Hide and Seek

I knew that last bit was meant to soften it slightly.

"I guess he was, George."

We sipped our drinks. Rafferty stared straight ahead at the old Pabst

clock over the bar. Then I saw a grin starting.

"Of course, I wouldn't know about kids playing out there."

I smiled back at him. "Now, what kid in his right mind would want to

do that?"

"Wouldn't know."

It had been me and Rafferty once. We'd wanted to. And were much too

spooked to try. We'd managed to get as far as the garbage cans and a

peek through the cellar window before Jimmy Beard cried wolf on us and

ran us off. Maybe kids were bolder now. The memory of it reunited us

once again.

"You'd have to be completely crazy," he said.

"Completely."

He pulled on his beer, emptied it.

"God knows."