Motel 69

All the clues were there. Coming home late at night, the phone ringing every day, tidying the house up. Danielle was, as she perceived, in love. Because Raymond was such a sweet guy, his daughter every parent's dream. Polite, respectful, driven. Raymond genuinely cared for Danielle.

He didn't care that she was the daughter of a wealthy, retired casino owner. It didn't matter she had more than enough money to get by. After all, love doesn't care if you're rich or poor, young or old, black or white. For the first time in her life, she felt truly cared for.

And Danielle was the perfect candidate because:

She was wealthy.

She was naive.

She was at the age where women wanted to settle down and have a family.

And with whom better than a man who already had a child?



Against popular belief, he was not abused as a kid. His parents did not neglect him. They were not divorced. John and Brenda attended every baseball game, every school bake sale, allowed him to host sleep overs.

They were not strict. There was truly no reason for his teenage angst.

So why did I turn out the way I am? he frequently asks himself. His bedroom walls are painted the color of a puddle of rain. A tarnished wooden bookshelf holds the works such of Poe, Rice, and Walpole. A mattress lays on the floor for the nights he attempts to sleep. His room is the one part of his house that is entirely his.

And it looks as lonely as he feels.