Read Online Matchstick Men: A Novel About Grifters With Issues by Eric Garcia - Free Book Online
Authors: Eric Garcia
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down. Helps to
imagine
it looking good, and take it from there.
“Speak,” Roy says into the phone.
“Roy?”
“Yeah?” Suspicious. It’s not a voice he knows.
“It’s Dr. Klein.”
Roy relaxes. “Hey, doc. We gotta reschedule?”
“No, no, not at all.” The doctor sounds excited. Excited andnervous. Roy pulls out a chair from the breakfast bar and sits down. “I’ve got some news.”
“About Heather?”
“Yes and no. Yes.”
Over the last few sessions, Roy had opened up. About Heather, about their relationship. The few good times, the many bad. And Dr. Klein had gotten him wondering. Mostly about her, but a little about the kid. About the possibility of a kid. And though Roy wanted to know, he couldn’t bring himself to call. To talk to her. Every time he thought about it, played out the conversation in his mind, the bile rose up, choked him off. Once, he had to run to the doctor’s bathroom, kneel by the toilet. Dry heaves. Spittle drenching the floor.
But the doctor said he’d do it. It was unorthodox, it was unusual, but he would do it. Call Heather on Roy’s behalf. See if she wanted to talk. If so, it would be a step. Maybe then Roy could put words together. Couldn’t hurt to try.
“I found her,” says Klein. “I found her across the state.”
“Where?” asks Roy, and then a second later, “Wait—don’t tell me. Go on.”
“I found her, and I called her, and we had a … a nice conversation.”
Roy swallows. No bile yet. “Does she want to talk to me?”
A deep breath from the other side. A sigh. “No,” Klein says eventually. “She doesn’t.”
“I see.”
“She didn’t understand that it might help you with your therapy.”
“You told her I was in therapy?”
“I told her I was a psychiatrist, yes. I can’t lie, Roy.”
He slumps lower in the chair. “So she doesn’t want to see me.”
“No. No. But there’s good news, Roy. Very good news.”
Roy laughs bitterly. “She’s got cancer?”
The doctor is silent for a moment. The phone line hums. “Was that … a wish, Roy?” he says quietly. “That’s a lot of rage we should work out—”
“It’s a fucking joke, doc. Wake up. C’mon, what’s the other news?”
He waits a second, just to build it up. Roy holds his breath. “You have a child.”
Exhale. Roy knew it was coming, felt it as soon as he picked up the phone. This was why Klein called him at home. Heather could have waited until the next session. But a kid … “What’s his name?” asks Roy.
“Angela.”
“He’s a—it’s a girl?”
“Funny name for a boy, huh? Yes, Roy. You have a fourteen-year-old daughter named Angela.”
“Jesus. Angela, huh? Nice name, I guess.”
“And she wants to meet you.”
Roy takes a deep breath. Holds it. This wasn’t something he expected. The doctor was supposed to talk to Heather.
Talk
to her. Meetings weren’t until the future, that’s what they had agreed upon. But a kid. A daughter.
“When?” he asks.
“Whenever we can arrange a time and place. She’s got school, but there are weekends, there are evenings.”
“Can you do it?” says Roy.
“I can, but you should really be the—”
“Do it,” Roy says. “You set it up, and I’ll see her.”
There’s a park two miles away from Roy’s house. It’s got swings, it’s got benches, it’s got a castle up on a hill. A nice park, a good place to meet. This is where Dr. Klein decided to have the meeting. This is where he’s going to bring Angela.
She’s coming in by train, Roy knows, but he didn’t want to pick her up. That was an option the doc gave him. Pick up your long-lost daughter at the train station. Something about it didn’t work for Roy. Made him feel odd. Lots of people at a train station, no room to move. To maneuver. He prefers this meeting in the park. It’s open. There are bushes here, places to go if he gets sick.
Roy arrives early. He didn’t tell Frankie about the meeting. It didn’t
imagine
it looking good, and take it from there.
“Speak,” Roy says into the phone.
“Roy?”
“Yeah?” Suspicious. It’s not a voice he knows.
“It’s Dr. Klein.”
Roy relaxes. “Hey, doc. We gotta reschedule?”
“No, no, not at all.” The doctor sounds excited. Excited andnervous. Roy pulls out a chair from the breakfast bar and sits down. “I’ve got some news.”
“About Heather?”
“Yes and no. Yes.”
Over the last few sessions, Roy had opened up. About Heather, about their relationship. The few good times, the many bad. And Dr. Klein had gotten him wondering. Mostly about her, but a little about the kid. About the possibility of a kid. And though Roy wanted to know, he couldn’t bring himself to call. To talk to her. Every time he thought about it, played out the conversation in his mind, the bile rose up, choked him off. Once, he had to run to the doctor’s bathroom, kneel by the toilet. Dry heaves. Spittle drenching the floor.
But the doctor said he’d do it. It was unorthodox, it was unusual, but he would do it. Call Heather on Roy’s behalf. See if she wanted to talk. If so, it would be a step. Maybe then Roy could put words together. Couldn’t hurt to try.
“I found her,” says Klein. “I found her across the state.”
“Where?” asks Roy, and then a second later, “Wait—don’t tell me. Go on.”
“I found her, and I called her, and we had a … a nice conversation.”
Roy swallows. No bile yet. “Does she want to talk to me?”
A deep breath from the other side. A sigh. “No,” Klein says eventually. “She doesn’t.”
“I see.”
“She didn’t understand that it might help you with your therapy.”
“You told her I was in therapy?”
“I told her I was a psychiatrist, yes. I can’t lie, Roy.”
He slumps lower in the chair. “So she doesn’t want to see me.”
“No. No. But there’s good news, Roy. Very good news.”
Roy laughs bitterly. “She’s got cancer?”
The doctor is silent for a moment. The phone line hums. “Was that … a wish, Roy?” he says quietly. “That’s a lot of rage we should work out—”
“It’s a fucking joke, doc. Wake up. C’mon, what’s the other news?”
He waits a second, just to build it up. Roy holds his breath. “You have a child.”
Exhale. Roy knew it was coming, felt it as soon as he picked up the phone. This was why Klein called him at home. Heather could have waited until the next session. But a kid … “What’s his name?” asks Roy.
“Angela.”
“He’s a—it’s a girl?”
“Funny name for a boy, huh? Yes, Roy. You have a fourteen-year-old daughter named Angela.”
“Jesus. Angela, huh? Nice name, I guess.”
“And she wants to meet you.”
Roy takes a deep breath. Holds it. This wasn’t something he expected. The doctor was supposed to talk to Heather.
Talk
to her. Meetings weren’t until the future, that’s what they had agreed upon. But a kid. A daughter.
“When?” he asks.
“Whenever we can arrange a time and place. She’s got school, but there are weekends, there are evenings.”
“Can you do it?” says Roy.
“I can, but you should really be the—”
“Do it,” Roy says. “You set it up, and I’ll see her.”
There’s a park two miles away from Roy’s house. It’s got swings, it’s got benches, it’s got a castle up on a hill. A nice park, a good place to meet. This is where Dr. Klein decided to have the meeting. This is where he’s going to bring Angela.
She’s coming in by train, Roy knows, but he didn’t want to pick her up. That was an option the doc gave him. Pick up your long-lost daughter at the train station. Something about it didn’t work for Roy. Made him feel odd. Lots of people at a train station, no room to move. To maneuver. He prefers this meeting in the park. It’s open. There are bushes here, places to go if he gets sick.
Roy arrives early. He didn’t tell Frankie about the meeting. It didn’t
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