Chapter 19None of his brilliant scams had worked. Even posing as a pickpocket’s victim looking for cab fare hadn’t earned him a sympathetic audience. His other idea was even more of a farce. Avery sighed and huddled down under the pile of blankets and coats, pulling a piece of foam rubber under his head for a pillow. He had stoked up a fire in the garbage can near the hearth, trying to add some sort of glow and a little warmth to the room, so he could sleep. In matters of personal comfort, Avery reasoned, we do not worry about economy. Especially when there’s no one else here to b***h or prophesy about fire hazards. His Public Enemy tape poured out, muffled and low, accompanying him as he crawled under the bedding.
He had forty bucks in his jeans pocket. He was ashamed because he thought
