or something?”
Andrew’s nose wrinkled. “The quarters are more than adequate for me – clean and tastefully decorated – but I’m not sure such a place would be suitable for guests . The room is, after all, directly off the kitchen, and just behind the laundry room.”
“Of course it is.”
“May I get you that drink of water?”
“No. I have to go out again. I have to…” Kevin stopped. What exactly did he have to do? Figure out what had been happening to him for the last three months, yes. But how exactly was he going to do that?
He had an idea. Not a foolproof idea, but it was something.
“I have to take care of some things,” he finished.
“Of course,” Andrew said. “Returning this evening?”
“What?” Kevin was briefly confused by the question. “Sure, I’ll be back.”
He had a flash of inspiration.
“Why?” he said slowly. “Didn’t I come back last night?”
Andrew waited a beat. “You did not,” he said, and his eyebrows went up just slightly, in an expression of concern or disapproval, Kevin could not tell. But then the moment passed, and Andrew was pressing on. “I’d be happy to prepare your dinner,” he said, “if you’ll tell me what you’d like.”
Kevin considered. Weird day or not, the idea of an expertly cooked meal was tempting. “I don’t know. Chicken and rice, maybe some salad?”
“Excellent. It will be waiting for you.”
“Okay. Do you have a watch?”
Andrew held out his arm as if for inspection. He was wearing a simple, black digital wristwatch that went well with his monkish attire.
“Does it work?” Kevin asked.
“Flawlessly.”
“ All the time?”
“So far. For the last seven years, that is.”
Kevin nodded. “What time is it?”
Andrew did not point out that Kevin had his own watch, or that there was a large grandfather clock standing at the far end of the living room, not ten feet from them. “Nearly half past three in the afternoon,” he said.
“All right,” Kevin said. “I should be back by seven.”
Andrew nodded, turned, and left the room. Kevin assumed he was heading for his quarters or the kitchen, and at this point he had no intention of following. He didn’t need to confirm that his apartment was a small mansion. It was enough to know that he could come back here, and that there would be dinner waiting.
He had things to do.
Get ready.
“I’m going, I’m going,” he hissed under his breath, hoping Andrew wouldn’t hear him.
There were people he needed to talk to.
People who owed him some answers.
The One They Were Looking For
He walked rather than taking a cab or the bus or the subway. The act of putting one foot in front of the other was soothing, and the steady rhythm of his feet on the pavement reassured him that things were moving. That time was moving.
As it was supposed to.
It was two miles down to Times Square, then a nother seven blocks to the high- rise at 1 Penn Plaza, the building that held the testing center. Kevin hesitated at the entrance. This was one of his last clear memories. From before… whatever had happened to him this past summer. He could remember standing right at this spot, looking to his right and seeing Madison Square Garden at the end of the block. He felt a flash of nostalgia over his first hockey game there with his father, so many years ago. Then, looking up again, he wondered why a state licensure center would be located in a building where real estate was murderously expensive.
Some sort of government subsidy , he decided. Rent control for state facilities.
Now he walked into the building again, and already he could feel his pulse quickening. He found the nearest open elevator and pushed the button for the 20th floor. The elevator moved fast, and in seconds he was there. The door opened, and he stepped
Andrew’s nose wrinkled. “The quarters are more than adequate for me – clean and tastefully decorated – but I’m not sure such a place would be suitable for guests . The room is, after all, directly off the kitchen, and just behind the laundry room.”
“Of course it is.”
“May I get you that drink of water?”
“No. I have to go out again. I have to…” Kevin stopped. What exactly did he have to do? Figure out what had been happening to him for the last three months, yes. But how exactly was he going to do that?
He had an idea. Not a foolproof idea, but it was something.
“I have to take care of some things,” he finished.
“Of course,” Andrew said. “Returning this evening?”
“What?” Kevin was briefly confused by the question. “Sure, I’ll be back.”
He had a flash of inspiration.
“Why?” he said slowly. “Didn’t I come back last night?”
Andrew waited a beat. “You did not,” he said, and his eyebrows went up just slightly, in an expression of concern or disapproval, Kevin could not tell. But then the moment passed, and Andrew was pressing on. “I’d be happy to prepare your dinner,” he said, “if you’ll tell me what you’d like.”
Kevin considered. Weird day or not, the idea of an expertly cooked meal was tempting. “I don’t know. Chicken and rice, maybe some salad?”
“Excellent. It will be waiting for you.”
“Okay. Do you have a watch?”
Andrew held out his arm as if for inspection. He was wearing a simple, black digital wristwatch that went well with his monkish attire.
“Does it work?” Kevin asked.
“Flawlessly.”
“ All the time?”
“So far. For the last seven years, that is.”
Kevin nodded. “What time is it?”
Andrew did not point out that Kevin had his own watch, or that there was a large grandfather clock standing at the far end of the living room, not ten feet from them. “Nearly half past three in the afternoon,” he said.
“All right,” Kevin said. “I should be back by seven.”
Andrew nodded, turned, and left the room. Kevin assumed he was heading for his quarters or the kitchen, and at this point he had no intention of following. He didn’t need to confirm that his apartment was a small mansion. It was enough to know that he could come back here, and that there would be dinner waiting.
He had things to do.
Get ready.
“I’m going, I’m going,” he hissed under his breath, hoping Andrew wouldn’t hear him.
There were people he needed to talk to.
People who owed him some answers.
The One They Were Looking For
He walked rather than taking a cab or the bus or the subway. The act of putting one foot in front of the other was soothing, and the steady rhythm of his feet on the pavement reassured him that things were moving. That time was moving.
As it was supposed to.
It was two miles down to Times Square, then a nother seven blocks to the high- rise at 1 Penn Plaza, the building that held the testing center. Kevin hesitated at the entrance. This was one of his last clear memories. From before… whatever had happened to him this past summer. He could remember standing right at this spot, looking to his right and seeing Madison Square Garden at the end of the block. He felt a flash of nostalgia over his first hockey game there with his father, so many years ago. Then, looking up again, he wondered why a state licensure center would be located in a building where real estate was murderously expensive.
Some sort of government subsidy , he decided. Rent control for state facilities.
Now he walked into the building again, and already he could feel his pulse quickening. He found the nearest open elevator and pushed the button for the 20th floor. The elevator moved fast, and in seconds he was there. The door opened, and he stepped
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