Warner

  1 month earlier     The bell above the door at Sam's quick stop corner store chimed as Eugene came in from the 90 degree heat  outside in search of a cold beverage, lottery tickets and some rolling papers. It was just after 1:30 in the afternoon and he'd told Jamal to meet him at the war memorial in Fullman Park at 2, he had a job for him.     He walked around to the beer cooler where Sam sold singles and extracted an ice cold 22 ounce bottle  of malt liquor from it and headed to the register, where the owner, Sam himself was working it. 'My lord, look what the cat dragged in!' Sam said as Eugene put the cold 22 on the counter. Eugene smiled, he liked Sam, he'd known him since he'd had his own corner store a decade earlier.     'Yup, I'm still alive, Sam, if you can believe it. Man, I can't believe you still running this fucking place, it always gave me a headache, trying to get any good workers who won't steal for you, dealing with the...