”What you mean ‘house call’?“ asks the woman. ”Doctors don’t make house calls no more.“

”I do,“ Dad says, walking to the bottom of the stairs without the slightest hint of anxiety. ”You ought to know that, Iola Johnson.“

The woman’s eyes go wide. ”Dr. Cage!“

Dad smiles. ”In the flesh.“

”What you doing up in here? Lord, I ain’t seen you in twenty years. I should have known you, though.“

”That boy’s sick, Iola. Dope sick. His mama called me, and then James Ervin called me, and I thought I’d better get on out here.“

The woman shakes her head in wonder. ”That boy ain’t no good, Dr. Cage. He’s all up in that dope, just like most of these young no-goods.“ She nods at the men with her. ”We didn’t know who you was, that’s all. Me and my boys try to stay up with who comes and goes round here. Now and then we get some bad white men.“

”Who have you been seeing for medical care?“ Dad asks. ”Dr. Jeffers?“

Iola cackles. ”Ain’t been seeing nobody! Ain’t had to, thank God. Ain’t got no money to see one. I tell you, though, old Arthur starting to get me now that I’m getting up in years.“

Dad gives the woman advice about her arthritis, and then we walk out to James Ervin’s truck. As the engine rumbles to life, Jaderious’s terror comes back to me, and with it his description of Cyrus’s acts of retribution: I’m talkin‘ ’bout mutilating people, man. Cutting off parts and shit! Drilling holes in their bones. While they still alive, dog

”It’s time to get Annie out of town,“ I say softly.

”Past time,“ Dad agrees. He turns to Ervin. ”Thank you, James.“

The retired cop shakes his head, his beagle eyes filled with pain. ”This world be goin‘ down, Dr. Cage. I never seen it this bad. It’s like the end times or something.“

Dad squeezes Ervin’s knee but says nothing. Then he turns to me and says, ”I read that Mayor Jones finally stepped down.“

Perfect timing, as ever. ”I heard that, too.“

”You heard what James just said. Do you still think you want that job?“

”I’m considering it. Caitlin seems to think this town doesn’t want to be saved. I recall you expressing that sentiment not long ago.“

”Not precisely that sentiment.“ Dad reaches into his pocket, takes out a cigar, and begins unwrapping it. ”There’s a quote I remember-I don’t recall where it’s from. It may be the Torah.“

”What is it?“ I ask, ready to hear a proverb about the wisdom of knowing when to walk away from something.

” ’Just because you will not see the work completed, does not mean you are free not to take it up.‘ “ Dad smiles and takes out his lighter. ”Or something to that effect.“

”Like Moses,“ intones James Ervin. ”He never saw the promised land, but he sho’ led his people there. Sho‘ did.“

Dad’s eyes twinkle with mischief.

An hour after we left Brightside Manor, Annie and my parents were on Highway 61 South, bound for the relative safety of Jackson. When I got home, I found Caitlin sitting on my front steps. It was odd to see her at rest, without even a cell phone in her hand. I started to ask if she wanted to cook dinner together, but before I got five words out, she stood and put her finger to my lips. Then she took my hand and led me through the blue door. She didn’t stop in the kitchen, but walked me down the hall to the door of my bedroom. There she stood on tiptoe and gave me a long, gentle kiss. The resentment that kept me from making love with her two nights ago still simmered somewhere within me, but I’d been through too much in the intervening time to worry about who was right or wrong about anything. Desire rose in me with primal intensity, and Caitlin responded with passion bordering on violence. As our clothes fell around us, she turned and splayed both hands against the wall, then thrust her hips back against me. I stood back for a moment, enthralled by the black mane of hair falling over her shoulder blades.

” Hurry,“ she said roughly.

I’m sitting in the Center City Grill, a microcosm of New Orleans located at the geographical center of downtown Natchez. Center City has a brick courtyard, wrought-iron tables, lush ferns, a fountain, a good bar, and well-traveled owners of some cultivation, as the local euphemism goes. Seated across the table from me is Jaderious Huntley. The snitch is wearing black sweatpants and a dirty T-shirt, and he looks about as twitchy as a junkie waiting for his next fix.

This morning, Jaderious called me to say that Stoney Washington was willing to talk to me about Cyrus, but only face-to-face. That smelled like a trap to me, so I said the meeting would have to happen at a public place of my choosing. Jaderious put this to Stoney, who reluctantly agreed. I chose Center City Grill because it’s always busy at lunch, and also because Jaderious and Stoney are unlikely to run into anyone who would recognize them here.

”Why didn’t Stoney come with you?“ I ask.

Jaderious looks anxiously at the nearby tables. They’re filled, but nobody’s paying attention to us. ”Stoney don’t want to be seen with me. Bad for his health. Don’t worry, he’ll be here.“

My cell phone vibrates. It’s Caitlin, calling from the newspaper office. I’ll call her back after the meeting. I can’t relax my vigilance with Jaderious for even a moment. He looks like he’d bolt if a waitress dropped a tray.

”What you gonna do if you find Cyrus?“ he asks.

”Talk to him.“

Jaderious shakes his head. ”You crazy. You want to stay far away from that cat. You ought to just walk away now. Both of us. There’s still time to call Stoney and-“

”Forget it. After this, you might be free of me, but you’re staying for this meeting. You have to make sure I’m talking to the right guy.“

Jaderious freezes, his eyes fixed on something behind me.

I turn and glance at the main entrance of the restaurant. To get in or out of Center City, patrons walk through a long courtyard lined with wrought-iron tables, then pass through a door with windows set in it. Right now, a black man of about twenty with a red rag tied on his head is standing outside that door, surveying the tables inside.

”Is that Stoney?“ I ask.

Jaderious’s chair screeches on the floor.

I whirl and grab his arm before he can run. Jaderious is half out of his seat with terror. I grab his arm and hold him tight. ”Who is that?“

”One of Cyrus’s guys! I gotta get out of here!“

”Okay. Just stay calm. He won’t do anything while we’re sitting with all these people. I can have cops here in two minutes.“

Jaderious looks at me like I’m insane. ”Man, he’ll shoot all these motherfuckers to get me. We gots to go now. “

I look toward the kitchen. There’s probably an exit there, but I’ve never seen it. There is, however, a small door in the back wall of the main dining room that leads to an alley. On busy days, I’ve sometimes parked in that alley and entered the restaurant that way.

”What’s he doing now?“ I ask.

”Looking straight at me,“ Jaderious whispers. ”I’m dead, man. Aw,shit. “

”There’s a back way out. A door in the wall almost directly behind you, about thirty feet away.“

”He’s coming in, man!“

I rise and pull Jaderious to his feet. As I lead him between the tables toward the door, I reach into my jacket pocket for my cell phone.

”You got a gun?“ Jaderious asks.

”Yes. Tell me if he pulls his.“ I pull out my cell phone and dial 911.

A female voice says, ”911 emergency.“

”This is Penn Cage,“ I say quietly. ”There’s about to be a shooting at the Center City Grill. Get some squad cars here as fast as possible. Call Chief Logan and tell him what I said.“

We’re almost at the door. I pocket the phone and grip the butt of Dad’s Browning. ”You open it,“ I tell Jaderious.