Long as it's nothing too complicated, he can handle things. You want the place or not?"
"Yes, if I can manage the rent. You never said what—"
In shirtsleeves, her stained apron and her thick-soled shoes, Joanie took a quick pass around the room. Then she named a monthly figure that was slightly less than the hotel rate.
"That's including your heat and lights, unless I find you've gone crazy there. You want a phone, that's on you. Same thing if you get it into your head you want to paint the walls. I don't want a bunch of noise up here during business hours."
"I'm pretty quiet. I'd rather we do it by the week. I like to pay as I go."
"Doesn't matter to me as long as the rent's on time. You can move in today if you want."
"Tomorrow. I need to get some things."
"Suits me. Pretty sparse in here." Joanie's eagle eyes tracked around the room. "I probably have a few things sitting around I can bring up. You need help moving your stuff, Pete and Beck'll give you a hand with it."
"I appreciate it. All of it."
"You're paying your way. You got that raise coming."
"Thanks."
"No need for gratitude on something that was agreed on from the get-go. You do the job and you don't cause trouble. Don't ask questions, either. Now I figure that's either because you were absent the day they handed out your portion of curiosity, or you don't want questions asked back."
"Is that a question or a statement?"
"But you're not stupid." Joanie's hand patted her apron pocket where Reece knew she kept a pack of cigarettes. "Let's get this said. You got trouble. Anybody with two licks of sense can see it just by looking at you. I guess you've got what they like to call issues ."
"Is that what they call them?" Reece murmured.
"The way I see it, if you're working through them or just standing still, it's your business. But you don't let it get in the way of your job, so that's mine. You're a good worker, and you're a better cook than I ever had behind the grill. I figure on making use of that, especially it I figure you're not going to go rabbiting off some night and leave me flat. I don't like to depend on anybody. You just get disappointed that way. But I'm going to make use of you, and you'll get your pay on time, and a reasonable rent on this place. You'll get your time off, and if you're still here in another couple months, you'll get another raise."
"I won't leave you flat. If I need to go, I'll tell you beforehand."
"Fair enough. Now I'm going to ask you straight out, and I'll know if you're lying. You got the law after you? "
"No." Reece combed her fingers through her hair and let out a weak laugh. "God, no."
"Didn't figure you did, but you might as well know some folks around here are speculating on that. People in the Fist like to speculate, passes the time." She waited a beat. "You don't want to say what it is behind you. that's your business, too. But it might help it someone comes looking for you, you tell me whether you want them to find you, or be pointed in another direction."
"No one's going to come looking for me. There's only my grandmother, and she knows where I am. I'm not running from anyone." Except maybe herself, she thought.
"All right, then. You've got the key. I got a duplicate in my office. You don't have to worry about me coming up and poking around once you move in. But you're late with the rent. I'll take it out of your pay. No excuses. I've already heard them all."
"If you can cash my paycheck, I'll give you the first week now.
"I guess we can work it that way. Another thing, I could use some help with the baking now and again. May tap you for that, have you give me a hand. I use my own kitchen for the baked goods."
"I can do that."
"I'll work it into the schedule. Well, let's get back before Beck poisons somebody.
WITH THE REST of her pay and a portion of her tip money, Recce headed to the mercantile. Basics, she reminded herselt. Essentials and no more. This wasn't Newberry Street and she couldn't
"Yes, if I can manage the rent. You never said what—"
In shirtsleeves, her stained apron and her thick-soled shoes, Joanie took a quick pass around the room. Then she named a monthly figure that was slightly less than the hotel rate.
"That's including your heat and lights, unless I find you've gone crazy there. You want a phone, that's on you. Same thing if you get it into your head you want to paint the walls. I don't want a bunch of noise up here during business hours."
"I'm pretty quiet. I'd rather we do it by the week. I like to pay as I go."
"Doesn't matter to me as long as the rent's on time. You can move in today if you want."
"Tomorrow. I need to get some things."
"Suits me. Pretty sparse in here." Joanie's eagle eyes tracked around the room. "I probably have a few things sitting around I can bring up. You need help moving your stuff, Pete and Beck'll give you a hand with it."
"I appreciate it. All of it."
"You're paying your way. You got that raise coming."
"Thanks."
"No need for gratitude on something that was agreed on from the get-go. You do the job and you don't cause trouble. Don't ask questions, either. Now I figure that's either because you were absent the day they handed out your portion of curiosity, or you don't want questions asked back."
"Is that a question or a statement?"
"But you're not stupid." Joanie's hand patted her apron pocket where Reece knew she kept a pack of cigarettes. "Let's get this said. You got trouble. Anybody with two licks of sense can see it just by looking at you. I guess you've got what they like to call issues ."
"Is that what they call them?" Reece murmured.
"The way I see it, if you're working through them or just standing still, it's your business. But you don't let it get in the way of your job, so that's mine. You're a good worker, and you're a better cook than I ever had behind the grill. I figure on making use of that, especially it I figure you're not going to go rabbiting off some night and leave me flat. I don't like to depend on anybody. You just get disappointed that way. But I'm going to make use of you, and you'll get your pay on time, and a reasonable rent on this place. You'll get your time off, and if you're still here in another couple months, you'll get another raise."
"I won't leave you flat. If I need to go, I'll tell you beforehand."
"Fair enough. Now I'm going to ask you straight out, and I'll know if you're lying. You got the law after you? "
"No." Reece combed her fingers through her hair and let out a weak laugh. "God, no."
"Didn't figure you did, but you might as well know some folks around here are speculating on that. People in the Fist like to speculate, passes the time." She waited a beat. "You don't want to say what it is behind you. that's your business, too. But it might help it someone comes looking for you, you tell me whether you want them to find you, or be pointed in another direction."
"No one's going to come looking for me. There's only my grandmother, and she knows where I am. I'm not running from anyone." Except maybe herself, she thought.
"All right, then. You've got the key. I got a duplicate in my office. You don't have to worry about me coming up and poking around once you move in. But you're late with the rent. I'll take it out of your pay. No excuses. I've already heard them all."
"If you can cash my paycheck, I'll give you the first week now.
"I guess we can work it that way. Another thing, I could use some help with the baking now and again. May tap you for that, have you give me a hand. I use my own kitchen for the baked goods."
"I can do that."
"I'll work it into the schedule. Well, let's get back before Beck poisons somebody.
WITH THE REST of her pay and a portion of her tip money, Recce headed to the mercantile. Basics, she reminded herselt. Essentials and no more. This wasn't Newberry Street and she couldn't
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