“Well …”
“Felix, do you think he was telling the truth?”
He thought for a moment. “I think he was leaning more toward the truth. He said something like, ‘What, we gonna smoke a grandma and for what?’ Plus, the way my guy saw that Toyota drive out of Maggie’s place, it was like they were spooked and needed to get the hell out.”
I refilled his water glass and made my way back, and he saw the cane and said, “How’s Uncle Paulie’s cane treating you?”
“Just fine. I’m waiting to scare little kids off with the wolf’s head.”
“Do you want me to show you what—”
“I can figure it out,” I said. “Now, tell me the interesting part of the story, the one that ends with you getting shot in your forearm.”
Felix took a long swallow, put the glass down on the coffee table. “No, wasn’t that interesting. I kept on asking about my great-grandfather’s silver, coming at them from different approaches, and then Pepe’s buddies got angry. Then they got really angry, and it deteriorated from there.”
“Why so angry?”
“Kids nowadays …”
A pause. I said, “Go on.”
“Are you sure?”
“Felix …”
“Kids nowadays, not only don’t they respect their elders, they also don’t respect much of anything. Institutions, ways of doing business, past agreements and such. What I saw was one of Pepe’s gang start raising a fuss, and I knew what was going on. The guy was making a play, wanting to show Pepe that he was tougher than tough, that he wouldn’t allow anybody to ‘dis his jefe,’ or something like that.”
“Spun out of control then?”
“Well, after I shot the guy making the play.” Another pause. “I had to make an example, to all of them.”
“I guess they didn’t appreciate the lesson.”
“Not hardly. No more talking but some more gunplay … and here I am.”
I just nodded. “What next, then?”
“Short term, I’d like relax here for a bit until the Tylenol kicks in. Long term, I’m going back to Pepe and company to get a final and clear answer on my great-grandfather’s silver.”
“You know, the Tyler cops might be interested in talking to Pepe’s boys.”
“They didn’t have anything to do with her murder.”
“Still …”
“Good lord,” Felix said. “I can’t believe you didn’t make Eagle Scout back in the day, Lewis. Okay, once I’m satisfied with the status of my antique silver, then I’ll make sure Pepe’s boys make an appearance at the Tyler police station.”
“Sometimes you’re so civic-minded, it helps restore just a bit of my faith in humanity.”
“Just a bit?” Felix asked.
“No need to get ahead of ourselves.”
Felix napped for an hour and I offered him lunch before he left, but he declined. “I just want to get to my home turf and collapse. See if I can convince a nurse or two to come over and ooh and aah over my latest wound.”
“Based on past experience, I doubt that’ll be a problem.”
“You never know,” he said. “How are you set for dinner?”
“Fine.”
I walked him to my door and he stepped out, took a look at my house and the scraggly yard and rocks. “I know this joint has a lot of historical significance for you and all that, but don’t you get tired of these old boards?”
“Not for a moment.”
“Damn thing almost burned down around your ears some months ago.”
“True, but the rebuilding’s almost finished.”
“Yeah, that it is,” he said. “Just keep on watching out for arsonists and tourists.”
And just then, there was a shout up at the top of my driveway, as a man and a woman began to come my way.
“So who are they?” Felix said. “Arsonists or tourists?”
“Worse,” I said. “Amateur historians.”
Felix took his time walking up the driveway past the couple from Albany, Dave and Marjorie Hudson, and I really hoped that seeing an injured Felix Tinios come their way might turn the couple around so they would decide to beat a retreat back up to the Lafayette House’s parking lot, but maybe that fresh bullet wound had weakened Felix’s superpowers, such that they kept on coming.
Having been spotted in my open door, I also thought that going back in, locking the door, and ignoring any knocks would be in bad form, so I tried to paste on a reasonably blank face as they approached.
The husband-and-wife team had on the same clothes as before, including the tweed cap for him and the brightly colored knit cap for her, and Dave Hudson still had a bulging file folder under his arm.
“Mr. Cole, so glad to see you again!” he called out, and I just nodded politely and waited in my doorway. His wife, Marjorie, kept quiet as they both approached.
“Please, I’m really not up for a visit today,” I said.
Hudson nodded politely. “I know, I know, but I assure you, we won’t take too much of your time.”
“I appreciate that, Mr. Hudson, but I’m not in a mood or a position to host visitors, so …” I started going back into my house, and he came up the steps, surprising me.
“Look, Mr. Cole, my wife and I have driven a long way here from Albany, to do genealogical research, and I don’t think you appreciate the time and effort we’ve spent on this.”
“I do appreciate that, Mr. Hudson, and I hate to be rude and flippant, but that’s not my problem. You didn’t write, call, or email me ahead of time to tell me that you were coming. If you had done that, I could have explained my situation, and we could have set up a mutually agreeable time for you and your wife to visit.”
His wife came up behind him and I said, “As it is, and I hate to repeat myself, but I’ve just come out of the hospital. I find it exhausting just to stand up for a while. I also get exhausted just being awake. In fact, I get exhausted from talking about being exhausted. I’m not in the mood nor condition to receive visitors. Please. Give me some time and space, and I’d
