Take the Money and Run (Madam Mim and CaptainPeriwinkle)

Paradise...ha! Whoever had named this town either had a cruel sense of humor or had no idea what it would become. It was as if someone had taken the worst of the worst from the slums and gutters of New York, Philadelphia, and Boston, and dumped them in the middle of nowhere out west, trapping them all together in one tiny little shit-splat town. It was like a trap built for people who had come out on nothing but a few hundred dollars and a dream.

Lenora and her husband had been those people once. They had been young and in love and, with her father's blessing, had started out west from Virginia on their way to California where they'd heard gold ran as freely as water in those clear, untouched rivers. They'd gotten married in Mississippi, the last state in the union at that time, geographically speaking; they both came from poor families and Leroy had promised her father he'd marry Lenora on their way out to California. Lenora had written home and sent a copy of their marriage license with it to prove that he'd made good on his word. Her father had said that if they weren't married within six months he'd track them down and come all the way to California if he had to in order to retrieve his daughter. But no, Leroy had been a good man then.

Lenora had long known that her husband was no longer a good man, but what could she do about it? She had taken a vow, "til death do us part," and even if she did leave he'd find her. Leroy had ways. He knew people. The Browns had never made it out to California. Their wagon wheel had broken and they'd been able to limp into Paradise to stay overnight until their wagon was fixed. But Paradise was far from anywhere and upon learning that the axle was broken as well, they became resigned to the fact that they had to wait for the part, so overnight turned into a week. Then two weeks. It was a month and a half before the parts finally came. By then the troubles had already started.

Paradise had pulled Leroy into its grip by then. He had discovered the tastes of whiskey and moonshine...and women. Other women. Viceful women. In the three years since, he had become a violent, womanizing drunkard who beat his wife more often than he kissed her. He'd found work as a pimp and often sampled the wares he peddled. Lenora stayed at home, making meals he only came home to eat about half the time. She often wondered how long it would take for him to notice she was missing if she ever got up the courage to leave. But then he would hunt her down, find her, and make her sorry. Maybe even kill her.

Tonight she had come to see him at work, to beg him to come home for the night. That hadn't gone the way she had intended. Now she leaned against the backside of a brothel in the shadows of an alley, trying to control her tears. More crying just meant more pain in the bruise blossoming at her cheekbone and around her eye. The only thing Leroy was good for anymore was that she knew if another man touched her, or even looked at her slantways, he'd kill him. Still, that didn't keep her from being afraid of the kind of men who drunkenly stumbled down alleys at this time of night.

The truth was the truth. No matter how much one tried to deny it, or try to sweep things under the rug, the truth would always prevail. At least, that's what Leonard's grandfather had told him for years and years. Often the best thing to do with the knowledge of the truth, was to embrace it. Embrace it, own it, live it. That was Leonard's mantra. It was the thing he lived by, and the thing that made up his whole identity. The truth in Leonard's case was simple. Leonard was a piece of shit. He was a scumbag in the worst way. He wanted nothing more in this world than a pussy to fuck and pockets bursting at the seems with large numbered dollar bills. Some say that his heart imploded on itself years ago, but Leonard was just looking out for the person that mattered most, himself.

For some, it was often hard to track the man. His thought process was so deliberate, so careful, that in more ways than one, he was untouchable. Anytime he committed a heinous crime, there was no way to connect the dots to him, yet, somehow, Leonard was a lifetime criminal. From a very young age, Leonard was hustling people for petty dollars in pool and in card games. After making more than he should of at that age, he graduated to making moonshine that would literally blind a man, and murder. Leonard had done it all under the sun, but he still found himself giving back to the community. Maybe it was some sick and desperate effort to quell whatever higher power there was and tell them not to smite him where he stood. Leonard had an addictive personality, and it had gotten him into trouble more than once. Even as it stood today, Leonard was a dead man walking. He had been sentenced to be hung, which showed that everyone made mistakes, and even the simplest of mistakes could cost you. Leonard had his friends in high places pull whatever strings they could, but in the end, they couldn't get him off death row. They got him out for a day, which was nice, but he would still die in the morning.

As he strolled his last stroll through the town that he had grown up in and loved, the sound of commotion drew his ear. Walking at a faster pace towards it, he found a drunk man harassing a poor young woman. He was touching her, putting his hands on her, saying crude things to her, likely with the assumpton that no one else was out and no one else was going to help her. It was an assumption that he would find was very, very wrong.

"Cmon babe, let ole Thomas see those creamy thighs of yers."

The man said as he tugged at Lenora's clothes with his dirty hands. This was the town drunk, Thomas Whitney. He was a man that in many cases was a lower class citizen than Leonard even was. This was a man that Leonard had come into contact with a few times now, both in the best senses and in the worst. Leonard had spent some drunken nights with Thomas, sharing a bottle of cheap whiskey or wine, behind the jail or behind the brothel. He had also gotten into his fair share of drunken brawls with Thomas, and when no one else was there for the drunk son of a bitch, Leonard was. On the other hand, Leonard had almost died a few times at Thomas's hands, taken the fall for Thomas, and even taken a few punches for the guy. The two weren't friends by any means, but Leonard was a thrill seeker.

"Now, now, Thomas. Why don't you get on home."

The man said making his presence known. Thomas turned to look at him.

"Fuck you Leonard. Why don't you just fu -hiccup- ck off."

"I asked you nicely, Thomas. No reason to be unreasonable."

Clearly, Thomas wasn't in any mood tonight. He wanted some action and he was willing to do whatever it took to get it. Anyway, Thomas was all but through listening to Leonard try and put his morales on him. Pulling a tiny knife, he pointed it at Lenora and then at Leonard.

"And I said fuck you."

With that Thomas lunged at him, but the man had clearly gotten piss drunk that night. Off of what, Leonard wasn't sure, but the action alone was something that Leonard didn't appreciate. In his drunken state, Thomas wasn't very coordinated, but his attack had fallen short nearly from the get go. Leonard reached out and grabbed the man's wrist, before throwing him face first into the side of the wall. Thomas flopped to his back with a loud grunt and thud. Leonard looked down at him, muttered something under his breath before he stepped on the drunk's wrist causing him to release the knife. Kicking it away, he looked back at Thomas.

"You better get."

Thomas responded in kind. Scrambling to stand up and stumbling out of the alley. Leonard then turned his attention to Lenora, keeling down in front of her. The grabbing and pulling from Thomas had caused Lenora's clothes to rip in some places. Putting his hand gently on Lenora's cheeks, he gave her a once over before he spoke.

"You alright?"

"Hey there good-lookin'."

Lenora looked up at the voice, startled. It was only the town drunk--which was impressive, for a town full of town drunks--a disgusting man but harmless enough. Leroy had had plenty of dealings with him in the past. She tried to dry her eyes, but winced as her hand passed over the blossoming black eye.

"Oh, hello there Mister Whitney." Though she knew it went to waste in a town like this, Lenora did have some manners still. "You startled me."

"Ol' Thomas ain't no boogey-man, Missus Brown," he slurred, stepping towards her. She took a step back, but he continued. "Leroy ain't been home again, eh Lenora? Must leave you awful lonely."

"Well, it does but it's okay," she said timidly, her body hugging the wall. "Leroy's just busy with work a lot is all."

"Leroy's crazy," Thomas slurred. "Purdy woman like you? You'd be all loved-up ever nigh' a' yer life iffin you was my wife."

Lenora chuckled nervously. "Well, that's very flattering Thomas, but I really ought to get home..."

"I don't think yer goin' anywhere." Thomas swayed in his spot, but still he was sober enough to block her path. "C'mere, sugar." He started to stagger towards her. Lenora's only options were to try to get around him, or back herself into the dead-end alleyway.

"Thomas, please. You're drunk. I'll be expecting an apology in the morning, you know." She tried to sound stern, but Mrs. Brown's voice shook. The drunkard, sensing her timidity, lunged forward and began pawing at her dress.

"C'mon babe, let ol' Thomas see them creamy thighs of yers." His breath reeked as he started pulling at Lenora's dress and pawing her hair, mussing it before his hands went to her cleavage.

"No! Thomas, stop! Leroy's gonna kill you--!" She staggered backwards in an effort to get away, feet getting tangled up in her skirts causing her to fall ass-backwards into the dirt.

"Fuck Leroy!"

Lenora opened her mouth to protest, but it was then that another man made his presence known and spoke to Thomas. Oh dear God, not two of them! When Leroy did come home, he'd often eat his dinner then strip his wife down and throw her onto their bed, rutting away like an animal with no regard for his wife's pleasure. Lenora had become used to this; after all, it was a man's right to lay with his wife. But this? This was rape! She closed her eyes, preparing for the worst.

But then their conversation continued. This stranger was defending her? That was unusual for Paradise, particularly the men of Paradise. When Thomas pulled a knife, Lenora put both hands over her mouth. Never scream; Leroy had taught her that if you scream, chances are you'll always get it worse, whatever 'it' is. She watched the men scuffle and winced as the stranger stepped on Thomas's wrist. She watched as Thomas took off into the street, probably in search of more liquor or maybe some whores. Lenora shied as the stranger approached and touched her, but his touch was surprisingly...gentle. It had been a very long time since any man had touched her that gently for any reason.

"I...yes, I'm alright," she managed to stammer. "This dress needed mending, anyways." She giggled nervously and pushed herself to her feet, dusting herself off. "Thank you, Mister urm...?"

The woman's giggle was met with a quicked eyebrow. She had almost been beaten half to death and likely raped, and here she was giggling? It must have been her only reaction. Sometimes he had the same sort of thing, but never in a situation like this. Pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket, he handed it to her. By all means, he wanted to be the charming gentleman that wiped her face off for her and slapped her on the rear as she was off and on her way, but Leonard was far from that man. In fact, Leonard was the opposite of a charming gentleman. He was an outlaw.

Still, sometimes Leonard tried his hardest to be that Prince Charming. Normally, it didn't work and it almost always ended with someone getting killed in a very brutal fashion, but there was always a first time for everything.

Paradise was a small town. Nearly everyone knew everyone else. There was one general store, one stable, one postmaster, and one railroad that ran right through the middle of the town. The population was fairly low and news often travelled quickly. If there was something to be said on one side of town, it would reach the other side before the days end. Normally the "Chatty Cathys" took care of the gossip and kept everyone informed. It was this reason, why Leonard gave her an odd smile. Apparently, he knew Lenora, but she didn't know him. As strange as that was, Lenord decided to run with it.

"Leonard. Leonard Banks."

The man said with a tip of his hat.

"And you are. . ."

Stepping back, he thought for a moment. He knew who she was, and he knew who her husband was. It was be weird for him to just come right out and say it though, so of course he had to play things up. He acted as though he was giving this much thought, and wondered if she really did know who he was. Leonard was a smart man. He was very good at putting two and two together. It was the same reason why he normally didn't get caught.

"Lenora Brown."

He finally settled on the name. Then he took a moment to look at the surroundings. She was in the alleyway of the local tavern. She must have been here because her no good, drunk husband was inside. Don't get Leonard wrong though, he wasn't shaming the alcohol, he was shaming the man who had lost his sense of responsibility. Sure, it was a woman's responsibility to cook, clean, rear children, and offer relief for more pressing physical matters, but it was the man's responsibility to make sure the woman was safe. Everyone knew that. Just like everyone knew that the Brown marriage was worse than being "on the rocks." The Brown marriage had long plummeted off the cliff of dysfunction, ever since good ole Leroy had found the bottle.

One thing to note about Leonard, he wasn't scared of anyone. He had clashed with Leroy once before, but it didn't lead to anything. Merely just the two butting heads before someone tore them apart. In Leonard's head though, if that altercation would have gone on for a few minutes longer, Leroy would have been a dead man. Leroy was the type of man that was all bark and no bite. The type of man that made up for his inadequacies by beating up his defenseless wife. Leonard was far from a white knight, he enjoyed a good roll in the hay as much as anyone, but he was a man that valued responsibility and social standing.

"Come on, let's get you home."

The man said, putting his rough, calloused hand on her bare shoulder.

Lenora took the stranger's handkerchief with gratitude. Sniffing, she managed to dab up a bit of the blood that marred her face, put there not by the drunkard but her husband. She winced as she dabbed at a few tender spots. When he guessed at her name she looked down and twisted the simple, cheap gold band around her finger.

"I see my husband's reputation precedes me. Pleased to meet you, Mr. Banks." Lenora looked up, a little startled when he put his hand on her shoulder. With a small smile of gratitude she took his arm, grateful for the escort home. "I'm sorry I don't know you better. Leroy...he doesn't like me to leave the house much, less it's for shoppin'. He likes me talking to strangers even less."

Indeed, Lenora didn't get out of the house much. The Brown house was out on the edge of town where she was quite alone without very many neighbors around. It also made for a good, long walk with her new friend. As they walked under the lit street lamps it was easy to see her normally pretty face was bruised up from her husband's abuses, though this wasn't nearly the worst she had ever endured. She dabbed at the cut in her lip to see if it was still bleeding, and when it wasn't she awkwardly handed the handkerchief back to Leonard.

"Thanks for walking me home, Mr. Banks," she said with as much of a smile as she could muster through the pain. "And for that...back there, with Thomas. I'll be sure to let Leroy know. Well...maybe not. He'd kill Thomas." She twisted the folds of her skirt anxiously with her hands, a little nervous around another man. If Leroy saw them even simply walking together, he'd lay a beating on them both. After all, he beat his wife six ways to Sunday and nobody ever said anything, even though they all knew he was the one who did it. Timid little Lenora had never done anything to anybody.

"So um...what do you do, Mr. Banks? Are you a banker?" she chuckled nervously again. "I'm sorry, that was horrid of me. I'm sure you get bad jokes like that all the time."

When the option to take his handkerchief came back to him, Leonard shook his head and closed her hand around it. It wasn't that he didn't want it back, okay, yes it was. He didn't want to carry around a blood splattered handkerchief, what kind of message would that send? Besides, it might be better if she kept it as some kind of momento. Leonard didn't know, he just knew he didn't want the damned handkerchief back. He had a few more if he needed them.

The walk back to the Brown residence was quite a bit longer than he had expected. He figured that Leroy was the possessive type. The "have your cake and eat it too" type. It wasn't surprising, just look at the man. He had fallen into the clutches of Paradise. He partook in every vice the city offered, and Leonard was willing to bet he partook in a few more that the city didn't offer. It wasn't all Leroy's fault though. The city had a bad reputation as being a city that could take a good hearted man and turn him into a piece of shit. All one had to do now was add Leroy's name to the list. Still, while it wasn't his fault, it didn't mean that he wasn't responsible. If Leroy ever mistepped he would easily wind up in the hospital, or worse, dead in a gutter somewhere. It had happened to far better and worse men than Leroy.

The man nodded when she apologized, no thanks was necessary really. He was just doing what any-. Okay, he was just doing the right thing. He was in the right place at the right time, and he was able to help someone in need out. It wouldn't be long before he was hung in the town square to his death, he might as well try a little bit to get into those Pearly Gates, though he and everyone else all knew that he was damned to spend an eternity with the devil. He had lived a good life though, his eternal fate was to be expected. Hell, he was eager to meet the guy. No pun intended.

When she said her poor joke, the man just shook his head. It wasn't that he got it all the time, it was moreso that it was just a bad joke. Banks - banker, how much thought did that really take? He supposed that the sheer fact that she would even say something like that was humerous, and so through his thick guise, he flashed his yellow teeth. He was far from being a model citizen, and his hygiene also suffered for the most part.

"Nah. If you must know, I'm a bad man." Leonard started, meeting eyes with her for just a moment. "I kill, I pillage, I fight." He said with another flash of his smile, this one a little more sinister. "I'm set to die tomorrow. Town square, eight in the morning. You gonna be there?" He continued with a slight chuckle, although he seemed more than okay with it. He had long come to terms with things, and telling Lenora something she would have already known had it not been for her husband didn't seem to hurt things very much. "Don't worry, you aren't in any danger. I'll turn and leave you here if you so choose. I just thought you'd like to know. ."

Lenora was a little put off by the man's hygiene, but he was nice enough. She almost laughed when he told her that he was a bad man, thinking it was a joke. But when he invited her to his hanging she looked shocked and took a side step away from him. But on the other hand, he had saved her.

"Oh, well...it's safer than walking on my own, clearly," she said after a moment's thought. "Sounds like you're not much different from any Paradise man, hmm?"

Lenora did look around, however, as she walked through town. Particularly when they left the main town, she glanced around to make sure there wasn't anyone to see her and tell Leroy that she was walking home with another man. He took more than his fair share of the whores downtown, but she wasn't allowed to so much as look at another man, nevermind talk to him.

"Well um...this is me," Lenora said quietly as they reached her stoop and walked up the steps to the door. "It's a shame, y'know. That your hanging is tomorrow. You could have been a good friend, I think, Mr. Banks."

When the two of them arrived at her home, Leonard was more than just a little reluctant to let her go. He was a little confused about her comments about his hanging the next day. A few friends would do little to nothing to help him in that situation. In a weird way, Leonard almost wished that no one would show up. He wished that he could just die in peace. The hanging wasn't what disturbed him, it was dying in front of people who actually cared for him in such a brutal manner. It would be easy for him, but painful for everyone else.

The man glanced into her eyes. His own blue orbs showing mainly remorse and regret. It was odd that they allowed him out of the jail on his last night on this Earth. He supposed that they trusted the townsfolk enough to just stay and get what was coming to them. Though, it had been awhile since someone had been executed in the fair town. As of right now, he had all intentions to go to his execution. He got caught, and he deserved his punishment. He had nearly nothing to live for, no one to live for. Any way he cut it, it was his time and he had had one hell of a ride.

The eyes desperately searched hers, before he turned and reached his hand out.

"Spend this last night with me."

He realized what his words sounded like, before he shook his head. He was having a hard time searching for the words. He didn't want to share a bed with her or anything, he just wanted some company on his last night on Earth.

"Not in that manner. I mean, come with me. Let's fall asleep under the stars, jump into a waterfall, live life to it's fullest"

The words were starting to come alive for him now. There was more than a fair amount of excitement in his voice. He was asking her, no, pleading with her as his final wish. If she said no, he'd be crushed, but he wouldn't show it. He had one of the better poker faces around. Leonard just felt as though it'd be nice to experience what it was like to have a significant other. Years of womanizing had left him with a black hole for a heart and terrible expectations.

There were a few, awkward moments on the front porch, twisting her fingers together nervously while Leonard seemed to be thinking. Then he asked the unthinkable and Lenora took a step back. Her mouth dropped slightly with shock.

"Mister Banks, I'm a married woman! Besides, if Leroy knew you had even--"

But then he explained himself and Lenora's face softened. She understood now. It was his dying wish. Her mouth opened and closed a few times as she searched for the words. Finally, she stumbled through a question.

"I...have you had dinner? We...I could...I mean...Oh just...I'll be back."

Lenora was glad it was dark so the handsome stranger couldn't see how flustered he'd made her with his question. She left him standing on the porch with the door slightly ajar, returning a few minutes later with a cloth bundle under one arm and a bottle in the other hand. Having more of a taste for hard liquor, Leroy had let be the few bottles of wine they had had for a few years. It was a very good vintage, and Lenora figured it was going to waste in their house; this man may as well have a decent wine the night before he died.

"I guess...we could have a bit of a picnic as well, couldn't we?" she suggested timidly, taking his arm with some hesitation. "I mean, it's just some horse meat and some bread, couple of apples...but I'm sure it's better than whatever the jailer would give you for a last meal."

At least she seemed excited. She may not have said anything, but the way she moved told him that she was excited at least to spend his last night with him. Standing on the porch, he let out a little sigh, lighting up a cigarette, turning and sitting down on the stairs. He wondered how she had gotten into this situation. Leroy had been a piece of shit, at least in Leonard's head. He had known Leroy for a few years, and almost immediately from the get go, Leonard had categorized him as a piece of shit. Maybe he had changed a fair amount, this city tended to corrupt those who had weak resolve. That must have been what happened.

As he sat, his stomach audibly grumbled and growled and Leonard was happy that Lenora was going to make some food for him. It would be nice to have a homemade meal instead of that slop that was served at the prison. The shit was inedible, and because of this, Leonard had lost a fair amount of weight in prison. It was tough for him to eat, and if he did, his body would more often then not reject the food. Hearing her footsteps of return, Leonard breathed in one last drag of cancer before he put the cigarette out, standing, and greeting her.

Letting out a deep laugh, Leonard Banks smiled at the woman. The dim light from the oil lamp on the front porch doing little to light his face, but what little light there was caught well defined smile lines around his mouth. Leonard was the type of man that was always laughing. He found joy in the little things. Something someone would say before there was a bullet between his eyes, how casual most things were when he was committing a crime, a picnic under the stars of nothing more than a little horse meat and some bread that part of him knew would be a little stale and a little old. Of course it was better, it actually seemed edible!

"That sounds fantastic. Horse meat is one of my favorites!"

The man lied. He absolutely hated horse meat, but she was right. It was better than the shit at the prison. Besides, he had always been a very good liar. She didn't know his tells, or his tendencies. Besides, she likely wouldn't even question him. When their arms were linked up once again, Leonard led them a little past the house and deeper into the grass fields that were right behind it. When they had gone aways, he stopped. Grabbing the blanket from her, he unfurled it and spread it out before he found a spot. The stars were as beautiful as they always were. Out here, they could see almost everything.

"Look, I have to know. What do you see in that scumbag Leroy? I mean, I have known dat boy for a few years, and I always knew he was a scummy individual."

Leonard said through a mouthful of bread. It was his last night, what was the worst that could happen through a few probing questions?

Lenora didn't have to know his tells to know that Leonard wasn't telling the truth. Nobody actually likes horse meat; it's greasy and gamey and the taste isn't always the best, either. He was only being polite and she knew it.

"You don't have to lie, Mister Banks," she said gently. "I don't like horse meat either, but Leroy...well, most of the money he makes goes to booze and women. We don't exactly have much left over for food and such." She flushed and looked away, hesitant to speak ill of her husband. It usually made its way back to him when she did, and then she got it worse. Her black eye throbbed a little as a reminder of this.

The two made their way out to the prairie that surrounded the town. The last few houses on the edge of town, hers included, became nothing but small black silhouettes in the darkness. Lenora looked up at the stars and smiled. They were gorgeous and it was almost like looking into the face of God Himself. She thanked Leroy when he took the blanket from her and laid it out. Sitting down, she pulled out the food and wine. The wine Lenora poured into two regular tumblers since the Browns didn't own wine glasses--not anymore, at least. Leroy had thrown her grandmother's crystal against a wall in a fit of rage one night, and for once Lenora actually had had the courage to fight back. It was a mistake she learned not to repeat.

Lenora sighed when Leonard asked his question. "He was...different when I married him. He was kind, thoughtful, funny, and a good husband. Then we broke down here in Paradise on our way out to California and...well...it changed him. I guess I just keep hoping that one day he'll wake up and realize what's happened, and maybe I'll get my old Leroy back."