“So sorry to injure your old virgin ears, Skinner,” Fannie said. “But I honestly don’t give a good goddamn. I don’t know if you ate a bad chimichanga this afternoon and got the shits or if the senility in your ancient brain is showing itself. Either way, I have work to do this afternoon and don’t have time for bullshit or idle threats. If you’d made the effort to read the sign on the door, we don’t open until four o’clock.”

“Sorry to trouble you,” Skinner said. “But I figured it was best to tell you in person. I’d tell your girls to get what they can in tips, they’re gonna have to get themselves right or head on up to Memphis or down to New Orleans.”

Fannie wrapped her right hand under her breasts and clasped her left elbow, holding her cigarillo high, nails manicured to a bright red and damn-near perfect. She tilted her head to study Skinner’s repulsive old fucked-up face. He walked close enough that she could hear his raspy, excited breathing.

“You do know there is an over-the-counter cure for halitosis?”

“Night-night, Miss Fannie,” Skinner said, placing the hat back on his sun-spotted bald head. “Nice knowing you.”

“They wouldn’t deal with you,” Fannie said. “They would never deal with someone so very, very small.”

“I promised to deliver on something you never could,” Skinner said, winking. “Loyalty is one hell of a thing, Miss Hath-cock.”

*   *   *

“How bad is it?” Boom asked.

“It’s been worse,” Caddy said. “In fact, most of the time it’s much worse.”

“Can you get through the week?” Boom asked.

“We can get through the end of the month, but the holidays are looking rough,” Caddy said. “And you know that’s the toughest time. Something will come in. It always does.”

“The power of prayer?”

Caddy nodded, looking over at the empty skeleton of the new outreach building, the first stage of construction eating up a good bit of The River’s budget, Caddy always robbing Peter to pay Paul but now not finding a new Peter right for the job. They sat on the tailgate of Boom’s old truck, Boom just hauling over a bed of canned goods donated by the Piggly Wiggly. The local manager was always generous on the scratch-and-dent side of the business.

“What happened to those folks in Jackson?” Boom said. “I thought they were going to pay for the construction.”

“That was the idea,” Caddy said. “Bentley said they should have everything in order by Christmas. But you know that’s a long stretch of time. We can’t let folks go hungry just because I moved on this too quick.”

“I’ll be back on the road in a few weeks,” Boom said. “I get these damn pins taken out of my leg and I should be good to go. Lots of outfits up in Memphis who’ll hire me.”