"It's been four years I've been watching you when I could, going back to
the track for more when I ran out of money, and you know what? I know
what you're doing."
Alan nodded. "Yeah," he said.
"You're watching. You're doing what I'm doing. You're watching them to
figure out what they're doing."
Alvin nodded. "Yeah," he said.
"You don't know any more about the world than I do."
Albert nodded. "Yeah," he said.
Billy shook his head and leaned more heavily on Alan's arm. "I want a
drink," he said.
"I've got some vodka in the freezer," Alan said.
"I'll take some of the Irish whiskey on the sideboard in the living
room."
Adam looked at him sharply and he shrugged and smiled an apologetic
smile. "I've been watching," he said.
They crossed the park together and Buddy stopped to look hard at the
fountain. "That's where he took Edward, right? I saw that."
"Yeah," Alvin said. "Do you know where he is now?"
"Yeah," Billy said. "Gone."
"Yeah," Adam said. "Yeah."
They started walking now, Billy's limp more pronounced.
"What's with your leg?"
"My foot. I lost a couple toes last year to frostbite and never got them
looked at properly." He reeked of piss and booze.
"They didn't...grow back?"
Bradley shook his head. "They didn't," he said. "Not mine. Hello,
Krishna," he said.
Alan looked to his neighbors' porch.
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