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Danny Boy's table was at ringside There was an ice bucket on the table, a bottle of Stolichnaya resting in it Danny Boy wore a vest boldly patterned in vertical stripes of yellow and black; otherwise his attire matched the band and the headwaiter He had a tuht She was a blonde, her hair cut in an extre on one side, cropped close to the skull on the other Her dress was black, and cut to show a lot of cleavage She had one of those greedy little hill-country fox faces, the kind you get growing up in a house with three or four broken cars permanently installed on the front lawn

I looked at her, then at Danny Boy He shook his head, glanced at his watch, nodded to a chair I sat down, having been inforirl was not the person I'd co in a little while

The set lasted another twentywhich time no one at our table said a word, nor was there any audible conversation at the surrounding tables From where I sat the crowd looked to be about half black and half white I saw one nized He'd been a pih what you could call a ed as a dealer in African art and antiquities, with a shop on upper Madison Avenue I'd heard he was doing well, and I could believe it He'd always done superbly as a pie, a waitress came over with a fresh drink for Danny Boy's colass with fruit and a paper parasol in it I asked if they had coffee "Just instant," she said apologetically I told her that would be fine and she went off to fetch it

Danny Boy said, "Matt, this is Crystal Crystal, say hello to Matthew"

We said hello to each other, and Crystal assured me it was a pleasure to roup and I said they were fine

"Piano player's special," he said "Sounds a little bit like Randy Weston, a little like Cedar Walton You can hear it especially when the other two sit out and he plays solo He played one whole set solo the other night Very special, very tasteful"

I waited

"Our friend'll be along in about five ht like to come early and catch a set Nice place, wouldn't you say?"

"Very nice"

"They treat ht And you know me, Matthew Creature of habit, when I like a place I'ht, or pretty near"

The coffee came The waitress set it down and hurried off with drinks for so the set, so theythe breaks A lot of the customers ordered two or three drinks at a time Some, like Danny Boy, had a bottle on the table That used to be illegal, and very likely still is, but it was never a hanging offense

Danny Boy poured lass while I stirred my coffee I asked what he knew about the person aiting for

"Meet him first," he said "Look him over, hear hi our ith afor because he was all wrong for the club He was a thin whitea houndstooth sport jacket over a navy-blue corduroy shirt, and he looked out of place in a room full of black men dressed like bank vice presidents He appeared to feel out of place, too, and he stood aardly with one hand on the back of his chair Danny Boy had to tell him to sit down a second time before he pulled the chair back and sat on it

As he sat down, Crystal got to her feet It must have been her cue She s the tables Our waitress caht away I said I'd have more coffee, and the new arrival ordered a beer They had six brands on hand and the waitress named them all He looked irritated by the need to make a decision "Red Stripe," he said "What's that?" She told hi me one of those"

Danny Boy introduced us, first names only His was Brian He put his forearms on the table and looked down at his hands, as if to make sure that his nails were clean He was about thirty-tith a lumpy round face that looked to have taken its share of punches over the years His hair, a dark blond, was going thin in front

You could see he'd done tiht as well be wearing a sign

His beer caneck bottle and read the label, frowning as he did so Then, ignoring the glass the waitress had provided, he took a drink from the bottle and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand

"Jamaican," he said Danny Boy asked hiht," he said "All beer's the sa for Motley," he said

"You knohere he is?"

He nodded "I seen him"

"Where do you know him from?"

"Where else? The joint We were both on E-block Then he went in the hole for thirty days, and when he got out they switched him somewhere else"

"Why did they put hiot killed"

Danny Boy said, "That's the punishment for murder? Thirty days' solitary confinement?"

"They couldn't prove it, they didn't have no witnesses, but everybody kneho done it" His eyes touched mine, then slid to the side "I knoho you are," he said "He used to talk about you"

"I hope he said nice things"

"Said he was going to kill you"

"When did you get out, Brian?"

"Two years ago Two years and asince then?"

"This and that You know"

"Sure"

"What I gotta do I started usin' again when I got outta the joint, but now I'et day work out of the state employment, or I'll turn a buck You kno it is"

"I know When did you see Motley?"

"Must of been a o Maybe a little more"

"You talk to him?"

"What for? No I seen him on the street He was comin' down the steps of this house Then I seen hioin' into the house Sao?"

"Say a month"

"And you haven't seen him since?"