As they sat there underneath the plastic awning of the bus stop, shoulder to shoulder and knee to knee, the storm around them grew in intensity. A clap of lightning followed by a growling roll of thunder caused Martha to cry out and throw herself into Munden’s shoulder. Shocked by this sudden, unsolicited gesture of intimacy, Munden reflexively drew away from her. The ensuing awkward silence was broken by the sound of a diesel engine roaring up to the stop. Coming to his sense, and realizing that he was about to loose the girl, Munden took Martha’s clammy hand into his and kissed her knuckles. Martha blushed. The bus’s double doors opened, and the pair ascended the steps together. As Munden climbed the stairs, he couldn't help but feel the eerie sensation of being watched. He poked his head out of the bus and looked around. Before being admonished by the driver, Munden saw a shadowy figure in a small brimmed hat scanning through a newspaper. The figure cocked his head as if he was looking at Munden, but Munden didn't see any acknowledgement in the man's body language. He walked toward the back of the transit and plopped next to Martha, still feeling the man watching. When Martha asked what was wrong and Munden said "Nothing, nothing at all."
While nothing may have been wrong with Munden, there was certainly something wrong with Sir Percy. Sir Percy, having gotten an ill feeling earlier that morning, had departed the house shortly after Munden left for the market. Sir Percy was in search of his own cure for the hairball-induced heart burn he happened to be suffering from. He had spent the previous evening in the company of a particularly entertaining long haired white Persian kitty, and this morning’s illness was a direct result of the previous evening’s indulgence. The best cure for hairball-induced heart burn was a particular combination of tuna and parchment. The fish market dumpster was the place where both these items could be found. And it was from his perch on the fish market dumpster that Sir Percy watched the aforementioned scene between Munden and Martha play out. Sir Percy too noticed the man in the small brimmed hat. And Sir Percy too had a sickening feeling in deep in his gut. A sick feeling that had nothing to do with his hairball….
