Back to lying.
Damn.
I sighed, then ran down my latest adventures with Dad, Slick and Slick’s knife.
It was then, Bear looked angry.
“What’re you doin’ workin’ at a titty bar?” Wonderful.
“That isn’t the point.”
“It is the point. You need money?”
Like Bear had money.
Before I could answer, Tex boomed, “Let’s stay focused here, people.”
Bear tensed, stil angry and he glared at Tex.
I moved into Bear’s line of sight. I didn’t need two big, hairy men wrestling amongst a bunch of rusty tricycles. I had to find Dad and then find a Kil er Eddie Date Outfit and make sure my legs had a clean, close shave. I didn’t have time to go off target.
“Bear, I real y need to find Dad.”
Bear looked at me.
“I haven’t heard from Ray. Al right? If I do, I’l cal you.
And I won’t tel Lavonne you’re workin’ at a titty bar. She’d have a shit hemorrhage.”
With that, we had no choice but to say good-bye. Then we trooped back to Indy’s Beetle. We sat in it, me in the back, Indy driving, Tex in the front passenger seat.
We stared at the house.
“Do you think your Dad’s in there?” Indy asked me.
“No, but I think Bear knows where he is,” I said.
“Maybe we should drive around the corner and hang out for awhile, watch the house,” Indy suggested.
“Fuck that. I don’t do stakeouts. I need food. I missed lunch. Let’s rol ,” Tex said in a voice you didn’t want to argue with.
Indy took us to the Einstein’s Bagels on Alameda. Tex got an onion bagel with turkey, sprouts and cream cheese, a bag of chips, a huge cookie and a Rice Krispie treat. Indy and I got Diet Cokes. We sat at a table so Tex could eat.
“You got any more ideas?” Tex asked me, his mouth ful .
I shook my head.
He turned to Indy.
“You were more fun.”
I’d heard snatches of conversation about Indy’s drama, but never the ful story. Since I’d shared my life story, I thought it would only be fair to ask hers. The time was right, Tex had a mountain of food to get through and so I asked.
She didn’t hesitate. She didn’t have anything to hide.
She told me the whole thing, with Tex interjecting every once in awhile. He’d been more than a bit player in her drama. He’d gotten himself shot while protecting her (which explained the sling he wore when I first met him).
They’d only known each other a few weeks longer than I’d known them, which was surprising. I thought they’d known each other for years.