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"I’m not into flash," Redlow said
"No offense, sir, but this house isn’t e on it"
The kid was right over hi farther in with each question, as if he could see Redlow in the lightless roo facial tics and twitches as he questioned hi closer, closer, closer
"No htfully "Is that your reason for working, for living? To be able to say you paid off a e on a duo fck hih was a good idea, after all
"Is that what life’s all about, sir? Is that all it’s about? Is that why you find it so precious, why you’re so eager to hold on to it? Is that why you life-lovers struggle to go on living--just to acquire a pitiful pile of belongings, so you can go out of the game a winner? I’m sorry, sir, but I just don’t understand that I don’t understand at all"
The detective’s heart was pounding too hard It slaainst his bruised ribs He hadn’t treated his heart well over the years, too arettes, tooto do--talk hiine you have some clients who don’t want it on record that they ever hired you, they pay in cash Would that be a valid assumption, sir?"
Redlow cleared his throat and tried not to sound frightened "Yeah Sure Soame would be to keep astaxes on it, which wouldit in a bank"
The kid was so close now that the detective could smell his breath For some reason he had expected it to be sour, vile But it s candy in the dark
"So I’d iine you have a nice little stash here in the house soht, sir?"
A warm quiver of hope caused a dih Redlow for the past few minutes If it was about money, he could deal with that It made sense He could understand the kid’salive
"Yeah," the detective said "There’s o In the kitchen, there’s a waste can with a plastic bag for a liner Lift out the bag of trash, there’s a brown paper bag full of cash under it, in the bottoh touched the detective’s right cheek, and he flinched from it
"Pliers," the kid said, and the detective felt the jaws take a grip on his flesh
"What’re you doing?"
The kid twisted the pliers
Redlow cried out in pain "Wait, wait, stop it, shit, please, stop it, no!"
The kid stopped He took the pliers away He said, "I’m sorry, sir, but I just want you to understand that if there isn’t any cash in the trash can, I won’t be happy I’ll figure if you lied to "
"It’s there," Redlow assured hiood Good people don’t lie That’s what they teach you, isn’t it, sir?"
"Go, look, you’ll see it’s there," Redlow said desperately
The kid went out of the living roo rooh the house from the tile floor of the kitchen A clatter and rustle arose as the garbage bag was pulled out of the waste can
Already daush sweat as he listened to the kid return through the pitch-black house He appeared in the living roole of a
"How can you see?" the detective asked, dismayed to hear a faint note of hysteria in his voice when he was struggling so hard toold "What--are you wearing night-vision glasses or soet your hands on anything like that?"
Ignoring him, the kid said, "There isn’t es of clothes The only et is when I make an addition toSometimes it’s not much, only a few dollars This is really a help It really is This et back to where I belong Do you knohere I belong, Mr Redlow?"
The detective did not answer The kid had dropped down below the s, out of sight Redloas squinting into the glooone
"You knohere I belong, Mr Redlow?" the kid repeated
Redlow heard a piece of furniture being shoved aside Maybe an end table beside the sofa
"I belong in Hell," the kid said "I was there for a while I want to go back What kind of life have you led, Mr Redlow? Do you think, when I go back to Hell, that ?" Redlow asked
"Looking for an electrical outlet," the kid said as he shoved aside another piece of furniture "Ah, here we go"
"Electrical outlet?" Redlow asked agitatedly "Why?"
A frightening noise cut through the darkness: zzzzrrrrrrrrrr
"What was that?" Redlow de what?"
"You’ve got all sorts of pots and pans and gouruess you’re really into cooking, are you?" The kid rose up again, appearing against the backdrop of the di--was that an interest before the second divorce, or ain
The kid approached the chair
"There’s more money," Redlow said frantically He was soaked in sweat now It was running down him in rivulets "In the ain, a mysterious and inhu around him, a black hole in the shape of a man, blacker than black "In the c-closet There’s a ooden floor" The detective’s bladder was suddenly full It had blown up like a balloon all in an instant Bursting "Take out the shoes and crap Lift up the back f-f-floorboards" He was going to piss himself "There’s a cash box Thirty thousand dollars Take it Please Take it and go"