Jack opened a roof hatch, slid his hands through the handles of the paper bags and climbed down a steel-rung ladder into the Home Depot stockroom. He saw boxes arranged on huge floor-to-ceiling shelves. He could see a guy driving a Hi-Lo across the room and walked in the opposite direction, went out a swinging door into the showroom with his two A.J.’ s grocery bags full of money and kept going.
Jack walked four blocks to the Adobe Flats motel, checked in and poured the money on the queen-size bed and counted it. There was $166,000 (although A. J’s would later say it was $257,000 and that was the amount quoted in newspaper articles).
He took a wad of bills and folded it and put it in his pocket and put the rest back in the bags. He stood on the bed and reached up and pushed a ceiling tile in. The room had a drop ceiling. He put the money up in the space and replaced the tile.
He heard sirens outside and got off the bed and went to the window and pulled the curtains apart and saw two police cars speed by on Campbell, lights flashing. If they got split up, they were supposed to meet at the Rodeo Bar on Speedway. But first he had to have something to eat. He was starving, hadn’t had a thing since morning and it was going on six in the evening. He walked out of the motel and crossed the motor court and went two blocks to a taco stand with picnic tables he’d seen earlier, called Guero’s. He wanted an ice-cold Dos Equis for his parched throat and a plate of chicken burritos and beans and rice for his empty stomach but got a couple of Glock nines in his face instead.
Jack never found out who dimed him but suspected the old dude who checked him in the motel. He was watching TV when Jack came in the office, a western-dandy type with a waxed moustache, wearing a lot of turquoise and silver jewelry.
DeJuan said, “Motherfucker got greedy, decide to take it all for his self.”
Teddy grinned, showing a mouthful of beans. He said, “Now you know why he’s over there and we’re over here.”
They didn’t have a clue and Jack wasn’t going to explain it. He felt like a fool for letting these clowns get the jump on him. Never saw it coming. But he had to admit, DeJuan was a lot smarter than he seemed.
What bothered Jack as much as losing his share of the money was finding out he had a kid. Never thought he’d be a dad, marriage not being something he ever wanted any part of. And yet, he found himself studying Luke, checking him out to see if there was any resemblance. Looked at his features: his nose and eyes and ears and forehead and cheekbones. Jack thought he favored Kate more than him. Had her fair complexion and thick full hair and thin build. But it was Luke’s hands that caught his attention. They were his hands-only a smaller version. Luke being his kid wasn’t going to change anything. It was way too late for that now.
Jack thought about his life and wondered: If he could do it over, would he do it different? And the answer was-no. He pictured himself belly-chained like he was, going back to prison-a two-time loser-doing ten years this time and it scared the hell out of him. He had to figure a way out of this somehow.
He watched the group at the table like some dysfunctional sitcom family. Kate got up without saying anything and moved into the main room.
Teddy said, “Where you think you’re going?”
“Upstairs,” Kate said. “I’ve got to get Luke some clean clothes.”
“The hell you are,” Teddy said.
Kate ignored him. She went to the stairs and started up.
“Hey,” Teddy said, “you hear what I told you?”
DeJuan got up. “I’m on it.” He came around the table and went after her.
She was in Luke’s room, taking a pair of jeans out of his dresser, when DeJuan came in, standing in the doorway, the shotgun in his hands like it was glued to him. He sat at Luke’s desk, watching her.
Kate glanced at him. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
DeJuan smiled. “You not? What a relief.”
“You don’t need the shotgun.”
“Which probably mean I do.”
She opened the closet and took a red and blue flannel shirt off a hanger, draping it over the jeans.
DeJuan said, “What up? What you really doing?”
Kate said, “What’s it look like?”
“Getting feisty, huh? Givin’ DeJuan attitude. What it look like-look like you tryin’ to sneak out, get away. That what you doing?”
“Why don’t you go back down?” Kate said. “I’ll meet you in a few minutes. I’ve got to get something in my room, go to the ladies.”
She walked past him now, out of the room, carrying Luke’s clothes. He followed her down the hall to her room. He got on the king-size bed, leaned back against the headboard, pillows propped under him, laid the shotgun on the comforter.
She went to her dresser, opened a drawer, and took out a brown cable-knit sweater she bought at Nordstrom, remembering the price-$180 marked down three times to $22. She opened her underwear drawer-not knowing what he could see-and gripped the Smith and Wesson. 357 Airweight, bringing it out of the drawer, hiding it in the pile of clothes between her sweater and Luke’s shirt.
DeJuan said, “Now this the kind of bed I like-extra firm.”
She closed the drawer and glanced over her shoulder, saw him grin at her and grab his crotch.
“Yo, girlfriend, I got something else over here extra firm.” He patted the bed next to him. “Got something special for you-never seen nothing like this.”
She started moving across the room toward the door.
He slid off the bed, leaving the shotgun where it was and caught her before she got to the door. Stood in front of her, acting like he thought she was interested.
She gripped the handle of the Airweight under the clothes and said, “Let’s see what you’re so proud of.” Wanting to pull the trigger, get it over with, but knowing she couldn’t. It was too risky with Luke downstairs.
DeJuan dropped his pants to his ankles standing there posing-his thing hanging out-a sly grin on his face.
Kate said, “That’s all you got?” She stepped past him and he tried to grab her, tripped over his pants and fell on the floor. She ran along the upstairs hall and went down the stairs. Celeste met her at the bottom, pointing the Ruger at her chest.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she said and slapped her across the face with an open hand.
Kate had her finger on the trigger. Jack was still in the same chair like he was paralyzed. She didn’t see Luke, and that was what kept her from making a move. Don’t be dumb, she told herself.
“Put it on the floor,” Celeste said. “Let’s see what you’ve got there.”
Kate bent down and placed the clothes on the rug.
Celeste shuffled through the pile and the Airweight fell out. Celeste picked it up and aimed it at Kate as DeJuan appeared at the top of the stairs and said, “Yo, we got company.”
Teddy came in the room now, pulling Luke by his shirt collar, and said, “Cop just pulled in. Sheriff ’s deputy.”
Celeste said, “How many?”
“Looks like just one,” Teddy said. He glanced at Celeste. “Stay here and watch ’em.”
“You stay here,” she said. “I’m gonna take care of this one. It’s my turn.”
TWENTY — SIX
Celeste watched him get out of the car with the shotgun. He was wearing his two-tone uniform and a brown baseball cap with a gold star on the front. He took his hat off and rubbed his brush cut. He looked around and went to the front windows and looked in.
Now he walked along the west side of the cabin. Staring at the tire tracks in the grass, following them, then stopping, looking through a side window into the main room. He held a shotgun in his hands, looking alert, and came to the far edge of the cabin almost in the backyard.