Chapter 59

Present – Ben, Mira and Ira – The trip to Alexi’s house

With the twins’ guns stored safely in the gun room, we head to the garage and they climb into the back seat of my truck. I open the garage door, start it up, pull out and head toward Alexi’s house.

Ira asks, “Mr. Blaine, how do you know the directions to Alexi’s house?”

I reply, “Most people in Leadville know where your brother lives.”

Mira queries, “Why is that Mr. Blaine?”

I laugh and reply, “He is the only person in Leadville who has more than one wife.” I continue, “Tell me, does his house really smell as badly as I have heard?”

I should have known better as Mira starts, “Mr. Blaine you would not believe how toxic the air is...”

Ira finishes, “ ... There are so many soiled nappies it makes our eyes water.”

I wonder, “Why doesn’t one of his wives clean the house?”

Mira practically explodes, “Even when we harass them about potential disease, they will not do anything to clean the house.”

Ira expounds, “We even threatened them physically but then they laughed and told us if we didn’t like it we could leave.”

I’m shocked so I reply, “Well, it’s a good thing you’re coming to live with us. We are really looking forward to having the Angels of Death as our bodyguards.”

Ira starts, “No more thankful than we will be...”

Mira finishes, “ ... For being out of that den of defecation.”

When we arrive at Alexi’s house there are two guards out front who approach my truck. I roll down the window and one of them declares, “State your business here.”

Ira responds, “We are Alexi’s sisters and are here to remove our personal items from the house.”

The guard says, “We will need to verify your story.”

He pulls out a mobile phone and makes a call. I can’t hear the discussion but he does give a description of the twins. He disconnects his mobile phone and says, “Okay, the girls can go into the house but you (he indicates me) need to wait in the truck.”

Mira and Ira say, “Don’t worry Mr. Blaine, we will practice all possible expedience.”

They dash into the house and the guard confides in me, “Trust me, you don’t want to go in that house anyway.”

I play dumb and ask, “Why’s that?”

He answers, “The whole place reeks of shit!”

I challenge, “Come on, it can’t be that bad.”

He shakes his head and responds, “Why do you think we stay outside?” Then he laughs and gives out too much information, “Hell, Bill came over and went in the house. His eyes were watering when he came out.”

The other guard adds, “I guess they are going to hire some men to come and clean the place on a regular basis.”

I question, “Why men?”

The guard informs me, “Because Alexi – the horn dog - tries to marry any woman who comes into his house.”

Mira arrives with the first load and packs it into the bed of the truck. I offer, “You can put that in the cab if you want.”

She answers, “Not if we wish to be able to breathe.”

Ira arrives with another load and places it in the bed of the truck. When both the twins head back inside I walk over to the bed but stop short because their clothes smell like shit.

I pull out my mobile phone and call Jens. She answers, “Hello my love what can I do for you?”