“He … had some things to do.”

DeWitt looks sharply at me, and I say, “Not that. Not yet.”

“When?”

“I … don’t know.”

“I like to see him one more time, will you tell him?”

“Yes.”

“I like to tell him good-bye in the proper way.”

“I’ll tell him. DeWitt … speaking of that, I want to ask you something.”

“I can’t tell you what I gave him.”

“I wasn’t going to ask you that.” I put down my spoon, push my chair back from the table. “I wanted to know … can you get some more of those drugs? The same combination? Soon?”

His brow furrows. “What for?”

“Well …” I was going to say something about Chip wanting to be sure he had enough, but now I find I can’t lie. “For me.”

“For you? For what?”

“I think it’s pretty obvious for what, DeWitt.”

He stares at me. There’s a smear of chili at the side of his mouth and I have a strong urge to wipe it away. But I don’t.

“Listen, DeWitt. This is very complicated. I—”

“You can just stop right there, ain’t no sense in your beating your gums ’bout this to me. What you think, I’m crazy? You think I’m gon’ give you drugs so you can off yourself? Chip know you axin’ me this?”

“No.”

“That’s right. What’s the matter with you? I thought you’s a smart woman! But this some dumb shit you be laying on me, now. Maybe you cracking up, maybe you need one of them rest cures, go lie around on a lawn chair under a blanket somewhere.” He stands up, takes our dishes over to the sink. “Talk ’bout killing your own self,” he mutters. Then he spins around, arms crossed, and glares at me. “You think this some kind of soap opera? You think you take them pills and then wake up? Cry some pretty tears and go take a shower?”

“I’m not going to talk to you about why I want to do this. If you don’t help me, I’ll get the drugs somewhere else.”

“The hell you say.”

“I will.”

“First of all, good luck, it ain’t easy. Second, I got connections, remember? I get the word out on the street, and nobody give you shit. Nobody.”

“DeWitt. Please. Please don’t make me explain this to you. I know what I’m doing. Just give me what you gave him. Please.”

He sits down at the table with me. “I can’t give you those drugs, Myra. Don’t even have them in the first place. And even if I did, I wouldn’t give them to you.”