Robert turned and went down into the basement.

7. "Robert? Robert, where are you?" Robert's wife said but suddenly (suddenly – внезапно) saw a brilliant (brilliant - искрящийся, сверкающий) blue flash (flash - вспышка, сверкание) of light (light - свет) and then nothing (и затем все исчезло). Robert had vanished once again (Роберт опять исчез).

Robert's wife went back to the dining table. She sat down and tried to think of (to try – пытаться, стараться,to think of – пытаться вообразить, додуматься) what had happened (что случилось, произошло). Her mind was muddled (mind – рассудок, разум; muddle – путаница, неразбериха). She couldn't think. The 401k had been - had been - she thought - left untouched (to untouch – оставаться нетронутым) when Robert had first left, but now - she was beginning to remember (was beginning to remember – начинала вспоминать) different things. The 401k had been placed in a trust (401 тысяча были вложены в доверительное управление = трастовый фонд). A trust where she couldn't touch the money for twenty years (Туда, откуда она не могла забрать деньги в течение 20 лет). Then (затем), she remembered that when the authorities had informed her (сообщили ей) that Robert had deserted her (бросил её) and was never located (to locate – определять местоположение), that she had him declared (to declare –объявлять, провозглашать) legally dead (официально умершим) so (поэтому) the trust would be legally hers without waiting for twenty years (имущество должно было стать её собственностью, не дожидаясь, пока пройдут 20 лет).

7. "Robert? Robert, where are you?" Robert's wife said but suddenly saw a brilliant blue flash of light and then nothing. Robert had vanished once again.

Robert's wife went back to the dining table. She sat down and tried to think of what had happened. Her mind was muddled. She couldn't think. The 401k had been - had been - she thought - left untouched when Robert had first left, but now - she was beginning to remember different things. The 401k had been placed in a trust. A trust where she couldn't touch the money for twenty years. Then, she remembered that when the authorities had informed her that Robert had deserted her and was never located, that she had him declared legally dead so the trust would be legally hers without waiting for twenty years.

8. Another flash of light (вспышка света) in the basement (подвал), more footsteps, and Robert walked into the kitchen.

"The value? (сколько?)"

"I told you I spent it."

"I put it in a trust."

"I had you declared legally dead." Robert's wife said.

"Oh bother," Robert said. "I'll be back again."

A flash of light and Robert's wife was again confused (be confused – быть озадаченным, поставленным в тупик).

"Did I say spent it? Spent what? (Я сказала, что потратила их? Потратила что?)" she thought. She had tried to obtain (to obtain - получать) some money after Robert had left her. When she had gone to inquire (to inquiry - наводить справки, узнавать) how much was in their 401k, she had found out (to find out – обнаруживать, выяснить) that Robert had withdrawn (to withdraw – withdrew – withdrawn – забирать деньги обратно, отзывать) the money and had hidden (to hide – hid – hidden – прятать, скрывать) it somewhere (somewhere –где-то) - but where?