Wrong Ways Down by Stacia Kane

were why he were broke. He turned to Callie, who sat on she crazy roommate’s bed watching him. “Gav ain’t been making much on he games, aye?”
    “Been lean times.” She took a deep shuddery breath. “Saying he figured all be right up in place on the next month. So I covering until then, covering we meals and all.”
    He couldn’t help it; first thing he wondered was iffen Gav working he another long game on Callie. She paying all nine months gone? Fuck. He ain’t never heard of a plain duff game running that long. And what Gav had in he box ain’t looked near sophisticated enough for the kinda game that did. That kinda game were about lines of credit and leases and vacation homes and shit; had to be able to talk smart and look rich, and Gav’s collection of khakis and fake engagement rings were nowhere near that kinda thing.
    So the idea that Gav had been planning something for nine months … he ain’t could help thinking it sounded more like maybe Gav found heself a free ride. He hoped he were wrong. Callie ain’t deserved some shitbag made a dame pay his way. “Why he ain’t moving in here with you?”
    She gestured at the bed she sat on. “Viola ain’t liking me having dudes here all night. Got real mad, she done, when he tried stayin more’n one in a row. So … we was waiting till we could afford we own place. Stayed with he most nights, I done, only with it bein so cold now … ”
    He felt like there oughta be some more he could say or something, the way she kept crying. But what else was she supposed to do, and what was he supposed to do? Couldn’t stand there all night holding she hand. He had to work. And he ain’t knew her, not really. One night a year or so past, and he ain’t seen or talked to her again. He ain’t had the faintest idea how to help her feelings, and ain’t had the time neither. Made him feel bad, but were true all the same.
    “He give you any else? Gave you aught might explain on this, might give me someplace to look?”
     She sighed, a real long heavy sigh. “Say the new thing were real solid, say would pull in lots and make em rich. Bigger … bigger something, he done said. Something selling itself, he ain’t hardly having to work it, he say. But that all he say, aye? Ain’t gave me any else. Saying wanting surprise me.”
    He sorted through the last box fast as he could. Some pictures of what looked like Gav’s family. Couple notebooks; he grabbed them, too. More clothes … nothing else he might could use.
    He waved the notebooks at Callie. “Taking these, aye? Can bring em back if you’re wanting, on the later.”
    She nodded. He got the feeling she were ready for him to go. Ain’t could blame her there. Iffen he were her he wouldn’t want to watch him digging through she boyfriend’s shit neither. He’d want to be alone. Felt like she sadness were so big it filled the room, and ain’t left much space for him.
    He headed for the door, paused in front of her. What was he supposed to say there? “Gonna find who done this, aye? I find em. You recall any else you thinking be good knowledge for me, even any you thinking maybe ain’t important, you let me know, aye?”
    “Ain’t got you number,” she said. 
    Shit. He ain’t gave out he actual number much. Wouldn’t have thought twice on giving her the street-man number usually, but given that he’d seen her naked … he’d feel like an asshole giving her a number answered by somebody else.
    So he scrawled down his, opened he wallet. He ain’t had much on him; only fifty, but he handed it over. “Here. For the knowledge, aye? An gimme a ring-up iffen you recall aught, or any else happens. Maybe you hearing from somebody knew he, or like that. Lemme know.”
    He wondered if she would.

    Archie had the look Terrible had seen before, like he figured he were the smartest, coolest dude ever walked on the ground. Like he jerked off into a mirror.
    And the way Archie looked back at him made him want to