Much later, I heard she’d quit her job suddenly, left the town, and started over with a better job in the sunshine. The woman in front of me was emptying her purse to find the last few coins to pay her groceries, watched by the uninterested and faintly contemptuous cashier. Okxxx Still she could not stop me going, I would insist on her presence during my after breakfast dump. Her eyes opened slowly and seemed to have struggle focussing. Just like plenty of others in this town. Yet another one how had zero idea of how a guy wanted to be treated. All this time Mireille has said nothing, just gripped the table top until her knuckles were white, with eyes closed, a lower lip caught between her teeth. This had
