Read Out Are the Lights for Free Online Page B

listings. Okay, not bad. Ten more minutes of crap, and something called Monster Walks comes on. A 1932 thriller. Rex Lease, Vera Reynolds, and Sheldon Lewis.
        Might be good.
        She'd rather be at the beach on a fantastic, sunny Saturday like this. So many of the mornings had been overcast, lately. Typical June weather for Pacifica Coast. But business is business. She'd be spending plenty more weekends inside if she didn't get lucky and find a new roommate.
        It wasn't that easy, summer in a university town.
        A glut of vacancies.
        And of those gals who'd inquired during the past three weeks, so many had been unsuitable.
        The doorbell rang.
        Christ, you'd think they'd have the decency to phone, first.
        She got up from the couch. Walking to the door, she tugged at her tight, binding shorts and adjusted her slipping tube-top. She forced a smile onto her face, and pulled the door open.
        'Greetings!' the girl said. She had carrot-red hair, and freckles to match. She wore thick, wire-rimmed glasses. Her blotchy cheeks bulged as if each carried an uneaten plum. She had a figure like a potato, and wore clothes to emphasize it: tight jeans and a T-shirt. The T-shirt was decorated with a leering vulture. It read, 'Patience my ass-I'm going out and kill something.' Incredibly, she wore no bra. Her breasts hung inside the T-shirt like bulging water balloons.
        'Can I help you?' Freya asked.
        'I'm here about the apartment. Are you the one looking for a roommate?'
        'No,' said Freya. 'I'm the new roommate.'
        'But this morning's paper…'
        'I took the place last night. She didn't have time to get the ad pulled.'
        The girl shrugged. 'Those are the breaks, I guess.'
        'Yep. Sorry. You should've got here sooner.' Freya closed the door.
        She stared at the television. Slim Claymore was on. Stetson tipped back, grinning like a moron, if you're in the market for a used car, come on down to Slim's Chevrolet, where you'll get courteous service and the best deal
        The telephone clamored. Freya hurried into the kitchen and picked it up. 'Hello?'
        'Hello.' A young woman's voice, 'is Tina there?'
        'No, she's not. Would you like to leave her a message?'
        'When do you expect her back?'
        'Who is this, please?'
        'I'm Brit Anderson. I'm a friend of Tina's. We were roomies at PCU-'
        'Oh yes, she's spoken of you.'
        'I guess you must be her present roommate, huh?'
        'We've been sharing this apartment for the past couple months.'
        'Well… Do you have any idea when she might get back?'
        'She's probably gone for the weekend.'
        'Oh, that figures.' Brit laughed. 'Tina was always off somewhere.'
        'Do you want me to have her call you when she gets back?'
        'Please. I'd appreciate it.' She gave Freya her phone number.
        Freya copied it down. 'That's Brit what?'
        ' Anderson.'
        'Okay. I'll be sure to give her the message. Nice talking to you.'
        'Thanks. Good-bye, now.'
        'Good-bye.'
        Freya hung up. She hurried into the living-room. Monster Walks had already started. 'Damn,' she muttered, and dropped to the couch. The screen went blank for a moment.
        'Howdy friends! Slim Claymore here to invite you to come on down to…' She changed the channel. '… here to invite you to come on down…' Same commercial, slightly different timing.
        She switched again, this time to Bugs Bunny. Bugs was preferable to Slim. She watched the hare outsmart Elmer, then she turned back to the movie station.
        '… where prices are so low you'll have a slim chance of finding a better deal.'
        The movie came on.
        
***
        
        It was nearly over, an hour later, when the telephone rang again.
        'Hello?' she asked.
        'Hello. I'm calling about the apartment. I