Rick, Mike, and Jake had cleared out much of the river. The water was now clear and healthy. However, the lake remained polluted. It was now night. Rick decided to call it a day. He was filthy, so he decided to go to the bathhouse to bathe.
After his shower, he put his clothes back on and exited, only to see Mike outside. "Hey Mike, what's up?" asked Rick.
"I've invited your wife over to my house. Would you like to join us?" replied Mike.
"Harriet is not my wife."
"Don't be embarrassed. There's nothing wrong with interspecies--"
"She's not my wife!"
"Why do you live together?"
"It's only temporary."
"Alright. Anyway, you're invited, too."
"OK."
Rick accepted the invitation and followed Mike to his house.
Rick had never seen the interior of Mike's house before. It was nice. Well, nice for Ghettown, anyway. It had two rooms. The first room had a sofa, a television, a dining table, four chairs, a stove, a refrigerator, and a sink. The second room had two beds, a nightstand, a radio, and a dresser. Harriet and Jake sat on the sofa. They were watching the news.
"Rick, Prosperville's on TV!" said Harriet.
On the television, a female bird wearing a suit was interviewing Tortimer.
"So, Mayor Tortimer, do you have anything to say about this tragedy?" asked the bird.
"Ordinarily, I would think this to be a simple accident. However, it seems the bank was robbed while everyone was distracted. I'm not one for accusations, but I believe there to be a crime at work," replied Tortimer
"What do you plan to do?"
"I am to speak to the guards. Any nonresidents who entered town before the fire will be interrogated."
The news cut to commercial.
"So we're not the only ones who think the fire was just a distraction," said Harriet.
"I hope they catch whoever did it," added Rick.
"I'm sure they will," said Mike, "But let's not worry about that. Can I get you anything?"
"Some water please," said Harriet.
"Sure," replied Mike as he took a pitcher of water out of his refrigerator and poured it into a glass before handing it to Harriet.
"Thanks," said Harriet before taking a sip.
"So, Mike, how did you end up here?" asked Rick.
"After my wife died, I was inconsolable. I considered suicide, but then I met a psychic named Katrina. She said she'd help me along the path to recovery. I took her offer. She swindled me out of my home. I had nowhere else to go," replied Mike.
Rick, Mike, Harriet, and Jake continued talking. After a while, Rick and Harriet returned home for the night.
