about five thousand times.” Chris’s dad raised his can of beer. “And not all of them done that conservatively, now that I think about it. You see my point?”
“I’m not sure,” Chris said.
“What I’m saying is, going to bed with theopposite sex is part of life, it can even become routine. But at the same time, unlike the cheeseburger with the green pepper and the A-1, it isn’t something you ever get tired of.”
“I’m glad to know that,” Chris said. “I was wondering about it.”
“You know who Esther thinks you look like? Robert Redford.”
“Come on.”
“I’m not kidding you. She says that, it means she wants you to like her.”
“I like her,” Chris said, “and I’m glad you and Esther have fun together.”
“We do, that’s for sure.”
“And I appreciate your taking the time to help me with my problem.”
His dad said, “What problem?”
6
----
Saturday afternoon, when Skip called during his lunch break, Robin said, “I’m going after them tonight.”
“All of a sudden?”
“Mark’s picture was in the paper this morning, honorary chairman of a benefit to raise money for inner-city ballet programs. It’s a buffet cruise on a yacht, from Lake St. Clair down the river and back, hundred bucks a head. Woody’s going too, his name was mentioned.”
“See beautiful downtown Detroit from a safe distance,” Skip said. “I bet nobody gets off the boat.”
“You sound like a tourist. Here’s my plan. By the time the boat gets back to the marina I’ll be waiting at Brownie’s, sitting at the bar. They come in. . . . ‘Well, hi, you guys! Gosh, I can’t believe it, after all these years.’ ”
“What if they get off the boat and go home?”
“Brownie’s is right there and Woody’s never walked past a bar in his life. Listen, I’ve beengetting ready for this, following Woody’s limo around town. You know what he does? He eats and drinks, that’s about it. He has lunch at one of his clubs, like the DAC, stops off at the theater some time in the afternoon and then goes down the street to Galligan’s for the cocktail hour.”
“I’ve been there, it’s near my hotel.”
“Or he goes around the corner to Pegasus. Remember Greektown? That one block on Monroe is the most popular street in Detroit, but I haven’t been able to figure out why.”
“ ’Cause it’s lit up,” Skip said. “I know where it is. You go anywhere else downtown you’re on a dark, lonely street. So who you gonna work on, Mark or Woody?”
“Woody,” Robin said, “since he’s got the checkbook. I’m not sure where Mark stands exactly. He isn’t dumb. . . . I take that back, he wasn’t too bright, either, now that I think of it. He’s more of an actor, wants you to believe he’s got it together. But Woody’s our guy.”
“Say you connect. Then what?”
“We’re in business. You go to work.”
“We’re gonna be on the Belle Isle bridge later today, do the kush shot. Then tomorrow we ought to finish up.”
Robin said, “You still like the idea?”
Skip said, “You’re taking me back to the good old days. I’ll call you tomorrow night if I can.Otherwise Monday, after I get to Yale and look over the dynamite situation. I hope the place’s still there.”
“I forgot to mention,” Robin said. “Guess who Woody’s driver is. Donnell Lewis.”
There was a silence on the line. After a moment Skip said, “You didn’t forget. You been saving him, haven’t you? What’s his name, Donald?”
“Nothing so common, it’s Don nell . Remember the party to raise bail money for the Black Panthers? It was at Mark and Woody’s.”
“I remember you coming out of the toilet with a spade had a beard, wore a leather jacket—”
“And a beret, the Panther uniform.”
“That was Donnell, huh?”
“It might’ve been, I’m not sure.”
“It might’ve—you were in there fucking him, weren’t you?”
“I don’t remember. We could’ve been doing
“I’m not sure,” Chris said.
“What I’m saying is, going to bed with theopposite sex is part of life, it can even become routine. But at the same time, unlike the cheeseburger with the green pepper and the A-1, it isn’t something you ever get tired of.”
“I’m glad to know that,” Chris said. “I was wondering about it.”
“You know who Esther thinks you look like? Robert Redford.”
“Come on.”
“I’m not kidding you. She says that, it means she wants you to like her.”
“I like her,” Chris said, “and I’m glad you and Esther have fun together.”
“We do, that’s for sure.”
“And I appreciate your taking the time to help me with my problem.”
His dad said, “What problem?”
6
----
Saturday afternoon, when Skip called during his lunch break, Robin said, “I’m going after them tonight.”
“All of a sudden?”
“Mark’s picture was in the paper this morning, honorary chairman of a benefit to raise money for inner-city ballet programs. It’s a buffet cruise on a yacht, from Lake St. Clair down the river and back, hundred bucks a head. Woody’s going too, his name was mentioned.”
“See beautiful downtown Detroit from a safe distance,” Skip said. “I bet nobody gets off the boat.”
“You sound like a tourist. Here’s my plan. By the time the boat gets back to the marina I’ll be waiting at Brownie’s, sitting at the bar. They come in. . . . ‘Well, hi, you guys! Gosh, I can’t believe it, after all these years.’ ”
“What if they get off the boat and go home?”
“Brownie’s is right there and Woody’s never walked past a bar in his life. Listen, I’ve beengetting ready for this, following Woody’s limo around town. You know what he does? He eats and drinks, that’s about it. He has lunch at one of his clubs, like the DAC, stops off at the theater some time in the afternoon and then goes down the street to Galligan’s for the cocktail hour.”
“I’ve been there, it’s near my hotel.”
“Or he goes around the corner to Pegasus. Remember Greektown? That one block on Monroe is the most popular street in Detroit, but I haven’t been able to figure out why.”
“ ’Cause it’s lit up,” Skip said. “I know where it is. You go anywhere else downtown you’re on a dark, lonely street. So who you gonna work on, Mark or Woody?”
“Woody,” Robin said, “since he’s got the checkbook. I’m not sure where Mark stands exactly. He isn’t dumb. . . . I take that back, he wasn’t too bright, either, now that I think of it. He’s more of an actor, wants you to believe he’s got it together. But Woody’s our guy.”
“Say you connect. Then what?”
“We’re in business. You go to work.”
“We’re gonna be on the Belle Isle bridge later today, do the kush shot. Then tomorrow we ought to finish up.”
Robin said, “You still like the idea?”
Skip said, “You’re taking me back to the good old days. I’ll call you tomorrow night if I can.Otherwise Monday, after I get to Yale and look over the dynamite situation. I hope the place’s still there.”
“I forgot to mention,” Robin said. “Guess who Woody’s driver is. Donnell Lewis.”
There was a silence on the line. After a moment Skip said, “You didn’t forget. You been saving him, haven’t you? What’s his name, Donald?”
“Nothing so common, it’s Don nell . Remember the party to raise bail money for the Black Panthers? It was at Mark and Woody’s.”
“I remember you coming out of the toilet with a spade had a beard, wore a leather jacket—”
“And a beret, the Panther uniform.”
“That was Donnell, huh?”
“It might’ve been, I’m not sure.”
“It might’ve—you were in there fucking him, weren’t you?”
“I don’t remember. We could’ve been doing
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