Chapter 19 Chapter Eighteen

Nicolai stopped the car on Tuesday night when people were watching TV, went in, pulled out his ID, shook hands with Max and Winston, and said, "Winston Willie Powell?— —When I was a kid my dad took me to the convention center in Miami to watch boxing. I saw you punching Tommy LaGrecia and a kid named Jesús Diaz, man, that was good. I remember thinking, With a name like that, he's never going to lose. You've won thirty-nine fights in the ring and only two rounds in the final, right?" "Probably," said Winston. "It's a pleasure to shake your hand," said Nicolai, sitting at Max's table with his back to Winston. "Nice to meet you, too," he said to Max, "I've heard so many stories about you, I mean when you worked with the Palm Coast Justice Department and solved two homicides in three days .”

"You better do it all at once," Max said, "or you're asking for trouble." "I see what you mean," said Nicolai, "that the longer a case drags on, the more unsolvable it is..." The telephone rang, and he paused, waiting for Winston to pick it up. "I've got a question, and I thought you could help, Max. You've been in law enforcement, you know, in order to make a case unsolvable we need to have a conviction." "All I know about Ordell Robbie," Max said, "is just where he lives, and I'm not absolutely sure even that."

Nicolai smiled. "How do you know it's about him?" "I've been waiting for you to come." "It was indirectly about him," Nicolai said. "You know the guy who shot the Investigative Officer Taylor? We have proof that he was working for Ordell." "Little Huron Miller," Max said, "I've written him bail several times since he was sixteen." Nicolai said, "Really?" He squinted at Max to show how interested he was in continuing the conversation. This must be the biggest help this kid can get. "Seventeen arrests, nine or ten convictions, I think." Nicolai said, "This kid is tough and knows his stuff. When we caught him, he had a stolen gun, and a stolen car. . . . We saw him in front of Ordell's house. In fact, we saw you park there not long before that."

"Last Friday," Max said, "you're arresting him for attempted murder, assault on federal officials, possession of weapons, shooting..." The phone rang.Max turned his head and saw Winston pick up the receiver again. "anything else?" "He knew he was in trouble," Nicolai said, "but now he's a hero because he shot a policeman. I mean out of prison. He's limping -- I really mean it." Gave him a shot and almost knocked his dick off, if only he did. I couldn't aim and shoot him because of the fucking tinted glass in the car."

"So he refuses to talk to you," Max said. "He also stared at me hard." "You have enough evidence to threaten him." "He got it all. I tried to do it differently, and I said to him, 'Kuch, I could have shot you; you owe me your life. Let's talk about Ordell Robbie.' He said, 'Who?' 'Tell me what you know about him.' 'Who?' I said, 'Man, you sound like a fucking asshole.' So, he bet there, No bail... I figured it out and went to see him again. 'How about I get you bailed out, buddy? Would you?' That finally got his interest. I told him, 'You just Do me one thing. Not snitch, just this one thing: Introduce me to Ordell. Tell him I was looking for you a few weeks ago for a gun. You just do this one thing, later That's my business.'"

Max waited.He said, "How is it?" "That's it, I'm going to see Ordell afterwards, I'm going to smile all over my face, I'm going to kiss his ass face, and he's going to show me his machine gun." "You just said that there is no bail." "True, but I can get the federal sheriff to prescribe one." "How much?" "Twenty-five thousand. But, you see, you are the only one who can write it, and help us." "Who pays for the subsidiary guarantee?" "Not yet. Nobody paid for it. That's why I said you have to do us a favour."

Max smiled.He looked back at Winston, who had finished answering the phone by this time. "Listen to this. He wants us to write a bond for twenty-five thousand dollars, but there's no premium, no collateral, and a guy who's been arrested seventeen times and shot an officer people." And now Winston laughed too. Nicolai turned to look at him. "Even if it's a favor, what's wrong?" "This guy you're talking about," Max said, "would be the biggest risk to let out, he's a threat to society... If he shoots someone and wounds a policeman, he gets away , and we have his bail."

Nicolai shook his head. "Wait a minute, okay? I promise this guy won't escape my surveillance. Even if he does escape, you won't pay the twenty-five thousand, I promise. I have a guarantee from the judge on this. She It's perfectly clear what we're doing, it's not an ordinary bail case." "If she dies, retires, transfers, gets Thunderbolt—listen to me," Max said, "do you think I'm crazy? I'm going to sign a twenty-five-thousand bail My name, just one word from you, will never ask us to pay, will you?" He looked back at Winston. "You've never heard of such a thing, have you?"

"No, I've heard of it. I knew a guy in Miami who did that," Winston said. "The bond was ten thousand dollars. The guy got away and the case went to another court. The new judge said, first , he would never admit it, so he asked the guarantor to pay the money." "I'll put it in writing," said Nicolai.Winston shook his head. Max said, "Is the judge going to sign a statement saying it's false bail? Don't expect them to sign a warrant." Max paused. "According to my better judgment, I'll make a compromise with you. Let's not talk about the ten percent commission. If you can get someone to put up the collateral. How about yourself? Do you own a house? "

"It belongs to my ex-wife," Nicolai said. "That's not the same as nothing," Max said. "Another reason this can't be done is that everyone on the street knows that Huron has a deal. He could put up a sign 'I tipped off to the Authority.'" .If he doesn't run, he will most likely be beaten to death." Nicolai squinted again to look at the people. "I thought you'd agree." "why?" "You've been a policeman and know the details of such things. You'll think it worth a try." "I sympathize with you," Max said, "so what?"

"I think you have your problems too," said Nicolai. "For example, if you wrote a letter of guarantee to a man, what if he runs away? . . . " "We're going to get him back," Max said. "But you can't find this guy because he's covered by the federal witness protection clause, so what? Have you ever had a high-bail defendant slip away like this before?" Max looked at Winston. "He's threatening us right now." "Ask him," said Winston, "has his head been knocked off his shoulders?" Nicolai turned away and smiled at Winston. "Hey, I'm thinking of you guys. We're on the same page, man." Winston said, "As long as you don't cross that line." Nicolai looked at Max and raised his eyebrows with an aggrieved look. "Just count me kidding, okay?" Max nodded.Maybe he was joking, maybe he meant it.The kid was young and aggressive, and he couldn't wait to grab Ordell Robbie and get this over with.Max fully supported him in doing so.He said: "Look up a guy named Luis Galla, released from 'Stark' prison, I don't know, maybe two or three months ago. To the 'Graze Mutual Insurance Company in Miami 'Look it up. Get close to him, I think he can get you to Ordell." They talked for a while longer about Luis Gallas and Nicolai left. Winston said: "There was a call for you. Just a name..." Winston looked at his notepad. "Simone Harrison, on Thirty Street?" Max shook his head. "Never heard of her." "Driving a 1985 Mercury?" Simone does Martha's moves for Louis, playing "Heatwave" by the Vandera East, then "Quicksand," and Louis nods to the beat, and tonight he's had some rum, It is her favorite wine.At first he clapped, and Simone had to tell him, "No, honey, this is it." Show him where to beat.Rum relaxes him.Then she did the Mary Wells moves to "My Buddies" and the Mary Wells and Marvin Gay moves to "What's Up With You Baby" and held out her hand Come and invite Louis to act with her, playing the role of Marvin.Louis said he didn't know the lyrics.In fact, he didn't understand the dog, but he was just a muscular, thick-boned man with many black hairs on his white skin.She said, "Listen to the lyrics, sweetheart. That's the way to learn." And told him, "Here, do this." Teach him how to hold his hands limply, and slowly wiggle his ass, see? ?Simone looked at him sleepily, told him not to be nervous, to stop staring at his feet, and she said, "Come on, baby, it's in your stomach," and she put a hand on her stomach on, "Don't sink to the floor." He hugged her and continued to move. "Let's go to the bedroom." "Can't dance there, baby." When he started to move, and stroking her with both hands, and putting one hand up her skirt, Simone said, "What are you looking for there?" "I found it." "Well, I think you found it." "Let's go to the bedroom." "Honey, don't tear my panties. They're new. I just wore them today." "I'll be careful, it's easy." The new panties reminded her of the avenue, where she met the girl who was going to be jointed."We have to put the money somewhere. It can't just sit there," she said. "I will." "Have to hide." "I'm going to hide the 'lava sausage'." They talk nonsense like that, and that's what white guys love, even middle-aged guys just out of prison. "Huh? You feel comfortable, babe, don't you? Yeah...but don't tear my panties, okay, darling? You seem to like to rip panties, let me change an old one for you." Max waited after ringing the doorbell. He heard a slight sound of music inside, and gradually recognized the famous "Modang" music. It sounded familiar, but he couldn't tell the name of the choir or how many people were singing.He rang the bell again, and waited longer. Within a minute, a woman's voice asked, "Who are you looking for?" "Ordell," Max said, staring into the looking glass.It was too dark outside for the woman inside to see him unless she turned on the doorway light. "He's not here." "I promised to meet him." "Where?" "Here. He said nine o'clock." It was still ten minutes to go. "Wait a minute." He could hear kids playing across the street, niggers, Max thought, it was past bedtime, they had to go inside. A man's voice said, "What are you doing?" "I've told the lady I want to see Ordell." There was silence. "Are you a policeman?" "I'm a bailman. Turn on the doorway light and I'll show you my papers." The man's voice said, "I guessed it was you just now." Now it sounds more trustworthy. The door opened.Max saw Luis Gallas in a pair of trousers and no shirt, with his fingers stuck in thick chest hair.Max immediately thought of it: these two are friends of Ordell.That would explain why Louis was there, but not what he and the woman were doing. "You didn't come to see Ordell. He didn't tell me," Lewis said. "So you're working for him," Max said. "Well, I'll take either of you, so I don't think I wasted my time." He kicked his way inside, brushing a shoulder against Louis, knocking him off balance, and slamming into the door, slamming it against the wall.Max glared at him. "Are you OK?" "I don't like reckless guys," said the woman. She's standing there clutching the home clothes she's wearing, barefoot, but with makeup on her face, blue and red highlights, her hair tied up on top like she's going to a party.What are you doing in this room?They were both disheveled, and there were bottles of Puerto Rican rum and Coca-Cola on the coffee table, but neither had glasses. The music of "Modang" filled the room.Max said, "Mrs. Harrison, what choir is this?" "'Maverit,'" Simone said. "'There are too many fish in the sea.' That's what's playing now." She went to the stereo and turned it off. Max studied her. "Does this kid live here?" By this time Louis was standing at the coffee table.The woman walked past him, touched his bare arm, and sat on a padded rocker, crossing her legs so Max could see part of her thigh.She said, "You want to know about Louis, why don't you ask him? He's just standing there." "I'm sorry to bother you," Max said. "He and I can go outside and talk." "No need, we can talk about it here." Simone bent over and picked up the Coca-Cola bottle, there was still some left in it. "As long as you don't get rough." This woman intends to spy. With heavy makeup all over her face and her hair tied up on top of her head, it looks like she has a string of pearls hanging from her hair. It is difficult to tell her age. "Louis used to work with me." The woman said, "Oh, is that so?" "As he was leaving, he vandalized the front door of my office and took two guns." Louis said, "What gun?" His face stretched long. "Did you mean 'Mossberg' and 'Monty Python'?" Max saw the results of four years in prison in Louis's posture, his hands on his hips, his muscles exposed.What Max didn't notice was that staring god—the murderer's gaze in Louis's eyes, which was more glazed than threatening at this time, and Louis had too much wine to hide. Max said, "Louis, you never meant to renege." The guy didn't know what to do. "Where's the gun?" Louis shrugged, or moved. "Is it in your car?" "He lent it to someone else," Simone said. "His car isn't here, and he doesn't have a gun. You can search my house and see if I'm lying?" "He can't," Louis said. Max turned to face him. "Do you want to call the police?" "If you try to look around, I'll stop you," Louis said. If only he had his scary gun, Max thought.He pulled the Browning Automatic from his inside coat pocket and aimed it at Louis. "Sit down, will you? I'll shoot you if you jump at me. I won't kill you, but I'll make you hurt like hell and be limping for the rest of your life." He glanced at the woman. "That would have saved his life." Sitting in the rocking chair, she nodded. "maybe." "People who come out of prison, as long as something goes wrong, they will go back in again." "He can't help it," said Simone. "You know the story, the scorpion asked the turtle if he could let him cross the river on his stomach?" "I have no idea." "The scorpion asked the tortoise if he could cross the river on his body. The tortoise said, 'No, what if you sting me?' The scorpion said, 'If I sting you, we'll both drown. You think I want to Do you want to die?' said the tortoise. All right. They reached the middle of the river. The scorpion stung the tortoise. When they sank, the tortoise said, "Are you crazy? Why did you sting me?" The scorpion said, "I There's no way, man, it's in my nature. This is what I have to do.'" Max nodded. "It's a good story." "Scorpion said: 'I've got to do it,'" Simone said. "He's got to do it too, and that's true of all the people I've met who come out of prison. They can't wait to go back to prison." "I have to search your house," Max said. "You're not asking for my permission, are you?" Max shook his head. "You know what your gun looks like, don't you? Can you recognize it?" "A musket and a revolver." "Well, please," said Simone, "if you find another gun, or if you find something else, will you take it all? Someone will come after what you want, understand? That man has more guns." You haven't seen it in your life." Louis sat upright, holding the arms of the chair with both hands, watching the development of things step by step, thinking to himself, what will happen here in a minute?The woman was riding him and he was about to come and push her to cum, but now this guy came to search the house. Doorbell rang.She got up and said that Ordell must have wanted something, that's why he rang the bell instead of walking up to them.She went back into the house and said it wasn't Ordell, it was someone else.He put on his pants and went to the door.God, it's Max Cherry, oh, what's going on here?How would Max know about this place if Ordell didn't tell him?He lied about meeting Ordell, maybe he wasn't lying?Let him in then.You can hold him anyway.He mentions the gun and watches him.Oh, you mean "Mossberg" and "Monty Python"?He had a straight face and no expression.He'd be damned if he didn't find it funny.What can he do?He can't prove anything. But that's not the case.Things happened so fast that he was caught off guard.He should have thought more about it before letting him in.He said come in and he came in, he took the initiative. "I don't feel right," he said to Simone. "I see you're all right, baby." "I vaguely think it was yesterday, but I'm not. I'm not a little drunk. Unprepared, you know." "You're talking nonsense right now. Did you take this man's gun?" "Not here." "Then what are you afraid of? He's not a policeman." "And what if he does?" "Well, you shouldn't have let him in, have you? Baby, you're just a little out of your wits from what you've done. I've seen people like that." "That's what I was about to say. Inside, I'm fine. I'm out of jail—you can breathe a sigh of relief, how you feel...you know." She sighed. "Yeah, I see, baby." She looked up at Max and said, "Uh-oh." Max came out of the aisle, a Fifth Avenue Saks bag in his hand, a pistol at his waist. "This is the other thing I just mentioned, and you'd better not take it," said Simone, looking at Louis again. "Did you see what happened? You were my witness, and I didn't take it away. Have you ever done anything for this man?" Louis waited for Max to talk to him about the gun, but Max was talking to Simone. "Tell Ordell we're even. I left him something in the bedroom." "What?" Simone said. "Receipt?" Max smiled at her.Louis thought that since Max and Ordell knew each other, there might be something he didn't know.Max spoke to her again at this time: "I'm going to tell Ordell to pack up those machine guns you hid in the closet and take them away tonight, as soon as possible anyway. If the police find this machine gun, you But the house is about to be lost." Max was walking out at this time.Simone waved him a hand up, as if to wave him out. Louis looked at her, thinking about those TEC-9s in the closet that he had to take to the warehouse.He turned around and saw Max opened the door and walked out with shopping bags.Louis was still staring at the door. Simone got up and went to the bedroom. Louis was thinking that he shouldn't be drinking the rum.Or he should find a cup and drink something else. "Rum and Coca-Cola", The Andrew Sisters.He was avoiding Melanie at a bar on Ocean Boulevard this afternoon, thinking of her as a cannibal girl.Stout bourbon in the afternoon and rum in the evening with nothing in between... You can't get drunk, isn't that what you do every day in Stark Prison?Has a lot of staying power. Simone returned to the living room with a wad of banknotes in one hand and a gold watch in the other. She said, "Does that person work? Is there a job?" Louis watched her sit at the coffee table, counting hundred-dollar bills. "He's a bailman." "No wonder," said Simone, "because he's so good at stealing money."