17
“Should I call Peter Mailer? I think not. Ever since he was cured of alcoholism he has acquired another compulsion. He stares deeply into your eyes and even the most trivial conversational opener provokes him into orgies of sincere nodding. I ascribe this to group therapy.”
Nigel Williams, Fortysomething
*
The new day, mildly tranquillized, I crept into Nestor’s. Jeff was on the phone, waved his hand. Was this…dismissal? …a barring order? …what? The sentry swirled his half empty glass, said,
“Second case of foot and mouth in the North.”
“Right.”
I didn’t want to lean on it so added nothing. Jeff finished the call, said,
“Jack, what can I get you?”
Very worrying.
When you’ve f****d up big time and the fucker is being nice, search for a weapon. I said,
“Coffee’s good.”
“One co
