Speechless. Motionless. Zombielike. I knock the breath out of him. He becomes catatonic. Once surfacing from his morning silence, he replies, “I do believe your point is made.”
As I slip into the house with his breakfast gift, and close him off from my world, I tell him, “I’ll see you in two days, Mr. Strand. Your house will be fine under my care.”
* * * *
I pack two overnight bags: one for me and one for Mr. Gray (he needs his water bowl, two fuzzy toys, a bag of treats, and a blanket he likes to cuddle with). We make ourselves at home inside the residence of 773 Mason Street and learn more than we should about Putnam Stephen Strand, prying:
Putnam doesn’t own a single pair of underwear. I’m quite surprised to learn that he goes commando. Such a shocker. Wow!
He has a drawer in one o
