The Man in My Basement

breath was on cue.

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Anniston Bennet stopped shouting sometime the next C 14

morning. After driving Narciss to her car, I went down to 15

the hatch and listened, but there wasn’t a murmur or 16

sound. At first I thought about going in and checking on 17

him, but then I decided that I should stick to my guns 18

and make him wait the full ninety-six hours. I figured 19

that he was still going to be mad no matter what, so I 20

might as well do something worth him being mad.

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I spent almost all of the next three days away from the 22

house. The first night I hung out at Curry’s bar, lying 23

about my business and drinking up a storm. In the morn-24

ing I got up early and started worrying about the sergeant 25

that Bennet had slaughtered in North Vietnam.

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But we aren’t in Vietnam, I said to myself.

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Walter Mosley

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But he is a killer, I answered.

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That morning I had made a date to go horseback riding 3

for the first time in my life. I’d met a young white couple 4

named Jodie and Byron. They were wealthy and invited 5

me to come riding with them. I said that I’d never ridden 6