Free A Drink Before the War by Dennis Lehane

what the atmospheric density of Pluto was. “Floors? Uh, two. We got two. Rooming house’s upstairs.”
    â€œTwo,” I repeated with an air of moral revulsion. “Two floors and the only exits are on the first.”
    â€œYeah,” he said.
    â€œâ€˜Yeah’? How people on the second floor supposed to get out if there’s a fire?”
    â€œA window?” he suggested.
    â€œA window.” I shook my head. “How about I take you up there right now, see how well you land jumping out a fucking window? A window. Jesus.”
    Angie crossed her legs, sipping her beer, enjoying this.
    Blondie said, “Well…”
    I said, “Well what? ” I gave Angie the get-ready look. She raised her eyebrows and downed her beer happily. “Boy,” I said, “you’re gonna learn some shit tonight,” and I crossed the floor to the plywood wall and pulled the fire alarm.
    No one in the barroom ran for an exit. No one really moved at all. They just turned their heads and looked at me. They seemed a bit pissed off.
    But on the second floor, no one could tell if there was a fire or not. Bars always smell like smoke.
    A rather large woman with a rather small sheet over her nude body and a skinny guy with a lot less coverage came down first. They barely glanced at the bar before they hopped out the door like rabbits during hunting season.
    Two kids were next. Sixteen or so, both with a little acne. Probably registered as Mr. and Mrs. Smith. They flattened against the wall as soon as they cleared the last step, staring at all of us, chests heaving.
    Then suddenly, Simone was there, looking very put out, looking to find someone responsible, her eyes working their way from Blondie, around the crowd of hicks, and finally settling on moi . I glanced at her but passed by, my eyes slowing and holding at a point just over her shoulder.
    On Jenna Angeline.
    Angie left my shoulder and disappeared around the corner, on the other side of the plywood wall. I waited, my eyes fixed on Jenna Angeline, hers finally meeting mine. They were eyes that screamed resignation. Old, old eyes. Brown and numb and too beaten to show fear. Or joy. Or life. Something passed through them, briefly, and I knew that she recognized me. Not who I was. What I represented. I was just another form of cop or collection agent or landlord or boss. I was authority, and I was coming to decide something about her life whether she liked it or not. She recognized me all right.
    Angie had found the main cables and the clarion blast bleated away to nothing in one wheezing second.
    I was the center of attention now, and I knew I was about to face resistance, at the very least from the Angeline sisters. Everyone except them, the bartender, and a big, going-to-fat, ex-football player type to my right faded slightly behind a haze of gauze. The football player was leaning forward on his toes and Blondie had his hand under the bar. Neither of the Angeline sisters looked like they had any intention of moving without help from a crane.
    My voice seemed loud and hoarse when I said, “Jenna, I need to talk to you.”
    Simone grabbed her sister’s arm and said, “Come on, Jenna, let’s go,” and started leading her toward the door.
    I shook my head and stepped in front of the door, my hand already in my jacket as the football player made his move. Another hero. Probably a member of the auxiliary fire department. His right hand was heading toward my shoulder and his mouth was open, a gruff voice saying, “Hey, asshole, leave the women alone.” Before he reached my shoulder, my hand cleared my jacket and whacked his arm away and brushed my gun against his lips.
    I said, “Excuse me?” and dug the muzzle of the gun hard against his upper lip.
    He looked at the gun. He didn’t say anything.
    I didn’t move my head, just kept my eyes on the barroom, looked everyone in the eye who’d meet mine. I