“Then I’ll call him.”

Mobley took the phone out of my hand. “That’s not how it’s going to work. You know that.”

We sat in silence for a few moments while Mobley probably tried to figure out how he could still steal a few dollars from my end. Maybe he figured it out finally, or maybe he gave up trying. I didn’t care. “I’ll get your ask,” he said. It was the only time I ever negotiated anything, and I’m sure I came up short. I got what I asked for. Or close enough to it, but I should have asked for more. It was my first negotiation, but I didn’t think it would be my last.

Mobley handed back my phone and gave me a photo of the target and some information scribbled in pencil on the back. Mobley opened the door and got out. Just as he was closing the door I said, “That’s the last time you sit in my car.”

He grabbed the door and stopped it from closing.

I couldn’t see Mobley but I could see the door hanging in the air, waiting for him to do something, waiting for him to say something. He slammed the door shut and started to walk away, but couldn’t let it go. He opened the door but didn’t lean down, his face was above the car somewhere in the dark, his mouth moving.

“The job comes first,” he said, “but afterwards, we’ll have business together.”

Mobley closed the door and left. I didn’t care what he said. He could threaten me all he wanted; he couldn’t do anything. He couldn’t do anything except what Froehmer told him, and Froehmer had me working. I was earning again and I felt good about myself. I hadn’t felt like that in a while. It didn’t last long. It never does, I guess. Not long enough, anyway. The future has nothing good.

I parked a block away from the house and waited for his car to pass me, then I got out and walked toward the house. He was still sitting in the car; I could see his dark silhouette in the driver’s seat. I slowed my pace and waited for him to get out. He closed the car door and walked down the sidewalk, away from me and away from his house. Maybe he knew I was behind him, there in the dark, waiting for him. I stopped and thought about going home, calling it off for the night. He continued on down the sidewalk, which dipped down a slope, and if I was going to keep going, I had to keep him in sight, not let him get on the other side of the slope. So I started walking again, almost against my better judgment, almost against my own will.