THE SECRET IN THE FRAME

someone knocked

nd a man in a suit that cost more than my rent

ople look at something the

oman Hale." He held out a card. "Mr. H

d at th

at Ha

where I li

es

hat scared me. It wasn't. What sc

time?"

-

for me was black

iews - and watched the city change as we drove. The laundromat with the busted sig

five m

dings were taller and spaced further apart. The streets we

on gates that opened bef

and looked

as permanent. The kind of structure built b

htened m

lked

-

fice w

the silence of it. Like the space had been designed to

anding at the win

tur

like the man fro

Face closed. Eyes like someone had tu

would have believed the ver

own,"

sa

did

that was private," he said. "I'd

old you. I'l

e say

ean

at across from me. Put his hands flat

tightened

e. "Yo

You knew my name before I gave it to you. You know w

moved behi

nough,"

very

ow my situat

" he

the

in his mouth like a s

at on my knees.

o a man named Denko who has been to y

r went

w abou

hotograph the man had put on th

w ever

id. My voice came out st

lder and turne

sistant. Your schedule follows mine. Room, board,

oked

5,

mo

oked

nough to resolve yo

n exch

scretion. And you stay

ked a

oked

you feel the weather before it arrives. Something he wasn't sayin

ay no?"

uiet for

be there tomorrow

way someone delivers a fact when they a

at the nu

ked a

ay,"

dded

and picke

s Ba

urn

ading expression again. Like the

at night?" he said. "M

about it f

cary," I said.

lked

-

ng down my legs fin

k against the wa

00 a

would

ld be

world of a man who had just casually t

a problem he should have had no way o

en watching me

e tha

ver opened

reached the

ut into th

o the b

ak the who

-

t I could

ared at the ceiling and

and went through everythin

pieces where he said nothing and the jour

ed. Ever. No pare

hild

top

phone

it up

a throwaway line in a profile that clearly

y and has never married, though rumors of a relation

years

d it

did someth

s completely different and there were things in that

d the a

yself

a coinc

was full

to sleep and told myself the fee

-