Charlie was back to trying to make a pussy. I think.
'Go?” Charlie said. 'You fuckin' me? You burned your next-door neighbor's house down. That's three times, man. First time you and Hap did it, we worked it out. Second time you did it, we worked it out. But you're gonna have to take up shadow shapes or something, Leonard. Quit this arson. We could put you behind bars so long, you got out, hair on your balls would be white.'
'They're scum, Charlie,' Leonard said, 'and you know it.'
'I went around burning houses belonged to scum, this town would mostly be a cinder.'
'Bullshit,' Leonard said.
In the middle of our examining another of Charlie's shadow shapes, the door opened again. It was Lieutenant Marvin Hanson this time. He was framed by the hall light behind him, and it made him look like the Golem. His black skin was all shadow and no features. He watched Charlie a second, then closed the door and turned on the light. I suddenly realized I preferred looking at him in the dark. That rugged face of his could be scary.
'Talent show's over,' Hanson said. 'And so's sitting behind my desk.'
'Yassuh,' Charlie said, and he eased out from behind the desk and took a chair and lit a cigarette.
Hanson went over and sat down behind his desk, swiveled his chair and looked at Leonard.
'Well, well,' Hanson said, 'If it isn't the Smartest Nigger in the World.'
'Hi,' Leonard said.
'That's the N word again,' Charlie said to me.
'Yes,' I said, 'but it's two black guys talking to one another, so we've got the same problem as before. Is it racist, politically incorrect, or all in fun?'
'Ain't nothing fun about it,' Hanson said. Then to Leonard: 'You dumb motherfucker. I'm sick of your goddamn cavalier attitude.”
'They killed a kid last year,' Leonard said.
'He took the dope on his own,' Hanson said.
'He was a kid,' Leonard said.
'All right, all right, one house burning is okay,' Hanson said.
'But twice? Then three times? You got to respect my position here.'
'Your goddamn Chief of Police has ties to the fucks who provide that house, and you know it,' Leonard said.
'That's a point for Leonard,' Charlie said. 'He's right. You know it, I know it, the guys in the slammer know it. They know too they'll be out of here come morning. If it takes that long. They'll be suing Leonard, most likely.'
'Shut up, Charlie,' Hanson said.
'Yassuh, Massuh Marvin.'
'That's kinda racist, isn't it?” I said to Charlie. 'A white guy doing slave talk?'
'Think so?” Charlie said.
'Will you two assholes shut up?” Hanson said.
I could see 'Yassuh' forming on Charlie's lips, but he decided to just wiggle them instead. Wise choice, I thought.
'What are these two fucks doing in here watching you and your fucking shadows?” Hanson said. 'Why ain't they in a cell?'
'I figured they were kind of guests,' Charlie said. 'I mean, hell, I like 'em.'
'Yeah, well, I don't,' Hanson said. 'Especially the Smartest Nigger in the World here. He's always doing what he wants. He doesn't think the law applies to him. He's some kind of crusader. Some kind of vigilante. Yes sir, he's the Smartest Nigger in the World.'
'I don't know,' said Leonard. 'I hear great stuff about you and Jesse Jackson.'
Hanson moved suddenly, and considering his size, it was a fast move. He grabbed the lamp on his desk and jerked it hard enough the plug came out. He threw it at Leonard, who slipped casually sideways in his chair, as if avoiding a punch. The lamp went by and hit the wall and exploded. Leonard and Hanson both stood up.
There was a beat of silence during which a lot of things could have happened, but didn't. Finally, Leonard smiled. Then Hanson smiled. Hanson and Leonard slowly sat back down. Hanson said, 'Shit, my ex-wife gave me that desk lamp.'
'And what a special little prize it was,' I said.
'What I do when I lose a family heirloom,' Charlie said, 'is I
go get drunk.'
'That sounds about right,' Hanson said. 'Boys, get your coats.'
Chapter 3
Hanson said, 'Can you believe that, two bears fuckin', right there on the television set?'
