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Andrew was finally able to order some food but after a while he found himself glancing at the door across the tavern where Jerri had disappeared with that Matthews fellow. He just couldn’t shake this feeling, no matter how much he tried to convince himself that this was the city, things were going to be different here.
Jez was glancing at the door too and looked back at him. “I don’t think he’ll be coming back inside.” She announced.
“Why not?” Andrew frowned.
“Well if he didn’t run off like he probably should have from the start he’s probably heading home now. Jerri owes the Matthews’ money.”
“So what are they doing out there?” Andrew frowned.
“Probably asking him where it is.” Jez stacked her glasses inside one another. “I wouldn’t worry too much for him, they want their money so they won’t kill him.”
“Kill??” Andrew straightened up and got off his stool.
“Hold your quail, cowboy.” Jez frowned. “You just sit yourself back down. The only reason I know he owes them money is because I overheard it, Matthew’s will go easier on him if he thinks words haven’t leaked out. The more people know, the more trouble he’s in. So sit.” She patted the bar top.
“This doesn’t feel right.” Andrew grumbled, looking towards the door, he was about to go towards it when the door opened and Matthews walked inside, followed by three other lizards, a rat and a stocky-framed mouse. They headed to the back of the bar and Andrew looked towards the door but Jerri didn’t appear. Unable to sit there any longer, he ignored Jez and crossed the tavern towards the door.
Once outside he peered around, it was dark and the rain reflected the lights from the streets outside the ally on every slick surface.
“Jerri?” Andrew stepped out in the ally and looked around, squinting in the dimness but he couldn’t see anything that might be Jerri. He was just, gone. He turned and headed down the ally to the street corner and looked both ways but the walks were clear. He frowned and went back inside.
Matthews and his company were in the back resting on the slabs of stone furniture, underneath small fires kept the rocks in constant heat for reptilian customers.
Andrew stalked up to him. “Where’s the kid.”
“Have we met?” Matthew’s looked him up and down. “Or are you just staggering her after your latest rodeo?”
“Cut it, Jerri, where is he?”
“Can’t answer that.” Matthew’s lit a match off his teeth and started puffing an expensive looking cigar. “I left him to go on his way. What concern of his whereabouts are yours?”
“Just leave the kid alone.”
“Why don’t you stay out of business that ain’t yours.” The rat loomed behind him and rested a tough hand on his shoulder.
“Drifters aren’t too hard to get rid of in these parts.” The mouse smirked.
“Back off of me.” Andrew rested his hand on his gun and Matthew’s smirk broadened. “Oh dear, you have a gun. Hope you know the fines in place for un authorized gun use in the city. Now, I can turn you in, or you can walk away. I can forget you stuck your nose in our business.”
Andrew shrugged the rat off roughly and glared at Matthew’s. “Just leave Jerri alone.”
“I’ll mention it to the little scoundrel next time I see him.” Something glittered in the whiptail’s eyes and Andrew frowned, uneasiness surfacing once more. He headed back to the bar and found Jez was glaring at him.
“What did you do.” She packed her bag and got down from the stool.
“What I had to do.”
“What? Make a mess? Goal achieved! Just stay away from them, Lord knows I don’t want to waste next week typing an article about someone finding your dead body in an ally somewhere.” She turned briskly and headed towards the door.
“Its still raining.” Andrew warned.
“Oh dear, I’ll melt.” Jez shot him a look and shut the door firmly behind her.

Andrew left the tavern a short while later and managed to find his way back to the hotel. It was nice to sleep on a decent bed, though his sleep felt troubled from the nights events. He didn’t get as much rest as he would have liked to but sunrise came and went and he knew he would have to start his job search today. He dressed as nice as his wardrobe allowed and headed out into the streets with the classifieds from Jerri’s paper tucked into his vest.
Andrew didn’t have long to wonder if he might see Jerri today, he found him on the same corner as before, leaning against the lightpost with a freshly crowded satchel of rolled papers.
“Jerri!” Andrew felt relieved as he came over, it felt nice to know someone in the city.
Jerri turned and beamed. “Andy!” he straightened up from his lean with a wince and walked to the edge of the walk to see him. “Off to check out the city, eh?”
“Where were you last night?” Andrew brushed his question aside.
“Me? Oh I uh, I wasn’t feeling so good, coffee I guess, I went home.” Jerri shook his head with a smile.
“What about Matthews?” Andrew asked.
Jerri’s smiled faltered slightly but he righted it as he glanced around. “What about Matthews?”
“Jerri, Jez said something about you in trouble. With money?”
Jerri blinked and shook his head. “What? No, no Jez is just…. a…. girl, women, female… just worrying about nothing. Everything’s ok.” Jerri smiled and nodded turning as a coach slowed near him.
“Paper, Jerri!” an elderly female mouse looked out the window.
Jerry stepped off the curb, walking with a slight limp. “Mrs. Gustav, looking lovelier than ever this fine morning! Going to the theatre are you?” Jerri handed her the paper, tapping it. “I hear they will be playing some of your favorites.”
The old women tittered a laugh as she paid him and patted his head. “You young rascal, looking up things for an old bird like me.”
“Anything for you, ma’am.” Jerri tipped his hat as her coach rode away and he eased back to his light post.
“Your legs hurting?” Andrew arched a brow.
“Me? Oh, missed a step on the stairs last night, wet from the rain. I’ll be fine though. Gotta keep working.” Jerri settled back against the light post, easing off his left leg.
Andrew frowned, why was Jerri lying to his face. It almost made him angry. Well, if Jerri wasn’t going to admit he was in any sort of trouble, maybe he didn’t need help.
“Well, I’m off to go see a Mr…. Pringles about that stable job.” He checked his paper sheet.
“Good luck, hope you’re not afraid of snakes.” Jerri made a face. “Great yellow and black land-eel if there ever was one.”
“Don’t like snakes?” Andrew tucked his paper away.
“Nope, don’t like him.” Jerri smirked and turned to give another passerby their paper.
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Description
Andrew was finally able to order some food but after a while he found himself glancing at the door across the tavern where Jerri had disappeared with that Matthews fellow. He just couldn’t shake this feeling, no matter how much he tried to convince himself that this was the city, things were going to be different here.
Jez was glancing at the door too and looked back at him. “I don’t think he’ll be coming back inside.” She announced.
“Why not?” Andrew frowned.
“Well if he didn’t run off like he probably should have from the start he’s probably heading home now. Jerri owes the Matthews’ money.”
“So what are they doing out there?” Andrew frowned.
“Probably asking him where it is.” Jez stacked her glasses inside one another. “I wouldn’t worry too much for him, they want their money so they won’t kill him.”
“Kill??” Andrew straightened up and got off his stool.
“Hold your quail, cowboy.” Jez frowned. “You just sit yourself back down. The only reason I know he owes them money is because I overheard it, Matthew’s will go easier on him if he thinks words haven’t leaked out. The more people know, the more trouble he’s in. So sit.” She patted the bar top.
“This doesn’t feel right.” Andrew grumbled, looking towards the door, he was about to go towards it when the door opened and Matthews walked inside, followed by three other lizards, a rat and a stocky-framed mouse. They headed to the back of the bar and Andrew looked towards the door but Jerri didn’t appear. Unable to sit there any longer, he ignored Jez and crossed the tavern towards the door.
Once outside he peered around, it was dark and the rain reflected the lights from the streets outside the ally on every slick surface.
“Jerri?” Andrew stepped out in the ally and looked around, squinting in the dimness but he couldn’t see anything that might be Jerri. He was just, gone. He turned and headed down the ally to the street corner and looked both ways but the walks were clear. He frowned and went back inside.
Matthews and his company were in the back resting on the slabs of stone furniture, underneath small fires kept the rocks in constant heat for reptilian customers.
Andrew stalked up to him. “Where’s the kid.”
“Have we met?” Matthew’s looked him up and down. “Or are you just staggering her after your latest rodeo?”
“Cut it, Jerri, where is he?”
“Can’t answer that.” Matthew’s lit a match off his teeth and started puffing an expensive looking cigar. “I left him to go on his way. What concern of his whereabouts are yours?”
“Just leave the kid alone.”
“Why don’t you stay out of business that ain’t yours.” The rat loomed behind him and rested a tough hand on his shoulder.
“Drifters aren’t too hard to get rid of in these parts.” The mouse smirked.
“Back off of me.” Andrew rested his hand on his gun and Matthew’s smirk broadened. “Oh dear, you have a gun. Hope you know the fines in place for un authorized gun use in the city. Now, I can turn you in, or you can walk away. I can forget you stuck your nose in our business.”
Andrew shrugged the rat off roughly and glared at Matthew’s. “Just leave Jerri alone.”
“I’ll mention it to the little scoundrel next time I see him.” Something glittered in the whiptail’s eyes and Andrew frowned, uneasiness surfacing once more. He headed back to the bar and found Jez was glaring at him.
“What did you do.” She packed her bag and got down from the stool.
“What I had to do.”
“What? Make a mess? Goal achieved! Just stay away from them, Lord knows I don’t want to waste next week typing an article about someone finding your dead body in an ally somewhere.” She turned briskly and headed towards the door.
“Its still raining.” Andrew warned.
“Oh dear, I’ll melt.” Jez shot him a look and shut the door firmly behind her.

Andrew left the tavern a short while later and managed to find his way back to the hotel. It was nice to sleep on a decent bed, though his sleep felt troubled from the nights events. He didn’t get as much rest as he would have liked to but sunrise came and went and he knew he would have to start his job search today. He dressed as nice as his wardrobe allowed and headed out into the streets with the classifieds from Jerri’s paper tucked into his vest.
Andrew didn’t have long to wonder if he might see Jerri today, he found him on the same corner as before, leaning against the lightpost with a freshly crowded satchel of rolled papers.
“Jerri!” Andrew felt relieved as he came over, it felt nice to know someone in the city.
Jerri turned and beamed. “Andy!” he straightened up from his lean with a wince and walked to the edge of the walk to see him. “Off to check out the city, eh?”
“Where were you last night?” Andrew brushed his question aside.
“Me? Oh I uh, I wasn’t feeling so good, coffee I guess, I went home.” Jerri shook his head with a smile.
“What about Matthews?” Andrew asked.
Jerri’s smiled faltered slightly but he righted it as he glanced around. “What about Matthews?”
“Jerri, Jez said something about you in trouble. With money?”
Jerri blinked and shook his head. “What? No, no Jez is just…. a…. girl, women, female… just worrying about nothing. Everything’s ok.” Jerri smiled and nodded turning as a coach slowed near him.
“Paper, Jerri!” an elderly female mouse looked out the window.
Jerry stepped off the curb, walking with a slight limp. “Mrs. Gustav, looking lovelier than ever this fine morning! Going to the theatre are you?” Jerri handed her the paper, tapping it. “I hear they will be playing some of your favorites.”
The old women tittered a laugh as she paid him and patted his head. “You young rascal, looking up things for an old bird like me.”
“Anything for you, ma’am.” Jerri tipped his hat as her coach rode away and he eased back to his light post.
“Your legs hurting?” Andrew arched a brow.
“Me? Oh, missed a step on the stairs last night, wet from the rain. I’ll be fine though. Gotta keep working.” Jerri settled back against the light post, easing off his left leg.
Andrew frowned, why was Jerri lying to his face. It almost made him angry. Well, if Jerri wasn’t going to admit he was in any sort of trouble, maybe he didn’t need help.
“Well, I’m off to go see a Mr…. Pringles about that stable job.” He checked his paper sheet.
“Good luck, hope you’re not afraid of snakes.” Jerri made a face. “Great yellow and black land-eel if there ever was one.”
“Don’t like snakes?” Andrew tucked his paper away.
“Nope, don’t like him.” Jerri smirked and turned to give another passerby their paper.
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