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"Now I can offer you a couple of choices," the desk clerk said "S or non, up or down, front or back"

The , rear of the building, first floor

"No choice on beds," the clerk said "All the units are the saives ure that?"

"I can choose which bed to sleep in"

"Clear-cut choice," the clerk said "First thing you’ll do is drop your suitcase on one of the beds"

"So?"

"So sleep in the other one You’ll have more room"

There were, as promised, two double beds in Roo on top of the dresser

Keeping his options open, he thought

From a pay phone, he called Dot in White Plains He said, "Refreshabout an accident?"

"Or natural causes," she said, "though who’s to say what’s a natural cause in this day and age? Outside of choking to death on an organic carrot, I’d say you’re about as natural a cause of death as there is"

"They provided a gun"

"Oh?"

"A twenty-two auto, because that’s the kind guys like anic carrot"

" ‘Use it and lose it’ "

"Catchy," Dot said "Sounds like a failure to coun didn’t knoas supposed to be natural"

"Leaving us where? Does it still have to be natural?"

"It never had to, Keller It was just a preference, but they gave you a gun, so I’d say they’ve got no kick co if you use it"

"And lose it"

"In that order Custoe for hiet his throat torn out by the fao for it On the other hand-"

"How did you know about the dog?"

"What dog?"

"The one you just mentioned"

"It was just an expression, Keller I don’t know if he has a dog I don’t know for sure if he’s got a heart, but-"

"It’s a golden retriever"

"Oh?"

"Named Powhatan"

"Well, it’s all news tonews I ever heard, either Where is all of this co from?"

He explained about the photo on the Christmas card

"What a jerk," she said "He couldn’t find a head and shoulders shot, the kind the papers run when you get a promotion or they arrest you for erateful you were spared the annual Christreat since she got her appendix transplant and little Tiot his first tattoo"

"Little Jason"

"God, you know the kids’ na’s name on the card and leave the kids off, would they? What a n ‘Archibald’ "

"At least they got that part right"

"And I said that’s me, and he said, ‘Richard Archibald?’ "