Part 21 (1/2)
”Sure it is,” she said, as she stretched her hands high, like it was some kind of exercise. When she brought them down, she had another cigarette in her hand.
”You lost me,” I told her.
”Ssshhh,” she said as she blew out a long stream of smoke. ”Go take a shower. Shave. Change your clothes. Call Solly-there's some throwaway cells in the dresser. Take a nap. Whatever you have to do. I'll be back here by...eight. We'll have something to eat, okay?”
”Sure.”
We looked at each other for a few minutes. When she blew a smoke ring at the ceiling, I got up.
I did most of what Rena said. But I didn't call Solly. I'm scared of cell phones. I know they can do all kinds of things with them. Anyway, Solly might still think I was carrying the one he gave me.
One good thing about prison, it teaches you what to do when you can't do anything.
That little suite was like upscale solitary. I remember wis.h.i.+ng solitary could be be solitary, but the noise in there never stopped. solitary, but the noise in there never stopped. Never Never. And the smells, they never changed, either.
”Wake up.”
I hadn't even heard her coming.
I opened my eyes. She was standing in the doorway. Either she was smart enough never to touch a sleeping convict or she just plain didn't want to get close to me, I couldn't tell.
”I'm not Room Service,” she said.
”I fell asleep, okay? It's not like I disrespected you. Save the speeches.”
”Then-”
”Then nothing. I'm not playing some guessing game. I came here to do something. You met me at the bus station, brought me here. I appreciate you doing that. But that's enough.”
”Enough work on my part, or enough of my big mouth?”
”Both.”
She stood there for a few seconds. ”You want the food, or what?”
We ate in that big kitchen, sitting on bar stools, chrome with thick black leather padding, using that slab of granite for a table. I still didn't know anything about the stove, because my dinner was a big wooden bowl of salad, with slices of onion, radishes, celery sticks, and chunks of white chicken mixed in. There was also a little plate of garlic breadsticks.
Hers was the same, but her bowl was a lot smaller.
I had a gla.s.s of that enhanced enhanced water. She left the bottle on the countertop. Whatever she was drinking was a dark-cherry color. I didn't think it could be wine, because she really slugged it down. water. She left the bottle on the countertop. Whatever she was drinking was a dark-cherry color. I didn't think it could be wine, because she really slugged it down.
”Thank you,” I said when I was done. ”It tasted real good.”
”No big deal; it's pretty much what I eat all the time. I just cut you a bigger piece off the same loaf.”
I got up. Put my bowl and gla.s.s and the little plate in the sink, the bottle of water in the refrigerator.
”What about mine?” she said.
I closed my eyes for a second. Took a couple of quick-and-shallow breaths through my nose. ”What's the game?” I asked her.
”Which game? There's always a game. Lots of them. Going on at the same time. Sometimes, one inside another.”
”That's cute. You're cute. This is your house. I get all of that. What I don't get is why you keep trying to insult me.”
”Insult you? Like you you said, it's just a game, Wilson.” said, it's just a game, Wilson.”
”How about if I don't like your games? I got to find this Jessop. So just tell me what you're going to do...what you're willing willing to do, okay?” to do, okay?”
”What could could I do?” I do?”
”Fair enough. Is it all right if I stay here while I'm looking for him?”
”Of course,” she said.
”Uh-huh. And could I borrow the car you picked me up in?”
”For what?”
”I have to look for somebody. I can't call a cab to do that. That car, it looks like a thousand other ones. If the registration-”
”It's in my name. So is this property, matter of fact.”
”You have a Xerox here?”
She just nodded.
”So I make you a copy of my driver's license. You give me a phone number that the cops can call if I get stopped. That's all the cover I should need.”
”You don't know your way around.”
”This town's not that big. I'll find the kind of places I want easy enough.”
”What kind of places would those be, strip bars?”
”That'd be one kind, yeah. I don't need his picture; I'll know him when I see him.”
”And then what?”
”Whatever Solly told you.”
”Solly didn't tell me anything.”
”There you go.”
I guess she liked doing stare-downs. Probably practiced on her mirror. I got up and walked out.