RHAPSODY IN BLUE

ACT 3: BLOOD AND STOCKINGS

Harry trudged down the rain-slick streets, grateful it was the middle of the night. 

No people, no distractions. He could just be alone with his thoughts. Thoughts of the blood he'd spilled and no family, no real friends, to even do this for.  Just leeches, the lot of them.  His buddies working with Seamus would just as easily put a bullet in his skull, if Seamus ordered them too.

...Not that he would. 

He was far too valuable, too good at his job for that.

The twists he had were even passed around to the rest of Seamus' boobs, including Rhonda, though she didn't know that he knew. The only person he'd taken a shine to outside of Seamus' world, was Evangeline and he'd just barely gotten to know her.  Though, there was something about her that made him feel like he'd known her for years.  There was a certain ease he had only in her presence. He was comfortable with her.  

And Harry wasn't comfortable around anyone.  Not chatting, not shooting the shit.

He had to get out of this business. He had enough to settle-up with Seamus and move on. He could see his life stretched out in this current course he was in and where he'd probably end up.  

 He didn't like it.

 Maybe,  if he could do just one more job...

#####

Evangeline walked down the street, not two blocks up from Harry while searching her bag for the keys to her apartment.

-Damn!-  She'd left 'em back at her day gig.

That was working as a typist for a local black lawyer. It didn't pay as much as you'd think, but it was decent work, especially for around here.  

She turned back that way, checking just in case she'd dropped them somewhere in her path.  They'd be difficult to spot on the ground in this wet black of night.

She'd been so engrossed in scanning her footpath that she bumped into a greasy-looking man, twice her size.

"Excuse me." she said and side-stepped him.

"No, excuse me, lady." 

She frowned at this man, his thorough assessment of her body, and the licking of his lips...

Her intuition was really setting off some alarm bells, here. She glanced behind her and realized that there was more than one of them.

She quickened her step while looking for any place that was open at this time of night... 

Damn, that Patrick for keeping her working this late!

The footfalls increased behind her, keeping pace. 

"Ahh hell." she thought. 

She deftly stepped out of her heels and ran as fast as she could.  Her skirt split up the back as she went.

"Great!" she thought.

 "Shoes and a skirt. Two more bills she didn't need." 

She turned a corner and began knocking on doors.

"Help! Help!!  They're after me! PLEASE!! OPEN UP!!"

Door after door remained closed. She saw a few people peaking through their curtains, but none did anything more.

######

The screaming broke his thoughts. 

Harry changed direction and headed towards the screams. Part of his job was to keep the peace. So, nothing shady went down in this town, without Seamus' say-so.