From another direction, the sound of shoes tapping down the sidewalk caught my attention. The sound came closer—not at a fast clip, but casually, as though this person was strolling along, with no place in particular to go. From the corner of my eyes I spotted this vague, statuesque person. Someone tall, with a lot of white on. Hope rose in me. Perhaps this person coming my way would alter things decidedly.
Shifting my attention on Houston and friend (using my sneaky vision), I watched as halfway across, they suddenly made a diagonal cut across to the other corner. A car had to slow down for them. I was sure they were heading my direction, but something had made them change their mind. In two seconds I knew why they"d suddenly changed course. The tall, white-clad form with cottony white h
