The Mystic Arts Of Erasing All Signs Of Death Part 44

-Call when you got 'er rollin' back here.

Mr. Big Ten Four went out of the room. Harris grabbed a seat next to the door. Jaime continued to give me stink eye. And, still being pretty sure Soledad had lied to me about something, and being pretty p.i.s.sed about it as well, I did my best to ignore her.

Not looking at her, being the best way I knew to keep my brain from forcing me to remember what she looked like naked and how smooth and downy the skin was at the small of her back.

-I didn't even want to bring the tweaked-out little b.u.g.g.e.r along.

-Web.

-Mean, his mom hadn't been in my business about how he needed someone to reach out a hand and get him on his feet if he was ever gonna get free of that c.r.a.p, it never would have crossed my mind to take him on the road and put him to work. My sister just kept up on me 'bout how the best thing for him would be to get out of town and away from all his tweaker friends, so I went 'gainst my better judgment and had him ride with my crew when we hit the road for the season.

-Web.

-Guess it didn't pan out the way his mom hoped.

Harris blew out his cheeks.

-Gonna have a h.e.l.l of a time explaining that to her. Not so much he died, boy had early grave early grave tattooed on his shoulder. Not just making conversation there, he actually had the words tattooed on his shoulder. Not just making conversation there, he actually had the words early grave early grave tattooed on his shoulder. He asked for it, he got it. Still. tattooed on his shoulder. He asked for it, he got it. Still.

-Web.

-Still, it's gonna be a b.i.t.c.h explaining how he died. S'pose I'll say he got crushed under a train or something. Tell her we were taking a load off a boxcar on a sidin' and he tripped up and went under another as it was pulling out on the opposite tracks. Somethin' long those lines. Make it clear why there's no body to bring back.

-Web.

Harris s.h.i.+fted his weight forward and dropped the front legs of his tilted chair to the floor.

-Boy that girl's talkin' to you. Been tryin' to get your attention the last hour. You want to maybe give her a glance so she'll stop interruptin' me while I try to figure some c.r.a.p out?

I glanced at Soledad.

-What?

She shrugged.

-I just wanted to say thanks.

-What for?

She looked at the ceiling.

-For coming to get me, what else?

-You're welcome.

I looked at Harris.

-OK, we're done.

He looked at Soledad.

-All done?

She folded her arms.

-Sure, fine, let him pout.

He tilted back and lifted the edge of the curtain and peeked out the window.

-Glad you got that bit out of your systems. Now you can maybe please shut the h.e.l.l up.

He dropped the curtain and gave me a look.

-While I pa.s.s the time along till I get to a point that's coming soon where I figure this is all BS and I decide I have to do something to make amends for bein' made to feel foolish and all.

He tapped the cellphone he'd set on the table at his elbow.

-This don't ring soon.

He pointed at the room phone.

-I may have to replay certain incidents from our recent past, Web.

He laced his fingers behind his head.

-Know you know what I'm sayin'.

He was right, I knew.

I raised my hand.

-Can I go to the bathroom?

-Uh-huh. Just leave the door open.

I went into the john and unzipped and stood in front of the toilet and didn't pee because I didn't really have to go.

-I don't hear anythin' in there.

I stuck my head out the door.

-That's 'cause I'm pee shy around girls. Can I run the tap?

He waved a hand.

-Whatever it takes.

I ducked back in and turned the taps on full and stood at the can for a second and looked out the open door and turned and eased the shower curtain aside and stepped into the tub and tugged the bathroom window and it didn't open. I stepped out of the tub, hit the flush lever, got back in the tub and gave the window a good yank and it ground open on rusted tracks. The rush of toilet water was fading from the pipes and I got out of the tub and pulled the curtain closed and stuck my hands under the running water in the sink and turned off the taps and looked around and couldn't find a towel. I went out, my hands dripping.

-No towels.

Harris inclined his head at a couple athletic bags near the door.

-Got 'em packed away already.

I sat back on the bed, discovering that I suddenly had to pee very badly.

Harris pointed at Soledad.

-You need to go?

She shook her head.

He pointed at Jaime.

-You?

He furrowed his brow.

-Uh.

-Ain't something most people have to think about, jacka.s.s.

Jaime shook his head.

-No, no, I don't have to go.

-OK, well, from here on out, everyone's holding it.

Harris settled and put his hand back behind his head.

-Talbot. Know what you need to know 'bout that boy? Other than his teeth were gray from snorting crank and his hair was fallin' out and his skin was yellow and his nose was collapsin' in on itself? What else you need to know about Talbot was his car. Boy had this car, eighty-eight or eighty-nine Toyota or Honda or one of them other j.a.p cars all look the same. Had that car awhile. Know how long? Ten years. Had that car ten years. Know how he got it? Stole it. Boosted it off the street in Humbolt. Went there to score some gra.s.s and came back with some college kid's car. Used to brag on that car all the time. Stole this car ten years ago and I'm still drivin'it. You believe that s.h.i.+t? Ten years in the same hot car and I ain't been busted. Bet I drive this car twenty years before they bust me for it. Cops so f.u.c.kin' stupid, had me pulled over twice since I stole it and they ain't busted me for the hot car I'm in. Stole this car ten years ago and I'm still drivin'it. You believe that s.h.i.+t? Ten years in the same hot car and I ain't been busted. Bet I drive this car twenty years before they bust me for it. Cops so f.u.c.kin' stupid, had me pulled over twice since I stole it and they ain't busted me for the hot car I'm in.

He shook his head.

-Said that. Said, Bet I drive this car twenty years before they bust me for it. Bet I drive this car twenty years before they bust me for it. Never occurred to him to maybe unload the d.a.m.n thing Never occurred to him to maybe unload the d.a.m.n thing before before they arrested him. He just figured you steal a car, you drive it till you get caught. Whoever drives his longest wins. 'Course, six of those ten years he bragged about he was inside for dealin'. That was before his habit got so bad he couldn't be trusted by no one to deal. Anyhow, that's about all you need to know about Talbot. Boy was an albatross the whole season. they arrested him. He just figured you steal a car, you drive it till you get caught. Whoever drives his longest wins. 'Course, six of those ten years he bragged about he was inside for dealin'. That was before his habit got so bad he couldn't be trusted by no one to deal. Anyhow, that's about all you need to know about Talbot. Boy was an albatross the whole season.

-Web.

-Some farmer's leavin' a stack of irrigation pipe at the same southwest corner of a citrus orchard for a week, we hear about it from one of his wetbacks and send Talbot with a couple hands to pick it up. He comes back with a truckload of PVC. Ask him, Where's the pipe Where's the pipe, he points at the plastic in the truck. That he don't even know the points of the compa.s.s to find the right corner is one thing.

-Web.

-But that he can't tell between PVC and steel is another.

-Web.

The legs of his chair came down.

-Boy, will you acknowledge the girl, for peace sake?

I rubbed my s.h.i.+n where he'd kicked me.

-I don't want to talk to her.

She clapped her hands to her head.

-Why? What the h.e.l.l did I do?

I pulled up my pant leg and looked at the big purple lump.

-She knows what she did.

-No, I don't, I really don't!

I looked at Harris.

-She so knows what she did.

She got up.

-What I did? What I I did? What I did was did? What I did was like like you! What I did was need someone to hold me. you! What I did was need someone to hold me.

She came across the room at me.

-What I did was f.u.c.k you and have you freak out in the morning and I walked outside when you told me to get away from you and got kidnapped by the Oakridge Boys!

Harris leaned forward in his seat.

-Settle down now.

-You f.u.c.ked a.s.shole?

We looked at Jaime, still wedged between the bed and the wall, but newly roused from the nap he'd been taking.

She stuck a finger in my face.

-Yes, I did. And it was nice. And I needed it. And I thought he was cool and safe. But he's acting like every a.s.shole I've ever f.u.c.ked, by turning into a d.i.c.k now that he's gotten some.

Harris knocked on the table.

-Said settle down. settle down.

Jaime flipped me off.

-Knew you were an a.s.shole.

I raised my hands.