Elmore Leonard - Pagan Babies

Johnny was learning you had to pay close attention to what the Mutt said and ask the right question. Then it made sense, even if you still couldn't fuckin believe it.

They were on Jefferson now heading east past the Renaissance Center's cluster of glass towers, the city's skyline. It was a nice evening, fifty-five degrees out. Johnny settled down. He was here, he might as well go through with it. Christ, five grand it couldn't take that long. He wouldn't have to get out of the car…

"Okay, you're gonna clip Vincent Moraco."

"Yes sir, shoot him in the head, make sure."

"He hands you the gun and you pop him."

"I collect my money first."

"Mutt, you want to make sure the gun's loaded."

"That's a good point. Man, I don't want to shoot him and all I hear's click click. Yeah, that's a good thing to remember, check it first."

Johnny thinking, The fuck'm I doing here?

Terry in his black suit and Roman collar, ready to go, stood at the front window in the living room, anxious. Fran, coping with his mountain of work, called to say he wouldn't be home before eight.

The girls'd had their supper and were in the library watching MTV.

Mary Pat was in the kitchen. When the Chrysler Town Car pulled up to the front door Terry checked his watch. It was seven thirty-five.

He saw Vito Genoa get out and come up on the stoop to ring the bell.

Debbie wasn't in the car. In the foyer Terry called, "I'm going now," and Mary Pat came out through the dining room. She asked when he'd be home. He said he had no idea. Mary Pat said he should've eaten something. He said he still wasn't hungry. Vito Genoa nodded to him as he came out. Terry asked if they were picking up Debbie.

Vito said another guy was getting her. Terry said he wondered, wouldn't it have been easier if one car picked them both up. Vito said easier for who? Terry sat in back during the forty-minute ride down and over freeways to the east side and the Pointes. He made conversation.

"You know why I thought you were in Star of the Sea parish?"

"You went there?" Vito looking at the mirror.

"I went to Queen of Peace. But you remember Balduck Park and the hill? Used to be full of sleds and toboggans in the winter? You and I were in a fight there one time."

"Yeah?"

"I was eleven, you were a couple years older."

"You saying I started it?"

"You did it all the time, picked on kids smaller'n you were. Vito, you were a big fuckin bully."

It got Vito looking at the mirror.

"Me and you had a right uh? Who won?"

"I gave you a bloody nose, but you hit me till I couldn't get up."

"That was you, uh? I remember that one."

"You get in a right" Terry said, "I remember how much your hands hurt, after."

"Yeah, your fuckin hands. You learn to carry a sap."

"I remember later on seeing your picture in the sports section, when you were at Denby and made All-State. What were you, a defensive tackle?"

"Linebacker."

"Right. You must've got some offers."

"Couple. But I wasn't going nowhere."

They rode in silence for a while.

"You're one of the defendants in the RICO trial?"

"I been out on bond three years while they fuck around." "How's it going?"

"Nowhere. We're gonna walk."

The cigarette business came to mind and Terry almost mentioned it, but then thought, Why? You trying to get this guy to like you?

There was a silence again. Moving east in the dark, headlights approaching out of the distance.

"So you live in Africa, uh?"

"Five years."

"I wouldn't want no parts of fuckin Africa you give it to me."

"Parts are pretty nice. Except for the bugs. I had a hard time getting used to the bugs, giant ones, every kind of bug there is."

Vito's eyes showed in the mirror.

"When you going back?"

"I think pretty soon."

Vito said, "I think so, too."

Terry hesitated. He said, "Oh?" and sat in the dark, waiting for the man's eyes to appear.

Debbie worked hard to get her driver to talk, a young guy who wore sunglasses at night. Great.

"How long've you been with the mob?"

He had to think about it before he said, "What mob you talking about?"

"How about the Detroit mob? Since that's where we are."

"Why you want to know?"

"I'm making conversation." Asshole. "You ever been to prison?"

Now he had to think that one over before saying, "That's my business."

I'll bet you never have."

"I don't plan to."

"I have," Debbie said. "Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

I put a guy in the hospital." She waited. "You want to know what I hit him with?"

"What?"

"A Buick Riviera."

"Yeah?"

"He was my ex. I was in Florida visiting my mother and I saw him crossing the street right in front of me. He's over a year behind on child support and had no intention of ever paying up."

"You run over him?"

"He got caught underneath the car and I dragged him about a hundred feet."

"Yeah?"

"I said to the arresting officer, 'But the light was green. I had the right of way.' He shouldn't have been crossing then."

"Not if you had the green, no."

"They bring the guy to the courtroom in his body cast and I was fucked."

"Yeah?"

"I was down three years. Ask me if hitting him was worth it?"

"Was it?"

"No. What's your name?"

"Tommy."

"Don't ever go to prison, Tommy, if you can help it."

There was a silence for a while.

"What's it like being a gangster?"

Johnny told the Mutt his dad used to work down here at Eaton Chemical, gone now; they made dyes and different dry-cleaning products. Man, it was dark down here, huh? The whole area gone to hell, the warehouses, you couldn't tell if they were shut down or doing business or what. They turned onto Franklin, creeping, following the headlight beams along this street where Eaton Chemical used to be. Johnny said his dad'd come home his hands'd be all stained. Once he got burned pretty bad with acid. On his arms. He said, "Okay, you ready? Keep your eyes open."

The Mutt said, "I been ready."

"There's a car up there. What time is it?"

"I just told you. Ten past."

"We go by, take a look."

Johnny eased down on the accelerator, speeding up to about twenty-five as they passed the car, parked there with its lights off.

"It's him," the Mutt said.

Johnny looked back. "There two guys in the car."

"Yeah, he's got some guy driving for him."

"You said he'd be alone."

"I said what he said, meet him here, and he is, he's here, ain't he?

Like he said."

"What about the other guy?"

"Too bad," the Mutt said. "I didn't invite him."

"I don't like it," Johnny said, slowing down to turn fight at the next street. They turned fight three more times, Johnny keeping it at fifteen miles an hour, till they were back around on Franklin. Man, it was dark.

The Mutt said, "Pull up behind."

Johnny said, "I'm not getting too close. I'm leaving room we have to pull out quick." He crept up to about twenty feet away before stopping.

He could see two guys in there, the driver's head turned, looking back this way in the Cadillac's headlights.

"Cut the lights," the Mutt said.

"I want to see what you're doing," Johnny said. "You never know, this kind of deal."

The Mutt got out and Johnny watched him walk up to the passenger side of the car and stand there at the window talking to Vincent, Vincent handing the Mutt something he put inside his leather coat.

That would be the twenty-five hundred. Now they were talking again. Now the Mutt was holding something, looking at it. Johnny believed it must be the piece. Now Vincent's hand came out the window.

He took the piece from the Mutt, brought it inside the car and handed it back to him. The Mutt turned with it now, Jesus Christ, aiming it this way in the headlights, then turned again to the car and that's when Johnny heard the shots, pow-pow. Loud, Jesus, and then two more, pow-pow, quick ones, the Mutt holding the piece inside the car to shoot the other guy, the driver. Johnny thinking now, Okay, let's get the fuck outta here. But now the Mutt was walking around the back of the car looking this way and motioning-like he was trying to tell what he was doing, which told absolutely fuckin nothing-as he went around to the driver's side, opened the door and the guy's body started to slide out. The Mutt hefted him back in, then stuck his head and shoulders in there over the guy, and when he straightened up Johnny could see the Mutt had a gun in each hand, aiming 'em both this way and grinning in the Cadillac's headlights. Johnny pulled up next to him.