She hadn't meant to kill him. But, here she was covered in his blood. Dead, from a gunshot wound between his eyes. He had come at her, and she just reacted. He was going to hurt her, and she wasn't ever going to let that happen again. 

Early on, the relationship was good, he spoke to her with only words of kindness. He held her lovingly. But then, their world fell apart when the stock market crashed. They called it Black Friday, and she agreed, because something in him died and in it's place, an evil, vindictive monster came out.

They had married on August 19, 1929. It was a beautiful wedding, and it had hit all of the high society pages in the papers. It was the happiest time In her life. When they returned from a 2 week long honeymoon trip, they settled in to their new home. He worked on Wall Street making money hand over fist. They had begun to talk about having children. 

Then, during the last couple of weeks in October, he had come home in a fowl mood, almost every evening. She tried to get him to talk to her, but he had nothing to say. Then came the day known as Black Tuesday. She heard screaming in the streets, people were crying and rioting in the streets. She called him at the office, and no one answered. She started to panic, thinking the worst.  He came home several hours later, so drunk he could barely walk. When she questioned him, he slapped her. She had stood there stunned, she had no idea what had just happened. She decided, the best thing she could do, was just go to bed.  

Weeks turned into months, they barely had any food, so she took on sewing and cleaning jobs to buy a loaf of bread or a bottle of milk and occasionally meat. She learned how to make those things stretch. He somehow always had to money for booze though. He became a shell of the man he once was. He never spoke to her, unless it was to yell at her. No matter what she did, it was wrong in his eyes. 

She tried to remember the love she once felt for him, but, it was clouded by all of the hate that had built up, with every blow to her face. She took as many seamstress jobs as she could, so she could work through most nights while he slept. She had taken to hiding some of the money, so she could save up, and leave him. She would go as far away as she could. She didn't want this life, this man. She wanted to find herself again, get rid of the misery.  

After many months, and many black eyes, she had finally saved up enough to by a one way train ticket to Las Vegas Nevada. It was a big enough city that he would never find her, if he ever even bothered to look for her.  While he was out drinking his sorrows away, she went to the train station and bought her ticket. She would be leaving, first thing in the morning. It would be simple, he would still be sleeping off the bourbon, and she would be on her way to a brand new life. She came home and packed a small bag and hid it in the hall closet, and she paced the floor until he came home. She was nervous, but excited as well.

When he came home, she placed his evening meal on the table. He sneered at her when he saw there was no meat, only vegetables and a small hunk of bread. "I guess you aren't doing enough sewing and cleaning. A man needs meat to sustain himself!" He screamed at her. She bowed her head slightly and murmured an apology. He stood, and tried to grab her by the arm. She ran from the kitchen and into the bedroom. She opened the nightstand where he kept his derringer. She pointed it at him as he came crashing through the door.  It didn't even register to him that she had the gun.. he was so filled with rage, he just kept coming at her.  Then all of the sudden, he stopped and fell across the bed, and she realized, she had pulled the trigger.

She hadn't meant to kill him. But, here she was covered in his blood. Dead, from a gunshot wound between his eyes. He had come at her, and she just reacted. 

He heard the shot as he walked up the front path of her home.  Instinctively feeling if the snub nosed revolver he carried for general protection was still tucked in it’s holster under his jacket he grabbed it and pulled back on the hammer readying himself for what waited beyond the door.

Carefully he tried the door and slowly opened it when he found it unlocked.  

Hiding the gun under the bundle of aprons and shirts he had initially brought to have repaired he entered the home and listened for any signs of danger.  Hearing a noise coming from the back of the hall he slowly went to the room.

The scene that awaited him left him stunned briefly.  There she was standing with the gun shaking in her hand, smoke from the shot still wafting from the barrel.  The body laying on the bed, not moving.

“Miss Vivian?  It’s me Dac, from the bar on 37th.  I heard the shot and came in to help.”  

He dropped the bundle he was carrying and quickly uncocked his gun, holstering it at the same time.  Walking up to her he gently took the gun from her hands and guided her to a chair that sat in the corner of the room.  

“Here Miss Vivian.  Have a seat.  Tell me what happened, quickly before any neighbours realize what’s going on and call the cops."

She could smell it. The blood. The pungent coppery  smell assaulting her nose. That was the only thing she focus on.  Then she heard him, Dacaknuckle, from the bar. She watched as he gently took the gun out of her hand, felt him guide her to the chair. She snapped out of it when she heard him speak. 

“Here Miss Vivian.  Have a seat.  Tell me what happened, quickly before any neighbours realize what’s going on and call the cops."

She opened up her mouth, and the flood of the past several months came crashing out. As they both sat there trying to figure out what the next move was, she remembered the train ticket, and her packed back in the hall closet. 

Listening to her story made his body feel numb.  The abuse and pain was something that angered him whenever he heard about it.  He dealt with lowlife wife beaters everyday at the bar.  Times are tough and after they had a few too many they felt like they could get away with beating someone who couldn't or sometime wouldn't fight back.  The weak beating on those that were not able to defend themselves just to feel like a big man.  His fists clenching and unclenching as he listened to her tale.

"We need to get you out of here fast.  Do you have anywhere that you can go?  Anywhere out of town?"

He looked at the body and the room mentally working out what it would take to get things cleaned up here and get rid of the corpse before people got suspicious.

"I've got my car outside.  I can clean up this mess enough to keep any busy bodies from figuring out what happened here.  You need to get cleaned up and ready to run.  I can get rid of our friend over there."

He looked into her eyes and smiled.  The jackass really picked the wrong woman to mess with.  He could see the fire burning back there behind the tears.

"It's gonna be alright Miss Vivian.  It's gonna be alright."

I was in the bathtub when I heard the phone ringing.  This must be really important because it continually rang. I jumped out of the bathtub grabbed a towel and rang to the phone.

It was  Dacaknuckle.  He desperately needed a cleaner.  He knew that I had the best cleaners in the business.

It was needed for a situation involving Vivian_Ward a Don over in Summerlin and it was a very touchy situation. It needed the best and very confidential work possible.   I knew Ms Vivian_Ward very well and she is a good person, I have nothing but great respect for her. If she had something that needed to be handled there was nothing I wouldn’t help her with.

Dacaknuckle and I talked a few minutes and determined that I would be sending my best guy Moe and his boys over there to handle the situation. That he could depend on Moe to take care the job in the right way.  I would get back with him with a fee once the job and done.

After hanging up the phone he looked around the room.  Vivian was showering and getting into some clean clothes.  He knew Moe was on his way but he realized that he had time to get a few things sorted first.  He backed his car into the drive and popped the trunk.  It was a good thing he had bought the one with the extra trunk space for when he needed to pick up supplies for his bar.   He looked around.  It was getting late and fortune may have been on their side.  No one appeared to be out on the street and he figured he would have time to get the clean up started.

Going back to the room he took the bedding and started wrapping the body in it.  The loser wasn't a big man so that was lucky.  With a grunt he threw the wrapped corpse over his shoulder in a fireman's carry and went to put it in the trunk of the car.  When he finally got it situated he ran back the shed by the little garden and grabbed a spade, throwing it in next to the bundle.  Slamming the trunk lid he looked up and checked out the neighbours again.  A man walking his dog happened to cross in front of the property and looked at Dac suspiciously, not recognizing him or his vehicle from the neighbourhood.  Panic started to flood through Dac's veins.

"Hello there.  Nice night isn't it?"  He asked as he walked towards the door.  The man grunted and continued on his way looking back as if unsure on what to do.

Closing the door behind him he looked at the mantle clock in the sitting room and he swore softly to himself.

"Miss Vivian! We are going to have to get a hustle on.  The neighbours are doing what they do best and thats not going to be good for us if we stay here too long."

Grabbing a piece of paper and pen from the writing desk he scribbled a note for Moe welcoming him and explaining that they had to take a quick trip to Vivian's mother's house to deliver some of the fresh potatoes from the garden and would be back shortly.   Letting him know the back door was unlocked  and that he was to make himself at home while he waited.  Folding it neatly he stuck it in the window of the front door.  

She finished drying her hair and dressed quickly. Her bloodied clothes lay on the floor at her feet. Thank goodness it was a chilly evening, and she could get away with having a fire in the fireplace. She quickly lit it, and tossed her soiled clothing in. As the flames licked about, she thought about her next move. If they could get this mess cleaned up quickly, she could still be back to gather her belongings and catch that train to Las Vegas.

She grabbed her handbag and met Dacaknuckle at the front door. 

"I'm ready, let's get this done."

I knew that Moe and his boys were on their way to meet with Dacaknuckle.  Something very important crossed my mind.  I wonder what type of insurance Vivian_Ward had on her husband.  If she wanted to collect on the insurance policy we had to be very careful how we would handle the body we might not want to just dispose of it.  We had to make it look like an accident.  I decided to go and check out things myself to make sure Vivian_Ward wouldn't lose out on any monies.

When I arrived just Moe and the boys were there.  They had taken care of everything inside the house.  We would just wait for Dacaknuckle and  Vivian to get back and see if anything else was necessary.

Returning to the house after quickly gather some things for Vivian to travel with and a bundle of cash he had stashed in the safe of his bar to help her get her feet on the ground when she got to where she was going they noticed the van in the drive and Billie's car out front.  Getting out they went inside to see where they stood. 

"Hey Billie. Thanks for coming by so quick.  This is Vivian and We are just getting ready to send her on her way.  Is there anything you need from her?"

Reaching out to shake Billie's hand he places a thick envelope in he hands.

"This is the deposit.  Let me know where we stand when everything is said and done.  Oh and I also have a bundle wrapped up in the back of the car.  I was planning on getting rid of it later."

Dacaknuckle and I shook hands and I place the envelope in my purse.

Before we can finish the job I need to know if there is a insurance policy involved that Ms Vivian_Ward  would like to collect on.  If that is the case we have to make this look like a accident.  It has to be done right to avoid any suspicion by the insurance company.  Depending on how much he was insured for there might be a full investigation.  We need to know which way  we need to proceed.