A devil of a fellow, and The yellow cat

Fresh off a tropical steamer, a flamboyant wanderer steps onto the Boston dock in a cream‑colored flannel suit and a Panama hat that screams confidence. With his neatly trimmed mustache and a slender cane learned in Port‑au‑Prince, he exudes the swagger of someone who has survived more shipwrecks than most men have days. Beside him lumbers Stiff Peter, a diminutive, tooth‑stained companion whose loyalty matches the protagonist’s audacious charm. Together they take in the clamor of colored fruit vendors, the rumble of elevated trains, and the salty breeze that hints at new mischief.

Their first stop is a gritty tavern where a familiar local, Costa, greets them with nervous humor and a warning about “other fish in the water.” The pair’s sharp banter reveals a tangled past of letters, vanished lovers, and rumors of a marriage that could fizzle their plans. As the sun sets, the devil‑of‑a‑fellow promises a night of wild revelry, setting the stage for a series of daring escapades through the city’s underbelly.