I worked with Neil and as a result had got to know Nikki quite well too, we often socialised together as couples with me and alison regularly meeting ...p with them on a saturday night. Unfortunately unbeknown to most people Neil was a heavy drinker when alone at home, and more often than not he became moody and violent with Nikki when in this state. One night she called me to say that he was in a particularly drunken state and that she needed a hand to get him to the bedroom because he was. I had to let a Chinaman take over the management of my own business interests; namely a numbers racket operative in the back of a butchers whilst I healed up. Having a crowbar taken to your ribs will do that to you. The Rhino quip had come from some smart-ass crime reporter within the city; on the basis that whilst Frankie always charged a lot, and indeed had been charged a lot; nothing could ever stick. He had also been shot with a Thompson sub-machine gun at point blank range and managed to. “So you don’t really want to bite some girl’s ass?”He’s obviously a good kid who can take a joke. “Well… not “bite” an ass.” You wink at him.John fingers a ring on his right hand. “I’ve got a deal for you professor.”“Oh?”“Yeah. You let me skip your class all semester, but give me an A+ anyway. In return, I’ll give you this ring.”The offer is too absurd not to hear the rest of it. “And why is the ring that valuable?”John smiles at you. Suddenly you stand up, despite having no desire to do so.. "What do you mean?" I asked."She packed. I tried asking. She ignored me. She left a note." What's it say?" I asked through the lump in my throat."'I'm sorry.'" You're sorry?" No Joe. That's all it says." You're kidding?" I wish I was."I told my boss the situation. Unfortunately I had a couple of crucial depositions."I'm sorry Joe," said my boss. She sounded sorry."I've been hearing that a lot," I said."What?" she said as gently as possible."Never mind. I'll be there." Will you?" You still have.