In A Dark Alley

Michael Rubino: The man traipsing about the rusty Dumpster last spring caught Karen McGuire by surprise.

Stevie? she wondered.

Who else could it be, digging through the trash? Then again, it was hard to be sure. Days, weeks, and even months sometimes passed without so much as a word from her brother, much less a good look at him. The man was gaunt, and his weathered beard revealed more gray than the last time she had seen Stevie, whenever that was. This is March … how long has it been?

The man looked up. His eyes sparkled—just like diamonds, Karen thought—and then he went back to the trash, behind a downtown bank.

"Stephen Edward McGuire," Karen said, "that you?"

The man stopped. He was clutching…