"Thanks."
Gordon took the oversized cup of bitter coffee, lifted it, and drained it in one go before sliding it to the other end of the bar.
"Refill!"
"Ha!"
Harvey Bullock poured him another cup and brought it back. "Jim, looks like you've been under a lot of pressure lately."
"Yeah, seems like there's trouble everywhere these days." Gordon gulped down another half cup before setting it down. "Harvey, if you could come back and help..."
"No, no, no. Don't even think about it. I'm retired. Don't expect me to go back."
Harvey Bullock shook his head theatrically. "As far as I know, that other Harvey you're so close to has switched to reading Hegel or whatever. What do you want to turn me into? A kindergarten teacher?"
"Yeah, it's all my fault. I was too impulsive." Gordon sighed. "If I hadn't acted rashly and gotten myself barred from the courthouse, if I'd been there at the time..."
"Hey! Listen to me."
Harvey pulled a bottle of liquor from under the bar, poured himself a glass, then leaned across from Gordon. "Jim, you did everything you could. You even brought in that guy from the East End to hold things down. If even he couldn't stop it, what could you have done?"
"Sigh... huh? Wait!"
Gordon looked up at his former partner. "What do you mean... even he couldn't stop it?"
"Oh, come on. You were the one who said you couldn't hold a candle to him." Harvey took a sip of his drink. "Besides, he really is better than you."
"I thought you didn't get along with him."
Gordon sounded a little puzzled. "Besides... isn't he only better at making money?"
"What did you think I meant?" Harvey chuckled. "Anyone who can bring in money starts looking downright adorable.