In the instant when the tall man hit the floor of the tiny room, Carly experienced a strange feeling, as though time was suspended for a moment. She described it later as the sudden end of background music that you hadn't been aware of until it was interrupted. Then, slowly, she began to absorb what the old man had said.
"You drugged him?" she demanded. "In the tea?"
"Nah, I figure he dozed off from boredom," came an unexpected voice as a low cabinet swung out from the wall and a teenaged boy climbed out of a very small concealed door. "That story you were telling would have put anybody out." He straightened up and pushed the cabinet back into place. He was wearing big, baggy shorts and a hooded sweatshirt, his head shaved.
"Now, young Fifteen," the old man admonished the new arrival, "she is our guest–"
"Oh, I just love it when you call me that," Fifteen said, grinning. "So, Ancient One," he continued, gesturing at the tall man lying on the rug, "what do we do with the big guy here? And when do I get to tell a story?"
"The first thing to do is remove this fellow," their host said judiciously. "He was rather tedious company even when he was awake, and I doubt he will improve much in his present condition. He'll come about in two or three hours, and when he does–"
"So, you did drug him?" Carly demanded. They both turned toward her as though they were surprised to find that she was still there. She shrugged. "I know I'm repeating myself, but–"
Their host smiled blandly. "I was assuming that your question was rhetorical," he explained.
"Not requiring a reply," Fifteen amplified.
"I know what–"
"Of course he drugged him," Fifteen said patiently. He winked. "You, too, maybe."
"What?" Carly demanded, trying to feel whether she was about to pass out.
"Oh, don't mind him," their host said placatingly, rubbing his hands together. "We can talk everything over once we've cleaned up a bit in here." He nudged the tall man with his toe and Fifteen turned to Carly.
"Come on, I want to get him out of here so I can tell a story." He squatted by one of the man's feet and looked up at Carly. "So? You think I'm going to haul him out of here by myself?
Carly was about to protest that dragging the tall man out of there by his heels would probably hurt him, but then she remembered the point of her story, and she lifted his other foot.
Their host slipped past them to open the door and they dragged the man out into the hall. He was limp and difficult to maneuver, but they managed to pull him down the hall to the front door, which was still open. The pulled him down the two steps to the street, his head bouncing on each one. He didn't show any sign of waking up.
A cold wind blew down the deserted street and chilled Carly's face and hands, and she felt snow start to hit her face. Suddenly aware that they were on the street and it was well into curfew, she motioned at the alley where she'd found Danny's body. "Let's dump him in there," she said. They dragged him down the block, and Carly suddenly wondered if he was ever going to wake up. He didn't seem to be showing any signs of life.
She was also aware that they were leaving a big trail behind them in the snow, but it was too late to do anything about that.
As they reached the alley, Carly was relieved to see that snow had completely covered Danny's body, but she still avoided looking in that direction. They dropped the tall man's body at the rear of the alley and she asked, "Is he dead?" She was surprised at how calm her voice sounded.
Fifteen shook his head. "Oh, no. He'll be out for a while, though. And I guess he's going to have a few bruises when he wakes up. We banged him around quite a bit."
Carly smiled. "Let's take him back and see if we can bang him around some more."
Fifteen pointed at the mound of snow Carly was trying not to look at. "That's your boyfriend, huh?" he asked quietly.
Carly was about to say "ex-boyfriend", but that seemed a pretty silly distinction at this point. She just nodded, looking at the hidden body for the first time. "That's him."
"And you figure this guy killed him?"
Now that she had allowed herself to look at Danny, Carly found it difficult to look away. "It seemed like a possibility. And the way he interrupted me right when he did makes it look like I'm right." She squatted by the tall man and went through his pockets, coming out with his wallet. "I figure he was sent by my father–"
"Hands up, fingers outstretched, and turn slowly toward us! No sudden moves!"