Bedbugs

Acknowledgements

Special Thanks

To Kate Samworth for teaching me about oil painting, and especially for presenting me with the verb to scumble. Kate’s remarkable paintings, which are neither supernatural nor evil, can be found at KateSamworth.com Thanks to my friend Ed Parrinello, of SquareMoose Photography in Manhattan, for the basics of high-end jewelry and watch photography. And many, many thanks to James at Flash Exterminating in Brooklyn, who was generous with his time during what has become an unending busy season for the industry.

A tip of the hat to the habitués of Bedbugger.com, where I have lurked, bedbuglike, for many hours, gathering insights and then disappearing, sated, into the darkness. What a great and terrifying website.

Thanks, as always, to my fantastic agent, Molly Lyons.

Thanks to Jason Rekulak at Quirk Books, who continues to lead me, Virgil-like, down new paths of adventure. I am fortunate beyond words to be working once again with him as well as with Doogie, Melissa, Eric, Mary Ellen, Robin, Stephen, Dave, Brett — all you lunatics. Thanks, Quirk Books.

Last, and most, thanks to Diana Winters, who told me I should write this book, helped me write it, and made it better when she read it.