“A what?”
“When I gave you the bill.”
“What bill?” I asked.
Eugene folded his arms now and glared at me. “Oh my God, are you actually going to do this . . .what bill? What bill?Are you kidding me?”
“I’ve lost my memory. I really don’t know what you’re talking about. What bill?”
“The vet’s bill! For my dog!” He sounded like he was getting worked up and I shook my head. I still had no idea what he was saying to me.
Eugene looked over his shoulder and then whistled. I watched as a shadow began to emerge from behind him, and when it was fully in the light, I gasped.
“What happened?” I stared at the dog with the cone around his neck and the patch over his eye.
“You—you happened! You approached Rex a few weeks ago and he ran into the road and was hit by a car. Don’t you remember that?”
I looked down at poor Rex. “No, I don’t. I’m sorry.”
“He had to have his eye removed!”
“Noooo!” My hands flew up and covered my mouth in shock.
“And he had to have pins put in his leg. It’s broken in three places.”
“What! I’m so sorry, I didn’t know. I was wearing this watch. It gives off ultrasonic waves that humans can’t hear and that insects and animals can, and it’s meant to repel insects but it also affects animals and I didn’t know it did, I just thought animals hated me and—”
“I don’t really care what you were wearing. You said you would pay for his vet’s bill. And then the day I gave it to you, you disappeared.”
My stomach dropped. “You filed the missing person report because of that? Not because we’re friends?” That cold, clammy, sweaty feeling washed over me again.
“Friends!” And now he smiled. It was smug and awful and made me feel worse about myself than I already did. “Darling, I don’t think you have friends. That’s what everyone in the building says anyway.”
“People in the building talk about me?”
“Well, you come up every now and then . . . sometimes rather colorfully,” he said, trying to stop a smile.
“Wh-what do you mean?” I asked, but he didn’t answer. “Please. What do people say about me? I need to know.”
“Some people call you the B in 3C.” He said this a little smugly now. “I never called you that, though. In fact, I always thought it was a little unjustified, until you pulled the runner when I gave you the bill. Rex could have died, you know. I’ve had him for sixteen years!”
“I’m so sorry. Please send me the bill again. I’ll definitely pay it.”
“It’s twenty thousand Rand! I had to put it on my credit card. My electricity bill bounced this month.” He turned and pointed back into his apartment, “I have no lights, so you’d better pay it. The lawyer said I could sue you if you don’t.”
“A lawyer?”
“Yes. I consulted one. He suggested I file the missing person report.”
I pulled my bag off my shoulder and took out my checkbook and a pen.
“How much did you say it was?” I asked.
“What’s that?” Eugene took a step closer to me.
“I’m going to write you a check.”
“A check? Do the banks still take those?”
