Joey Ramone belted out about wanting to be sedated through the stereo speakers as Frankie walked into the living room to turn it down. The guy from the utility company went to the kitchen to check the stove. Frankie didn’t smell any gas but there’d been a gas explosion in Newark a few weeks ago, so it was better to be safe than sorry. She turned the volume dial all the way to the left and took a swig from the Zima sitting next to the stereo. After setting it back down, she spun around and was startled to find the man standing right behind her.

‘Um, did you need something?’ She took a small step backwards, trying to put a more comfortable amount of space between them. She tugged her low slung bootcut jeans up. She’d noticed the man looking at her exposed belly below her crop top and it made her uncomfortable.

‘Would you mind coming with me into the kitchen?’ He gave her a charming smile. ‘I just need you to turn on the oven for me while I check everything out. All these properties have such a variety of appliance models from different years and I want to make sure it’s turned on properly for my final inspection.’

‘Oh, okay. It’s pretty simple to turn on actually,’ Frankie said as she walked toward the kitchen, feeling him walking so close behind her that he was almost stepping on her heels.

She smelled coffee on his breath every time he exhaled. It was a standard oven knob, she wasn’t sure why he needed her to do it, but the sooner he completed his inspection, the sooner she could set up plates and silverware for the food Sara was bringing home. Their favorite show, Dharma and Greg, would be on in a half hour. Sara was running a little late and Frankie hoped she wouldn’t miss the beginning. Just before Frankie crossed through the doorway to the kitchen, she felt a sharp pinch in her neck. She swatted at the area like she would at a mosquito. She turned around to find the man standing there, a wicked smile on his face and a syringe in his hand.

‘What the hell?’ she yelled out, her hand now clasped tightly over the throbbing pinprick.