The Ten-Ounce Siesta

“We’re going to make you pay,” Lorelei said.

Again, Tura’s hard fingers whipped Eden’s cheek.

“You shouldn’t have stolen my Fig Newtons, bitch,” Tura said. “And if you ever touch my vibrator again, I’ll kill you.”

When they finished with their sister, Tura and Lorelei noticed the Chihuahua.

The dog could hardly breathe. Hacking and coughing-it sounded like a death rattle or something.

Lorelei said, “The little fucker’s really sick.”

“Yeah. And if he dies, we’re screwed. Nobody’s gonna pay a half a million for a dead dog.”

“What should we do?”

Tura glanced at her watch. “We’ve got another twenty hours until the drop. That’s a lot of time. Maybe we should take the little fucker to a vet.”

“Where are we gonna find a vet at this hour?”

“You remember that guy in Vegas. That old Methuselah you were kidding me about? The one who used to come to the club almost every night?”

“You mean Dr. Gooddoggy?” Lorelei asked.

“Yeah. Frank Newman. He’s the best vet in Vegas. When we quit he gave me his home number. Said if I ever wanted to take him to obedience school, all I needed to do was call.”

Lorelei passed the telephone to her sister. The conversation was short and to the point. “He says his wife is a light sleeper,” Tura said. “He’ll meet us at his office.”

Lorelei grabbed Spike. Tura set the handcuff keys on the edge of Eden’s dresser. “Harold can let you loose when he comes home,” she said. “Unless he wants to have some fun with you, too.”

“Tell your boyfriend we’ll be back by noon,” Lorelei said. “That’ll leave us plenty of time before the ransom drop.”

“And tell Harold that he’s paying us an extra share for this,” Tura added. “He should have had a backup plan in case the pooch got sick. We shouldn’t have to do all his thinking for him.”

Eden tried to tell them about the Harold Ticks Shuffle. Tura and Lorelei didn’t know about Harold’s real plan. But with the duct tape over her mouth, she couldn’t say a word.

They didn’t need to take the dog to a vet. It only had to live until tomorrow. After that it would be dead, anyway.

Eden watched her sisters walk down the hall. The front door slammed. Tura’s old Chevrolet Apache truck rumbled alive. Tires chewed hard-packed desert earth as Tura, Lorelei, and Spike headed for the highway.

It was quiet for one hour. . then two. . and finally Eden slept.

The sun began to rise. The pillbox window framed a hard square of light that traveled Eden’s naked body.

She squinted and came awake.

She heard Harold’s car.

Satan, she prayed, give me strength. .

Harold said, “This is fucked. The dog is gone. So are your sisters. Your mama’s gone nuts and your daddy’s probably a corpse.” He shook his head. “And you want to know what else? That asshole Jack Baddalach is still alive, and he knows that Tony has something to do with the dognapping.”

Eden didn’t say a word. She just sat there. Harold couldn’t believe it. She just fucking sat there.

Naked. Rubbing her wrists. Crying.

Jesus Christ. Always with the tears.

She wasn’t going to make him feel guilty, though. No way. It wasn’t his fault that he was late getting back. Tony needed him. His brother needed him. Tony was hurting. Man, he couldn’t just walk out on Tony when he was like that. No way.

So they drank two sixes of Olde English. So they took some Percodan. So what?

He wasn’t going to feel guilty. No way.

And this crying shit. It had to stop. Right now.

“Eden, I told you. .” he began. “I told you not to let anyone touch the dog. I told you that, didn’t I?”

She nodded. Big heavy sobs now. Oh, man.

“Fuck,” he said, banging his fist against the door. “Fuck!'

Eden cringed as if he’d hit her. Jesus. His hand all of a sudden felt like it was busted, and she was acting hurt.

“I told you it was important.” Harold tried to stay calm. “I asked if you understood. I told you not to fuck things up.”

Eden looked up at him. Her icy blue eyes were wet with tears, like the irises were melting or something. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

Harold picked up his.357. “I even gave you my fucking gun, Eden.”

She opened her arms to him, spread wide, palms open.

Oh, man, he couldn’t take this. Seeing her all fucked up. It was like everything was changing right before his eyes. Like getting out of Corcoran all over again. Like going to that hotel room, opening the door, and seeing that familiar anaconda tattoo on a woman he didn’t even recognize. .

Turning around. Walking out. .

“I’ve got to go set up the drop,” Harold said, even though it was way too early for that.

He couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

“Don’t go,” Eden said. “Don’t go.”

But he did. Harold was already gone when she said it. He had left her behind. And she loved him. She really did.

She couldn’t stop crying. It seemed she would never run out of tears. She had enough for everyone-for Harold, for Tura and Lorelei, for Mama and Daddy, for the little dog. .

Eden cried for all of them.

She did not cry for herself.

It was much too late for that.

FOUR

Jack was just about to phone Angel Gemignani when she knocked on his front door.

“I just got your message,” he explained. “What’s going on? You didn’t sound so great.”

Angel didn’t look so great, either. Her eyes were red and puffy. She had obviously spent the night crying instead of sleeping.

Jack showed her to the living room. “I couldn’t stand waiting around the Casbah,” she said. “I had to get out. I figured maybe you didn’t return my call because of the other night. I know you and Grandpa Freddy are friends and everything. . and I know I must seem like some kind of schizo to you. I guess I came on pretty strong, and then when my granddad showed up-”

“It takes two to dance that dance,” Jack said. “Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

Angel smiled one of those peculiar smiles that holds no pleasure. “Anyway, I thought maybe you were mad at me. I’m glad you’re not, because I really need to talk to you. If Tony Katt has something to do with Spike’s kidnapping. .”

“I’m not mad,” Jack said. “And I was going to call you. I just got in. As for Tony Katt, I’m not sure what part he plays in all this. All I know for sure is that one of the dognappers is an old friend of Tony’s.”

“Okay.” Angel yawned. “God. . what time is it, anyway?”

“Almost five.”