The Original Alibi

Chapter 7

At eleven-thirty that afternoon, Axel had walked four blocks toward downtown Long Beach. In the next block, just around the corner, he would arrive at Mackie’s. He lunched there most days along with a handful of the city’s oldest ex-cons. Men now retired from their life’s work. Mackie’s had also become a popular lunch spot with the area’s white collar workers so he required his former jail pals to meet a certain dress and behavior code. The rules began with no drunk or loud behavior and no planning the kind of jobs that led to them all meeting in the first place. Mackie’s served great food, with soft Sinatra and Steve Tyrell in the background mixed in with Linda Ronstadt and Mackie’s personal favorite, Julie London. Sure, his music was dated, but so was Mackie. It happens when guys like him and Axel spend decades up the river, as Mackie called prison. They came out wanting their now world to be as much as possible like their then world.

The booths were well padded and the walls coated in hunter green wallpaper with cherry wood wainscoting. An assortment of sports pictures hung around the perimeter along with sexy women dressed in cherry wood frames. The lights were low, but not so much that you couldn’t read the menu or see the lovely ladies that waited tables and brought drinks wearing outfits that made you think of Hooters. It was all in good taste. A place you’d take the girl you were going to bring home to meet mother, assuming mother was reasonably hip, as they used to say.

As Axel turned the corner, a block from Mackie’s, Axel was approached by one of the street’s younger women who worked the world’s oldest racket. “Hey Mister, want something different for lunch?”

Axel walked over to the blonde who he sized up as having less crust on her than the other young woman standing beside her. She was taller than five feet, but not by much, and had the smile of an angel wearing too much eye makeup and swap-meet perfume. Axel shushed away the other girl standing near her. “I want two hours of your time, young lady. What’ll it cost me?”

“Two hundred … How about one-fifty,” she said a moment later, negotiating against herself.

“Anything I want?” Axel said. “No hassle. I’m the boss for my two hours.”

“Whatever you say, mister.”

“Forget the one-fifty, I’ll give you the two hundred, but if you resist whatever I want, the deal is off. Agreed?”

She looked at Axel. “You’re the boss.”

“Okay. What’s your name?”

“They call me Lacey ‘cause I wear lots of lacey stuff.”

“I didn’t ask what they called you. I asked your name. I thought we agreed I was the boss? Now are we ready to start this relationship or end it? It’s your call. Makes me no never mind either way.”

“My name’s Hildegard. My family calls me Hillie.”

“Come with me, Hillie. I’m Axel.” They walked until they were outside Mackie’s where he pulled open the door and pointed his head in a way that said, go in. She did. He followed. Mackie looked up from behind the bar and waved. Several others along the bar and three guys at a far table raised a hand or nodded a head. A few also mumbled something Axel couldn’t quite hear.

“Sit down, Hillie.” She turned to face Axel with a confused look on her face. “Here’s where we’re spending our two hours. Order whatever you want from the menu. It’s over and above your fee. For two hours we’re going to talk. No bullshit. No lies from either of us. You ask me whatever you wish. I’ll do the same. Straight talk for two hours. Can you handle this without going all bratty on me?”

“What do you mean, bratty?”

“You know. The attitude you gave your parents before you ran away. Shrugs. Looks at the floor. Pouts. Lies. Telling them they don’t know or don’t understand. That attitude won’t fly with me. If our relationship is gonna work, we’ll do it with straight talk. No meanness for meanness sake. We’re equals. We’ll talk that way. I hold nothing back. You hold nothing back. You game or do you want to skip lunch and hit the streets looking for a guy who only wants to get in your pants or to get you in his? That’s not me. I wanna get in your head. Decide now, before we order.”

She looked down a moment, then lifted her head and looked directly at Axel. “I’m in.”

“No rebellious teenager?”

“I don’t think you’re a very nice man, Axel. What kind of a name is Axel anyway?”

“Your name is Hildegard and you’re judging my name?” Hillie smiled. “Now that’s better,” Axel said. “And, by the way, my being a nice man was neither part of what you offered on the street nor what I accepted. I’m the boss. That means I can be a nice man or not. You’re free to form your own opinion but keep it to yourself. Last warning, if you can’t handle it, storm back out onto the street where you’ll go hungry, work harder, likely make less, and feel crummy doing it. This here’s fish or cut bait time, girly.”

Hillie opened her menu. Axel didn’t need the menu. He knew it by heart.

After a few minutes, Mackie, an average-sized man of around sixty, with a gut that allowed his belt buckle to live in the shade, came from behind the bar and stopped at their table. “What’ll it be, Axel?”

“First, say hello to my new friend. This is Hildegard. Her friends, which she has temporarily allowed me to be, call her Hillie.”

“Hi, Hillie. Welcome. My friends call me Mackie and if you’re Axel’s friend, you’re my friend.”

“Hi, Mackie. I’m pleased to know you.”

“One tip, don’t play checkers with this old scruffer. He cheats.”

“Axel,” Hillie looked shocked. “I’m getting a different impression of you now.”

“I wouldn’t cheat if Mackie played an honorable game like chess.” Hillie perked up when she heard Axel say that. “Do you play?” he asked. She nodded. “You any good?”

“Probably not any more, I used to play with my dad, after school at his office.”

“Let me turn that blind some,” Mackie said, “get the sun out of your eyes.” He walked over to the window.

“Seriously, do you like to play chess?”

“Love it. I used to anyway.”

“Wanna play now?”

“It’s your two hours, remember? You’re the boss,” Hillie said, sipping the water Mackie had brought to the table.

“No. Chess is an honorable game. Nobody is forced to play chess. At least they shouldn’t be. Only if you want to.”

“I’d love to play, Axel. It’d be like old times, but where?”

“Right here. Mackie’s got board games.” Axel looked over to Mackie who was back behind the bar and wiggled his hand in their form of visual shorthand.

A moment later, he brought over a chessboard and the pieces. “You two gonna order now or wait till after your game?”

“Now,” Axel said, “the lady is hungry. We’ll get started then finish after we eat.”

Hillie ordered a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich and Axel ordered a crab louie.

“Do you want your BL amp;T Axel style or traditional?”

Hillie looked at both men. “What’s Axel style?”

“With chunky peanut butter,” Mackie said, “rather than mayo or any other spreads.” Hillie nodded and smiled. Mackie smiled back and then said, “Sweet tea for both of you?” Hillie looked unsure what that was. Mackie explained. “It’s a Southern name for iced tea sweetened.”

“Yes, please,” Hillie said. Axel nodded. Mackie left.

“Mackie has hard hands, but a big soft smile,” Hillie said. “He seems to be a friendly man.”

Axel smiled and nodded. “Okay, Hillie,” he said. “Our food won’t be here for about ten to fifteen minutes. We can get a good start on the game.” They set up the pieces and Axel put one pawn of each color in each of his hands while he held them below the table.

Before Hillie picked one to start their game, she asked, “Is there anything you want to say to me before we start our game?”

“You wear way too much eye makeup. It cheapens you and you’re too pretty to do that to your eyes.” Hillie said nothing, just pointed toward Axel’s right hand. He opened it to reveal a white pawn. She moved the center piece from her front line forward one space to start the game.

After eight or ten moves apiece, Mackie brought their food. He looked at the board and smiled. “I see you got yourself in a real match, Axel. I think the little lady has an edge at the moment.”

“Whatdaya know, Mack? Get out of here and leave us alone.” When he left, Axel turned to Hillie. “While we eat, I want your life history. Where you were born. A fair bit about each of your parents and brothers and sisters. Then why you dropped out of school. Not the reason you told your friends back home, but the reason you kept to yourself. Why you ran away. I figure you’re what, seventeen, eighteen?” She nodded when Axel said eighteen. “You got through the eleventh grade maybe?” She nodded again. “You’re no dummy, that’s obvious. So I want the why. Remember our agreement.” Hillie nodded. “Okay, let’s have it. Pull no punches. Tell it straight.”