Though Odum is no longer a permanent fixture on Walsh Street, residents are still wary and people still talk. Few look forward to seeing his black pickup truck in front of his house. Neighbors complain about the noise and the condition of the home. It's all part of Odum's legacy. He trashes our neighborhood.
Rumors have a way of tearing people apart, be they neighbors, lovers or business partners.
Petty discrepancies can sever the closest ties and sometimes even destroy lives. Rumor or no, a part of me wanted to believe that James Odum was a serial child rapist, a lecher in a feeding frenzy. The attendant horror makes life in the suburbs more exciting, more dramatic. It's also that much more delicious when the madman is brought to justice. But I also wanted to know the truth about Odum, something based on more than just neighborhood suspicions and a Webpage.