Ordeal by Cheque: The life of Jr

TLC

Checkbook Final Draft

Ordeal by Cheque: The life of Jr

Tony turned the corner at a dangerous speed, trying to go even faster, but the sirens behind him did not get any softer. This was all the kid’s fault.

That stupid kid.

Tony sped up, dodging traffic as he had so many times before, except this time it was different. The kid. Tony thought back, remembering everything he could, all the way to the very beginning.

Lawrence Exeter Junior had been born in the heat of the day on September 2, 1903. He was different from the day he was born. His rich parents sensed something was wrong, for parents usually can sense things about their child. Therefore, the day after he was born, Marie and Lawrence Exeter took the newborn to Dr. David McCoy for a check-up. The doctor said that the baby was as healthy as a horse, and there was nothing to worry about. Still, the parents worried, because parents can tell. Jr, as everyone called him, was very quiet as a baby and never had big reactions to things. Everyone said he was just quiet. His parent brought him gifts from California Toyland, but they soon figured out that he was happy with just staring at something or handling a small object. When he reached 6, his father enrolled him in Palisades School for boys. Jr excelled in all of his classes except art and handwriting. Jr’s 3rd report card showed that he had improved his handwriting, so Lawrence Sr brought Jr a bicycle. Jr was immediately fascinated with it. Within a week, Jr had mastered training wheels, and exactly sixteen days after he had mastered training wheels, Jr was riding it without the training wheels. Jr rode his bicycle everywhere. He even started waking up earlier in the morning so he and his dad could bike down to Palisades, which was nine miles away. His bicycle became his treasure. All of his artwork in art class now somehow revolved around a bicycle. On July 24, 1915, the real trouble with Jr started that would ruin many lives, including Tony Spagoni’s.

Jr was out riding his bicycle, when a man by the name of Steve Matterson came around a corner too fast, tried to slam on brakes, but ended up hitting both Jr and his bike. Because Steve had put on his brakes, Jr only suffered scrapes and bruises. His bike however, was a mess. Jr cried for hours that day, his parents comforting him and telling him they would buy him a new one the next day. Th...

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...zi had just been assigned to bring down The Bootery, and Tony was asking the godfather of The Bootery if he could use Jr to kill Ventizzi.

Jr wrote a note to Ventizzi, that had a check for $25, told Peter where he was, gave him Tony’s name, and told him not to open any letters. Jr filled out the address (somehow knowing where Ventizzi lived), and mailed it. Then he went back into the house, dialed 911, said that he was at a murderer’s house, and then sat back. Tony arrived before the police. He saw the note in Jr’s hand, immediately understood, pulled out his gun, and fired, then turned and ran to his car as the faint sound of sirens filled the air. Luckily, an ambulance had also been dispatched. Jr spent the next ten days in the hospital, then he had died of internal bleeding. Dr. McCoy, the same guy that delivered him, had treated him.

Tony, as he turned another corner at break-neck speed, could remember the last two weeks that he had spent hiding, but he had been found by Ventizzi in the end. He knew that if they captured him, they would be able to get names out of him. He opened his glove compartment, pulled out a note, unfolded it, and read the two words written on it.