by Ivan Infante
Mike stopped to admire the building. To show Benny respect, he took the time to value the score. “Nothing for you?” He asked.
“I take cash.” Benny didn’t stop walking.
Mike picked up his pace and caught up to Benny. They walked side by side. “So how come no park view?” Mike asked.
“That’s your own damn fault. I didn’t have time to promote him all the way. You were in such a hurry.” Benny handed the blame to Mike. Mike shrugged and took it.
As they walked along the front of the building, a drunk somewhere in the shadows across the street brayed out a song that sounded vaguely familiar. Mike started humming the tune under his breathe. Benny tried to join in, but neither of them could place the music. Their humming petered out.
When they reached the front corner of the building and the park stretched out in front of them, Mike stopped and took in the neighborhood. Neon signs on top of the apartment buildings that surrounded the park spelled out names like Sheraton, Asbury and Royale. The night was bright with them.
Mike took a look up and down the street in front of the park. He noticed the expensive, shiny new cars parked along both sides of the street. Everything gleamed when the headlights spilled off Wilshire or when the signs on the buildings flashed all at the same time and were extra bright.
“Swank.” Mike said with a respectful nod in Benny’s direction.
“Only the best from now on, only the best.” Benny patted him on the back and they kept walking.
They rounded the corner and walked away from the traffic. The park was on their left. When the noise from Wilshire faded in the background, Mike reached out and grabbed Benny by the arm. He pulled him off the sidewalk and into the shadows. He grabbed the little guy by the throat with one hand. The other hand clamped down on Benny’s gun. It had almost made it out of his right coat pocket. The little guy was fast, but not fast enough.
“This is too good. What’s the score?” Mike squeezed with constant pressure. Benny’s eyes bulged, but he answered calmly like he’d been in this exact situation many times before. His words came out steady. “I’m doing well here. I owe you for Portland.”
Mike winced at the word Portland, but he didn’t lose his focus, “Why aren’t we going in the front door?” Mike pulled Benny up off the ground by his neck and the little guy had to stand on his toes to breathe.
Benny stayed calm, but had to squeal out his words one by one. “Mike, I’m doing well here. I’m doing well.” Benny patted the back of the hand that was choking him like it was a small dog. “I’m doing well here. We’ll do well here.” Mike loosened his grip. Benny no longer had to stand on his toes. It was easy for him to talk. He kept up the chatter. “I know you’re tired. It’s been a long night. You took quite a blow to your head. I know it’s gotta hurt. Let’s just go inside. You’ll have a chance to relax inside, in your own apartment. Come on. Give me an angle on this one.”
Mike let go of Benny’s gun hand. Benny didn’t draw. He left the pistol in his pocket. Mike didn’t let go of his throat. He asked. “This guy you hustled gonna be giving me the evil eye every time I come and go?”
“He’s never here.” Benny said the answer too quick.
“Then why not go in front?” Mike gozzled him again.
With that, Benny lost his temper and moved fast. He chopped at Mike’s hand with both of his and wriggled out of Mike’s grasp. He stumbled backward and reached for his gun. Mike didn’t move. Benny had time to get his balance and draw a bead on Mike.
Benny spat his words out through clenched teeth. “Stop playing the dropper with me. We drink outta the same bottle. You should know there’s always something. This place is same as all the others. There’s an angle you gotta play. Here, in this apartment-hotel, that angle is the front desk clerk. He knows I’m a sharper. He’ll know what you are as soon as he sees you and you’ll know what he’s not. He’s not a right guy.” Benny looked down at his gun like he didn’t know how it got out of his pocket. He stared at it for a second, then put it away.
“Why’s the desk clerk gotta know?” When Mike asked the question, the pain from his head got worse. He grabbed his skull with both hands.
“He does the books for the place.” Benny took a step back. Mike didn’t react. He had stopped maneuvering. Benny kept talking. “The mark says he can handle him. Says he’s just an old man trying to feel important. Just avoid him. Do like Rita, go in through the back. There’s a nice kid in the garage. He’s no trouble. In fact, he comes in handy. His name is Moses. He fixed up a few dents in my car. Once he even kept his mouth shut when I had to sprint through the garage in a hurry and hide in the building.”
“This old man desk clerk work 24 hours a day?”
“No, he’s just there tonight. Once you learn his schedule, you can go in any door you want.” Benny could tell Mike was calming down so he stepped back onto the sidewalk and started walking. Mike fell in line behind him.
They reached the back of the apartment building and turned down a narrow alley that ran between it and a three story parking garage built in the same style directly behind it. A covered walkway connected the two. Benny led the way to the back door. He took a key from his back pocket and opened the door. Before he went inside, he pinched the key between his fingers and offered it to Mike. Mike’s head hurt so bad, his vision was fuzzy. He had to squint to see the key and he missed it the first time he reached for it. The second time, he moved slower and got it.
Once inside, they headed for the back stairs. Benny started up. Mike stopped and looked at the steep flights. Benny caught his hesitation. “You’ll make it. It’s only seven floors.”
“What about the elevator?” Mike asked.
“The freight gets shut off at night and the old man sits across from the main one.” Benny mustered a smile. “Come on, let’s go.”
Mike glared at him. Benny came back down to where Mike stood and offered him a shoulder to lean on. Mike brushed it off and started climbing on his own. Somewhere around the fourth floor, Mike threw his arm over Benny’s shoulder. By the time they got to the seventh floor, Benny was starting to buckle under the weight of the bigger man. He maneuvered Mike down the hallway with difficulty. When they got to the front door of number 717, Benny had to reach into Mike’s pocket and take the key back. Mike lacked the strength to turn it.
Benny helped Mike over the threshold and down a narrow hallway to a large living room. It looked out over two distinct views through rows of tall thin windows in the north and east wall. To the north, a sea of bright neon lights glistened, spreading out as they rose up into Hollywood Hills. To the east, there was another apartment building. Most of the lights in its windows were out. Still, a few illuminated squares pockmarked the façade across from them. Benny leaned Mike against the wall and went around the room turning on lamps. As the place lit up, the night outside vanished.
Mike got his bearings and looked around. The rooms were as good as any he had ever managed to get for himself. The place wasn’t just furnished. It was decorated with all the plush leather and polished wood pieces carefully arranged. His head hurt too much to look up at the ceiling, but he figured it was a high one and there weren’t any cobwebs. Struggling up those marble stairs and down the wide dimly lit hall, he’d had a good feeling coming through the pain. Now he was sure. Benny had come through. Los Angeles might not work out. But if it didn’t, it wouldn’t be Benny’s fault.
“It’s nice.” Mike said.
Benny turned to face him. He swelled with pride, but his look faded when he saw Mike’s face under the light. “You look terrible. Are you sure you don’t need a doctor?”
“No, doctor.” Mike answered.
Benny came over to take a closer look at Mike and asked again. “You sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.” Mike leaned heavy against the wall. Even if he wanted to go, he didn’t have the energy to go back down the stairs. Luckily, Benny didn’t press the point. He just nodded, shook Mike’s hand and walk
ed out.
Mike shuffled to the door after Benny left and locked it behind him. Then he went into the kitchen and came out with a big knife. He grabbed one of the leather chairs and dragged it to the end of the narrow entryway and turned it to face the door. He sat down and faced the door with the knife gripped in his hand. After a few minutes, he passed out. He didn’t drop the knife.
CHAPTER FOUR
Mike woke up to a loud knocking on the door. He noticed the knife in his hand and stared at it for a second like he didn’t know where it had come from. The knocking persisted.
“It’s me. Mike, lets get some breakfast. I wanna show you my place.” Benny’s voice came through the door muffled.
“All right.” Mike croaked out the words. As he got up from the chair, the headache kicked back in. He put a finger to the bump and flinched in pain. It hurt to raise his arms and his back felt like it had knife in it. Sleeping in the chair had been a mistake. He hid the knife behind his back as he shuffled to the door. He opened the tiny Judas window and peeked out. Benny stood there smiling. Mike let him in.
Benny shut the door behind him and locked it. He did these things fast, but not with a sense of urgency.
“You ready for breakfast?” Benny asked when he turned away from the door.
“No, let me try the shower you got me.” Mike shuffled off toward the back of the apartment.
When Mike turned away, Benny saw the knife. “What’s the blade for?” Before Mike answered, Benny noticed the chair facing the door. “Did you sleep in the chair?”
Mike responded. “If there’s coffee, you had better make it.”
“There’s coffee all right. I had Rita get you some of the basics yesterday.” Benny ambled into the small kitchen.
Mike stood in the bathroom. He took a second to admire the sparkling-crisp white tile, spotless mirrors, and shiny chrome. It was so classy it almost made him laugh. His headache didn’t like that idea. It also didn’t like the brightness. He spoke loud so Benny could hear him all the way in the kitchen. “When do I get to meet this Rita?” He winced as he spoke. His headache didn’t appreciate loud talking either.
“You don’t meet her. I don’t bring her around your kinda talent.” Benny spoke clearly and meant what he said.
Mike thought that sounded about right. He turned off the lights to give his head a break, then he turned on the shower. After stripping off his clothes, he stepped under the water and cleaned himself up in the dark.
Twenty minutes later, Mike walked into the living room wearing his dirty clothes from the night before. Benny stood at the window taking in the view. He said. “I’m still upset that you can’t see the park from here.” Benny turned to face Mike. He had a coffee cup in his hand. “You still look terrible.” He added as he gestured to a second cup perched precariously on the window sill. Mike made a beeline to it.
“What’d you expect? Your girl Rita didn’t buy me clothes, did she?” Mike patted his pockets looking for cigarettes. Benny’s quick hands fluttered and a pack appeared out of thin air. He tossed it at Mike. Mike looked up just in time to catch it. He gripped a cigarette with his teeth, pulled it out and tossed the pack back. “So we going back to the train station? I need my stuff.” Mike asked through clenched teeth.
“You still have the ticket?”.
“Of course.” Mike answered between sips.
“Fine, then finish this and we’ll go down to my place and take care of it.”
“Your place near here?” Mike started drinking the coffee by the gulp. “I don’t want to take a long walk looking like a hobo, I could get rousted.”
“It’s not far at all. You’ll love the place. When we get there, we’ll have a big breakfast and I’ll send one of my boys down to the station with your ticket to get the bags. It’ll be better if we don’t go in person. Mark’s have been known to linger.” After he spoke, Benny put down his coffee cup and headed for the door.
Mike swigged the last of his coffee and followed his friend out. When they stepped into the hall, Mike headed for the stairs that led down to the back exit. Benny stopped him with a gentle grab of the arm. “We’re taking the front door. It’s time to meet the desk clerk. Remember, he could be trouble, so go easy.”
“We gotta do this now?” Mike stared at Benny’s hand on his arm. Benny moved it quick.
“He knows you’re here. He stopped me on the way in. He insisted he meet the new tenant, so it’s best to get it over with. We don’t want him raising an eyebrow. Don’t worry about how you look, I’ll do the talking. I’ll handle him.” Benny started walking.
Mike called after him. “Why don’t I just handle him?” There was a sharp edge in his voice.
Benny stopped, turned and stepped right in front of Mike. He stood there a head shorter, but defiant. “I swear, Mike, if anyone in this building ends up in the gutter out front and you end up vanished off to the next place. If you leave me with a mess to pick up in a town I’ve done my best to keep clean. I swear to God Mike.”
Mike glared at Benny and stayed silent until he could see the little guy start to waver -- his face twitch and his knees shake. Then, Mike spoke low and slow. “I like the apartment and I like the set up you got here, for the most part. But there will always be a next place.”
Benny smiled a little. He smiled any time the tough stuff came his way. He’d learned a long time ago not to take the tough stuff too seriously until he had to. When he had to, Benny never spoke. He was quick with his weapon. This time, he spoke. “All right, Mike, don’t get heavy with me. I’m sure you’ll love Frisco, or wherever you go when you get there, but it could all work out here. You could stick around for a while. It’s not impossible. Just lay off the desk clerks of the world. Give the square Johns a little leeway.” Benny paused to let the words sink in, then he turned and headed for the elevator. He said. “Come on, I’m hungry.”
Mike limped along behind him. The hall felt longer in the daytime. The light made objects bigger. I drew them out in ways Mike found intolerable. The sparkle and Ritz of the place would have been disconcerting enough if he’d been wearing good clothes. In his dirty rags, he felt exposed and obvious.
As he trudged along, he stared down at his feet. The carpet was a plush faded blue. It was a little worn with time, but it still had bounce in it. In its prime, this carpet would have been one of the best Mike had ever walked on, at least since New York. He was probably never going back to New York. He thought for a second about Manhattan and how it would eventually fill up with top of the line carpet his feet would never know.
They turned a corner and arrived at the elevator. The car was waiting for them. Inside it, a young operator in a grey martial uniform with gold epaulets and a gold trimmed hat was also waiting. He nodded at Benny.
Benny nodded back and thumbed in Mike’s direction. “This is Mike. He’s a right guy by me.”
“Hey Mike, I’m Jay.” The kid stuttered. The sight of Mike shook him.
Mike nodded back as he slid past the kid into the car.
“Lobby.” Benny dropped the words on the floor like trash. Jay had no choice. He smiled and bent down to pick up them up.
Jay the elevator boy hit the lever and the car lurched downward. The machinery was loud and badly maintained. It sounded second class despite being made of marble and shiny brass. They hit the first floor with a bump and Benny swayed a little. Jay smirked. Benny noticed and stepped toward Jay like he planned to rumble him. Mike moved quicker than Benny and got between them. He palmed Jay a quarter. Then he turned and ushered Benny out of the car.
They stepped off into the lobby. The elevator faced the front desk and the clerk stood tall behind the counter waiting for them. He wore a grey suit that had gone threadbare at the elbows and he had a puffed-up white mane of hair that made him look like Andrew Jackson. After one look at the old man, Mike figured he had to be around a hundred. As they sidled up to the counter, the desk clerk fixed them in a glare. Benny was right. This old man was a piece o
f work.
“Mr. Stark, is this our new tenant?” The old man spit the words at them. Mike hadn’t heard the name Stark before, it must be a new one Benny was trying on for size. Mike didn’t think it fit him.
“Yeah, this is him. Mike, this is Hank, the door man.” Benny stepped back out of the way.
The old man stood to his full height. “I’m not the door man. I’m the desk clerk and I’ll simply tell you what I told him. I don’t know how you boys got into this building, but I’ll have you out at the first sign of trouble, the first sign.” He held up a crooked finger and wagged it at them like he was a broken down Midwestern spinster.
It was hard for Mike not to laugh. “Yes, sir.”
The old man could tell he wasn’t being taken seriously. A thin smile crossed his face, “You think I’ll call the cops? No sir, I’ll slit your throat while you sleep.” After he spoke, he drew his finger across his wrinkled neck.
Benny chortled and started to walk away. Mike hesitated. He knew right away that the old man was capable. Mike knew when he had spotted one of his own. He nodded at Hank with a touch of respect. Hank caught the same drift. They knew where they stood.
“Good to know that you’re willing to make house calls, old man.” Benny came back and took Mike by the arm. His grip on Mike’s elbow was tight. He pulled his friend away. Hank didn’t take his eyes off them until they were out the front door.
Benny and Mike stepped out of the main entrance into the front courtyard. The building wedged them in on three sides. The sunlight bounced around on the white walls and hit hard. At the other end of the courtyard, a row of Moorish arches lined a walkway that faced the street. They pulled their hats down over their eyes and headed that way. They were night operators and they didn’t like this much light.
