Reg had the coffee ready and on the table the minute they came through the door and he greeted Irene with his usual hug. They settled down and took their time fixing their coffees before both starting to speak at once.

"You first," Ray said.

"No, you're the one with news you said."

"Okay." He folded his serviette into triangles as he carefully chose his words.

"You won't have any more trouble with your loan at the bank. You have a year's extension and Elwood won't be needing your services as cook and cleaner." He looked into her eyes and waited, holding his breath.

She just stared at him, her mind racing through a number of scenarios that might have accomplished what he just told her. She set her cup down and licked her lips. "What did you do?" It came out like she didn't really want to know and Ray felt his confidence wane.

"I just had a chat with him. I explained how unfair it wa-"

"Don't! Don't bullshit me, Ray Simmons." Her face reddened with anger and he sat back holding up his palms.

"I'm not, I...? She looked so vulnerable and beautiful at the same time. He suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to get up and go around the table and take her in his arms.

"I told you not to talk to him. I don't need you meddling in my- my life." A large tear appeared and made a dash down her cheek to the corner of her lip and she smeared it away with a mad sweep of her fingers.

"Irene, please, listen to me. Please." He reached across and took her fingers. "It came up when I went to confront him about my drug theory. He started sounding off and I- I guess I lost it. I gave him an ultimatum and he agreed. I'm sorry if you're not happy about it but at least it's off your plate."

"I think I'd like to go home." She wiped her mouth and dabbed at her eyes as she stood from the table.

Ray sighed and tossed some change on the table, waved to Reg and accompanied her outside. The night was very black with no moon or stars visible. A layer of thick black cloud looked like an ink stain against the heaven. Ray started to take her arm and she stopped walking.

"I- you shouldn't feel..." The tears started again and she began hurrying away down the street.

"Irene!" Ray jogged after her and finally caught up with her at the corner by her little house. He held her arm and tried a few comforting words then to his surprise she leaned against him, sobbing. A large cat squeezed through the bushes and gave them condescending look before trotting across the road and under a parked truck. Ray stood very still, holding Irene in his arms.

The actual sequence of events eluded him but at some point he had gone inside with her and they had hugged some more and stood in each other's arms for a long time. The transfer from the sitting room to the bedroom and the ensuing intimacy was a complete blur; the first thing he recalled was the ringing of the telephone and Irene speaking a muffled hello while he struggled to get up on his elbows. He blinked through fuzzy eyes at his surroundings and then knuckled them as he finished sitting up. Irene was sitting on the edge of the bed next to him, the phone clutched tight to her ear and he felt a stab of shock as he realized she had nothing on. He lifted the sheet and his shock spread at his own nakedness.

"When? Oh my God! Is he all right?"

Ray looked at her again, her back was curled forward as she spoke and he could see the ripple of her spine disappear upward into the tangle of long, dark hair. His attention suddenly snapped to alert at her tone and he tensed as he listened to Irene reacting to something unsettling.

"What is it?" he asked when she hung up and turned back. Their eyes met and her cheeks flamed as she grappled for the sheet to cover her breasts. Ray coughed and fumbled about like a teenager then when she was covered he asked again.

"It was Ada. Duffy was found unconscious in his office this morning; he'd been beaten." Rays mouth fell. "They've taken him to Winston Hospital in Dovercourt. He's in bad shape, Ray."

"What happened?"

"Thy don't know. One of the kids that does some deliveries for him found him on the floor behind his desk."

"In the office, not the waiting room?"

"Yes, why?"

"Because you have to be buzzed into Duffy's office. It was someone he knew or was expecting." Ray threw back the sheet and started out of bed then realized what he'd done and he froze. "Oh shit!"

Irene grabbed her clothes and with everything held tightly in front she ran for the bathroom. "Stay there, I'll leave." He watched her bottom jiggle from the room and he slumped back on the bed, gaping at the floor. What the hell had he done?

The fast drive to Dovercourt and the Winston Hospital was made in strained silence except for the hole-filling snippets of concern and speculation over Duffy. Ray pulled into the visitor's parking and rooted through his pocket for change for the meter. Irene ran on ahead and he caught up with her at the desk. Duffy was in a private room under sedation, they would have to ask the floor nurse about visiting.

On the elevator to the third floor Ray broached the unspoken subject.

"I'm not remembering much of last night for some reason."

"Guilt?"

"Huh? Guilt? What on earth for?"

"Taking advantage of a younger woman." Her eyes stayed on the floor numbers and when the door opened she almost jumped out to avoid his answer. He chased down to the nursing station, protesting her remark and halted at the glare from the stocky attendant.

"This is a hospital ward, sir. Not a school yard." He stood silently while Irene asked after Duffy. "Are you a relative," she asked, her evil eye still fixed on Raymond.

"Duffy doesn't have any relatives, we're very close friends." Irene said.

"Well, Mr. Wiltshire is sleeping at the moment and is under medication so he won't be doing any entertaining." The last part was aimed directly at Ray.

"When might we see him," Irene persisted.

With great embellishment the woman consulted the huge, industrial watch on her wrist and drew her lips together. "Doctor Azmerdiam will be on duty at ten-thirty. You can ask back then." Proclamation made, she returned to her papers without another glance.

They returned to the elevator and took it down to the basement. A large, coldly tiled room with Arborite tables and plastic covered chrome chairs sitting in forlorn islands served as meal central for employees and visitors. A counter with limp salads, rolls, and saran wrapped sandwiches was all that was offered. When the sad looking woman on duty behind the register was asked, she managed to find a small box of Fruit Loop cereal and a carton of milk for Ray. Irene settled for coffee and one of the fresher looking rolls. They found an isolated table in a corner and sat, fiddling with their food and then facing one another, undistracted for the first time since the phone call.

Irene's face was almost crimson when she spoke. "I suppose we have to discuss this."

"I would say so." He pushed his spoon around in the cereal. "Problem is, I don't know what to say." What he wondered was why her comment upstairs had sounded so- so laisser-faire?

"Well you might start with how much you enjoyed it." It was Ray's turn to flame red and he did-spectacularly.

There she goes again! "Jesus, Irene, I- it- my God, I'm old enough to be your- your... well an older brother anyway." She laughed unintentionally at his statement and his colour deepened even further. "Why is that funny?"

"I don't know," she kept chuckling. "It just sounded that way." She averted his eyes and spoke more softly after a moment. "I enjoyed it, Ray." He made a soft sound and her eyes came to meet his. "I did. And not because of the reason we were together either. It's because I really- I've felt something for you since that first night in the hotel dining room."

"I hope you know what you're saying, Irene, because I'm getting too old to play relationship games." His voice was soft and kindly but the message was iron hard serious.

"Not too old to keep playing them I hope... with me...?"

His breath caught and he felt a sensation in his chest as he looked deep into her eyes. "You serious? Really serious?"

"I don't fall into bed just for fun, Ray. Yes, I'm serious."

"Wow..."

"Wow?"

"Yeah. Imagine an old geez like me landing such a wonderful catch?"

She took on a serious look. "That's what this is? I'm a 'landed catch'?"

"Huh, no! I mean-" He saw the corner of her mouth twitch and he knew she was jerking him around. "What I mean is, I think I'm one very lucky man." He grasped her hand and squeezed her fingers.

"Thank God, I thought for a minute there I'd erred, snaring a 'geez' instead."

The cereal went soggy and the roll and coffees were forgotten as they left arm in arm to find Duffy's doctor.