I had been the manager for Ray’s Candy store for nearly a year. The outside has an old school new york look with it’s time showing all over the hardwood. The walls and storefront are painted bright green and a decent painting of Ray’s smiling face sits next to the store name. The small glass window for taking outside orders is locked open a few inches, letting a nice breeze come in.  Looking from the outside in, the white fluorescent lights in the store and white fairy lights strung about the windows look inviting. The bell jingles when the door is pushed open, and the smell of fried dough hits the nose. Right upon entry, there is only a small strip of standing space that would only fit three or four people laying down flat on the floor. Adjacent would be an equal in length blue countertop with metal lining the edges. The countertop is slanted so one must be careful when placing full drinks there. An obnoxious hot dog roller grill sits right smack in the middle of the counter, the sink being on it’s left but around two feet lower meaning workers have to bend to use it. Following the small strip of space and countertop, there is another even smaller strip of flooring followed by the back counter, where the bottom half of the wall is lined with mirrors and the top half bursting with color. The colors are from menu pictures and descriptions that were as old as a decade. They weren’t anything special, printed pieces of paper or hand drawn signs stating the prices of the best milkshakes, beignets, or fried oreos in the city. Open 24 hours a day, the shop owner Ray will be looking out the window and waving his hand, motioning at you to try out his delicious treats that he’s been serving for almost half a century.

Questions: Is Sam Jeffries’ caretaker? If he was only a mere caretaker why was he so inclined to do Jeffries every bidding that had nothing to do with his job requirement? What was Jeffries’ past so that Boyne took his word without doubt about an alleged murder?