to see that she didn’t have anything on underneath. Neither of them seemed to care what I saw.
“Why’ont you bring out some wine, baby,” Ridley said to her.
Penny went back into the bedroom and turned on a light. I could see her, through the now open door, go into another room. She returned with a quart of Black Wren red wine and a small stack of Dixie cups. She set the cups and wine on a small motel coffee table and sat down on the couch, pulling her bare feet up under her thighs.
There was a time I would have walked across fire for a woman like that. I could still feel the heat.
“Come on, girl,” Ridley complained. “Cain’t you pour it?”
“Pour it your damn self,” she replied. “I was ’sleep.”
Ridley did the honors and said to me, “Sit’own.”
I perched myself across from the man and his mate. Penny had a broad face and hair that would never let you know where it was going. Her lips were there to curse, kiss, or complain. And her widely spaced eyes saw a spectrum of light that most men never suspected existed.
“Mr. Koogan here is sellin’ steaks,” Ridley said to Penny. Then to me, “How many more steaks can you get?”
“How many can you eat?”
“I was thinkin’ that I could sell some. I know just about ev’rybody in this buildin’. The one across the street too. Maybe I could go partners wit’ you if you could get enough steak.”
That was business in L.A. An opportunity comes and you make a grab for it. Ridley didn’t know a thing about me, or my steaks, but he was willing to cement a partnership anyway. He was on me faster than I got to Idabell.
“Well, that sounds good,” I said tentatively. “How many you want?”
Ridley’s eyes almost met mine, he was that excited. Penny yawned and I wondered if there were any black dentists in L.A.
“I bet I could sell fifty’a them, if they really prime, in two, three days.”
“Fifty?” I was impressed.
“Yeah,” Ridley said.
Penny’s gaze rolled across me. She had no idea what we were talking about but she was still an important part of the negotiations.
“Well,” I said, doing the numbers in my head. “You gimme thirty-five dollars an’ we got a deal.”
“Thirty-five dollars!”
I was surprised that he could shout.
“Yep,” I said. “That give you a profit of fifteen when you sell’em.”
“Uh-uh, man. I’m the one gonna be doin’ all the work. I should get at least half.”
I tried to look like I was upset but at the same time greedy to have a man out there doing my sales.
“Okay,” I said. “Fifty-fifty.”
“When could you bring’em by?”
“I could get’em by tomorrow. But I’ma need my money.”
“What money?”
“Twenty-fi’e dollars for fifty steaks.”
“You get that when I sell’em.”
I shook my head, a somber man of experience. “No, brother. Uh-uh. I tried that once. Actually that’s why I’m here at your buildin’.” I held my breath.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“Dude name’a Roman owe me some money. Right after I unload these steaks I’ma go down to Roman’s place an’ have me a talk wit’ that man.” I stroked my chin and looked menacing.
“Roman gone.” That was Penny. The mention of the Gasteau brother had gotten her to sit up.
“Moved?”
“I’ont know,” Penny said. “Cops come here today askin’ ’bout him. They took everything outta his place in bags.”
I slammed my hand down on the table so hard that both of my hosts jumped. “Goddam!”
After he settled a little Ridley asked, “He owe you a lotta money?”
“Fi’e hunnert dollars. Is that a lot?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
“You know where I could find him?” I asked Penny.
She cut a glance at Ridley and said, “No.”
I could see that Ridley was torn between greed and jealousy. He wasn’t a bad-looking man but he wasn’t tall and handsome; he didn’t wear snakeskin shoes. I was sure that Penny had given Roman the eye, and maybe even a
