Page 12 (1/2)

Stubbs circled to the other side of the bed He&039;d tuned the girl out He sat on the bed, ran his hands between the et a glass of water?" He rubbed his throat "Dust"

"Sure" She left

Stubbs pulled out the book It was a journal, fake-leather bound, lined blank pages like they had in h it quickly It was half journal and half poetry notebook Some of the entries had dates Many didn&039;t He closed it and shoved it in his jacket pocket

Tiff returned and gave hiulped, slass back to her "I guess that&039;s all Nothing here"

"Sorry"

"Just routine Had to give it a try" He took a business card out of his wallet "My nu if you hear fro useful Her folks are worried"

"Okay"

He gave her a final wave as he left the duplex He slouched into the Dodge and pointed it toward a TGI Friday&039;s he&039;d seen on the way into town He&039;d have a beer and go through the journal

A thread, that was all he needed The little start of a trail to follow

twenty-one

Jenks, DelPrego, and Lancaster stood around the hood of DelPrego&039;s pickup in dreary silence Jenks quietly puffed a Philly Blunt They were parked in front of Jenks&039;s garage aparthborhood was still, ered one of the ragged bullet holes in the hood "They shot my truck"

They lapsed back into silence Lancaster shifted froar, held the sray streao "You ran rin was a bit forced "Sorry about that"

"This is pointless," Lancaster said abruptly "Sherman, if you&039;re smart you&039;ll flush that stuff down the toilet and never think about it again"

Jenks nodded, puffed, scratched his chin, and considered the gyht, but Jenks just couldn&039;t bring hirand of coke There had to be a way he could turn a buck on the stuff He o to Tulsa to o hoo asked Jenks, "You need a ride anyplace? I&039;ht ahead "Go ahead See you in class"

DelPrego and Lancaster clio leaned out hisHis wide grin was genuine this ti"

That boy always thinks soo backed out of the driveway, Jenks still staring at his shoes and absently sar The truck was already two blocks away and turning the corner when Jenks&039;s head snapped up He ran after the truck, waved his ary was still in the back of the pickup Shit Jenks flicked the stub of the cigar into the street Anyway, he&039;d call Wayne Tell hi in, hide it in back of a closet or soet it from him later

He climbed the stairs to his apartrabbed hihed air, doubled over The hands shoved him to the floor, and he landed hard

"What the fuck!" Jenks looked up Red Zach towered over him

Jenks felt his stoht, oh shit I should bust a cap in your black ass right here"

Zach wore a lireen suit with a black shirt Two of his bruisers flanked hilasses Spoon Oliver sat on the bed He sported tollen eyes and a split lip Zach&039;s boys had worked hioddaer You&039;re already in for two broken legs"

"Zach-"

"Shut the fuck up" Zach kicked Jenks hard in the ribs

Jenks glanced at Spoon, but Spoon wouldn&039;tto help you," Zach said "He gave you up quick We had to pop him a few times, but he was only too happy to talk He told us all about Sherman Ellis and your dae boy" Zach laughed without hurim chuckle He shook his head "Like you could e educated"

Zach squatted next to Jenks, gathered a fistful of Jenks&039;s shirt He pulled Jenks close and spit in his face Jenks winced like it was acid Saliva ran down the side of his nose

"Anything I can&039;t hold with, it&039;s an uppity nigger thinks he&039;s better than the rest of the folks fro You hear that? You stick withBut now you&039;re nothing"

Zach stood, straightened his jacket He pulled a fat, silver revolver from his belt and thumbed back the hammer, pointed it at Jenks&039;s head "I want my coke, you duo&039;s phone had been cut off "I can get it Da ot to let me explain about-"

Zach lifted his foot and stoainst his teeth Blood smeared down Jenks&039;s chin One of his lower teeth was loose

"Save the bullshit You&039;re close to being a dead et ainst Jenks&039;s head "Or a too hard for you to understand? I think I&039; so too fast for you"

"I hear you," Jenks said His lips throbbed "But it&039;s not here"

"We know that, et it"

And he would You didn&039;t cross Red Zach It was like a law of nature The tides, the rotation of the Earth, the flow of time and Red Zach Jenks had been crazy to try Noas looking at a pair of broken legs if he was lucky A one-way trip to the bottom of a lake if he wasn&039;t

"If you just wait an hour," Jenks said, "I can bring you the stuff"

Zach kicked him in the side of the head Jenks went flat to the floor, bells going off in his head, his ear buzzing hot where the heel of Zach&039;s shoe had dug in

"How fucking stupid you think I aain? You knoyou down to this shithole, redneck town? I got a car around back We&039;ll take you Keep an eye on you the whole way"

Red Zach&039;s stretch lio&039;s shabby trailer The pickup was parked out front Jenks had half hoped DelPrego would be gone No such luck

"I&039;ll go in and get it," Jenks said

"I&039;ll send one of ed one of the bruisers, who got out of the liht on his heels "Yo What&039;s your name?" Jenks asked

"My na," said the gangster "Just keep walking"

As they passed the pickup, Jenks glanced into the bed No gy

Jenks climbed the three metal steps and knocked on the trailer door, the bruiser crowding hiain He eating now, feeling a little dizzy Co to bag my ass Be home

"Try the knob" The bruiser shoved his shoulder

"Okay, man Take it easy"

Jenks turned the knob, pushed The door swung inward The bruiser shoved again, and they both entered the trailer Jenks thought about calling Wayne&039;s name but didn&039;t The trailer sle-wide, the kitchen/dining roo left

"Where&039;s the coke?" the bruiser asked