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I almost didn’t rent the apartment when I saw her there, but I really needed out of that storerooot used to her, I couldn’t iet a reply fro car when I braved the cold once again At least it had quit raining at last I held up an index finger to tell hihtly on Mable’sI didn’t want to wake her if she was already asleep, but she called out fora frozen, wet sandwich out of the paper bag

Mable was already in her paja ready to settle down for the evening "Have you seen my brush?" she asked ht your favorite, but it’s kind of squished And frozen"

"Oh, honey, squished and frozen are my middle na story

She hurried over, her face the picture of glee Surely she could roast the sandwich to dry it out a bit Make it crunchy

"Can I borrow the car when Stan brings it back?"

"You can borrow it now He doesn’t have it Little shit wrecked it the other night"

Alarmed, I asked, "Is he okay?"

"He’s fine It was just a fender bender Barely left a scratch Nothing to write the governor about"

That woood So it’s not in the shop?"

"Nope It’s in et to take it anye"

"God bless you Kids these days" I didn’t mention the fact that Stan and I were very close to the sae

"But you can take it anyti around her counter to give her a squeeze

She foughtwave of her spatula, but relented and let rabbed the key to her Fiesta, wishing I’d known about the car situation beforehand I could’ve avoided another evening with the cop voteda psych eval It was a real award Oh well, surveillance could begin later It ht be better if it did, in fact I could check out Mr V’s house after bedtiht

I ran outside, held up itated Ian, and sprinted across the street, only al frootten oil for his lah the brush and to the fallen structure "Jaet too close, so I put the bag just outside what used to be the shed door

"I’ize for the state it’s in"

After a runt and then a honk

A honk!

Ian had honked at h I doubted he could see me I would not be honked at That was absolutely the final straw This ended tonight

I could’ve just broken off our friendship right then and there and taken Mable’s car, but I wanted to explain to him e couldn’t see each other anymore And I wanted to do it in a public place I didn’t trust hi back, I’d never really trusted hiht

We drove to the café, which took all of twohad set e, so he wisely kept his ed behind his stony visage, and they spoke volu all I suddenly could not wait for our relationship to co Once we pulled up to the café, he turned off the engine and faced ? Some cop

"It’s a friend’s"