Running on Empty (14 page)

‘Last Wednesday of the month’ said Sally, Stop ‘n’ Shop stock-take. Let’s go shopping’ she said, as if she was walking into a fancy clothes store, on the lookout for designer labels. Tom sheepishly followed. When they had finished, they each had a shopping bag full of assorted foodstuffs.

‘Now Tom’ she said, ‘I’m off to the bakers. Yesterday’s bake is today’s leftovers. You, meanwhile, can go round to the front of Stop ‘n’ Shop. Get out one of those three dollars of yours and pick up a packet of disposable razors, then head on up to the mall. In the bathroom, you’ll find a soap dispenser and all the hot water you’ll need. We’ll meet up in thirty minutes out front, and you better not look like wolf man when I see you again’. And with that, she was off.

When they met up again, Tom was suitably clean shaven.

‘That’s better’ she said.

‘We’re going to pamper ourselves a little’ she continued, ‘I’m going to treat you to a coffee’.

Sally seemed excited at the prospect.

‘It’s nice to sit down on a real chair, at a proper table, and get brought a coffee’.

It occurred to Tom how strange it was, that someone would regard something so small with such high regard. He suddenly felt a desire to whisk her off to somewhere really nice, a restaurant perhaps, and order the most expensive items on the menu, and show her what a good time really consisted of. Why was this? Was it the fact that because she looked for nothing from him, he therefore wanted to give her something? Was it because he had nothing to give, yet she liked him anyway, and was willing to share what little she had with him? He wanted to share some of the trappings of his past life with her, bring her back to his apartment, bring her out on the town, treat her. But he also knew there was no way he could fulfill these wishes anytime soon, if ever. The thought depressed him.

‘Have you any idea what you’re going to do?’ she asked.

‘Not really’, he answered truthfully. ’ I have a friend, Chad’ he continued.’ I met up with him on Monday night, hoping he could fix me up with some money, or whatever. I’ve arranged to meet up again tomorrow night at the same time. Hopefully, he’ll have something then. I was thinking he might be of help in contacting my family, maybe’.

‘How well do you know this guy, Chad? She asked.

‘I’ve known him for about five years’ answered Tom, ‘He’s about the only one I’d trust in the organization’.

‘He works there?’ asked Sally, surprised.

‘Well, yes’ said Tom, ‘why?

Sally sipped her coffee, deep in thought.

*****

At around eleven that morning, Chad looked up from his desk to see Lowanski standing over him, with a face like thunder.

‘Hey Longston’ he sneered, ‘get your ass in gear. The boss wants to see you, pronto’.

Chad sheepishly followed Lowanski to the lift, a feeling of foreboding in the pit of his stomach. Fielding sat behind a glass topped table, the winter sun illuminating his large open plan office. ‘Take a seat, Longston. I’d like to have a little chat’.

A feeling of panic hit Chad as he eased into the leather padded chrome chair. What did they know, and what did they want to know, he tried to reason.

‘Do you know why you’re here, Longston?’ he asked.

‘Eh, no’ Chad lied.

‘Well, it concerns your pal, Feeney’ he began, ‘we’d be right in calling him your pal, I presume?’

‘Well we’re acquaintances, yes’

‘More like fucking lovers, I’d say’ said Lowanski, as he walked the room. ‘All you’re short of doing is exchanging wedding vows’ he continued, in a voice getting louder and more high pitched with each utterance. Fielding gave Lowanski a withering look. He shut up.

‘Now Longston’ he continued, ‘I don’t know how aware you are of Feeney’s situation. He has got himself into a bit of trouble, I’m afraid. When was the last time you spoke to him?’

‘Well, he was in work Monday’ said Chad, ‘I spoke to him that morning’

‘And that was the last time you two met?’ quizzed Fielding.

‘Well, yes, I think so. I think that was the last time’ blurted Chad.

‘Why, you lying piece of shit’ squealed Lowanski. ‘Give me an hour with this wiry fucker. He’ll be begging to tell us everything we want to know, so he can run home to mammy’.

‘Ok, Lowanski, that’s enough’ said Fielding.

‘Ignore Mr. Lowanski, he tends to get a bit carried away sometimes. But, I can understand his frustration. You see, Feeney seems to have gone a bit haywire, unfortunately. On Monday afternoon, he was to meet with a Chinese gentleman, a contact of ours from Shanghai. It was supposed to be a routine meeting, to arrange an information exchange at a later date. That Chinese contact was found dead. He was stabbed in the head. Later, on Monday night, Feeney’s girlfriend, Christine Lowry, was found murdered in his flat. We think Feeney has suffered some sort of a breakdown. So you can understand our concern. We have to make contact with him, before he does more harm, either to himself, or to others. Now, I’ll ask you again, when was the last time you saw Feeney?’

****

When they had finished their coffee, Tom and Sally began the long walk back. As they turned a corner, Tom suddenly froze.

‘What’s wrong’ asked Sally, ’what do you see?’

About a block ahead, Tom had spotted two men in conversation with a group of youths. One of the men appeared to be showing something. A photo, maybe? But it was the other man Tom had recognized. He ought to, as they had sat together two days ago in the back of a black Sudan as it sped out of Boston. They ducked into a side street.

‘Listen, you take this other bag, and head on back, and be careful. I’ve got something else I want to do’ said Sally. And, with that, she headed off up the street.

‘Hi Jean, how are things’ said Sally, as she walked into the thrift shop.

‘Oh, not too bad Sally, surviving y’know. And what brings you in here, got a heavy date tonight?

‘Well you never know’ she answered.

‘Anything I can help you with, what’re you looking for?’ asked Jean.

‘I’m looking for something….tarty!’

When Sally arrived back, she had another bag. She immediately headed into the cave, and emerged empty handed a few moments later.

‘I’m famished’ she said, ‘Let’s eat.

It had been a long day, so they both decided to retire early to the sanctity of the cave, and the makeshift bed. Sally spoke first.

‘You’ll have to get out of here Tom, you know that, don’t you?’

‘I ‘m trying not to think about it’, he replied ‘I don’t want to leave here without you. I’ve got no money, and it’s impossible to escape without any, as far as I can figure. Tomorrow night’s meeting with Chad is what I’m pinning my hopes on’. Tom thought for a second, then added with slight apprehension, ‘I mean, our hopes on’. He wished he could see her face, to gauge her reaction to that last bit, but it was impossible in the gloom. He plodded on. ‘If can come up with some money, or can make contact with my family, we have a chance to leave all this behind’.

‘Where could you go’ she asked, ‘The farther away the better, obviously. Can you think of anywhere you could be totally safe? Can you think of anyone you can trust, that would be off the radar?’

‘No, not really’ he answered.

‘Blood is thicker than water’, Tom said suddenly in a half whisper.

‘What?’

‘Maybe there is someone’ he said, ‘it’s a long shot, but maybe long shots are all there is. I have this Uncle, over in Ireland. Is that off the radar enough for you? I’d never seen him, or had contact with him, until last week at my father’s funeral’.

‘But that would mean leaving the country, and all that entails, passport, security, emigration. It would be impossible’.

Tom mulled it over.

‘Difficult’, he said ,finally. ‘Very difficult, but certainly doable’.

‘I’d be more inclined to go for impossible’ she said.

‘Hopefully, when I meet Chad tomorrow night, everything will become clearer’.

‘Hopefully it will’ she replied, ‘but you won’t be meeting Chad tomorrow night, I will’

‘What? , no way am I dragging you into this’.

‘Very noble, Tom, but I think I might be involved already? Look, this Chad guy, can you trust him?’

‘I think so, yes’.

‘Do you trust him enough to put your life in his hands? , because that’s what you’re doing Tom, make no mistake. You know the only sensible option is that I should make contact, not you. If everything is above board, then fine, I’ll take the money, or arrange for him to contact your family, or whatever you reckon needs to be done. If, on the other hand, everything’s not ok, they won’t know who the hell I am, and they won’t make a connection to you, believe me’.

Tom had no reason to doubt her. She seemed to have a sense for this sort of thing. Years of living on the street had honed her instinct to sniff out danger, thought Tom.

Thursday evening arrived, on what had been the coldest day yet. They sat outside the cave as the winter sun sank below the horizon. Tom fretted. Sally was applying make-up with the help of a small vanity mirror. Tom had never seen her with make-up on before. She looked hot. A little over-liberal with the application of it, he thought, but definitely hot. She headed into the cave, and when she emerged a few minutes later, Tom was shocked. She wore a faux-fur jacket over a fluorescent pink tank-top, a black mini-skirt which barely covered her crotch, and black ankle boots.

‘Hey, big boy, fancy a good time?’ she purred.

‘There’s no way I’m letting you go out in that’ he exclaimed.

Sally threw her head back, erupting into laughter.

‘You sound like an over-protective father’ she said, still giggling.

‘But Sally, you can’t go out like that. You look like…like a prostitute’.

‘Exactly, my boy. That’s what I was hoping I’d look like. Think about it Tom. What would arouse less suspicion on a dark street than a good time girl looking for a mark?’

Tom thought about it. He hated to admit it, but she was probably right…again.

‘Well, there’s no way I’m letting you walk alone on the dark streets looking like that. I’m coming with you’.

‘You can escort me some of the way, but four blocks short of the meeting place, that’s it’ she said, ‘and I mean it, four blocks’.

‘Ok, ok, four blocks, Christ you’re stubborn’.

When they got to within four blocks of the meet zone, Sally turned Tom into a side street. He described to her in detail what Chad looked like, and the location of the alley where they’d previously met.

‘Look’ said Tom, ‘he may not show at all. I told him not to show if he thought he was being watched’.

‘Ok, if he doesn’t show it’s no harm done. We’ll just have to come up with something else. If he does show, but he’s not alone, that’s what I’m worried about. You stay here. Stay in the shadows, and don’t move. When I go, don’t even peep around the corner. I mean it, Tom. I’ll fucking string you up if you do. Now promise’.

Tom hated the idea, but promised he wouldn’t stir.

‘I’m going now. I know it’s a bit soon, but I want to be there early, to see what I can see. Besides, I might make a few dollars before he shows’ she said, winking at Tom.

And with that, she turned the corner, and was gone. Tom could hear the clicking of her ankle boots on the sidewalk, as the sound receded into the distance.

Sally had good reason for wanting to arrive early. She reckoned that if she was there early enough, and if Chad was indeed being watched, she might just flush them out. If they thought there was enough time, they might try to remove her from the scene, and avoid complications. When she was two blocks away, a short balding man pulled up in a silver Prius.

‘Hey honey, want to earn a few bucks?’

‘Go home to your wife, you fucking loser’

As she walked up West street, she spotted the unmistakable wiry frame of Chad near the laneway at the side of the restaurant. Even though it was dark, with just the glow of the streetlamps illuminating him, she could tell he was nervous. This didn’t look good. She approached him casually.