“A ghost? No, I didn’t see a ghost. Why?”
“I … never mind.”
Amie’s heart leapt into her throat as a loud chiming emerged from her front pocket.The ten-minute alarm.
Thankfully, Benny had chosen that moment to switch on the television. The sudden blast of sound drowned out the noise of the alarm (and the subsequent sounds of Amie frantically scramblingto shut the alarm off). She heaved a sigh of relief as she returned the traitorous device to her pocket.
“Oh, I love this show,” David commented. “Incredible writing.”
“That’s a paper towel commercial.”
“Ah.”
Amie took stock of her situation. Benny’s back was to her while on the couch, but he’d see her if she tried to sneak out the front door. She could wait until he needed to use the bathroom, but he’d have to walk through the bedroom to get there.
So … she’d hide!
Amie tiptoed over to the bed, lay down, and shimmied underneath. Her hand hit something soft, and she instinctively swiped it away from her. The item went flying out from under the bed, landing silently on the floor a couple feet in front of Amie. Squinting in the dim light, she saw it was the matching sock to the one she’d found in the wastebasket.
Maybe now he won’t have to throw out the other one, Amie thought, shifting to a more comfortable position. (That was, as comfortable as one can get hiding under the bed of a man who may have been involved in the murder of one’s neighbor while waiting for said man to go use the bathroom.)
She suddenly realized that David might have been trying to contact her, or that she at least should be updating him on her plan. Squirming a bit, she managed to extract her phone from her pocket and bring it up to her face.
There were, in fact, multiple messages from David, beginning with theWE’RE COMING BACKvariety before transitioning to a generalWHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?sentiment.
There was also a text from Ziya, received just a couple minutes before:Where are you?
Amie’s brow furrowed as she read the message, then reread it (which was a pointless endeavor, seeing how it was only three words and therefore pretty difficult to misread on the first go).
Deciding that Ziya had probably meant to text someone else, Amie swiped the notification away and shot off a message to David:
Amie: I’m hiding under the bed. Gonna try to slip out when he uses the bathroom
Bubbles appeared to indicate that David was typing. About thirty seconds later (David was the slowest texter Amie had ever encountered), he responded:
David: Okay. I will try to get him to drink more. Hang tight.
“If the offer still stands, I will take that beer, actually,” David said from the other room.
A studio audience burst into applause through the TV’s speakers. There was a loud snap as a beer can was opened.
“You know, I used to be able to chug one of these in five seconds,” he continued.
“No way,” came Benny’s half-interested response.
“Yes way. I was kind of a legend. Bet it’d take you more than twenty.”
Benny’s interest was growing. “Nah, I could do it in ten, easy.”
“No way.”
There was another snap as a fresh can was opened. “Time me.”
Amie shook her head in amazement as David began counting. She couldn’t believe that actually worked.
“—eight … nine … te—”
“Done!” came Benny’s proud announcement, followed by an even prouder burp.
