Blackfly Season

40

“WE GOT TO FIND OUT where she’s staying,” Leon said. “That bitch cannot be alive. She’s gonna finger me and they’ll put me away for, like, ever, man. I can’t do jail, man. I couldn’t take that again.”

Red Bear was brushing his hair before the mirror. He spent a long time doing that each morning, like he was Snow White or something.

“We got to deal with this,” Leon said. He heard the whine in his voice, but he couldn’t help it. “We got to do something. We got to lay plans, man.”

Red Bear glanced at him in the mirror.

“I will consult the spirits.”

“Consult the spirits, hell. Don’t you get it? She talks to the cops, I go away to Millhaven again. You know how long they stuck me in solitary, man?”

“Forty-eight days. You told me already.”

“Yeah, well, you try doing forty-eight days in that fucking hellhole. See how long you keep your cool, then. I want to plug that bitch. Put her away, man. She cannot be walking the earth.”

“I will consult the spirits, Leon.”

“We already got Kevin locked up. We could do a sacrifice, man. A double sacrifice. That’s what we should do. Make sure we get this right.”

“We will do a sacrifice, when the time is right.”

“So let’s do it, man. Get those spirits working for us big time. Let’s get it done.”

Red Bear put aside his brush and picked up a pump bottle. He sprayed something into his palm and rubbed his hands together. Then he patted them over his hair. He picked up the brush again.

“I have already explained to you. I cannot perform a sacrifice until the moon is waxing. Right now it is still waning. Do a sacrifice while the moon is waning and the entity will control you. That is not what we want.”

“What I want is one dead redhead.”

Red Bear turned to him. Those eyes of his. Sometimes they caught the light in a certain way and it was like being stared at by a corpse.

“Whose fault is it she’s alive?”

“That’s not my fault. It’s that fucking gun, man. I told you. I pumped two of those motherfucking bullets into Toof’s head and he wouldn’t even lie down. Guy’s still up and around and yakkin’ away. Had to go at him with my Louisville Slugger. If I’d a known, I’d a put five in her head, stedda one, man. It’s not my fault. I mean, where in the fuck have I sinned?”

Red Bear turned back to the mirror.

“Try not to panic, Leon. I will consult the spirits.”