The Complete Matt Jacob Series

by Klein, Zachary;

  “Alexis,” Lauren retorted, “if your father said the sky was falling, you’d look for the pieces. In my life a shooting is a big deal.”

  “Lauren, back off! The kid didn’t mean it that way.” Paul stepped between them. “You heard Biancho.”

  “Ted Biancho is a snot-nose kid with a know-it-all attitude.”

  “Ma,” Alexis said, “Teddy is a terrific cop. He’ll catch whoever did this, and I’m sure he’ll have people guarding the house.”

  Lauren reluctantly nodded her agreement.

  I’d begun to drift, but the Chief’s name yanked me back. “What exactly did the cops say?” I asked, my anxiety snapping to.

  “Chief Biancho told us there had been similar incidents in nearby towns,” Lou wheezed.

  “How recent? Which towns?”

  “He didn’t go into the details...” Lou began.

  “Paul, I want to go home,” Anne interrupted querulously. “How many times do we have to listen to the same story?” Anne glanced around the room and added lamely, “I’m sure everyone could use a little sleep.”

  Paul started to object but thought better. “There’s nothing we can do about the door until later in the day,” he said, shutting and testing the two locks.

  Lauren gathered herself. “You’re absolutely right, Anne. I’m sorry for dragging the two of you out of bed.”

  Anne ushered Paul out in front of her. “I didn’t mean to sound cranky,” she apologized. “It’s been a long, long night.”

  “It sure has,” Lauren agreed, shutting the door.

  As the four of us stood in another awkward silence with my long night kicking my gut. I couldn’t control a quick glimpse toward Alexis, but was met a sardonic smile and challenging eyes. Lauren noticed, though she hid any reaction with a large sigh as she leaned back into Lou.

  “Anne was right,” she said. “We really ought to sleep.”

  “Annie is a bitch, pure and simple,” Alexis retorted angrily. “She couldn’t stand seeing Dad worry about you.”

  Dad has a strange way of worrying, I thought, my own anger looking for a bone.

  “Well, bitch or not, I’m taking her advice,” Alexis announced. “I’m scheduled all day long and need to freshen up.”

  Alexis turned to me, “Teenage carnage aside, thanks for the company, Matt. There aren’t too many more nights left for a top down drive. It’s been a while since I last lost track of time. You have a fine son-in-law, Lou. If he didn’t have strings, I’d snatch him right up.”

  I felt like a shocked monkey while everyone waited for a human response. “It’s been a hell of a night,” I finally said. “I don’t think I’ve ridden in a convertible since”...Chana and Becky died in her Volkswagon rag-top, I painfully realized. “...not for a very long time.” This had become a homecoming from hell.

  “Let me walk you to your car,” I said, trying desperately to finish on a coherent note.

  “No need.”

  “I plan to look around the house anyway.” I was barely treading water, but there was one mystery I had to solve.

  Alexis hugged Lou, kissed Lauren on the cheek, and followed me out the door. “What are you looking for?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. I’m sure the police covered everything, but there’s no harm in taking another pass. Maybe they missed something.”

  Alexis stopped our slow walk. “I meant what I said inside. Ted Biancho is an excellent Police Chief. Smart, tough, and very up-to-date.”

  “I’m sure he is, but I gotta make sure.”

  Alexis restarted her slow pace. “If Teddy thought that anyone was in the slightest danger he’d have had them stay somewhere else.”

  “Maybe they ought to get out of here.” Possible stalking, a trashed car, and now someone had shot at the fucking house.

  Alexis interrupted my thinking. “You won’t be able to drag my mother anywhere. She’d sooner hire an army. Anyhow, Teddy and Dad won’t let anything happen. You ought to stay out of it and let the police do their job.”

  Alexis leaned her head forward to kiss my cheek, adding a sharp nip with her teeth before stepping away. I rubbed the side of my face as she hopped into the car. The engine roared to life so I pushed myself off the fender and rapped on the passenger window.

  When it opened, I poked my head inside. “Alexis, why the remark about strings? Were you trying to put their minds at ease?”

  Alexis tilted her head, staring right into my eyes. “Are you kidding? They aren’t chains, but you got them, sweetheart. And I knew it the moment I laid eyes on you.”

  She smiled and winked, “Give me a call.”

  I pulled my head out of the car and stared at the Saab’s rear end as Alexis wheeled around the corner. My hard-on was back and the couch was calling. It was almost time for dope and depression.

  But when I turned and saw the bullet-ridden door, the angry detective dumped the guilt-ridden depressive. I’d lost too many people and damn sure didn’t want to lose any one else.

  So many shots hit the mark that the splintered area resembled a cutout for an oversized mail slot. I walked the width of the house, carefully hunting for stray bullets without any luck. I scoured the door, its frame, and the wall along the inside of the porch, finding nothing but the ugly slash.

  I was on my hands and knees fruitlessly searching under the flimsy porch furniture when the door swung open and I heard Lou shout, “His car is still here.”

  “We didn’t know where you went,” Lauren said in a soft voice, walking onto the porch. “Out here, Lou,” she called. “Did you find anything?”

  “No,” I said standing, noticing my soreness. Now that the adrenaline had subsided, my body felt battered. I also felt the onslaught of a hangover, the perfect way to cap a wonderful early morning.

  “The police were thorough, Matty.” Lou had joined us on the porch. Puffy bags hung beneath his kind bloodshot eyes. “They searched the property and picked into all the walls.”

  Something else I should have thought of but hadn’t. I’d been acting like a dumb dick, not a detective. And not very successful at that either. “Let’s go inside and I’ll check the plaster one more time.”

  Lauren groaned, “Please don’t. Believe it or not, my fatigue is greater than my fear. All I can think about is sleep. I can’t even clean up the mess.”

  “I’ll do it,” I offered. “I’m planning to hang here for a while anyway.”

  A smile lifted Lou’s bags. “That’s generous of you, Boychick...”

  “But totally unnecessary,” Lauren interrupted. “I’m sure Teddy is taking care of everything. I was just panicked before.”

  “Why not be extra cautious?” I asked. Something about the physical scene nagged at me but I couldn’t quite catch it. “If you add the drive-by to your car and your feelings about being stalked, Biancho’s theory loses some juice. Also, be pretty easy to break in with the door in that shape.”

  “Please Matthew, no more. I’ve had enough for one night,” Lauren pleaded. “Nobody is going to break in especially since Teddy promised to patrol.”

  “Look,” she said pointing, “there’s a police car now.”

  As if on cue, a blue-and-white rushed to the front of the house. Lauren signaled her okay and the car slowly pulled away.

  “I don’t particularly like Ted Biancho,” Lauren added, “but he’s careful and efficient. I need the Hacienda to myself, to ourselves,” she corrected. “Do you understand?”

  I recalled the other times throughout the night I’d been asked that same question. Remembered the different tone in which it had been asked, and felt my tension grow. “Why run any risk?”

  “Lou,” Lauren said, “make him listen. I don’t care if he moves in, just not today.”

  Lou was torn, but looked at me and made a face. “We’ll be fine, Matty. If anything unusual catches my attention, I’ll ring you right up.”

  “A telephone call can’t get me here fast enough.”

  “Boychick,
I’ll call you later today.”

  He wasn’t gonna give, so I did. Didn’t like it, did it anyway. Lauren looked dizzy with exhaustion and Lou wasn’t far behind. We didn’t make with a long goodbye, but his last question boxed me around the ears. “Are you going home or to Shoes?”

  As soon as the Bimmer rolled its four, I started hard-nosing the highway. I quickly fired up a smoke then stuffed it into the ashtray, lighting a roach instead. If I didn’t ratchet down, my mind was gonna spiral right out of my head. No way around the upcoming teeth grit, but I wanted to grind slowly. Very slowly.

  Which gave me room to slam myself for leaving the Hacienda. Only it was too late to return and set a stakeout. The cruiser we’d seen from the porch hadn’t been the first, nor had the blue-and-whites been the only police in the vicinity. There was no doubt that I’d be seen, rousted, and caught. I wanted another meet with the Chief, but not this morning. Or that way. And dragging Lou and Lauren out of bed to vouch wouldn’t go over real big with anyone.

  By the time I let myself into the apartment I knew I had to do something, anything to pull it together. For lack of better, I ate a couple bowls of corn flakes soaked in borderline milk. All I needed was hot orange juice and burnt toast. Only I didn’t have any orange juice or bread. .

  So I did what I always do when the roof caved. Sooner or later the wolves were gonna chomp, but I played for later by going straight for the Valium. The only remaining problem was filling the time ‘til the dose kicked in. The only remaining solution—shots of ‘Turkey and a mantra of the dread’ has already occurred. But I fell asleep knowing the mantra was a lie.

  A restless sleep. Broken several times by sweats and feverish dehydration. If I hadn’t known better I’d have thought flu. I knew better—this was my feel-bad talking.

  But the insistent ring had nothing to do with sweat or sleep. And Lou’s hoarse voice chopped through my haze. “What’s the matter,” I mumbled, instinctively grabbing a cigarette. Sometimes I really wondered whether I was trying to lessen the wrong addictions.

  “Relax, Matty,” he quickly reassured. “Everything is fine. Not a speck of trouble and the police are covering the entire area.” Lou paused then wheezed, “I waited to call until after we cleaned the hall, but I guess I woke you?”

  “I never should have let you talk me into leaving.”

  “For my part you could have stayed. But truthfully, it would have been too much for Lauren. These parties are difficult to begin with, to say nothing about the scare—though you couldn’t tell it by looking at her, could you Boychick?”

  Clearly Lou had slept better than me, though he kept coming up short on oxygen. “Christ, Lou, your wheeze is on overdrive.”

  There was a moment’s hesitation. “Between the asthma and the sugar, I’m starting to fall apart,” Lou said in a soft voice.

  I figured a couple of other things were contributing, but I was smart enough to keep my figuring to myself. “Do you have your medicines?”

  “Of course. My head isn’t broken.”

  Another marked difference between us. “Just asking in case you need anything from civilization,” I said. “I thought I’d camp in the boonies. You can tell Lauren I’m not moving in, just going to stay until we’re certain there won’t be a repeat.”

  “It’s a nice offer Matty, but not necessary. Lauren thinks we should spend the night somewhere else so we’re going to a small local inn. The dirt from the party and the scare is responsible for the breathing.”

  He called it “the scare.” I called it a drive-by shooting. “Why not stay in the buildings?” Whatever my attitude about Lou and Lauren’s Big Relationship, I’d feel better having them nearby.

  “Lauren doesn’t want to be far from the Hacienda. She’s concerned about the kids, especially since Ian never showed up for the party.” Lou stifled a cough.

  It was senseless to draw a line in the sand if they weren’t going to be in the desert. “Maybe I should bunk at the Hacienda anyway. Keep an eye on things while you’re gone.” Couldn’t help toeing a few granules; besides, I was nervous about staying here.

  “No need. Lauren already told Chief Biancho our plans and he promised to keep a close cover on the house. Trust me, leave it be. It would upset Lauren to have you here.”

  I didn’t want to leave it be since I felt anxious about their safety, but there was no bulling through Lou’s resolve. “You’re not making this inn thing up, are you?”

  “Shame on you.”

  “Okay, but I want you to call when you get back to the Hacienda.”

  “I’m a big boy, Matty,” he replied, though not entirely displeased.

  “Maybe a little too big. If you lost a couple pounds, you might breath better.”

  “Enough already. If you cut back on your smoking you’d breath better too.”

  Well, I wasn’t quitting today. I replaced the receiver, last-dragged on my smoke, and gulped the rest of the previous night’s water. I’d crashed before crawling into the bedroom and still felt exhausted. But most of my fatigue had to do with me not wanting to think about everything that had happened with Alexis and my growing concern about Lou and Lauren. I lit a joint and stretched back down on the couch—with very little hope I would wake refreshed.

  I hadn’t counted on an anxiety attack the next time I grabbed the receiver.

  “Hey, babe, how was the party?” Boots crooned in my ear.

  “How did you know I went?” I managed after lighting a cigarette. I was wide awake and my heart was pounding.

  “I knew you’d come to your senses,” Boots chuckled. “Why do you sound wasted? It’s 9pm.”

  I squinted at the clock and confirmed her ability to tell time. “It wasn’t from a rock and roll night. Someone blasted Lauren’s front door with gunshots. Left the hallway in shambles.”

  “Was anybody hurt? Is Lou okay?” The calm was gone from her voice.

  “No one hurt and other than his asthma, Lou is fine. You don’t sound like you spent the day flying cross country.”

  “I feel it, though. C’mon, tell me what happened.”

  I did the best I could, starting with a story about the convertible ride. Made it sound like Alexis was concerned about her mother’s relationship with Lou and wanted to talk to someone outside the family. I told Boots one conversation led to another and I’d gotten stuck driving around most of the night.

  “I buzzed out, but it was impossible to stop her. I guess she found talking a release.”

  “You have a way with women, lover,” Boots innocently teased.

  “Once a social worker, always a social worker,” I joked, not nearly as innocent.

  “When your head isn’t stuck up your ass you can be easy to talk to.”

  “Thanks, maybe I was giving myself a breather.” I felt ashamed and added to my lies. “I need a minute to dig up a cigarette, Boots.” I placed the phone on the table and noticed a new gym bag. Julius had slipped in while I was asleep and paid his rent. I pushed the dope out of sight, stood, and stretched my sore back. I took a deep breath, lifted the receiver then reviewed the drive-by details and everyone’s reactions, relieved to be on the safest part of the night—the safest, that is, for me.

  “I’m surprised you came home,” Boots commented when I finally finished.

  “It was stupid decision. I didn’t get much sleep until Lou called this afternoon.”

  I was thrilled to have a hair shirt and embellished my mea culpa until Boots finally interrupted. “Matt, the police are keeping close check and everybody is okay, right?”

  Given my night with Alexis, not quite everybody. “I guess.”

  “So knock it off. You did what they wanted.”

  “Sure, Boss,” I said, blanching at my choice of words as I remembered Alexsis’s commands.

  “Since you’re so agreeable, do you mind if we skipped tonight? I know you can’t wait to get here, but I feel like you sound.”

  “No problem, I’ll call you tomorrow when I get ba
ck from the Hacienda.”

  “Do you want me to go with you?”

  “I’d like it,” I lied again, “but Lauren is still overwhelmed so it’s probably not a good idea.”

  Boots made her goodbye sweet. “I missed you, Matt. It’s nice to be home.”

  I made mine guilty. “I missed you too.”

  If I thought my luck about a night off was going to stick when I hung up the telephone, I thought wrong. Next to Boots, the last person I wanted to spend time with was me. I considered using the nearby park to work the aches out of my contorted body, but quickly reconsidered. Instead, I walked slowly through my rooms, hoping the quiet familiarity might give me something I couldn’t give myself. The space to think about what I had done, the way I had done it, who I had done it with. The willingness to confront my actions, understand what they meant.

  But this time, good on paper meant good on paper. Julie’s rent kept staring me in the face and I was unable to stop from rifling through. To my mixed relief only fresh and pot and pills. No coke. To my greater relief, the reefer worked, my madness lessened, and I fell asleep watching Homer choke Bart.

  I woke up early Monday morning surprisingly well rested. Either the damned occasionally pull a long shot, or eighteen hours of sleep, however fitful, add up. I plodded to the bathroom and took a hot shower. It was too late for the cold one. One lighthouse late.

  By the time the medicine mirror fogged, I’d stepped a couple of feet further from my submissive cheat. Able to steer clear of the throat tightening guilt that had hand-delivered yesterday’s bender.

  I climbed out of the lion-clawed porcelain, swiped at the mirror, stared at the permanent bags under my eyes, and left the face stubble alone. Nervous humor wasn’t an invite to play with razors.

  Especially since I was unwilling to peer any deeper into my reflection. Boots’ fond farewell probably meant I’d successfully lied past my ride with Alexis; now I was the only accuser. If I kept looking it would make for a drawn out prosecution. And today was gonna be a hear-no-evil-about-Matt day.