Nobody from Somewhere by Dietrich Kalteis

Author:Dietrich Kalteis [Kalteis, Dietrich]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ECW Press
Published: 2022-06-07T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

“You alright?” Nosing the RV into traffic and rolling east on Marine, passing the mall, the old Sears store, the wall smudged where the lettering had been. Turning to the girl, looking concerned, Fitch asked her again.

“Mister, don’t even look at me funny . . .” Brushing glass from the passenger seat, facing him, the girl full of fight.

“Can’t help looking funny.” He took a breath, his pulse racing, a knot like a throb in his neck. “Take a minute, miss, and tell the good guys from the bad, okay? I know it went pretty fast. I’m trying to catch up myself.”

“No cops.” She looked like she was set to jump.

“You saw what I did, right? Dangerous driving, criminal negligence, child endangerment . . .”

“I’m not a child.”

“Okay, how about assault with a flame thrower?”

She just looked at him.

“Any idea of the demerit points alone? Not to mention, seniors have to report for license review every twelve months, prove we’re not a menace.”

“So no cops?”

“No cops.” Fitch drew more air, trying to ease his pounding heart, keeping the rig in the lane — not the time to tell her he’d put twenty years on the job, the retired shield in his wallet.

In spite of the cold rushing through the busted window, the girl settled on the seat, saying, “You in a circus or something? That thing you did.”

“With the spray?”

“Yeah.”

“Improvising.”

“Well . . .”

“Pretty cool, right?”

“I guess so.” She relaxed some, saying, “The stuff of superheroes.”

Maybe she didn’t see a grandpa with liver spots and sagging flesh. Cap’n Colostomy. Fitch smiled and said, “Tell the truth, I wasn’t thinking too much of anything.” Nodding to his walking stick laying between the seats. Adding, “Nothing like a nice piece of hickory.” When she didn’t react, he told her it was a line from a movie. “You know, Clint Eastwood?”

“Uh uhn.”

“Well, thought maybe you . . . just a guy in the movies.”

“Think he’s like you?” She reached his stick and leaned it behind his seat, looked like she was starting to ease. Saying, “Kind of remind me of that guy, you know, the one from Grumpy Old Men. The funny-looking one.” Touching her head, a little blood coming from her scalp.

“That’s Matthau. And thanks, I guess. Sure you’re not . . . forget it.” Smiling, saying, “Anyway, nice to meet you, miss . . .”

“Call me Penny.”

“And I’m Fitch. Nice to meet you, Penny.”

“And thanks for that, the lift. Any place you can pull over’s fine.” She lifted a sneaker, retying her lace.

“The lift?”

“Yeah, thanks. Here’s fine.”

“Not as fine as you think. Dollars to donuts, they’re coming after us.” Fitch not sure he immobilized them. “You want out, not a problem, but let me get you where it’s safe. And maybe let me take a look at that cut.”

Putting a hand to her head, she looked at the streak of red on her finger. She put the hand on the door handle, said she’d be fine, then turned to the rear of the RV like somebody might be hiding back there.

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