talk to you, you’re damn well gonna need to talk to me first,” Jerry said. “I don’t know you, I don’t know the son of a bitch drove that Lexus into the tree today, and I don’t have an interest in either one of you. Yet.”
AJ made one more swipe at the glass with his thumb, then lifted it and took a long drink before speaking, his eyes on the bar.
“Man who drove that Lexus, he’s of interest to me, Mr. Dolson. Not to you. Understand?”
“What did he do, steal something? Drugs, or money?”
AJ shook his head.
“What, then? What are you talking about?”
Silence.
“Your problem,” Jerry said, “is that you put that cute little box on the underside of the car instead of sticking it to the fella himself. You found the car all right, but your boy isn’t with it. Tough shit, huh?”
He laughed, and AJ lifted his eyes from the bar and locked them on Jerry’s, and then the laugh went away. This guy talked easy, voice soft and calm, butthere was a steel edge inside him. It showed in the way he kept rubbing that glass with his thumb. Some people would do that out of boredom or nervousness. With this guy, it was different. Like with each stroke of his thumb he was tamping down embers in a place nobody else could see.
“You’re an observant man, Mr. Dolson,” AJ said, his voice tighter.
“Wouldn’t have seen it ’cept I had to take the car apart,” Jerry said, and suddenly he was wondering if he should have played this card, let the guy know he’d found the tracking device.
“What did the girl say when you told her?”
“Haven’t told her.”
“So you found it and . . .”
“Threw it in my locker and figured I’d think on it for a day or two.”
Something loosened in AJ’s face.
“You told me you don’t know me, or the guy who drove the Lexus,” he said. “Told me you aren’t interested in us. And I say that’s just right. You shouldn’t be interested in us. We’re about to move right out of your life. But you can make some money before that happens. I expect you understand that’s an opportunity not to let pass by. Easy money, from someone who has nothing to do with you?”
“You want the car?” Jerry said. “I ain’t gonna let you steal that car, man.”
“I don’t give a shit about the car. I want to know where its owner went. His name is Vaughn. I need to find him. Like you said, none of this has anything to do with you. No reason for you to protect him. Am I right?”
Jerry nodded.
“So you’ve got a decision to make, and as it stands now you’ve got no reason to support either option. How about I give you one? A thousand dollars cash. I’ll put it in your hand the minute you tell me where he went.”
There were more people in the bar now, and it felt too hot and too crowded. Jerry sipped his beer and squinted. Had that flushed, dizzy sensation like he’d get about seven or eight beers from now. Wished everyone would lower their damn voices, stop shouting and carrying on. He stared at the floor, trying to steady himself, saw that AJ wore a pair of shiny black boots, one of them tapping off the bottom rung of the bar stool. Tapping, tapping, tapping. Jerry got lost watching them.
“Not interested?” AJ said. “Okay. Then we’ll go on and get out of your life. Just like we would have anyhow. Only you’ll have nothing to show for it.”
“He didn’t tell Nora where he was going,” Jerry said.
“He’s not going to abandon that car. He might not show up for it, not for awhile at least, but he’ll check in. He doesn’t want you guys to call the police, run his license plate, anything like that. You’ll hear from him again. When you do, I want to know about it. In exchange for the thousand.”
Jerry drank the rest of his Budweiser fast, some of the beer foaming out of his lips and dribbling down his chin, then slid the bottle away.
“How do I get in touch with you?
If
I decide to.”
AJ wrote a phone number on a bar napkin and passed it to
AJ made one more swipe at the glass with his thumb, then lifted it and took a long drink before speaking, his eyes on the bar.
“Man who drove that Lexus, he’s of interest to me, Mr. Dolson. Not to you. Understand?”
“What did he do, steal something? Drugs, or money?”
AJ shook his head.
“What, then? What are you talking about?”
Silence.
“Your problem,” Jerry said, “is that you put that cute little box on the underside of the car instead of sticking it to the fella himself. You found the car all right, but your boy isn’t with it. Tough shit, huh?”
He laughed, and AJ lifted his eyes from the bar and locked them on Jerry’s, and then the laugh went away. This guy talked easy, voice soft and calm, butthere was a steel edge inside him. It showed in the way he kept rubbing that glass with his thumb. Some people would do that out of boredom or nervousness. With this guy, it was different. Like with each stroke of his thumb he was tamping down embers in a place nobody else could see.
“You’re an observant man, Mr. Dolson,” AJ said, his voice tighter.
“Wouldn’t have seen it ’cept I had to take the car apart,” Jerry said, and suddenly he was wondering if he should have played this card, let the guy know he’d found the tracking device.
“What did the girl say when you told her?”
“Haven’t told her.”
“So you found it and . . .”
“Threw it in my locker and figured I’d think on it for a day or two.”
Something loosened in AJ’s face.
“You told me you don’t know me, or the guy who drove the Lexus,” he said. “Told me you aren’t interested in us. And I say that’s just right. You shouldn’t be interested in us. We’re about to move right out of your life. But you can make some money before that happens. I expect you understand that’s an opportunity not to let pass by. Easy money, from someone who has nothing to do with you?”
“You want the car?” Jerry said. “I ain’t gonna let you steal that car, man.”
“I don’t give a shit about the car. I want to know where its owner went. His name is Vaughn. I need to find him. Like you said, none of this has anything to do with you. No reason for you to protect him. Am I right?”
Jerry nodded.
“So you’ve got a decision to make, and as it stands now you’ve got no reason to support either option. How about I give you one? A thousand dollars cash. I’ll put it in your hand the minute you tell me where he went.”
There were more people in the bar now, and it felt too hot and too crowded. Jerry sipped his beer and squinted. Had that flushed, dizzy sensation like he’d get about seven or eight beers from now. Wished everyone would lower their damn voices, stop shouting and carrying on. He stared at the floor, trying to steady himself, saw that AJ wore a pair of shiny black boots, one of them tapping off the bottom rung of the bar stool. Tapping, tapping, tapping. Jerry got lost watching them.
“Not interested?” AJ said. “Okay. Then we’ll go on and get out of your life. Just like we would have anyhow. Only you’ll have nothing to show for it.”
“He didn’t tell Nora where he was going,” Jerry said.
“He’s not going to abandon that car. He might not show up for it, not for awhile at least, but he’ll check in. He doesn’t want you guys to call the police, run his license plate, anything like that. You’ll hear from him again. When you do, I want to know about it. In exchange for the thousand.”
Jerry drank the rest of his Budweiser fast, some of the beer foaming out of his lips and dribbling down his chin, then slid the bottle away.
“How do I get in touch with you?
If
I decide to.”
AJ wrote a phone number on a bar napkin and passed it to
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