When he came out of that mall, he was wearing a dead baby as a mask, with eye and mouth holes cut into the hollowed torso and the head and limbs hangi...ng limply. In his baptism, that mask had affected his transformation. The mask had now become his actual face, the baby itself fused with him like a parasitic twin. The tissue was alive, but it didn’t have a soul. The baby moved its eyes and limbs without any actual thought, simply twitching like a beheaded snake. Across Priest’s lanky body,. "I got a bid for 50 cents from that young man right over there, do I hear 75 cents... , the Auctioneer intoned in his usual sing-song manner.I held my breath and waited, hoping no one else would bid on it. It was with a great sigh of relief, I finally heard the Auctioneer say, "Going once, going twice, Sold—to that young man for 50 cents!"A little while later Grandpa and I loaded my newly acquired, but very ancient RCA Victrola into his old truck and headed down the country roads for home.Once. I doubt the VA even knows where he is, although they might. They still mail me a check; maybe they do for him too. Detective, can I ask you to do something for me?" What might that be, Manny?" Let me know where the funeral is. I should be there." Of course. As soon as I know, you will too. Do you have any details on this Tara or Penny, so I can find them?" Honestly, no. I only met Penny at the wedding and the last time I spoke to Joe, there wasn't much coming from him except how much he hated. " Well what are you waiting for?" I grinned in spite of what I felt, "Go for it mum." What if he asks me to stay?"I smiled in exasperation, "Mum, do you accept that I love you?"She nodded."Do you accept that I'm not your bloody captor, your boss or your bloody father?"She started to laugh as she nodded."Well then for God's sake go and have a drink with the man and at the end of the day mum, you do what you want to do, can I just ask that if you're going to stay with him, you phone us to let us.