“Where is he?”
“Bahamas.”
“Is Prince with him?”
“Yep.”
This is good news, and I’m relieved to hear it. I’m sure Deck has known it for some time.
“So they made it,” I say, looking out the window, trying to imagine those two with straw hats and sunglasses. They both lived in such darkness here.
“Yeah. I don’t know how. Some things you don’t ask.” Deck has a blank look on his face. He’s deep in thought. “The money’s still here, you know.”
“How much?”
“Four million, cash. It’s what they skimmed from the clubs.”
“Four million?”
“Yep. In one spot. Locked in the basement of a warehouse. Right here in Memphis.”
“And how much are they offering you?”
“Ten percent. If I can get it to Miami, Bruiser says he can do the rest.”
“Don’t do it, Deck.”
“It’s safe.”
“You’ll get caught and sent to jail.”
“I doubt it. The feds aren’t watching anymore. They don’t have a clue about the money. Everybody assumes Bruiser took enough with him and he doesn’t need anymore.”
“Does he need it?”
“I don’t know. But he sure as hell wants it.”
“Don’t do it, Deck.”
“It’s a piece of cake. The money will fit in a small U-Haul truck. Bruiser says it’ll take two hours max to load it. Drive the U-Haul to Miami, and wait for instructions. It’ll take two days, and it’ll make me rich.”
His voice has a faraway tone to it. There’s no doubt in my mind that Deck will try this. He and Bruiser have been planning it. I’ve said enough. He’s not listening.
We leave Miss Birdie’s house and walk to my apartment. Deck helps me haul a few clothes to my car. I load the trunk and half the backseat. I’m not going back to the office, so we say our good-byes by the garage.
“I don’t blame you for leaving,” he says.
“Be careful, Deck.”
We embrace for an awkward second or two, and I almost choke up.
“You made history, Rudy, do you know that?”
“We did it together.”
“Yeah, and what do we have to show for it?”
“We can always brag.”
We shake hands, and Deck’s eyes are wet. I watch him shuffle and jerk down the drive, and get in the car with Butch. They drive away.
I write a long letter to Miss Birdie, and promise to call later. I leave it on the kitchen table because. I’m sure she’ll be home soon. I check the house once again, and say good-bye to my apartment.
I drive to a branch bank and close my savings account. A stack of twenty-eight one-hundred-dollar bills has a nice feel to it. I hide it under the floor mat.
It’s nearly dark when I knock on the Blacks’ front door. Dot opens it, and almost smiles when she sees it’s me.
The house is dark and quiet, still very much in mourning. I doubt if it will ever change. Buddy’s in bed with the flu.
Over instant coffee, I gently break the news that Great Benefit has gone belly-up, that she’s been shafted once more. Barring a miracle far off in the distance, we won’t get a dime. I’m not surprised at her reaction.
There appear to be several complex reasons for Great Benefit’s death, but right now it’s important for Dot to think she pulled the trigger. Her eyes gleam and her entire face is happy as it sinks in. She put them out of business. One little, determined woman in Memphis, Tennessee, bankrupted them sumbitches.
She’ll go to Donny Ray’s grave tomorrow and tell him about it.
Kelly is waiting anxiously in the den with Betty Norvelle. She clutches a small leather bag I bought her yesterday. In it are a few toiletries and a few items of clothing donated by the shelter. It holds everything she owns.
We sign the paperwork, and thank Betty. We hold hands as we walk quickly to the car. We take a deep breath once inside, then we drive away.
The gun’s under the seat, but I’ve stopped worrying.
“Dear, which direction?” I ask when we get on the interstate loop that circles the city. We laugh at this, because it is so absolutely wonderful. It doesn’t matter where we go!
“I’d like to see mountains,” she says.
“Me too. East or West?”
“Big mountains.”
“Then West it is.”
“I want to see snow.”
“I think we can find some.”
She cuddles closer and rests her head on my shoulder. I rub her legs.
We cross the river and enter Arkansas. The Memphis skyline fades behind us. It’s amazing how little we’ve planned for this. We didn’t know until this morning that she’d be able to leave the county. But the charges were dropped, and I have a letter from the district attorney himself. Her bond was canceled at three this afternoon.
We’ll settle in a place where no one can find us. I’m not afraid of being followed, but I just want to be left alone. I don’t want to hear about Deck and Bruiser. I don’t want to hear about the fallout at Great Benefit. I don’t want Miss Birdie calling me for legal advice. I don’t want to worry about Cliff’s death and everything related to it. Kelly and I will talk about it one of these days, but not anytime soon.
We’ll pick a small college town because she wants to go to school. She’s only twenty. I’m still a kid myself. We’re unloading some serious baggage here, and it’s time to have fun. I’d love to teach history in high school. That shouldn’t be hard to do. After all, I have seven years of college.
I will not, under any circumstances, have anything whatsoever to do with the law. I will allow my license to expire. I will not register to vote so they can’t nail me for jury duty. I will never voluntarily set foot in another courtroom.
We smile and giggle as the land flattens and the traffic lightens. Memphis is twenty miles behind us. I vow never to return.