I HATE THIS.
Wait Ya looked around on the floorchecked the box
YES.
It’s not here.
Try an rela . .
.
. Don’t tell me relax, we’ve worked this puzzle better than a week, twothousand
pieces.
he tried humour Onethousandninehunredninetynine
she iced him with her eyes
Well find it babe
It’s not finishedwe didn’t finish
it complete it.
We did wha we coud
Get
off your mad pony Well find it
I’ve
been lookin . .
.
. Youve only just told me
Next time when were closing out a puzzlethe last few pieces you can get
your celebratory winemy beer
Youve stewed all of five minutes babe
Give
it another ten fifteen minutes before . . .
Before?
Losin your mind
Isn’t that missing piece
glaring?
No
What do you mean no?
When I was a boy there were a lot
of men in the neighbourhood who lost hands eyes legs feet My Maw woud tell me not to stare it was impolite
Quit starin at it
Well look together after
we have our drinks
she growled They’re supposed to be celebratory.
Mine is
I know
You know what?
Your sister had people come in an
clean houseyah
Yes. She wanted it spickanspan before we came to stay
to care for the animals while they’re gone.
Yah
Coud explain the missing piece
she glared That . . could explain the missing piece. droll
We began it before they left Your sister hadnt wanted to startShit another possibility
What the hell are you talking
about?
Either the housekeepers or your
sister For entirely different reasons
What are you talking about?
Either ransom or petty
selfserving interest
You said your sister rebuffed a
negotiation a price hike for cleaningdespite despite she admitted shes been takin advantage of them
for some time
Chickens
come home to roost
Secondly Your sister wanted to help build the puzzle
to completion
Ransom
She has the piece Shell complete it not you us
he took a long pull on his beerwatching her
over it
impatient she sipped her cold
clear white wine
Or
Or?
he motioned with his beer
Ortha may be it
there on edge against the baseboard
he thought shed snap her neckher suddenlook over her shoulder behind where she posted up an don a soul dare try an sit
there
Fuuuuck.
she set her wine down dropped to
her knees crawled over to it
looked like religious penance mortification
which he appreciated
he loved watching how
her ass moved
truth be knownSHSSSH
he leaned it when he learned they
were building a twothousand piece puzzle
1738, Reggaefriday,
12 7. 24
1325, Sunday,
14 7. 24