Carl and Frank were pretty close and always friendly to each other until Frank started annoying his neighbor by leaving his yard a mess and putting his trash cans on Carl's lawn. Carl didn't suspect that his neighbor was doing this maliciously, but he knew that he had to teach the older man a lesson if he was ever going to get him to stop. Carl never guessed that he would regret knocking over his neighbor's trash cans until he found out the truth about the man who he considered a friend...
Carl and Frank Were Neighbors in Arizona
Carl and Frank were nextdoor neighbors in Scottsdale, Arizona. Carl ran a local cigar lounge and Frank was retired. The two would chat occasionally but were not exactly close friends. Carl was usually busy with work and Frank tended to keep to himself. But one day that all changed.
One Day Their Relationship Changed
One day, Carl was busy working at his cigar lounge when he noticed Frank sitting alone in the corner. He’d never seen Frank at the lounge before. So he went over and said hello. Before long, he and Frank were chatting away, and Carl realized they both had a lot in common.
They Quickly Bonded
The one thing they both loved was cigars. They appreciated the craft of growing tobacco, finding the perfect blend of leaves, and expertly rolling up the leaves to form the perfect cigar. Both of them knew smoking was bad for their health but it was a vice they decided they could both live with.
Frank Was a Bit Mysterious
As Carl got to know Frank, he began to realize that Frank tended not to discuss his past too often. Whenever Carl would ask what Frank had done for a living or if he’d even been married, Frank tended to get pretty quiet and only give vague answers. Carl thought this was pretty strange.
Carl Didn’t Pressure Frank to Talk About Anything
Despite this, Carl never pressured Frank to talk about anything he didn’t want to talk about. If Frank didn’t feel comfortable discussing his past, Carl didn’t think it was really any of his business. So despite getting along well and sharing some long conversations over cigars, Carl always felt that Frank kept him at a bit of a distance.
Then One Day, Everything Changed
Then one day, Carl and Frank’s relationship changed forever. And one unexpected event would lead to a series of surprising revelations that Carl would never forget. It all started when Frank came into Carl’s cigar lounge late one night when the lounge was about to close. Frank was drunk and belligerent.
Frank Causes Problems
Frank demanded to be let into the cigar lounge, despite it almost being closing time. The staff at first politely asked him to go but then decided since Frank was a friend of Carl’s, they could make an exception. But that didn’t solve the problem. In fact, it only made things worse.
Frank Goes Crazy
Despite the staff accommodating Frank, he immediately started acting rude and belligerent. He was obviously intoxicated but the staff had never seen him angry and rude like this before. It wasn’t long before the staff had to call Carl and tell him what was happening with Frank.
Carl is Woken Up
Carl was at home catching up on some much-needed sleep when the phone rang. It was his staff telling him what Frank was doing at the lounge. Carl was shocked. He had always found Frank to be a pretty normal, albeit a little secretive, guy. He’d never seen Frank act like this before. He thanked his staff for alerting him and said he’d be at the lounge shortly.
Carl Confronts Frank
When Carl arrived at the lounge, he tried to be kind to Frank despite all the hassle. But Frank soon lashed out. Carl was shocked. Frank became furious that Carl had politely asked him to leave. So he grabbed a glass and hurled it at a wall, shattering it into pieces. Carl couldn’t believe the mild-mannered Frank was acting this way.
Carl Tosses Frank Out
Carl had tried to reason with Frank but now that Frank was being violent, Carl had had enough. He told Frank to get out or he’d be forcibly removed from the lounge. Frank yelled and cursed but eventually got up and left. Carl couldn’t make sense of Frank’s aggression and assumed that Frank was just an angry drunk.
Carl Hears Something Surprising
After he tossed Frank out of the lounge, Carl heard something surprising from one of his staffers. The staffer said they recognized Frank from somewhere. Not from the lounge but on TV. Carl thought that was strange. Frank had never mentioned anything about being on TV. But then again, Frank didn’t talk about himself much at all.
Carl Tries to Uncover the Details
Carl asked the staffer if they remembered anything about when they saw Frank on TV. The staffer said they couldn’t remember. But they knew they’d seen Frank before. Carl wondered if maybe Frank had been some sort of celebrity or actor. Perhaps Frank was running away from a past life.
Frank Apologizes
A couple days later, Frank stopped by Carl’s house. Frank looked humbled and embarrassed. He apologized profusely to Carl and said he’d let his drinking get the better of him. Cark said he understood but he couldn’t allow Frank to make the same mistake twice. If he ever acted out again at the lounge, he’d be banned for life.
Things Go Back to Normal… For a Time
After Frank’s apology, everything seemed to go back to normal. Carl and Frank were a bit more distant now than before but they’d still chat from time to time. Frank came back to the cigar lounge on several occasions and never caused any trouble. Until one day, all hell broke loose.
Frank Lashes Out
One day, out of the blue, Frank went ballistic at a local restaurant not far from the cigar lounge. According to the waiter, Frank claimed his burger was overdone and flipped out. Frank threatened the waiter and overturned a table. The police were called and Frank was arrested.
Frank Ends Up in Jail
Frank spent a night in jail but was released the next morning. Carl happened to know an officer and called him to try to find out what the deal was with Frank. But Carl’s friend the cop got quiet and said he couldn’t discuss Frank. Then he abruptly hung up.
Carl is Mystified
Carl was mystified by all these events. Why did Frank sometimes explode with anger? Why couldn’t the police talk about what happened with Frank? And why did Frank never discuss details about his past? Carl thought the whole thing was pretty strange but figured it wasn’t really any of his business.
Frank Disappears
Then one day Frank simply disappeared. The lights in his house were never on. He didn’t show up to the cigar lounge. For about two months, nobody saw him around anywhere. Carl hoped that wherever Frank was, he was getting help to deal with his anger issues. Despite all the problems, Carl wished the best for Frank.
Carl Carries On With His Life
Carl didn’t think too much about Frank or where Frank might be. He was too busy running the cigar lounge. He was opening a second location soon and between construction on one location and booming business at the other location, Carl really didn’t have any time to think about Frank. But one day that all changed.
Frank Comes Back
Just as suddenly as he’d left, Frank came back. He pulled into his driveway one morning and exited his car wearing a suit. Carl saw Frank coming back as he drank his morning coffee. What a strange and mysterious man, Carl thought. Carl wondered if Frank would come back to the lounge and say something about where he’d been.
Then, a Shocking Event
Frank did indeed come back to the lounge one night. But rather than chat with Carl or explain where he’d been, he instead lashed out at a staffer. Once again, Frank erupted in anger and violence for seemingly no reason. This time, Carl couldn’t handle the situation and the police were called.
Frank is Arrested Again
For the second time, Frank was arrested by the police and brought to the local jail. And again for the second time, he was released the next morning. Carl saw Frank come home the next morning. Carl had been pretty understanding and patient with his neighbor all this time, but now he was fed up.
Carl Yells at Frank
Carl marched next door to Frank’s house and rang the doorbell. When Frank answered, Carl angrily told him that he was banned for life from the cigar lounge. He said that if Frank ever came back, his staff would immediately call the police. Carl didn’t know how Frank would react but he definitely didn’t predict what would happen next.
Frank Threatens Carl
Frank did not respond well to Carl’s yelling. He exploded in anger, like he had several times before, and told Carl to get off his property. Carl stormed off Frank’s property. Whatever was wrong with Frank, Carl had had enough of it. The worst thing was that they were neighbors so Carl would still see Frank around, even though he now despised him.
Frank Starts A Neighbor War
Frank then became the bane of Carl’s existence. Frank would intentionally do things to annoy Carl, like leave garbage in his yard or play loud music at night. Carl didn’t doubt for a second that Frank was doing this to try to get revenge. At first, Carl tried not to let Frank’s passive aggressive behavior bother him. But it did.
Carl Starts to Unravel
Carl was already busy and stressed out with his business. But now he had to deal with Frank’s immature stunts. As much as Carl hated to admit it, Frank was getting to him. Carl would settle into bed after a long day of work, only to be woken up by Frank blasting music. Carl wondered what was wrong with Frank. How could an adult be this immature and petty?
Carl Seeks Revenge
Carl couldn’t take it anymore. He was so fed up with Frank’s antics that he needed to respond. So when he saw Frank’s trash cans placed near the street for collection, he walked over and kicked them to the ground. Frank’s trash spilled all over the street and all over the lawn. Carl knew what he was doing was dumb but he couldn’t take any more crap from Frank.
Frank Responds
Of course, Carl’s stunt didn’t do anything to stop Frank. The next morning, Carl woke up and saw that there was trash all over his front lawn. Apparently Frank had thrown trash everywhere in the middle of the night. Carl didn’t know what to do next so he called his cop friend for advice.
The Cop Warns Carl About Frank
Then, to Carl’s surprise, his cop friend told him to just let the whole thing go and leave Frank alone. The cop said he couldn’t get into details but Frank was not someone Carl wanted to be involved with. Carl was a bit surprised by this advice, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized there was a mystery about Frank.
Carl Decides to Find Out Who Frank Really Is
Carl realized that there must be some hidden secret with Frank’s past. A cop said he was dangerous. Someone mentioned they’d seen Frank on TV before. And Frank’s sudden violent outbursts demonstrated he was far from normal. Carl decided he would get to the bottom of this mystery, once and for all.
Carl Investigates
Carl began asking everyone who had met Frank if they knew anything about his past. Who was this guy? Why did he suddenly disappear? Why did he have such an explosive temper? There was something in Frank’s past that would unlock these mysteries, Carl was sure of it.
Carl Hires A Private Investigator
Carl didn’t discover much on his own so he decided to hire a private investigator to figure out who Frank was. The private investigator seemed to think the case was a little unusual but it wasn’t his job to pass judgment. He started the investigation right away.
Meanwhile, Carl Opens His New Location
While the investigation was going on, Carl finally opened his second cigar lounge location. But the victory of finally having completed the ambitious project was lessened by Carl’s new obsession: figuring out who Frank was. And that’s when something truly shocking happened.
Frank Does Something Shocking
Carl couldn’t believe it but the day his new lounge opened up, Frank came by to see it. Carl thought this guy had some nerve visiting the new location after he’d been banned from being at the original location. When Carl saw Frank approach, he immediately confronted him.
Carl Can’t Believe What Frank Says
Then, Frank said something Carl couldn’t believe. He said he wanted to invest some money in Carl’s business. Carl asked Frank why he’d want to be in business after their troubled past. Frank said that he respected Carl because Carl never backed down. Frank said that Carl was a great businessman and he’d like to invest.
Carl Was Suspicious
Carl was immediately suspicious. He thought Frank must be messing with him in some way. Maybe this was another one of Frank’s stunts meant to annoy Carl. So Carl told Frank to take a hike. He wasn’t interested in doing business with someone like Frank. Frank then shocked Carl once again with what he did next.
Frank Reveals Something
Frank then took the duffel bag he’d been carrying and opened it up. Inside the bag was a pile of cash. Carl was shocked. Frank again said he’d like to be a secret investor in Carl’s business. With all this money, Carl could make a lot of improvements to his businesses. Carl had never seen this much cash in his entire life.
Carl Considers the Offer
For a moment, Carl considered the offer. It was definitely unexpected and probably a bad idea, but that was a lot of money. Then he came to his senses. There was no way he could stand to deal with someone like Frank. Business was booming right now and Carl didn’t need another investor, especially one as crazy as Frank.
Carl Tells Frank to Get Lost
Carl told Frank to get lost and that he didn’t want to be in business with someone like him. Frank was angry and Carl was concerned Frank might throw another one of his violent tantrums. But instead, Frank just said, “You’ll regret this,” and walked away. There was something about Frank’s tone of voice that sent a chill up Carl’s spine.
A Terrifying Incident
That night, Carl awoke at around 3am. He heard a noise downstairs that sounded like a door closing. Uneasy after his conversation with Frank earlier that day, he immediately jumped up and triggered his home security alarm. The alarm was incredibly loud. Carl then cautiously went downstairs to investigate. The house was empty but the back door was open. Someone had broken in.
Carl Calls the Police
Carl called the police to report the incident. He told them he strongly suspected his neighbor Frank had broken into his house. He told the police all about his history with Frank. While he told them, the cops kept glancing at each other in a way that Carl found unusual. They must know something about Frank, he thought.
The Private Investigator Calls Carl
The next day, the private investigator called Carl into his office. He said he urgently needed to speak with him. Carl wondered if the private eye had found out about the previous night’s break-in. When Carl arrived at the private eye’s office, he found the investigator nervous and anxious. He must know something huge, Carl thought.
All is Revealed
The private investigator then revealed the unbelievable and shocking truth about Frank. Frank was no ordinary guy. He was in the witness protection program. Frank had been a soldier in the New York mafia. After he turned on his fellow mobsters, he was given a new identity and home in Arizona.
Finally, It All Makes Sense
While Carl was definitely a little scared to hear the true identity of his neighbor, he also thought everything now made sense. This explained why Frank never discussed his past in detail. It explained Frank’s violent outbursts. It explained why Frank had a bag filled with cash. Everything about Frank added up to one fact: he was a criminal.
Carl Processes This News
As Carl processed this information, he began to become concerned for his well-being. He had a mobster for a nextdoor neighbor. Who knew what this guy was capable of. Carl wondered if he would have to move. He also knew now why the cops had acted so strangely around Frank. They must’ve known Frank’s true identity.
Carl Makes a Big Decision
After leaving the private investigator’s office, Carl made a big decision. He decided he would go to the police, tell them he knew all about Frank, and demand that Frank be moved somewhere else or else Carl would tell everyone who Frank really was. He knew telling the cops this could land him in hot water but he had to get rid of Frank.
Carl Stops at Home
Having decided his plan of action, Carl drove home to see if anything else had happened to his house that day. When he arrived, he was shocked to discover that Frank was gone. A moving truck was in the driveway. The front door was open and all of Frank’s belongings were being loaded onto the truck.
Carl is Elated
Carl was thrilled. It looked like he wouldn’t need to talk to the police after all. Obviously word had reached someone that Frank was causing trouble and needed to leave town. Carl’s nightmare was over. But after the wave of relief flooded over him, he began to realize that all this time he’d been going toe-to-toe with an actual mobster.
Carl Has Some Regrets
Carl felt pretty good about himself. He’d stood up to a gangster. He would rather have never had Frank as a neighbor but now he would have a wild story to tell about his former next-door neighbor. One thing was for sure, though. Carl definitely regretted kicking over Frank’s trash cans!
The events of this story are entirely fictional and are products of the author’s imagination. Images included are meant for illustration purposes only. Any resemblance to actual events, places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.