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“What brings you out here?” he asked, not taking his eyes off Tex and not moving from the door.
“Dad’s in town,” I said.
Bear’s eyes finally came to me.
“Is he?” Bear lied. He totally knew Dad was in town.
“He’s in trouble, Bear. Can we come in for second and talk?” I asked.
Bear didn’t move from his body blockade of the door. “Wish you could, girl, but Lavonne’s workin’ nights and she gets a little cranky when her beauty sleep’s disturbed.”
At last, Bear spoke the truth. Lavonne got cranky when the sun rose, when it set and when the earth revolved around it. Then again, Lavonne had been supporting a ne’er-do-well for thirty years, albeit a lovable one. That would make me cranky too.
“Do you know anything about Dad?” I asked.
“Un-unh, haven’t heard from Ray in ages,” Bear answered.
Back to lying.
Damn.
I sighed then ran down my latest adventures with Dad, Slick and Slick’s knife.
It was then Bear looked angry.
“What’re you doin’ workin’ at a titty bar?” he demanded to know.
Wonderful.
“That isn’t the point,” I told him.
“It is the point,” Bear returned. “You need money?”
Like Bear had money.
Before I could answer, Tex boomed, “Let’s stay focused here, people.”
Bear tensed, still angry, and he glared at Tex.
I moved into Bear’s line of sight. I didn’t need two big, hairy men wrestling amongst a bunch of rusty tricycles. I had to find Dad and then find a Killer Eddie Date Outfit and make sure my legs had a clean, close shave. I didn’t have time to go off target.
“Bear, I really need to find Dad.”
Bear looked at me.
“I haven’t heard from Ray. All right? If I do, I’ll call you. And I won’t tell Lavonne you’re workin’ at a titty bar. She’d have a shit hemorrhage.”
With that, we had no choice but to say good-bye. Then we trooped back to Indy’s Beetle. We sat in it, me in the back, Indy driving, Tex in the front passenger seat.
We stared at the house.
“Do you think your dad’s in there?” Indy asked me.
“No, but I think Bear knows where he is,” I answered.
“Maybe we should drive around the corner and hang out for a while, watch the house,” Indy suggested.
“Fuck that. I don’t do stakeouts. I need food. I missed lunch. Let’s roll,” Tex said in a voice you didn’t want to argue with.
