Part Nine: Short and Sweet

It was only a few minutes before the police arrived. Tony had done a good impression of a woman reporting a peeping tom in the neighborhood, after which he and Roger went upstairs to hide until everything had quieted down. Dr. Bellows had been hauled off, protesting loudly that he knew the owner of this house and if he could only go inside, everything would be straightened out. The cops weren't impressed, and the doctor's objections could be heard even after the door of the police car closed and they'd pulled away from the curb.

Tony was relieved, but he had to admit that he felt a little guilty. Roger felt the same way, but he still thought it was the funniest thing he'd ever seen.

"That's not going to get rid of him for long," said Tony worriedly. "He'll be out of jail by tomorrow morning, if not earlier. I don't know what we're going to do then."

"Well, I know what I'm going to do now," said Roger. "I'm going to bed. And if we're still asleep when Dr. Bellows comes back, then maybe the house will be so quiet that he'll think nobody's here."

That actually made sense, and Tony nodded. "I'll take the spare bed," he said. Before Roger could voice any objections, Tony continued. "You're still not 100 percent -- I want you to have my bed, it's more comfortable."

This made the other man smile. "Thanks, Tony. I don't know what I'd do without a friend like you."

"I can tell you one thing you'd be doing, without a friend like me," he replied, a twinkle in his eye. "You'd be getting ready for bed without having to take off your makeup."

Roger chuckled, then helped Tony finish setting up the bed.