Gold Coast (1979) by Leonard Elmore

Author:Leonard, Elmore [Elmore, Leonard,]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2011-01-21T02:30:04.375000+00:00

Chapter 11

"THEN THEY GO BACK TO HER HOUSE," Jesus Diaz said to Roland. "Then, you know, after awhile, he goes home."

Roland was down on the floor in his undershorts doing pushups, red-faced, tight-jawed, counting, "Ninety-five . . . ninety-six . . . Where's he live?" straining to say it.

Like the time on the toilet, Jesus Diaz thought. The time Roland, sitting on the toilet, grunting, making noises, had made him stand in the doorway of the bathroom while Roland talked to him.

"He lives up by Northeast Twenty-ninth Street, in Fort Lauderdale."

"One hunnert," Roland said, getting up, breathing heavily with his hands on his hips. Jesus Diaz tried to read what was printed in red on the front of Roland's white bikini undershorts, without staring at his crotch.

"You tell me she met him at the place. So then they both drive to her house?"

"No, he went in the car with her, the Mercedes."

"Then how'd he get home?"

What was printed on Roland's shorts, was Home of the Whopper. Jesus Diaz said, "He drove her car home."

"She let him use her car?"

"I guess so. He drove it to where he work, that place, Seascape."

Roland squinted. "Seascape? The fuck is Seascape?"

"That kind of porpoise place. They have the shows there."

"Jesus Christ," Roland said. "Seascape, yeah. I believe Dorado owns it, or did. What's he do there?"

"The tricks, you know, with the porpoise. Make them jump up, take a piece of fish out of his mouth. All like that."

"Well, you go on back and see him," Roland said. "Take somebody with you to hold his arms."

"Today you mean?"

"I mean right now, partner. Get on it."

"Man, I'd like to get some sleep first."

"What you need sleep for? Didn't you go to bed?"

"I'm just tired," Jesus Diaz said, and left to go do his job, tired or not.

Do it right or Roland would chew his ass out, tell him to quit chasing that Cuban cocha. Stay in shape like him.

Sure, but if he'd said he was awake all night, except for dozing off--sitting in the mangrove bushes across the street so the security car wouldn't see him--then Roland would say, All night? You mean to say the dink spent the night? Then Roland might go over there and do something to the woman again.

Man, he was tired though.

Go home, get the Browning to put under his jacket, just in case. Pick up Lionel Oliva at the Tall Pines Trailer Park; pull him out of bed. Hey, Lionel, you want to beat up somebody for a hundred dollars? How big? Not big. Shit yes, he'd jump in the car. It shouldn't be hard. The porpoise man didn't look very strong. Also he'd be tired out after his night in the two-hundred-year-old bed.

Marta had said, handing the early-morning cup of coffee to him out the side door, "If it wasn't broken before, it is now." Saying it, not as a truth, but because she was happy for the woman.

Jesus Diaz was happy for her also. It was too bad he had to do this to her old friend.

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