"Not on the bar," I said, interrupting his movement. He checked his movement and handed it to me under the bar railing. I casually opened it and checked the bill count. I handed the wallet back to him but didn't let go as I looked him in the eye. "I think you should go now. You and I really shouldn't be talking to each other. Know what I mean?"

He nodded. He was nervous, more nervous now than when he came in. He stood up, grabbed his drink, drained it in one long swallow and walked straight out.

"That was quick," Henry shouted over the band as I pocketed the envelope.

I nodded. "He's going to be a real popular guy before long. I don't want to be around him any more than I have to."

"Why is he going to be so popular?" he asked leaning closer to me to overcome the noise.

"That's one of the things I was going to tell you. I was seen leaving the warehouse the night of the fire. The cops chased me around for a while then one of them shot me as I was about to get away. I was really close to losing the guy, then all of a sudden 'blam' I was down. My first thought was to call you and have you pick me up, but she found me and stitched me up."

"How did you get away after they shot you?"

"I hid in the alley behind her church."

He nodded thoughtfully. "Hey man, I'm sorry about what I said before about her. I didn't mean to be that harsh. Tell you what I'll do. The Palookas are playing at the Billy Club on Thursday. Why don't all three of us go on me? What do you say?" he asked, smiling.

I wanted to. I knew it would make everything okay if I could. I just couldn't keep my feet planted firmly on both worlds for that long. "I can't Henry. I'm leaving tomorrow for Switzerland and I don't know how long I'll be gone."

"Switzerland, what the fuck?" I could see the change come over his face. It went from consolation to distrust. "You going with her?" he said thrusting his chin toward the dance floor.

I knew then it was too late to tell him. If I was ever going to tell him it would have been twenty-five drunken nights earlier and even if I could manage the courage to tell him now, it would be completely in vain. I knew, or at least hoped, that I wouldn't come back from Zurich as the same person he'd known, and it felt like I was being forced to reap the harvest of secret seeds sown long ago. "Yes, I'm going with her."

"What's going on man? You stay with her for what, three days, and now you're going halfway around the world with her?"