Victor yellow, pouring sweat, his mouth clamped upon itself. Eyes insensible, gone, eggs of the soul turned inside out. Not moving. Jamie laid the free hand on the table beside its pinned mate and took up the money and stepped around the other man on the floor and then quickly went up the steps and was outside. Suddenly cold and soaked with sweat. No sound yet from the cellar but that wouldn’t last. He closed the bulkhead door, searched in the dark and came up with a heavy brass padlock and this he snapped shut through the loop of the hasp. Then walked to the back corner and stopped and saw no one and began to run down the back alley along the river. His legs grabbing the ground like the dips and bursts of swallows. At some point running he lifted out the empty knife sheath and sent it sailing out into the river. His mouth wide, lungs gaping. His footfalls faint slaps echoing the pump and thrust of his chest.

“You didn’t bring me nothing to eat?” Still in her underwear, the rank tallow stub in the bedside saucer lit.

“Oh boy. Oh boy.” Went to the window and stood to peer down into the street. “No, I didn’t bring you nothing. Get your clothes on.”

“Jesus I’m dying.”

“Shut up. Get dressed.”

“Don’t you talk to me like that.”

He turned and said, “I’m sorry. You got to believe I am. It’s just I figure we got two minutes maybe only one to get out of here. Fuck oh fuck.”

“What’d you do?” Already with the dress over her head, her hands behind her back for the buttons.

He went on his knees and dragged out his valise and danced around the room, picking up his belongings. Remembering the extra set of cuffs under the mattress.

He took his money clip from his trousers and counted out what was left there and handed most of it to Joey. Still feeling the slight heft of the other money in his jacket pocket. “I ain’t got the time for it right this moment. What you need to do is get yourself to the station. Do it quick but don’t cause notice of yourself. Look at the schedule and give me half an hour. No, make it closer to three-quarters. Get us a pair of through tickets to Portland Maine.”

“Maine? Portland Maine? I’m not going to Maine.”

“Just do it. I’m not going to Maine neither. And don’t mess around with food or nothing like that. We’ll get something on the train, we’re lucky enough to get that far. Just buy the tickets and sit somewhere quiet and don’t talk to people. Try not to let anybody see how banged up you are. But just be casual, like it’s just what you’re doing, nothing else. You know what I mean?”