Prayers For Rain Part 25

He giggled and slapped his thigh. "No, no. That's the great part."

"Letters," I said. "Why would Karen Nichols write letters to you, Cody?"

"Because she wanted it, Pat. She was dying for it. She was as c.o.c.k hungry as they all are."

I shook my head.

"Don't believe me? Ha! Hang on, I'll get them."

He stood up and handed the gun to Leonard.

Leonard said, "What am I supposed to-?"

"Shoot him if he moves."

"He's tied up."

"I pay your freight, Leonard. Don't f.u.c.king back-talk me."

Cody walked out of the kitchen and then his footsteps charged up the stairs.

Leonard placed the gun on the counter and sighed.

"Leonard," I said.

"Don't talk to me, b.i.t.c.h."

"He's warming to this idea. He's not going to-"

"I said-"

"-chill out by noon, if that's what you're hoping."

"-shut your f.u.c.king hole."

"Killing someone, he's thinking, how b.a.l.l.sy. A new experience experience."

"Shut up up." Leonard placed the heels of his hands over his eyes.

"And when he does, Leonard, I mean come on, you think he's smart enough not to get caught?"

"Lotta people don't."

"Sure," I said, "but this is strictly A ball around here. He'll f.u.c.k up. Take a kill trophy home with him, tell a friend or a stranger in a bar. And then what, Leonard? You think he's going to stand tall when the DA shows up?"

"I'm telling you to shut the-"

"He'll roll like a bowling ball on a ski slope, Leonard. Give you up like he's b.u.t.tering toast."

Leonard picked up the gun, pointed it at me. "Shut up or I'll do you myself. Right now."

"Okay," I said. "Just one thing, Leonard. Just-"

"Stop saying my name!" He lowered the gun, put his hands to his eyes again.

"-one more thing, and I'm not s.h.i.tting around here. I got some ugly, ugly friends. I mean, pray the cops get to you first."

He raised his head, pulled his hands from his eyes. "You think I'm scared of your friends?"

"I think you're starting to be. And that's smart, Leonard. You ever done time?"

He shook his head.

"Bulls.h.i.t. My guess is you've even run with a crew or two. Strictly North Sh.o.r.e, I'm guessing."

He said, "f.u.c.k off. You think your s.h.i.t talk can scare me? I got a black belt, motherf.u.c.ker. I'm a seventh degree-"

"You could be the b.a.s.t.a.r.d love child of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, Leonard, and Bubba Rogowski and his crew will eat you up like rats on a bag of ground beef."

Leonard picked up the gun again when he heard Bubba's name. He didn't point it. He just gripped it.

Upstairs, Cody's footsteps hammered the floor as he ran back and forth in the bedroom.

Leonard blew air out his rubbery lips. "Bubba Rogowski," he whispered, then cleared his throat. "Nope. Never heard of him."

"Sure, Leonard," I said. "Sure."

Leonard looked at the gun in his hand. Then looked into my face.

"Really, I-"

"'Member the Billyclub Morton hit, Leonard? Come on. He was a North Sh.o.r.e guy."

Leonard nodded, and his left cheekbone developed a small tic.

I said, "You heard who did Billyclub, didn't you? I mean, it's one of his more notorious. .h.i.ts. I hear Billyclub's skull looked like a tomato blown apart by dynamite. Heard they had to ID through dentals. Heard-"

Leonard said, "Okay, okay. Okay? f.u.c.k."

A drawer was wrenched off its runners upstairs, and Cody screamed, "Eureka!"

I resisted the urge to toss a panicky look over my shoulder or up at the ceiling. I kept my voice calm and soft.

I said, "Leave, Leonard. Take the gun with you and walk away. Do it now and do it fast."

"I-".

"Leonard," I hissed. "Either the cops or Bubba Rogowski. Someone's going to nail you on this. You know it. Cody's strictly Toys 'R' Us in this department. No more f.u.c.king around, you piece of s.h.i.t. You're either in this to the wall or you're walking now."