Page 34 of The Dinner Party

When you get upstairs, you unlock the door to your apartment, wanting only to collapse into your bed and sleep for the next twelve hours. But when you get inside, before you even turn on the lights, you suddenly sense that you’re not alone.

“Hello?” you call out.

You flick on the light switch and gasp when you see the stranger standing in the middle of your living room. It takes you a moment to recognize the bushy beard and unkempt hair.

It’s the hitchhiker. And his lips are pulled back into a maniacal grin.

“Hello, Sloan.”

Before you can react, his hands are around your neck, squeezing. You open your mouth to scream, but no sound comes out. You’re dying. He’s killing you, and you have no idea why. All you know is that your story is coming to an end.

Turn to the Epilogue (page 144)

EPILOGUE

JASPER

You might know me as the hitchhiker. But hitchhiking was never my intention, only incidental.

You see, we’ve met before, Sloan. You don’t remember me because my life was different back then. I was different. That was when I had Lorna at my side.

Before you killed her.

I’m sure you don’t think you were responsible for Lorna’s death. You probably thought you were a hero when you walked into that zoo with the master keys you stole and started freeing all the animals. They will no longer be your prisoners! was what you shouted with your fist in the air.

You argued in court that you didn’t free any animals that were likely to harm people. You left the cages of the lions, tigers, and bears well secured. What’s the harm in letting out a few zebras or an emu?

Tell that to my wife.

But no, you can’t.

Because she was trampled to death. By a giraffe.

You are responsible for Lorna’s demise. And the giraffe, of course, although I have already eliminated her. If not for your careless actions, my wife would still be here right now instead of a box of ashes. It is a travesty of justice that you are walking free while she is gone, and I intend to correct that error.

You thought you were making choices to outsmart me. You avoided me for a little while. But eventually, I caught up to you.

And now I will finish you.

After you are dead, I will take out the bag containing the deadly nightshade berries that I have been carrying around. I will swallow them, lie down beside Lorna’s ashes, and then I will join her on the other side.

I’ll see you soon, my love.

THE END

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58

It would be very stupid to confront a group of people who were about to eat you. God knows what they’re capable of. Better to just keep moving until you’re safely out of the house.

You follow Avery down the hallway, finally reaching the foyer. From here, the front door is just a stone’s throw away. You start towards it, but Avery gestures wildly to you.

“Don’t go out that way!” she warns you. “That’s what they’ll be expecting. Let’s go out through the back, like I said.”

Avery is one of your closest friends, but you’re not sure if you should follow her. The front door is right there, and your car isn’t too far away. If you go out through the back, you’re going to be in the middle of nowhere. It seems risky.

“Trust me,” Avery says, “Mr. Wentworth is extremely smart. He’s probably already got someone waiting for you outside the front door. If you try to get out that way, they’ll knock you out and bring you right back into the house.”