him all along. I’m sure that Ian died thinking I would be well taken care of, but there was nothing left of his estate. I left Denver with nothing but the clothes on my back.”
“Tamara! If you knew I was living here, you should have come to see me,” Sally said.
“I couldn’t do that. I won’t be a burden to my friends or to my relatives.”
“Where are you living now? And what are you doing in Big Rock?”
“I am living in Gothic,” Tamara said.
“Gothic? Why, that is very close to here. Tamara, if you are that close, you should have come to see me.”
“I planned to do so once I got back on my feet,” Tamara replied.
“Are you teaching in Gothic?”
“No. I applied, but there is no position for me. I have been earning a living baking pies and cakes and selling them from my house.” Tamara smiled. “I’ve actually done better than I thought I would, so that gave me the idea of starting a restaurant.”
“Why, Tamara, that is a wonderful idea,” Sally said. “So, why are you in Big Rock? Do you plan to start it here?”
“No. The restaurant will be in Gothic. To tell the truth, I have come to get some ideas from the people who are running this restaurant. There is already another cafe in Gothic, and I’m not sure they would be all that happy to have competition, so I thought I would do my research over here.”
“I remember what a good cook you were, even when we were in college. You would sometimes prepare a veritable feast for us. I think your restaurant will do wonderfully.”
“Thank you. I hope I can convince, Mr. Flowers.”
“Mr. Flowers?”
“He owns the Miners’ Bank in Gothic,” Tamara said. “I will be applying to him for a loan to get my restaurant started.”
“How much money will you be asking for?”
“Quite a lot, I’m afraid. From all I have been able to figure, I’m going to need at least two thousand dollars.”
“You’ve got it,” Sally said.
“No, I don’t have it. That’s why I’m going to have to borrow from the bank.”
“No, I mean you’ve got the loan. There is no need for you to go to the bank. I will lend you the two thousand dollars you need.”
“Oh, Sally, no,” Tamara said. “I told you, I don’t want to be a burden to my friends. And I especially don’t want to borrow money from them. Why, what if the restaurant doesn’t make it?”
“What would you do with the bank if the restaurant doesn’t make it?”
“I don’t know, to be honest. I haven’t thought it through that far.”
“That’s because your restaurant is going to make it. I’ll come over next week with the two thousand dollars you need. If you truly are my friend, you won’t upset me by turning this offer down.”
Tamara’s eyes welled with tears. “Oh, Sally. What a wonderful friend you are.”
CHAPTER THREE
The prison guard walked down the center aisle between flanking rows of cells, carrying a large ring of keys.
“Hey, Jack, you comin’ to let me out of here? I’m innocent, you know,” one of the prisoners called to him.
“Yeah,” the guard answered. “There’s not a guilty person in this whole prison.”
“That’s right,” another prisoner said. “We’re all innocent, so when are you goin’ to let us out?”
“Two men are getting out today,” Jack replied. “They aren’t innocent. They’ve just served their time.”
“Hey, tell the warden to check his books. I know damn well I’ve served my time,” another prisoner said.
“Hell, Smitty, you’ve only been in here two months,” someone else said.
“Is that right? Damn, I thought I had been here for ten years already.”
The other prisoners, and even Jack, laughed.
He stopped in front of one of the cells, and the prisoner, as was the routine, stepped all the way back to stand against the wall.
“What’s your name?” Jack asked the prisoner.
“Hell, Jack, you know who I am. I done been here for five years,” the prisoner answered.
“You do want to get out today, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Then you’ll do this my way. What is your name?”
