Free Fall (Pyramid of Gold)

I looked him over. He was wearing old jeans, a rumpled t-shirt and a flannel shirt with crude patches on the elbows, looking like one of Peter Pan's Lost Boys.

'Hi, Mickey. I'm Matthew.'

He was silent for a few moments, as though debating something with himself. Then, finally, he said:

'Listen. I overheard you asking about a man with blue eyes and a scar.'

Now he had my full attention.

'I did. Why?'

He glanced quickly behind his shoulder.

'Not here. Meet me in the alley outside in ten minutes.'

I nodded slowly and turned back to the door.

The alley was deserted and messy. The ground was covered in ice, and littered with old cigarette stubs. It was cold, too, so I hid my hands in the pockets and waited, wondering if luck had finally smiled on me.

Ten minutes crawled by, but Mickey didn't show up. I waited for a couple more minutes and was starting to get nervous when there was a sound of quick steps behind me. I turned around in time to see someone's fist flying into my face.