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"I guess"

"Where’d the Jaht?"

"What, you think Robert Marley had a ranch full of the soy sauce coles coles tubes The sauce has a s are just carriers And these little silver vials that keep turning up, you don’t buy these at the hardware store No, soest calling Drake the Cop, but I stopped that in ht I pictured all sorts of questions about the Las Vegas trip, and the ain about calling Marconi, but that felt hopeless John had looked up a number for his office but it wasn’t like that was a red phone that rang at his bedside We’d get so if anted to order a copy of his DVD

I wandered into the living roo myself do it on the TV screen at the same time I waved to h to sleep on a sidewalk People would stop and put change in a cup foraround plates and opening drawers Aa sandwich and a soda

I noticed a VCR atop the TV was recording the camera’s feed I hit "stop" on the VCR and then "rewind"

John reached over to an answering h eleven worthless es before we heard the unmistakable voice of Action Weather Watcher Ken Phillipe:

Beep

"Danny? It’s Ken Call me, buddy What you saw, I don’t want you totime, I knew her mom from way back--look, I want you to know that she and I were talking but ere talkin’ about you, Danny You got her scared, the way you’ve been acting Anyway Give me a call, Danny, and I’ll be over with a six-pack and we’ll shoot the shit I hope you’re well, buddy"

Beep

I started the VCR fro of the tape E over at the feed on the TV He sat down, looking worn and beaten and drained, in a sweat-stained T-shirt and jeans The door we had just entered through was visible over his shoulder He said:

"Hi, honey Are you there? Answerto somebody behind the camera?" John didn’t answer, just squinted quizzically as Wexler continued

"Co into the camera in silence for a few seconds

"Just say hello"

[Another pause]

"I know It’s been a rough couple of weeks Baby, I’ve done so Soine"

"That’s bizarre," said John "It’s like listening to one half of a phone conversation"

"If I told you the details, you would wish I hadn’t," he said "But you know by now that I’ht now I’ht for every second of control It’s draining Baby, it takes so y to keep myself on top, on the surface, at the wheel As soon as I relax, he’ll take over It will take over And I’ll just be a spectator Helpless"

He broke down into sobs

Wexler babbled on, those long pauses here and there

I said, "So, he was on the sauce, right?"

"At soht it would improve his sportscast And now that I think about it, it sort of did"

"Or maybe he didn’t take it Maybe it took hiets the envelope, she glances at it and assumes it’s from a crazy person, she tosses it in the trash"

John picked it up "Then Wexler’s duets curious and says, ‘What’s this?’ and fishes it out Horror ensues"

"Fast-forward toward the end of the tape See if he ot the chance On the screen, Wexler flinched and looked up The sound of Cinderella’s "Don’t Know What You’ve Got ’til it’s Gone" filled the room

Wexler jumped off the couch and walked out of the frame A couple of h the door

John and I leapt up fro-loaded

"We just missed him!" John screamed "We just missed him! Shit!"

On the TV, John and I walked passed the camera, then headed off to search the apartment

On-screen, a shape appeared above us

So

Wexler