" I know what yer thinkin." The voice came from the guy sitting on the other side of me. "Yeah? What am I thinking" The guy was a tall heavy set dude, blond hair moving toward gray and tied back in a pony tail, glass of Jack Daniels in front of him. He smiled." You need to talk to the Possum," he said. I wasn't sure that I had heard him right. " Go ahead," he indicated, pointing at a small clay figurine which sat beside his drink," talk to the possum." I took a quick glance around the bar, charting the clearsest path to the exit should this guy go completely loony on me." Go ahead," the guy chuckled." Ask the Possum what your thinking." I paused in mid-sip of my whiskey..."Ok. I'll bite." Maybe it was some crazy bar game-" What am I thinking?" The guy actually turned the Possum to face me, and starts in with this kind of Barney the Dinosaur voice. " You were thinking that maybe Todd Hacker had Washington killed. You were thinking that Three Hands had wised up and was making legal trouble over the stolen songs. You were thinking that it was easier, with millions at stake, for Todd to have Washington offed in a back alley than fight a protracted battle in court." The dull thud was my jaw hitting the oak bar." And would I be right?" the big guy looked at me askance." Oh... I'm talking to the possum here." The big guy smiled, and looked back at the possum, lovingly, I thought." Sorry," said the possum," I can't tell you anything else until I get a drink." I looked at the big guy, who was still grinning at the possum." Let me guess," I said," Jack Daniels?" The Possum replied "You bet!" The big guy turned to me, saying " I'll have one, too. But not here. Come on." With that he grabbed the possum and headed out the door. I glanced at my watch. I still had the better part of an hour. " Where to?" I called. I could see the big guy standing in the neon light of another tavern just down the street. "In here!" He yelled back to me. I caught up to him, and looked at the sign in the plate glass window. The Mudcat Tavern He entered, and I followed, half expecting a black jack to come out of the shadows like a cruise missile.

"What the hell kind of place is this?" I exclaimed.