Looking through the front window of the panaderia I could see the entire shop, Cass wasn’t there. A bell rang over the door when I entered, past a rack of bread and tortillas I found her sitting on the floor with the owner’s granddaughter, playing with Angel. Letting out a long sigh, I grabbed her suitcase.
“Let’s roll,” I said picking up Angel. Cass followed me without question. In the car I told her about my meeting with the Pope.
“You told him I was with you?”
“No, he put it together when I asked about Kelly. My place isn’t safe anymore.” I said flicking my eyes to the rearview to make sure I wasn’t being followed.
“Who ever is after me, now knows you’re involved.” She said.
“Or they will soon.”
“So, I guess you’re stuck with me now.” She was right, walking away was no longer an option, if it ever truly had been. Sooner or later they would find out I took out three of their soldiers, and they would want me to pay the freight. My only chance was to find them first.
“Where are we going?”she asked as we snaked onto the freeway.
“I have to hook up a place for you to stay.”
“Us. A place for us.”
“You have to trust me, baby girl, I have things I have to do that I can’t do if I’m worrying about keeping you alive. When it hits the fan I have to know you’re safe if I’m going to be any good to either of us.” She didn’t like it, but she knew all the cute pouts and coy eyes weren’t going to change my mind.
I parked behind Club Xtasy. “Is this where Kelly worked?”
“That’s the place.”
“Kind of shabby.”
“It’s alright.” I left Cass in the car and went inside. Piper was sitting in a booth with a man in a baseball cap and a tee-shirt that proclaimed he was a party animal. Piper’s face formed a broad grin when she saw me approach. “Hey buddy, wait your turn, I’m talking to the lady,” the guy said.
“I’m not your buddy, pal. I’m with the health department and this ‘Lady’ has tested positive.” The guy instantly took his arm off Piper. “Come with me miss,” I said. Piper stood up and stalked me into the back.
“You crazy bastard, he was good for sixty bucks, minimum.” Her eyes were sparking with mirth.
“I need you to slip out the back and take a friend of mine to your house.”
“Can’t do it sweet cheeks, this is my big night. And momma needs to make rent.”
“I’m jammed up Piper. I really need this.”
“And I look like a pushover, is that it?” she said, crossing her arms over her chest, pressing her breasts together creating a mountain of cleavage. It was a power move, half defiance, half seduction, designed to confuse the poor male brain into doing her will.
“I don’t have any options here,” I said honestly.
“You sleep in my bed but you won’t fuck me, you leave town and you don’t call. Now you want me to leave my money night to help a friend of yours. When did we get married?”
“Fuck it, you’re right. I’m out of line. I’m sorry I asked,” I said and started to turn away.
“Slow down, big guy. Have I ever refused you anything, have I?” Leaning up she gave me an almost sweet peck on the cheek. “There’s something about you, I don’t know what it is, but you got me. Now let’s go before I change my mind and have Turaj kick your ass out of here.” That image was enough to make me smirk. Grabbing her bag from the dressing room locker we went out the back door, then down the thin staircase and into the parking lot. Piper stopped cold at the foot of the stairs.
Across the parking lot she saw my car with a pair of clearly female legs hanging out of the window. Piper spun on me, her face hardening, “You want me to take in your strumpet, you got some balls Moses.”
“It ain’t like that Piper, she’s a friend, and she’s in trouble,” I said.
“A friend you’re fucking? Huh, Mo?”
“No baby doll, I ain’t fucking anyone. Getting fucked pretty hard.” I shot her a feeble wink. She stared hard at me for a long moment, then a smile crept onto her face and I knew I was home free.
“God damn you, Mo.” Hooking her arm into mine we strolled through the parked cars to the Crown Vic. Cass sat up, looking at Piper and her arm on me, it was subtle but I could see her eyes flicking back and forth.
“Piper, this is Cass, she needs looking after,” I said. Piper studied Cass’ face with growing shock.
“Kelly?” she whispered.
“Her sister,” I said.
“It’s like looking at a ghost.”
“I’m not a ghost. Ok?” Cass said climbing out. “This your girlfriend?” she looked Piper up and down. I was saved from answering by Angel jumping out of the car and bouncing up to Piper.
“No, no no no, Mo! I told you how I feel about dogs,” she said.
“Just one night, that’s all I’m asking,” I said, flashing some uneven teeth.
“Fine, whatever. But if it pees on my carpet I’m making it into slippers. That’s right little fur ball welcome to Cruella DeVil land.” Whoever said all women loved puppies had never met Piper. Getting Cass into Piper’s powder blue ‘65 Ford Falcon I sat Angel on her lap and told her to keep the pup out of trouble. As they drove away, Cass watched me through the window. Somewhere in her heart she believed every goodbye might turn out to be permanent.
When I got back to Highland Park the streets were quiet. I parked around the corner from my house, jumped the fence and entered through the back door. With my.45 in hand I moved through the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and then the living room. Content that I was alone I pushed my club chair into a corner. From this position I could cover the front door and the kitchen. I left the lights out, waiting with the Mossberg riot gun on my lap. Patience was never my long suit, I would rather rush forward then lay in wait. I could hear the treads on every car as they rolled past along the pavement. Around midnight the neighborhood dogs began to bark, first one then joined by many. I tensed, ready for the door to fly open. One of the dogs let out a painful yap. A slight odor of a skunk drifted through the window. Somewhere down the block a dog had been sprayed. I drifted off sometime after midnight.
In my dream, Cass and I are living in a house on a Mexican beach. She is dressed in a flowing kimono with gold braid dragons climbing up her breasts. She is feeding me slices of mango while we watch Angel playing in the surf. She kisses the back of my neck. Someone is knocking at our door. I hope they will go away.
I was awake in time to hear the second knock. The street light glowed through my shabby curtains, silhouetting a hulking man on my front porch. I hefted the shot gun to my shoulder and aimed at the door. I could hear the scratch of metal against wood. A quick crack and the door jamb gave way as the door popped open. Two shadowy men stood outlined against the streetlight. I held my breath. They moved into the dark room, pulling the door closed behind them. I racked a shell into the shot gun and watched their eyes pop.
“Sorry, wrong house,” a beefy man in a jogging suit said.
“Right house, wrong day.” I aimed at his gut. His buddy wore pressed jeans and an argyle sweater vest. “Kick your guns over here, before I get nervous and bad things start to happen.” They weighed their odds and came up short. They might have been able to drop me, but one of them was going to lose his life in the transaction. Slowly they dropped their pistols and kicked them over in my direction. Sweater boy kicked short so the chrome automatic lay on the hardwood between us. He was a leap away from it. Getting up I kicked the gun under my sofa.