Checks in the mail, dog at my home work, honest your honor, yada yada yada. Before you believe anything, check to see if their lips are moving.
I ran out of gas. I... I had a flat tire. I didn’t have enough money for cab fare. My tux didn’t come back from the cleaners. An old friend came in from out of town. Someone stole my car. There was an earthquake. A terrible flood. Locus. It wasn’t my fault