.  
"Are you alright?"
	Caleb nodded and looked down at his hand, realizing that he was 
still holding the revolver.  He set it on the floor as quickly as he could 
and sprang to his feet.  They both looked down to where Berendt lay on 
his back, bleeding from the wound and unconscious.
	"Help untie my wrists, Caleb," Ben said soberly.  "This man needs 
an ambulance."


	"Caleb, are you alright?!" Gail cried in alarm when she saw him.  
He was sitting in the hospital waiting room with Lucas and Ben hovering 
over him, congratulating him on his bravery.  He was wearing a set of 
oversized, green hospital scrubs that someone had given him.
	"I'm fine," Caleb said with a grin as Gail rushed to his side, 
moving past both men.
	"He'll make a good deputy some day," Lucas said proudly, putting 
his hands on his hips.  "Hell, maybe even Sheriff."
	"What I want to know is why he was out there in the first place," 
Gail said, standing to face him.
	"It couldn't be helped, Ma'am," Ben interjected.  "Berendt laid a 
trap for me and Caleb happened to be in the car."
	"Who's Berendt?" she asked in confusion.
	"Michael Berendt," Caleb said, "Alias Casey Martin.  He has a police 
record a mile long and has been extortin'...?" he looked up at Ben with 
uncertainty and the man nodded at him, "extortin' money from people in 
Trinity."
	"Yep!" Ben said proudly, "because of Caleb he'll be in jail for a 
long time."
	"Once the docs are through getting that bullet out of his side, of 
course," Lucas added.
	Gail paused, looking from Lucas to Caleb, who was still sitting 
calmly in his seat.
	"Ben can give you all the details," Lucas told her.  "Then maybe 
you should interview your cousin here.  Looks like it could be a killer 
story."  Lucas squeezed Caleb's shoulder and the boy suddenly frowned.  
Before he could respond Lucas turned and walked out of the waiting 
room, the doors swinging closed behind him.
	He walked into the hallway and stopped abruptly, fixing his gaze 
on a spot a few feet away.  A white light began to shine and Merlyn 
materialized, turning to face him.
	"That was quite a gamble," Lucas said to her.  "What if somethin' 
had gone wrong?"
	"I had faith that Ben and Caleb would make the right choices," she 
said.
	Lucas chuckled.  "How far do you think that faith will get you in 
Trinity?"
	She raised her head and gave him a smile.  "Only one way to find 
out, Lucas," she answered.  He opened his mouth to respond but she 
disappeared with a flash of light before he could make a sound.
	"One day, Merly Anne," he said quietly, "Caleb's gonna make the 
wrong choice, and who do you think is gonna be here to take care of him 
then?"  He stared down the empty hall for a moment, then turned and 
strolled away.