Mike Faricy - Bite Me

Just like before I was stopped twenty feet inside the door by Terrance and some other giant.

“Terrance, I’m here to see Walter, make things right.”

Terrance didn’t so much as blink, then he took a step back so Walter could look at me.

Walter nodded and reached for his coffee cup.

“Another ice cream truck?” Walter asked when I stood in front of him.

“No sir, just here to pay off my debt, is all.”

“Don’t,” he cautioned, as I reached into my pocket. “Terrance will deal with that. Anything else?”

“Nope, nothing, other than thanks, Walter, couldn’t have done it without your help.”

“So I hear. Listen, you stay in touch, Dev.”

I smiled, followed Terrance outside and down the street. We’d walked the better part of a half block, we were behind a bus shelter filled with squirming kids when Terrance stopped.

“Just shake my hand,” he said.

I palmed six grand, not an easy thing to do, and shook Terrance’s hand, the cash seemed to disappear in his large paw. Then he turned and continued on his way. I walked back to my Fiesta, got in and drove home.

When my phone eventually woke me the sun was almost down. Scattered clouds drifted in the sky, their edges a vibrant pink from the final moments of sunset. I answered my cell, prostrate on the couch.

“Haskell Investigations.”

“Hello, Dev.”

“Who’s this,” I asked, afraid I knew.

“I need someone to rub lotion on my back, interested?”

“No, not really, Kiki.”

“Oh come on, you’re not mad are you?”

“No Kiki, I’m not mad.”

“Hey, thanks for the drinks the other night. How’s the head?” she said.

“I guess I’ll live.”

“Only because I let you,” she said, then cackled and hung up.

I checked the front and back doors, they were locked. I pushed a chair up against them just to be on the safe side. Then dug in my wallet, pulled out Amanda Nguyen’s business card and dialed the number.

“Hello.”

“Hi Amanda, this is Dev Haskell. Please, don’t hang up.”

“What makes you think I’d do that?”

“Just the way things have been going lately, I…”

“From what I hear they’ve been pretty much going your way all of a sudden.”

“Yeah, actually they have, that’s kind of why I called.”

“Oh really,” she laughed. “I suppose you’re looking for that sucker I promised.”