(xxiv.)

"What the fuck is that?!" Frank screamed, at the top of his lungs.

"Actually, I think the more accurate question would be 'who the fuck is that?'."
"You, y-y--" (he pointed to the dead man, and stuttered) "--you had something to do with this, didn't you?"
"What would make you think that?"
"You carry around a sword!"

Lorelei stared at him incredulously.

"He's been strangled, not stabbed."

Midge walked through the open door.

"Hey, I got you guys bagels, 'cause I figured... who... Lor, who is that?"
"You mean him?" she said, pointing to the corpse.
"Tell me you didn't have anything to do with that."
"No, actually."
"Oh, okay, good. Alright, here's your co--"
"He just hung himself."
"What?!"
"We talked for a while, I tried to convince him not to, but, he didn't see it the same way I did, so he hung himself."
"Really."
"Really."
"You expect me to beleive that?"
"Well, I was kinda hoping you would, actually. Could I have my cocoa now?"
"Not 'til I hear the truth."

Lorelei sighed heavily. "Alright, fine. He was contemplating hanging himself, I talked him out of it, but then Chet--"
"Oh, no, not Chet again--"
"Yes, Yes. Chet. See? You don't actually beleive me."
"Okay, so why did Chet kill him?"
"He didn't, actually. He just kinda accidentally shoved him off the building. He was dead once he hit the concrete. Chet and his friends staged it that way to look like a suicide."

Midge stared at Lorelei, and then at the corpse haging out the window.

"I still don't beleive you."
"That's what really happened, though."
"Really."
"Really."

"Wait, I have a question," Frank declared, "What do we do now?"

Lorelei turned to the corpse. "Simple," she declared, "We give him a proper funeral."



[chapter xxv]