(xxvi.)

"Okay, so, we've loaded him into the trunk... and we checked out... now what?"
"Ice."
"Ice?"
"Lots and lots of ice."
"Why?"
"To keep him from decomposing too badly while he's in the trunk."
"Oh."
"At least, that would seem to make sense, y'know?"
"Yeah, that makes sense."

There was an awkward silence.

"So, after we go to the nearby 7-11 and buy out all their bags of ice--"
"We start heading toward D.C."
"As in, Washington D.C.?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"It's a long story. But, just trust me on this one."

Midge hit the breaks hard.

"Y'know what? No. I'm not going to trust you. Why should we go to Washington?"
"Well you don't expect me to bury Alfred in the bushes beside the interstate, do you?"

Midge and Frank both turned, and stared at Lorelei. "You know the guy that's in the trunk?"
"Well... yeah. His name's Alfred. Alfred Benchman. You've probably never heard of him. No one has, but--"
"And you want us to drive to Washington, so that you can bury this... Alfred Benchman guy."
"Yes."
"In Washington."
"In Silver Spring, in Maryland."
"Does it matter?"
"...Well, yeah, kinda."
"Why?"
"That's one of the stipulations of his will."
"And how would you know something like that?"
"Well..."
"Well?"
"It's a long story, but, suffice it to say, it ends with us being executors to each other's wills."



[chapter xxvii]