1978

Skinny was furious about them running off and he vowed to get CJ back, but what was the hurry? Everything she owned was here at the Arapaho. They couldn't go far. He went to the office in the basement to get money and noticed someone had gotten into the safe.

"No she didn't," he mumbled. His face reddened and his heart raced as he opened the door to the safe. He knew what he would find, or more precisely, what he wouldn't find. He ran to get Mouse out of bed and told him to meet him in the car, and they drove after CJ and the assholes.

"I know where they're goin,' " he said.

Mouse drove silently trying to wake up and he wiped spittle from the corner of his mouth. He looked at the seat next to him and patted the candy bar he brought along.

"Where we goin' boss?"

"Shut up and drive," he said. "Head for that little liquor store out on 61."

They pulled up to the Esso station and it looked empty. The diner had a few cars in front of it and there was a Corvette and an old Ford Fairlane in front of one of the motel rooms in the back.

"Pull up by the office," Skinny told Mouse.

Their '69 Brougham pulled up to the front of the gas station office and stopped with a jolt. Mouse got out and Skinny followed smoking a cigarette. He didn't see anyone in the office, and he led Mouse into the open garage and to the car lift, which was up about three feet. An old man was on his back and his feet stuck out from underneath the front of the car at the back of the station.

A transistor radio sat on a cluttered table surrounded by old oil filters, tools, and an opened bottle of coke and it played the local country station. Johnny Cash sang about a boy named Sue.

Skinny clicked it off.

Mouse chuckled, "Suzy boy."

"How's that," the old man said and slid out from the car on his cart.

Skinny stood over him and the man looked up.

"Can I do you boys anything?"

"Car's makin' a knockin' noise."

The old man stood up with some effort and wiped his hands with the towel that was on the table. Mouse noticed the coke and drank it.

"Eh, that's been there for a good week," the old man said. He looked back and forth between Skinny and Mouse. Skinny walked around the car and looked at the things on the walls. There was an old girly calendar by the tire changer, and he stopped to change the month because it said July. He flipped through the months and stopped on one in particular and suddenly looked over his shoulder as if he felt the others were watching.

"Let's take a look at the car," the old man said. "Might be the bearings."

"I think it's the alternator," Skinny said, and they both followed the man out to the car. Mouse stood close behind him. He knew what Skinny wanted from him and how to do it. Skinny liked that about the big fat idiot.

"Turn on the car and pop the hood."

Mouse looked at Skinny who nodded towards the car, and Mouse did it. The old man stuck his head inside the hood and listened. "Can't hear nothing here," he said and stood up straight, but Mouse was standing behind him again and he stood too close to move.

Skinny looked around to see if anyone could see them. The large hood covered a lot. He smiled.

"Well," the old man stuttered a bit. "Let's take a look at the wheel bearings."

But Mouse had him pinned to the car, a large hand on his shoulder.

"What is it you boys need?" He tried to shrug it off.

"We're looking for a couple a-friends. You see, my daughter came by here with two fucking boys, as had no right to be with her. You see them anywhere's?"

The old man thought about it for a second. He squeezed himself free from between Mouse and the car and walked slowly into the shop. He was scared and Skinny could sense it, and he enjoyed it.

People were more likely to lie when they were scared. He liked it—it was a game with him—cat and mouse. It threw them off, and they weren't sure how to answer thinking they could fake their way out of it, like that asshole in Reno who used to fuck one of his girls without paying. The asshole thought he was real slick, a real free loader. He taught him a lesson about economics, then he tore him a new asshole with his stiletto and left him to think about his lesson.

Skinny faced him off then real close and blew smoke in his face. Mouse came from behind and stood like a barrier. Skinny was in no mood for games anymore and he got to the point. He'd just as soon beat it out of him than let this go on any longer. It was getting late, and he was hungry. He wanted answers.

They walked away without the answers they needed. Skinny wiped his knife off with a blue towel the old man used to clean windows with. They got in the car and drove off spinning stones on the old broken lot.

Skinny looked over at Mouse and lit up a cigarette. "You beat all," he said.

Mouse bowed his head, "I'm sorry boss. I thought he'd talk..."

"Shut the fuck up." He opened the window and let the cold afternoon air in and inhaled his cigarette. "I didn't want to kill him. Christ."

"Where to now?"

"Keep goin' dumb ass. "