A Rough Way to Go by Sam Garonzik

Author:Sam Garonzik [GARONZIK, SAM]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2024-05-22T00:00:00+00:00

27

I ALMOST MISSED the train. The sitter was late, and when she did show up, Luke had a meltdown before I could leave and then he took a raucous dump that I cleaned up because it didn’t feel right to just drop that carnage in her lap and go sprinting out the door. It was a frantic exit. I have two meetings in the city today, and when you’re unemployed, you can’t be late, you just don’t let that happen. My fingers smell of A&D ointment.

Some time, a change of trains, and a couple stations later, I step off the subway at Union Square and walk a few blocks until I find the address. It’s a nondescript building stuck between a nationwide bank branch and a big-three pharmacy, which describes most places in the city, since just about every independent operator with character and charm was long ago destroyed by rising rents and the inevitable march of a bunch of different things. Inside, I take the elevator up to a midlevel floor and walk inside what feels like an accounting firm. A receptionist leads me to a back office and offers me a chair. Soon after she leaves, a guy walks in and sits down across from me behind a simple desk. He looks about my age.

I had expected a greaseball. Some chubby Peeping Tom wearing a fedora and short tie, pouring over nudie pics all day with a cheap cigar hanging from his mouth. But Walker’s guy comes off like an ex-cop or a boxer who still hits the gym pretty hard. His nose looks as if it’s been involved in some previous disagreements, and you get the sense that breaking it again wouldn’t really bother him. He wears a suit that fits him well, no tie, and a spread collar shirt. He’s dressed a lot better than I am.

“Just so we understand each other,” he says. “I strongly advised my client against this sort of meeting, but he disagreed. So I’m doing what I’m told, but if I hear something I don’t like, then it’s over. And here’s the thing to remember—this conversation never took place.”

“Got it.”

“You don’t want to test me on that one. This never happened. Does it look like I’m kidding?”

It doesn’t.

“No problem,” I tell him.

“Good.” He smiles and his eyes are nothing but sweet. “Now could you please empty your pockets for me?”

“What’s that?”

“Take out your cell phone—empty your pockets—nothing personal.”

“Are you serious?”

He stands in response, opens a drawer in his desk, and pulls out some gadget that looks like a walkie-talkie.

“Just relax,” he says. “Relax. C’mon, turn off your cell—lay it on the table. It’ll just take a sec. This will only make us closer.”

“Are you trying to see if I’m wearing some kind of wire?”

He walks over and waves this magic wand up and down me, as if scanning for traces of radiation.

“Take it easy,” he says. “All done. See? That wasn’t so bad. Now, don’t we both feel better? Wouldn’t you rather do this than get the lawyers involved? Sit down.

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