Harlan wasn"t sure which was the worse pain: the hangover headache or the knotted muscle in the right side of his neck. He squinted against the glare of the fluorescent light above the bathroom sink and tried to force his eyes to focus. He had fallen asleep in the Lazy Boy sometime during the night, but moved to the guest bedroom around three, when he collapsed atop the comforter. In the harsh light of the bathroom mirror, the lines crisscrossing his face looked more like crimson rivers than pillow marks. He splashed cold water on his face and brushed his teeth. A hot shower would provide at least some relief to his neck.
Adjusting the water temperature, he smelled coffee from the kitchen. He showered, lingering longer than usual beneath the stream, and was drying off before he realized h
