“I’m not going to ask you any more questions, either,” Uncle Willy went on with an air of withdrawing from something wicked. “I’ve got a whole new slant on life. It doesn’t have to be a rat race.” His coat hung over a chair, the pockets heavy with A.A. leaflets; Uncle Willy looked over that way, his face brightening. “Yessir, I’ve crossed a kind of bridge and I never intend to go back the way I came.”

Skip nodded, looking around to see if he had missed anything. He paid little attention to Uncle Willy’s meanderings.

Uncle Willy said, “I had my eyes opened tonight. I’m not going to kick any more about working for Mr. Chilworth. I’m not going to grouch to myself and think all the time about the chances I missed and the jobs I might have pulled off, and things like that. I’m going to concentrate on myself, my own shortcomings and failures. You know, the harm I’ve done others, and so on. I’m going to straighten myself out. It’s just a miracle, you might say, that I called A.A. and they sent me this Mr. Mitchell.”

“You liked him, huh?” Skip picked up the zipper bag and went into the bathroom for his shaving stuff.

“He’s the best man I ever met in my life,” Uncle Willy said fervently.

“That’s fine; you stick with him,” Skip advised.

Uncle Willy’s gaze followed Skip as he moved around the room. “There’s no money coming at all?” he ventured timidly.

Skip glanced over at him. “You’d better forget you ever heard of any money.”

“And you didn’t . . . uh . . . get a chance to——”

“From outside?” Skip demanded scornfully. “With them plugging away at each other in there like a shooting gallery?”

“I just can’t understand it.” Uncle Willy rubbed a hand around over his thin head of hair. “To think Big Tom and those men he knew would have a blowup like that.”

“They did, and that’s why I have to clear out. If the girl talks I’m cooked. If they find her, that is.”

“She’s not waiting somewhere for you?” Uncle Willy demanded, having forgotten his decision not to ask any more questions. “I thought she had your jalopp, maybe, was outside in the street, or maybe running an errand.”