her. I just made her go to sleep. I made her drink and take pills and when she was asleep in our bed I climbed on top of her. She had the most graceful, whitest neck. I can remember the first time I kissed her neck. I can remember the first time she took me inside her and her black hair against her neck. Can you remember that incredible warmth, the ineffable heat, the first time inside a woman? I used to want her so badly it was like I was on fire, and the bitch knew that, she knew what she was doing. Cockteasing bitch should burn, she deserves it, but I don't do that. I'm on top of her with a pillow — that's amusing now that I recall it because she used to have me put a pillow under her ass so I could go deeper inside — I'm on top of her with the pillow over her mouth, she's unconscious but her hips jerk and strain, her back arches up and then she goes quiet in my arms but I can't finish. Cockteasing bitch to the last, I can't finish, so I get up and then — and only then, Jack — do I pour the kerosene around our marital bed. Around and under and over the bitch. I can't stand to pour it on that beautiful face, just the cockteasing part of her. I poured it there all right. She makes no more children she can fuck up. You cannot walk away from your history, Jack. The fire swirls around you and I have heard the screams echo for miles. Now tell me what I need to know. I'm out of time and out of patience and I will set you on fire, Jack, because I need my money and I need my things and they have my mother for God's sake!!'
He gestures to Bentley.
Bentley raises the gas can.
'I haven't told anyone,' Jack says.
Nicky smiles.
'But how can I believe you?' he asks. Turns to Bentley 'Do him.'
Bentley looks sick but he raises the can again.
'Goddamn it,' Billy says.
Takes out his old. 44 and shoots Bentley square in the gut.
The flash ignites the fumes.
Which in turn ignite Bentley.
He's on fire so he drops the can and the gas gurgles onto the floor and he forgets everything he learns in fire school and goes running out the door.
He's a screaming, swirling ball of flame when he crumples onto the dry grass.
Which is how Accidentally Bentley sets the Great South Coast Fire.
Accidentally.
131
Jack doesn't know that.
He's still in the building and it's on fire. The gas pours out of the can, spreading accelerant all over the floor and fumes in the air and the fumes ignite like WHAM and a column of flame shoots upward.
Flame and smoke and darkness and Jack loses sight of Nicky Vale.
All Jack can see is Goddamn Billy heading not for the door but farther into the rec hall, in toward the old kitchen, and Jack's thinking, Get out of here but he's also thinking, Get Billy out of here, too, so he goes after him.
Which is like stupid, Jack tells himself. Which is like dumb because all the old wood is igniting, then the covers on the furniture ignite, and the fucking furniture ignites. The fire is free burning, there are flames everywhere, the place is filling up with smoke and that son of a bitch Billy was going to set you up anyway so why are you going after him?
Because you're a dog and that's what a dog does. A dog doesn't leave.
Jack drops down and stays low, down where the air is, and makes his way after Billy.
Into the kitchen.
The old kitchen where they used to cook up hamburgers and hot dogs and big pots of chili.
And there's Goddamn Billy standing by the old stainless-steel counter.
Lighting a cigarette.
'Come on!' Jack yells. 'We can get out of here!'
Maybe.
The ceiling's on fire, the roof's involved.
'We can get out of here!' Jack repeats.
'No,' Billy says.
Puts the stick to his lips and takes a long drag.
'Billy, I can get us out of here!' Jack shouts. 'If we go now!'
His eyes are starting to tear up. Tear up and burn and he can feel the smoke scorching his throat. Looks behind him and sees the flames. Looks up and sees little tongues of flame start to lick the kitchen ceiling.
'Can't do it, Jack.'
Jack starts to cry. Goddamn it, Billy. It could be seconds to flashover. Seconds till the fairies start flying and flashover happens and everything ignites.
We can't wait any longer, Billy.
'I can carry you!'
Screaming because the noise of the fire is unbelievable. The starving alligator in a feeding frenzy, crunching on the old house.
Billy shakes his head. 'I can't face it, Jack!'
'I'll lie for you, Billy! I'll say you had nothing to do with it! Come on!'
Tiny balls of flame dance in the air.
The fairies flying.
'It's no good, Jack!'
To hell with arguing, Jack thinks. I'll knock the stubborn old fucker out if I have to.
He starts toward Billy.
Billy shakes his head and pulls his old. 44 from out of his jacket.
Points it at Jack.
Then says, ' Goddamn it.'
Puts the barrel to his head and pulls the trigger.
As the fairies fly.
Flashover.
132
Outside the fire spreads quickly.
The wind picks up the flame like it's been waiting for a lover and sweeps it across the dry grass.
Into the trees and onto the roofs.
The whole sky on fire.
The sun setting over the ocean a ball of fire.
The ocean ablaze in reflected flame.
On land the sky a red-and-orange glow from the fire that's spreading, blowing north from Dana headlands up toward the Ritz and Monarch Bay.
The fire sweeps across the headlands, over the grass and brush, then ignites the juicy eucalyptus trees, which crackle and pop and it sounds like a million firecrackers going off. The fire races on and ignites the trees that flank the Ritz, encircles the gates of the resort like a besieging army while another arm of the fire races across the top of Salt Creek Beach, pushing on toward Monarch Bay.
Where it doesn't stop at the gate. Doesn't wait for the guard to buzz it in. The wind pushes the flames through, into the trees, into the expensive landscaping, burning up the trees, building up the heat to ignite the
