inadvertently took away a significant element of the joy of the story by printing a spoiler image at the wrong location. This, of course, isn\u2019t Ranieri\u2019s fault and should in no way reflect on his work. But the truth is that any shock value readers might have gained by reading the lines where Mel is shown ankle-cuffed to the table is entirely lost because the picture above those words already showed it happening. I\u2019ll forego going deeper into this concern of mine since I\u2019ve already commented on it in the past. <\/span><\/p>\nSecond, the good: \u201cSeparate Ways\u201d is the first story <\/span>Cemetery Dance<\/span><\/i> published in which the text was split onto multiple sections of the magazine. The story starts on page 32, and at the bottom of page 33 there are these four words in bold: <\/span>(Continued on page 54)<\/b>. Sure enough, page 54 is not only where this story finishes, it\u2019s also where two other entries from earlier in the magazine are completed. One is a short interview with author Alfred R. Klosterman which began on page 53, and the other is the short story \u201cMarkers\u201d by Steve Rasnic Tem which began on page 45 and was cut off on page 50. What\u2019s interesting to note here is that all three pieces use but a small portion of the space available on page 54 (the Klosterman interview takes up one-third, the finale of \u201cSeparate Ways\u201d takes up one-third, the finale of \u201cMarkers\u201d takes up a mere one-eighth, with the rest going to white space and separation lines). You might think this is either awkward or even annoying to the reader. You might think it\u2019s yet more poor planning on the part of the Cemetery Dance<\/i><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>formatting team (which was probably still only Mr. Chizmar at this point). But what you\u2019d be missing is that this is done deliberately and has been since time out of mind. Newspapers do it <\/span>all the time<\/span>, in fact. The concept is a simple one: In forcing the reader to go to another page to finish the story\/ column\/ etc. they are interested in, they will naturally see there are other things to read. In other words, it\u2019s in-house advertising designed to encourage readers to check out other sections of the magazine. It\u2019s also a convenient way to solve the occasional formatting issue of ending a piece with far too much white space at the bottom of the page. This simple addition to issue #2 is an indication that Cemetery Dance<\/i><\/span>\u00a0(aka: Richard Chizmar) is learning the tricks of the trade of the publishing biz and an indication of how the magazine would continue to evolve in complexity and professionalism. <\/span><\/p>\nAlrighty then, CD fans. Let\u2019s read another tale by Mr. Ranieri published just a few short months later in 1990\u2026<\/span><\/p>\nTHE NEW: \u201cBloodline\u201d<\/b><\/span><\/h5>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cemeterydance.com\/extras\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/CD5.jpg?resize=269%2C350&ssl=1\")
AUTHOR:<\/b> Roman Ranieri<\/span><\/p>\nAPPEARANCE:<\/b> Cemetery Dance<\/span><\/i> #5: Spring, 1990\u00a0<\/span>(Story #9 of 14)<\/span><\/p>\nPLOT (with spoilers!):<\/b><\/p>\n
Anthony Stark no longer works for the FBI. He wasn\u2019t that much of a rule-follower, so he quit and became a private investigator in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He does alright, money-wise, but it\u2019s also true that most of his days consist of sneaking around sleazy motels taking pictures of sleazy people so their even sleazier spouses have useful evidence in divorce court. That\u2019s why he acts like such a jerk when Joan McNally walked into his office. <\/span><\/p>\nWhat Anthony assumes is that Joan is just another divorcee-in-waiting. But Joan\u2019s husband was killed and she wants him to find out what really happened. <\/span><\/p>\nShe goes on to explain that her husband was a police officer and was killed in the line of duty while working plainclothes duty trying to flush out the perpetrator of several recent attacks against homeless people. The captain told her he had been stabbed several times and this was the reason she wasn\u2019t permitted to see the body. But Joan doesn\u2019t believe him. Anthony says the captain\u2019s claim doesn\u2019t sound that unreasonable to him. Joan explains that she\u2019s a registered nurse and she\u2019s already seen far worse many times over. <\/span><\/p>\nAnthony agrees to look into the matter for her, though he personally doesn\u2019t think there\u2019s anything to it. <\/span><\/p>\nAfter lunch, Anthony goes to see an old friend, Sergeant Paul Cook. Paul is much like Anthony\u2026 skilled yet under-ranked because he won\u2019t play the political games. When he asks for the report on Officer McNally, though, Paul explains he can\u2019t help: The report has been marked the highest level of confidential by the commissioner himself. <\/span><\/p>\nFrustrated but with his curiosity now piqued, Anthony goes to see George, the assistant coroner. George, too, claims he cannot discuss the situation. Anthony casually insinuates he could tell George\u2019s wife about his affair, and George\u2019s immediate anger is subdued only when Anthony explains that his client is the dead cop\u2019s wife and he has no intention to share any of what he learns with anyone else. <\/span><\/p>\nReport finally in hand, Anthony immediately sees from the post-mortem photo that Officer McNally was not killed via a knife. The man\u2019s neck and chest were completely torn open. George explains that the man was actually killed by a coyote. Dumbfounded that a coyote could do that much damage, Anthony follows George to the holding room where the city\u2019s corpses are kept before burial. George opens one large drawer and lifts the white sheet for Anthony to see first Officer McNally, and then the coyote that killed him. <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cNotice anything unusual?\u201d George asks. <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cI see that this thing took six bullets from a large caliber handgun and still managed to tear up McNally before it died.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cLook at the size of it,\u201d George urges. \u201cThat thing\u2019s three times larger than a coyote is supposed to get.\u201d Anthony asks if George has any guesses how it got so big. George explains he has no idea and that the carcass is destined for dissection at the Pittsburgh zoo. <\/span><\/p>\nBefore he leaves, Anthony points out that George only agreed to show him the evidence when he found out his client was Mrs. McNally. He asks who George <\/span>thought<\/span><\/i> he might be working for. <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cBenjamin Williamson,\u201d George says. \u201cHe\u2019s called here a half-dozen times demanding that we send him a copy of the report on this case. The old bastard\u2019s tried everything from threats to bribery.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\nAnthony does some research on coyote attacks in the area. He discovers an alarming pattern: All of the victims up to 1955 had been black or other minorities, and after 1955 the victims were drifters and bums. It occurs to him that the victims were all people whose deaths would cause the least concern, and a bizarre theory begins to form in his mind. <\/span><\/p>\nHe arrives at the Williamson estate at sundown. Upon buzzing the intercom, the voice on the other end dismisses him, but Anthony gains entrance when he explains he is investigating Officer McNally\u2019s death. <\/span><\/p>\nAt the hous he is met by a gorilla-sized bodyguard who confiscates his gun. While the guard is completing a pat down for other weapons, Anthony tells him, “You touch my leg and I\u2019ll knock your teeth out, then feed them to you one at a time.” The threat works, and the guard misses the second, smaller gun strapped to Anthony\u2019s ankle. <\/span><\/p>\nBenjamin Williamson is waiting for Anthony and quickly asks what he wants. Anthony explains he wants to ask some questions about coyotes before going to the police. \u201cI have a theory that your family has been breeding a huge species of coyote for over a hundred years, and that periodically they are let loose to thin out the number of undesirables in this city.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\nWilliamson laughs. Loudly. He explains that the occurrences are most certainly not intentional. He goes on to explain the story of his family name: In 1782 his ancestor, Colonel David Williamson, was responsible for the massacre of nearly a hundred local Indians. In retaliation, the Indians captured and burned to death another man—Colonel William Crawford—whom they mistook for Colonel Williamson. Upon learning of their mistake, the Indians instead placed a curse upon the correct man and all his descendants.<\/span><\/p>\nAnthony, of course, doesn\u2019t believe a word of the preposterous story. But even as his protest continues, Williamson picks his tale up and explains the rest: \u201cAt certain times—unpredictable times—during a Williamson\u2019s life, he or she transforms into the form of a large coyote. Even more remarkable is that the animal completely retains the intelligence of the person it was before. The only way for the coyote to return to its previous form is to take a human life. Don\u2019t confuse this with the legend of werewolves.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\nHe finishes by explaining that the dead coyote Anthony saw that afternoon was, in reality, Benjamin\u2019s son, David Williamson, and that the attack on Officer McNally was a mistake. \u201cAn error in judgement,\u201d he says. \u201cDavid had no idea he was a policeman. He thought he was attacking an ordinary bum. Just as you\u2019ve said yourself, we\u2019ve never killed indiscriminately. We only took those whose lives were worthless.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\nAnthony\u2019s anger boils over instantly. \u201cWho in the hell are you to decide whose life is worthless?! I don\u2019t know if anyone will believe me, but I intend to see that your history of murder does not repeat itself.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\nWilliamson\u2019s laugh returns, and he called Anthony a fool. \u201cDid you really think I would let you live after telling you all this?\u201d Then, just before the change begins, Williamson explains that while they had never discovered how to prevent transformations, his family <\/span>had <\/span><\/i>learned how to induce it. <\/span><\/p>\nWilliamson\u2019s change begins with his mouth, which elongates quickly and turns into a muzzle. Next coarse, gray fur sprouts from his skin. Anthony is already reaching for his hidden gun. <\/span><\/p>\nWilliamson attacks in full coyote form and Anthony manages to get one shot off directly into the creature\u2019s chest. Teeth sink into Anthony\u2019s upraised forearm. He readily knows the coyote that attacked Officer McNally had taken a half-dozen bullets at point-blank range but still managed to kill the man. But he also knows his gun is loaded with jacketed hollow point bullets, each of which is designed to explode into small fragments upon impact. <\/span><\/p>\nHe uses his captive arm to hold the coyote\u2019s head up and rapid-fires seven more bullets directly under its jaw and through its brain. The creature is dead before it hits the ground. <\/span><\/p>\nAnthony tidies up quickly, using his tie as a tourniquet and verifies the guard had fled at the first sound of gunshots. From there he leaves and drives himself straight to a doctor whom he knows will stitch him up without asking any questions. <\/span><\/p>\nIn the end, Anthony decides to tell Joan McNally that he discovered her husband was indeed killed in the line of duty, just as she was told. He also decides that he needs to personally find and kill every descendant of Colonel David Williamson in the state of Pennsylvania, no matter if there are ten or a hundred. <\/span><\/p>\nHe has the doctor give him shots for rabies, tetanus, and any other possible sickness he could think of. But he keeps wondering if Benjamin Williamson\u2019s saliva has infected him\u2026 which is why he knows he has to wipe out the entire Williamson bloodline. <\/span><\/p>\nMY GRADE: \u00a0B<\/b><\/p>\n
MY REVIEW:<\/b><\/p>\n
A different story, but same author and same grade. <\/span><\/p>\nWhy? Well, as I mentioned above, these two stories were published less than a year apart (Summer of 1989, and then Spring of 1990), so Ranieri really hasn\u2019t had much chance to evolve as a writer. As such, we get a lot of \u201cSame Shit, Different Day\u201d here. Or, perhaps, \u201cSame Shit, Different Story\u201d is more accurate.<\/span><\/p>\nOnce again the very simplistic nature of the plotline is what stands out the most. To recap:<\/span><\/p>\n\n- Guy investigates suspicious death.<\/li>\n
- Guy discovers death was caused by strange creature.<\/li>\n
- Guy learns truth of said creature.<\/li>\n
- Guy confronts and kills creature\u2019s patriarch<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Yeah, there\u2019s a bit more to it than that (and there <\/span>are <\/span><\/i>some legit goodies in here, which I\u2019ll get to presently), but if you boil the story down to the nuts and bolts, there\u2019s not much <\/span>there<\/span><\/i> there. It\u2019s a super-simplified police procedural, with a little bit of supernatural monster thrown in for fun. <\/span><\/p>\nThere are other faults, too, most of which can be labeled as Far-Too-Convenient-Plot-Moves. Examples include:<\/span><\/p>\n\n- The giant body guard who is \u201cintimidated\u201d into not finishing his weapons pat down.<\/li>\n
- The antagonist who shares far too much of his backstory\/ plan without being prompted.<\/li>\n
- The last-second explanation that these <\/i>bullets are hollow points & can actually kill the monster<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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AUTHOR:<\/b>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cemeterydance.com\/extras\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Separate-Ways-pic.jpg?resize=700%2C482&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n