gave him the finger and headed for the stairs.
'Very adult, ' Morelli said. 'Nice to know you've thought this through and have it reduced to a hand gesture. '
'I've thought it through, and I have a plan. I'm leaving. '
Morelli followed me upstairs. 'Leaving? That's a plan?'
'It's a temporary plan. ' I took the laundry basket from the closet and started putting clothes in it.
Ten Big Ones
Page: 68
'We'll do your plan next time. ' I emptied my lingerie drawer into the basket.
'What's this?' Morelli said, picking out lavender string bikini underpants. 'I like these. You want to fool around?'
'No!' Actually, I sort of did, but it didn't seem in keeping with the current plan.
I gathered up some things from the bathroom, added them to the basket, and carted the basket downstairs. Then I lugged the hamster cage from the kitchen and put it on top of the clothes in the basket.
'You're serious about this, ' Morelli said.
`I'm not going to start every day off with an argument about hiding in the house. '
'You don't have to hide in the house forever. Just lower your visibility for a few days. And it would be nice if you'd stop looking for trouble. '
I hefted the laundry basket and pushed past him to the door. 'On the surface that sounds reasonable, but the reality of it is that I give up my job and hide. '
I was telling the truth. I didn't want to start every day off with an argument. But, I also didn't want to wake up to more graffiti on
Joe's house. I didn't want a firebomb thrown through his front window. I didn't want a Slayer breaking in when I was alone and in the shower. I needed a place to stay that was unknown to the
Slayers. Not Morelli's house. Not my parents' house. Not my apartment. I wouldn't feel completely safe in any of those places.
And I didn't want to put anyone in danger. Maybe I was making a big thing out of nothing... But then, maybe not.
So, here I was idling at the corner of Slater and Chambers with a pleasant, perfectly designed, color-coordinated Martha Stewart laundry basket on the seat beside me, filled with all the clean clothes I could find, a hamster cage wedged into the seat behind me... And no place to go.
I'd told Morelli I was going home to my parents' house, but it had been a fib. The truth was, I walked out without totally thinking the whole thing through.
My best friend Mary Lou was married and had a pack of kids.
No room there. Lula lived in a closet. No room there either.
The sun was setting, and I was feeling panicky. I could sleep in
Rangers truck, but it didn't have a bathroom. I'd have to go to the
Mobil station on the corner to use the toilet. And what about a shower? The Mobil station didn't have a shower. How was I going to get the drool out of my hair? And Rex? This was so pathetic, I thought. My hamster was homeless.
Ten Big Ones
Page: 69
The Lexus stopped in front of Morelli's house. The bass from the SUV stereo thumped down the street and beat against my windshield. After a long moment the SUV moved off.
Looking for me, I thought. And then I burst into tears. I was in emotion overload, feeling sorry for myself. A bunch of gang guys were out to get me. The police had Big Blue. And I'd moved out on Morelli... For the umpteenth time.
Rex had come out of his soup can and was hunkered down on his wheel, myopically surveying his new surroundings.
'Look at me. ' I said to Rex. `I'm a mess. I'm hysterical. I need a doughnut. '
Rex got all perky at that. Rex was always up for a doughnut.
I called Morelli on my cell and told him about the Lexus. 'Just thought you should know, ' I said. 'Be careful when you go out of the house. And maybe you shouldn't stand in front of any windows. '
'They're not out for me, ' Morelli said.
I nodded agreement in the dark truck and disconnected. I drove a half mile down Hamilton and pulled into the drive-thru lane at
Dunkin' Donuts. Is this a great country, or what? You don't even have to get out of
'Very adult, ' Morelli said. 'Nice to know you've thought this through and have it reduced to a hand gesture. '
'I've thought it through, and I have a plan. I'm leaving. '
Morelli followed me upstairs. 'Leaving? That's a plan?'
'It's a temporary plan. ' I took the laundry basket from the closet and started putting clothes in it.
Ten Big Ones
Page: 68
'We'll do your plan next time. ' I emptied my lingerie drawer into the basket.
'What's this?' Morelli said, picking out lavender string bikini underpants. 'I like these. You want to fool around?'
'No!' Actually, I sort of did, but it didn't seem in keeping with the current plan.
I gathered up some things from the bathroom, added them to the basket, and carted the basket downstairs. Then I lugged the hamster cage from the kitchen and put it on top of the clothes in the basket.
'You're serious about this, ' Morelli said.
`I'm not going to start every day off with an argument about hiding in the house. '
'You don't have to hide in the house forever. Just lower your visibility for a few days. And it would be nice if you'd stop looking for trouble. '
I hefted the laundry basket and pushed past him to the door. 'On the surface that sounds reasonable, but the reality of it is that I give up my job and hide. '
I was telling the truth. I didn't want to start every day off with an argument. But, I also didn't want to wake up to more graffiti on
Joe's house. I didn't want a firebomb thrown through his front window. I didn't want a Slayer breaking in when I was alone and in the shower. I needed a place to stay that was unknown to the
Slayers. Not Morelli's house. Not my parents' house. Not my apartment. I wouldn't feel completely safe in any of those places.
And I didn't want to put anyone in danger. Maybe I was making a big thing out of nothing... But then, maybe not.
So, here I was idling at the corner of Slater and Chambers with a pleasant, perfectly designed, color-coordinated Martha Stewart laundry basket on the seat beside me, filled with all the clean clothes I could find, a hamster cage wedged into the seat behind me... And no place to go.
I'd told Morelli I was going home to my parents' house, but it had been a fib. The truth was, I walked out without totally thinking the whole thing through.
My best friend Mary Lou was married and had a pack of kids.
No room there. Lula lived in a closet. No room there either.
The sun was setting, and I was feeling panicky. I could sleep in
Rangers truck, but it didn't have a bathroom. I'd have to go to the
Mobil station on the corner to use the toilet. And what about a shower? The Mobil station didn't have a shower. How was I going to get the drool out of my hair? And Rex? This was so pathetic, I thought. My hamster was homeless.
Ten Big Ones
Page: 69
The Lexus stopped in front of Morelli's house. The bass from the SUV stereo thumped down the street and beat against my windshield. After a long moment the SUV moved off.
Looking for me, I thought. And then I burst into tears. I was in emotion overload, feeling sorry for myself. A bunch of gang guys were out to get me. The police had Big Blue. And I'd moved out on Morelli... For the umpteenth time.
Rex had come out of his soup can and was hunkered down on his wheel, myopically surveying his new surroundings.
'Look at me. ' I said to Rex. `I'm a mess. I'm hysterical. I need a doughnut. '
Rex got all perky at that. Rex was always up for a doughnut.
I called Morelli on my cell and told him about the Lexus. 'Just thought you should know, ' I said. 'Be careful when you go out of the house. And maybe you shouldn't stand in front of any windows. '
'They're not out for me, ' Morelli said.
I nodded agreement in the dark truck and disconnected. I drove a half mile down Hamilton and pulled into the drive-thru lane at
Dunkin' Donuts. Is this a great country, or what? You don't even have to get out of
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