Read Online Mr. Hooligan by Ian Vasquez - Free Book Online

is about principle .”
    Riley said, “Name your price, please,” and fixed the man with a stare.
    Lopez sat back. Folded his arms across his chest. “Sixty percent ownership.”
    Riley squinted at him. “Ownership? Of what?”
    Lopez pointed at the floor. “This place right here.”
    And Harvey said, “What?” gesturing and knocking over the minister’s drink, glass tumbling onto the deck, water spreading across the table.
    Lopez picked up the folder and shook off the water that had touched the corners. Harvey jumped to his feet and said, “Shit. Turo, Gert, somebody get me a towel.” He flapped the legs of his shorts, the front wet. “You must be out of your fucking mind,” he said to Lopez and stalked away.
    Arms folded, Lopez sat there, looking amused. Watching Harvey leave, he said to Riley, “No need to get emotional about this.”
    Riley turned in his chair so that he was facing the road. In the park across the way, palm tree fronds were fluttering in the breeze. Soft sunlight on the water out there under low-lying clouds. “You have no idea—”
    “Who I’m messing with?”
    “Not what I was going to say, but anyway…”
    “Believe me, I know who you are. Police records might not show any convictions but your name is known. Everybody knows you’re involved with Israel and Carlo Monsanto, and everybody knows how they acquired their money and it ain’t from no dusty downstairs dry goods store. Many years ago, two men were assaulted out on Manatee Road, middle of the day. Your name came up. Don’t think I know that? I’m very aware of who you are. Now let me tell you what you’re up against. Besides the health department, the building codes department,” he said, raising the folder. “Consider where you buy your goods and services. Think about what happened this morning and imagine how much worse it could get. Electricity bills high? Who knows, soon they might become exorbitant, unaffordable, the faulty meters, you know? You might have a faulty meter back there, something like that. City water. Sure you paid your bills on time? Wouldn’t want to get your services cut off, would you? Mr. James, you consider how easy things like this could happen and you’ll come to understand you’re up against the whole government . Which is why I’m telling you, this is not just about a dog.”
    Riley repositioned himself in the chair, leaned elbows on knees, invading Lopez’s space. “Now you know I ain’t just gonna hand over half my business to you or anyone else, so we want to keep on talking, give me a figure, man.”
    For a moment, Lopez hesitated. He sort of sighed, nodded, and pulled a paper from the folder. Set the paper on the dry side of the table, slid it to Riley.
    Harvey returned with a rag, started blotting up the water. Riley held the paper against his chest, waiting for Harvey to finish. Harvey looked at the paper and said, “What’s that?”
    Riley held the paper out at a distance and read. It was a column of figures, a tally of health and permit fines, the cost of Miss Solomon and her six pups, the estimated legal fees “should a lawsuit be deemed necessary” and the bottom line, the sum required for all these problems to vanish. Using spectacular effort to maintain composure, Riley put the bullshit piece of paper on the table, spun it around for Harvey to scrutinize.
    Harvey leaned forward, narrowed his eyes at Lopez. “You are fucking insane. For a dog ?”
    “For a business, my friend.”
    “I’m not your fucking friend.”
    Riley lifted a hand. “Easy now, let’s settle down.” He canted his head, smiled tightly at Lopez. “I’m sure we can come to an agreement, the terms of which will be satisfactory to both parties.”
    Lopez, smirking, nodded. “I do like the sound of that.”
    Harvey stood there shaking his head, looked at Riley then at Lopez.
    Minister Burrows reappeared on the deck, chin high in queenly fashion. “Are we finished, Victor?”
    “For now, I