As the cab's brakes squeaked to a slow stop, Genco was already opening the door to exit. He quickly threw money through the open drivers window, hurrying eagerly through the back alley towards his old home his only thought of seeing her once again. Her favourite flowers clutched in his hands, Genco double-stepped up the stairs of the tenement building, all the way up to the 5th floor. Now standing outside the door of their old apartment 5B, Genco quickly smoothed his overcoat, slicked back his hair with a quick wipe of his hand and checked the bouquet he had and raised his hand to knock.

Just as his hand was about to rap on the door, it swung open and suddenly a very large, very fat woman was waddling towards him with a towering stack of washing covering her face. Genco recovered quickly and dodged to the side before she bowled him over;

"Excuse me ma'am, I am looking for my girl that used to live here, Carmeli?" Genco asked hopefully.

The woman gave a small squeak of surprise and promptly dropped the washing pile at her feet. Her face was ruddy and rather plain, eyes intially wide with shock but swiftly turning to a mean-eyed frown as she eyed Genco up and down. Hands on hips she responded with a heavy Irish brogue;

"Jus' what did ye tink ye wur dain sneakin up on me like that? Dae ye no tink 'ave got nuttin bettur tae dae wae ma time than rewash aw these bloody clathes? Explain yerself afore a gee ye a sare arse!" 

Genco was takenaback, here he was a young man just returned to the big city from a nessesary exile and within moments, felt like he was back home getting told off by his Nonna! He decided the best way to deal with this was honesty;

"I am sorry ma'am, I used to live here with my sweetheart before I had to leave for both our sakes. I've just returned to the city after 2 years and I am trying to track her down but I am having no luck so far. Do you know anything about the lady who stayed here before?"

The Irish woman's stern appearance lessened somewhat as Genco explained himself, she stooped to pick up the washing and answered quickly, quietly and with far less of a thick accent;

"A bad business there son, heard she owed someone bad some money. Heard they came knockin and next thing ye know she was gone. We only heard this after we moved in, ma husband started askin questions tae see if he could help her oot a bit. But we got a visit fae some fair scary men and telt tae mind oor business... so thats wit we've done. Now a canne help ye any more lad time fer ye tae go, awa wae ye!"

Genco muttered a thanks and oved past the woman to walk downstairs and back outside. This was supposed to be his grand return, bringing his new wealth of stories and cash both to share with Carmeli, her last letter had only arrived a few weeks ago. What could have happened in between? She hadn't mentioned anything about owing any money, he could have helped if he had known. Now it may well be too late. Pulling his collar up against the suddenly pouring rain, Genco headed off to the Tavern pub, he had to find his old friend Alex, maybe he could shine some light on what happened to her.

As he walked the couple of blocks to his old hangout, his thoughts revolved around that tiny bit of Shakespeare he had memorised so long ago now to try to impress her; 

"What’s in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet"

Shaking his head, Genco dropped the bouquet of roses into the trashcan on the sidewalk and whispered;

"Where are you Rose and what has happened?"