Part 27 (1/2)
”How's it goin', man?” said Thomas Wilson, nodding at Otis.
He saw that Otis was still dressing sharp. Still doin' that Nick Ashford thing with his hair, too.
”I'm makin' it,” said Otis, smiling amiably, reaching over and shaking Wilson's hand.
Wilson did not let the handshake linger. You could mistake Otis's easy manner for weakness. He had seen a couple of men make that mistake up in Lewisburg. Roman Otis wasn't nothin' much more than Frank Farrow with a smile.
”Say h.e.l.lo to Gus Lavonicus,” said Farrow.
”Gus,” said Wilson. He saw an ugly white giant sitting at what looked like a child's desk. The giant waved awkwardly and turned his attention back to the sheet of paper before him.
”And this here's Booker Kendricks,” said Farrow.
Wilson looked at the skinny, greasy-lookin' hustler with the yellow eyes, slouched in the chair. A pistol hung limply in his clawlike hand. Kendricks did not acknowledge Wilson. Wilson felt it was just as well.
”Beer?” said Farrow.
”Yeah, okay.”
”Get T. W. a beer, Booker,” said Otis.
”d.a.m.n, can't y'all see I'm watchin' this s.h.i.+t?” said Kendricks. ”Starks is getting ready to light it up, too!”
”Get it,” said Farrow.
Kendricks went to the kitchen as Wilson took a seat on the couch next to Otis. Farrow stayed on his feet. He leaned forward and rustled his pack of Kools in Wilson's face.
”Cigarette?” said Farrow.
”Nah,” said Wilson. ”Thanks.”
”This used to be your brand in the joint, I remember right.”
”I gave them up a long time ago.”
Charles convinced me to throw them away for good.
Kendricks returned, placed an open bottle of beer on the cable-spool table in front of Wilson. Kendricks went back to the oversize chair and had a seat.
Wilson sipped his beer, fumbled it as he placed it back on the table.
”You seem a little uptight,” said Farrow, catching Otis's eye.
”I'm tired is all it is,” said Wilson. ”Took me over an hour to get down here from D.C.”
Farrow slowly paced the room. ”How is it up in town? Any heat that you can make out?”
”None.”
”Good. Me and Roman were thinking you could set us up again with some kind of thing. Something cleaner than the last time. Less risk.”
”I'm working on it. Been out in the bars at night, listenin' to people talk. Trying to find out where the after-hours action is these days. I'm thinkin' a bag rip-off, or a high-stakes game. Somethin' y'all could take off quiet.”
”I like the way you're thinking.”
”Get you in and out of town real quick.”
”That's our intent. We need a substantial payday this time. Roman and Gus here have run into a financial setback. Your cut will be the usual - ten percent. That okay with you, T. W.?”
Wilson nodded.
”Tomorrow we'll see Manuel and Jaime. You've called them, right?”
”Yes.”
”What'd they have to say?”
They said you killed a minister in cold blood down on the Eastern Sh.o.r.e.
”They said to come on by,” said Wilson. ”They'll have a car for you on Monday.”
”I need something with a little muscle. I've been driving this piece-of-s.h.i.+t truck -”
”They're on it,” said Wilson.
”d.a.m.n, boy!” shouted Kendricks, jumping up from his chair and shutting off the set. ”Can't n.o.body in this league f.u.c.k with the Bulls?”
”Hey, Booker,” said Otis. ”Keep your voice down, man.”
Kendricks dismissed them all with a wave of his hand. ”Y'all are just way too serious for a Sat.u.r.day night. I'm gonna take a walk, catch some air.”
Kendricks slipped the pistol into the pocket of his baggy slacks and put on a jacket. ”See ya later, Tall Tree,” he said, smiling at Lavonicus before leaving the house.
Lavonicus blinked his eyes hard, but he did not raise his head.
When the door closed, Otis said, ”Hard to believe that man shares a drop of my blood.”
Farrow said, ”Where's he goin', anyway, in this cold?”
”I don't know,” said Otis. ”But if I owned one of these farms around here, right about now I'd be putting a lock on the barn door.”
”Likes those kickin' mules, huh?” said Farrow.
”I don't even think they have to kick to get his fancy. All he needs is the right texture to get him started. You want to know the truth, I wouldn't even trust my cousin around a rare steak.”
Wilson cleared his throat. ”That about it? 'Cause I got to make the drive back into town.”