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"Not in the third grade"

He laughed "No, it was a little later than that Thing is, the old ot out I didn't have a place to stay, so I moved in with my ma I wasn't home much, it was just a place to keep ot sick I started staying there with her, and after she died I kept the place Three little rooms up on the fourth floor, but, you know, it's rent-controlled, Matt 12275 ato step into, in this town, shit, you'd pay that for one night"

And, ahborhood itself was on its way up Hell's Kitchen had been a tough, hard-bitten neighborhood for a hundred years, and now the realtors had people calling it Clinton and turning teneure prices for theure out where the poor people went, or where the rich people caht, isn't it? Of course before we knoe'll be griping that it's too cold One day you're dying of the heat and the nextwhere the summer went Always the way, huh?"

"That's what they say"

He was in his late thirties, five-eight or -nine and slender, with pale skin and washed-out blue eyes His hair was light brown and he was losing it, and the receding hairline cohtly rabbity appearance

If I hadn't known he'd done tih I couldn't tell you why beyond saying that he looked like a crook A combination, perhaps, of bravado and furtiveness, an attitude that manifested physically in the set of the shoulders and the shiftiness of the eyes I wouldn't say that it stood out all over hi I had the thought that here was a guy who'd been dirty, a guy who had arettes and offered me one I shook my head He selected one for hiainst the wind He blew out ser and looked at it "I ought to quit these little fuckers," he said "Sober up and die of cancer, where's the percentage in that?"

"How long are you sober now, Eddie?"

"Co around the program for close to a year, but it took ht away, either"

"No? Well, I slipped around for a ht I could still smoke dope, because what the hell, uess what I heard at the rass, too, and now I've been completely clean and dry for close to seven uess"

"As far as the cigarettes are concerned, they say it's not a good idea to try to do too ure when I s" He sucked hard on the cigarette and the end glowed red "This is where I get off You sure you don't want to get some coffee?"

"No, but I'll walk over to Ninth with you"

We walked the long block crosstown and then stood on the corner talking for a few minutes I don't remember much of e talked about On the corner he said, "When he introduced you he said your horoup meets over at St Paul the Apostle?"

I nodded "The official name is Keep It Sio there pretty regular?"

"More often than not"

"Maybe I'll see you there Uh, you got a phone or so, Matt?"

"Sure I'm at a hotel, the Northwestern You just call the desk and they'll put you through to me"

"Who do I ask for?"

I looked at hihed I had a small stack of wallet-size photos in my breast pocket, each stamped on the back with my name and phone number I took one out and handed it to him He said, " 'Matthew Scudder' That's you, huh?" He turned the card over "That's not you, though"

"You recognize her?"

He shook his head "Who is she?"

"A girl I' to find"

"I don't blame you Find thile you're at it, I'll take one of 'e?"

"That's right"

"Pretty girl Young, or at least she hen this was taken What is she, about twenty-one?"

"Twenty-four now The picture's a year or two old"

"Twenty-four's pretty young," he said He turned the card again "Matthew Scudder It's funny how you'll know the s about somebody but you won't know their name Their last name, I mean Mine's Dunphy, but ive you my phone if I had one They cut it off for nonpayet it straightened out It's been good talking to you, Matt Maybe I'll see you toht at St Paul 's"

"I'llthere You take care now"

"You too, Eddie"

He waited for the light, trotted across the avenue Halfway across he turned and gave irl," he said