"The strum box," he said, nudging the case with a sandaled foot, "how long have ya played it?"

"I just picked it up actually," I said through a stifled grin.

"Hmm," he mumbled.

I opened the nylon case to see a hammer, a small flashlight, a utility razor, a lead-weighted wire noose, and a snub-nosed pistol. "What's this?" I asked, holding the gun up.

"That's a revolver. Don't get caught with it in the city. That's big trouble here."

"No, I mean what's it doing with these other supplies?"

"Don't know. I'm just here to deliver it, and deliver it I have. He said you'd know what to do with it. Oh yeah, and I'm supposed to take you to his house whenever you're ready."

I shoved the gun back in the bag and zipped it tight. "I'll be back late tomorrow night. Be ready to go. We might need to leave in a hurry."

He settled back into his folding chair. "Ain't going nowhere."

The cab driver raced his engine impatiently as I walked back onto dry land. I handed the other half of the bill to him as I got in.

"Where you go now?" he asked as he compared the two halves.

"Take me to one of those nice restaurants you mentioned, the best one. I have some celebrating to do."

23

I awoke face down on the single hotel bed, still fully clothed. Each throb in my head recounted a glass of wine from the night before. I changed into my cleanest clothes, grabbed the guitar and slackened the strings until they could easily be pulled back from the round acoustic opening. The instrument begrudged a low, sour note as I ran my fingers across it. I thought the guards might recognize the ornate cane so I left it hanging on the back of the chair. Grabbing the guitar and blue nylon case, I closed the door behind me. The old woman gave a look of contempt when I sat the guitar case down on the counter.

I put on a smile for her benefit. "I'd like to stay another night."

"It has already been paid for. You're paid for as long as you want to stay."

"By whom?"

She looked back down at her hands and shrugged. I bit my tongue as I held back my next question and took my guitar outside.

The day passed slowly as the anticipation built toward my late afternoon rendezvous. I went through the plan over and over in my head while visualizing every detail inside the gallery down to the height of the painting on the wall, the depth of the trash can, and the sound the guards' shoes made against the polished granite floors.