Elmore Leonard: Riding the Rap

“Not much, when I think about it.”

“But you’re attracted to him?”

“Well, sure, he’s hot. Look at him, his hair… You should see him dance.”

“I’ve got another question. What’re you doing tomorrow, around noon?”

“What do you mean?”

“You ever been to a Huggers Gathering?”

It got her to smile again.

“I’ve been to a couple, yeah, and I went to a Deadhead party at the Miami Arena. I mean in the parking lot, I didn’t go to the concert. I don’t like the Dead, that grandpa rock. I like Pearl Jam, Spin Doctors… It’s funny, I think of Huggers and Deadheads as almost the same-they’re not all , but you see everybody smoking doobs and getting dosed on acid. I’ve done that and I’ve done nitrous oxide, everybody going around talking like Donald Duck. Those Hugger girls are a trip, they look at you funny if you shave your armpits. I do mine once a week, and my nails. Yeah, they’re fun, Hugger parties, except they’re always trying to hug you and I like my space. Where’s this one?”

“West Palm.”

“Sure, I’ll go, I’ve never been there. But I certainly don’t see you hanging out with Huggers.”

“That’s why I need you,” Raylan said, “help me find a guy I’m looking for without showing myself and spook him.”

“What’d he do?”

“I’ll tell you tomorrow, on the way,” Raylan said. “There was something else I wanted to ask you. Did the colored guy say Bobby had finished his work, so he packed up and left?”

“Uh-unh, just that he wasn’t coming back.”

“Does he have clothes up in the room?”

“A lot. He has like ten pair of shoes, these real nice silk shirts he wears when we go dancing-”

“You sure he hasn’t been back.”

“I’m positive.”

Raylan picked up his beer. “You want to have some supper?”

“I don’t mind. Sure.”

“Then I’m going to see a lady who tells fortunes.”

Melinda squinted at him, smiling a little. “Huggers and fortune-tellers; you’re into some weird shit, aren’t you?”

“It’s different,” Raylan said.

He imagined Dawn looking at him through the peephole before opening the door. She had on the same blouse and white skirt, no shoes though and seemed vulnerable, waiting with that expectant look in her eyes, hopeful. Raylan came in carrying the Guidelines Manual and she closed the door, not saying a word.

“Did you meditate?”

“Some.”

“Have anything to eat?”

“I’m not hungry.”

He watched her go to the dining table by the kitchenette, it didn’t seem with any purpose. She picked up a deck of tarot cards and laid them down again, idly fanning out the deck on the bright varnished surface. Raylan wondered if she was being a poor soul for his benefit.

He said, “Bobby’s gone.”

It brought her around.

“Gone where?”

“That’s the question. Gone on down the road or gone from this earth plane?”

“How do you know?”

“Louis told a person I know Bobby left and wasn’t coming back. I was wondering, you suppose you could check with somebody in the spirit world, find out if he crossed over?”

Dawn kept staring at him. “You’re serious.”

“Or you could call the house and ask Louis.”

She said, “You think Bobby’s dead?” Sounding awed at the idea.

“The kind of person he is, the kind of people he associates with, I’m surprised he’s still with us-if he is. Bobby left your house with a bad attitude. Louis says he’s gone, and I’d like to know what happened to him.”

“But why do I have to call?”

“I’m asking you to,” Raylan said, “and if you help me it could keep you out of prison.” He saw her expression change. “Or reduce your time.”

“But I haven’t done anything.”

Raylan walked over and dropped the Guidelines Manual on the table. He said, “Look up what you get for kidnapping, page forty-six,” and crossed to Harry’s desk, the phone sitting there, a white one.

“I told you,” Dawn said, “my God, all I did was ask Harry a few questions.”

“You were aiding,” Raylan said, “taking part. That puts you in it.” Raylan picked up the phone.

She said, “If I do this…”

“I’ll show you my gratitude,” Raylan said. He dialed the number and held the phone toward her. He could hear ringing and after a few moments a voice saying “Ganz’s residence.”

Dawn came over, took the phone from him and started right in. “Louis?” She said, “I want to ask you something,” turning away as she spoke, but still close enough to Raylan that he heard Louis’s voice again, Louis saying, “What’s wrong, baby?”

She had her back to Raylan now, walking away, going to a front window to stand looking out, Raylan seeing her nighttime reflection in the glass. He heard her say, “Bobby’s gone, isn’t he?” and watched her listening for a moment before she said, “Because I know . How do I know anything?” The psychic, using her stuff on Louis, slipping into her role. Raylan had to admire the way she did it, so easily. He heard her say, “Where is he then?” and watched her listening to Louis, staring at her own reflection in the glass. Now she said, “You’re lying to me, I know you are.” Listened and said, “’Cause he’s dead that’s why.” Listened and said, “I can see him. Louis, I know he’s dead.” She listened another few moments, then lowered the phone coming over to the desk and Raylan heard Louis’s voice again saying, “Dawn?” Saying, “Baby, you still there?” before she put the phone down and stood with her hand on it.

Raylan said, “What’s wrong, baby?”

It got him a mean look, Dawn turning nasty on him, saying, “You want to ask me if he’s really dead, and if I tell you yes you’ll say, ‘Oh, is that right? How do you know?’ ‘Cause you think you’re smarter than I am, you think I make things up. But you know what? You don’t know shit. If you don’t believe he’s dead, go find out for yourself. I’m not helping you anymore.”

Chip was in the bathroom during the call but had heard the phone ring; he came in the study asking who it was. Louis told him Dawn, and Chip frowned and asked what was wrong, Louis having a strange look on his face.

“She knows Bobby’s dead.”

“Who told her?”

“Nobody told her, she just knows . It’s the kind of thing she knows, man.”

“What did you say?”

“I told her she was crazy, but she knows , she say she could see him.”

“We got to pay her,” Chip said. “Jesus.”

“She hung up on me. I’m trying to tell her no, the man left, but she can see him.”

“In the swimming pool?”

“She didn’t say, but she knows . You know what I’m saying?”

“You see what she’s doing?” Chip said. “We got to pay her. Tomorrow, I’ll get some money.”

“We leaving tomorrow.”

“Before we go,” Chip said. “I’ll score, don’t worry. And I’ll sell some of my mother’s clothes, make a couple hundred bucks that way. Those Hugger chicks love to dress up and dance around on the grass. They all smell the same, that scent they wear, that patchouli?”

“She say Bobby’s dead, I felt the hair stand up on my neck.”

“I’ll go pick out some things,” Chip said and left the study.

Louis sat down on the sofa. He found a good-looking roach in the ashtray, lit it and sucked hard and held it in his lungs till he had to breathe.

He told himself, Okay now, be cool. What did he have to do outside of take Harry his supper? Louis put Harry on the TV screen, Harry among the trash with his bathing cap.