Continued from Tape 2

“I’ve got them in stock now, but I don’t know how long that will last. All right; I’ll put you down for a dozen. You won’t regret it,” Doug said, as he clicked the black handset back into its cradle. “Well, that does it. I got Mercy Medical to switch,” Doug exhaled as he stretched back in his wooden banker’s chair, the springs creaking warningly after so many years of use. Then his eyes flicked down to the small box at my feet. “I’d uh, better make that delivery before it gets too late,” Doug said, striding over to the coat rack and picking the package up off the floor. He grabbed his coat and hat and headed to the lobby. “Might not make it back this afternoon,” he called out as the door swung shut. Through the glbum window in the door, I could see him hurriedly put on his coat and hat as he walked purposefully towards the glbum double doors to the street. Stopping a brief second to tuck the box under his overcoat before opening the door, he dashed into the pouring rain and disappeared.

That was the last time I saw Doug. At least the last time I saw the poor bastard alive. But I didn’t know it was going to be like that, so when I looked down at my feet and saw the airplane ticket that had fallen out of his pocket, I picked it up and tossed it on his desk. It fell lightly, face up. Two words, in black uppercase letters, stood out so that I could read even from where I stood a foot away: ROME, ITALY.

I’d better put some more coffee on. It’s going to be a long night.