Carla cocked her head at me. “You never talk much about your life, do you.”
“Well, you get to be closed-mouthed about your past at the DOD. When everybody you know is up shit creek, too…” I shrugged and pulled out a couple of cigarettes, offering one to Carla.
“Thanks,” she said, “but not when I’m on duty.”
I lit mine and said, “So, why haven’t you been around the club lately?”
“Well, to tell you the truth, Manny, it’s your little coat-check girl. All that bubbly energy… I just want to strangle her!”
“I’ve tried that. It doesn’t stop her. Tell you what, though—I can hop over to the club, grab a bottle, and we can slip into the back and—”
“That back room is all business, Manny, and so am I.”
“What kind of ‘business’ goes on back there, Carla?” I teased.
“Strip searches,” she said, but before I could say anything to that opening, she added with a sigh, “and you don’t qualify.”
“Now why don’t I qualify for a strip search?” I asked, leaning close, kind of enjoying myself.
“Manny,” Carla said seriously, drawing back, “I agree it would help pass the time, but we have procedures and rules here.” She leaned very slightly closer, adding in a lower voice, “And you never know when they’re watching.” I glanced up at the CCTV camera. The red light winked on and off evilly. “I can only strip search people when a regular search turns up nothing. And you’re not even traveling.”
“That’s a point,” I said. “Well, you can’t blame a guy for trying to liven things up a little.”
“And I appreciate that. But I got myself into this. I’ll survive, even if I do hate every minute of it.”
“But you don’t mind if I stick around for a while, do you?”
“Of course not,” she answered.
“Good. ’Cause I probably won’t be around for much longer.”
Carla stiffened in her chair. “You’re leaving, Manny?” She asked, almost panicky. “For good?”
“I haven’t worked off my time yet. I can’t leave leave. You know that.”
She relaxed a little. “A vacation? You could take me along. I’d like that. We could take a cozy little cabin and never set foot—”
“No, I’ve got some serious business to take care of down the line. I’m not sure how long it’ll take and it won’t be much fun.”
There was cold anger in Carla’s voice when she asked, “It’s her, isn’t it? You’ve heard something about that Mercedes Colomar bitch at last, haven’t you?”
I sighed.
“Haven’t you!?” she demanded.
“Look… Carla,” I began.
“‘Carla’… what?” she snapped. “Which fucking lie are you gonna feed me this time, ‘carnal’?” she asked venomously. “First, it was just a snafu. Then, it was you who made the mistake. After that it was your saintly moral duty. And let’s not forget the line about ‘it’s business, not personal’. I’m sick of it, Manny!” she almost screamed. “How long are you gonna toy with me?” She pressed her hand to her sternum. “I’m here. I’m available,” she protested, almost in tears. She took my hand with her other. “What’s wrong with me?” I was speechless. She let go. She shook her head. “No. The only woman you care about is that Colomar dame. Every time I try to get close, you throw that goddamned ‘saintly’ woman in my face! Well, get this through your stupid thick skull, Calavera: she split on you!!” She took a shaky, deep breath. “I don’t know what she did to you, but I’m done trying to figure it out, pal!”
“Carla…” I began again.
“Get out!” she shouted. When I didn’t move—I couldn’t move, I was so stunned by the scene—she surged up from her chair and slugged me. “Get the FUCK out of here!” I backed off. “I never wanna see you again!!” She came at me again, caught a corner of her desk with her hip and fell. I moved to try to help her up… and she tried to kick my legs out from under me! I took off.
As I ran out of the terminal, I could hear Carla screaming and sobbing, “Yeah, just leave me alone, why don’t’cha?! Maybe I’m lying here with two broken legs!! You don’t care, do you, you miserable, little prick!? Maybe you’d like to come back here and finish me off… ASSHOLE!!”
“Oh, God!” I exclaimed when I got outside. I fell back against the wall and took a lot of deep breaths, waiting for the shaking to go away. No doubt about it… I just couldn’t read women. Carla had groused about Meche before, but I never would have imagined the scene that had just happened. First I drive Meche into the woods, and now Carla to hysterical, jealous rage. I sighed and started walking. I wondered what trauma I had inflicted on Eva. No, Eva was iron. I hoped. ‘Well, I’d better get on the Limbo,’ I thought, ‘’cause bridges are burning beneath me.’
Lola’s Last Photo
I was halfway back to the club when I stopped in my tracks and exclaimed, “Bogen!!” Several passersby looked at me curiously. I changed direction. If Bogen was thinking of a raid, he could make it tough for me to leave town. I had to take care of that possibility right away. I went to the Blue Casket to find my cell. I spotted them, but I also saw something that distracted me.
I went to the back of the club, near the doors to the kitchen and the door to Olivia’s ‘office’ or whatever it was she called it. Parked just outside Olivia’s door was Lola in her working clothes, fiddling with her camera.
“Lola!” I said when I got close enough for my voice to carry over the music. “What are you doing here? This crowd doesn’t go much for souvenir pictures… ’cept maybe of Lenin.”
“Manny!” Lola exclaimed, making shushing motions with her free hand. “I’m on a stakeout here! I’m gonna prove to Maximino once and for all that Olivia’s no good for him.”
“Still hung up on Max, huh?” I sighed. My failed flapper never knew when to throw in the towel. “Take my advice, angeclass="underline" forget about him. He’s a gambling racketeer.”
“Like you?” she asked slyly.
“Oh, that hurts, baby.”
Lola sniggered.
“Well,” she said, “tonight’s the night I get the goods on sweet, innocent little Miss Ofrenda. When Max knows what I know… sssh!” She yanked me back into the shadows. “Here they come,” she hissed. She readied her camera as Olivia’s door opened.
Olivia stepped out, followed by… Nick Virago? I shook my head, not believing what I was seeing. Lola had actually been on to something big.
“Come on, sugar,” Nick cooed, “how about a kiss for the road.”
“Oh, ick!” Olivia exclaimed. “Don’t let me down, Nick.” I smiled inside. I was appalled by what I was seeing, of course, but Olivia always did have style. “You’re a lawyer,” she went on. “You’re not supposed to have feelings.”
“I don’t,” Nick said, “but I know a good tort when I see one.” I suppressed a groan. Nick had excellent dress sense, but no style at all.
When they went into their clinch, Lola snapped a picture and then vaulted toward the exit.