The Skin Show

by Kristopher Rufty

  Sighing, Andy plopped down in his seat to wait for the cop.

  Chapter Five

  Andy was lying on the cot in the cell when he heard the metallic clamber of a door being rolled open. He turned his head and saw the guard entering the holding area. His name was Titus, a burly black man near sixty that looked thirty and was built like a machine—he’d told Andy to call him Pinky. Everyone called him Pinky due to his missing not just one, but both pinkies. They’d been clipped off with wire cutters ten years ago when a mental patient they’d been holding, until the whites showed up in the patty wagon to take him away, had escaped his cage.

  Andy had asked him: “Doesn’t it bother you when people call you that?”

  “What? Pinky?”

  Andy nodded. “I mean…to me it almost sounds like you’re being made fun of.”

  Pinky smirked. “No one makes fun of me.”

  Andy figured if anyone was dumb enough to make fun of Pinky, he quickly made them smarter. He’d gotten to know Pinky pretty well in the few hours he’d been holed up in here, waiting for his bank to clear the thousand dollar bail fee.

  After a brief interrogation from the cops, Andy, along with Wayne and Larry, were cuffed in Danny’s front yard and hauled in. The man walking his dog had called them. Since Wayne’s truck was searched and a pot baggy located under the seat, it had been towed in. But, Andy had to leave his Camaro behind because all they found inside was nicotine gum. He’d been tormented by awful visions of the citizens of Eagle’s Nest picking it clean: taking the rims, the stereo, all his CDs.

  Wayne and Larry were in the cell across from him. They hadn’t said much since Andy told the cops what they’d tried to do. He supposed it was mostly the shame of knowing how close they had actually come to crossing that line. Maybe Larry was battling his conflicting emotions of whether or not he truly was gay. Wayne was in a lot more trouble than Larry due to the pot being in his truck, but he doubted he’d be here for very long since he was one of Lou Manchu’s boys.

  “Mr. Raab,” called Pinky’s deep voice that boomed off the steel.

  “Money finally go through?” asked Andy, sitting up. He spotted Wayne and Larry watching the exchange. They stood against the bars, neither of them taking advantage of the single cot in their cell. Both men had spent the majority of their stay pacing.

  “Nope. Someone wants to talk to you for a moment. All of you.”

  “Oh?” said Andy.

  “Who the hell is it?” asked Wayne, confused. “A lawyer?”

  Pinky ignored the question. “I expect you boys will be on your best behavior.”

  Andy figured it was Nicole. She’d probably gone home and discovered his car. Surely one of the neighbors had come by to tell her about the incident on her property, hoping for some gossip in exchange.

  The door to the holding area opened with a metallic squall. The sound of heels clacking on the hollow floor reverberated around them. He smelled perfume, sweet and a little fruity. Not Nicole, but in the dim lighting he could see her slender frame, small shoulders, long hair slightly waving as she walked into the light. The shadows parted down the middle, exposing her under the single bulb above her.

  Andy’s breath caught in his throat.

  Behind Pinky appeared a slender woman with long sinuous hair the color of honey. Eyes so blue they could have been sapphires. Not very tall (no one could be next to Pinky), her sleek thighs tapered from underneath the skirt of her short, black business suit. She had on matching leather boots that grazed her knees, leaving only two staves of dusky skin on each leg.

  Vaguely familiar, Andy had seen her before but couldn’t place where.

  “Andrew Raab?” she said.

  “Yes. I’m Andrew—Andy.”

  “Thought that was you. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you.” The mystery woman turned sideways to look at the other cell. Andy admired the jut of her tight buttocks behind the snug skirt. “And you two must be Wayne Zernor and Larry Heggs?”

  “How the hell do you know who we are?” asked Larry.

  Bluntly rude tone aside, Andy wanted to know as well.

  “I’m Karen Holbrook.”

  The name brought it all back to Andy. “I know who you are now.”

  “Tell us then,” said Wayne.

  “My brother’s probation officer.”

  “Bullshit,” said Larry. “I ain’t never seen no parole officer that looked like her.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “I’ll take that as the highest of compliments.”

  Andy could see Larry’s pleased grin even in the dim light. He obviously hadn’t detected the same heavy degree of sarcasm Andy had.

  “And I’m also Rosco Ambrose’s parole officer.”

  “Damn,” said Larry. “No wonder Rosco looked forward to your appointments.”

  “Make a girl blush, why don’t you?”

  Andy restrained a laugh.

  “Well,” began Karen, “to make a long story short. Danny was supposed to show up for one of those appointments you mentioned on Monday. And it being Wednesday night, he’s obviously a little late. I saw on the blotter that Wayne and Larry, two men who are known to associate with Rosco—who associates with Danny—had been brought into custody for assault. I figured, what the hell. Might as well swing by and see if they know anything.”

  “We don’t,” said Wayne.

  Karen’s eyes narrowed, her full lips pressed together. “Hmm. But, see…the plot thickens. On that same blotter, I saw that Andrew Raab, Danny’s brother had been involved in that altercation. Since Danny missed his appointment, and Rosco has one coming up at the end of next week, I thought I might just come by and find out what the hell is going on.”

  “Ain’t nobody got a clue,” said Larry, almost whining.

  Andy cleared his throat. “Um, that’s sort of what…led to the…”

  “Attempted rape?” finished Karen.

  Andy took a deep breath and noticed he was trembling. Had the ordeal gotten to him that bad? “Well…I was at Danny’s…”

  “I saw it in the report. You don’t need to repeat anything for my sake.” She approached Andy’s cell. “I was making my way around to asking you some questions, but I guess I’ll skip my little act and get down to business.”

  Hearing her say that in such a serious tone made Andy’s muscles feel like putty. “Okay.”

  “When I saw you’d been brought in as well, I knew something was up. I assumed Danny was involved, but apparently he’s not?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “Explain.”

  Andy groaned. He had to tell her what she needed to know. There was no way around it. She was, after all, entitled to know. If he withheld information now, it might make matters worse. So, he shared all he knew, starting with Nicole’s late night visit. He skipped the specifics of his encounter with Larry and Wayne, only allotting enough information for her to understand. Finally, he said, “We think Danny’s with Rosco, wherever he is. Nicole asked me to look around for Danny.”

  “Any luck?”

  “Well…I haven’t really had a chance to get started.”

  “We were looking for Rosco,” said Wayne, “and bumped into Andy at the trailer.”

  “So, you decided to gang rape him instead?”

  Wayne fumed. “We were just messing with him, trying to scare him…”

  “Gang rape is a great source of intimidation.”

  Andy wished she’d stop using the ‘gang rape’ moniker when referencing the quarrel. It made him truly feel like a victim.

  Karen faced Andy again. “Where were you planning on checking for Danny?”

  “Honestly?” She nodded. “I have no clue where to begin now. After talking to them over there, I found out he left with Rosco a couple days ago. No one’s seen them since.”

  “We should file a missing persons’ report. Why hasn’t the wife done this yet?”

  “Last time he ran off, she filed one, but I found him in an abandoned house m
yself. He was strung out, and the police were pissed for wasting their time hunting down a junky.”

  Frowning, Karen crossed her arms. “So, she didn’t bother this time?”

  “No.”

  “Did you check that abandoned house again?”

  “It’s not there anymore to check. Torn down. Now it’s a seafood place.”

  “Well, once you’re released, I suggest you check all his old haunts. As much as I hate it, I’m probably going to have to throw his butt back behind bars. I’ve always been lenient with Danny, but I doubt even I can save him this time.” She glanced at the two assaulters over her shoulder. “And your pal Rosco? He might just have to share that luxury if he doesn’t turn up on his own.”

  “Don’t bother me none,” said Larry.

  “Maybe you’ll be bunkmates!” Karen looked back to Andy as Larry mumbled some kind of response. “Even if Danny shows up and I can somehow scratch him missing his appointment off the record, I’m afraid he won’t pass his drug test.”

  “Me too.”

  “And, there’s nothing I can do about that. He’s screwed.”

  She seemed legitimately upset about it. Andy wondered what it was about Danny that made every woman he came in contact with immediately fall under his spell. He could tell that even the strict and steeled Karen Holbrook was a sucker for him.

  “Anyway,” she said, “we need to get you out of here.”

  “I’m waiting on my bank to clear the transfer. I left my wallet in my car.”

  “Where’s your car?”

  “At Danny’s.”

  Nodding, Karen started to leave. “I’ll go get it.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure it’ll clear soon.”

  “Banks take their sweet-ass time in matters like this, pardon my French. I’ve seen it a thousand times.”

  Pinky nodded. “Might not be until sometime tomorrow, Andy. If she’s willing to go get it, I say let her. We take debit cards.” He laughed.

  It wouldn’t hurt to let her fetch the wallet. Just knowing he might be able to get his car away from Eagle’s Nest tonight put him a little at ease. “Okay. It’s unlocked. Hopefully it’s still there.”

  “Good to know I won’t have to use a rock to bash the window in.”

  Andy cringed inside. “Please don’t.”

  Karen laughed. “Relax.”

  “Yeah right,” he muttered.

  “I’ll be back shortly,” she said, walking out of the holding area. Reaching for the door, it opened before her hand touched the latch. She jumped back, startled, as another officer entered. He was younger than Andy, probably right out of school. He seemed embarrassed for giving Karen a scare.

  “Suh-sorry,” the officer mumbled.

  “It’s okay,” she said.

  Pinky’s face scrunched in aggravation. He released a closemouthed sigh. “May I help you, Officer Dunbar?”

  “Um…sorry to interrupt,” he said. “But, Mr. Raab’s bail was paid.”

  Andy sighed with relief. “Thank God. Did the bank finally send the money over?”

  “Um…no. I actually canceled the request for you.”

  “Then who paid his bail?” asked Karen.

  Couldn’t have been Nicole. No way she could afford the fee.

  “Louis Ambrose,” said Officer Dunbar.

  Andy frowned. Lou Manchu? What the hell made him do that?

  “Shit yeah,” said Larry. “We leaving too?”

  “Um, no. He declined to pay yours and Mr. Zerner’s.”

  “You’re fucking with us,” said Wayne.

  “No sir.”

  Wayne and Larry looked at each other, sharing the same expression: a combination of hurt and confusion.

  Shaking his head, Larry pressed the side of his face against the bars to see the officer better. “That doesn’t make any damn sense. I called him! He said he’d take care of it!”

  Dunbar shrugged a shoulder. “Sorry. He only paid for Mr. Raab, said something about a misunderstanding…”

  “This is bullshit,” mumbled Larry. He pushed himself off the bars, turned around, and walked to the other side of the cell. It was harder to see him that far back. Shadows concealed most of him.

  Wayne lowered his head, but offered no dispute.

  Pinky stepped over to Andy’s cell. “Well, Andy, looks like you’re getting out of here after all.” He removed a giant ring of keys from his belt. All of them were nearly the length of cigars and different tarnished shades. He began flipping through them.

  Karen looked back at Andy. “Why would Lou Manchu pay your bail?”

  Andy shrugged. “No idea.”

  She folded her arms over the humps of her breasts. “I don’t like this. Either you’re not telling me the whole truth, or something is very wrong here.”

  Pinky inserted the correct key into the door and twisted. The lock shot back with a hollow bang. The door rolled back, rattling as it moved over the track. He waved his hand for Andy to exit.

  Stepping out next to Pinky, he tried to pretend Karen’s condemning stare didn’t bother him. “I wish I could say I was keeping secrets, but sadly I’m not. And, I wish I wasn’t so damn confused by everything. The last several hours have been a little…hectic.”

  Karen’s stern demeanor softened. “I’ll come see you later. Probably tomorrow. Hopefully you can fill me in on everything.”

  “I hope so, too. If I have anything to share…”

  Chapter Six

  Nicole turned the key. The engine shut off with a coughing gust. The fan continued to spin a few seconds longer before finally stopping. She didn’t know much about cars, but something was definitely wrong under the hood of her ‘97 Nissan Altima. And, she wasn’t surprised since the car was acned with dents and scratches, and had a salvage title on it. Balding tires, two of them with plugged holes in the barely existent tread. It was only a matter of time before the engine started going caput on her, too.

  Didn’t matter. She lacked the funds to get it fixed, and no one would dare buy this heap if she tried to sell it. The fan had been acting up for months already, so a repair could wait a while longer.

  Andy would pay for it, if he knew.

  Yes, but she’d never ask him to. If the car held out a little while longer, she should have the money saved up. If the Nissan got her to and from work and to the store when she needed, that was what really mattered for now.

  With a groan, she got out of the car and bumped the door shut with a hip. She shouldered her pocket book as she stared at Andy’s car. The strap pulled against her Food Town blouse, feeling itchy against her skin. She adjusted the strap, then ruffled the shirt so it wasn’t so tight.

  Looking at Andy’s car again, she expected any moment for the door to open and Andy to climb out. She’d been waiting on him to since she’d pulled up, washing the shiny paint with her headlights. He hadn’t. The car still just continued to sit there, dark as pitch on the inside. Since there weren’t any flood lights in the yard, all she had for light was the moon and a pen flashlight in her pocket book.

  Which she fished out, using her thumb to click it on. A pencil line of light jabbed through the darkness. She aimed it at the Camaro. Such a hot car. A couple times Andy had taken her for rides. They’d parked at Hanky-Panky Hill and had some hanky-panky of their own. She smiled at the memories, but felt a hollow space open up in her chest.

  “Andy?” She walked toward the car, keeping the light pointed ahead of her as if walking a dog on a leash. “Andy?” Something about finding a parked car where it shouldn’t be was eerie, causing her arms to stipple with gooseflesh. Seeing that car without its driver made her whole body tremble with fear and premonition.

  What the hell is going on?

  Leaning over, she pointed the light at the window. The glass seemed to glow, glaring the light back at her. She could hardly see what was on the other side. A nearly transparent version of herself pointed the light back at Nicole. The smeared reflection rippled inside a puddl
e of black.

  Feels like I’m looking at a ghost of myself.

  The back of her neck prickled.

  Stop it.

  Shutting off the penlight, the phantom Nicole vanished. That was better. She stood upright, looking around.

  Where’s Andy?

  Knowing where she kept a spare key, he was probably inside waiting on her to come home. Since she hadn’t spoken to him all day, there was no way he could know she’d been working.

  Nicole woke up in the middle of the night, feeling lonely and wanting strong arms around her. But, the spot next to her was vacant. She’d located Andy in the living room, snoozing on the couch. Obviously he’d feared things would traverse to more than just a harmless sleepover. It was good that he had, because it reminded her of the real reason she’d gone over there.

  Danny.

  But how he’d intentionally kept his distance from her crushed her feelings. She left shortly after sunrise and was on her way home when work called asking if she could come in early. Two people had called out, so they were extremely short-handed. She figured if she was really going to leave Danny and attempt making it on her own, she would need the extra money.

  Why didn’t Andy just look for me there?

  He probably realized she was upset and, not wanting to make matters worse, kept his distance. However, things were still made worse by him not coming to the store to check up on her. Sure, she could have called him, but she wanted to see if he would make the first move.

  First move to what? Leaving Danny for Andy after you left Andy for Danny is a stupid idea, not to mention a bitch of a thing to do.

  “The hell’s wrong with me?” she murmured.

  She’d hurt both brothers enough. If she was going to truly leave Danny, then she needed to leave Andy as well. Her eyes wetted at the possibility. Losing Andy somehow seemed even worse. The thought terrified her, made her ache all over. Her throat felt tight and thick as she climbed the rickety wooden steps to the front door.

  Nicole pulled back the storm door, letting it rest on her shoulder. Her hip poked through the square breach where the screen mesh should be. It had been ripped out a couple years ago and never replaced. Putting the key to the knob, she inserted it into the slot, but didn’t turn the lock. She paused there, the realization of how truthfully fucked up her life had become.