n see that guest；〃 and other pearls of wisdom）。 The cop asked her a few questions about the staging of those photos； and the Barfield woman clammed up； ka…bang； just like that。 Asked him if it was an official investigation； or what。 It isn't； of course； so that was that。 。 。 and in my mind； the whole subject is closed。 Iverson told me that Riley can't 〃make〃 the Barfield woman from any of the photos； so there was no handle to question her further。 。 。 not that anyone there in Central Falls really wants to； I think。 Iverson was very frank with me。 〃Let sleeping weirdos lay；〃 was what he actually said； and I agree two hundred per cent。
If the new Anthony LaScorbia novel turns out to be Plants from Hell； though； I'm quitting。
I'll write you a more normal letter later in the week； I hope； but I thought you'd want to know how it all turned out。 Meanwhile； I'm back to spending my nights on my novel and my days looking for a bestseller we can buy for 2500。 As I believe President Lincoln once said； 〃Good fucking luck； turkey。〃
Meantime； thanks for your phone call； and your last missive。 And in answer to your question； yeah； I'm also H*O*R*N*Y。
My love；
John
February 19； 1981
Dear Mr。 Kenton；
You don't know me； but I sort of know you。 My name is Roberta Solrac； and I am an avid reader of Anthony LaScorbia's series of novels。 Like Mr。 LaScorbia； I feel that ecology is about to revolt！！！ Anyway； I wrote Mr。 LaScorbia a 〃fan letter〃 last month and he answered me！ I was very excited and honored； so I sent him a dozen roses。 He said he was excited and honored （to get the roses） as no one had ever sent him flowers before。
Anyway； in our correspondence； he mentioned your name and said you were responsible for his literary triumphs。 I can't send you roses as I am 〃broke；〃 but I am sending you a small plant for your office； via UPS。 It is supposed to bring good luck。 Hope this finds you well； and keep up the good work！！！
Yours most sincerely；
Roberta Solrac
interoffice memo TO： Roger FROM： John RE： Ongoing insanity
Take a look at the enclosed letter； Roger。 Then spell 〃Solrac〃 backwards。 I think I really am going crazy。 What did I do to deserve this guy？
from the office of the editor…in…chief TO： John Kenton DATE： 2/23/81
Maybe you're jumping at shadows。 If not； what do you want to do about it？ Re…open things with the Central Falls P。 D。？ Assuming this is Detweiller…and I admit the last name soars into the outer limits of the coincidental and the style bears a certain similarity； although it's obviously a different typewriter…it's just； if I may wax alliterative； a harmless helping of little…kid harassment。 My advice is forget it。 If 〃Roberta Solrac〃 sends you a plant in the mail； dump it down the incinerator chute。 It's probably poison ivy。 You're letting this get on your nerves； John。 I tell you this seriously： Forget it。
Roger
interoffice memo TO： Roger FROM： John RE： 〃Roberta Solrac〃
Poison ivy； my ass。 The guy worked in a greenhouse。 It's probably deadly nightshade； or belladonna； or something like that。
John
from the office of the editor…in…chief TO： John Kenton DATE： 2/23/81
I thought about shagging my butt down the hall to talk to you； but I'm expecting a call from Harlow 〃The Axeman eth〃 Enders in a few minutes； and don't want to be out of my office。 But maybe it's better that I write this down anyway； because you don't seem to really believe anything unless it's in print。
John； let this go。 The Detweiller thing is over。 I know the whole business knocked you for a loop…hell； it did me； too…but you've got to let it go。 We have got some serious problems here inhouse； just in case you didn't know it。 There's going to be a reevaluation of what we're up to in June； and what were up to is not much。 This means we could all be out on our asses in September。 Our 〃year of grace〃 has begun to shrink。 Quit worrying about Detweiller and for Christ's sake find something I can publish that will make money。
I can't make myself clearer。 I love you； John； but let this go and get back to work； or I'm going to have to make some hard choices。
Roger
interoffice memo TO： Riddley FROM： John Kenton RE： Possible ining package
I have an idea that I may be receiving a UPS package from somewhere in the midwest during the next week to ten days。 The sender's name is Roberta Solrac。 If you see such a package； make sure I don't。 In other words； dump it immediately down the nearest incinerator chute。 I suspect you know most of what there is to know about the Detweiller business。 This may be associated with that； and the contents of the package could be dangerous。 Unlikely； but in therealm of possibility。 Thanking you；
John Kenton
interoffice memo TO： John Kenton FROM： Riddley RE： Possible ining package
Yassuh； Mist Kenton！
Riddley/Mail Room
from THE SAKRED BOOK OF CARLOS SAKRED MONTH OF FEBBA （Entry #64）
I know how to get him。 I have set things in motion； praise Abbalah。 Praise Green Demeter。 I'll get them all。 Green Green 〃must be seen。〃 Ha！ You Judas！ Little do you know！ But I know！ All about your girlfriend； too…only girlfriend is now girlFIEND； little do you know what she is up to！ There is another mule kicking in your stall； Mr。 Judas Big…Shot Editor！ OUIJA says this mule's name is GARY！ In my dreams I have seen them and GARY is HAIRY！ Not like you； you wimpy little JUDAS！ Soon I'm sending you a present！ Everyone prospers！ Every Judas safe in the arms of Abbalah！ e Abbalah！ E GREAT DEMETER！
E GREEN！
SYNOPSIS
JOHN KENTON； who majored in English and was President of the Brown University Literary Society； has had a rude initiation into the real world as one of Zenith House's four editors。 Zenith House； which captured only 2％ of the total paperback market the year before （1980）； is dying on the vine。 All of its employees are worried that Apex； the parent corporation； may soon take extreme measures to stem the tide of red ink。 。 。 and the most likely possibility is looking more and more like terminating Zenith House； with extreme sanction。 The only hope is a drastic sales turnaround； but with Zenith's tiny advances and creaky distribution system； that seems unlikely。
Enter CARLOS DETWEILLER； first in the form of a query letter received by John Kenton。 Detweiller； twenty…three； works in the Central Falls House of Flowers and is hawking a book he's written； called True Tales of Demon Infestations。 Kenton； with the vague idea that Detweiller may have some interesting stuff which can be rewritten by a staffer； encourages Detweiller to submit sample chapters and an outline。 Detweiller instead submits the entire manuscript； along with a bundle of photographs。 The mss is even more abysmal than Kenton…who thought the book could maybe be juiced up for The Amityville Horror audience…would have believed in his worst nightmares。 Yet the worst nightmare of all is contained in the form of the enclosed photographs。 Most are shots of painfully faked seance effects； but four of them show a gruesomely realistic human sacrifice； in which an old man's heart is being pulled from his gaping chest。 。 。 and it seems very likely to Kenton that the fellow doing the pulling is none other than Carlos Detweiller himself。
ROGER WADE concurs with Kenton's feeling that they have stumbled into something which is probably a police matter…and a very nasty police matter at that。 Kenton takes the photos to SGT。 TYNDALE； who wires them to CHIEF IVERSON in Central Falls。 Carlos Detweiller is arrested； then released when an officer assigned to surveillance sees the photos in question and remarks that he saw the so…called 〃sacrifice victim〃 sitting in the House of Flowers office that very day； playing solitaire and watching Ryan's Hope on TV。 Tyndale tries to fort Kenton。 Go home； he says； have a drink； forget it。 You made a perfectly forgivable mistake in the course of trying to do your civic duty。
Kenton burns the 〃sacrifice photos；〃 but he can't forget； he receives a letter from the obviously insane Carlos Detweiller； promising reve