The Man in My Basement

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Around that time I started putting money in banks in C 14

Southampton, East Hampton, out down in Long Island 15

City. Five hundred dollars at a time in interest-bearing sav-16

ings accounts. I dated Bethany, Extine, and Narciss three of 17

the four nights that I avoided the hatch behind my house.

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Extine spent the night wanting to kiss me, but I refrained 19

because I knew that would take her power away. Narciss 20

and I went to see the remastered version of Orson Welles’s 21

Touch of Evil. Afterward we talked about it and then I 22

drove her home. She asked me to come in, but I said no.

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“Don’t you like me?” she asked with excruciating honesty.

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“I do, honey. But I’m like an athlete in training. I need 25

all my power to concentrate.”

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“Training for what?”

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“An examination. A test that Mr. Dent is giving me.”

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“What kind of test?”

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Walter Mosley

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“Just to see what I know, what I can do.”

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“Like an aptitude test?”

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“Uh-huh. Just like that.”

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Bethany was the biggest problem and the most fun. I 5