29

Chapter 29

If you are given to the habit or compulsion of playing the lottery, always review the ticket at least twice. They are designed to be at once very simple yet deceiving. In this way, they are much like first dates. Failing to do that was clearly the mistake made by person A, who had discarded the ticket I now held in my hand. Bufford, recently briefed on the new situation, had disrobed and was sitting in some yellow striped boxers and a sweat-drenched white T-shirt across from Ethyl, who hadn't spoken for some time. As had become customary, Bufford retired to take a shower in my bathroom since there was no water service in Ineola's house (which is how we still referred to it). I went into the kitchen for a bologna sandwich and some milk. When I returned, Ethyl and her mystery ticket were nowhere to be found.

What an interesting week this has turned out to be. Much hub-bub. Following the unfortunate passing of Tikki last week, there had been no signs of life from the Colonel's shed, Ethyl still had a million dollar lottery ticket, and Edgar had been MIA since his release from the Stop 'N' Shop fiasco. I determined to search them all out and see how they were getting along with everything.