Blind God's Bluff A Billy Fox Novel - By Richard Lee Byers Page 0,104
kill me.’
“There’s no need for bluster,” the Pharaoh said. “We’re all gentlemen here, planning a sportsmanlike contest. And I believe the next step is to lay out the course.”
“I’ve got an idea for that, too. Something to keep either one of us from pushing for a route that he thinks would give him an advantage.” I reached into my jacket for a map of Tampa, unfolded it, and spread it out on the table. Then I pulled a handful of dimes out of my jeans and tossed them into the air. They clinked and clunked, bounced and rolled, as they came down on the paper.
I offered the Pharaoh a Sharpie. “Now you connect the dots however you want.”
After Timon agreed to it, he did. Then there was nothing left to do but pick a time. We decided on twelve the following night.
That gave me a chance to check that Pablo had made it to the hospital and was going to be okay. It also gave me time to take A’marie to lunch at the Columbia, with its glazed tile, slender pillars, and all-around Spanish décor, and watch people wait on her for a change. She wore her curls fluffed up to hide her horns, tinted glasses to hide the silvery flash of her eyes, baggy pants, and regular-looking shoes. She still attracted her share of second looks, but only because she was cute.
As she ate her last spoonful of flan, I said, “I kind of feel like I owe you a car.”
She frowned. “I don’t.”
“Well, anyway, I’m planning on getting you whatever you’d like. But just in case it turns out that I can’t, we can at least do this.” I slid a manila envelope across the tablecloth.
She undid the clasp and looked inside at the spare keys and the title to the T-bird.
“There’s some stuff in the trunk,” I said. “Not much. Family photo albums. My dad’s toolbox. A couple medals they gave me in the Army. I don’t expect it to mean anything to anybody but me. Toss it if you want.”
“What is this shit?” she asked. “You promised you were going to win!”
“I said I thought I could, and I still do. I’m sure as hell going to try. But Timon’s going to show up with his own bag of tricks, so nothing’s for sure.”
“Even if he did beat you, it wouldn’t mean you’d die!”
I shrugged. “But it might. He’d definitely rather kill me than lose. So I was even thinking, you could get in the car right now and drive. Then, whatever happens, you’d be out of it.”
“While you and the others would still be stuck in the middle of it. Do you think I’m the kind to run out on my friends?”
“No. I was pretty sure you’d say what you just did. But—”
“Just drop it, before I get really mad at you!” She flipped the envelope and hit me in the chest. “If you’re so worried about me, just make sure you do what you’re supposed to!”
“All right! I’m on top of it!” I smiled. “And for what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re going to be here.”
I paid the tab and then we strolled around Ybor, browsing through little art galleries and music stores, and looking at the flash art on the walls of the tattoo parlors. I was just trying to have a nice, relaxing afternoon, and she was trying to help me. Afterwards, I dropped her off at her ratty little apartment and went home to mine.
Where, despite my attempt to unwind, I had so much trouble falling asleep that I almost popped a couple of my dad’s leftover Ambiens. But I was afraid they might slow me down in dreamland, too. So I settled for a beer, kept my eyes shut, and finally drifted off.
The next thing I knew, I was standing on the fifty-yard line of Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Bucs. Timon’s power had pulled me to where I was supposed to be.
The lights blazed down, and the stands were full. But none of those sixty-five thousand people was moving or making a sound, and I was pretty sure that if I got close enough, I’d see the same few faces repeated over and over. They were puppets like the ones Timon had used to create his parade.
And when they suddenly started cheering and applauding, the cannons on the steel-and-concrete pirate ship boomed and fired confetti and soft-rubber footballs, and the PA system started playing “The Hallelujah