'If anything happens, if somebody you don't know bumps into her on his bicycle and knocks her down, anything. I will find you and shoot you into little fucking pieces.'
'Man, I'll never hurt her, I promise. I promise. I won't let no one else hurt her. Honest to God, I won't.'
I took the gun away from his face and held it at my side. He put both hands up to his face to rub the sore spot, and realized he was still holding the empty Beretta, and dropped it on the floor and pressed his hands against his face. He started to cry.
'You got the guns from your brother,' I said.
'Wha?'
'I talked with him, your brother Jose. He sold you the four guns for fifteen hundred dollars. You sold them to the two kids for three thousand dollars.'
'What kids?'
I slapped him hard with my left hand.
'Grant and Clark,' I said. 'One or both.'
'Grant asked me. Clark kid had the dough.'
'And you taught them to shoot,' I said.
'Yeah.'
I brought my gun up suddenly and fired into the salt a foot to the left of his head. He screamed. I fired into the salt a foot to the right of him. He doubled up, screaming, 'No, no, no, no, no.'
'Don't you even look at that girl again,' I said. 'Ever.'
I put my gun away and walked out of the garage.
'You shoot him?' DiBella said.
'No,' I said.
'Probably should have,' DiBella said.
I nodded.
'Probably,' I said.
Chapter 34
I DROPPED GEORGE in Dowling Center. 'I'll drive you home,' I said.
She shook her head.
'Might be a good place to sort of crash a little while,' I said.
She shook her head again.
'And you're sure Animal won't get me?'
'He won't,' I said.
She got out of the car and lingered for a moment on the sidewalk with the car door open. Her bruises had started to yellow. Her lip was down. She was looking better.
'Thanks for, like, helping me,' she said.
'You're welcome,' I said.
She took my card out of the pocket of her jeans and looked at it for a moment.
'Call me if you need me,' I said.
She nodded and looked again at my card. 'Bye,' she said.
'Bye.'
She closed the car door and turned and walked away, still holding my card in her hand. I watched her until she turned the corner past the town green and disappeared behind the Town Hall. Then I pulled away and found a parking spot near the Coffee Nut and parked and went in to see if the gang was around.
They were.
'Hey,' Janey said as I came in.
She was sitting with her friend of the white top, whose name turned out to be Erika, and Carly Simon, looking crisp in a green polo shirt and tan shorts.
'Coffee?' he said, and nodded at the empty seat in the booth.
I sat. Other kids in other booths looked at me covertly. Animal had made my rep, bless his heart.
'Is George, like, okay?' Janey said.
'She's fine,' I said. 'Animal has promised me that he won't bother her again.'
'You shake him up again?' Carly said.
There was in his voice an implication of shared knowledge, as though he had shaken up a few people in his time, too. I smiled. I had known Major Johnson when he was only a little older than Carly. Different planets.
