The Spider Bites by Medora Sale Page A

happy hiding down there. Or a spider.
    The apartment was supposed to be empty. Before I left, I had paid my landlady, Cheryl, the rent for six months. But there were lights on in the kitchen and the living room.
    The street was deserted because of the rain and the cold. I walked cautiously down the driveway between the house and its next-door neighbor. The automatic security light went on. That didn’t bother me. It goes on when a cat walks by. Or a raccoon.
    I stopped and listened for signs of movement. Everything was quiet. I went around to the back window. I could see into the brightly lit kitchen. It was empty. Then I bent down and looked around. There were dirty pots on the stove and dishes stacked in the sink. Through the kitchen door, I saw a shadow move. The hall light went out. Then a hand reached into the kitchen and turned out the light.

CHAPTER TWO

FIRE
    I took a step sideways from the window. For a minute I stood still, listening. The person in my apartment didn’t move. He hadn’t broken in. He was living in my apartment. At least he was cooking and eating there. I took out my key and went back to the side door. The key didn’t work. Cheryl had rented my apartment to someone else, and I had scared the hell out of him. Or her. I swore under my breath.
    The last thing I wanted tonight was a fight over the apartment. I wanted a bed and a shower and a little peace and quiet. I’d sort it out tomorrow.
    I walked back up to West Central and took a room at the nearest hotel.
    * * *
    I crawled into bed and slept until six the next morning. Hunger woke me up. I hadn’t eaten since lunch the day before.
    It was too early for breakfast. The closest place for a decent breakfast was the Coffee Corner. It opened at seven. My landlady worked the morning shift there. Naturally I wanted to talk to her about who was living in my apartment. But I really didn’t want to argue about it over my pancakes and coffee.
    I took a long shower to fill the time. Then I went out. One of those coffee franchises had moved in right across the street from the Coffee Corner. It was already open. So there I was, sitting on an uncomfortable stool, eating a stale muffin and drinking warm, flavored water. I thought of Cheryl’s pancakes and strong, hot coffee. What else could I do? I’d go back and talk to Cheryl after she got off work. Anyway, I had other things to look after.
    I had left town in mid-May. I stopped shaving in June and let my hair grow. Seeing myself in the bathroom mirror after my shower that morning, I realized I now looked like the Wild Man of the Woods. I needed a major cleanup. Then I needed some clothes that fit me.
    * * *
    â€œWhy not keep the beard, Rick?” asked my barber. “I’ll trim it for you. See how you like it.”
    I nodded. “Whatever you think, Vito,” I said. I didn’t care how I looked right now. Up to a point. But I had to look respectable and clean. I closed my eyes and let Vito wash and cut and trim. My mind was on what I was doing back in town.
    Getting into my apartment was the least of my problems. I wondered if it was possible to get my job back. After all, right now, I was only suspended. I hadn’t been fired. Yet. Did I want my job back? I had to decide if I wanted to face the guys I used to work with. Especially since most of them believed I was on Rodriguez’s payroll. That had nothing to do with the way my hair looked.
    â€œWhat do you think, Rick?”
    I opened my eyes. “About what, Vito?”
    â€œThe beard. If I shave it off, your chin will look pretty funny. You’ve got a real dark tan on the rest of your face. Your chin will be white.”
    â€œLeave it then,” I said. “It doesn’t matter.”
    I left Vito’s, feeling much neater, and strolled along West Central to George’s Menswear. It had good stuff. Nothing fancy and nothing too expensive.
    I was looking through a rack of trousers