Elmore Leonard - Maximum Bob

“In the afternoon, before the police came. She’s also Dr. Tommy’s officer.”

“Since when?”

“How do I know. She said the cop was coming back who was here before? Then I look at the paper today, I see why he didn’t make it. I thought they arrested you.”

“For what?”

“Well, you did shoot him, didn’t you?”

This booger kept talking right up, not acting a bit nervous. Elvin stared at him trying to figure it out.

“You think it was me, huh?”

“It was all you talked about the other day. The cop was here-remember how you took hold of me, almost threw me down the stairs?”

Elvin watched Hector roll his eyes, acting cute.

“You little booger, I would’ve you didn’t give me my gun back. But you didn’t mention that time to the law, did you?”

“I’m not crazy,” Hector said.

“I figure you didn’t, else I’d still be up on Gun Club Road with the deputies.”

“I’ve told them nothing and I don’t intend to,” Hector said. He took a sip of his drink. “I have a feeling, without anyone telling on you, you’ll be back in prison before you know it.”

“I’ll pull some stunt’ll get me caught?”

“You’ll do something.”

“You think I’m reckless, huh? Well, the way I see it, taking chances is the hot sauce you put on life to make it tangy. Otherwise I’m no better off’n you are sitting, watching it go by.”

“Did you make that up?”

“Buddy of mine said it and I like the ring of it.”

“A prison buddy?”

“Up at Starke, yeah.”

He watched Hector cock his head to one side, holding the glass at his mouth and peering over the rim. Acting cute again.

“You play at being the hell raiser,” Hector said, “but there’s more to it than that.”

This was good, the booger trying to read him.

“You’re saying I’m not the genuine article? Take a look at my sheet, it’ll make your hair stand up.”

Hector said, “Only my hair?” Raising his eyebrows like he was flirting. Then was serious again saying, “You’re a bad boy, Elvin, but why? I think because you want to get caught.”

Elvin had to grin. “I never heard of that one.”

“So you can go back to prison,” Hector said, “and be with your friend Sonny.”

Elvin wasn’t grinning now.

Ray Diaz watched his sister hang up the phone and come over to the sofa.

“That was Lou Falco. There’ll be a service for Gary at St. Ann’s this Saturday and another one-Lou said a military-style ceremony with police from all over Florida-at Queen of Peace Cemetery. Gun salutes, all that. I said to him, ‘When’s Elvin’s funeral?’”

“I heard you,” Ray said, watching her sit down again. She seemed worn out. “TAC has surveillance on him. He’s back at the doctor’s house right now.”

“If he did it they’ll put it on him sooner or later,” Ray said. “If he was in that hair place the chances are they’ll find evidence of it, prints, something.”

She said, “But if the evidence doesn’t show he was there between twelve-thirty and one yesterday afternoon, it isn’t evidence, is it?”

His sister thinking like a criminal investigator when he was trying to console her. Ray said, “Or someone saw him go in or come out,” still trying. “Or they’ll find the gun.”

She said, “If it wasn’t in the doctor’s house or the car Elvin was driving it could be anywhere, in a canal, the ocean… Ray, even if he’s brought up on something circumstantial, what’s his motive? A payback? Because Gary threw him down one time and kneeled on him?” She said, “You know why I think he killed Gary? Because of me. Because he wants me.”

Ray knew she ached; her eyes would fill talking about Gary, what a nice guy he was, sounding like she was in love with him. She was in the middle of this but could talk about it objectively, too, shut out her feelings, and it surprised him, his little sister.

“How do you mean he wants you?”

“In bed. How do you think? That’s why he came here after. To tell me what he did without saying it.”

“That he killed for you?”

“That he killed to get me, yes.”

“I don’t know-”

“He’s primitive, Ray. He says, ‘How many people you take care of ever killed anybody?’ In my caseload. He says, ‘I’m your star.’ I could be seeing him every month for the next five years.”

“He won’t last that long, even come close.”

“I know I won’t,” Kathy said. “I’m ready to quit any time.”

“Join the DEA and see Latin America. I’m going to Panama Friday, but don’t tell anybody.” Ray picked up his beer from the table in front of the sofa and sat back again. “You’re good at getting people to talk to you. Like with Hector. That was pretty neat.”

“But I didn’t convince him to tell the police.”

“About what? That alligator business inspiring them? I don’t see a connection between doing the judge and what happened to Gary.”

“No, but Elvin loves to talk,” Kathy said. “I’ll bet he tells Hector and the doctor everything he does. He might even tell me if I ask him.”

“Don’t,” Ray said.

“He’d hint around first.”

“Please don’t.”

“If I wore a wire and TAC was close by?”

“And if he finds it on you,” Ray said, “when he tears your clothes off?”

“It’s just an idea. If I can talk to Hector, that might be enough.”

“What will you do if Elvin’s there?”

“I don’t know, Ray. I’d have to wait and see.”

Elvin said to Hector, “I never hit a queer but, man, I can start, you keep talking like that.”

First the booger would do things with his eyes and mouth, acting cute, then look surprised and motion with his hands like a girl as he spoke.

“Why? You and Sonny were lovers, weren’t you? Why can’t you talk about it?”

“We weren’t lovers, for Christ sake.”

“You didn’t make love to him?”

“Jesus Christ, will you quit talking like that? No, I never made love to him.”

“What did you do then?”

“You don’t know nothing what it’s like in prison.”

“So why don’t you tell me about it? Ten years, you must have had other boys besides Sonny. Unless-did they allow conjugal visits?”

“I’m gonna pop you right in the fucking mouth.”

“What did I say now, conjugal ? That means your wife, if they let her visit.”

“I don’t have one or never did.”

“I didn’t think so.”

Elvin said, “I want you to get something straight,” watching Hector pour himself some more of the banana shit. “I like girls, women, all shapes and sizes. Even Hispanic puss is okay. You understand?”

The booger shrugged, like he was waving his shoulders. He said, “It’s okay to go both ways.”

Elvin shoved him, hitting his goddamn shoulder. “Quit talking like that.”

“Owww, you don’t have to hit me.”

“I didn’t hit you.”

“I’m not going to tell anyone.”

“Then shut up.”

The booger shrugged his goddamn shoulders again and said, “Well, if that’s how you feel,” and stuck his big honker of a nose in the air.

Something Elvin hated, a guy acting like he was better than you. Elvin gave him another shove.

The booger said, “Stop it!”

So Elvin shoved him again, harder.

He said, “El-vin!”

In that girlish way he had, like he was going to cry. Elvin hated it worse than the snotty look. He said to him, “Sonny’d whine like that, you know what I’d do? Hold a pillow over his face so he couldn’t breathe. He’d kick and squirm, I’d say to him, ‘You gonna be good now? Are you? Show me.’ He quit squirming I’d let him up.”