IN THE GREEN, OLD VOLVO… which Diane King drove, she listened to Paul… who was beside-her in front-seat – filling her details, of his ‘omen’ – he gained from his dream-in-a-dream realm, from his association…

… with the Red-demon/Roman-god – whose name was Mercury…

… it was the 2nd time he repeated telling to her, as he had told her ‘before,’ the first time in a slapdash manner – when he drove with her – after their banquet dinner, of the Mayor’s Cup Challenge in the now-razed country-club.

At the backseat… was blind-Jane, who-too HEARD OF THE ‘OMEN’ BEFORE – when they were having Maccas as their supper at King’s Park, during the wee hour… after the both had rescued Piper and Kitty…

… to have a 2nd chance for ‘redeeming’ the ‘mistakes’ in their animal-life in the human world.

Paul told of his ‘bits and bits’ remembered – of him entering with Mercury, into the realm of Underworld, ‘owned’ by Asmodeus – to find for the Mother of Virgos…

… who-then told him that Peter was now ‘possessed’ because he made a ‘blood-offering’ to Old-man Asmodeus – where it-made possible for the demon to walk-again… on Perth-earth, inside ‘Peter’ youth body…

… that made the hairs at the back of the middle-aged student counsellor’s neck to stand up – as Ms King had studied Middle Eastern medieval studies in her Varsity days, and had later ‘encountered’ a time-traveller monk…

… who brought a similar ‘omen’ too from the future – and told her to be ‘hired’ in Stamford High, and ‘SEEK-OUT’ FOR THE CHOSEN-ONE.

… but she had FAILED AT HER ‘MISSION’ in stopping Peter – in the field trip to Treeton dairy farm.

Paul further narrated… that the Mother of Virgos ‘had’ summoned for blind-Jane – as Jane was the ‘one’ to-break the curse… and free Peter’s ‘soul’ – that was captured by the All-Father-demon Asmodeus.

But that was 3 days ago – since Jane and Paul saw ‘last’ Mercury – when they… as the Cursed-trio, had defeated Ammut and her pet Ammit… to end the Perth Great Fire…

Where is the Red-demon – Mercury now…?

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THEY ARRIVED AT THE CHILDRENS’ HOSPITAL. The Australian Aboriginal descendant, Ms Diane King was-led by the blind-girl, assisted by her AI, while the student counsellor herself – was pushing the crippled Paul’s wheelchair. They alighted the elevator… on the floor with some-visiting parents – while the rest of the-gawking ones in the lift… ‘had’ recognized Jane Wilson… of the local-celebrity PFC-fame.

They were marvelled to had ‘seen’ the sensational blind-girl – playing tennis on telly last Sunday evening, with her one-armed ‘boyfriend.’

The arriving visitors saw ahead Asian relatives, with Alicia’s mother and Cousin Lily Wang –outside the wardroom. Lily informed them… that the nurses were giving the comatose-Alicia a sponge-bath – and to-change her ‘diapers’ …

… Paul’s heart sank – realizing that his girlfriend had come to a state… where that she too had to use-diapers like him.

Jane broke the ‘good-news’ to Lily… that Alicia’s ‘attacker’ was arrested by Insp Walker, and mentioned-too, that he was a drug-addict. The excited Lily relayed it to her Asian relatives in Hokkien – the younger ones were thrilled of the news with the speedy ‘justice’ delivered…

… while the-old aunties were ‘cursing’… the meth-head, aloud in Chinese.

In his wheelchair, Paul was noticing among them – was the quiet and sombre looking Robin – Alicia’ mom – in the corner, shedding a tear…

… the crippled boyfriend knew her ‘story’ – of Alicia being her ‘only’ pride and joy – after the estranged relationship with her husband… who took-away her sons from her, years ago.

10 minutes later, they drew the curtains for the visitors, in the small, single wardroom. Alicia was pale-looking, in her white pyjama, with pink floral motifs.

Her head was bandaged… swollen face, eyes shut, with lips spout...

… Alicia’s stomach then wambled, and the nurse told it was her feeding-time – as milk was pumped from a feeding tube straight to her belly. By then, Paul had to get out… of the cramped room, for fresh air…

… knowing that his girlfriend was a ‘foodie’ – who loved to entertain her friends with sumptuous good-food, at the round table of her aunt’s restaurant in Chinatown. Paul loved to see Alicia eat – who fancied her hot-spicy noodles too…

… slurping it with the steamy soup, with beads of sweat forming on her upper lips – but now, it was sad-to see Alicia had gone from chopsticks to feeding tubes.

His heart was crying out…

… why? Why? Why?

<><>

PETER NEEDED TO GO TO A PLACE… to-do his thinking – he went to McDonald's – and spent more than a couple of hours, rationalizing options and strategies… of ‘not’ getting caught, now that the sloppy Jimbo had been cornered…

Would the junkie ‘rat’ him out… by identifying him…?

-O-

The one-armed boy reached his house, that-his late father had built for his family – and saw the white Audi parked at the house-porch – his inspector mother was inside.

Peter froze with the thought of – if ‘this’ was it? Would he open the front door to the inspector waiting for him inside, with handcuffs – to slap to his ‘single’ wrist…

… for his violent Ted Bundy-like brutal assault, which landed his classmate to be comatose???

Immobilised outside the Walkers’ house – the one-armed ‘cursed’ boy was ‘deciding’ into his ‘fight-or-flight/’truth-or-dare’ modes in his mind…

… he decided to – fight-and-dare…

He walked in, through the front door, hearing voices in the kitchen…

… Peter popped his head, to see his seated mother in-her uniform, with Paul at the dinner table, with 2 pizza boxes.

They saw him. Caroline invited him over…

“Come Peter… I bought pizza from Marciano’s.”

He saw an opened large box, in which his-twin was feeding – and a smaller, single-serving of vegan box… spread on their IKEA table. Since he already had a couple of big Macs, Peter replied…

“Not hungry.”

The sweaty Peter grunted as he walked to the fridge… and grabbed a coke, cracked the can’s tab and-down the hatch – while eavesdropping… Caroline continued her conversation with Paul in his wheelchair listening…

“… so Corporal Frank Smithy… detained him when he did ‘not’ get lucky the 3rd time, because that overhead pass, had CCTV cameras. We-then caught him along the highway later, about-to exiting Perth...

“Then at the station, we processed the homeless junkie and came up with his name – as-Jim Hatcher – a deranged and unsound minded, who had several drug possession priors, and-also a public nuisance. But funny, this would be his ‘first’ dangerous physical-assault conviction.

“Now Poe, this is the interesting part – the bicycle-he rode on had a manufacturer’s anti-theft micro-chip, that IDed the ‘owner’ was Alicia Wong – and that’s where we came to the conclusion that he was the ‘one,’ who had attacked her and stole her bike.”

Both twins were speechless ‘now,’ as they ‘processed’ the ‘same’ story, with their individual thoughts. Then Paul asked out…

“Mom ‘will’ this bloody-criminal go to prison… or to Fremantle-looney-bin asylum?”

“I don’t know, Poe – it’s up-to-the court to decide.”

Peter then left the kitchen ‘after’ gathering his intel – and walked upstairs with confidence that – his ‘alibi’ was ‘still’ rock-solid to hold its ground. He smirked and grinned evilly in ‘wicked’ thoughts, as he unlocked and entered his bedroom…

-O-

…Peter was bloody-cock-sure that he wouldn’t be ‘caught’ – even whatever that Jimbo or Jim Hatcher, or whatever he called himself – would be saying-later, because he is the insane-mental-cracker-nut case, of a junkie.

The one-armed mastermind had covered his ‘tracks’ well ‘when’ into his scheming…

… and had ‘beforehand’ had devised a mental ‘checklist’ of ‘HOW-TO-GET-AWAY’ WITH EVEN MURDER – by his lifetime, of watching ‘fiction’ killers getting away with-it – from his daily dose of TV crime-related shows in Netflix.

‘… fiction is truer-than the ‘crime’ itself… if one can follow a ‘checklist’…

He recalled 3 days ago…

… when he had clouted Alicia with his Babolat, during the Perth Great Fire…and he then had deceived the bogan-Jimbo, into believing ‘his’ deceits of a talking bicycle named Kitt, which the goofy-man was bought-into…

… and ‘who’ ending up… as ‘his’ sacrificial scapegoat...

-O-

… recalling ‘when’ he returned back home to the Walkers’ house that Monday evening after he ‘earlier’ had asked ‘permission’ from his cooking-Mom… that he was going out-a-bit to the store to get his RedBull, in the haze filled nature situation.

Then, 20 minutes later after committing the ‘heinous-act’ – he walked back into the front door and saw his inspector-mother was still cooking, drinking her red wine, while speaking on the phone, with the emptying merlot bottle, sitting on top the kitchen counter.

The one-armed tween went straight upstairs – and worked his ‘checklist’ …

… he first took a trash bag and disposed of the clothing, which he had worn that night. In the nuddy, his 2nd action was – to scrub him himself ‘clean’… while in the shower, to get rid of any bodily dirt evidence – which those CSI-dogs… whether 4-legged or 2…

… ‘would’ sniff out, to link to a DNA search.

‘… on-side-note – since the ‘act’ happened in a dark, lonely old-road, with busted streetlamps, that’s ‘no worries’ of any-Officer Frank Smithy to worry-about – coz ‘no’ to any CCTV cams – a ‘big’ bloody check-off… in the sacred-checklist…

… ‘O you-poor-sucker-Jimbo… the Dumbo…’

That evening… before he could implement his 3rd course of action – his Mom called him to come down for dinner…

-O-

… he put on a fresh pair tracky-daks and his John McEnroe t-shirt, and he came downstairs. He grinned to himself… walking down the stairs, thinking his plan was going ‘spot-on.’ All he had to do was his ‘alibi’…

… which was to be ‘present’ during family-time, and enjoy the evening – by eating his mother’s cooking…

… but he doesn’t give any Mom-praises too… although it was pretty good…

… ‘why’ give her the satisfaction – tit-for-tat.

Then came the family-TV-time, where they watched the funny-horror show ‘Supernatural’ – where he waited for the precise moment, for-his twin to get his ‘phone-call’ about the ‘hideous-act’ – where he then made a fuss-of-an-excuse, for his exit upstairs…

Back in his locked bedroom… he implemented his delayed 3rd course of action in his checklist, which was cleaning up his ‘stained’ Bobolat with alcohol-based cleaner…

… his weapon-of-choice… from the ‘victim’s’ blood, and ‘other’ bloody-DNA-linked-shit.

From upstairs…

… he ‘heard’ downstairs… of his inspector-mother leaving to Chinatown Wong’s mother’s hair salon, in her crime-fighting-Audi-mobile. Then after 15 minutes, he came ‘downstairs’… and his twin ‘was’ in his room…

… he too left on the road, IN HIS ‘DELOREAN’…

… with his trash-bag.

At a secluded safe-spot, he set fire – and burnt his crime-related clothing – in rapt mood… cycling…

… he-later returned home, singing aloud…

… AccaDacca’s ‘Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.’

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AT THE DIFFERENT POLICE STATION, Senior detective Phil Johnson was interrogating Jim Hatcher, the meth-head suspect over the crimes he had committed, during the night of Perth Great Fire. Also present was Dr Jenny Watson – a government-shrink…

… who was evaluating Jimbo’s mental state, for his-trial in court tomorrow.

They both were observing that Jimbo was telling-them different versions of ‘tales’ each time – and the timeline was confusing too – with his ‘own’ drug-abuses had altered his mental state of mind… to ‘FIT’ EVENTS OF THE world-reality-he-lived in.

Det. Johnson then asked-him ‘why’ he threw rocks, at the 3 moving express buses, where one bus had-an accident, and went down, skidded sideways… and injuring 11 passengers and with the driver.

“They bloody-deserve it! Those selfish-greedy bastards won’t give Jimbo… his bloody $10 – so God had intervention spoke to my faithful Kitt – for ‘he’ is my-state of the art, AI the talking-bike – and Kitt told me God ‘wanted’ me to punish them – that is ‘why’ I did it!”

Dr Watson wrote that Jimbo 'heard' voices of both – his-God and his talking-bicycle.

Det. Johnson then pressed on… asking Jimbo ‘why’ he went to attacking a-girl and stole her bicycle.

“No, for the 100th time I’m saying – I did not’ hurt the ‘boy’… and neither would I rat.”

Dr Watson noted in her record, that the deranged meth-addict – couldn’t distinguish gender sexes when he referred the assault victim…

… ALICIA WONG AI CHOO... AS A ‘BOY.’

Det. Johnson caught a loop when Jimbo mentioned ‘rat’ just now – and the interrogator asked if there was ‘another’ person involved in the crime, on that Monday night…

Jimbo plugged both of his index fingers into his ears…

“… I’m ‘not’ saying – la-la-la-la… I rather go to prison, that gives Jimbo 3 square meals to eat, although Mary Lee’s cooking is better… but I’m ‘not’ a rat, and I won’t tell Y’all ‘who’ did it.”

Det. Johnson asked if God was with him, at the crime scene – and ‘told’ him do beat that ‘victim,’ and steal the bicycle…

“Noo-God is love and good… and He wouldn’t do such cruel things, and neither would I. But ‘those’ THIEVES SHOULD BE PUNISHED for their crimes they-do and should burn in bloody hell! That boy is ‘no’ exception – he should burn in hell-fires for stealing…

“My Kitt the talking-bike ‘said’ that-so too – yous, do ‘not’ go judge on us, the righteous ones for bringing God’ justice in Perth, you hear me – that is why I won’t rat on ‘who’ did it!”

Being a religious man himself… Det. Phil Johnson told about – the anguish and sadness of the parents of the ‘boy’ were suffering now, by the cause of ‘his’ God’s ‘justice.’

“No-no-no, you are wrong – that’s ‘not’ what is written in the Good-book – his parents should-be wronged too, for their irresponsibility-morals… and their failure-to deliver values in their poor upbringing, of this child of God – who now ending-up with ‘this’ evil-boy, following too in footsteps of his snake-father’s whose ‘own’ selfish, greedy-taker attitude himself-is evil too – and ‘that’s why’ Kitt said to me, ‘his’ parents should be punish for ‘his’ wrongdoings too!

“Although I have ‘not’ killed-anyone so far in my life – but as his ‘servant,’ I would ‘not’ mind ‘doing’ it for God… and to bring His justice to Perth – I reckon myself ‘not’ mind, clubbing the evil boy's Ma and Pa, in their heads too… to knock the 10 Commandments ‘into’ them – and send them, to burn in bloody-hell too!”

Jimbo chuckled out…

Det. Johnson questioned his moral code, it isn’t ‘THOU SHALL ‘NOT’ KILL’ was in the Good-book – and ‘why’ did he do it – and ‘what-if’ that boy died – that would make him ‘guilty’ too, both in the ‘eyes’ of the law and God’s…

… Johnson then asked ‘what’ Mary Lee – his sister in Leonora – would ‘think’ of him, when he went to prison – while the ‘real’ perpetrator walked free in Perth, to continue his serial crimes-spree?

When Jimbo HEARD HIS ‘SISTER’S’ NAME being mentioned – he got scared…

“Oh-No-my-God… what have I done??? Mary Lee is a-chatty mouth… and she would go around tell-that Jimbo a criminal to the neighbours… and that-will get to Ma, and she will ‘know’ too – that I’m going to prison for 10 years.

“My-Ma is 92… and has this heart problem, who gone-thru’ a couple of those-complicated-heart-surgeries, where they put tiny-miniature pumps-in-them – and ‘what’ happens when my prison story would get to Ma – and ‘it’ would pump-herself-out – and get one final massive heart-attack that would eventually kill her – and I get ‘another’ 10 years to go in prison-for…

“… but I love my Ma… and don’t reckon mind going prison for her – but this-thought of I have killed Ma, is ‘wrong’ in God’s eye… and I will be condemned to hell too… I don’t want to go that bloody place… as-alone – I am sleeping in this hell-hole Perth on bloody benches, in the streets… which are choking me-hard… by its smoke…”

They ‘lost’ Jimbo… as he nattered with self-talks, as he self-reasoned to himself, with a mouth full of rotten teeth. Then he then shouted out…

“Don’t tell Mary Lee, she can’t keep secrets – and we ask Kitt – Kitt ‘always’ has answers, and he even had ‘spoken’ to God! where is my talking Kitt…? I demand now, to see my faithful friend Kitt!”

Det. Johnson cajoled Jimbo… that he can see Kitt… ONLY IF HE GAVE A ‘NAME.’

“I don’t know the one-armed guy’s name – but he goes around in a fancy-DeLorean...”