Chapter 24: Give me Some Credit Here

Is it “flights of fancy” or “flights of fantasy?” Either way, I’m not going through security in disguise.

Visitor

The landlady came to visit on Wednesday.

“I’ve come over several times,” Susan said, “but you seem to be in and out so much. Never know when you are going to be home. I was so concerned about how you were doing. My, you seem to have packed a lot of boxes.”

“One batch has gone out to Goodwill already,” I said. “I’m afraid there isn’t a lot left that we’ll salvage except the furniture and computers. I’ve got a truck arranged on Wednesday next week to take care of moving it into storage until I find a good home for it. By Wednesday night, everything should be clean and rentable, and you have my thirty-day notice from the first of the month.”

“Yes. Georgia was such a good tenant. I don’t suppose you’d be interested in taking the house, would you? We’d get along so well.” Yes. As long as I could keep your husband or Georgia’s boyfriend from drugging and raping me on the internet, I’m sure we’d get along great!

“I really need to get back to Cleveland,” I said. “I have time off, but I really miss my little home.”

“Oh, but it’s so cold and snowy in Cleveland, isn’t it? Don’t you get tired of it?” It was only forty-five degrees in Seattle. Ish.

“It’s not so bad once you get used to it. The nice part is that it gets cold and snows and then it stays that way for four or five months,” I said. I hoped I was being believable. “Here, you never know if you need sunglasses or a sled!”

“That’s what makes it so interesting here,” Susan said. “I don’t suppose you found my necklace, did you?”

“No. I don’t think I’ve found anything of yours here,” I said. A little too subtle for her to get, I think.

“What are you going to do with the computers?”