An average sized man in a dark over coat stood across the room as Anne and Jack came in. This man could be identified as the same man who had checked into the Palace Hotel on the night of the blizzard.
"Erik! What are you doing here?" Anne gasped.
"Well, I came to bring you back to Chicago of course," he replied.
"Hold up! Hold up! You actually know dis creep?" Mush asked in astonishment.
"He's not a creep, guys. He's jist one of my ...um...old friends from Chicago."
"Well, we say he's a creep because for the last two hours he's been refusing to leave until he gets to speak to you," Race growled, continually shuffling his prized deck of cards.
"Well, I can see I am not wanted here. Where is your stuff so I can finally get you away from this street villain," Erik rolled his eyes in disgust.
"Wait, Erik," she paused, "I'm not going back to Chicago," she paused again, "You jist called my best friends who are practically my family, street rats."
She paused, receiving his reply, a knowing nod of his head, "You think dat dese people are lower den you? - Well, you're wrong. They are all twice as good as you'll eva' be."
Erik's calm face turned to shock, "What have they done to you, Anne?"
"First of all, my name is not Anne. My true name by birth is Amy Morgan and I wish for you ta call me dat if I eva' see you again."
"What do you mean? You're coming home with me."
"This is my home now, Erik. I have a real life here wid dese people. I have a brother. I have found my brother. His name is Tommy Morgan, and he needs ta live here, not some torturous smothery palace wid you in Chicago. He needs betta' den dat." she paused, "So, boys would you please escort Mr. Bridgefield off of our turf?"
"It'd be a pleasure," Race chuckled, tipping his hat in her direction.
"I have connections, Anne. I will get you back someday!" Mr. Bridgefield yelled angrily as Mush, Racetrack, Blink, and a few others dragged him out of the lodging house.
"Not if ya want the leadas of Brooklyn, Manhattan, and da Bronx ta kick your tail all da way ta Africa," a familiar voice echoed from the doorway.
"Heya Tommy and Skinnah," Mush extended a hand for a spit shake. "Where is Spot? He was suppose ta come ova' wid yall for da fight tanight," Racetrack asked. He had just offered to deal up a game before Anne and Jack had returned from their journey.
"Deal me a hand," Anne muttered to Race. "You mean he didn't come back?" she whispered to Skinner as he took a seat next to her at the Poker table. He nodded solemnly.
"What do ya mean dat he neva' came back?" Pieboy asked, "What happened?"
"Well," she paused, "he threw me in da river, but-" she was interrupted as the guys began to chatter amongst each other, muttering angrily.
"He threw you in da river?!" Race roared in outrage, "Dat rivers gotta be not much more den 10 degrees."
"Well, if you'd let me finish I would told ya dat dere was a reason for him ta do it," she stopped and turned to look over at Jack, who stood pleasurably leaning against the wall with a cheesy grin spread across his face.
"Well, what was it," Blink growled impatiently.
"Well, um...I.. I ...I... touched his cane."
Their impatient expressions suddenly vanished and were replaced with unsurprised.
"You were lucky you got what he gave you. The last time somebody touched it they couldn't sit for a week, if ya know what I mean, " Race chuckled.
The room erupted with laughter as Blink and Race began to act out the scene. "Not a happy camper, dat boy was," Jack chuckled.
"Tommy walked over to join Jack against the front wall of the room. "Dat can't be good," Jack muttered, motioning with his palm to the window where large gray clouds were billowing through the once sunny sky.