Pale Stranger

sure I wanted this ri

at me made me feel ne

t Old Unreliable out

eage, sometime before

e King's death. That made

s gun. It was probably

in front of it. Still, it w

ich man and his st

as call my mom. She li

farther from my college

ngy apartment. She answ

she recognized the num

eter, just her daughter.

want now?"

r do I need to give you

ke

t you dare say that n

who will hear i

bably just us and the

ed. "And I wish you'd

r to the campus, but t

usti

uch longer if I can jus

ty looks from the teacher

ice about something. I

!" she e

married," I continued.

he said he might have a

his home tonight and s

y about this at all.

ess he gave me, somewh

fifteen miles out

have you kno

bout fifteen min

, this sounds really b

does

sn't going to take the

was hoping for a small

thirty and Sheila told m

Investors

ng me comfort," M

taking Old Unreliable.

he situati

r him?" sh

k of the gun it might

ing, so if push comes t

i

I know I can't convi

reful, and don't for

Mom, I have that with

r. "And I'll call as soo

us

omi

omi

hed. I hated to admit it

ing. The big problem was

ent payment coming in

that was sure to drive m

cut through soft chees

hout food I could make

ie for my co

option of asking my

. No matter how much I'

thing. That meant my la

er man to drive out to hi

unknown job. Wh

hat smoked so bad it

Mr. Benson's house. Tha

wise people would've see

amn road. I took so many l

n by the time I hit the f

o view I was pretty imp

Victorian mansion compl

y steps. The lawn aroun

an up to the front porch.

th a heavy cloth that ran

de door. I parked at the s

just in case I needed

car and was surprised

e sky behind the house. T

d oil, and an old Marley

grabbed the knocker an

oed through the hollow-

pping noise. It grew loud

bout to go off, and I wa

wung open. Rather tha

a beautiful woman. She

ty of 36-24-36. A lot of

ts, making a lot of wome

one of them, and I smiled

. Benson

th the only displeasi

nd a pair of small, squa

s when she sneered at m

e dogs loose on me than

el," she

my face and my smile got

mal. Please call

a buttered piece of toas

d remember to

was born in a barn, whi

in a tool shed. I steppe

te eighteenth century D

ight were the dining and

ched to the back of the d

aircase with a landing t

e upstairs where the ha

ay on the bottom floor.

every other one, and s

with venomous snake eye

t like a meal wa

e familiar voice of the

d Dracula over this SheBeast any day. At least

edroom done up in a spa

The bed sat opposite the

covers with a smile on

rank wine, but the situ

eside me. "Um, good even

pular with the t

eyes, but Benson chuc

y children this far out.

Miss Sievers." She nodd

e-pain at me and left us

hed a sigh of relief loud

she make you uncomfo

nervous, but I had to

nal room. "A lit

very friendly, and as

e more personable who

nts an

opening in his words. "P

you want

ou can see I'm not a

act as a go-between for

ut last night,"