.
Chapte r 7
“Bear, did you get my messages?”
“Yeah , I did, but I been sleeping in lately. I just got up about an hour ago.”
“The situation has gotten worse. I’m going to need you to help with that eviction sooner than later.”
“Yeah, about that, I’ve been doing some homework on your little friend. It seems you didn’t quite tell me everything about him.” Bear was standing in front of a mirror in the short hallway near his front door, examining the plumes of grey sprouting in his beard.
“But you can still do it, can’t you?”
Gabriel’s voice sounded thin, metallic, hollow with a slight echo. Bear couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Something sounded off. More than just the nervous titter in Gabriel’s speech.
“Where are you calling from?” said Bear.
“My house.”
“Why does it sound so weird?”
“I don’t know. I’m in my house.”
“S ounds like you’re in a tin can.”
“I’m in the bathroom.”
Locked-in, trapped. Bear pictured the old man scared and whispering in the shower stall, a prisoner in his own home. “Yeah, I’ll help you out. When do you think he’s gonna be there? For sure be there?”
“He’s he re all the time. He never leaves.” Gabriel’s voice cracked. He sounded scared. The self-assured attorney was gone; Bear was listening to a terrified child.
“Al right, let me see what I can do. I don’t think you should be there. How about tomorrow night, late, like say, eleven o’clock?”
“Thank you, Bear. Thank you.”
“Gabriel?”
“Yes?”
“When you go, leave the front door open.”
***
Donny and Big Rich were on the corner with a couple of the other guys, doing their thing, standing against a wall with one leg raised, bent at the knee, trying to look cool, patient. It was nearing nine o’clock and the night was getting colder. Fog was drifting in from the ocean and starting to work its way through the city streets.
Donny pinched a cigarette butt between his fingers and flicked it upward so that it arced out into traffic. “You heard from him?”
“From who?”
“You know who. Him . Did he call?”
“Not yet. It’s only been one day . Don’t sweat it, he’ll call.”
“You think he knows?”
“Knows what?”
A younger boy named Skye interrupted them. “What’re you guys talking about?” Skye was dumb, dumber than most on the corner. His face was scarred with both fresh and ancient acne, and he wore clothes that hung like rags.
“No ne of your business, Skye. Go stand over there,” said Donny.
But Rich said, “Hey Sky e, don’t you have a computer in your room?”
“Yeah, so? I’m not printing any checks for you guys. You fucked me over that last time.”
“You have an I nternet connection?”
“Another guy in the hotel does; it’s unlocked, I can use his. I do it all the time.”
Donny interrupted Rich before he gave up anymore information to this dumbass kid. “I thought we weren’t gonna up load it yet? Just let him know what we got.”
“ We’re gonna, tonight. I just want to make sure we can follow through, that’s all.”
“What are you guys talking about?” Skye repeated.
“Nothing, Skye. Go back over there.” Big Rich pointed to a spot on the wall.
“Rich?” Here came the real rea son he interrupted. “You holdin’ anything?”
“I ain’t got shit. Ain’t you been out today, yet?”
“Too many fuckin’ cops. I haven’t been able to stand more than ten minutes without needing to hide. Fuckin’ sucks.”
Skye was always whining no matter how many tricks he caught. Big Rich hated him. Didn’t know why, the kid definitely came in useful sometimes, but Rich couldn’t stand his attitude, his voice, his fucking ugly face.
“Why don’t you head over to Larkin Street, so you can see ‘ em coming,” said Donny, trying to get rid of him now.
“It’s all fuckin’ trannies over there, dude. There’s
Chapte r 7
“Bear, did you get my messages?”
“Yeah , I did, but I been sleeping in lately. I just got up about an hour ago.”
“The situation has gotten worse. I’m going to need you to help with that eviction sooner than later.”
“Yeah, about that, I’ve been doing some homework on your little friend. It seems you didn’t quite tell me everything about him.” Bear was standing in front of a mirror in the short hallway near his front door, examining the plumes of grey sprouting in his beard.
“But you can still do it, can’t you?”
Gabriel’s voice sounded thin, metallic, hollow with a slight echo. Bear couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Something sounded off. More than just the nervous titter in Gabriel’s speech.
“Where are you calling from?” said Bear.
“My house.”
“Why does it sound so weird?”
“I don’t know. I’m in my house.”
“S ounds like you’re in a tin can.”
“I’m in the bathroom.”
Locked-in, trapped. Bear pictured the old man scared and whispering in the shower stall, a prisoner in his own home. “Yeah, I’ll help you out. When do you think he’s gonna be there? For sure be there?”
“He’s he re all the time. He never leaves.” Gabriel’s voice cracked. He sounded scared. The self-assured attorney was gone; Bear was listening to a terrified child.
“Al right, let me see what I can do. I don’t think you should be there. How about tomorrow night, late, like say, eleven o’clock?”
“Thank you, Bear. Thank you.”
“Gabriel?”
“Yes?”
“When you go, leave the front door open.”
***
Donny and Big Rich were on the corner with a couple of the other guys, doing their thing, standing against a wall with one leg raised, bent at the knee, trying to look cool, patient. It was nearing nine o’clock and the night was getting colder. Fog was drifting in from the ocean and starting to work its way through the city streets.
Donny pinched a cigarette butt between his fingers and flicked it upward so that it arced out into traffic. “You heard from him?”
“From who?”
“You know who. Him . Did he call?”
“Not yet. It’s only been one day . Don’t sweat it, he’ll call.”
“You think he knows?”
“Knows what?”
A younger boy named Skye interrupted them. “What’re you guys talking about?” Skye was dumb, dumber than most on the corner. His face was scarred with both fresh and ancient acne, and he wore clothes that hung like rags.
“No ne of your business, Skye. Go stand over there,” said Donny.
But Rich said, “Hey Sky e, don’t you have a computer in your room?”
“Yeah, so? I’m not printing any checks for you guys. You fucked me over that last time.”
“You have an I nternet connection?”
“Another guy in the hotel does; it’s unlocked, I can use his. I do it all the time.”
Donny interrupted Rich before he gave up anymore information to this dumbass kid. “I thought we weren’t gonna up load it yet? Just let him know what we got.”
“ We’re gonna, tonight. I just want to make sure we can follow through, that’s all.”
“What are you guys talking about?” Skye repeated.
“Nothing, Skye. Go back over there.” Big Rich pointed to a spot on the wall.
“Rich?” Here came the real rea son he interrupted. “You holdin’ anything?”
“I ain’t got shit. Ain’t you been out today, yet?”
“Too many fuckin’ cops. I haven’t been able to stand more than ten minutes without needing to hide. Fuckin’ sucks.”
Skye was always whining no matter how many tricks he caught. Big Rich hated him. Didn’t know why, the kid definitely came in useful sometimes, but Rich couldn’t stand his attitude, his voice, his fucking ugly face.
“Why don’t you head over to Larkin Street, so you can see ‘ em coming,” said Donny, trying to get rid of him now.
“It’s all fuckin’ trannies over there, dude. There’s
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