Chapter 23After trying the buzzer for Larry Smith's apartment seven times, Dave finally acknowledged defeat.
"Nobody home," he sighed. Turning away from the ineffective buzzer buttons, which were mounted on the wall beside the door to the upstairs rooms, he shook his head with disappointment. "I guess I didn't really expect him to be here, but it would've made things a lot easier."
"Maybe he just isn't answering the door," suggested Billy, stepping up to punch the button himself. "Maybe he's hiding and hoping we'll go away."
Watching as Billy repeatedly jammed the button with his thumb, Dave pensively rubbed his chin. "No, I don't think he's up there. I've got a feeling that he's long gone."
"Well, his name's still on this buzzer here. Still says 'Smith' on this piece of tape."
