Gray's Ghosts

by Carey Lewis

  “You got them to drop you off here,” Cesar said, not a question.

  “I did. Early start tomorrow. How’d it go with Pablo?”

  “I got a plan. Enjoy the titty bar?”

  Hector’s back went down, relaxed, a smile on his face. “Those two love Huey. Can’t understand it,” he said, making his way over to the couch where he sat and took a joint out of the tin. “They’re heading over to the one where you bring your own booze.”

  Cesar watched Hector light the joint and lean back into the couch.

  “They ask Huey,” Hector said “to take them to the place with his girlfriend. They don’t know English enough to say the one he was bugging on. He takes us and the two of them ride the girl, asking why she don’t want to be with Huey and meet his mom. Keep telling her his mom’s a nice woman, why’s she insulting him like that. Ask what’s wrong with Huey and he’s a great guy. I’m hanging out in the back, watching the show. The bouncers come over and they say they want the manager, know how to say that because they got this thing they do.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I’ll get to it. Manager comes over with the bouncers behind him, try asking them to leave. The one, Javier? He pulls out his nine in one hand a wad of cash in the other. Says which one he prefers for the girl? Manager looks at the girl and asks her why she’s being rude, go fuck Huey in the back.”

  “Huey do it?”

  “Says he’s fine with just getting a picture with her. They take his picture with her and still make him go in the back. Never saw someone come out looking so sad after getting laid.”

  Cesar went over to the door and let the dogs in. “So what’s this thing they do?”

  “Next one we go to they make a big show of it being Huey’s bachelor party, get everyone to buy him drinks and dances. They ask for the manager and say they’re up from Cuba want to show their friend a good time before he gets married. Want to see what American women are all about, what the big deal is. Gets everyone tripping over themselves to prove Americans are worthy. Thought I’d try that one next time I go out somewhere. Tell them I’m getting married, who wants to show me a last night of fun.”

  “They get their shirts?”

  “Very first thing they did. Put them on one on top of the other. With everything else they’re doing for Huey, they make sure he got them too.”

  CESAR ASKED PABLO WOULD HE like to do some acting. Pablo was all over it, saying he was going to be like that guy in that show, the one with the cops riding around on motorcycles. Cesar didn’t know it.

  “Erik Estrada,” Pablo said.

  “Chips he’s talking about,” Deacon said from the back of the Acura.

  “Yes, Chips,” Pablo said, pronouncing it cheaps. “I will be the Ponch.”

  Jesus, how old was this guy?

  Cesar brought the Acura up the 501, going through Conway, explaining the roles to them. Pablo turned in the seat, told Deacon he expected good things from him. Told him he better keep up. It was that line that worried Cesar.

  “Where is your man?” Pablo asked. “The other Mexican that does not know Spanish.”

  “Sleeping it off on the couch.”

  “Yes. Your boys showed mine a good time,” he said, like they were talking about kids. “Mine too are unable to work today,” Pablo said, smiling and nodding, looking out the window. Thinking about the role he was going to play, getting into character.

  They pulled into the farmhouse as Ben was walking over to his pickup truck. Cesar staring talking, about to introduce Pablo when he jumped in, playing up the role. “I understand there’s a problem,” he said to Ben, walking up to him, chin first. He pulled out a business card Cesar made, handed it to him. “I want you to call that number.”

  Ben looked at it, then to Pablo, then Deacon, then back to the card. “What for?”

  “Just call it.”

  The guy was going balls out at this game. Cesar hoped Ben wouldn’t call the number. He wasn’t sure how much faith he had in Angelica, especially first thing in the morning. Probably trying to steal the cash out of some tourist’s wallet before she snuck out of the hotel room right now.

  Now Pablo was pointing at the card, telling Ben, “I really want you to call the number.”

  He was confused, but he got out his phone and dialed the number on the card. He stared at Pablo as it rang, then said, “Yeah, can I speak to,” reading the card, “Cesar Riso?” He waited. “Okay, thanks,” he said then ended the call.

  “What she say?” Pablo asked.

  “Said he wasn’t there.”

  “You know why?”

  Ben shook his head.

  “Because he is here. Standing in front of you Miss-Tar Miller. That is how important this is. You understand?”

  Ben looked past Pablo to Deacon, a pleading look to him. “It’s my house.”

  “Mr. Miller we didn’t want this either.”

  “We called you because we thought it was haunted, not to get kicked out.”

  “It’s nothing more than about your safety. Really,” Deacon said.

  “Maybe your kids die in the house eh?” Pablo said. “You want those ghosts in your home? Knowing you could have saved their lives?” Pablo made the sign of the cross on his body. “God forbid yes?”

  Jesus he was laying it on thick.

  Now Ben was holding the card, unsure what to do with himself. He looked between the three of them, then up to the sky, then the ground. “You know how stressed we were? You come here and tell us there’s nothing here we think we caught a break. Now you’re laying this on us?”

  “I’m sorry Mr. Miller. It’s for your own safety. They’re done working on it, you get the house back with no problems.”

  “He come all the way back for you. Where were you shooting your show Mr. Gray?”

  “Philly.”

  Pablo turned to Ben. “Mr. Gray come all the way back from Philly for you Mr. Miller. That should show we don’t want anything bad for you.”

  Ben took a couple minutes to think it over. Cesar was glad Pablo let him have the time, seemed to know when to shut up.

  “It’s a racket what you do,” he said, looking at Deacon. “Wouldn’t be surprised this was some kind of scam of yours.” Then Ben turned back to the house to gather his wife and kids.

  Pablo turned to Deacon, giant smile under that mustache. “How’d I do?”

  “Think you took us all by surprise.”

  “You barely said anything. You did not keep up. Maybe I should host the show eh?” He nudged Deacon with his elbow. “Maybe you get rid of your wife and we do better. Tell people the houses are haunted and then we sell them when they move.”

  “Wouldn’t that be something,” Deacon said.

  “Now Cesar,” Pablo said, “show me why you want this house.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  “YOU WANT TO TELL ME why there’s a goddamn US Marshal in my place?”

  That’s what Huey woke up to. His body was half off the bed, his right arm and leg propped on the floor keeping the rest of his body up. When the phone started ringing he looked down to the floor, saw it sitting there in a puddle of drool. When he answered it, hitting the button to put it on speaker, that’s the first thing Jeff said to him.

  So Huey hung up.

  Jeff called back. Huey answered it saying, “What’s he want?”

  “He’s asking questions about you.”

  “He’s not a Marshal.”

  “What is he then?”

  Huey didn’t have an answer so he hung up again.

  Jeff called back, but Huey didn’t pick up this time. He stared at the phone buzzing under him, down there on the floor, still covered in drool. It stopped ringing and Huey kept staring at it. Saw the little icon pop up saying he had a message.

  Then he heard the house phone ringing. He could hear his mom answer it from another room, being pleasant. Saying ‘Oh dear,’ and she’d let Huey know. He still didn’t move when his mom tapped on the door before ope
ning it and sticking her head in, her hair looking like someone bled on it. “Jeff would like to talk to you.”

  Huey stared at her, not saying anything.

  “Okay dear,” she said, then closed the door.

  Now his phone was ringing again. This time it said Hector across the screen. He reached down and hit the speaker button.

  “Man, those guys taking a shine to you huh?”

  Huey’s finger hovered over the red button to disconnect the call, but this wasn’t Jeff. Hector wouldn’t take it as well. Instead he said, “What do you want?”

  “You heard from anyone today?”

  “I’m not awake yet.”

  “Can’t get a hold of Cesar, thought maybe you were with him. Jumped out without waking me up.”

  “I wouldn’t want you around either.”

  The line was quiet. Huey figured Hector was holding back his anger. Probably wanted to come through the phone and smash him in the lip again. He would’ve said the same thing if Hector was here. He was tired of all this, the humiliation, being treated like he was nothing. Those guys last night, forcing that girl to be with him. Like he had a disability they were laughing at, poking fun at him.

  “Get your ass over here and pick me up,” Hector said then the line went dead.

  BROOKE FOLLOWED THEM UP THE 501, figured out they were heading to Rounders Bend. Thought maybe they were going back to Cesar’s. It could be useful to find out where he lived. Then she saw them turn down the farm road and realized they were going to the Millers. She knew she couldn’t follow them down the road without giving herself away, so she kept going. Went down to the next road a few miles down, turned around and went back. She came to the farm road and turned on it, made her way to the Millers and slowed down as she passed the drive, seeing the three of them having a chat with Ben behind the white slatted fence made to keep the cows inside.

  She sped up, headed off to the next farm where she pulled in and turned around then pulled over to the shoulder. The road was straight and empty, nowhere for her to get close to see what they were doing. She eased the Buick along the shoulder, coming up to a branch that came over the road by a couple feet, the best hiding place she had.

  Maybe she should sneak around on foot, she thought. Go through the bushes here and come along the side of the house, see if she could see anything. Then have Mrs. Miller doing the dishes, look out her window and see her scampering around her property like a cartoon thief. She told herself she was being stupid. The best thing she could do was wait, and even that didn’t seem like a good idea with the SUV being the only thing on the road.

  She took a cigarette out and lit it, wondering what Cesar and Pablo were doing here with Deacon. If her theory was right, Cesar would have to get rid of Pablo before taking Deacon to the bank. As long as Pablo was around, Deacon was safe. Cesar wouldn’t want Pablo to know he lost his money. But what the hell did the Millers have to do with it?

  Her phone rang. She pulled it out and answered.

  Martina said, “Why’s there a goddamn US Marshal phoning me?”

  “I don’t know. Why’s there a goddamn US Marshal phoning you?”

  “This isn’t the start of a joke where I break out some hilarious punchline.”

  “You’re being serious?”

  “Do I sound like I’m joking?”

  “I can never tell.”

  “US Marshal Carter Grant phones me saying he understands it I rented some cars from that fat fuck down there and wants to ask me a few questions.”

  “Why’s a Marshal care if you rented some cars?”

  “That’s what I said. He’s trying to find out some things he tells me. I tell him why else would you call a stranger ‘less you want to find out some things. You want to guess why I’m calling you now?”

  “Find out why a Marshal is calling you?”

  “Find out what the fuck you two are doing down there to get a Marshal to call me. Or maybe I don’t want to know.”

  “What’s the answer you want to hear?”

  “The one where you tell me this isn’t something you’re involved with. The one where you don’t try to be cute and dance around it with words.”

  “I can tell you we’re taking care of it.”

  “You and your ex-husband taking care of the US Marshals,” Martina said under her breath, then went quiet. Brooke didn’t know what to say so she didn’t say anything.

  Martina let out a long sigh. “You want to know what else he said?”

  “You want to tell me?”

  “He said Jeff wants to know when we’re bringing back the Buick. He says Jeff’s too afraid to call me hisself.”

  “You have a way about you.”

  “One good thing. What I’m going to do, I’m going to drink until I convince myself the Marshals called because Jeff was too scared to do it on his own.”

  “You talk to Dave yet? Tell him I’m done after the contract?”

  “That’s what you’re worried about?”

  THEY CAME OUT OF THE bunker, still in the barn, when they saw the Millers throwing bags into the bed of the pickup truck. Saw them crying as they got in and drove off.

  Pablo hadn’t shut up about how good the plan was. The balls Cesar had to do something like this. On top of it all, to make the Millers pay for the setup of the operation by telling them they had to pay for the repairs they weren’t going to do. It was as if Pablo was jealous he never thought of it. Deacon had to admit, he was impressed too.

  “What will you do with the furniture?” Pablo asked.

  “Thought maybe I’d sell it on E-bay. Is that still around? Maybe open a business on Amazon.”

  “What’ll you do when they come by looking for their stuff? They’ll come back with trucks, maybe movers,” Deacon said. “Start moving it between friends or maybe a storage place waiting until they can move back in.”

  “We do not care about the things in the house,” Pablo said. “It is the things in the bunker. The ugly furniture we need moved.” He turned to Cesar. “I will call my boys, they will begin to move them. Put them upstairs in the barn until we decide.”

  Deacon noticed Cesar flinched at that. It didn’t seem he was one to share.

  Pablo went on. “Do you have a man for the wiring? You should call your boys too, make it faster. They can pick up my boys. I will make sure they are ready.” Pablo took a few steps away, dialed a number and then he was speaking in Spanish.

  Cesar pumped his fist slightly holding the phone. He was thinking about something, conflicted. They locked eyes and then Cesar looked away, turned his back on Deacon while he played with the phone. He put it up to his ear, said, “I need you to come to old man Dwights,” then waited. “Why you almost here? I need you to go get Pablo’s men and bring them with you.” Cesar turned to look down into the bunker. “I don’t care Huey.” Then he hung up, looked around, pumping that fist again, looking at Deacon. Probably deciding how to get him to the bank.

  The thing that concerned Deacon, what got him worried, was how much they were talking about their business in front of him. Talking about their plans to turn the bunker into a weed grow-op. The less he knew the better, but they were letting him know everything.

  “How’s the movie looking?” Deacon asked.

  “We’ll be getting to that first chance we got.”

  “I’d love to see what you have.”

  Cesar smiled, one that was more about baring his teeth than being welcoming. “You don’t play this right, you’ll be seeing a new ending to the flick you’re not careful.”

  JAVIER WAS WEARING THE T-SHIRT from Derriere’s, a pale blue shirt with white font saying Derriere’s in a curve, the two ‘r’s in yellow. Luis was sporting the Treasure Club T-shirt, the first ‘E’ done up to look like a key, a graphic of a chest behind the words. They were in the back of the Town Car making fun of Huey wearing the Wild Things shirt with the front covered in drool. He didn’t realize he was still wearing it. Making fun of him about the girl last n
ight, pretending to be his friend. They were laughing at him, pretending he was in on the joke.

  Hector was joining in, getting on the ‘laugh at Huey’ train, trying to make friends with these guys. He was asking them about Cuba, about Castro, where the country would go now that he passed. Said he’d take a trip down there now that Americans were allowed. The Cubans spoke to each other in Spanish after that, giggling, then telling him Cuba would love to have him.

  With all three of them talking and laughing, Huey was the only one that noticed the Buick SUV parked a hundred yards away on the shoulder of the road. He was the only one that noticed the woman sitting behind the wheel with the cherry of a cigarette lit up.

  They came down the drive as Pablo walked to the Town Car, his arms spread welcoming them with a big smile on his face. Cesar was behind him, miserable looking. Deacon sat on a log, smoking a cigarette.

  Now they were laughing at Huey again as he was trying to move furniture. Laughing every time he tripped or something slipped out of his hands. Laughed at him when he couldn’t lift things, Hector making it a point to go lift the side of the couch Huey couldn’t get off the ground. Then Cesar came over to ask him about wiring.

  “They got the wires already,” Huey told him, Pablo coming up to listen, “going to the overheads here. See it in that case there, that long bump running to the light? You just got to split the wires where you want the other lights hanging out, maybe run it along the ceiling there if you want it going to the end.”

  “We put rows of four in here,” Cesar said, using his hands to explain his words. “One on each of the walls, two going down the middle, how many lights you think we’re going to need?”

  “Shit Cesar, I don’t know anything about those kind of lights. They do like the sun, they might be running on different voltage. Depending on the volts and amps you might be needing to get a ballast on them. Plus how far away they supposed to be from the plants? What’s the heat they need, you know?”

  For the first time Huey could remember, Cesar looked scared. Had Pablo behind him, looking over Cesar’s shoulder. Looked like Cesar was afraid to turn around.