Rydell ignored the man with the tanto and headed for the back of the bar, where he found Maryalice seated alone at a table. There was a hand-lettered sign, on brown corrugated cardboard, done in different colored felt pens, that said *** BUELL CREEDMORE *** & HIS LOWER COMPANIONS , each of the Os done in red as a little happy face. The table was solid, side to side, with empties, and Maryalice looked like somebody had just whacked her in the head with something that didn't leave a mark. "You A&R?" she asked Rydell, as if startled from a dream.