The Body of Martin Aguilera

by Percival Everett

  “I’m in it, Manny.” Lewis cupped his hands around a match and lit his cigar. “Are you in it?”

  “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about someone stealing Martin’s body?”

  Lewis tried to look surprised. “Stealing his body?”

  “From Fonda’s.”

  “Come on.”

  “Last night.”

  “Don’t change the subject. Why did you lie to me? Why did you lie to Martin’s grandson.”

  “What would you have me tell the man? His grandfather was dead. You wanted me to say he was murdered? I don’t know that. You saw him in the cabin. I fished him out of the river.”

  “You think I’m lying.”

  “I don’t know that. If I told Taylor all that stuff, would that have brought his grandfather back?”

  Manny had a point and Lewis felt immediately bad for having sucked young Taylor into the mess. “No.”

  “All right.”

  “But why lie to me?”

  “Taylor was standing right there.”

  “But later on the phone—”

  “I’m sorry. This business isn’t easy. I was tense. I didn’t want to be bothered.”

  Lewis blew smoke out. He looked back and saw Salvador watching them through his window.

  “I saw you come out of Sal’s,” Manny said. “Looking for some boots?”

  “He didn’t have my size.”

  “Ain’t that always the way.”

  “So, what now?” Lewis asked. “You try to find the body?”

  “I guess so.”

  “And the killer?”

  “Don’t cause trouble, prof. The last thing that any of us need is everybody getting scared of a killer on the loose. There’re too many old farts around here with guns in their houses. They’ll end up shootin’ their families and maybe me.”

  Lewis was disappointed.

  “What is it?”

  “Nothing.” Lewis looked at the man’s eyes again. “I’ve always respected you. But it’s hard right now.”

  Mondragon put his sunglasses back on and walked on past.

  Lewis turned to see Salvador still in the window. He shook his head no and walked on to meet Laura and Maggie.

  Chapter Twelve

  Lewis stood outside of El Coche Comedor smoking on his cigar and waiting for Maggie and Laura to show up for lunch. The talk with Mondragon had left him angry and disturbed. He wondered how young Taylor was feeling and what he was doing. There was some sort of youth art exhibit going on in the plaza. A couple of girls sat on the steps of the stage and tuned guitars. A van drove by and Lewis thought the white men in it were looking him over. Some people didn’t expect to see black people in this part of the country. He guessed the van had Texas license plates, but it didn’t. He thought it might have been a California tag, but it was so covered with mud he couldn’t see. The girls with the guitars took the stage, blew into the microphones, then began to sing in Spanish. The music was pretty.

  “Papa!” Laura called through the open window of the car.

  Lewis didn’t know quite what to make of the picture. The back seat of his car was loaded, an ironing board was strapped to the top. Maggie pulled into a diagonal parking space.

  “What is all of this?” Lewis asked, walking to Maggie’s door.

  “A few things,” Maggie said.

  “An ironing board, Maggie? I live on a mountain.”

  ‘“I live on a mountain,’” she mocked him. “Calm down, Grizzly Adams.” She got out of the car and helped Laura slide across the seat.

  Lewis looked at the stuff in the backseat. “Is that a record player? Maggie, I have a record player.”

  “Yes, but that is my record player and when I play my belly dancing music, you won’t be able to say, ‘Get that off of my record player.’”

  He paused. “Belly dancing?”

  Laura was out and Maggie closed the car door. “Let’s eat,” she said.

  Lewis backed up to the sidewalk and let them pass. “What do you wear?”

  “You’ll like the food here,” Maggie said to Laura as they entered the restaurant. “Put that stinky thing out,” she said to Lewis about his cigar.

  “Do you wear those balloon pants? Come on, tell me.”

  “I hope you don’t think you’re going to be smoking those in the house. I have a very sensitive nose.”

  The hostess seated them in a booth under a painting of an Indian’s face in the middle of the moon. The waitress came and took their orders. The restaurant wasn’t crowded and Lewis began to relax.

  He looked at Maggie. “What do you know about the Penitentes?”

  “Not much. Why?”

  “They have secret funerals, don’t they?”

  “I think so.”

  “What’s a pennytenny?” Laura asked.

  “It’s a club,” Lewis said and he felt bad for the skimpy answer, but he didn’t feel like explaining. “Did you help Maggie put all that junk in the car?”

  “Yes.”

  “You think that’s pretty funny.”

  Laura giggled and looked at Maggie.

  A boy came into the restaurant and to their booth, handed a note to Lewis. “Perdone,” he said and left quickly.

  Lewis opened the paper. It said: I have a pair of boots your size.

  “What’s it say?” Maggie asked.

  “Let’s just say I’ll be able to tell you a little more about the Penitentes.” He got the waitress’s attention and asked for more water. He looked at Laura. “What do you say we call your folks tonight?”

  The child nodded, looked worried.

  “I’m making eggplant tonight,” Lewis said, “so pick one up for me at the market.”

  “Not eggplant,” Laura whined.

  “You’re not shopping with us?” Maggie asked.

  “I’ve got to see somebody.” He opened his wallet and gave Maggie two fifties. “Surprise me, but get things I know how to cook.”

  The food arrived. Lewis cut his cheeseburger and picked up half to take a bite. Maggie was looking at him. Laura was studying her club sandwich and he mouthed the words It’s okay to Maggie.

  “What’s okay?” Laura asked.

  “The burger,” he said.

  “You’re not talking about the burger,” Laura said.

  “Laura,” he said.

  “You want to send me home.”

  “No, I don’t. I just think we should call your parents so they know you’re fine.”

  Laura was mad and when she got that way she just shut up. She managed a couple of bites of her sandwich and all of her pop. She wouldn’t look at Lewis.

  “Laura.” Lewis used the tone that demanded she look at him. And she did. “I want you to relax. Nobody’s going anywhere, okay? Except to the grocery market and back up the mountain.”

  Maggie reached over and stroked the child’s hand.

  “Okay?” Lewis said.

  “Okay,” said Laura.

  “And guess what?” Maggie said to her. “I’m going to teach you how to belly dance.”

  “Really?”

  Lewis smiled. “Come on, Maggie, tell me what you wear.”

  When they were outside at the car, Lewis scratched his head. “Maggie?”

  “Lewis?”

  “Where are you going to put the groceries?”

  “Oh, shit,” she said.

  Lewis laughed softly and turned to see the van he’d seen earlier roll through the intersection. He watched it until it went out of sight.

  “Hey!” Maggie shouted into his ear.

  “What?”

  “You’ve got to have that hearing checked.”

  “You’re going to have to take some stuff back home.” He saw Laura starting to laugh. “What is it?”

  “The trunk is empty,” Maggie said.

  “Practical jokers, eh?” He grabbed Laura and nibbled at her ear. “Well, how do you like this?” He let her go and held the door while they got into the car. “Pick me up a
t the post office at three,” he said to Maggie and closed the door. He watched them drive away.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Lewis found the door to the boot store locked. He looked up and down the street and knocked on the glass. An Indian woman and her little children were carrying blankets into a souvenir shop. Eyes peered at him through parted slats of the blinds and he heard the clicking of the bolt being unfastened. Alvarado closed the door after Lewis and secured it again. Ignacio Nuñez was sitting in the middle of the room, in dungarees and a sweat-stained, blue workshirt. His face was still, solemn.

  “Hello, Ignacio,” Lewis said.

  Ignacio nodded.

  “The sheriff came by here,” Salvador said.

  “I didn’t say anything to him,” Lewis said.

  “I know,” Salvador said. He looked at the younger man.

  “We want to know why you want to see Martin’s body,” Ignacio said.

  “You have him?”

  “I didn’t say that.” Ignacio leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “Martin was our friend.”

  “He was mine, too. I can’t really tell you why I want to see him, but I need to. It’s important.”

  Ignacio looked at Salvador and sighed.

  “We need to know why,” Salvador said.

  “I’m not sure myself.” Lewis was tired of beating around the bush. “For whatever reasons, I was there in the funeral home when you took the body. I saw you, Salvador, and I guess you were there too, Ignacio.” He measured the two men’s responses. They remained still. Salvador licked his lips. “I have no interest in going to the sheriff, but I will.”

  “Why didn’t you tell the sheriff?” Ignacio asked.

  “I did’t think Manny would let me see Martin. Something’s going on and I don’t know enough about it to make any sense. I do need to see Martin’s body. I don’t mean any disrespect.”

  The men sat quietly for a few seconds. Salvador jumped at the sound of a firm knock on the window of the door. Ignacio was up and standing in the doorway to the back room. He waved for Lewis to come too. Salvador peeked through the blinds.

  “It’s the delivery man,” he said and opened up.

  “Botas, botas, botas, “the skinny man said and wheeled in a stack of boxes of boots. “What are you doing all locked up in here, Salvador?” He smiled at Lewis and Ignacio. “Having a private boot party?” He laughed. He slipped the boxes off the dolly at the counter and handed his clipboard to Salvador. “Sign line fifty-eight. I’ll get the rest.”

  Salvador hurriedly put his name on the paper and almost bumped into the delivery man at the door. The second load standing next to the first, the skinny man left, Salvador pushing the door after him. The old man stopped before the door was closed.

  “It’s Manny,” he said.

  Lewis followed Ignacio into the back and behind a wall of boxes. Lewis listened.

  “Manny,” Salvador said, “what brings you back?”

  “You about to lock up or something?”

  “Me? No, just closing the door. Just got a delivery. See.”

  The delivery truck shook the store as it pulled away.

  “I thought I saw Lewis Mason come in here.”

  “No, no. He was in here earlier, but that was some time ago. You want me to tell him something if I see him.”

  “No, that won’t be necessary. You all right, Salvador?”

  “Si, bien.”

  “You mind if I use your restroom?”

  “Uh, no. It’s dirty.”

  The sheriff laughed. “Not that dirty.”

  “Sure, you can use the restroom,” Salvador said loudly. Ignacio winced. It was hot in the back and the two men’s faces were beaded with perspiration.

  “Why’d you do that?” Manny asked.

  “What?”

  “Talk loud like that.”

  Salvador said nothing.

  Lewis could hear Manny come through the doorway. He went into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Ignacio looked at Lewis’ eyes. Lewis turned a bit and bumped a stack of boxes. He grabbed them but could not balance them, so he pressed down on them to keep them still. Ignacio frowned. The toilet flushed and Manny came out.

  “Your bathroom isn’t dirty,” the sheriff said.

  “Oh, I guess Gloria must have cleaned it,” Salvador said.

  “You should see the one at the station. That’s where I put suspects to make them confess.”

  Salvador offered a weak chuckle.

  Lewis was sweating profusely now, holding the boxes steady.

  “Well, I can see you’ve got a lot of boots to unpack,” Manny said. “Hasta luego, Salvador.” The bell on the door sounded his leaving.

  Lewis relaxed and the boxes spilled onto the floor. Salvador came running to the back.

  “He’s gone,” the merchant said.

  “None too soon.” Lewis bent to collect the boxes.

  “Forget those,” Salvador told him. “We have Martin’s body.”

  Lewis looked him in the eye.

  “It’s our religion,” the old man said.

  “It’s secret,” said Ignacio.

  Lewis nodded.

  “You have to promise you won’t tell anyone,” Salvador said and quickly glanced out front.

  “Just one person. Martin’s grandson is in town.”

  Salvador and Ignacio exchanged looks.

  “He was with me in Fonda’s.”

  Ignacio hadn’t liked any of the business and he liked this even less. “Martin never talked about no grandson.”

  “He just showed up.”

  “Okay,” Salvador agreed. “Tonight, you meet me and Ignacio beind the shop and we’ll take you to see Martin. Some of our people are not going to like it.”

  “Listen, all I want to do is examine the body. You won’t even know I’m there.”

  “We’ll know,” Ignacio said.

  “What time?” Lewis asked.

  “Nine. It will be dark, then.” Salvador looked into the front of the store again. “You’d better leave out the back.”

  Lewis did.

  Lewis was hot, sticky, and breathing heavily in the alley. He leaned against the adobe wall of the shop in a shadow to try to cool off and calm down. He was in there hiding from the sheriff and it just didn’t make sense to him. He wasn’t a criminal. He stood up, straightened, and took deep breaths. He wasn’t getting any cooler or drier. He walked to the end of the alley. At the street, he saw two men pushing a pickup into the Shell station. Thinking he might at any moment come across Manny, Lewis ran to help them. A young woman was behind the wheel and she smiled at him. He pushed and walked away once the vehicle was at the garage door. He went into the ice cream parlor where he knew it would be cool. He sat and nursed a vanilla cone slowly until it was gone. His shirt dry, he left.

  Fat Leroi Hireles was behind the desk in the office of the Best Western. Lewis could see him through the window and was glad he didn’t have to go in and talk to him. Leroi talked non-stop and was famous for not bathing. The blue, rental Camaro was parked in the lot.

  Lewis knocked.

  “Who is it?”

  “Lewis Mason.”

  Taylor opened the door and stepped away.

  “How are you doing?” Lewis asked.

  “I’m fine.” Taylor sat on the bed and looked at the television.

  “What are you watching?”

  “Some talk show. People on here would rather be with their pets than other people.” He wouldn’t look at Lewis. “This guy wants to marry his cat.”

  “Takes all kinds,” Lewis said.

  “Listen, about last night. I’m sorry I got you into this.” Lewis looked at the people on television. “I’m going to see Martin’s body tonight. Your grandfather was a Penitente. It’s a religious group.”

  “My grandfather was Catholic.”

  “It’s a Catholic group. I’ll come by here just before nine.”

  Taylor nodded.

&nbs
p; Lewis felt awful, like a bad man trying to pull a scared man deeper into trouble. He got up and went to the door. “You don’t have to go, you know.”

  “I know.”

  “See you later.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Maggie and Laura arrived at the post office shortly after Lewis. Laura sat between the adults during the ride home. The child ate a chocolate bar. Lewis was quiet and Maggie asked no questions. Laura looked at her grandfather with candy on her lips. Lewis smiled and gave her his handkerchief.

  “I had fun today, Papa.”

  “I’m glad, honey.” He put his arm around her.

  “Maggie and I have a surprise for you.”

  “You do? What is it?”

  “I can’t tell.”

  “I’ll have to wait then, won’t I?”

  “Yep.”

  “Did you get your business taken care of?” Maggie asked.

  “Yes, some of it. I have to go into town and finish it up tonight.”

  Silence.

  “I put some gas in the car,” Maggie said.

  “Thanks.” Lewis was looking out the window again. They had started up the mountain. Down on the flat, Lewis could see smoke rising from the dump. There was not supposed to be burning in the fill, but a fire always raged. He used to like going down there when the county could afford a guard, even if it was fat Leroi. Now, the smoke irritated his eyes and the heat was disturbing.

  “Whose car is that?” Maggie asked.

  Lewis looked at the strange car parked in front of his cabin. He didn’t know anyone who owned a new, bright green Jeep. Maggie stopped beside it.

  “Stay in the car,” Lewis said and got out. He closed the door and turned back. “Roll up the windows and lock the doors.”

  Laura and Maggie did as he asked.

  Lewis went to the door and tried the knob. It was still locked. He looked back at Maggie and Laura and shrugged. He came down the steps and walked along the side of the house, glancing in through the windows as he passed. He turned the corner. His heart stopped as he met another body.

  Maggie pushed open her car door.

  “Lewis.” It was Cyril Peabody.

  Lewis let out a breath. “Christ, you nearly scared me to death.” He leaned against the house, waved back to the car. “It’s all right.”

  “I just came out to say hello,” Cyril said. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”