'I guess I didn't tell you. Mr. Moraco's giving me twenty-five to do the priest and he'll furnish the gun. That's the deal. So I'll have me one by then.'
Randy said, 'To do Vincent.'
'Yeah, once he gives it to me.'
Randy took his time. 'You're gonna use the gun Vincent gives you to do Vincent.'
'I may as well, huh?' And said, 'Well, I'll see you' as he started OUt.
'Wait.'
The man's simplicity was overwhelming: this little Hoosier, bless his heart, standing there with his muscles and scar tissue waiting now to be dismissed, hat in hand-Randy was thinking-if he had a hat.
Randy said to him, 'Mutt? Be careful.'
Midafternoon Johnny Pajonny was waiting for him at the bar.
The Mutt had called saying he wanted to talk to him. Johnny asked what about, and the Mutt said, 'You know. Remember what you mentioned the other night?' He wouldn't say more than that on account of the phone might be bugged. It was pitiful the way this guy's mind worked. Johnny assumed it was about the whoers. After the Mutt had fixed him up with Angle, Johnny said he'd be interested in trying some of the other girls. He had a deal going: he'd told Angie he was a mob guy and expected the usual mob discount on the three hundred she ordinarily got, so he only had to pay her a bill and a halfThere he was now, the Mutt coming out from the back of the restaurant, but then the bartender said something to him as he was going past and the Mutt went back to the other end of the bar and picked up the phone. After a minute he was waving to the bartender he needed a pen. Now he was writing something down back at the end where the waiters got their drink orders filled.
Johnny was pretty sure Angie liked him and didn't mind the discount.
She was so good it was quick anyway. He could always go back; but why not try another one of the whoers and go for the mob discount? That's what he thought this was about.
The Mutt walked up to him and said, 'I'm gonna take you up on your offer.'
Johnny hadn't offered him anything, so he wasn't sure what the guy meant. He said, 'Yeah…?'
'You offered to drive for me.'
Johnny said, 'Lemme get a drink,' and ordered a vodka tonic, giving himself time to readjust his mind, switch from thinking about whoers to contract hits, and talk to a guy Johnny believed might never've even fired a gun before outside of a single-shot.22 down on the farm, shooting squirrels and chipmunks. He would accept the Mutt having shanked some con in the yard, and maybe, just maybe, he might've shot a guy in a bar fight as they tussled. But a real contract?
Look at the guy. It didn't seem likely.
'You're saying to me you have a contract to make a hit and you want me to drive the car.'
'Two,' the Mutt said.
'Two what?'
'I got two contracts, both for tonight.'
Johnny got his drink and took a good sip. 'You have a car?'
'Don't the driver supply the car?'
'You think I'm gonna drive mine? No, the way it's done, the hitter supplies the car. Otherwise it doubles the risk for the driver. First, for boosting a car, and second, I could go down as an accessory. No, I'm sorry, I can't help you.'
'All right, I'll get a car,' the Mutt said.
Now Johnny hesitated. 'Say you do, where you want to go?'
The Mutt took a cocktail napkin from his shirt pocket, unfolded it and looked at his handwriting. 'Franklin Street between St. Aubin and Dubois. You know where that's at?'
'Yeah, but there ain't nothing there, it's all warehouses and old empty buildings. Let's see, outside of some bars, the Soup Kitchen's close by there.'
'He said that, the Soup Kitchen was on a corner down there, not too far.'
'What's the guy gonna be doing, sitting in his car waiting for you?' It didn't make sense.
But the Mutt said, 'I guess.'
'What time?'
'Eight o'clock. He said sharp.'
'The guy that gave you the contract.'
'Yeah. You want to drive me?'
Johnny gave himself more time saying, 'It depends on what you're paying.'
'Well, I'm not sure, tell you the truth.'
This guy had no idea what he was doing. Still, it didn't sound like he was making it up, so Johnny pried some more. He said, 'You want to negotiate driver pay based on what you're getting? That's one way it's done.'
'They're paying twenty-five each-'
'That's right, you got two contracts.'
'Twenty-five hunnert for one, twenty-five thousand for the other.'
Johnny said, 'Uh-huh.' This guy was pure idiot. Get him to explain that. But then thought, No, don't. Ask him… Johnny said,
'You get half down?'
'The twenty-five hunnert I'm getting up ahead, the whole thing.
But I haven't got none of the other one, the big one.'
Johnny said, 'Mutt, the way it works, the only way it works, you get half down or you don't do the job. Otherwise you could get fucked over real good. You know what I mean? No, the first rule of this kind of business, Mutt, you gotta get half down.'
The Mutt said, 'Okay then.'
Johnny took time to light a cigarette and sip his vodka tonic. 'All right, here's the deal. I come by here… No, I better not. Lemme think… Where you have to go for the other one?'
'I don't know yet.'
'Mutt, I hate to say it, but you don't sound like you know shit what you're doing.'
'I need to find out where to go, that's all.'
Jesus Christ. Johnny took another sip of his drink. I'll tell you what, you get hold of a car and come by the MGM Grand-you know where it's at?'
Mutt squinted, like he was trying to picture the place.
'The gambling casino, Mutt, you can't fuckin miss it, over by the Lodge freeway? That'll be your test, to find it. You pull up to the main entrance there at half past seven with five grand in your hand, slide over, you got yourself a driver.'
'I'll be there,' the Mutt said.
The guy was an idiot, but so what? He'd have the five or he wouldn't.
Randy looked up from his desk to see the Mutt back again, the Mutt saying he forgot to mention he was supposed to get half the money down on the contract and could he have it now. But not sounding convinced that he should, still hat in hand.
'You want to make sure you're paid,' Randy said. 'I can understand that, but you're a little late for it to do you any good today.'
'Why's that?'
'The banks are closed. You won't be able to deposit the check until tomorrow anyway. Why not wait and get the full amount, twentyfive big ones paid to the order of Searcy J. Bragg, Jr.'
'I also forgot to tell you,' the Mutt said, 'I want it in cash, twelve thousand and five hunnert dollars.'
'Well, now, that's not possible.'
'Cash, or no deal.'
Randy stood up and pulled the pockets out of his pants. He saw the Mutt grin and told him, 'You have me at a disadvantage. Where'm I supposed to get it if the banks close at four?'
'You lock your door,' the Mutt said, 'it's a woman or it's money business.'
