There’s no directions on how to do this, he said. No map charting out the territory. Not even a compass. We just go. Travel out of instinct.  Follow our guts, Denny told him.

Guts, huh? You’ve done this before? Right? Tom lit a cigarette. 

Don’t smoke.

What?

No smoking for right now. They’ll smell it on you, Denny turned the ignition. Gotta go in there clean. No smells. No food or alcohol. No smoking. Nothing. Hear me?

Yeah. I hear you. Loud and clear, boss.

Hey. You don’t have to do this. I can find someone else, Denny said. You weren’t my first pick.

Hmmm. I see.

You weren’t even my second.

Got desperate, did you? Tom laughed.

Right.

They drove down the street in the Dodge Dart. The dice wrapped around the mirror bounced as they went over potholes.

Did you ever read Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky? Denny asked Tom.

Who? What?

A book by Dostoyevsky. A Russian. Went off to Siberia under arrest. They were going to kill him. His life was spared. Anyway. Long story short. He wrote Crime and Punishment. About this kid who kills an old woman. Think it takes place in St. Petersburg, Denny paused. There’s this detective in it. Kind of like a Columbo character.  He’s investigating this Crime. He keeps going back. Asking questions.  Denny laughed. You should read it.

Tom pulled his gun out. Placed an unlit cigarette to his lips. Made sure the clip was in the firing arm. I don’t read, he said.

No? What are you? Some kind of Neanderthal?

I’ve had enough of you. Pull over.

What?

I said, pull over.

Fine.

Look. I don’t like you and you don’t like me. Let’s just get this done. OK?

Yeah.

Right?

Sure.

Tom placed the gun back in his pants and accidentally pulled the trigger.

Jesus, Denny yelled. Jesus H. Christ. Your fucking nuts are blown off.

Tom’s head leaned against the window. He shrieked in pain. Crying. Yelling.

We gotta get you to a doctor. An emergency room.

And tell them what?

Good point.

Just shoot me, Tom told him. Put the gun to my head and shoot me.

Denny did as requested.