Friday, October 25, 2019

‘The Slaughterhouse Bakery’ Chapter 1

      Sometimes a single moment can change a life.



       Jan and Jean were two nice women who operated a bakery. They had been prosperous and wanted to expand their operation. There happened to be a slaughterhouse across the road that was available for very little money. They, as any baker knows, were aware that the lard made from pork fat makes the flakiest and best pastry crusts, so it seemed like they could do themselves some good by buying the slaughterhouse and having an unending supply of nearly free lard for improved crusts. They would both expand their business operation and the quality of their baked goods, so they took out a loan for the money needed and bought the slaughterhouse. Things were going well with the expansion, the business was booming, and they thought they could use a handyman to cleanup the bakery, the slaughterhouse, lift the heavy items like flower sacks and pork products, deliver baked goods, and help out as needed.

      That’s where I came in. I had lost my job at the factory and wasn’t having any success finding a new position. The economy was bad and industries had shipped most of the factory jobs to China. I had to work and this was all I could find.

      The new job was going well at first, I was getting along well with the ladies and they seemed happy with me. It was more labor than I was used to but I had to become accustomed to hard labor again.

      Monday morning I showed up and Jean said I needed to go over to the slaughterhouse and see Jan. I walked across the road and went in the door. Jan jumped up and shrieked as I walked in the door.

      “What’s the matter?” I asked.

      “A... I need you to dispose of these two boxes of meat,” Jan said.

      “The butchers will be here any minute,” I said.

      “This meat isn’t the regular pork and we don’t want the butchers to get it mixed in with the other pork.”

      “What does that mean Jan?” I asked.

      “This isn’t pork.”

      “What is it Jan?”

      “It’s Frank,” she answered.

      “Frank the loan officer from the bank?”

      “Yes he showed up last night and was wanting to collect more than the loan payment. He was drunk and was pawing at Jean when I walked in to help in the kitchen. He said it would be a nice going away present to have both ladies before leaving on vacation. He lunged at me and I hit him with a rolling pin I had in my hand. He never got up. We didn’t know what to do, so we hauled him over here and ground him up.”

      “What did you do with his car?” I inquired.

      “Drove it to the airport and parked it in long term parking,” Jan answered.

      “He’s beginning to smell really bad; why didn’t you put him in the freezer?”

      “This is our first murder; we’re not very accomplished at it yet.”

      “Well we can’t put him into the freezer now and it’s too late to get him out without being seen. I’ll haul him up into the attic.”

Copyright Bill Weber 2006-2019 and beyond.

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