In Over Her Head by Elsie Russell - Parnasse.com

she needed any more stretching or scooping out.
Sandro met Penny at the door then shuffled back towards his
place in front of the TV where a soccer game was on inside the PIP
window around a Matrix-like wash of numbers that cascaded down the
screen. He zapped off the TV, picked up his glass and stood there
unsteadily, his shirt untucked, and looked her over.
"You did not shout or call."
"I was just at the electronics place, the one with the porno
outlet in the back, you know? Well, guess who was there, delivering a
shipment of fresh kiddie porn and snuff?"
"You are crazy to be on Canal street, with the trucks." He
drained his glass.
"It was Ng! Oh, please."
"Are you sure?" He scratched his jaw.
"He was shouting at the top of his lungs and the poor kid was
scared shitless! We gotta call the cops, now."
"Don't bother," he snickered.
"How can you be so blasé about all this?"
"Penny, please listen to me. Do not get involved—a much
better idea. Forget about it, please. You may not know this, hick, but
pornography is available on the Internet now, and his days—all their
days are numbered." He sighed deeply and led her to the elevator. At
the elevator, he mumbled, "I miss our soirées at the piano in Paris, you
can always come up and play, you know, anytime." He put his keys into
her hand and opened the gate.
The keys weighed radioactive in her palm. Like she was ever
going to go up there and play nocturnes alone with him. She slammed
her head into the raw steel. Downstairs, Ula waited to go up, wrapped
in her white fur and holding a slick little Bliss bag stuffed with spa
products. Penny took her aside. Ula just scoffed. "You know Dick's
always juggling little schemes with Ng's help, so I'd just forget about it.
I do."
"Well, okay, but I thought you should know what's going on.
He's acting like we're all in for it. Oh by the way, he gave me these,"
said through the crack in the shutting doors as the doors shut.
"What? Oh, thanks," Ula said.
Penny stopped when she heard popping sounds at the end of
the hall, like bubble wrap. The boiler room was open, but Ramón was
not in there checking the water level. She saw a figure crouched in the
shadows behind the hot water system. A messy roll of bubble wrap
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