ten minutes to nine
Only a few minutes might be needed . That meant he and Scotty would have to wait until a few minutes before nine , to be sure no one slipped by . One late arrival roared past as they waited , and then all was quiet . At ten minutes to nine Rick admitted defeat . `` Either he is n't coming , or he got there through the fields . Let 's go see if he shows up . '' As they hiked down the road , ears attuned for a motor vehicle behind them , Rick explained his theory of ghost production to Scotty .