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bloody name! It’s like a joke! A sick little joke!”
    “Maybe it means something,” Alex said.
    “It means somewhere up there some sick bearded man on a cloud is going to get a cheap laugh out of us,” Sierra stated.
    “Going to?” Rum asked. “What’s that supposed to mean? Nobody‘s ‘going to‘ do anything about this.”
    “Hate to say it but you did want that second chance, Sierra,” Alex said.
    Rum held up a stern index finger. “Don’t you start. I mean it. Don’t.”
    Alex was right. Sierra figured that after reading the note first.  She’d not spoken of her foster father in the longest time. John killed himself some thirteen years ago, not long before Christmas. Since then she’d not uttered his name until now. And now another one would fall her way, at this time of year of all times of year.
    “Second chances don’t come easy,” she said as if to herself.
    It didn’t stop Rum from hearing. “Aw shit, she’s got that weird look in her eye.”
    “Rum, you’re not saying you want to leave him are you?” she argued.
    “Leave him? Nah, I’m for the plan that involves us doing as little as possible. Try giving it in to someone if you’re so concerned. Let someone else handle it. The cop shop stays open through New Year. It’s their job to deal with stuff like this.”
    “The cops don’t handle these things. They wouldn’t even be able to find him. There’s no address, not even a second name.”
    “Then what do you expect us to do?” Rum asked.
    She put her head down in deeper thought.
    Alex brought forth a solution. “What about that building he mentions in the note … the one owned by someone called Jack Matters. That mean anything to anyone?”
    “Jack Matters?” Sierra pondered the name. “There … is a place called something like that around here. Whenever I hear any of the other bums talk about debt that name usually follows.”
    “Any idea where it is?” Alex asked.
    “Kind of. Shouldn’t be too hard to find if it’s in the area.”
    “What’s there to find?” Rum said. “According to the note the owner’s a book keeper by day and a loan shark at night. Someone like that ain‘t going to help.”
    “We won’t make a show of it. We’ll just ask if they know who he is and where to contact him. Idle conversation, that’s all.”
    “It’s a small start but it’s something, “Alex added. “He also indicates he lives outside the city centre.”
    “Yeah that sure narrows it down. Christ, what the hell is wrong with you people, why do you even care?”
    “I’ve always thought it’s better to help when you can.”
    “And look where that got you.”
    “I’ll get back on my feet.”
    “You’re kidding yourself. It’s always the ones who say that who never do. Trust me, I know a few, and never once-”
    “You kid yourself with doubt, old Rum.”
    “Shut up ya freak, and cut out that philosophical crap, it doesn’t make you look cool.”
    “We have the power to do something here.”
    “Do we? For all we know this guy has hopped to it already.”
    Sierra stated, “Well, we did just see him a few hours ago. He did look pretty wasted but I doubt he went straight to it. Would seem like a waste of a suicide note.”
    “Listen Rum,” Alex continued, “look at the note. Today is the 23rd of December, that’s when he repaid the loan. He obviously only wrote this note today, after repaying the loan. In the final section he says ‘I know it’s New Year’, That’s when he intends to carry it out. That’s eight days from tomorrow morning.”
    “And in this eight days you want to follow bread crumbs, vague misleading bread crumbs?”
    “If it helps.”
    “You’re just another stupid charity boy, bet you never threw me any change when you were all happy in your college years.”
    Sierra shrieked to rid these childish exchanges. “Be quiet! Will the two of you shut the hell up? We‘re not going to solve anything arguing so why not put it down to