: CVS or Walgreens usually had a small "office and electronics" section. It was a gamble, but it saved him a trip across town.

He pressed harder, shifting his thumb to catch the edge of the button. The tiny red LED on the remote—usually a confident spark of life—gave a pathetic, dying flicker and went dark. Leo sighed, resting his forehead against the steering wheel. This was the third time this week he’d had to play "remote roulette," and it looked like the house had finally won.

He knew he couldn't just walk into a grocery store and hope for the best; these things usually took those little silver coins that looked like pirate treasure for ants. He did a quick mental scan of his best options:

: Best Buy or even a local Batteries Plus would definitely have it. Those spots were like pharmacies for gadgets; if it held a charge, they carried it.