the Hot Kid (2005) (19 page)

"He's called Lou. From that coal mine district."

"Was he a prizefighter?"

"Yeah, but he wasn't any good. He went to work for the Black Hand some boys started up again, selling protection to Italian stores and restaurants. The owners are told, leave a thousand or so a month at the Choctaw Brick Company's abandoned works or some night your place of business goes up in flames. Tessa was caught and convicted of arson and did six years at Atoka, that's a prison farm. He came out--now they'd tell the owner of the business, pay up or some night when you aren't looking you get shot. This time they came after Tessa with a couple of homicide warrants."

"If they know he's here," Louly said, "why don't they come get him?"

"You're in Kansas City. They can't get a judge to sign the extradition order."

They heard the toilet flush.

Both looked at the bathroom door as it opened, swinging in. From where she stood Louly had a direct view inside. She said, "I didn't know anyone was in there. You entertain the old guys?"

Carl, standing to the side, heard a girl say, "You know what wears you out? Acting like you're having a good time."

"Smiling," Louly said, "till your face aches."

"Yeah, but I made sixty bucks. Not bad, uh? Now I go upstairs and work the ballroom."

She came out in her black stockings and heels, the crotch of her teddy hanging open, unsnapped.

Carl said, "Heidi?" stepping out of the wall of underwear. "Sounds like you're doing okay."

It wasn't the same as at the roadhouse, Carl appearing and Heidi throwing herself at him, old friends. This time she said, "Oh, shit. How in the world did you find us?"

"You know her?" Louly said, and to Heidi, "He came looking for me, not you." Serious about it.

"Are you kidding?" Heidi said. "He's looking for Jack, wants to take him back to Oklahoma."

"I swear," Carl said to Louly, "you're the reason I'm here." He turned to Heidi, noticing her crotch hanging open, "But if Jack's around, I wouldn't mind saying hello to him. Where y'all staying?"

Heidi stood with her legs apart, hands on her hips. "You think I'd tell you?"

"I swear I don't have a warrant," Carl said.

"You can shoot him. How'd you know to come here?"

"That piano player, McShann, told me a girl named Kitty worked here. Go up and ask him."

She stared at Carl like she might be thinking about it. Now she slippe
d
her hands down her hips, turned around to snap herself up, squirmed to adjust the fit and turned back to Carl. "You could take him back to Oklahoma if you wanted, couldn't you? With or without a warrant." "Now you want me to arrest him?"

"How about for taking that reporter's car?"

"I could."

"Why don't you?"

"He's in some trouble, huh?"

"Teddy says Jack owes him twenty-five hundred and has to pay it by tomorrow. Jack doesn't owe him, and wouldn't pay him if he had it."

"Why doesn't he run?"

"The car won't start."

"Boost another one."

"Teddy says if he leaves the house he's dead. Carl, all you have to do is walk in and make out like you're arresting him, taking him back to Oklahoma."

"If he's charged with anything he'll likely do time."

"That's better'n getting shot and dumped in the river."

"They don't mess around here, do they?"

"They're mean and evil," Heidi said. "Tell me you'll arrest him-GCo
p
lease?"

"Tell me the truth," Carl said, "is this to save him or take him off your hands?"

Heidi said, "Would it matter?" And said, "Elodie's working here and Jack's making eyes at her."

"She quit selling it?"

" 'Cause of the True Detective writer. She wrote to him and is waiting to hear if he loves her."

"You think they've done it yet?"

"I doubt it."

"Write down your address."

Heidi took her purse to a vanity and crouched over it. Kitty came over to stand by Carl.

"You sure know all the whores, don't you?"

He said, "Be nice."

Heidi came over now to hand him a piece of notepaper folded. She said, "Make it before noon, okay?" She opened the door to leave, stopped short and said, "Lou--"

Lou Tessa, wearing a tuxedo, came in looking at Carl. He turned to Heidi standing in the doorway and said, "You waiting for the streetcar?"

Heidi rolled her eyes at Carl and walked out, and Louly said to him
,
"We were just talking about you."

Tessa said, "Yes?"

"Carl told me all about you."

Carl got out his I
. D
. and star, wishing Louly hadn't said that. Who he was. He offered his hand.

Tessa said, "I know who you are," not taking his hand, and Carl got ready for whatever was coming. Tessa said to Kitty, "Teddy wants to see you," then turned to Carl with, "You too, sport."

Carl could see this as a movie set, the office of a guy who ran a nightclub, all white and chrome, potted palms, photos of celebrities and Tom Pendergast on the wall, a pale desk with round corners where Teddy Ritz sat waiting.

His manager, Johnny, came past them to stand at the side of the desk and light a cigaret. He said to Carl, "I'll tell you this once. You get frisky, Lou will knock your head off."

Carl wondered if he meant Lou Tessa would use his fists and looked around. No, Lou Tessa in his tux was holding a baseball bat.

Teddy said, "What's going on?" to Louly, ignoring Carl and sounding surprised. "You want to get fired?" She was looking at celebrity photos, at Will Rogers on the wall, Amelia Earhart and that flyer with the eye patch, Wiley Post. She turned to Teddy. "I've already quit."

Teddy frowned. "What're you talking about?"

"She means she's leaving," Carl said, "after you return her check. Or keep it and give her cash."

"Before I talk to you," Teddy said, "I want you to remove your weapon. Hand it to Johnny."

Carl paused, wondering about delivering his line. But it wouldn't make sense, it wasn't that kind of situation. He wondered if he could get by saying, The only time I pull it . . .

But Teddy was saying, "These guests of mine you insult to their face told me you came in with a gun. I want to see what you pack."

Teddy looked at Lou Tessa, and Carl was aware of the guy moving up on his right with the bat cocked, Carl thinking to use it as a threat--pull your gun or get your head knocked off--but he was swinging through with it, slamming the Louisville Slugger across Carl's midsection hard enough to pound the air out of him and double him over gasping, stumbling into Johnny who caught him, reached into his coat and pulled his gun from its holster and handed it across the desk to Teddy. Carl went to his knees and Johnny's hand slipped into his suit again to come out with the I
. D
. wallet and slide it across the desk to Teddy, Carl hanging on to the desk with his elbows, Louly trying to get to him but Johnny holding her away from him.

Teddy said, "Deputy United States marshal," and raised his eyes from the I
. D
., Carl almost close enough to touch. He said, "Boy, you don't have to get on your knees to me. I have a number of friends are marshals, good boys, too." He released the Colt's cylinder and dumpe
d
out the bullets, saying, "Tell me what you're doing here. Come all the way from Tulsa to help out your sweetheart?" He shoved the wallet and empty revolver across the desk at Carl, who opened his hands to catch them. Teddy said, "Lou, help the marshal up. He's got a tummyache."

Carl felt Tessa's hands under his arms lifting him. He pushed his thighs against the desk while he picked up his gun and wallet. He said to Tessa, "I bet you learned to hit like that on a prison farm."

"Hurts, don't it?"

"Hurts like hell. Can I see the bat?"

Tessa cocked it. "Where you want it? Is a Pepper Martin thirty-four inch."

"I played high school ball," Carl said. "I liked a thirty-five-inch brown bat with white tape on it. I'd choke up a couple of inches."

Teddy said, "Hey," to get Carl's attention. "You believe Kitty Cat shot a bank robber and this association gave her a check for five hundred dollars?"

"I was there," Carl said, "when she shot him, a fugitive felon. I don't think he was worth five hundred, but that's what they gave her. Do I believe you took the check from her? Yes I do, 'cause she told me you did and I wouldn't put it past you."

Teddy said, "Can you walk okay?"

"I'm pretty sure."

"Then you better walk out," Teddy said. "I see you here again, Lou'll fix it you ride in a wheelchair the rest of your life."

Louly held him by the arm. She asked a few times if he was all right, if he wanted to go to the hospital. There was one close to where she lived. Carl said no, he'd make it. He said it was like getting thrown off a bull and landing on your stomach. Other than that they didn't speak unti
l
they came to Louly's Ford, the one she stole from Mr. Hagenlocker, parked on Twelfth Street. Getting him in the car she said, "I don't suppose you want to go dancing."

"When we get home," Carl said. "I mean Tulsa."

She turned on to Central heading south, Carl's hands flat on the seat on both sides of him, trying to hold himself off the bumps in the road.

"I had something I wanted to say to Teddy, but Lou Tessa was dying to swing at me again, go for the fence this time."

"What did you want to tell him?"

"To keep five hundred bucks on him, so the next time we saw him he could give it to you."

Louly turned from headlights and what traffic there was to look at Carl. "I'm there with you?"

"The way I see it, yeah. Tomorrow at Heidi and Jack's. Why I got their address."

Chapter
15

Jack Belmont was the only man Heidi had ever known who put on a bathrobe when he got up in the morning. She thought he might've picked it up from the movies; guys who were well-off put on bathrobes over their pajamas even if they got up to answer the phone. Jack was still sleeping when she came home at half past seven and had to keep shaking him before he opened his eyes, cranky as hell. She said, "Jack, you want to get shot lying down or standing up? Teddy's coming for his check today. But guess what. Help is on the way."

He sat in the kitchen now in his robe drinking French-drip coffee she'd had to learn patience to make, adding just a speck of water at a time and heating the milk without letting it boil over. When Heidi sat down with him and first mentioned Carl Webster coming, Jack wanted to know how Carl found out he was here.

"He came looking for that redhead, not you. But he's willing to put you under arrest and take you back to Oklahoma."

"In chains?" Jack said.

"To keep Teddy from shooting you."

"So Carl can do it?"

It went on like that, Jack not caring to put himself in the hands of this marshal who liked to shoot offenders. He said to Heidi, "How much money have you got?"

"A hundred and sixty, tip money you never found." "I still have what the bank gave us, just about seventeen hundred."

"What about my tip money you took?"

"I spent it," Jack said. "But I'm thinking, if we offer Teddy--what's a hundred and sixty and seventeen hundred . . . twenty-three hundred? I bet he'll settle for it, it's close."

"It's only eighteen hundred and sixty, you dope. He'll take it," Heidi said, "you bet he will, and then he'll shoot you. He swiped five hundred off that little redhead, Kitty? And kept it."

"Five bills--with all the money he's got?"

"It's his nature. If there's money Teddy can get hold of he'll take it. He don't have to need it, it's why he's a crook. Carl came from Tulsa to help Kitty get her money back and Teddy had him beat up. With a baseball bat."

"Then how's he gonna help me?"

"Kitty says he's all right, just sore. She called this morning to find out when Teddy's coming. I told her he said noon. But then I said he might come earlier to surprise you, thinking you might take off on him. She mentioned that's what Carl said he'd do, not trusting you to wait around."

"But I'm supposed to trust him."

"Honey, he's all you have."

"How do I know he'll come?"

"He's still set on getting Kitty her money."

They sat in the Ford Roadster on Edgevale, on the same side of the street and three houses down from the bungalow they were watching. There was one car between them and the Ford Jack Belmont stol
e
from the True Detective writer but now wouldn't run. According to Heidi.

"If it's true," Carl said.

"Why would she lie about it?" Louly sat behind the wheel wearing a cloche down on her eyes, beige, to go with her camel coat.

"I can't think of a reason," Carl said. "I already told the marshals office here to let Antonelli know where to pick it up."

"How will they find him?"

"Call the magazine long-distance."

She turned her gaze from the house to look at Carl. "What are the chances Teddy having five hundred dollars on him?"

He could sit and stare at her dark brown eyes all day.

"Better than fifty-fifty."

"Don't I wish."

The edge of the cloche came straight across her eyes and gave her a smart look, not some country girl from Sallisaw but still a girl, Jesus, that perfect mouth pouting at him.

"I think Teddy gets payoffs wherever he goes," Carl said. "He's out driving around--why not make some stops?"

"Will he be alone?"

"Not if he's out collecting. I hope Tessa's along, with his Pepper Martin bat."

Louly said, "You scare me sometimes."

"Did I scare you last night?"

Now she was grinning at him, not at all self-conscious. "It was the best time I've ever had in bed--my God, in my life."

"I was afraid at first," Carl said, "you'd never done it before."

"I have, but just once."

"Well, you sure catch on quick."

"And you were in awful pain." "It wasn't that bad, or you took my mind off it. I woke up this morning I was stiff--I mean my entire body was stiff and sore." He said, "You know what I'm dying to do right now?"

Louly said, "Why don't you?"

He slipped his arm around her. She sprang at him and they were kissing, meaning it, and didn't let go till she bumped his hat from the way he'd set it and he had to take it off knowing he looked dumb. Louly said, "Carl, you're the best kisser I've ever kissed. You don't ever get too wet and sloppy, just enough."

"We take Jack with us," Carl said, "we won't have much time for ourselves."

"Have you decided where we sit?"

"You drive, he's in back."

"What about going to the bathroom?"

Carl said, "What about it?" and saw the La Salle glide up the street past them.

They watched Teddy Ritz in his black chesterfield come out of the passenger side of the sedan, parked behind the True Detective writer's Ford. Lou Tessa came out of the driver's side in his long black overcoat and hustled to join Teddy on the front steps. They saw Heidi open the door. The two entered and the door closed. Louly looked at Carl. Carl said, "Let's give Jack a few minutes with them."

Louly said, "That's mean."

"When was it Teddy swiped the check?"

"Four days ago."

"Where'd he put it?"

"In the inside pocket of his overcoat."

"The one he's wearing?"

"Yeah, with the velvet collar."

"What do you know about Tessa?"

"He might be the best-looking guy I've ever seen."

"That's all you know?"

"He gives you the eye, acting like Casanova, but doesn't do anything. He told Heidi he'd call her but never did."

"Sets you up and then plays hard to get?"

"I don't know," Louly said, "he's strange."

"You ready?"

They walked up the street to the bungalow and the door opened before Carl could touch the bell, Heidi waiting for them but acting surprised--"Well, hi, you two"--asking what they were doing in the neighborhood. Louly saying Carl had a surprise for Jack and Heidi saying, "Really?"

Teddy watched deadpan from the morris chair, Tessa a few steps away from him. Jack was to the left, toward the kitchen. Carl was eye to eye with Teddy staring at him before turning to Jack, deciding to do him first. He didn't care if Teddy believed this show or not. He said, "John Belmont, I'm placing you under arrest for multiple felony allegations pending. I'm taking you back to Oklahoma to face these charges. Turn around."

Jack said, "What charges you talking about?"

Carl brought a pair of handcuffs from the pocket of his raincoat hanging open. "One's parked out in front."

"The Ford? What's his name, Tony, said I could borrow it. That writer."

"What about the seven guys in bedsheets?"

"I was protecting my life. Jesus, yours, too."

Carl thought Jack was doing okay in front of Teddy, Teddy lookin
g
from one to the other, but now Carl wanted to get it done and stepped up to Jack, took him by the arm and snapped a cuff on his wrist. This stirred Teddy. He said, "Hold it there. I don't know if this is a show you're putting on--"

"Watch," Carl said, "I'm taking him in."

"Well, before you get him trussed up, me and Jack are doing some business here."

"You can write to him," Carl said, "care of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary." He brought Jack's other arm in front of him and cuffed his wrists together, the way he'd ride the 350 miles south and realize the fun was over. He said to Jack, "You weren't gonna pay him, were you?"

"I told him the other day I didn't have it."

"He must've thought you'd go out and steal it."

"He said this wop'd shoot me I didn't pay him."

"You mean Luigi?" Carl looked at Tessa staring at them. He said to Jack, "How were you gonna handle it?"

"I was about to go in the kitchen," Jack said. "I got a gun in the bread box. I'd lock these guys in a closet if I didn't have to shoot 'em, and me and Heidi'd drive down to Old Mexico in Teddy's La Salle."

Heidi said, "Mexico?" The idea not sounding much fun to her. Teddy was hanging on every word, his hands gripping the arms of his chair, pushing himself up now. Carl didn't know what he had in mind, but stepped over to push him down again and stand over him. He saw Tessa's hand go inside his overcoat.

Carl said, "Luigi, you want to get involved in this?"

Tessa didn't answer or move. It was like his hand was caught inside his coat.

Carl shook his head from side to side, slow about it, and looked ove
r
at Louly and Heidi, the two of them smoking, Heidi holding a glass ashtray.

"Show you how dumb these two are, Teddy thinks this ex-convict, who blew off seven guys like he was in a shooting gallery, is too scared not to pay him, even if he doesn't owe it. And Jack thinks Teddy would let him out of his sight, go in the kitchen and get his gun out of the bread box." He said to Heidi, "That's where he keeps it?"

"One of 'em," Heidi said. "He keeps his money in a Quaker Oats box."

"You know where he got it," Teddy said, "across the river. He held up the National Bank over there."

"I believe it," Carl said, "but can't see him giving you any of it. You told him you'd have him shot if he didn't? If I was Jack I'd get hold of that Pepper Martin bat--I bet a dollar's out in the La Salle--and use it on Teddy, after I worked over Luigi with it."

See what they thought of that.

Tessa held his pose, hand in his coat, giving Carl his deadpan stare. Teddy's look said he was listening to Carl talk, no more than that.

"But I'm not Jack," Carl said, "or a sucker-puncher like Luigi." He looked at Louly and Heidi. "This jelly bean's wanted in Oklahoma on a pair of homicide warrants, one in Krebs, one in Hartshorne. He killed a man in each town. Each owned a restaurant. Each was shot in the back. But he works for Teddy Ritz, so the courts here won't send him back."

Carl's hand went to Teddy's shoulder and he leaned in close to him saying, "Where's Kitty's check?" as his hand slid over the velvet lapel to dip into Teddy's chesterfield. "In here?" and came out holding an envelope, Carl sure it was the one the way Louly screamed and came to get it. She took out the check, but then hesitated and looked at Teddy.

"Where's the letter that was with it?" Teddy looked up at her. "What're you trying to pull?"

"From the Bankers Association."

"It isn't even your check." Teddy getting in a huff now. "It's made out to somebody else."

"He threw away the letter," Louly said, "didn't even read it."

Carl laid his hand on Teddy's shoulder again. This time he gave it a pat saying, "That's her name, Louise Brown. She only uses Kitty for serving drinks in her underwear."

He stepped away from Teddy in the morris chair to stand facing Tessa.

"What're you holding on to in there?"

Carl felt he'd have to say something this time. He did, he said, with his accent, "Keep shooting off your mouth you find out."

Carl shook his head. "You won't pull unless I turn my back on you,"
a
nd stared in Tessa's face giving him time, his moment, the way he gave the sidecar drinkers time, the hotshots having fun with Kitty Cat. What you did, you called. And what they did next let you know who they were. He turned to Louly to see her brown eyes wide open beneath the hat brim, Louly ready to scream. But she didn't, and this business was over.

Heidi was staying. She could make more wearing only a pair of black silk stockings than she could screwing commercially. She went in the kitchen to make her boss a cup of tea, and while the water was on to boil, she took Jack's money out of the Quaker Oats box and wedged it behind the twenty-five-pound block of ice in the icebox.

Louly came in to say good-bye and Heidi said, "Who are you now, Kitty or Louly?"

"Carl likes Louly, so I guess that's who I am." She said, "I know he's kind of a show-off--"

"Kind of?"

"The way he talked to Lou, kept egging him on. I was scared to death."

"Got him down and wouldn't let him up," Heidi said.

"But Carl's a nice guy, really."

"He's also a federal marshal and wants you to know it. Tell him to keep Jack away from me, all right? I don't want to have to talk to him. He's cute but he's crazy. I mean there's something wrong with his head. His mama didn't nurse him long enough or something. I don't want to tell him I'll wait for him when I know I won't." She nodded at the bread box. "Take that thirty-two's in there. You're driving to Oklahoma with a crazy man."