Page 18 of Pure Silence

“Okay, good. I don’t exactly have people over much, so she’s probably hiding.”

Day had finished with the big shelf, and he walked over now to the series of smaller shelves above the television. He pointed at the one right above the TV with a frown, clearly questioning why there wasn’t anything on it.

“Yeah, that one’s about empty now.” Goldie chuckled. “It’s one of Purrcy’s favorite spots to hang out, and I think I’m gonna let her have it. Tired of putting the crap back up there every time she knocks it off.”

Day turned around to face Goldie, and he stuck his hands in the pockets of the trench coat. He smiled, and he was watching Goldie expectantly, as if he was waiting for something.

What for, Goldie had no idea.

“So,” Goldie said, “you have any family here? Parents? Brothers, sisters?”

Day’s smile faltered, and he shook his head.

“Hey, I’m sorry.” Goldie wished he could reach out and take Day’s hand, but he was having trouble keeping his eyes open now. “I didn’t mean to upset you. Losing the people you love is the worst… my parents… they…” He blinked a few times, his thoughts fogging over, and he was worried he was about to pass out. “I’m sorry, I…”

This couldn’t be from the hangover, and he hadn’t had anything else to eat or drink all morning except for some water with his medicine, and—oh, thecoffee.

“Is there something…?” Goldie couldn’t put the words together to make a complete sentence. It was worse than being drunk, and his brain was melting into nothing. He tried to set the coffee down, but he missed the edge of the table. It dropped, spilling all over the carpet. He reached for it, the room spun, and then he fell right off the couch flat on his face.

Day was eerily calm, and he didn’t make a move to help Goldie.

Fear spiked through Goldie’s core, and he knew something was very wrong now. Every primal sense in his head was screaming that he was in danger, and he had to act fast. He had to get up. He had to get out of here. He had to run.

“What did…” Goldie pushed himself up on his hands and knees, but he couldn’t get his limbs to cooperate and stand the rest of the way. The carpet was calling him back down, and his body weighed a thousand pounds. It was impossible to move now, and his eyes were closing no matter how hard he tried to keep them open as he fell back to the floor. “What did you… what did you do? What’s wrong with that coffee?”

Day pulled something out of his pocket. It was a small, white piece of paper. He set it on the coffee table in front of Goldie and then tapped it insistently.

Goldie clumsily grabbed it, but he couldn’t immediately read what it said. The words wouldn’t hold still long enough so he could focus on them, and his head was swimming faster. He grunted, fighting through the fog to make out what it was Day wanted him to see.

There wasn’t any handwritten note this time. It was a receipt with a single purchase:

Zzz-Ease x 20

“Sleeping… sleeping pills?” Goldie managed to look up at Day, and his stomach turned violently. “You gave me… sleeping pills? How… How many did…?”

Day smiled.

“Shit.” Goldie dropped the receipt, and he threw his arm up on the couch, feeling around urgently as he struggled to stay conscious.

He needed to find his phone and call for help. Shit, where was his phone? Where did he leave it?

Oh, fuck, he’d left it back in his bedroom after he was done talking to Florence. He’d gotten distracted when Purrcy started fussing for her breakfast, and it was probably sitting right there on his bed.

New plan, new plan.

He should scream or yell or something, anything, anything at all.

Anything…

Shit.

The last thing he saw before he passed out was Day’s smile beaming down at him.

5

GOLDIE

Goldie groaned as he came to, and he tried to reach up to rub his head. God, it was pounding, and he grunted when his hand caught on something. His memory was fuzzy, and he didn’t immediately remember what had happened. He opened his eyes, waiting for them to focus, and discovered he was in bed. He pulled his arms again, but he was still stuck.