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He followed directions to the drugstore -- it was as good a place as any to find a pay phone -- and called the nuht, the job would be done by now Okay, fair enough, he’d ht back and tell the fellow he ain, only this tiun or his hands and finish the job once and for all

He ood," he was told "Give us a call first thing to"

And he’d done just that, only to get the saain "Tomorrow," theyou don’t even have to check with us, okay? Because it’s all set up Anytio and do what you gotta do"

"We’re all set for toh tiet back"

"Back to your own bed"

"The bed’s okay Tell you the truth, it’s better than my own I’s you don’t know about a person"

"What I miss," he said, "is my TV"

"Fifty-inch, hi-def, plas?"

"No, and neither did the manufacturer It’s just about perfect"

"You’ve talked so et oneto ," he said, "is there’s no TiVo"

"Now there I have to agree with you," she said "TiVo changed my life And there you are, poor baby, stuck in Des Moines with all the coh"

"And I can’t pause the thing when I go to the bathrooue I missed, and--"

"For God’s sake, hurry up and coonna have to tell Al you need a hardship bonus"

He rang off and started walking over to the TV, then stopped hies the previous afternoon, and he checked again, and called James McCue to make sure he was open for business No reason to pack the suitcase this ti back to theand his tongs and head out the door

That hat, a couple of hours ago? Now the governor of Ohio was dead, and he had to do so and wiped his rooo back to it But he’d probably be going there anyway, because where else could he go?

4

When he got to the Days Inn he took a slow turn around the parking lot, looking for any sign of police activity, or indeed anyone at all taking a special interest in the place But it looked the way it always looked, and he parked his car in its usual spot and went to his room

Inside, he turned on the television set The assassination of Governor Longford was all over the dial, unless you wanted to watch QVC or the Food Channel Keller chose CNN and heard a couple of experts trying to estimate the likelihood of riots in Cleveland The weather, one of thenificant variable Heat and humidity added up to riot weather, she said, while a cold snap and rain kept folks indoors

That was sort of interesting, but Keller, stuck in Des Moines, couldn’t bring hi in there while they talked the subject to death, but hit the Mute button in a hurry when they rang in a Nexium commercial

At least the remote had a Mute button You couldn’t fast-forward, you couldn’t pause, and you couldn’t reverse, but the one thing you could do wasshut up, and he did