At 2:37 a.m. on January 1, 1990, Hank Raglan welcomes Addison Moore into his Ben Avon apartment. After the Rosebud brawl, the warmth offers refuge; the dirty laundry, battered furniture, and improvised shelving offer a less flattering introduction to Hank’s private life. Addison is appalled and attracted in almost the same breath. His defense of Danielle has strengthened her interest, even as his housekeeping tests it.
Their flirtation moves through jokes about a missing maid, discount-store art, cheap wine, and an uncertain sleeping arrangement. Outside, Jack Barons discovers Hank’s discarded party hat and parked Jeep. Still injured and high, he takes an Unalco video recorder from the unlocked vehicle, exchanges its cassette for a blank one, and scratches the door before heading behind the building.
The chapter alternates between Hank’s nervous preparations for intimacy and Jack’s climb toward the bedroom window. Hank opens the overheated room’s window and throws out dirty underwear, unknowingly striking the intruder. The final scene places Jack outside with a clear view and the camera in hand. Revenge is poised to become a violation of privacy; the text ends before explicitly confirming that he presses record.
About the Author
Matt De Reno
Matt De Reno is the author of The Midas Files, a Pittsburgh-rooted science-fiction thriller series exploring ancient power, impossible technology, hidden history, and the people caught in between. In Bingham’s Notebook, he opens the files behind the fiction—examining characters, artifacts, locations, chapter connections, and the evolving mythology of the series. Email him at
