Santa Cruz Noir by Susie Bright

Author:Susie Bright
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Akashic Books
Published: 2018-05-22T04:00:00+00:00

5:45 a.m.—Woken by bells on gate of “Writer’s” house. Jingle jingle jingle. I open curtain. Individual in hoodie, apparently young adolescent male, caught in act of stealing “Writer’s” rubber boots. I run downstairs (really gimp downstairs because of bum hip), take up trash-grabber by door, exit house. Thief still in “Writer’s” yard. I brandish trash-grabber aloft from across street, yelling: “Drop those boots!”

Thief does not drop boots. I limp across street, open gate, hit boots out of perp’s hands with trash-grabber. I yell “Writer’s” name because in rush forgot phone to call cops.

Thief makes to attack me, but trips on fallen rubber boot, grabs onto trash-grabber on way down. Why? No idea. I yell for “Writer” again.

“Writer” (exiting house, in pajamas, long hair loose like wild man of Borneo): “What’s going on?”

Me: “Call the cops!”

“Writer” looks down. I look down. Thief’s hood has fallen back, revealing an apparently mixed-race female, late teens or early twenties, short dark hair, multiple piercings and whatnots in ears and nose, one big brown eye, holding other eye with both hands. Blood seeping through fingers. Apparently Thief hit trash-grabber with eye.

Thief: “My eye, my eye! This old man attacked me.”

Me: “I apprehended this criminal stealing your rubber boots.”

“Writer”: (ignoring me, to Thief) “Are you okay?”

Thief: “Something’s wrong with my eye.” (Blood dripping down face onto sweatshirt, will definitely stain if not washed immediately.)

“Writer”: (dialing 911 on his phone) “We need an ambulance.”

Me: “Are you crazy? She’s probably faking. Do you know how much an ambulance costs? Over a thousand dollars. Do you have insurance?”

“Writer”: (finally paying attention, hangs up). “I’ll drive you to the emergency room. My car’s just right here.”

“Writer” helps Thief to feet. Half-carries Thief to car (Prius, keyed on both sides). Drives away, silently, because: Prius. Leaves rubber boots on sidewalk. I gather them up, line them back up on his porch, all ready to be stolen again.

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