After Luke was done describing where the bulk of the evidence could be found, he said, “Out,” then he started the Explorer and pulled away from the curb.
“This feels shit,” I told him, staring angrily out the window.
Luke didn’t respond.
“People suck,” I went on.
Luke stayed silent.
I crossed my arms on my chest. “We gonna go somewhere and crack some heads now?” I asked.
Luke chuckled. “You’re gettin’ it,” he said.
Whatever.
* * * * *
We didn’t crack heads. Or I should say, I didn’t crack heads.
We did something else that rocked my world. It wasn’t worse than being left with musings of the terrible life ahead for two little boys I didn’t know and would never meet but it was something that shook my world and what I thought was my place in it.
We went to a bar off Evans, a dive I’d never been to and likely would never see again.
In the parking lot Luke turned to me. “The guy we’re gonna meet isn’t gonna be happy to see me.”
“Why?” I asked.
“He’ll be expecting Bobby or Matt. At most, Ike.”
“What does that mean?”
“That means he thinks he’s flyin’ under radar and we aren’t takin’ him seriously. I walk in there, he’s gonna know we’re serious. You got your gun?”
I’d put it under my seat. I bent to retrieve it but he stopped me with a hand on my arm.
“You don’t go in there carryin’. With this you’re not the one posin’ the threat, I am.”
This all seemed quite complicated. I wanted to ask questions but instead I nodded.
Luke entered the bar in his usual manner, body language communicating confidently that he knew who he was, he knew what he was doing and he knew where he was going. I followed, probably not looking as cool and confident as Luke because I didn’t know any of those things.
Still, people turned to look when we walked in and when they saw us, their looks became stares.
Luke walked to a booth, a man was sitting in it and he reminded me of Sal Cordova. Ladies man or at least he thought he was. Caucasian, dirty-blond hair, dressed to the nines.
His face showed surprise and perhaps a hint of fear when his eyes hit Luke then he covered it. His gaze hit on me and he too stared but again only for a moment then his eyes went back to Luke.
“Stark,” he said when Luke arrived at the table, “didn’t expect you to be running errands for Marcus. What? You get demoted?”
My body went rock solid and I looked at Luke. Then I realized what I was giving away and I forced myself to relax.
Running an errand for Marcus?
Marcus Sloan?
Gun runner with drug dealer and pimp on the side?
Luke looked at me and I felt he was telling me something. It took a few beats for me to cotton on and I slid in the booth opposite Ladies Man and Luke slid in beside me.