The rat on fire

15

It was still raining when Billy Malatesta, using an umbrella, entered the diner and stripped off his checked raincoat.

“So,” Don said to Mickey at the counter, “you got the compressor fixed, I assume.”

“Leo,” Malatesta said, sliding into the booth.

“Compressor?” Mickey said.

“Yeah,” Don said. “’Member, last time I see you, you were telling me you…”

“Oh,” Mickey said. “Yeah, the compressor. When I had them fuckin’ chickens there and the guy wanted me to go see that hooker in Auburn.”

“Billy,” Proctor said. “How you hittin’ them?”

“Ah, you know,” Malatesta said. “Sometimes, pretty good. Other times, not so good.”

“Yeah,” Proctor said. “By the way, you wouldn’t happen to have that fifty I loaned you, would you? I’m a little short tonight. Bank caught up with me again.”

Don said, “Yeah, that time. You were having it fixed down here. Get it fixed all right?”

“You call three days’ down-time all right” Mickey said. “Jesus, I had Fritz doing all my work since Lazarus finished his nap and he never does this to me before. And then I’ll be goddamned if I don’t take all kinds of chances with that goddamned three tons of chickens, just so I can get it down here so Fritz can work on it, and the son of a bitch takes three fuckin’ days to fix it. I lost a load of fish for Pawtucket. I lost two produce runs. I could’ve had one with eggs down from Maine and taken pies up, and I lost that. Goddamned Fritz.”

“What are you?” Malatesta said to Proctor. “You had a long day or something and now you want a little fun, is that it? Horse around with old Billy here, see if his chain can take another jerking or two? What the hell is this? I thought it was a coffee shop. Now’re you telling me, it’s vaudeville? I’d’ve known that, I wouldn’t’ve come.”

“Take it easy, Bill,” Proctor said. “I know you’re under a lot of pressure. I was just givin’ you the leg.”

“Yeah,” Malatesta said. “Well, that’s all right, but so’s everybody else. Three of you guys make a dozen, easy.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Proctor said. “How’s the old lady?”

“Dryin’ out,” Malatesta said. “Again. Costs about three grand, usually. Doesn’t work. I haven’t got it. Doesn’t matter. Didn’t matter the last time. Didn’t work the last time. Doesn’t matter this time. Won’t work this time. You pays your money, you can find some. You takes your choice, you got one. I can’t find no money. I haven’t got any choice.”

“How’s old Marion?” Proctor said.

“You son of a bitch,” Malatesta said.

“Oh, come on,” Proctor said, “everybody in town knows that. The tide goes out and the tide comes in. The sun comes up and the sun goes down. The Red Sox are not gonna win the pennant. You’re hangin’ around with Marion. Will you get off my ass? I don’t mind you treating me like I’m stupid, but for Christ sake, man, I am not dumb.”

“That’s none of your business,” Malatesta said. “That’s none of your fuckin’ goddamned business whatsoever at all.”

“Look,” Proctor said, “it’s not something that I’m looking to make a profit off of. In that respect it is not my business. It is something that I know. Which if I did not know it, I would be more or less dead and probably deserve it, because when there are too many things in this town that you do not know, you will probably get dead.

“On the other hand,” he said, “Marion does explain a few things about you.”

“Like what?” Malatesta said.

“Like why you need a quick fifty that you can’t pay back,” Proctor said. “Like why you’re sitting here with me on a night you wouldn’t take a dog out for a walk. Fifteen hundred, Billy.”

“Don,” Mickey said at the counter, “you should’ve known, there ain’t no future in this racket.”

“I know, I know,” Don said. “The trouble is that it’s too late.”

“When?” Malatesta said.

“Late morning, day after tomorrow,” Proctor said. “The first one.”

“This will take some doing,” Malatesta said. “I’m supposed to be off.”

“Yeah?” Proctor said.

“I’ll be on,” Malatesta said.

“I think I’ll have another pastry,” Mickey said. “These things’re pretty good.”