Part 8 (1/2)
”For a man needs a job done, where do you get all this free time? You want to pack melons, why don't we start?”
”You mean tonight?”
”Why not?”
”They'd keep working?”
”For money. You make it when you can.” She said then, ”If you don't want to ask them, I'll do it. We'll eat, then go to the packing shed and work another half s.h.i.+ft. All right?”
”Lady,” Majestyk said, ”you swing that I'll marry you and give you a home.”
She seemed to be considering it, her expression serious, solemn, before saying, ”How about if I settle for a cold beer after work?”
”All you want.”
”Maybe a couple.”
She gave him a nice look and walked away, up the road toward the migrant quarters. Both Majestyk and Mendoza, on the trailer, stood watching her.
Mendoza said, ”You like a piece of that, huh?” He looked down at Majestyk's deadpan expression and added quickly, ”Hey, I don't mean nothing. Take it easy.”
Majestyk handed him his sack. ”You hear what she said? They'll start packing tonight.”
Mendoza emptied the sack and came down off the trailer while his sons stacked the melons. ”You must live right,” he said. ”Or maybe it's time you had some good luck for a change.” He nodded toward the migrant quarters, fis.h.i.+ng a cigarette out of his s.h.i.+rt pocket. ”Those people, they're twice as good as what Julio brings up. They work hard because they like you. They don't want to see you lose a crop.”
”I don't know,” Majestyk said. ”Maybe we can do it.”
”We'll do it, Vincent. Don't get anybody else mad at you, we'll do it.”
”We're coming to it now,” Kopas said, over his shoulder. ”On the right there. That's his packing shed.”
Renda and Wiley were in the back seat. Lundy was driving, slowing down now as they approached the yellow building with majestyk brand melons painted on the side.
”See,” Kopas said. ”Puts his name up as big as he can get it. Down the end of that road we're coming to the house. Way down, where you see the trees.”
Renda was studying the road, then hunching forward to look across the field at the road, at the trailer and the figures in the road and the three old cars parked in front of the migrant living quarters.
He sat back again. ”You said n.o.body was working for him.”
”No crews,” Kopas said. ”He picked up a few migrants, that's all.”
”They're people, aren't they?”
”Some claim they are. I don't.” Christ, he knew right away he shouldn't have said it. It slipped out, talking smart again and not answering his question direct. He waited, looking straight ahead, knowing it was coming. But Renda didn't say anything for a moment, not until they were pa.s.sing the sign that said road construction 500 ft., pa.s.sing the barricades and equipment, the portable toilet and the State Highway Department pickup truck.
He said then, ”Go up to the next road and turn around.”
Lundy's eyes raised to the rearview mirror. ”You want another look at his layout? That's all there is, what you saw.”
”Gene,” Renda said, ”turn the f.u.c.king car around.”
They had to go up about a mile to do it. Coming back, approaching the road repair site again, Renda said, ”How long's that been there?”
Kopas wasn't sure what he meant at first and had to twist around to see where he was looking.
”That road stuff? I don't know, a few days.”
”How long!” Renda's voice drilled into the back of his head and Kopas kept staring at the barricades and equipment as they approached, trying to remember, trying to recall quickly how many days.
”They been there as long as I been watching his place. I'm sure of that.”
Now they were even with the site, going past it. Kopas was looking out the side window and saw the guy in khaki work clothes getting into the pickup truck. It was a close look at a face he'd seen somewhere before, but only a quick glimpse, and he was turning to look back when Renda's voice hit him in the head again.
”It's cops cops! Jesus, don't you know a cop when you see one!”
Kopas was turned, trying to see the guy, but it was too late. Looking past Renda, trying not to meet his eyes, he said, ”You sure? I thought if there was any cops around I'd recognize them.”
And he remembered as he said it and turned back around to stare at the winds.h.i.+eld. Christ yes, the guy was a deputy. He'd seen him in Edna, at the station. He'd seen him in the pickup earlier today, across the street, when he was talking to Majestyk.
Kopas gave himself a little time, trying to relax and sound natural, before he said, ”Well, I figure after a while they get tired waiting, they'll pick up and leave.”
n.o.body said anything.
”Then we can run off those Mexicans he's got. No sweat to that.”
There was a silence again before Renda said, ”Pull over.”
Lundy looked up. ”What?”
”Pull over, for Christ sake, and stop the car.”
Lundy braked, bringing the Olds to a gradual stop on the shoulder of the road. They sat in silence, waiting for Renda.
”Hey, a.s.shole. Get out of the car.”
”Me?”
Kopas turned enough to look over his shoulder. Renda was staring the way he had stared before-as if not even seeing him-and he knew the man wasn't going to say anything.
”What did you want me to do?”
”Get out,” Lundy said. ”That's all you have to do.”
Kopas grinned. ”Is this a joke or something?”
n.o.body was laughing. The girl had a book open and was reading, not even paying any attention.