At The Hallmark Shop

He knew something was wrong the moment he walked in the door and saw the bookcase turned over and a couple of sarongs on the floor. Did the Day goons already get wind of his coming? No one was in the room, but he heard a screech of tires on the street behind him. He stuck his head out the door in time to see the tail end of a Smart Car struggling around the corner.

He sneaked properly back into the Hallmark shop, looking for Jim Bob and trying to wrap his head around what he was seeing and what Hattie had told him just an hour ago. At the back of the room, next to the washstand, a door stood ajar. He repeatedly pushed on the door and peered into the darkness. All he could see were shadows that resembled a large chipmunk with a tennis racket.

He scooted into the dark room, cursing himself as he did so. "Granular, I know better than to even be here," he said to himself furiously.

That was his last thought before he felt a cane hit him on the finger and everything went black.