CHAPTER THREE
JOE PULLED INTO THE sparsely populated parking lot in front of Shady Jay’s. Given that it was almost ten p.m. on a weeknight, the place experiencing a slow night wasn’t a surprise to him at all. He preferred it, because it meant the man that he was there to see would have time to talk.
He walked in and saw only seven people in the entire place, three of them employees. He strolled over to the bar, where Gabriel smiled and greeted him.
“We’re not far from closing,” Gabriel said, “but I can get you a quick one. What’s your poison?”
“Mr. Allington, I’m actually here to talk to you for a bit. Think one of your co-workers can handle the crowd?”
The bartender chuckled. “Don’t know, man, you see how swamped we are. Hang on a second, let me get Debbie back here, just in case som
