Part 21 (1/2)
”Eddie? It's two in theHe'll be in bed”
Labeck snorted ”Don't be ridiculous The kid is sixteen”
It took him only a few computer taps to find Eddie's number, then he texted: Dude, fvor 4 MZ MG ID waitr in px Is yr cuz Luis?
I felt like Methuselah You could send Internet photos over a phone? Apparently while I'd been away in prison, where eren't even allowed pens and had to write in crayon, texting had becoht as well have been ancient Suuello made perfect sense out of it, because Labeck received a reply about thirty seconds later
ID Y U need 2 no? Iz MZ OK?
”Translation?” I asked
Labeck smiled ”Positive identification Why do you need to know? Is Mazie okay?”
”Text hied a smile ”Tell hi to be okay Bear Brenner was going down
Escape tip 29: There's no such thing as too tight or too low-cut
”You're going to enta swished ater aroundsubtle-more Madonna than Marilyn, knohat Ifroht about the blonde dye Doctor Richard Ki
”Is she finished yet?” Labeck poked his head around the screen He was dog-sitting He and muffin were best buds now and I was jealous muffin wrinkled his nose at the a a wadded-up towel at Labeck, who backed out hastily ”Get a haircut, you bum Rent a tuxedo-and for God's sake don't let them talk you into a shi+rt with ruffles Gold cuff links-not silver If you shoith patent leather shoes I will personally chop your feet off”
I was sitting with enta's beauty salon, which was a single sink, a padded chair, and a cabinet, all tucked behind an embroidered Chinese screen at the rear of his Brady Street shop
”I'enta confided as he dried enta-hued towel ”I only do hair for a few select clients”
”Luckyto becounter and I plunked down in the swivel chair Running his fingers through enta studied me in the counter mirror ”An upsweep, I think Conceal the frizzle where that asshole burned it Strands falling over those fantastic cheekbones We just need to wait a few more minutes for the color to set”
He took a bottle of cranberry juice frolasses for both of us, and turned on the large-screen wall TV, its screen saver the pouty lips logo of the Rocky show
Bear Brenner appeared on a local channel My heart gave a dull, panicky thud Brenner was being interviewed by a fawning young female reporter in his don office No trace of dirt under his nails, no burrs on his pants today; he wore a pin-striped suit, a gleale print He looked tanned, relaxed, and senatorial ”The BodyWorks show is a feather in Milwaukee's hat,” Brenner was saying, flashi+ng a boyish grin ”I'enerate some much-needed revenue for our fabulous publicceremony,” the reporter cooed ”The three-thousand-dollar-a-plate gala torinned modestly ”I'm not up to Jay Leno standards, but I'll do enta said, his voice going hard and gravelly, o into the ring Magenta was in civilian wear today: T-shi+rt, baggy white shorts, espadrilles, and tiny hoop earrings Turquoise eye shadow brought out his green eyes, although I had to adenta was a bit vanilla: large nose, scanty eyebrows and brown hair pulled back in a pony tail He claiht that was probably ten years off the expiration date
Scratch Magenta's flah, and you discovered a cool, calculating tactician He'd come up with the most creative ideas for our plot, but had reined us in andered too far into fantasyland We'd all stayed up until dawn last night, going over Luis's photos and stolen files, discussing ideas, and finally roughing out the kind of plan you forue and the desire for justice is the only thing that keeps you going We had a three-pronged goal here: to expose Brenner publicly in such a way that he couldn't lie or bribe his way around the truth, to find a safe venue for aining chip to keep the guys on iven the whole cobbled-together crapshoot a code naenta whisked the towel off er-coild the lily! This is going to be the most fun I've had since I showed up at ”
”You were ays are I just discovered I was uy with an identity crisis, knohat I irl, but I don't want to wear pantyhose every day Why doesn't the sisterhood get its act together and torch all the pantyhose factories?”
That would be one parade I'd be happy to lead
He led me out from behind the screen into the shop, which he'd enta's It looked like a collision between a runer clothes originally priced in the thousands sold here for a fraction of the original cost Saunter around a corner and here was an Yves St Laurent gown layered with a Balenciaga sweater; turn another and there was a Dolce and Gabbana beaded purse or an Her through the racks, giving each beaded, sequined creation a second of squinty-eyed consideration before sliding on to the next Finally he plucked a red gown off the rack ”This is a Gaultier Let's see how it looks” He gestured toward a cubicle curtained with heavy striped silk
Zipping into the dress, I was uncos and arown's price tag and sucked inunworthy of the dress, I eenta
He cocked his head to one side, considering ”Too big,” he said finally ”I don't have a lot in your size,sizes becausequeens and straight guys who like to prance around wearing sparkly stuff in the privacy of their hoest Let's try black-it's a little cliched, but it should be dyna black silk Valentino with a bowed-out back
”Not bad,” Magenta said ”Turn around Ooh, yummy! Maybe we should test-drive it on Labeck” He cocked his head and eyed lass led his eyebrows suggestively
”Bonaparte?”
”Didn't he tell you?” Magenta chuckled as he adjusted the back of the dress ”Bonaparte Labeck, that's his real name He's Quebecois-Canadian, born up in one of those schizo border tohere everyone grows up speaking French out of one side of their ht after he broke up with his girlfriend and told me the whole story I'inally My driver's license nae Well, obviously you can see why I prefer Magenta I crossed over at North Dakota one year and never bothered to go back I'itive froot to Milwaukee, I met Boney He let me crash at his place while I looked for an apartht develop between us, he is such a s hunk of Y chrohway”
I checkedwithoutnew hollows ”If I had any guts I'd giveto blow up in our faces You and Labeck will be arrested for aiding a fugitive Maybe even deported”
”Negative thinking gives you frown marks, babycakes, so just stop Let's focus on more important stuff Such as, how is the Bonaparte in the sack?” He handed
”He snores”
”A-a-nd?”
”There is no and” My face flared as red as the Gaultier gown
”But you'd like there to be soenta”
I turned ht, busted The guy is so hot he sizzles”
”Preachin' to the choir, sweetikins”