At this time of the night, the restaurant was almost empty. Three men, two guys obviously getting off work and heading home, sat at the counter drinking coffee and eating a late supper. The third man sat by himself off to one far side of the counter, head half turned so he could watch the restaurant"s entrance. To the far left, along the row of booths lining against the windows, an old man and his wife sat in a far-off booth close to the entrance. The old man eating a piece of pie, his wife sitting holding her coffee cup in one hand and staring out the large window absently.
Smitty stepped into the restaurant, noted the five customers to one side of the restaurant before turning his head and laying eyes onto the back of Artie Jones head and the woman who sat across from him. Charlene Hick
