Hunter's Moon.htm (27 page)

Mike turned to me. He smelled warm. "That's a real nice lady you've got, Tony. She's a keeper. Settling down material."

Carmine interrupted. "You and Tony can talk when you've finished reporting." Carmine doesn't take a back seat to anybody.

Then he turned to Jerry. Carmine's scent was suddenly different than when he talked to Mike. More aggressive, more heavily musky.

"Where did the girls go?" Carmine asked.

Jerry sat his tall frame in the chair that Ira vacated. Even sitting, he's a head above everyone else at the table. Jerry and Mike are both big guys but Mike has more upper body build. Jerry is slender but it's deceiving. He's actually the meaner of the two. Jerry brought a closed fist to his mouth and coughed. It's a nasty hack, from years of smoking.

Jerry smells like infection. Something's really wrong with him but he refuses to go get it checked out. It's a pervasive, thick smell. It's not the scent of death, like Leo, but close.

When Jerry got control of the cough, he replied, "We went to the usual places. Carlin's first for dinner. Then the Blue Velvet Room and finally Margarita's for dancing."

Carmine got a look on his face that I couldn't place. He smelled like anticipation; lust. "Anything interesting happen?"

Jerry leered, showing uneven yellow teeth. "Yeah. Linda hit on the new stripper."

Carmine's face lit up with a smile filled to brimming with triumph and lust. He smelled heavily of fresh sex. "Which one?"

"The little redhead at the Blue Velvet."

Carmine closed a fist and brought it down once sharply in front of his chest, victorious. "Yeah! I was hoping she'd see that one. I've been looking forward to doing that pretty little number ever since I hired her."

I shook my head with a smile. Carmine and Linda are quite a pair. They've agreed that it's not cheating if they're both doing the same person.

"She respond to Linda?"

Jerry smiled and it was a touch sinister. Made me look twice. Now he really did smell like Leo. Not good.

"What do you think?"

While Carmine was savoring his victory, I took the chance to ask, "How did Sue get along with the other girls?"

Jerry turned my direction. Jalapenos dusted my nose. No big surprise, I guess. But his words were polite. Good thing.

"She was real shy at first but Linda drew her out. By the end of the night, they were both wild. The only downer of the group was Carol."

Louis heard Carol's name and turned from his drink. "What did you say about Carol?"

"Just that she's out of sorts," said Jerry. "Real bitter right now. I think it had something to do with that kid she was seeing. She said you offed him. She was warning Sue to stay away from Tony, 'cause Sue would end up property, just like she was."

"Fuck!" Louis exploded with a level of anger and hurt that surprised me. He slammed his drink onto the bar hard enough that most of it spilled out over his hand. "She starts screwing around with some punk kid and just because he disappears, she assumes I did it? It never occurred to her that he might have just walked out on her?" Louis smelled betrayed; wounded.

"You tell her that you didn't help him disappear?" I asked.

"I never even confronted her with the affair! I figured it was a passing thing. Thought it might spice her up a little bit to hang around with a kid. She's been feeling old lately."

There was a sadness with that last. He stared off into space for a moment. I knew he was remembering better days. They've been together for almost six years. A record for Louis.

I almost didn't want to interrupt his meditation. "You might mention that you didn't do it. Maybe even help find him to prove it. She'd think better of you. It'd make points. Just don't rough him up when you find him. Tell her that you hope that she'll stay with you. That you want her to."

Damn! I sounded like John-Boy again. Every month it's the same. Maybe John needs to sit in on the next game and give me a break.

"Yeahhh," he said slowly, thinking. Hope rose from him like a balloon. It lifted the edges of his lips into a smile. "I'll find the kid, give him back to her as a present. I'll be the good guy for a change. Yeah. I like that." The air became thick with citrus.

He pulled a cell phone from his pocket but JR. tapped his shoulder before he could dial. J.R. held out his hand for the phone without a single word. Louis sighed with annoyance and embarrassment, flipped it closed and handed it to him. "Forgot. No calls out." He turned to Carmine. "Sorry."

Carmine shrugged like he hadn't even noticed. But I knew how intently he had been watching Louis out of the corner of his eye. "It's a joint rule, not a house rule. Nobody else cares, I don't."

I shrugged. "I don't care. You, Joey?"

Joey was just sitting down again. His scent was determined but not quite hostile. His face was blank. "We've got rules for a reason. I had to give up my phone. No calls. You'll be home in a few hours. Deal with it then."

I stood and walked to the bar to get another drink. Louis was still behind the bar so he passed me a beer in a green bottle. I like some of the imports. Others taste like boot polish.

Jerry sidled over to me. His smell preceded him and I had to turn my nose away. It's like standing next to someone who hasn't bathed for a year or so. "I hear that you've been referring out some of your jobs lately."

I glanced at him suspiciously. Where had he learned that? "Yeah. So?"

He was trying way too hard to appear nonchalant. It didn't wash. "So I'm available if you ever need a back-up. I'm sort of trying to break into the business. If you're thinking of easing up on your schedule… " He didn't finish the thought. He shrugged. "I could use a referral from you. It would carry weight."

"I'm not retiring, Jerry." I stood and walked around the end of the bar. I needed to find something to take the near-death smell out of my nose. Something strong. Peppers, maybe. Or garlic. Salsa! Yeah, that would work. I leaned under the bar, searching for an unopened bottle.

"How do you know that I've been turning down jobs?" I asked without looking up.

He didn't answer right away but his smell changed. He was thinking that I had stepped away because I was afraid of him. It raised my hackles. Okay, bad term, but it did. I looked at him sharply and abandoned my search for picante sauce to come around the bar and stand up close and personal. If he wanted a challenge, I was up for it.

Carmine was suddenly next to Jerry as well. Like me, he was standing a little too close. Jerry's eyes darted quickly between us and I could hear his heart beat faster. The blood in his veins was close to the surface and he smelled of fear and anger. Good. My senses now alert, I could hear a slight rattle each time Jerry breathed. He would be slow; an easy kill. A part of me wondered whether his blood would taste bitter. Would it be a taste I would enjoy? A little shiver raised the hairs on my skin. I let the thought rise to my eyes. I let him see exactly who he was dealing with.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, Jerry?" Carmine asked forcefully before I could get a word out.

"Just chatting with Tony here." He tried to focus on Carmine but couldn't take his eyes off me. I knew my eyes were still human. No tell-tale glow. But they were the eyes of a hunter. In either form I was one.

He didn't immediately give Carmine his undivided attention. It was not appreciated. Carmine reached up and grabbed his chin. He twisted Jerry's face sharply until their eyes met. His voice was soft but had the weight of lead. "I said no, didn't I? Didn't I tell you that I don't want you doin' jobs? What, you deaf or something?"

Jerry swivelled on his chair to face Carmine. Satisfied, Carmine let go of his chin but not before he nearly took off a chunk of skin. Carmine was really in no mood tonight to have people go against his orders. Jerry had to look down to meet Carmine's angry gaze. Carmine isn't real tall, but that doesn't matter when you're the boss.

Jerry didn't look happy. He was much more hostile than he could afford to be. It made me wonder what he was hiding. "You said that as long as Tony was in the biz, I wasn't needed. If he's stepping down, I want a shot at it."

Something about the way he said that… "Did I say I was stepping down?" I moved a fraction of an inch closer. My voice was cold and heated at the same time. "When I'm feeling old enough to retire I'll let you know. And you better hope I never hear you were thinking of speeding along the process."

Carmine's face took on a wary look when I suggested advancement by assassination and his glare could bore holes. Jerry's eyes darted back and forth between us and his tongue flicked out nervously. "I didn't say nothing like that. I'm just asking for a chance to show my stuff."

Carmine poked a finger into Jerry's big chest, nearly pushing him backwards off the chair. You forget how strong Carmine is until he needs to prove it. "You'll show the stuff I want you to show, Jerry! Got it? I don't want you going behind my back talking to Tony or anybody else. You go through me and me alone. I'll decide when I think you're ready to try something different. Capisce?"

Jerry nodded, eyes flashing. But he didn't talk back.

"You and Mike head home. We'll discuss this tomorrow. Carlin's, nine sharp."

"Sure, Carmine, whatever you say." The words were cautious, not angry or sarcastic. Good plan. Carmine's got a short fuse. Mike had wisely stayed out of the fray and quietly followed Jerry out the door.

I sat back down and Carmine followed. He visibly smoothed himself out like a bird settling ruffled feathers. The table was empty of chips, so Joey must have won the last hand; Carmine picked up the deck and began to shuffle. Joey had taken in the whole scene without a word. Carmine responded to Joey's earlier comment about the turning off the cell phones as though he had never been interrupted.

"A few hours, my ass. You'll be cooling your heels until I get back from the bank, my friend."

Joey snorted and picked up the cards as Carmine dealt. When he had finished the deal, I remembered something. I held out my hand toward Carmine. "By the way, I think I have a refund coming?"

"Yeah, yeah." He dropped a stack of blue chips into my hand. I asked for smaller chips instead. It might keep me in the game long enough to win a hand.

Chapter 24

I got back home around noon the following day. Joey won the game. First time in months.

I went directly to bed. I called Sue, telling her to stop over if she wanted to. I must have been totally zonked because I didn't even hear when she unlocked the door with the key I had given her. Fortunately, she remembered the alarm code. I'm not positive giving her a key and the code were good things, but I did it.

I woke to warm hands rubbing my back. I was annoyed that I hadn't heard her but sighed contentedly anyway. I could smell her perfume, but underneath the artificial mask was her own scent. Sweet and musky. It made me feel warm inside. I glanced sideways and watched her hand squeezing the knots out of my muscles.

A part of me really resents that I'm getting this attached to her. But it isn't her fault. It's my problem. I need to pull back from her. I know it, but I don't want to. I also know that John was right. It's going to hurt to pull the trigger; hurt to see those hands lying lifeless on the ground. I'll dream about it. I know that, too. Maybe I'll end up needing to pull the trigger again to stop the dreams.

I fought my way back through the dark images to the feeling and scent of her very alive body. "Did you have fun?" I asked sleepily and then yawned.

I could hear a smile in Sue's voice. "I had a wonderful time! Thank you so much for setting it up. Linda and Ellen are great. Carol's a little odd, though." There was a tenseness in her voice that made me roll over to see her face.

I stared into her startled eyes and shook my head. "I heard about that. He didn't do it."

Her breathing increased. "Carol swears that he did. Just up and killed him. She feels trapped and scared for her life." Sue actually seemed afraid for her.

I frowned a bit. "Carol talks too much. But Louis is nuts for her. Always has been. He wouldn't do that to her. Jerry told him what Carol said at the club. He's going to try to find the kid and hook him back up with Carol if that's what she wants."

Astonishment passed over her face and wafted into my nose. She dropped her jaw. "He'd do that? She made him sound like such an ogre."

"Don't get me wrong," I replied seriously. "Louis is an ogre. If he didn't love Carol he would have offed the kid. It's not like it's beneath him."

"Oh." Her voice was small and quiet. Then she looked at me with a trace of annoyance and punched me lightly on the chest. "Yom didn't tell me that you and Linda used to date!"

That took me by surprise. I guess it never occurred to me. But now that I thought about it, it probably should have. "You know, it didn't even cross my mind. Is it a big deal?"

"It was so strange. When she first arrived, she looked around the house and was just in awe. She had to look in every room. She kept muttering under her breath, "It's Tara. Oh my gawd! It's Tara!" Then she said to me, 'Wow, Tony's doing well by you!'"

I laughed. It hadn't occurred to me that Linda would think I bought the house for Sue. I did expect the house to be a hit with her.

"I tried to explain that it was my house and she just nodded her head in that certain way. You know, the one that says, 'Sure it is'. Then she said that you must really like me because you haven't spent this much for anyone since her."

I winced. Again, the truth was best. "Okay,.I get the point. Linda and I were an item for a couple of years. But we broke up." I shrugged like it was no big deal. Truthfully, though, it had been a hard decision. One I regretted for months.

"We had different values. She wanted money and power and I wanted someone to kick back with. They were mutually exclusive goals. She and Carmine hooked up. They're better suited."

"She's so pretty and fun. Do you ever regret not staying with her?"

I gave her a warm smile. Still self-conscious. "Feeling like a sparrow in a flock of peacocks?"