CHAPTER 4
I still didn’t see how any of this this Wealthy-Devil-stuff would fill my stomach, but let’s be real, the little booger had keys to a car; I can’t pretend I wasn’t interested. I could tell it was a really fancy car from the logo; one of the ones with the chrome ridges snaking up the hood.
I looked at the keys and the clothes and at Joq, grinning and winking. He cocked his head, dangled the keys in front of me like a lure and backed toward the bar. I sighed, looked out at the square, picked up the shoes and followed him.
“This better be good.”
“‘as Joq ever managed to disappoint? Eh, Nipple?”
I slapped the shoes on the bar and gave him a blank stare. “We just met.”
“We just met, and you’re in a warm bar, yeah?” He draped the usher’s uniforms on my side of the counter and stuck out his tongue.
“Yeah, well you owe me for the food. And the diversion...” I glanced at him to gauge his reaction. “You got the shit kicked out of you.” I added for good measure, feeling my nose to make sure it hadn’t grown a few inches. “They would’ve killed you if I hadn’t…”
In answer, Joq tossed me the keys and smacked the flyer on the bar. “Those make a nice car go ‘vroom’.” He tapped the flyer. “This is our ‘ickle money maker, it is.”
I traced embossment on the remote control part of the key with a thumb. Then I tore my eyes away and looked at the flyer. I wasn’t surprised when I saw it was the same red and black one with the shadowy faced woman. The flyers littered Main Street. JULIA’S SWORD. 11 FRIDAY. ONE NIGHT ONLY. Then I recalled that there had been a magic show in my dream. A beautiful woman had been performing. The flyer didn’t show Julia’s face, but I was sure she was the Lady Devil from my dream.
“This flyer’s everywhere. It’s for a magic show—not a food drive.
Joq waggled a finger. “A magic show at La Rouge. A magic show with lot’s of ‘em Wealthy Devils all distracted and ‘ot and bothered by this ‘ere enchantress.”
I narrowed my eyes. “And..?”
“And, La Rouge ‘as that fancy restaurant, with loads of fancy food. And any one—even a couple o’ ‘kid ushers’ can partake of the pickin’s during this ‘ere show!”
“We load up the car and drive back here.” I finished.
“Exac’ly.”
I shook my head. “Where did you even get this shit from?” I spread my hands over the keys and outfits.”
“Two years back I found this bar. A year later I think to meself, ‘how can Joq eat without stealin’, day after day, ‘til ‘is father comes for ‘im?’. I sat outside La Rouge listenin’ to ‘em wealthy monkeys talking, an’ ‘ear that one of ‘em is seein’ this Julia woman what’s on all the flyers. ‘e goes on about bonin’ ‘er and that’s alright because me ‘Joq’ is pleased. But then ‘e gets to talking about ‘ow she’s doin’ this show on Friday and ‘ow there’s supposed to be a lot of food there. Free food. I tell you Nipple, when I ‘eard that bit, I Joqed meself right then and there. Then I ‘atched a masterplan: steal a car, fill ‘er up with food and get out. Next day I go right up to La Rouge and nick the keys off the valet while ‘e was smooching one of ‘em bird-looking escorts and, when the sky turned dark, went back to find what car matched the keys by clicking the button on that remote. The car goes ‘click’, so now I know which car it is, and all that’s left is to find a uniform, to blend in, yeah? So I wait for three days or somefin’ and ‘ang around La Rouge to see if kids was servin’ at the magic show. No cigar. Yesterday I see the same guy what let on about ‘is Julia and ‘er show and the food, so I tail ‘im an’ ‘is friends, an’ listen in. ‘e’s yammerin’ on about Julia an’ ‘ow ‘is wife made ‘im drag along ‘is daugh’er to Main Street. ‘e was laughing about ‘ow ‘e did… stuff to ‘is daughter so she’d keep ‘is secret. Anyway, he mentions somefing about ‘snot-nosed brats’ workin’ at La Rouge as ushers, an’ I knew that was me sign. So I follow ‘im s’more an’ he goes on talkin’ about Julia and stuff ‘e’s done to her. All of a sudden he stops an’ puts up a ‘and to stop ‘is companions and turns, sharpish. I’m too late ducking behind a waste bin—‘e sees me. So they beat me shitless ‘til you come an’ save me ass.”
He frowned when he got to the part where I had gotten out of my grate—the part where I had lost Cranston and his thugs down that side street at the Bones restaurant; the part where I saw the young man with the cane and the black limousine…
Joq continued telling me how he had ultimately acquired the usher uniforms. After his pummeling, Joq had dusted himself off, walked across the street to La Rouge, and scouted. Apparently it hadn’t taken him long to find the ‘carrot-top usher brats’. There were two of them and Joq, seeing as I had saved him, had deemed me worthy to partake in his ‘culinary heist’. He had waited for me in my gutter, took me to this bar and, when I fell asleep last night, had returned to La Rouge. He supposedly beat the snob-ushers senseless, taken their clothes and headed back here. Joq had implacable timing, as tomorrow was the thirteenth.
I looked at him and the clothes and keys. That Julia woman will be shot dead. And I was leaving in a car without Joq in that dream. What will happen to him? I thought. Maybe he was in the car, and I just didn’t see him. I felt a shove in my gut and knew that wasn’t the case. Still, the opportunity to have a supply of food and some color in my dull life was tempting. I wanted the car to take me away from this Hell—take me away from Main Street to a real, permanent fantasy, with food I didn’t have to steal.
I told him I’d do it.