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After stopping at the motel to pick up the car, Cyrus drove Kyna to her last two meetings. The first was a drive-by atof all placesa laundry in Chinatown, and the second was in a high-rise office building across from Macy's department store. After the last delivery, they walked down to Union Square, bypassing the legions of AIDS victims who lined the sidewalks like an honor guard of scarecrows, only these poor devils were brandishing signs for help instead of crossed swords. At the corner, while they waited for the light to change, Cyrus surreptitiously dropped a twenty-dollar bill into the basket of one particularly filthy young woman with purple spiked hair and rings through her nose. The girl gave him a smile that had a lot more empty spaces than enamel. |
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"You're such an easy mark," Kyna said as they crossed. |
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"Oh," he muttered, "you saw that?" |
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"You're so predictable. You know she's probably running to find her pusher as we speak?" |
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Cyrus glanced over his shoulder. "No, she's not. Besides, she doesn't look like she has the strength to stand up, much less run anywhere." |
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Kyna rolled her eyes. "I hear they've got this bridge for sale in Brooklyn . . . you interested?" He blushed and Kyna added, "I know you only wanted to help, but" |
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Cyrus broke in. "I didn't do it for her. I did it for me." |
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Kyna detected the hard edge of pain in his voice and let the subject drop, but she made him take her hand and smiled inside when he lost the fight to keep from grinning. |
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After one circuit of the parkalmost getting high on the marijuana cloud floating above the homeless men lounging on the grassthey crossed the street and entered FAO Schwarz. When they exited the toy store it was already dark. The city had been invaded by a cold creeping fog that seemed to eat right through their clothing to the marrow of their bones. |
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"Brrr!" Kyna grumbled. "I don't think I'll ever be warm again." |
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Cyrus looked up and down the street. "Where to?" |
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"I'm beat. Let's head back to the hotel." |
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