Short stories: A little suspense

DEEP FRY

Barnes read intently from the book in his lap—remove the neck and giblets from the turkey cavity. Discard or use for giblet gravy or stuffing—

Wilson interrupted him again.

Why do you want to toy with death like this? said Wilson.

Barnes looked up from his magazine.

I’m not toying with death, he said. I’m reading about deep frying a turkey.

It’s a sin to toy with death, answered Wilson, pointing. You know that? It’s a sin just like playing Russian roulette would be a sin.

Russian roulette?

Right. Russian roulette. If the turkey’s even the least bit still frozen, it’ll explode when you put it in the fryer. These turkeys are like big bombs.

Oh, and how do you know that?

That’s what I read on the Internet.

Why were you reading about deep frying a turkey on the Internet?

Oh, I don’t know.

Thinking of deep frying a turkey, Wilson?

No. Of course not.

Then why read about it?

I read about a lot of things.

Hum.

Barnes let his feet down from the table and sat upright with the magazine spre