Back at the house, Elizabeth had exited the car to get Anthony changed,
and to get ready for work.
Frustrated Mark was left with the carpet. How on earth would he get
it out of the trunk, now that he'd gotten it in there?
**
Elizabeth exited the house and kissed Mark on the lips. "I'll see you later, Luv.. Take care of Anthony.. I expect that rug to be in our livingroom when I get home."
She hopped daintily down the steps and down the street to the El station. Mark was left with the carpet and a screaming baby.
**
By the time Elizabeth had finished her short shift, Mark had taken two breaks, fed and bathed Anthony, tried a crowbar and a pulley system to move the carpet, nothing worked.
He tugged at it and pulled it. He wrapped his whole arms and body around it and yanked with all his might. But all that got him was a sore butt and skinned knuckles when he'd flown backwards and skidded out the garage on his bum.
Mark was ready and willing now to get this pitched back into the garbage can. "ELIZABETH!!!"
The house echoed with her footsteps and she opened the back door.
"Mark!? Are you okay?!" She stared at him out on the laneway, sprawled out on his back, and stifled a giggle.
"Mark. Abby and Luka are coming over for supper in an hour. Get dressed." Closing the door, Elizabeth returned to her kitchen and Mark returned to his rug.
"Stupid foreign sonofabitch! Get OUT!" Mark swore and kicked the bumper
of the SUV.
"Now.. Is that any way to greet guests, Mark?"
Mark turned and saw Abby and Luka standing outside their car, waiting for Mark to move, so they could park it inside out of the rain. Mark smiled sheepishly. "I was talking to the rug... It's oriental.."
Luka exchanged a worried glance with Abby. Mark certainly wasn't the same since the brain surgery.
"Certainly Mark. Would you like some help with your foreign rug?" Luka asked hopefully.
Mark stared at the brawny male. He'd probably have a lot more luck if he had Luka helping..
The two men grabbed the rug at either end and slowly lifted it from the trunk and into the livingroom.
"Mark.." Panted, Luka. "That was damned, heavy! What do you have in there!?? A body?"
The two men paused and looked at each-other. "Elizabeth-Abby" They yelled
in unison. "Take the baby upstairs."
"What's wrong!?" The women ran into the room and stared at the rug. "What's wrong with the rug?" Tony nuzzled into his mother's shoulder, sucking on a fist.
Luka and Mark stared at each other. "Take Tony upstairs, now Elizabeth." replied Mark, firmly.
"Abby.. Go with her." Luka said shakily, still staring at the rolled up rug.
"But Luka.."
"Go.."
The two women sighed and headed upstairs muttering and shaking their heads. "If you spilled something on my rug Mark.." Warned Elizabeth as she headed up the staircase.
"Just go upstairs, Elizabeth.."
*******
Luka and Mark stared at each other intently as they unrolled the rug. Their hands getting closer and closer to something, that they were quite certain, was not a common alley cat or raccoon.
Once the rug was unrolled Luka and Mark stared at it before Luka finally spoke.
"Mark.... There's a dead body in your rug.. Why is there a dead body in your rug?"
Luka blinked slowly and took a deep breath.. "And why does it smell like bananas and Tang??"
Mark exhaled and kicked the body with the toe of his sneaker. "Luka..
It's not my rug.. I don't know why it smells like Tang and bananas.."
"It's in your house. It was in your trunk. It's your rug." Reasoned,
Luka.
"No.. I stole it out of somebody's garbage can this morning before the
trash collection."
Luka laughed. "It took you all day to get the rug out of your trunk!!???"
Mark scowled and stared at the man on his rug.. His skin a purplish mottled blue.. His eyes had rolled back in his head and he was wearing nothing but a pair of duck boxershorts. Mark could tell the guy had been dead at least a few days.. "I have back problems from my attack." He mumbled lamely.
Luka nodded. He'd had a limp, getting shot in the war. At least that's what he told people. In fact he'd fallen down a flight of stairs at a drunken kegger with his friends, during Med-school. Getting shot sounded so much more romantic and morose.
"So. What do we do with John??"
Mark's eyes widened and he looked back at the body. "Carter!?"
"No.. Doe.. What do we do with the body now.. I think we should report
it." Luka said boldly.
Mark scoffed. "No way! I'm not going to prison."
"Mark! You didn't do it! Did you?!" Luka said with surprise.
"NO! I didn't do it!"
Elizabeth came up behind her husband and tapped him on the shoulder. "Did what?!" She looked over his shoulder at John on the rug. "Oh God Mark! What have you done!"
"NOTHING!!!"
"Mark.. Why is there a body in my rug!?"
"Well.. I don't know.. I guess somebody threw it out.." Mark said pathetically.
"Threw out a body?! Mark! What do we do with it!?"
"Sneak it in the County Morgue?"
They all looked and stared at Abby. "What?!"