It was the third day in a row that Francesco frequented the little Cafe at the Noble Street. Pretending to be there out of interest for the young waitress who worked on the Cafe, he would sit there for hours, drinking some coffe, disinterestedly reading the daily newspaper and flirting inconsequentially with the girl who, by the way, was named Helen. Francesco did not rule out the possibility of trying something more serious with the young waitress - she had a lovely body - but she was not really the reason for Francesco to spend the day there. 

Across the street, in a two-story house, whose construction style was very similar to the other houses around it, lived a very old lady - Mrs. Roberts. Francesco had received a tip about Mrs. Roberts from an old street pal, from the times of the Girard Ave borgata, Aldo. Aldo was now trying to straighten up in life, going to church and helping his father at the grocery store and, four days earlier, he had met Francesco on the street, on his way to a delivery, and they both stopped to talk for a while, to catch up.

Francesco let Aldo speak about his life, offering very few details of its own. Both had distanced themselves some time ago and Francesco did not want to give details about the moment he lived in his life. Instead, he told Aldo that he had also straightened up. Aldo had been one of the first ones to leave the borgata, back in the day, but he was a good boy and Francesco always liked him. He was not sure if he could still trust him, though.

After some time of conversation, Aldo said:

"Hey Frank, I gotta go now, man, or Mrs. Roberts is gonna be mad at me, heh. You should see the inside of her house, Frank. Ah, if we're still in the borgata!" he exclaimed, doing the sign of cross and looking up to the sky for a moment. "All the fancy silverware and jewelry that woman has! My father said that she is the widow of someone important....ah...I can't remember the man's name now. Anyway, she's been our customer for years and she always give me nice tips! A lovely old lady, she is."

"Good for you, buddy!" Francesco replied. His interest had suddenly grown on the subject. "I mean, if she has so much as you say, it doesn't hurt to share a little."

"Oh, yes, yes. The curious is that she lives in a simple house...erm, it's a two-story house, but still a simple house, on the outside. The inside, though...fancy. Fancy stuff. The other day she asked me to help her move her bed and the amount of jewelry I saw in her room...Madonna! Imagine, an old lady living alone like that in a house full of jewels. I'm glad that our days of trouble are behind us now, Frank!"

"Amen" Francesco replied, with a wide smile on his face.

Both said goodbye and Aldo followed his destination, carrying his delivery basket. Francesco pretended to go in the opposite direction but soon turned and started following Aldo from the distance. He was really interested in making some easy money, and that seemed like a good opportunity.

The Noble Street was not too far. It was a busy street, with a few Cafe's and restaurants, and several houses. Francesco watched Aldo shouting the old lady from the outside. She was on the second floor and popped her head out of a window to see who was calling. She smiled at Aldo and threw the key out the window. He entered for a few minutes, then he left, with empty hands. He locked the front door and passed the key and it.

Watching that across the street, Francesco smiled quickly. Thank you, Aldo, he thought to himself. If the woman had as much jewelry as Aldo said, that could be a good score. And easy too. Not to mention that she would certainly have some money too. Now, all he had to do was to investigate a little, and for that reason, in the three days following that meeting with Aldo, Francesco had observed the old lady's house.

It was obvious to Francesco that he had to call Runa to help him execute his plan. She was very skilled and, besides, Francesco had a strong fraternal feeling for her, as if she were an older sister or something. Not to mention that she had included him in a job that she probably would have been able to do on her own, and he would like to give it back.

So, on the fifth day, Francesco woke up determined. He bathed, shaved and dressed in simple clothes. He wanted to look as youthful as possible. He locked his small apartment and went out in the street, smoking a cigarette, as usual, and heading to the first payphone he could find.

He pulled a small crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and dialed the number that was noted there, his finger spinning the rotary dial as fast as he could. The phone on the other end rang a good few times before it was answered.

"Runa?" he asked.

Runa had redone her wardrobe since getting promoted. The slacks, boots, and leather jackets had largely been replaced by dresses, unless she was in the middle of an active job. Today, she'd picked out a dark purple dress that fell to her knee, along with black tights and shoes. A black wool jacket waited on the chair, ready to protect her from the slight chill of early spring. 

Thinking about the best thing to do with her day, she was interrupted by the ringing of the phone.

"Hello?"

She recognized Francesco's voice.

"Hey- what's up? Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just want to talk with you" he replied, his eyes attentive to both ends of the street, as if he expected something to happen.

Just talk with you? Runa was a made woman now, it was not like she was going to waste time just talking with him, he thought. He was quick to continue, before she could say anything.

"About something you may help me with, you know? Can we meet?"

"Of course. Where should I meet you? I, uh, won't drive myself this time."

Francesco could hear her grin through the phone.

"Let's go to that restaurant you took me that time, uh...Morgante's, right?"

After Runa agreed to meet him there for lunch, Francesco hung up the phone. He still had a couple of hours.

(...)

Francesco arrived at Morgante's restaurant just a few minutes earlier than scheduled. That restaurant never disappointed him, and as soon as he arrived, a delicious smell of sauce invaded his nostrils.

He nodded at Elena on his way in. There was some other people having lunch already, and he chose, as usual, the most reserved table. When Elena came to take his order, he asked for just a glass of water.

Distracted by an italian couple who spoke very loudly a few tables ahead, Francesco barely noticed when Runa came through the door.

When Runa and Francesco had met, they were both young associates trying to fight their way up the ladder into the ranks of the true family. Since then, Runa had changed; her leather jackets and boots had been replaced with silks, satins, and heels. Her hair, previously pulled behind her in an unceremonious ponytail, was now worn down more often than not, revealing a vibrant sheen of chestnut. Runa was wearing her money now; she'd been made, and it had changed her; there was no doubt in her mind that Francesco was on the cusp of that move as well. 

She waved at Elena as she entered and ordered a glass of wine from Little Tony before he boy could get a word out.

Slipping into the chair across from Francesco, she shot the younger man a wink.

"Hello Frank. How are you?"

Even her voice had changed; the rough bluntness of her early days had been sanded off. Now, she practically purred. But underneath it all, Frank recognized the same old Runa: the green eyes still showed a stubborness, willingness for adventure, curiosity, and the desire to help a friend.

Francesco leaned over the table, taking Runa's hands affably. He couldn't help but notice how she had changed since they had met, and not just in appearance. Curiously, she looked even stronger and decided. And Francesco had many questions for her, about this new level of her life, but he was afraid to do so. One day his own time would come, that was what he was fighting for, and maybe then he would get all the answers.

"Runa, my friend, it's good to see you. I'm pretty good, how about you? You are looking good, that I know."

He leaned back in his chair and took a sip of water, staring at her with a friendly smile.

She couldn't help but grin.

"Flattery will get you everywhere, Frank."

Runa was interrupted by Little Tony dropping off her glass of wine.

"No, things are good. I'm keeping busy. Pulling some jobs here or there. I've got a couple longer term things I might call you in on, but nothing in the immediate future. I've got a handful of different fake IDs- fake lives, really. It should make it easier for me to sneak around and worm my way into things. The waitress. The poor Irishwoman. The rich socialite."

She shrugged.

"So far, so good, I guess."

Francesco nodded and looked at his glass of water for a moment.

"Speaking of jobs, I would like you to help me with something, like I said earlier on the phone." He looked back up, finding her eyes again. "Another house", he added, raising his eyebrows quickly.

He leaned forward again, resting his elbows on the table. The restaurant was reserved, but caution was never too much. Lowering his voice slightly, he continued.

"I've been watching a house for a few days now, and it looks like an easy job, really easy. Get in and get out kind of job. It's an old lady's house, and I got info that she has a lot of valuable stuff in there. I got to see her too, the old lady. She won't be offering us any risks."

Francesco paused briefly, looking for cigarettes in his pockets. Quickly, he had a lit cigarette hanging from his lips.

"I saw her leave the house only a couple times. Everything is delivered to her at home. Bakery, fruits, grocery. She's at the Noble Street, I don't know if you've ever been there, but it's an agitated street. I guess that if we go as couriers, something like that - we won't be attracting any attention. And you're good at it, so I thought you could, uh, help me."

He took a drag on his cigarette, thoughtful for a moment.

"Or we could just invade the house at night, I don't know. What do you think?"

Runa laced her hands and rested them under her chin as she listened, trying to visualize what Francesco was describing.

"It does seem really easy. Obviously we'd prefer not to hurt this lady- not my preference, and that'd bring too much heat anyways. So one of us can be there to keep her from calling the cops or getting into trouble while the other empties out the house. I probably wouldn't bother with most houses at this point... but if you're right about the valuables..."

She grinned.

"I mean, I'd help you anyways. I owe you one. But yea, sounds good to me. The trick'll just be getting inside. If both of us show up as couriers, that could be a little suspicious. And the grocery thing would only work if she was expecting it. We can't just show up and knock with a loaf of bread and hope she lets us in."

Runa sipped her wine, thinking.

"Assuming the neighborhood gets quiet and there aren't any all night bars around, sneaking in at night might be the move. I could probably talk my way in there during the day. Pose as a... well, something other than a hooker like last time. Life insurance agent or a nun collecting money or something. Then I could try to unlock the door for you, just like last time. Or we could both go in together at night- pick the lock. Either one sounds good to me. But you saw the house and the old lady. What'll you think will work best?"

Francesco pondered for a moment, inhaling the cigarette's smoke.

"Well, you're right. Going during the day would not be so easy, unless you are absolutely sure you could talk your way in. In that case, I wouldn't be of much help until you manage to get me in. There are no bars on that street. It's a busy street during the day, because of all the cafe's, restaurants and such. The restaurants are the ones that stay open until later, but nothing more than eleven at night. Shouldn't be a problem." 

Little Tony came to the table, to take their food orders.

"A spaghetti carbonara for me, pal", Francesco ordered, after Runa ordering hers.

Francesco watched Little Tony walk away, then turned to Runa again.

"Chances are that we don't even have to worry about the old lady if we go at night. You know, old people go to bed early."

Runa grinned as she sipped her wine and ordered the minestrone and salad

"I mean, I don't think the hooker angle would work. I could pretend that my car broke down, but there's no real reason for me to go to her as opposed to one of the places around her. No, I'd guess night. Maybe 2-3 AM when it's darkest. Shouldn't be too much moonlight in the next few days, either."

She shrugged.

"Seems easier than the last job- but always good to have a partner watching your back. Any idea about how this could go bad?"

Francesco shook his head.

"Other than someone seeing us, I don't see how this could go wrong. And even if someone sees us, I doubt we are going to find any resistance before we disappear. It's a calm neighborhood, from what I have seen. Now, something I think we need to discuss is how do we get there. Should we use a car? If - and I doubt it - anything goes wrong, how do we get out of there quickly?"

He took the last sip of water from his glass.

Runa grimaced.

"Mickey still hasn't gotten back to me about those driving lessons. Have you learned how to drive? After what happened last time, I mean I guess I could try again, but it wouldn't be my first choice. Still, we could do that in an emergency. Or we could just try to get lost in the alleys, find a place to lie low. We could scout out a couple bolt holes in advance."

Francesco shrugged.

"Sounds good to me. I still haven't learned. I know, it's a shame. Guess I will have to go to Mickey too."

He put out the rest of the cigarette in the ashtray on the table and pulled it closer to him, away from Runa. He had never seen her smoke, and she didn't have to smell the stale cigarettes. Francesco smoking around her all the time could be uncomfortable enough.

"Ok, so we go and give a good look at the neighborhood first, to avoid any surprises and have some sort of escape route traced. Good, good. We can go today, if you're not too busy. Or I can do it myself. You choose."

Runa thought for a moment.

"Let's go together. One man wondering around looking at things can look more suspicious if someone notices you. But a young couple out for a stroll? That's so easy to explain that we wouldn't stand out. It'd be different if we were trying to talk out way in there, but it doesn't matter if we're just breaking in late."

She shrugged.

"That's my two cents, anyway. We can head out as soon as you're done eating, if you'd like. I've got... well, nothing I can't easily clear off my schedule."

"Great", he said, looking across Runa.

Little Tony was coming, bringing their dishes. Francesco crossed himself - a catholic habit, although he was not a practitioner - and started attacking the spaghetti immediately.

"I can't believe this is for free", he said, still chewing. After the first mouthful, he paused a little and looked back at Runa. "Ok, so we both go, it's decided. We go after lunch, alright. This is going to be a good score, I'm feeling it." He started rolling the pasta over the fork. "I'm feeling it", he repeated, more to himself than anything.

The fact was he needed it to be a good score. He needed to be noticed somehow, and prove to Jack and the other made members - including Runa - that he was also capable of pulling something together.

Not knowing whether it was hunger or anxiety, Francesco devoured his food ravenously.

They arrived by cab on Noble Street and quickly faded into the business of the many shops and restaurants surrounded them. There were a few couples walking around, enjoying the afternoon, and Runa made sure to always be on Francesco's arm, holding his hand, or looking up at him in a flirtatious way. It wasn't hard- Frank was a good looking kid, only a couple years younger than Runa- but the young man knew how good a liar Runa could be. How much was genuine? Some of it surely had to be- but the fact that the question even crossed his mind revealed how well Runa could fall into a role; in this case, people may have glanced at the attractive young couple, but no one would have suspected them of casing a house for a robbery. 

Runa noted a couple alleyways where they could disappear. In one instance, she pretended to have a problem with her dress; to "protect her modesty", she retreated down an alley and was gone for a minute. When she returned, she latched onto Francesco's arm again and spoke in a low murmur.

"There're a few possibilities back there- alleys that could be good escape routes. There's also an old storage... shed, I guess. It's basically an outdoor storage spot that's full of crap. But in an emergency, someone could hide there. Two, but it might be a tight fit. Is that the house, coming up?"

Francesco walked with Runa on his arms, like an unpretentious couple in yet another passionate afternoon. It was a strange feeling, even though he knew it was all an act. He certainly couldn't say he was not enjoying it.

"Yeah, that's the one" he said, just glancing at the two-story building for a brief moment. 

Perhaps there was a basement, he thought, as there were a few flights of stairs up to the front door. The door was positioned laterally in relation to the two windows of the first floor, and not centrally, as in other houses in the region. On the second floor, three windows. And the neighboring houses were uncomfortably close to each other, Francesco noticed for the first time.

Francesco looked across the street, at the Cafe directly in front of the house and, suddenly, slowed down. Helen - the waitress he had been flirting with just to sit there and watch the house - was looking at their direction, while serivng an old folking that was sitting at one of the  few tables on the sidewalk. Francesco felt nothing for the girl, but curiously he felt uncomfortable and looked away.

"Uh...the girl at the Cafe across the street, the waitress. I was kind of flirting with her, you know, just to stay around here. Is she looking at us?" he asked, while pretending to be distracted.