I didn't tell her the rest— getting over the line is the easy part.
111
I WATCHED BLOSSOM dress in the morning. Not talking, not moving. Sweet smells, soft motions. Round-top little chair at her dressing table, padded seat like a piano stool. Blossom in her slip, walking to it, humming to herself. Her shoulders moved in line with the stool, knees bent as she swung her hips onto it. Hips moving a microsecond slower than the rest of her, after-image of the rounded swelling touching down.
'You can talk to me now, trouble-man.'
I watched her in the mirror, blonde head bent forward, working on her nails. Said nothing.
'You miss your cigarettes?' she asked.
I didn't tell her. How you give up cigarettes every time they lock you up. How guys throw the
'Come over here. Give me a kiss, tell me I look nice.'
I got off the bed. Blossom slipped a wine-red light wool dress over her shoulders, cinched it with a wide black belt. She held out her hands to me. Clear lacquer on her nails except for the index finger. That was the same red as her dress.
I took her hand. 'How come?' I asked her.
'Remember last night? When I was sitting on your lap, feeding you your vitamins? Remember when you noticed I only had one stocking on?'
'Yeah.'
'Remember how bad you wanted to see? Remember how I looked, lying on the bed, one dark stocking?'
I did.
She put one hand on my shoulder, steadied herself as she slipped a spike heel on her foot. 'I'm going to see the reporter this morning.'
112
I HIT PAYDIRT just past noon. Car phone conversations aren't private— I found a booth a short piece away. Called Virgil.
'He's here. Everything set?'
'I'll be there, ten, fifteen minutes.'
113
VIRGIL AND I walked in together. No cover, no minimum. The bouncer stood in the corner. A heavy-duty piece of work. No bodybuilder poses on this one— hard, rubbery muscles under a thick layer of fat, no bridge to his nose, scar tissue for eyebrows.
We found a table in the corner. Women in lingerie and high heels walked the runway. You bid high enough, you got to buy the cheesy crap right off their bodies, grope around handing it to them. Some stuff never goes out of fashion.
Watching the room, we ordered shots and beers. Virgil drank mine. It took another round before I spotted Matson. Alone at a table right across from the bouncer. I got up, walked over, beer in my hand. He looked up as we approached, hands where he could see them. In case he learned anything from his magazine collection.
The bouncer watched us, indifferent.
We sat down across from him. No bracket, leaving him room to move. My back to the door, Virgil with a clear sight-line over my shoulder.
His eyes were squinty under the bill of his red Budweiser tractor cap.
'Buy you a beer?' I asked him.
'I know you?'
'Burke,' I said, holding out my hand. He waited a heartbeat, shook it. 'My partner, Virgil.'
'What can I do for you boys?'
'I heard you were the man to see around here. If you were interested in certain things.'
'What things?' he asked, leaning back in his chair. Liking this.
'Doesn't matter. I'm not looking to buy, I'm looking to sell.'
'Sell what?'
'Ordnance.'
'We got all the guns we need.'
'I'm sure you do. But the way I heard it, you could always use some special stuff.'
'Like you said, I don't know you.'
I took a metal Sucrets box out of my pocket. Opened it to show him it was empty. Handed him a fresh white handkerchief.
'What's this?'
'Wipe it down. Get it clean as you want. Then I'll leave you a print, okay? You take the box with you. Check it out. See I'm what I say I am, maybe we can do business. I can give you some references too, you want them.'
He pursed his lips. Dragged on his cigarette. Took the metal box, wiped it down. Watched as I carefully rolled my thumbprint onto its surface. Wrapped it in the handkerchief, stowed it away in the pocket of his jacket.
'Say I was interested…'
'I'm a full-auto specialist. Anything you want. Even got some long-range stuff. Hand-held, shoulder-operated. Disposable.'
'Where could I find you?'
'Right here. Say, in three days? Around this time?'
He nodded. Big man, considering his big deals carefully. The bouncer watched. I could feel the sneer.
114
I DROPPED VIRGIL a quarter mile down the road. Rebecca was parked in her cousin's Chevy a few feet away. Paid no attention to us.
I wheeled the Lincoln around, went back the way I came. The Blazer was still in the parking lot. A white Dodge sedan waited by the side of the road, Lloyd hunched over the wheel, eating a hero sandwich.
115
I PICKED UP some more clothes at the motel. Called Bostick, Glenda. Nothing new. Asked Bostick if I could pick up a few things from him.
Blossom got back around eight. Put a leather portfolio down on the couch, slipped off her shoes. 'Let me take a shower, then I'll make you some dinner.'
'We could go out.'
'I already ate.'
116
LATER THAT EVENING, the kitchen table covered with press clips. 'What'd he do?' I asked Blossom. 'Pull every file in the morgue?'
'He's a nice boy.'
