“You are kidding, right?”
“No! I want you to leave!”
“What’s going on?”
“The two detectives . . . ah . . . Moor and Blaze stopped by and told me about your home invasion at Chuck Thomas home that left him with a broken leg! How could you, Gerry! I thought you were a good kid that had some bad breaks. But now I think you are . . . Hell, I don’t know what you are. Chuck is 70 years old.”
“I guess it wouldn’t change your mind if I swore that it wasn’t me?”
“No, I gave you the benefit of the doubt when Dan accused you of stealing his rings, but now I see he was right about you. Once a thief . . . always a thief. Now do you leave or do I have to call Ricky to throw you out.”
“Come on, Bucky, you know Ricky couldn’t throw me out. Heck, he’s so muscle bound he can hardly walk.”
“Or I could call the police,” Bucky said.
“Okay, if that’s the way you are going to play it. But I thought we were friends, Bucky.”
“Were, is the correct word, Gerry. Were!”
Gerry raised his hand. “All right, I’ve leaving.”
Damn, what am I going to do about the rent money? he thought as he walked out of the bar. He glanced at Ricky. “You could have given me the heads up, Ricky.”
The big man shrugged.
“I just do as Bucky tells me, Gerry.”
“Yeah, right,” Gerry said as he pulled his cell phone out and dialed the number for a taxi.
What are my options! I’ve got to make some money tonight! “Pop’s Bar! They held a pool tournament every Friday night. And it was on the other side of Hot Dog Heaven.
Gerry pulled his cell phone and canceled the cab. “I just might need the money for the entry fee,” he said as he walked down the sidewalk in the direction of Hot Dog Heaven. Wow, a lot of shit has happened since I walked to Hot Dog Heaven with Dan. Gerry shook his head as though to dislodge any thoughts of Dan and walked faster.
The outside of Pop’s didn’t have that elegant La Jolla look. It was classic biker sleaze with a row of Harleys out front like a protective barricade to keep decent folk out. Gerry had visited the bar once with Spike who occasionally shot pool with his cousin who was in the motorcycle group the Road Devils that claimed the bar as their private property.
If it comes to a fight, I can take care of myself, Gerry thought as opened the door. It seemed to him everyone wearing a leather vest turned his head to look, which was almost everyone except the grizzly bartender.
Three bikers in dirty jeans and almost as dirty beards were standing around the pool table with pool cues in their hands.
“Has your tournament started?” Gerry asked the bartender with the long braded gray beard.
“Just starting,” the man’s tone was not friendly.
“Mind if I enter?”
The bartender glanced over at a tall biker with a red beard. “Red Dog?”
“Yeah, his money is green too, Dusty.”
“A hundred,” Dusty, the bartender said.
Damn it, I better win. After the entry fee, I’ll have about thirty dollars left to my name, Gerry thought as he mentally counted his money before pulling his wallet out.
“What name?” a short thin biker standing beside a small chalk board asked.
“Gerry.”
The man wrote his name under fifteen other names.
That’s going to be a good prize to win!
“Hey, haven’t I seen you someplace?” one of the bikers, a chubby older man asked.
Gerry shrugged. I’ve seen him in Daddy’s Boys. He goes in for a blow job in the toilet. Instead of answering, He turned to the bartender. “Bud in the bottle.”
With only him and Red Dog left in the tournament, Gerry smiled. The bikers might be tough guys but pool players they weren’t. The only one that was half way decent was the leader, Red Dog. And from the scowl on his face, Gerry figured he was used to winning the tournament.
It was Red Dog’s turn to break. Gerry applied chalk to his cue tip as he watched Red Dog slam the cue ball into the racked balls. Balls flew in all direction but none ended up in a pocket.
Gerry smiled.
“What the shit eating grin for?” Red Dog asked.
“I’m fixing to run the table,” Gerry said and immediately regretted it. Damn it. I’m not at Daddy’s Boys. I can’t be cocky in here among these Neanderthals.
“Four hundred say you won’t.” Red Dog said.
“I don’t have four hundred.”
“That fancy pool stick of your is worth more than that. I take it against my money.”
“If that’s what you want amigo. The additional donation will be appreciated,” Gerry said. Damn, there I go again.
Red Dog grabbed his crotch. “I’ve got your donation hanging, Hot Shot.”
“You wagering them too!”
Several of the biker laughed.
Red Dog spun around glared at them.
“Shut the fuck up.” He turned back to Gerry. “What are you waiting for?”
Gerry lined up the cue ball with the stripped two ball in front of the right middle pocket and took the shot, hitting the cue ball gently with just enough energy to knock the two ball in the pocked and stop.
“I guess it a good thing that you didn’t wager the family jewels too,” Gerry said as he knocked the eight ball in the top right pocket.
“Red Dog,” the old chubby biker called out from the bar. “I recognize the guy. He the pool shark from the butt lovers bar Daddy’s Boys. Hell, you just got hustled by a butt fucker.”
Gerry was looking at old biker who was talking. He didn’t see Red Dog swinging his pool stick until it broke against his head. Then all he saw was flashing lights as he fell. Luckily, he didn’t feel the hard toes of the bikers’ boots kicking him.
“THAT’S ENOUGH!” Dusty shouted. “Don’t kill the guy in my bar you idiots! Drag him out into the parking lot while I call 911.”
Pop dialed the number.
“What is your emergency!”
“Someone fell in the parking lot. Send an ambulance.”
“What kind of injures does the person have.”
“How in the hell would I know. I’m not a fucking doctor. He fell on the cement,” Pop shouted into the phone. Then ended the call.
Chapter 15
The doorbell made Dan jump. He put his mystery book on the end table as he got off the sofa. “Who could that be?” he mumbled. “Just when the book was getting good,” he added shaking his head as he walked to the door. He glanced through the window as he approaches the door.
Mathew!
“Hello, I wasn’t expecting to see you today,” Dan said opened the door. Mathew stood on the stoop holding the handle bars of his bicycle.
“I was riding in the neighborhood and figured since I was so near, I would stop by and say hello.”
“That’s nice. Come on.”
Mathew glanced around as though looking for a spot the leave his bike.
“Bring it in and lean it against the wall,” Dan said motioning him to come inside.
“Are you sure? I don’t want to dirty your floor?”
“Nonsense come on in. That’s what dust mops were made for.”
“I didn’t see you at the bar last night. I thought maybe something was wrong.”
“No, just tired of going to the bar. Anyway, it was Friday night and I didn’t want to run into Gerry.”
Mathew shook his head. “You are still not over him, are you?”
“I am over him,” Dan lied. Then added. “It’s just awkward seeing him. Every time I see him I think of him stealing my rings and I get upset.” Dan shook his head. “I still can’t believe he would do something so stupid.”
“Smart people do stupid things sometimes. It happens.”
“Yeah, I guess you are right. Hey, I didn’t know you biked?”
“That’s how I keep in shape. I hate gyms and the smell of sweaty body and socks!”
“Are you coming to the bar tonight?”
“I really don’t want to run into Gerry.”
“You won’t. I forgot to tell you. Bucky bared Gerry from Daddy’s Boys. You don’t have to worry about locking eyes with him again.”
“Oh, I’m surprised. I thought he and Bucky were tight?”
“Yeah, but two detectives came by asking question about Gerry. They said he was their top and only suspect in the home invasion of Chuck Thomas that left him with a broken leg. Bucky is a huge fan of Chuck’s action movies. He went through the roof. Ricky the security guy at the door told me that Bucky kicked Gerry out of the bar yesterday afternoon. Ricky was glad he didn’t have to toss Gerry out. He’s seen him in action and didn’t want his face rearranged by Gerry’s quick fists.
Dan took a deep breath. “I guess he deserves it if he’s the one that broke into Chuck’s house.”
“Who else could it be. He got to be the Crayon Boy!”
“You are his friend. Do you believe he’s Crayon Boy, cat burglar of La Jolla?”
“I’m afraid so. I didn’t want to believe it. But he’s the only one I know that has been in Chuck’s house and could have gotten the security codes. Chuck has never invited me to his house.”
Dan nodded his head.
“Anyway, I’m going to finish my bike ride, I just thought I would stop by and see if you were coming to the bar to night. Hey, if you do I’ll even spring for a couple glasses of Bucky’s good wine,” Mathew said.
“In that case how can I refuse,” Dan said looking surprised.
“Okay, I’m off,” Mathew said pushing his bike toward the door.
“Let me get the door,” Dan said.
As Dan walked past the handsome blonde, Mathew leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “You are growing on me.”
“Wow, that’s nice,” Dan said as he opened the door. “Have a safe ride,” he called as Mathew pushed his bike down the two series of steps and then jumped on and peddled down the street. It was nice? But how can I be sure it was real? He’s a hustler. How can I be sure he’s not after my money?
Dan sat at the kitchen table, just after he’d eaten dinner—macaroni and cheese, easy to fix. He’d thought of going to a restaurant, but it somehow didn’t seem worth the effort. And he might as well eat at home since he had no one to go out with. He’d promised Mathew he’d go to Daddy’s Boys. But he really wasn’t in the mood. It was because of Gerry. Damn it, he had a hard time accepting that the younger man had reverted. Well, maybe it was easier than trying to make it as an artist. And his little security job at the galley probably didn’t even pay the rent.
Damn it. Why did this have to happen? Well, might as well forget about him, Dan thought, as he rose from the table. He gathered up the dishes and took them to the sink. Then he scraped the leftover food into a plastic container and put it in the refrigerator. Big waste of time that, he thought. It would probably sit there till it turned green and fuzzy. That’s what usually happened to leftovers.
He filled the sink with water, squirted in detergent and washed the dishes. Then he rinsed them and put them in the rack to dry. Living alone caused him to relax the rules, okay, to become a little sloppy. When his wife was still alive, they did the dishes together. She washed and he dried. For a split second, he let himself visualize Gerry washing and him drying.
Well, that wasn’t going to happen.
He finished, let the water out of the sink, and poured himself a second cup of coffee. stalling. His mind wondered to Mathew. Why had the hustler had invited him to the bar? Was he truly interested? Unlikely. He probably just interested in another two thousand dollars. Well, maybe I pay him. It might be better than coming home tonight to an empty house.
Dan still wasn’t sure if he wanted to go to Daddy’s Boys when it was time to leave, but he had promised Mathew. Come on, Dan, he told himself, no use moping around just because things did go well with Gerry. It’s not the end of the world!
“All right,” he said out loud, “enough feeling sorry for yourself. No more sitting around and moping.” He laughed at himself as he went outside and climbed into his car.
Mathew was at Daddy’s Boys when Dan arrived and motioned to the bar stool beside his.
“Hey, Dan, ready for that glass of wine?”
Dan smiled and sat down. Mathew was an attractive man, Dan thought. Very much his type. Then he thought of Gerry. Damn it, why couldn’t he get Gerry out of his mind? Well, he was disappointed in him. Hurt too, if he admitted it. After he’d trusted Gerry… and he was a thief. What did he expect, the leopard to change its spots? Not likely.
“More than ready, Mathew.” Trouble was, even though Mathew acted as if he were attracted to Dan, it was probably just an act. Everything he did was too plastic, too artificial. He wondered if Mathew was even capable of showing genuine emotions.
“Well, then….” He turned to Bucky. “A couple of glasses. The good stuff. The Cotes de Rhone”
Bucky rolled his eyes. “Of course, that’s what you’d want. Now that you found out I have it…what else?”
“He . . . he . . . hey, Dan, Mathew.”
Dan turned to see Terry coming toward them.
“Hello, Terry,” Dan said.
“Spe . . . Spe . . . Speaking of cat burglars.”
“No one’s talking about cat burglar’s, Terry.” Mathew said.
“W. . . W . . . We are now.” Terry sat on the other side of Mathew, opposite Dan.
“What’ll it be, Terry?” Bucky asked.
“Be. . . Be . . . Beer, what else?”
Bucky shook his head. “Why do I even bother to ask.”
“So what’s this about cat burglars?” Dan asked. Obviously, Terry was talking about Gerry, Dan thought. Had he been arrested or something?
“I . . . I . . . I was just thinking,” Terry said. “Ma . . . Ma . . . Maybe someone else has a chance at the tournament now.”
“The pool tournament?” Mathew asked.
“N . . . N . . . Now that Gerry’s been banned from participating, maybe the rest of us have a chance.”
“You mean you have a chance,” Mathew said.
Terry shrugged. “Wh . . . Wh . . . Why not now that Gerry won’t be around anymore.”
“Thought he was your friend,” Dan said.
“So . . . So . . . Sometimes friends sometimes not. He . . . He . . . Hell, I don’t need to explain. I . . . I . . . I’ll have a chance to win the next tournament.”
“Hey, man, did you hear?” Spike he asked Bucky as he walked up to the bar.
“Hear what?” Bucky was wiping up a circle of condensation left by Terry’s beer. “Is this a guessing game?”
“About Gerry?” Spike said.
“Old news, Spike. He’s been arrested. So what?”
Spike leaned against the bar. “That’s not what I’m talking about, man.”
“What is it then?” Mathew asked. “What are you talking about?”
“Gerry is in the hospital. Got beat up pretty bad.”
“Gerry?” Dan felt a stab of concern. He was by no means pleased with what Gerry was doing, but he didn’t want anything bad to happen to him. Despite what Gerry had done, Dan still harbored feeling for him.
“Yeah, Gerry. From what I hear he’s in pretty bad shape—cracked ribs, bruised kidney, a concussion.”
“How did this happen?” Dan asked. “And where is he?”
“Happened at Pop’s Bar, the biker bar.”
“Why?” Dan asked.
“First of all, one of the bikers got pissed off that Gerry won the pool tournament.”
“So the biker beat him up?” Dan asked.
“From what I heard, he got whacked from behind with a cue stick. When he was unconscious, the bikers took turns kicking him.”
“How do you know this?” Dan asked.
“I stop in
there sometimes. My cousin is in the biker gang that hangs out there. He told me.”
“So they took him to the hospital?” Dan asked.
“Called an ambulance; said Gerry had taken a fall in the parking lot.”
“What hospital?” Dan asked.
“Sorry, but I don’t know,” Spike said shaking his head.
“Guess I’d better call around then.”
“Dan, you aren’t seriously thinking of going to see him!” Bucky said.
“He’s got no one. I’d help a stray dog that’s been hit by a car.” Dan answered.
Bucky spread out his hands. “Sorry!”
“What’s the nearest ER hospital to the bar?” Dan asked as he took his phone out of his picket.
“Scripps Mercy is the nearest,” Bucky said.
Dan held his phone near his mouth. “Call Scripps Mercy Hospital!”
Almost immediately the phone dialed the number.
“Scripps Mercy. May I help you?”
“Yes, please. Can you tell me if you have a patient named Gerry Blunt? That’s Gerry with a “g”.
“Just a moment, sir. I’ll check.” There was a pause. “I have no record—”
“He was brought there by ambulance.”
“Give me a moment.” There was a pause. “Yes, sir, he’s just been transferred from the ER to the third floor.”
“Thank you very much. Can he have visitors?”
“No reason he can’t. It’s visiting hours. Let’s see. For another hour and a half.”
“Thank you very much.” He disconnected and turned toward Mathew. “He’s there all right. I’m going to go see him.”
“Want me to come along?” Mathew asked. “He is…or at least was my friend.”
“Rather go alone if you don’t mind,” Dan said with a faraway look in his eyes.
“Not at all. You know how to get there?” Mathew asked softly.
“I have the address.”
“Not hard to find at all.” Mathew gave him directions.
“Okay then. See you later. I’ll let you know what I find out.”
“Sure thing,” Mathew said. “Hope it’s not serious.”
Heart Thief Page 8