Binky's Day Off

Binky awoke Wednesday morning to discover something truly amazing. He'd won the lottery!

Four-point-two million pounds sterling. It meant he'd never have to work again!

He called his friend Lucy over to spend the day with him. At some point - he wasn't sure when - he'd tell her the good news and ask for her hand in marriage.

Lucy arrived and before long they were making love on clean sheets amid the cool breeze coming in from the open windows of his flat. As they lay together in the afterglow, Binky suggested for lunch, that they stroll down to the sidewalk cafe overlooking the River Thames. Lucy smiled. "That sounds nice," she said and kissed him on his chin.

Later, as Binky slipped his belt around his slacks, his phone rang.

"Hello," answered Binky.

"Binky," said the voice on the other end. "This is Larry from the office. Sorry to bother you on your day off."

"That's okay," Binky said.

"A job order just came through for you and I was wondering if you could manage to fulfill it, if at all possible."

Binky put the phone against his chest and looked over his shoulder. Lucy was in the kitchen, boiling water for tea. "Put it through," Binky replied.

"Are you sure? I don't want to pester you on your day off."

"It's really not a problem."

"Thanks," said the voice before clicking off.

The phone made a buzzing noise and an image slowly materialized on-screen. When the image was completed, Binky stared at it, the corners of his thin mouth turning down. He made a sucking noise through his teeth as a heavy weight settled upon him and he sighed. Slowly he opened the drawer to the dresser before him and withdrew a small 9mm automatic. He carefully threaded the silencer onto the end as he called over his shoulder, "Lucy, dear, would you come here a moment..."

He suddenly felt an icy chill in the middle of his back. He looked down and saw the shiny tip of a samurai sword protruding from his chest. Lucy's voice spoke coolly to him from behind, "Sorry, love, but you know how it is. Business is business."

Binky dropped to his knees and a trickle of blood ran down the corner of his mouth. Alas, business is business, he thought as his hand went out to the dresser top and clenched the winning lottery ticket. He wanted to tell her the good news, but, quite frankly, there wasn't enough life left in him to speak.

His chin smacked the dresser as his body crumpled to the floor.

Lucy put a foot on his back and pulled the sword free. She lit a match and turned to look into the kitchen, where the door to the gas oven lay open. She tossed the match and slipped out of the flat just as the gas ignited.

As she scurried down the stairs, her phone rang. She looked at it and turned it off. It was Lucy's day off and work would just have to wait.