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“To see if Perry wants to join us for breakfast,” Dew said. “Margaret’s got to be wrong about something sooner or later, so let’s find out.”

“He won’t come,” Amos said.

“I bet he will,” Otto said. “Dew here can be very persuasive.”

“Twenty bucks says Dawsey doesn’t even leave the room,” Amos said.

Otto nodded. “You’re on.”

Margaret shook her head. “Is there anything you two won’t bet on?”

“I’m sure there’s something,” Otto said.

“Twenty bucks says there isn’t,” Amos said.

Margaret shook her head some more.

Otto smiled at Dew. “Well, go on and bring him here so I can win another twenty.”

Dew turned and walked out of the restaurant.

WAKEY-WAKEY, HANDS OFF SNAKEY

Bang-bang-bang.

A pounding at the door.

Each bang matching the pounding in his head.

Perry’s eyes fluttered open. Could it hurt to blink? Yes, it could.

Bang-bang-bang.

“Go away,” Perry said. Whispered was more like it.

Bang-bang-bang.

“Go away!” Perry screamed, and instantly regretted it. His hands shot to his head, palms covering his eyes. Why was his face all sticky? The bed reeked of stale beer.

“Get up, Dawsey. Time for breakfast.”

Dew Motherf.u.c.king Phillips. At his door at the crack of dawn. Perry sat up and looked at the glowing red clock on the nightstand.

8:45 A.M.

Okay, so it wasn’t the crack of dawn. It was still too d.a.m.ned early to be out of bed.

“Rise and s.h.i.+ne, big boy!” Dew yelled. “Let’s go! Everyone is waiting for you, and my food is getting cold.”

G.o.dd.a.m.n did his head hurt.

“Dew, go away,” Perry said. “I’m not kidding.”

Dew wanted to parade him around at breakfast so they could all have a good laugh at the freak’s expense? No way. Perry didn’t know what their game was, but he wasn’t playing.

“Come on, kid, I can smell the beer all the way out here. You bathe in the stuff?”

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