'You don't want to be seen with her,' I said.
Janey shrugged.
'Or she with you,' I said.
Janey nodded.
'Or me,' I said.
Janey nodded more vigorously.
'Of course,' I said.
We drank some coffee.
'How come you could like beat up Animal so easy?' Janey said.
'Purity of heart,' I said.
'Huh?'
'My strength is as the strength of ten, because my heart is pure?'
'What are you talking about?' Janey said.
'I rarely know.'
'Seriously, how come? I mean Animal is . . .' She spread her hands; words failed her in the face of Animal's prowess.
'It's what I do,' I said.
'Beat people up?'
I shrugged.
'Like everything else,' I said. 'It helps to know how.'
'And you know how?'
'I used to be a fighter,' I said.
'You mean a boxer. Like whatsisname Lennox something?'
'Yeah. That kind,' I said.
'Jesus,' she said. 'Is that why your nose is like that?'
'Thanks for noticing,' I said.
'Were you ever a champion or anything?'
'No,' I said.
'But you're still, like, ah, good.'
'You been a fighter,' I said, 'and you stay in shape, you don't lose that many fights outside the ring.'
'You don't seem like a mean guy,' Janey said.
'I don't?'
'No. You seem kind of nice.'
'Damn,' I said. 'I'll have to work on that.'
Janey nodded. Some kids drove by in a red jeep Wrangler with the top down. They honked. She waved. She was with a celebrity. The guy who threw Animal Yang into the lake.
Chapter 26
YOU COULD BE in a mall in the food court and you could have no idea where in this great republic you might be. Same cuisine. Same decor. Same clientele. It was comforting. Anywhere in America, you could count on the same fried rice, the same cheese steaks, the same slice of pizza. We met George at a table near the souvlaki stand. She was enjoying a large Diet Coke and a cigarette. She didn't look at me when we sat down.
'Hi, Janey,' she said.
Janey said, 'Hi.'
'Remember me?' I said.
George nodded. She had changed clothes, but the look was the same. Cropped T-shirt, low pants. Her eyes were slathered with dark makeup, and her lips with dark gloss. She had silver rings on all her fingers. And her nails were painted black.
'Have you seen Animal?' I said.
She shook her head.
'Tell me a little about him,' I said.
George looked at Janey.
'He's an okay guy,' Janey said. 'You know? You can, like, talk to him. He won't tell.'
