“Gotta die some way.” She shrugged. He seemed to like that, and he spun his chair an inch or two toward her.

“I always said cigarettes would kill me and here I am eighty-two years later.” He patted his shirt pocket where a pack of Marlboros stuck out. “I’m Marvin.”

A memory slammed into her, dragging her beneath the belly of a truck: she could almost feel the heat of the asphalt on her back. She looked away, but Marvin’s sharp eyes caught what she was trying to hide. Her brain was galloping loops. That Marvin? How could she ever forget that name or that conversation?

“You smoke?”

“Not anymore.” She hadn’t smoked since her New York days, but the feel of this place was making her crave it.

“Good, why don’t you come outside and keep an old man company.”

Rainy smiled. “Sure thing.”

They stood by a patch of shriveled saltbush as Marvin smoked his cigarette while leaning against the side of the building. Rainy faced the parking lot, keeping her eye on things. The heat was pulling up memories of endlessly long days spent outside. She wanted a cigarette badly.

“You from around here?” Marvin spat in the dirt and then smiled at her, a fleck of spit resting on his bottom lip like a blister.

“Do I look like I’m from around here?”

He eyed her for a beat before saying, “All right, all right,” chuckling to himself. He reminded her of a lizard, beady-eyed and darty, his skin scaled with age. “You look like someone I used to know, that’s all.”

“Oh? Who was that?” Rainy asked.

“I can’t put my finger on it.”

She smiled. Liar.

“Who owns this place?” She looked back at the Canary.

“I used to.”

She put effort into her surprised face, raising her brows as high as they would go. Marvin loved it. Encouraged by the height of her eyebrows, he did what old men do: regaled her with a story from the past.

“Owned it for thirty years, sold it ten years ago. Was called the Nirvana before, but the new owner hated the band and wanted to change it. I said, why ruin a good thing, but he wouldn’t hear it.” Marvin tossed his butt but didn’t bother to crush it.

“Well, the food’s still good, I see,” she said. “Or are you coming for the excellent service?”

He grinned. He still hadn’t told her who owned the place now.

“You used to live around here, up at the compound.”

“The what?” Rainy made her jaw hang open and hoped she looked as stupid as she felt.

“Old women’s prison. Never mind. Must have been your doppelgänger. You’re too young to be her.”

She raised her eyebrows. She sensed that he wanted to talk, so she shut up and let him.