town that he needed to go back to his apartment and find out what was up. With Shane at his side, he knocked on his own front door.
Crystal glared at him when she answered, but he ignored the look. He brushed past her, scanning for hidden police officers. She appeared to be alone.
“What’s going on?” she demanded.
“No one’s here?” John asked.
“No.”
“You sure?” he said, twisting his head in all directions.
“No one’s here now, but they were. The cops were here — the SWAT was, and they were looking for you. They’re still looking for you, and looking hard. They said they might be back.”
“Shit. What else did they say?”
“They said you stuck a gun to some kid’s head,” Crystal sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I can’t believe all this, John. Why’d you have to go and do all this shit now? I was having a good time. I used my vacation to come here.” She looked him in the eye. “You fucking put a gun to a kid’s head? Why?”
John stared at her.
“What are you going to do?” she asked.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he said flatly. “I don’t have time. I gotta get goin’ before the cops get back. I gotta get my shit outta here and i gotta get outta here. Now.”
John walked to the closet, Shane silently shadowing him. John didn’t understand Shane most of the time. He wanted to trust him but he didn’t think he could. He didn’t understand why sometimes he seemed to have diarrhea of the mouth, and other times he was a fucking mute. John decided he was just another weird ex-con and he would have to keep an eye on him, but right now he needed help and he could not afford to be picky.
John opened his closet. “Always best to clean your shit up before any search warrants get here,” he explained as he loosened a panel in the back of the closet. He pulled out a small baseball bat, a snub-nose revolver and a stun gun, tossing them on the floor.
“Yup, you’re probably gonna need all that,” Shane said, nodding his approval.
A couple of minutes later John bustled toward the front door holding a hard brown suitcase. “Gotta go,” he said.
Crystal stood post at the door, arms crossed. “Aren’t you going to tell me what is going on?”
“I told you, I don’t want to talk about it,” John said, coming to a halt in front of her.
“I need to know,” she said, lips quivering, voice shaking. “I don’t have anywhere else to go.”
“I can’t help it, babe. I gotta leave now.” He pushed her aside. “Cops might be back any minute. If I don’t get gone, I’m gonna get got.”
He kissed her on the cheek and walked out the door. “I’ll call you,” he said, hustling down the stairs.
***
Esther pounded on John’s door and screamed that she needed to talk to her boyfriend.
Crystal opened the door. “He’s not here,” she said, mouth set.
“I’ll wait for him then,” Esther said. “I need to tell him something.”
“Well, you’re going to have to wait outside. I’m not letting you in here.”
“Fine. I’ll wait in the parking lot. I’ll wait all night if I have to.”
“Fine.”
***
Esther did not end up staying after all. She drove away when the cops showed up again. The police did not stay long, either. They said they were just checking to see if John had come back. When they left, John returned. He wanted an update on his legal status.
“They’re still looking for you, that’s all,” Crystal told him. “They want to arrest you. Surprised?”
“Shut up, Crystal. I don’t need that shit from you.”
“From me? Why don’t you tell me what you’re doing? Why was that woman here?”
“Woman? What woman?” John did a slow burn as he realized which woman she was talking about. “Damn it, Esther.”
Crystal started crying. “Why’re you treating me like this, John? Disrespecting me?”
John did not answer. His face was sullen.
“You told me I was the only one and now some other slut shows up and
Crystal glared at him when she answered, but he ignored the look. He brushed past her, scanning for hidden police officers. She appeared to be alone.
“What’s going on?” she demanded.
“No one’s here?” John asked.
“No.”
“You sure?” he said, twisting his head in all directions.
“No one’s here now, but they were. The cops were here — the SWAT was, and they were looking for you. They’re still looking for you, and looking hard. They said they might be back.”
“Shit. What else did they say?”
“They said you stuck a gun to some kid’s head,” Crystal sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I can’t believe all this, John. Why’d you have to go and do all this shit now? I was having a good time. I used my vacation to come here.” She looked him in the eye. “You fucking put a gun to a kid’s head? Why?”
John stared at her.
“What are you going to do?” she asked.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he said flatly. “I don’t have time. I gotta get goin’ before the cops get back. I gotta get my shit outta here and i gotta get outta here. Now.”
John walked to the closet, Shane silently shadowing him. John didn’t understand Shane most of the time. He wanted to trust him but he didn’t think he could. He didn’t understand why sometimes he seemed to have diarrhea of the mouth, and other times he was a fucking mute. John decided he was just another weird ex-con and he would have to keep an eye on him, but right now he needed help and he could not afford to be picky.
John opened his closet. “Always best to clean your shit up before any search warrants get here,” he explained as he loosened a panel in the back of the closet. He pulled out a small baseball bat, a snub-nose revolver and a stun gun, tossing them on the floor.
“Yup, you’re probably gonna need all that,” Shane said, nodding his approval.
A couple of minutes later John bustled toward the front door holding a hard brown suitcase. “Gotta go,” he said.
Crystal stood post at the door, arms crossed. “Aren’t you going to tell me what is going on?”
“I told you, I don’t want to talk about it,” John said, coming to a halt in front of her.
“I need to know,” she said, lips quivering, voice shaking. “I don’t have anywhere else to go.”
“I can’t help it, babe. I gotta leave now.” He pushed her aside. “Cops might be back any minute. If I don’t get gone, I’m gonna get got.”
He kissed her on the cheek and walked out the door. “I’ll call you,” he said, hustling down the stairs.
***
Esther pounded on John’s door and screamed that she needed to talk to her boyfriend.
Crystal opened the door. “He’s not here,” she said, mouth set.
“I’ll wait for him then,” Esther said. “I need to tell him something.”
“Well, you’re going to have to wait outside. I’m not letting you in here.”
“Fine. I’ll wait in the parking lot. I’ll wait all night if I have to.”
“Fine.”
***
Esther did not end up staying after all. She drove away when the cops showed up again. The police did not stay long, either. They said they were just checking to see if John had come back. When they left, John returned. He wanted an update on his legal status.
“They’re still looking for you, that’s all,” Crystal told him. “They want to arrest you. Surprised?”
“Shut up, Crystal. I don’t need that shit from you.”
“From me? Why don’t you tell me what you’re doing? Why was that woman here?”
“Woman? What woman?” John did a slow burn as he realized which woman she was talking about. “Damn it, Esther.”
Crystal started crying. “Why’re you treating me like this, John? Disrespecting me?”
John did not answer. His face was sullen.
“You told me I was the only one and now some other slut shows up and
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