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"I just okay, so you blacked out. You blacked out, fine, I can buy that."
"Thank you. I did."
"All right "
"And I don't really recall much else. Turn up there; it's one-way."
"You blacked out but the room was already dark. Right? Didn't you say that?"
"Yes "
"So, how do you know you fainted, then, if the place is already pitch black?"
"I didn't say 'pitch.'
"Dark, then you said 'dark.'"
"It was. Darkish."
"But how can you tell?"
"you you're just trying to confuse me now."
"No, I'm not, I promise I'm not. I just wanna understand. That's all."
"Well, it felt like blacking out. Okay? The room was dark, like I said; it was quite dim, anyway, no lamps on or anything — I'd only been back in it myself for a few moments — and the door swings open and they're  in the entryway. Silhouetted in the light from the hallway and their features in deep shadow. Murk. I turn and see them, both or the two or all of them whatever and then I feel like I passed out. Like it all just went black."
"I see."
"You wanted to hear it, and so there it is. How it happened."
"So, you fainted, then?"
"Probably. Most likely."
"You fainted. Fine. You were scared and so that makes sense. And then "
"What?"
"That's what I'm saying, 'What?' You woke up "
"Yes, obviously I woke up. I flew home, didn't I? I'm here in the car with you, of course I woke up."
"No, I'm retracing the events, the steps. Just after."
"Oh."
"I'm saying you saw them, these "
"Men."
"Right, these 'men,' and you saw them, the image of them there, and then you dropped off. I got that. But after, what happened after? What were the steps after you woke up?"
"Ummm "
"They were gone."
"Yes, they were all gone "
"I wish you wouldn't do that."
"Fine both. They were 'both' gone."
"Thank you."
"And I'm on the floor, but "
"But what? What?"
" I'm undressed now."
"Jesus."
"Yes, I'm naked when I wake up, I'm sure of that. Nude. And I sort of wake slowly, in stages. Almost "
"What?"
" I don't know. Leisurely."
"You woke 'leisurely?' After two guys break into your ?"
"I didn't say 'break.' I never said that."
"Well, of course they "
"No, I didn't say that. Not 'break.'"
"Yeah, but they had to break in. Right? didn't they?"
"I'm not sure. Maybe they did. I dunno."
"Wai, wai, wait. You're not sure or you know? Did they or didn't they?"
"Ahhhh "
"Tell me they broke in. You weren't stupid enough to open the door for them, were you? Dammit, honey, how many times have I ?
"No, I didn't, but I might've you know "
"What?"
"Left the door unlocked. Or something. Careful, it's a yellow "
"Oh God how does this thing end?! For Heaven's sake, you're in a Howard Johnson's, not some Taj Mahal!  You gotta lock the door!!"
"You said NO shouting! Stop!!"
"Fine, hell, fine I'm not shouting. See, I'm calm. I-am-completely-calm."
"Better."
"Good "
"That's better."
"So, whatever, you forget the chain thingie, it doesn't catch, you leave the damn latch wide open like you're Old MacDonald, fine. The guys arrive, you drop to the carpet. Hours pass. Hours?"
"It was light out."
"When you woke?"
"Yes."
"So, morning, then"
"Close. Maybe closer to noon "
"You woke up at noon?"
"Something like that. Maybe eleven-thirty. I was exhausted "
"Okay, right, I understand but what's the 'leisurely' bit? I don't get that."
"What's not to get?"
"How 'leisurely' are you?"
"I woke up, stood there a minute, stretched, wandered around a bit like that."
"I see."
"Almost like it never happened. Like some dream"
"But you're naked, correct? Without clothes. On the carpet when you wake. Is this not odd to you?"
"Yes, it is different, anyway."
"Then I'm asking, what's next? The steps you follow. Do you throw something on, a house robe and call the concierge, the police, what?"
"Ummm"
"It was dark, so you've got no description of the two guys, but"
"I think I ordered up some coffee."
"No, I mean before that. Right when you regained consciousness."
"Oh. I, ahh lemme see, I Yeah, I ordered the coffee."
"Coffee."
"Sanka."
"Oh. Okay. Sanka."
"Then I called you "
"Got it."
"You can just pass the Cadillac they're looking at houses."
"Fine. I gotta tell ya, I'm totally lost here "
"We're running parallel with Broadhurst."
"I don't mean driving! Sorry, I'm not yelling, I just you're at this convention, right, you get jumped by two guys in your own room, you black out for, like, twelve hours and you come back to life in the morning, order up some room service and then give me a jingle? Is that about right?
"Something like that "
"I see."
"I maybe had a bran muffin sent up, too."
"Got it. Right. One muffin."
"You're angry, aren't you?"
"Me? No "
"You said I should just tell you, so I'm saying it "
"No, I wanna hear it, but it just doesn't even "
"It's the events as I best remember them."
"Then good."
"This is Williams, at the next stop."
"I know, I know so, did they take anything, rob you, or were you injured in any way, can you at least tell me that? Did you find any marks, or feel any sort of you know "
"I'm a little sore."
"Sore. You're sore?"
"Yeah. That was Williams, right there."
"We'll go to Miller, then double back."
"Whatever you want. Williams is quicker."
"So you mean, like, 'sore' back, or legs they bruised you in some way? What does that mean, 'sore?'"
"No sore down there."
"'There?'"
"You know "
"Not 'there.'"
"Yes."
"Oh God "
"Yes."
"Which means "
"I dunno. I don't know. I'm sore, that's all."
"Like you've been "
"Yeah. Like I've been doing that "
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