Blue Belle

'He does, man. He always does . . .'

Belle's left hand flashed, plunging the hypo deep into his thigh, her thumb driving the plunger home as I fired a paint ball into his face.

'I . . .' and he was out. Belle rammed the speed key home, unsnapping her cuff. I pulled his free arm behind his back, locked the other cuff. Belle jumped off the couch, rubbing her breasts. I kicked Ramon onto the floor.

'Go get the Mole,' I told her.

168

Michelle and the Mole stood on either side of me. Ramon was in the corner, breathing deeply, out.

'The joint is closed,' I told Michelle. 'How many of the girls have customers?'

'Just Mary Anne.'

'When he's finished, let him out. Tell the glrls the show's over - the cops are going to hit in an hour. Get them out the door. You have any trouble, you hit the buzzer, they'll come from next door. Then take off yourself.'

She kissed me. 'Call as soon as it's over.'

'I will.''

She went out the door. I knelt down, pulled Ramon over my shoulder by one of his arms, positioned his weight. 'The basement,' I said to the Mole. Fuck McGowan and his deals - I wasn't going to leave a body around for the cops to hang me with.

He led the way. Pansy met us at the bottom of the steps. 'Speak!' I told her, tossed a slab of steak through the air. She caught it on the fly.

'Is the panel truck ours?'

'Yes.'

'I'm going to throw this garbage in the back. That shot'll keep him out for hours. You get stopped, it's not a murder beef. He won't testify.'

'Where should I dump him?'

'He's the shooter, Mole. One of the Nazis.'

He nodded.

'Take Pansy too.'

'She won't . . .'

'Yes, she will. That last piece of meat I gave her was laced. She should be asleep by now. Keep her with you - lock her up in one of the sheds. Leave water for her. I'll be back in the junkyard sometime late tonight. Belle will get there before me. Your piece is done.'

'The basement?'

'Eleven o'clock. You can do it?'

'Yes. Me and the boy.'

'He's a good boy, Mole. You should be proud.'

'You too.'

'Yeah. Look, Mole. If I don't come back, do something for me. Tell Belle I love her.'

He nodded.

'And Pansy, let her loose. Let her run with your pack. Let her and Simba-witz make puppies.'

I dumped Ramon's body in the back of the panel truck. The Mole snapped a heavy padlock across the back.

I went back for Pansy. I scooped her up in my arms, carried her to the truck. 'Open the front door,' I told the Mole. 'I don't want her to ride with garbage.'

I laid her gently across the front seat. Kissed her snout. 'See you soon, girl.'

The Mole wrapped his stubby arms around me, squeezed hard. 'Sei Gesund,' he said. Go with God.

169

Michelle was pushing the girls out the door when I slipped back upstairs. It sounded like sorority girls saying goodbye for the summer.

Belle was in the back room, toweling herself off, the cat's-eye mask still on her face.

'You were perfect,' I said, holding her close.

'I was scared.'

'I still am. It's almost over. Get out of here. Take the Pontiac. Don't leave the office until past midnight. I'll see you at the junkyard.'

'Where's Pansy?'

'She's with the Mole. It's okay. Go.'

'What'd you do with the freak?'

'He's gone.'

'But you're working with the cops, right? They're right next door. He's not dead - why don't you just leave him for them?'

I cupped her chin, making her watch my face. 'I'm not working with the cops, Belle. A cop sees me doing my work on the street tonight, I'm going down. McGowan, he can't call off the whole fucking force. He wouldn't do it if he could. I'm not leaving that freak around to tell his story.'

I felt a pulse in her throat, just under her chin. Steady beat.

'We're outlaws, little girl. We can step over the line to the other side, but we're not welcome there. We can't stay. The next cop I see, he'll be trying to stop me from coming home.'

She nodded, knowing it was the truth. 'Burke, it's not even eight o'clock. You have until ten-thirty. Let me wait here with you.'

'No.'

'I knew you'd say that.'

'It's all right, Belle. Smooth as silk. I'll meet this Mortay at ten-thirty, I'll be in one of the cars by eleven. That's when the Ghost Van goes. I'll be with you soon . . .'

'And you'll never leave.'

'And I'll never leave.'

I lit a smoke, watching her dress.

'Burke?'

'You're going, Belle.'

'I know. I will, promise. Remember when you came back to me? After you met that man?'

'Yeah.'

'I want you inside me. To keep with me until I see you again. I want my smell on you when you kill him.'

170

I carried two of the suitcases out to the back. Tossed in the scattergun. Closed the trunk. I held her next to me.

'Belle . . .'

'Don't you say it! Whatever you're going to say, don't say it. Tell me tonight.'

I kissed her. There was blood in my heart. When she drove away, I was alone.

171