I had more pieces to put together before I brought Wolfe to meet Luke. The library had signs all around— the Campaign to Combat Illiteracy.
They should have asked me to be a consultant. I learned to read, really read, in prison. The Prof told me you could steal more money with a briefcase than with a pistol. I know that's true— but I never seem to get it right.
When I came back outside, it was just getting dark. I called Bonita at the place she works— told her I'd come by later, take her home.
102
Almost four in the morning when I stepped out of Bonita's building. Lighter, not happier. She'd made sweet little come-noises in her bed, following the script.
I lit a cigarette to scan the street, feeling the night shift. I'm not usually a target, but predators work the same way lonely losers do in singles bars— the closer it gets to quitting time, the more desperate they are to make a connection.
Almost to my car when a van prowled up on my right. I stepped behind the fender of a parked car, reaching inside my jacket when I saw what the van was tracking…a woman in a red dress slit up one side, walking unsteadily, like she was drunk. A street snatch is high-risk— maybe the van held a pack of gambling beasts, out to gang-rape Lady Luck. Or maybe I spent too much time on the dark side, manipulated by memories.
"Linda! Wait for me!" I yelled, loud enough to make her turn around.
The van took off.
103
Still wasn't tired when I got back to the office. I gave Pansy a couple of pints of chocolate chip ice cream I'd picked up at an all-night deli, smoked a cigarette, read through Michelle's letters again.
I flicked the channels on the black&white set, ignoring Pansy's annoyance when I couldn't find any pro wrestling. Finally settled for Mayberry, R.F.D. Fell asleep wishing Andy Griffith had been the Sheriff last time I'd stuck up a liquor store.
104
In the morning, I thought it through again. Stepping back, watching the edges. I had the bag. Wolfe had agreed to the meeting. It didn't feel dangerous to me. I could square it all up, get out, go back to taking off Carlos.
Time to roll, right? Get on with it.
Something holding me back.
Maybe I wasn't scared enough, yet.
105
At Mama's, waiting for Teresa. After my soup, Luke brought out a deck of cards, asked me if I wanted to play.
"What do you know how to play, kid?"
"Gin. Max taught me."
We played a few hands. Played a few more before I realized the little bastard was no amateur.
"How many cards left outside your hand?" I asked him.
"Twenty-six," he said, guilelessly.
"Where are they?"
"You have ten, there's one up, so there's fifteen in the deck."
"What are the cards, Luke?"
"If I tell you, then you'll know what's in my hand, kind of."
"Yeah. Like you kind of know what's in mine, right?"
"Right!" He smiled brightly.
"So you always beat Max?"
"No. Sometimes, it doesn't matter what you know. Some of it's just luck."
"Un-huh. You like it better when it's not luck?"
"Yes. Mama's going to teach me another game. Blackjack."
Mama loomed over my shoulder, putting her finger to her lips, smiling indulgently at her prize pupil. "Luke, remember what Mama tell you…blackjack a secret, yes?"
"I don't like secrets," the boy said, his voice dropping a register, eyes flickering.
"It's okay, Luke," I said, shooting a warning look at Mama. "There's no secrets here. Nobody's going to give you secrets. Mama was only playing."
"Playing?"
"Yeah. Like joking. Understand?"
His eyes flickered again. "Can I have some duck, Mama?"
Mama only serves duck about once a week— says it's a real pain to prepare properly.
"Sure, baby. Maybe some prawns too?"
"Yes!"
"Good baby," Mama said, reaching over to muss his hair.
106
While Teresa was downstairs with Luke, Max came in. Sat across from me, watching.
The phone rang in the back. Mama came to the table. "For you," she said. "Sunny man."
"It's me," I said, picking up the receiver.
"It is me too, mahn. With some news for you. I spoke to those people. Tomorrow night, you know Corona?"
"Yes."
"On Astoria Boulevard, city side of Ninety-fourth, a few blocks down, you will see an old drive-in. Hamburger joint, abandoned now. Drive there, midnight. They will meet you, take you to her."
"Okay."
"You have her property, mahn?"
"Yes."
"Sure. You understand."
"Can I bring a friend?"
"You are, mahn. Clarence will meet you there too."
"Clarence is afraid of those people."
"Everyone is, mahn."
107
I explained it all to Max. Slowly. Usually, he gets things as sharp as anyone who hears, but he was playing it dumb. Like he does when he doesn't like what I'm saying. He kept trying to deal himself in. I kept shaking my head.
Mama came back, sat down with us, a paper bag in her hands.
"Bonds all gone," she said.
"That was damn fast— you score ten points?"
"Not all. Three hundred for us."
"Elroy gets a hundred, Mama. But it's still a giant hit."
Mama bowed. Put the money on the table, shuffled it like a casino dealer, spun it into piles. Three stacks, a hundred grand in each. Brushed one to the side, Elroy's money. I counted off five grand, handed it to Max. He gets ten points for deliveries. That's what he does, deliveries. Guaranteed. I made the signs for Elroy. Max's thin lips curled— he clapped his first two fingers hard against his thumb, like jaws snapping. I knew what he meant: yak yak yak. He pointed at me, made the sign of driving a car. He'd have to borrow mine to make the delivery. I nodded okay. Then he made the sign of dialing a phone— also my responsibility to tell the maniac Max was on his way. Okay again.
I fanned out the five grand I'd set aside for Max, looking hard at Mama. She knew the rules— she was just as responsible for the money getting back to Elroy as I was. Besides, she probably clouted the bonds for three-fifty or even four hundred and we both knew it.
Finally, she nodded. "Oh yes, pay fair share, okay?" Handed over five grand of her own.
I took twenty for myself, pushed the rest over to Mama. "For the bank, okay?"
"Okay."
She leafed through her money, still keeping the stacks separate. Counted off a bunch of bills, handed them to Max, making the sign of rocking a baby. "For Flower, yes?" she said, looking at Max, talking to me.