Vachss, Andrew - Blossom by Vachss Andrew

Author:Vachss, Andrew [Vachss, Andrew]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
ISBN: 9780375719059
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published: 2001-09-25T07:00:00+00:00

63

THE NEXT MORNING, I picked up Virgil and Lloyd. Dropped Virgil off at the plant, said we'd pick him up at lunchtime.

Lloyd and I drove around for a few hours. I had him show me the high school, the woods, the dunes, lovers' lane. Questioned him about every kid he knew, trying to listen with his mind. Straining to hear the music, pick out the false notes.

If Lloyd had run across the sniper, he hadn't seen the shadow.

64

I PULLED THE LINCOLN into the diner parking lot. Walked in, Virgil and Lloyd close behind me. Virgil was back to himself, the worry–lines off his eyes. Like he was in the joint—not asking questions, waiting and ready. Virgil slid in first, right across from me, leaving Lloyd on the corner.

Cyndi flounced up to the booth. "Hi, Mitch! These your friends?"

"My brother Virgil, and his nephew Lloyd."

"Pleased to meet you. Mitch, if Virgil is your brother…and Lloyd is his nephew, what's that make him to you?"

"Close enough," I said. Virgil laughed.

I had tuna. Virgil had burgers, fries, and a beer. Lloyd ordered exactly what Virgil did.

The jukebox came on. Jim Reeves. "He'll Have to Go."

A voice from a booth behind us. "Hey, get your ass over here! We ain't got all day."

Blossom walked past us, order pad in her hand. I turned. Her booth was full of greasy humans in biker–drag. Big fat slob on the end, wearing a denim jacket with the sleeves cut out over a T–shirt. Weaselly little guy in the middle. Two drones on the end.

I couldn't hear what they said. Blossom came past us again, two bright red dots on her cheeks.

Bonnie Tyler on the juke. "It's a Heartbreak."

Cyndi came back with the food. Leaned over. "See those slobs in the back booth? I told Blossom to watch out for them. Offered to take the table for her. Those boys are trouble."

Virgil peered over. "They don't look like trouble to me," he said.

Blossom came by, a tray in each hand.

I chewed the tuna slowly, thinking about my target.

A crash from the booth behind us. "Get your hands off me!" Blossom. I turned. The fat one had his hand under Blossom's skirt, laughing as she pounded at his face, warding her off easily with one hand.

Lloyd was out of the booth like he'd kicked in an afterburner. "Let her go!" Voice cracking and squeaky. Fatso flung Blossom aside with one hand, stood up just as Lloyd charged into him, face against the bigger man's chest, hands pumping like pistons on nitromethane. I whirled out of the booth, feeling Virgil on my back.

The fat man backed up under Lloyd's attack, grunting at the body–shots. The kid was holding his own until the fat man grabbed the boy's ears, butted him sharply in the face. Lloyd fell back, blood spurting. I grabbed a table with both hands, spun on my right foot, tilted my body parallel to the floor and shot my left boot into Fatso's ribs. He doubled over as I knife–edged my hand and chopped into his neck.

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