"Hello,my pretty.""Don't act a smiling face, Mr.Hoffman," said Alina. Mr. Hoffman's happyface twisted itself into a ugly sneer."And why would that be, Alina?"Because I know you aren't happy. If you are not happy don't smile." Alina replied.Mr. Hoffman scowled."Get to the point, girl." snapped Mr.Hoffman."I just wanted you to know that the police are coming in five hours to arrest you, so you should probally escape while you can.""Why? So that you can use that mighty brain of yours to capture me again?"sneered Mr. Hoffman. He stalked over to the tiny apartment window and looked out.Alina sighed and twisted a few strands of her long, coal-black hair. Eventhough Mr.Hoffman was a murdering crimanal now, he still had a mocking sense of humor."No. It's just that..."She took a deep breath. This was not going to beeasy to say. [despite her prize-winning wits]" You've helped me in the past" she said carefully [anybody that angered Mr.Hoffman was thrown out of the window if they were lucky.] "and I want to repay you."" You think I'm going to believe you just like that?Mr.Hoffman said scornfully. "No doubt you have a whole police patrol down there, just waiting for me to stroll downstairs and get caught like a fly in a web." Alina sighed heavily. Mr.Hoffman was proving difficult to sway.
"My train is leaving at one o' clock." Alina said stiffly. "I will pack for my journey." She was sure Hoffman would fall for her trick once she was gone.
"Well, good-bye then." he sneered. "Or rather, bad-bye."
Alina did not answer, but merely left the room. Inside, Hoffman sat on his spindly chair, thinking.
He was wondering whether he should go downstairs, and trust Alina-Ismeana or sneak downstairs and start shooting the police patrol Alina-Ismeana had supposedly left for him. On one hand, he was pretty shaken by what he had saw Alina-Ismeana stealing for the twin pickpocket twins on Main Street, but on the other hand, Father's still rang in his head even though it was already thirty years from his death. "Never trust Alina
Glockin, son." He had said. "She's got a heart hard as granite and a brain as sharp as the dagger I'm wearing right now." Whereupon he had flashed the bright blade he carried on his poached alligator skin belt at all times.
Mr.Hoffman decided not to trust Alina-Ismeana. "I'm staying right here."
he thought. "They can try to pry me off with a stick all they want, for all I care." And he sqatted down even lower on the spindly chair and stayed still as a statue. And he stayed there until he died of starvatoin. The End.