Read Online Crooked Numbers by Tim O'Mara - Free Book Online Page B

words I’d said to Dennis Murcer the day before.
    She loosened her grip a little, ran her fingertips over the area she’d just dug her nails into. “That wasn’t so bad now, was it, Mister Man?” Her voice was lower now, trying for seductive.
    “Could’ve been worse, I guess.”
    “Yeah,” she agreed. “Coulda been a lot worse.” We were a half a block away from the subway. She woke up her cell phone, punched a number, and said something in Spanish. She spoke too fast for me to understand it. After she ended her call, the van pulled over in front of us, and the side door slid open. “You sure you don’t want a ride? Getcha home real quick.”
    “No,” I said. “I’m good.”
    “Whatever,” she said, and slid into the van, taking a seat in the front as the other two climbed in the side. The van took off, speeding through a yellow light. I pulled out my cell and found Junior’s number.
    “What’s up?” he said. “How’d it go with Tio?”
    “Good,” I said. “Thanks again for hooking me up. Any idea why I was just accosted by a group of girls wearing Family jerseys?”
    A brief pause. “Ah shit, Mr. D. What’d they look like?”
    “Three girls,” I said. “Hispanic. Another one in a van. The one who did all the talking looked kind of Asian. Almost pretty, but a bit quick with the nails.” I waited for a response. After ten seconds, I said, “Junior? You still there?”
    “These jerseys,” he said. “Same as Tio’s?”
    “Black and gold, yeah.”
    “Even numbers?”
    “I don’t remember, Junior. What the hell does—?”
    “Tio’s boys,” he said. “They all sport odd numbers.”
    He was right. I wasn’t paying much attention at the time, but now I recalled the girls all had even numbers on their shirts.
    “Sounds like it was probably China,” he said.
    “Who?” I asked.
    “China,” he repeated. “Chee Nah.”
    “Okay. Who’s China?”
    A longer pause. This time I waited. “Ahh, Mr. D,” he finally said. “I told you, I don’t like talking ’bout Family business.”
    “Come on, Junior. The girl threatened to toss me in the back of a van and practically drew blood from my wrist. The least you can tell me is who the hell she is.”
    Again, I waited. Junior was probably wishing I’d never called him.
    “She’s Tio’s cousin,” Junior said. “She’s from the other side.”
    The other side? “What? She’s a vampire?”
    That got a laugh. “Other side of the bridge, Mr. D. She kinda runs things over there. I don’t know how much she and Tio talk these days.”
    “Not too much, I’d guess. She pretty much told me she’d been watching me the last two days but didn’t know why I was talking with Tio.”
    “And you told her?”
    “Yeah, I told her. It was either that or risk the nails again.”
    “Sorry, man. I’m gonna give Tio a call and let him know.”
    “Whatever,” I said. “Thanks again, Junior. Tio said he didn’t know Dougie. His mom’ll be glad to hear that.”
    “All good, then,” Junior said. “See ya ’round, Mr. D. Stay cool.”
    “I’ll do my best. You, too, Junior.”
    I was about to go down to the subway but decided to walk the rest of the way home. I needed the air.
    *
    I got back home about twenty minutes later. A large man wearing a trench coat, standing with his back to me, was waiting in front of my apartment. He held a rolled-up newspaper and tapped his leg with it. His other hand was up by his face, and then a plume of smoke rose above his head. Oh, boy. What the hell was he doing here?
    “Uncle Ray?” I said.
    He turned to face me and grinned. He spread his arms out and said, “My nephew. The famous Raymond Donne.”
    I stepped into his arms, and we gave each other a hug. He patted me on the back a few times, and I knew I’d be feeling that spot for the next hour.
    “Why are you here?” I asked after we broke the embrace.
    He held up the newspaper. “Had to swing by and congratulate you on your appearance in one of