“Before I could turn to look up, a voice boomed from the heavens: "What the heck is going on down there?”

“I think you glow more when you embarrassed. Maybe that's how you blush.”

“So what building are we breaking into? Give me all the information you've got and I'll hunt down the rest. By the way, when are we doing this?" I glanced up. "Tonight." Tonight? Oh, boy... Miracles 'R' Us. I assume that we're not going to go and ask permission for this.”

“Observing his lopsided grin, I asked, “What?”“At this rate, you’re going to be in possession of half my wardrobe before the weekends done.”His words brought a light flush of color to my cheeks.Obviously deriving pleasure from my reaction, he added, “Don’t worry, I’ll let you know when I’m down to my underwear.”

“In a small town, unexplained tragedy can only go so long before it grows teeth, sprouts sharp claws, and turns, snarling, on its own self. Before fragments of gossip become rumors, and the rumors become suspicions. Before neighbors start eyeing each other with the mistrustful narrowness of oft-kicked dogs. Inside the safe shelter of their homes, husbands and wives draw the blinds tight and turn to each other, worrying at small bits of information and wondering who, who among their shrinking circle of trusted friends, might still know something he isn’t telling.”

“There’s a long, uncomfortable silence in which I contemplate what might happen next. Maybe like the villain in a movie, this is where she gives me a long spiel about her hard-up life before she kills me. Not that I totally believe she’s nefarious. Real life isn’t made up of heroes and villains. Just ordinary people making choices they have to live with.”

“Fall?” he repeated. “Say more like flying, as if someone threw you. What  .  .  . was that?” I chewed on my words before I let them out. “I  .  .  . sometimes have little disagreements with  .  .  . um, with reality. And physics.”