A big crack appeared in the van's windshield. Pruett floored the gas pedal and the van took off before Betty Ann got to swing her broom-handle a secon... time."We got to work on our technique," Pruett said later as they worked on their second beer."We do," Tony agreed solemnly. "We surely do.It was Simone, the fortune teller that set the boys straight. Pruett bought her four beers before she loosened up, and gave them her thoughts on enticing members of the opposite sex into their lair. She meant. Uh oh, here it comes, she thought. To her astonishment, the old man went to sleep without touching her. She felt disappointed. At least he could have felt her up a little! She liked the feel of his big, rough hands on her body. They were up early the next morning and had breakfast. Gordon packed her down to the lake. He helped her undress as she shivered in the morning sun. He got undressed and carried her nude body into the water. It wasn’t as cold as she thought it would be, but she noticed. But he never looked panicked, merely focused."I enjoyed the photos, Richard. But now we play this game my way, not yours. You bring Alice out and no one gets hurt. She and I can have a conversation."He kept looking at the gun."You don't want that, Henry. I promise you. Just leave and I won't report this." You have to ten." I felt phony, like someone in an action thriller, but I made up my mind to shoot him right away if he did anything I didn't like. It was my only leverage, and what was there. I could tell he wanted to wear it, so he could be like me andhis mother Doreen. But he soon looked back up at her, smiled back,nodding his head. Even though he was still little, he knew this was ourbig night out. He'd be able to talk to the other kids about the movie hehad seen over the weekend. So he hurried to his room to put on his onepair of dress pants. I looked over at Mom, and smiled. She always seemedto have the right answer.It was later in the week, when she and I were doing our weekly.