Time to get some work done.

You head to the kitchen to share a post-workout smoothie with Melanie. You visit with her and Mama Raeni for a while then head back up to your room for a shower, shave, and a change of clothes. Today you wear a nice suit, sans the tie.

It was about time you got some work done. For this Vincent's phone was a godsend. Most of his contacts there at your fingertips. You were surprised it wasn't password protected, perhaps this was Soo-yin's doing from when she took the phone from Vincent in the first place. You enter in your own password, just in case.

You eventually find Caitlin just as she was heading out on some errands. You get Soo-yin's number and program it into your phone.

You call your lawyer, a big mover and shaker in the legal arena of this city. You ask when you can see him and get the answer "Anytime!" He'll drop whatever he's doing if you want a meeting. You say you'll see him soon. You grab a few things from the safe and practice the signature a few more times. It was really starting to look good.

Going out alone was surely a bad idea so you tell one of your boys to have the driver get the limo ready and you round up two more of your men to go with you.

You step out of your front door, the limo waiting. You pause. You hadn't seen it since that fateful evening you were brought here. It seemed like a lifetime ago. A door is opened for you and you get in. You tell the driver where you are going and you are off. The ride is quiet as you prepare to bluff your way through the upcoming meeting.

The ride takes a while, getting through midtown traffic. There is a surreal moment along the way when you see your former girlfriend walk by on the sidewalk. She glances over the limo without really seeing it then continues on. You are struck with how disconnected you feel from her and what she represented. Your old life had been right here in this city. You were still in the same city but now in a completely different world.

You finally pull up to a tall mirrored office building. The limo parks in a reserved section and you tell the boys to wait here. You head up to the top floor and into a very swank law office. The moment you step from the elevator a receptionist is right at your side.

"Mr. Calabrese! Always a pleasure to see our favorite client. Right this way, Mr. Friedman is on the phone with a client but will be with you very shortly." You are taken to Mr. Friedman's private waiting room. It was top class. Leather couches, fine art, top shelf booze. There were some pictures around showing some of the important moments in the firm's history. You are surprised to see a younger version of yourself, Vincent that is, at the ribbon cutting ceremony from when the firm had either first opened or first moved to this location.

"Vincent!" You hear a gruff voice behind you. It was the gravelly voice of a man who drank a lot of whiskey and smoked two packs a day.

You turn and take his hand in a firm handshake. "Hello Murray." You had learned his name from Natali.

"Come in, come in." He leads you into his richly appointed office. He seems to have an interest in Africa as many of the art pieces in here seem to be from that continent. It is then you notice more pictures on the walls, pictures of a younger healthier Murray standing over African big game holding a rifle. They depicted better times for the man, who currently looked hunched and too thin to fit his suit properly. His sparse hair was grey and heavily receding.

"How's Natali and the kid?" He opens, as he passes you a cigar.

You take it, nip the end and light it up with a lighter he has available on his desk. He does the same. It tastes of fresh cut hickory and well worn leather. Thinking of the acrid little things you'd get at the 7/11 when you were half cut makes you wonder how they could even be called by the same name.

"They are great Murray, never better. Mel is taking some classes this fall." You puff. "Funny you ask that though Murray. It's kind of what I'm here about."

"Oh?" He asks, as he pours you both a scotch on the rocks. He hands you a glass. "Is Melanie in some kind of trouble?"

"No no. Nothing like that" You sip the scotch, it's smokey sweetness pairing perfectly with the stogie. "I done Murray. I'm leaving the business. I wanted your advice."

He just blinks a few times, squinting across at you. You weren't sure you were getting through.

"I'm retiring Murray." Remembering the photos of him in better health you add. "I'm getting out while I'm still healthy and still upright."

He leans back and takes a long draw from his cigar and lets out a breath. His face momentarily obscured by the billowing smoke. "That's...that's admirable."

You wait, allowing him to collect his thoughts.

"Are you asking me as your lawyer or your friend?"

"Both." You reply.

"It's not so easy, you know that. You got good men, loyal? You're going to need them." He thinks some more. "The real problem is the transition. When you're still in but everyone knows you're heading out. You lose your fear factor, you're a lame duck."

"I know Murray." You lie, internally kicking yourself for telling Mama Raeni about your retirement. "But...it's something I have to do. I want grow old and play with my grandkids, you know."

"Yeah...yeah I know Vincent, I know." He says, his words soaked in melancholy. "Well. You'll have to do it fast. Just get out all at once. Make it irreversible so no-one is scared you'll come back again. You are going to take a hell of a beating financially. You might want to consider a nice getaway spot." You see his eyes drift over to the African artifacts, a faraway look in his expression. "Somewhere away from all this. Somewhere...quiet."

You give him a moment to daydream as you enjoy the smoke and the drink.

"Well..." You say, bringing him back to the conversation. "That's what I'm going to do. In the meantime I need to get things in order and I need some stuff moved around and sold off." You say as you slap the papers you had brought with you on his desk.

He peruses them for a long time. "Hmmmm. Mmm hmmm. Yeah, I see what you want to do here. I could get the wheels in motion on this."

Your phone begins to ring as he continues to look over the papers and deeds. "I knew you could help Murray, get on it. One sec." You say as you look at your phone. Unknown Caller. "Hello?"

"Hello Mr. Calabrese." Says an unfamiliar male voice. "I am currently watching your beautiful wife through the sights of my high powered sniper rifle. If she tries to leave my sight I am going to pull the trigger. If you aren't here in 30 minutes I am going to pull the trigger. If I even get a whiff something isn't right I am going to pull the trigger. Do you understand what I am telling you?"