Terry grinned at him. “I try not to. Even bad snows I can go to the river and back and not get lost. It’s not but a mile each way. Not much of a walk but it gets me out of the house. Patrick Jackson was talking about you the week last he came by to see me.”

There we go. Jamie dried his hands on his trousers. “What was Pat Jackson doing over here?”

“Why he brought me a bottle of bonded whiskey. He likes to come around and talk time to time. I imagine he feels he can say whatever he likes with me and most everybody else is watching to see what side of a thing he’s going to come down on. Everybody else has an interest in what he does. He knows it. I think he likes to come by here and blow off steam. And don’t kid yourself, he’s as confused about this prohibition business as the rest of us.”

“I never had trouble with Jackson or any of those Federal men.”

“Patrick’s sound. He’s got no soapbox. And like before, those Federal boys are mostly concerned with the border, what’s coming south. The problem he’s got to deal with is availability, see, now the legitimate business is over with here in the States. You understand? There’s people think this prohibition bullshit will work. And like everything else, there’s people who’ll be watching out for any little way to grease their own skids.”

“I already got a dozen envelopes I stuff with cash every month. I don’t see what else I can do. I got everybody covered that will let themselves be covered. Those others, all I can do is steer clear.”

“I think what Patrick was concerned about. His boys are pulling a big quota off the Canadians. They got no problem with that. Plenty gets by them and they know it. That don’t really matter. As long as they haul enough so it looks good. So maybe he was thinking you might see an opportunity, a hole to try and fill. And was saying let that hole be. Stick with what you have, what you know. You do that, you should be fine. And it looks to me, what you have is enough. Is that right?”

“Maybe I should visit with Jackson.”

“No. Patrick’s the rare thing. He doesn’t get caught up with fashion. He knows the nature of man. And he’s not one of these small-town shitsuckers looking to line his pocket wherever he can. What I think, you’re best leaving him be.”

“Well, I don’t have any big ambitions but to keep what I got rolling along.”

Terry nodded. “You or me, we could predict the future, we’d have different lives anyhow. Any man would. But I’d hazard sometime, might be a year or two, there’ll be new faces around, trying to tie up the market. You understand what I’m saying? I’m not talking about honest men like ourselves, just trying to make a living. This’ll be a new breed is what I think. But I think there’s some time before we see them much. Until then you should be fine.”