“Well I don’t,” he said. “It just makes sense we work on this together.”

“Sense to you maybe. I’ve steered clear of involving myself with men.”

He nodded. “And you’ve done fine I guess. But it wasn’t me showed up on your doorstep bloodied and out of places to go.”

“I don’t want to owe you nothing.”

“You don’t. Free and clear. All right?”

She sat back on the bed. She shook her head. “I know what kind of heart you’ve got.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. Nothing. Go on. Go do what you want to do. But bring me something to eat. And don’t tell nobody I’m here.”

He washed his face in the stale water left in the pitcher and slicked back his hair. He smelled her over him as he dressed, as if his skin was suffused with her and this distillation ran through his skin and throughout him. Dressed, he turned to where she sat waiting on the bed and said, “Get dressed and wait. Lock that door after me but be ready you hear me coming up the stairs.”

He circled the long way to come upon the back of the restaurant. As expected the horse and wagon were gone from the shed. He stepped into the kitchen and there was no one there. He went then fast across the street to the backside of the opposite house. The brass padlock was off the hasp and he lifted one of the bulkhead doors and left it open and went down the steps. He kept his eyes steady and down as he came into the cool dripping room. Victor was behind the small table, his back inches from the rivulets seeping from the granite foundation stones. Even here a braid of sweat worked against his forehead. Across from him sitting out in the room was one of the other men. Jamie nodded to him and the man turned his eyes away, a broad sweep across the room. On the table was a lead and brass cashbox and the table was spread with stacks of banknotes and as he approached Victor laid one hand each on the end stacks and pulled them all together and lifted them and placed them in the box. Jamie all the time with his eyes on Victor’s as if the money wasn’t there.

“I fucked up.”

Not even a nod. “So why you come here?”

“You owe me something for what I already did.”

Now Victor smiled. “You stupid or what?”

“No,” Jamie said. “I don’t think so.”

Victor nodded. “You think you know something could hurt me.” The other man, beside Jamie, with his head tilted up now to watch him, rolled the fingers of one hand on the tabletop.

“I’m pretty sure I’m the one would get hurt. But still, I did work for you and need to get paid for it. It’s no big complicated thing.”