Born Bad

by Andrew Vachss

  "Let's go into your study," I told the man.

  We walked him down the carpeted hallway in a sandwich, took him over to his glass–topped desk, told him to sit down, make himself comfortable.

  "You from Falconer?" he asked me.

  I put my fingers to my lips, made a ssshing gesture.

  "Look, you want money? I got…"

  Buddha ground the tip of the pistol barrel deep into the man's ear. The man let out a yelp, then he was quiet.

  I opened my satchel, taking the stuff out one piece at a time, letting him see what was going to happen. A pair of hand–cuffs, a hypodermic, a small bottle full of clear fluid with a Rat rubber top, surgical bandages, a Velcro tourniquet, some pressure tape, a mini–blowtorch. And a stainless steel butcher knife.

  "Wh…what is this?"

  "Just a job, pal," I told him. "Just earning my living. Don't worry, it won't hurt a bit…once I give you a shot of this stuff."

  He watched as I stuck the hypo into the rubber–topped bottle, filled the syringe, pushed the plunger to check it was flowing smoothly. His face was a jelly of terror.

  "Please…"

  "Look, pal, you think I get any kick out of this' I'm not a sadist. Hey, I don't mind telling you the score. Woman comes to see me, says you did her real bad. Paid good money to take a piece out of you, even the score. Only thing, she's not a professional…wants me to bring her the proof."

  "Proof?" The word slid out of his throat.

  "Sure, pal. Proof. Couple a broken legs wouldn't satisfy this lady. She wants your hand. Your right hand."

  "Oh god…"

  "Look, pal, it don't make no difference to me. She paid full price for a body, you understand? She's paying the same for your hand she'd pay for your head. You just relax, do it the easy way. My man Fong's gonna cuff your hand fiat to the table, I'm gonna wrap this tourniquet around your arm, find a vein, shoot you up with this happy juice. You go W sleep. You wake up, you got one less hand. All nice and bandaged, better than they'd do it in a hospital." I hit the switch on the blowtorch. The hissing butane was the loudest sound in the room. I cracked a wooden match into life, fired the torch.

  "What's that?" He was trembling so hard, it sounded like his mouth was full of pebbles.

  "To cauterize the wound, pal. So you don't bleed to death."

  "Ca…cauterize?"

  "Hey, pal, what do you think I should use…a soldering iron?"

  4

  By the time he came to, we had him all strapped down and ready to go. Buddha had the tourniquet around his biceps, I was tapping his veins to make them stand out.

  "Could I talk to you?" His voice was a practiced weasel–whine, begging, promising.

  "Talk quick, pal," I told him.

  "Look, you're professionals. Like you said, right? I mean…you got paid to do this, I could pay you more not to, okay' I mean, pay you right now. Whatever you want."

  "You got thirty large in the house, pal?" I asked, sarcasm lacing my voice.

  "I got it…I mean, it's not mine, exactly. That's why I thought you were from Falcone. But…I'll give it to you, make it right with him tomorrow. I mean, I got equity in the house, my cars…I can cover it, easy."

  "Thirty larger? In cash?"

  "Yes!"

  "Here? Now?"

  "Yeah, yeah. For real. I swear. Just let me…"

  "Man, I don't know. We already took the broad's money."

  "Come on. Please! You're a man. I didn't do anything to the bitch she didn't deserve. I mean…cutting off a man's hand, for god's sake…Take the money! My money's as good as hers."

  I sat back in my chair, thinking it over. Watched the hope in his eyes. Looked over his shoulder at Buddha.

  "Where's the money?" I asked him.

  He went through a full–body shudder before he whispered "Safe."

  He gave me the combination. I dialed it quickly. Half a dozen kilo–sized bags of white powder, shrink–wrapped in clear plastic. And cash. Neatly stacked, all in hundreds. I speed–counted the banded stacks…more than sixty grand.

  I dropped it in the satchel.

  "We'll leave you the powder," I told him.

  "Hey! There was…"

  "Shut up, now. You got a good deal. You paid us to call it off, right? The rest of the cash, we'll do a job for you."

  "What job?"

  "You think that broad's not going to come after you again, pal? You think this ends it? You bought yourself one safe night, that's all."

  "You mean…?"

  "Sure. Way I figure it, we owe you a job…right, Fong?"

  Buddha nodded behind the stocking mask.

  I could see him thinking it over.

  "When would you do it?" he finally asked.

  "Tonight."

  "And that's it?"

  "Tell her," I said, handing him the phone.

  5

  Toxic waste bubbled out of his mouth, hard, evil ugliness over the phone lines. Telling her that her little scheme backfired. How he had her and he'd always have her.

  "You listening to me, cunt? You understand the way things are now? I'm coming to see you, bitch. And when I'm done, you'll come back here. On your knees. I'll have my mark on you again, you…"

  He hung up, bathed in sweat, licking his lips.

  I nodded to Buddha. A hard hand clamped down on the back of the man's neck as I slid the hypo home.

  6

  He went out in a minute. I gently taped his right hand into a fist, watched as Buddha took the man's elbow in one hand, held his wrist in the other…and slammed it into the glass desk top until the knuckles were bruised and swollen. I took a wax model of a woman's hand out of my satchel, the long false nails with their bright red lacquer gleamed in the light. I held the wax hand, scratched a long, deep gouge in the man's cheek.

  7

  In the car, I used a Handi–wipe to remove the dragon tattoo. Buddha took off the stocking mask, popped the rubber wedges out of his cheeks, took off the bulky jacket and lost fifty pounds. Our prints weren't anywhere.

  We were at her house in an hour.

  "You get it all?" I asked her.

  She nodded, pointed to the tape recorder attached to her phone.

  She held out her hands. Stayed perfectly still while I attached the false red nails.

  I slapped her in the face, hard. Her eyes flared into life, watching me, focused. Good.

  "He came here about an half hour ago. You opened the door, didn't expect him. He punched you in the stomach. You went down. He punched you in the face, over and over again, twisted your arm so hard you felt it snap. You scratched his face…You remember doing it, you felt your nails go in. Deep. Then he beat you some more until you passed out."

  "Thank you," she said.

  Then I went to work.

  Crossfire

  1

  "Be careful with it," the man told the uniformed parking valet. "It cost me a bundle," he added unnecessarily, the gleaming black Mercedes 600SL coupe making that statement on its own.

  "Yes sir," the valet responded, throwing a half–salute, palming the ten–dollar bill and sliding behind the wheel all in one smooth motion.

  The man entered the Runway Club slowly, his eyes sweeping the main room as he paid the cover charge. The joint sat in the shadow of the airport, but its name came from the long T–shaped platform that bisected the interior, not its location.

  The man made his way to a small round table toward the back, a good distance from the end of the runway. It was harder to see the girls from there–early on a Tuesday night, the man was surrounded by pools of shadow.

  A blonde waitress approached, wearing a tiny black Spandex skirt over fishnet stockings and spike heels. A fine black mesh blouse did little to conceal her breasts as she bent over to take the man's order.

  "Absolut rocks, water on the side," the man told her, not making eye contact.

  When the waitress returned with two glasses on a small lacquered tray, the man pulled a folded sheaf of b
ills from his shirt pocket and handed her a twenty. "A gambler," the waitress thought to herself, noting where the man carried his money. She returned with a ten–dollar bill and one single, laying them across the tabletop so they were slightly separated. The waitress took one step back, watching, her hands clasped in front of her to squeeze her breasts into deeper cleavage.

  The man drew a wider separation between the two bills, this time catching her eyes–his were a bright China blue, startling under a Las Vegas tan. Then he took a gold coin from his jacket pocket, turned it in his fingers so the waitress could see both sides–a Queen's head and a maple leaf. The man pointed at the separated bills, bull's–eye tattoo prominent on the back of his hand.

  "Feel lucky?" he asked.

  "Go for it," the waitress smiled.

  The man flicked the coin with his thumb. As it turned gently in the smoky–blue air of the club, the waitress called out "Tails!"

  The man caught the coin in a cupped palm, slapped it against the back of his other wrist. He removed his hand to show the waitress the maple leaf.

  "You're a winner," he said.

  The waitress bent forward, delicately scooped up the sawbuck and blew the man a kiss, switching her hips as she walked away in a good–bye wave.

  2

  The man watched the runway dancers patiently, not reacting as one after another stepped down and continued to dance at various spots throughout the room. Other men were stuffing bills into garters or G–strings, applauding as the girls danced on tabletops. Occasionally, one of the dancers would perch on a patron's lap, but the man passed up all such offers, sipping at his drink, watching quietly.

  The waitress watched too. Watched the man's slouchy–cut black silk suit, the diamond flashing on his left ring finger, the wafer–thin gold watch. She made two more trips to his table, each time opting to risk her tip, each time winning,

  "Tails have always been lucky for me," she said to the man, standing hip–shot, "but I like heads too."

  "Do you?" the man asked.

  "Very much," she said, licking her lips.

  "You're a smart girl," the man said. "You pay attention, don't you?"

  "When I'm supposed to," she said, her eyes on the gold chain around the man's neck, barely visible under the open collar of his white silk shirt.

  The man reached into his shirt pocket, thumbed off a bill without looking, tossed it on the table. A hundred.

  "Yours," he said. "For a little favor."

  "Tell me," she said, bending forward, reaching.

  The man covered her hand with his, the bull's–eye tattoo holding her eyes.

  "Tell Reba to come over this way," the man said.

  "This isn't her spot," the waitress said. "I could…"

  "Just tell her," the man said, removing his hand.

  The waitress picked up the bill, said, "I'll see what I can do," and walked off, spike heels clicking on the tile floor.

  3

  The brunette was tall, extravagantly built, her hair a thick, wild mane falling past her bare shoulders. Her height was exaggerated by a pair of dark stockings, anchored by thick black bands around the top, flowing out of high spike heels. Her only other article of clothing was a black G–string.

  "You asked for me, honey?" she said.

  "Yeah," the man replied, his eyes scanning her face, not stopping until they located a tiny scar just past the corner of her right eye.

  "Well, I hope it's gonna be worth it, baby….It costs me fifty to switch my spot."

  The man reached forward, stuffed a couple of bills into the top of her stocking. The brunette held out a hand, so the man could help her onto the tabletop. But the man pulled her down instead, into his lap. The brunette squirmed, purring "Lap dancing costs–"

  "Just do it," the man said quietly, his right hand around her waist. With his left hand, he reached into his shirt pocket, tossed several bills on the table.

  The brunette tried to turn so she could throw one leg over the man's lap and face him, but he held her firmly with one hand. She wiggled her buttocks hard against the man's lap, making practiced sounds of pleasure, throwing back her head so she was cheek–to–cheek with the man, facing forward.

  As she reached one hand out for the money, the man whispered in her ear, "You wanted to see me?"

  She sat up, startled, but the man's hand on her waist held her close. 'You told Lucinda you wanted to see me?" he said again.

  The brunette relaxed, leaning back again, her mouth close to the man's ear." You're Cross?" she asked.

  "Yeah."

  "I thought you'd look…I don't know…different."

  "Tell me what you want," he said, voice flat.

  She shifted her weight, still wiggling in time to the music, whispering, "I want a gun. A cold gun. Never used. Lucinda said you could…"

  "What do you want it for?"

  "A fucking paperweight for my coffee table, what do you think?" she snapped.

  "I don't sell guns," the man said. "Not individual guns. You want to buy a crate, we can talk. One piece, go visit a pawnshop."

  "I'll pay–"

  "Tell me what you want," the man said again.

  "Not here. Pick me up after work. I'll–"

  "Won't the boss–?"

  "I don't have a boss," the brunette said. "I rent this space. What I do after work is my own business."

  "What time do you–?"

  "I'll be out front at four."

  4

  She was standing on the apron to the parking lot at 4 A.M. when a white Cadillac sedan pulled up. The driver stepped out, a pudgy man with black hair plastered across his forehead, wearing a voluminous calf–length coat despite the summer heat. The driver walked around behind the Cadillac, opened the back door. Then he stepped close to the woman, said, "Mr. Cross is waiting," and swept his hand toward the opened door in an invitational gesture.

  The brunette put one long leg inside the car, saw the man with the bull's–eye tattoo on his hand sitting inside, and climbed in the rest of the way. The door slammed behind her, and the Cadillac pulled away smoothly.

  5

  I have to make a stop first," Reba said. "It's over on Diversity."

  If Cross felt any impatience, his face didn't reflect it.

  The Cadillac purred through the empty streets, alone except for an anonymous smog–colored sedan trailing a respectful distance behind. If the driver noticed, he gave no sign.

  When the white car pulled to the curb, Reba turned in her seat, facing Cross full on. "Come on," she said. "You might as well see the reason for all this."

  It was a three–story brownstone, the polished wood door covered by black wrought–iron grillwork. Reba took out a key, opened the gate, then the door. "Come on," she said again.

  Cross followed her up the stairs, reflecting on the wisdom of Keith Gilyard, the ground–zero poet laureate of New York…how true it was that walking up stairs exaggerates female hips…for good or for bad. The brunette was all good.

  On the top floor, she used another key to let herself in. A hefty woman with short–cropped brown hair was sitting on an exercise bike, pumping away. She looked up at the entrance, gasped an incomprehensible greeting, and went back to her silent work. Reba Hashed her a smile, walked past the exercise bike down a hall, Cross close behind.

  She opened the door to a small bedroom. The walls were a soft pink, decorated with dolls, stuffed animals, a giant poster of some sleek, androgynous individual holding a guitar. A blonde girl was asleep in the single bed, a quilt covering her to her shoulders. Her face, childlike in repose, showed a girl somewhere in that borderland before adolescence. Reba bent at the waist, gently brushed the girl's soft hair from her forehead, kissed her on the cheek. Then she straightened up, took a sweeping look around the little bedroom as though reassuring herself, spun on a spike heel, and walked back into the front room.

  The hefty woman was sitting on a futon couch, sipping a greenish–colored liquid from a tall glass.

&nbs
p; "You didn't let her watch that damn MTV again, did you, Anna?"

  "She did all her homework first," the hefty woman said. "And her yoga too."

  "I told you–"

  "Come on, Reba," the hefty woman interrupted. "We had a deal. You can't stop her from growing up."

  "I can stop her from growing up like I did," the brunette replied.

  "Your problem wasn't MTV," the hefty girl said, her voice thick with a shared secret.

  "Okay, okay," Reba surrendered. "You're going to bring her by after school, right?"

  "She has gymnastics class, remember? How about you come by and watch, take her home yourself."

  "You got a deal," Reba said, flashing a smile.

  6

  That's my Angel," she said to Cross in the backseat.

  "She looks–"

  "I mean, that's her name," Reba said sharply. "You want to know what she is, she's my life. My whole life."

  The woman was quiet on the short drive to her apartment building. Again, Cross followed her, this time through the lobby with its half–asleep doorman, all the way up to the twenty–first floor in a silent elevator.

  The apartment was two bedrooms, with a balcony and a view of the lake from the living room. "Make yourself comfortable," she said over her shoulder, walking down the carpeted hall. "I'll be back in a minute."

  Cross pulled a flat cellular phone from inside his jacket, punched in a number.

  "Anything?" he asked the person on the other end. He nodded to himself at the answer, put the phone back inside his jacket.