How To Make Beats Online - How To Make Rap And Hip Hop Music Like The Chart Toppers!

MAKE RAP BEATS ON YOUR COMPUTER :

Do you want to make beats that are just as good as those that top the charts? This article will tell you just how you can easily start making beats on your own computer. There are some forums around and some articles around that will give you small tidbits of advice on making rap and hip hop beats, but there isn't really any good step by step guide to show you how it's done.

How To Make Beats Online - How To Make Rap And Hip Hop Music Like The Chart Toppers!

There is a reason why there is no step by step guide and that is because to make beats as good as the chart toppers you will usually need a recording studio. Without a recording studio, how do you get that sort of quality?

It might be alright if you have a lot of money to spend on courses to learn all about music production, you may then be able to hire out a recording studio and make those beats, but unfortunately most of us are not in the position to do this.

So is there a way for the average person to be able to make their own beats without spending a fortune?

Well there actually is a way that you can do it. There is a great software package that has been taking the web by storm!

This software package is becoming increasingly popular because it offers a complete solution to making your own beats in your own home. This software is easy to use and does give step by step guides in the form of video tutorials.

Some software products on the market are quite expensive and are usually limited to one particular area of music production and they can also be quite confusing. You almost have to be a music production expert to be able to use them.

With the Dub Turbo software package you have such great instructions that make it very simple to use and you can have a great beat happening very quickly.

This is the first Digital Audio Workstation that you will have sitting on your desktop that will give you all the functionality of a real recording studio.

You can create any sort of music that you like including rap, hip hop, R&B, dance music, drum and bass. There is no limit to what you can create with this software package.

When you begin using this software you can have your first beat created within ten minutes, it is so simple and quick to use.

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The Best Beat Making Software

MAKE RAP BEATS ON YOUR COMPUTER :

Are you searching for the perfect music tool to produce magnificent beats out of hip hop, pop, rap, and other music genres? If you're currently on the hunt for the best beat making software in the market today, here is a guide for you to help you determine which product features you must look for while searching the internet. It is a great starting point for any novice trying to get started on the road to making their own rap and hip hop beats on their personal computer or their laptop.

The Best Beat Making Software

Beat making is a worthy profession to work with and many folks out there are making a living through producing wonderful beats. Some individuals treat it as a hobby while others are using the skill to earn additional income aside from their current profession. This is the reason why many beat making software programs are being launched to help beat makers in fulfilling their desire for success in the beat making industry. However, not all of them are designed with same features and some software programs specialize in a certain genre of beats. Therefore, your first step in searching for the best beat making software is to check the specs to see if it matches your needs. Take your time in analyzing all the software you can find online and make a comparison afterwards.

For those who are just beginning to make beats, it is sensible to go first for the free trial versions (if offered by the brand) in order to familiarize yourself with the functionality of the software. Although the free trial is incomplete, the main purpose is to have a brief idea if the product is user-friendly and the interface is easy to use for novice users. Once you try out the free version you can then make a decision on whether you want to paid version or not.

The next point to take into account is the quality of the produced beats, this is very important to music producers who are selling their tracks to make an income from their talent in beat making. For instance, you must look for the software that saves your work in a digital formats and on the standards as set by the industry. The price is another aspect in searching for the best beat making software but not sacrificing the quality of the beats. Don't be lured to cheaper software that only gives you disappointments, but choose wisely considering the satisfaction and contentment while using the beat maker.

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5 Things You NEVER Should Do on Twitter!

MAKE RAP BEATS ON YOUR COMPUTER :

You've spent lots of time and effort crafting your online image and identity, you've built a good reputation and it can serve you well long into the future - unless you destroy it, something that can happen with a single tweet (as we have seen from several actors and politicians lately.

5 Things You NEVER Should Do on Twitter!

Here are 5 things to NEVER do on Twitter"

1. "T.W.I." or Tweeting While Intoxicated. If you've had a few, you can do a lot more stupid things than calling your ex - you are likely to tweet less than brilliant ramblings filled with typos or worse, you may even be tempted to tweet your ex with secret confessions - for all the world to see.

2. Automate your Social Media. The key ingredient of social media is the social part - you can't have a computer bot pretend to be you, YOU have to be you. This includes auto responders - it's obvious to poeple who get them. Got a new follower? Unless you're Lady Gaga, you DO have the time to send a quick "@_,Thanks" and demonstrate your good manners. The same applies to Repeat-Tweet, if you have a gem of a tweet that you want to put out there more than once, do it - a little differently each time. You're making a point, not beating a drum.

3. Sell and Yell. If all you do is tell people how great your stuff is and why they should buy it, you'll see your Twitter followers disappear like people abandoning a sinking ship. Twitter is for communicating, it's for commenting, sometimes it's just for carrying on - but it's not for "selling and yelling" if it's all about you, all the time, it's a safe bet people will ignore you pretty quick. Give value: tweet stuff that matter's to the people you're connected with, if once in a while you have a special offer then make it - but make sure you've earned the right, earned the trust. Always remember; this isn't broadcast, it's social.

4. Re-Tweeting without Acknowledgement. If someone you follow on Twitter posts something particularly interesting or clever and you want to pass it on, or re-tweet it, then by all means do so, but acknowledge the source either by leaving the RT up front where Twitter puts it automatically or by adding "via @myFriend" at the end. If you pretend you thought it up, it's like stealing - bad behavior! Acknowledging in the RT is the internet equivalent of applause, it's flattering to the originator and helps build your community by showing that you care and share.

5. Dropping the "F Bombs". Would you talk to your mother like that? If not, then spare Twitter foul language - nobody reads an expletive laden tweet and thinks "gee, they are so smart, I want to be like them!" (or do business with them) A possible exception is if you are a famous Rap Star or something, then you can get away with it - but you should be ashamed of yourself!

There are plenty of great things to do on Twitter, meet people, find information, learn stuff, share your expertise, build your Expert visibility, grow your connections (and your business) steer clear of these few potential pitfalls and let the Tweeting fun continue!

Mike Wolpert / Founder, Social Jumpstart

Watch the latest episodes of Social Jumpstart TV on your local Public TV station or on our YouTube Channel

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Buy Beats Online And Promote Your Raps Online

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Everything has changed in the music industry within the past few years as now hip hop artists and rappers can promote themselves on the internet, buy beats online and come up quick. New technologies have made it possible to seriously come up fast as a musician or an independent record label. The major industry is seeing a seriously fast decline in record sales for all of the music they're putting out and silly things like cyber pirating and illegal pirating are usually the things it's blamed on, but that's not true. Hopefully by reading this article you will learn plenty about how the industry is changing and better yet, how you can use the changes to your advantage and make some serious money without the need for a major label.

Buy Beats Online And Promote Your Raps Online

Everything was different only a couple of years about. Majors labels literally took over and had a dominate fist pumping over the independent industry. As independents it was extremely difficult to make a name for yourself and so naturally everybody flocked to major record deals trying to make it that way. With the inventions of such programs as Pro Tools it's become possible to record high quality music at home in a small studio that isn't made up of much more than a microphone and a computer with some programs on it. As more people started recording, more demos were being send to record labels. This means that majors then started nit picking talent and taking less artists every year.

So the artists had to then find an alternative route to promoting themselves. How did they end up finding success when all the competition was rising and everybody was losing out on record deals? Simple. People started promoting themselves in hopes to make some decent dollars. What's cool is the rap game has changed so much that it's basically become the norm to promote yourself now. The resources available to you now with websites such as YouTube, MySpace and Twitter allow you to promote for free, so you no longer need a big budget of some kind. Everything became cheaper with that, too.

Distribution used to be hard to get and very expensive but now even that has become easy to get a hold of. A great distribution company called Tunecore has made it possible to get all your music on the popular mp3 retailers such as iTunes, Rhapsody and many other sites for a price that's more affordable than you could imagine. It's a yearly cost for worldwide distribution and the yearly total comes to less than a middle class date at a middle class restaurant. What I'm trying to say is that budget is now irrelevant in today's industry and it's time for you to realize that if you've been considering getting in the game, now is the time.

You can't really do much of anything if you don't have licenses to the beats you use, though. Luckily for you rappers out there, even that has been taken care of in the digital age. You don't need to pay huge amounts of money to have a producer make your music anymore, you can just purchase beats online and promote yourself digitally. Using companies such as the one we link to in the paragraph below it's become extremely easy to get professional, high quality, major label production for cheap. You can buy beats online on their site. Visit their site by clicking the links in the paragraph below.

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Create Unlimited Wealth with One Simple Secret!

MAKE RAP BEATS ON YOUR COMPUTER :

There is but one secret that will create unlimited wealth in your life. It may shock you when you find out how simple it really is.

Create Unlimited Wealth with One Simple Secret!

All of the giants of industry and business knew the secret to http://www.onlinemotivationalquotes.com">create unlimited wealth. The secret is the easy part, what you have to do once you know the secret is what is tough. Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie, and Bill Gates all understood the secret and were willing to apply it to amass fortunes.

Are you?

The super wealthy, the ones that earned it, did so because they had an IDEA! Then they acted upon that idea with ferocity and perseverance. You see all accumulated wealth from being successful in business starts with an idea. For Henry Ford it was supplying America with affordable cars. Bill Gates envisioned the future of the personal computer as a mainstay in all households.

Create Unlimited Wealth by:

1. Have an Idea!

2. Develop a Plan.

3. Pursue that Plan Relentlessly.

4. Don't Accept Failure!

5. If that Plan Doesn't Work - Change It!

It Starts with an Idea - Every great business success started as an idea in someone's head. The people that have the courage to act upon those ideas are the people that become wealthy and successful. However, it takes more than an idea; I wish it were that simple! You must surround yourself with people that share your vision and can compliment your talents. Remember, you don't know everything and the smart person does not have all the answers but they know where to find them.

Develop a Plan - Take your idea and put it on paper. Share it with the people in your think tank, get their input. Only talk to those in your think tank, these are the people you trust. Make them a part of the plan but keep all parts of the plan and idea secret until you have to let it out. You may talk to the wrong person and they beat you to the punch and get your idea to the market place before you. Another reason to keep your idea and plan under raps is to keep people from telling you why it CAN'T be done. Anything is possible!

Get the plan in place with the help of your think tank (possible business partners). Your plan should include things like: access to capital, business proposals, marketing strategies, and production strategies. Now that you have a plan then it is time to act on it.

Pursue Your Plan Relentlessly - Most successful business people after developing their plan act on implementing it. You must not be timid, if you know what you want go after it with a relentless pursuit. This is where you see the wheels start to fall off with most unsuccessful business attempts. They become passive when implementing their plan. If they hit a few stumbling blocks they begin to loose confidence and become indecisive. You must pursue your dreams of wealth and business with passion!

Don't Accept Failure - Failure simply means that you have not succeeded, YET! This ties in closely with the above point in the sense that most business failures have come because:

1. People did not plan well,

2. Because they gave up to soon.

In the great book Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill, he discovered that the wealthy and successful people he had studied in the book all had reached their greatest success only because they had the courage to continue on after each failure. Mr. Hill became aware that almost everyone he had studied for that book had reached their greatest success after they had pulled through their greatest hardship.

Just remember that Failure is Not an Option.

If That Plan Doesn't Work - Change It - Plans are all works in progress and they are meant to be updated and tweaked. Rather than quitting if your plan does not work, change it. Study the old plan, learn why it did not work and make the necessary changes. If you must change it a hundred times until you find the right plan.

Creating unlimited wealth and success is not just for the chosen few or the lucky. It is for everyone that has the courage to get that idea out of their head and into action. You must be willing to pursue your dream relentlessly, be decisive, and not be willing to accept failure. Great wealth and success is more about making up your mind and seeing yourself as if you already are wealthy and successful, than it is about chance and luck.

Use this outline and create unlimited wealth for yourself! Earl Nightingale once said, "You become what you think about". If all you think about is the reasons why you can't be wealthy and successful then not being wealthy and unsuccessful is all you ever will be. Quit waiting for chance, winners make their own chances. Get that idea out of your head and turn it into wealth.

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Make Hip Hop Beats Without A Hassle On Your Computer

MAKE RAP BEATS ON YOUR COMPUTER :

Are you wondering how to make hip hop beats without hassle? Well, stop fretting and get help of online music making software. Making unique tunes is something every music lover wants to do; some do it for fun while others intend to take it up as a career.

Make Hip Hop Beats Without A Hassle On Your Computer

Regardless of the reason you have for making hip hop music, if convenience is something you can't compromise on then better go for online beat maker.

You can find various types of online beat making programs which can help you make beats conveniently in your home. But it is important to choose the software wisely. For instance, if you are intending to take up beat making professionally and have some sound background knowledge regarding how to make hip hop beats etc, then you should choose the beat making software with advanced features.

However, if you are a starter and hardly know a thing regarding beat making, then it is suggested to settle down for a relatively simple beat making program, designed for beginners. Usually, it contains lessons on how to make beats and is also having quite a large number of sample sounds so that you could easily make hip hop beats of your choice without much effort.

For learning quickly, it is important that you listen to the hip hop music often as it will help you to come up with productive ideas. Plus, make a habit of recording your beats since it can help you make improvements in the beats.

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Martini Bar

MAKE RAP BEATS ON YOUR COMPUTER :

The icy hand of winter held the city in its grasp. A stiff north wind roared down the canyons of the Loop before exploding into the vastness of Lake Michigan. In the midst of the gale, a rusty Ford Escort rushed northward on Lake Shore Drive. Inside the car, Sarah Riley fiddled with the control knobs trying to coax a little more warmth from the heater. Giving up on the heater, she twisted her lank blonde hair into a ponytail while keeping a nervous lookout through the rearview mirror.

Martini Bar

Twenty minutes earlier, Sarah left a small South Side legal office. Anyone one watching would have seen her face flushed with anxiety, a bloody wound beneath her eye.

At twenty-eight years old, Sarah has been a schoolteacher for six years. Small and slightly built, she is popular with her fifth grade students and coworkers. Non-threatening is the term others use to describe her. Now she is running from... what?

This is Sarah's story. First, I'm her brother Jack Riley, and it's my job to tell it here, just like I told the grand jury. Just because I drive a truck for the city doesn't mean I can't repeat what Sarah told me word for word. I went to Loyola and then spent four years in the crotch, sorry, the Marine Corps. It began two weeks earlier.

Saturday night, sitting at home reading Hemingway's "A Farwell to Arms," Sarah is absorbed in the problems of Henry and Catherine when the phone rings. Cousin Kate, the victim of a stalled car, begs her to come to her rescue. Despite her misgivings about driving out to Naperville on a snowy night, Sarah dutifully dons her coat and heads out into the storm.

With a silent prayer, she starts her old car and heads west on 95th Street to the Tri-State Tollway. Chicago slumbers under a blanket of snow. Entering the north bound ramp, the car slides sharply to the left before the worn tires regain their grip on the icy roadway. The rest of the trip is uneventful as Sarah merges onto the Eisenhower Expressway which a few miles later becomes the Regan Tollway. Exiting the Regan at Winfield Road, Sarah makes a quick right turn into the parking lot of a large shopping center. Spotting the martini bar from which Kate called, she scans the lot for her car. However, she cannot find her cousin's dark blue Mercedes. Easing into a parking space, Sarah picks up her cell phone and calls Kate. The phone rings four times before Kate's cheerful voice recites her voicemail greeting. Three more attempts produce the same result.

Releasing her seatbelt and zipping up her parka, Sarah steps out into the cold night. With her head down, she begins walking toward the bar. Ten feet from the door, a strong hand grips her arm from behind. Wheeling around, Sarah comes face to face with a man in a dark wool coat and black leather gloves. One hand continues to hold her arm tightly. "Are you Sarah?" he asks.

Sarah studies him before answering. He is at least six feet tall and appears to be her age. His black hair blows in the wind and blue eyes stare at her intently. "Yes, I am Sarah," she replies. "May I ask who you are?"

"Listen, I know this is odd, my name is Stan. I'm looking for Kate too. You're her cousin right? Let's go in and talk." he says nodding toward the bar.

Not sure what to do, Sarah allows herself to be led inside. A blast of hot air and noise hits her when Stan opens the door. Maneuvering through the crowd, they find two empty stools at the bar. "Order what you like," Stan says. "I'll be right back."

Not removing her coat, Sarah sits and orders a cup of coffee. The bartender looks at her mildly amused. "This is a martini bar and you want coffee?" he asks.

"Okay, let me have a Cosmopolitan, but light on the booze," Sarah replies. The bartender winks at her and in a few minutes returns with her drink.

"Here you go sweetheart, light on the booze. Anything for your friend?"

"Oh, he's not my friend, he just..." Dragged me in here Sarah thinks. "He'll order something when he gets back."

After the bartender leaves, Sarah scans the room for her cousin. The bar seems occupied by businesspersons staying at one of the many hotels that cling to the Tollway in this part of town. She wonders where Stan has gone.

Twenty minutes and one Cosmo later, she is beginning to doubt if Stan will return. Sarah idly spins the empty glass in her hands. Glancing at her watch, she decides to leave if he does not appear in five minutes. Her unease over Kate's disappearance begins to gnaw at her.

"I've been watching you. I bet you never thought you'd spend the night sitting by yourself." Surprised, Sarah looks up at a thirty-something man with thick glasses. He wears a houndstooth sport coat and a blue shirt open at the collar. His blonde hair has receded past his ears. "Pardon me," she stammers.

"Oh c'mon, a hot babe like you comes in here she doesn't think she'll be buying her own drinks."

"I don't know what you mean?"

"I mean playing hard to get doesn't always work. Listen I know, I've been there. I have more chicks than you can count, but there's always room for one more."

"Listen, you're not very nice, maybe you should go," Sarah replies.

"Geez, listen I'm sorry. You're part of my homework tonight. My name is David."

"Homework, I'm not sure I follow."

David drops into the chair beside Sarah. "You see I went to this seminar on how to meet women. Bought the book too. My homework for this week is to approach ten women in one night and start a conversation. You are number two."

"Oh my. Homework?"

"Yeah. You see the approach is called discordant-harmony. You create attraction by busting a woman's balls. Uh, so to speak."

"Well, David, that's very interesting but I..."

"You know that guy you're here with?"

"I'm not here with him. We're looking for someone."

"Like a pretty redhead?" David asks. "She was with your date earlier. Seem's like your boyfriend is two timing ya."

"He's not my boyfriend. What did the redhead look like?"

"Like I said, pretty, blue eyes, medium height, she was dressed in a business suit. Looked like a lawyer or something. Wouldn't give me the time of day. I'm not counting her as part of my homework, I can tell you that."

"Did you get here name?" Sarah asks.

"The guy called her something. Sounded like cat maybe."

"Could it have been Kate, by any chance?"

"Yeah, I suppose. Like I said, she was cold."

Sarah stares at David speechless for several moments until she sees Stan making his way through the crowd. Stan approaches them, looks at David and says, "Get lost, loser."

David scuttles to his feet and disappears into the crowd. Sarah turns to Stan as he sits down. "Have you found Kate?"

"No, and I am really starting to get pissed, but you know your cousin and her temper. Now it's what," he looks at his watch, "almost eight o'clock and it's snowing like hell outside. Where is that crazy woman? We were supposed to meet for drinks after work."

"Stan, I thought you did meet her."

"Nah, I didn't. Why, what do you know?"

"She just called me to come get her. I drove all the way out from the city. You must know more than I do. Should we call the cops?"

Stan snorts at her suggestion. "And tell'em what? Your cousin's a bitch who got us both out on a crummy night?"

"Please don't call her names," Sarah replies. "What if something is wrong? I can't get her on her cell phone."

"If she's pissed she won't answer. Believe me I know."

"What should we do?"

"I don't know about you Sarah, but I'm going to have one more drink and head home. Traffic's gonna be brutal. Glad I don't have to drive into the city. Unless you want me to get loser boy back for you, I suggest you hit the road." Stan beckons the bartender over and orders vodka straight up.

"Where were you the past twenty minutes?" Sarah asks.

"None of your business."

"Then why did you drag me in here? I thought you wanted to talk."

"Listen Sarah, I dragged you in here, I can drag you back out. Get lost and let me drink. Forget we ever met."

"But..."

Suddenly, Stan whirls and grabs Sarah by the shoulder. He turns his wrist and pain shoots down her arm. Slowly he says, "Get lost and forget you ever met me. You get the message now, or do I need to be blunt?"

Gasping for air, Sarah slides out of her seat and Stan releases his grip. Not looking back, she moves toward the door. In a curve of the bar, she sees David talking to a bored businesswoman with short black hair. For a moment, their eyes lock. Hands shaking, she stumbles out the door and into the night.

The next morning Sarah wakes up with a headache. Reaching for her bedside phone, she dials Kate's home number. No answer. Next, she dials her cell phone, again only the voicemail greeting.

Hit by a wave of vertigo when she climbs out of bed, Sarah steadies herself on the nightstand. Never much of a drinker, she feels the affects of the Cosmopolitan from the night before. Glancing at the clock, she sees it is too late for church. Sarah decides to take a shower and get ready for the day.

When Sarah steps out of the shower, she glances at her cell phone. The display reads "One New Voice Mail." Picking up the phone, she presses and holds down the number one button. Pushing wet hair from her face, she waits for the message to begin. Sarah's heart skips a beat when she hears Kate's voice.

"Hi cuz," Kate says brightly, "sorry about calling you out last night. I got my car started and was able to get going. Talked to Stan this morning, I understand the two of you had a drink together. Should I be jealous? Give me a call when you get a sec."

Sarah tosses her phone on the bed and sits down. Holding her head in her hands, she tries to put together a picture of recent events. Nothing makes sense. Grabbing her phone, Sarah reconnects to voice mail. This time she notes the time of the call, fifteen minutes ago. Next, she checks the phone's list of received calls. Kate placed her call from the 630 area code in suburban DuPage County. Naperville Kate thinks.

Taking her phone into the spare bedroom she uses for an office, Sarah sits at her computer and does a reverse lookup on the number. Several seconds later, she discoveres the phone number belongs to Stanley Haas. Could this be the Stan she met last night? Curious, Sarah does a Google search. The first search returns too many results so she narrows hear scope to Stanley Haas Chicago. This returns a more manageable twenty hits.

The first is a three-year-old story from the Chicago Tribune. According to the Trib, Stanley Haas is a suburban developer indicted for defrauding strip shopping center investors. Next, she reads a follow up story from the Daily Herald. In the Herald's story, DuPage State's Attorney Tom Franklin said charges against Stanley Haas were dropped because several witnesses recanted their stories. At the bottom of the page are two pictures. The first shows Franklin, the second Haas. Sarah's hands shake when she recognized Haas as Stan from the previous evening. The remaining search results are PR pieces regarding projects in which Stan is involved.

Why, Sarah wonders, would her cousin meet with Stan Haas? Her integrity as an attorney is above reproach. Something has brought the two of them together. The more Sarah stares at Stan's photo, the more chills race down her arms.

Monday afternoon as Sarah leaves school, her cell phone rings. Balancing a stack of books on her car, she reaches into her purse and pulls out the phone. "Hi Sarah this is David, we met at the martini bar on Saturday night."

Shocked, Sarah asks how he got her number.

"Oh yeah, well, I got it from Stan who got it from your cousin Kate."

"Well what do you want?" Sarah snaps. She is surprised by the tone in her voice, but this is absurd.

"I got a message from Stan. He says stay out of your cousin's business."

"Why?"

"I uh, don't know. That's all he said. But hey, listen, since you won't haggin' with Kate anymore what do you say we..."

Sarah slams the phone shut. Picking up her books, she tosses them in the back seat of the car. Sitting in the driver's seat, she turns the key. The engine gives a dry cough and belches black smoke from the tailpipe. Turning the key again, results in red lights illuminating the dashboard, but nothing more.

Fighting back tears, Sarah closes her eyes and rests her head on the steering wheel. She does not notice the dark Mercedes gliding next to her until the driver gets out and raps on her window. With a start, Sarah opens her eyes and looks up at Kate.

Opening the door, Kate pulls Sarah from the car and into an embrace. Afterward Kate holds her at arms length and studies her face. "Why are you crying?" she asks. "Is it your car?"

"Yes."

Kate looks at the rusty Ford. "I think it's dead."

"My car?"

"No," Kate says. "The battery silly, I think it's dead. Come on, hop in my car and we'll get you fixed up."

Sarah climbs into the Mercedes, and Kate settles behind the wheel. "Listen cuz, do you mind if we make one stop before taking care of your car?" Then, before turning the key, Kate snaps her fingers. "Is your car unlocked?"

"Yes, but it's okay, I have the keys."

Kate picks up her cell phone. "Let me call my auto club. I'll have them put a new battery in your car. You can pay me back later. How does that sound?"

"That's so nice, but you don't..."

"Don't be silly," Kate says. "What are cousins for? Go scoot and put your keys under the mat while I call them. I'll have them drop your car at your apartment." By the time Sarah returns to Kate's car, her cousin is completing the call to the auto club. Kate puts her phone away and looks at Sarah. "You remember Stan don't you? The guy you were drinking and flirting with on Saturday night."

"Kate, no! It wasn't like that. I was looking for you. Remember, you called me?"

"Oh that," Kate makes a dismissive gesture with her hand. "Stan and I had a fight. He can be so, what's the word. Oh yeah, a jerk. I am sure he liked you. Should I be jealous?"

Sarah shakes her head slowly. Kate glances at her and smiles. "Good. You don't need to get mixed up with a guy like Stan."

"What do you mean a guy like Stan? Sarah asks.

"Well, he's not very nice sometimes. We get along okay though."

Sarah's school is on 111th Street and Vincennes Avenue. In the early afternoon traffic, Kate is soon on 103rd Street and heading down the hill to Western Avenue. At Western, she turns south for another mile before pulling into the parking lot of a three-story office building.

Sarah glances at the building with apprehension. "How long do you think we will be?" she asks.

"It could be awhile. I told the auto club to bring your car by here in case you get bored. I have to get Stan to sign some papers and he won't be happy about them."

"What kind of papers?" Sarah asks.

"Believe me cuz, you don't want to know. Do me a favor though. Act cool about things will you. Whatever happens." Without waiting for a reply, Kate leaves the car and enters the building. Sarah trails behind. They ride an elevator to the top floor in silence. When the doors open, the two cousins walk into an office at the end of the corridor.

Stan is waiting in the dark reception area. After Sarah and Kate enter, Stan walks to the door and locks it. At a bank of switches, Stan flips on the lights. He looks at Kate and then at Sarah.

"Who do we have here Kate, your little sister?"

"Stan, don't be a moron. You remember Sarah from Saturday night."

As Stan looks her up and down, Sarah nervously pulls her jacket around her. She feels embarrassed to be dressed in a plain blouse and denim skirt while Kate and Stan are dressed in expensive business suits. Stan licks his lips. "Oh yeah I remember. How ya doin' Sarah?"

Sarah swallows before finding her voice. "Fine," she says softly.

Dismissing Sarah from the conversation, he turns to Kate. "What's so important you gotta see me right now?"

Kate motions at Sarah with her eyes. "Stan, why don't we go into your office to discuss this?"

"I got somebody in there, so let's take care of this now. I'm sure little Sarah won't mind." He turns to face her, "You don't mind do you?" Sarah shakes her head no. "You see Kate, everything is okay. Whatcha got?"

Kate throws a glance at Sarah and says, "Why don't you see if your car is outside." The sound of an automobile backfiring in the parking lot reaches the third floor. "It sounds like your car is out there now. Check and see if it's okay."

Sarah turns to open the door, but it does not budge. She looks at Stan. He smiles and shakes the keys at her. "You know I like having little Sarah around," Stan says. Why don't you just stay put." Sarah looks at Kate, but she just shrugs and opens her briefcase.

Clearing her throat, Kate hands Stan a sheaf of papers. "Stan the State's Attorney has decided to go ahead and press charges on the fraud complaint from three years ago. The court is going to allow the depositions of the, uh, missing witnesses entered into evidence. I know this is unusual, but according to my contacts several more witnesses have stepped forward."

"That's bullshit!" Stan yells. "There are no other witnesses. Who are these people, do you have a list?"

"It is in those papers I just gave you."

Stan rifles through the papers until he finds the list. "Great, I can handle these guys just like I did the last batch." He stares hard at Kate and Sarah. Sarah tries to shrink back into a corner.

"Stan you can't go around threatening witnesses," Kate says.

"Kate we both know I'm talking about a little more than threatening people."

Sarah lets out a gasp. Kate looks at her as if she forgot she is in the room. Turning back to Stan she says, "I'm an officer of the court, don't forget that. If I think harm may come to a witness, I have to report it."

Kate is bluffing and as soon as she sees Stan's reaction, she knows the bluff didn't work. Damn, she thinks. If only Sarah wasn't here. Kate thought bringing her would stop Stan from doing anything rash. Now Sarah's presence seems to have the opposite effect.

"Well, we have a real dilemma here don't we," Stan says. "Whatever this shit is about being an officer of the court, I don't buy it. We still have attorney-client privilege. I think the problem here is making sure little Sarah doesn't go around shooting her mouth off." He motions to Sarah, "Come over here."

Sarah sinks farther back in the corner. She tries to talk, but no words come out. Kate steps closer to her. "Stop it Stan. You're scaring her. Let her go and we'll figure something out."

Stan shakes his head and says, "Sorry Kate, it's a little too late for that." He reaches behind himself into a filing cabinet and he pulls out a Glock 9mm. "C'mere Sarah," he says as he raises the gun and releases the safety.

Kate steps in front of Sarah, as the Glock jumps in Stan's hand. The shot flies past them and shatters the door lock. Stan adjusts his aim and his second shot tears into Kate's chest. Now high on adrenal, Stan fires a third shot that goes wide of the mark. The bullet shatters as it strikes the wall safe to the right of Sarah's head. In the small room, slivers of the bullet fill the air like shotgun pellets. A small piece strikes Sarah just below the left eye. A larger fragment rebounds and hits Stan in the throat. With a groan, he reaches for the wound. Red arterial blood covers his hand when he pulls it away. Sarah watches in stunned silence as Stan slowly slides to the floor.

Her hands slippery with sweat, Sarah grabs the doorknob hoping it will open. The gunshot hardware shatters in her hand. She stumbles out of the office and into the hallway. As the door closes behind her, she sees David racing to Stan's body.

That's as far as Sarah got in telling me the story. After she got that far, the docs at Rush University Medical Center wheeled her into surgery. Course I don't need Sarah to tell anyone what occurred next. It's all in the police blotter down at District Five. But here's what happened.

Sarah ran down to her car. The new battery kicked that old engine right over. She headed back down Western Avenue to 103rd Street. When she got to Racine, she went north to the Dan Ryan Expressway. Hey, I have no idea where she was runnin' to. All's I know is, this is the route she took. She got off at 35th Street like she was going to a White Sox game. The cop's know this because a bus driver saw her sideswipe a streetlight at the bottom of the ramp. From there she headed toward Lake Shore Drive.

What she was doing I think was trying to head into the Loop. She worked one summer as an intern outta the police station on State Street. She never made it. Turns out David was following her from the moment she left Stan's building.

David wasn't good with the ladies. He was an even worse driver. The idiot caught up to Sarah a few blocks south of Soldier Field. Anyhow, Dennis ran into her and pushed her car off the bridge over 18th Street. It flipped a few times before stopping. According to the cops, David's car bounced off Sarah's Escort and skidded across two lanes of traffic before getting T-boned by a bus. There wasn't enough left of the moron to put into a shoebox.

So what I got is a dead cousin and a sister recovering from surgery. Personally, Kate and me was never close. So it is what it is. My mom's been going to mass each day praying for Sarah's recovery.

Me, I've been praying that Stan is rotting in hell.

Do You Ever Wish YOU Had The Ability To Make REAL Hit Music Like That?

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