"Wouldn't want to take your job." Actually he would, being a police officer would be a definite step up and maybe he could actually make a difference here to stop punks with too much gumption and time on their hands from falling in with the various gangs and hassling poor working stiffs like himself.

"He was trying to steal my shipment. It's meant for the Sato warehouse at the other end of the alley." He'd had to load the crates of scrap onto a hand cart to get it through the narrow walk, but it sure beats having to drive six blocks out of the way through Triad territory so he'd decided to take the shortcut.