Charlie’s eyes made a slow-motion move from Karen to me, then he got up from the chair and walked over. A vein pulsed in his right temple. He said, “Some guys never get it, Ric. Some guys, you tell’m and tell’m, they never get it, and they end up in trouble.”

I nodded. “Some guys, trouble is a way of life.”

Peter was giving confused. “What are you guys talking about?”

Charlie took another step closer. He was maybe six inches from me, red-faced and snorting, staring with eyes that were now dead and fishlike, and you could see how he got the name, Charlie the Tuna. “You got brain damage from too much sun? You wanna go over the top right now?” His voice was a sort of a hiss.

Peter said, “Hey, this doesn’t need to get out of hand.”

Ric said, “It’s cool,” and came up behind Charlie, putting a hand on either shoulder, working him just like he had worked him with Joey Putata, whispering, talking until the snorting and the pulsing had stopped. Keeping Sal DeLuca’s kid in control of himself. I wondered if they paid him extra for this.

Peter said, “Hey, Charlie, you all right? You want a glass of water?”

The deep-sea eyes submerged and Charlie made a little move that stopped Ric. Charlie stepped back and picked up his coat and Ric held it open so that Charlie could work into it. Charlie said, “I’m fine, Peter. Just a little misunderstanding, that’s all. Misunderstandings happen.”

Peter said, “Hey, sure.” Everything okay now.

Charlie looked at Karen again, then buttoned his coat and went to the door. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Peter. Christ, you know Chainsaw is one of my favorite pictures. I bought a videocassette. Seventy-nine ninety-five. I musta seen it—what?—over a dozen times, Ric?”

Ric said, “A dozen.”

Peter said, “You’ll never have to buy another. Give Karen a call and let her know your address. I’ll send you tapes of all my movies.” He hoisted the St. Pauli Girl and made a little salute.

Charlie smiled. “I’ll give Karen a call.” Then he looked back at Karen and shook his head. “C’mon, Ric.” Ric opened the door and they left.

Joe Pike peeled himself away from the wall and went across to the window and looked out.

Peter said, “Jesus, I don’t know why you had to make such a big deal about it, Karen. Toby’s fine.”

Outside, a car door opened, then closed. Toby yelled “Bye” from his room. Watching out his window. An engine started. A car pulled away. Pike drifted back to the wall.

Karen went through the dining room and into the kitchen, closing the door quietly after her.

Peter said, “What’s her problem?”