'Emily had a lotta flings,' Barry said. He was easy now, gliding on marijuana. 'But that ain't what went down.'
I nodded. Patient, but stern.
'Emily ain't Daryl's mom, neither.'
Jesus Christ.
Barry knew it was headline news. He waited a moment to let the effect sink in, enjoying it. Feeling important. Feeling happy now, on his second joint.
'Tell me about that,' I said.
'Abner and Bunny were going really hot and heavy,' Barry said. 'Her especially. She was like a bitch in heat around him.'
He paused for a moment and smiled to himself, I think, remembering. I waited. He remembered.
Finally I nudged him. 'Uh-huh.'
He smoked some more and then came back to me. His smile was beginning to look a little loopy.
'And,' he said, 'anyway, he knocked her up.'
'What was Abner's last name?' I said.
'I don't remember. It was a funny name.'
'Dandy?' I said.
'No, man. But like that.'
'Fancy?'
'Yeah. That's it. Abner Fancy. What a hot-shit name.'
'And Bunny?'
'Like I tole you last time. When I knew her then, she was calling herself Bunny Lombard.'
'But that wasn't her real name.'
'No.'
'Her real name was?'
'Karnofsky,' Barry said. 'Bunny Karnofsky. No wonder she changed it.'
'Daryl is Bunny's daughter?'
'Her and Abner's,' Barry said.
'So how did she end up with you?'
Barry grinned. A big grin, a high and happy grin. Forget about being slapped around. All is forgiven. He took a drag on his cigarette.
'Jesus,' he said, his voice odd and strained as he let the smoke out through it slowly. 'Where are my fuckin' manners? You wanna toke, man?'
'Thanks, no,' I said. 'How did Daryl end up with you?'
'Bunny gave her to us.'
'Just like that?'
'Yeah. Baby was fair-skinned and, you know, Emily was dark anyway. No one was going to notice.'
I walked to the door and looked out at the black Lab sleeping in the sun, on his side, his eyes shut, his tongue lolling out. I turned and looked at Barry.
'Why?' I said.
'Emily kind of liked babies,' Barry said. 'And, like, Bunny said she'd give us support money.'
'Or her mother would,' I said. 'I was more wondering why she gave her to you than why you took her.'
'She didn't want her.'
'Any reason?'
'I don't know,' Barry said. 'Maybe she didn't want a shvartzeh kid. I think she just didn't want the bother. At least she didn't leave it in a Dumpster.'
'Good for her,' I said. 'You adopt her?'
'Not really,' Barry said. 'But I got her birth certificate. In case anything ever came up.'
'May I see it?'
'It's in a safe place.'
'Safe from whom?' I said.
'Whoever,' Barry said. His loopy smile had a crafty little edge to it.
'That's why the support payments keep coming,' I said.
