“But we don’t wanna go back to San Antonio! That’s stupid!” Anna stood up enraged.
“Yeah we’re not going back! Can’t the new bus just take us where we’re going?” the skater kid stood up next.
“Look all I know is what the guy said on the phone and he said you’re all being picked up and taken back home,”
“This is fuckin’ stupid,” the skater kid lost his temper and stormed off the bus.
Then the older guy took his turn. “Fuck this. I’ll just hitch the rest of the way,”
Carl looked over to Anna who was bright red with anger. “And what do you wanna do?” he asked.
“I’m sure as hell not going back. Anyway can we just keep moving somehow?” she suggested.
But the driver interjected. “There’s a hotel not too far from here. You could always head there and make a trip of it,” he put the idea out there to placate the situation.
“Aaw fuck. We’ve really gotta be over the border like today,” Carl cupped his face in his hands and leaned forward onto his lap.
“That bad eh?” the driver approached the couple cautiously and sat a couple seats in front of them.
Anna nodded to show the severity of the situation.
“Family emergency?” he asked.
“Yeah…..” Carl fumed. “It’s a family emergency,”
“Damn, I’m so sorry,” the driver sighed. “If there was a way I could pay for you to travel I would happily oblige. Just hate seeing people in trouble,” he looked to the floor genuinely upset.
“I guess we could jump out now and start walking. Just hail a cab to the next station?”
“Seems like a plan to me,” Carl looked up to her and nodded.
“Well I guess it’s a goodbye from me then,” and the driver waved farewell as they jumped down onto the street.
Yet again the couple found themselves walking aimlessly in the middle of nowhere.
“This is just….. Shit. I have no other words I really don’t,” Carl fumed. “I’m just tired of all this,”
“You think God’s testing us?” Anna asked him as she jogged to catch up with his long, angry strides.
“You think there’s a God?” he replied dryly.
“I’m not even sure anymore,” Anna looked to her sneakers as she pounded her blistered feet on the sidewalk.
They walked in silence for a few minutes until a little row of shops came into view. Carl spotted a grotty looking bar and nodded to it.
“Fancy a drink?” he asked.
“Shouldn’t we be trying to hail a cab?” Anna protested.
“Come on, live a little,” Carl smiled.
“Ok fine. But don’t get in trouble for giving booze to a minor,”
“Ah shut up. When I was your age I could drink any old timer under the table,” and he pushed open the door.
Anna had never seen a dive bar in real-life before and the first thing that hit her was the smell. Stale tobacco and watered down beer mixed with cheap aftershave.
“Urgh…. God,” she felt the need to cover her mouth.
“Just relax,” Carl laughed at her. “It’s cool. What you havin?”
“I dunno,” she shrugged. “Same as you I guess,”
“Good luck,” he grinned cheekily as he approached the gnarly looking barman.
He looked up from the glass he was cleaning as if he had been interrupted from an important job.
“Two double scotch and sodas,” Carl asked and the barman nodded without saying a word.
He slid two glasses down the bar as the couple climbed onto stools that sat between the local patrons.
Anna leaned into Carl’s side. “This place is scary,” she gripped his arm.
“And everything we left behind wasn’t?” he asked sarcastically.
“I guess,” she shrunk back and wrapped her fingers around her glass.
But as she got settled into her surroundings she noticed that all the guys along the length of the bar were staring at her. Some gawped at her chest while others tried to flirt and make eye contact. She shivered as she was reminded of her father in every one of their faces.
“Hey, I need the bathroom. Will you be ok for two minutes?” Carl asked.
“I guess,” she spoke optimistically.
The last thing she wanted was to be left alone with these creeps. And as Carl disappeared into the restroom her fears were confirmed. The guy closest to her was eager to take Carl’s seat and he leaned into her close. She could smell the disease from his rotting teeth and the way it mingled with cheap beer. She imagined his dirty hair to be crawling underneath his trucker hat and she prayed he would leave her alone. Of course he only leaned in closer.
“Hey… pretty lady,”
“Oh God,” she looked to her shoes hoping her rudeness would make him go away.
“Hey, pretty lady, I said. You sure are beautiful,”
Anna shuddered and zipped up her coat to hide her body.
“Don’t go hiding from me pretty girl. You can show me your fine body any time,”
“Fuck sake Larry leave the girl alone,” the bar manager came out from the back. “I’m sorry miss. This loser has never seen a lady before,”
“Oh it’s ok,” she sipped at her drink and winced.
The manager came out from behind the bar and shooed away Larry like a mischievous cat. Anna looked up to his friendly face and felt safe in his company. His furry eyebrows framed a chubby face. And he appeared to be in a perpetual state of sniffing in order to stop his glasses from falling off his little snub nose.
“You look too nice to be working in here. You actually don’t smell of anything,” Anna laughed.
“And you definitely look to nice to be drinking here and far too young I may add. Do your parents know you’re here? You need a ride somewhere?” he asked seriously.
“Oh no. I’m fine. My boyfriend’s just in the bathroom,” and as she spoke he strode back over to the bar and the manager shrunk away in his company.
“I see you’re getting creeped on again. I can’t take you anywhere!” he ran a hand through her hair.
“You don’t know the half of it,” she huffed and attempted her drink once more. “I’m sorry this is just rancid. It’s yours,” and she pushed it over to Carl.
He knocked both his and Anna’s drinks back in seconds. Then fumbling in his jacket pocket he pulled out a little bottle of Vicodin and took two.
“For my back pain,” he explained to the manager who was eyeing the couple suspiciously. “But…” Carl continued. “I’m gonna find us a cab to town. Hey you!” he pointed at the manager who seemed to be grossly offended at his behaviour. “You have a payphone?”
“No. We do not. But there’s one around the corner. Just on your left there,” and he pointed towards the back wall of the bar.
“Thanks buddy,” and Carl got up to leave.
“Don’t leave me again. Please!”
“You’ll be fine! I’ll only be gone two minutes. You don’t mind watching my stuff do you?”
“No, that’s cool,” and she grabbed hold of the briefcase.
Carl swaggered out the bar and headed to the payphone with the manager glaring into his back as he left. Anna thought he wanted to come back and talk to her but was too afraid. Carl had that effect on people though. His size always seemed to mean no one chanced their luck.
Meanwhile outside, Carl meandered to the payphone and rifled through his pocket for change. But before he reached the booth someone stood in his way.
“You lookin’ for a good time honey?” he looked over at an attractive, blonde girl who would have been of average height if it wasn’t for her eight inch heels.
“I don’t pay for it,” he spoke sternly and moved to dodge passed her.
But she wasn’t going anywhere and she stepped over to block him.
“But you’re so sexy baby. I can show you a real good time. And cos you’re so hot I could always give you a discount?” she was pushing her luck.
/>
“No,” he answered firmly. “Not interested,” and he tried to edge around her again.
But it only made her more determined. Zipping down the first few inches of her dress she exposed the top of her fake breasts.
“You like?”
“Not really,”
“Oh you talk lies honey. Everybody likes!” her voice was gravelly and intoxicated.
And once again he tried to get around her. And once again she blocked his path. This time she pushed right up close to him and caressed his face with her long acrylic finger nails.
“I can take you to the moon and back,” she whispered into his ear.
But Carl stood as straight as a board, scared to move in case she did something else. He hoped if he didn’t react at all then she’d get bored and move away. But he had no such luck. Instead she leaned in and kissed his lips grotesquely with her tongue writhing wildly. He thought for a moment he would throw up as he smelled her toxic breath. Eventually he regained his senses and pushed her away.
“Are you stupid? I said no!” he lost his temper and the woman stepped back upset. “Just get the fuck away from me immediately. Seriously, just go!” and his face was beet red.
With a deflated ego the girl scurried away and Carl saw her approach another man in the distance. He shook his head sadly and finally reached the phone booth.
~
Anna was waiting at the bar for what felt like forever when she decided she couldn’t escape the other customers’ flirtatious glances anymore. Sliding Carl’s backpack onto her shoulders and gripping onto his briefcase she ventured back outside to find him. She was sure the bar manager said to go left so she followed the sidewalk around the corner hoping to see Carl on his way back. But instead her stomach churned and her heart felt as though it stopped.
Right there in front of her stood Carl with the arms of another woman around him. They were kissing passionately and tears instantly began to fall down her face despite her not being conscious of it. As she ran back to the bar she didn’t remember much of what the girl looked like except for the fact she was tall and blonde with enormous breasts. She was in shock, she didn’t know what was going on anymore, but the world swirling around her and the anger that burned inside her made her want to run.
Her teeth began to hurt as she clenched her jaw in rage but what hurt most of all was the betrayal. Losing his trust made her feel as though she’d bottomed out and she wretched onto the sidewalk.
“Men are bastards,” she whispered to herself. “How could he?” her thinking was carrying her away to a dark place.
Pushing her way back into the bar she found the manager cleaning a table. Tapping him on the shoulder she saw his face light up as he saw her again. He saw her tears and his smile fell.
“Hey… you ok?”
“Still OK to get that ride?” she asked.
~
When Carl walked back into the bar he thought his eyes were deceiving him for a moment when he didn’t see Anna waiting for him. As he returned to his seat he desperately asked the barman.
“You seen my girlfriend?”
“The pretty red head who ran in here crying a minute ago? Yeah I seen her. And she just left,”
“She left? Did you say she was crying?”
“She sure was. Was sad as hell when she came back from outside,” he appeared to be enjoying breaking Carl’s heart.
Suddenly the penny dropped as Carl realized what she must have seen. “FUCK!” Was all he could scream in the moment, “Where did she go?”
“I dunno. I’m no psychic,” the barman sniggered and picked up a dirty glass.
CHAPTER 24
Vultures were circling the people carrier as John Reiner traversed the dusty desert. He was beginning to feel dizzy but he was sure it was just because of the heat. As soon as he reached the house he could lie down and cool off. And it wasn’t long until he’d get there. If he was right then he was less than half an hour away. But he noticed as the day moved on he was starting to forget little things. He noticed he was getting confused at just the smallest task but again he put it down to the heat.
Refusing to acknowledge the aching, growing wound in his side he only focused on getting to the house. He had family nearby and they’d help him for sure. That was if they remembered him though.
An open patch of empty road stretched out before John and the effect of the heat on the horizon gave off a peculiar illusion. John was certain the road ahead was melting, that the landscape was swaying. But it wasn’t until he consciously felt the car move him from one side of the lane to the other that he realized he was veering off the road.
Quickly righting himself he pulled the vehicle back into the center of the lane. He wondered what the hell had just happened. Had he momentarily gone mad? Had he lost his sight? Or was he starting to succumb to his injuries? He concluded that it was the heat making him tired and he drove on towards Monterrey.
~
Anna was sat in the passenger seat of the bar manager’s sedan clutching at the briefcase of money.
“That bastard,” she muttered to herself. “That dirty dog,”
Meanwhile the bar manager kept sneaking glances at her.
“I’m Tony by the way. Just realized I never told you,” he felt so awkward in her presence he almost croaked out the words.
“I’m Anna,” she grumbled. “I’m sorry I’m not much company right now,”
“Oh don’t worry about such a tiny thing,” he smiled at her. “We’ll get you to the station soon,”
“Thanks,” and she looked out the window to another strange town with new people and new accents, new experiences she couldn’t explore and different cultures she wouldn’t learn about.
As the car pulled into the station parking lot she felt the need to hug Tony hard. He was both surprised and ecstatic and hugged her back eagerly.
“Good luck kid,” he smiled at her. “And I hope whatever’s upset you goes away,”
She waved goodbye to him and disappeared into the crowd. When she emerged out the other side she was scanning her eyes for a payphone. Delving into Carl’s backpack she found lose change swimming between his belongings. Stepping into the nearest booth she slid the coins in and felt the sweat on her palms as she clutched the receiver.
“Hello Chicago PD, how may I help?”
Anna hesitated for a moment before choosing her words carefully. Her voice shaking as she spoke, she hesitantly uttered the hardest six words she’d ever said.
“I want to report a murder,”
She filled them in making sure they knew every detail.
“He’s in Corpus Christi right now. I left him in a bar called The Bison. About three miles to the south, just off the highway,”
And she hung up with a heavy heart.
“What have I done?” she stared into space for a second but she was too angry to think about it much more.
All men were dogs who treated women like filth. At least that’s what was going through her mind in the moment. Making her way over to the bays she looked over the various busses about to depart. Her eyes caught sight of the nearest one that was heading over the border. She fumbled in the briefcase as subtly as she could then joined the queue to get on board. Holding her cash out to the bus driver as she climbed the stairs, she tried to stifle the tears flowing from her face. But it was no use and she could tell passengers were staring at her.
“One way please,”
~
Carl was so enraged and panicked that he ran up and down the length of the street desperately trying to find her. Little did he know she had already boarded a bus… with all his possessions. When he exhausted himself he returned to the bar.
“Have you seen her?” he felt like throttling the barman.
“For like the tenth time, no I haven’t seen her,”
Carl felt like crying as he climbed back on his stool. He pushed his fingers into his jeans pockets and counted what cash he had left. It amounted to $115.
r /> “Hey, can I get bourbon? Actually can you just give me the bottle?” and he slid over twenty dollars.
“Look I don’t want you to get blind drunk and pass out here,” the barman explained glibly. “How about your find yourself a motel and crash there? If your girlfriend comes back I’ll send her your way,”
Carl nodded glumly.
“There’s a place two minutes from here. Just cross the road and take a right down that alley. They’ve got cheap rooms and cable TV, if you don’t mind the cockroaches,”
“Carl slid off his stool clumsily. “Thanks buddy,” he clutched at the bottle of bourbon and made his way out the door.
~
Detective Callahan was sitting at his desk with his head in his hands. He had a migraine coming on and still had six hours left before he could go home. Not that he wanted to do that either. He thought back to his wife’s hollering from last night and felt his stomach churn.
Suddenly another detective swaggered up to his desk with a crisp, new file.
“Hey Callahan, that mob hit on the south side from earlier this week. That’s your case ain’t it?”
“Yup,” he sighed and prayed he wasn’t getting more work to do.
“Well we got a suspect. A Carl Reiner,” and he dropped the file on his desk.
Callahan pricked up his ears at the name and hurried through the file. “Son of a bitch!” he declared. “Thanks buddy,”
And the other detective walked away.
Callahan fumbled in a hurry for his cell phone. Dialling Jerry’s number he jogged to the bathroom. Checking no one was in there he opened the file and began babbling.
“Hey buddy,” Jerry sounded pleased to hear from him.
“I got news! Your Mr. Reiner just turned up. Call just came in from an anonymous young woman who reported him for murdering her father, Thomas Martin,”
“Holy shit!”
“Yuh… but you better book the next flight south. He’s hiding in Corpus Christi,”
“Sometimes you’re alright, Callahan. Regards to your wife,” and Jerry hung up.
The detective shimmied back to his desk feeling like a disgraceful human being.
~
Jorge was still lying on the bed as the sunlight spilled onto his lithe body through the blinds. He blew smoke up into the air and watched it dance on the ceiling. He was listening in on Jerry’s phone call and it sounded like good news.
Jerry hung up the phone and grinned. “Get your shit. We’re goin’ to Texas,”