Shower.

Nothing before a shower. And once she has a shower she won't be going anywhere but her chair and she won't be doing anything but drinking a couple 77's and dropping a lude and crashing.

She takes another look at the Seville, almost rakes her key across the door to teach the a.s.shole a lesson, but doesn't have the energy to get that angry.

She's been angry all day. Angry and scared.

Poor Andy.

He had the look. When they called her down to Emergency and she saw him on the gurney, thought that was it. But that was just the start. Bob grabbing her and telling her to keep an eye on George and Hector and Paul, not to let them talk to anyone. Bob, up to something, sure as s.h.i.t. And that can't be anything but bad news.

Having to sit with Cindy while he dealt with the cop. The doctor explaining to her what a burr hole is and how they were going to have to drill a few in Andy's skull if they were going to have any chance of taking the pressure off his brain. Got to give it to the girl, she took it. Signed the form just like that and cried her tears and went to see how they were doing with George's st.i.tches and his thumb.

She unlocks the front door, blocking it with her foot so the cat can't get out, dumps her purse and the AM/PM bag on the couch and goes down the hall dropping her clothes and the baggies of pills on the floor behind her. In the shower, she finds some dry specks of blood on her forearm and scrubs them away. She toys with the loofah but doesn't have the energy to use it. Shampooing takes it all out of her.

Out of the shower, she grabs an ankle length red cotton nightgown from the back of the door and drops it over her body and folds her hair inside a towel turban. She looks at the AC, but the heat is finally breaking so she leaves it off and goes around opening windows and the sliding gla.s.s door, pulling the screen door closed so the cat stays in. A couple oscillating fans get the air moving around.

She pa.s.ses through the kitchen long enough to open a can of cat food and fill a gla.s.s with ice. The cat runs in and starts eating. She scratches it behind the ears with her bare toes, then goes and grabs her grocery bag off the floor, hits the play b.u.t.ton on her turntable, and settles into the basket chair.

She closes her eyes and listens to the music.

Joni Mitch.e.l.l always works. Hardly ever take Blue off the turntable unless there's company.

Her eyes still closed, she reaches inside the bag and takes out one of the 77's, opens it and pours it in the cold gla.s.s. She takes a sip. The cat lands in her lap and nuzzles till it finds its spot. She keeps her eyes closed, too tired to lift her lids.

Those kids.

What the h.e.l.l did those kids get into? What kind of s.h.i.t did they fall into for Bob to be lying to a cop? Jesus, he gets caught in a lie to a cop, he'll never get right again.

Those kids.

Doctors won't know what the deal with Andy is for at least a couple days. If the sweetheart makes it he may never be a super genius again. George should be OK, but he was as freaked as she's ever seen anyone, until they stuck a needle in his arm and settled him down. ER doctors took one look at Hector's face and started calling around to USF and Stanford, looking for a plastic surgeon who could do the st.i.tching without turning him into a freak. And Paul. Just sitting there, staring at the wall, not talking to anyone except when they asked him where his dad was and he said he didn't want to see his dad. No problem there, the man still hadn't showed up by the time she left.

Whole town coming apart at the seams today. Boys beat, mutilated. Bob up to some s.h.i.t. Fire on the edge of town, some drug thing gone wrong. Reporters from the Tribune and the Times and even the Oakland papers coming around when the bodies came in. Asking questions about the local dealers. s.h.i.t. It's like signs and portents. Everything telling her it's time to cut her losses and get the h.e.l.l out of the game. Sell off the s.h.i.t she brought out tonight and just wash her hands. No reason she can't make do on her salary. The Mustang is paid for. The time share she can unload.

The cat jumps down from her lap.

She realizes she can't feel the breeze from the fans. She opens her eyes.

Geezer points the kitchen knife at her.

--Fans all you got, you got no AC?

Her drink spills in her lap.

--I'm not dealing crank, Geezer. I told Jeff. I don't know who you've been talking with.

Geezer laughs.

--Jeff. Yeah, Jeff. Forgot about him. Funny.

--I told him.

--Amy, you remember when I came over? Made the special trip over here to talk to you. Remember?

She doesn't say anything.

--That guy you had hanging around, your boyfriend or whatever, the one with the lip on him, had so much to say. What was his name?

Amy wonders if her cat ran away when Geezer came in through the screen door.

--Eddie.

Geezer shifts the knife in his hand.

--Yeah, Eddie. His nipples ever grow back?

--I. I never sold any meth. Ever. I do my thing.

--What's that look like when it heals, a man with no nipples? Hey, could you have sewed them back on if I hadn't dropped 'em down the garbage disposal?

--Never, Geezer. Not a single gram. I swear. I don't even do the stuff myself. I don't even like selling my pills to your customers.

--Where's your money, b.i.t.c.h?

--I don't.

He takes a step closer.

--This the same knife I used on him? This the same...word? G.o.dd.a.m.n it! A thing. A tool. The word for a tool.

--I.

--Don't f.u.c.k with me. The f.u.c.king word?

--Cleaver?

--No, not a specific f.u.c.king tool. The word for tool, a thing you can use, a fancier way of saying it.

--I.

He stomps, walks in a circle, face reddening.

--G.o.dd.a.m.n spics! G.o.dd.a.m.n kids! G.o.dd.a.m.n word!

--Kids.

He stops.

--Got it! Implement. Is this the same implement I used to cut that guy's nipples off with?

--Kids?

He comes closer, waving the knife.

--No! Don't pull that s.h.i.t. That f.u.c.king, kids, what kids? c.r.a.p. f.u.c.ker, that f.u.c.ker your nephew tried that s.h.i.t. I know, I know. I don't need to be told, I know. You, you s.h.i.t where I eat, that's what you did. You and your f.u.c.king brother. I'm all f.u.c.ked up, and if I'm all f.u.c.ked up, everybody's f.u.c.ked up. Money. Money now. Money now and I won't cut off as much. And where's the AC? Is everybody in this town a...word? d.a.m.n! d.a.m.n. Lizards and snakes? f.u.c.king things that are cold blooded and like the heat? What are they!? What the f.u.c.k are they!?

--Reptiles, Geezer.

Geezer licks his lips and turns his head and looks at Bob.

--I keep getting snuck up on today.

Bob nods.

--I know how you feel.

Geezer sees what Bob's holding, he drops the knife.

--You know what makes me laugh the most, Bob?

--What's that?

--They kept telling me, Loller and your kids, they kept saying you had nothing to do with it. Loller telling me I'm paranoid. There's no conspiracy, Geezer. They're just f.u.c.king kids. Like I'm an idiot. But, and I'll give it to you, Bob, I never saw it coming. I mean, when it was in front of my face, I got it. But I never saw it coming.

--That right?

--Never. But now, now, I see everything, and what I'm thinking is, you're gonna need help. Dealing with Oakland. Making it right. And I know how to deal with those guys. And you'll need an extra hand, with Loller not around. 'Cause it's a mess right now, but I see where you were going with it, what you were aiming for, and I can help you to put it together so it can still work.

--Geezer.

--Bob.

--You got no clue what you're talking about.

Geezer wipes some sweat from his upper lip.

--Oh.

--My boy, my oldest, the one that isn't in a coma right now, when he mentioned a stupid fat sonofab.i.t.c.h, I didn't bother to ask for a name. Know why?

--Not really.

--Because you're so stupid and greedy and predictable and low. If I'd thought about it for half a second, I'd even have figured you for coming over here. As it is, I just feel lucky I needed to talk to my sister. You cool, Ames?

--Uh huh.

Geezer blinks as some sweat rolls into the corner of his eye.

--You know, Bob, things may not be what you think they are. You know your son there was running for your sister here? You know that?

Bob shakes his head.

--I did not know that.

--All I'm saying is, so you're not looking to get back in the business, no second thoughts, but this one here? She's got something cooking. And your kids, and I don't mean to say anything bad about them, but maybe you don't know everything they got going on for themselves.

Bob hefts the sawed off bat with the galvanized nails pounded through its head.

--Remember?

--Uh huh.

--I keep it in the toolbox on the truck. Sometimes a job site gets robbed, copper piping and PVC and whatever, the contractor might ask a couple of the guys to sleep over at the site and keep an eye on things. So I got this in the toolbox. Not that I've ever done more than show it to a couple kids tried to jack some insulation.

He tosses the bat lightly, spinning the handle.

--All that stuff, my sister and my kids, I don't care right now. All I care about, the only thing on my mind, is if you've talked to anyone. Does Oakland have any idea my kids were mixed up in this s.h.i.t? My sister? Have they heard my name, Geezer?

Geezer raises both his hands.

--Bob, they have not. I am deep in s.h.i.t, last thing I wanted to do was bring up your name. See them go on a rampage. I didn't tell them anything except I was taking care of the problem.

Bob looks at the bat, lowers it, looks at the fat man, the man who was a friend.

--What a G.o.dd.a.m.n mess, Geez. My kids are in a mess. And I don't want any more. I want my kids safe. That's all I ever wanted. I never lied about that. I just wanted my kids safe and a normal life.

--Sure, Bob. I mean.

--Shut up.

--OK.

--So I want this to end. Now. But if I kill you here in my sister's house, it's gonna cause more problems and, Jesus, I have no idea how the h.e.l.l we'd move your body, you fat son of a b.i.t.c.h.

--Yeah, that's true.

--So get out.

Bob moves to the side, clearing the way to the door.

--Go on, Geez, get out, leave town, go away, and never, never say my name to anyone. Go on.

Geezer nods, claps his hands twice and nods his head again and makes for the door and as soon as he's taken a single step past him Bob raises the bat and swings it and embeds the nails in the back of his neck and hits him over and over while his little sister curls in her chair and hides her face.

When he's done he goes out to the truck and gets some tools. Grateful for the things his father taught him how to do on the ranch. Like how to dress and butcher a steer, when the occasion rises.

Blisters They tell George he can go home on Sunday.