Overdue - Chapter 4

"You don't have to call me Kil Craig, call me Patrick." Kil smiled.

"What book were you looking for?" I asked. Of course I knew what book he was looking for the deleted one with drugs in it. The book I took home and gave all the ecstasy to Kate and all her artist friends.

"Green Papaya." said Kil.

What! That wasn't the book. It was a large print romance novel called "The passion of the heart."

I looked up the name, yep we had it. I went and showed Kil to the book. It was a coookery book by Kils favourite musicians mother. He took it out. And that was it, he left. I was so sure he'd come to challenge me on the drugs. I was sure the drugs were his. Who else would go to such lengths to evade the police.

Later Rat came in and I told her what happened while I was shelf tidying in the Philosophy section.

"I'd say he just came in to see if you'd crack just by him looking at you." She was so sure of herself.

"Oh and who died and made you the criminalologist." I snapped back. "All your doing is hanging around and waiting to see if I get killed."

"If thats how you think I'm outta here." and with that Rat was gone.

I should have apologised straight away but I had too much going on in my head. I was too busy thinking about myself. I needed to know why Kil didn't confront me. Was Rat right, could he be leaving me dangling? What about the guy who came in looking for the drugs in the book? If I could find him then.... But who was I kidding I'd never find him. Then, I looked up as you do when looking for help and I just happened to be looking in the right direction. Right down the barrel of one of the surveilance cameras.

I got home that evening with the surveilance footage. Now I know most stores and shops keep at the least 24 hours of video tape as a back up. At the Library we had the latest. It was all stored digitally, then when required burt to disc. I got everything. All I had to do was sit down and watch it. Fortunatley, all the discs were time coded so I could skip to the very moment that the guy came in and tore up the library looking for the book. I got a clear shot of his face captured it and printed it out on my computer. Now I had a picture, all I had to do was to find him. For that I was going to need some help. Which required some groveling.

"Rat c'mon. I already said I was sorry." Which had happened just before Rat slamed the front door in my face. But becasue the front door was a sliding garage door it bounced open and I follwed Rat to her room. Where she resumed her painting. I continued to explain my stupidity.

"Look I was under a huge amount of stress. I thought I was going to be lead out of the Library and dissapear..." I paused a bit for effect. "Forever!"

She didn't respond. She just kept painting, smooth even stokes. The she stopped turned her head and shot a quick look at me.

"PLEASE!" I whined. Hey I know I whined but I needed help badly, and when you need help you'll whine 'please' to anyone you think its going to work on.

"Uhhh! Ok but only because your a wuss and you need my help." relented Rat. "Now give me the picture I might know this guy."

I gave her the picture. She examined it closely. "I've seen him before. He works at Java-Hut. Makes a good espresso. And I need a coffee break." And with that she put her brush down, put on her jacket and walked out. I followed.

Overdue - Chapter 3

Two days later and I was still alive.

"You know I'm amazed you're not dead yet." joked Rat. She had come into the Library and was as surprisd as I was that I hadn't dissapeared without a trace.
"Your not the only one." I added. "I keep looking behind myself, waiting and expecting to see Kil holding a gun or something."
"He wont be that crass." replied Rat. "Just shooting someone, thats way below Kil. C'mon you remember what happened to Julie Stretzky?"

How could I forget. I had a crush on Julie Stretzky, all through the first year of high school. She had the cutest freckles, she also was a huge flirt. Every guy had a crush on her at one time or another. But Julie wasn't intrested in a relationship with a nobody who wanted to be a Librarian. Julie was into the prime movers the guys who either had money or were going to make money. So eventually she became Kil's girl. Julie was a user but Kil wasn't the kind of guy you use and leave behind. But she did it anyway. After she'd had her fun with Him it was onto another guy. The problem Julie had was that Kil wasn't finished. So when he turned up at her 17th birthday party with all his gang, you knew this would be a birthday paty to remember. By the end of the night Julies father had been sent to hospital (multiple stab wounds but he lived), Julies current boy toy the football captain Vince Salamiatsis had his legs broken (he's in real estate these days) and Julies mother was found two weeks later in a motel with some guy named Axel. Julie and her Dad moved interstate. Her Mum runs a health food shop in town, with Axel.

Rat came by each day making sure that I was still alive. Kate told me that it had nothing to with any feelings she harboured towards me. It was just the fact that Rat like her brother Mephisto had a curious obsession with death. After the third consecutive day of the Rat, Karl took me aside to give me a talk.

"You like this punky brewster?" It wasn't an accusation, but it sure felt like one.
"She's a friend." I protested. "We went to school together. Were in nothing like what your suggesting."
"Its just that I thought that you and Mindy were a possibility. You look good together." Karl actually tried to sound encouraging.
"What is this matchmaker time? Karl if I wanted to ask Mindy out I'd do it." I lied. Of course I wanted to ask Mindy out. I liked Mindy. Some people thought that Mindy liked me. Mindy was quiet on the the subject. well she wouldn't talk to Kate about it. So instead of finding out and possibly being wrong I settled on leaving things as they were and living with the hope that one day she'd make the move. Karl thought differently.
"She is not going to wait around for you. Make the move you idiot. If you don't you'll never know." That was the most passionate I had ever seen Karl. And his passion gave me more than hope. It gave me wings of courage, and a resolve of steel. I was going to ask Mindy out. Right NOW!

"Your right Karl, its time." I replied.
"Good for you Craig. Go get her." Karl shook my hand and at that moment Mindy poked her head through the door.

"You boys finished arguing. There's someone I want you two to meet." she said. "This is Lachlan."

After Lachlan had shok my hand into numbness and whisked Mindy away for lunch in his red V8 sedan. Rat sidled up and decided to paint the picture a bit clearer.

"So thats Mindys guy." Rat whistled for effect. "Gee you've got a lot to beat there."

I wanted to say shut up. I wanted to screm out loud. I wanted..... While in thought someone had come up to the counter.

"Hey Craig I'm looking for a book. You know about it" I knew whos voice it was and I didn't want to look up.

"Craig you remember me." His voice was polite and calm. It always was.

I looked up and I was right. "Yes Kil I remember."

Now nothing mattered, I was as good as dead.

Overdue Chapter 2

I got to my bag and it didn't have the book in it.

"Shit shit shit shit shit." I cursed repeatedly.

"Whats wrong Craig shouldn't you be out with Mindy." it was Karl. "And remember you've got to tone down the language here I thought we'd been through all this before?"

"Sorry Karl, but I've lost something I thought I left in my bag. But its gone." I replied leaving out the information that it was a book with concealed drugs in it. That I'd found in the Library and that I should have at least told Karl about it. Karl didn't ask anymore questions and I was glad he didn't.

The rest of the day went so, slowly. I couldn't stop thinking about the drugs and what, if anything could have happened to them. Who could have taken them, did they know that I got them from the Library. I was fully expecting to end up sacked from the Library. That or whoever had put the drugs their would found out I took them and then I'd be dead.

The thing was I knew who put the durgs there. Well not who put them there, but who was behind the guy who put the drugs in the book in the Library.

His name was Patrick Kilpatrick one of those people whose parents decided a funny name would be great for their kids self-esteem. Of course this backfired horribly when Oysters got to school. Oh yes, Oysters was his name from third grade on. At first he thought it was a great joke. Then he gradually got more and more frustrated with it. And when the teachers started using it well, that was the last straw. From then on he was the worst kid in the school.

Now with most bad eggs teachers and Prinicipals just wait till they screw up and kick them out. But Kil as he is known these days, wasn't dumb. Not at all. Kil was the best student in Maths and topped the Physics scores in the state for his final year.

The principal knew what was going on and that Kil was the ringleader for everything bad in the school. But like now, back then Kil was untouchable. None would snitch on him. If you tried to the repercussions would be amazing. Kil didn't just beat you up, no that was too easy. He made sure your life was hell at school, at home and that even your parents lives would be hell. He'd steal your stuff, trash your bike, kill your pets, send viruses to your e-mail, your parents e-mail. He was so thorough that one time he switched one kids grandmas medicine with ecstasy. Crossing Kil was not the done thing. And now I had stolen from Kil. Then someone stole from me. Its a deadly cycle, and with Kil it ends in death, mine!

I raced home. Drugs in my house was rare, unless you mean the anti-depressents that my fellow house mate Kate took constantly. Kate was an artisit, depression was a lifestyle for her. However, when Kate needed to work with reality she took her anti-depressants by the bucket load. And all I could think about was that to Kate a pill was something that just demanded comsumption. Kate on ecstasy. Well that might be something to see, however I needed to get them back. If Kate had taken them then they were possibly gone. And if her deadbeat artist friends had found them they were definatley gone. How was I going to fix this.

Well I got in the house and went straight to Kates room. She wasn't there. Damn! The book wasn't in her room either. Well it wasn't laid out on the bed or dropped on the floor. I didn't go through her stuff. I thought about it though. But the phone rang. I let the machine get it, it was Kate.

"Hey Craig I'm out with the guys. Rat found a book with some E. Well not just some E but a whole load of it. We're all at Mephistos, c'mon over its a party and your invited. You can even bring that up tight Mindy you've been to sacred to ask out."

I always hated the fact I told Kate that I liked Mindy. But it wasn't my main concern. I got myself over to Mephistos.

Mephisto was an artist and close friend of Kates. By artist I mean his last work was himself covered in mud, with a stuffed seagull on is head. Mephistos place was the garage at the back of his dads tyre franchise. Mephistos dad was loaded.

I got there and the place was a shambles. I found Kate eventually. She was in Mephistos bed. Friendship for Kate exteneded to the occasional quickie. Not that that ever occoured between us. She saw me as little brother. Which did make for awkward moments, like now.

"Kate, kate." I whispered.
"Oh Craigie." she gushed and sat bolt upright giving me full frontal exposure. It wasn't the first time. "This shits really good. I don't now where you got it, but give some to your little Mindy and you'll get some. I did." Kate lifted up the quilt and there was a very naked Mephisto, spooning up to Kate.

"And again you give me need to wash my eyes." I complained. "Kate what happened to the book the drugs came in."

"Oh I don't know Rat wanted it. I think she was going to use it in a new project she's working on." replied Kate who feel back onto the bed and went back to Mephisto.

I went to Rats room. Rat was Mephistos sister their real names were Brad and Faith. Rat changed her name legally to Rattus, I heard her mother cried when she found out about it. Rat was more of an artist than Mephisto meaning she actually produced art to sell. She was busily patining the book.

"Rat what are you doing." I screamed. I grabbed the book it was ruined.
"Hey hands off the artwork prole." Rat snapped the book back. I could have stopped her but it was too late. Rat put the book back on her table and then turned to me with a sly grin on her face.
"Well christian Craigs not so saintly after all." she continued. " Who'd have thought you'd be working for Kil."

"I don't work for Kil." I protested which got me in deeper water than I thought.

"Well you don't do drugs your too square for that." deduced Rat. "So if you don't work for him then you stole from him. But I know you don't have the balls for that too. So you found them. In the library. You found out how Kil gets his drugs to his customers. Your dead if this gets out."

"I know." I moaned and sat down on a 10 litre bucket of mission brown paint.

Overdue Chapter 1.

My names Criag Harper, I never wanted excitment and danger in my life. In fact I went for the least stressful job in the world. Librarian. Well I'm not THE Librarian yet. I reckon that wont happen till Klaus retires, which should be when hell freezes over. Oh whos Klaus? Well he's my boss at the Library. He's alright, a bit bossy but you get used to that.

Now the excitment that I was avoiding well, that happened recently. I had a brush with death, crime and mystery. And I dont mean isle 4 in the fiction section. I wished it was only the books, but it was the books that got me in the hot water.

In a every Library there are books that don't go out. For some reason or other the books are not appealing any more. So the job every good Library has to do is print up a list of the books that haven't been taken out for years and remove them from the catalouge. Klaus hadn't done this for two years. The Library was filled with books that noone wanted to read. So guess whos job it was to find them and remove them from the catalouge, yep mine.I did this job with my usual fervour. I make the job better by listening to funky-make-me-happy-music. I'm not allowed to play this music on the Libraries stereo so I have to use my i-pod. Its still cool and if I'm intrested in any of the books I take them home. So after filling the trolley full of books I take them to Klaus. Kalus makes sure I'm not canceling the good books.

"Keep, keep, keep. Ewww when did it buy that. Oh thats right it was a request. Library has never been the same since Oprahs book club caught on here." Klaus didn't like Oprahs book club. Said it was just a marketing ploy. I agreed.

"The rest you can delete Craig. Then get go and relieve Mindy at the front desk." ordered Klaus. He doesn't ask you to do anything he orders. Politley, but he still orders you.

So I'm sitting there going through the books when out of one of them falls two small plastic containers. They were old camera film continers. I opened the book and the pages had been cut so that the containers could be put in it and the book could still be closed. Now the book was a big old novel it hadn't been taken out for years. I opened one of the continers and there were pills in them. I opened the other and there was more of the same pills. Now I didn't know it then but it was at that very moment that I should have called the cops or at the least put the book back on the shelf and forgotten about the pills. But I didn't did I. I put the book in my bag and finished the rest of the cancelations and then went out and relieved Mindy. I also forgot that I had the book with the pills in my bag.

The next day at the Library there was this guy who turned up. He walked around the Library looking all over the place. When he started to throw books around and mutter to himself then Klaus came out to him. He just ignored Karl, and left the library.

"What was that all about." I asked Mindy.

"Druggie off his face. Doesn't even know what he's doing." she answered.

It was at that moment that I remembered the pills in the book. And that they were in my bag.

"Oh shit!" I excliamed.

"What now Craig?" sung out Mindy dissapointedly.

"I think I left something behind." I lied. "Gotta check my bag for it. Wont be long"

"Ok I'll ring the panic bell if your needed." said Mindy.

Mindy was ok and lying to her wasn't right. I decided I'd tell the truth to her soon. Maybe at lunch.

A Kids Story I wrote three years ago.

The Car Smelt of Banana’s.

It was Monday, and the car smelt of bananas.
Andy thought it stunk. It made little Laurie cry
And Mum didn’t know how or why,
But the car smelt of bananas

It was Tuesday after school and the car smelt of bananas.
Andy still didn’t like it. He and Laurie got lolly-pops
Mum was too busy getting them to the shops
And the car smelt of bananas

It was Wednesday, and the car smelt of bananas.
Dad complained while driving Andy to soccer.
He couldn’t find out how the smell had got there
All the other kids thought it was cool
That the car that smelt of bananas.

It was Thursday, and the car still smelt of bananas.
We went to Granny and Gramp’s House.
Granny bought lavender and Gramps tied it to the steering wheel,
But it didn’t work at all.
The car still smelt of bananas.

It was Friday, and the car still smelt of bananas.
Andy took the bus to school.
Laurie and Mum took the car to the garage
And the mechanic used all his tools,
But the car still smelt of bananas.

It was Saturday, and the car smelt of bananas.
Dad went to the car wash
And cleaned inside it and out.
He cleaned in the glove box, and in every other spot
And when he finished
The car didn’t smell of bananas.

It was Sunday, they spent it at the Park
on the swings Dad pushed Mum
Andy kicked his ball and Laurie sucked his thumb
And as they drove home
They thought they smelt bananas.