Maybe I deserved another stint in prison. I was in a rut, a routine, and it was no different than the other side; except there were no physical bars. Except for the one I’m in right now.

“What’s the score?â€? I asked.

Sonny nodded. He knew I didn’t want to B.S., talk about my failure. I wanted him to get to the point and quick.

“You know my Cousin Louie?â€? he asked. Sonny was like me, he hadn’t spoken to his blood relatives since he was old enough to drive a car and get himself the hell out of town.

“Yeah.â€?

“His kid’s, well…â€? He paused, took a quick look around. “His kid has been whacked.â€? I perked up; I normally didn’t like bad things to happen to kids, but after what I had recently been through…

“Any clues?â€?

“Nope.â€?

Some snatch and grab went wrong; the perp didn’t know the world of shit he just created for himself.

“Cousin Louie wants you to help.â€?

Damn. You don’t say no to folks like Cousin Louie, especially when they ask by name.