If he refuses, he assumes Karloff will take him out right now. Not even think about it. If he refuses, he has outlived his usefulness—and Karloff won’t have that.

Lying there in the dark, finally given his assignment, Joey’s feeling more trapped than ever. Desperate. And maybe it’s out of that desperation, a new thought descends on him. A new thought that, it occurs to Joey, may even be part of Karloff’s plan.

The new thought there in the darkness: that maybe Joey Richter is done here.

Done. Done with it. Done with all of it.

Maybe he’s had enough.

Maybe Karloff knows it. The streetwise Karloff. Who knows Joey has no home, no money, no friends, no relationships, and is heading to prison for the rest of his life.

Maybe he reads Joey’s psychological state and knows that even if Joey half figures that he’s going to die, in the end, he just might be willing to do this.

More than willing to.

“This puts us even,” Karloff had said. Joey had been mystified by that. Confused. But maybe dying does put him even. Puts him finally even with the world.

Death, nonexistence, sure evens everything out.

Maybe there is no way out. So maybe that is the way out.

He has no one to help him. It’s obvious now that Will is no friend. He looked like a friend, gaining Joey’s trust there in jail, picking Joey up in the confusion after the trial, but it was never to help Joey. It was all for Karloff.

Joey is desperate. But he’s pissed off too. Pissed off and furious at being trapped and cornered into this situation. If he’s reading it right, being set up to die.

Joey is alone. Alone as always.

But more alone than ever.

There’s not a single person who has shared in his life, he realizes. No one who knows who he really is. No one to turn to…

No. Wait. There is one person.

Someone who might be able to figure this out for him. Understand what’s really going on here. Someone really good at figuring shit out. Someone no one would expect.

Someone who might even come up with a plan. Something unexpected. Some way out of this that no one has thought about. Who has a proven record of having that ability.

Someone who—beyond all that—may have just saved his life. Maybe could do it again.

And if Joey is going to die anyway, wouldn’t it be a good time to settle old scores?

This puts us even. Karloff’s words echo once more.

Maybe this is what comes of being desperate and pissed off, Joey thinks vaguely.