Fred and Edwina a Houston Mr. and Mrs. were
oil and water, the Rogers? all piss and vinegar
bickering occurred viciously with vim and vigor
the rigmarole rigorous, ridiculous on the Richter,

rig em a role and script touring ridiculing descriptors
thriving off conflict neither victims neither victors
Inventive pettiness: the Texans kept separate fridges,
Invective sentences stretch acceptable decibel limits

decades of livid head games, headaches at best imprisoned
their neglected hermitic kid (a tenant who kept his distance)
grin and bearing bared teeth snarled rarely love there
unfairly uncaring for how Charles was faring upstairs

Once a puzzle gets its hooks in you, it never lets you go
The more that you ignore it, you're in quicksand sinking slow
Once the seed is planted in you, brainstorms nourish, nurse its growth
mysteries with missing pieces, missing peace until it's whole

Beaten little kid, geophysicist genius lived with his
senior citizens, evil sits in him, needs an impetus
abused reclusive door mat all chats reduced to broomstick Morse taps
eludes abhorred parents news slipped through door cracks

Mom wrote bogus notes and stole with her only kid's hand forged
Charles owed in loans his homeowner's onus as landlord
could've lost the house! wanted now to blot them out
without getting caught somehow... harshly thought 'til the plot was sound

Once a puzzle gets its hooks in you, it never lets you go
The more that you ignore it, you're in quicksand sinking slow
Once the seed is planted in you, brainstorms nourish, nurse its growth
mysteries with missing pieces, missing peace until it's whole

'65: the final year that Charles takes shit
Mom and Pop betrayed him?! thought he ought to slay them!
watch the grave macabre display which is his Fathers' Day gift:
Seldom held in love, held a grudge, held a gun, calls Mom, impatient

Monster waiting had thick skin trigger finger itched him,
he scratched it with a blast which scratched Mom off his hit list
Fred crawled faster it didn't at all matter the walls splatter
Handyman's claw hammer mauled Dad as his skull shattered

In the bathroom tub Chuck tapped the blood like Dracula,
Hacked and cut, packed them up, meticulously had to scrub
3 days cleaning damage, planned this scene staged for the badges:
Parents with fridges for caskets, made a clean break and he vanished

Once a puzzle gets its hooks in you, it never lets you go
The more that you ignore it, you're in quicksand sinking slow
Once the seed is planted in you, brainstorms nourish, nurse its growth
mysteries with missing pieces, missing peace until it's whole

Montages play of clocks rotating thirty years now,
The Rogers' case, unsolved today, the jury still out
contemplative office mates pick up a whiff of the scent strong
dossier's dusty state rinsed as they pick up where left off

Martha and Hugh, two obsessive forensic accountant buddies
Farming for clues, Hugh confessed “research adrenaline junkies”
Alarming but true: soon consumed immensely, contentedly studied
embarking like sleuths, snooping intently in the intensely bloody

interviewing more and more riddles drew them door to door
quizzin' a hundred plus citizens forming this tour de force
isn't considered enduring chores sifting informing forms
digging through the gory lore's diligence a core allure,

Might go fish through microfiche moonlighting gumshoes
dug through one open case, opened two hearts and love grew
Martha and Hugh all odds against you bonding them two
as dots connect too want to spread truth and document proof

Confound: investigations failed, police evade avail
the fun-house-case entailed strange details that they unveiled
Bloodhounds chase their tales on paper trails 'til they prevailed
love-bound gallant Hugh engaged the gal and Martha's face was veiled

They shyly nod, they find it odd, in tying loose ends tied the knot!
Files compiled a lot, pried in plodding prideful prodding
defied the odds on the quite macabre crime they might've solved
“The Ice Box Murders” novelized the findings thus write the plot:

John Mackey? that missing key investigating gained,
His widow a willing witness, integral to explain:
Charles used “Anthony Pitts” as a secondary name
Several days after the murder visits a secretary “Jane”

not the “sedentary cave dweller” his reputation claimed
Jane's his lover, provides a getaway, buys a Cessna for a plane
absconded from the Texas state to Hondoras he flew the coup
Golden Goose turned a profit for bosses who knew the truth

Phony hit-man Faux-“'Tony Pitts” planned to kick back,
strange...assumed no kickback from his infraction's impact
wage dispute riffraff went bad karma charged a grim tax
enraged crew 86'd mad Charles with a pick ax


Once a puzzle gets its hooks in you, it never lets you go
The more that you ignore it, you're in quicksand sinking slow
Once the seed is planted in you, brainstorms nourish, nurse its growth
mysteries with missing pieces, missing peace until it's whole