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Authors: Simon Wood
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inside the apartment and closed the door.
“Do you know who I am?” the small man asked.
Todd just shook his head, finding that his vocal chords had failed him.
“Good. That makes things simpler. It’s probably not a good idea that you do. It’s only important that I know who you are. Understand?”
Todd nodded.
“I bet you’re wishing you’d left your insurance details now, aren’t you?” the small man said.
“I can make up for it. I can pay.”
The small man held up a hand and shook his head. “It’s far too late for that.” He looked Todd up and down. “Besides, I doubt you could afford to pay. The damage is incidental. However, the consequences of your misdemeanor have been severe. Put the newspaper down.”
Todd, confused at first, hesitated before doing as instructed. He placed the Sunday newspaper on the chipped coffee table. The small man separated the newspaper from the supplements and opened it out. He tapped the front page with the back of his hand.
“See what you’ve done.”
Todd glanced at the headline. D RUG D EALER B USTED DURING R OUTINE T RAFFIC S TOP , it read.
“The car you hit belongs to an employee of mine. Driving home the other night, he was pulled over for a busted headlight. The cops discovered two kilos of coke in his possession. He’s in a lot of trouble, and I’m minus an employee. Do you see now? Do you see what you’ve done and why it has led us to your door?”
“I’m sorry.”
“That’s immaterial.”
“I didn’t know.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to know. But I’ve lost a valuable employee who had a job to do. Now he can’t do it. Which is where you come in.” The small man stabbed a finger in Todd’s direction.
Todd’s stomach twitched. He didn’t like what was coming. Points on his license and a fine he could accept. But the small man’s kind of retribution filled Todd with dread. He wasn’t a criminal.
“Me?” Todd stammered.
“Yes. You’ll have to fill in.”
The linebackers wrinkled their noses. They knew Todd wasn’t the right man for the job and he agreed with them.
“What do you want me to do?”
The small man beamed. “That’s the attitude. These two said I was making a mistake.”
The linebackers frowned.
The small man dug in his pocket and threw a set of keys to Todd. He caught them and examined them.
“Those fit a black Jag. You’ll find it outside Denko’s restaurant in the city. Bring it to me in Oakland.”
“When?”
“Oh, I like you. I debated just beating the crap out of you, but I wanted to give you a chance to make up for your error. You’ve assessed the situation and decided to stand by your mistake. I admire that.” The small man stood and dropped a note on Todd’s newspaper. “Bring the Jag to me tonight. Addresses are on the paper. See you at midnight.”
The black linebacker brushed Todd aside to open the door, just to remind him who was in charge. Todd grabbed the small man’s arm on his way out. The small man stared at Todd, his look piercing. Todd knew enough not touch him, but he didn’t care. He knew what was being asked of him was illegal. He just needed to know how illegal.
“Will I find drugs in that car?” Todd demanded.
The linebackers stiffened. The small man nodded at his arm. Todd released his grasp.
“Unfortunately, you don’t have a choice, Todd,” the small man said, his tone barbed. “Be at the Oakland address at midnight.”
***
Todd had to resort to public transportation to get him into San Francisco, seeing as the linebackers had finished off the Accord. He was looking at least at a few thousand to replace the tires and windshield. It would be cheaper to get another car.
A combination of BART, MUNI, and good old-fashioned walking brought him out on the corner of Bush and Powell. Midblock on Bush, Todd found Denko’s, which seemed classy and unique for the city in that it had its own parking lot. Strictly, it wasn’t a parking lot. To the rightof the
“Do you know who I am?” the small man asked.
Todd just shook his head, finding that his vocal chords had failed him.
“Good. That makes things simpler. It’s probably not a good idea that you do. It’s only important that I know who you are. Understand?”
Todd nodded.
“I bet you’re wishing you’d left your insurance details now, aren’t you?” the small man said.
“I can make up for it. I can pay.”
The small man held up a hand and shook his head. “It’s far too late for that.” He looked Todd up and down. “Besides, I doubt you could afford to pay. The damage is incidental. However, the consequences of your misdemeanor have been severe. Put the newspaper down.”
Todd, confused at first, hesitated before doing as instructed. He placed the Sunday newspaper on the chipped coffee table. The small man separated the newspaper from the supplements and opened it out. He tapped the front page with the back of his hand.
“See what you’ve done.”
Todd glanced at the headline. D RUG D EALER B USTED DURING R OUTINE T RAFFIC S TOP , it read.
“The car you hit belongs to an employee of mine. Driving home the other night, he was pulled over for a busted headlight. The cops discovered two kilos of coke in his possession. He’s in a lot of trouble, and I’m minus an employee. Do you see now? Do you see what you’ve done and why it has led us to your door?”
“I’m sorry.”
“That’s immaterial.”
“I didn’t know.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to know. But I’ve lost a valuable employee who had a job to do. Now he can’t do it. Which is where you come in.” The small man stabbed a finger in Todd’s direction.
Todd’s stomach twitched. He didn’t like what was coming. Points on his license and a fine he could accept. But the small man’s kind of retribution filled Todd with dread. He wasn’t a criminal.
“Me?” Todd stammered.
“Yes. You’ll have to fill in.”
The linebackers wrinkled their noses. They knew Todd wasn’t the right man for the job and he agreed with them.
“What do you want me to do?”
The small man beamed. “That’s the attitude. These two said I was making a mistake.”
The linebackers frowned.
The small man dug in his pocket and threw a set of keys to Todd. He caught them and examined them.
“Those fit a black Jag. You’ll find it outside Denko’s restaurant in the city. Bring it to me in Oakland.”
“When?”
“Oh, I like you. I debated just beating the crap out of you, but I wanted to give you a chance to make up for your error. You’ve assessed the situation and decided to stand by your mistake. I admire that.” The small man stood and dropped a note on Todd’s newspaper. “Bring the Jag to me tonight. Addresses are on the paper. See you at midnight.”
The black linebacker brushed Todd aside to open the door, just to remind him who was in charge. Todd grabbed the small man’s arm on his way out. The small man stared at Todd, his look piercing. Todd knew enough not touch him, but he didn’t care. He knew what was being asked of him was illegal. He just needed to know how illegal.
“Will I find drugs in that car?” Todd demanded.
The linebackers stiffened. The small man nodded at his arm. Todd released his grasp.
“Unfortunately, you don’t have a choice, Todd,” the small man said, his tone barbed. “Be at the Oakland address at midnight.”
***
Todd had to resort to public transportation to get him into San Francisco, seeing as the linebackers had finished off the Accord. He was looking at least at a few thousand to replace the tires and windshield. It would be cheaper to get another car.
A combination of BART, MUNI, and good old-fashioned walking brought him out on the corner of Bush and Powell. Midblock on Bush, Todd found Denko’s, which seemed classy and unique for the city in that it had its own parking lot. Strictly, it wasn’t a parking lot. To the rightof the
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