Chapter 9

Sometime during the night I became aware of a low, almost rumbling noise. It was soothing, yet as I became half-consciously listened to it, I knew I needed to wake up. Finally, like a drunk man coming out of his stupor, I opened my eyes. A number of things happened all at the same time. First, I realized the sound was Clari's radio. Also, if the radio was on, then someone had turned it on.
"Holy Comicin! I'm a complete moron!" I yelled.
Forgetting that I'd just put together that if the radio was on, someone must have turned it on and that  that someone was likely still here. And not caring that Sean was sleeping somewhere near me, I raced to the radio and started hunting. That knock on my head from Veronica or losing Clari or Sean's planning or meeting Desmond or maybe just that I didn't always pay attention to what Clari was saying because I didn't understand half of it had completely obliterated the image that now burned into my brain. Clari sitting on her overturned bucket next to the radio and mouthing, "hidden" as she pointed to the radio.
When I reached the radio I found no one, but it was running. As I inspected the area I found what looked like a pocket watch, but must have been some sort of timer. The more I found in Clari's garage the more I thought I really didn't know her very well. She is really a genius!
It took me only a few minutes to find what I'd been looking for- the card. Clari didn't have it on her; she'd hidden it. That thought took me back a little. I crouched in the darkness in front of the radio and let myself think.
Ever since I'd woken up in Sean's apartment to find Clari gone, I'd been too busy trying to act to actually stop and think. It's like I got into 'raise an army and start a real rebellion' mode that I couldn't see the bigger picture.
As I squatted in the darkness, I became aware of Sean standing in the opening to the room.
Well, I might as well run these ideas out loud, I thought.