he’d actually just sold his car.
Just then, Ash came around the corner of the restaurant and let himself out through the patio gate, with Moolah at his heels. Right behind him came three tattooed Latino guys.
At the end came a dark-haired man in a black suit and mirrored sunglasses, carrying a briefcase. The sunglasses turned to stare across the parking lot at Mauricio, as if drawn there by some unseen force. The hair prickled on the back of Mauricio’s neck.
Ash didn’t look his way. He opened the door of the extended-cab pickup and let Moolah jump in, then climbed in after him. The tattooed guys crowded into the front of the truck.
“What the hell is he doing?” Mauricio whispered to himself. “Is he leaving?”
“Which one’s yours?” DMT nodded at the group of them.
“The white guy. He’s my brother.”
He gave Mauricio a look. “Thought you was Mexican or somethin’.”
“He’s my half-brother. My mother was from Colombia.”
“Huh. That’s my briefcase.” DMT nodded at the guy in sunglasses, who got into the black Trans Am alone.
Mauricio’s phone rang. He answered. “Where the hell are you going?”
Ash said, “I told him where it is. But he wants me to take him there and actually hand it to him before he gives me the money.”
“So you’re just going to go with him?” Mauricio said. “That really sound like a good idea? You don’t even know this guy!”
“Relax. We’re just heading up into the mountains. Simple, easy. I’ll be back this afternoon with the money.”
“And then you’ll tell me what this is all about?”
“Once we’re on the road,” Ash said, “we’re gone. See if you can get rid of the car.”
“You better know what you’re doing.” Mauricio hung up. He watched the pickup drive off, the black car following.
“Well, that’s it.” DMT shifted in the seat, breathing loudly through his nose as he moved. Finally, he got comfortable and grinned at Mauricio. “My mama’s gonna love this car.”
*
Mauricio yawned. It was stretching into the evening, and now it looked like Ash wouldn’t be back until tomorrow. Cleo had told him on the phone that they’d stay overnight at her mom’s house and wait until the highway opened again. While he was stuck here, hanging around DMT’s apartment for the duration. Lovely.
The sounds and smells of the shadowed brick apartment building grated on him. He leaned over the chipped handrail and peered straight down three stories to the dark lot below, where his car sat parked.
Something had gone wrong up in the mountains; that was obvious. Ash was acting irrational, even worse than usual. At least Cleo was there with him, as bizarre as that was. He couldn’t wait to see her again, when they got to town. Catch up on life since the old days.
If Ash stuck around that long. Big if. Mauricio glanced at his watch. He’d have to pick up a different car and be ready to go by morning. There was probably a used car lot still open where he could find something cheap. But it just wouldn’t be as nice as this one. He gave the car a long last look.
DMT came outside through the apartment door, looking troubled. “Let me have your phone, dawg.” When Mauricio held it out, DMT took it and tucked it in his pocket.
“You need to make a call or something? Because I’ve got to take off, get some dinner,” Mauricio said. “You tell Prez I’ll call him later, get the money for the car.”
DMT folded his big arms. “Boss jus’ called. Says I ain’t suppose to let you out my sight.”
Mauricio tried to laugh it off, then realized he wasn’t kidding. Suddenly, the chipped handrail felt like prison bars in his hands. The low-rent apartment building around him transformed from kitschy to gulag.
“Hey, come on,” Mauricio said, his voice less than steady. “That supposed to be some kind of threat or something?”
“Pssh, I hope not.” DMT shook his big head. “I like you, man.”
Chapter
Just then, Ash came around the corner of the restaurant and let himself out through the patio gate, with Moolah at his heels. Right behind him came three tattooed Latino guys.
At the end came a dark-haired man in a black suit and mirrored sunglasses, carrying a briefcase. The sunglasses turned to stare across the parking lot at Mauricio, as if drawn there by some unseen force. The hair prickled on the back of Mauricio’s neck.
Ash didn’t look his way. He opened the door of the extended-cab pickup and let Moolah jump in, then climbed in after him. The tattooed guys crowded into the front of the truck.
“What the hell is he doing?” Mauricio whispered to himself. “Is he leaving?”
“Which one’s yours?” DMT nodded at the group of them.
“The white guy. He’s my brother.”
He gave Mauricio a look. “Thought you was Mexican or somethin’.”
“He’s my half-brother. My mother was from Colombia.”
“Huh. That’s my briefcase.” DMT nodded at the guy in sunglasses, who got into the black Trans Am alone.
Mauricio’s phone rang. He answered. “Where the hell are you going?”
Ash said, “I told him where it is. But he wants me to take him there and actually hand it to him before he gives me the money.”
“So you’re just going to go with him?” Mauricio said. “That really sound like a good idea? You don’t even know this guy!”
“Relax. We’re just heading up into the mountains. Simple, easy. I’ll be back this afternoon with the money.”
“And then you’ll tell me what this is all about?”
“Once we’re on the road,” Ash said, “we’re gone. See if you can get rid of the car.”
“You better know what you’re doing.” Mauricio hung up. He watched the pickup drive off, the black car following.
“Well, that’s it.” DMT shifted in the seat, breathing loudly through his nose as he moved. Finally, he got comfortable and grinned at Mauricio. “My mama’s gonna love this car.”
*
Mauricio yawned. It was stretching into the evening, and now it looked like Ash wouldn’t be back until tomorrow. Cleo had told him on the phone that they’d stay overnight at her mom’s house and wait until the highway opened again. While he was stuck here, hanging around DMT’s apartment for the duration. Lovely.
The sounds and smells of the shadowed brick apartment building grated on him. He leaned over the chipped handrail and peered straight down three stories to the dark lot below, where his car sat parked.
Something had gone wrong up in the mountains; that was obvious. Ash was acting irrational, even worse than usual. At least Cleo was there with him, as bizarre as that was. He couldn’t wait to see her again, when they got to town. Catch up on life since the old days.
If Ash stuck around that long. Big if. Mauricio glanced at his watch. He’d have to pick up a different car and be ready to go by morning. There was probably a used car lot still open where he could find something cheap. But it just wouldn’t be as nice as this one. He gave the car a long last look.
DMT came outside through the apartment door, looking troubled. “Let me have your phone, dawg.” When Mauricio held it out, DMT took it and tucked it in his pocket.
“You need to make a call or something? Because I’ve got to take off, get some dinner,” Mauricio said. “You tell Prez I’ll call him later, get the money for the car.”
DMT folded his big arms. “Boss jus’ called. Says I ain’t suppose to let you out my sight.”
Mauricio tried to laugh it off, then realized he wasn’t kidding. Suddenly, the chipped handrail felt like prison bars in his hands. The low-rent apartment building around him transformed from kitschy to gulag.
“Hey, come on,” Mauricio said, his voice less than steady. “That supposed to be some kind of threat or something?”
“Pssh, I hope not.” DMT shook his big head. “I like you, man.”
Chapter
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