Suzanne didn’t say anything. She leaned against the desk and stared past me toward the door. “Jack. Remember back on the roof? You said you loved me. Is that still true? Do you really love me?”
“I want to be with you. I want to wake up every morning and have you next to me.”
“But do you love me?”
I stared down at the floor. “I don’t know what love is.”
Suzanne stepped closer. “It would have been easy to lie. To say, ‘Yes, Suzanne, I love you more than anything. I love you like the river loves the sea.’ But you told the truth.”
“Yeah. As horrifying and sad as that is.”
Suzanne smiled and wrapped her arms around me. She smelled so good, like warm vanilla cookies. “I don’t know what love is, either.”
We stared into each other’s eyes. I smiled. “Maybe together we can figure it out.”
CHAPTER 48
Outside the bar I was grinning like a fool. Suzanne’s words were ringing in my ears: “Come back when I get off work. You can walk me home.” It was tempting to stay and wait at the bar. Have a few drinks, a few laughs, and watch Suzanne work. Her cheeks getting flushed as she rushed back and forth, stopping to exhale and push a stray piece of hair off her sweaty forehead. Instead I borrowed a page from the comedians and left on a high note.
Were they waiting for me here in the old neighbourhood? Were there assassins lurking in every alley, behind every trash can? I shouldn’t have been walking these streets, but it felt so good to be back. I had only been away a few days, but it felt like forever. My feet took me home, tromping along the gum-encrusted sidewalks to suddenly stop and stand across the street from Eddie’s restaurant. My eyes gravitated toward the roof. The asphalt beach. How many nights had Eddie and I sat up there, beers in hand, chewing the fat and solving the problems of the world? Plenty of nights spent smiling under the stars, high above the hustle and bustle of the city. Don’t worry, Eddie. I’ll work this out. You’ll be home soon.
A shadow flickered alongside me and I tensed — this is it — but no, no assassin, just two young lovers out for an evening stroll. Don’t walk up behind me like that, kids.
I had about six hours to kill. I got back on the streetcar and zipped up Spadina to the subway station. The subway rumbled westward and I emerged into the open air of High Park — flowers and squirrels and trees. Two flight attendants strolled by laughing, the wheels on their rollie bags click-clacking along the sidewalk. I shot them a smile as they passed and they smiled back. Yessir, love was in the air.
My stomach rumbled. I ducked into a burger joint that had thatched beach-style umbrellas over the patio out front and perused the menu. This place had about thirty-six different burgers, and right now I felt like I could eat them all. Exotic burgers weren’t really my scene — Mango? Peanut butter? Chutney? — so when the ponytailed server came to take my order, I told her “straight up burger — beef, mustard, pickle, onion.”
“You want sweet potato fries with that?”
“Onion rings.”
The burger was fucking delicious. No one knew me in this part of the city. I was just another solitary man eating a burger, safe from the hit men and assassins prowling outside my usual haunts. Still, I sat facing the door with my back to the wall. Old habits die hard.
After dinner I found a bar, ordered a beer, and drank it slow. Two tables over, a group of grizzled old men in thick plaid shirts were arguing, their voices hoarse and booze-cracked. That would be me someday. If I made it that far. Shuffling from rented room to the bar and back again. Staring at cracks in the wall, waiting for the phone to ring.
Or maybe not. Hey, you never know. Maybe I’d be sitting sprawled out on an overstuffed easy chair before a roaring fire, grey-haired Suzanne knitting next to me, grandkids and cats tumbling together at our feet. Why the hell not? It could happen.
Hours flew by. Time to head back. Don’t blow it, Jack.
Chris, the other bartender, blocked the door as I tried to enter. “Sorry — we’re closed.”
Behind him Suzanne saw me and smiled. “It’s okay, Chris. He’s with me.”
Chris squinted at me and then the slow dawning of recognition spread across his face. “Jack! Sorry, man. It’s been a long night.”
“Don’t worry about it.” I stepped into the bar, breathing in the stench of stale beer and smoke. Even though smoking was no longer allowed, the place still smelled like cigarettes.
Chris buttoned up his coat. “You okay to finish closing up?”
Suzanne smiled and nodded. “No problem. See you tomorrow.”
Then Chris headed out, the door clicking shut, and Suzanne and I were together again.
Lips met lips. Bodies slammed together. Hungry hands roamed. Suzanne bit my lip and I bit hers. I slammed her against the bar and started to yank down her pants.
“Not here.” She took me by the hand and led me to the back room. My pants were gone in two seconds, hers in three. My eyes roamed across her milky-white body. My penis jutted up in my boxers like an exclamation point.
“Goddamn, I’ve missed you.”
“Shut up and fuck me.”
Don’t have to tell me twice.
I pushed her onto the desk, peeled off her lacy red panties, and spread her legs apart. She was hot and wet and ready. I entered her quickly, pushing all the way in. She gasped and bit her lip. She felt good, so good.
“Do it … do it …”
Yes. I plowed into her, fast and hard, trying to jam every inch of myself deep into her body. She writhed across the desk, shrieking with pleasure. More — faster — harder — yes. Yes. YES!
I came so hard I saw stars. Everything went white and then black and then I was lying across her body, our chests heaving, our sweat mingling. At the same time we both broke out laughing, laughing, laughing and we couldn’t stop.
CHAPTER 49
We disentangled our limbs and Suzanne pulled up her red panties. Grinning, we gathered up our clothes and got dressed.
“Are you coming over to my place tonight?”
“Is that an invitation?”
Suzanne gave me a playful swat. “You know it is.”
“In that case, I accept.”
The country house, the grandkids, the roaring fire. Yes. Smiling, we left the back room and stepped back into the bar.
“Hello, Jack.”
I froze. There at the end of the bar was Grover, his white suit glowing beneath the bar’s yellow lights.
I stepped in front of Suzanne. “Suzanne. Back door. NOW.”
Grover smiled and gave his head a shake. “Stick around, Suzanne. Pour Jack a drink.” In front of Grover was a glass of Scotch. His left hand was on the bar next to his drink. His right hand was hidden beneath the bar.
I took two quick steps forward and Grover held up his left hand. “That’s close enough, Jack. Have a seat right over there.”
“No thanks.”
“I really think you should. Come on, Jack. Grab a seat and have a drink with me.” Grover smiled his crocodile smile at Suzanne and I almost threw up. Slowly I lowered myself into a chair.
“Good! Now what’ll it be?”
I nodded to Suzanne. “I’ll have what he’s having.”
Grover grinned. “Excellent choice.”
Suzanne poured me a Scotch. Grover kept grinning. “Let’s all relax. We’re all friends here.”
I didn’t buy it for a minute. What’s he got under the bar? A gun. Some kind of gun.
I tilted my chin toward Grover’s face. “How’d you get that cut over your eye?”
Grover nodded. “I’m glad you asked. Funny thing … Joey Machine’s brother was waiting for me in Kansas City. He had a whole crew. Sure, they were old, but you have to respect the old-timers. They put up one hell of a fight.” Grover stopped talking and stared over at me. “It’s almost as if they knew I was coming.”
The bar’s overhead light shimmered in my Scotch. The ice tumbled and began to melt, golden and bea
utiful. “I called the brother. I told him to run.”
Grover smiled crookedly. “He should have listened.”
“So he was a gangster?”
“What did I tell you, Jack? The Chief was right. We’re all gangsters.”
Grover started to raise his right hand above the bar. I tensed, ready to charge.
His hand was empty. “Jack, relax! Relax. As soon as I got down there I knew you had tipped them off. I don’t blame you. You were trying to do the right thing. I love you for that.”
“You didn’t love me so much back on the boat.”
A shrug of his white-suited shoulders. “That was a little misunderstanding. Could’ve happened to anyone.”
“Sure, Grover. What’s a little machine-gunning between friends?”
“Look, Jack. You were right.”
“What?”
“Back at the boat. You were right. The Chief is dead. Joey Machine is dead. I should’ve let it go.”
“What?”
Grover laughed. “You sound like a broken record, Jack. I came here tonight to apologize. You were right and I was wrong.” The little man shrugged again. “These things happen.”
Suzanne’s hand was slowly drifting toward an icepick. I glanced over at her and shook my head no.
Grover followed my gaze and chuckled. “She’s feisty, Jack. Gotta love that.”
Suzanne’s face went dark. For a split second I was convinced she was about to jab the icepick right through Grover’s eye. Instead she said, “Feisty? That’s something you say about a Jack Russell terrier. Also, I’m right fucking here. Don’t talk to Jack about me like I’m not even in the room.”
Grover blinked. Oh shit, I thought. Grover sipped his Scotch and nodded. “You know what? You’re right. That was rude. I’m sorry, Suzanne.” Grover tilted his chin toward the icepick. “You’re protecting your friend. I can relate. Still … let’s keep things friendly, shall we?” Grover grinned. Suzanne swallowed hard and stepped back, away from the icepick.
Grover turned back toward me. “You didn’t disappoint me after all, Jack. You told the truth. Killing Joey Machine’s brother didn’t bring back The Chief. It didn’t make me feel any better. Well … it might’ve made me feel a little better. Those old guys, boy, I tell ya. It’s been a while since I’ve had a workout like that.”
Grover stood up and drained his Scotch. He approached me slowly, his hands in plain sight. “Jack. I forgive you. Do you forgive me?”
I stood up, too. “Sure.”
Grover shook his head. “You’re just saying that. You’re not buying what I’m selling, but I’m serious over here. Look, let me make it up to you. You still working for Tommy?”
“For now, yeah.”
“All right. I can help you with that. Little Vito is furious, Jack. Word is he’s going to have you killed.”
“Yeah. I’ve heard that.”
“Well, let me work something out. I know these guys, Jack. I’ll make a few calls. Don’t you worry about a thing.”
And just like that Grover spun on his heel and marched out the door.
Suzanne grabbed hold of the bar. I rushed over and wrapped her in my arms. Her heart was thumping hummingbird-fast. She pressed her body next to mine and we held each other tight, tight, tight.
CHAPTER 50
Outside the safe house Willie The Driver was sitting on the concrete porch smoking a cigarette and reading the Toronto Sun. He glanced up, saw me coming, and smiled.
“How are you doing, Willie?”
Willie shrugged. I knew how he felt.
Inside the house Eddie and Tommy were playing Xbox. They both looked up from their controllers as I came grinning into the room. “Good news, Eddie. Your long exile is over.”
“Are you saying I can go back to work?”
“Yep. That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
Tommy leapt to his feet. “That’s fucking great! You shot him, right? You shot Vito right in his fat motherfucking head!”
“Nope.” I laid it all out for Eddie and Tommy: Grover, the bar, Grover’s offer. By the time I was finished Tommy was glowering and shaking his head.
“I don’t like it. It’s a set-up.”
Eddie looked over at me and frowned. “You think Grover’s legit?”
“Maybe. We’ll see. But here’s something I do know: he’s not going to come gunning for you to try to hurt me.” I grinned. “So it looks like you’re back in business.”
Eddie grinned and clapped me on the shoulder. “This calls for a beer. Want one?”
Tommy shouted after us as we headed toward the kitchen. “Wait a sec, wait a sec! What about me?”
“What about you?”
“You think Little Vito is just going to let me skate? Uh-uh. No fucking way.”
“Look. Give Grover a chance. He says he can work something out. Maybe it’s true.”
“Maybe? Fucking maybe? This is my neck on the chopping block here! There’s only one way out of this, Jack. You find Little Vito and you put a bullet in his brain.”
I shook my head. “You know I don’t work like that.”
“Yeah, well … maybe you should. Because if you think Vito’s gonna let you just waltz away into the sunset, you’re sadly mistaken.”
Maybe Tommy was right. Maybe I was living in a fool’s paradise. Did I trust Grover? Hell no. But right now he was my best bet.
“Let Grover do his thing. Who knows? This time next week you could be sitting on a beach in Costa Rica, drinking a margarita and working on your tan.”
Tommy shut up. Behind his eyes I could see his mind spinning with possibilities.
Eddie handed out the beer. I started to raise the bottle to my lips but Eddie caught my hand. “We need a toast.”
“Oh yeah? What to?”
Eddie grinned. “To freedom.”
The three of us clinked bottles. “Freedom!”
Laughing, we drank our beers.
CHAPTER 51
Damn, it felt so good to relax. Eddie and I were kicking back on the roof of his building, sipping Scotch and shooting the shit. Returned to the asphalt beach. Above us a handful of stars were shining bright enough to cut through the haze of the city lights. I leaned back in my lawn chair and smiled. Little Vito was still out there somewhere sharpening his knives, but I’d put my own knives against his any day of the week.
I threw twenty grand into Eddie’s lap.
“Put that back in the bank for me.”
Eddie’s hand flickered and the money was gone.
“Hey, Jack.”
“Yeah?”
“You think we’ll see any of the rest Tommy owes us?”
Tommy was still hunkered down at the safe house. At least, that was where he was supposed to be. Knowing Tommy, he was out on the town, drunk out of his mind and looking to get laid.
“Hard to say.”
Eddie raised his glass to his lips and took a sip. “I had a thought the other day.”
“Keep drinking. That’ll fix it.”
“Seriously, Jack. Tommy’s caused us nothing but grief. I was thinking — just hear me out, now — say we hand him over to Vito.”
I shook my head. “Not going to happen.”
“Just hear me out. We hand him over to Vito in exchange for a big chunk of cash. Then it’s over — really over. Vito’s got what he wants, we get paid, and Tommy’s out of your hair forever.”
“Eddie. You know we can’t do that.”
Eddie nodded and grinned ruefully. “Yeah. I know. But wouldn’t it be sweet?”
Behind us, gravel crunched. We both leapt to our feet, Eddie’s hand ducking into his jacket, the knife already in my hand. Grover stood grinning over by the door leading downstairs.
“Evening, gentlemen. Sorry to startle you. Jack, I’ve got good news.”
Eddie frowned. “How the hell did you get up here?”
Grover kept grinning. “Magic. Jack, how much has Tommy paid you?”
“Twenty grand.”
“That’s peanuts. He’s holding out on you.”
“I know it.”
“He’s got money stashed all over the city.”
“That’s what he says.”
“It’s true. You think he was going to pop open his treasure chest for you? He’s planning to disappear.”
“I know that, too. It was my idea.”
“Oh yeah? Your idea, huh? You think so? I say he’s been planning this from the start.”
Eddie shook his head. “You think he’s smart enough for something like that?”
“I watched Tommy grow up. Every day I saw someone underestimate him. Most of them are dead now. I’d hate to see you two make that same mistake.”
The cool nighttime breeze ruffled my hair. In the distance the lights of the CN Tower winked and blinked. “Grover. You said you’ve got good news.”
“Yep. It’s all worked out.”
“Say what?”
“I had dinner with some guys last night and we worked it out. Little Vito’s not happy, but if he wants to keep his bosses happy, he’ll do as he’s told.”
“So what’s the plan?”
Grover, Eddie, and I huddled together like football players. Up close Grover smelled like talcum powder and old leather. “All right. It’s your basic payoff. Little Vito’s agreed to eight hundred thousand.”
“That’s a lot of lettuce.”
“Lou talked him down from a million. Tommy brings the money to Lou and then continues on to parts unknown. Lou takes his cut and gives the money to Vito. Vito gives some of the money to the families of the men killed when Tommy’s club burned down and pockets the rest. Vito’s the boss, Tommy’s out of the picture, everyone’s happy. Do you forgive me now, Jack?”
My brow wrinkled. “So where do I come in?”
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