him. Jerry glanced around, curious if anyone was watching him take this guy’s number on a napkin like he wanted a date.
“All right. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Excellent decision,” AJ said. “How do you feel about five hundred bucks up front?”
“Feel fine about that.”
“Give me the device you took off that car, and I’ll give you the five hundred. Gesture of good faith, on both our parts.”
“Can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“Shop’s closed, and, uh, I don’t have keys anymore.”
His face burned when he said it. There were plenty of problems between him and Nora, but losing his keys, that was the most serious one. She’d come down one weekend and found him using the paint booth to put a fresh coat on Steve’s boat. Sort of thing he’d do from time to time, favor for a friend. Bud had known, and hadn’t cared. But Nora, she accused him of undercutting the business, of stealing paint—which was a bold-faced lie, Steve bought the paint—and disrespecting her. Demanded his keys. He’d never been as close to quitting as he was that day.
“You can’t get in all weekend?” AJ said.
“Not without Nora, and it sounded like you didn’t—”
“No.” AJ shook his head. “I don’t want her involved.”
“Well, Monday, then.”
AJ nodded after a long pause, resigned, and got to his feet.
“All right. You get in touch Monday, and I’ll get your wallet stuffed fat, Mr. Dolson. And now I’ll leave you to the rest of your evening.”
“Not till you buy me another beer, you won’t,” Jerry said. He felt good about saying that, pleased with the tone, insistent, demanding. Like he was in control.
AJ settled his tab, left a fresh beer in front of Jerry, and walked out of the bar, his boots loud on the floor. Jerry gave it a few seconds, then got to his feetand went to the window, leaned on the jukebox with a cigarette in hand and studied the cars in the parking lot, looking for AJ. Didn’t see him. How the hell had he gotten out of there so fast? Then his eyes rose from the cars and found him across the street.
It made Jerry frown. The guy wasn’t from town, he was certain of that, so he didn’t arrive in Tomahawk on foot. He had a car, but it wasn’t here now, which meant somebody had dropped him off at Kleindorfer’s Tap Room and gone elsewhere. Now this guy, AJ, he was walking in the direction of the body shop. Rankled Jerry a little. What did he need at the body shop after Jerry’d agreed to help him? He considered driving down there. It held him at the window for a moment, but eventually he shook his head and went back to the bar. The shop was closed, Nora was gone, and if this yahoo had any ideas about breaking in he’d just set off the alarm and draw the cops out. It was Friday evening, and Jerry’s vested interest in Stafford’s Body Shop was on hold till Monday.
7
__________
N ora hung the CLOSED sign on the front door as soon as Jerry left, and turned off the lights in the office with every intention of leaving early herself. The weekend stretched ahead, a chance to relax, get some much-needed Nora time. She’d spend an hour or two with her father and then be free of all responsibilities until Monday at eight. There was a pang of guilt at lumping the visit with her father into the responsibilities category, but she didn’t think anyone would blame her. They were difficult visits.
She was locking the back door of the shop when she remembered Frank.
Damn it.
She’d told him six. So used to staying late that it had seemed the most appropriate time to suggest. Now, with the shop closed and a sudden yearning for a shower and a change of clothes in her mind, that extra hour was torment. She stayed at the door for a moment before turning the lock back with a sigh and stepping into the shop. There was nothing to do but wait.
It was dark inside, lit by just one emergency lamp above the door. Nora made her way through the room without bothering to turn on the
“All right. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Excellent decision,” AJ said. “How do you feel about five hundred bucks up front?”
“Feel fine about that.”
“Give me the device you took off that car, and I’ll give you the five hundred. Gesture of good faith, on both our parts.”
“Can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“Shop’s closed, and, uh, I don’t have keys anymore.”
His face burned when he said it. There were plenty of problems between him and Nora, but losing his keys, that was the most serious one. She’d come down one weekend and found him using the paint booth to put a fresh coat on Steve’s boat. Sort of thing he’d do from time to time, favor for a friend. Bud had known, and hadn’t cared. But Nora, she accused him of undercutting the business, of stealing paint—which was a bold-faced lie, Steve bought the paint—and disrespecting her. Demanded his keys. He’d never been as close to quitting as he was that day.
“You can’t get in all weekend?” AJ said.
“Not without Nora, and it sounded like you didn’t—”
“No.” AJ shook his head. “I don’t want her involved.”
“Well, Monday, then.”
AJ nodded after a long pause, resigned, and got to his feet.
“All right. You get in touch Monday, and I’ll get your wallet stuffed fat, Mr. Dolson. And now I’ll leave you to the rest of your evening.”
“Not till you buy me another beer, you won’t,” Jerry said. He felt good about saying that, pleased with the tone, insistent, demanding. Like he was in control.
AJ settled his tab, left a fresh beer in front of Jerry, and walked out of the bar, his boots loud on the floor. Jerry gave it a few seconds, then got to his feetand went to the window, leaned on the jukebox with a cigarette in hand and studied the cars in the parking lot, looking for AJ. Didn’t see him. How the hell had he gotten out of there so fast? Then his eyes rose from the cars and found him across the street.
It made Jerry frown. The guy wasn’t from town, he was certain of that, so he didn’t arrive in Tomahawk on foot. He had a car, but it wasn’t here now, which meant somebody had dropped him off at Kleindorfer’s Tap Room and gone elsewhere. Now this guy, AJ, he was walking in the direction of the body shop. Rankled Jerry a little. What did he need at the body shop after Jerry’d agreed to help him? He considered driving down there. It held him at the window for a moment, but eventually he shook his head and went back to the bar. The shop was closed, Nora was gone, and if this yahoo had any ideas about breaking in he’d just set off the alarm and draw the cops out. It was Friday evening, and Jerry’s vested interest in Stafford’s Body Shop was on hold till Monday.
7
__________
N ora hung the CLOSED sign on the front door as soon as Jerry left, and turned off the lights in the office with every intention of leaving early herself. The weekend stretched ahead, a chance to relax, get some much-needed Nora time. She’d spend an hour or two with her father and then be free of all responsibilities until Monday at eight. There was a pang of guilt at lumping the visit with her father into the responsibilities category, but she didn’t think anyone would blame her. They were difficult visits.
She was locking the back door of the shop when she remembered Frank.
Damn it.
She’d told him six. So used to staying late that it had seemed the most appropriate time to suggest. Now, with the shop closed and a sudden yearning for a shower and a change of clothes in her mind, that extra hour was torment. She stayed at the door for a moment before turning the lock back with a sigh and stepping into the shop. There was nothing to do but wait.
It was dark inside, lit by just one emergency lamp above the door. Nora made her way through the room without bothering to turn on the
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