1990 Boston during the race for mayor with the do-gooding incumbent was hard pressed by his challenger over tales of his regime's unbridled corruption and the voters, who knew too well corrupt politicians, were rooting for the newcomer's victory, so he could send the current Mayor to Walpole State Prison. Bostonians loved the fall of the mighty.
The mayor's hacks searched through the younger man's past for a scandal without success, but had convinced their boss to accept their scheme to framed the squeaky clean challenger in a scandal designed to blind the voters' disdain on the incumbent.
Two nights before the election the challenger was seen by a downtown hotels's skeleton staff taking an elevator to the top floor. Upon leaving the lift two men seized his arms and dragged him into the nearest room. Planted in a plush chair he found himself with the Mayor, but it wasn't really the Mayor, but a lookalike found living in the rough by the Pine Street Inn, a shelter for those without a home.
Billy Deepdale was a man without a past. He was known in this city by no one. The mayor's hacks had promised him $1000 to clean up and walk around the city pretending to be the incumbent with a beautiful blonde mistress. Billy understood this new life was not forever. Nothing in his life had been for years.
Billy had done everything asked of him.
"Why the rough stuff?"
"Because," said the Mayor.
The hacks rough-handled Jimmy into the bathroom. The blonde sat on the toilet in the robe. The door slammed shut. She was frightened. She was frightened having been told of the Mayor's wrongdoings by the hacks. She believed them. The Mayor looked the type. Live or die was all the same to Jimmy. He had nothing to win or lose.
The hacks hang him out the window. The threat of death or offer of more money doesn't change his mind. He's out and so is the blonde. The Mayor lets them go. Killing one person is bad, but two is dangerous. Too much attention. Billy is not the type of person to go to the police and he is knocked out. Hours later he wakes in the room. The rest are gone, but he still has money in his pocket and a thirst for a drink and it doesn't have to be fancy.
Boylston Street is witness to a damp dawn. Jimmy is angry. None of the package stores are open. He has nowhere to go.NOWHERE in capitol letter.
A voice calls out.
The blonde.
She wants him to come with her.
No one likes being alone.
But maybe only for one night.
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