" Speaking of responsibility," I went on, "I want each of you to think about whether you want that role or not. Ben, Phil, you've been ringing round t...e others about the possible purchase?" Yes," Phil said. "Between us, we've canvassed everyone. We're looking at over six hundred a week, or two thousand six hundred a month. But Ben's been looking into valuations and mortgages." I've a friend who's an estate agent* and he suggested a valuation of around a hundred and twenty-five k. We'll. I have great interest in the welfare of the wife and child of Jack Heyward. I have none in that of the wife and child of Jackson Carstairs, and fear they may meet with ... misadventure. Does this alter your response?"The voice was dead cold; I couldn't keep on being coy."All right," I said, "let's say I am Jack Heyward—" Yes, let us say that," came that frigid voice. "You see how easily two men of intelligence may resolve such minor questions when they reason together?"I didn't say. I looked down......at bloody intestines! Her entire upper body was gone! I screamed and shoved her lower half off of me."Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" After my initial shock wore off I saw that her blood was spreading across the hallway floor. I ran for all of the towels, using them to soak up the blood as best I could...then I grabbed garbage bags to shove the whole gory mess into. Crisis averted, my brain caught up to the horror I had just witnessed and I fainted.---"Hey dummy!"I opened my eyes. Demie. The weekend had started well: boy had met girl and the Friday night alchemy that turns alcohol into meaningless sex had just begun when the spell, or rather a Budweiser bottle, was broken by a not-quite-ex-boyfriend who mistook me for the villain in the tragedy that passed for his love life. I was in no fit state to explain that I only had a walk on part in the last act so resorted to a more direct, if somewhat clichéd, response. In short, I head-butted him. Friday night went down hill rapidly.