The Best Trick by Annika Martin

Author:Annika Martin [Martin, Annika]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Annika Martin

Eleven

Stan the Man’s sports bar was a large windowless building between a strip joint and a liquor store, a sort of one-stop vice destination.

The place was dark and heavily air-conditioned inside; unsurprisingly, it smelled of stale booze. Everywhere you looked there were giant screens showing sports of every kind, with people gathered in little clusters watching them. Low-hanging lamps illuminated row upon row of busy pool tables at the far end.

“You really think it's possible this guy could have the dog?” I asked.

“Assuming Wilson's debts are extreme enough, and assuming this guy believes the rumor that Wilson has buried money somewhere, it's more than possible.”

We went up to a clean-cut, sporty-looking bartender at the center bar.

“We're looking for Stan,” Zeus said.

“Who's asking?” the sporty bartender asked. Another one sidled up next to him, this guy also clean cut, but a little older. “God Pack,” the older one said. “Go let him know.”

The young one looked at us like we were aliens and then scurried off.

That’s right, we’re the God Pack! I thought, feeling super notorious.

“What can I get you?” the older bartender asked. “On the house.”

“Thank you,” I said. “I would love a wine spritzer.” The guys ordered tap beer, and Odin tipped him a fifty. We got our beers and then Thor tapped my shoulder and pointed at the pool tables. There had to be twenty of them. People were probably gambling on the games.

“That's a lot of pool tables,” I said.

“No, look at the walls.” Thor pulled me nearer to him, and that’s when I saw them—paintings of dogs playing pool stretching all along one wall. “Isn't that your favorite kind of art?”

My heart was just pounding. “I’ve never seen so many different ones in one place!”

“You think they’re painted on velvet?” he asked.

“They’d better be,” I said, dragging him over to get a closer look. It really was an amazing collection, with a beautiful bulldog-and-collie one that I’d never seen before. “Okay, I like this place a lot better now. Maybe this Stan the Man is okay.”

Thor slung an arm around my shoulders. “Not a chance.”

“What is it?” Odin came up, swigging his beer, with Zeus next to him.

“The dogs.” Thor pointed.

“When we have a place someday, we're going to decorate it with those kinds of pictures,” Zeus rumbled.

“Oh, we don't have to. I just think they're fun and funny, that's all.” It was painful to think in terms of someday like that. “I wouldn’t inflict this art on you guys,” I said wistfully.

“No, it's settled,” Zeus said. “When we get a place, it has to reflect all of our tastes. We all pick art we love.”

“And maybe we could have a flying toilet,” Thor said. “And a robot butler too. Because why not?”

“What's that supposed to mean?” Odin asked.

“It’s just stupid to talk about it like it’ll actually happen,” Thor said with uncharacteristic negativity.

“We could have a home someday,” Odin said.

Thor snorted.

“Maybe we'll go to Jerba,” I said.

My guys all groaned. Jerba was a vacation island I’d identified off the coast of Tunisia.

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