Chapter 108: Garris's Redemption

Fresco helped Garris up, got him undressed from his dripping clothes and put him to bed. The man was still drunk, muttering under his breath, only bits and whispers clear to the ear. Fresco heard his own name once, and Gina's, before he tumbled the scrawny and shriveled remains of the man into his dirty bed and let him sleep.

He took the key with him when he left, locking the door behind him. Fresco made about as much of an impact on the clerk on the way out as he did going in, so he wasn't worried about returning.

Back outside, he made his way down three blocks and over four, into a better part of town where he liberated an older man's wallet. Fresco helped himself to half the cash before dumping the worn brown leather into a mailbox. He had plenty now for his purposes.

Food. Clean clothing. Soap. Basic necessities missing from Garris's little hell. By the time Fresco returned to the flophouse, he was low on money and laden down with enough stuff to straighten Garris out.