Sick Man

by Paul Spencer

  “Sit down, guys,” Javi said, gesturing to a large, threadbare couch. “Do you want a beer?”

  “I could use a beer,” I said.

  “Tony?” Javi said.

  “Yeah, sure,” Tony replied, as we sat on the couch.

  Javi went to the kitchen and returned a moment later with three PBR tallboys. We each popped our cans and took a drink. The beer hit the spot, so I took another drink.

  “You thirsty, hey?” Javi said with a smile.

  “Yeah, well, it’s been a long day,” I replied, and I could feel the hint of a smile on my own face. I liked this guy.

  “So Tony,” Javi said, “what brings you around here? I haven’t seen you in months. Not since Isabella’s wedding.”

  “We need your help, man,” Tony said.

  “Hey, whatever you need, you just gotta ask. After all you did for me, you know I’ll do anything for you.”

  “Okay, a couple of things. First, we need to borrow a car. The cops are looking for us, and they know my ride. Second, they’re probably watching my place, and we need to get some stuff out of there.”

  “No problem, amigo. I got plenty of cars. We can park yours in my back yard and throw a tarp over it. I think I know how we get into your place, too. Let me grab us another beer, and we’ll work it out.”

  Chapter 31 – Back Door Man

  We took side streets on our way over to Tony’s place, just to be safe. Javi went ahead in a seventies-era Ford F100 pickup, and we followed in a purple Chevy Caprice that was ten years younger but on its last legs. The shock absorbers were toast, so every time we hit a bump the car bounced up and down like a boat on a choppy sea. The crushed velour interior was shot through with cigarette burns, and the vinyl dash was badly cracked, foam spilling out in several places.

  “Javi seems to know where he’s going,” I said.

  “Yeah, he comes by my place about once a month, tidies up my yard.”

  “You must pay him well. He’s very eager to please for a yard guy.”

  “He owes me a favor or two,” Tony replied. “I saved his daughter’s life.”

  “What? How?”

  “She got mixed up with some guys cooking meth just outside Stockton, down in Northern California. White guys, if you can believe that. Long story short is I got her out, got her clean, brought her back. Now she’s married to a nice Mexican insurance salesman and living in Hillsboro.”

  I wanted to know more, but the look on Tony’s face told me to keep my mouth shut. So I just sat there quietly, trying not to get sick from the combination of the bouncing car and the rancid smell of the interior. Outside, the rain was still falling, and the heavy clouds were quickly turning dusk to darkness.

  When we got to Tony’s place, Javi pulled into the driveway, while we drove past. I kept my head down below window level as Tony pulled up a couple of doors down and killed the lights.

  “What did you see?” I said, as I sat up.

  “Black Crown Vic parked across the street, two guys inside.”

  “No surprises there.”

  “Here we go. Javi’s headed for the front door.”

  We got out of the car and crouched behind it, watching. As Javi approached the front door and knocked loudly, two guys got out of the Crown Victoria Tony had mentioned and strode over towards him. We stayed crouched low and moved along behind them, headed for Tony’s back door as they went to the front.

  Tony pulled out his keys and let us in, and we crept inside.

  “Where are the files?” I whispered.

  “On the bench by the kitchen table.”

  “Okay, keep a look out. I’ll be right back.”

  Still staying crouched as low as I could, I hurried over to the kitchen bench. I pulled out the pocket flashlight Javi had given me and opened the first box, flicking through the files looking for Larsen’s medical records. As I did, I heard the cops reach the front door.

  “Who are you?” one of them shouted.

  “Who are you?” Javi replied.

  I had no luck on the first box, started searching the second.

  “We ask the questions.”

  “Hey, sorry man, I didn’t know you were cops,” Javi replied. One of them must have flashed a badge.

  “I’ll ask again. Who are you?”

  “My name’s Javi Hernandez. I do the yard work here.”

  “What are you doing here now? It’s too dark for yard work.”

  “I’m here for my money. Dude hasn’t paid me in three months, and he won’t take my calls. I thought I’d come by in person.”

  “We need you to leave, sir.”

  “I’m not going anywhere without my money.”

  Javi was doing a good job of stalling, but we were in trouble if I didn’t find the records soon. I dived into box three, rifled through binders and papers as quickly as I could.

  “Sir, I’m not going to ask you again. You need to leave.”

  Still no luck. I opened the fourth box.

  “Come on, guys. I’m gonna be short on my rent if I don’t get paid.”

  “Leave now, sir, or I will be forced to arrest you.”

  My heart raced. I knew Javi couldn’t stall any longer. If I didn’t get the records and get out now, we were done for. I reached deeper into the box, pulled out a stack of manila folders. And there it was – the file with Larsen’s medical records in it. I shoved it down the front of my jeans and scuttled over to the back door.

  “I got it,” I said to Tony.

  “Let’s go,” he replied. “Kill the flashlight.”

  We went outside. The sudden lack of light left me night blind, and I almost tumbled down the short flight of stairs from Tony’s back door. I caught myself, and we hurried back to the Caprice, just as Javi was climbing back into his F100 and starting it up. We got back in our car, and Tony drove off in the opposite direction from Javi. When we’d gone a couple of blocks he pulled over, took out his phone, and dialed.

  “Javi, you okay, man?”

  He listened to Javi’s reply, then spoke again.

  “Good to know. Thanks for your help. You did a great job out there. I’ll bring the Caprice back in a couple of days, okay?”

  He hung up and looked at me. “Let’s go see Linda.”

  Chapter 32 – Dinner Time

  Linda’s townhouse was the end unit in a new brick construction on a steep hill in Goose Hollow, just west of downtown. The places all had front porches and period details designed to help them blend in with the old houses surrounding them. I got out of the Caprice, hurried up the stairs to get out of the rain, and knocked. A light came on in the window by the door, and Tony drove away.

  Linda answered to door wearing jeans and a tight black turtleneck sweater.

  “Come in,” she said. “It sounds like you’ve had a hell of a day.”

  “No kidding.” I followed her inside. “Just when it seems like my life couldn’t get any crazier, it does.”

  Linda led me through to an open living area that looked like it had been furnished out of a Pier 1 catalog. Everything seemed to match, though I lacked the basic decorating skills to know how or why. The dining table was set for two at one end, and covered in papers and files at the other. The coffee table was also covered in books, documents, and files. I found a clear spot on one end of it and put Larsen’s medical records down.

  “The answer is in there,” I said. “It has to be. Let’s start looking.”

  “Whoa, slow down, cowboy,” Linda replied. “You need to eat something. And you could probably use a glass of wine. And you need to catch me up on everything that’s been happening. Let’s have dinner, then go through the records.”

  “Okay,” I said, eyeing the two-inch thick manila folder. “Some wine would be good.”

  “That’s more like it. Come with me.”

  I followed Linda into the kitchen. There was a bottle of wine open on the counter, and she poured two generous glasses. She handed one to me, then raised hers.

&
nbsp; “Cheers,” she said.

  “Cheers.” I tapped my glass gently against hers, and we both drank. The wine was excellent. A pot of something red and meaty bubbled away on the stove, and the smell brought home the fact that I hadn’t eaten a thing all day.

  “That smells delicious,” I said.

  “Thank you. It’s a veal ragu. My ex-husband was Italian. His cooking was amazing. It might have been enough for me to stay with him, if he hadn’t had such prehistoric ideas about women. I had him teach me some recipes, then I kicked him out. Here, try some.”

  She dipped a spoon in the sauce and handed it to me. I blew on it and tasted. It was even better than it smelled. Rich and savory, it felt like it touched every taste bud in my mouth. I took another sip of the wine. Right now, in this warm kitchen, with this beautiful woman, I would have given anything to have a normal life.

  “Do you like it?”

  “It’s fantastic,” I said.

  “Thank you. There’s garlic bread in the oven, and now you’re here I’ll put the pasta on. While I’m doing that, tell me more about your crazy day.”

  Linda busied herself with pots and pasta. I leaned on the counter and described my day from beginning to end. By the time I was done, my wine glass was empty and the pasta was ready. Linda served up two plates and took them to the dining table.

  “So now you’re on the run?”

  “If you want to put it that way, yeah.”

  She looked at me and raised an eyebrow. “Bring the wine, would you? I’ll get the garlic bread.”

  I took the wine through, sat down, and refilled our glasses. I was relieved that Linda didn’t seem concerned about housing a fugitive. Linda brought a plate of hot steaming garlic bread and put it between us, then sat opposite me.

  “Buon appetito,” she said, and raised her glass to me. I returned the salute, and we ate. I couldn’t get enough of the delicious pasta and sauce. At one point I realized I was eating a lot faster than Linda, so I took a slice of garlic bread and nibbled on that to slow myself down. We didn’t talk much, both too busy enjoying the food.

  When I was done, I took another slice of garlic bread and used it to wipe the remaining sauce from my plate. I sat back and sipped my wine while Linda finished her meal. The food and wine had relaxed me to the point of being ready for bed, but I knew we still had work to do.

  Linda put her fork down and looked at me. “I’ve been doing some research while you’ve been off having adventures,” she said. “I did some more digging over the last couple of days. In addition to Aaron’s sister, there have been at least five more suspicious deaths among church members in the last three years. All young children.”

  “Shit, that’s terrible. Do you know what they died of?”

  “Not yet. I was going to research that tomorrow.”

  “Good. I’ll help. Now let’s go through those medical records.”

  “Start without me. I’ll clear the table and join you in a minute.”

  Linda poured the last of the wine into our glasses, then picked up our plates and took them to the kitchen. I took my wine and sat on the couch. I cleared a space on the coffee table in front of me, then opened the file. The early records were old enough to be hand-written. Judging by the writing, Larsen had seen the same doctor all his life, and I was relieved to see that the doctor’s writing was reasonably legible. I started reading.

  Most of the records were simple diagnostic reports. Larsen had gone to the doctor once a year for checkups, and the records reflected the results. Cholesterol a little higher than normal, blood pressure remarkably low, that kind of thing. But one thing stood out. Larsen had contracted prostate cancer in his early forties.

  Linda came back from the kitchen with a fresh bottle of wine. She refilled my glass, which had become empty without me noticing. “Found anything?” she said, as she sat down next to me.

  “I just found out that Larsen had prostate cancer a few years back.”

  “Wow. I guess he must have survived it.”

  I skimmed the next few pages of records. “Yeah, looks like he had surgery and a couple rounds of chemo.” I flipped through some more pages. “I don’t see any mention of it later in the file, so he must have come out of it well.”

  “Maybe there’s something to his crazy religion after all,” Linda said.

  “Yeah, right.” I handed her the records I’d already read. “Here, you look through these, see if you can find anything. Try to keep them in order. I’ll pass you more as I finish with them.”

  Linda took the records, and I went back to reading the file.

  As part of the cancer diagnosis and treatment, Larsen had undergone genetic screening. The doctor noted that he showed signs of a genetic condition common in communities with a high incidence of inbreeding. Given the isolationist nature of the church, that was hardly a surprise. It didn’t seem like enough to kill people over, though, so I kept digging.

  Over the course of another hour, we finished the file and the bottle of wine. Other than the cancer, we didn’t find anything unusual or dangerous in Larsen’s medical records.

  “I don’t get it,” I sighed, as I closed the file. “There’s nothing in here that would be worth killing people for.”

  “I know. Are you sure these records are what he’s looking for?”

  “Well, they’re the only medical records I have for Larsen. Maybe he thinks there’s something else in the file, but I can’t imagine what it would be.” I slammed the file down on the couch. “Shit. I thought we had the answer, too.”

  “Don’t worry. We’ll get there. Maybe we’ll find something useful tomorrow when we research those kids.”

  “Yeah, maybe. It’s getting late. Time to make up the couch, I guess.”

  Linda put her hand on my knee. “Mick, you don’t have to sleep on the couch.”

  Chapter 33 – Just for a Moment

  I hesitated, then put my hand on Linda’s. She stood up and led me through to her bedroom, then turned to face me, leaning back, her arms around my waist. She smiled at me, a hesitant smile that blew away all my fear and doubt. I grabbed her shoulders and kissed her, gently at first, then hard. We tore at each other’s clothes between kisses and quick breaths, then collapsed onto the bed naked.

  I tried to be patient, to be slow and considerate, but the urgency was too strong for either of us. We made love quickly, all jerky movements and animal sounds, and I came long before Linda had a chance to. I lay there gasping for a while, then rolled onto my back and tried to catch my breath.

  “Sorry about that,” I said eventually. “I’m a little out of practice.”

  “Don’t worry,” she replied, still with that coy smile. “You’re going to get all the practice you need.”

  Linda rested her head on my chest and put her arm across my belly. I kissed her hair, breathing deeply its perfumed shampoo smell. I ran my fingers lightly over the smooth skin of her back, stroking, exploring. Maybe I shouldn’t have lied to Linda about being out of practice. But this felt entirely different from being with Robin. Linda had a fire to her that I hadn’t experienced in a long time, so long that it felt entirely new. I put the flat of my palm against the small of her back and pressed, gently but firmly, so I could feel her naked body pushing into mine.

  Linda responded by sliding her hand down my belly and stroking me, her firm grip bringing on an instant erection. We kissed again, more slowly and deeply now. I rolled onto my side and slid my hand between her legs, caressing her rhythmically. As she arched her head back in pleasure, I kissed her breasts, gently bit her nipples. Only when I was sure she was ready did I roll her on top of me and make love to her again.

  This time we were more controlled, moving together smoothly, riding a shared wave. I held her hips, guiding her as she floated astride me. I could feel her building towards climax, tensing, moving more urgently. When she came, she let out a gasp, pressing down against me for all that she was worth. I had never been more aroused in my life, and my ow
n orgasm followed almost instantly.

  We stayed there for a moment, waiting for our breath to return. Still panting, Linda leaned forward and kissed me on the nose.

  “This practice is working,” she said, “you’re getting better already.”

  I smiled and kissed her, held her close. I didn’t trust myself with words. Linda let me hold her for a while, then gently pressed her hands against my chest.

  “That’s enough, cowboy. I need to go to the bathroom.”

  She rolled off me and padded over to the bathroom. I watched her go, marveling at the sight. The door closed, and I laid back, hands behind my head, still shocked by what had just happened. One thing I did know – I wasn’t going to ruin it by trying to figure anything out, I was just going to enjoy it while it lasted.

  I must have nodded off, because I didn’t notice Linda coming back from the bathroom.

  “Looks like somebody is tired,” she said, as she climbed back into bed.

  “No, I’m fine, it’s just –”

  “Don’t worry, Mick, I’m tired too. And we’ve got a big day ahead of us tomorrow. Go to sleep.”

  She kissed me tenderly, rolled over, and turned out the light.

  Chapter 34 – Energizer Bunny

  We made love again in the morning, a slow sleepy dance. Afterwards, I rolled onto my back and put my arms behind my head. My body felt more relaxed than it had in years, suffused with a warm glow. But it didn’t take long for the reality of my situation to push its way back to the fore. I stared at the ceiling, trying to figure out my next move.

  Linda poked me in the side. “You’re gone already, aren’t you?”

  “No, not gone,” I said. “Sorry. It’s hard to be completely here.”

  “I know. I feel it too.” She looked at me inquisitively. “You don’t regret . . . this, do you?”

  I froze up. “No, I don’t regret it. I just don’t know what to make of it yet.”

  “Relax, Mick, I’m not asking you to marry me.” She got up hurriedly and went to the bathroom.