Ruby (Landry 1)

bars on them," he added.

"Thank you Lyle."

He shrugged.

"I haven't done anything yet," he said, as if he

wanted to convince himself more than me that he

hadn't made a decision.

"You've given me hope, Lyle. That's doing a

great deal." I smiled at him. He stared at me a

moment, his rust-colored eyes blinking and then he

turned away.

"Go on," he said. "Do what I told you." I went to the female attendant and explained

that I had to go to the bathroom.

"I'll show you where it is," she said when we

returned to the door.

"1 know where it is. Thank you," I replied

quickly. She shrugged and left me. I did exactly what

Lyle said and scurried down the short flight of steps.

The laundry room was a large, long room with cement

floors and cement walls lined with washing machines,

dryers, and bins. Toward the rear were the windows

Lyle had described, but they were high up.

"Quick," I heard him say as he entered behind

me. We hurried to the back. "You just snap the hinge

in the middle and slide the window to your left," he

whispered. "It's not locked."

"How do you know that, Lyle?" I asked

suspiciously. He looked down and then up at me

quickly.

"I've been here a few times. I even went so far

as to stick my foot out, but I. . . I'm not ready," he