Jimmy poured a glass of rye, lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. He rubbed his face dry with a dishtowel then let it drop to the floor. He squeezed the end of his nose between his fingers and wiped the snot on his jeans. Then he punched his fist through the wall panelling. It hurt more than he had expected, the contact of his knuckles with the thin wall.
He was going to have to send Bernie away. He’d have to call Marie – she had a couple of kids now, maybe she could use some help – and there’d be no harm in the cousins getting to know each other, if Marie could abide with housing a pregnant girl. Who knew what her jackass of a husband would say, but Jimmy had nowhere else to turn. He swallowed a sob with a mouthful of rye.
He looked at his watch. Well he couldn’t call Trenton now – it w
