Chapter 44
You can’t let this man freeze to death outside. As a compassionate fellow human, you have to let him in to use the phone.
“Of course,” you tell him. “Just let me undo this chain.”
“Oh, bless you!” the hitchhiker cries. “You won’t regret this.”
You close the door, undo the chain, and then throw the door back open. As the door swings open wide, the hitchhiker has a huge smile on his face, which makes you really glad you decided to help him.
“Thank you so much,” he says.
“You’re welc—” you start to say, but your words are cut off when the hitchhiker wraps his fingers around your throat.
He’s trying to kill you! The man you took pity on and let inside so he wouldn’t freeze is now trying to choke you to death. God, you can’t do anything right!
He tightens his grip on your neck. You see spots, and then everything starts to go dark. He’s going to kill you. He’s going to—
Moments before you black out, you hear a loud thud from over your head. All at once, the pressure on your neck eases up. You collapse to the floor, gasping for air.
It takes a few seconds for your vision to clear. But when it does, you see Avery standing in front of you, holding a heavy metal tray. The hitchhiker is lying unconscious on the floor.
“What was that all about?” Avery asks.
“I let him in to use the phone,” you manage. “And then… he tried to… to choke me.”
Avery shakes her head. “Sloan, you are far too nice for your own good. Look where it gets you!”
You rub your throat with your hand. You’re going to have bruises tomorrow. “We should probably call the police.”
Avery looks down at the unconscious man on the floor. She rubs her chin thoughtfully. “Let me get Mr. Wentworth. It’s his house, so we should manage it the way he wants us to.”
You’re not sure exactly what that means. A man just tried to strangle you. It seems like calling the police is a no-brainer.
But before you can protest, Avery has gone off to fetch Mr. Wentworth. He returns right away, an anxious expression on his face. When he sees the hitchhiker on the floor, his eyes widen.
“Well,” he says, “this is certainly an interesting turn of events.”
“We need to call the police,” you say stubbornly.
“Of course we do,” he assures you. “And we will. But while I’m dealing with the police, perhaps the two of you could go to the dining room to set the table.
No sense in letting this little mishap spoil our evening.
The Adventurous Eaters Club has been meeting every year for the last 20 years, and we certainly don’t want to miss our yearly meeting because of this intruder. ”
“I guess so,” you agree reluctantly.
You allow Avery to lead you down the hall to the dining room, where the two of you set the table. You don’t hear the police arrive, but the next time you return to the foyer, the hitchhiker is gone.
“Avery,” you say when you join her in the kitchen. “What happened with that hitchhiker? Did the police come and get him?”
Avery is busy wiping down the kitchen counter. “Oh. Yes, they came and took him off to jail. He won’t be bothering you ever again.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
It’s only then that you notice that the pattern on the rag Avery is using to wipe the counter is identical to the one on the hitchhiker’s shirt. That’s an interesting coincidence.
After the whole mess with the hitchhiker, it actually ends up being a lovely evening.
The chef takes forever to finish dinner, and you don’t serve the food till nearly midnight, but whatever it is ends up being a big hit, and they reward you with a generous paycheck for your time.
After the guests have eaten, you and Avery get a taste, and it’s one of the most delicious meals you’ve ever had.
THE END
Want to try for a different ending? Turn back to Chapter 1 (page 1)!