" Oh yes, Alexander told me about you," he said with a warm smile. "I was wondering if maybe you'd come to your senses and decided not to come back." ...ardly that," Astrid grinned."Well if you're still interested, why don't we step into the back office and talk about it," the older man said as he called for his son to come out and take over the counter. "I'm Nicholas Jennings by the way." Nice to meet you," Astrid replied as she followed him around the counter and into the back room. As she. I know everything a man is thinking even before he thinks it," she said."Well, you were wrong this time," I said. Her face showed surprise—no—disappointment."Oh, okay—I'm—I'm sorry—I just..."she started."No, I was thinking Friday night, not Saturday. But, Saturday's okay. Sevenish good for you?" I said. She smiled brightly."Sure. Seven is fine. Good," she said. I think I'd momentarily shaken her confidence—point for me.I picked her up at 6:50. She seemed mildly surprised by my eagerness, and I. Not getting more whiskey is a hell of a lot better than collecting a bullet." I know, I should have kept my mouth shut, but I am just not built that way.My comment caused the drunk to turn toward me. His hammer had not reached full cock when the bartender reached across the bar and thumped the drunk on the head with a small cudgel. The drunk collapsed to the floor, and the bartender came around the bar to pull the drunk to a chair where he could sleep off at least some of his drunk. When he. I was gonna show it to Serena but she had already left. Back inside I took my photos and camera and put them on the kitchen table, As I buttered a left over Biscuit Mom came over and picked up the stack. "Get any good shots?" she asked. "A few" I said. As Mom thumbed through the snaps she stopped on one in particular. "What happened here?" she asked. She handed me the picture, a shot of the yard with a black haze in center frame. "I'm not sure." I said lying. That was clearly the photo of.