I was torn on how to proceed, my job requires a certain amount of hands-on, so that’s my first instinct, but I’m surrounded by people who aren’t who they seem to be, or rather people pretending to me my friends, and if I’m gonna get to the bottom of this, it will take patience and a better understanding of the situation.

I walked up to the bar and the barkeep turned to me.

“what’ll it be micky?”

Now my name is Martin, but barkeep, the real one, knows to call me Marty, gotta play this cool.

“not much, you?”

Not bad sounded casual, I bet anyone who heard it wouldn’t know my mind is racing trying to put the pieces together, how do I ask about my friends?

“so going with the beard than, huh?”

And that’s as close to subtle as I can get.

“what, oh yeah, the beard, well you know, it, uh”

He was stumbling trying to explain himself.

I wasn’t the only one to notice, fake Tommy two-fingers, and a couple in the corner, were all closing in around me, and I realized, a simple question, can still result in pain.