Knuckledragger

by Rusty Barnes

  “We’re just talking,” Nina said.

  “Trying to get me killed?”

  “No!”

  “Otis will fucking kill me,” I said. “He already had me beat up because he thought there was something going on.”

  “But that’s just it. He won’t suspect anything now.”

  “Oh hell,” I said. “You’re nuts.”

  “Can I come over?” Nina said, voice quivering.

  “Are you kidding me?”

  “No. I guess I’m not kidding.”

  “You guess?”

  “Please? I have a sitter for Miguel. It’s my sister, she won’t say anything.”

  “You are out of your fucking mind,” I said.

  “So is that a yes?” she said. Fuck. Me.

  “Come on over,” I said. I was not a smart man.

  CHAPTER 21

  SHE DROVE A BLUE PONTIAC to my apartment, sort of beaten up and dismal-looking, quarter panels rusted out and one rear window covered in plastic.

  “I would have thought Otis would get you a better car,” I said.

  “It’s my sister’s car,” Nina said. She wore a deep-V lemon-colored top and a pair of turquoise culottes with tennis shoes.

  “Good idea,” I said. I switched the air conditioner in the bedroom on and by the time I bent back up Nina’s clothes were in a pile on the floor. “Good to see you, too,” I said.

  “There’s no time to mess around, you know?” Nina said, stepping toward me. “I don’t know when I’m ever going to get another chance.” Her hands went behind my neck and clasped. We fell awkwardly onto the bed and somewhere along the way I ended up naked, but it didn’t matter. Nina’s eyes closed in the middle of our lovemaking and didn’t open again for a long time.

  “Is there something wrong?” I said, stopping myself.

  “No, don’t stop,” she said, kissing my neck. Just don’t stop.” It became clear after a few minutes that what I was doing was not working, so I slid out and lay down on the bed beside her. “Why you stopping?” she said. “I told you not to stop.” Her forehead held a sheen of sweat. We’d been at it some little while.

  “You weren’t having a good time,” I said. “I’m not going to root at you like a pig.”

  “Otis tries too, but I can never get there having sex,” she said, tracing her fingernails up my arm.

  “Sorry you’re so frustrated,” I said.

  “Eh, I’m used to it,” Nina said, burrowing herself into my side.

  “Maybe later we can try again,” I said.

  “Yeah, maybe. You OK?” she said.

  “I’ll be fine,” I said. “It just takes time.” Nina laid her head on my chest and closed her eyes again. I thought briefly about all the ways in which this whole night ought to have gone, and in none of those scenarios I imagined did I come out with all my limbs intact. Otis would have a lawyer by now and probably would have posted bail. He had the money, no question. Tonight, I had been a fucking idiot. I kept that thought in my head but fell asleep in spite of it and when I woke up Nina had gone, leaving her underwear by the side of the bed. I wondered if she’d left them as a gift for me, or if she had something else in mind, like a blackmail situation. As I pulled on my cargo shorts to go out and bring the garbage in I had a bad moment. I thrust my hand into my right-hand pocket. No roll of bills. I panicked then. I checked the end tables, the couch cushions, the small garbage in the bathroom, the can under the kitchen sink, and then as a last resort, underneath the seats of the car. Nina. Goddamn it, Nina.

  I sat in my kitchen bristling with anger. She didn’t answer my call to her cell phone, and of course I didn’t have her home number. Nor did I want it really. I considered her motives, and couldn’t find any that would let me emerge from a disagreement in one piece. I’d have to get to her place and past the kids Tito had tasked with keeping Nina out of trouble. Such a good job they’d done.

  I showered quickly and stuffed my .357 in its pancake holster under the front of my shirt. By the time I’d finished the window people my insurances had sent had shown up and replaced both windows and even vacuumed the interior of the car. I headed up the street to find Nina. Jimmy and Calvin stiffened but then relaxed as I came up the front stairs to the porch.

  “Yo, Candy,” Calvin said. His chest muscles jumped underneath his wifebeater, which I think was supposed to be intimidating.

  “Tito sent me here to check on Nina,” I said.

  “No need,” Jimmy said, cracking his knuckles.

  “Why not?” I said.

  “Otis posted last night. He had to meet with his lawyer and shit so he got in late. He’s in sleeping with Nina now.” Fuck. I had to think about this, but first I needed some money. I had about three thousand in my apartment stored in a vent on my back porch. I’d have to go back to get it and then take my post at the playground and try to figure out a way to get Nina away from Otis. The beginning of a headache crept up my neck and into the back of my head.

  CHAPTER 22

  I GOT MY MONEY from the vent and took up my post in the playground. I wore dark glasses, which I rarely did. I wanted to have every advantage when I talked with Nina as I inevitably would. I felt odd, as there were no kids in the playground and it was almost ten in the morning. Usually the mothers and the au pairs would have the breakfast dishes done by now and were looking for a way to spend the day until lunch and naptime. Traffic moved slowly up and down the street, and in every one of those cars I thought there was someone Otis had tasked with killing me.

  Finally, a few children and their haggard mothers drinking DD coffee showed up and the playground livened up. I stayed by the gate near the sidewalk. Nina and Miguel always came in from behind the building. Around ten thirty Tito came in from the street side. He had a couple days beard growth and a worried look in his eyes.

  “Hey Tito,” I said. “I heard from Calvin that Otis is back.”

  “Yeah,” Tito said. “It be good. I’m not much for running things. Imma good number two.”

  “You did all right as far as I can see,” I said.

  “Yeah, well. We’ll see. You want some coffee?” He held out his hand and I put a fifty in it.

  “Smallest I got,” I said.

  “’S’all right,” Tito said. “Going to be a slow day anyway. Hey—you get those fingers fixed?”

  I told Tito about the way Diovisalvo’s guys were showing up both on my vacation and in the parking lot of the Shipwreck Lounge. I also explained how my batting gloves would hold the fingers in places but allow some movement. I wouldn’t be hitting anyone anytime soon, but now I didn’t look weak.

  “You know what?” Tito said. “Lemme get X and Jimmy and Calvin to take care of that.”

  “I figured I’d take care of it when I collect on Monday.”

  “Naw. Otis don’t want you collecting anymore,” Tito said.

  “This is news,” I said. I saw out of the corner of my eye Nina walk into the park followed by Otis, who carried Miguel on his shoulders.

  “He’ll tell you when he gets ready,” Tito said. “I think you’re moving on up.”

  “Huh,” I said. “Didn’t he just have the shit beat outta me?”

  “You passed a test or something. Fuck, I don’t know. I just know what he told me this morning.”

  “All right,” I said.

  “I’m going for coffee.” Tito strode out onto the sidewalk with his shoulders hunched. He looked tired and guilty as hell of something. I’d have to watch out for him. Otis followed close behind.

  “Candy,” Otis said. “Thanks for covering yesterday and day before.”

  “Sure, Otis.” How much had Nina told him? Where was the money? What the hell could I do to get it back? Would the money in my pocket hold him off for a while? On the other side of the park Nina sat on a bench with a lazy smile on her face, tilted toward the sun. I had no faith in her, but damn she was a beautiful woman.

  “Where’d Tito go?” Otis said.

  “Off to get som
e coffee,” I said. I’d forgotten a hat. I could feel the midmorning sun on my head like an angry hammer.

  “You know anything about cars?” Otis said, thrusting his hands in his pockets.

  “Not really. I can change the oil, change tires. That shit. I can’t do nothing else.”

  “Huh. See, I was going to move you up in the world. I need somebody to look over a chop shop in Lynn. We do a lot of business in Lynn, as you know.”

  “I don’t know about that, Otis,” I said. “The truth is nobody’s ever given me a job because of my brains.”

  “Basically, you just need to stay there while the place is open, decide whether or not the job at hand is going to make money, and tell the mechanics to go ahead or not.”

  “If that’s what you need me to do, I’ll do it.”

  “Go up there next week and try it,” Otis said. “You don’t like it, come back and tell me. I think you’ll like the money.”

  “What are we talking about?” I said.

  “Sky’s the limit, depends on traffic. I would think you could squeeze two or three grand off the top after my cut, of course.” I started to speak again, but Otis waved me off. “Just think about it and show up on Monday. Here’s the address.”

  “All right,” I said. “I’ll be there.” Otis turned and walked away, then looked back. “Just so you know, this is where Nina works too, as an appointment setter. You can check on her once in a while, too. Just, not too close.”

  My mind went a little numb, and by the time I’d figured out where the hell I was and what that conversation meant Miguel was running up on me and butting me in the legs.

  “Muscleman! Make me a muscle.” I had to smile at the kid. I popped a biceps and the kid hung off it like it was a jungle gym. Otis left the park after kissing Nina, and she came straight for me.

  “Miguel,” I said. “Go play with the other kids.”

  “Hi Jason,” Nina said, her full lips curving into a smile. I cut that down quick.

  “Where the fuck is my money?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Bullshit,” I said. “First, you left. Then you took the money from my pocket. Seven grand. Of Otis’s money.”

  “Oh that. Otis wouldn’t give me any money for my sister to get a real sitter so she could go out some nights. I don’t know what you’re worried about. Here’s what’s left.” She handed me a wad of bills I riffled through it quickly. Maybe four. Tops.

  “That’s a lot of fucking money for a sitter,” I said. Then I remembered the chemical smell the other day. Meth. “You’re buying drugs from Otis with Otis’s money?”

  “Shhh,” she said. “You want to go behind the building and fuck?”

  “What is wrong with you?” I said.

  “Young and horny,” she said. “I had a good time last night. Let’s not spoil it by bitching.”

  “Jesus Christ,” I said. “You are out of your goddamned mind.” I pushed my glasses up on my nose. “Get the fuck away from me before someone notices you.”

  “A girl has to have some fun, you know?” I shook my head at her. Tito came around the corner with my coffee just then and Nina sauntered back across the courtyard of the playground giving that walk every inch of sexy she had in her. I even caught Tito watching.

  “I don’t know, Candy. That bitch seems like trouble.”

  “Can’t argue with you there,” I said, sipping on my coffee. Tito had visited the new bakery and coffee shop up the road a little. Their coffee was dark as the ocean bottom and tasty. You didn’t need more than a cup to keep you up for the day. DD was cheaper, but not better by any stretch. “So what’s the deal with today?” I said.

  “We chill until somebody needs something, I guess. Otis didn’t say anything.”

  “What’s he up to?” I said.

  “Probably playing video games by now,” Tito said.

  “No shit?” I said. “Great way to make money.”

  “Naw, Otis don’t make no money. We make money, he takes it.” Tito said. He blew into his coffee and raised an eyebrow at me behind his glasses. He held up his coffee. “Here’s to moving on up,” he said.

  “Moving up,” I said. “Just hope it doesn’t mean moving out.”

  “Amen to that,” Tito said. “Give me the money.” I handed over both pockets full and held my breath to see if he would count it, but he had no intentions, just stuffing it into his tracksuit pocket. “I’ll take care of traffic today.”

  “You sure?” I said.

  “Watch for fast Eddie,” Tito said.

  “Who’s he?” I said.

  “Man in charge in Lynn. He wants to be what you are, in charge of the man in charge.”

  “Great,” I said. There was too much ice in my coffee. It tasted like weak shit.

  “You’ll handle it,” Tito said and smiled. “You should make sure you check the news tomorrow too, by the way.”

  “Why?” I said.

  “X called me on the way back. He and Jimmy fucked up that fat Wop’s boys big time. Thought you’d appreciate it.”

  “I would’ve liked it more if I could have been in on it.” I could see the two men from NH plain as a perch. It made me feel better just to think about it. Across the way I watched Nina clean off Miguel’s fingers then hand him his ice cream sandwich.

  “All right,” Tito said. “The day is yours, bitch. Make the most of it.” He gave me a nod and walked over to the other side of the playground to talk with a woman about Nina’s height, maybe five eight or so, but not put together nearly as well. I couldn’t blame him. We get one little ride, better have fun while it lasts. And this chick looked like fun. I turned around in the narrow street and drove toward Lynn.

  CHAPTER 23

  THE LYNNWAY RAN A LONG stretch of route 1A north. There were legitimate car dealerships, and then there were places like Otis’s, who took stolen cars and turned them clean, the kind of backwoods stuff you’d expect in Missouri or some place in the Deep South. Not law-abiding New England. At least before Whitey Bulger fucked up his retirement.

  The right side of the road grew high with marsh grass and assorted punky-looking trees among the ripped up skeins of rubber from blown tires. Men fished from buckets used as seats and occasionally caught sand sharks. The left side of the road held chop shops, dealerships and the odd seafood distributor. Just before a left-hand turn sat a small brown building with two bays open to the elements and three Latino men sitting outside smoking.

  “Where’s Eddie?” I said. The tallest one snorted and threw his cigarette butt to the ground.

  “No fuckin’ hablo,” he said and walked inside.

  “Either of you know?” I said.

  “Eddie is not here,” the smallest one said. “I am John. I can help you.”

  “Why isn’t Eddie here?” I said. “Shouldn’t he be working? It’s only Friday.”

  John smiled a bit. “Eddie does not work Thursdays or Fridays.”

  “Why not?” I said.

  “He works from home.” So how exactly does a mechanic work from home?

  “I see.” I jerked a thumb at the interior. “What’s Mr. Sunshine’s name?”

  “That is Marcos. He is unhappy.”

  “With the job?” Great. I had people to fire before I’d even started.

  “He is upset with his lot in life,” John said. “His wife has left him for another man.”

  “Oh,” I said.” When does Nina work?”

  “Whenever she wants.”

  “Are there days?”

  “She is usually here Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday.”

  “So nobody but you three work Thursday and Fridays?”

  “That is so,” John said. “We were told things might change here. You will find it difficult to change Eddie and Nina.”

  “I’ll bet,” I said. I could see inside the car bays. Tools spread out across the floor like dog turds, an air wrench lay on its side, hissing, and a stack of tires stood by the office
door. “I’m just going to look around a little.”

  “Be my guest,” John said. He sat back down and lit another cigarette. Marcos came out of the bathroom fastening his belt. He’d acquired a greasy hat on his trip, cocked off his head at a ridiculous angle. I nodded to him as we walked by.

  Inside the office, things were much worse. Two huge filing cabinets, remnants of the seventies, sat in each corner with a metal desk in the middle. An ultra-modern computer hummed slightly, a nice big flat-screen monitor and a huge set of speakers on either side of the display. Papers covered the surface, a mix of bills, bills of lading, credit card receipts and simple scrap paper covering up an ancient Zon. The office also held a couch and a bubbler, with the far wall mostly covered by two vending machines. In short, it was a fucking mess.

  I picked up a bunch of receipts from the table: Hankook tire, three or four donut receipts from Kane’s. I hadn’t had a Kane’s donut in years. Also, a check for a thousand dollars endorsed by Eddie, but an Eddie with very feminine handwriting, never cashed. Nina had control of the funds here, too, it seemed. So much for all her requests for additional money. I began to get a really bad feeling about what I might have fucked my way into. I sat down on the expensive office chair and began making piles of receipts and bills of lading. There were several sets of car keys hanging on the wall, but only five or six cars that looked as if they were part of the repair queue. Along the way of sorting, I found three more checks totaling almost a thousand dollars together. Otis had been getting fucked on his money for some time. John came in, smoking a cigarette. He gave me a quizzical look as he leaned in the doorway.

  “So you are here to make things right?’ John said.

  “What are Marcos and the other guy doing?”

  “I have sent them home,” John said. “Marcos is no good as a worker and Ramon is his brother-in-law. Together they are one big bag of lazy.”

  “Don’t you have work to do?” I said.

  “Nothing until you tell me what to do.”

  “I see.” I scratched my head.