Chapter 2, Part 3 Summary

At 2:00 p.m. on Christmas Day, Al Greco, a permanent guest of the Apollo Hotel, walks into its restaurant. Ed Charney likes to have Al stationed at the Apollo to receive messages. By some arrangement Ed has made, Al stays at the Apollo rent free, whenever he is in Gibbsville.

Al has a meeting with Ed at 4:00. Christmas is the only day of the year that Ed Charney spends with his wife and 6-year-old child, but Ed does not love his wife anymore. He loves Helene Holman, a singer at the Stage Coach Inn.

Al sits at the mob table and orders a turkey dinner for $1.50. He reads the newspaper to follow the fights, because he used to be a prizefighter. Al Greco is 5'6" with shoes on and weighs 130 pounds when fully dressed. He was born the third of six...