The Sin Tax by Preston Lang

Author:Preston Lang
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Down & Out Books

TWENTY-THREE

Carlos didn’t complain when Mark came in late. Ever since the night when Mark had given him forty-five dollars, they’d had a more cordial relationship—Hey and a nod.

“Sorry,” Mark said. “I had a—”

“Yeah, Janet called me.” Carlos made a tight little face. “She told me to stay extra.”

“And you stayed?”

“Yeah, I did.” Carlos clocked out. “You know, some guys pay money to have a bitch tell them shit—crawl on the ground, lick my shoe, wear some panties. Do you know what I’m talking about?”

“Sure.”

“That’s not for me.”

“It’s not for me either.”

“Have a good one,” Carlos said.

The shift was quiet for a Friday night. Mark gave a few of the regulars steep discounts on their cigarettes. The old lady who lived in the apartment next door showed up in pajamas and flip flops for two-dollar Parliaments—God Bless you, Deliman. Officer Wade showed up at midnight.

“Hey, how’s it going?” Wade appeared amused by everything.

“How are you, Officer?”

“Fine, fine. It’s Mark, right?” Wade asked.

“What do you need?”

“Coffee. Working late, like you. Lots of coffee. That’s what I need.”

Mark let Wade continue and assumed he was working toward some kind of punchline.

“I can serve myself? You don’t worry about lawsuits?”

“I don’t, no.”

“Don’t tell your boss that. When she flies off the handle—bodies start dropping.” Wade laughed and poured himself a large coffee. “I’m sorry. Tough to shake—overnight sense of humor. You should hear the way some of the guys joke.”

“What do they say?”

“Better not repeat any of it—get some people in serious trouble.” Wade stirred in cream and sugar. “Your boss, how often is she here at two in the morning?”

“Now and then.”

“Yeah? Lucky for you, she was here the night of the robbery.” Wade took a tiny sip. “What does she come in for at this time of night?”

More questions that Mark had already answered. He wondered if something new had popped up, or if this was just a bit of fishing for Wade.

“She likes working nights—the traffic is lighter.”

“I guess she’s got a point there.” Wade nodded. “You know the guy who got shot. His name was Steve Macintosh—sometimes called Slider. The guy had a bit of a record.”

“A criminal with a criminal record? Is that uncommon?”

Wade laughed—just two friends joking around late at night.

“Some of the guys had a theory. Did your boss know Slider? Were they dating? You know, Slider—he got jealous of you—then he showed up and there was a big scene and she shot him.”

“What?” Mark didn’t have to pretend to be confused.

“Hey, I’m with you, man. Those guys come up with some crazy shit. I think some of them should probably be locked up. What do I owe you?”

Just a little extra poking around from a man bored on a nightshift. That’s likely all it was. Mark was looking forward to leaving this behind. This would probably be his last night of work. Tomorrow was the deal, and Janet would probably need him. He hadn’t seen Marie since the night they’d kissed. He thought about her often—why

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