Rough Justice

'Did he talk about work?'

'Work. Yeah.'

'He worked at the bank, right? PSFS.'

'Bank?'

'Yes. PSFS.'

Bean's focus fell on a clean linoleum floor with black-and-white tiles. 'That was only for a while. A year maybe. I know 'cause Eb started wearin' a tie. Then he quit and he stopped wearin' the tie. Wore that tie for about, say, a year.'

'Why did he quit, do you know?'

'The bottle. Eb never kept work for too long. Always lookin' for the angles, you know? I offered him a job once, sweepin'. Eb said no thanks.' Bean frowned so deeply his forehead wrinkled like an old bulldog. 'Said, 'I don't do that work.' I didn't like that, I sure didn't.'

Bennie smiled. 'Who wouldn't work for you, Bean? I'd work for you in a minute.'

'You? You a slob. I seen your office.'

'We're talking about Eb now, not me, so tell me about Eb. Everything you know.'

Bean settled deeper into the cushioned bench. 'Eb. Eb. Let me see. Eb was the type of man, he didn't want no real job. Wanted the easy money. Lookin' for the angles. All the time, lookin'. You know what I mean?'

'Yes.'

'Eb liked the jobs at City Hall.'

'City Hall?'

'Thas' what I remember.'

'What did he do there?'

'Jobs.'

'Who did he work for? What department?'

Bean smiled, this time without warmth. 'Woman, what kind of jobs you think a man like that does for City Hall?'

'I don't know.'

'Don't be silly.'

'Educate me. What jobs?'

'L and I, for a while.'

'Licenses and Inspections?'

'What department don't matter, call it what you like. Building permits, the fleet. Parking Authority, what have you. Eb worked for City Hall. Eb did what he had to do. He got paid in cash money.'

'Did he have any friends?'

'Not that I know.'

'Wife? Girlfriend?'

'No wife. Maybe a girl, for a while.'

'Anyone special?'

'No. Coupla girls.'

'Damn.'

'Wait.' Bean held up a hand. 'You're rushin' me now. I said 'no' too fast. There mighta been a kid.'

'A child?' Bennie hadn't read anything in the newspapers about a child. No one had come forward.

'Little girl.' Bean nodded. 'I saw it, in a picture in his wallet. A school picture of a girl. Real cute.'

'What was her name?'

'Don't know. Never talked about her. I axed when I saw the picture and Eb just shook his head. Didn't say nothin', just shook his head. He had a long look on his face, a bad look. I figured somethin' bad happened to that little girl. Like she passed and Eb didn't want to speak about it.'

Bennie paused, trusting Bean's instincts. 'Eb had no one else except the daughter?'

'No.'

'No friends from work?'

'No. Sat in the chair, didn't say much 'cept to answer. Sometimes he got a shave, like I said. When he was goin' for errands. For the city.'

'What errands?'

Bean cocked his head and frowned. 'Now how do I know what errands?'