Murder suspect, I’m told. Killed Roger Carlson, they say.”
“They also said I was a drug dealer. Thing is, I didn’t know this guy, didn’t talk to him, but I sat next to him for at least a half hour. And I’m telling you, there’s probably a lot I don’t know about the guy, but the one thing I do know is this—he’s no killer. And they knew it, too. They knew it, came in and dented his head in anyway and dragged him out and arrested anyone else who looked at them cross-eyed for it. And well…”
Slick took a bite, swallowed. Sipped some tea and stared at Navajo Joe.
“That ain’t right.”
The trooper leaned back in his chair, scratched his head.
“Okay, well. I make it my business not to tell folks what to do with their lives, everyone’s got their own path to follow. That doesn’t stop me from offering a word of advice, if you’ve a mind to hear it.”
“Sure.”
“If Ted thinks you’re a threat or even an annoyance, it could be more than just uncomfortable for you here, it could be dangerous. You could get pulled over and a substantial amount of drugs might be found in your car or on your person. Or you could just end up shot by a cop, with a handy pistol close by to justify the shooting. It’s been known to happen. I’ll drop word around that you’re a friend, but the reality is people like us, we don’t have many friends around here, you know?”
Slick nodded again. Navajo Joe stood, took out his card and gave it to him.
“There’s my cell number, you get jammed up, call me. If I can help you, I will. Any friend of Thumper’s is a friend of mine.”
“Appreciate it and the same to you from me, Joe.”
The trooper put out his hand, shook with both men and walked out.
“Seems like a good man,” Slick said.
“He’s good folks, no doubt.”
“He know what we really do for a living?”
“He’s probably figured it out, though he’s never said. But he’s smart as a whip, so probably. That don’t mean he’d be down with it. He’s an unusual guy.”
“Dude.”
“Yeah Slick?”
“Thanks.”
“Shut up. Don’t even have to do that, but…”
“Go ahead, say it.”
“Slick, you want to clean house here, fine. I’m all right with that, you know how I feel about people like those assholes, but why not let them drop the charges? We leave, come back later and kick some fucking redneck ass. Isn’t that better?”
“You’re in training camp, right?”
“Yeah, Julio’s fight is in two and a half weeks. It’s a contender fight, too. It’s my goddamn fault you’re even down here, the biker asshole was supposed to be my responsibility, and—”
“Taking care of that racist pedophile fuck was a pure pleasure. It’s not your fault, man. This kind of shit could happen to anyone, anywhere. I don’t blame you for it.”
“So let’s vogue, partner. Go home, get healed up. I’ll take Julio to his fight and we come back here in a couple months and drop some motherfuckers then.”
Slick shook his head.
“I don’t get it,” Thumper said. “Why do you wanna stay in this shithole?”
“It’s just … they tossed me my shoes and said, get out of town, you know?” Slick pushed his plate away. “Nobody throws me my shoes and tells me to beat it, nobody.”
Thumper got that, right away, down deep where it counted. It was but one of many reasons that they had been friends for so long.
“Okay, let me make some calls, get things in Chicago situated—”
“Nah man, it’s cool, you go on back, I know you got big things on your plate.”
“I can’t leave you alone here with hostiles, bro.”
“I can handle it, you know that. I’ve been in tighter situations.”
“Let me call someone, at least. What about your boy, the crazy shaved head monk dude you talk about—”
“Bodhi. He’s in Thailand for a few months.”
“What about Chuck and Lou?”
“In Canada. Listen, it’ll be all right. I’ll be careful and I’m not planning to do anything
“They also said I was a drug dealer. Thing is, I didn’t know this guy, didn’t talk to him, but I sat next to him for at least a half hour. And I’m telling you, there’s probably a lot I don’t know about the guy, but the one thing I do know is this—he’s no killer. And they knew it, too. They knew it, came in and dented his head in anyway and dragged him out and arrested anyone else who looked at them cross-eyed for it. And well…”
Slick took a bite, swallowed. Sipped some tea and stared at Navajo Joe.
“That ain’t right.”
The trooper leaned back in his chair, scratched his head.
“Okay, well. I make it my business not to tell folks what to do with their lives, everyone’s got their own path to follow. That doesn’t stop me from offering a word of advice, if you’ve a mind to hear it.”
“Sure.”
“If Ted thinks you’re a threat or even an annoyance, it could be more than just uncomfortable for you here, it could be dangerous. You could get pulled over and a substantial amount of drugs might be found in your car or on your person. Or you could just end up shot by a cop, with a handy pistol close by to justify the shooting. It’s been known to happen. I’ll drop word around that you’re a friend, but the reality is people like us, we don’t have many friends around here, you know?”
Slick nodded again. Navajo Joe stood, took out his card and gave it to him.
“There’s my cell number, you get jammed up, call me. If I can help you, I will. Any friend of Thumper’s is a friend of mine.”
“Appreciate it and the same to you from me, Joe.”
The trooper put out his hand, shook with both men and walked out.
“Seems like a good man,” Slick said.
“He’s good folks, no doubt.”
“He know what we really do for a living?”
“He’s probably figured it out, though he’s never said. But he’s smart as a whip, so probably. That don’t mean he’d be down with it. He’s an unusual guy.”
“Dude.”
“Yeah Slick?”
“Thanks.”
“Shut up. Don’t even have to do that, but…”
“Go ahead, say it.”
“Slick, you want to clean house here, fine. I’m all right with that, you know how I feel about people like those assholes, but why not let them drop the charges? We leave, come back later and kick some fucking redneck ass. Isn’t that better?”
“You’re in training camp, right?”
“Yeah, Julio’s fight is in two and a half weeks. It’s a contender fight, too. It’s my goddamn fault you’re even down here, the biker asshole was supposed to be my responsibility, and—”
“Taking care of that racist pedophile fuck was a pure pleasure. It’s not your fault, man. This kind of shit could happen to anyone, anywhere. I don’t blame you for it.”
“So let’s vogue, partner. Go home, get healed up. I’ll take Julio to his fight and we come back here in a couple months and drop some motherfuckers then.”
Slick shook his head.
“I don’t get it,” Thumper said. “Why do you wanna stay in this shithole?”
“It’s just … they tossed me my shoes and said, get out of town, you know?” Slick pushed his plate away. “Nobody throws me my shoes and tells me to beat it, nobody.”
Thumper got that, right away, down deep where it counted. It was but one of many reasons that they had been friends for so long.
“Okay, let me make some calls, get things in Chicago situated—”
“Nah man, it’s cool, you go on back, I know you got big things on your plate.”
“I can’t leave you alone here with hostiles, bro.”
“I can handle it, you know that. I’ve been in tighter situations.”
“Let me call someone, at least. What about your boy, the crazy shaved head monk dude you talk about—”
“Bodhi. He’s in Thailand for a few months.”
“What about Chuck and Lou?”
“In Canada. Listen, it’ll be all right. I’ll be careful and I’m not planning to do anything
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