“A small-time grifter. What do you think of the stack-up?”

“Not bad. Maybe I can use it.”

“Then let’s talk scratch.”

I grinned at the greed in her eyes and said:

“Not just yet, sister. We’ll have to see how it works out before we start scattering pennies around.”

She called me a damned nickel-nurser and reached for the gin.

“No more for me, thanks,” I told her, looking at my watch. “It’s getting along toward five a.m. and I’ve got a busy day ahead.”