Maximum Bob

27

Wesley, the young TAC cop, sat low behind the wheel of the Thunderbird with a clear view of the doctor’s property, the brick posts with lamps still lit where the drive circled in and came out. There wasn’t much going on this early, a few cars now and then; people living in the big homes were still in bed, or else they’d gone north and their places were closed till next season. He heard a horn beep behind him, once, looked at the mirror and saw a VW close to his rear end. Wesley got up higher in the seat as he saw the girl-the judge’s friend, Kathy-coming up on his side. His window was already down. He was glad to see her and got ready to ask what was she doing here, but she beat him to it saying hi.

“Just want to tell you I’m going to Dr. Vasco’s. He’s one of my cases.”

“You know what time it is?”

He saw her look at her watch. “Twenty past six.”

“I mean, don’t you think it’s kinda early?”

“It’s how you check on Community Control cases,” Kathy said. “Drop in when they least expect a visit. What’s happening, anything?”

“Not much. The Lincoln went out last night. I tailed it to a go-go bar.”

“That must have been Elvin.”

“The one with the cowboy hat.”

Hunched down by the window she nodded her head. “Alone or with Hector?”

“By himself.”

She said, “I hope he isn’t hung over this morning.”

“He wasn’t there a half hour. Came right back.”

Now she said, “Oh, picking up a rock for the doctor.”

“Well, shit, I better go in there with you,” Wesley said.

“No, it’s okay. Let’s keep the doctor happy; I can violate him anytime. He’s not the one you want.”

Wesley knew she meant the one with the hat and said, “If it was the cowboy shot Hammond, we’ll get him.”

She said, “Did you know Gary?”

“I met him. I hear he was a good guy. I’ll tell you something,” Wesley said. “If that cowboy’s the one, I’d sure like to get a crack at him. Have him come at me.”

“Cocked?” Kathy said. “The tension off the trigger?”

“You recall my telling you about that, huh? At the crack house that time?”

“I remember,” Kathy said. “But what if he shot you first? I mean Elvin.”

“I wouldn’t let it happen,” Wesley said. “What you do, you watch their eyes.”

She said, “Oh, I wondered,” and walked away.

He watched her VW pull out past him, drive up the road and turn in at the doctor’s place, disappearing into all the foliage there. She was a pretty good-looking girl but weird. Makes a house call before anybody’s up. Goes out with that old-man judge…

No one answered the chimes. It was possible they weren’t heard upstairs in the bedrooms. Kathy left her car by the front entrance and walked around to the ocean side of the house in clear morning sunlight. She could hear the surf breaking off beyond the pool, the sweep of lawn, the edge of the bluff lined with palm trees. Not the typical home of a crack cocaine addict. A rubber raft lay upside down on the patio. She gazed up the stairway at the deck, sun reflecting on the windows, walked past the stairs to a door with glass panes and put her hand on the knob as she looked in at the kitchen. The knob turned.

Inside, she was immediately aware of Elvin, his presence in dirty dishes, a skillet of grease, beer cans, banana peels, an empty Jim Beam bottle. It looked as if Hector had given up; decided, why bother? She walked through the dining room to the center hall and stopped to listen, looking up the stairway. The house was silent.

There was an odor of grass in the room with glittery wallpaper, the den. Kathy opened the sliding glass door and looked out at the patio again: at the lounge the doctor had been lying on nude; at the rubber raft she hadn’t noticed the other day-it might’ve been there; at the wrought-iron patio table and three chairs. Where was the fourth? Nowhere on the patio that she could see. And thought, What are you looking for? He’s upstairs.

Elvin woke up having to piss and found out before opening his eyes he was hung over. Not too bad, but enough to kick in a door. Last night he was going to wait till he’d done his chores before having the Jim Beam, but had got to talking with Dr. Tommy and cracked the bottle earlier than planned. Drinking helped him think. Hung over, he tended to follow his urges. Talking about Hector, the doc wanted to know if Elvin had caused him to be mad or upset. This while the booger was still in the broom closet. Elvin said no, he hadn’t made him cry since the other day. The doc got tired thinking of Hector and moved on to the judge. This was a different story and what got Elvin started on the Jim Beam. Dr. Tommy saying he was calling the deal off, forget it. So then Elvin had to give the doc a talking-to, get through to him with his head all lit up that a deal was a deal, you didn’t back out of one less both parties agreed. Dr. Tommy saying then, if you’re going to do it, then do it. What was he waiting for? He told the doc he was ready, had his killer instincts working and would do it tonight if the law wasn’t sitting out front. They’d followed when he’d gone to see the go-go whore and would follow anyplace he went. The doc saying he didn’t care. Do it by the end of this week or no deal. Four days. And kept saying it in his rocked-out state, this week or forget it. The thing was, Elvin believed he did have to do it soon, else the doc might stuff himself with enough crack to o.d. on him or turn his brain to oatmeal. There was always something trying to fuck up your life.

He’d even thought he might drown for a minute there last night, waves coming in high as he took the booger out to sea, Hector riding the raft taped to a patio chair.

Elvin worked his way out of the bed. He saw he had his socks on. He needed to piss and needed a couple of cold beers right after to settle him down, calm his nerves.

Taking care of the first matter, standing at the toilet, his eyes watering with the relief of it, he started thinking: What if there was a way to slip out while the house was being watched and get it done? Slip back in, they never knowing he was gone, and he’d be free and clear. Who me? You crazy? You been watching the house? Wasn’t I here all the time?

Like if Hector was still around… Sneak out at night afoot, Hector picks him up, takes him out to the judge’s place… Except that would only have worked if the booger could lose the tail they’d have on him. He wasn’t around anyway so, shit, think of something else. The beers might help.

Elvin went back to the bedroom, sat down in his shorts to pull his boots on. How about if he sneaked out and got a taxicab, took it over to West Palm and went in a mall. That could work. Swipe a car from the parking lot and drive out to the judge’s. Do it at night.

That didn’t sound too hard. No, for being hung over, usually a mean state of mind, he was calm and thinking pretty good. Couple of beers, he’d have this deal worked out.

He went along the hall to the stairway in his underwear and boots, working his mouth to get that awful taste out of it, reached the turn in the stairs and couldn’t believe his eyes.

Ms. Touchy standing at the bottom looking up at him.

She said, “Elvin?”

In that way she had, meaning business. Looking fresh and bright this morning making her calls. No doubt her car keys in that purse hanging from her shoulder. No doubt whatsoever, and her VW parked in the drive.

She saw a bare white body in striped underwear, boots to his calves-he looked soft but ten feet tall up there. Grinning at her, shaking his head.

“Man, you sure took me by surprise. You come to see me or Dr. Tommy?”

“Both of you,” Kathy said. “Is he awake?”

“I haven’t heard a peep, and I’m the early bird around here.”

“What about Hector?”

“Hector, he left.”

“You mean he quit?”

“I guess. He ain’t here.”

She’d save Hector till the doctor came down. “You going to put some clothes on?”

“I’ll be right back,” Elvin said. “Don’t go ‘way.”

She asked herself, Are you afraid of that? Watching him go up the stairs in his boots and undershorts, and answered, You bet I am. Holding on to her shoulder bag.

Kathy went back to the kitchen wondering about Hector. Down a hall past the laundry room she found the door to the garage. Two cars in there, a Lincoln and a Jag. She could imagine an argument with Dr. Tommy and Hector driving off in a snit. Maybe to stay with his mother or a friend, if he had one. Wait for the doctor to call. What she couldn’t imagine was Hector walking away from all this. Unless he was forced to. She would have to wait and talk to Dr. Tommy. Have Elvin bring him down. Make sure with clothes on.

She returned to the front hall to walk past the doctor’s abstract art, a painting done in silver she saw as hard smoke, a sculpture that could be a woman’s body with a hole in it, or it might be a doughnut. Something to think about. Decide if it made any difference… Kathy turned with the sound of heels clicking on the terrazzo floor.

Cowboy boots. Elvin, wearing a bright blue suit and his big straw, putting on a pair of sunglasses.

Kathy waited for him. “You going somewhere?”

He came toward her nodding. “We are. You’re gonna drive me.”