Maximum Bob

24

Tuesday afternoon Hector said to Dr. Tommy, “You believe there’s another dermatologist in the world who sunbathes?”

Dr. Tommy, lying naked on the patio in a chaise, said he was no longer a dermatologist, so it was okay.

He was no longer anything, on a crack cocaine binge, his new thing, and looked at himself in mirrors making faces, as if talking to himself. He was always a little crazy, but they had fun. Now, since doing crack with the go-go whore, he was crazy in a different way. In two days he had become a rockhead. It was all he wanted, saying, “Where have I been?” Where? Right here doing cocaine, the best weed, Quaaludes. At least then he was aware and made sense when he spoke. Now he called the creature, Elvin, “the assassin in underwear,” knew that much, but didn’t care Elvin was taking over his home.

Hector would say, “You know he can get us in trouble. You know he isn’t going to kill the judge. It doesn’t matter to you now if he does or not. Why don’t you make him leave?”

The doctor would seem to be considering a way to do it and then say, “We need a source we can rely on. We buy it from the go-go whore, she adds her profit on top. I don’t blame her, but it isn’t the most economical way to buy it. Unless you bring her here, give her what she paid and share it with her. No, wait. If I do that I would be getting less, wouldn’t I? That would be okay, though, I like to watch her. Do you know she’s killing herself? She doesn’t know it yet, but she is. Ask her.”

“What, if she knows she’s killing herself or if she wants to come here?”

“That’s an idea. She stays here, it would save you going back and forth. We let her use a car to make the buy.”

It was all he thought about.

“Maybe she can cook,” Hector said, “and clean the house.”

“Maybe. Ask her that too.”

See? Now he was seriously crazy.

“I’m trying to get rid of the assassin,” Hector said, “and you want to bring his girlfriend here to live with us.”

“She hates him,” Dr. Tommy said.

Again missing the point. Though it got Hector to realize that, given a choice, he would prefer to have the go-go whore in the house than the creature, the animal that wore a suit. And if there was a way to get rid of him the doctor wouldn’t care.

He would like to shoot Elvin, feeling this since almost the first time he saw him, and had been thinking of ways to dispose of his enormous body. Drop it in a canal or the Intracoastal. Take it to a woods. Steal a car and put it in the trunk. If he knew how to steal a car.

The doorbell chimed.

Hector put on his silk robe and left Dr. Tommy baking on the patio. By the time he reached the front door the high-low ding-dong chimes had sounded at least ten times. He peeked through the spy hole before opening the door, saw a young woman with short dark hair waved to extend out on each side. Cute hair, a little-girl face. The beige jacket and white skirt were okay, nothing special.

She said, “Dr. Vasco?”

Hector shook his head. “He’s not in.”

“That’s too bad,” Kathy said, flipping open her ID case to show her picture, her name, and those official words, Department of Corrections. “I’m his new Community Control officer.”

“Oh, you know something? I thought he went to AA, but he’s sleeping,” Hector said. “Please, come in.” She moved past him and he said, “I like your hair. It’s much more chic than in the picture.”

His voice so delicate, didn’t go with his coarse features, a little guy with a big nose and a ponytail in a robe that touched the floor. Kathy said, “Thanks, Hector,” turning to face him and saw his eyes light up.

He said, “You know my name,” pleased but still surprised.

“I know all about you,” Kathy said.

“Now, I don’t believe that. You may have a complete dossier on the doctor, but me? No, you couldn’t.”

Close to him Kathy said, “Will you tell me things I don’t know?” Playing with him.

He liked it. He said, “I might.”

“Would you wake up the doctor for me?”

He said, “You can, if you want. He’s on the patio.”

Following him along the hall she asked if a Sergeant Hammond was here earlier. Hector stopped.

“He was here yesterday.”

“You’ve been home all day?”

“Yes, so I would have seen him.”

“Is Elvin around?”

This time he hesitated. “I’m sorry, who?”

“I thought we were getting along,” Kathy said. “You like my hair, I like yours. Why spoil it?”

He smiled at her and said, “All right, I haven’t seen him.”

“Is he staying here?”

“I wouldn’t say he’s staying, no.”

“What would you say?”

“He’s here two nights, that’s all.”

“You know where he went?”

“No, but if I did…”

Kathy waited.

Maybe too long, giving Hector a chance to change whatever he was going to say to: “Is he your business?”

“I’m his probation officer.”

“He isn’t any of my business, so I don’t want to talk about him, okay?”

“I think you want to,” Kathy said, “but the idea makes you nervous.” She said, “Anything you tell me, Hector, would be in confidence. I’m not a cop.”

He said, “No? Well, you sound like one,” and motioned for her to follow: the rest of the way along the hall and through the gold-wallpapered den to glass doors open on the patio. “There he is,” Hector said, stepping aside.

“In the flesh,” Kathy said, looking at the man lying naked, the anklet on his right leg, tanned a deep brown all over and Gary was right, what he’d said last night, the guy’s member was darker than any part of him. A cop’s observation, something to keep in mind for possible identification though not conclusive; there could be others that dark, weird, almost black.

“You going to check his equipment,” Hector said.

“You kidding? I wouldn’t touch it with a stick.”

“I’m talking about that thing on his ankle.”

Sure he was, acting innocent.

“I wouldn’t touch that either,” Kathy said, turning from sunlight to the semi-dark room with its glittery walls. She sat down in the sofa, sinking into it. Hector remained in the doorway, in light. She had to turn her head to see him.

“You worried about the doctor?”

No answer.

“What’s he on?”

Hector looked over now. “I’m not stupid.”

“And I’m not a narc,” Kathy said. “Come and sit down, talk to me. You have a convicted murderer living in your house, the doctor doesn’t seem to care and you don’t know what to do about it. Am I close?”

Hector came over, taking his time. “You think you know everything.”

“No, I need you to tell me.”

“Why? There’s nothing you can do.”

“How do you know that? Please, sit down with me. I can be your friend if you want.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Will you tell me one thing? Why the doctor lets Elvin use his car and gives him a key to the front door.”

Hector was staring at her now.

“Talk to me,” Kathy said, “and I won’t look for dope. I imagine Earlene brought a few rocks Sunday night, but they’re gone, uh? Listen, I won’t look for guns either.”

Hector kept staring at her. Now he glanced toward the patio. Now she watched him sink to his knees in front of her-a slow, fluid motion in the robe, a priest in vestments-and sit back on his heels. He said in his delicate manner, “You’re making serious accusations.”

“Of course I am,” Kathy said. “I’m putting you on the spot. You know I can search the house if I want. Look for Earlene’s G-string she left here?… What do you think of her?”

“Nothing. She’s a whore.”

“She turn the doctor on?”

“He doesn’t need someone like that.”

“Elvin brings her?”

“He did once.”

“I told her I’d pick up her G-string.”

“Well, that was presumptuous of you.”

“Why do you say that?”

He had sounded offended; now he shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.”

This was a weird guy. Kathy watched him. She said, “You want me to tell you something I know?”

“You’re going to anyway.”

“Maybe I should whisper it,” Kathy said, paused and said, “Elvin and Dr. Tommy are going to kill a judge.”

It hooked him good. He said, “No. Oh, no,” shaking his head, but too late to hide that look of panic in his eyes, there and gone.

Kathy eased toward him, laying her arms on her knees. “They change their mind?”

“It’s crazy what you’re saying.”

“The police know it.”

“You’re making that up. There’s nothing for them to know.”

“You want to protect the doctor. Of course you would. But if I know it, you think the police don’t? Come on.”

“Believe me, please, he isn’t doing anything.”

“The doctor, but what about Elvin?”

“I don’t speak for him.”

“You want to tell me something without saying it,” Kathy said. “That’s hard to do.”

“I don’t want to tell you anything. Look at him,” Hector said, getting a plea in his voice, his eyes. “You said yourself he doesn’t care about Elvin, what he does.” His gaze moved, came back and he lowered his voice saying, “There was a story in the paper, somebody trying to kill the judge with an alligator. You think that was Dr. Tommy?”

Kathy hunched in closer. “I think it gave Dr. Tommy the idea.” She saw Hector shaking his head again and said, “But the doctor was putting Elvin on. ‘Look at this, someone’s trying to kill that judge we both know intimately. Not a bad idea, uh?’ Having some fun with Elvin. Was it like that?”

“Exactly,” Hector said, going for it, “and Elvin thought he was serious. The doctor has even forgotten it. Ask him-he’ll say, ‘What judge?’”

“Stay high, you don’t have to think,” Kathy said. “He can absolve himself of responsibility.” She shrugged. “It might work. But you have clear eyes, Hector, you know what Elvin’s doing. You don’t want to say anything because you’re afraid of him. Listen, I am too. But I know a guy who isn’t afraid. The detective that was here yesterday, Gary, a good guy. He’s coming back. When he does, why not talk to him? What do you say?”

Nothing. Not a word.

“Tell him what you’ve told me.”

“Or you will? Is that what you’re saying?”

“Gary knows all this,” Kathy said, “what we’ve talked about. But it doesn’t do him any good unless you tell him, yes, it’s true. Hector, you’re the key witness. You don’t want Elvin here, you can get him put away, sent back to prison.”

Hector was frowning now. “But what’s he done? Nothing yet. You going to wait for him to do it?”

There it was again, Gary’s objection.

“He’s conspired to commit murder,” Kathy said. She saw Hector on the edge, wanting to believe her. All she had to do was push him over.

“Hector, I’ve told you things no cop ever would. I could even be accused of blowing their investigation by confiding in you, revealing what they know. But I don’t care. You know why? Dr. Tommy’s one of my cases and I don’t want to see him get in trouble, have to go to prison. Hector?…”

He was looking past her. Scrambling to his feet now. Kathy straightened and turned enough to see Dr. Tommy coming in from the patio, still naked, scratching his groin.

He said to Hector, “You have my robe on.”

Hector shook his head. “This is my robe.”

“Are you sure?”

“You left your robe by the swimming pool.”

Dr. Tommy said, “Oh.” As he turned to go back he noticed Kathy in the sofa. He gave her a nod, said, “How are you today?” and kept going. Still scratching himself.

Kathy watched him walk out into the sunlight, the doctor’s rear end somewhat lighter than the rest of him, the doctor holding a straight course but all the way gone, stoned out of his skull. She turned to Hector.

“What’re you doing?”

He had his back to her and was bent over, taking something off inside his robe. He turned to her and extended a G-string hanging from one finger. Black with silver sequins.

Kathy said, “Thank you,” and got out of there.

Bob Gibbs had skipped his after-work stop at the Helen Wilkes and come straight home to put on a clean sport shirt and be ready for an interview this evening. A little girl from somewhere like the Port St. Lucie Shopping News wanted to talk to him about judging people’s character. She’d stopped in his chambers to set it up, a little wide-eyed cutie with country ways about her. He liked country girls, they learned early about nature and how animals did it. This one-he couldn’t think of her name-was brand-new at her profession, not yet cynical or slick at telling lies. The kind would write down everything he said and laugh at his wit.

In the kitchen he poured himself a Jim Beam thinking about character and how to judge it. The best way, you look at their priors. He saw offenders standing before him in their state-blue outfits and began thinking about auras-strange-not his own, other people’s, wondering what it would be like to see colors glowing off their bodies. It was something he had never given a thought to without Leanne bringing it up. He could tell the little girl from Port St. Lucie that’s what he did, checked their auras. She’d say, Really? Tell her you can do it once you have the gift. If you’re perceptive. First, of course, you have to be able to clear your mind of-what was the word, prejudicial or preconceived ideas? Something like that. You had to open your mind and heart, get rid of negative thoughts.

He was facing the window above the sink, looking out as he sipped his whiskey, so that the voice came from his left.

“Big?”

From the doorway to the dining area where Leanne stood smiling at him.

He said, “Jesus Christ.”

And she bowed her head at the reverence in his tone. “You’ve changed, Big. I can see it. The messenger told me you had, but I was doubtful till now I see it with my own eyes.”

He said, “Leanne?”

Not to question her identity. He wanted to know what she was doing here, but couldn’t get the words out.

“The messenger, Big, confirmed what my entity has been telling me all along, that it was selfish of me to leave when I know I can be the source of your enlightenment. Big?… I’m home.”

He said, “Oh, God.”

Leanne answered, “Praise be.”

Elvin wanted to see her. He wasn’t sure why, other than he wanted to look at her knowing what he knew.

He stopped at a bar right after leaving the beauty parlor. The bartender, watching him throw down that first one, asked had he almost got run over or was some old girl’s husband after him? Elvin still pumped up at the time, but okay now.

He’d waited in the car about an hour, then walked up to the entrance and checked her apartment number, 219. When a couple in casual retirement clothes came along and entered, he went in with them, the guy in his golf hat giving him a look and Elvin said, “I’m going to see my probation officer. Is that all right with you folks?” He walked upstairs to 219, knocked on the door to make sure, then sat down on the floor with his back against the wall. He had to tip his Ox Bow forward as the brim kept hitting.

An old woman in a housecoat came by carrying her trash down the hall. She looked worried glancing at him, but didn’t speak till on her way back.

“Can I help you?”

Elvin had to take his hat off to look up at her.

“Do what?”

“Are you all right?”

“I’m fine and dandy.”

He wondered what the woman would say if he told her he’d just shot two people. Watch her face. He couldn’t help but grin thinking of it.

“I’m waiting on the girl lives here? She’s my probation officer.”

“Oh,” the woman said, and got inside her apartment and shut the door. He could hear her throwing the bolts.

It wasn’t hard to scare people. Knowing it about them could serve you, too. He knew Ms. Touchy was afraid of him. What might work, use it to get her in bed then, hell, she finds out she likes it. You gonna tell on me? No way, Daddy, gimme some more. He wondered if she might’ve heard anything by now about her boyfriend. If she was a person they’d inform. He’d stopped by her office after leaving the bar and was told she was on the street.

Elvin must’ve waited almost another hour before he heard the elevator door open and close and there she was, coming along the hall with a bag of groceries, one finger dangling a ring of keys. Elvin got to his feet and put his hat on, noticing she seemed calm.

“What’re you doing here?”

He said, “Lemme help you,” reaching for the groceries, but she pulled back.

“Elvin, what do you want?”

“Just to talk to you, that’s all.”

“We talk at the office. You were supposed to come in yesterday for a urine test.”

“I forgot all about it.”

“Tomorrow, or you’re in trouble.”

“I was in today, you weren’t there.”

“You came and left.”

“I had some business to take care of. Can’t I come in for just a minute?”

“Elvin, get out of here right now. Leave.”

She didn’t seem upset, like she’d heard anything yet.

“I’m working tomorrow,” Elvin said, trying to keep it going. “You know my job I told you about?”

It stopped her. He could tell the way she was looking at him she wanted to say something.

Just then the phone started ringing inside her apartment.

Now as she turned to the door getting the key ready, he said, “Here,” and took the grocery sack from her. She glanced at him getting the door open, not wasting any time. But now she seemed in doubt whether to take the groceries back or run answer the phone, leaving him out here holding them. He said, “Go on, I’ll set ‘em down inside,” and she did, more anxious to get the phone than worried about him coming in.

Elvin walked over to a table in the dining-L with the groceries. Nice place, pictures on the walls… Ms. Touchy stood at a desk in the living room, her back to him as she talked on the phone, saying “Yeah?” a couple of times, but mostly listening. Elvin set the groceries on the table and stood watching. He heard her say, “Lou, just tell me what happened.” He heard her say, “Oh, Jesus,” and then, “Where is he? Is he all right?” Elvin sure now they were talking about her boyfriend, the hair puller. He saw her turn then to look this way, directly at him, as she said, “He’s dead, isn’t he?” It gave Elvin a funny feeling the way she kept staring at him as she listened to what was said to her. She said something else he didn’t catch and saw her hang up the phone.

Still looking at him.

He said, “You get some bad news?”

She didn’t answer. Just kept looking, like she was in some kind of state.

He said, “Well,” and moved to the door. It was as he reached it, about to go out, he heard her say:

“You followed him, didn’t you?”

Elvin kept going. There was no talking to an upset, emotional woman.