This is an image post. Inspiration for this sketch came from this image.

This is what Sylvia keeps in her bag:

First of all, always a book. Not always the same book, obviously. Whatever she’s reading. Right now she’s about halfway through the new Highsmith book. It’s about lesbians.

Secondly, gum. She’s trying to quit smoking. Smoking isn’t ladylike, plus she thinks it makes her teeth yellow. So she chews gum like a maniac. Always gum. She’s minty-fresh with desperation.

Third, a copy of the DRF. She’s a religious reader of ‘Bloodlines.’ Leon Rasmussen’s great.

Fourth, her K-22 Masterpiece. It’s a beautiful gun, and you never know when a beautiful gun will come in handy. The well-dressed lady is never without a gun, as her mother always said.

Other miscellanea, including keys, pens, lighters, scrap paper, spare change, lipstick, and so on as she needs them. Including, most importantly today, a pair of kid gloves and a clean handkerchief, and hadn’t they come in handy. She’s listened to Dragnet, she knows what they could do with a set of fingerprints. Before she leaves, she does one last quick pass with the handkerchief, making sure to get the doorknob, decanter and glass. They’ll know someone was in here, but as long as they can’t peg her for it, that doesn’t matter. It’s a long, long ride to Chino, and she’s not going to punch her own ticket, if she can help it.