Page 18 of Lone Wolf

“She’s dead.”

“Wow. Life, huh?” His focus went back to the phone and lodged there.

Twenty seconds passed, maybe thirty. When Baridon looked up, he did a tiny double take with his eyes as if he’d lost track of the fact that he had company. “What?”

Evan said, “You were on your phone.”

“Look,” Baridon said. “It was really nice meeting you. I mean that, truly.” A pause. “But I have a girl coming over. Gotta get the tail while the gettin’s good. You been there, I’m sure.”

Evan said, “Right.”

“I do want to talk more and all that, you just caught me at a bad time.”

The tight layout put the kitchen right on top of them. One of the cupboard doors was missing and Evan could see the dishes inside. The plates were ordered by size and perfectly stacked, the cups lined up like soldiers, mugs arranged by height.

“I understand,” Evan said.

“So come back some other time and I’ll buy you a beer. How ’bout that?”

Evan rose.

He’d laid out five strides to the door and took them now, counting them off. His hand was on the knob when Baridon said, “Wait.”

Evan turned around.

Baridon was standing boldly, feet splayed, stiffened legs pushed slightly forward to put his crotch on display. “I hate to ask this. I mean timing and all.” A sheepish smile that looked jarringly youthful. “Can I borrow twenty bucks? The ATM at the bar’s shot and I promised her, you know, I’d take her for a burger. I mean I got it, I got plenty, but the ATM’s out and I’m not gonna drive all the way to the bank.”

Evan felt his weight—even between both feet. His posture was solid, dignified. That was what he could do right now.

He reached into his pocket. Pulled out the inch-wide stack of folded hundreds, peeled off the top bill, and extended it to Baridon.

It took a moment for Baridon to reset himself in his boots. He sidled forward and took it, the gesture forcing him into a little bow. “Hey, man. All right. Appreciate it.”

The exchange should have felt vindicating in a strategic or biblical sense, but it didn’t. It didn’t whatsoever.

Evan turned around. He walked through the door.

“Hey, I’ll pay you back for sure.”

Evan kept on to the borrowed Wrangler.

“Next time you’re around look me up!”

Evan drove away from the pink-painted double-wide with its dimpled roof. He did not look in the rearview.

The dirt road was long.

He drove for a good distance.

Then he pulled over onto the verge and vomited into the dirt.

10

Lupine Menace

Karissa abided by two rules when she required a getaway driver.

One: Choose someone wholly unconnected to her.